Optimizing efficiency of height modeling for extensive forest inventories.

Treesearch

T.M. Barrett

2006-01-01

Although critical to monitoring forest ecosystems, inventories are expensive. This paper presents a generalizable method for using an integer programming model to examine tradeoffs between cost and estimation error for alternative measurement strategies in forest inventories. The method is applied to an example problem of choosing alternative height-modeling strategies...

LASER BEAMS: On alternative methods for measuring the radius and propagation ratio of axially symmetric laser beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dementjev, Aleksandr S.; Jovaisa, A.; Silko, Galina; Ciegis, Raimondas

2005-11-01

Based on the developed efficient numerical methods for calculating the propagation of light beams, the alternative methods for measuring the beam radius and propagation ratio proposed in the international standard ISO 11146 are analysed. The specific calculations of the alternative beam propagation ratios Mi2 performed for a number of test beams with a complicated spatial structure showed that the correlation coefficients ci used in the international standard do not establish the universal one-to-one relation between the alternative propagation ratios Mi2 and invariant propagation ratios Mσ2 found by the method of moments.

Efficient l1 -norm-based low-rank matrix approximations for large-scale problems using alternating rectified gradient method.

PubMed

Kim, Eunwoo; Lee, Minsik; Choi, Chong-Ho; Kwak, Nojun; Oh, Songhwai

2015-02-01

Low-rank matrix approximation plays an important role in the area of computer vision and image processing. Most of the conventional low-rank matrix approximation methods are based on the l2 -norm (Frobenius norm) with principal component analysis (PCA) being the most popular among them. However, this can give a poor approximation for data contaminated by outliers (including missing data), because the l2 -norm exaggerates the negative effect of outliers. Recently, to overcome this problem, various methods based on the l1 -norm, such as robust PCA methods, have been proposed for low-rank matrix approximation. Despite the robustness of the methods, they require heavy computational effort and substantial memory for high-dimensional data, which is impractical for real-world problems. In this paper, we propose two efficient low-rank factorization methods based on the l1 -norm that find proper projection and coefficient matrices using the alternating rectified gradient method. The proposed methods are applied to a number of low-rank matrix approximation problems to demonstrate their efficiency and robustness. The experimental results show that our proposals are efficient in both execution time and reconstruction performance unlike other state-of-the-art methods.

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Mmmm... - Alternative Capture Efficiency and Destruction Efficiency Measurement and Monitoring Procedures...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... change from job to job. The air balance in magnet wire ovens is critical to product quality. Magnet wire... Method D5291-02, “Standard Test Methods for Instrumental Determination of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Mmmm... - Alternative Capture Efficiency and Destruction Efficiency Measurement and Monitoring Procedures...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... change from job to job. The air balance in magnet wire ovens is critical to product quality. Magnet wire... Method D5291-02, “Standard Test Methods for Instrumental Determination of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Mmmm... - Alternative Capture Efficiency and Destruction Efficiency Measurement and Monitoring Procedures...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... change from job to job. The air balance in magnet wire ovens is critical to product quality. Magnet wire... Method D5291-02, “Standard Test Methods for Instrumental Determination of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Mmmm... - Alternative Capture Efficiency and Destruction Efficiency Measurement and Monitoring Procedures...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... change from job to job. The air balance in magnet wire ovens is critical to product quality. Magnet wire... Method D5291-02, “Standard Test Methods for Instrumental Determination of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Mmmm... - Alternative Capture Efficiency and Destruction Efficiency Measurement and Monitoring Procedures...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... change from job to job. The air balance in magnet wire ovens is critical to product quality. Magnet wire... Method D5291-02, “Standard Test Methods for Instrumental Determination of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen...

Electrochemical alternatives for drinking water disinfection.

PubMed

Martínez-Huitle, Carlos A; Brillas, Enric

2008-01-01

Chlorination is the most common method worldwide for the disinfection of drinking water. However, the identification of potentially toxic products from this method has encouraged the development of alternative disinfection technologies. Among them, electrochemical disinfection has emerged as one of the more feasible alternatives to chlorination. This article reviews electrochemical systems that can contribute to drinking water disinfection and underscores the efficiency of recently developed diamond films in chlorine-free electrochemical systems.

10 CFR 431.197 - Manufacturer's determination of efficiency for distribution transformers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... methods used; the mathematical model, the engineering or statistical analysis, computer simulation or... (b)(3) of this section, or by application of an alternative efficiency determination method (AEDM... section only if: (i) The AEDM has been derived from a mathematical model that represents the electrical...

Assessing performance of alternative pavement marking materials.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-01-01

Pavement markings need to be restriped from time to time to maintain retroreflectivity. : Knowing which material provides the most economically efficient solution is important. : Currently, no agreed upon method by which to evaluate the use of altern...

Inference of alternative splicing from RNA-Seq data with probabilistic splice graphs

PubMed Central

LeGault, Laura H.; Dewey, Colin N.

2013-01-01

Motivation: Alternative splicing and other processes that allow for different transcripts to be derived from the same gene are significant forces in the eukaryotic cell. RNA-Seq is a promising technology for analyzing alternative transcripts, as it does not require prior knowledge of transcript structures or genome sequences. However, analysis of RNA-Seq data in the presence of genes with large numbers of alternative transcripts is currently challenging due to efficiency, identifiability and representation issues. Results: We present RNA-Seq models and associated inference algorithms based on the concept of probabilistic splice graphs, which alleviate these issues. We prove that our models are often identifiable and demonstrate that our inference methods for quantification and differential processing detection are efficient and accurate. Availability: Software implementing our methods is available at http://deweylab.biostat.wisc.edu/psginfer. Contact: cdewey@biostat.wisc.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:23846746

The Economics of Alternative School Feeding Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payne, Norman E.; And Others

This study, based on data for the 1970-71 school year, develops a uniform method for comparing costs of alternative school feeding systems. The study attempted to determine relative costs of providing meals under alternative production and distribution systems, establish standards relating to food costs and labor efficiency that could be used in…

Wide-angle full-vector beam propagation method based on an alternating direction implicit preconditioner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chui, Siu Lit; Lu, Ya Yan

2004-03-01

Wide-angle full-vector beam propagation methods (BPMs) for three-dimensional wave-guiding structures can be derived on the basis of rational approximants of a square root operator or its exponential (i.e., the one-way propagator). While the less accurate BPM based on the slowly varying envelope approximation can be efficiently solved by the alternating direction implicit (ADI) method, the wide-angle variants involve linear systems that are more difficult to handle. We present an efficient solver for these linear systems that is based on a Krylov subspace method with an ADI preconditioner. The resulting wide-angle full-vector BPM is used to simulate the propagation of wave fields in a Y branch and a taper.

Wide-angle full-vector beam propagation method based on an alternating direction implicit preconditioner.

PubMed

Chui, Siu Lit; Lu, Ya Yan

2004-03-01

Wide-angle full-vector beam propagation methods (BPMs) for three-dimensional wave-guiding structures can be derived on the basis of rational approximants of a square root operator or its exponential (i.e., the one-way propagator). While the less accurate BPM based on the slowly varying envelope approximation can be efficiently solved by the alternating direction implicit (ADI) method, the wide-angle variants involve linear systems that are more difficult to handle. We present an efficient solver for these linear systems that is based on a Krylov subspace method with an ADI preconditioner. The resulting wide-angle full-vector BPM is used to simulate the propagation of wave fields in a Y branch and a taper.

A Brief Review of the Current Status of Alternatives of Chlorine Disinfection of Water

PubMed Central

Anderson, A. C.; Reimers, R. S.; DeKernion, P.

1982-01-01

This paper briefly outlines some of the alternative disinfectants being considered in lieu of chlorination. Methods currently in use as well as those in the research stage are included. Each method is assessed with respect to disinfection efficiency and environmental impact. (Am J Public Health 1982; 72:1290-1293.) PMID:7125035

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

Balsa Terzic, Gabriele Bassi

In this paper we discuss representations of charge particle densities in particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, analyze the sources and profiles of the intrinsic numerical noise, and present efficient methods for their removal. We devise two alternative estimation methods for charged particle distribution which represent significant improvement over the Monte Carlo cosine expansion used in the 2d code of Bassi, designed to simulate coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) in charged particle beams. The improvement is achieved by employing an alternative beam density estimation to the Monte Carlo cosine expansion. The representation is first binned onto a finite grid, after which two grid-based methodsmore » are employed to approximate particle distributions: (i) truncated fast cosine transform (TFCT); and (ii) thresholded wavelet transform (TWT). We demonstrate that these alternative methods represent a staggering upgrade over the original Monte Carlo cosine expansion in terms of efficiency, while the TWT approximation also provides an appreciable improvement in accuracy. The improvement in accuracy comes from a judicious removal of the numerical noise enabled by the wavelet formulation. The TWT method is then integrated into Bassi's CSR code, and benchmarked against the original version. We show that the new density estimation method provides a superior performance in terms of efficiency and spatial resolution, thus enabling high-fidelity simulations of CSR effects, including microbunching instability.« less

State Policy Initiatives for Financing Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Business Officer, 1984

1984-01-01

Alternative financing methods (other than state financing) for developing cost-effective energy efficiency projects are discussed. It is suggested that by properly financing energy efficiency investments, state campuses can generate immediate positive cash savings. The following eight initiatives for maximizing energy savings potential are…

Alternative Methods in the Evaluation of School District Cash Management Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dembowski, Frederick L.

1980-01-01

Empirically evaluates three measures of effectiveness of school district cash management: the rate of return method in common use and two new measures--efficiency rating and Net Present Value (NPV). The NPV approach allows examination of efficiency and provides a framework for evaluating other areas of educational policy. (Author/IRT)

Increasing Efficiency of Fecal Coliform Testing Through EPA-Approved Alternate Method Colilert*-18

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornwell, Brian

2017-01-01

The 21 SM 9221 E multiple-tube fermentation method for fecal coliform analysis requires a large time and reagent investment for the performing laboratory. In late 2010, the EPA approved an alternative procedure for the determination of fecal coliforms designated as Colilert*-18. However, as of late 2016, only two VELAP-certified laboratories in the Commonwealth of Virginia have been certified in this method.

Ranking of options of real estate use by expert assessments mathematical processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lepikhina, O. Yu; Skachkova, M. E.; Mihaelyan, T. A.

2018-05-01

The article is devoted to the development of the real estate assessment concept. In conditions of multivariate using of the real estate method based on calculating, the integral indicator of each variant’s efficiency is proposed. In order to calculate weights of criteria of the efficiency expert method, Analytic hierarchy process and its mathematical support are used. The method allows fulfilling ranking of alternative types of real estate use in dependence of their efficiency. The method was applied for one of the land parcels located on Primorsky district in Saint Petersburg.

Simulation study to determine the impact of different design features on design efficiency in discrete choice experiments

PubMed Central

Vanniyasingam, Thuva; Cunningham, Charles E; Foster, Gary; Thabane, Lehana

2016-01-01

Objectives Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are routinely used to elicit patient preferences to improve health outcomes and healthcare services. While many fractional factorial designs can be created, some are more statistically optimal than others. The objective of this simulation study was to investigate how varying the number of (1) attributes, (2) levels within attributes, (3) alternatives and (4) choice tasks per survey will improve or compromise the statistical efficiency of an experimental design. Design and methods A total of 3204 DCE designs were created to assess how relative design efficiency (d-efficiency) is influenced by varying the number of choice tasks (2–20), alternatives (2–5), attributes (2–20) and attribute levels (2–5) of a design. Choice tasks were created by randomly allocating attribute and attribute level combinations into alternatives. Outcome Relative d-efficiency was used to measure the optimality of each DCE design. Results DCE design complexity influenced statistical efficiency. Across all designs, relative d-efficiency decreased as the number of attributes and attribute levels increased. It increased for designs with more alternatives. Lastly, relative d-efficiency converges as the number of choice tasks increases, where convergence may not be at 100% statistical optimality. Conclusions Achieving 100% d-efficiency is heavily dependent on the number of attributes, attribute levels, choice tasks and alternatives. Further exploration of overlaps and block sizes are needed. This study's results are widely applicable for researchers interested in creating optimal DCE designs to elicit individual preferences on health services, programmes, policies and products. PMID:27436671

Innovative and Alternative Technologies. Instructor Guide. Working for Clean Water: An Information Program for Advisory Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Charles A.

Innovative and alternative methods of wastewater treatment can improve the efficiency and lower the cost of waste treatment procedures. Described in this instructor's guide is a one-hour learning session for citizens interested in improving water quality planning and decision making. Among the topics covered are the need for alternative wastewater…

An Efficient, Noniterative Method of Identifying the Cost-Effectiveness Frontier.

PubMed

Suen, Sze-chuan; Goldhaber-Fiebert, Jeremy D

2016-01-01

Cost-effectiveness analysis aims to identify treatments and policies that maximize benefits subject to resource constraints. However, the conventional process of identifying the efficient frontier (i.e., the set of potentially cost-effective options) can be algorithmically inefficient, especially when considering a policy problem with many alternative options or when performing an extensive suite of sensitivity analyses for which the efficient frontier must be found for each. Here, we describe an alternative one-pass algorithm that is conceptually simple, easier to implement, and potentially faster for situations that challenge the conventional approach. Our algorithm accomplishes this by exploiting the relationship between the net monetary benefit and the cost-effectiveness plane. To facilitate further evaluation and use of this approach, we also provide scripts in R and Matlab that implement our method and can be used to identify efficient frontiers for any decision problem. © The Author(s) 2015.

An Efficient, Non-iterative Method of Identifying the Cost-Effectiveness Frontier

PubMed Central

Suen, Sze-chuan; Goldhaber-Fiebert, Jeremy D.

2015-01-01

Cost-effectiveness analysis aims to identify treatments and policies that maximize benefits subject to resource constraints. However, the conventional process of identifying the efficient frontier (i.e., the set of potentially cost-effective options) can be algorithmically inefficient, especially when considering a policy problem with many alternative options or when performing an extensive suite of sensitivity analyses for which the efficient frontier must be found for each. Here, we describe an alternative one-pass algorithm that is conceptually simple, easier to implement, and potentially faster for situations that challenge the conventional approach. Our algorithm accomplishes this by exploiting the relationship between the net monetary benefit and the cost-effectiveness plane. To facilitate further evaluation and use of this approach, we additionally provide scripts in R and Matlab that implement our method and can be used to identify efficient frontiers for any decision problem. PMID:25926282

Constrained Total Generalized p-Variation Minimization for Few-View X-Ray Computed Tomography Image Reconstruction.

PubMed

Zhang, Hanming; Wang, Linyuan; Yan, Bin; Li, Lei; Cai, Ailong; Hu, Guoen

2016-01-01

Total generalized variation (TGV)-based computed tomography (CT) image reconstruction, which utilizes high-order image derivatives, is superior to total variation-based methods in terms of the preservation of edge information and the suppression of unfavorable staircase effects. However, conventional TGV regularization employs l1-based form, which is not the most direct method for maximizing sparsity prior. In this study, we propose a total generalized p-variation (TGpV) regularization model to improve the sparsity exploitation of TGV and offer efficient solutions to few-view CT image reconstruction problems. To solve the nonconvex optimization problem of the TGpV minimization model, we then present an efficient iterative algorithm based on the alternating minimization of augmented Lagrangian function. All of the resulting subproblems decoupled by variable splitting admit explicit solutions by applying alternating minimization method and generalized p-shrinkage mapping. In addition, approximate solutions that can be easily performed and quickly calculated through fast Fourier transform are derived using the proximal point method to reduce the cost of inner subproblems. The accuracy and efficiency of the simulated and real data are qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated to validate the efficiency and feasibility of the proposed method. Overall, the proposed method exhibits reasonable performance and outperforms the original TGV-based method when applied to few-view problems.

A boundary element alternating method for two-dimensional mixed-mode fracture problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raju, I. S.; Krishnamurthy, T.

1992-01-01

A boundary element alternating method, denoted herein as BEAM, is presented for two dimensional fracture problems. This is an iterative method which alternates between two solutions. An analytical solution for arbitrary polynomial normal and tangential pressure distributions applied to the crack faces of an embedded crack in an infinite plate is used as the fundamental solution in the alternating method. A boundary element method for an uncracked finite plate is the second solution. For problems of edge cracks a technique of utilizing finite elements with BEAM is presented to overcome the inherent singularity in boundary element stress calculation near the boundaries. Several computational aspects that make the algorithm efficient are presented. Finally, the BEAM is applied to a variety of two dimensional crack problems with different configurations and loadings to assess the validity of the method. The method gives accurate stress intensity factors with minimal computing effort.

Simultaneous quantitative analysis of olmesartan, amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide in their combined dosage form utilizing classical and alternating least squares based chemometric methods.

PubMed

Darwish, Hany W; Bakheit, Ahmed H; Abdelhameed, Ali S

2016-03-01

Simultaneous spectrophotometric analysis of a multi-component dosage form of olmesartan, amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide used for the treatment of hypertension has been carried out using various chemometric methods. Multivariate calibration methods include classical least squares (CLS) executed by net analyte processing (NAP-CLS), orthogonal signal correction (OSC-CLS) and direct orthogonal signal correction (DOSC-CLS) in addition to multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). Results demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed methods as quantitative tools of analysis as well as their qualitative capability. The three analytes were determined precisely using the aforementioned methods in an external data set and in a dosage form after optimization of experimental conditions. Finally, the efficiency of the models was validated via comparison with the partial least squares (PLS) method in terms of accuracy and precision.

Foundations of cumulative culture in apes: improved foraging efficiency through relinquishing and combining witnessed behaviours in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

PubMed

Davis, Sarah J; Vale, Gillian L; Schapiro, Steven J; Lambeth, Susan P; Whiten, Andrew

2016-10-24

A vital prerequisite for cumulative culture, a phenomenon often asserted to be unique to humans, is the ability to modify behaviour and flexibly switch to more productive or efficient alternatives. Here, we first established an inefficient solution to a foraging task in five captive chimpanzee groups (N = 19). Three groups subsequently witnessed a conspecific using an alternative, more efficient, solution. When participants could successfully forage with their established behaviours, most individuals did not switch to this more efficient technique; however, when their foraging method became substantially less efficient, nine chimpanzees with socially-acquired information (four of whom witnessed additional human demonstrations) relinquished their old behaviour in favour of the more efficient one. Only a single chimpanzee in control groups, who had not witnessed a knowledgeable model, discovered this. Individuals who switched were later able to combine components of their two learned techniques to produce a more efficient solution than their extensively used, original foraging method. These results suggest that, although chimpanzees show a considerable degree of conservatism, they also have an ability to combine independent behaviours to produce efficient compound action sequences; one of the foundational abilities (or candidate mechanisms) for human cumulative culture.

Improved dynamic analysis method using load-dependent Ritz vectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Escobedo-Torres, J.; Ricles, J. M.

1993-01-01

The dynamic analysis of large space structures is important in order to predict their behavior under operating conditions. Computer models of large space structures are characterized by having a large number of degrees of freedom, and the computational effort required to carry out the analysis is very large. Conventional methods of solution utilize a subset of the eigenvectors of the system, but for systems with many degrees of freedom, the solution of the eigenproblem is in many cases the most costly phase of the analysis. For this reason, alternate solution methods need to be considered. It is important that the method chosen for the analysis be efficient and that accurate results be obtainable. It is important that the method chosen for the analysis be efficient and that accurate results be obtainable. The load dependent Ritz vector method is presented as an alternative to the classical normal mode methods for obtaining dynamic responses of large space structures. A simplified model of a space station is used to compare results. Results show that the load dependent Ritz vector method predicts the dynamic response better than the classical normal mode method. Even though this alternate method is very promising, further studies are necessary to fully understand its attributes and limitations.

Application of multicriteria decision making methods to compression ignition engine efficiency and gaseous, particulate, and greenhouse gas emissions.

PubMed

Surawski, Nicholas C; Miljevic, Branka; Bodisco, Timothy A; Brown, Richard J; Ristovski, Zoran D; Ayoko, Godwin A

2013-02-19

Compression ignition (CI) engine design is subject to many constraints, which present a multicriteria optimization problem that the engine researcher must solve. In particular, the modern CI engine must not only be efficient but must also deliver low gaseous, particulate, and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions so that its impact on urban air quality, human health, and global warming is minimized. Consequently, this study undertakes a multicriteria analysis, which seeks to identify alternative fuels, injection technologies, and combustion strategies that could potentially satisfy these CI engine design constraints. Three data sets are analyzed with the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations and Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Aid (PROMETHEE-GAIA) algorithm to explore the impact of (1) an ethanol fumigation system, (2) alternative fuels (20% biodiesel and synthetic diesel) and alternative injection technologies (mechanical direct injection and common rail injection), and (3) various biodiesel fuels made from 3 feedstocks (i.e., soy, tallow, and canola) tested at several blend percentages (20-100%) on the resulting emissions and efficiency profile of the various test engines. The results show that moderate ethanol substitutions (~20% by energy) at moderate load, high percentage soy blends (60-100%), and alternative fuels (biodiesel and synthetic diesel) provide an efficiency and emissions profile that yields the most "preferred" solutions to this multicriteria engine design problem. Further research is, however, required to reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) emissions with alternative fuels and to deliver technologies that do not significantly reduce the median diameter of particle emissions.

An alternative empirical likelihood method in missing response problems and causal inference.

PubMed

Ren, Kaili; Drummond, Christopher A; Brewster, Pamela S; Haller, Steven T; Tian, Jiang; Cooper, Christopher J; Zhang, Biao

2016-11-30

Missing responses are common problems in medical, social, and economic studies. When responses are missing at random, a complete case data analysis may result in biases. A popular debias method is inverse probability weighting proposed by Horvitz and Thompson. To improve efficiency, Robins et al. proposed an augmented inverse probability weighting method. The augmented inverse probability weighting estimator has a double-robustness property and achieves the semiparametric efficiency lower bound when the regression model and propensity score model are both correctly specified. In this paper, we introduce an empirical likelihood-based estimator as an alternative to Qin and Zhang (2007). Our proposed estimator is also doubly robust and locally efficient. Simulation results show that the proposed estimator has better performance when the propensity score is correctly modeled. Moreover, the proposed method can be applied in the estimation of average treatment effect in observational causal inferences. Finally, we apply our method to an observational study of smoking, using data from the Cardiovascular Outcomes in Renal Atherosclerotic Lesions clinical trial. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Web-based Alternative Non-animal Method Database for Safety Cosmetic Evaluations

PubMed Central

Kim, Seung Won; Kim, Bae-Hwan

2016-01-01

Animal testing was used traditionally in the cosmetics industry to confirm product safety, but has begun to be banned; alternative methods to replace animal experiments are either in development, or are being validated, worldwide. Research data related to test substances are critical for developing novel alternative tests. Moreover, safety information on cosmetic materials has neither been collected in a database nor shared among researchers. Therefore, it is imperative to build and share a database of safety information on toxicological mechanisms and pathways collected through in vivo, in vitro, and in silico methods. We developed the CAMSEC database (named after the research team; the Consortium of Alternative Methods for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics) to fulfill this purpose. On the same website, our aim is to provide updates on current alternative research methods in Korea. The database will not be used directly to conduct safety evaluations, but researchers or regulatory individuals can use it to facilitate their work in formulating safety evaluations for cosmetic materials. We hope this database will help establish new alternative research methods to conduct efficient safety evaluations of cosmetic materials. PMID:27437094

A Web-based Alternative Non-animal Method Database for Safety Cosmetic Evaluations.

PubMed

Kim, Seung Won; Kim, Bae-Hwan

2016-07-01

Animal testing was used traditionally in the cosmetics industry to confirm product safety, but has begun to be banned; alternative methods to replace animal experiments are either in development, or are being validated, worldwide. Research data related to test substances are critical for developing novel alternative tests. Moreover, safety information on cosmetic materials has neither been collected in a database nor shared among researchers. Therefore, it is imperative to build and share a database of safety information on toxicological mechanisms and pathways collected through in vivo, in vitro, and in silico methods. We developed the CAMSEC database (named after the research team; the Consortium of Alternative Methods for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics) to fulfill this purpose. On the same website, our aim is to provide updates on current alternative research methods in Korea. The database will not be used directly to conduct safety evaluations, but researchers or regulatory individuals can use it to facilitate their work in formulating safety evaluations for cosmetic materials. We hope this database will help establish new alternative research methods to conduct efficient safety evaluations of cosmetic materials.

COMPUTATIONAL METHODS FOR SENSITIVITY AND UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND BIOLOGICAL MODELS

EPA Science Inventory

This work introduces a computationally efficient alternative method for uncertainty propagation, the Stochastic Response Surface Method (SRSM). The SRSM approximates uncertainties in model outputs through a series expansion in normal random variables (polynomial chaos expansion)...

Agricultural residues are efficient abrasive tools for weed control

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Non-chemical control of weeds is one of the most important needs of organic agricultural production and, ironically, herbicide resistant crops. There is a knowledge gap regarding alternative control methods that reduce the use of herbicides. This need for alternatives is motivated by increased consu...

A comparison of the Method of Lines to finite difference techniques in solving time-dependent partial differential equations. [with applications to Burger equation and stream function-vorticity problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurtz, L. A.; Smith, R. E.; Parks, C. L.; Boney, L. R.

1978-01-01

Steady state solutions to two time dependent partial differential systems have been obtained by the Method of Lines (MOL) and compared to those obtained by efficient standard finite difference methods: (1) Burger's equation over a finite space domain by a forward time central space explicit method, and (2) the stream function - vorticity form of viscous incompressible fluid flow in a square cavity by an alternating direction implicit (ADI) method. The standard techniques were far more computationally efficient when applicable. In the second example, converged solutions at very high Reynolds numbers were obtained by MOL, whereas solution by ADI was either unattainable or impractical. With regard to 'set up' time, solution by MOL is an attractive alternative to techniques with complicated algorithms, as much of the programming difficulty is eliminated.

Constrained Total Generalized p-Variation Minimization for Few-View X-Ray Computed Tomography Image Reconstruction

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hanming; Wang, Linyuan; Yan, Bin; Li, Lei; Cai, Ailong; Hu, Guoen

2016-01-01

Total generalized variation (TGV)-based computed tomography (CT) image reconstruction, which utilizes high-order image derivatives, is superior to total variation-based methods in terms of the preservation of edge information and the suppression of unfavorable staircase effects. However, conventional TGV regularization employs l1-based form, which is not the most direct method for maximizing sparsity prior. In this study, we propose a total generalized p-variation (TGpV) regularization model to improve the sparsity exploitation of TGV and offer efficient solutions to few-view CT image reconstruction problems. To solve the nonconvex optimization problem of the TGpV minimization model, we then present an efficient iterative algorithm based on the alternating minimization of augmented Lagrangian function. All of the resulting subproblems decoupled by variable splitting admit explicit solutions by applying alternating minimization method and generalized p-shrinkage mapping. In addition, approximate solutions that can be easily performed and quickly calculated through fast Fourier transform are derived using the proximal point method to reduce the cost of inner subproblems. The accuracy and efficiency of the simulated and real data are qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated to validate the efficiency and feasibility of the proposed method. Overall, the proposed method exhibits reasonable performance and outperforms the original TGV-based method when applied to few-view problems. PMID:26901410

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

Shen, Bo; Abdelaziz, Omar; Shrestha, Som S.

Based on the laboratory investigation in FY16, for R-22 and R-410A alternative low GWP refrigerants in two baseline rooftop air conditioners (RTU), we used the DOE/ORNL Heat Pump Design Model to model the two RTUs and calibrated the models against the experimental data. Using the calibrated equipment models, we compared the compressor efficiencies, heat exchanger performances. An efficiency-based compressor mapping method was developed, which is able to predict compressor performances of the alternative low GWP refrigerants accurately. Extensive model-based optimizations were conducted to provide a fair comparison between all the low GWP candidates by selecting their preferred configurations at themore » same cooling capacity and compressor efficiencies.« less

Infrared heating as an efficient method for drying foods and agricultural products

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Because agricultural and food sector demands energy efficient and environmentally friendly drying technologies, the application of infrared (IR) heating for drying has recently been extensively studied. IR drying, as an alternative to current drying technologies, has attractive merits such as unifor...

Circling motion and screen edges as an alternative input method for on-screen target manipulation.

PubMed

Ka, Hyun W; Simpson, Richard C

2017-04-01

To investigate a new alternative interaction method, called circling interface, for manipulating on-screen objects. To specify a target, the user makes a circling motion around the target. To specify a desired pointing command with the circling interface, each edge of the screen is used. The user selects a command before circling the target. To evaluate the circling interface, we conducted an experiment with 16 participants, comparing the performance on pointing tasks with different combinations of selection method (circling interface, physical mouse and dwelling interface) and input device (normal computer mouse, head pointer and joystick mouse emulator). A circling interface is compatible with many types of pointing devices, not requiring physical activation of mouse buttons, and is more efficient than dwell-clicking. Across all common pointing operations, the circling interface had a tendency to produce faster performance with a head-mounted mouse emulator than with a joystick mouse. The performance accuracy of the circling interface outperformed the dwelling interface. It was demonstrated that the circling interface has the potential as another alternative pointing method for selecting and manipulating objects in a graphical user interface. Implications for Rehabilitation A circling interface will improve clinical practice by providing an alternative pointing method that does not require physically activating mouse buttons and is more efficient than dwell-clicking. The Circling interface can also work with AAC devices.

An Overview of Army Mobility Energy Research and Development

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-01

The very basis of defense depends on a guaranteed energy supply , particularly in the form of liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Energy alternatives are needed...efficiency, development of alternate and renewable resources ; an~d discusses the national goals, the role of government and public in achieving energy...Outlines the best methods of utilizing domestic resources for trans- portitton fuels. Deals primarily with alternative fuels, alcohol fuels in particular. 27

Confine Clay in an Alternating Multilayered Structure through Injection Molding: A Simple and Efficient Route to Improve Barrier Performance of Polymeric Materials.

PubMed

Yu, Feilong; Deng, Hua; Bai, Hongwei; Zhang, Qin; Wang, Ke; Chen, Feng; Fu, Qiang

2015-05-20

Various methods have been devoted to trigger the formation of multilayered structure for wide range of applications. These methods are often complicated with low production efficiency or require complex equipment. Herein, we demonstrate a simple and efficient method for the fabrication of polymeric sheets containing multilayered structure with enhanced barrier property through high speed thin-wall injection molding (HSIM). To achieve this, montmorillonite (MMT) is added into PE first, then blended with PP to fabricate PE-MMT/PP ternary composites. It is demonstrated that alternating multilayer structure could be obtained in the ternary composites because of low interfacial tension and good viscosity match between different polymer components. MMT is selectively dispersed in PE phase with partial exfoliated/partial intercalated microstructure. 2D-WAXD analysis indicates that the clay tactoids in PE-MMT/PP exhibits an uniplanar-axial orientation with their surface parallel to the molded part surface, while the tactoids in binary PE-MMT composites with the same overall MMT contents illustrate less orientation. The enhanced orientation of nanoclay in PE-MMT/PP could be attributed to the confinement of alternating multilayer structure, which prohibits the tumbling and rotation of nanoplatelets. Therefore, the oxygen barrier property of PE-MMT/PP is superior to that of PE-MMT because of increased gas permeation pathway. Comparing with the results obtained for PE based composites in literature, outstanding barrier property performance (45.7% and 58.2% improvement with 1.5 and 2.5 wt % MMT content, respectively) is achieved in current study. Two issues are considered responsible for such improvement: enhanced MMT orientation caused by the confinement in layered structure, and higher local density of MMT in layered structure induced denser assembly. Finally, enhancement in barrier property by confining impermeable filler into alternating multilayer structure through such simple and efficient method could provide a novel route toward high-performance packaging materials and other functional materials require layered structure.

Complex-envelope alternating-direction-implicit FDTD method for simulating active photonic devices with semiconductor/solid-state media.

PubMed

Singh, Gurpreet; Ravi, Koustuban; Wang, Qian; Ho, Seng-Tiong

2012-06-15

A complex-envelope (CE) alternating-direction-implicit (ADI) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) approach to treat light-matter interaction self-consistently with electromagnetic field evolution for efficient simulations of active photonic devices is presented for the first time (to our best knowledge). The active medium (AM) is modeled using an efficient multilevel system of carrier rate equations to yield the correct carrier distributions, suitable for modeling semiconductor/solid-state media accurately. To include the AM in the CE-ADI-FDTD method, a first-order differential system involving CE fields in the AM is first set up. The system matrix that includes AM parameters is then split into two time-dependent submatrices that are then used in an efficient ADI splitting formula. The proposed CE-ADI-FDTD approach with AM takes 22% of the time as the approach of the corresponding explicit FDTD, as validated by semiconductor microdisk laser simulations.

Transfection using DEAE-dextran.

PubMed

Selden, R F

2001-05-01

Two protocols for DEAE-dextran transfection of cells are provided in this unit. The Basic Protocol describes a procedure used to transfect adherent cells and the first Alternate Protocol presents a method used to transfect suspension cells. If an increase in transfection efficiency is needed, cells can be treated with chloroquine as described in the second Alternate Protocol.

On-chip immunomagnetic separation of bacteria by in-flow dynamic manipulation of paramagnetic beads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Shakil; Noh, Jong Wook; Hoyland, James; de Oliveira Hansen, Roana; Erdmann, Helmut; Rubahn, Horst-Günter

2016-11-01

Every year, millions of people all over the world fall ill due to the consumption of unsafe food, where consumption of contaminated and spoiled animal origin product is the main cause for diseases due to bacterial growth. This leads to an intense need for efficient methods for detection of food-related bacteria. In this work, we present a method for integration of immunomagnetic separation of bacteria into microfluidic technology by applying an alternating magnetic field, which manipulates the paramagnetic beads into a sinusoidal path across the whole microchannel, increasing the probability for bacteria capture. The optimum channel geometry, flow rate and alternating magnetic field frequency were investigated, resulting in a capture efficiency of 68 %.

Enrichment of omega-3 fatty acids in cod liver oil via alternate solvent winterization and enzymatic interesterification.

PubMed

Lei, Qiong; Ba, Sai; Zhang, Hao; Wei, Yanyan; Lee, Jasmine Yiqin; Li, Tianhu

2016-05-15

Enrichment of omega-3 fatty acids in cod liver oil via alternate operation of solvent winterization and enzymatic interesterification was attempted. Variables including separation method, solvent, oil concentration, time and temperature were optimized for the winterization. Meanwhile, Novozyme 435, Lipozyme RM IM and Lipozyme TL IM were screened for interesterification efficiency under different system air condition, time and temperature. In optimized method, alternate winterization (0.1g/mL oil/acetone, 24h, -80°C, precooled Büchner filtration) and interesterification (Lipozyme TL IM, N2 flow, 2.5h, 40°C) successfully doubled the omega-3 fatty acid content to 43.20 mol%. (1)H NMR was used to determine omega-3 fatty acid content, and GC-MS to characterize oil product, which mainly contained DHA (15.81 mol%) and EPA (20.23 mol%). The proposed method offers considerable efficiency and reduce production cost drastically. Oil produced thereof is with high quality and of particular importance for the development of omega-3 based active pharmaceutical ingredients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recurrent neural network based virtual detection line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadikis, Roberts

2018-04-01

The paper proposes an efficient method for detection of moving objects in the video. The objects are detected when they cross a virtual detection line. Only the pixels of the detection line are processed, which makes the method computationally efficient. A Recurrent Neural Network processes these pixels. The machine learning approach allows one to train a model that works in different and changing outdoor conditions. Also, the same network can be trained for various detection tasks, which is demonstrated by the tests on vehicle and people counting. In addition, the paper proposes a method for semi-automatic acquisition of labeled training data. The labeling method is used to create training and testing datasets, which in turn are used to train and evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of the detection method. The method shows similar accuracy as the alternative efficient methods but provides greater adaptability and usability for different tasks.

Efficiencies of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells using Ferritin-Encapsulated Quantum Dots with Various Staining Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Luis

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) have the potential to replace traditional and cost-inefficient crystalline silicon or ruthenium solar cells. This can only be accomplished by optimizing DSSC's energy efficiency. One of the major components in a dye-sensitized solar cell is the porous layer of titanium dioxide. This layer is coated with a molecular dye that absorbs sunlight. The research conducted for this paper focuses on the different methods used to dye the porous TiO2 layer with ferritin-encapsulated quantum dots. Multiple anodes were dyed using a method known as SILAR which involves deposition through alternate immersion in two different solutions. The efficiencies of DSSCs with ferritin-encapsulated lead sulfide dye deposited using SILAR were subsequently compared against the efficiencies produced by cells using the traditional immersion method. It was concluded that both methods resulted in similar efficiencies (? .074%) however, the SILAR method dyed the TiO2 coating significantly faster than the immersion method. On a related note, our experiments concluded that conducting 2 SILAR cycles yields the highest possible efficiency for this particular binding method. National Science Foundation.

Edge guided image reconstruction in linear scan CT by weighted alternating direction TV minimization.

PubMed

Cai, Ailong; Wang, Linyuan; Zhang, Hanming; Yan, Bin; Li, Lei; Xi, Xiaoqi; Li, Jianxin

2014-01-01

Linear scan computed tomography (CT) is a promising imaging configuration with high scanning efficiency while the data set is under-sampled and angularly limited for which high quality image reconstruction is challenging. In this work, an edge guided total variation minimization reconstruction (EGTVM) algorithm is developed in dealing with this problem. The proposed method is modeled on the combination of total variation (TV) regularization and iterative edge detection strategy. In the proposed method, the edge weights of intermediate reconstructions are incorporated into the TV objective function. The optimization is efficiently solved by applying alternating direction method of multipliers. A prudential and conservative edge detection strategy proposed in this paper can obtain the true edges while restricting the errors within an acceptable degree. Based on the comparison on both simulation studies and real CT data set reconstructions, EGTVM provides comparable or even better quality compared to the non-edge guided reconstruction and adaptive steepest descent-projection onto convex sets method. With the utilization of weighted alternating direction TV minimization and edge detection, EGTVM achieves fast and robust convergence and reconstructs high quality image when applied in linear scan CT with under-sampled data set.

New density estimation methods for charged particle beams with applications to microbunching instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terzić, Balša; Bassi, Gabriele

2011-07-01

In this paper we discuss representations of charge particle densities in particle-in-cell simulations, analyze the sources and profiles of the intrinsic numerical noise, and present efficient methods for their removal. We devise two alternative estimation methods for charged particle distribution which represent significant improvement over the Monte Carlo cosine expansion used in the 2D code of Bassi et al. [G. Bassi, J. A. Ellison, K. Heinemann, and R. Warnock, Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 12, 080704 (2009); PRABFM1098-440210.1103/PhysRevSTAB.12.080704G. Bassi and B. Terzić, in Proceedings of the 23rd Particle Accelerator Conference, Vancouver, Canada, 2009 (IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 2009), TH5PFP043], designed to simulate coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) in charged particle beams. The improvement is achieved by employing an alternative beam density estimation to the Monte Carlo cosine expansion. The representation is first binned onto a finite grid, after which two grid-based methods are employed to approximate particle distributions: (i) truncated fast cosine transform; and (ii) thresholded wavelet transform (TWT). We demonstrate that these alternative methods represent a staggering upgrade over the original Monte Carlo cosine expansion in terms of efficiency, while the TWT approximation also provides an appreciable improvement in accuracy. The improvement in accuracy comes from a judicious removal of the numerical noise enabled by the wavelet formulation. The TWT method is then integrated into the CSR code [G. Bassi, J. A. Ellison, K. Heinemann, and R. Warnock, Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 12, 080704 (2009)PRABFM1098-440210.1103/PhysRevSTAB.12.080704], and benchmarked against the original version. We show that the new density estimation method provides a superior performance in terms of efficiency and spatial resolution, thus enabling high-fidelity simulations of CSR effects, including microbunching instability.

10 CFR 431.442 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. NEMA means National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Small... Small Electric Motors § 431.442 Definitions. The following definitions are applicable to this subpart: Alternative efficiency determination method, or AEDM, means, with respect to a small electric motor, a method...

10 CFR 431.442 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. NEMA means National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Small... Small Electric Motors § 431.442 Definitions. The following definitions are applicable to this subpart: Alternative efficiency determination method, or AEDM, means, with respect to a small electric motor, a method...

10 CFR 431.442 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. NEMA means National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Small... Small Electric Motors § 431.442 Definitions. The following definitions are applicable to this subpart: Alternative efficiency determination method, or AEDM, means, with respect to a small electric motor, a method...

10 CFR 431.442 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. NEMA means National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Small... Small Electric Motors § 431.442 Definitions. The following definitions are applicable to this subpart: Alternative efficiency determination method, or AEDM, means, with respect to a small electric motor, a method...

10 CFR 431.442 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. NEMA means National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Small... Small Electric Motors § 431.442 Definitions. The following definitions are applicable to this subpart: Alternative efficiency determination method, or AEDM, means, with respect to a small electric motor, a method...

The Problem With the Placement Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miner, Norris

This study compared the effectiveness and efficiency of two alternative methods for determining the status of graduates of Seminole Community College. The first method involved the identification of graduates, design and mailing of a questionnaire, and analysis of response data, as mandated by the state. The second method compared computer data…

Measuring landscape esthetics: the scenic beauty estimation method

Treesearch

Terry C. Daniel; Ron S. Boster

1976-01-01

The Scenic Beauty Estimation Method (SBE) provides quantitative measures of esthetic preferences for alternative wildland management systems. Extensive experimentation and testing with user, interest, and professional groups validated the method. SBE shows promise as an efficient and objective means for assessing the scenic beauty of public forests and wildlands, and...

Alternative Representations for Algebraic Problem Solving: When Are Graphs Better than Equations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mielicki, Marta K.; Wiley, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Successful algebraic problem solving entails adaptability of solution methods using different representations. Prior research has suggested that students are more likely to prefer symbolic solution methods (equations) over graphical ones, even when graphical methods should be more efficient. However, this research has not tested how representation…

A symmetric version of the generalized alternating direction method of multipliers for two-block separable convex programming.

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Duan, Yongrui; Sun, Min

2017-01-01

This paper introduces a symmetric version of the generalized alternating direction method of multipliers for two-block separable convex programming with linear equality constraints, which inherits the superiorities of the classical alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), and which extends the feasible set of the relaxation factor α of the generalized ADMM to the infinite interval [Formula: see text]. Under the conditions that the objective function is convex and the solution set is nonempty, we establish the convergence results of the proposed method, including the global convergence, the worst-case [Formula: see text] convergence rate in both the ergodic and the non-ergodic senses, where k denotes the iteration counter. Numerical experiments to decode a sparse signal arising in compressed sensing are included to illustrate the efficiency of the new method.

Comparison of Two Methods for Detecting Alternative Splice Variants Using GeneChip® Exon Arrays

PubMed Central

Fan, Wenhong; Stirewalt, Derek L.; Radich, Jerald P.; Zhao, Lueping

2011-01-01

The Affymetrix GeneChip Exon Array can be used to detect alternative splice variants. Microarray Detection of Alternative Splicing (MIDAS) and Partek® Genomics Suite (Partek® GS) are among the most popular analytical methods used to analyze exon array data. While both methods utilize statistical significance for testing, MIDAS and Partek® GS could produce somewhat different results due to different underlying assumptions. Comparing MIDAS and Partek® GS is quite difficult due to their substantially different mathematical formulations and assumptions regarding alternative splice variants. For meaningful comparison, we have used the previously published generalized probe model (GPM) which encompasses both MIDAS and Partek® GS under different assumptions. We analyzed a colon cancer exon array data set using MIDAS, Partek® GS and GPM. MIDAS and Partek® GS produced quite different sets of genes that are considered to have alternative splice variants. Further, we found that GPM produced results similar to MIDAS as well as to Partek® GS under their respective assumptions. Within the GPM, we show how discoveries relating to alternative variants can be quite different due to different assumptions. MIDAS focuses on relative changes in expression values across different exons within genes and tends to be robust but less efficient. Partek® GS, however, uses absolute expression values of individual exons within genes and tends to be more efficient but more sensitive to the presence of outliers. From our observations, we conclude that MIDAS and Partek® GS produce complementary results, and discoveries from both analyses should be considered. PMID:23675234

10 CFR 429.70 - Alternative methods for determining energy efficiency or energy use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... of commercial HVAC and WH equipment, distribution transformers, and central air conditioners and heat... overrate the efficiency of a basic model. For each basic model of distribution transformer that has a... voltage at which the transformer is rated to operate. (b) Testing. Testing for each covered product or...

Solving the Coupled System Improves Computational Efficiency of the Bidomain Equations

PubMed Central

Southern, James A.; Plank, Gernot; Vigmond, Edward J.; Whiteley, Jonathan P.

2017-01-01

The bidomain equations are frequently used to model the propagation of cardiac action potentials across cardiac tissue. At the whole organ level the size of the computational mesh required makes their solution a significant computational challenge. As the accuracy of the numerical solution cannot be compromised, efficiency of the solution technique is important to ensure that the results of the simulation can be obtained in a reasonable time whilst still encapsulating the complexities of the system. In an attempt to increase efficiency of the solver, the bidomain equations are often decoupled into one parabolic equation that is computationally very cheap to solve and an elliptic equation that is much more expensive to solve. In this study the performance of this uncoupled solution method is compared with an alternative strategy in which the bidomain equations are solved as a coupled system. This seems counter-intuitive as the alternative method requires the solution of a much larger linear system at each time step. However, in tests on two 3-D rabbit ventricle benchmarks it is shown that the coupled method is up to 80% faster than the conventional uncoupled method — and that parallel performance is better for the larger coupled problem. PMID:19457741

External Magnetic Field Reduction Techniques for the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niedra, Janis M.; Geng, Steven M.

2013-01-01

Linear alternators coupled to high efficiency Stirling engines are strong candidates for thermal-to-electric power conversion in space. However, the magnetic field emissions, both AC and DC, of these permanent magnet excited alternators can interfere with sensitive instrumentation onboard a spacecraft. Effective methods to mitigate the AC and DC electromagnetic interference (EMI) from solenoidal type linear alternators (like that used in the Advanced Stirling Convertor) have been developed for potential use in the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator. The methods developed avoid the complexity and extra mass inherent in data extraction from multiple sensors or the use of shielding. This paper discusses these methods, and also provides experimental data obtained during breadboard testing of both AC and DC external magnetic field devices.

Electrosprayed chitosan nanoparticles: facile and efficient approach for bacterial transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abyadeh, Morteza; Sadroddiny, Esmaeil; Ebrahimi, Ammar; Esmaeili, Fariba; Landi, Farzaneh Saeedi; Amani, Amir

2017-12-01

A rapid and efficient procedure for DNA transformation is a key prerequisite for successful cloning and genomic studies. While there are efforts to develop a facile method, so far obtained efficiencies for alternative methods have been unsatisfactory (i.e. 105-106 CFU/μg plasmid) compared with conventional method (up to 108 CFU/μg plasmid). In this work, for the first time, we prepared chitosan/pDNA nanoparticles by electrospraying methods to improve transformation process. Electrospray method was used for chitosan/pDNA nanoparticles production to investigate the non-competent bacterial transformation efficiency; besides, the effect of chitosan molecular weight, N/P ratio and nanoparticle size on non-competent bacterial transformation efficiency was evaluated too. The results showed that transformation efficiency increased with decreasing the molecular weight, N/P ratio and nanoparticles size. In addition, transformation efficiency of 1.7 × 108 CFU/μg plasmid was obtained with chitosan molecular weight, N/P ratio and nanoparticles size values of 30 kDa, 1 and 125 nm. Chitosan/pDNA electrosprayed nanoparticles were produced and the effect of molecular weight, N/P and size of nanoparticles on transformation efficiency was evaluated. In total, we present a facile and rapid method for bacterial transformation, which has comparable efficiency with the common method.

An Alternative Surgical Method for Treatment of Osteoid Osteoma

PubMed Central

Gökalp, Mehmet Ata; Gözen, Abdurrahim; Ünsal, Seyyid Şerif; Önder, Haci; Güner, Savaş

2016-01-01

Background An osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumor that tends to be <1 cm in size. The tumor is characterized by night-time pain that may be relieved by aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Osteoid osteoma can be treated with various conservative and surgical methods, but these have some risks and difficulties. The purpose of the present study was to present an alternative treatment method for osteoid osteoma and the results we obtained. Material/Methods In the period from 2010 to 2014, 10 patients with osteoid osteoma underwent nidus excision by using a safe alternative method in an operating room (OR) with no computed tomography (CT). The localization of the tumor was determined by use of a CT-guided Kirschner wire in the radiology unit, then, in the OR the surgical intervention was performed without removing the Kirschner wire. Results Following the alternative intervention, all the patients were completely relieved of pain. In the follow-up, no recurrence or complication occurred. Conclusions The presented alternative method for treating osteoid osteoma is an efficient and practical procedure for surgeons working in clinics that lack specialized equipment. PMID:26898923

An alternative extragradient projection method for quasi-equilibrium problems.

PubMed

Chen, Haibin; Wang, Yiju; Xu, Yi

2018-01-01

For the quasi-equilibrium problem where the players' costs and their strategies both depend on the rival's decisions, an alternative extragradient projection method for solving it is designed. Different from the classical extragradient projection method whose generated sequence has the contraction property with respect to the solution set, the newly designed method possesses an expansion property with respect to a given initial point. The global convergence of the method is established under the assumptions of pseudomonotonicity of the equilibrium function and of continuity of the underlying multi-valued mapping. Furthermore, we show that the generated sequence converges to the nearest point in the solution set to the initial point. Numerical experiments show the efficiency of the method.

A Comparison of Interview and Self-Report Methods for the Assessment of Borderline Personality Disorder Criteria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopwood, Christopher J.; Morey, Leslie C.; Edelen, Maria Orlando; Shea, M. Tracie; Grilo, Carlos M.; Sanislow, Charles A.; McGlashan, Thomas H.; Daversa, Maria T.; Gunderson, John G.; Zanarini, Mary C.; Markowitz, John C.; Skodol, Andrew E.

2008-01-01

Interview methods are widely regarded as the standard for the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD), whereas self-report methods are considered a time-efficient alternative. However, the relative validity of these methods has not been sufficiently tested. The current study used data from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality…

A novel three-stage distance-based consensus ranking method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghayi, Nazila; Tavana, Madjid

2018-05-01

In this study, we propose a three-stage weighted sum method for identifying the group ranks of alternatives. In the first stage, a rank matrix, similar to the cross-efficiency matrix, is obtained by computing the individual rank position of each alternative based on importance weights. In the second stage, a secondary goal is defined to limit the vector of weights since the vector of weights obtained in the first stage is not unique. Finally, in the third stage, the group rank position of alternatives is obtained based on a distance of individual rank positions. The third stage determines a consensus solution for the group so that the ranks obtained have a minimum distance from the ranks acquired by each alternative in the previous stage. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the applicability and exhibit the efficacy of the proposed method and algorithms.

Apparatus for efficient sidewall containment of molten metal with horizontal alternating magnetic fields utilizing low reluctance rims

DOEpatents

Praeg, Walter F.

1999-01-01

A method and apparatus for casting sheets of metal from molten metal. The apparatus includes a containment structure having an open side, a horizontal alternating magnetic field generating structure and rollers including low reluctance rim structures. The magnetic field and the rollers help contain the molten metal from leaking out of the containment structure.

An Efficient Numerical Method for Computing Synthetic Seismograms for a Layered Half-space with Sources and Receivers at Close or Same Depths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H.-m.; Chen, X.-f.; Chang, S.

- It is difficult to compute synthetic seismograms for a layered half-space with sources and receivers at close to or the same depths using the generalized R/T coefficient method (Kennett, 1983; Luco and Apsel, 1983; Yao and Harkrider, 1983; Chen, 1993), because the wavenumber integration converges very slowly. A semi-analytic method for accelerating the convergence, in which part of the integration is implemented analytically, was adopted by some authors (Apsel and Luco, 1983; Hisada, 1994, 1995). In this study, based on the principle of the Repeated Averaging Method (Dahlquist and Björck, 1974; Chang, 1988), we propose an alternative, efficient, numerical method, the peak-trough averaging method (PTAM), to overcome the difficulty mentioned above. Compared with the semi-analytic method, PTAM is not only much simpler mathematically and easier to implement in practice, but also more efficient. Using numerical examples, we illustrate the validity, accuracy and efficiency of the new method.

Anderson acceleration of the Jacobi iterative method: An efficient alternative to Krylov methods for large, sparse linear systems

DOE PAGES

Pratapa, Phanisri P.; Suryanarayana, Phanish; Pask, John E.

2015-12-01

We employ Anderson extrapolation to accelerate the classical Jacobi iterative method for large, sparse linear systems. Specifically, we utilize extrapolation at periodic intervals within the Jacobi iteration to develop the Alternating Anderson–Jacobi (AAJ) method. We verify the accuracy and efficacy of AAJ in a range of test cases, including nonsymmetric systems of equations. We demonstrate that AAJ possesses a favorable scaling with system size that is accompanied by a small prefactor, even in the absence of a preconditioner. In particular, we show that AAJ is able to accelerate the classical Jacobi iteration by over four orders of magnitude, with speed-upsmore » that increase as the system gets larger. Moreover, we find that AAJ significantly outperforms the Generalized Minimal Residual (GMRES) method in the range of problems considered here, with the relative performance again improving with size of the system. As a result, the proposed method represents a simple yet efficient technique that is particularly attractive for large-scale parallel solutions of linear systems of equations.« less

Anderson acceleration of the Jacobi iterative method: An efficient alternative to Krylov methods for large, sparse linear systems

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

Pratapa, Phanisri P.; Suryanarayana, Phanish; Pask, John E.

We employ Anderson extrapolation to accelerate the classical Jacobi iterative method for large, sparse linear systems. Specifically, we utilize extrapolation at periodic intervals within the Jacobi iteration to develop the Alternating Anderson–Jacobi (AAJ) method. We verify the accuracy and efficacy of AAJ in a range of test cases, including nonsymmetric systems of equations. We demonstrate that AAJ possesses a favorable scaling with system size that is accompanied by a small prefactor, even in the absence of a preconditioner. In particular, we show that AAJ is able to accelerate the classical Jacobi iteration by over four orders of magnitude, with speed-upsmore » that increase as the system gets larger. Moreover, we find that AAJ significantly outperforms the Generalized Minimal Residual (GMRES) method in the range of problems considered here, with the relative performance again improving with size of the system. As a result, the proposed method represents a simple yet efficient technique that is particularly attractive for large-scale parallel solutions of linear systems of equations.« less

Simultaneous Quantification of Multiple Alternatively Spliced mRNA Transcripts Using Droplet Digital PCR.

PubMed

Sun, Bing; Zheng, Yun-Ling

2018-01-01

Currently there is no sensitive, precise, and reproducible method to quantitate alternative splicing of mRNA transcripts. Droplet digital™ PCR (ddPCR™) analysis allows for accurate digital counting for quantification of gene expression. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is one of the essential components required for telomerase activity and for the maintenance of telomeres. Several alternatively spliced forms of hTERT mRNA in human primary and tumor cells have been reported in the literature. Using one pair of primers and two probes for hTERT, four alternatively spliced forms of hTERT (α-/β+, α+/β- single deletions, α-/β- double deletion, and nondeletion α+/β+) were accurately quantified through a novel analysis method via data collected from a single ddPCR reaction. In this chapter, we describe this ddPCR method that enables direct quantitative comparison of four alternatively spliced forms of the hTERT messenger RNA without the need for internal standards or multiple pairs of primers specific for each variant, eliminating the technical variation due to differential PCR amplification efficiency for different amplicons and the challenges of quantification using standard curves. This simple and straightforward method should have general utility for quantifying alternatively spliced gene transcripts.

The modified alternative (G'/G)-expansion method to nonlinear evolution equation: application to the (1+1)-dimensional Drinfel'd-Sokolov-Wilson equation.

PubMed

Akbar, M Ali; Mohd Ali, Norhashidah Hj; Mohyud-Din, Syed Tauseef

2013-01-01

Over the years, (G'/G)-expansion method is employed to generate traveling wave solutions to various wave equations in mathematical physics. In the present paper, the alternative (G'/G)-expansion method has been further modified by introducing the generalized Riccati equation to construct new exact solutions. In order to illustrate the novelty and advantages of this approach, the (1+1)-dimensional Drinfel'd-Sokolov-Wilson (DSW) equation is considered and abundant new exact traveling wave solutions are obtained in a uniform way. These solutions may be imperative and significant for the explanation of some practical physical phenomena. It is shown that the modified alternative (G'/G)-expansion method an efficient and advance mathematical tool for solving nonlinear partial differential equations in mathematical physics.

Method and apparatus for improved efficiency in a pulse-width-modulated alternating current motor drive

DOEpatents

Konrad, C.E.; Boothe, R.W.

1994-02-15

A scheme for optimizing the efficiency of an AC motor drive operated in a pulse-width-modulated mode provides that the modulation frequency of the power furnished to the motor is a function of commanded motor torque and is higher at lower torque requirements than at higher torque requirements. 6 figures.

Method and apparatus for improved efficiency in a pulse-width-modulated alternating current motor drive

DOEpatents

Konrad, C.E.; Boothe, R.W.

1996-01-23

A scheme for optimizing the efficiency of an AC motor drive operated in a pulse-width-modulated mode provides that the modulation frequency of the power furnished to the motor is a function of commanded motor torque and is higher at lower torque requirements than at higher torque requirements. 6 figs.

Method and apparatus for improved efficiency in a pulse-width-modulated alternating current motor drive

DOEpatents

Konrad, Charles E.; Boothe, Richard W.

1996-01-01

A scheme for optimizing the efficiency of an AC motor drive operated in a pulse-width-modulated mode provides that the modulation frequency of the power furnished to the motor is a function of commanded motor torque and is higher at lower torque requirements than at higher torque requirements.

Method and apparatus for improved efficiency in a pulse-width-modulated alternating current motor drive

DOEpatents

Konrad, Charles E.; Boothe, Richard W.

1994-01-01

A scheme for optimizing the efficiency of an AC motor drive operated in a pulse-width-modulated mode provides that the modulation frequency of the power furnished to the motor is a function of commanded motor torque and is higher at lower torque requirements than at higher torque requirements.

Lessons From Recruitment to an Internet-Based Survey for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Comparison of Free and Fee-Based Methods

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM) is a syndrome of subacute cervical spinal cord compression due to spinal degeneration. Although DCM is thought to be common, many fundamental questions such as the natural history and epidemiology of DCM remain unknown. In order to answer these, access to a large cohort of patients with DCM is required. With its unrivalled and efficient reach, the Internet has become an attractive tool for medical research and may overcome these limitations in DCM. The most effective recruitment strategy, however, is unknown. Objective To compare the efficacy of fee-based advertisement with alternative free recruitment strategies to a DCM Internet health survey. Methods An Internet health survey (SurveyMonkey) accessed by a new DCM Internet platform (myelopathy.org) was created. Using multiple survey collectors and the website’s Google Analytics, the efficacy of fee-based recruitment strategies (Google AdWords) and free alternatives (including Facebook, Twitter, and myelopathy.org) were compared. Results Overall, 760 surveys (513 [68%] fully completed) were accessed, 305 (40%) from fee-based strategies and 455 (60%) from free alternatives. Accounting for researcher time, fee-based strategies were more expensive ($7.8 per response compared to $3.8 per response for free alternatives) and identified a less motivated audience (Click-Through-Rate of 5% compared to 57% using free alternatives) but were more time efficient for the researcher (2 minutes per response compared to 16 minutes per response for free methods). Facebook was the most effective free strategy, providing 239 (31%) responses, where a single message to 4 existing communities yielded 133 (18%) responses within 7 days. Conclusions The Internet can efficiently reach large numbers of patients. Free and fee-based recruitment strategies both have merits. Facebook communities are a rich resource for Internet researchers. PMID:29402760

NEW METHODS TO SCREEN FOR DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROTOXICITY.

EPA Science Inventory

The development of alternative methods for toxicity testing is driven by the need for scientifically valid data (i.e. predictive of a toxic effect) that can be obtained in a rapid and cost-efficient manner. These predictions will enable decisions to be made as to whether further ...

A Method to Calculate and Analyze Residents' Evaluations by Using a Microcomputer Data-Base Management System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Myron L.

1988-01-01

A system developed for more efficient evaluation of graduate medical students' progress uses numerical scoring and a microcomputer database management system as an alternative to manual methods to produce accurate, objective, and meaningful summaries of resident evaluations. (Author/MSE)

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Ten Ways You Can Implement Alternative Fuels

Science.gov Websites

and Energy-Efficient Vehicle Technologies Ten Ways You Can Implement Alternative Fuels and Energy-Efficient Vehicle Technologies to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Ten Ways You Can Implement Alternative Fuels and Energy-Efficient Vehicle Technologies on Facebook Tweet about

Implementation of a computationally efficient least-squares algorithm for highly under-determined three-dimensional diffuse optical tomography problems.

PubMed

Yalavarthy, Phaneendra K; Lynch, Daniel R; Pogue, Brian W; Dehghani, Hamid; Paulsen, Keith D

2008-05-01

Three-dimensional (3D) diffuse optical tomography is known to be a nonlinear, ill-posed and sometimes under-determined problem, where regularization is added to the minimization to allow convergence to a unique solution. In this work, a generalized least-squares (GLS) minimization method was implemented, which employs weight matrices for both data-model misfit and optical properties to include their variances and covariances, using a computationally efficient scheme. This allows inversion of a matrix that is of a dimension dictated by the number of measurements, instead of by the number of imaging parameters. This increases the computation speed up to four times per iteration in most of the under-determined 3D imaging problems. An analytic derivation, using the Sherman-Morrison-Woodbury identity, is shown for this efficient alternative form and it is proven to be equivalent, not only analytically, but also numerically. Equivalent alternative forms for other minimization methods, like Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) and Tikhonov, are also derived. Three-dimensional reconstruction results indicate that the poor recovery of quantitatively accurate values in 3D optical images can also be a characteristic of the reconstruction algorithm, along with the target size. Interestingly, usage of GLS reconstruction methods reduces error in the periphery of the image, as expected, and improves by 20% the ability to quantify local interior regions in terms of the recovered optical contrast, as compared to LM methods. Characterization of detector photo-multiplier tubes noise has enabled the use of the GLS method for reconstructing experimental data and showed a promise for better quantification of target in 3D optical imaging. Use of these new alternative forms becomes effective when the ratio of the number of imaging property parameters exceeds the number of measurements by a factor greater than 2.

An Analytical Model of Nanometer Scale Viscoelastic Properties of Polymer Surfaces Measured Using an Atomic Force Microscope

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

efficient partially buoyant cargo airlifters, fuel-efficient hybrid wing- body aircraft, and hyperprecision low-collateral damage munitions [17]. In order to...between the tip and the surface, or between the tip and the small layer of condensed water on the surface [78]. The third method is a continuum model...crystal near the ringing conditions. The second is by applying an alternating voltage to the piezo crystal in the z-direction. The third method is to

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic-Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer.

PubMed

Kato, Takehito; Oinuma, Chihiro; Otsuka, Munechika; Hagiwara, Naoki

2017-01-10

The photoactive layer of a typical organic thin-film bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell commonly uses fullerene derivatives as the electron-accepting material. However, fullerene derivatives are air-sensitive; therefore, air-stable material is needed as an alternative. In the present study, we propose and describe the properties of Ti-alkoxide as an alternative electron-accepting material to fullerene derivatives to create highly air-stable BHJ solar cells. It is well-known that controlling the morphology in the photoactive layer, which is constructed with fullerene derivatives as the electron acceptor, is important for obtaining a high overall efficiency through the solvent method. The conventional solvent method is useful for high-solubility materials, such as fullerene derivatives. However, for Ti-alkoxides, the conventional solvent method is insufficient, because they only dissolve in specific solvents. Here, we demonstrate a new approach to morphology control that uses the molecular bulkiness of Ti-alkoxides without the conventional solvent method. That is, this method is one approach to obtain highly efficient, air-stable, organic-inorganic bulk-heterojunction solar cells.

Layout design in order to improve efficiency in manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siregar, I.; Tarigan, U.; Nasution, T. H.

2018-02-01

This research was conducted at the company that produces bobbins and ream type cigarette paper. Problems that found on the production process is the back and forth (back tracking) movement. Back and forth (back tracking) movement extending the total distance moved by the material and increase the total moment of transfer materials thus reducing the efficiency of the transfer of materials in the production process. The purpose of this study is to give design for the layout of production facilities in the company, so that the expected production produced by the company can reach the targets set by the management company. The method used in this research is the Graph-Based Construction and Travel Chart Method. The results of the analysis of the proposed layout with Graph-Based Construction was selected with a total value that is equal to the moment of transfer of 780 758 m / year. This result is better than the actual layout in the amount of 1,021,038.12 meters / year and the results of the method Travel Alternative Chart I of 826.236,60 meters/year, Alternative II of 1.004.433,56 meters / year, and Alternative III for 828,467.12 meters/year. The design layout of Graph-Based Construction material increases the transfer efficiency for 23.53%. With this layout proposal, expected production capacity will be increased along with the shortening of the distance of the displacement that must be passed by the material to be processed.

Measuring decision weights in recognition experiments with multiple response alternatives: comparing the correlation and multinomial-logistic-regression methods.

PubMed

Dai, Huanping; Micheyl, Christophe

2012-11-01

Psychophysical "reverse-correlation" methods allow researchers to gain insight into the perceptual representations and decision weighting strategies of individual subjects in perceptual tasks. Although these methods have gained momentum, until recently their development was limited to experiments involving only two response categories. Recently, two approaches for estimating decision weights in m-alternative experiments have been put forward. One approach extends the two-category correlation method to m > 2 alternatives; the second uses multinomial logistic regression (MLR). In this article, the relative merits of the two methods are discussed, and the issues of convergence and statistical efficiency of the methods are evaluated quantitatively using Monte Carlo simulations. The results indicate that, for a range of values of the number of trials, the estimated weighting patterns are closer to their asymptotic values for the correlation method than for the MLR method. Moreover, for the MLR method, weight estimates for different stimulus components can exhibit strong correlations, making the analysis and interpretation of measured weighting patterns less straightforward than for the correlation method. These and other advantages of the correlation method, which include computational simplicity and a close relationship to other well-established psychophysical reverse-correlation methods, make it an attractive tool to uncover decision strategies in m-alternative experiments.

Sampling bee communities using pan traps: alternative methods increase sample size

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Monitoring of the status of bee populations and inventories of bee faunas require systematic sampling. Efficiency and ease of implementation has encouraged the use of pan traps to sample bees. Efforts to find an optimal standardized sampling method for pan traps have focused on pan trap color. Th...

Methods for identifying high collision concentration locations (HCCL) for potential safety improvements : phase II, Evaluation of alternative methods for identifying HCCL.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

The objective of network screening should ideally be to not only identify sites for safety : investigation but also to prioritize those sites efficiently. Using roadway, intersection, and : collision data from California, this study compared the perf...

Bonneville Power Administration Transmission System Vegetation Management Program Draft Environmental Impact Statement

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

N /A

Bonneville is responsible for maintaining a network of 24,000 kilometers (km) or 15,000 miles (mi.) of electric transmission lines and 350 substations in a region of diverse vegetation. This vegetation can interfere with electric power flow, pose safety problems for us and the public, and interfere with our ability to maintain these facilities. We need to (1) keep vegetation away from the electric facilities; (2) increase the program efficiency and consistency; (3) review herbicide use (under increased public scrutiny); and (4) maximize the range of tools we can use while minimizing environmental impact (Integrated Vegetation Management). This DEIS establishes Planningmore » Steps for managing vegetation for specific projects (to be tiered to this EIS). In addition to No Action (current practice), alternatives are presented for Rights-of-way, Electric Yards, and Non-electric Facilities (landscaping, work yards). Four vegetation control methods are analyzed: manual, mechanical, herbicide, and biological. Also evaluated are 24 herbicide active ingredients and 4 herbicide application techniques (spot, localized, broadcast, and aerial). For rights-of-way, they consider three sets of alternatives: alternative management approaches (time-driven or establishing low-growing plant communities); alternative method packages; and, if herbicides are in a methods package, alternative vegetation selections (noxious weeds, deciduous, or any vegetation). For electric yards, one herbicide-use alternative is considered. For non-electric facilities, two method package alternatives are considered. For rights-of-way, the environmentally preferred alternative(s) would use manual, mechanical, and biological control methods, as well as spot and localized herbicide applications for noxious and deciduous plant species; the BPA-preferred alternative(s) would add broadcast and aerial herbicide applications, and would use herbicides on any vegetation. Both would factor a management approach that fosters low-growing plant communities.« less

Tensor Factorization for Low-Rank Tensor Completion.

PubMed

Zhou, Pan; Lu, Canyi; Lin, Zhouchen; Zhang, Chao

2018-03-01

Recently, a tensor nuclear norm (TNN) based method was proposed to solve the tensor completion problem, which has achieved state-of-the-art performance on image and video inpainting tasks. However, it requires computing tensor singular value decomposition (t-SVD), which costs much computation and thus cannot efficiently handle tensor data, due to its natural large scale. Motivated by TNN, we propose a novel low-rank tensor factorization method for efficiently solving the 3-way tensor completion problem. Our method preserves the low-rank structure of a tensor by factorizing it into the product of two tensors of smaller sizes. In the optimization process, our method only needs to update two smaller tensors, which can be more efficiently conducted than computing t-SVD. Furthermore, we prove that the proposed alternating minimization algorithm can converge to a Karush-Kuhn-Tucker point. Experimental results on the synthetic data recovery, image and video inpainting tasks clearly demonstrate the superior performance and efficiency of our developed method over state-of-the-arts including the TNN and matricization methods.

An accurate and efficient reliability-based design optimization using the second order reliability method and improved stability transformation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Zeng; Yang, Dixiong; Zhou, Huanlin; Yu, Bo

2018-05-01

The first order reliability method has been extensively adopted for reliability-based design optimization (RBDO), but it shows inaccuracy in calculating the failure probability with highly nonlinear performance functions. Thus, the second order reliability method is required to evaluate the reliability accurately. However, its application for RBDO is quite challenge owing to the expensive computational cost incurred by the repeated reliability evaluation and Hessian calculation of probabilistic constraints. In this article, a new improved stability transformation method is proposed to search the most probable point efficiently, and the Hessian matrix is calculated by the symmetric rank-one update. The computational capability of the proposed method is illustrated and compared to the existing RBDO approaches through three mathematical and two engineering examples. The comparison results indicate that the proposed method is very efficient and accurate, providing an alternative tool for RBDO of engineering structures.

Memory-optimized shift operator alternating direction implicit finite difference time domain method for plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Wanjun; Zhang, Hou

2017-11-01

Through introducing the alternating direction implicit (ADI) technique and the memory-optimized algorithm to the shift operator (SO) finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, the memory-optimized SO-ADI FDTD for nonmagnetized collisional plasma is proposed and the corresponding formulae of the proposed method for programming are deduced. In order to further the computational efficiency, the iteration method rather than Gauss elimination method is employed to solve the equation set in the derivation of the formulae. Complicated transformations and convolutions are avoided in the proposed method compared with the Z transforms (ZT) ADI FDTD method and the piecewise linear JE recursive convolution (PLJERC) ADI FDTD method. The numerical dispersion of the SO-ADI FDTD method with different plasma frequencies and electron collision frequencies is analyzed and the appropriate ratio of grid size to the minimum wavelength is given. The accuracy of the proposed method is validated by the reflection coefficient test on a nonmagnetized collisional plasma sheet. The testing results show that the proposed method is advantageous for improving computational efficiency and saving computer memory. The reflection coefficient of a perfect electric conductor (PEC) sheet covered by multilayer plasma and the RCS of the objects coated by plasma are calculated by the proposed method and the simulation results are analyzed.

Experimental quantification of the true efficiency of carbon nanotube thin-film thermophones.

PubMed

Bouman, Troy M; Barnard, Andrew R; Asgarisabet, Mahsa

2016-03-01

Carbon nanotube thermophones can create acoustic waves from 1 Hz to 100 kHz. The thermoacoustic effect that allows for this non-vibrating sound source is naturally inefficient. Prior efforts have not explored their true efficiency (i.e., the ratio of the total acoustic power to the electrical input power). All previous works have used the ratio of sound pressure to input electrical power. A method for true power efficiency measurement is shown using a fully anechoic technique. True efficiency data are presented for three different drive signal processing techniques: standard alternating current (AC), direct current added to alternating current (DCAC), and amplitude modulation of an alternating current (AMAC) signal. These signal processing techniques are needed to limit the frequency doubling non-linear effects inherent to carbon nanotube thermophones. Each type of processing affects the true efficiency differently. Using a 72 W(rms) input signal, the measured efficiency ranges were 4.3 × 10(-6) - 319 × 10(-6), 1.7 × 10(-6) - 308 × 10(-6), and 1.2 × 10(-6) - 228 × 10(-6)% for AC, DCAC, and AMAC, respectively. These data were measured in the frequency range of 100 Hz to 10 kHz. In addition, the effects of these processing techniques relative to sound quality are presented in terms of total harmonic distortion.

Tensor-product preconditioners for higher-order space-time discontinuous Galerkin methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diosady, Laslo T.; Murman, Scott M.

2017-02-01

A space-time discontinuous-Galerkin spectral-element discretization is presented for direct numerical simulation of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations. An efficient solution technique based on a matrix-free Newton-Krylov method is developed in order to overcome the stiffness associated with high solution order. The use of tensor-product basis functions is key to maintaining efficiency at high-order. Efficient preconditioning methods are presented which can take advantage of the tensor-product formulation. A diagonalized Alternating-Direction-Implicit (ADI) scheme is extended to the space-time discontinuous Galerkin discretization. A new preconditioner for the compressible Euler/Navier-Stokes equations based on the fast-diagonalization method is also presented. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of these preconditioners for the direct numerical simulation of subsonic turbulent flows.

Tensor-Product Preconditioners for Higher-Order Space-Time Discontinuous Galerkin Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diosady, Laslo T.; Murman, Scott M.

2016-01-01

space-time discontinuous-Galerkin spectral-element discretization is presented for direct numerical simulation of the compressible Navier-Stokes equat ions. An efficient solution technique based on a matrix-free Newton-Krylov method is developed in order to overcome the stiffness associated with high solution order. The use of tensor-product basis functions is key to maintaining efficiency at high order. Efficient preconditioning methods are presented which can take advantage of the tensor-product formulation. A diagonalized Alternating-Direction-Implicit (ADI) scheme is extended to the space-time discontinuous Galerkin discretization. A new preconditioner for the compressible Euler/Navier-Stokes equations based on the fast-diagonalization method is also presented. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of these preconditioners for the direct numerical simulation of subsonic turbulent flows.

Fast methods to numerically integrate the Reynolds equation for gas fluid films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dimofte, Florin

1992-01-01

The alternating direction implicit (ADI) method is adopted, modified, and applied to the Reynolds equation for thin, gas fluid films. An efficient code is developed to predict both the steady-state and dynamic performance of an aerodynamic journal bearing. An alternative approach is shown for hybrid journal gas bearings by using Liebmann's iterative solution (LIS) for elliptic partial differential equations. The results are compared with known design criteria from experimental data. The developed methods show good accuracy and very short computer running time in comparison with methods based on an inverting of a matrix. The computer codes need a small amount of memory and can be run on either personal computers or on mainframe systems.

Alternative prediction methods of protein and energy evaluation of pig feeds.

PubMed

Święch, Ewa

2017-01-01

Precise knowledge of the actual nutritional value of individual feedstuffs and complete diets for pigs is important for efficient livestock production. Methods of assessment of protein and energy values in pig feeds have been briefly described. In vivo determination of protein and energy values of feeds in pigs are time-consuming, expensive and very often require the use of surgically-modified animals. There is a need for more simple, rapid, inexpensive and reproducible methods for routine feed evaluation. Protein and energy values of pig feeds can be estimated using the following alternative methods: 1) prediction equations based on chemical composition; 2) animal models as rats, cockerels and growing pigs for adult animals; 3) rapid methods, such as the mobile nylon bag technique and in vitro methods. Alternative methods developed for predicting the total tract and ileal digestibility of nutrients including amino acids in feedstuffs and diets for pigs have been reviewed. This article focuses on two in vitro methods that can be used for the routine evaluation of amino acid ileal digestibility and energy value of pig feeds and on factors affecting digestibility determined in vivo in pigs and by alternative methods. Validation of alternative methods has been carried out by comparing the results obtained using these methods with those acquired in vivo in pigs. In conclusion, energy and protein values of pig feeds may be estimated with satisfactory precision in rats and by the two- or three-step in vitro methods providing equations for the calculation of standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids and metabolizable energy content. The use of alternative methods of feed evaluation is an important way for reduction of stressful animal experiments.

Generalized Redistribute-to-the-Right Algorithm: Application to the Analysis of Censored Cost Data

PubMed Central

CHEN, SHUAI; ZHAO, HONGWEI

2013-01-01

Medical cost estimation is a challenging task when censoring of data is present. Although researchers have proposed methods for estimating mean costs, these are often derived from theory and are not always easy to understand. We provide an alternative method, based on a replace-from-the-right algorithm, for estimating mean costs more efficiently. We show that our estimator is equivalent to an existing one that is based on the inverse probability weighting principle and semiparametric efficiency theory. We also propose an alternative method for estimating the survival function of costs, based on the redistribute-to-the-right algorithm, that was originally used for explaining the Kaplan–Meier estimator. We show that this second proposed estimator is equivalent to a simple weighted survival estimator of costs. Finally, we develop a more efficient survival estimator of costs, using the same redistribute-to-the-right principle. This estimator is naturally monotone, more efficient than some existing survival estimators, and has a quite small bias in many realistic settings. We conduct numerical studies to examine the finite sample property of the survival estimators for costs, and show that our new estimator has small mean squared errors when the sample size is not too large. We apply both existing and new estimators to a data example from a randomized cardiovascular clinical trial. PMID:24403869

Mycoplasma testing of cell substrates and biologics: Review of alternative non-microbiological techniques.

PubMed

Volokhov, Dmitriy V; Graham, Laurie J; Brorson, Kurt A; Chizhikov, Vladimir E

2011-01-01

Mycoplasmas, particularly species of the genera Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma, are known to be occasional microbial contaminants of cell cultures that produce biologics. This presents a serious concern regarding the risk of mycoplasma contamination for research laboratories and commercial facilities developing and manufacturing cell-derived biological and biopharmaceutical products for therapeutic use. Potential undetected contamination of these products or process intermediates with mycoplasmas represents a potential safety risk for patients and a business risk for producers of biopharmaceuticals. To minimize these risks, monitoring for adventitious agents, such as viruses and mycoplasmas, is performed during the manufacture of biologics produced in cell culture substrates. The "gold standard" microbiological assay, currently recommended by the USP, EP, JP and the US FDA, for the mycoplasma testing of biologics, involves the culture of viable mycoplasmas in broth, agar plates and indicator cells. Although the procedure enables highly efficient mycoplasma detection in cell substrates and cell-derived products, the overall testing strategy is time consuming (a minimum of 28 days) and requires skilled interpretation of the results. The long time period required for these conventional assays does not permit their use for products with short shelf-lives or for timely 'go/no-go' decisions during routine in-process testing. PCR methodology has existed for decades, however PCR based and other alternative methods for mycoplasma detection have only recently been considered for application to biologics manufacture. The application of alternative nucleic acid-based, enzyme-based and/or recombinant cell-culture methods, particularly in combination with efficient sample preparation procedures, could provide advantages over conventional microbiological methods in terms of analytical throughput, simplicity, and turnaround time. However, a challenge to the application of alternative methods for detection of mycoplasmas remains whether these alternative methods can provide a limit of detection comparable or superior to those of the culture methods. An additional challenge is that nucleic acid amplification technique (NAT) methods do not allow for accurate discrimination between viable and non-viable mycoplasma contaminants, which might lead to false-positive results (e.g. from inactivated raw materials, etc.). Our review provides an overview of these alternative methods and discusses the pros and cons of their application for the testing of mycoplasmas in biologics and cell substrates. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An Impact-Based Filtering Approach for Literature Searches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vista, Alvin

2013-01-01

This paper aims to present an alternative and simple method to improve the filtering of search results so as to increase the efficiency of literature searches, particularly for individual researchers who have limited logistical resources. The method proposed here is scope restriction using an impact-based filter, made possible by the emergence of…

Hepa filter dissolution process

DOEpatents

Brewer, Ken N.; Murphy, James A.

1994-01-01

A process for dissolution of spent high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and then combining the complexed filter solution with other radioactive wastes prior to calcining the mixed and blended waste feed. The process is an alternate to a prior method of acid leaching the spent filters which is an inefficient method of treating spent HEPA filters for disposal.

[Congenital ChagaśDisease: epidemiology, laboratorial diagnosis, prognosis and treatment].

PubMed

Reiche, E M; Inouye, M M; Bonametti, A M; Jankevicius, J V

1996-01-01

The authors review studies about epidemiology, clinical aspects and methods used in laboratorial diagnosis of congenital Chagas'disease, emphasizing the limitations in their specificity and sensibility, and suggest alternative methods to improve the accuracy and the quality of the laboratorial diagnosis of congenital Chagaśdisease, essential to an efficient treatment.

Is there an efficient trap or collection method for sampling Anopheles darlingi and other malaria vectors that can describe the essential parameters affecting transmission dynamics as effectively as human landing catches? - A Review

PubMed Central

Lima, José Bento Pereira; Rosa-Freitas, Maria Goreti; Rodovalho, Cynara Melo; Santos, Fátima; Lourenço-de-Oliveira, Ricardo

2014-01-01

Distribution, abundance, feeding behaviour, host preference, parity status and human-biting and infection rates are among the medical entomological parameters evaluated when determining the vector capacity of mosquito species. To evaluate these parameters, mosquitoes must be collected using an appropriate method. Malaria is primarily transmitted by anthropophilic and synanthropic anophelines. Thus, collection methods must result in the identification of the anthropophilic species and efficiently evaluate the parameters involved in malaria transmission dynamics. Consequently, human landing catches would be the most appropriate method if not for their inherent risk. The choice of alternative anopheline collection methods, such as traps, must consider their effectiveness in reproducing the efficiency of human attraction. Collection methods lure mosquitoes by using a mixture of olfactory, visual and thermal cues. Here, we reviewed, classified and compared the efficiency of anopheline collection methods, with an emphasis on Neotropical anthropophilic species, especially Anopheles darlingi, in distinct malaria epidemiological conditions in Brazil. PMID:25185008

On automating domain connectivity for overset grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chiu, Ing-Tsau

1994-01-01

An alternative method for domain connectivity among systems of overset grids is presented. Reference uniform Cartesian systems of points are used to achieve highly efficient domain connectivity, and form the basis for a future fully automated system. The Cartesian systems are used to approximated body surfaces and to map the computational space of component grids. By exploiting the characteristics of Cartesian Systems, Chimera type hole-cutting and identification of donor elements for intergrid boundary points can be carried out very efficiently. The method is tested for a range of geometrically complex multiple-body overset grid systems.

Terpenes as green solvents for extraction of oil from microalgae.

PubMed

Dejoye Tanzi, Celine; Abert Vian, Maryline; Ginies, Christian; Elmaataoui, Mohamed; Chemat, Farid

2012-07-09

Herein is described a green and original alternative procedure for the extraction of oil from microalgae. Extractions were carried out using terpenes obtained from renewable feedstocks as alternative solvents instead of hazardous petroleum solvents such as n-hexane. The described method is achieved in two steps using Soxhlet extraction followed by the elimination of the solvent from the medium using Clevenger distillation in the second step. Oils extracted from microalgae were compared in terms of qualitative and quantitative determination. No significant difference was obtained between each extract, allowing us to conclude that the proposed method is green, clean and efficient.

Simultaneous quantification of alternatively spliced transcripts in a single droplet digital PCR reaction.

PubMed

Sun, Bing; Tao, Lian; Zheng, Yun-Ling

2014-06-01

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is an essential component required for telomerase activity and telomere maintenance. Several alternatively spliced forms of hTERT mRNA have been reported in human primary and tumor cells. Currently, however, there is no sensitive and accurate method for the simultaneous quantification of multiple alternatively spliced RNA transcripts, such as in the case of hTERT. Here we show droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) provides sensitive, simultaneous digital quantification in a single reaction of two alternatively spliced single deletion hTERT transcripts (α-/β+ and α+/β-) as well as the opportunity to manually quantify non-deletion (α+/β+) and double deletion (α-/β-) transcripts. Our ddPCR method enables direct comparison among four alternatively spliced mRNAs without the need for internal standards or multiple primer pairs specific for each variant as real-time PCR (qPCR) requires, thus eliminating potential variation due to differences in PCR amplification efficiency.

An efficient computational method for solving nonlinear stochastic Itô integral equations: Application for stochastic problems in physics

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

Heydari, M.H., E-mail: heydari@stu.yazd.ac.ir; The Laboratory of Quantum Information Processing, Yazd University, Yazd; Hooshmandasl, M.R., E-mail: hooshmandasl@yazd.ac.ir

Because of the nonlinearity, closed-form solutions of many important stochastic functional equations are virtually impossible to obtain. Thus, numerical solutions are a viable alternative. In this paper, a new computational method based on the generalized hat basis functions together with their stochastic operational matrix of Itô-integration is proposed for solving nonlinear stochastic Itô integral equations in large intervals. In the proposed method, a new technique for computing nonlinear terms in such problems is presented. The main advantage of the proposed method is that it transforms problems under consideration into nonlinear systems of algebraic equations which can be simply solved. Errormore » analysis of the proposed method is investigated and also the efficiency of this method is shown on some concrete examples. The obtained results reveal that the proposed method is very accurate and efficient. As two useful applications, the proposed method is applied to obtain approximate solutions of the stochastic population growth models and stochastic pendulum problem.« less

Evaluation of immunoturbidimetric rheumatoid factor method from Diagam on Abbott c8000 analyzer: comparison with immunonephelemetric method.

PubMed

Dupuy, Anne Marie; Hurstel, Rémy; Bargnoux, Anne Sophie; Badiou, Stéphanie; Cristol, Jean Paul

2014-01-01

Rheumatoid factor (RF) consists of autoantibodies and because of its heterogeneity its determination is not easy. Currently, nephelometry and Elisa method are considered as reference methods. Due to consolidation, many laboratories have fully automated turbidimetric apparatus, and specific nephelemetric systems are not always available. In addition, nephelemetry is more accurate, but time consuming, expensive, and requires a specific device, resulting in a lower efficiency. Turbidimetry could be an attractive alternative. The turbidimetric RF test from Diagam meets the requirements of accuracy and precision for optimal clinical use, with an acceptable measuring range, and could be an alternative in the determination of RF, without the associated cost of a dedicated instrument, making consolidation and saving blood possible.

Tuning Chemical Potential Difference across Alternately Doped Graphene p-n Junctions for High-Efficiency Photodetection.

PubMed

Lin, Li; Xu, Xiang; Yin, Jianbo; Sun, Jingyu; Tan, Zhenjun; Koh, Ai Leen; Wang, Huan; Peng, Hailin; Chen, Yulin; Liu, Zhongfan

2016-07-13

Being atomically thin, graphene-based p-n junctions hold great promise for applications in ultrasmall high-efficiency photodetectors. It is well-known that the efficiency of such photodetectors can be improved by optimizing the chemical potential difference of the graphene p-n junction. However, to date, such tuning has been limited to a few hundred millielectronvolts. To improve this critical parameter, here we report that using a temperature-controlled chemical vapor deposition process, we successfully achieved modulation-doped growth of an alternately nitrogen- and boron-doped graphene p-n junction with a tunable chemical potential difference up to 1 eV. Furthermore, such p-n junction structure can be prepared on a large scale with stable, uniform, and substitutional doping and exhibits a single-crystalline nature. This work provides a feasible method for synthesizing low-cost, large-scale, high efficiency graphene p-n junctions, thus facilitating their applications in optoelectronic and energy conversion devices.

X-ray characterization of curved crystals for hard x-ray astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buffagni, Elisa; Bonnini, Elisa; Ferrari, Claudio; Virgilli, Enrico; Frontera, Filippo

2015-05-01

Among the methods to focus photons the diffraction in crystals results as one of the most effective for high energy photons. An assembling of properly oriented crystals can form a lens able to focus x-rays at high energy via Laue diffraction in transmission geometry; this is a Laue lens. The x-ray diffraction theory provides that the maximum diffraction efficiency is achieved in ideal mosaic crystals, but real mosaic crystals show diffraction efficiencies several times lower than the ideal case due to technological problems. An alternative and convenient approach is the use of curved crystals. We have recently optimized an efficient method based on the surface damage of crystals to produce self-standing uniformly curved Si, GaAs and Ge tiles of thickness up to 2-3 mm and curvature radii R down to a few meters. We show that, for curved diffracting planes, such crystals have a diffraction efficiency nearly forty times higher than the diffraction efficiency of perfect similar flat crystals, thus very close to that of ideal mosaic crystals. Moreover, in an alternative configuration where the diffracting planes are perpendicular to the curved ones, a focusing effect occurs and will be shown. These results were obtained for several energies between 17 and 120 keV with lab sources or at high energy facilities such as LARIX at Ferrara (Italy), ESRF at Grenoble (France), and ANKA at Karlsruhe (Germany).

Improving phosphorus uptake and wheat productivity by phosphoric acid application in alkaline calcareous soils.

PubMed

Akhtar, Muhammad; Yaqub, Muhammad; Naeem, Asif; Ashraf, Muhammad; Hernandez, Vicente Espinosa

2016-08-01

Low phosphorus (P) efficiency from existing granular fertilisers necessitates searching for efficient alternatives to improve wheat productivity in calcareous soil. Multi-location trials have shown that phosphoric acid (PA) produced 16% higher wheat grain over commercial P fertilisers, i.e. diammonium phosphate (DAP) and triple superphosphate (TSP). Methods of P application significantly influenced grain yield and the efficiency of methods was observed in the order: PA placement below seed > PA, DAP or TSP fertigation > DAP or TSP broadcast. The sub-surface application of PA produced highest grain yields (mean of all rates), i.e. 4669, 4158 and 3910 kg ha(-1) in Bagh, Bhalwal and Shahpur soil series, respectively. Phosphoric acid at 66 kg P2 O5 ha(-1) was found more effective in increasing gain yield over that of control. Trend in grain P uptake was found similar to that observed for grain yield. Maximum P uptake by grain was recorded at the highest P rate and the lowest at zero P. The significant increase in P uptake with P rates was generally related to the increase in yield rather than its concentration in grain. Phosphorus agronomic efficiency (PAE) and phosphorus recovery efficiency (PRE) were found higher at lower P rate (44 kg P2 O5 ha(-1) ) and decreased with P application. However, PA applied by the either method resulted in higher PAE and PRE compared to DAP and TSP. Phosphoric acid is suggested as an efficient alternative to commercial granular P fertilisers for wheat production in alkaline calcareous soils. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

40 CFR 63.4965 - How do I determine the add-on control device emission destruction or removal efficiency?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... an alternative to Method 3B, the manual method for measuring the oxygen, carbon dioxide, and carbon..., Instruments and Apparatus]” (incorporated by reference, see § 63.14). (4) Use Method 4 of appendix A to 40 CFR... total gaseous organic mass emissions as carbon at the inlet and outlet of the add-on control device...

40 CFR 63.3545 - How do I determine the add-on control device emission destruction or removal efficiency?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... an alternative to Method 3B the manual method for measuring the oxygen, carbon dioxide, and carbon..., Instruments and Apparatus]” (incorporated by reference, see § 63.14). (4) Use Method 4 of appendix A to 40 CFR... total gaseous organic mass emissions as carbon at the inlet and outlet of the add-on control device...

40 CFR 63.4766 - How do I determine the add-on control device emission destruction or removal efficiency?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... also use as an alternative to Method 3B, the manual method for measuring the oxygen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide content of exhaust gas in ANSI/ASME PTC 19.10-1981, “Flue and Exhaust Gas Analyses [Part 10, Instruments and Apparatus]” (incorporated by reference, see § 63.14). (4) Use Method 4 of...

Incentives and provider payment methods.

PubMed

Barnum, H; Kutzin, J; Saxenian, H

1995-01-01

The mode of payment creates powerful incentives affecting provider behavior and the efficiency, equity and quality outcomes of health finance reforms. This article examines provider incentives as well as administrative costs, and institutional conditions for successful implementation associated with provider payment alternatives. The alternatives considered are budget reforms, capitation, fee-for-service, and case-based reimbursement. We conclude that competition, whether through a regulated private sector or within a public system, has the potential to improve the performance of any payment method. All methods generate both adverse and beneficial incentives. Systems with mixed forms of provider payment can provide tradeoffs to offset the disadvantages of individual modes. Low-income countries should avoid complex payment systems requiring higher levels of institutional development.

Dynamic SPECT reconstruction from few projections: a sparsity enforced matrix factorization approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Qiaoqiao; Zan, Yunlong; Huang, Qiu; Zhang, Xiaoqun

2015-02-01

The reconstruction of dynamic images from few projection data is a challenging problem, especially when noise is present and when the dynamic images are vary fast. In this paper, we propose a variational model, sparsity enforced matrix factorization (SEMF), based on low rank matrix factorization of unknown images and enforced sparsity constraints for representing both coefficients and bases. The proposed model is solved via an alternating iterative scheme for which each subproblem is convex and involves the efficient alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). The convergence of the overall alternating scheme for the nonconvex problem relies upon the Kurdyka-Łojasiewicz property, recently studied by Attouch et al (2010 Math. Oper. Res. 35 438) and Attouch et al (2013 Math. Program. 137 91). Finally our proof-of-concept simulation on 2D dynamic images shows the advantage of the proposed method compared to conventional methods.

Step Transfer-Addition and Radical-Termination (START) Polymerization of α,ω-Unconjugated Dienes under Irradiation of Blue LED Light.

PubMed

Xu, Tianchi; Yin, Hongnan; Li, Xiaohong; Zhang, Lifen; Cheng, Zhenping; Zhu, Xiulin

2017-07-01

A new polymerization method, termed as step transfer-addition and radical-termination, is developed for the step-growth radical polymerization of α,ω-unconjugated dienes under irradiation of visible light at room temperature (25 °C) for the first time. α,ω-Diiodoperfluoroalkane monomers (signified as A) are added onto α,ω-unconjugated dienes (signified as B) alternatively and efficiently with the generation of perfluorocarbon-containing alternating copolymers (AB) n . Based on the combined analyses of polymerization kinetics and NMR spectra ( 1 H and 19 F), the mechanism of the novel polymerization method, including the side reaction, is proposed. This novel polymerization method provides a new strategy not only for the step-growth radical polymerization of α,ω-unconjugated dienes but also for the construction of high molecular weight perfluorocarbon-containing alternating copolymers. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Examining the Effectiveness of Student Authentication and Authenticity in Online Learning at Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoshiar, Mitra; Dunlap, Jody; Li, Jinyi; Friedel, Janice Nahra

2014-01-01

Online learning is rapidly becoming one of the most prevalent delivery methods of learning in institutions of higher education. It provides college students, especially adult students, an alternative, convenient, and cost-efficient method to earn their credentials, upgrade their skills and knowledge, and keep or upgrade their employment. But at…

HEPA filter dissolution process

DOEpatents

Brewer, K.N.; Murphy, J.A.

1994-02-22

A process is described for dissolution of spent high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and then combining the complexed filter solution with other radioactive wastes prior to calcining the mixed and blended waste feed. The process is an alternate to a prior method of acid leaching the spent filters which is an inefficient method of treating spent HEPA filters for disposal. 4 figures.

Bioconversion of Sugarcane Biomass into Ethanol: An Overview about Composition, Pretreatment Methods, Detoxification of Hydrolysates, Enzymatic Saccharification, and Ethanol Fermentation

PubMed Central

Canilha, Larissa; Chandel, Anuj Kumar; Suzane dos Santos Milessi, Thais; Antunes, Felipe Antônio Fernandes; Luiz da Costa Freitas, Wagner; das Graças Almeida Felipe, Maria; da Silva, Silvio Silvério

2012-01-01

Depleted supplies of fossil fuel, regular price hikes of gasoline, and environmental damage have necessitated the search for economic and eco-benign alternative of gasoline. Ethanol is produced from food/feed-based substrates (grains, sugars, and molasses), and its application as an energy source does not seem fit for long term due to the increasing fuel, food, feed, and other needs. These concerns have enforced to explore the alternative means of cost competitive and sustainable supply of biofuel. Sugarcane residues, sugarcane bagasse (SB), and straw (SS) could be the ideal feedstock for the second-generation (2G) ethanol production. These raw materials are rich in carbohydrates and renewable and do not compete with food/feed demands. However, the efficient bioconversion of SB/SS (efficient pretreatment technology, depolymerization of cellulose, and fermentation of released sugars) remains challenging to commercialize the cellulosic ethanol. Among the technological challenges, robust pretreatment and development of efficient bioconversion process (implicating suitable ethanol producing strains converting pentose and hexose sugars) have a key role to play. This paper aims to review the compositional profile of SB and SS, pretreatment methods of cane biomass, detoxification methods for the purification of hydrolysates, enzymatic hydrolysis, and the fermentation of released sugars for ethanol production. PMID:23251086

Evaluation Method for Fieldlike-Torque Efficiency by Modulation of the Resonance Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Changsoo; Kim, Dongseuk; Chun, Byong Sun; Moon, Kyoung-Woong; Hwang, Chanyong

2018-05-01

The spin Hall effect has attracted a lot of interest in spintronics because it offers the possibility of a faster switching route with an electric current than with a spin-transfer-torque device. Recently, fieldlike spin-orbit torque has been shown to play an important role in the magnetization switching mechanism. However, there is no simple method for observing the fieldlike spin-orbit torque efficiency. We suggest a method for measuring fieldlike spin-orbit torque using a linear change in the resonance field in spectra of direct-current (dc)-tuned spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance. The fieldlike spin-orbit torque efficiency can be obtained in both a macrospin simulation and in experiments by simply subtracting the Oersted field from the shifted amount of resonance field. This method analyzes the effect of fieldlike torque using dc in a normal metal; therefore, only the dc resistivity and the dimensions of each layer are considered in estimating the fieldlike spin-torque efficiency. The evaluation of fieldlike-torque efficiency of a newly emerging material by modulation of the resonance field provides a shortcut in the development of an alternative magnetization switching device.

Assessment of the efficiency and economic viability of various methods of treatment of sanitary landfill leachate.

PubMed

Gupta, S K; Singh, Gurdeep

2007-12-01

This study assesses the efficiency of various physico-chemical, biological and other tertiary methods for treating leachate. An evaluation study on the treatability of the leachate from methane phase bed (MPB) reactor indicated that at an optimum hydraulic retention time of 6 days, the efficiency of the reactor in terms of biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was 91.29 and 82.69%, respectively. Recycling of the treated leachate through the municipal solid waste layers in the leachate recycling unit (LRU) resulted in a significant increase in the biodegradation of organics present in the leachate. Optimum BOD and COD removal efficiencies were achieved at the third recycle; additional recycling of the leachate did not produce any significant improvement. Physico-chemical treatment of the leachate demonstrated that alum and lime (Option 2) were more economical than coagulants lime and MgCO(3). A cost analysis of the economics of the various treatments revealed that the alternative treatment consisting of a MPB bed followed by a LRU and aerated lagoon is the most cost-effective treatment. However, the alternative consisting of a MPB followed by the LRU and a soil column, which is slightly more costly, would be the most appropriate treatment when adequate land is readily available.

Accurate, efficient, and (iso)geometrically flexible collocation methods for phase-field models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez, Hector; Reali, Alessandro; Sangalli, Giancarlo

2014-04-01

We propose new collocation methods for phase-field models. Our algorithms are based on isogeometric analysis, a new technology that makes use of functions from computational geometry, such as, for example, Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS). NURBS exhibit excellent approximability and controllable global smoothness, and can represent exactly most geometries encapsulated in Computer Aided Design (CAD) models. These attributes permitted us to derive accurate, efficient, and geometrically flexible collocation methods for phase-field models. The performance of our method is demonstrated by several numerical examples of phase separation modeled by the Cahn-Hilliard equation. We feel that our method successfully combines the geometrical flexibility of finite elements with the accuracy and simplicity of pseudo-spectral collocation methods, and is a viable alternative to classical collocation methods.

Pentadiagonal alternating-direction-implicit finite-difference time-domain method for two-dimensional Schrödinger equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tay, Wei Choon; Tan, Eng Leong

2014-07-01

In this paper, we have proposed a pentadiagonal alternating-direction-implicit (Penta-ADI) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for the two-dimensional Schrödinger equation. Through the separation of complex wave function into real and imaginary parts, a pentadiagonal system of equations for the ADI method is obtained, which results in our Penta-ADI method. The Penta-ADI method is further simplified into pentadiagonal fundamental ADI (Penta-FADI) method, which has matrix-operator-free right-hand-sides (RHS), leading to the simplest and most concise update equations. As the Penta-FADI method involves five stencils in the left-hand-sides (LHS) of the pentadiagonal update equations, special treatments that are required for the implementation of the Dirichlet's boundary conditions will be discussed. Using the Penta-FADI method, a significantly higher efficiency gain can be achieved over the conventional Tri-ADI method, which involves a tridiagonal system of equations.

Digital-computer program for design analysis of salient, wound pole alternators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Repas, D. S.

1973-01-01

A digital computer program for analyzing the electromagnetic design of salient, wound pole alternators is presented. The program, which is written in FORTRAN 4, calculates the open-circuit saturation curve, the field-current requirements at rated voltage for various loads and losses, efficiency, reactances, time constants, and weights. The methods used to calculate some of these items are presented or appropriate references are cited. Instructions for using the program and typical program input and output for an alternator design are given, and an alphabetical list of most FORTRAN symbols and the complete program listing with flow charts are included.

Topography Modeling in Atmospheric Flows Using the Immersed Boundary Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackerman, A. S.; Senocak, I.; Mansour, N. N.; Stevens, D. E.

2004-01-01

Numerical simulation of flow over complex geometry needs accurate and efficient computational methods. Different techniques are available to handle complex geometry. The unstructured grid and multi-block body-fitted grid techniques have been widely adopted for complex geometry in engineering applications. In atmospheric applications, terrain fitted single grid techniques have found common use. Although these are very effective techniques, their implementation, coupling with the flow algorithm, and efficient parallelization of the complete method are more involved than a Cartesian grid method. The grid generation can be tedious and one needs to pay special attention in numerics to handle skewed cells for conservation purposes. Researchers have long sought for alternative methods to ease the effort involved in simulating flow over complex geometry.

Sampling for Patient Exit Interviews: Assessment of Methods Using Mathematical Derivation and Computer Simulations.

PubMed

Geldsetzer, Pascal; Fink, Günther; Vaikath, Maria; Bärnighausen, Till

2018-02-01

(1) To evaluate the operational efficiency of various sampling methods for patient exit interviews; (2) to discuss under what circumstances each method yields an unbiased sample; and (3) to propose a new, operationally efficient, and unbiased sampling method. Literature review, mathematical derivation, and Monte Carlo simulations. Our simulations show that in patient exit interviews it is most operationally efficient if the interviewer, after completing an interview, selects the next patient exiting the clinical consultation. We demonstrate mathematically that this method yields a biased sample: patients who spend a longer time with the clinician are overrepresented. This bias can be removed by selecting the next patient who enters, rather than exits, the consultation room. We show that this sampling method is operationally more efficient than alternative methods (systematic and simple random sampling) in most primary health care settings. Under the assumption that the order in which patients enter the consultation room is unrelated to the length of time spent with the clinician and the interviewer, selecting the next patient entering the consultation room tends to be the operationally most efficient unbiased sampling method for patient exit interviews. © 2016 The Authors. Health Services Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Health Research and Educational Trust.

Bonneville Power Administration Transmission System Vegetation Management Program - Final Environmental Impact Statement

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

N /A

Bonneville is responsible for maintaining a network of 24,000 kilometers (km) or 15,000 miles (mi.) of electric transmission lines and 350 substations in a region of diverse vegetation. This vegetation can interfere with electric power flow, pose safety problems for us and the public, and interfere with our ability to maintain these facilities. We need to (1) keep vegetation away from our electric facilities; (2) increase our program efficiency and consistency; (3) review herbicide use (under increased public scrutiny); and (4) maximize the range of tools we can use while minimizing environmental impact (Integrated Vegetation Management). This Final Environmental Impactmore » Statement (FEIS) establishes Planning Steps for managing vegetation for specific projects (to be tiered to this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)). In addition to No Action (current practice), alternatives are presented for Rights-of-way, Electric Yards, and Non-electric Facilities (landscaping, work yards). Four vegetation control methods are analyzed manual, mechanical, herbicide, and biological. Also evaluated are 23 herbicide active ingredients and 4 herbicide application techniques (spot, localized, broadcast, and aerial). For rights-of-way, we consider three sets of alternatives: alternative management approaches (time-driven or establishing low-growing plant communities); alternative method packages; and, if herbicides are in a methods package, alternative vegetation selections (noxious weeds, deciduous, or any vegetation). For electric yards, one herbicide-use alternative is considered. For non-electric facilities, two method package alternatives are considered. For rights-of-way, the environmentally preferred alternative(s) would use manual, mechanical, and biological control methods, as well as spot and localized herbicide applications for noxious and deciduous plant species; the BPA-preferred alternative(s) would add broadcast and aerial herbicide applications, and would use herbicides on any vegetation. Both would favor a management approach that fosters low-growing plant communities.« less

CHEMICAL SYNTHESES IN AQUEOUS MEDIA USING MICROWAVES

EPA Science Inventory

The development of efficient, selective and eco-friendly synthetic methods has remained a major focus of our research group. Microwave (MW) irradiation as alternative energy source in conjunction with water as reaction media has proven to be a successful 'greener' chemical appro...

Nonthermal food processing alternatives and their effects on taste and flavor compounds of beverages.

PubMed

Ortega-Rivas, Enrique; Salmerón-Ochoa, Iván

2014-01-01

Food drinks are normally processed to increase their shelf-life and facilitate distribution before consumption. Thermal pasteurization is quite efficient in preventing microbial spoilage of many types of beverages, but the applied heat may also cause undesirable biochemical and nutritious changes that may affect sensory attributes of the final product. Alternative methods of pasteurization that do not include direct heat have been investigated in order to obtain products safe for consumption, but with sensory attributes maintained as unchanged as possible. Food scientists interested in nonthermal food preservation technologies have claimed that such methods of preserving foods are equally efficient in microbial inactivation as compared with conventional thermal means of food processing. Researchers in the nonthermal food preservation area also affirm that alternative preservation technologies will not affect, as much as thermal processes, nutritional and sensory attributes of processed foods. This article reviews research in nonthermal food preservation, focusing on effects of processing of food drinks such as fruit juices and dairy products. Analytical techniques used to identify volatile flavor-aroma compounds will be reviewed and comparative effects for both thermal and nonthermal preservation technologies will be discussed.

International Harmonization and Cooperation in the Validation of Alternative Methods.

PubMed

Barroso, João; Ahn, Il Young; Caldeira, Cristiane; Carmichael, Paul L; Casey, Warren; Coecke, Sandra; Curren, Rodger; Desprez, Bertrand; Eskes, Chantra; Griesinger, Claudius; Guo, Jiabin; Hill, Erin; Roi, Annett Janusch; Kojima, Hajime; Li, Jin; Lim, Chae Hyung; Moura, Wlamir; Nishikawa, Akiyoshi; Park, HyeKyung; Peng, Shuangqing; Presgrave, Octavio; Singer, Tim; Sohn, Soo Jung; Westmoreland, Carl; Whelan, Maurice; Yang, Xingfen; Yang, Ying; Zuang, Valérie

The development and validation of scientific alternatives to animal testing is important not only from an ethical perspective (implementation of 3Rs), but also to improve safety assessment decision making with the use of mechanistic information of higher relevance to humans. To be effective in these efforts, it is however imperative that validation centres, industry, regulatory bodies, academia and other interested parties ensure a strong international cooperation, cross-sector collaboration and intense communication in the design, execution, and peer review of validation studies. Such an approach is critical to achieve harmonized and more transparent approaches to method validation, peer-review and recommendation, which will ultimately expedite the international acceptance of valid alternative methods or strategies by regulatory authorities and their implementation and use by stakeholders. It also allows achieving greater efficiency and effectiveness by avoiding duplication of effort and leveraging limited resources. In view of achieving these goals, the International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods (ICATM) was established in 2009 by validation centres from Europe, USA, Canada and Japan. ICATM was later joined by Korea in 2011 and currently also counts with Brazil and China as observers. This chapter describes the existing differences across world regions and major efforts carried out for achieving consistent international cooperation and harmonization in the validation and adoption of alternative approaches to animal testing.

Linguistic hesitant fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making method based on evidential reasoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Huan; Wang, Jian-qiang; Zhang, Hong-yu; Chen, Xiao-hong

2016-01-01

Linguistic hesitant fuzzy sets (LHFSs), which can be used to represent decision-makers' qualitative preferences as well as reflect their hesitancy and inconsistency, have attracted a great deal of attention due to their flexibility and efficiency. This paper focuses on a multi-criteria decision-making approach that combines LHFSs with the evidential reasoning (ER) method. After reviewing existing studies of LHFSs, a new order relationship and Hamming distance between LHFSs are introduced and some linguistic scale functions are applied. Then, the ER algorithm is used to aggregate the distributed assessment of each alternative. Subsequently, the set of aggregated alternatives on criteria are further aggregated to get the overall value of each alternative. Furthermore, a nonlinear programming model is developed and genetic algorithms are used to obtain the optimal weights of the criteria. Finally, two illustrative examples are provided to show the feasibility and usability of the method, and comparison analysis with the existing method is made.

Comprehensive Numerical Analysis of Finite Difference Time Domain Methods for Improving Optical Waveguide Sensor Accuracy

PubMed Central

Samak, M. Mosleh E. Abu; Bakar, A. Ashrif A.; Kashif, Muhammad; Zan, Mohd Saiful Dzulkifly

2016-01-01

This paper discusses numerical analysis methods for different geometrical features that have limited interval values for typically used sensor wavelengths. Compared with existing Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) methods, the alternating direction implicit (ADI)-FDTD method reduces the number of sub-steps by a factor of two to three, which represents a 33% time savings in each single run. The local one-dimensional (LOD)-FDTD method has similar numerical equation properties, which should be calculated as in the previous method. Generally, a small number of arithmetic processes, which result in a shorter simulation time, are desired. The alternating direction implicit technique can be considered a significant step forward for improving the efficiency of unconditionally stable FDTD schemes. This comparative study shows that the local one-dimensional method had minimum relative error ranges of less than 40% for analytical frequencies above 42.85 GHz, and the same accuracy was generated by both methods.

An efficient quantum algorithm for spectral estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steffens, Adrian; Rebentrost, Patrick; Marvian, Iman; Eisert, Jens; Lloyd, Seth

2017-03-01

We develop an efficient quantum implementation of an important signal processing algorithm for line spectral estimation: the matrix pencil method, which determines the frequencies and damping factors of signals consisting of finite sums of exponentially damped sinusoids. Our algorithm provides a quantum speedup in a natural regime where the sampling rate is much higher than the number of sinusoid components. Along the way, we develop techniques that are expected to be useful for other quantum algorithms as well—consecutive phase estimations to efficiently make products of asymmetric low rank matrices classically accessible and an alternative method to efficiently exponentiate non-Hermitian matrices. Our algorithm features an efficient quantum-classical division of labor: the time-critical steps are implemented in quantum superposition, while an interjacent step, requiring much fewer parameters, can operate classically. We show that frequencies and damping factors can be obtained in time logarithmic in the number of sampling points, exponentially faster than known classical algorithms.

A novel technique based on in vitro oocyte injection to improve CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in zebrafish

PubMed Central

Xie, Shao-Lin; Bian, Wan-Ping; Wang, Chao; Junaid, Muhammad; Zou, Ji-Xing; Pei, De-Sheng

2016-01-01

Contemporary improvements in the type II clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system offer a convenient way for genome editing in zebrafish. However, the low efficiencies of genome editing and germline transmission require a time-intensive and laborious screening work. Here, we reported a method based on in vitro oocyte storage by injecting oocytes in advance and incubating them in oocyte storage medium to significantly improve the efficiencies of genome editing and germline transmission by in vitro fertilization (IVF) in zebrafish. Compared to conventional methods, the prior micro-injection of zebrafish oocytes improved the efficiency of genome editing, especially for the sgRNAs with low targeting efficiency. Due to high throughputs, simplicity and flexible design, this novel strategy will provide an efficient alternative to increase the speed of generating heritable mutants in zebrafish by using CRISPR/Cas9 system. PMID:27680290

Lessons From Recruitment to an Internet-Based Survey for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Comparison of Free and Fee-Based Methods.

PubMed

Davies, Benjamin; Kotter, Mark

2018-02-05

Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM) is a syndrome of subacute cervical spinal cord compression due to spinal degeneration. Although DCM is thought to be common, many fundamental questions such as the natural history and epidemiology of DCM remain unknown. In order to answer these, access to a large cohort of patients with DCM is required. With its unrivalled and efficient reach, the Internet has become an attractive tool for medical research and may overcome these limitations in DCM. The most effective recruitment strategy, however, is unknown. To compare the efficacy of fee-based advertisement with alternative free recruitment strategies to a DCM Internet health survey. An Internet health survey (SurveyMonkey) accessed by a new DCM Internet platform (myelopathy.org) was created. Using multiple survey collectors and the website's Google Analytics, the efficacy of fee-based recruitment strategies (Google AdWords) and free alternatives (including Facebook, Twitter, and myelopathy.org) were compared. Overall, 760 surveys (513 [68%] fully completed) were accessed, 305 (40%) from fee-based strategies and 455 (60%) from free alternatives. Accounting for researcher time, fee-based strategies were more expensive ($7.8 per response compared to $3.8 per response for free alternatives) and identified a less motivated audience (Click-Through-Rate of 5% compared to 57% using free alternatives) but were more time efficient for the researcher (2 minutes per response compared to 16 minutes per response for free methods). Facebook was the most effective free strategy, providing 239 (31%) responses, where a single message to 4 existing communities yielded 133 (18%) responses within 7 days. The Internet can efficiently reach large numbers of patients. Free and fee-based recruitment strategies both have merits. Facebook communities are a rich resource for Internet researchers. ©Benjamin Davies, Mark Kotter. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 05.02.2018.

Unstructured mesh methods for CFD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peraire, J.; Morgan, K.; Peiro, J.

1990-01-01

Mesh generation methods for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) are outlined. Geometric modeling is discussed. An advancing front method is described. Flow past a two engine Falcon aeroplane is studied. An algorithm and associated data structure called the alternating digital tree, which efficiently solves the geometric searching problem is described. The computation of an initial approximation to the steady state solution of a given poblem is described. Mesh generation for transient flows is described.

A method for the specific detection of resident bacteria in brine shrimp larvae.

PubMed

Niu, Yufeng; Defoirdt, Tom; Rekecki, Anamaria; De Schryver, Peter; Van den Broeck, Wim; Dong, Shuanglin; Sorgeloos, Patrick; Boon, Nico; Bossier, Peter

2012-04-01

In this study, we describe an easy but efficient method to specifically target the intestinal resident microbiota in brine shrimp larvae during DGGE analysis, hereby excluding the interference of both transient (luminal) bacteria and body surface bacteria. This effective technique has several advantages over alternative methods, with respect of ease of use and rapidity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 63.4166 - How do I determine the add-on control device emission destruction or removal efficiency?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... also use as an alternative to Method 3B, the manual method for measuring the oxygen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide content of exhaust gas in ANSI/ASME, PTC 19.10-1981, “Flue and Exhaust Gas Analyses” (incorporated by reference, see § 63.14). (4) Use Method 4 of appendix A to 40 CFR part 60 to...

Application of wavelet and Fuorier transforms as powerful alternatives for derivative spectrophotometry in analysis of binary mixtures: A comparative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, Said A.; Abdel-Gawad, Sherif A.

2018-02-01

Two signal processing methods, namely, Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) and the second was Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) were introduced as alternatives to the classical Derivative Spectrophotometry (DS) in analysis of binary mixtures. To show the advantages of these methods, a comparative study was performed on a binary mixture of Naltrexone (NTX) and Bupropion (BUP). The methods were compared by analyzing laboratory prepared mixtures of the two drugs. By comparing performance of the three methods, it was proved that CWT and DFT methods are more efficient and advantageous in analysis of mixtures with overlapped spectra than DS. The three signal processing methods were adopted for the quantification of NTX and BUP in pure and tablet forms. The adopted methods were validated according to the ICH guideline where accuracy, precision and specificity were found to be within appropriate limits.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Apratoxin E.

PubMed

Mao, Zhuo-Ya; Si, Chang-Mei; Liu, Yi-Wen; Dong, Han-Qing; Wei, Bang-Guo; Lin, Guo-Qiang

2016-10-21

An efficient method for asymmetric synthesis of apratoxin E 2 is described in this report. The chiral lactone 8, recycled from the degradation of saponin glycosides, was utilized to prepare the non-peptide fragment 6. In addition to this "from nature to nature" strategy, olefin cross-metathesis (CM) was applied as an alternative approach for the formation of the double bond. Moreover, pentafluorophenyl diphenylphosphinate was found to be an efficient condensation reagent for the macrocyclization.

Successful ongoing pregnancies after vitrification of oocytes.

PubMed

Lucena, Elkin; Bernal, Diana Patricia; Lucena, Carolina; Rojas, Alejandro; Moran, Abby; Lucena, Andrés

2006-01-01

To demonstrate the efficiency of vitrifying mature human oocytes for different clinical indications. Descriptive case series. Cryobiology laboratory, Centro Colombiano de Fertilidad y Esterilidad-CECOLFES LTDA. (Bogotá, Colombia). Oocyte vitrification was offered as an alternative management for patients undergoing infertility treatment because of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, premature ovarian failure, natural ovarian failure, male factor, poor response, or oocyte donation. Mature oocytes were obtained from 33 donor women and 40 patients undergoing infertility treatment. Oocytes were retrieved by ultrasound-guided transvaginal aspiration and vitrified with the Cryotops method, with 30% ethylene glycol, 30% dimethyl sulfoxide, and 0.5 mol/L sucrose. Viability was assessed 3 hours after thawing. The surviving oocytes were inseminated by intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Fertilization was evaluated after 24 hours. The zygotes were further cultured in vitro for up to 72 hours until time of embryo transfer. Recovery, viability, fertilization, and pregnancy rates. Oocyte vitrification with the Cryotop method resulted in high rates of recovery, viability, fertilization, cleavage, and ongoing pregnancy. Vitrification with the Cryotop method is an efficient, fast, and economical method for oocyte cryopreservation that offers high rates of survival, fertilization, embryo development, and ongoing normal pregnancies, providing a new alternative for the management of female infertility.

Using Polymer Alternating Gas to Enhance Oil Recovery in Heavy Oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yongzhi; Li, Weirong; Zhou, Tiyao; Dong, Zhenzhen

2018-02-01

CO2 has been used to recover oil for more than 40 years. Currently, about 43% of EOR production in U.S. is from CO2 flooding. CO2 flooding is a well-established EOR technique, but its density and viscosity nature are challenges for CO2 projects. Low density (0.5 to 0.8 g/cm3) causes gas to rise upward in reservoirs and bypass many lower portions of the reservoir. Low viscosity (0.02 to 0.08 cp) leads to poor volumetric sweep efficiency. So water-alternating-gas (WAG) method was used to control the mobility of CO2 and improve sweep efficiency. However, WAG process has some other problems in heavy oil reservoir, such as poor mobility ratio and gravity overriding. To examine the applicability of carbon dioxide to recover viscous oil from highly heterogeneous reservoirs, this study suggests a new EOR method--polymer-alternating gas (PAG) process. The process involves a combination of polymer flooding and CO2 injection. To confirm the effectiveness of PAG process in heavy oils, a reservoir model from Liaohe Oilfield is used to compare the technical and economic performance among PAG, WAG and polymer flooding. Simulation results show that PAG method would increase oil recovery over 10% compared with other EOR methods and PAG would be economically success based on assumption in this study. This study is the first to apply PAG to enhance oil recovery in heavy oil reservoir with highly heterogeneous. Besides, this paper provides detailed discussions and comparison about PAG with other EOR methods in this heavy oil reservoir.

The development of optimal lightweight truss-core sandwich panels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langhorst, Benjamin Robert

Sandwich structures effectively provide lightweight stiffness and strength by sandwiching a low-density core between stiff face sheets. The performance of lightweight truss-core sandwich panels is enhanced through the design of novel truss arrangements and the development of methods by which the panels may be optimized. An introduction to sandwich panels is presented along with an overview of previous research of truss-core sandwich panels. Three alternative truss arrangements are developed and their corresponding advantages, disadvantages, and optimization routines are discussed. Finally, performance is investigated by theoretical and numerical methods, and it is shown that the relative structural efficiency of alternative truss cores varies with panel weight and load-carrying capacity. Discrete truss core sandwich panels can be designed to serve bending applications more efficiently than traditional pyramidal truss arrangements at low panel weights and load capacities. Additionally, discrete-truss cores permit the design of heterogeneous cores, which feature unit cells that vary in geometry throughout the panel according to the internal loads present at each unit cell's location. A discrete-truss core panel may be selectively strengthened to more efficiently support bending loads. Future research is proposed and additional areas for lightweight sandwich panel development are explained.

A stochastic method for computing hadronic matrix elements

DOE PAGES

Alexandrou, Constantia; Constantinou, Martha; Dinter, Simon; ...

2014-01-24

In this study, we present a stochastic method for the calculation of baryon 3-point functions which is an alternative to the typically used sequential method offering more versatility. We analyze the scaling of the error of the stochastically evaluated 3-point function with the lattice volume and find a favorable signal to noise ratio suggesting that the stochastic method can be extended to large volumes providing an efficient approach to compute hadronic matrix elements and form factors.

23 CFR 972.214 - Federal lands congestion management system (CMS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... management strategies; (v) Determine methods to monitor and evaluate the performance of the multi-modal... means the level at which transportation system performance is no longer acceptable due to traffic... improve existing transportation system efficiency. Approaches may include the use of alternate mode...

23 CFR 972.214 - Federal lands congestion management system (CMS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... management strategies; (v) Determine methods to monitor and evaluate the performance of the multi-modal... means the level at which transportation system performance is no longer acceptable due to traffic... improve existing transportation system efficiency. Approaches may include the use of alternate mode...

A NOVEL ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY METHOD FOR EXPANSION AND MOLDING OF POLYMERIC FOAM

EPA Science Inventory

The objective of the project is to develop an environment friendly, novel and efficient alternative process for expansion and molding of polymeric foam. Spherical, expandable polymer beads are prepared from liquid monomer suspended in an aqueous medium, containing an expansion...

A Pareto frontier intersection-based approach for efficient multiobjective optimization of competing concept alternatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rousis, Damon A.

The expected growth of civil aviation over the next twenty years places significant emphasis on revolutionary technology development aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of commercial aircraft. As the number of technology alternatives grows along with model complexity, current methods for Pareto finding and multiobjective optimization quickly become computationally infeasible. Coupled with the large uncertainty in the early stages of design, optimal designs are sought while avoiding the computational burden of excessive function calls when a single design change or technology assumption could alter the results. This motivates the need for a robust and efficient evaluation methodology for quantitative assessment of competing concepts. This research presents a novel approach that combines Bayesian adaptive sampling with surrogate-based optimization to efficiently place designs near Pareto frontier intersections of competing concepts. Efficiency is increased over sequential multiobjective optimization by focusing computational resources specifically on the location in the design space where optimality shifts between concepts. At the intersection of Pareto frontiers, the selection decisions are most sensitive to preferences place on the objectives, and small perturbations can lead to vastly different final designs. These concepts are incorporated into an evaluation methodology that ultimately reduces the number of failed cases, infeasible designs, and Pareto dominated solutions across all concepts. A set of algebraic samples along with a truss design problem are presented as canonical examples for the proposed approach. The methodology is applied to the design of ultra-high bypass ratio turbofans to guide NASA's technology development efforts for future aircraft. Geared-drive and variable geometry bypass nozzle concepts are explored as enablers for increased bypass ratio and potential alternatives over traditional configurations. The method is shown to improve sampling efficiency and provide clusters of feasible designs that motivate a shift towards revolutionary technologies that reduce fuel burn, emissions, and noise on future aircraft.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: College Students Engineer Efficient Vehicles

Science.gov Websites

in EcoCAR 2 CompetitionA> College Students Engineer Efficient Vehicles in EcoCAR 2 Competition to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: College Students Engineer Efficient Vehicles in EcoCAR 2 Competition on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: College Students Engineer

Alternative Fuels Data Center: County Fleet Goes Big on Idle Reduction,

Science.gov Websites

Ethanol Use, Fuel Efficiency County Fleet Goes Big on Idle Reduction, Ethanol Use, Fuel , Ethanol Use, Fuel Efficiency on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: County Fleet Goes Big on Idle Reduction, Ethanol Use, Fuel Efficiency on Twitter Bookmark Alternative Fuels Data Center

Corruption of accuracy and efficiency of Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation by inaccurate numerical implementation of conceptual hydrologic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoups, G.; Vrugt, J. A.; Fenicia, F.; van de Giesen, N. C.

2010-10-01

Conceptual rainfall-runoff models have traditionally been applied without paying much attention to numerical errors induced by temporal integration of water balance dynamics. Reliance on first-order, explicit, fixed-step integration methods leads to computationally cheap simulation models that are easy to implement. Computational speed is especially desirable for estimating parameter and predictive uncertainty using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. Confirming earlier work of Kavetski et al. (2003), we show here that the computational speed of first-order, explicit, fixed-step integration methods comes at a cost: for a case study with a spatially lumped conceptual rainfall-runoff model, it introduces artificial bimodality in the marginal posterior parameter distributions, which is not present in numerically accurate implementations of the same model. The resulting effects on MCMC simulation include (1) inconsistent estimates of posterior parameter and predictive distributions, (2) poor performance and slow convergence of the MCMC algorithm, and (3) unreliable convergence diagnosis using the Gelman-Rubin statistic. We studied several alternative numerical implementations to remedy these problems, including various adaptive-step finite difference schemes and an operator splitting method. Our results show that adaptive-step, second-order methods, based on either explicit finite differencing or operator splitting with analytical integration, provide the best alternative for accurate and efficient MCMC simulation. Fixed-step or adaptive-step implicit methods may also be used for increased accuracy, but they cannot match the efficiency of adaptive-step explicit finite differencing or operator splitting. Of the latter two, explicit finite differencing is more generally applicable and is preferred if the individual hydrologic flux laws cannot be integrated analytically, as the splitting method then loses its advantage.

10 CFR 905.16 - What are the requirements for the minimum investment report alternative?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... report alternative? 905.16 Section 905.16 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT...; renewable energy; efficiency and alternative energy-related research and development; low-income energy... collected for and spent on DSM, renewable energy, efficiency or alternative energy-related research and...

10 CFR 905.16 - What are the requirements for the minimum investment report alternative?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... report alternative? 905.16 Section 905.16 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT...; renewable energy; efficiency and alternative energy-related research and development; low-income energy... collected for and spent on DSM, renewable energy, efficiency or alternative energy-related research and...

10 CFR 905.16 - What are the requirements for the minimum investment report alternative?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... report alternative? 905.16 Section 905.16 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT...; renewable energy; efficiency and alternative energy-related research and development; low-income energy... collected for and spent on DSM, renewable energy, efficiency or alternative energy-related research and...

10 CFR 905.16 - What are the requirements for the minimum investment report alternative?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... report alternative? 905.16 Section 905.16 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT...; renewable energy; efficiency and alternative energy-related research and development; low-income energy... collected for and spent on DSM, renewable energy, efficiency or alternative energy-related research and...

Development of an Itemwise Efficiency Scoring Method: Concurrent, Convergent, Discriminant, and Neuroimaging-Based Predictive Validity Assessed in a Large Community Sample

PubMed Central

Moore, Tyler M.; Reise, Steven P.; Roalf, David R.; Satterthwaite, Theodore D.; Davatzikos, Christos; Bilker, Warren B.; Port, Allison M.; Jackson, Chad T.; Ruparel, Kosha; Savitt, Adam P.; Baron, Robert B.; Gur, Raquel E.; Gur, Ruben C.

2016-01-01

Traditional “paper-and-pencil” testing is imprecise in measuring speed and hence limited in assessing performance efficiency, but computerized testing permits precision in measuring itemwise response time. We present a method of scoring performance efficiency (combining information from accuracy and speed) at the item level. Using a community sample of 9,498 youths age 8-21, we calculated item-level efficiency scores on four neurocognitive tests, and compared the concurrent, convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity of these scores to simple averaging of standardized speed and accuracy-summed scores. Concurrent validity was measured by the scores' abilities to distinguish men from women and their correlations with age; convergent and discriminant validity were measured by correlations with other scores inside and outside of their neurocognitive domains; predictive validity was measured by correlations with brain volume in regions associated with the specific neurocognitive abilities. Results provide support for the ability of itemwise efficiency scoring to detect signals as strong as those detected by standard efficiency scoring methods. We find no evidence of superior validity of the itemwise scores over traditional scores, but point out several advantages of the former. The itemwise efficiency scoring method shows promise as an alternative to standard efficiency scoring methods, with overall moderate support from tests of four different types of validity. This method allows the use of existing item analysis methods and provides the convenient ability to adjust the overall emphasis of accuracy versus speed in the efficiency score, thus adjusting the scoring to the real-world demands the test is aiming to fulfill. PMID:26866796

Assessing the performances of low impact development alternatives by long-term simulation for a semi-arid area in Tianjin, northern China.

PubMed

Huang, Jinhui Jeanne; Li, Yu; Niu, Shuai; Zhou, Shu H

2014-01-01

For areas that are urbanized rapidly, the practice of low impact development (LID) has gained an important place in stormwater management and urban planning due to its capability and beneficial effects in restoring the original hydrological cycle. The performances of LID alternatives can vary substantially due to different climate conditions. This study investigated the performances of five LID alternatives under a semi-arid climate in northern China on water balance and flood control. A numerical model, Storm Water Management Model version 5 (US Environmental Protection Agency), was employed to run 10 years' rainfall events for these objectives. Two evaluation methods were proposed in this study: the efficiency index for water balance and a performance radar chart. The investigation of the five LID alternatives revealed that these LID alternatives functioned differently in flood control and water balance, and porous pavement performed best in all indices except the lag time. The two evaluation methods, in conjunction with the long-term numerical simulation, can facilitate design and decision making by providing a clear picture of the performance and functions for these LID alternatives.

Antibiotic removal from water: A highly efficient silver phosphate-based Z-scheme photocatalytic system under natural solar light.

PubMed

Wang, Jiajia; Chen, Hui; Tang, Lin; Zeng, Guangming; Liu, Yutang; Yan, Ming; Deng, Yaocheng; Feng, Haopeng; Yu, Jiangfang; Wang, Longlu

2018-10-15

Photocatalytic degradation is an alternative method to remove pharmaceutical compounds from water, however it is hard to achieve efficient rate because of the low efficiency of photocatalysts. In this study, an efficient Z-Scheme photocatalyst was constructed by integrating graphitic carbon nitride (CN) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with AP via a simple facile precipitation method. Excitedly, ternary AP/rGO/CN composite showed superior photocatalytic and anti-photocorrosion performances under both intense sunlight and weak indoor light irradiation. NOF can be completely degraded in only 30 min and about 85% of NOF can be mineralized after 2 h irradiation under intensive sunlight irradiation. rGO could work not only as a sheltering layer to protect AP from photocorrosion but also as a mediator for Z-Scheme electron transport, which can protect AP from the photoreduction. This strategy could be a promising method to construct photocatalytic system with high efficiency for the removal of antibiotics under natural light irradiation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Efficient evaluation of the Coulomb force in the Gaussian and finite-element Coulomb method.

PubMed

Kurashige, Yuki; Nakajima, Takahito; Sato, Takeshi; Hirao, Kimihiko

2010-06-28

We propose an efficient method for evaluating the Coulomb force in the Gaussian and finite-element Coulomb (GFC) method, which is a linear-scaling approach for evaluating the Coulomb matrix and energy in large molecular systems. The efficient evaluation of the analytical gradient in the GFC is not straightforward as well as the evaluation of the energy because the SCF procedure with the Coulomb matrix does not give a variational solution for the Coulomb energy. Thus, an efficient approximate method is alternatively proposed, in which the Coulomb potential is expanded in the Gaussian and finite-element auxiliary functions as done in the GFC. To minimize the error in the gradient not just in the energy, the derived functions of the original auxiliary functions of the GFC are used additionally for the evaluation of the Coulomb gradient. In fact, the use of the derived functions significantly improves the accuracy of this approach. Although these additional auxiliary functions enlarge the size of the discretized Poisson equation and thereby increase the computational cost, it maintains the near linear scaling as the GFC and does not affects the overall efficiency of the GFC approach.

Memoized Online Variational Inference for Dirichlet Process Mixture Models

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-27

breaking process [7], which places artifically large mass on the final component. It is more efficient and broadly applicable than an alternative trunction...models. In Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence , 2008. [13] N. Le Roux, M. Schmidt, and F. Bach. A stochastic gradient method with an exponential

Live feed enrichment with probiotics: current methods and future perspectives on increasing finfish larviculture success

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Probiotics - active or inactive microorganisms incorporated to animal feeds - are considered a potential alternative to other treatments intended to enhance immune response, growth, or feed efficiency in animal rearing systems. While probiotics are extensively used in livestock practices, their use ...

Bacteriophage application restores ethanol fermentation characteristics disrupted by Lactobacillus fermentum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Contamination of corn mash by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) reduces ethanol yields and the overall efficiency of the ethanol fermentation process, and the industry relies heavily on antibiotics for contamination control. There is a need to develop alternative methods for the control of cont...

Cost-Benefit Analysis in Nontraditional Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Charles A.

1975-01-01

The methods of management science have been increasingly helpful to colleges and universities in evaluating alternatives, both instructional and administrative, and in determining the most efficient allocation of their resources. This article discusses ways in which systems techniques can be used to support the humanistic efforts so highly valued…

Evaluation de l'eco-efficience des processus de mise a niveau d'helicopteres en tant qu'alternative a la fin de vie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rancher, Alexandre

Classic industrial production methods generate significant pressures on natural resources as well as environmental constraints related to product end-of-life management. Closed-loop supply chains are often seen as more eco-efficient alternatives, well known to provide substantial economic and environmental benefits at the scale of the product life cycle. This is notably achieved through important reductions in the overall cost of production, in the needs for new materials and energies, and in the proportion of end-of-life components going to landfill. Due to their modular designs and the particular dynamics of helicopter service life, light nonpressurized helicopters have proven to be highly receptive to partial or total remanufacture and upgrade, extending their service life, enhancing their performance and modernizing their equipment, often for only a fraction of the cost of a new aircraft. However, little environmental data is available in order to assess the overall eco-efficiency of helicopter upgrade processes. This study resulted in the creation of a method for the systemic characterization of the processes encountered during the helicopter service life. The arrangement of these processes over time has enabled the construction of helicopter operation cycles, representative of the helicopter service life. These operation cycles have then been characterized, following various criteria based on helicopter designs and usage profiles, in order to study and compare their respective eco-efficiency. A case study is provided to illustrate the application of the method, based on a currently operating industrial business model of helicopter upgrade. This case study intends to provide a first-level assessment of the potential economic, technical and environmental benefits from remanufacturing and upgrading a helicopter, as an alternative production channel. The study found that compared to its replacement, upgrading a former airframe to a more recent design is generally a more eco-efficient decision. Important reductions were found in most of the profiles assessed, notably, reductions of up to 51 % in terms of production costs, 77.5 % in waste going to landfill, and up to 54 % in energy consumption. The method developed can be seen as a decision-helping tool intended for both operators and manufacturers. The method takes into account Design-for-Environment (DfE) guidelines and Material Recovery Opportunities (MRO), providing better understanding of the adaptability of a given design to fulfill the requirements of optimized reverse supply chains.

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Dddd... - Alternative Procedure To Determine Capture Efficiency From Enclosures Around Hot Presses in the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... of average velocity during the run and using these data, in conjunction with the pre- and post-test..., you may choose to follow the post-test calibration procedures of Method 320 in appendix A to 40 CFR... of hazardous air pollutants during the press process. This test method requires a minimum of three...

The accurate solution of Poisson's equation by expansion in Chebyshev polynomials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haidvogel, D. B.; Zang, T.

1979-01-01

A Chebyshev expansion technique is applied to Poisson's equation on a square with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. The spectral equations are solved in two ways - by alternating direction and by matrix diagonalization methods. Solutions are sought to both oscillatory and mildly singular problems. The accuracy and efficiency of the Chebyshev approach compare favorably with those of standard second- and fourth-order finite-difference methods.

A time-spectral approach to numerical weather prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheffel, Jan; Lindvall, Kristoffer; Yik, Hiu Fai

2018-05-01

Finite difference methods are traditionally used for modelling the time domain in numerical weather prediction (NWP). Time-spectral solution is an attractive alternative for reasons of accuracy and efficiency and because time step limitations associated with causal CFL-like criteria, typical for explicit finite difference methods, are avoided. In this work, the Lorenz 1984 chaotic equations are solved using the time-spectral algorithm GWRM (Generalized Weighted Residual Method). Comparisons of accuracy and efficiency are carried out for both explicit and implicit time-stepping algorithms. It is found that the efficiency of the GWRM compares well with these methods, in particular at high accuracy. For perturbative scenarios, the GWRM was found to be as much as four times faster than the finite difference methods. A primary reason is that the GWRM time intervals typically are two orders of magnitude larger than those of the finite difference methods. The GWRM has the additional advantage to produce analytical solutions in the form of Chebyshev series expansions. The results are encouraging for pursuing further studies, including spatial dependence, of the relevance of time-spectral methods for NWP modelling.

Suppressing molecular motions for enhanced room-temperature phosphorescence of metal-free organic materials

PubMed Central

Kwon, Min Sang; Yu, Youngchang; Coburn, Caleb; Phillips, Andrew W.; Chung, Kyeongwoon; Shanker, Apoorv; Jung, Jaehun; Kim, Gunho; Pipe, Kevin; Forrest, Stephen R.; Youk, Ji Ho; Gierschner, Johannes; Kim, Jinsang

2015-01-01

Metal-free organic phosphorescent materials are attractive alternatives to the predominantly used organometallic phosphors but are generally dimmer and are relatively rare, as, without heavy-metal atoms, spin–orbit coupling is less efficient and phosphorescence usually cannot compete with radiationless relaxation processes. Here we present a general design rule and a method to effectively reduce radiationless transitions and hence greatly enhance phosphorescence efficiency of metal-free organic materials in a variety of amorphous polymer matrices, based on the restriction of molecular motions in the proximity of embedded phosphors. Covalent cross-linking between phosphors and polymer matrices via Diels–Alder click chemistry is devised as a method. A sharp increase in phosphorescence quantum efficiency is observed in a variety of polymer matrices with this method, which is ca. two to five times higher than that of phosphor-doped polymer systems having no such covalent linkage. PMID:26626796

Krylov subspace methods on supercomputers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saad, Youcef

1988-01-01

A short survey of recent research on Krylov subspace methods with emphasis on implementation on vector and parallel computers is presented. Conjugate gradient methods have proven very useful on traditional scalar computers, and their popularity is likely to increase as three-dimensional models gain importance. A conservative approach to derive effective iterative techniques for supercomputers has been to find efficient parallel/vector implementations of the standard algorithms. The main source of difficulty in the incomplete factorization preconditionings is in the solution of the triangular systems at each step. A few approaches consisting of implementing efficient forward and backward triangular solutions are described in detail. Polynomial preconditioning as an alternative to standard incomplete factorization techniques is also discussed. Another efficient approach is to reorder the equations so as to improve the structure of the matrix to achieve better parallelism or vectorization. An overview of these and other ideas and their effectiveness or potential for different types of architectures is given.

Comparison of Several Methods for Determining the Internal Resistance of Lithium Ion Cells

PubMed Central

Schweiger, Hans-Georg; Obeidi, Ossama; Komesker, Oliver; Raschke, André; Schiemann, Michael; Zehner, Christian; Gehnen, Markus; Keller, Michael; Birke, Peter

2010-01-01

The internal resistance is the key parameter for determining power, energy efficiency and lost heat of a lithium ion cell. Precise knowledge of this value is vital for designing battery systems for automotive applications. Internal resistance of a cell was determined by current step methods, AC (alternating current) methods, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and thermal loss methods. The outcomes of these measurements have been compared with each other. If charge or discharge of the cell is limited, current step methods provide the same results as energy loss methods. PMID:22219678

Multilayer dielectric diffraction gratings

DOEpatents

Perry, Michael D.; Britten, Jerald A.; Nguyen, Hoang T.; Boyd, Robert; Shore, Bruce W.

1999-01-01

The design and fabrication of dielectric grating structures with high diffraction efficiency used in reflection or transmission is described. By forming a multilayer structure of alternating index dielectric materials and placing a grating structure on top of the multilayer, a diffraction grating of adjustable efficiency, and variable optical bandwidth can be obtained. Diffraction efficiency into the first order in reflection varying between 1 and 98 percent has been achieved by controlling the design of the multilayer and the depth, shape, and material comprising the grooves of the grating structure. Methods for fabricating these gratings without the use of ion etching techniques are described.

Multilayer dielectric diffraction gratings

DOEpatents

Perry, M.D.; Britten, J.A.; Nguyen, H.T.; Boyd, R.; Shore, B.W.

1999-05-25

The design and fabrication of dielectric grating structures with high diffraction efficiency used in reflection or transmission is described. By forming a multilayer structure of alternating index dielectric materials and placing a grating structure on top of the multilayer, a diffraction grating of adjustable efficiency, and variable optical bandwidth can be obtained. Diffraction efficiency into the first order in reflection varying between 1 and 98 percent has been achieved by controlling the design of the multilayer and the depth, shape, and material comprising the grooves of the grating structure. Methods for fabricating these gratings without the use of ion etching techniques are described. 7 figs.

Seismic data restoration with a fast L1 norm trust region method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Jingjie; Wang, Yanfei

2014-08-01

Seismic data restoration is a major strategy to provide reliable wavefield when field data dissatisfy the Shannon sampling theorem. Recovery by sparsity-promoting inversion often get sparse solutions of seismic data in a transformed domains, however, most methods for sparsity-promoting inversion are line-searching methods which are efficient but are inclined to obtain local solutions. Using trust region method which can provide globally convergent solutions is a good choice to overcome this shortcoming. A trust region method for sparse inversion has been proposed, however, the efficiency should be improved to suitable for large-scale computation. In this paper, a new L1 norm trust region model is proposed for seismic data restoration and a robust gradient projection method for solving the sub-problem is utilized. Numerical results of synthetic and field data demonstrate that the proposed trust region method can get excellent computation speed and is a viable alternative for large-scale computation.

A simple and efficient alternative to implementing systematic random sampling in stereological designs without a motorized microscope stage.

PubMed

Melvin, Neal R; Poda, Daniel; Sutherland, Robert J

2007-10-01

When properly applied, stereology is a very robust and efficient method to quantify a variety of parameters from biological material. A common sampling strategy in stereology is systematic random sampling, which involves choosing a random sampling [corrected] start point outside the structure of interest, and sampling relevant objects at [corrected] sites that are placed at pre-determined, equidistant intervals. This has proven to be a very efficient sampling strategy, and is used widely in stereological designs. At the microscopic level, this is most often achieved through the use of a motorized stage that facilitates the systematic random stepping across the structure of interest. Here, we report a simple, precise and cost-effective software-based alternative to accomplishing systematic random sampling under the microscope. We believe that this approach will facilitate the use of stereological designs that employ systematic random sampling in laboratories that lack the resources to acquire costly, fully automated systems.

Experimental research on microscopic displacement mechanism of CO2-water alternative flooding in low permeability reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Hongyan; Zhu, Weiyao; Long, Yunqian; Song, Hongqing; Huang, Kun

2018-02-01

This paper provides an experimental method to deal with the problems of low oil recovery ratio faced with water flooding utilizing the CO2/water alternate displacement technology. A series of CO2/water alternate flooding experiments were carried out under 60°C and 18.4MPa using high temperature / pressure microscopic visualization simulation system. Then, we used the image processing technique and software to analyze the proportion of remaining oil in the displacement process. The results show that CO2 can extract the lighter chemical components in the crude oil and make it easier to form miscible phase, which can reduce the viscosity and favorable mobility ratio of oil. What’s more, the displacement reduces the impact of gas channeling, which can achieve an enlarged sweeping efficiency to improve filtration ability. In addition, the CO2 dissolved in oil and water can greatly reduce the interfacial tension, which can increase the oil displacement efficiency in a large extent. Generally speaking, the recovery rate of residual oil in the micro - model can be elevated up to 15.89% ∼ 16.48% under formation condition by alternate displacement.

Mutual Coupling Analysis for Conformal Microstrip Antennas.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-01

6 0.001/ko, and the infinite integral is terminated at k 150 ko . 28*,-J ." . .. C. MUTUAL COUPLING ANALYSIS In this section, the moment method ...fact that it does provide an attractive alternative to the Green’s function method on which the analysis in later sections is based. In the present...by the moment method , the chosen set of expansion dipole modes plays a very important role. The efficiency as well as accuracy of the analysis depend

20180312 - Evaluating the applicability of read-across tools and high throughput screening data for food relevant chemicals (SOT)

EPA Science Inventory

Alternative toxicity assessment methods to characterize the hazards of chemical substances have been proposed to reduce animal testing and screen thousands of chemicals in an efficient manner. Resources to accomplish these goals include utilizing large in vitro chemical screening...

10 CFR Appendix to Part 719 - Guidance for Legal Resource Management

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the principal and most common method of alternative dispute resolution. In exceptional circumstances... finding of willful misconduct or lack of good faith by contractor management in the case of third party... officer. Time charged by law students should be scrutinized for its efficiency and have prior...

Live feed enrichment with probiotics: current methods and future perspectives on increasing finfish larviculture success

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Probiotics are considered an alternative to other treatments enhancing immune response, growth, or feed efficiency in animal rearing systems. While probiotics are extensively used in livestock practices, their use in aquaculture has not been as prevalent due to many factors, including a knowledge ga...

Integrated Language Experience Approach--Using Research Unit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren City Schools, OH.

This program, included in "Effective Reading Programs...," is the result of the efforts of a small team of teachers who desired an alternative method for teaching efficient reading and study skills to underachieving high school students and for supplementing remedial reading classes. Begun in 1972, the program serves 130 ninth graders…

Toward better drug repositioning: prioritizing and integrating existing methods into efficient pipelines.

PubMed

Jin, Guangxu; Wong, Stephen T C

2014-05-01

Recycling old drugs, rescuing shelved drugs and extending patents' lives make drug repositioning an attractive form of drug discovery. Drug repositioning accounts for approximately 30% of the newly US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs and vaccines in recent years. The prevalence of drug-repositioning studies has resulted in a variety of innovative computational methods for the identification of new opportunities for the use of old drugs. Questions often arise from customizing or optimizing these methods into efficient drug-repositioning pipelines for alternative applications. It requires a comprehensive understanding of the available methods gained by evaluating both biological and pharmaceutical knowledge and the elucidated mechanism-of-action of drugs. Here, we provide guidance for prioritizing and integrating drug-repositioning methods for specific drug-repositioning pipelines. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plastic-Film Mulching for Enhanced Water-Use Efficiency and Economic Returns from Maize Fields in Semiarid China.

PubMed

Zhang, Peng; Wei, Ting; Cai, Tie; Ali, Shahzad; Han, Qingfang; Ren, Xiaolong; Jia, Zhikuan

2017-01-01

Film mulch has gradually been popularized to increase water availability to crops for improving and stabilizing agricultural production in the semiarid areas of Northwest China. To find more sustainable and economic film mulch methods for alleviating drought stress in semiarid region, it is necessary to test optimum planting methods in same cultivation conditions. A field experiment was conducted during 2013 and 2014 to evaluate the effects of different plastic film mulch methods on soil water, soil temperature, water use efficiency (WUE), yield and revenue. The treatments included: (i) the control, conventional flat planting without plastic film mulch (CK); (ii) flat planting with maize rows (60 cm spacing) on plastic film mulch (70 cm wide); (iii) furrow planting of maize (60 cm spacing), separated by consecutive plastic film-mulched ridges (each 50 cm wide and 15 cm tall); (iv) furrow planting of maize (60 cm spacing), separated by alternating large and small plastic film-mulched ridges (large ridges: 70 cm wide and 15 cm tall, small ridges 50 cm wide and 10 cm tall); and (v) furrow-flat planting of maize (60 cm spacing) with a large plastic film-mulched ridge (60 cm wide and 15 cm tall) alternating with a flat without plastic film-mulched space (60 cm wide). Topsoil temperature (5-25 cm) was significantly ( p < 0.05) higher in field plots with plastic film mulch than the control (CK), and resulted in greater soil water storage (0-200 cm) up to 40 days after planting. Maize grain yield and WUE were significantly ( p < 0.05) higher with the furrow planting methods (consecutive film-mulched ridges and alternating film-mulched ridges) than the check in both years. Maize yield was, on average, 29% ( p < 0.05) greater and 28% ( p < 0.05) greater with these furrow planting methods, while the average WUE increased by 22.8% ( p < 0.05) with consecutive film-mulched ridges and 21.1% ( p < 0.05) with alternating film-mulched ridges. The 2-year average net income increased by 1559, 528, and 350 Chinese Yuan (CNY) ha -1 with the consecutive film-mulched ridges, furrow-flat planting and alternating film-mulched ridges, respectively, compared with the control (CK). We conclude that the consecutive film-mulched ridge method was the most productive and profitable for maize in this semi-arid area with limited and erratic precipitation.

Evaluation of environmental sampling methods for detection of Salmonella enterica in a large animal veterinary hospital.

PubMed

Goeman, Valerie R; Tinkler, Stacy H; Hammac, G Kenitra; Ruple, Audrey

2018-04-01

Environmental surveillance for Salmonella enterica can be used for early detection of contamination; thus routine sampling is an integral component of infection control programs in hospital environments. At the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (PUVTH), the technique regularly employed in the large animal hospital for sample collection uses sterile gauze sponges for environmental sampling, which has proven labor-intensive and time-consuming. Alternative sampling methods use Swiffer brand electrostatic wipes for environmental sample collection, which are reportedly effective and efficient. It was hypothesized that use of Swiffer wipes for sample collection would be more efficient and less costly than the use of gauze sponges. A head-to-head comparison between the 2 sampling methods was conducted in the PUVTH large animal hospital and relative agreement, cost-effectiveness, and sampling efficiency were compared. There was fair agreement in culture results between the 2 sampling methods, but Swiffer wipes required less time and less physical effort to collect samples and were more cost-effective.

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload.

PubMed

Koehl, Bérengère; Missud, Florence; Holvoet, Laurent; Ithier, Ghislaine; Sakalian-Black, Oliver; Haouari, Zinedine; Lesprit, Emmanuelle; Baruchel, André; Benkerrou, Malika

2017-03-14

Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) may be at risk of cerebral vasculopathy and strokes, which can be prevented by chronic transfusion programs. Repeated transfusions of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) is currently the simplest and most used technique for chronic transfusion programs. However, iron overload is one of the major side effects of this therapy. More developed methods exist, notably the apheresis of RBC (erythrapheresis), which is currently the safest and most efficient method. However, it is costly, complicated, and cannot be implemented everywhere, nor is it suitable for all patients. Manual exchange transfusions combine one or more manual phlebotomies with a PRBC transfusion. At the Reference Center of Sickle Cell Disease, we set up a continuous method of manual exchange transfusion that is feasible for all hospital settings, demands no specific equipment, and is widely applicable. In terms of HbS decrease, stroke prevention, and iron overload prevention, this method showed comparable efficiency to erythrapheresis. In cases where erythrapheresis is not available, this method can be a good alternative for patients and care centers.

Sonochemical enzyme-catalyzed regioselective acylation of flavonoid glycosides.

PubMed

Ziaullah; Rupasinghe, H P Vasantha

2016-04-01

This work compares a highly efficient and alternative method of sonication-assisted lipase catalyzed acylation of quercetin-3-O-glucoside and phloretin-2'-glucoside, using Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozyme 435(®)), with a range of fatty acids. In this study, sonication-assisted irradiation coupled with stirring has been found to be more efficient and economical than conventional reaction conditions. Sonication-assisted acylation accelerated the reactions and reduced the time required by 4-5 folds. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SPIP: A computer program implementing the Interaction Picture method for simulation of light-wave propagation in optical fibre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balac, Stéphane; Fernandez, Arnaud

2016-02-01

The computer program SPIP is aimed at solving the Generalized Non-Linear Schrödinger equation (GNLSE), involved in optics e.g. in the modelling of light-wave propagation in an optical fibre, by the Interaction Picture method, a new efficient alternative method to the Symmetric Split-Step method. In the SPIP program a dedicated costless adaptive step-size control based on the use of a 4th order embedded Runge-Kutta method is implemented in order to speed up the resolution.

NEAT: an efficient network enrichment analysis test.

PubMed

Signorelli, Mirko; Vinciotti, Veronica; Wit, Ernst C

2016-09-05

Network enrichment analysis is a powerful method, which allows to integrate gene enrichment analysis with the information on relationships between genes that is provided by gene networks. Existing tests for network enrichment analysis deal only with undirected networks, they can be computationally slow and are based on normality assumptions. We propose NEAT, a test for network enrichment analysis. The test is based on the hypergeometric distribution, which naturally arises as the null distribution in this context. NEAT can be applied not only to undirected, but to directed and partially directed networks as well. Our simulations indicate that NEAT is considerably faster than alternative resampling-based methods, and that its capacity to detect enrichments is at least as good as the one of alternative tests. We discuss applications of NEAT to network analyses in yeast by testing for enrichment of the Environmental Stress Response target gene set with GO Slim and KEGG functional gene sets, and also by inspecting associations between functional sets themselves. NEAT is a flexible and efficient test for network enrichment analysis that aims to overcome some limitations of existing resampling-based tests. The method is implemented in the R package neat, which can be freely downloaded from CRAN ( https://cran.r-project.org/package=neat ).

Tensor-product preconditioners for a space-time discontinuous Galerkin method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diosady, Laslo T.; Murman, Scott M.

2014-10-01

A space-time discontinuous Galerkin spectral element discretization is presented for direct numerical simulation of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations. An efficient solution technique based on a matrix-free Newton-Krylov method is presented. A diagonalized alternating direction implicit preconditioner is extended to a space-time formulation using entropy variables. The effectiveness of this technique is demonstrated for the direct numerical simulation of turbulent flow in a channel.

Testing tail-mounted transmitters with Myocastor coypus (nutria)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merino, S.; Carter, J.; Thibodeaux, G.

2007-01-01

We developed a tail-mounted radio-transmitter for Myocastor coypus (nutria) that offers a practical and efficient alternative to collar or implant methods. The mean retention time was 96 d (range 57-147 d, n = 7), making this a practical method for short-term studies. The tail-mounts were less injurious to animals than collars and easier for field researchers to implement than either collars or surgically implanted transmitters.

Hypothesis Testing Using Factor Score Regression

PubMed Central

Devlieger, Ines; Mayer, Axel; Rosseel, Yves

2015-01-01

In this article, an overview is given of four methods to perform factor score regression (FSR), namely regression FSR, Bartlett FSR, the bias avoiding method of Skrondal and Laake, and the bias correcting method of Croon. The bias correcting method is extended to include a reliable standard error. The four methods are compared with each other and with structural equation modeling (SEM) by using analytic calculations and two Monte Carlo simulation studies to examine their finite sample characteristics. Several performance criteria are used, such as the bias using the unstandardized and standardized parameterization, efficiency, mean square error, standard error bias, type I error rate, and power. The results show that the bias correcting method, with the newly developed standard error, is the only suitable alternative for SEM. While it has a higher standard error bias than SEM, it has a comparable bias, efficiency, mean square error, power, and type I error rate. PMID:29795886

Bioremediation techniques applied to aqueous media contaminated with mercury.

PubMed

Velásquez-Riaño, Möritz; Benavides-Otaya, Holman D

2016-12-01

In recent years, the environmental and human health impacts of mercury contamination have driven the search for alternative, eco-efficient techniques different from the traditional physicochemical methods for treating this metal. One of these alternative processes is bioremediation. A comprehensive analysis of the different variables that can affect this process is presented. It focuses on determining the effectiveness of different techniques of bioremediation, with a specific consideration of three variables: the removal percentage, time needed for bioremediation and initial concentration of mercury to be treated in an aqueous medium.

Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) schemes for a PDE-based image osmosis model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calatroni, L.; Estatico, C.; Garibaldi, N.; Parisotto, S.

2017-10-01

We consider Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) splitting schemes to compute efficiently the numerical solution of the PDE osmosis model considered by Weickert et al. in [10] for several imaging applications. The discretised scheme is shown to preserve analogous properties to the continuous model. The dimensional splitting strategy traduces numerically into the solution of simple tridiagonal systems for which standard matrix factorisation techniques can be used to improve upon the performance of classical implicit methods, even for large time steps. Applications to the shadow removal problem are presented.

Managing for efficiency in health care: the case of Greek public hospitals.

PubMed

Mitropoulos, Panagiotis; Mitropoulos, Ioannis; Sissouras, Aris

2013-12-01

This paper evaluates the efficiency of public hospitals with two alternative conceptual models. One model targets resource usage directly to assess production efficiency, while the other model incorporates financial results to assess economic efficiency. Performance analysis of these models was conducted in two stages. In stage one, we utilized data envelopment analysis to obtain the efficiency score of each hospital, while in stage two we took into account the influence of the operational environment on efficiency by regressing those scores on explanatory variables that concern the performance of hospital services. We applied these methods to evaluate 96 general hospitals in the Greek national health system. The results indicate that, although the average efficiency scores in both models have remained relatively stable compared to past assessments, internal changes in hospital performances do exist. This study provides a clear framework for policy implications to increase the overall efficiency of general hospitals.

Comparison of oil removal in surfactant alternating gas with water alternating gas, water flooding and gas flooding in secondary oil recovery process.

PubMed

Salehi, Mehdi Mohammad; Safarzadeh, Mohammad Amin; Sahraei, Eghbal; Nejad, Seyyed Alireza Tabatabaei

2014-08-01

Growing oil prices coupled with large amounts of residual oil after operating common enhanced oil recovery methods has made using methods with higher operational cost economically feasible. Nitrogen is one of the gases used in both miscible and immiscible gas injection process in oil reservoir. In heterogeneous formations gas tends to breakthrough early in production wells due to overriding, fingering and channeling. Surfactant alternating gas (SAG) injection is one of the methods commonly used to decrease this problem. Foam which is formed on the contact of nitrogen and surfactant increases viscosity of injected gas. This increases the oil-gas contact and sweep efficiency, although adsorption of surfactant on rock surface can causes difficulties and increases costs of process. Many parameters must be considered in design of SAG process. One of the most important parameters is SAG ratio that should be in optimum value to improve the flooding efficiency. In this study, initially the concentration of surfactant was optimized due to minimization of adsorption on rock surface which results in lower cost of surfactant. So, different sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) concentrations of 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 ppm were used to obtain the optimum concentration at 70 °C and 144.74×10 5  Pa. A simple, clean and relatively fast spectrophotometric method was used for determination of surfactant which is based on the formation of an ion-pair. Then the effect of surfactant to gas volume ratio on oil recovery in secondary oil recovery process during execution of immiscible surfactant alternating gas injection was examined experimentally. The experiments were performed with sand pack under certain temperature, pressure and constant rate. Experiments were performed with surfactant to gas ratio of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1 and 3:1 and 1.2 pore volume injected. Then, comparisons were made between obtained results (SAG) with water flooding, gas flooding and water alternating gas (WAG) processes. This study shows that using the concentration of 1500 ppm of surfactant solution is practical and economical. Results also show that the SAG ratio of 1:1 with 0.2 cm 3 /min at temperature and pressure of 70 °C and 144.74×10 5  Pa, has the maximum oil removal efficiency. In this SAG ratio, stable foam was formed and viscous fingering delayed in comparison to other ratios. Finally, the results demonstrated that SAG injection has higher oil recovery in comparison to other displacement methods (water flooding, gas flooding and WAG).

Shock melting method to determine melting curve by molecular dynamics: Cu, Pd, and Al.

PubMed

Liu, Zhong-Li; Zhang, Xiu-Lu; Cai, Ling-Cang

2015-09-21

A melting simulation method, the shock melting (SM) method, is proposed and proved to be able to determine the melting curves of materials accurately and efficiently. The SM method, which is based on the multi-scale shock technique, determines melting curves by preheating and/or prepressurizing materials before shock. This strategy was extensively verified using both classical and ab initio molecular dynamics (MD). First, the SM method yielded the same satisfactory melting curve of Cu with only 360 atoms using classical MD, compared to the results from the Z-method and the two-phase coexistence method. Then, it also produced a satisfactory melting curve of Pd with only 756 atoms. Finally, the SM method combined with ab initio MD cheaply achieved a good melting curve of Al with only 180 atoms, which agrees well with the experimental data and the calculated results from other methods. It turned out that the SM method is an alternative efficient method for calculating the melting curves of materials.

Shock melting method to determine melting curve by molecular dynamics: Cu, Pd, and Al

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

Liu, Zhong-Li, E-mail: zl.liu@163.com; Zhang, Xiu-Lu; Cai, Ling-Cang

A melting simulation method, the shock melting (SM) method, is proposed and proved to be able to determine the melting curves of materials accurately and efficiently. The SM method, which is based on the multi-scale shock technique, determines melting curves by preheating and/or prepressurizing materials before shock. This strategy was extensively verified using both classical and ab initio molecular dynamics (MD). First, the SM method yielded the same satisfactory melting curve of Cu with only 360 atoms using classical MD, compared to the results from the Z-method and the two-phase coexistence method. Then, it also produced a satisfactory melting curvemore » of Pd with only 756 atoms. Finally, the SM method combined with ab initio MD cheaply achieved a good melting curve of Al with only 180 atoms, which agrees well with the experimental data and the calculated results from other methods. It turned out that the SM method is an alternative efficient method for calculating the melting curves of materials.« less

Parental attitudes toward pediatric use of complementary/alternative medicine in Turkey.

PubMed

Ustuner Top, Fadime; Konuk Sener, Dilek; Cangur, Sengul

2017-07-01

This study was conducted to determine the pediatric usage of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) by parents in Turkey, the incidence of using these methods, and the factors affecting their use. The sectional and relational design of the study included a sample of 497 parents who took children for treatment at the Maternity and Children's Hospital in Giresun, Turkey. Data for the study were collected via the Personal Information Form and the Evaluation Form for Complementary/Alternative Treatment Use. The data collection tools were filled out by the researchers during the face-to-face interviews. Data obtained from the study were analyzed by Pearson chi-square, Fisher-Freeman-Halton and Fisher's exact (posthoc Bonferroni) tests and Z-test. It was determined that 97.7% of the parents had used at least one CAM method. Moreover, the parents had used CAM methods mostly for respiratory complaints. The CAM methods were most commonly used for the symptoms of fever, diarrhea, and cough. It was observed that the most commonly used alternative methods in the past were vitamin/mineral remedies, cold treatments, and hodja (Islamic teacher) consultations, while the most common alternative methods currently used are massage, music, and cold treatment. In addition, the differences found between CAM users in terms of sociodemographic characteristics were not statistically significant. It is crucial for nurses to learn the characteristics of the health/disease treatments used by those with whom they work in order to increase the efficiency of the service they provide. Thus, it was recommended that nurses should be knowledgeable and aware of the benefits/side effects, treatment methods, and contraindications of CAM. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Superconducting thermoelectric generator

DOEpatents

Metzger, J.D.; El-Genk, M.S.

1998-05-05

An apparatus and method for producing electricity from heat is disclosed. The present invention is a thermoelectric generator that uses materials with substantially no electrical resistance, often called superconductors, to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy without resistive losses. Preferably, an array of superconducting elements is encased within a second material with a high thermal conductivity. The second material is preferably a semiconductor. Alternatively, the superconducting material can be doped on a base semiconducting material, or the superconducting material and the semiconducting material can exist as alternating, interleaved layers of waferlike materials. A temperature gradient imposed across the boundary of the two materials establishes an electrical potential related to the magnitude of the temperature gradient. The superconducting material carries the resulting electrical current at zero resistivity, thereby eliminating resistive losses. The elimination of resistive losses significantly increases the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric device. 4 figs.

Superconducting thermoelectric generator

DOEpatents

Metzger, J.D.; El-Genk, M.S.

1996-01-01

An apparatus and method for producing electricity from heat. The present invention is a thermoelectric generator that uses materials with substantially no electrical resistance, often called superconductors, to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy without resistive losses. Preferably, an array of superconducting elements is encased within a second material with a high thermal conductivity. The second material is preferably a semiconductor. Alternatively, the superconducting material can be doped on a base semiconducting material, or the superconducting material and the semiconducting material can exist as alternating, interleaved layers of waferlike materials. A temperature gradient imposed across the boundary of the two materials establishes an electrical potential related to the magnitude of the temperature gradient. The superconducting material carries the resulting electrical current at zero resistivity, thereby eliminating resistive losses. The elimination of resistive losses significantly increases the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric device.

Superconducting thermoelectric generator

DOEpatents

Metzger, John D.; El-Genk, Mohamed S.

1998-01-01

An apparatus and method for producing electricity from heat. The present invention is a thermoelectric generator that uses materials with substantially no electrical resistance, often called superconductors, to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy without resistive losses. Preferably, an array of superconducting elements is encased within a second material with a high thermal conductivity. The second material is preferably a semiconductor. Alternatively, the superconducting material can be doped on a base semiconducting material, or the superconducting material and the semiconducting material can exist as alternating, interleaved layers of waferlike materials. A temperature gradient imposed across the boundary of the two materials establishes an electrical potential related to the magnitude of the temperature gradient. The superconducting material carries the resulting electrical current at zero resistivity, thereby eliminating resistive losses. The elimination of resistive losses significantly increases the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric device.

Redundant interferometric calibration as a complex optimization problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grobler, T. L.; Bernardi, G.; Kenyon, J. S.; Parsons, A. R.; Smirnov, O. M.

2018-05-01

Observations of the redshifted 21 cm line from the epoch of reionization have recently motivated the construction of low-frequency radio arrays with highly redundant configurations. These configurations provide an alternative calibration strategy - `redundant calibration' - and boost sensitivity on specific spatial scales. In this paper, we formulate calibration of redundant interferometric arrays as a complex optimization problem. We solve this optimization problem via the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. This calibration approach is more robust to initial conditions than current algorithms and, by leveraging an approximate matrix inversion, allows for further optimization and an efficient implementation (`redundant STEFCAL'). We also investigated using the preconditioned conjugate gradient method as an alternative to the approximate matrix inverse, but found that its computational performance is not competitive with respect to `redundant STEFCAL'. The efficient implementation of this new algorithm is made publicly available.

Micro-Tom Tomato as an Alternative Plant Model System: Mutant Collection and Efficient Transformation.

PubMed

Shikata, Masahito; Ezura, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

Tomato is a model plant for fruit development, a unique feature that classical model plants such as Arabidopsis and rice do not have. The tomato genome was sequenced in 2012 and tomato is becoming very popular as an alternative system for plant research. Among many varieties of tomato, Micro-Tom has been recognized as a model cultivar for tomato research because it shares some key advantages with Arabidopsis including its small size, short life cycle, and capacity to grow under fluorescent lights at a high density. Mutants and transgenic plants are essential materials for functional genomics research, and therefore, the availability of mutant resources and methods for genetic transformation are key tools to facilitate tomato research. Here, we introduce the Micro-Tom mutant database "TOMATOMA" and an efficient transformation protocol for Micro-Tom.

Energy Efficiency and Demand Response for Residential Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wellons, Christopher J., II

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the costs, feasibility and benefits of implementing energy efficient devices and demand response programs to a residential consumer environment. Energy efficiency and demand response are important for many reasons, including grid stabilization. With energy demand increasing, as the years' pass, the drain on the grid is going up. There are two key solutions to this problem, increasing supply by building more power plants and decreasing demand during peak periods, by increasing participation in demand response programs and by upgrading residential and commercial customers to energy efficient devices, to lower demand throughout the day. This thesis focuses on utilizing demand response methods and energy efficient device to reduce demand. Four simulations were created to analyze these methods. These simulations show the importance of energy efficiency and demand response participation to help stabilize the grid, integrate more alternative energy resources, and reduce emissions from fossil fuel generating facilities. The results of these numerical analyses show that demand response and energy efficiency can be beneficial to consumers and utilities. With demand response being the most beneficial to the utility and energy efficiency, specifically LED lighting, providing the most benefits to the consumer.

Application of sensitivity analysis for assessment of de-desertification alternatives in the central Iran by using Triantaphyllou method.

PubMed

Sadeghi Ravesh, Mohammad Hassan; Ahmadi, Hassan; Zehtabian, Gholamreza

2011-08-01

Desertification, land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regions, is a global environmental problem. With respect to increasing importance of desertification and its complexity, the necessity of attention to the optimal de-desertification alternatives is essential. Therefore, this work presents an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method to objectively select the optimal de-desertification alternatives based on the results of interviews with experts in Khezr Abad region, central Iran as the case study. This model was used in Yazd Khezr Abad region to evaluate the efficiency in presentation of better alternatives related to personal and environmental situations. Obtained results indicate that the criterion "proportion and adaptation to the environment" with the weighted average of 33.6% is the most important criterion from experts viewpoints. While prevention alternatives of land usage unsuitable of reveres and conversion with 22.88% mean weight and vegetation cover development and reclamation with 21.9% mean weight are recognized ordinarily as the most important de-desertification alternatives in region. Finally, sensitivity analysis is performed in detail by varying the objective factor decision weight, the priority weight of subjective factors, and the gain factors. After the fulfillment of sensitivity analysis and determination of the most sensitive criteria and alternatives, the former classification and ranking of alternatives does not change so much, and it was observed that unsuitable land use alternative with the preference degree of 22.7% was still in the first order of priority. The final priority of livestock grazing control alternative was replaced with the alternative of modification of ground water harvesting.

High density Polyethylene plastic waste treatment with microwave heating pyrolysis method using coconut-shell activated carbon to produce alternative fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juliastuti, S. R.; Hisbullah, M. I.; Abdillah, M.

2018-03-01

Pyrolysis is a technology that could crack polimer such as plastic waste into alternative fuels. This research uses microwave heating methode, which more efficient than conventional heating methode. The plastic waste used is 200 grams of HDPE, with feed to catalyst weight ratio are 1:1, 0.6:1, 0.4:1. Pyrolysis was run at temperatures of 250, 300, 350, & 400 °C for 15, 30 and 45 min. From the experimental result, the best variable of pyrolysis process with microwave method is at 45 minutes, at 400°C, and 1:1 feed to catalyst weight ratio. Result shows that yield of liquid and gas product is 99.22%; yield of residue is 0.78%; value of liquid product’s composition (cycloparaffin and n-paraffin) is 54.09% and concentration of methane gas is 10.2%.

Numerical solution of a coupled pair of elliptic equations from solid state electronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, T. N.

1983-01-01

Iterative methods are considered for the solution of a coupled pair of second order elliptic partial differential equations which arise in the field of solid state electronics. A finite difference scheme is used which retains the conservative form of the differential equations. Numerical solutions are obtained in two ways, by multigrid and dynamic alternating direction implicit methods. Numerical results are presented which show the multigrid method to be an efficient way of solving this problem.

Disaggregation and separation dynamics of magnetic particles in a microfluidic flow under an alternating gradient magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Quanliang; Li, Zhenhao; Wang, Zhen; Qi, Fan; Han, Xiaotao

2018-05-01

How to prevent particle aggregation in the magnetic separation process is of great importance for high-purity separation, while it is a challenging issue in practice. In this work, we report a novel method to solve this problem for improving the selectivity of size-based separation by use of a gradient alternating magnetic field. The specially designed magnetic field is capable of dynamically adjusting the magnetic field direction without changing the direction of magnetic gradient force acting on the particles. Using direct numerical simulations, we show that particles within a certain center-to-center distance are inseparable under a gradient static magnetic field since they are easy aggregated and then start moving together. By contrast, it has been demonstrated that alternating repulsive and attractive interaction forces between particles can be generated to avoid the formation of aggregations when the alternating gradient magnetic field with a given alternating frequency is applied, enabling these particles to be continuously separated based on size-dependent properties. The proposed magnetic separation method and simulation results have the significance for fundamental understanding of particle dynamic behavior and improving the separation efficiency.

Transgene manipulation in zebrafish by using recombinases.

PubMed

Dong, Jie; Stuart, Gary W

2004-01-01

Although much remains to be done, our results to date suggest that efficient and precise genome engineering in zebrafish will be possible in the future by using Cre recombinase and SB transposase in combination with their respective target sites. In this study, we provide the first evidence that Cre recombinase can mediate effective site-specific deletion of transgenes in zebrafish. We found that the efficiency of target site utilization could approach 100%, independent of whether the target site was provided transiently by injection or stably within an integrated transgene. Microinjection of Cre mRNA appeared to be slightly more effective for this purpose than microinjection of Cre-expressing plasmid DNA. Our work has not yet progressed to the point where SB-mediated mobilization of our transgene constructs would be observed. However, a recent report has demonstrated that SB can enhance transgenesis rates sixfold over conventional methods by efficiently mediating multiple single-copy insertion of transgenes into the zebrafish genome (Davidson et al., 2003). Therefore, it seems likely that a combined system should eventually allow both SB-mediated transgene mobilization and Cre-mediated transgene modification. Our goal is to validate methods for the precise reengineering of the zebrafish genome by using a combination of Cre-loxP and SB transposon systems. These methods can be used to delete, replace, or mobilize large pieces of DNA or to modify the genome only when and where required by the investigator. For example, it should be possible to deliver particular RNAi genes to well-expressed chromosomal loci and then exchange them easily with alternative RNAi genes for the specific suppression of alternative targets. As a nonviral vector for gene therapy, the transposon component allows for the possibility of highly efficient integration, whereas the Cre-loxP component can target the integration and/or exchange of foreign DNA into specific sites within the genome. The specificity and efficiency of this system also make it ideal for applications in which precise genome modifications are required (e.g., stock improvement). Future work should establish whether alternative recombination systems (e.g., phiC31 integrase) can improve the utility of this system. After the fish system is fully established, it would be interesting to explore its application to genome engineering in other organisms.

Fiat Chrysler Application for Alternative Methodology for Off-Cycle Technology Credits: High Efficiency Alternators

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

FCA Group LLC request to the EPA regarding greenhouse gas, off-cycle CO2 credits for High Efficiency Alternators used on 2009 and subsequent model year vehicles and off-cycle fuel consumption credits for 2017 and subsequent model year vehicles.

Near-optimal experimental design for model selection in systems biology.

PubMed

Busetto, Alberto Giovanni; Hauser, Alain; Krummenacher, Gabriel; Sunnåker, Mikael; Dimopoulos, Sotiris; Ong, Cheng Soon; Stelling, Jörg; Buhmann, Joachim M

2013-10-15

Biological systems are understood through iterations of modeling and experimentation. Not all experiments, however, are equally valuable for predictive modeling. This study introduces an efficient method for experimental design aimed at selecting dynamical models from data. Motivated by biological applications, the method enables the design of crucial experiments: it determines a highly informative selection of measurement readouts and time points. We demonstrate formal guarantees of design efficiency on the basis of previous results. By reducing our task to the setting of graphical models, we prove that the method finds a near-optimal design selection with a polynomial number of evaluations. Moreover, the method exhibits the best polynomial-complexity constant approximation factor, unless P = NP. We measure the performance of the method in comparison with established alternatives, such as ensemble non-centrality, on example models of different complexity. Efficient design accelerates the loop between modeling and experimentation: it enables the inference of complex mechanisms, such as those controlling central metabolic operation. Toolbox 'NearOED' available with source code under GPL on the Machine Learning Open Source Software Web site (mloss.org).

Measurement of total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in catalytic combustion effluents using a simple HPLC procedure

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

Perera, S.P.; Jefferies, T.M.

1995-05-01

The production, use and toxicity of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been discussed in detail and increasing concern has been shown by the scientific community and by the public about the effectiveness of thermal incineration as an environmentally satisfactory means of destroying polychlorinated biphenyls. Therefore, a greater need for alternative, more efficient, low energy processes such as catalytic combustion, has been discussed. This paper is part of research to investigate the catalytic combustion of Aroclor 1242 in a packed bed reactor using chromia on an alumina support and other oxidation catalysts. It was essential for these studies to be able tomore » determine the PCB destruction efficiencies of the catalytic processes examined. The high efficiency of capillary GC columns permits the resolution of an Aroclor into a chromatogram consisting mainly of individual PCB congeners. The chromatogram may typically contain 50-150 peaks. Quantification requires each peak to be identified and individual response factors assigned before the amount of each congener present may be calculated. Response factors vary and the high cost of purchasing all individual PCB standards was prohibitive. A commonly adopted alternative method is to measure only the 6 or 7 individual PCB congeners available as a commercial mixture and convert the answer into a value for an Aroclor, not an accurate measure of the destruction efficiency of PCBs. This paper describes a simple quantitative HPLC method that measures all PCBs as a single peak. 14 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.« less

Simple, Defensible Sample Sizes Based on Cost Efficiency

PubMed Central

Bacchetti, Peter; McCulloch, Charles E.; Segal, Mark R.

2009-01-01

Summary The conventional approach of choosing sample size to provide 80% or greater power ignores the cost implications of different sample size choices. Costs, however, are often impossible for investigators and funders to ignore in actual practice. Here, we propose and justify a new approach for choosing sample size based on cost efficiency, the ratio of a study’s projected scientific and/or practical value to its total cost. By showing that a study’s projected value exhibits diminishing marginal returns as a function of increasing sample size for a wide variety of definitions of study value, we are able to develop two simple choices that can be defended as more cost efficient than any larger sample size. The first is to choose the sample size that minimizes the average cost per subject. The second is to choose sample size to minimize total cost divided by the square root of sample size. This latter method is theoretically more justifiable for innovative studies, but also performs reasonably well and has some justification in other cases. For example, if projected study value is assumed to be proportional to power at a specific alternative and total cost is a linear function of sample size, then this approach is guaranteed either to produce more than 90% power or to be more cost efficient than any sample size that does. These methods are easy to implement, based on reliable inputs, and well justified, so they should be regarded as acceptable alternatives to current conventional approaches. PMID:18482055

Investigation of progressive failure robustness and alternate load paths for damage tolerant structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marhadi, Kun Saptohartyadi

Structural optimization for damage tolerance under various unforeseen damage scenarios is computationally challenging. It couples non-linear progressive failure analysis with sampling-based stochastic analysis of random damage. The goal of this research was to understand the relationship between alternate load paths available in a structure and its damage tolerance, and to use this information to develop computationally efficient methods for designing damage tolerant structures. Progressive failure of a redundant truss structure subjected to small random variability was investigated to identify features that correlate with robustness and predictability of the structure's progressive failure. The identified features were used to develop numerical surrogate measures that permit computationally efficient deterministic optimization to achieve robustness and predictability of progressive failure. Analysis of damage tolerance on designs with robust progressive failure indicated that robustness and predictability of progressive failure do not guarantee damage tolerance. Damage tolerance requires a structure to redistribute its load to alternate load paths. In order to investigate the load distribution characteristics that lead to damage tolerance in structures, designs with varying degrees of damage tolerance were generated using brute force stochastic optimization. A method based on principal component analysis was used to describe load distributions (alternate load paths) in the structures. Results indicate that a structure that can develop alternate paths is not necessarily damage tolerant. The alternate load paths must have a required minimum load capability. Robustness analysis of damage tolerant optimum designs indicates that designs are tailored to specified damage. A design Optimized under one damage specification can be sensitive to other damages not considered. Effectiveness of existing load path definitions and characterizations were investigated for continuum structures. A load path definition using a relative compliance change measure (U* field) was demonstrated to be the most useful measure of load path. This measure provides quantitative information on load path trajectories and qualitative information on the effectiveness of the load path. The use of the U* description of load paths in optimizing structures for effective load paths was investigated.

Biological pretreatment of corn stover with Phlebia brevispora NRRL-13108 for enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis and efficient ethanol production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biological pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass by white-rot fungus can represent a low-cost and eco-friendly alternative to harsh physical, chemical, or physico-chemical pretreatment methods to facilitate enzymatic hydrolysis. In this work, solid state cultivation of corn stover with Phlebia bre...

The potential of novel infrared food processing technologies: case studies of those developed at the USDA-ARS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Infrared (IR) radiation heating has been considered as an alternative to current food and agricultural processing methods for improving product quality and safety, increasing energy and processing efficiency, and reducing water and chemical usage. As part of the electromagnetic spectrum, IR has the ...

ASSESSMENT OF CHEMICAL EFFECTS ON NEURONAL DIFFERENTIATION USING THE ARRAYSCAN HIGH CONTENT SCREENING SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

The development of alternative methods for toxicity testing is driven by the need for scientifically valid data that can be obtained in a rapid and cost-efficient manner. In vitro systems provide a model in which chemical effects on cellular events can be examined using technique...

78 FR 62472 - Energy Conservation Program: Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods, Basic Model Definition...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-22

... members from ASRAC, and one DOE representative. 78 FR 22431. The members of the Working Group were...-Approval The Commercial Certification Working Group unanimously recommended that DOE not require pre... Certification Working Group described in section II.C.3 below. DOE will conduct the test in accordance with the...

Pilot scale high solids anaerobic digestion of steam autoclaved municipal solid waste (MSW) pulp

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Steam autoclaving is an efficient method for the separation and recovery of nearly all organics from MSW, yet a reliable alternative outlet for the large volume of organics produced has not yet been successfully demonstrated. The material produced by the autoclave contains a high concentration of s...

Chemical Processing of Non-Crop Plants for Jet Fuel Blends Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulis, M. J.; Hepp, A. F.; McDowell, M.; Ribita, D.

2009-01-01

The use of Biofuels has been gaining in popularity over the past few years due to their ability to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. Biofuels as a renewable energy source can be a viable option for sustaining long-term energy needs if they are managed efficiently. We describe our initial efforts to exploit algae, halophytes and other non-crop plants to produce synthetics for fuel blends that can potentially be used as fuels for aviation and non-aerospace applications. Our efforts have been dedicated to crafting efficient extraction and refining processes in order to extract constituents from the plant materials with the ultimate goal of determining the feasibility of producing biomass-based jet fuel from the refined extract. Two extraction methods have been developed based on communition processes, and liquid-solid extraction techniques. Refining procedures such as chlorophyll removal and transesterification of triglycerides have been performed. Gas chromatography in tandem with mass spectroscopy is currently being utilized in order to qualitatively determine the individual components of the refined extract. We also briefly discuss and compare alternative methods to extract fuel-blending agents from alternative biofuels sources.

Emergy Analysis and Sustainability Efficiency Analysis of Different Crop-Based Biodiesel in Life Cycle Perspective

PubMed Central

Ren, Jingzheng; Manzardo, Alessandro; Mazzi, Anna; Fedele, Andrea; Scipioni, Antonio

2013-01-01

Biodiesel as a promising alternative energy resource has been a hot spot in chemical engineering nowadays, but there is also an argument about the sustainability of biodiesel. In order to analyze the sustainability of biodiesel production systems and select the most sustainable scenario, various kinds of crop-based biodiesel including soybean-, rapeseed-, sunflower-, jatropha- and palm-based biodiesel production options are studied by emergy analysis; soybean-based scenario is recognized as the most sustainable scenario that should be chosen for further study in China. DEA method is used to evaluate the sustainability efficiencies of these options, and the biodiesel production systems based on soybean, sunflower, and palm are considered as DEA efficient, whereas rapeseed-based and jatropha-based scenarios are needed to be improved, and the improved methods have also been specified. PMID:23766723

An efficiency study of the simultaneous analysis and design of structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Striz, Alfred G.; Wu, Zhiqi; Sobieski, Jaroslaw

1995-01-01

The efficiency of the Simultaneous Analysis and Design (SAND) approach in the minimum weight optimization of structural systems subject to strength and displacement constraints as well as size side constraints is investigated. SAND allows for an optimization to take place in one single operation as opposed to the more traditional and sequential Nested Analysis and Design (NAND) method, where analyses and optimizations alternate. Thus, SAND has the advantage that the stiffness matrix is never factored during the optimization retaining its original sparsity. One of SAND's disadvantages is the increase in the number of design variables and in the associated number of constraint gradient evaluations. If SAND is to be an acceptable player in the optimization field, it is essential to investigate the efficiency of the method and to present a possible cure for any inherent deficiencies.

A novel iterative scheme and its application to differential equations.

PubMed

Khan, Yasir; Naeem, F; Šmarda, Zdeněk

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to employ an alternative approach to reconstruct the standard variational iteration algorithm II proposed by He, including Lagrange multiplier, and to give a simpler formulation of Adomian decomposition and modified Adomian decomposition method in terms of newly proposed variational iteration method-II (VIM). Through careful investigation of the earlier variational iteration algorithm and Adomian decomposition method, we find unnecessary calculations for Lagrange multiplier and also repeated calculations involved in each iteration, respectively. Several examples are given to verify the reliability and efficiency of the method.

Tuning back contact property via artificial interface dipoles in Si/organic hybrid solar cells

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

Wang, Dan; Department of Physics and Institute of Solid-state electronics physical, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211; Sheng, Jiang, E-mail: shengjiang@nimte.ac.cn

2016-07-25

Back contact property plays a key role in the charge collection efficiency of c-Si/poly(3,4-ethylthiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) hybrid solar cells (Si-HSCs), as an alternative for the high-efficiency and low-cost photovoltaic devices. In this letter, we utilize the water soluble poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) to modify the Al/Si interface to be an Ohmic contact via interface dipole tuning, decreasing the work function of the Al film. This Ohmic contact improves the electron collection efficiency of the rear electrode, increasing the short circuit current density (J{sub sc}). Furthermore, the interface dipoles make the band bending downward to increase the total barrier height of built-in electricmore » field of the solar cell, enhancing the open circuit voltage (V{sub oc}). The PEO solar cell exhibits an excellent performance, 12.29% power conversion efficiency, a 25.28% increase from the reference solar cell without a PEO interlayer. The simple and water soluble method as a promising alternative is used to develop the interfacial contact quality of the rear electrode for the high photovoltaic performance of Si-HSCs.« less

An Automatic Image-Based Modelling Method Applied to Forensic Infography

PubMed Central

Zancajo-Blazquez, Sandra; Gonzalez-Aguilera, Diego; Gonzalez-Jorge, Higinio; Hernandez-Lopez, David

2015-01-01

This paper presents a new method based on 3D reconstruction from images that demonstrates the utility and integration of close-range photogrammetry and computer vision as an efficient alternative to modelling complex objects and scenarios of forensic infography. The results obtained confirm the validity of the method compared to other existing alternatives as it guarantees the following: (i) flexibility, permitting work with any type of camera (calibrated and non-calibrated, smartphone or tablet) and image (visible, infrared, thermal, etc.); (ii) automation, allowing the reconstruction of three-dimensional scenarios in the absence of manual intervention, and (iii) high quality results, sometimes providing higher resolution than modern laser scanning systems. As a result, each ocular inspection of a crime scene with any camera performed by the scientific police can be transformed into a scaled 3d model. PMID:25793628

Analysis of visual quality improvements provided by known tools for HDR content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jaehwan; Alshina, Elena; Lee, JongSeok; Park, Youngo; Choi, Kwang Pyo

2016-09-01

In this paper, the visual quality of different solutions for high dynamic range (HDR) compression using MPEG test contents is analyzed. We also simulate the method for an efficient HDR compression which is based on statistical property of the signal. The method is compliant with HEVC specification and also easily compatible with other alternative methods which might require HEVC specification changes. It was subjectively tested on commercial TVs and compared with alternative solutions for HDR coding. Subjective visual quality tests were performed using SUHD TVs model which is SAMSUNG JS9500 with maximum luminance up to 1000nit in test. The solution that is based on statistical property shows not only improvement of objective performance but improvement of visual quality compared to other HDR solutions, while it is compatible with HEVC specification.

Alternative Fuels DISI Engine Research ? Autoignition Metrics.

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

Sjoberg, Carl Magnus Goran; Vuilleumier, David

Improved engine efficiency is required to comply with future fuel economy standards. Alternative fuels have the potential to enable more efficient engines while addressing concerns about energy security. This project contributes to the science base needed by industry to develop highly efficient direct injection spark igniton (DISI) engines that also beneficially exploit the different properties of alternative fuels. Here, the emphasis is on quantifying autoignition behavior for a range of spark-ignited engine conditions, including directly injected boosted conditions. The efficiency of stoichiometrically operated spark ignition engines is often limited by fuel-oxidizer end-gas autoignition, which can result in engine knock. Amore » fuel’s knock resistance is assessed empirically by the Research Octane Number (RON) and Motor Octane Number (MON) tests. By clarifying how these two tests relate to the autoignition behavior of conventional and alternative fuel formulations, fuel design guidelines for enhanced engine efficiency can be developed.« less

A UNIFIED FRAMEWORK FOR VARIANCE COMPONENT ESTIMATION WITH SUMMARY STATISTICS IN GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiang

2017-12-01

Linear mixed models (LMMs) are among the most commonly used tools for genetic association studies. However, the standard method for estimating variance components in LMMs-the restricted maximum likelihood estimation method (REML)-suffers from several important drawbacks: REML requires individual-level genotypes and phenotypes from all samples in the study, is computationally slow, and produces downward-biased estimates in case control studies. To remedy these drawbacks, we present an alternative framework for variance component estimation, which we refer to as MQS. MQS is based on the method of moments (MoM) and the minimal norm quadratic unbiased estimation (MINQUE) criterion, and brings two seemingly unrelated methods-the renowned Haseman-Elston (HE) regression and the recent LD score regression (LDSC)-into the same unified statistical framework. With this new framework, we provide an alternative but mathematically equivalent form of HE that allows for the use of summary statistics. We provide an exact estimation form of LDSC to yield unbiased and statistically more efficient estimates. A key feature of our method is its ability to pair marginal z -scores computed using all samples with SNP correlation information computed using a small random subset of individuals (or individuals from a proper reference panel), while capable of producing estimates that can be almost as accurate as if both quantities are computed using the full data. As a result, our method produces unbiased and statistically efficient estimates, and makes use of summary statistics, while it is computationally efficient for large data sets. Using simulations and applications to 37 phenotypes from 8 real data sets, we illustrate the benefits of our method for estimating and partitioning SNP heritability in population studies as well as for heritability estimation in family studies. Our method is implemented in the GEMMA software package, freely available at www.xzlab.org/software.html.

Role of Kekulé and Non-Kekulé Structures in the Radical Character of Alternant Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: A TAO-DFT Study

PubMed Central

Yeh, Chia-Nan; Chai, Jeng-Da

2016-01-01

We investigate the role of Kekulé and non-Kekulé structures in the radical character of alternant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using thermally-assisted-occupation density functional theory (TAO-DFT), an efficient electronic structure method for the study of large ground-state systems with strong static correlation effects. Our results reveal that the studies of Kekulé and non-Kekulé structures qualitatively describe the radical character of alternant PAHs, which could be useful when electronic structure calculations are infeasible due to the expensive computational cost. In addition, our results support previous findings on the increase in radical character with increasing system size. For alternant PAHs with the same number of aromatic rings, the geometrical arrangements of aromatic rings are responsible for their radical character. PMID:27457289

Economic and environmental analysis of standard, high efficiency, rainwater flushed, and composting toilets.

PubMed

Anand, C; Apul, D S

2011-03-01

The current sanitation technology in developed countries is based on diluting human excreta with large volumes of centrally provided potable water. This approach is a poor use of water resources and is also inefficient, expensive, and energy intensive. The goal of this study was to compare the standard sanitation technology (Scenario 1) with alternative technologies that require less or no potable water use in toilets. The alternative technologies considered were high efficiency toilets flushed with potable water (Scenario 2), standard toilets flushed with rainwater (Scenario 3), high efficiency toilets flushed with rainwater (Scenario 4), and composting toilets (Scenario 5). Cost, energy, and carbon implications of these five design scenarios were studied using two existing University of Toledo buildings. The results showed that alternative systems modeled in Scenarios 2, 4, and 5 were viable options both from an investment and an environmental performance perspective. High efficiency fixtures that use potable water (Scenario 2) is often the most preferred method in high efficiency buildings due to reduced water use and associated reductions in annual water and wastewater costs. However, the cost, energy, and CO(2)EE analyses all showed that Scenarios 4 and 5 were preferable over Scenario 2. Cost payback periods of scenarios 2, 4 and 5 were less than 10 years; in the future, increase in water and wastewater services would further decrease the payback periods. The centralized water and wastewater services have high carbon footprints; therefore if carbon footprint reduction is a primary goal of a building complex, alternative technologies that require less potable water and generate less wastewater can largely reduce the carbon footprint. High efficiency fixtures flushed with rainwater (Scenario 4) and composting toilets (Scenario 5) required considerably less energy than direct energy demands of buildings. However, the annual carbon footprint of these technologies was comparable to the annual carbon footprint from space heating. Similarly, the carbon savings that could be achieved from Scenario 4 or 5 were comparable to a recycling program that can be implemented in buildings. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An efficient coordinate transformation technique for unsteady, transonic aerodynamic analysis of low aspect-ratio wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guruswamy, G. P.; Goorjian, P. M.

1984-01-01

An efficient coordinate transformation technique is presented for constructing grids for unsteady, transonic aerodynamic computations for delta-type wings. The original shearing transformation yielded computations that were numerically unstable and this paper discusses the sources of those instabilities. The new shearing transformation yields computations that are stable, fast, and accurate. Comparisons of those two methods are shown for the flow over the F5 wing that demonstrate the new stability. Also, comparisons are made with experimental data that demonstrate the accuracy of the new method. The computations were made by using a time-accurate, finite-difference, alternating-direction-implicit (ADI) algorithm for the transonic small-disturbance potential equation.

Automated optimization techniques for aircraft synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanderplaats, G. N.

1976-01-01

Application of numerical optimization techniques to automated conceptual aircraft design is examined. These methods are shown to be a general and efficient way to obtain quantitative information for evaluating alternative new vehicle projects. Fully automated design is compared with traditional point design methods and time and resource requirements for automated design are given. The NASA Ames Research Center aircraft synthesis program (ACSYNT) is described with special attention to calculation of the weight of a vehicle to fly a specified mission. The ACSYNT procedures for automatically obtaining sensitivity of the design (aircraft weight, performance and cost) to various vehicle, mission, and material technology parameters are presented. Examples are used to demonstrate the efficient application of these techniques.

On automating domain connectivity for overset grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chiu, Ing-Tsau; Meakin, Robert L.

1995-01-01

An alternative method for domain connectivity among systems of overset grids is presented. Reference uniform Cartesian systems of points are used to achieve highly efficient domain connectivity, and form the basis for a future fully automated system. The Cartesian systems are used to approximate body surfaces and to map the computational space of component grids. By exploiting the characteristics of Cartesian systems, Chimera type hole-cutting and identification of donor elements for intergrid boundary points can be carried out very efficiently. The method is tested for a range of geometrically complex multiple-body overset grid systems. A dynamic hole expansion/contraction algorithm is also implemented to obtain optimum domain connectivity; however, it is tested only for geometry of generic shapes.

An efficient three-dimensional Poisson solver for SIMD high-performance-computing architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohl, H.

1994-01-01

We present an algorithm that solves the three-dimensional Poisson equation on a cylindrical grid. The technique uses a finite-difference scheme with operator splitting. This splitting maps the banded structure of the operator matrix into a two-dimensional set of tridiagonal matrices, which are then solved in parallel. Our algorithm couples FFT techniques with the well-known ADI (Alternating Direction Implicit) method for solving Elliptic PDE's, and the implementation is extremely well suited for a massively parallel environment like the SIMD architecture of the MasPar MP-1. Due to the highly recursive nature of our problem, we believe that our method is highly efficient, as it avoids excessive interprocessor communication.

Cost-effectiveness study of the microbiological diagnosis of tuberculosis using geneXpert MTB/RIF®.

PubMed

Herráez, Óscar; Asencio-Egea, María Ángeles; Huertas-Vaquero, María; Carranza-González, Rafael; Castellanos-Monedero, Jesús; Franco-Huerta, María; Barberá-Farré, José Ramón; Tenías-Burillo, José María

To perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of a molecular biology technique for the diagnosis of tuberculosis compared to the classical diagnostic alternative. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to evaluate the theoretical implementation of a molecular biology method including two alternative techniques for early detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex, and resistance to rifampicin (alternative1: one determination in selected patients; alternative2: two determinations in all the patients). Both alternatives were compared with the usual procedure for microbiological diagnosis of tuberculosis (staining and microbiological culture), and was accomplished on 1,972 patients in the period in 2008-2012. The effectiveness was measured in QALYs, and the uncertainty was assessed by univariate, multivariate and probabilistic analysis of sensitivity. A value of €8,588/QALYs was obtained by the usual method. Total expenditure with the alternative1 was €8,487/QALYs, whereas with alternative2, the cost-effectiveness ratio amounted to €2,960/QALYs. Greater diagnostic efficiency was observed by applying the alternative2, reaching a 75% reduction in the number of days that a patient with tuberculosis remains without an adequate treatment, and a 70% reduction in the number of days that a patient without tuberculosis remains in hospital. The implementation of a molecular microbiological technique in the diagnosis of tuberculosis is extremely cost-effective compared to the usual method. Its introduction into the routine diagnostic procedure could lead to an improvement in quality care for patients, given that it would avoid both unnecessary hospitalisations and treatments, and reflected in economic savings to the hospital. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

A Comprehensive Revision of the Logistics Planning Exercise (Log-Plan-X).

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

teaching objectives. The difference between conventional teaching methods and simulation rests in the fact that most conventional techniques focus on...Communication and Humanitie. AFIT/LSH, WPAFB OH 45433220 V&. MONITORING AGENCY NAME9 & ADORES(II different fron Ca.U.Ufind Office) is. SECURITY UNCLASSIFIED I...error systems in real life can be very costly. Simulations can be an efficient and effective alternative to such trial and error methods by allowing

The effectiveness of cartographic visualisations in landscape archaeology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fairbairn, David

2018-05-01

The use of maps and other geovisualisation methods has been longstanding in archaeology. Archaeologists employ advanced contemporary tools in their data collection, analysis and presentation. Maps can be used to render the `big data' commonly collected by archaeological prospection techniques, but are also fundamental output instru-ments for the dissemination of archaeological interpretation and modelling. This paper addresses, through case studies, alternate methods of geovisualisation in archaeology and identifies the efficiencies of each.

SPDE/SPRE final summary report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dochat, George

1993-01-01

Mechanical Technology Incorporated (MTI) performed acceptance testing on the Space Power Research Engine (SPRE), which demonstrated satisfactory operation and sufficient reliability for delivery to NASA Lewis Research Center. The unit produced 13.5 kW PV power with an efficiency of 22 percent versus design goals of 28.8 kW PV power and efficiency of 28 percent. Maximum electric power was only 8 kWe due to lower alternator efficiency. One of the major shortcomings of the SPRE was linear alternator efficiency, which was only 70 percent compared to a design value of 90 percent. It was determined from static tests that the major cause for the efficiency shortfall was the location of the magnetic structure surrounding the linear alternator. Testing of an alternator configuration without a surrounding magnetic structure on a linear dynamometer confirmed earlier static test results. Linear alternator efficiency improved from 70 percent to over 90 percent. Testing of the MTI SPRE was also performed with hydrodynamic bearings and achieved full-stroke, stable operation. This testing indicated that hydrodynamic bearings may be useful in free piston Stirling engines. An important factor in achieving stable operation at design stroke was isolating a portion of the bearing length from the engine pressure variations. In addition, the heat pipe heater head design indicates that integration of a Stirling engine with a heat source can be performed via heat pipes. This design provides a baseline against which alternative designs can be measured.

Bypassing the malfunction junction in warm dense matter simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cangi, Attila; Pribram-Jones, Aurora

2015-03-01

Simulation of warm dense matter requires computational methods that capture both quantum and classical behavior efficiently under high-temperature and high-density conditions. The state-of-the-art approach to model electrons and ions under those conditions is density functional theory molecular dynamics, but this method's computational cost skyrockets as temperatures and densities increase. We propose finite-temperature potential functional theory as an in-principle-exact alternative that suffers no such drawback. In analogy to the zero-temperature theory developed previously, we derive an orbital-free free energy approximation through a coupling-constant formalism. Our density approximation and its associated free energy approximation demonstrate the method's accuracy and efficiency. A.C. has been partially supported by NSF Grant CHE-1112442. A.P.J. is supported by DOE Grant DE-FG02-97ER25308.

Relative efficiency and sample size for cluster randomized trials with variable cluster sizes.

PubMed

You, Zhiying; Williams, O Dale; Aban, Inmaculada; Kabagambe, Edmond Kato; Tiwari, Hemant K; Cutter, Gary

2011-02-01

The statistical power of cluster randomized trials depends on two sample size components, the number of clusters per group and the numbers of individuals within clusters (cluster size). Variable cluster sizes are common and this variation alone may have significant impact on study power. Previous approaches have taken this into account by either adjusting total sample size using a designated design effect or adjusting the number of clusters according to an assessment of the relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes. This article defines a relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes using noncentrality parameters, investigates properties of this measure, and proposes an approach for adjusting the required sample size accordingly. We focus on comparing two groups with normally distributed outcomes using t-test, and use the noncentrality parameter to define the relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes and show that statistical power depends only on this parameter for a given number of clusters. We calculate the sample size required for an unequal cluster sizes trial to have the same power as one with equal cluster sizes. Relative efficiency based on the noncentrality parameter is straightforward to calculate and easy to interpret. It connects the required mean cluster size directly to the required sample size with equal cluster sizes. Consequently, our approach first determines the sample size requirements with equal cluster sizes for a pre-specified study power and then calculates the required mean cluster size while keeping the number of clusters unchanged. Our approach allows adjustment in mean cluster size alone or simultaneous adjustment in mean cluster size and number of clusters, and is a flexible alternative to and a useful complement to existing methods. Comparison indicated that we have defined a relative efficiency that is greater than the relative efficiency in the literature under some conditions. Our measure of relative efficiency might be less than the measure in the literature under some conditions, underestimating the relative efficiency. The relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes defined using the noncentrality parameter suggests a sample size approach that is a flexible alternative and a useful complement to existing methods.

Reliability of Radioisotope Stirling Convertor Linear Alternator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, Ashwin; Korovaichuk, Igor; Geng, Steven M.; Schreiber, Jeffrey G.

2006-01-01

Onboard radioisotope power systems being developed and planned for NASA s deep-space missions would require reliable design lifetimes of up to 14 years. Critical components and materials of Stirling convertors have been undergoing extensive testing and evaluation in support of a reliable performance for the specified life span. Of significant importance to the successful development of the Stirling convertor is the design of a lightweight and highly efficient linear alternator. Alternator performance could vary due to small deviations in the permanent magnet properties, operating temperature, and component geometries. Durability prediction and reliability of the alternator may be affected by these deviations from nominal design conditions. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the effect of these uncertainties in predicting the reliability of the linear alternator performance. This paper presents a study in which a reliability-based methodology is used to assess alternator performance. The response surface characterizing the induced open-circuit voltage performance is constructed using 3-D finite element magnetic analysis. Fast probability integration method is used to determine the probability of the desired performance and its sensitivity to the alternator design parameters.

Monte Carlo sampling in diffusive dynamical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapias, Diego; Sanders, David P.; Altmann, Eduardo G.

2018-05-01

We introduce a Monte Carlo algorithm to efficiently compute transport properties of chaotic dynamical systems. Our method exploits the importance sampling technique that favors trajectories in the tail of the distribution of displacements, where deviations from a diffusive process are most prominent. We search for initial conditions using a proposal that correlates states in the Markov chain constructed via a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. We show that our method outperforms the direct sampling method and also Metropolis-Hastings methods with alternative proposals. We test our general method through numerical simulations in 1D (box-map) and 2D (Lorentz gas) systems.

Method and apparatus for selectively controlling the speed of an engine

DOEpatents

Davis, Roy Inge

2001-02-27

A control assembly 12 for use within a vehicle 10 having an engine 14 and which selectively controls the speed of the engine 14 in order to increase fuel efficiency and to effect relatively smooth starting and stopping of the engine. Particularly, in one embodiment, control assembly 12 cooperatively operates with a starter/alternator assembly 20 and is adapted for use with hybrid vehicles employing a start/stop powertrain assembly, wherein fuel efficiency is increased by selectively stopping engine operation when the vehicle has stopped.

Visible-light driven nitrogen-doped petal-morphological ceria nanosheets for water splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Junchao; Zhang, Wenya; Wang, Yaping; Chen, Zhigang; Chen, Feng; Liu, Chengbao; Lu, Xiaowang; Li, Ping; Wang, Kaiyuan; Chen, Ailian

2018-06-01

Water splitting is a promising sustainable technology for solar-to-chemical energy conversion. Herein, we successfully fabricated nitrogen-doped ultrathin CeO2 nanosheets by using field poppy petals as templates, which exhibit an efficiently catalytic activity for water splitting. Abundant oxygen vacancies and substitutional N atoms were experimentally observed in the film due to its unique biomorphic texture. In view of high efficiency and long durability of the as-prepared photocatalyst, this biotemplate method may provide an alternative technique for using biomolecules to assemble 2D nanomaterials.

CRISPR-STOP: gene silencing through base-editing-induced nonsense mutations.

PubMed

Kuscu, Cem; Parlak, Mahmut; Tufan, Turan; Yang, Jiekun; Szlachta, Karol; Wei, Xiaolong; Mammadov, Rashad; Adli, Mazhar

2017-07-01

CRISPR-Cas9-induced DNA damage may have deleterious effects at high-copy-number genomic regions. Here, we use CRISPR base editors to knock out genes by changing single nucleotides to create stop codons. We show that the CRISPR-STOP method is an efficient and less deleterious alternative to wild-type Cas9 for gene-knockout studies. Early stop codons can be introduced in ∼17,000 human genes. CRISPR-STOP-mediated targeted screening demonstrates comparable efficiency to WT Cas9, which indicates the suitability of our approach for genome-wide functional screenings.

Computer-based learning: interleaving whole and sectional representation of neuroanatomy.

PubMed

Pani, John R; Chariker, Julia H; Naaz, Farah

2013-01-01

The large volume of material to be learned in biomedical disciplines requires optimizing the efficiency of instruction. In prior work with computer-based instruction of neuroanatomy, it was relatively efficient for learners to master whole anatomy and then transfer to learning sectional anatomy. It may, however, be more efficient to continuously integrate learning of whole and sectional anatomy. A study of computer-based learning of neuroanatomy was conducted to compare a basic transfer paradigm for learning whole and sectional neuroanatomy with a method in which the two forms of representation were interleaved (alternated). For all experimental groups, interactive computer programs supported an approach to instruction called adaptive exploration. Each learning trial consisted of time-limited exploration of neuroanatomy, self-timed testing, and graphical feedback. The primary result of this study was that interleaved learning of whole and sectional neuroanatomy was more efficient than the basic transfer method, without cost to long-term retention or generalization of knowledge to recognizing new images (Visible Human and MRI). Copyright © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.

Computer-Based Learning: Interleaving Whole and Sectional Representation of Neuroanatomy

PubMed Central

Pani, John R.; Chariker, Julia H.; Naaz, Farah

2015-01-01

The large volume of material to be learned in biomedical disciplines requires optimizing the efficiency of instruction. In prior work with computer-based instruction of neuroanatomy, it was relatively efficient for learners to master whole anatomy and then transfer to learning sectional anatomy. It may, however, be more efficient to continuously integrate learning of whole and sectional anatomy. A study of computer-based learning of neuroanatomy was conducted to compare a basic transfer paradigm for learning whole and sectional neuroanatomy with a method in which the two forms of representation were interleaved (alternated). For all experimental groups, interactive computer programs supported an approach to instruction called adaptive exploration. Each learning trial consisted of time-limited exploration of neuroanatomy, self-timed testing, and graphical feedback. The primary result of this study was that interleaved learning of whole and sectional neuroanatomy was more efficient than the basic transfer method, without cost to long-term retention or generalization of knowledge to recognizing new images (Visible Human and MRI). PMID:22761001

SandiaMRCR

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

2012-01-05

SandiaMCR was developed to identify pure components and their concentrations from spectral data. This software efficiently implements the multivariate calibration regression alternating least squares (MCR-ALS), principal component analysis (PCA), and singular value decomposition (SVD). Version 3.37 also includes the PARAFAC-ALS Tucker-1 (for trilinear analysis) algorithms. The alternating least squares methods can be used to determine the composition without or with incomplete prior information on the constituents and their concentrations. It allows the specification of numerous preprocessing, initialization and data selection and compression options for the efficient processing of large data sets. The software includes numerous options including the definition ofmore » equality and non-negativety constraints to realistically restrict the solution set, various normalization or weighting options based on the statistics of the data, several initialization choices and data compression. The software has been designed to provide a practicing spectroscopist the tools required to routinely analysis data in a reasonable time and without requiring expert intervention.« less

Graphene Based Ultra-Capacitors for Safer, More Efficient Energy Storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberson, Luke B.; Mackey, Paul J.; Zide, Carson J.

2016-01-01

Current power storage methods must be continuously improved in order to keep up with the increasingly competitive electronics industry. This technological advancement is also essential for the continuation of deep space exploration. Today's energy storage industry relies heavily on the use of dangerous and corrosive chemicals such as lithium and phosphoric acid. These chemicals can prove hazardous to the user if the device is ruptured. Similarly they can damage the environment if they are disposed of improperly. A safer, more efficient alternative is needed across a wide range of NASA missions. One solution would a solid-state carbon based energy storage device. Carbon is a safer, less environmentally hazardous alternative to current energy storage materials. Using the amorphous carbon nanostructure, graphene, this idea of a safer portable energy is possible. Graphene was electrochemically produced in the lab and several coin cell devices were built this summer to create a working prototype of a solid-state graphene battery.

Magnetic nanoparticle heating efficiency reveals magneto-structural differences when characterized with wide ranging and high amplitude alternating magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordelon, David E.; Cornejo, Christine; Grüttner, Cordula; Westphal, Fritz; DeWeese, Theodore L.; Ivkov, Robert

2011-06-01

Magnetic nanoparticles can create heat that can be exploited to treat cancer when they are exposed to alternating magnetic fields (AMF). At a fixed frequency, the particle heating efficiency or specific power loss (SPL) depends upon the magnitude of the AMF. We characterized the amplitude-dependent SPL of three commercial dextran-iron oxide nanoparticle suspensions through saturation to 94 kA/m with a calorimeter comprising a solenoid coil that generates a uniform field to 100 kA/m at ˜150 kHz. We also describe a novel method to empirically determine the appropriate range of the heating curve from which the SPL is then calculated. These results agree with SPL values calculated from the phenomenological Box-Lucas equation. We note that the amplitude-dependent SPL among the samples was markedly different, indicating significant magneto-structural variation not anticipated by current models.

A Two-Stage Estimation Method for Random Coefficient Differential Equation Models with Application to Longitudinal HIV Dynamic Data.

PubMed

Fang, Yun; Wu, Hulin; Zhu, Li-Xing

2011-07-01

We propose a two-stage estimation method for random coefficient ordinary differential equation (ODE) models. A maximum pseudo-likelihood estimator (MPLE) is derived based on a mixed-effects modeling approach and its asymptotic properties for population parameters are established. The proposed method does not require repeatedly solving ODEs, and is computationally efficient although it does pay a price with the loss of some estimation efficiency. However, the method does offer an alternative approach when the exact likelihood approach fails due to model complexity and high-dimensional parameter space, and it can also serve as a method to obtain the starting estimates for more accurate estimation methods. In addition, the proposed method does not need to specify the initial values of state variables and preserves all the advantages of the mixed-effects modeling approach. The finite sample properties of the proposed estimator are studied via Monte Carlo simulations and the methodology is also illustrated with application to an AIDS clinical data set.

New analytical exact solutions of time fractional KdV-KZK equation by Kudryashov methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

S Saha, Ray

2016-04-01

In this paper, new exact solutions of the time fractional KdV-Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KdV-KZK) equation are obtained by the classical Kudryashov method and modified Kudryashov method respectively. For this purpose, the modified Riemann-Liouville derivative is used to convert the nonlinear time fractional KdV-KZK equation into the nonlinear ordinary differential equation. In the present analysis, the classical Kudryashov method and modified Kudryashov method are both used successively to compute the analytical solutions of the time fractional KdV-KZK equation. As a result, new exact solutions involving the symmetrical Fibonacci function, hyperbolic function and exponential function are obtained for the first time. The methods under consideration are reliable and efficient, and can be used as an alternative to establish new exact solutions of different types of fractional differential equations arising from mathematical physics. The obtained results are exhibited graphically in order to demonstrate the efficiencies and applicabilities of these proposed methods of solving the nonlinear time fractional KdV-KZK equation.

Novel Approach to Increase the Energy-related Process Efficiency and Performance of Laser Brazing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mittelstädt, C.; Seefeld, T.; Radel, T.; Vollertsen, F.

Although laser brazing is well established, the energy-related efficiency of this joining method is quite low. That is because of low absorptivity of solid-state laser radiation, especially when copper base braze metals are used. Conventionally the laser beam is set close to the vertical axis and the filler wire is delivered under a flat angle. Therefore, the most of the utilized laser power is reflected and thus left unexploited. To address this situation an alternative processing concept for laser brazing, where the laser beam is leading the filler wire, has been investigated intending to make use of reflected shares of the laser radiation. Process monitoring shows, that the reflection of the laser beam can be used purposefully to preheat the substrate which is supporting the wetting and furthermore increasing the efficiency of the process. Experiments address a standard application from the automotive industry joining zinc coated steels using CuSi3Mn1 filler wire. Feasibility of the alternative processing concept is demonstrated, showing that higher processing speeds can be attained, reducing the required energy per unit length while maintaining joint properties.

Comparison of a novel strategy for the detection and isolation of Salmonella in shell eggs with the Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual method.

PubMed

Zhang, Guodong; Thau, Eve; Brown, Eric W; Hammack, Thomas S

2013-12-01

The current FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) method for the detection of Salmonella in eggs requires 2 wk to complete. The objective of this project was to improve the BAM method for the detection and isolation of Salmonella in whole shell eggs. A novel protocol, using 1,000 g of liquid eggs for direct preenrichment with 2 L of tryptic soy broth (TSB) followed by enrichment using Rappaport-Vassiliadis and Tetrathionate broths, was compared with the standard BAM method, which requires 96 h room temperature incubation of whole shell egg samples followed by preenrichment in TSB supplemented with FeSO4. Four Salmonella ser. Enteritidis (4 phage types) and one Salmonella ser. Heidelberg isolates were used in the study. Bulk inoculated pooled liquid eggs, weighing 52 or 56 kg (approximately 1,100 eggs) were used in each trial. Twenty 1,000-g test portions were withdrawn from the pooled eggs for both the alternative and the reference methods. Test portions were inoculated with Salmonella at 1 to 5 cfu/1,000 g eggs. Two replicates were performed for each isolate. In the 8 trials conducted with Salmonella ser. Enteritidis, the alternative method was significantly (P < 0.05) more productive than the reference method in 3 trials, and significantly (P < 0.05) less productive than the reference method in 1 trial. There were no significant (P < 0.05) differences between the 2 methods for the other 4 trials. For Salmonella ser. Heidelberg, combined data from 2 trials showed the alternative method was significantly (P < 0.05) more efficient than the BAM method. We have concluded that the alternative method, described herein, has the potential to replace the current BAM culture method for detection and isolation of Salmonella from shell eggs based on the following factors: 1) the alternative method is 4 d shorter than the reference method; 2) it uses regular TSB instead of the more complicated TSB supplemented with FeSO4; and 3) it was equivalent or superior to the reference method in 9 out of 10 trials for the detection of Salmonella in shell eggs.

Development, implementation and evaluation of satellite-aided agricultural monitoring systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cicone, R. (Principal Investigator); Crist, E.; Metzler, M.; Parris, T.

1982-01-01

Research supporting the use of remote sensing for inventory and assessment of agricultural commodities is summarized. Three task areas are described: (1) corn and soybean crop spectral/temporal signature characterization; (2) efficient area estimation technology development; and (3) advanced satellite and sensor system definition. Studies include an assessment of alternative green measures from MSS variables; the evaluation of alternative methods for identifying, labeling or classification targets in an automobile procedural context; a comparison of MSS, the advanced very high resolution radiometer and the coastal zone color scanner, as well as a critical assessment of thematic mapper dimensionally and spectral structure.

Digitizing the Facebow: A Clinician/Technician Communication Tool.

PubMed

Kalman, Les; Chrapka, Julia; Joseph, Yasmin

2016-01-01

Communication between the clinician and the technician has been an ongoing problem in dentistry. To improve the issue, a dental software application has been developed--the Virtual Facebow App. It is an alternative to the traditional analog facebow, used to orient the maxillary cast in mounting. Comparison data of the two methods indicated that the digitized virtual facebow provided increased efficiency in mounting, increased accuracy in occlusion, and lower cost. Occlusal accuracy, lab time, and total time were statistically significant (P<.05). The virtual facebow provides a novel alternative for cast mounting and another tool for clinician-technician communication.

The Impact of Size and Specialisation on Universities' Department Performance: A DEA Analysis Applied to Austrian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leitner, Karl-Heinz; Prikoszovits, Julia; Schaffhauser-Linzatti, Michaela; Stowasser, Rainer; Wagner, Karin

2007-01-01

This paper explores the performance efficiency of natural and technical science departments at Austrian universities using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). We present DEA as an alternative tool for benchmarking and ranking the assignment of decision-making units (organisations and organisational units). The method applies a multiple input and…

Estimating canopy cover from standard forest inventory measurements in western Oregon

Treesearch

Anne McIntosh; Andrew Gray; Steven. Garman

2012-01-01

Reliable measures of canopy cover are important in the management of public and private forests. However, direct sampling of canopy cover is both labor- and time-intensive. More efficient methods for estimating percent canopy cover could be empirically derived relationships between more readily measured stand attributes and canopy cover or, alternatively, the use of...

Reading's SLiCK with New Audio Texts and Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle, Elizabeth A.; Washburn, Shari Gallin; Rosenberg, Michael S.; Connelly, Vincent J.; Brinckerhoff, Loring C.; Banerjee, Manju

2002-01-01

This article discusses challenges for secondary students with disabilities and alternative instructional methods that teachers of students with poor reading skills can use to convey content information effectively and efficiently. The use of audio textbooks on CD-ROMs is emphasized and the SLiCK strategy is explained as a support for the CD-ROM.…

Direct seeding of shortleaf pine

Treesearch

Corinne S. Mann; David Gwaze

2007-01-01

Direct seeding is a potentially viable method for regenerating shortleaf pine, but it has not been used extensively. In Missouri, an estimated 10,000 acres have been direct-seeded with shortleaf pine; half of which are at Mark Twain National Forest. Direct seeding offers a flexible and efficient alternative to planting as a way to restore shortleaf pine in the Ozarks....

The potential of novel infrared food processing technologies: case studies of those developed at the USDA-ARS WRRC and the University of California Davis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Infrared (IR) radiation heating has been considered as an alternative to current food and agricultural processing methods for improving product quality and safety, increasing energy and processing efficiency, and reducing water and chemical usage. As part of the electromagnetic spectrum, IR has the ...

78 FR 79579 - Energy Conservation Program: Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods, Basic Model Definition...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-31

... Working Group agreed on a one- sided 5 percent tolerance when comparing the validation test results to the... one DOE representative. 78 FR 22431. The members of the Working Group were selected to ensure a broad... Issues 1. Pre-Approval The Working Group unanimously recommended that DOE not require pre- approval for...

Alternative Beam Efficiency Calculations for a Large-aperture Multiple-frequency Microwave Radiometer (LAMMR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, R. F.

1979-01-01

The fundamental definition of beam efficiency, given in terms of a far field radiation pattern, was used to develop alternative definitions which improve accuracy, reduce the amount of calculation required, and isolate the separate factors composing beam efficiency. Well-known definitions of aperture efficiency were introduced successively to simplify the denominator of the fundamental definition. The superposition of complex vector spillover and backscattered fields was examined, and beam efficiency analysis in terms of power patterns was carried out. An extension from single to dual reflector geometries was included. It is noted that the alternative definitions are advantageous in the mathematical simulation of a radiometer system, and are not intended for the measurements discipline where fields have merged and therefore lost their identity.

Determination of light extinction efficiency of diesel soot from smoke opacity measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapuerta, Magín; Martos, Francisco J.; Cárdenas, M. Dolores

2005-10-01

An experimental method for the indirect determination of the light extinction efficiency of the exhaust gas emitted by diesel engines is proposed in this paper, based on the simultaneous measurement of spot opacity and continuous opacity, together with the double modelling of the associated soot concentration. The first model simulates the projection of a differently sized soot particle population enclosed in an exhaust gas sample on the filter of a spot opacimeter. The second one simulates the light extinction caused by the soot particles flowing in the exhaust gas stream in an online continuous opacimeter, on the basis of the Beer-Lambert law. This method is an alternative to other theoretical or semi-empirical complex methods which have proved to be inadequate in the case of soot agglomerates. The application of this method to a set of experimental smoke measurements from a commercial light-duty DI diesel engine typical of vehicle road transportation permitted us to draw conclusions about the effect of different engine conditions on the mean light extinction efficiency of the soot particles flowing in the raw exhaust gas stream.

Computing Real-time Streamflow Using Emerging Technologies: Non-contact Radars and the Probability Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fulton, J. W.; Bjerklie, D. M.; Jones, J. W.; Minear, J. T.

2015-12-01

Measuring streamflow, developing, and maintaining rating curves at new streamgaging stations is both time-consuming and problematic. Hydro 21 was an initiative by the U.S. Geological Survey to provide vision and leadership to identify and evaluate new technologies and methods that had the potential to change the way in which streamgaging is conducted. Since 2014, additional trials have been conducted to evaluate some of the methods promoted by the Hydro 21 Committee. Emerging technologies such as continuous-wave radars and computationally-efficient methods such as the Probability Concept require significantly less field time, promote real-time velocity and streamflow measurements, and apply to unsteady flow conditions such as looped ratings and unsteady-flood flows. Portable and fixed-mount radars have advanced beyond the development phase, are cost effective, and readily available in the marketplace. The Probability Concept is based on an alternative velocity-distribution equation developed by C.-L. Chiu, who pioneered the concept. By measuring the surface-water velocity and correcting for environmental influences such as wind drift, radars offer a reliable alternative for measuring and computing real-time streamflow for a variety of hydraulic conditions. If successful, these tools may allow us to establish ratings more efficiently, assess unsteady flow conditions, and report real-time streamflow at new streamgaging stations.

Reproducing Quantum Probability Distributions at the Speed of Classical Dynamics: A New Approach for Developing Force-Field Functors.

PubMed

Sundar, Vikram; Gelbwaser-Klimovsky, David; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán

2018-04-05

Modeling nuclear quantum effects is required for accurate molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of molecules. The community has paid special attention to water and other biomolecules that show hydrogen bonding. Standard methods of modeling nuclear quantum effects like Ring Polymer Molecular Dynamics (RPMD) are computationally costlier than running classical trajectories. A force-field functor (FFF) is an alternative method that computes an effective force field that replicates quantum properties of the original force field. In this work, we propose an efficient method of computing FFF using the Wigner-Kirkwood expansion. As a test case, we calculate a range of thermodynamic properties of Neon, obtaining the same level of accuracy as RPMD, but with the shorter runtime of classical simulations. By modifying existing MD programs, the proposed method could be used in the future to increase the efficiency and accuracy of MD simulations involving water and proteins.

Wicket gate trailing-edge blowing: A method for improving off-design hydroturbine performance by adjusting the runner inlet swirl angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, B. J.; Cimbala, J. M.; Wouden, A. M.

2014-03-01

At their best efficiency point (BEP), hydroturbines operate at very high efficiency. However, with the ever-increasing penetration of alternative electricity generation, it has become common to operate hydroturbines at off-design conditions in order to maintain stability in the electric power grid. This paper demonstrates a method for improving hydroturbine performance during off-design operation by injecting water through slots at the trailing edges of the wicket gates. The injected water causes a change in bulk flow direction at the inlet of the runner. This change in flow angle from the wicket gate trailing-edge jets provides the capability of independently varying the flow rate and swirl angle through the runner, which in current designs are both determined by the wicket gate opening angle. When properly tuned, altering the flow angle results in a significant improvement in turbine efficiency during off-design operation.

Efficient solutions to the Euler equations for supersonic flow with embedded subsonic regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walters, Robert W.; Dwoyer, Douglas L.

1987-01-01

A line Gauss-Seidel (LGS) relaxation algorithm in conjunction with a one-parameter family of upwind discretizations of the Euler equations in two dimensions is described. Convergence of the basic algorithm to the steady state is quadratic for fully supersonic flows and is linear for other flows. This is in contrast to the block alternating direction implicit methods (either central or upwind differenced) and the upwind biased relaxation schemes, all of which converge linearly, independent of the flow regime. Moreover, the algorithm presented herein is easily coupled with methods to detect regions of subsonic flow embedded in supersonic flow. This allows marching by lines in the supersonic regions, converging each line quadratically, and iterating in the subsonic regions, and yields a very efficient iteration strategy. Numerical results are presented for two-dimensional supersonic and transonic flows containing oblique and normal shock waves which confirm the efficiency of the iteration strategy.

Ink jet assisted metallization for low cost flat plate solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teng, K. F.; Vest, R. W.

1987-01-01

Computer-controlled ink-jet-assisted metallization of the front surface of solar cells with metalorganic silver inks offers a maskless alternative method to conventional photolithography and screen printing. This method can provide low cost, fine resolution, reduced process complexity, avoidance of degradation of the p-n junction by firing at lower temperature, and uniform line film on rough surface of solar cells. The metallization process involves belt furnace firing and thermal spiking. With multilayer ink jet printing and firing, solar cells of about 5-6 percent efficiency without antireflection (AR) coating can be produced. With a titanium thin-film underlayer as an adhesion promoter, solar cells of average efficiency 8.08 percent without AR coating can be obtained. This efficiency value is approximately equal to that of thin-film solar cells of the same lot. Problems with regard to lower inorganic content of the inks and contact resistance are noted.

Application of an efficient strategy based on liquid-liquid extraction, high-speed counter-current chromatography, and preparative HPLC for the rapid enrichment, separation, and purification of four anthraquinones from Rheum tanguticum.

PubMed

Chen, Tao; Liu, Yongling; Zou, Denglang; Chen, Chen; You, Jinmao; Zhou, Guoying; Sun, Jing; Li, Yulin

2014-01-01

This study presents an efficient strategy based on liquid-liquid extraction, high-speed counter-current chromatography, and preparative HPLC for the rapid enrichment, separation, and purification of four anthraquinones from Rheum tanguticum. A new solvent system composed of petroleum ether/ethyl acetate/water (4:2:1, v/v/v) was developed for the liquid-liquid extraction of the crude extract from R. tanguticum. As a result, emodin, aloe-emodin, physcion, and chrysophanol were greatly enriched in the organic layer. In addition, an efficient method was successfully established to separate and purify the above anthraquinones by high-speed counter-current chromatography and preparative HPLC. This study supplies a new alternative method for the rapid enrichment, separation, and purification of emodin, aloe-emodin, physcione, and chrysophanol. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Air transportation energy efficiency - Alternatives and implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, L. J.

1976-01-01

Results from recent studies of air transportation energy efficiency alternatives are discussed, along with some of the implications of these alternatives. The fuel-saving alternatives considered include aircraft operation, aircraft modification, derivative aircraft, and new aircraft. In the near-term, energy efficiency improvements should be possible through small improvements in fuel-saving flight procedures, higher density seating, and higher load factors. Additional small near-term improvements could be obtained through aircraft modifications, such as the relatively inexpensive drag reduction modifications. Derivatives of existing aircraft could meet the requirements for new aircraft and provide energy improvements until advanced technology is available to justify the cost of a completely new design. In order to obtain significant improvements in energy efficiency, new aircraft must truly exploit advanced technology in such areas as aerodynamics, composite structures, active controls, and advanced propulsion.

Development and evaluation of a gas chromatographic method for the determination of triazine herbicides in natural water samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steinheimer, T.R.; Brooks, M.G.

1984-01-01

A multi-residue method is described for the determination of triazine herbicides in natural water samples. The technique uses solvent extraction followed by gas chromatographic separation and detection employing nitrogen-selective devices. Seven compounds can be determined simultaneously at a nominal detection limit of 0.1 ??g/L in a 1-litre sample. Three different natural water samples were used for error analysis via evaluation of recovery efficiencies and estimation of overall method precision. As an alternative to liquid-liquid partition (solvent extraction) for removal of compounds of interest from water, solid-phase extraction (SPE) techniques employing chromatographic grade silicas with chemically modified surfaces have been examined. SPE is found to provide rapid and efficient concentration with quantitative recovery of some triazine herbicides from natural water samples. Concentration factors of 500 to 1000 times are obtained readily by the SPE technique.A multi-residue method is described for the determination of triazine herbicides in natural water samples. The technique uses solvent extraction followed by gas chromatographic separation and detection employing nitrogen-selective devices. Seven compounds can be determined simultaneously at a nominal detection limit of 0. 1 mu g/L in a 1-litre sample. As an alternative to liquid-liquid partition (solvent extraction) for removal of compounds of interest from water, solid-phase extraction (SPE) techniques employing chromatographic grade silicas with chemically modified surfaces have been examined. SPE is found to provide rapid and efficient concentration with quantitative recovery of some triazine herbicides from natural water samples. Concentration factors of 500 to 1000 times are obtained readily by the SPE technique.

TAPAS: tools to assist the targeted protein quantification of human alternative splice variants.

PubMed

Yang, Jae-Seong; Sabidó, Eduard; Serrano, Luis; Kiel, Christina

2014-10-15

In proteomes of higher eukaryotes, many alternative splice variants can only be detected by their shared peptides. This makes it highly challenging to use peptide-centric mass spectrometry to distinguish and to quantify protein isoforms resulting from alternative splicing events. We have developed two complementary algorithms based on linear mathematical models to efficiently compute a minimal set of shared and unique peptides needed to quantify a set of isoforms and splice variants. Further, we developed a statistical method to estimate the splice variant abundances based on stable isotope labeled peptide quantities. The algorithms and databases are integrated in a web-based tool, and we have experimentally tested the limits of our quantification method using spiked proteins and cell extracts. The TAPAS server is available at URL http://davinci.crg.es/tapas/. luis.serrano@crg.eu or christina.kiel@crg.eu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Plastic-Film Mulching for Enhanced Water-Use Efficiency and Economic Returns from Maize Fields in Semiarid China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Peng; Wei, Ting; Cai, Tie; Ali, Shahzad; Han, Qingfang; Ren, Xiaolong; Jia, Zhikuan

2017-01-01

Film mulch has gradually been popularized to increase water availability to crops for improving and stabilizing agricultural production in the semiarid areas of Northwest China. To find more sustainable and economic film mulch methods for alleviating drought stress in semiarid region, it is necessary to test optimum planting methods in same cultivation conditions. A field experiment was conducted during 2013 and 2014 to evaluate the effects of different plastic film mulch methods on soil water, soil temperature, water use efficiency (WUE), yield and revenue. The treatments included: (i) the control, conventional flat planting without plastic film mulch (CK); (ii) flat planting with maize rows (60 cm spacing) on plastic film mulch (70 cm wide); (iii) furrow planting of maize (60 cm spacing), separated by consecutive plastic film-mulched ridges (each 50 cm wide and 15 cm tall); (iv) furrow planting of maize (60 cm spacing), separated by alternating large and small plastic film-mulched ridges (large ridges: 70 cm wide and 15 cm tall, small ridges 50 cm wide and 10 cm tall); and (v) furrow-flat planting of maize (60 cm spacing) with a large plastic film-mulched ridge (60 cm wide and 15 cm tall) alternating with a flat without plastic film-mulched space (60 cm wide). Topsoil temperature (5–25 cm) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in field plots with plastic film mulch than the control (CK), and resulted in greater soil water storage (0–200 cm) up to 40 days after planting. Maize grain yield and WUE were significantly (p < 0.05) higher with the furrow planting methods (consecutive film-mulched ridges and alternating film-mulched ridges) than the check in both years. Maize yield was, on average, 29% (p < 0.05) greater and 28% (p < 0.05) greater with these furrow planting methods, while the average WUE increased by 22.8% (p < 0.05) with consecutive film-mulched ridges and 21.1% (p < 0.05) with alternating film-mulched ridges. The 2-year average net income increased by 1559, 528, and 350 Chinese Yuan (CNY) ha−1 with the consecutive film-mulched ridges, furrow-flat planting and alternating film-mulched ridges, respectively, compared with the control (CK). We conclude that the consecutive film-mulched ridge method was the most productive and profitable for maize in this semi-arid area with limited and erratic precipitation. PMID:28428798

ACCELERATED SOLVENT EXTRACTION COMBINED WITH ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A research project was initiated to address a recurring problem of elevated detection limits above required risk-based concentrations for the determination of semivolatile organic compounds in high moisture content solid samples. This project was initiated, in cooperation with the EPA Region 1 Laboratory, under the Regional Methods Program administered through the ORD Office of Science Policy. The aim of the project was to develop an approach for the rapid removal of water in high moisture content solids (e.g., wetland sediments) in preparation for analysis via Method 8270. Alternative methods for water removal have been investigated to enhance compound solid concentrations and improve extraction efficiency, with the use of pressure filtration providing a high-throughput alternative for removal of the majority of free water in sediments and sludges. In order to eliminate problems with phase separation during extraction of solids using Accelerated Solvent Extraction, a variation of a water-isopropanol extraction method developed at the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, CO is being employed. The concentrations of target compounds in water-isopropanol extraction fluids are subsequently analyzed using an automated Solid Phase Extraction (SPE)-GC/MS method developed in our laboratory. The coupled approaches for dewatering, extraction, and target compound identification-quantitation provide a useful alternative to enhance sample throughput for Me

Sparse Covariance Matrix Estimation With Eigenvalue Constraints

PubMed Central

LIU, Han; WANG, Lie; ZHAO, Tuo

2014-01-01

We propose a new approach for estimating high-dimensional, positive-definite covariance matrices. Our method extends the generalized thresholding operator by adding an explicit eigenvalue constraint. The estimated covariance matrix simultaneously achieves sparsity and positive definiteness. The estimator is rate optimal in the minimax sense and we develop an efficient iterative soft-thresholding and projection algorithm based on the alternating direction method of multipliers. Empirically, we conduct thorough numerical experiments on simulated datasets as well as real data examples to illustrate the usefulness of our method. Supplementary materials for the article are available online. PMID:25620866

Prediction of noise field of a propfan at angle of attack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Envia, Edmane

1991-01-01

A method for predicting the noise field of a propfan operating at an angle of attack to the oncoming flow is presented. The method takes advantage of the high-blade-count of the advanced propeller designs to provide an accurate and efficient formula for predicting their noise field. The formula, which is written in terms of the Airy function and its derivative, provides a very attractive alternative to the use of numerical integration. A preliminary comparison shows rather favorable agreement between the predictions from the present method and the experimental data.

A three-dimensional parabolic equation model of sound propagation using higher-order operator splitting and Padé approximants.

PubMed

Lin, Ying-Tsong; Collis, Jon M; Duda, Timothy F

2012-11-01

An alternating direction implicit (ADI) three-dimensional fluid parabolic equation solution method with enhanced accuracy is presented. The method uses a square-root Helmholtz operator splitting algorithm that retains cross-multiplied operator terms that have been previously neglected. With these higher-order cross terms, the valid angular range of the parabolic equation solution is improved. The method is tested for accuracy against an image solution in an idealized wedge problem. Computational efficiency improvements resulting from the ADI discretization are also discussed.

Integrated pest management and allocation of control efforts for vector-borne diseases

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ginsberg, H.S.

2001-01-01

Applications of various control methods were evaluated to determine how to integrate methods so as to minimize the number of human cases of vector-borne diseases. These diseases can be controlled by lowering the number of vector-human contacts (e.g., by pesticide applications or use of repellents), or by lowering the proportion of vectors infected with pathogens (e.g., by lowering or vaccinating reservoir host populations). Control methods should be combined in such a way as to most efficiently lower the probability of human encounter with an infected vector. Simulations using a simple probabilistic model of pathogen transmission suggest that the most efficient way to integrate different control methods is to combine methods that have the same effect (e.g., combine treatments that lower the vector population; or combine treatments that lower pathogen prevalence in vectors). Combining techniques that have different effects (e.g., a technique that lowers vector populations with a technique that lowers pathogen prevalence in vectors) will be less efficient than combining two techniques that both lower vector populations or combining two techniques that both lower pathogen prevalence, costs being the same. Costs of alternative control methods generally differ, so the efficiency of various combinations at lowering human contact with infected vectors should be estimated at available funding levels. Data should be collected from initial trials to improve the effects of subsequent interventions on the number of human cases.

The NASA Energy Conservation Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaffney, G. P.

1977-01-01

Large energy-intensive research and test equipment at NASA installations is identified, and methods for reducing energy consumption outlined. However, some of the research facilities are involved in developing more efficient, fuel-conserving aircraft, and tradeoffs between immediate and long-term conservation may be necessary. Major programs for conservation include: computer-based systems to automatically monitor and control utility consumption; a steam-producing solid waste incinerator; and a computer-based cost analysis technique to engineer more efficient heating and cooling of buildings. Alternate energy sources in operation or under evaluation include: solar collectors; electric vehicles; and ultrasonically emulsified fuel to attain higher combustion efficiency. Management support, cooperative participation by employees, and effective reporting systems for conservation programs, are also discussed.

Determination of maximal amount of minor gases adsorbed in a shale sample by headspace gas chromatography.

PubMed

Zhang, Chun-Yun; Hu, Hui-Chao; Chai, Xin-Sheng; Pan, Lei; Xiao, Xian-Ming

2014-02-07

In this paper, we present a novel method for determining the maximal amount of ethane, a minor gas species, adsorbed in a shale sample. The method is based on the time-dependent release of ethane from shale samples measured by headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC). The study includes a mathematical model for fitting the experimental data, calculating the maximal amount gas adsorbed, and predicting results at other temperatures. The method is a more efficient alternative to the isothermal adsorption method that is in widespread use today. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of Treatment Efficiency of Recalcitrant Wastewater Containing Textile Dyes Using a Newly Developed Iron Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 Heterogeneous Catalyst

PubMed Central

Ahmad, Mushtaq; Asghar, Anam; Abdul Raman, Abdul Aziz; Wan Daud, Wan Mohd Ashri

2015-01-01

Fenton oxidation, an advanced oxidation process, is an efficient method for the treatment of recalcitrant wastewaters. Unfortunately, it utilizes H2O2 and iron-based homogeneous catalysts, which lead to the formation of high volumes of sludge and secondary pollutants. To overcome these problems, an alternate option is the usage of heterogeneous catalyst. In this study, a heterogeneous catalyst was developed to provide an alternative solution for homogeneous Fenton oxidation. Iron Zeolite Socony Mobile-5 (Fe-ZSM-5) was synthesized using a new two-step process. Next, the catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis and tested against a model wastewater containing the azo dye Acid Blue 113. Results showed that the loading of iron particles reduced the surface area of the catalyst from 293.59 to 243.93 m2/g; meanwhile, the average particle size of the loaded material was 12.29 nm. Furthermore, efficiency of the developed catalyst was evaluated by performing heterogeneous Fenton oxidation. Taguchi method was coupled with principal component analysis in order to assess and optimize mineralization efficiency. Experimental results showed that under optimized conditions, over 99.7% degradation and 77% mineralization was obtained, with a 90% reduction in the consumption of the developed catalyst. Furthermore, the developed catalyst was stable and reusable, with less than 2% leaching observed under optimized conditions. Thus, the present study proved that newly developed catalyst has enhanced the oxidation process and reduced the chemicals consumption. PMID:26517827

Enhancement of Treatment Efficiency of Recalcitrant Wastewater Containing Textile Dyes Using a Newly Developed Iron Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 Heterogeneous Catalyst.

PubMed

Ahmad, Mushtaq; Asghar, Anam; Abdul Raman, Abdul Aziz; Wan Daud, Wan Mohd Ashri

2015-01-01

Fenton oxidation, an advanced oxidation process, is an efficient method for the treatment of recalcitrant wastewaters. Unfortunately, it utilizes H2O2 and iron-based homogeneous catalysts, which lead to the formation of high volumes of sludge and secondary pollutants. To overcome these problems, an alternate option is the usage of heterogeneous catalyst. In this study, a heterogeneous catalyst was developed to provide an alternative solution for homogeneous Fenton oxidation. Iron Zeolite Socony Mobile-5 (Fe-ZSM-5) was synthesized using a new two-step process. Next, the catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis and tested against a model wastewater containing the azo dye Acid Blue 113. Results showed that the loading of iron particles reduced the surface area of the catalyst from 293.59 to 243.93 m2/g; meanwhile, the average particle size of the loaded material was 12.29 nm. Furthermore, efficiency of the developed catalyst was evaluated by performing heterogeneous Fenton oxidation. Taguchi method was coupled with principal component analysis in order to assess and optimize mineralization efficiency. Experimental results showed that under optimized conditions, over 99.7% degradation and 77% mineralization was obtained, with a 90% reduction in the consumption of the developed catalyst. Furthermore, the developed catalyst was stable and reusable, with less than 2% leaching observed under optimized conditions. Thus, the present study proved that newly developed catalyst has enhanced the oxidation process and reduced the chemicals consumption.

A robust gene-stacking method utilizing yeast assembly for plant synthetic biology

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

Shih, Patrick M.; Vuu, Khanh; Mansoori, Nasim

The advent and growth of synthetic biology has demonstrated its potential as a promising avenue of research to address many societal needs. But, plant synthetic biology efforts have been hampered by a dearth of DNA part libraries, versatile transformation vectors and efficient assembly strategies. We describe a versatile system (named jStack) utilizing yeast homologous recombination to efficiently assemble DNA into plant transformation vectors. We also demonstrate how this method can facilitate pathway engineering of molecules of pharmaceutical interest, production of potential biofuels and shuffling of disease-resistance traits between crop species. Our approach provides a powerful alternative to conventional strategies formore » stacking genes and traits to address many impending environmental and agricultural challenges.« less

Control apparatus and method for efficiently heating a fuel processor in a fuel cell system

DOEpatents

Doan, Tien M.; Clingerman, Bruce J.

2003-08-05

A control apparatus and method for efficiently controlling the amount of heat generated by a fuel cell processor in a fuel cell system by determining a temperature error between actual and desired fuel processor temperatures. The temperature error is converted to a combustor fuel injector command signal or a heat dump valve position command signal depending upon the type of temperature error. Logic controls are responsive to the combustor fuel injector command signals and the heat dump valve position command signal to prevent the combustor fuel injector command signal from being generated if the heat dump valve is opened or, alternately, from preventing the heat dump valve position command signal from being generated if the combustor fuel injector is opened.

Green chemistry for nanoparticle synthesis.

PubMed

Duan, Haohong; Wang, Dingsheng; Li, Yadong

2015-08-21

The application of the twelve principles of green chemistry in nanoparticle synthesis is a relatively new emerging issue concerning the sustainability. This field has received great attention in recent years due to its capability to design alternative, safer, energy efficient, and less toxic routes towards synthesis. These routes have been associated with the rational utilization of various substances in the nanoparticle preparations and synthetic methods, which have been broadly discussed in this tutorial review. This article is not meant to provide an exhaustive overview of green synthesis of nanoparticles, but to present several pivotal aspects of synthesis with environmental concerns, involving the selection and evaluation of nontoxic capping and reducing agents, the choice of innocuous solvents and the development of energy-efficient synthetic methods.

A robust gene-stacking method utilizing yeast assembly for plant synthetic biology

DOE PAGES

Shih, Patrick M.; Vuu, Khanh; Mansoori, Nasim; ...

2016-10-26

The advent and growth of synthetic biology has demonstrated its potential as a promising avenue of research to address many societal needs. But, plant synthetic biology efforts have been hampered by a dearth of DNA part libraries, versatile transformation vectors and efficient assembly strategies. We describe a versatile system (named jStack) utilizing yeast homologous recombination to efficiently assemble DNA into plant transformation vectors. We also demonstrate how this method can facilitate pathway engineering of molecules of pharmaceutical interest, production of potential biofuels and shuffling of disease-resistance traits between crop species. Our approach provides a powerful alternative to conventional strategies formore » stacking genes and traits to address many impending environmental and agricultural challenges.« less

Abdominal fat volume estimation by stereology on CT: a comparison with manual planimetry.

PubMed

Manios, G E; Mazonakis, M; Voulgaris, C; Karantanas, A; Damilakis, J

2016-03-01

To deploy and evaluate a stereological point-counting technique on abdominal CT for the estimation of visceral (VAF) and subcutaneous abdominal fat (SAF) volumes. Stereological volume estimations based on point counting and systematic sampling were performed on images from 14 consecutive patients who had undergone abdominal CT. For the optimization of the method, five sampling intensities in combination with 100 and 200 points were tested. The optimum stereological measurements were compared with VAF and SAF volumes derived by the standard technique of manual planimetry on the same scans. Optimization analysis showed that the selection of 200 points along with the sampling intensity 1/8 provided efficient volume estimations in less than 4 min for VAF and SAF together. The optimized stereology showed strong correlation with planimetry (VAF: r = 0.98; SAF: r = 0.98). No statistical differences were found between the two methods (VAF: P = 0.81; SAF: P = 0.83). The 95% limits of agreement were also acceptable (VAF: -16.5%, 16.1%; SAF: -10.8%, 10.7%) and the repeatability of stereology was good (VAF: CV = 4.5%, SAF: CV = 3.2%). Stereology may be successfully applied to CT images for the efficient estimation of abdominal fat volume and may constitute a good alternative to the conventional planimetric technique. Abdominal obesity is associated with increased risk of disease and mortality. Stereology may quantify visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat accurately and consistently. The application of stereology to estimating abdominal volume fat reduces processing time. Stereology is an efficient alternative method for estimating abdominal fat volume.

10 CFR 905.17 - What are the requirements for the energy efficiency and/or renewable energy report (EE/RE report...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... renewable energy report (EE/RE report) alternative? 905.17 Section 905.17 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY... energy efficiency and/or renewable energy report (EE/RE report) alternative? (a) Requests to submit an EE..., including any requirements for documenting customer energy efficiency and renewable energy activities. (b...

10 CFR 905.17 - What are the requirements for the energy efficiency and/or renewable energy report (EE/RE report...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... renewable energy report (EE/RE report) alternative? 905.17 Section 905.17 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY... energy efficiency and/or renewable energy report (EE/RE report) alternative? (a) Requests to submit an EE..., including any requirements for documenting customer energy efficiency and renewable energy activities. (b...

10 CFR 905.17 - What are the requirements for the energy efficiency and/or renewable energy report (EE/RE report...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... renewable energy report (EE/RE report) alternative? 905.17 Section 905.17 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY... energy efficiency and/or renewable energy report (EE/RE report) alternative? (a) Requests to submit an EE..., including any requirements for documenting customer energy efficiency and renewable energy activities. (b...

10 CFR 905.17 - What are the requirements for the energy efficiency and/or renewable energy report (EE/RE report...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... renewable energy report (EE/RE report) alternative? 905.17 Section 905.17 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY... energy efficiency and/or renewable energy report (EE/RE report) alternative? (a) Requests to submit an EE..., including any requirements for documenting customer energy efficiency and renewable energy activities. (b...

Correction of gene expression data: Performance-dependency on inter-replicate and inter-treatment biases.

PubMed

Darbani, Behrooz; Stewart, C Neal; Noeparvar, Shahin; Borg, Søren

2014-10-20

This report investigates for the first time the potential inter-treatment bias source of cell number for gene expression studies. Cell-number bias can affect gene expression analysis when comparing samples with unequal total cellular RNA content or with different RNA extraction efficiencies. For maximal reliability of analysis, therefore, comparisons should be performed at the cellular level. This could be accomplished using an appropriate correction method that can detect and remove the inter-treatment bias for cell-number. Based on inter-treatment variations of reference genes, we introduce an analytical approach to examine the suitability of correction methods by considering the inter-treatment bias as well as the inter-replicate variance, which allows use of the best correction method with minimum residual bias. Analyses of RNA sequencing and microarray data showed that the efficiencies of correction methods are influenced by the inter-treatment bias as well as the inter-replicate variance. Therefore, we recommend inspecting both of the bias sources in order to apply the most efficient correction method. As an alternative correction strategy, sequential application of different correction approaches is also advised. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simulation study to determine the impact of different design features on design efficiency in discrete choice experiments.

PubMed

Vanniyasingam, Thuva; Cunningham, Charles E; Foster, Gary; Thabane, Lehana

2016-07-19

Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are routinely used to elicit patient preferences to improve health outcomes and healthcare services. While many fractional factorial designs can be created, some are more statistically optimal than others. The objective of this simulation study was to investigate how varying the number of (1) attributes, (2) levels within attributes, (3) alternatives and (4) choice tasks per survey will improve or compromise the statistical efficiency of an experimental design. A total of 3204 DCE designs were created to assess how relative design efficiency (d-efficiency) is influenced by varying the number of choice tasks (2-20), alternatives (2-5), attributes (2-20) and attribute levels (2-5) of a design. Choice tasks were created by randomly allocating attribute and attribute level combinations into alternatives. Relative d-efficiency was used to measure the optimality of each DCE design. DCE design complexity influenced statistical efficiency. Across all designs, relative d-efficiency decreased as the number of attributes and attribute levels increased. It increased for designs with more alternatives. Lastly, relative d-efficiency converges as the number of choice tasks increases, where convergence may not be at 100% statistical optimality. Achieving 100% d-efficiency is heavily dependent on the number of attributes, attribute levels, choice tasks and alternatives. Further exploration of overlaps and block sizes are needed. This study's results are widely applicable for researchers interested in creating optimal DCE designs to elicit individual preferences on health services, programmes, policies and products. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Fuzzy control based engine sizing optimization for a fuel cell/battery hybrid mini-bus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Minjin; Sohn, Young-Jun; Lee, Won-Yong; Kim, Chang-Soo

The fuel cell/battery hybrid vehicle has been focused for the alternative engine of the existing internal-combustion engine due to the following advantages of the fuel cell and the battery. Firstly, the fuel cell is highly efficient and eco-friendly. Secondly, the battery has the fast response for the changeable power demand. However, the competitive efficiency of the hybrid fuel cell vehicle is necessary to successfully alternate the conventional vehicles with the fuel cell hybrid vehicle. The most relevant factor which affects the overall efficiency of the hybrid fuel cell vehicle is the relative engine sizing between the fuel cell and the battery. Therefore the design method to optimize the engine sizing of the fuel cell hybrid vehicle has been proposed. The target system is the fuel cell/battery hybrid mini-bus and its power distribution is controlled based on the fuzzy logic. The optimal engine sizes are determined based on the simulator developed in this paper. The simulator includes the several models for the fuel cell, the battery, and the major balance of plants. After the engine sizing, the system efficiency and the stability of the power distribution are verified based on the well-known driving schedule. Consequently, the optimally designed mini-bus shows good performance.

U.S. Air Force Energy Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

prepared to acquire 50% of domestic aviation fuel requirements via an alternative fuel blend by 2016 Installation Energy  Reduce energy intensity by...FY10  On track to certify fleet on synthetic fuel blend by early 2011 Installation Energy  Reduced installation energy intensity nearly 15% since... Winglets Manufacturing Methods Propulsion Integration Alt Fuels Analysis New Efficient Engines Legacy Aircraft Energy Harvesting Weight-optimized

Development of an alternative low salt bovine hide preservation using PEG and crude glycerol, part 1: evaluation of PEG molecular weight fractions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Brine curing using sodium chloride is widely used for the short-term preservation of cattle hides. Due to economics and efficiency, it has become the traditional method of hide preservation used by meat packers, hide processors, and tanners worldwide. But brine curing is known to cause serious efflu...

An Alternative Method To Assess Student's Knowledge about the Concept of Limit in Engineering Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troncoso, Carlos; Lavalle, Andrea; Curia, Leopoldo; Daniele, Elaine; Chrobak, Ricardo

The present work has the purpose of showing the evolution of topics or mathematical concepts that are both relevant and with marked grades of abstraction. In this report is specifically described the utilization of metacognitive tools. These include concept maps, the Gowin heuristic vee, and the clinical interview. They are efficient in showing…

Studying quick coupler efficiency in working attachment system of single-bucket power shovel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duganova, E. V.; Zagorodniy, N. A.; Solodovnikov, D. N.; Korneyev, A. S.

2018-03-01

A prototype of a quick-disconnect connector (quick coupler) with an unloaded retention mechanism was developed from the analysis of typical quick couplers used as intermediate elements for power shovels of different manufacturers. A method is presented, allowing building a simulation model of the quick coupler prototype as an alternative to physical modeling for further studies.

10 CFR 431.324 - Uniform test method for the measurement of energy efficiency and standby mode energy consumption...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... extinguishing the lamp is impossible or for low-frequency electronic ballasts, the following alternative... (V), and current, using an ammeter (A) connected to the ballast in accordance with the circuit shown... ballast in accordance with the circuit shown in Figure 2. ER09MR10.006 (iii) Power Line Carrier (PLC...

10 CFR 431.324 - Uniform test method for the measurement of energy efficiency and standby mode energy consumption...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... extinguishing the lamp is impossible or for low-frequency electronic ballasts, the following alternative... (V), and current, using an ammeter (A) connected to the ballast in accordance with the circuit shown... ballast in accordance with the circuit shown in Figure 2. ER09MR10.006 (iii) Power Line Carrier (PLC...

10 CFR 431.324 - Uniform test method for the measurement of energy efficiency and standby mode energy consumption...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... extinguishing the lamp is impossible or for low-frequency electronic ballasts, the following alternative... (V), and current, using an ammeter (A) connected to the ballast in accordance with the circuit shown... ballast in accordance with the circuit shown in Figure 2. ER09MR10.006 (iii) Power Line Carrier (PLC...

AUTOMATIC GENERATION OF FFT FOR TRANSLATIONS OF MULTIPOLE EXPANSIONS IN SPHERICAL HARMONICS

PubMed Central

Mirkovic, Dragan; Pettitt, B. Montgomery; Johnsson, S. Lennart

2009-01-01

The fast multipole method (FMM) is an efficient algorithm for calculating electrostatic interactions in molecular simulations and a promising alternative to Ewald summation methods. Translation of multipole expansion in spherical harmonics is the most important operation of the fast multipole method and the fast Fourier transform (FFT) acceleration of this operation is among the fastest methods of improving its performance. The technique relies on highly optimized implementation of fast Fourier transform routines for the desired expansion sizes, which need to incorporate the knowledge of symmetries and zero elements in the input arrays. Here a method is presented for automatic generation of such, highly optimized, routines. PMID:19763233

Three-Dimensional Navier-Stokes Method with Two-Equation Turbulence Models for Efficient Numerical Simulation of Hypersonic Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bardina, J. E.

1994-01-01

A new computational efficient 3-D compressible Reynolds-averaged implicit Navier-Stokes method with advanced two equation turbulence models for high speed flows is presented. All convective terms are modeled using an entropy satisfying higher-order Total Variation Diminishing (TVD) scheme based on implicit upwind flux-difference split approximations and arithmetic averaging procedure of primitive variables. This method combines the best features of data management and computational efficiency of space marching procedures with the generality and stability of time dependent Navier-Stokes procedures to solve flows with mixed supersonic and subsonic zones, including streamwise separated flows. Its robust stability derives from a combination of conservative implicit upwind flux-difference splitting with Roe's property U to provide accurate shock capturing capability that non-conservative schemes do not guarantee, alternating symmetric Gauss-Seidel 'method of planes' relaxation procedure coupled with a three-dimensional two-factor diagonal-dominant approximate factorization scheme, TVD flux limiters of higher-order flux differences satisfying realizability, and well-posed characteristic-based implicit boundary-point a'pproximations consistent with the local characteristics domain of dependence. The efficiency of the method is highly increased with Newton Raphson acceleration which allows convergence in essentially one forward sweep for supersonic flows. The method is verified by comparing with experiment and other Navier-Stokes methods. Here, results of adiabatic and cooled flat plate flows, compression corner flow, and 3-D hypersonic shock-wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction flows are presented. The robust 3-D method achieves a better computational efficiency of at least one order of magnitude over the CNS Navier-Stokes code. It provides cost-effective aerodynamic predictions in agreement with experiment, and the capability of predicting complex flow structures in complex geometries with good accuracy.

Single-step reinitialization and extending algorithms for level-set based multi-phase flow simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Lin; Hu, Xiangyu Y.; Adams, Nikolaus A.

2017-12-01

We propose efficient single-step formulations for reinitialization and extending algorithms, which are critical components of level-set based interface-tracking methods. The level-set field is reinitialized with a single-step (non iterative) "forward tracing" algorithm. A minimum set of cells is defined that describes the interface, and reinitialization employs only data from these cells. Fluid states are extrapolated or extended across the interface by a single-step "backward tracing" algorithm. Both algorithms, which are motivated by analogy to ray-tracing, avoid multiple block-boundary data exchanges that are inevitable for iterative reinitialization and extending approaches within a parallel-computing environment. The single-step algorithms are combined with a multi-resolution conservative sharp-interface method and validated by a wide range of benchmark test cases. We demonstrate that the proposed reinitialization method achieves second-order accuracy in conserving the volume of each phase. The interface location is invariant to reapplication of the single-step reinitialization. Generally, we observe smaller absolute errors than for standard iterative reinitialization on the same grid. The computational efficiency is higher than for the standard and typical high-order iterative reinitialization methods. We observe a 2- to 6-times efficiency improvement over the standard method for serial execution. The proposed single-step extending algorithm, which is commonly employed for assigning data to ghost cells with ghost-fluid or conservative interface interaction methods, shows about 10-times efficiency improvement over the standard method while maintaining same accuracy. Despite their simplicity, the proposed algorithms offer an efficient and robust alternative to iterative reinitialization and extending methods for level-set based multi-phase simulations.

Atomic force microscopy analysis of human cornea surface after UV (λ=266 nm) laser irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spyratou, E.; Makropoulou, M.; Moutsouris, K.; Bacharis, C.; Serafetinides, A. A.

2009-07-01

Efficient cornea reshaping by laser irradiation for correcting refractive errors is still a major issue of interest and study. Although the excimer laser wavelength of 193 nm is generally recognized as successful in ablating corneal tissue for myopia correction, complications in excimer refractive surgery leads to alternative laser sources and methods for efficient cornea treatment. In this work, ablation experiments of human donor cornea flaps were conducted with the 4th harmonic of an Nd:YAG laser, with different laser pulses. AFM analysis was performed for examination of the ablated cornea flap morphology and surface roughness.

Improved cycling cryopump

DOEpatents

Batzer, T.H.; Call, W.R.

1984-12-04

The present invention is designed to achieve continuous high efficiency cryopumping of a vacuum vessel by improving upon and combining in a novel way the cryopumping in a novel way the cryopumping methods. The invention consists of a continuous operation cryopump, with movable louvres, with a high efficiency pumping apparatus. The pumping apparatus includes three cryogenic tubes. They are constructed of a substance of high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum and their exterior surfaces are cryogenic condensing surfaces. Through their interior liquid or gaseous helium from two reservoirs can be made to flow, alternately promoting extreme cooling or allowing some warming.

Fluorescent porous silicon biological probes with high quantum efficiency and stability.

PubMed

Tu, Chang-Ching; Chou, Ying-Nien; Hung, Hsiang-Chieh; Wu, Jingda; Jiang, Shaoyi; Lin, Lih Y

2014-12-01

We demonstrate porous silicon biological probes as a stable and non-toxic alternative to organic dyes or cadmium-containing quantum dots for imaging and sensing applications. The fluorescent silicon quantum dots which are embedded on the porous silicon surface are passivated with carboxyl-terminated ligands through stable Si-C covalent bonds. The porous silicon bio-probes have shown photoluminescence quantum yield around 50% under near-UV excitation, with high photochemical and thermal stability. The bio-probes can be efficiently conjugated with antibodies, which is confirmed by a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.

Recent progress in the applications of layer-by-layer assembly to the preparation of nanostructured ion-rejecting water purification membranes.

PubMed

Sanyal, Oishi; Lee, Ilsoon

2014-03-01

Reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) are the two dominant membrane separation processes responsible for ion rejection. While RO is highly efficient in removal of ions it needs a high operating pressure and offers very low selectivity between ions. Nanofiltration on the other hand has a comparatively low operating pressure and most commercial membranes offer selectivity in terms of ion rejection. However in many nanofiltration operations rejection of monovalent ions is not appreciable. Therefore a high flux high rejection membrane is needed that can be applied to water purification systems. One such alternative is the usage of polyelectrolyte multilayer membranes that are prepared by the deposition of alternately charged polyelectrolytes via layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly method. LbL is one of the most common self-assembly techniques and finds application in various areas. It has a number of tunable parameters like deposition conditions, number of bilayers deposited etc. which can be manipulated as per the type of application. This technique can be applied to make a nanothin membrane skin which gives high rejection and at the same time allow a high water flux across it. Several research groups have applied this highly versatile technique to prepare membranes that can be employed for water purification. Some of these membranes have shown better performance than the commercial nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes. These membranes have the potential to be applied to various different aspects of water treatment like water softening, desalination and recovery of certain ions. Besides the conventional method of LbL technique other alternative methods have also been suggested that can make the technique fast, more efficient and thereby make it more commercially acceptable.

Evolving prehospital, emergency department, and "inpatient" management models for geriatric emergencies.

PubMed

Carpenter, Christopher R; Platts-Mills, Timothy F

2013-02-01

Alternative management methods are essential to ensure high-quality and efficient emergency care for the growing number of geriatric adults worldwide. Protocols to support early condition-specific treatment of older adults with acute severe illness and injury are needed. Improved emergency department care for older adults will require providers to address the influence of other factors on the patient's health. This article describes recent and ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of emergency care for older adults using alternative management approaches spanning the spectrum from prehospital care, through the emergency department, and into evolving inpatient or outpatient processes of care. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Slot-coupled CW standing wave accelerating cavity

DOEpatents

Wang, Shaoheng; Rimmer, Robert; Wang, Haipeng

2017-05-16

A slot-coupled CW standing wave multi-cell accelerating cavity. To achieve high efficiency graded beta acceleration, each cell in the multi-cell cavity may include different cell lengths. Alternatively, to achieve high efficiency with acceleration for particles with beta equal to 1, each cell in the multi-cell cavity may include the same cell design. Coupling between the cells is achieved with a plurality of axially aligned kidney-shaped slots on the wall between cells. The slot-coupling method makes the design very compact. The shape of the cell, including the slots and the cone, are optimized to maximize the power efficiency and minimize the peak power density on the surface. The slots are non-resonant, thereby enabling shorter slots and less power loss.

Antibody biosensors for spoilage yeast detection based on impedance spectroscopy.

PubMed

Tubía, I; Paredes, J; Pérez-Lorenzo, E; Arana, S

2018-04-15

Brettanomyces is a yeast species responsible for wine and cider spoilage, producing volatile phenols that result in off-odors and loss of fruity sensorial qualities. Current commercial detection methods for these spoilage species are liable to frequent false positives, long culture times and fungal contamination. In this work, an interdigitated (IDE) biosensor was created to detect Brettanomyces using immunological reactions and impedance spectroscopy analysis. To promote efficient antibody immobilization on the electrodes' surface and to decrease non-specific adsorption, a Self-Assembled Monolayer (SAM) was developed. An impedance spectroscopy analysis, over four yeast strains, confirmed our device's increased efficacy. Compared to label-free sensors, antibody biosensors showed a higher relative impedance. The results also suggested that these biosensors could be a promising method to monitor some spoilage yeasts, offering an efficient alternative to the laborious and expensive traditional methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Efficient convolutional sparse coding

DOEpatents

Wohlberg, Brendt

2017-06-20

Computationally efficient algorithms may be applied for fast dictionary learning solving the convolutional sparse coding problem in the Fourier domain. More specifically, efficient convolutional sparse coding may be derived within an alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) framework that utilizes fast Fourier transforms (FFT) to solve the main linear system in the frequency domain. Such algorithms may enable a significant reduction in computational cost over conventional approaches by implementing a linear solver for the most critical and computationally expensive component of the conventional iterative algorithm. The theoretical computational cost of the algorithm may be reduced from O(M.sup.3N) to O(MN log N), where N is the dimensionality of the data and M is the number of elements in the dictionary. This significant improvement in efficiency may greatly increase the range of problems that can practically be addressed via convolutional sparse representations.

Transverse vibrations of non-uniform beams. [combined finite element and Rayleigh-Ritz methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, L.

1974-01-01

The free vibrations of elastic beams with nonuniform characteristics are investigated theoretically by a new method. The new method is seen to combine the advantages of a finite element approach and of a Rayleigh-Ritz analysis. Comparison with the known analytical results for uniform beams shows good convergence of the method for natural frequencies and modes. For internal shear forces and bending moments, the rate of convergence is less rapid. Results from experiments conducted with a cantilevered helicopter blade with strong nonuniformities and also from alternative theoretical methods, indicate that the theory adequately predicts natural frequencies and mode shapes. General guidelines for efficient use of the method are presented.

The application of midbond basis sets in efficient and accurate ab initio calculations on electron-deficient systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Chu Hwan

2002-09-01

Ab initio chemistry has shown great promise in reproducing experimental results and in its predictive power. The many complicated computational models and methods seem impenetrable to an inexperienced scientist, and the reliability of the results is not easily interpreted. The application of midbond orbitals is used to determine a general method for use in calculating weak intermolecular interactions, especially those involving electron-deficient systems. Using the criteria of consistency, flexibility, accuracy and efficiency we propose a supermolecular method of calculation using the full counterpoise (CP) method of Boys and Bernardi, coupled with Moller-Plesset (MP) perturbation theory as an efficient electron-correlative method. We also advocate the use of the highly efficient and reliable correlation-consistent polarized valence basis sets of Dunning. To these basis sets, we add a general set of midbond orbitals and demonstrate greatly enhanced efficiency in the calculation. The H2-H2 dimer is taken as a benchmark test case for our method, and details of the computation are elaborated. Our method reproduces with great accuracy the dissociation energies of other previous theoretical studies. The added efficiency of extending the basis sets with conventional means is compared with the performance of our midbond-extended basis sets. The improvement found with midbond functions is notably superior in every case tested. Finally, a novel application of midbond functions to the BH5 complex is presented. The system is an unusual van der Waals complex. The interaction potential curves are presented for several standard basis sets and midbond-enhanced basis sets, as well as for two popular, alternative correlation methods. We report that MP theory appears to be superior to coupled-cluster (CC) in speed, while it is more stable than B3LYP, a widely-used density functional theory (DFT). Application of our general method yields excellent results for the midbond basis sets. Again they prove superior to conventional extended basis sets. Based on these results, we recommend our general approach as a highly efficient, accurate method for calculating weakly interacting systems.

RELIC: a novel dye-bias correction method for Illumina Methylation BeadChip.

PubMed

Xu, Zongli; Langie, Sabine A S; De Boever, Patrick; Taylor, Jack A; Niu, Liang

2017-01-03

The Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip and its successor, Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip, have been extensively utilized in epigenome-wide association studies. Both arrays use two fluorescent dyes (Cy3-green/Cy5-red) to measure methylation level at CpG sites. However, performance difference between dyes can result in biased estimates of methylation levels. Here we describe a novel method, called REgression on Logarithm of Internal Control probes (RELIC) to correct for dye bias on whole array by utilizing the intensity values of paired internal control probes that monitor the two color channels. We evaluate the method in several datasets against other widely used dye-bias correction methods. Results on data quality improvement showed that RELIC correction statistically significantly outperforms alternative dye-bias correction methods. We incorporated the method into the R package ENmix, which is freely available from the Bioconductor website ( https://www.bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/ENmix.html ). RELIC is an efficient and robust method to correct for dye-bias in Illumina Methylation BeadChip data. It outperforms other alternative methods and conveniently implemented in R package ENmix to facilitate DNA methylation studies.

Field evaluation of alternative and cost efficient bridge approach slabs.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-11-01

Based on a recent study on cost efficient alternative bridge approach slab (BAS) designs (Thiagarajan et al. 2010) has recommended : three new BAS designs for possible implementation by MoDOT namely a) 20 feet cast-inplace slab with sleeper slab (CIP...

An advanced probabilistic structural analysis method for implicit performance functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Y.-T.; Millwater, H. R.; Cruse, T. A.

1989-01-01

In probabilistic structural analysis, the performance or response functions usually are implicitly defined and must be solved by numerical analysis methods such as finite element methods. In such cases, the most commonly used probabilistic analysis tool is the mean-based, second-moment method which provides only the first two statistical moments. This paper presents a generalized advanced mean value (AMV) method which is capable of establishing the distributions to provide additional information for reliability design. The method requires slightly more computations than the second-moment method but is highly efficient relative to the other alternative methods. In particular, the examples show that the AMV method can be used to solve problems involving non-monotonic functions that result in truncated distributions.

Optimal design of implants for magnetically mediated hyperthermia: A wireless power transfer approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Hans-Dieter; Sarris, Costas D.

2017-09-01

In magnetically mediated hyperthermia (MMH), an externally applied alternating magnetic field interacts with a mediator (such as a magnetic nanoparticle or an implant) inside the body to heat up the tissue in its proximity. Producing heat via induced currents in this manner is strikingly similar to wireless power transfer (WPT) for implants, where power is transferred from a transmitter outside of the body to an implanted receiver, in most cases via magnetic fields as well. Leveraging this analogy, a systematic method to design MMH implants for optimal heating efficiency is introduced, akin to the design of WPT systems for optimal power transfer efficiency. This paper provides analytical formulas for the achievable heating efficiency bounds as well as the optimal operating frequency and the implant material. Multiphysics simulations validate the approach and further demonstrate that optimization with respect to maximum heating efficiency is accompanied by minimizing heat delivery to healthy tissue. This is a property that is highly desirable when considering MMH as a key component or complementary method of cancer treatment and other applications.

Alternative Modal Basis Selection Procedures for Nonlinear Random Response Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Przekop, Adam; Guo, Xinyun; Rizzi, Stephen A.

2010-01-01

Three procedures to guide selection of an efficient modal basis in a nonlinear random response analysis are examined. One method is based only on proper orthogonal decomposition, while the other two additionally involve smooth orthogonal decomposition. Acoustic random response problems are employed to assess the performance of the three modal basis selection approaches. A thermally post-buckled beam exhibiting snap-through behavior, a shallowly curved arch in the auto-parametric response regime and a plate structure are used as numerical test articles. The results of the three reduced-order analyses are compared with the results of the computationally taxing simulation in the physical degrees of freedom. For the cases considered, all three methods are shown to produce modal bases resulting in accurate and computationally efficient reduced-order nonlinear simulations.

SAGE: The Self-Adaptive Grid Code. 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davies, Carol B.; Venkatapathy, Ethiraj

1999-01-01

The multi-dimensional self-adaptive grid code, SAGE, is an important tool in the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It provides an efficient method to improve the accuracy of flow solutions while simultaneously reducing computer processing time. Briefly, SAGE enhances an initial computational grid by redistributing the mesh points into more appropriate locations. The movement of these points is driven by an equal-error-distribution algorithm that utilizes the relationship between high flow gradients and excessive solution errors. The method also provides a balance between clustering points in the high gradient regions and maintaining the smoothness and continuity of the adapted grid, The latest version, Version 3, includes the ability to change the boundaries of a given grid to more efficiently enclose flow structures and provides alternative redistribution algorithms.

Efficient calcium lactate production by fermentation coupled with crystallization-based in situ product removal.

PubMed

Xu, Ke; Xu, Ping

2014-07-01

Lactic acid is a platform chemical with various industrial applications, and its derivative, calcium lactate, is an important food additive. Fermentation coupled with in situ product removal (ISPR) can provide more outputs with high productivity. The method used in this study was based on calcium lactate crystallization. Three cycles of crystallization were performed during the fermentation course using a Bacillus coagulans strain H-1. As compared to fed-batch fermentation, this method showed 1.7 times higher average productivity considering seed culture, with 74.4% more L-lactic acid produced in the fermentation with ISPR. Thus, fermentation coupled with crystallization-based ISPR may be a biotechnological alternative that provides an efficient system for production of calcium lactate or lactic acid. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eco-efficiency improvements in industrial water-service systems: assessing options with stakeholders.

PubMed

Levidow, Les; Lindgaard-Jørgensen, Palle; Nilsson, Asa; Skenhall, Sara Alongi; Assimacopoulos, Dionysis

2014-01-01

The well-known eco-efficiency concept helps to assess the economic value and resource burdens of potential improvements by comparison with the baseline situation. But eco-efficiency assessments have generally focused on a specific site, while neglecting wider effects, for example, through interactions between water users and wastewater treatment (WWT) providers. To address the methodological gap, the EcoWater project has developed a method and online tools for meso-level analysis of the entire water-service value chain. This study investigated improvement options in two large manufacturing companies which have significant potential for eco-efficiency gains. They have been considering investment in extra processes which can lower resource burdens from inputs and wastewater, as well as internalising WWT processes. In developing its methodology, the EcoWater project obtained the necessary information from many agents, involved them in the meso-level assessment and facilitated their discussion on alternative options. Prior discussions with stakeholders stimulated their attendance at a workshop to discuss a comparative eco-efficiency assessment for whole-system improvement. Stakeholders expressed interest in jointly extending the EcoWater method to more options and in discussing investment strategies. In such ways, optimal solutions will depend on stakeholders overcoming fragmentation by sharing responsibility and knowledge.

The demodulated band transform

PubMed Central

Kovach, Christopher K.; Gander, Phillip E.

2016-01-01

Background Windowed Fourier decompositions (WFD) are widely used in measuring stationary and non-stationary spectral phenomena and in describing pairwise relationships among multiple signals. Although a variety of WFDs see frequent application in electrophysiological research, including the short-time Fourier transform, continuous wavelets, band-pass filtering and multitaper-based approaches, each carries certain drawbacks related to computational efficiency and spectral leakage. This work surveys the advantages of a WFD not previously applied in electrophysiological settings. New Methods A computationally efficient form of complex demodulation, the demodulated band transform (DBT), is described. Results DBT is shown to provide an efficient approach to spectral estimation with minimal susceptibility to spectral leakage. In addition, it lends itself well to adaptive filtering of non-stationary narrowband noise. Comparison with existing methods A detailed comparison with alternative WFDs is offered, with an emphasis on the relationship between DBT and Thomson's multitaper. DBT is shown to perform favorably in combining computational efficiency with minimal introduction of spectral leakage. Conclusion DBT is ideally suited to efficient estimation of both stationary and non-stationary spectral and cross-spectral statistics with minimal susceptibility to spectral leakage. These qualities are broadly desirable in many settings. PMID:26711370

Proportional Topology Optimization: A New Non-Sensitivity Method for Solving Stress Constrained and Minimum Compliance Problems and Its Implementation in MATLAB

PubMed Central

Biyikli, Emre; To, Albert C.

2015-01-01

A new topology optimization method called the Proportional Topology Optimization (PTO) is presented. As a non-sensitivity method, PTO is simple to understand, easy to implement, and is also efficient and accurate at the same time. It is implemented into two MATLAB programs to solve the stress constrained and minimum compliance problems. Descriptions of the algorithm and computer programs are provided in detail. The method is applied to solve three numerical examples for both types of problems. The method shows comparable efficiency and accuracy with an existing optimality criteria method which computes sensitivities. Also, the PTO stress constrained algorithm and minimum compliance algorithm are compared by feeding output from one algorithm to the other in an alternative manner, where the former yields lower maximum stress and volume fraction but higher compliance compared to the latter. Advantages and disadvantages of the proposed method and future works are discussed. The computer programs are self-contained and publicly shared in the website www.ptomethod.org. PMID:26678849

A rapid assay for the simultaneous determination of nicotine, cocaine and metabolites in meconium using disposable pipette extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

PubMed

Mozaner Bordin, Dayanne C; Alves, Marcela N R; Cabrices, Oscar G; de Campos, Eduardo G; De Martinis, Bruno Spinosa

2014-01-01

Drug abuse by pregnant women is considered a serious public health problem worldwide. Meconium is the first excretion in newborns and has been used as an alternative matrix to evaluate in utero drug exposure. Solid phase extraction (SPE) is widely employed to prepare and clean up samples in the field of forensic analysis. Most SPE products require large volumes of solvent, which culminates in longer sample processing times and increased cost per sample. Disposable pipette extraction (DPX) tips have been used as an alternative to traditional SPE cartridges. They combine efficient and rapid extraction with reduced solvent consumption. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a method to determine nicotine, cotinine, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene and methyl ester anhydroecgonine in meconium using DPX and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Validation results indicated that extraction efficiency ranged 50-98%, accuracy 92-106%, intra-assay precision 4-12% and inter-assay precision 6-12%. Linear calibration curves resulted in R(2) values >0.99, limits of detection ranged from 2.5 to 15 ng/g and the limit of quantitation from 10 to 20 ng/g. The DPX-GC-MS method was shown to selectively analyze trace concentrations of drugs in meconium samples. Finally, the developed and validated method was applied to 50 meconium samples.

Table-top job analysis

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

Not Available

1994-12-01

The purpose of this Handbook is to establish general training program guidelines for training personnel in developing training for operation, maintenance, and technical support personnel at Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facilities. TTJA is not the only method of job analysis; however, when conducted properly TTJA can be cost effective, efficient, and self-validating, and represents an effective method of defining job requirements. The table-top job analysis is suggested in the DOE Training Accreditation Program manuals as an acceptable alternative to traditional methods of analyzing job requirements. DOE 5480-20A strongly endorses and recommends it as the preferred method for analyzing jobsmore » for positions addressed by the Order.« less

A Comparison of Item Selection Procedures Using Different Ability Estimation Methods in Computerized Adaptive Testing Based on the Generalized Partial Credit Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Tsung-Han

2010-01-01

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) provides a highly efficient alternative to the paper-and-pencil test. By selecting items that match examinees' ability levels, CAT not only can shorten test length and administration time but it can also increase measurement precision and reduce measurement error. In CAT, maximum information (MI) is the most…

Efficiency and precision for estimating timber and non-timber attributes using Landsat-based stratification methods in two-phase sampling in northwest California

Treesearch

Antti T. Kaartinen; Jeremy S. Fried; Paul A. Dunham

2002-01-01

Three Landsat TM-based GIS layers were evaluated as alternatives to conventional, photointerpretation-based stratification of FIA field plots. Estimates for timberland area, timber volume, and volume of down wood were calculated for California's North Coast Survey Unit of 2.5 million hectares. The estimates were compared on the basis of standard errors,...

Domain Derivatives in Dielectric Rough Surface Scattering

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

and require the gradient of the objective function in the unknown model parameter vector at each stage of iteration. For large N, finite...differencing becomes numerically intensive, and an efficient alternative is domain differentiation in which the full gradient is obtained by solving a single...derivative calculation of the gradient for a locally perturbed dielectric interface. The method is non-variational, and algebraic in nature in that it

Temporal contrast enhancement of a femtosecond fiber CPA system by filtering of SPM broadened spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buldt, J.; Müller, M.; Klas, R.; Eidam, T.; Limpert, J.; Tünnermann, A.

2018-02-01

We present a novel approach for temporal contrast enhancement of energetic laser pulses by filtered SPM broadened spectra. A measured temporal contrast enhancement by at least 7 orders of magnitude in a simple setup has been achieved. This technique is applicable to a wide range of laser parameters and poses a highly efficient alternative to existing contrast-enhancement methods.

Efficient alignment-free DNA barcode analytics.

PubMed

Kuksa, Pavel; Pavlovic, Vladimir

2009-11-10

In this work we consider barcode DNA analysis problems and address them using alternative, alignment-free methods and representations which model sequences as collections of short sequence fragments (features). The methods use fixed-length representations (spectrum) for barcode sequences to measure similarities or dissimilarities between sequences coming from the same or different species. The spectrum-based representation not only allows for accurate and computationally efficient species classification, but also opens possibility for accurate clustering analysis of putative species barcodes and identification of critical within-barcode loci distinguishing barcodes of different sample groups. New alignment-free methods provide highly accurate and fast DNA barcode-based identification and classification of species with substantial improvements in accuracy and speed over state-of-the-art barcode analysis methods. We evaluate our methods on problems of species classification and identification using barcodes, important and relevant analytical tasks in many practical applications (adverse species movement monitoring, sampling surveys for unknown or pathogenic species identification, biodiversity assessment, etc.) On several benchmark barcode datasets, including ACG, Astraptes, Hesperiidae, Fish larvae, and Birds of North America, proposed alignment-free methods considerably improve prediction accuracy compared to prior results. We also observe significant running time improvements over the state-of-the-art methods. Our results show that newly developed alignment-free methods for DNA barcoding can efficiently and with high accuracy identify specimens by examining only few barcode features, resulting in increased scalability and interpretability of current computational approaches to barcoding.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of rare-earth elements from carbonatite rocks.

PubMed

Diehl, Lisarb O; Gatiboni, Thais L; Mello, Paola A; Muller, Edson I; Duarte, Fabio A; Flores, Erico M M

2018-01-01

In view of the increasing demand for rare-earth elements (REE) in many areas of high technology, alternative methods for the extraction of these elements have been developed. In this work, a process based on the use of ultrasound for the extraction of REE from carbonatite (an igneous rock) is proposed to avoid the use of concentrated reagents, high temperature and excessive extraction time. In this pioneer work for REE extraction from carbonatite rocks in a preliminary investigation, ultrasonic baths, cup horn systems or ultrasound probes operating at different frequencies and power were evaluated. In addition, the power released to the extraction medium and the ultrasound amplitude were also investigated and the temperature and carbonatite mass/volume of extraction solution ratio were optimized to 70°C and 20mg/mL, respectively. Better extraction efficiencies (82%) were obtained employing an ultrasound probe operating at 20kHz for 15min, ultrasound amplitude of 40% (692Wdm -3 ) and using a diluted extraction solution (3% v/v HNO 3 +2% v/v HCl). It is important to mention that high extraction efficiency was obtained even using a diluted acid mixture and relatively low temperature in comparison to conventional extraction methods for REE. A comparison of results with those obtained by mechanical stirring (500rpm) using the same conditions (time, temperature and extraction solution) was carried out, showing that the use of ultrasound increased the extraction efficiency up to 35%. Therefore, the proposed ultrasound-assisted procedure can be considered as a suitable alternative for high efficiency extraction of REE from carbonatite rocks. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

10 CFR 435.305 - Alternative compliance procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Alternative compliance procedure. 435.305 Section 435.305 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR NEW FEDERAL LOW-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Mandatory Energy Efficiency Standards for Federal Residential Buildings § 435.305...

Energy and economic efficiency alternatives for electric lighting in commercial buildings

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

Robbins, C L; Hunter, K C; Carlisle, N

1985-10-01

This report investigates current efficient alternatives for replacing or supplementing electric lighting systems in commercial buildings. Criteria for establishing the economic attractiveness of various lighting alternatives are defined and the effect of future changes in building lighting on utility capacity. The report focuses on the energy savings potential, economic efficiency, and energy demand reduction of three categories of lighting alternatives: (1) use of a renewable resource (daylighting) to replace or supplement electric lighting; (2) use of task/ambient lighting in lieu of overhead task lighting; and (3) equipment changes to improve lighting energy efficiency. The results indicate that all three categoriesmore » offer opportunities to reduce lighting energy use in commercial buildings. Further, reducing lighting energy causes a reduction in cooling energy use and cooling capacity while increasing heating energy use. It does not typically increase heating capacity because the use of lighting in the building does not offset the need for peak heating at night.« less

Application of variable teeth pitch face mill as chatter suppression method for non-rigid technological system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svinin, V. M.; Savilov, A. V.

2018-03-01

The article describes the results of experimental studies on the effects of variation type for variable teeth pitches on low-rigidity workpiece chatter suppression efficiency in a feed direction and in a direction of the normal to the machined surface. Mill operation performance was identified by comparing the amplitudes of dominant chatter harmonics using constant and variable teeth pitches. The following variable pitch formation variants were studied: alternative, linear rising, and linear rising falling. The angle difference of adjacent teeth pitches ranged from 0 to 10°, from 5 to 8° and from 5 to 10° with interval of 1°. The experiments showed that for all variants, machining dynamics performance resulted from the difference of adjacent pitches corresponding to a half the chatter wavelength along the cutting surface. The alternative nature of a variable teeth pitch is most efficient as it almost completely suppresses the chatters. Theoretical explanations of the results are presented

Efficient computation of significance levels for multiple associations in large studies of correlated data, including genomewide association studies.

PubMed

Dudbridge, Frank; Koeleman, Bobby P C

2004-09-01

Large exploratory studies, including candidate-gene-association testing, genomewide linkage-disequilibrium scans, and array-expression experiments, are becoming increasingly common. A serious problem for such studies is that statistical power is compromised by the need to control the false-positive rate for a large family of tests. Because multiple true associations are anticipated, methods have been proposed that combine evidence from the most significant tests, as a more powerful alternative to individually adjusted tests. The practical application of these methods is currently limited by a reliance on permutation testing to account for the correlated nature of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-association data. On a genomewide scale, this is both very time-consuming and impractical for repeated explorations with standard marker panels. Here, we alleviate these problems by fitting analytic distributions to the empirical distribution of combined evidence. We fit extreme-value distributions for fixed lengths of combined evidence and a beta distribution for the most significant length. An initial phase of permutation sampling is required to fit these distributions, but it can be completed more quickly than a simple permutation test and need be done only once for each panel of tests, after which the fitted parameters give a reusable calibration of the panel. Our approach is also a more efficient alternative to a standard permutation test. We demonstrate the accuracy of our approach and compare its efficiency with that of permutation tests on genomewide SNP data released by the International HapMap Consortium. The estimation of analytic distributions for combined evidence will allow these powerful methods to be applied more widely in large exploratory studies.

[Effects of alternative furrow irrigation and nitrogen application rate on photosynthesis, growth, and yield of cucumber in solar greenhouse].

PubMed

Zhang, Liu-xia; Wang, Shu-zhong; Sui, Xiao-lei; Zhang, Zhen-xian

2011-09-01

This paper studied the effects of alternative furrow irrigation and nitrogen (N) application rate (no N, optimal N, and conventional N) on the photosynthesis, growth characteristics, yield formation, and fruit quality of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) cultivar Jinyu No. 5 in a solar greenhouse in winter-spring growth season and autumn-winter season. Under alternative furrow irrigation, the net photosynthetic rate of upper, middle, eand lower leaves was appreciably lower and the transpiration rate decreased significantly, and the transient water use efficiency of upper and middle leaves improved, as compared with those under conventional irrigation. Stomatal factor was the limiting factor of photosynthesis under alternative furrow irrigation. The photosynthesis and transient water use efficiency of functional leaves under alternative furrow irrigation increased with increasing N application rate. Comparing with conventional irrigation, alternative furrow irrigation decreased leaf chlorophyll content and plant biomass, but increased root biomass, root/shoot ratio, and dry matter allocation in root and fruit. The economic output under alternative furrow irrigation was nearly the same as that under conventional irrigation, whereas the water use efficiency for economic yield increased significantly, suggesting the beneficial effects of alternative furrow irrigation on root development and fruit formation. With the increase of N application rate, the leaf chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a/b, specific leaf mass, plant biomass, economic yield, and fruit Vc and soluble sugar contents under alternative furrow irrigation increased, but no significant difference was observed between the treatments optimal N and conventional N. N application had little effects on the water use efficiency for economic yield. The economic yield and biomass production of the cucumber were significantly higher in winter-spring growth season than in autumn-winter growth season.

Cobenefits of replacing car trips with alternative transportation: a review of evidence and methodological issues.

PubMed

Xia, Ting; Zhang, Ying; Crabb, Shona; Shah, Pushan

2013-01-01

It has been reported that motor vehicle emissions contribute nearly a quarter of world energy-related greenhouse gases and cause nonnegligible air pollution primarily in urban areas. Reducing car use and increasing ecofriendly alternative transport, such as public and active transport, are efficient approaches to mitigate harmful environmental impacts caused by a large amount of vehicle use. Besides the environmental benefits of promoting alternative transport, it can also induce other health and economic benefits. At present, a number of studies have been conducted to evaluate cobenefits from greenhouse gas mitigation policies. However, relatively few have focused specifically on the transport sector. A comprehensive understanding of the multiple benefits of alternative transport could assist with policy making in the areas of transport, health, and environment. However, there is no straightforward method which could estimate cobenefits effect at one time. In this paper, the links between vehicle emissions and air quality, as well as the health and economic benefits from alternative transport use, are considered, and methodological issues relating to the modelling of these cobenefits are discussed.

Dimethyl ether (DME) as an alternative fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semelsberger, Troy A.; Borup, Rodney L.; Greene, Howard L.

With ever growing concerns on environmental pollution, energy security, and future oil supplies, the global community is seeking non-petroleum based alternative fuels, along with more advanced energy technologies (e.g., fuel cells) to increase the efficiency of energy use. The most promising alternative fuel will be the fuel that has the greatest impact on society. The major impact areas include well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions, non-petroleum feed stocks, well-to-wheel efficiencies, fuel versatility, infrastructure, availability, economics, and safety. Compared to some of the other leading alternative fuel candidates (i.e., methane, methanol, ethanol, and Fischer-Tropsch fuels), dimethyl ether appears to have the largest potential impact on society, and should be considered as the fuel of choice for eliminating the dependency on petroleum. DME can be used as a clean high-efficiency compression ignition fuel with reduced NO x, SO x, and particulate matter, it can be efficiently reformed to hydrogen at low temperatures, and does not have large issues with toxicity, production, infrastructure, and transportation as do various other fuels. The literature relevant to DME use is reviewed and summarized to demonstrate the viability of DME as an alternative fuel.

Efficiency of Health Care Production in Low-Resource Settings: A Monte-Carlo Simulation to Compare the Performance of Data Envelopment Analysis, Stochastic Distance Functions, and an Ensemble Model

PubMed Central

Giorgio, Laura Di; Flaxman, Abraham D.; Moses, Mark W.; Fullman, Nancy; Hanlon, Michael; Conner, Ruben O.; Wollum, Alexandra; Murray, Christopher J. L.

2016-01-01

Low-resource countries can greatly benefit from even small increases in efficiency of health service provision, supporting a strong case to measure and pursue efficiency improvement in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the knowledge base concerning efficiency measurement remains scarce for these contexts. This study shows that current estimation approaches may not be well suited to measure technical efficiency in LMICs and offers an alternative approach for efficiency measurement in these settings. We developed a simulation environment which reproduces the characteristics of health service production in LMICs, and evaluated the performance of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Stochastic Distance Function (SDF) for assessing efficiency. We found that an ensemble approach (ENS) combining efficiency estimates from a restricted version of DEA (rDEA) and restricted SDF (rSDF) is the preferable method across a range of scenarios. This is the first study to analyze efficiency measurement in a simulation setting for LMICs. Our findings aim to heighten the validity and reliability of efficiency analyses in LMICs, and thus inform policy dialogues about improving the efficiency of health service production in these settings. PMID:26812685

Use of the parameterised finite element method to robustly and efficiently evolve the edge of a moving cell.

PubMed

Neilson, Matthew P; Mackenzie, John A; Webb, Steven D; Insall, Robert H

2010-11-01

In this paper we present a computational tool that enables the simulation of mathematical models of cell migration and chemotaxis on an evolving cell membrane. Recent models require the numerical solution of systems of reaction-diffusion equations on the evolving cell membrane and then the solution state is used to drive the evolution of the cell edge. Previous work involved moving the cell edge using a level set method (LSM). However, the LSM is computationally very expensive, which severely limits the practical usefulness of the algorithm. To address this issue, we have employed the parameterised finite element method (PFEM) as an alternative method for evolving a cell boundary. We show that the PFEM is far more efficient and robust than the LSM. We therefore suggest that the PFEM potentially has an essential role to play in computational modelling efforts towards the understanding of many of the complex issues related to chemotaxis.

Green extraction of grape skin phenolics by using deep eutectic solvents.

PubMed

Cvjetko Bubalo, Marina; Ćurko, Natka; Tomašević, Marina; Kovačević Ganić, Karin; Radojčić Redovniković, Ivana

2016-06-01

Conventional extraction techniques for plant phenolics are usually associated with high organic solvent consumption and long extraction times. In order to establish an environmentally friendly extraction method for grape skin phenolics, deep eutectic solvents (DES) as a green alternative to conventional solvents coupled with highly efficient microwave-assisted and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods (MAE and UAE, respectively) have been considered. Initially, screening of five different DES for proposed extraction was performed and choline chloride-based DES containing oxalic acid as a hydrogen bond donor with 25% of water was selected as the most promising one, resulting in more effective extraction of grape skin phenolic compounds compared to conventional solvents. Additionally, in our study, UAE proved to be the best extraction method with extraction efficiency superior to both MAE and conventional extraction method. The knowledge acquired in this study will contribute to further DES implementation in extraction of biologically active compounds from various plant sources. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Efficient Variable Length Coding Scheme for an IID Source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheung, K. -M.

1995-01-01

A scheme is examined for using two alternating Huffman codes to encode a discrete independent and identically distributed source with a dominant symbol. This combined strategy, or alternating runlength Huffman (ARH) coding, was found to be more efficient than ordinary coding in certain circumstances.

Efficient Determination of Free Energy Landscapes in Multiple Dimensions from Biased Umbrella Sampling Simulations Using Linear Regression.

PubMed

Meng, Yilin; Roux, Benoît

2015-08-11

The weighted histogram analysis method (WHAM) is a standard protocol for postprocessing the information from biased umbrella sampling simulations to construct the potential of mean force with respect to a set of order parameters. By virtue of the WHAM equations, the unbiased density of state is determined by satisfying a self-consistent condition through an iterative procedure. While the method works very effectively when the number of order parameters is small, its computational cost grows rapidly in higher dimension. Here, we present a simple and efficient alternative strategy, which avoids solving the self-consistent WHAM equations iteratively. An efficient multivariate linear regression framework is utilized to link the biased probability densities of individual umbrella windows and yield an unbiased global free energy landscape in the space of order parameters. It is demonstrated with practical examples that free energy landscapes that are comparable in accuracy to WHAM can be generated at a small fraction of the cost.

Efficient Determination of Free Energy Landscapes in Multiple Dimensions from Biased Umbrella Sampling Simulations Using Linear Regression

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The weighted histogram analysis method (WHAM) is a standard protocol for postprocessing the information from biased umbrella sampling simulations to construct the potential of mean force with respect to a set of order parameters. By virtue of the WHAM equations, the unbiased density of state is determined by satisfying a self-consistent condition through an iterative procedure. While the method works very effectively when the number of order parameters is small, its computational cost grows rapidly in higher dimension. Here, we present a simple and efficient alternative strategy, which avoids solving the self-consistent WHAM equations iteratively. An efficient multivariate linear regression framework is utilized to link the biased probability densities of individual umbrella windows and yield an unbiased global free energy landscape in the space of order parameters. It is demonstrated with practical examples that free energy landscapes that are comparable in accuracy to WHAM can be generated at a small fraction of the cost. PMID:26574437

Mechanism of Electro-Coagulation with Al/Fe Periodically Reversing Treating Berberine Pharmaceutical Wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhaonan; Liu, Zheng; Hu, Xiaomin

2017-05-01

The method of treating pharmaceutical wastewater by electro-coagulation with Al/Fe periodically reversing (ECPR) was proposed based on traditional electrochemical method. The principle of ECPR was generalized. Mechanism of ECPR to treat berberine pharmaceutical wastewater was investigated. Treatability and mechanism studies were conducted under laboratory conditions. For berberine wastewater (800 mg/L), decolourization efficiency and COD removal efficiency were highest to 98% and 95% respectively when voltage was 8V, reaction time was 60 min, alternating period was 10 S electrolyte concentration was 0.015 mol/L, stirring speed was 750 rpm, pH value was 3-10 and distance between two plates was 0.6 cm. For removal berberine, flocculation, floatation and oxidation provided 73%, 8% and 18% removal efficiency, which can be inferred by analysing UV-visible absorption spectrum, acidification experiment, EDTA shielding experiment, structure-activity relationship, oxidation and floatation. Meanwhile decolourization and COD removal conformed to apparent pseudo-first order and zero-order kinetics for 200mg/L and 400-1000 mg/L berberine wastewater respectively.

Analysis of data collected from right and left limbs: Accounting for dependence and improving statistical efficiency in musculoskeletal research.

PubMed

Stewart, Sarah; Pearson, Janet; Rome, Keith; Dalbeth, Nicola; Vandal, Alain C

2018-01-01

Statistical techniques currently used in musculoskeletal research often inefficiently account for paired-limb measurements or the relationship between measurements taken from multiple regions within limbs. This study compared three commonly used analysis methods with a mixed-models approach that appropriately accounted for the association between limbs, regions, and trials and that utilised all information available from repeated trials. Four analysis were applied to an existing data set containing plantar pressure data, which was collected for seven masked regions on right and left feet, over three trials, across three participant groups. Methods 1-3 averaged data over trials and analysed right foot data (Method 1), data from a randomly selected foot (Method 2), and averaged right and left foot data (Method 3). Method 4 used all available data in a mixed-effects regression that accounted for repeated measures taken for each foot, foot region and trial. Confidence interval widths for the mean differences between groups for each foot region were used as a criterion for comparison of statistical efficiency. Mean differences in pressure between groups were similar across methods for each foot region, while the confidence interval widths were consistently smaller for Method 4. Method 4 also revealed significant between-group differences that were not detected by Methods 1-3. A mixed effects linear model approach generates improved efficiency and power by producing more precise estimates compared to alternative approaches that discard information in the process of accounting for paired-limb measurements. This approach is recommended in generating more clinically sound and statistically efficient research outputs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Formed platelet combustor liner construction feasibility, phase A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayes, W. A.; Janke, D. E.

1992-01-01

Environments generated in high pressure liquid rocket engines impose severe requirements on regeneratively cooled combustor liners. Liners fabricated for use in high chamber pressures using conventional processes suffer from limitations that can impair operational cycle life and can adversely affect wall compatibility. Chamber liners fabricated using formed platelet technology provide an alternative to conventional regeneratively cooled liners (an alternative that has many attractive benefits). A formed platelet liner is made from a stacked assembly of platelets with channel features. The assembly is diffusion bonded into a flat panel and then three-dimensionally formed into a section of a chamber. Platelet technology permits the liner to have very precisely controlled and thin hot gas walls and therefore increased heat transfer efficiency. Further cooling efficiencies can be obtained through enhanced design flexibility. These advantages translate into increased cycle life and enhanced wall compatibility. The increased heat transfer efficiency can alternately be used to increase engine performance or turbopump life as a result of pressure drop reductions within the regeneratively cooled liner. Other benefits can be obtained by varying the materials of construction within the platelet liner to enhance material compatibility with operating environment or with adjoining components. Manufacturing cost savings are an additional benefit of a formed platelet liner. This is because of reduced touch labor and reduced schedule when compared to conventional methods of manufacture. The formed platelet technology is not only compatible with current state-of-the art combustion chamber structural support and manifolding schemes, it is also an enabling technology that allows the use of other high performance and potentially low cost methods of construction for the entire combustion chamber assembly. The contract under which this report is submitted contains three phases: (1) phase A - feasibility study and technology development; (2) phase B - sub-scale fabrication feasibility; and (3) phase C - large scale fabrication validation. This report covers the Phase A activities, which began in December of 1988.

Systems of Inhomogeneous Linear Equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scherer, Philipp O. J.

Many problems in physics and especially computational physics involve systems of linear equations which arise e.g. from linearization of a general nonlinear problem or from discretization of differential equations. If the dimension of the system is not too large standard methods like Gaussian elimination or QR decomposition are sufficient. Systems with a tridiagonal matrix are important for cubic spline interpolation and numerical second derivatives. They can be solved very efficiently with a specialized Gaussian elimination method. Practical applications often involve very large dimensions and require iterative methods. Convergence of Jacobi and Gauss-Seidel methods is slow and can be improved by relaxation or over-relaxation. An alternative for large systems is the method of conjugate gradients.

Analysis of students’ creative thinking level in problem solving based on national council of teachers of mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobri; Suharto; Rifqi Naja, Ahmad

2018-04-01

This research aims to determine students’ creative thinking level in problem solving based on NCTM in function subject. The research type is descriptive with qualitative approach. Data collection methods which were used are test and interview. Creative thinking level in problem solving based on NCTM indicators consists of (1) Make mathematical model from a contextual problem and solve the problem, (2) Solve problem using various possible alternatives, (3) Find new alternative(s) to solve the problem, (4) Determine the most efficient and effective alternative for that problem, (5) Review and correct mistake(s) on the process of problem solving. Result of the research showed that 10 students categorized in very satisfying level, 23 students categorized in satisfying level and 1 students categorized in less satisfying level. Students in very satisfying level meet all indicators, students in satisfying level meet first, second, fourth, and fifth indicator, while students in less satisfying level only meet first and fifth indicator.

Mixed Reality Meets Pharmaceutical Development.

PubMed

Forrest, William P; Mackey, Megan A; Shah, Vivek M; Hassell, Kerry M; Shah, Prashant; Wylie, Jennifer L; Gopinath, Janakiraman; Balderhaar, Henning; Li, Li; Wuelfing, W Peter; Helmy, Roy

2017-12-01

As science evolves, the need for more efficient and innovative knowledge transfer capabilities becomes evident. Advances in drug discovery and delivery sciences have directly impacted the pharmaceutical industry, though the added complexities have not shortened the development process. These added complexities also make it difficult for scientists to rapidly and effectively transfer knowledge to offset the lengthened drug development timelines. While webcams, camera phones, and iPads have been explored as potential new methods of real-time information sharing, the non-"hands-free" nature and lack of viewer and observer point-of-view render them unsuitable for the R&D laboratory or manufacturing setting. As an alternative solution, the Microsoft HoloLens mixed-reality headset was evaluated as a more efficient, hands-free method of knowledge transfer and information sharing. After completing a traditional method transfer between 3 R&D sites (Rahway, NJ; West Point, PA and Schnachen, Switzerland), a retrospective analysis of efficiency gain was performed through the comparison of a mock method transfer between NJ and PA sites using the HoloLens. The results demonstrated a minimum 10-fold gain in efficiency, weighing in from a savings in time, cost, and the ability to have real-time data analysis and discussion. In addition, other use cases were evaluated involving vendor and contract research/manufacturing organizations. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Benchmarking wastewater treatment plants under an eco-efficiency perspective.

PubMed

Lorenzo-Toja, Yago; Vázquez-Rowe, Ian; Amores, María José; Termes-Rifé, Montserrat; Marín-Navarro, Desirée; Moreira, María Teresa; Feijoo, Gumersindo

2016-10-01

The new ISO 14045 framework is expected to slowly start shifting the definition of eco-efficiency toward a life-cycle perspective, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as the environmental impact assessment method together with a system value assessment method for the economic analysis. In the present study, a set of 22 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Spain were analyzed on the basis of eco-efficiency criteria, using LCA and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) as a system value assessment method. The study is intended to be useful to decision-makers in the wastewater treatment sector, since the combined method provides an alternative scheme for analyzing the relationship between environmental impacts and costs. Two midpoint impact categories, global warming and eutrophication potential, as well as an endpoint single score indicator were used for the environmental assessment, while LCC was used for value assessment. Results demonstrated that substantial differences can be observed between different WWTPs depending on a wide range of factors such as plant configuration, plant size or even legal discharge limits. Based on these results the benchmarking of wastewater treatment facilities was performed by creating a specific classification and certification scheme. The proposed eco-label for the WWTPs rating is based on the integration of the three environmental indicators and an economic indicator calculated within the study under the eco-efficiency new framework. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles: Their advantages and disadvantages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parveen, Khadeeja; Banse, Viktoria; Ledwani, Lalita

2016-04-01

The nanotechnology and biomedical sciences opens the possibility for a wide variety of biological research topics and medical uses at the molecular and cellular level. The biosynthesis of nanoparticles has been proposed as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical and physical methods. Plant-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles is a green chemistry approach that connects nanotechnology with plants. Novel methods of ideally synthesizing NPs are thus thought that are formed at ambient temperatures, neutral pH, low costs and environmentally friendly fashion. Keeping these goals in view nanomaterials have been synthesized using various routes. Among the biological alternatives, plants and plant extracts seem to be the best option. Plants are nature's "chemical factories". They are cost efficient and require low maintenance. The advantages and disadvantages of nanotechnology can be easily enumerated. This study attempts to review the diversity of the field, starting with the history of nanotechnology, the properties of the nanoparticle, various strategies of synthesis, the many advantages and disadvantages of different methods and its application.

Chemical screening method for the rapid identification of microbial sources of marine invertebrate-associated metabolites.

PubMed

Berrue, Fabrice; Withers, Sydnor T; Haltli, Brad; Withers, Jo; Kerr, Russell G

2011-03-21

Marine invertebrates have proven to be a rich source of secondary metabolites. The growing recognition that marine microorganisms associated with invertebrate hosts are involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites offers new alternatives for the discovery and development of marine natural products. However, the discovery of microorganisms producing secondary metabolites previously attributed to an invertebrate host poses a significant challenge. This study describes an efficient chemical screening method utilizing a 96-well plate-based bacterial cultivation strategy to identify and isolate microbial producers of marine invertebrate-associated metabolites.

Data Mining Methods for Recommender Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amatriain, Xavier; Jaimes*, Alejandro; Oliver, Nuria; Pujol, Josep M.

In this chapter, we give an overview of the main Data Mining techniques used in the context of Recommender Systems. We first describe common preprocessing methods such as sampling or dimensionality reduction. Next, we review the most important classification techniques, including Bayesian Networks and Support Vector Machines. We describe the k-means clustering algorithm and discuss several alternatives. We also present association rules and related algorithms for an efficient training process. In addition to introducing these techniques, we survey their uses in Recommender Systems and present cases where they have been successfully applied.

Bridge approach slabs for Missouri DOT field evaluation of alternative and cost efficient bridge approach slabs.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-05-01

Based on a recent study on cost efficient alternative bridge approach slab (BAS) designs (Thiagarajan et : al. 2010) has recommended three new BAS designs for possible implementation by MoDOT namely a) 20 feet cast-inplace : slab with sleeper slab (C...

Some methods for achieving more efficient performance of fuel assemblies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boltenko, E. A.

2014-07-01

More efficient operation of reactor plant fuel assemblies can be achieved through the use of new technical solutions aimed at obtaining more uniform distribution of coolant over the fuel assembly section, more intense heat removal on convex heat-transfer surfaces, and higher values of departure from nucleate boiling ratio (DNBR). Technical solutions using which it is possible to obtain more intense heat removal on convex heat-transfer surfaces and higher DNBR values in reactor plant fuel assemblies are considered. An alternative heat removal arrangement is described using which it is possible to obtain a significantly higher power density in a reactor plant and essentially lower maximal fuel rod temperature.

Divergent Synthesis of Revised Apratoxin E, 30-epi-Apratoxin E, and 30S/30R-Oxoapratoxin E.

PubMed

Mao, Zhuo-Ya; Si, Chang-Mei; Liu, Yi-Wen; Dong, Han-Qing; Wei, Bang-Guo; Lin, Guo-Qiang

2017-10-20

In this report, originally proposed apratoxin E (30S-7), revised apratoxin E (30R-7), and (30S)/(30R)-oxoapratoxin E (30S)-38/(30R)-38 were efficiently prepared by two synthetic methods. The chiral lactone 10, recycled from the degradation of saponin glycosides, was utilized to prepare the key nonpeptide fragment 9. Our alternative convergent assembly strategy was applied to the divergent synthesis of revised apratoxin E and its three analogues. Moreover, ring-closing metathesis (RCM) was for the first time found to be an efficient strategy for the macrocyclization of apratoxins.

FPGA implementation of bit controller in double-tick architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobylecki, Michał; Kania, Dariusz

2017-11-01

This paper presents a comparison of the two original architectures of programmable bit controllers built on FPGAs. Programmable Logic Controllers (which include, among other things programmable bit controllers) built on FPGAs provide a efficient alternative to the controllers based on microprocessors which are expensive and often too slow. The presented and compared methods allow for the efficient implementation of any bit control algorithm written in Ladder Diagram language into the programmable logic system in accordance with IEC61131-3. In both cases, we have compared the effect of the applied architecture on the performance of executing the same bit control program in relation to its own size.

Adjoint-Based Aerodynamic Design of Complex Aerospace Configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nielsen, Eric J.

2016-01-01

An overview of twenty years of adjoint-based aerodynamic design research at NASA Langley Research Center is presented. Adjoint-based algorithms provide a powerful tool for efficient sensitivity analysis of complex large-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Unlike alternative approaches for which computational expense generally scales with the number of design parameters, adjoint techniques yield sensitivity derivatives of a simulation output with respect to all input parameters at the cost of a single additional simulation. With modern large-scale CFD applications often requiring millions of compute hours for a single analysis, the efficiency afforded by adjoint methods is critical in realizing a computationally tractable design optimization capability for such applications.

A rapid, efficient, and economic device and method for the isolation and purification of mouse islet cells

PubMed Central

Zongyi, Yin; Funian, Zou; Hao, Li; Ying, Cheng; Jialin, Zhang

2017-01-01

Rapid, efficient, and economic method for the isolation and purification of islets has been pursued by numerous islet-related researchers. In this study, we compared the advantages and disadvantages of our developed patented method with those of commonly used conventional methods (Ficoll-400, 1077, and handpicking methods). Cell viability was assayed using Trypan blue, cell purity and yield were assayed using diphenylthiocarbazone, and islet function was assayed using acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-glucose stimulation testing 4 days after cultivation. The results showed that our islet isolation and purification method required 12 ± 3 min, which was significantly shorter than the time required in Ficoll-400, 1077, and HPU groups (34 ± 3, 41 ± 4, and 30 ± 4 min, respectively; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in islet viability among the four groups. The islet purity, function, yield, and cost of our method were superior to those of the Ficoll-400 and 1077 methods, but inferior to the handpicking method. However, the handpicking method may cause wrist injury and visual impairment in researchers during large-scale islet isolation (>1000 islets). In summary, the MCT method is a rapid, efficient, and economic method for isolating and purifying murine islet cell clumps. This method overcomes some of the shortcomings of conventional methods, showing a relatively higher quality and yield of islets within a shorter duration at a lower cost. Therefore, the current method provides researchers with an alternative option for islet isolation and should be widely generalized. PMID:28207765

A rapid, efficient, and economic device and method for the isolation and purification of mouse islet cells.

PubMed

Zongyi, Yin; Funian, Zou; Hao, Li; Ying, Cheng; Jialin, Zhang; Baifeng, Li

2017-01-01

Rapid, efficient, and economic method for the isolation and purification of islets has been pursued by numerous islet-related researchers. In this study, we compared the advantages and disadvantages of our developed patented method with those of commonly used conventional methods (Ficoll-400, 1077, and handpicking methods). Cell viability was assayed using Trypan blue, cell purity and yield were assayed using diphenylthiocarbazone, and islet function was assayed using acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-glucose stimulation testing 4 days after cultivation. The results showed that our islet isolation and purification method required 12 ± 3 min, which was significantly shorter than the time required in Ficoll-400, 1077, and HPU groups (34 ± 3, 41 ± 4, and 30 ± 4 min, respectively; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in islet viability among the four groups. The islet purity, function, yield, and cost of our method were superior to those of the Ficoll-400 and 1077 methods, but inferior to the handpicking method. However, the handpicking method may cause wrist injury and visual impairment in researchers during large-scale islet isolation (>1000 islets). In summary, the MCT method is a rapid, efficient, and economic method for isolating and purifying murine islet cell clumps. This method overcomes some of the shortcomings of conventional methods, showing a relatively higher quality and yield of islets within a shorter duration at a lower cost. Therefore, the current method provides researchers with an alternative option for islet isolation and should be widely generalized.

Viscous investigation of a flapping foil propulsor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Posri, Attapol; Phoemsapthawee, Surasak; Thaweewat, Nonthipat

2018-01-01

Inspired by how fishes propel themselves, a flapping-foil device is invented as an alternative propulsion system for ships and boats. The performance of such propulsor has been formerly investigated using a potential flow code. The simulation results have shown that the device has high propulsive efficiency over a wide range of operation. However, the potential flow gives good results only when flow separation is not present. In case of high flapping frequency, the flow separation can occur over a short instant due to fluid viscosity and high angle of attack. This may cause a reduction of propulsive efficiency. A commercial CFD code based on Lattice Boltzmann Method, XFlow, is then employed in order to investigate the viscous effect over the propulsive performance of the flapping foil. The viscous results agree well with the potential flow results, confirming the high efficiency of the propulsor. As expected, viscous results show lower efficiency in high flapping frequency zone.

$L^1$ penalization of volumetric dose objectives in optimal control of PDEs

DOE PAGES

Barnard, Richard C.; Clason, Christian

2017-02-11

This work is concerned with a class of PDE-constrained optimization problems that are motivated by an application in radiotherapy treatment planning. Here the primary design objective is to minimize the volume where a functional of the state violates a prescribed level, but prescribing these levels in the form of pointwise state constraints leads to infeasible problems. We therefore propose an alternative approach based on L 1 penalization of the violation that is also applicable when state constraints are infeasible. We establish well-posedness of the corresponding optimal control problem, derive first-order optimality conditions, discuss convergence of minimizers as the penalty parametermore » tends to infinity, and present a semismooth Newton method for their efficient numerical solution. Finally, the performance of this method for a model problem is illustrated and contrasted with an alternative approach based on (regularized) state constraints.« less

Assessing White Wine Viscosity Variation Using Polarized Laser Speckle: A Promising Alternative to Wine Sensory Analysis

PubMed Central

Abou Nader, Christelle; Loutfi, Hadi; Pellen, Fabrice; Le Jeune, Bernard; Le Brun, Guy; Lteif, Roger; Abboud, Marie

2017-01-01

In this paper, we report measurements of wine viscosity, correlated to polarized laser speckle results. Experiments were performed on white wine samples produced with a single grape variety. Effects of the wine making cellar, the grape variety, and the vintage on wine Brix degree, alcohol content, viscosity, and speckle parameters are considered. We show that speckle parameters, namely, spatial contrast and speckle decorrelation time, as well as the inertia moment extracted from the temporal history speckle pattern, are mainly affected by the alcohol and sugar content and hence the wine viscosity. Principal component analysis revealed a high correlation between laser speckle results on the one hand and viscosity and Brix degree values on the other. As speckle analysis proved to be an efficient method of measuring the variation of the viscosity of white mono-variety wine, one can therefore consider it as an alternative method to wine sensory analysis. PMID:29027936

A practical guide to value of information analysis.

PubMed

Wilson, Edward C F

2015-02-01

Value of information analysis is a quantitative method to estimate the return on investment in proposed research projects. It can be used in a number of ways. Funders of research may find it useful to rank projects in terms of the expected return on investment from a variety of competing projects. Alternatively, trialists can use the principles to identify the efficient sample size of a proposed study as an alternative to traditional power calculations, and finally, a value of information analysis can be conducted alongside an economic evaluation as a quantitative adjunct to the 'future research' or 'next steps' section of a study write up. The purpose of this paper is to present a brief introduction to the methods, a step-by-step guide to calculation and a discussion of issues that arise in their application to healthcare decision making. Worked examples are provided in the accompanying online appendices as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

Assessing White Wine Viscosity Variation Using Polarized Laser Speckle: A Promising Alternative to Wine Sensory Analysis.

PubMed

Nader, Christelle Abou; Loutfi, Hadi; Pellen, Fabrice; Jeune, Bernard Le; Le Brun, Guy; Lteif, Roger; Abboud, Marie

2017-10-13

In this paper, we report measurements of wine viscosity, correlated to polarized laser speckle results. Experiments were performed on white wine samples produced with a single grape variety. Effects of the wine making cellar, the grape variety, and the vintage on wine Brix degree, alcohol content, viscosity, and speckle parameters are considered. We show that speckle parameters, namely, spatial contrast and speckle decorrelation time, as well as the inertia moment extracted from the temporal history speckle pattern, are mainly affected by the alcohol and sugar content and hence the wine viscosity. Principal component analysis revealed a high correlation between laser speckle results on the one hand and viscosity and Brix degree values on the other. As speckle analysis proved to be an efficient method of measuring the variation of the viscosity of white mono-variety wine, one can therefore consider it as an alternative method to wine sensory analysis.

STEFFY-software to calculate nuclide-specific total counting efficiency in well-type γ-ray detectors.

PubMed

Pommé, S

2012-09-01

A software package is presented to calculate the total counting efficiency for the decay of radionuclides in a well-type γ-ray detector. It is specifically applied to primary standardisation of activity by means of 4πγ-counting with a NaI(Tl) well-type scintillation detector. As an alternative to Monte Carlo simulations, the software combines good accuracy with superior speed and ease-of-use. It is also well suited to investigate uncertainties associated with the 4πγ-counting method for a variety of radionuclides and detector dimensions. In this paper, the underlying analytical models for the radioactive decay and subsequent counting efficiency of the emitted radiation in the detector are summarised. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On fundamentally new sources of energy for rockets in the early works of the pioneers of astronautics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melkumov, T. M.

1977-01-01

The research for more efficient methods of propelling a spacecraft, than can be achieved with chemical energy, was studied. During a time when rockets for space flight had not actually been built pioneers in rocket technology were already concerned with this problem. Alternative sources proposed at that time, were nuclear and solar energy. Basic engineering problems of each source were investigated.

Alternative measures of lipophilicity: from octanol-water partitioning to IAM retention.

PubMed

Giaginis, Costas; Tsantili-Kakoulidou, Anna

2008-08-01

This review describes lipophilicity parameters currently used in drug design and QSAR studies. After a short historical overview, the complex nature of lipophilicity as the outcome of polar/nonpolar inter- and intramolecular interactions is analysed and considered as the background for the discussion of the different lipophilicity descriptors. The first part focuses on octanol-water partitioning of neutral and ionisable compounds, evaluates the efficiency of predictions and provides a short description of the experimental methods for the determination of distribution coefficients. A next part is dedicated to reversed-phase chromatographic techniques, HPLC and TLC in lipophilicity assessment. The two methods are evaluated for their efficiency to simulate octanol-water and the progress achieved in the refinement of suitable chromatographic conditions, in particular in the field of HPLC, is outlined. Liposomes as direct models of biological membranes are examined and phospolipophilicity is compared to the traditional lipophilicity concept. Difficulties associated with liposome-water partitioning are discussed. The last part focuses on Immobilised Artificial Membrane (IAM) chromatography as an alternative which combines membrane simulation with rapid measurements. IAM chromatographic retention is compared to octanol-water and liposome-water partitioning as well as to reversed-phase retention and its potential to predict biopartitioning and biological activities is discussed.

An in-depth stability analysis of nonuniform FDTD combined with novel local implicitization techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Londersele, Arne; De Zutter, Daniël; Vande Ginste, Dries

2017-08-01

This work focuses on efficient full-wave solutions of multiscale electromagnetic problems in the time domain. Three local implicitization techniques are proposed and carefully analyzed in order to relax the traditional time step limit of the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method on a nonuniform, staggered, tensor product grid: Newmark, Crank-Nicolson (CN) and Alternating-Direction-Implicit (ADI) implicitization. All of them are applied in preferable directions, alike Hybrid Implicit-Explicit (HIE) methods, as to limit the rank of the sparse linear systems. Both exponential and linear stability are rigorously investigated for arbitrary grid spacings and arbitrary inhomogeneous, possibly lossy, isotropic media. Numerical examples confirm the conservation of energy inside a cavity for a million iterations if the time step is chosen below the proposed, relaxed limit. Apart from the theoretical contributions, new accomplishments such as the development of the leapfrog Alternating-Direction-Hybrid-Implicit-Explicit (ADHIE) FDTD method and a less stringent Courant-like time step limit for the conventional, fully explicit FDTD method on a nonuniform grid, have immediate practical applications.

Alternative method of removing otoliths from sturgeon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chalupnicki, Marc A.; Dittman, Dawn E.

2016-01-01

Extracting the otoliths (ear bones) from fish that have very thick skulls can be difficult and very time consuming. The common practice of making a transverse vertical incision on the top of the skull with a hand or electrical saw may damage the otolith if not performed correctly. Sturgeons (Acipenseridae) are one family in particular that have a very large and thick skull. A new laboratory method entering the brain cavity from the ventral side of the fish to expose the otoliths was easier than other otolith extraction methods found in the literature. Methods reviewed in the literature are designed for the field and are more efficient at processing large quantities of fish quickly. However, this new technique was designed to be more suited for a laboratory setting when time is not pressing and successful extraction from each specimen is critical. The success of finding and removing otoliths using this technique is very high and does not compromise the structure in any manner. This alternative technique is applicable to other similar fish species for extracting the otoliths.

High resolution melting analysis is a more sensitive and effective alternative to gel-based platforms in analysis of SSR--an example in citrus.

PubMed

Distefano, Gaetano; Caruso, Marco; La Malfa, Stefano; Gentile, Alessandra; Wu, Shu-Biao

2012-01-01

High resolution melting curve analysis (HRM) has been used as an efficient, accurate and cost-effective tool to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or insertions or deletions (INDELs). However, its efficiency, accuracy and applicability to discriminate microsatellite polymorphism have not been extensively assessed. The traditional protocols used for SSR genotyping include PCR amplification of the DNA fragment and the separation of the fragments on electrophoresis-based platform. However, post-PCR handling processes are laborious and costly. Furthermore, SNPs present in the sequences flanking repeat motif cannot be detected by polyacrylamide-gel-electrophoresis based methods. In the present study, we compared the discriminating power of HRM with the traditional electrophoresis-based methods and provided a panel of primers for HRM genotyping in Citrus. The results showed that sixteen SSR markers produced distinct polymorphic melting curves among the Citrus spp investigated through HRM analysis. Among those, 10 showed more genotypes by HRM analysis than capillary electrophoresis owing to the presence of SNPs in the amplicons. For the SSR markers without SNPs present in the flanking region, HRM also gave distinct melting curves which detected same genotypes as were shown in capillary electrophoresis (CE) analysis. Moreover, HRM analysis allowed the discrimination of most of the 15 citrus genotypes and the resulting genetic distance analysis clustered them into three main branches. In conclusion, it has been approved that HRM is not only an efficient and cost-effective alternative of electrophoresis-based method for SSR markers, but also a method to uncover more polymorphisms contributed by SNPs present in SSRs. It was therefore suggested that the panel of SSR markers could be used in a variety of applications in the citrus biodiversity and breeding programs using HRM analysis. Furthermore, we speculate that the HRM analysis can be employed to analyse SSR markers in a wide range of applications in all other species.

Alternative Modal Basis Selection Procedures For Reduced-Order Nonlinear Random Response Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Przekop, Adam; Guo, Xinyun; Rizi, Stephen A.

2012-01-01

Three procedures to guide selection of an efficient modal basis in a nonlinear random response analysis are examined. One method is based only on proper orthogonal decomposition, while the other two additionally involve smooth orthogonal decomposition. Acoustic random response problems are employed to assess the performance of the three modal basis selection approaches. A thermally post-buckled beam exhibiting snap-through behavior, a shallowly curved arch in the auto-parametric response regime and a plate structure are used as numerical test articles. The results of a computationally taxing full-order analysis in physical degrees of freedom are taken as the benchmark for comparison with the results from the three reduced-order analyses. For the cases considered, all three methods are shown to produce modal bases resulting in accurate and computationally efficient reduced-order nonlinear simulations.

A shallow water model for the propagation of tsunami via Lattice Boltzmann method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zergani, Sara; Aziz, Z. A.; Viswanathan, K. K.

2015-01-01

An efficient implementation of the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for the numerical simulation of the propagation of long ocean waves (e.g. tsunami), based on the nonlinear shallow water (NSW) wave equation is presented. The LBM is an alternative numerical procedure for the description of incompressible hydrodynamics and has the potential to serve as an efficient solver for incompressible flows in complex geometries. This work proposes the NSW equations for the irrotational surface waves in the case of complex bottom elevation. In recent time, equation involving shallow water is the current norm in modelling tsunami operations which include the propagation zone estimation. Several test-cases are presented to verify our model. Some implications to tsunami wave modelling are also discussed. Numerical results are found to be in excellent agreement with theory.

Analyzing big data with the hybrid interval regression methods.

PubMed

Huang, Chia-Hui; Yang, Keng-Chieh; Kao, Han-Ying

2014-01-01

Big data is a new trend at present, forcing the significant impacts on information technologies. In big data applications, one of the most concerned issues is dealing with large-scale data sets that often require computation resources provided by public cloud services. How to analyze big data efficiently becomes a big challenge. In this paper, we collaborate interval regression with the smooth support vector machine (SSVM) to analyze big data. Recently, the smooth support vector machine (SSVM) was proposed as an alternative of the standard SVM that has been proved more efficient than the traditional SVM in processing large-scale data. In addition the soft margin method is proposed to modify the excursion of separation margin and to be effective in the gray zone that the distribution of data becomes hard to be described and the separation margin between classes.

Analyzing Big Data with the Hybrid Interval Regression Methods

PubMed Central

Kao, Han-Ying

2014-01-01

Big data is a new trend at present, forcing the significant impacts on information technologies. In big data applications, one of the most concerned issues is dealing with large-scale data sets that often require computation resources provided by public cloud services. How to analyze big data efficiently becomes a big challenge. In this paper, we collaborate interval regression with the smooth support vector machine (SSVM) to analyze big data. Recently, the smooth support vector machine (SSVM) was proposed as an alternative of the standard SVM that has been proved more efficient than the traditional SVM in processing large-scale data. In addition the soft margin method is proposed to modify the excursion of separation margin and to be effective in the gray zone that the distribution of data becomes hard to be described and the separation margin between classes. PMID:25143968

Learning to assign binary weights to binary descriptor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Zhoudi; Wei, Zhenzhong; Zhang, Guangjun

2016-10-01

Constructing robust binary local feature descriptors are receiving increasing interest due to their binary nature, which can enable fast processing while requiring significantly less memory than their floating-point competitors. To bridge the performance gap between the binary and floating-point descriptors without increasing the computational cost of computing and matching, optimal binary weights are learning to assign to binary descriptor for considering each bit might contribute differently to the distinctiveness and robustness. Technically, a large-scale regularized optimization method is applied to learn float weights for each bit of the binary descriptor. Furthermore, binary approximation for the float weights is performed by utilizing an efficient alternatively greedy strategy, which can significantly improve the discriminative power while preserve fast matching advantage. Extensive experimental results on two challenging datasets (Brown dataset and Oxford dataset) demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.

Evaluation of a Multigrid Scheme for the Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swanson, R. C.

2004-01-01

A fast multigrid solver for the steady, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is presented. The multigrid solver is based upon a factorizable discrete scheme for the velocity-pressure form of the Navier-Stokes equations. This scheme correctly distinguishes between the advection-diffusion and elliptic parts of the operator, allowing efficient smoothers to be constructed. To evaluate the multigrid algorithm, solutions are computed for flow over a flat plate, parabola, and a Karman-Trefftz airfoil. Both nonlifting and lifting airfoil flows are considered, with a Reynolds number range of 200 to 800. Convergence and accuracy of the algorithm are discussed. Using Gauss-Seidel line relaxation in alternating directions, multigrid convergence behavior approaching that of O(N) methods is achieved. The computational efficiency of the numerical scheme is compared with that of Runge-Kutta and implicit upwind based multigrid methods.

A 3-D Magnetic Analysis of a Linear Alternator For a Stirling Power System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geng, Steven M.; Schwarze, Gene E.; Niedra, Janis M.

2000-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center and the Department of Energy (DOE) are developing advanced radioisotope Stirling convertors, under contract with Stirling Technology Company (STC), for space applications. Of critical importance to the successful development of the Stirling convertor for space power applications is the development of a lightweight and highly efficient linear alternator. This paper presents a 3-D finite element method (FEM) approach for evaluating Stirling convertor linear alternators. Preliminary correlations with open-circuit voltage measurements provide an encouraging level of confidence in the model. Spatial plots of magnetic field strength (H) are presented in the region of the exciting permanent magnets. These plots identify regions of high H, where at elevated temperature and under electrical load, the potential to alter the magnetic moment of the magnets exists. This implies the need for further testing and analysis.

Impact of Space Transportation System on planetary spacecraft and missions design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnett, P. M.

1975-01-01

Results of Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) activities to define and understand alternatives for planetary spacecraft operations with the Space Transportation System (STS) are summarized. The STS presents a set of interfaces, operational alternatives, and constraints in the prelaunch, launch, and near-earth flight phases of a mission. Shuttle-unique features are defined and coupled with JPL's existing program experience to begin development of operationally efficient alternatives, concepts, and methods for STS-launched missions. The time frame considered begins with the arrival of the planetary spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center and includes prelaunch ground operations, Shuttle-powered flight, and near-earth operations, up to acquisition of the spacecraft signal by the Deep Space Network. The areas selected for study within this time frame were generally chosen because they represent the 'driving conditions' on planetary-mission as well as system design and operations.

Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technology Commercial Lawn Equipment (Spanish version); Clean Cities, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) (in Spanish)

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

Nelson, Erik

Powering commercial lawn equipment with alternative fuels or advanced engine technology is an effective way to reduce U.S. dependence on petroleum, reduce harmful emissions, and lessen the environmental impacts of commercial lawn mowing. Numerous alternative fuel and fuel-efficient advanced technology mowers are available. Owners turn to these mowers because they may save on fuel and maintenance costs, extend mower life, reduce fuel spillage and fuel theft, and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability.

Surface etching technologies for monocrystalline silicon wafer solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Muzhi

With more than 200 GW of accumulated installations in 2015, photovoltaics (PV) has become an important green energy harvesting method. The PV market is dominated by solar cells made from crystalline silicon wafers. The engineering of the wafer surfaces is critical to the solar cell cost reduction and performance enhancement. Therefore, this thesis focuses on the development of surface etching technologies for monocrystalline silicon wafer solar cells. It aims to develop a more efficient alkaline texturing method and more effective surface cleaning processes. Firstly, a rapid, isopropanol alcohol free texturing method is successfully demonstrated to shorten the process time and reduce the consumption of chemicals. This method utilizes the special chemical properties of triethylamine, which can form Si-N bonds with wafer surface atoms. Secondly, a room-temperature anisotropic emitter etch-back process is developed to improve the n+ emitter passivation. Using this method, 19.0% efficient screen-printed aluminium back surface field solar cells are developed that show an efficiency gain of 0.15% (absolute) compared with conventionally made solar cells. Finally, state-of-the-art silicon surface passivation results are achieved using hydrogen plasma etching as a dry alternative to the classical hydrofluoric acid wet-chemical process. The effective native oxide removal and the hydrogenation of the silicon surface are shown to be the reasons for the excellent level of surface passivation achieved with this novel method.

Alternative Fuels Data Center

Science.gov Websites

AFV special license plate, which are available from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT license plate. ADOT has reached its maximum limit of 10,000 vehicles and the issuance of Energy Efficient Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) and Energy Efficient Plate Programs Dedicated AFVs qualify for an

Review and analysis of potential safety impacts of and regulatory barriers to fuel efficiency technologies and alternative fuels in medium- and heavy-duty vehicles

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

This report summarizes a safety analysis of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MD/HDVs) equipped with fuel efficiency (FE) technologies and/or using alternative fuels (natural gas-CNG and LNG, propane, biodiesel and power train electrification). The st...

The Codacs™ direct acoustic cochlear implant actuator: exploring alternative stimulation sites and their stimulation efficiency.

PubMed

Grossöhmichen, Martin; Salcher, Rolf; Kreipe, Hans-Heinrich; Lenarz, Thomas; Maier, Hannes

2015-01-01

This work assesses the efficiency of the Codacs system actuator (Cochlear Ltd., Sydney Australia) in different inner ear stimulation modalities. Originally the actuator was intended for direct perilymph stimulation after stapedotomy using a piston prosthesis. A possible alternative application is the stimulation of middle ear structures or the round window (RW). Here the perilymph stimulation with a K-piston through a stapes footplate (SFP) fenestration (N = 10) as well as stimulation of the stapes head (SH) with a Bell prosthesis (N = 9), SFP stimulation with an Omega/Aerial prosthesis (N = 8) and reverse RW stimulation (N = 10) were performed in cadaveric human temporal bones (TBs). Codacs actuator output is expressed as equivalent sound pressure level (eq. SPL) using RW and SFP displacement responses, measured by Laser Doppler velocimetry as reference. The axial actuator coupling force in stimulation of stapes and RW was adjusted to ~5 mN. The Bell prosthesis and Omega/Aerial prosthesis stimulation generated similar mean eq. SPLs (Bell: 127.5-141.8 eq. dB SPL; Omega/Aerial: 123.6-143.9 eq. dB SPL), being significantly more efficient than K-piston perilymph stimulation (108.6-131.6 eq. dB SPL) and RW stimulation (108.3-128.2 eq. dB SPL). Our results demonstrate that SH, SFP and RW are adequate alternative stimulation sites for the Codacs actuator using coupling prostheses and an axial coupling force of ~5 mN. Based on the eq. SPLs, all investigated methods were adequate for in vivo hearing aid applications, provided that experimental conditions including constant coupling force will be implemented.

Vectorization on the star computer of several numerical methods for a fluid flow problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambiotte, J. J., Jr.; Howser, L. M.

1974-01-01

A reexamination of some numerical methods is considered in light of the new class of computers which use vector streaming to achieve high computation rates. A study has been made of the effect on the relative efficiency of several numerical methods applied to a particular fluid flow problem when they are implemented on a vector computer. The method of Brailovskaya, the alternating direction implicit method, a fully implicit method, and a new method called partial implicitization have been applied to the problem of determining the steady state solution of the two-dimensional flow of a viscous imcompressible fluid in a square cavity driven by a sliding wall. Results are obtained for three mesh sizes and a comparison is made of the methods for serial computation.

A novel genome signature based on inter-nucleotide distances profiles for visualization of metagenomic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Xian-Hua; Yu, Zu-Guo; Ma, Yuan-Lin; Han, Guo-Sheng; Anh, Vo

2017-09-01

There has been a growing interest in visualization of metagenomic data. The present study focuses on the visualization of metagenomic data using inter-nucleotide distances profile. We first convert the fragment sequences into inter-nucleotide distances profiles. Then we analyze these profiles by principal component analysis. Finally the principal components are used to obtain the 2-D scattered plot according to their source of species. We name our method as inter-nucleotide distances profiles (INP) method. Our method is evaluated on three benchmark data sets used in previous published papers. Our results demonstrate that the INP method is good, alternative and efficient for visualization of metagenomic data.

Modeling of biological intelligence for SCM system optimization.

PubMed

Chen, Shengyong; Zheng, Yujun; Cattani, Carlo; Wang, Wanliang

2012-01-01

This article summarizes some methods from biological intelligence for modeling and optimization of supply chain management (SCM) systems, including genetic algorithms, evolutionary programming, differential evolution, swarm intelligence, artificial immune, and other biological intelligence related methods. An SCM system is adaptive, dynamic, open self-organizing, which is maintained by flows of information, materials, goods, funds, and energy. Traditional methods for modeling and optimizing complex SCM systems require huge amounts of computing resources, and biological intelligence-based solutions can often provide valuable alternatives for efficiently solving problems. The paper summarizes the recent related methods for the design and optimization of SCM systems, which covers the most widely used genetic algorithms and other evolutionary algorithms.

Modeling of Biological Intelligence for SCM System Optimization

PubMed Central

Chen, Shengyong; Zheng, Yujun; Cattani, Carlo; Wang, Wanliang

2012-01-01

This article summarizes some methods from biological intelligence for modeling and optimization of supply chain management (SCM) systems, including genetic algorithms, evolutionary programming, differential evolution, swarm intelligence, artificial immune, and other biological intelligence related methods. An SCM system is adaptive, dynamic, open self-organizing, which is maintained by flows of information, materials, goods, funds, and energy. Traditional methods for modeling and optimizing complex SCM systems require huge amounts of computing resources, and biological intelligence-based solutions can often provide valuable alternatives for efficiently solving problems. The paper summarizes the recent related methods for the design and optimization of SCM systems, which covers the most widely used genetic algorithms and other evolutionary algorithms. PMID:22162724

ADM For Solving Linear Second-Order Fredholm Integro-Differential Equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karim, Mohd F.; Mohamad, Mahathir; Saifullah Rusiman, Mohd; Che-Him, Norziha; Roslan, Rozaini; Khalid, Kamil

2018-04-01

In this paper, we apply Adomian Decomposition Method (ADM) as numerically analyse linear second-order Fredholm Integro-differential Equations. The approximate solutions of the problems are calculated by Maple package. Some numerical examples have been considered to illustrate the ADM for solving this equation. The results are compared with the existing exact solution. Thus, the Adomian decomposition method can be the best alternative method for solving linear second-order Fredholm Integro-Differential equation. It converges to the exact solution quickly and in the same time reduces computational work for solving the equation. The result obtained by ADM shows the ability and efficiency for solving these equations.

Characterization of glycoprotein biopharmaceutical products by Caliper LC90 CE-SDS gel technology.

PubMed

Chen, Grace; Ha, Sha; Rustandi, Richard R

2013-01-01

Over the last decade, science has greatly improved in the area of protein sizing and characterization. Efficient high-throughput methods are now available to substitute for the traditional labor-intensive SDS-PAGE methods, which alternatively take days to analyze a very limited number of samples. Currently, PerkinElmer(®) (Caliper) has designed an automated chip-based fluorescence detection method capable of analyzing proteins in minutes with sensitivity similar to standard SDS-PAGE. Here, we describe the use and implementation of this technology to characterize and screen a large number of formulations of target glycoproteins in the 14-200 kDa molecular weight range.

Evaluation of radiation loading on finite cylindrical shells using the fast Fourier transform: A comparison with direct numerical integration.

PubMed

Liu, S X; Zou, M S

2018-03-01

The radiation loading on a vibratory finite cylindrical shell is conventionally evaluated through the direct numerical integration (DNI) method. An alternative strategy via the fast Fourier transform algorithm is put forward in this work based on the general expression of radiation impedance. To check the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed method, a comparison with DNI is presented through numerical cases. The results obtained using the present method agree well with those calculated by DNI. More importantly, the proposed calculating strategy can significantly save the time cost compared with the conventional approach of straightforward numerical integration.

Compressive Sensing via Nonlocal Smoothed Rank Function

PubMed Central

Fan, Ya-Ru; Liu, Jun; Zhao, Xi-Le

2016-01-01

Compressive sensing (CS) theory asserts that we can reconstruct signals and images with only a small number of samples or measurements. Recent works exploiting the nonlocal similarity have led to better results in various CS studies. To better exploit the nonlocal similarity, in this paper, we propose a non-convex smoothed rank function based model for CS image reconstruction. We also propose an efficient alternating minimization method to solve the proposed model, which reduces a difficult and coupled problem to two tractable subproblems. Experimental results have shown that the proposed method performs better than several existing state-of-the-art CS methods for image reconstruction. PMID:27583683

Fused-core particle technology as an alternative to sub-2-microm particles to achieve high separation efficiency with low backpressure.

PubMed

Cunliffe, Jennifer M; Maloney, Todd D

2007-12-01

Fused-Core particles have recently been introduced as an alternative to using sub-2-microm particles in chromatographic separations. Fused-Core particles are composed of a 1.7 microm solid core surrounded by a 0.5 microm porous silica layer (d(p) = 2.7 microm) to reduce mass transfer and increase peak efficiency. The performance of two commercially available Fused-Core particles (Advanced Materials Technology Halo C18 and Supelco Ascentis Express C18) was compared with sub-2-microm particles from Waters, Agilent, and Thermo Scientific. Although the peak efficiencies were only approximately 80% of those obtained by the Waters Acquity particles, the 50% lower backpressure allowed columns to be coupled in series to increase peak efficiency to 92,750 plates. The low backpressure and high efficiencies of the Fused-Core particles offer a viable alternative to using sub-2-microm particles and very-high-pressure LC instrumentation.

Simple SPION Incubation as an Efficient Intracellular Labeling Method for Tracking Neural Progenitor Cells Using MRI

PubMed Central

D. M., Jayaseema; Lai, Jiann-Shiun; Hueng, Dueng-Yuan; Chang, Chen

2013-01-01

Cellular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been well-established for tracking neural progenitor cells (NPC). Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) approved for clinical application are the most common agents used for labeling. Conventionally, transfection agents (TAs) were added with SPIONs to facilitate cell labeling because SPIONs in the native unmodified form were deemed inefficient for intracellular labeling. However, compelling evidence also shows that simple SPION incubation is not invariably ineffective. The labeling efficiency can be improved by prolonged incubation and elevated iron doses. The goal of the present study was to establish simple SPION incubation as an efficient intracellular labeling method. To this end, NPCs derived from the neonatal subventricular zone were incubated with SPIONs (Feridex®) and then evaluated in vitro with regard to the labeling efficiency and biological functions. The results showed that, following 48 hours of incubation at 75 µg/ml, nearly all NPCs exhibited visible SPION intake. Evidence from light microscopy, electron microscopy, chemical analysis, and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the effectiveness of the labeling. Additionally, biological assays showed that the labeled NPCs exhibited unaffected viability, oxidative stress, apoptosis and differentiation. In the demonstrated in vivo cellular MRI experiment, the hypointensities representing the SPION labeled NPCs remained observable throughout the entire tracking period. The findings indicate that simple SPION incubation without the addition of TAs is an efficient intracellular magnetic labeling method. This simple approach may be considered as an alternative approach to the mainstream labeling method that involves the use of TAs. PMID:23468856

Review on the Extraction Methods of Crude oil from all Generation Biofuels in last few Decades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhargavi, G.; Nageswara Rao, P.; Renganathan, S.

2018-03-01

The ever growing demand for the energy fuels, economy of oil, depletion of energy resources and environmental protection are the inevitable challenges required to be solved meticulously in future decades in order to sustain the life of humans and other creatures. Switching to alternate fuels that are renewable, biodegradable, economically and environmentally friendly can quench the minimum thirst of fuel demands, in addition to mitigation of climate changes. At this moment, production of biofuels has got prominence. The term biofuels broadly refer to the fuels derived from living matter either animals or plants. Among the competent biofuels, biodiesel is one of the promising alternates for diesel engines. Biodiesel is renewable, environmentally friendly, safe to use with wide applications and biodegradable. Due to which, it has become a major focus of intensive global research and development of alternate energy. The present review has been focused specifically on biodiesel. Concerning to the biodiesel production, the major steps includes lipid extraction followed by esterification/transesterification. For the extraction of lipids, several extraction techniques have been put forward irrespective of the generations and feed stocks used. This review provides theoretical background on the two major extraction methods, mechanical and chemical extraction methods. The practical issues of each extraction method such as efficiency of extraction, extraction time, oil sources and its pros and cons are discussed. It is conceived that congregating information on oil extraction methods may helpful in further research advancements to ease biofuel production.

Efficient alignment-free DNA barcode analytics

PubMed Central

Kuksa, Pavel; Pavlovic, Vladimir

2009-01-01

Background In this work we consider barcode DNA analysis problems and address them using alternative, alignment-free methods and representations which model sequences as collections of short sequence fragments (features). The methods use fixed-length representations (spectrum) for barcode sequences to measure similarities or dissimilarities between sequences coming from the same or different species. The spectrum-based representation not only allows for accurate and computationally efficient species classification, but also opens possibility for accurate clustering analysis of putative species barcodes and identification of critical within-barcode loci distinguishing barcodes of different sample groups. Results New alignment-free methods provide highly accurate and fast DNA barcode-based identification and classification of species with substantial improvements in accuracy and speed over state-of-the-art barcode analysis methods. We evaluate our methods on problems of species classification and identification using barcodes, important and relevant analytical tasks in many practical applications (adverse species movement monitoring, sampling surveys for unknown or pathogenic species identification, biodiversity assessment, etc.) On several benchmark barcode datasets, including ACG, Astraptes, Hesperiidae, Fish larvae, and Birds of North America, proposed alignment-free methods considerably improve prediction accuracy compared to prior results. We also observe significant running time improvements over the state-of-the-art methods. Conclusion Our results show that newly developed alignment-free methods for DNA barcoding can efficiently and with high accuracy identify specimens by examining only few barcode features, resulting in increased scalability and interpretability of current computational approaches to barcoding. PMID:19900305

Evaluation of microplate immunocapture method for detection of Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella Typhi and Shigella flexneri from food.

PubMed

Fakruddin, Md; Hossain, Md Nur; Ahmed, Monzur Morshed

2017-08-29

Improved methods with better separation and concentration ability for detection of foodborne pathogens are in constant need. The aim of this study was to evaluate microplate immunocapture (IC) method for detection of Salmonella Typhi, Shigella flexneri and Vibrio cholerae from food samples to provide a better alternative to conventional culture based methods. The IC method was optimized for incubation time, bacterial concentration, and capture efficiency. 6 h incubation and log 6 CFU/ml cell concentration provided optimal results. The method was shown to be highly specific for the pathogens concerned. Capture efficiency (CE) was around 100% of the target pathogens, whereas CE was either zero or very low for non-target pathogens. The IC method also showed better pathogen detection ability at different concentrations of cells from artificially contaminated food samples in comparison with culture based methods. Performance parameter of the method was also comparable (Detection limit- 25 CFU/25 g; sensitivity 100%; specificity-96.8%; Accuracy-96.7%), even better than culture based methods (Detection limit- 125 CFU/25 g; sensitivity 95.9%; specificity-97%; Accuracy-96.2%). The IC method poses to be the potential to be used as a method of choice for detection of foodborne pathogens in routine laboratory practice after proper validation.

Anisotropic Dielectric Properties of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites during Microwave Curing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Linglin; Li, Yingguang; Zhou, Jing

2018-01-01

Microwave cuing technology is a promising alternative to conventional autoclave curing technology in high efficient and energy saving processing of polymer composites. Dielectric properties of composites are key parameters related to the energy conversion efficiency during the microwave curing process. However, existing methods of dielectric measurement cannot be applied to the microwave curing process. This paper presented an offline test method to solve this problem. Firstly, a kinetics model of the polymer composites under microwave curing was established based on differential scanning calorimetry to describe the whole curing process. Then several specially designed samples of different feature cure degrees were prepared and used to reflect the dielectric properties of the composite during microwave curing. It was demonstrated to be a feasible plan for both test accuracy and efficiency through extensive experimental research. Based on this method, the anisotropic complex permittivity of a carbon fiber/epoxy composite during microwave curing was accurately determined. Statistical results indicated that both the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the composite increased at the initial curing stage, peaked at the maximum reaction rate point and decreased finally during the microwave curing process. Corresponding mechanism has also been systematically investigated in this work.

Determination of the efficiency of ethanol oxidation in a proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altarawneh, Rakan M.; Majidi, Pasha; Pickup, Peter G.

2017-05-01

Products and residual ethanol in the anode and cathode exhausts of an ethanol electrolysis cell (EEC) have been analyzed by proton NMR and infrared spectrometry under a variety of operating conditions. This provides a full accounting of the fate of ethanol entering the cell, including the stoichiometry of the ethanol oxidation reaction (i.e. the average number of electrons transferred per ethanol molecule), product distribution and the crossover of ethanol and products through the membrane. The reaction stoichiometry (nav) is the key parameter that determines the faradaic efficiency of both EECs and direct ethanol fuel cells. Values determined independently from the product distribution, amount of ethanol consumed, and a simple electrochemical method based on the dependence of the current on the flow rate of the ethanol solution are compared. It is shown that the electrochemical method yields results that are consistent with those based on the product distribution, and based on the consumption of ethanol when crossover is accounted for. Since quantitative analysis of the cathode exhaust is challenging, the electrochemical method provides a valuable alternative for routine determination of nav, and hence the faradaic efficiency of the cell.

Extraction and identification of cyclobutanones from irradiated cheese employing a rapid direct solvent extraction method.

PubMed

Tewfik, Ihab

2008-01-01

2-Alkylcyclobutanones (cyclobutanones) are accepted as chemical markers for irradiated foods containing lipid. However, current extraction procedures (Soxhlet-florisil chromatography) for the isolation of these markers involve a long and tedious clean-up regime prior to gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry identification. This paper outlines an alternative isolation and clean-up method for the extraction of cyclobutanones in irradiated Camembert cheese. The newly developed direct solvent extraction method enables the efficient screening of large numbers of food samples and is not as resource intensive as the BS EN 1785:1997 method. Direct solvent extraction appears to be a simple, robust method and has the added advantage of a considerably shorter extraction time for the analysis of foods containing lipid.

Man Versus Machine: Comparing Double Data Entry and Optical Mark Recognition for Processing CAHPS Survey Data.

PubMed

Fifolt, Matthew; Blackburn, Justin; Rhodes, David J; Gillespie, Shemeka; Bennett, Aleena; Wolff, Paul; Rucks, Andrew

Historically, double data entry (DDE) has been considered the criterion standard for minimizing data entry errors. However, previous studies considered data entry alternatives through the limited lens of data accuracy. This study supplies information regarding data accuracy, operational efficiency, and cost for DDE and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) for processing the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems 5.0 survey. To assess data accuracy, we compared error rates for DDE and OMR by dividing the number of surveys that were arbitrated by the total number of surveys processed for each method. To assess operational efficiency, we tallied the cost of data entry for DDE and OMR after survey receipt. Costs were calculated on the basis of personnel, depreciation for capital equipment, and costs of noncapital equipment. The cost savings attributed to this method were negated by the operational efficiency of OMR. There was a statistical significance between rates of arbitration between DDE and OMR; however, this statistical significance did not create a practical significance. The potential benefits of DDE in terms of data accuracy did not outweigh the operational efficiency and thereby financial savings of OMR.

Homojunction silicon solar cells doping by ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milési, Frédéric; Coig, Marianne; Lerat, Jean-François; Desrues, Thibaut; Le Perchec, Jérôme; Lanterne, Adeline; Lachal, Laurent; Mazen, Frédéric

2017-10-01

Production costs and energy efficiency are the main priorities for the photovoltaic (PV) industry (COP21 conclusions). To lower costs and increase efficiency, we are proposing to reduce the number of processing steps involved in the manufacture of N-type Passivated Rear Totally Diffused (PERT) silicon solar cells. Replacing the conventional thermal diffusion doping steps by ion implantation followed by thermal annealing allows reducing the number of steps from 7 to 3 while maintaining similar efficiency. This alternative approach was investigated in the present work. Beamline and plasma immersion ion implantation (BLII and PIII) methods were used to insert n-(phosphorus) and p-type (boron) dopants into the Si substrate. With higher throughput and lower costs, PIII is a better candidate for the photovoltaic industry, compared to BL. However, the optimization of the plasma conditions is demanding and more complex than the beamline approach. Subsequent annealing was performed on selected samples to activate the dopants on both sides of the solar cell. Two annealing methods were investigated: soak and spike thermal annealing. Best performing solar cells, showing a PV efficiency of about 20%, was obtained using spike annealing with adapted ion implantation conditions.

Useful Bicistronic Reporter System for Studying Poly(A) Site-Defining cis Elements and Regulation of Alternative Polyadenylation.

PubMed

Deng, Zhongyuan; Zhang, Shen; Gu, Shaohua; Ni, Xinzhi; Zeng, Wenxian; Li, Xianchun

2018-01-17

The link between polyadenylation (pA) and various biological, behavioral, and pathological events of eukaryotes underlines the need to develop in vivo polyadenylation assay methods for characterization of the cis -acting elements, trans -acting factors and environmental stimuli that affect polyadenylation efficiency and/or relative usage of two alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites. The current protein-based CAT or luciferase reporter systems can measure the polyadenylation efficiency of a single pA site or candidate cis element but not the choice of two APA sites. To address this issue, we developed a set of four new bicistronic reporter vectors that harbor either two luciferase or fluorescence protein open reading frames connected with one Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES). Transfection of single or dual insertion constructs of these vectors into mammalian cells demonstrated that they could be utilized not only to quantify the strength of a single candidate pA site or cis element, but also to accurately measure the relative usage of two APA sites at both the mRNA (qRT-PCR) and protein levels. This represents the first reporter system that can study polyadenylation efficiency of a single pA site or element and regulation of two APA sites at both the mRNA and protein levels.

Semi-implicit and fully implicit shock-capturing methods for hyperbolic conservation laws with stiff source terms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yee, H. C.; Shinn, J. L.

1986-01-01

Some numerical aspects of finite-difference algorithms for nonlinear multidimensional hyperbolic conservation laws with stiff nonhomogenous (source) terms are discussed. If the stiffness is entirely dominated by the source term, a semi-implicit shock-capturing method is proposed provided that the Jacobian of the soruce terms possesses certain properties. The proposed semi-implicit method can be viewed as a variant of the Bussing and Murman point-implicit scheme with a more appropriate numerical dissipation for the computation of strong shock waves. However, if the stiffness is not solely dominated by the source terms, a fully implicit method would be a better choice. The situation is complicated by problems that are higher than one dimension, and the presence of stiff source terms further complicates the solution procedures for alternating direction implicit (ADI) methods. Several alternatives are discussed. The primary motivation for constructing these schemes was to address thermally and chemically nonequilibrium flows in the hypersonic regime. Due to the unique structure of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors for fluid flows of this type, the computation can be simplified, thus providing a more efficient solution procedure than one might have anticipated.

Fluorescent Labeling of Proteins.

PubMed

Modesti, Mauro

2018-01-01

Many single-molecule experimental techniques exploit fluorescence as a tool to investigate conformational dynamics, molecular interactions, or track the movement of proteins in order to gain insight into their biological functions. A prerequisite to these experimental approaches is to graft one or more fluorophores on the protein of interest with the desired photophysical properties. Here, we describe procedures for efficient methods used to covalently attach fluorophores to proteins. Alternative direct and indirect labeling strategies are also described.

Unbiased Combinatorial Genomic Approaches to Identify Alternative Therapeutic Targets within the TSC Signaling Network

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

Specifically, we combined the CRISPR genome editing system with a novel approach allowing efficient single cell cloning of Drosophila cells with the aim of...and culture these to produce cultures completely lacking wildtype sequence at the target locus. No robust methods existed to clone single Drosophila ...targeting all kinases and phosphatases (563 genes) in the Drosophila genome . 65 samples that displayed synthetic lethality (15 genes) or synthetic

Copper-catalyzed oxidative C-O bond formation of 2-acyl phenols and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with ethers: direct access to phenol esters and enol esters.

PubMed

Park, Jihye; Han, Sang Hoon; Sharma, Satyasheel; Han, Sangil; Shin, Youngmi; Mishra, Neeraj Kumar; Kwak, Jong Hwan; Lee, Cheong Hoon; Lee, Jeongmi; Kim, In Su

2014-05-16

A copper-catalyzed oxidative coupling of 2-carbonyl-substituted phenols and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with a wide range of dibenzyl or dialkyl ethers is described. This protocol provides an efficient preparation of phenol esters and enol esters in good yields with high chemoselectivity. This method represents an alternative protocol for classical esterification reactions.

Depleting high-abundant and enriching low-abundant proteins in human serum: An evaluation of sample preparation methods using magnetic nanoparticle, chemical depletion and immunoaffinity techniques.

PubMed

de Jesus, Jemmyson Romário; da Silva Fernandes, Rafael; de Souza Pessôa, Gustavo; Raimundo, Ivo Milton; Arruda, Marco Aurélio Zezzi

2017-08-01

The efficiency of three different depletion methods to remove the most abundant proteins, enriching those human serum proteins with low abundance is checked to make more efficient the search and discovery of biomarkers. These methods utilize magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), chemical reagents (sequential application of dithiothreitol and acetonitrile, DTT/ACN), and commercial apparatus based on immunoaffinity (ProteoMiner, PM). The comparison between methods shows significant removal of abundant protein, remaining in the supernatant at concentrations of 4.6±0.2, 3.6±0.1, and 3.3±0.2µgµL -1 (n=3) for MNPs, DTT/ACN and PM respectively, from a total protein content of 54µgµL -1 . Using GeLC-MS/MS analysis, MNPs depletion shows good efficiency in removing high molecular weight proteins (>80kDa). Due to the synergic effect between the reagents DTT and ACN, DTT/ACN-based depletion offers good performance in the depletion of thiol-rich proteins, such as albumin and transferrin (DTT action), as well as of high molecular weight proteins (ACN action). Furthermore, PM equalization confirms its efficiency in concentrating low-abundant proteins, decreasing the dynamic range of protein levels in human serum. Direct comparison between the treatments reveals 72 proteins identified when using MNP depletion (43 of them exclusively by this method), but only 20 proteins using DTT/ACN (seven exclusively by this method). Additionally, after PM treatment 30 proteins were identified, seven exclusively by this method. Thus, MNPs and DTT/ACN depletion can be simple, quick, cheap, and robust alternatives for immunochemistry-based protein depletion, providing a potential strategy in the search for disease biomarkers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Isotopic composition analysis and age dating of uranium samples by high resolution gamma ray spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apostol, A. I.; Pantelica, A.; Sima, O.; Fugaru, V.

2016-09-01

Non-destructive methods were applied to determine the isotopic composition and the time elapsed since last chemical purification of nine uranium samples. The applied methods are based on measuring gamma and X radiations of uranium samples by high resolution low energy gamma spectrometric system with planar high purity germanium detector and low background gamma spectrometric system with coaxial high purity germanium detector. The ;Multigroup γ-ray Analysis Method for Uranium; (MGAU) code was used for the precise determination of samples' isotopic composition. The age of the samples was determined from the isotopic ratio 214Bi/234U. This ratio was calculated from the analyzed spectra of each uranium sample, using relative detection efficiency. Special attention is paid to the coincidence summing corrections that have to be taken into account when performing this type of analysis. In addition, an alternative approach for the age determination using full energy peak efficiencies obtained by Monte Carlo simulations with the GESPECOR code is described.

An adaptively refined XFEM with virtual node polygonal elements for dynamic crack problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teng, Z. H.; Sun, F.; Wu, S. C.; Zhang, Z. B.; Chen, T.; Liao, D. M.

2018-02-01

By introducing the shape functions of virtual node polygonal (VP) elements into the standard extended finite element method (XFEM), a conforming elemental mesh can be created for the cracking process. Moreover, an adaptively refined meshing with the quadtree structure only at a growing crack tip is proposed without inserting hanging nodes into the transition region. A novel dynamic crack growth method termed as VP-XFEM is thus formulated in the framework of fracture mechanics. To verify the newly proposed VP-XFEM, both quasi-static and dynamic cracked problems are investigated in terms of computational accuracy, convergence, and efficiency. The research results show that the present VP-XFEM can achieve good agreement in stress intensity factor and crack growth path with the exact solutions or experiments. Furthermore, better accuracy, convergence, and efficiency of different models can be acquired, in contrast to standard XFEM and mesh-free methods. Therefore, VP-XFEM provides a suitable alternative to XFEM for engineering applications.

Subtle Monte Carlo Updates in Dense Molecular Systems.

PubMed

Bottaro, Sandro; Boomsma, Wouter; E Johansson, Kristoffer; Andreetta, Christian; Hamelryck, Thomas; Ferkinghoff-Borg, Jesper

2012-02-14

Although Markov chain Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is a potentially powerful approach for exploring conformational space, it has been unable to compete with molecular dynamics (MD) in the analysis of high density structural states, such as the native state of globular proteins. Here, we introduce a kinetic algorithm, CRISP, that greatly enhances the sampling efficiency in all-atom MC simulations of dense systems. The algorithm is based on an exact analytical solution to the classic chain-closure problem, making it possible to express the interdependencies among degrees of freedom in the molecule as correlations in a multivariate Gaussian distribution. We demonstrate that our method reproduces structural variation in proteins with greater efficiency than current state-of-the-art Monte Carlo methods and has real-time simulation performance on par with molecular dynamics simulations. The presented results suggest our method as a valuable tool in the study of molecules in atomic detail, offering a potential alternative to molecular dynamics for probing long time-scale conformational transitions.

An analysis code for the Rapid Engineering Estimation of Momentum and Energy Losses (REMEL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dechant, Lawrence J.

1994-01-01

Nonideal behavior has traditionally been modeled by defining efficiency (a comparison between actual and isentropic processes), and subsequent specification by empirical or heuristic methods. With the increasing complexity of aeropropulsion system designs, the reliability of these more traditional methods is uncertain. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and experimental methods can provide this information but are expensive in terms of human resources, cost, and time. This report discusses an alternative to empirical and CFD methods by applying classical analytical techniques and a simplified flow model to provide rapid engineering estimates of these losses based on steady, quasi-one-dimensional governing equations including viscous and heat transfer terms (estimated by Reynold's analogy). A preliminary verification of REMEL has been compared with full Navier-Stokes (FNS) and CFD boundary layer computations for several high-speed inlet and forebody designs. Current methods compare quite well with more complex method results and solutions compare very well with simple degenerate and asymptotic results such as Fanno flow, isentropic variable area flow, and a newly developed, combined variable area duct with friction flow solution. These solution comparisons may offer an alternative to transitional and CFD-intense methods for the rapid estimation of viscous and heat transfer losses in aeropropulsion systems.

High-precision method of binocular camera calibration with a distortion model.

PubMed

Li, Weimin; Shan, Siyu; Liu, Hui

2017-03-10

A high-precision camera calibration method for binocular stereo vision system based on a multi-view template and alternative bundle adjustment is presented in this paper. The proposed method could be achieved by taking several photos on a specially designed calibration template that has diverse encoded points in different orientations. In this paper, the method utilized the existing algorithm used for monocular camera calibration to obtain the initialization, which involves a camera model, including radial lens distortion and tangential distortion. We created a reference coordinate system based on the left camera coordinate to optimize the intrinsic parameters of left camera through alternative bundle adjustment to obtain optimal values. Then, optimal intrinsic parameters of the right camera can be obtained through alternative bundle adjustment when we create a reference coordinate system based on the right camera coordinate. We also used all intrinsic parameters that were acquired to optimize extrinsic parameters. Thus, the optimal lens distortion parameters and intrinsic and extrinsic parameters were obtained. Synthetic and real data were used to test the method. The simulation results demonstrate that the maximum mean absolute relative calibration errors are about 3.5e-6 and 1.2e-6 for the focal length and the principal point, respectively, under zero-mean Gaussian noise with 0.05 pixels standard deviation. The real result shows that the reprojection error of our model is about 0.045 pixels with the relative standard deviation of 1.0e-6 over the intrinsic parameters. The proposed method is convenient, cost-efficient, highly precise, and simple to carry out.

40 CFR 142.46 - Alternative treatment techniques.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Alternative treatment techniques. 142... Administrator Under Section 1415(a) of the Act § 142.46 Alternative treatment techniques. The Administrator may... that an alternative treatment technique not included in such requirement is at least as efficient in...

Efficient exact-exchange time-dependent density-functional theory methods and their relation to time-dependent Hartree-Fock.

PubMed

Hesselmann, Andreas; Görling, Andreas

2011-01-21

A recently introduced time-dependent exact-exchange (TDEXX) method, i.e., a response method based on time-dependent density-functional theory that treats the frequency-dependent exchange kernel exactly, is reformulated. In the reformulated version of the TDEXX method electronic excitation energies can be calculated by solving a linear generalized eigenvalue problem while in the original version of the TDEXX method a laborious frequency iteration is required in the calculation of each excitation energy. The lowest eigenvalues of the new TDEXX eigenvalue equation corresponding to the lowest excitation energies can be efficiently obtained by, e.g., a version of the Davidson algorithm appropriate for generalized eigenvalue problems. Alternatively, with the help of a series expansion of the new TDEXX eigenvalue equation, standard eigensolvers for large regular eigenvalue problems, e.g., the standard Davidson algorithm, can be used to efficiently calculate the lowest excitation energies. With the help of the series expansion as well, the relation between the TDEXX method and time-dependent Hartree-Fock is analyzed. Several ways to take into account correlation in addition to the exact treatment of exchange in the TDEXX method are discussed, e.g., a scaling of the Kohn-Sham eigenvalues, the inclusion of (semi)local approximate correlation potentials, or hybrids of the exact-exchange kernel with kernels within the adiabatic local density approximation. The lowest lying excitations of the molecules ethylene, acetaldehyde, and pyridine are considered as examples.

Alternatives to the motor fuel tax : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-11-01

The National Highway Cooperative Research Program (NCHRP) published its Report 377, Alternatives to Motor Fuel Taxes for Financing Surface Transportation Improvements, in 1995. Increased fuel efficiency and the use of alternative fuels were seen as p...

Toward allocative efficiency in the prescription drug industry.

PubMed

Guell, R C; Fischbaum, M

1995-01-01

Traditionally, monopoly power in the pharmaceutical industry has been measured by profits. An alternative method estimates the deadweight loss of consumer surplus associated with the exercise of monopoly power. Although upper and lower bound estimates for this inefficiency are far apart, they at least suggest a dramatically greater welfare loss than measures of industry profitability would imply. A proposed system would have the U.S. government employing its power of eminent domain to "take" and distribute pharmaceutical patents, providing as "just compensation" the present value of the patent's expected future monopoly profits. Given the allocative inefficiency of raising taxes to pay for the program, the impact of the proposal on allocative efficiency would be at least as good at our lower bound estimate of monopoly costs while substantially improving efficiency at or near our upper bound estimate.

Formation of ultra Si/Ti nano thin film for enhancing silicon solar cell efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, T.; Dhahi, T. S.; Mohammed, M.; Al-Hajj, A. M.; Hashim, U.

2017-10-01

An alternative electrical source has l has become the major quest of every researchers due to it numerous advantages and applications of power supply and as electronic devices are becoming more and more portable. A highly efficient power supply is become inevitable. Thus. in this study, present ultrasonic based assisted fabrication of electrochemical silicon-Titanium nano thin film by in-house simple technique, uniformly silicon Nano film was fabricated and etched with HF (40%): C2H5OH (99%):1:1, < 20 nm pore diameter of silicon was fabricated. The surface and morphology reveal that the method produce uniform nano silicon porous layer with smaller silicon pores with high etching efficiency. The silicon-Titanium integrated nano porous exhibited excellent observation properties with low reflection index ~ 1.1 compared to silicon alone thin film.

Job Scheduling with Efficient Resource Monitoring in Cloud Datacenter

PubMed Central

Loganathan, Shyamala; Mukherjee, Saswati

2015-01-01

Cloud computing is an on-demand computing model, which uses virtualization technology to provide cloud resources to users in the form of virtual machines through internet. Being an adaptable technology, cloud computing is an excellent alternative for organizations for forming their own private cloud. Since the resources are limited in these private clouds maximizing the utilization of resources and giving the guaranteed service for the user are the ultimate goal. For that, efficient scheduling is needed. This research reports on an efficient data structure for resource management and resource scheduling technique in a private cloud environment and discusses a cloud model. The proposed scheduling algorithm considers the types of jobs and the resource availability in its scheduling decision. Finally, we conducted simulations using CloudSim and compared our algorithm with other existing methods, like V-MCT and priority scheduling algorithms. PMID:26473166

Eco-efficient one-pot synthesis of quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones at room temperature in water.

PubMed

Tian, Xin-Chuan; Huang, Xing; Wang, Dan; Gao, Feng

2014-01-01

An efficient one-pot synthesis of quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones was developed. First, the reactions of anthranilic acid derivatives with potassium cyanate afforded the corresponding urea derivatives. Then, cyclization of the urea derivatives with NaOH afforded the monosodium salts of benzoylene urea. Finally, HCl treatment afforded the desired products in near-quantitative yields. This is an eco-efficient method because all the reactions were carried out in water, and the desired products were obtained simply by filtration. The aqueous filtrate was the only waste generated from the reaction. We scaled up the reaction to 1 kg starting material, thus establishing an alternative approach for the green synthesis of quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Job Scheduling with Efficient Resource Monitoring in Cloud Datacenter.

PubMed

Loganathan, Shyamala; Mukherjee, Saswati

2015-01-01

Cloud computing is an on-demand computing model, which uses virtualization technology to provide cloud resources to users in the form of virtual machines through internet. Being an adaptable technology, cloud computing is an excellent alternative for organizations for forming their own private cloud. Since the resources are limited in these private clouds maximizing the utilization of resources and giving the guaranteed service for the user are the ultimate goal. For that, efficient scheduling is needed. This research reports on an efficient data structure for resource management and resource scheduling technique in a private cloud environment and discusses a cloud model. The proposed scheduling algorithm considers the types of jobs and the resource availability in its scheduling decision. Finally, we conducted simulations using CloudSim and compared our algorithm with other existing methods, like V-MCT and priority scheduling algorithms.

Efficiency of peracetic acid in inactivating bacteria, viruses, and spores in water determined with ATP bioluminescence, quantitative PCR, and culture-based methods.

PubMed

Park, Eunyoung; Lee, Cheonghoon; Bisesi, Michael; Lee, Jiyoung

2014-03-01

The disinfection efficiency of peracetic acid (PAA) was investigated on three microbial types using three different methods (filtration-based ATP (adenosine-triphosphate) bioluminescence, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), culture-based method). Fecal indicator bacteria (Enterococcus faecium), virus indicator (male-specific (F(+)) coliphages (coliphages)), and protozoa disinfection surrogate (Bacillus subtilis spores (spores)) were tested. The mode of action for spore disinfection was visualized using scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that PAA concentrations of 5 ppm (contact time: 5 min), 50 ppm (10 min), and 3,000 ppm (5 min) were needed to achieve 3-log reduction of E. faecium, coliphages, and spores, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy observation showed that PAA targets the external layers of spores. The lower reduction rates of tested microbes measured with qPCR suggest that qPCR may overestimate the surviving microbes. Collectively, PAA showed broad disinfection efficiency (susceptibility: E. faecium > coliphages > spores). For E. faecium and spores, ATP bioluminescence was substantially faster (∼5 min) than culture-based method (>24 h) and qPCR (2-3 h). This study suggests PAA as an effective alternative to inactivate broad types of microbial contaminants in water. Together with the use of rapid detection methods, this approach can be useful for urgent situations when timely response is needed for ensuring water quality.

Computationally-efficient stochastic cluster dynamics method for modeling damage accumulation in irradiated materials

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

Hoang, Tuan L.; Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA 94550; Marian, Jaime, E-mail: jmarian@ucla.edu

2015-11-01

An improved version of a recently developed stochastic cluster dynamics (SCD) method (Marian and Bulatov, 2012) [6] is introduced as an alternative to rate theory (RT) methods for solving coupled ordinary differential equation (ODE) systems for irradiation damage simulations. SCD circumvents by design the curse of dimensionality of the variable space that renders traditional ODE-based RT approaches inefficient when handling complex defect population comprised of multiple (more than two) defect species. Several improvements introduced here enable efficient and accurate simulations of irradiated materials up to realistic (high) damage doses characteristic of next-generation nuclear systems. The first improvement is a proceduremore » for efficiently updating the defect reaction-network and event selection in the context of a dynamically expanding reaction-network. Next is a novel implementation of the τ-leaping method that speeds up SCD simulations by advancing the state of the reaction network in large time increments when appropriate. Lastly, a volume rescaling procedure is introduced to control the computational complexity of the expanding reaction-network through occasional reductions of the defect population while maintaining accurate statistics. The enhanced SCD method is then applied to model defect cluster accumulation in iron thin films subjected to triple ion-beam (Fe{sup 3+}, He{sup +} and H{sup +}) irradiations, for which standard RT or spatially-resolved kinetic Monte Carlo simulations are prohibitively expensive.« less

Computationally-efficient stochastic cluster dynamics method for modeling damage accumulation in irradiated materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoang, Tuan L.; Marian, Jaime; Bulatov, Vasily V.; Hosemann, Peter

2015-11-01

An improved version of a recently developed stochastic cluster dynamics (SCD) method (Marian and Bulatov, 2012) [6] is introduced as an alternative to rate theory (RT) methods for solving coupled ordinary differential equation (ODE) systems for irradiation damage simulations. SCD circumvents by design the curse of dimensionality of the variable space that renders traditional ODE-based RT approaches inefficient when handling complex defect population comprised of multiple (more than two) defect species. Several improvements introduced here enable efficient and accurate simulations of irradiated materials up to realistic (high) damage doses characteristic of next-generation nuclear systems. The first improvement is a procedure for efficiently updating the defect reaction-network and event selection in the context of a dynamically expanding reaction-network. Next is a novel implementation of the τ-leaping method that speeds up SCD simulations by advancing the state of the reaction network in large time increments when appropriate. Lastly, a volume rescaling procedure is introduced to control the computational complexity of the expanding reaction-network through occasional reductions of the defect population while maintaining accurate statistics. The enhanced SCD method is then applied to model defect cluster accumulation in iron thin films subjected to triple ion-beam (Fe3+, He+ and H+) irradiations, for which standard RT or spatially-resolved kinetic Monte Carlo simulations are prohibitively expensive.

QUANTIFYING ALTERNATIVE SPLICING FROM PAIRED-END RNA-SEQUENCING DATA.

PubMed

Rossell, David; Stephan-Otto Attolini, Camille; Kroiss, Manuel; Stöcker, Almond

2014-03-01

RNA-sequencing has revolutionized biomedical research and, in particular, our ability to study gene alternative splicing. The problem has important implications for human health, as alternative splicing may be involved in malfunctions at the cellular level and multiple diseases. However, the high-dimensional nature of the data and the existence of experimental biases pose serious data analysis challenges. We find that the standard data summaries used to study alternative splicing are severely limited, as they ignore a substantial amount of valuable information. Current data analysis methods are based on such summaries and are hence sub-optimal. Further, they have limited flexibility in accounting for technical biases. We propose novel data summaries and a Bayesian modeling framework that overcome these limitations and determine biases in a non-parametric, highly flexible manner. These summaries adapt naturally to the rapid improvements in sequencing technology. We provide efficient point estimates and uncertainty assessments. The approach allows to study alternative splicing patterns for individual samples and can also be the basis for downstream analyses. We found a several fold improvement in estimation mean square error compared popular approaches in simulations, and substantially higher consistency between replicates in experimental data. Our findings indicate the need for adjusting the routine summarization and analysis of alternative splicing RNA-seq studies. We provide a software implementation in the R package casper.

FastBit Reference Manual

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

Wu, Kesheng

2007-08-02

An index in a database system is a data structure that utilizes redundant information about the base data to speed up common searching and retrieval operations. Most commonly used indexes are variants of B-trees, such as B+-tree and B*-tree. FastBit implements a set of alternative indexes call compressed bitmap indexes. Compared with B-tree variants, these indexes provide very efficient searching and retrieval operations by sacrificing the efficiency of updating the indexes after the modification of an individual record. In addition to the well-known strengths of bitmap indexes, FastBit has a special strength stemming from the bitmap compression scheme used. Themore » compression method is called the Word-Aligned Hybrid (WAH) code. It reduces the bitmap indexes to reasonable sizes and at the same time allows very efficient bitwise logical operations directly on the compressed bitmaps. Compared with the well-known compression methods such as LZ77 and Byte-aligned Bitmap code (BBC), WAH sacrifices some space efficiency for a significant improvement in operational efficiency. Since the bitwise logical operations are the most important operations needed to answer queries, using WAH compression has been shown to answer queries significantly faster than using other compression schemes. Theoretical analyses showed that WAH compressed bitmap indexes are optimal for one-dimensional range queries. Only the most efficient indexing schemes such as B+-tree and B*-tree have this optimality property. However, bitmap indexes are superior because they can efficiently answer multi-dimensional range queries by combining the answers to one-dimensional queries.« less

Detection of proteins on blot transfer membranes.

PubMed

Sasse, Joachim; Gallagher, Sean R

2003-11-01

In the basic and alternate protocols of this unit, proteins are stained after electroblotting from polyacrylamide gels to blot transfer membranes. If the samples of interest are electrophoresed in duplicate and transferred to a blot transfer membrane, half of the membrane can be stained to determine the efficiency of transfer to the membrane and the other half can be used for immunoblotting (i.e., western blotting). Detection limits of each staining method are given along with a list of compatible blot transfer membranes and gels. A support protocol describes a method for alkali treatment that enhances subsequent staining of bound proteins.

An efficient technique for higher order fractional differential equation.

PubMed

Ali, Ayyaz; Iqbal, Muhammad Asad; Ul-Hassan, Qazi Mahmood; Ahmad, Jamshad; Mohyud-Din, Syed Tauseef

2016-01-01

In this study, we establish exact solutions of fractional Kawahara equation by using the idea of [Formula: see text]-expansion method. The results of different studies show that the method is very effective and can be used as an alternative for finding exact solutions of nonlinear evolution equations (NLEEs) in mathematical physics. The solitary wave solutions are expressed by the hyperbolic, trigonometric, exponential and rational functions. Graphical representations along with the numerical data reinforce the efficacy of the used procedure. The specified idea is very effective, expedient for fractional PDEs, and could be extended to other physical problems.

Calculation of transmission probability by solving an eigenvalue problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bubin, Sergiy; Varga, Kálmán

2010-11-01

The electron transmission probability in nanodevices is calculated by solving an eigenvalue problem. The eigenvalues are the transmission probabilities and the number of nonzero eigenvalues is equal to the number of open quantum transmission eigenchannels. The number of open eigenchannels is typically a few dozen at most, thus the computational cost amounts to the calculation of a few outer eigenvalues of a complex Hermitian matrix (the transmission matrix). The method is implemented on a real space grid basis providing an alternative to localized atomic orbital based quantum transport calculations. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the efficiency of the method.

Global-Context Based Salient Region Detection in Nature Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Hong; Xu, De; Tang, Yingjun

Visually saliency detection provides an alternative methodology to image description in many applications such as adaptive content delivery and image retrieval. One of the main aims of visual attention in computer vision is to detect and segment the salient regions in an image. In this paper, we employ matrix decomposition to detect salient object in nature images. To efficiently eliminate high contrast noise regions in the background, we integrate global context information into saliency detection. Therefore, the most salient region can be easily selected as the one which is globally most isolated. The proposed approach intrinsically provides an alternative methodology to model attention with low implementation complexity. Experiments show that our approach achieves much better performance than that from the existing state-of-art methods.

Alternative and Efficient Extraction Methods for Marine-Derived Compounds

PubMed Central

Grosso, Clara; Valentão, Patrícia; Ferreres, Federico; Andrade, Paula B.

2015-01-01

Marine ecosystems cover more than 70% of the globe’s surface. These habitats are occupied by a great diversity of marine organisms that produce highly structural diverse metabolites as a defense mechanism. In the last decades, these metabolites have been extracted and isolated in order to test them in different bioassays and assess their potential to fight human diseases. Since traditional extraction techniques are both solvent- and time-consuming, this review emphasizes alternative extraction techniques, such as supercritical fluid extraction, pressurized solvent extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, pulsed electric field-assisted extraction, enzyme-assisted extraction, and extraction with switchable solvents and ionic liquids, applied in the search for marine compounds. Only studies published in the 21st century are considered. PMID:26006714

Power processing for electric propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finke, R. C.; Herron, B. G.; Gant, G. D.

1975-01-01

The inclusion of electric thruster systems in spacecraft design is considered. The propulsion requirements of such spacecraft dictate a wide range of thruster power levels and operational lifetimes, which must be matched by lightweight, efficient, and reliable thruster power processing systems. Electron bombardment ion thruster requirements are presented, and the performance characteristics of present power processing systems are reviewed. Design philosophies and alternatives in areas such as inverter type, arc protection, and control methods are discussed along with future performance potentials for meeting goals in the areas of power process or weight (10 kg/kW), efficiency (approaching 92 percent), reliability (0.96 for 15,000 hr), and thermal control capability (0.3 to 5 AU).

Skin sensitizer identification by IL-8 secretion and CD86 expression on THP-1 cells.

PubMed

Parise, Carolina Bellini; Sá-Rocha, Vanessa Moura; Moraes, Jane Zveiter

2015-12-25

Substantial progress has been made in the development of alternative methods for skin sensitization in the last decade in several countries around the world. Brazil is experiencing an increasing concern about using animals for product development, since the publication of the Law 9605/1998, which prohibits the use of animals when an alternative method is available. In this way, an in vitro test to evaluate allergenic potential is a pressing need.This preliminary study started setting the use of myelomonocytic THP-1 cell line, according to the human cell line activation test (h-CLAT), already under validation process. We found that 48-h chemical exposure was necessary to identify 22 out of 23 sensitizers by the analyses of CD86 expression. In addition, the CD54 expression analyses presented a poor efficiency to discriminate sensitizers from non-sensitizers in our conditions. In view of these results, we looked for changes of pro-inflammatory interleukin profile. The IL-8 secretion analyses after 24-h chemical incubation seemed to be an alternative for CD54 expression assessing.Altogether, our findings showed that the combination of the analyses of CD86 expression and IL-8 secretion allowed predicting allergenicity.

A robust component mode synthesis method for stochastic damped vibroacoustics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Quang Hung; Ouisse, Morvan; Bouhaddi, Noureddine

2010-01-01

In order to reduce vibrations or sound levels in industrial vibroacoustic problems, the low-cost and efficient way consists in introducing visco- and poro-elastic materials either on the structure or on cavity walls. Depending on the frequency range of interest, several numerical approaches can be used to estimate the behavior of the coupled problem. In the context of low frequency applications related to acoustic cavities with surrounding vibrating structures, the finite elements method (FEM) is one of the most efficient techniques. Nevertheless, industrial problems lead to large FE models which are time-consuming in updating or optimization processes. A classical way to reduce calculation time is the component mode synthesis (CMS) method, whose classical formulation is not always efficient to predict dynamical behavior of structures including visco-elastic and/or poro-elastic patches. Then, to ensure an efficient prediction, the fluid and structural bases used for the model reduction need to be updated as a result of changes in a parametric optimization procedure. For complex models, this leads to prohibitive numerical costs in the optimization phase or for management and propagation of uncertainties in the stochastic vibroacoustic problem. In this paper, the formulation of an alternative CMS method is proposed and compared to classical ( u, p) CMS method: the Ritz basis is completed with static residuals associated to visco-elastic and poro-elastic behaviors. This basis is also enriched by the static response of residual forces due to structural modifications, resulting in a so-called robust basis, also adapted to Monte Carlo simulations for uncertainties propagation using reduced models.

The African disability scooter: efficiency testing in paediatric amputees in Malawi

PubMed Central

Beckles, Verona; McCahill, Jennifer L.; Stebbins, Julie; Mkandawire, Nyengo; Church, John C. T.; Lavy, Chris

2016-01-01

Abstract Purpose: The African Disability Scooter (ADS) was developed for lower limb amputees, to improve mobility and provide access to different terrains. The aim of this study was to test the efficiency of the ADS in Africa over different terrains. Method: Eight subjects with a mean age of 12 years participated. Energy expenditure and speed were calculated over different terrains using the ADS, a prosthetic limb, and crutches. Repeated testing was completed on different days to assess learning effect. Results: Speed was significantly faster with the ADS on a level surface compared to crutch walking. This difference was maintained when using the scooter on rough terrain. Oxygen cost was halved with the scooter on level ground compared to crutch walking. There were no significant differences in oxygen consumption or heart rate. There were significant differences in oxygen cost and speed between days using the scooter over level ground, suggesting the presence of a learning effect. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the ADS is faster and more energy efficient than crutch walking in young individuals with amputations, and should be considered as an alternative to a prosthesis where this is not available. The presence of a learning effect suggests supervision and training is required when the scooter is first issued.Implications for RehabilitationThe African Disability Scooter:is faster than crutch walking in amputees;is more energy efficient than walking with crutches;supervised use is needed when learning to use the device;is a good alternative/adjunct for mobility. PMID:25316033

Novel Random Mutagenesis Method for Directed Evolution.

PubMed

Feng, Hong; Wang, Hai-Yan; Zhao, Hong-Yan

2017-01-01

Directed evolution is a powerful strategy for gene mutagenesis, and has been used for protein engineering both in scientific research and in the biotechnology industry. The routine method for directed evolution was developed by Stemmer in 1994 (Stemmer, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91, 10747-10751, 1994; Stemmer, Nature 370, 389-391, 1994). Since then, various methods have been introduced, each of which has advantages and limitations depending upon the targeted genes and procedure. In this chapter, a novel alternative directed evolution method which combines mutagenesis PCR with dITP and fragmentation by endonuclease V is described. The kanamycin resistance gene is used as a reporter gene to verify the novel method for directed evolution. This method for directed evolution has been demonstrated to be efficient, reproducible, and easy to manipulate in practice.

Accurate FRET Measurements within Single Diffusing Biomolecules Using Alternating-Laser Excitation

PubMed Central

Lee, Nam Ki; Kapanidis, Achillefs N.; Wang, You; Michalet, Xavier; Mukhopadhyay, Jayanta; Ebright, Richard H.; Weiss, Shimon

2005-01-01

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between a donor (D) and an acceptor (A) at the single-molecule level currently provides qualitative information about distance, and quantitative information about kinetics of distance changes. Here, we used the sorting ability of confocal microscopy equipped with alternating-laser excitation (ALEX) to measure accurate FRET efficiencies and distances from single molecules, using corrections that account for cross-talk terms that contaminate the FRET-induced signal, and for differences in the detection efficiency and quantum yield of the probes. ALEX yields accurate FRET independent of instrumental factors, such as excitation intensity or detector alignment. Using DNA fragments, we showed that ALEX-based distances agree well with predictions from a cylindrical model of DNA; ALEX-based distances fit better to theory than distances obtained at the ensemble level. Distance measurements within transcription complexes agreed well with ensemble-FRET measurements, and with structural models based on ensemble-FRET and x-ray crystallography. ALEX can benefit structural analysis of biomolecules, especially when such molecules are inaccessible to conventional structural methods due to heterogeneity or transient nature. PMID:15653725

An alternative approach based on artificial neural networks to study controlled drug release.

PubMed

Reis, Marcus A A; Sinisterra, Rubén D; Belchior, Jadson C

2004-02-01

An alternative methodology based on artificial neural networks is proposed to be a complementary tool to other conventional methods to study controlled drug release. Two systems are used to test the approach; namely, hydrocortisone in a biodegradable matrix and rhodium (II) butyrate complexes in a bioceramic matrix. Two well-established mathematical models are used to simulate different release profiles as a function of fundamental properties; namely, diffusion coefficient (D), saturation solubility (C(s)), drug loading (A), and the height of the device (h). The models were tested, and the results show that these fundamental properties can be predicted after learning the experimental or model data for controlled drug release systems. The neural network results obtained after the learning stage can be considered to quantitatively predict ideal experimental conditions. Overall, the proposed methodology was shown to be efficient for ideal experiments, with a relative average error of <1% in both tests. This approach can be useful for the experimental analysis to simulate and design efficient controlled drug-release systems. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association

A decentralized training algorithm for Echo State Networks in distributed big data applications.

PubMed

Scardapane, Simone; Wang, Dianhui; Panella, Massimo

2016-06-01

The current big data deluge requires innovative solutions for performing efficient inference on large, heterogeneous amounts of information. Apart from the known challenges deriving from high volume and velocity, real-world big data applications may impose additional technological constraints, including the need for a fully decentralized training architecture. While several alternatives exist for training feed-forward neural networks in such a distributed setting, less attention has been devoted to the case of decentralized training of recurrent neural networks (RNNs). In this paper, we propose such an algorithm for a class of RNNs known as Echo State Networks. The algorithm is based on the well-known Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers optimization procedure. It is formulated only in terms of local exchanges between neighboring agents, without reliance on a coordinating node. Additionally, it does not require the communication of training patterns, which is a crucial component in realistic big data implementations. Experimental results on large scale artificial datasets show that it compares favorably with a fully centralized implementation, in terms of speed, efficiency and generalization accuracy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Commercial Building Energy Asset Score System: Program Overview and Technical Protocol (Version 1.0)

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

Wang, Na; Gorrissen, Willy J.

2013-01-11

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is developing a national voluntary energy asset score system that includes an energy asset score tool to help building owners evaluate their buildings with respect to the score system. The goal of the energy asset score system is to facilitate cost-effective investment in energy efficiency improvements of commercial buildings. The system will allow building owners and managers to compare their building infrastructure against peers and track building upgrade progress over time. The system can also help other building stakeholders (e.g., building operators, tenants, financiers, and appraisers) understand the relative efficiency of different buildings inmore » a way that is independent from their operations and occupancy. This report outlines the technical protocol used to generate the energy asset score, explains the scoring methodology, and provides additional details regarding the energy asset score tool. This report also describes alternative methods that were considered prior to developing the current approach. Finally, this report describes a few features of the program where alternative approaches are still under evaluation.« less

Efficient Posterior Probability Mapping Using Savage-Dickey Ratios

PubMed Central

Penny, William D.; Ridgway, Gerard R.

2013-01-01

Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) is the dominant paradigm for mass-univariate analysis of neuroimaging data. More recently, a Bayesian approach termed Posterior Probability Mapping (PPM) has been proposed as an alternative. PPM offers two advantages: (i) inferences can be made about effect size thus lending a precise physiological meaning to activated regions, (ii) regions can be declared inactive. This latter facility is most parsimoniously provided by PPMs based on Bayesian model comparisons. To date these comparisons have been implemented by an Independent Model Optimization (IMO) procedure which separately fits null and alternative models. This paper proposes a more computationally efficient procedure based on Savage-Dickey approximations to the Bayes factor, and Taylor-series approximations to the voxel-wise posterior covariance matrices. Simulations show the accuracy of this Savage-Dickey-Taylor (SDT) method to be comparable to that of IMO. Results on fMRI data show excellent agreement between SDT and IMO for second-level models, and reasonable agreement for first-level models. This Savage-Dickey test is a Bayesian analogue of the classical SPM-F and allows users to implement model comparison in a truly interactive manner. PMID:23533640

Engineering behavior of small-scale foundation piers constructed from alternative materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prokudin, Maxim Mikhaylovich

Testing small-scale prototype pier foundations to evaluate engineering behavior is an alternative to full-scale testing that facilitates testing of several piers and pier groups at relatively low cost. In this study, various pier systems and pier groups at one tenth scale were subjected to static vertical loading under controlled conditions to evaluate stiffness, bearing capacity, and group efficiency. Pier length, material properties and methods of installation were evaluated. Pier length to diameter ratios varied between four and eight. A unique soil pit with dimensions of 2.1 m in width, 1.5 m in length and 2.0 m in depth was designed to carry out this research. The test pit was filled with moisture conditioned and compacted Western Iowa loess. A special load test frame was designed and fabricated to provide up to 25,000 kg vertical reaction force for load testing. A load cell and displacement instrumentation was setup to capture the load test data. Alternative materials to conventional cement concrete were studied. The pier materials evaluated in this study included compacted aggregate, cement stabilized silt, cementitious grouts, and fiber reinforced silt. Key findings from this study demonstrated that (1) the construction method influences the behavior of aggregate piers, (2) the composition of the pier has a significant impact on the stiffness, (3) group efficiencies were found to be a function of pier length and pier material, (4) in comparison to full-scale testing the scaled piers were found to produce a stiffer response with load-settlement and bearing capacities to be similar. Further, although full-scale test results were not available for all pier materials, the small-scale testing provided a means for comparing results between pier systems. Finally, duplicate pier tests for a given length and material were found to be repeatable.

Multitrace/singletrace formulations and Domain Decomposition Methods for the solution of Helmholtz transmission problems for bounded composite scatterers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jerez-Hanckes, Carlos; Pérez-Arancibia, Carlos; Turc, Catalin

2017-12-01

We present Nyström discretizations of multitrace/singletrace formulations and non-overlapping Domain Decomposition Methods (DDM) for the solution of Helmholtz transmission problems for bounded composite scatterers with piecewise constant material properties. We investigate the performance of DDM with both classical Robin and optimized transmission boundary conditions. The optimized transmission boundary conditions incorporate square root Fourier multiplier approximations of Dirichlet to Neumann operators. While the multitrace/singletrace formulations as well as the DDM that use classical Robin transmission conditions are not particularly well suited for Krylov subspace iterative solutions of high-contrast high-frequency Helmholtz transmission problems, we provide ample numerical evidence that DDM with optimized transmission conditions constitute efficient computational alternatives for these type of applications. In the case of large numbers of subdomains with different material properties, we show that the associated DDM linear system can be efficiently solved via hierarchical Schur complements elimination.

Kalman and particle filtering methods for full vehicle and tyre identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogdanski, Karol; Best, Matthew C.

2018-05-01

This paper considers identification of all significant vehicle handling dynamics of a test vehicle, including identification of a combined-slip tyre model, using only those sensors currently available on most vehicle controller area network buses. Using an appropriately simple but efficient model structure, all of the independent parameters are found from test vehicle data, with the resulting model accuracy demonstrated on independent validation data. The paper extends previous work on augmented Kalman Filter state estimators to concentrate wholly on parameter identification. It also serves as a review of three alternative filtering methods; identifying forms of the unscented Kalman filter, extended Kalman filter and particle filter are proposed and compared for effectiveness, complexity and computational efficiency. All three filters are suited to applications of system identification and the Kalman Filters can also operate in real-time in on-line model predictive controllers or estimators.

Automatic vision-based grain optimization and analysis of multi-crystalline solar wafers using hierarchical region growing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Shu-Kai S.; Tsai, Du-Ming; Chuang, Wei-Che

2017-04-01

Solar power has become an attractive alternative source of energy. The multi-crystalline solar cell has been widely accepted in the market because it has a relatively low manufacturing cost. Multi-crystalline solar wafers with larger grain sizes and fewer grain boundaries are higher quality and convert energy more efficiently than mono-crystalline solar cells. In this article, a new image processing method is proposed for assessing the wafer quality. An adaptive segmentation algorithm based on region growing is developed to separate the closed regions of individual grains. Using the proposed method, the shape and size of each grain in the wafer image can be precisely evaluated. Two measures of average grain size are taken from the literature and modified to estimate the average grain size. The resulting average grain size estimate dictates the quality of the crystalline solar wafers and can be considered a viable quantitative indicator of conversion efficiency.

MetaBAT, an efficient tool for accurately reconstructing single genomes from complex microbial communities

DOE PAGES

Kang, Dongwan D.; Froula, Jeff; Egan, Rob; ...

2015-01-01

Grouping large genomic fragments assembled from shotgun metagenomic sequences to deconvolute complex microbial communities, or metagenome binning, enables the study of individual organisms and their interactions. Because of the complex nature of these communities, existing metagenome binning methods often miss a large number of microbial species. In addition, most of the tools are not scalable to large datasets. Here we introduce automated software called MetaBAT that integrates empirical probabilistic distances of genome abundance and tetranucleotide frequency for accurate metagenome binning. MetaBAT outperforms alternative methods in accuracy and computational efficiency on both synthetic and real metagenome datasets. Lastly, it automatically formsmore » hundreds of high quality genome bins on a very large assembly consisting millions of contigs in a matter of hours on a single node. MetaBAT is open source software and available at https://bitbucket.org/berkeleylab/metabat.« less

Identification of the critical residues responsible for differential reactivation of the triosephosphate isomerases of two trypanosomes

PubMed Central

Rodríguez-Bolaños, Monica; Cabrera, Nallely

2016-01-01

The reactivation of triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) from unfolded monomers induced by guanidine hydrochloride involves different amino acids of its sequence in different stages of protein refolding. We describe a systematic mutagenesis method to find critical residues for certain physico-chemical properties of a protein. The two similar TIMs of Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma cruzi have different reactivation velocities and efficiencies. We used a small number of chimeric enzymes, additive mutants and planned site-directed mutants to produce an enzyme from T. brucei with 13 mutations in its sequence, which reactivates fast and efficiently like wild-type (WT) TIM from T. cruzi, and another enzyme from T. cruzi, with 13 slightly altered mutations, which reactivated slowly and inefficiently like the WT TIM of T. brucei. Our method is a shorter alternative to random mutagenesis, saturation mutagenesis or directed evolution to find multiple amino acids critical for certain properties of proteins. PMID:27733588

Triazole-based Zn²⁺-specific molecular marker for fluorescence bioimaging.

PubMed

Sinha, Sougata; Mukherjee, Trinetra; Mathew, Jomon; Mukhopadhyay, Subhra K; Ghosh, Subrata

2014-04-25

Fluorescence bioimaging potential, both in vitro and in vivo, of a yellow emissive triazole-based molecular marker has been investigated and demonstrated. Three different kinds of cells, viz Bacillus thuringiensis, Candida albicans, and Techoma stans pollen grains were used to investigate the intracellular zinc imaging potential of 1 (in vitro studies). Fluorescence imaging of translocation of zinc through the stem of small herb, Peperomia pellucida, having transparent stem proved in vivo bioimaging capability of 1. This approach will enable in screening cell permeability and biostability of a newly developed probe. Similarly, the current method for detection and localization of zinc in Gram seed sprouts could be an easy and potential alternative of the existing analytical methods to investigate the efficiency of various strategies applied for increasing zinc-content in cereal crops. The probe-zinc ensemble has efficiently been applied for detecting phosphate-based biomolecules. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hospital non-price competition under the Global Budget Payment and Prospective Payment Systems.

PubMed

Chen, Wen-Yi; Lin, Yu-Hui

2008-06-01

This paper provides theoretical analyses of two alternative hospital payment systems for controlling medical cost: the Global Budget Payment System (GBPS) and the Prospective Payment System (PPS). The former method assigns a fixed total budget for all healthcare services over a given period with hospitals being paid on a fee-for-service basis. The latter method is usually connected with a fixed payment to hospitals within a Diagnosis-Related Group. Our results demonstrate that, given the same expenditure, the GBPS would approach optimal levels of quality and efficiency as well as the level of social welfare provided by the PPS, as long as market competition is sufficiently high; our results also demonstrate that the treadmill effect, modeling an inverse relationship between price and quantity under the GBPS, would be a quality-enhancing and efficiency-improving outcome due to market competition.

NURD: an implementation of a new method to estimate isoform expression from non-uniform RNA-seq data

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background RNA-Seq technology has been used widely in transcriptome study, and one of the most important applications is to estimate the expression level of genes and their alternative splicing isoforms. There have been several algorithms published to estimate the expression based on different models. Recently Wu et al. published a method that can accurately estimate isoform level expression by considering position-related sequencing biases using nonparametric models. The method has advantages in handling different read distributions, but there hasn’t been an efficient program to implement this algorithm. Results We developed an efficient implementation of the algorithm in the program NURD. It uses a binary interval search algorithm. The program can correct both the global tendency of sequencing bias in the data and local sequencing bias specific to each gene. The correction makes the isoform expression estimation more reliable under various read distributions. And the implementation is computationally efficient in both the memory cost and running time and can be readily scaled up for huge datasets. Conclusion NURD is an efficient and reliable tool for estimating the isoform expression level. Given the reads mapping result and gene annotation file, NURD will output the expression estimation result. The package is freely available for academic use at http://bioinfo.au.tsinghua.edu.cn/software/NURD/. PMID:23837734

Transfection efficiency of chitosan and thiolated chitosan in retinal pigment epithelium cells: A comparative study

PubMed Central

Oliveira, Ana V.; Silva, Andreia P.; Bitoque, Diogo B.; Silva, Gabriela A.; Rosa da Costa, Ana M.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Gene therapy relies on efficient vector for a therapeutic effect. Efficient non-viral vectors are sought as an alternative to viral vectors. Chitosan, a cationic polymer, has been studied for its gene delivery potential. In this work, disulfide bond containing groups were covalently added to chitosan to improve the transfection efficiency. These bonds can be cleaved by cytoplasmic glutathione, thus, releasing the DNA load more efficiently. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chitosan and thiolated chitosan nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared in order to obtain a NH3+:PO4− ratio of 5:1 and characterized for plasmid DNA complexation and release efficiency. Cytotoxicity and gene delivery studies were carried out on retinal pigment epithelial cells. RESULTS: In this work, we show that chitosan was effectively modified to incorporate a disulfide bond. The transfection efficiency of chitosan and thiolated chitosan varied according to the cell line used, however, thiolation did not seem to significantly improve transfection efficiency. CONCLUSION: The apparent lack of improvement in transfection efficiency of the thiolated chitosan NPs is most likely due to its size increase and charge inversion relatively to chitosan. Therefore, for retinal cells, thiolated chitosan does not seem to constitute an efficient strategy for gene delivery. PMID:23833516

Development and evaluation of N-naphthyl-N,O-succinyl chitosan micelles containing clotrimazole for oral candidiasis treatment.

PubMed

Tonglairoum, Prasopchai; Woraphatphadung, Thisirak; Ngawhirunpat, Tanasait; Rojanarata, Theerasak; Akkaramongkolporn, Prasert; Sajomsang, Warayuth; Opanasopit, Praneet

2017-03-01

Clotrimazole (CZ)-loaded N-naphthyl-N,O-succinyl chitosan (NSCS) micelles have been developed as an alternative for oral candidiasis treatment. NSCS was synthesized by reductive N-amination and N,O-succinylation. CZ was incorporated into the micelles using various methods, including the dropping method, the dialysis method, and the O/W emulsion method. The size and morphology of the CZ-loaded micelles were characterized using dynamic light scattering measurements (DLS) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM), respectively. The drug entrapment efficiency, loading capacity, release characteristics, and antifungal activity against Candida albicans were also evaluated. The CZ-loaded micelles prepared using different methods differed in the size of micelles. The micelles ranged in size from 120 nm to 173 nm. The micelles prepared via the O/W emulsion method offered the highest percentage entrapment efficiency and loading capacity. The CZ released from the CZ-loaded micelles at much faster rate compared to CZ powder. The CZ-loaded NSCS micelles can significantly hinder the growth of Candida cells after contact. These CZ-loaded NSCS micelles offer great antifungal activity and might be further developed to be a promising candidate for oral candidiasis treatment.

Including quality attributes in efficiency measures consistent with net benefit: creating incentives for evidence based medicine in practice.

PubMed

Eckermann, Simon; Coelli, Tim

2013-01-01

Evidence based medicine supports net benefit maximising therapies and strategies in processes of health technology assessment (HTA) for reimbursement and subsidy decisions internationally. However, translation of evidence based medicine to practice is impeded by efficiency measures such as cost per case-mix adjusted separation in hospitals, which ignore health effects of care. In this paper we identify a correspondence method that allows quality variables under control of providers to be incorporated in efficiency measures consistent with maximising net benefit. Including effects framed from a disutility bearing (utility reducing) perspective (e.g. mortality, morbidity or reduction in life years) as inputs and minimising quality inclusive costs on the cost-disutility plane is shown to enable efficiency measures consistent with maximising net benefit under a one to one correspondence. The method combines advantages of radial properties with an appropriate objective of maximising net benefit to overcome problems of inappropriate objectives implicit with alternative methods, whether specifying quality variables with utility bearing output (e.g. survival, reduction in morbidity or life years), hyperbolic or exogenous variables. This correspondence approach is illustrated in undertaking efficiency comparison at a clinical activity level for 45 Australian hospitals allowing for their costs and mortality rates per admission. Explicit coverage and comparability conditions of the underlying correspondence method are also shown to provide a robust framework for preventing cost-shifting and cream-skimming incentives, with appropriate qualification of analysis and support for data linkage and risk adjustment where these conditions are not satisfied. Comparison on the cost-disutility plane has previously been shown to have distinct advantages in comparing multiple strategies in HTA, which this paper naturally extends to a robust method and framework for comparing efficiency of health care providers in practice. Consequently, the proposed approach provides a missing link between HTA and practice, to allow active incentives for evidence based net benefit maximisation in practice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LDA merging and splitting with applications to multiagent cooperative learning and system alteration.

PubMed

Pang, Shaoning; Ban, Tao; Kadobayashi, Youki; Kasabov, Nikola K

2012-04-01

To adapt linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to real-world applications, there is a pressing need to equip it with an incremental learning ability to integrate knowledge presented by one-pass data streams, a functionality to join multiple LDA models to make the knowledge sharing between independent learning agents more efficient, and a forgetting functionality to avoid reconstruction of the overall discriminant eigenspace caused by some irregular changes. To this end, we introduce two adaptive LDA learning methods: LDA merging and LDA splitting. These provide the benefits of ability of online learning with one-pass data streams, retained class separability identical to the batch learning method, high efficiency for knowledge sharing due to condensed knowledge representation by the eigenspace model, and more preferable time and storage costs than traditional approaches under common application conditions. These properties are validated by experiments on a benchmark face image data set. By a case study on the application of the proposed method to multiagent cooperative learning and system alternation of a face recognition system, we further clarified the adaptability of the proposed methods to complex dynamic learning tasks.

Characterization of an Aerosol Microconcentrator for Analysis Using Microscale Optical Spectroscopies

PubMed Central

Zheng, Lina; Kulkarni, Pramod; Zavvos, Konstantinos; Liang, Huayan; Birch, M. Eileen; Dionysiou, Dionysios D.

2017-01-01

Efficient microconcentration of aerosols to a substrate is essential for effectively coupling the collected particles to microscale optical spectroscopies such as laser-induced or spark microplasma, or micro-Raman or infrared spectroscopies. In this study, we present detailed characterization of a corona-based aerosol microconcentration technique developed previously (Diwakar and Kulkarni, 2012). The method involves two coaxial electrodes separated by a few millimeters, one held at a high electrical potential and the other grounded. The particles are collected on the collection (i.e., ground) electrode from a coaxial aerosol flow in a one-step charge-and-collect scheme using corona discharge and electrical precipitation between the two electrodes. Performance of the corona microconcentration method was determined experimentally by measuring collection efficiency, wall losses, and particle deposition density. An intrinsic spectroscopic sensitivity was experimentally determined for the aerosol microconcentrator. Using this sensitivity, we show that corona-based microconcentration is much superior to alternative methods, including filtration, focused impaction using aerodynamic lens, and spot collection using condensational growth. The method offers unique advantages for compact, hand-held aerosol analytical instrumentation. PMID:28626243

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction for the characterization of olive leaf phenolic compounds by using HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS/IT-MS(2).

PubMed

Taamalli, Amani; Arráez-Román, David; Ibañez, Elena; Zarrouk, Mokhtar; Segura-Carretero, Antonio; Fernández-Gutiérrez, Alberto

2012-01-25

In the present work, a simple and rapid method for the extraction of phenolic compounds from olive leaves, using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique, has been developed. The experimental variables that affect the MAE process, such as the solvent type and composition, microwave temperature, and extraction time, were optimized using a univariate method. The obtained extracts were analyzed by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS) and electrospray ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-MS(2)) to prove the MAE extraction efficiency. The optimal MAE conditions were methanol:water (80:20, v/v) as extracting solvent, at a temperature equal to 80 °C for 6 min. Under these conditions, several phenolic compounds could be characterized by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS(2). As compared to the conventional method, MAE can be used as an alternative extraction method for the characterization of phenolic compounds from olive leaves due to its efficiency and speed.

Metabolic specialisation on preferred prey and constraints in the utilisation of alternative prey in an ant-eating spider.

PubMed

Líznarová, Eva; Pekár, Stano

2016-10-01

Trophic specialists are expected to possess adaptations that increase the efficiency of handling preferred prey. Such adaptations may constrain the ability to utilise alternative prey. Here we tested whether the ant-eating spider Euryopis episinoides possesses metabolic specialisations with increased efficiency in utilising preferred prey and decreased efficiency in utilising alternative prey. In addition, we investigated the contribution of genetic variation via maternal effects. We reared E. episinoides spiders from the first instar on two different diets, either ants (preferred prey) or fruit flies (alternative prey). Spider survival rate and increases in body mass were significantly higher on the ant diet. The total development time did not differ between diet groups, nor did the number of egg sacs per female or the incubation period. However, the number of eggs per egg sac and hatching success were higher on the ant diet. There was a genetic variation in several offspring traits. Our data support the hypothesis that stenophagous ant-eating E. episinoides have a metabolic specialisation on ant utilisation indicated by higher efficiency in utilising ants than fruit flies. While most individuals of E. episinoides were able to capture fruit flies, only very few spiders were able to develop and reproduce on a pure fruit fly diet, suggesting the existence of within-species genetic variation regarding the tolerance to alternative prey. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

BatMis: a fast algorithm for k-mismatch mapping.

PubMed

Tennakoon, Chandana; Purbojati, Rikky W; Sung, Wing-Kin

2012-08-15

Second-generation sequencing (SGS) generates millions of reads that need to be aligned to a reference genome allowing errors. Although current aligners can efficiently map reads allowing a small number of mismatches, they are not well suited for handling a large number of mismatches. The efficiency of aligners can be improved using various heuristics, but the sensitivity and accuracy of the alignments are sacrificed. In this article, we introduce Basic Alignment tool for Mismatches (BatMis)--an efficient method to align short reads to a reference allowing k mismatches. BatMis is a Burrows-Wheeler transformation based aligner that uses a seed and extend approach, and it is an exact method. Benchmark tests show that BatMis performs better than competing aligners in solving the k-mismatch problem. Furthermore, it can compete favorably even when compared with the heuristic modes of the other aligners. BatMis is a useful alternative for applications where fast k-mismatch mappings, unique mappings or multiple mappings of SGS data are required. BatMis is written in C/C++ and is freely available from http://code.google.com/p/batmis/

Facile Synthesis of Monodisperse Gold Nanocrystals Using Virola oleifera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milaneze, Bárbara A.; Oliveira, Jairo P.; Augusto, Ingrid; Keijok, Wanderson J.; Côrrea, Andressa S.; Ferreira, Débora M.; Nunes, Otalíbio C.; Gonçalves, Rita de Cássia R.; Kitagawa, Rodrigo R.; Celante, Vinícius G.; da Silva, André Romero; Pereira, Ana Claudia H.; Endringer, Denise C.; Schuenck, Ricardo P.; Guimarães, Marco C. C.

2016-10-01

The development of new routes and strategies for nanotechnology applications that only employ green synthesis has inspired investigators to devise natural systems. Among these systems, the synthesis of gold nanoparticles using plant extracts has been actively developed as an alternative, efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally safe method for producing nanoparticles, and this approach is also suitable for large-scale synthesis. This study reports reproducible and completely natural gold nanocrystals that were synthesized using Virola oleifera extract. V. oleifera resin is rich in epicatechin, ferulic acid, gallic acid, and flavonoids (i.e., quercetin and eriodictyol). These gold nanoparticles play three roles. First, these nanoparticles exhibit remarkable stability based on their zeta potential. Second, these nanoparticles are functionalized with flavonoids, and third, an efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly mechanism can be employed to produce green nanoparticles with organic compounds on the surface. Our model is capable of reducing the resin of V. oleifera, which creates stability and opens a new avenue for biological applications. This method does not require painstaking conditions or hazardous agents and is a rapid, efficient, and green approach for the fabrication of monodisperse gold nanoparticles.

Generalized Buneman Pruning for Inferring the Most Parsimonious Multi-state Phylogeny

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misra, Navodit; Blelloch, Guy; Ravi, R.; Schwartz, Russell

Accurate reconstruction of phylogenies remains a key challenge in evolutionary biology. Most biologically plausible formulations of the problem are formally NP-hard, with no known efficient solution. The standard in practice are fast heuristic methods that are empirically known to work very well in general, but can yield results arbitrarily far from optimal. Practical exact methods, which yield exponential worst-case running times but generally much better times in practice, provide an important alternative. We report progress in this direction by introducing a provably optimal method for the weighted multi-state maximum parsimony phylogeny problem. The method is based on generalizing the notion of the Buneman graph, a construction key to efficient exact methods for binary sequences, so as to apply to sequences with arbitrary finite numbers of states with arbitrary state transition weights. We implement an integer linear programming (ILP) method for the multi-state problem using this generalized Buneman graph and demonstrate that the resulting method is able to solve data sets that are intractable by prior exact methods in run times comparable with popular heuristics. Our work provides the first method for provably optimal maximum parsimony phylogeny inference that is practical for multi-state data sets of more than a few characters.

FY2015 Annual Report for Alternative Fuels DISI Engine Research.

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

Sjöberg, Carl-Magnus G.

2016-01-01

Climate change and the need to secure energy supplies are two reasons for a growing interest in engine efficiency and alternative fuels. This project contributes to the science-base needed by industry to develop highly efficient DISI engines that also beneficially exploit the different properties of alternative fuels. Our emphasis is on lean operation, which can provide higher efficiencies than traditional non-dilute stoichiometric operation. Since lean operation can lead to issues with ignition stability, slow flame propagation and low combustion efficiency, we focus on techniques that can overcome these challenges. Specifically, fuel stratification is used to ensure ignition and completeness ofmore » combustion but has soot- and NOx- emissions challenges. For ultralean well-mixed operation, turbulent deflagration can be combined with controlled end-gas auto-ignition to render mixed-mode combustion that facilitates high combustion efficiency. However, the response of both combustion and exhaust emissions to these techniques depends on the fuel properties. Therefore, to achieve optimal fuel-economy gains, the engine combustion-control strategies must be adapted to the fuel being utilized.« less

Alternative oil extraction methods from Echium plantagineum L. seeds using advanced techniques and green solvents.

PubMed

Castejón, Natalia; Luna, Pilar; Señoráns, Francisco J

2018-04-01

The edible oil processing industry involves large losses of organic solvent into the atmosphere and long extraction times. In this work, fast and environmentally friendly alternatives for the production of echium oil using green solvents are proposed. Advanced extraction techniques such as Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE), Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE) and Ultrasound Assisted Extraction (UAE) were evaluated to efficiently extract omega-3 rich oil from Echium plantagineum seeds. Extractions were performed with ethyl acetate, ethanol, water and ethanol:water to develop a hexane-free processing method. Optimal PLE conditions with ethanol at 150 °C during 10 min produced a very similar oil yield (31.2%) to Soxhlet using hexane for 8 h (31.3%). UAE optimized method with ethanol at mild conditions (55 °C) produced a high oil yield (29.1%). Consequently, advanced extraction techniques showed good lipid yields and furthermore, the produced echium oil had the same omega-3 fatty acid composition than traditionally extracted oil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical Ecology of the Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and Potential for Alternative Control Methods

PubMed Central

Sablon, Ludovic; Dickens, Joseph C.; Haubruge, Éric; Verheggen, François J.

2012-01-01

The Colorado potato beetle (CPB) has been a major insect pest to potato farming for over 150 years and various control methods have been established to reduce its impact on potato fields. Crop rotation and pesticide use are currently the most widely used approaches, although alternative methods are being developed. Here we review the role of various volatile and nonvolatile chemicals involved in behavior changes of CPB that may have potential for their control. First, we describe all volatile and nonvolatile chemicals involved in host plant localization and acceptance by CPB beetles, including glycoalcaloids and host plant volatiles used as kairomones. In the second section, we present the chemical signals used by CPB in intraspecific communication, including sex and aggregation pheromones. Some of these chemicals are used by natural enemies of CPBs to locate their prey and are presented in the third section. The last section of this review is devoted a discussion of the potential of some natural chemicals in biological control of CPB and to approaches that already reached efficient field applications. PMID:26466794

The efficacy of subsurface flow reed bed treatment in the removal of Campylobacter spp., faecal coliforms and Escherichia coli from poultry litter.

PubMed

Duggan, J; Bates, M P; Phillips, C A

2001-06-01

The use of poultry waste as a fertiliser on arable land is an accepted method of waste treatment. However, run-off from such practices may result in contamination of the watercourse by human pathogens. In this study the effectiveness of using constructed wetlands as an alternative treatment for poultry manure waste was evaluated. Enumeration of Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli, total coliforms and total aerobes were carried out on influent and effluent samples from reed beds loaded with poultry waste. For both sequential loading and continuous loading there was a statistically significant mean log reduction of 3.56 and 4.25 for E. coli, 3.2 and 3.88 for coliforms, 3.85 and 4.2 for total aerobic counts and 3.13 and 2.96 for Campylobacter spp., respectively. This method, which has been previously recognised as cost-effective and environmentally acceptable, provides an efficient method for reducing numbers of these bacteria in poultry waste and therefore an effective alternative treatment for such waste or waters containing run off from land previously spread with poultry manure.

Visual detection technique for efficient screening and isolation of Salmonella based on a novel enrichment assay using chromatography membrane.

PubMed

Tang, F; Xiong, Y; Zhang, H; Wu, K; Xiang, Y; Shao, J-B; Ai, H-W; Xiang, Y-P; Zheng, X-L; Lv, J-R; Sun, H; Bao, L-S; Zhang, Z; Hu, H-B; Zhang, J-Y; Chen, L; Lu, J; Liu, W-Y; Mei, H; Ma, Y; Xu, C-F; Fang, A-Y; Gu, M; Xu, C-Y; Chen, Y; Chen, Z; Sun, Z-Y

2016-03-01

To detect Salmonella more efficiently and isolate strains more easily, a novel and simple detection method that uses an enrichment assay and two chromogenic reactions on a chromatography membrane was developed. Grade 3 chromatography paper is used as functionalized solid phase support (SPS), which contains specially optimized medium. One reaction for screening is based on the sulfate-reducing capacity of Salmonella. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) generated by Salmonella reacts with ammonium ferric citrate to produce black colored ferrous sulfide. Another reaction is based on Salmonella C8 esterase that is unique for Enterobacteriaceae except Serratia and interacts with 4-methylumbelliferyl caprylate (MUCAP) to produce fluorescent umbelliferone, which is visible under ultraviolet light. A very low detection limit (10(1) CFU ml(-1)) for Salmonella was achieved on the background of 10(5) CFU ml(-1) Escherichia coli. More importantly, testing with more than 1,000 anal samples indicated that our method has a high positive detection rate and is relatively low cost, compared with the traditional culture-based method. It took only 1 day for the preliminary screening and 2 days to efficiently isolate the Salmonella cells, indicating that the new assay is specific, rapid, and simple for Salmonella detection. In contrast to the traditional culture-based method, this method can be easily used to screen and isolate targeted strains with the naked eye. The results of quantitative and comparative experiments showed that the visual detection technique is an efficient alternative method for the screening of Salmonella spp. in many applications of large-sized samples related to public health surveillance.

Practical applications of insects' sexual development for pest control.

PubMed

Koukidou, M; Alphey, L

2014-01-01

Elucidation of the sex differentiation pathway in insects offers an opportunity to understand key aspects of evolutionary developmental biology. In addition, it provides the understanding necessary to manipulate insects in order to develop new synthetic genetics-based tools for the control of pest insects. Considerable progress has been made in this, especially in improvements to the sterile insect technique (SIT). Large scale sex separation is considered highly desirable or essential for most SIT targets. This separation can be provided by genetic methods based on sex-specific gene expression. Investigation of sex determination by many groups has provided molecular components and methods for this. Though the primary sex determination signal varies considerably, key regulatory genes and mechanisms remain surprisingly similar. In most cases studied so far, a primary signal is transmitted to a basal gene at the bottom of the hierarchy (dsx) through an alternative splicing cascade; dsx is itself differentially spliced in males and females. A sex-specific alternative splicing system therefore offers an attractive route to achieve female-specific expression. Experience has shown that alternative splicing modules can be developed with cross-species function; modularity and standardisation and re-use of parts are key principles of synthetic biology. Both female-killing and sex reversal (XX females to phenotypic males) can in principle also be used as efficient alternatives to sterilisation in SIT-like methods. Sexual maturity is yet another area where understanding of sexual development may be applied to insect control programmes. Further detailed understanding of this crucial aspect of insect biology will undoubtedly continue to underpin innovative practical applications. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Sparse networks of directly coupled, polymorphic, and functional side chains in allosteric proteins.

PubMed

Soltan Ghoraie, Laleh; Burkowski, Forbes; Zhu, Mu

2015-03-01

Recent studies have highlighted the role of coupled side-chain fluctuations alone in the allosteric behavior of proteins. Moreover, examination of X-ray crystallography data has recently revealed new information about the prevalence of alternate side-chain conformations (conformational polymorphism), and attempts have been made to uncover the hidden alternate conformations from X-ray data. Hence, new computational approaches are required that consider the polymorphic nature of the side chains, and incorporate the effects of this phenomenon in the study of information transmission and functional interactions of residues in a molecule. These studies can provide a more accurate understanding of the allosteric behavior. In this article, we first present a novel approach to generate an ensemble of conformations and an efficient computational method to extract direct couplings of side chains in allosteric proteins, and provide sparse network representations of the couplings. We take the side-chain conformational polymorphism into account, and show that by studying the intrinsic dynamics of an inactive structure, we are able to construct a network of functionally crucial residues. Second, we show that the proposed method is capable of providing a magnified view of the coupled and conformationally polymorphic residues. This model reveals couplings between the alternate conformations of a coupled residue pair. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first computational method for extracting networks of side chains' alternate conformations. Such networks help in providing a detailed image of side-chain dynamics in functionally important and conformationally polymorphic sites, such as binding and/or allosteric sites. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

On the Quantification of Cellular Velocity Fields.

PubMed

Vig, Dhruv K; Hamby, Alex E; Wolgemuth, Charles W

2016-04-12

The application of flow visualization in biological systems is becoming increasingly common in studies ranging from intracellular transport to the movements of whole organisms. In cell biology, the standard method for measuring cell-scale flows and/or displacements has been particle image velocimetry (PIV); however, alternative methods exist, such as optical flow constraint. Here we review PIV and optical flow, focusing on the accuracy and efficiency of these methods in the context of cellular biophysics. Although optical flow is not as common, a relatively simple implementation of this method can outperform PIV and is easily augmented to extract additional biophysical/chemical information such as local vorticity or net polymerization rates from speckle microscopy. Copyright © 2016 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A high-efficiency high-power-generation system for automobiles

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

Naidu, M.; Boules, N.; Henry, R.

This paper presents a new scheme for the efficient generation of high electric power demanded for future automobiles. The new system consists of a permanent-magnet (PM) alternator having high-energy MAGNEQUENCH (MQ) magnets and split winding and a novel electronic voltage-regulation scheme. A proof-of-concept system, capable of providing 100/250 A (idle/cruising) at 14 V, has been built and tested in the laboratory with encouraging results. This high output is provided at 15--20 percentage points higher efficiencies than conventional automotive alternators, which translates into considerable fuel economy savings. The system is 8 dB quieter and has a rotor inertia of only 2/3more » that of an equivalent production alternator, thus allowing for a belt drive without excessive slippage.« less

A high-efficiency, high power generation system for automobiles

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

Naidu, M.; Boules, N.; Henry, R.

The paper presents a new scheme for the efficient generation of high electric power, demands for future automobiles. The new system, consists of a permanent magnet (PM) alternator having high energy MAGNEQUENCH (MQ) magnets and split winding; and a novel electronic voltage regulation scheme. A proof of concept system, capable of providing 100/250 A (idle/cruising) at 14 V, has been built and tested in the laboratory with encouraging results. This high output is provided at 15--20 percentage points higher efficiencies than conventional automotive alternators, which translates into considerable fuel economy savings. The system is 8 dB quieter and has amore » rotor inertia of only 2/3 that of an equivalent production alternator, thus allowing for a belt drive without excessive slippage.« less

Material selection and assembly method of battery pack for compact electric vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewchalermwong, N.; Masomtob, M.; Lailuck, V.; Charoenphonphanich, C.

2018-01-01

Battery packs become the key component in electric vehicles (EVs). The main costs of which are battery cells and assembling processes. The battery cell is indeed priced from battery manufacturers while the assembling cost is dependent on battery pack designs. Battery pack designers need overall cost as cheap as possible, but it still requires high performance and more safety. Material selection and assembly method as well as component design are very important to determine the cost-effectiveness of battery modules and battery packs. Therefore, this work presents Decision Matrix, which can aid in the decision-making process of component materials and assembly methods for a battery module design and a battery pack design. The aim of this study is to take the advantage of incorporating Architecture Analysis method into decision matrix methods by capturing best practices for conducting design architecture analysis in full account of key design components critical to ensure efficient and effective development of the designs. The methodology also considers the impacts of choice-alternatives along multiple dimensions. Various alternatives for materials and assembly techniques of battery pack are evaluated, and some sample costs are presented. Due to many components in the battery pack, only seven components which are positive busbar and Z busbar are represented in this paper for using decision matrix methods.

Benefits and Costs of Aggressive Energy Efficiency Programs and the Impacts of Alternative Sources of Funding: Case Study of Massachusetts

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

Cappers, Peter; Satchwell, Andrew; Goldman, Charles

2010-08-06

Increased interest by state (and federal) policymakers and regulatory agencies in pursuing aggressive energy efficiency efforts could deliver significant utility bill savings for customers while having long-term implications for ratepayers (e.g. potential rate impacts). Equity and distributional concerns associated with the authorized recovery of energy efficiency program costs may necessitate the pursuit of alternative program funding approaches. In 2008, Massachusetts passed the Green Communities Act which directed its energy efficiency (EE) program administrators to obtain all cost-effective EE resources. This goal has translated into achieving annual electric energy savings equivalent to a 2.4% reduction in retail sales from energy efficiencymore » programs in 2012. Representatives of electricity consumer groups supported the new portfolio of EE programs (and the projected bill savings) but raised concerns about the potential rate impacts associated with achieving such aggressive EE goals, leading policymakers to seek out alternative funding sources which can potentially mitigate these effects. Utility administrators have also raised concerns about under-recovery of fixed costs when aggressive energy efficiency programs are pursued and have proposed ratemaking policies (e.g. decoupling) and business models that better align the utility's financial interests with the state's energy efficiency public policy goals. Quantifying these concerns and identifying ways they can be addressed are crucial steps in gaining the support of major stakeholder groups - lessons that can apply to other states looking to significantly increase savings targets that can be achieved from their own ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs. We use a pro-forma utility financial model to quantify the bill and rate impacts on electricity customers when very aggressive annual energy efficiency savings goals ({approx}2.4%) are achieved over the long-term and also assess the impact of different cost recovery approaches that integrate alternative revenue sources. We also analyze alternative lost fixed cost recovery approaches to better understand how to mitigate the erosion of utility shareholder returns in states that have adopted (and achieved) very aggressive savings targets.« less

A Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymer with Alternating Isoindigo Derivative and Bithiophene Units for Near-Infrared Modulated Cancer Thermo-Chemotherapy.

PubMed

Li, Dong-Dong; Wang, Jun-Xia; Ma, Yan; Qian, Hai-Sheng; Wang, Dong; Wang, Li; Zhang, Guobing; Qiu, Longzhen; Wang, Yu-Cai; Yang, Xian-Zhu

2016-08-03

Conjugated polymers containing alternating donor/acceptor units have strong and sharp absorbance peaks in near-infrared (NIR) region, which could be suitable for photothermal therapy. However, these polymers as photothermal transducers are rarely reported because of their water insolubility, which limits their applications for cancer therapy. Herein, we report the donor-acceptor conjugated polymer PBIBDF-BT with alternating isoindigo derivative (BIBDF) and bithiophene (BT) units as a novel photothermal transducer, which exhibited strong near-infrared (NIR) absorbance due to its low band gap (1.52 eV). To stabilize the conjugated polymer physiological environments, we utilized an amphiphilic copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(hexyl ethylene phosphate) (mPEG-b-PHEP), to stabilize PBIBDF-BT-based nanoparticles (PBIBDF-BT@NPPPE) through a single emulsion method. The obtained nanoparticles PBIBDF-BT@NPPPE showed great stability in physiological environments and excellent photostability. Moreover, the PBIBDF-BT@NPPPE exhibited high photothermal conversion efficiency, reaching 46.7%, which is relatively high compared with those of commonly used materials for photothermal therapy. Accordingly, in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that PBIBDF-BT@NPPPE exhibits efficient photothermal anticancer efficacy. More importantly, PBIBDF-BT@NPPPE could simultaneously encapsulate other types of therapeutic agents though hydrophobic interactions with the PHEP core and achieve NIR-triggered intracellular drug release and a synergistic combination therapy of thermo-chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer.

[Theory, method and application of method R on estimation of (co)variance components].

PubMed

Liu, Wen-Zhong

2004-07-01

Theory, method and application of Method R on estimation of (co)variance components were reviewed in order to make the method be reasonably used. Estimation requires R values,which are regressions of predicted random effects that are calculated using complete dataset on predicted random effects that are calculated using random subsets of the same data. By using multivariate iteration algorithm based on a transformation matrix,and combining with the preconditioned conjugate gradient to solve the mixed model equations, the computation efficiency of Method R is much improved. Method R is computationally inexpensive,and the sampling errors and approximate credible intervals of estimates can be obtained. Disadvantages of Method R include a larger sampling variance than other methods for the same data,and biased estimates in small datasets. As an alternative method, Method R can be used in larger datasets. It is necessary to study its theoretical properties and broaden its application range further.

Sustainability assessment of alternative end-uses for disused areas based on multi-criteria decision-making method.

PubMed

De Feo, Giovanni; De Gisi, Sabino; De Vita, Sabato; Notarnicola, Michele

2018-08-01

The main aim of this study was to define and apply a multidisciplinary and multi-criteria approach to sustainability in evaluating alternative end-uses for disused areas. Taking into account the three pillars of sustainability (social, economic and environmental dimension) as well as the need for stakeholders to have new practical instruments, the innovative approach consists of four modules stated (i) sociological, (ii) economic, (iii) environmental and (iv) multi-criteria assessment. By means of a case study on a small Municipality in Southern Italy, three end-uses alternatives, representing three essential services for citizens, were selected: Municipal gym; Market area; Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) separate collection centre. The sociological module was useful to select the most socially sound alternative by means of a consultative referendum, simulated with the use of a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of the population. The economic evaluation was conducted defining the bill of quantities with regarding to six main items (soil handling, landfill disposal tax, public services, structure and services, completion work, equipment and furnishings). The environmental evaluation was performed applying the Delphi method with local technicians who were involved in a qualitative-quantitative evaluation of the three alternatives with regarding to eight possible environmental impacts (landscape impact, soil handling, odour, traffic, noise, atmospheric pollution, wastewater, waste). Finally, the Simple Additive Weighting was used as multi-criteria technique to define alternatives priorities. The obtained results showed how the multi-criteria analysis is a useful decision support tool able to identify transparently and efficiently the most sustainable solutions to a complex social problem. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.