Sample records for ein neuartiges passives

  1. A Sodium-Containing Quasicrystal: Using Gold To Enhance Sodium's Covalency in Intermetallic Compounds

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

    Smetana, Volodymyr; Lin, Qisheng; Pratt, Daniel K.

    2013-09-26

    Gold macht stabil: Na 13Au 12Ga 15, ein natriumhaltiges thermodynamisch stabiles quasikristallines Material, wurde bei einer systematischen Studie des polaren Na-Au-Ga-Intermetallsystems entdeckt. Sein Elektron/Atom-Verhältnis von 1.75 ist für Bergman-Ikosaederphasen extrem klein, doch der substanzielle Au-Anteil sorgt für eine Hume-Rothery-Stabilisierung und neuartige polar-kovalente Na-Au-Wechselwirkungen.

  2. Vom Big Business zum Smart Business in der Energiewirtschaft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klaus, Jürgen; Anthonijsz, Jos

    Kaum eine Branche hat in den letzten zehn Jahren einen tiefgreifenderen Wandel erfahren als die Energiewirtschaft. Einstmals geprägt durch Großkonzerne, die flächendeckend alle Formen von Energiedienstleistungen erbracht haben, stellt sich heute eine gänzlich veränderte Landschaft dar. Nicht nur das es heute eine Vielzahl von Erzeugern gibt, die zunehmend dezentral aufgestellt sind, auch die klassischen Marktrollen wechseln: Erzeuger werden zu Händlern, Verbraucher werden zu Erzeugern. Darüber hinaus drängen heute neue, vormals branchenfremde, Marktteilnehmer in die Energiewirtschaft. Leicht nachzuvollziehen, dass es eine neue Art der Kommunikation braucht. Ziel ist alle Akteure zu vernetzen, um so neuartige Geschäftsmodelle zu ermöglichen. Das Internet of Things (IoT) und die Serviceplattformen bieten hierzu die geeignete Grundlage und Lösungen für neue und zukünftige Prozesse in der Energiebranche. Hierbei stehen auch Themen, wie Big Data, Datenformate, Datennutzung und -sicherheit im Fokus.

  3. Ein Kredit für Weihnachtsbaumkugeln

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tutsch, Sina

    Eine Mathematikerin aus dem DFG-Forschungszentrum Matheon arbeitet an Methoden zur dreidimensionalen Visualisierung. Sie hat die Geschäftsidee, Weihnachtsbaumkugeln mit bewegten Hologrammen herzustellen, die sich individuell gestalten lassen, und plant eine Existenzgründung. Aus einem öffentlichen Förderprogramm erhält sie ein günstiges Darlehen in Höhe von 50 000 Euro. Für die Startphase ihres Unternehmens benötigt sie jedoch den vierfachen Betrag.

  4. Eine selbstkonsistente Carleman Linearisierung zur Analyse von Oszillatoren

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weber, Harry; Mathis, Wolfgang

    2017-09-01

    Die Analyse nichtlinearer dynamischer Schaltungen ist bis heute eine herausfordernde Aufgabe, da nur selten analytische Lösungen angegeben werden können. Daher wurden eine Vielzahl von Methoden entwickelt, um eine qualitative oder quantitative Näherung für die Lösungen der Netzwerkgleichung zu erhalten. Oftmals wird beispielsweise eine Kleinsignalanalyse mit Hilfe einer Taylorreihe in einem Arbeitspunkt durchgeführt, die nach den Gliedern erster Ordnung abgebrochen wird. Allerdings ist diese Linearisierung nur in der Nähe des stabilen Arbeitspunktes für hyperbolische Systeme gültig. Besonders für die Analyse des dynamischen Verhaltens von Oszillatoren treten jedoch nicht-hyperbolische Systeme auf, sodass diese Methode nicht angewendet werden kann Mathis (2000). Carleman hat gezeigt, dass nichtlineare Differentialgleichungen mit polynomiellen Nichtlinearitäten in ein unendliches System von linearen Differentialgleichungen transformiert werden können Carleman (1932). Wird das unendlichdimensionale Gleichungssystem für numerische Zwecke abgebrochen, kann bei Oszillatoren der Übergang in eine stationäre Schwingung (Grenzzyklus) nicht wiedergegeben werden. In diesem Beitrag wird eine selbstkonsistente Carleman Linearisierung zur Untersuchung von Oszillatoren vorgestellt, die auch dann anwendbar ist, wenn die Nichtlinearitäten keinen Polynomen entsprechen. Anstelle einer linearen Näherung um einen Arbeitspunkt, erfolgt mit Hilfe der Carleman Linearisierung eine Approximation auf einem vorgegebenen Gebiet. Da es jedoch mit der selbstkonsistenten Technik nicht möglich ist, das stationäre Verhalten von Oszillatoren zu beschreiben, wird die Berechnung einer Poincaré-Abbildung durchgeführt. Mit dieser ist eine anschließende Analyse des Oszillators möglich.

  5. Strukturen und Geschäftsmodelle eines neuen Energiemarkts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mildebrath, Bernhard

    Die Energiewende fördert nicht nur technologische, sondern auch organisatorische und kommerzielle Innovationen. Die Strukturen und Geschäftsmodelle eines neuen Energiemarktes entwickeln sich bereits. Im Spagat zwischen Versuch und Irrtum werden sie völlig neue Lösungen für eine altbekannte Forderung schaffen: Strom soll preiswert, sicher und umweltverträglich sein. Der nachstehende Artikel präsentiert dafür - teils zugespitzte - Überlegungen zu den Strukturen und Geschäftsmodellen eines neuen Energiemarkts.

  6. Hardware-Abbildung eines videobasierten Verfahrens zur echtzeitfähigen Auswertung von Winkelhistogrammen auf eine modulare Coprozessor-Architektur

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flatt, H.; Tarnowsky, A.; Blume, H.; Pirsch, P.

    2010-10-01

    Dieser Beitrag behandelt die Abbildung eines videobasierten Verfahrens zur echtzeitfähigen Auswertung von Winkelhistogrammen auf eine modulare Coprozessor-Architektur. Die Architektur besteht aus mehreren dedizierten Recheneinheiten zur parallelen Verarbeitung rechenintensiver Bildverarbeitungsverfahren und ist mit einem RISC-Prozessor verbunden. Eine konfigurierbare Architekturerweiterung um eine Recheneinheit zur Auswertung von Winkelhistogrammen von Objekten ermöglicht in Verbindung mit dem RISC eine echtzeitfähige Klassifikation. Je nach Konfiguration sind für die Architekturerweiterung auf einem Xilinx Virtex-5-FPGA zwischen 3300 und 12 000 Lookup-Tables erforderlich. Bei einer Taktfrequenz von 100 MHz können unabhängig von der Bildauflösung pro Einzelbild in einem 25-Hz-Videodatenstrom bis zu 100 Objekte der Größe 256×256 Pixel analysiert werden. This paper presents the mapping of a video-based approach for real-time evaluation of angular histograms on a modular coprocessor architecture. The architecture comprises several dedicated processing elements for parallel processing of computation-intensive image processing tasks and is coupled with a RISC processor. A configurable architecture extension, especially a processing element for evaluating angular histograms of objects in conjunction with a RISC processor, provides a real-time classification. Depending on the configuration of the architecture extension, 3 300 to 12 000 look-up tables are required for a Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA implementation. Running at a clock frequency of 100 MHz and independently of the image resolution per frame, 100 objects of size 256×256 pixels are analyzed in a 25 Hz video stream by the architecture.

  7. Der neue Kosmos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Unsöld, Albrecht; Baschek, Bodo

    Astronomie, Astrophysik und Weltraumforschung haben innerhalb weniger Jahrzehnte eine geradezu explosive Entwicklung genommen. Die neuen Beobachtungsmöglichkeiten durch die Raumfahrt, die Entwicklung hochempfindlicher Lichtdetektoren und der Einsatz leistungsstarker Computer haben uns neuartige Aspekte in der faszinierenden Welt der Galaxien und Quasare, der Sterne und Planeten erschlossen. Nachdem die dritte Auflage vergriffen ist, trägt die vorliegende vierte, völlig neubearbeitete Auflage des NEUEN KOSMOS dieser stürmischen Entwicklung Rechnung. In überschaubarem Umfang wird - bei bescheidenen Ansprüchen an die mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Vorbildung des Lesers - eine zusammenhängende Einführung in das Gesamtgebiet der Astronomie und Astrophysik gegeben, welche die Beobachtungen und die Grundgedanken ihrer theoretischen Deutung in gleicher Weise berücksichtigt. Auch in seiner neuen Gestalt wird der NEUE KOSMOS den Studenten und Forschern in Bereichen der Astronomie, Physik und Geowissenschaften sowie einem weiten Kreis ernsthaft interessierter Amateure viel Neues und viel Freude bringen.

  8. EIN2 mediates direct regulation of histone acetylation in the ethylene response.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Fan; Wang, Likai; Qi, Bin; Zhao, Bo; Ko, Eun Esther; Riggan, Nathaniel D; Chin, Kevin; Qiao, Hong

    2017-09-19

    Ethylene gas is essential for developmental processes and stress responses in plants. Although the membrane-bound protein EIN2 is critical for ethylene signaling, the mechanism by which the ethylene signal is transduced remains largely unknown. Here we show the levels of H3K14Ac and H3K23Ac are correlated with the levels of EIN2 protein and demonstrate EIN2 C terminus (EIN2-C) is sufficient to rescue the levels of H3K14/23Ac of ein2 -5 at the target loci, using CRISPR/dCas9-EIN2-C. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) and ChIP-reChIP-seq analyses revealed that EIN2-C associates with histone partially through an interaction with EIN2 nuclear-associated protein1 (ENAP1), which preferentially binds to the genome regions that are associated with actively expressed genes both with and without ethylene treatments. Specifically, in the presence of ethylene, ENAP1-binding regions are more accessible upon the interaction with EIN2, and more EIN3 proteins bind to the loci where ENAP1 is enriched for a quick response. Together, these results reveal EIN2-C is the key factor regulating H3K14Ac and H3K23Ac in response to ethylene and uncover a unique mechanism by which ENAP1 interacts with chromatin, potentially preserving the open chromatin regions in the absence of ethylene; in the presence of ethylene, EIN2 interacts with ENAP1, elevating the levels of H3K14Ac and H3K23Ac, promoting more EIN3 binding to the targets shared with ENAP1 and resulting in a rapid transcriptional regulation.

  9. Nagelbefall kann bei Patienten mit Psoriasis auf eine Enthesiopathie hinweisen.

    PubMed

    Castellanos-González, Maria; Joven, Beatriz Esther; Sánchez, Julio; Andrés-Esteban, Eva María; Vanaclocha-Sebastián, Francisco; Romero, Pablo Ortiz; Díaz, Raquel Rivera

    2016-11-01

    Obwohl subklinische Enthesiopathie ein gut etabliertes diagnostisches Merkmal der Psoriasisarthritis (PsA) ist, wird sie häufig übersehen, da viele Patienten asymptomatisch sind. Gäbe es klinische Hinweise auf das Vorliegen einer Enthesiopathie, würde dies den Klinikern die Möglichkeit eröffnen, eine PsA frühzeitig zu diagnostizieren. Es wurde eine monozentrische prospektive Studie mit insgesamt 90 Psoriasis-Patienten durchgeführt, um mittels Ultraschall das Vorliegen von Enthesenanomalien zu untersuchen und eine Korrelation mit dem Befall der Nägel festzustellen. Enthesenanomalien wurden bei 23 Patienten (25,5 %) gefunden, von denen 19 (82,6 %) Nagelbefall aufwiesen. Bei 4 Patienten waren die Nägel nicht betroffen. Enthesiopathie lag bei 31,1 % (19/61) der Patienten mit Onychopathie vor, von den Patienten ohne Nagelbefall litten nur 13,8 % (4/29) an Enthesiopathie (p = 0,07). Zwischen dem Target-NAPSI-Score und dem Vorliegen einer Enthesiopathie bestand eine signifikante Korrelation. Eine signifikante Korrelation bestand darüber hinaus auch zwischen dem Vorliegen einer Enthesiopathie und der Anzahl der betroffenen Nägel (p = 0,035). Klinische Belege für eine Onychopathie können der Schlüssel für die frühe Diagnose einer Enthesiopathie bei Psoriasis-Patienten sein. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Werner-Syndrom. Eine prototypische Form der segmentalen Progerie

    PubMed Central

    Lessel, D.; Oshima, J.; Kubisch, C.

    2013-01-01

    Das Werner-Syndrom ist eine segmental progeroide Erkrankung mit Beginn in der Adoleszenz oder im frühen Erwachsenenalter. Typische Symptome, die zum vorgealterten Phänotyp beitragen, sind ein post-pubertär auftretender Kleinwuchs, Katarakte, eine vorzeitige Ergrauung/Ausdünnung des Haupthaars, sklerodermieähnliche Hautveränderungen und eine regionale Atrophie des subkutanen Fettgewebes. Darüber hinaus kommt es früh und gehäuft zu „Alterserkrankungen“ wie z. B. einem Diabetes mellitus Typ 2, einer Osteoporose, einer Atherosklerose sowie verschiedenen malignen Tumoren. Das Werner-Syndrom wird autosomal- rezessiv vererbt und ist durch Mutationen im Werner-Gen (WRN) bedingt. Es wurden bis heute mehr als 70 über das gesamte Gen verteilte Mutationen identifiziert, die typischerweise zu einem Verlust der Genfunktion führen. WRN kodiert für eine RecQ-Typ- Helikase, die u. a. an der DNA-Reparatur und der Aufrechterhaltung der DNA-Integrität beteiligt ist, was sich in einer erhöhten genetischen Instabilität in Patientenzellen wider-spiegelt. Trotz der relativen Seltenheit ist die Analyse des Werner-Syndroms von allgemeiner Bedeutung, um die Rolle der DNA-Stabilität und Integrität für das Altern sowie die Entwicklung altersassoziierter Erkrankungen besser zu verstehen. PMID:25309043

  11. The Central Role of PhEIN2 in Ethylene Responses throughout Plant Development in Petunia1

    PubMed Central

    Shibuya, Kenichi; Barry, Kristin G.; Ciardi, Joseph A.; Loucas, Holly M.; Underwood, Beverly A.; Nourizadeh, Saeid; Ecker, Joseph R.; Klee, Harry J.; Clark, David G.

    2004-01-01

    The plant hormone ethylene regulates many aspects of growth and development. Loss-of-function mutations in ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE2 (EIN2) result in ethylene insensitivity in Arabidopsis, indicating an essential role of EIN2 in ethylene signaling. However, little is known about the role of EIN2 in species other than Arabidopsis. To gain a better understanding of EIN2, a petunia (Petunia × hybrida cv Mitchell Diploid [MD]) homolog of the Arabidopsis EIN2 gene (PhEIN2) was isolated, and the role of PhEIN2 was analyzed in a wide range of plant responses to ethylene, many that do not occur in Arabidopsis. PhEIN2 mRNA was present at varying levels in tissues examined, and the PhEIN2 expression decreased after ethylene treatment in petals. These results indicate that expression of PhEIN2 mRNA is spatially and temporally regulated in petunia during plant development. Transgenic petunia plants with reduced PhEIN2 expression were compared to wild-type MD and ethylene-insensitive petunia plants expressing the Arabidopsis etr1-1 gene for several physiological processes. Both PhEIN2 and etr1-1 transgenic plants exhibited significant delays in flower senescence and fruit ripening, inhibited adventitious root and seedling root hair formation, premature death, and increased hypocotyl length in seedling ethylene response assays compared to MD. Moderate or strong levels of reduction in ethylene sensitivity were achieved with expression of both etr1-1 and PhEIN2 transgenes, as measured by downstream expression of PhEIL1. These results demonstrate that PhEIN2 mediates ethylene signals in a wide range of physiological processes and also indicate the central role of EIN2 in ethylene signal transduction. PMID:15466231

  12. The Arabidopsis EIN2 restricts organ growth by retarding cell expansion

    PubMed Central

    Feng, Guanping; Liu, Gang; Xiao, Jianhua

    2015-01-01

    The growth of plant organ to its characteristic size is a fundamental developmental process, but the mechanism is still poorly understood. Plant hormones play a great role in organ size control by modulating cell division and/or cell expansion. ETHYLENE INSENSITVE 2 (EIN2) was first identified by a genetic screen for ethylene insensitivity and is regarded as a central component of ethylene signaling, but its role in cell growth has not been reported. Here we demonstrate that changed expression of EIN2 led to abnormity of cell expansion by morphological and cytological analyses of EIN2 loss-of-function mutants and the overexpressing transgenic plant. Our findings suggest that EIN2 controls final organ size by restricting cell expansion. PMID:26039475

  13. Bildbasierte Navigation eines mobilen Roboters mittels omnidirektionaler und schwenkbarer Kamera

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nierobisch, Thomas; Hoffmann, Frank; Krettek, Johannes; Bertram, Torsten

    Dieser Beitrag präsentiert einen neuartigen Ansatz zur entkoppelten Regelung der Kamera-Blickrichtung und der Bewegung eines mobilen Roboters im Kontext der bildbasierten Navigation. Eine schwenkbare monokulare Kamera hält unabhängig von der Roboterbewegung die relevanten Merkmale für die Navigation im Sichtfeld. Die Entkopplung der Kamerablickrichtung von der eigentlichen Roboterbewegung wird durch die Projektion der Merkmale auf eine virtuelle Bildebene realisiert. In der virtuellen Bildebene hängt die Ausprägung der visuellen Merkmale für die bildbasierte Regelung nur von der Roboterposition ab und ist unabhängig gegenüber der tatsächlichen Blickrichtung der Kamera. Durch die Schwenkbarkeit der monokularen Kamera wird der Arbeitsbereich, über dem sich ein Referenzbild zur bildbasierten Regelung eignet, gegenüber einer statischen Kamera signifikant vergrößert. Dies ermöglicht die Navigation auch in texturarmen Umgebungen, die wenig verwertbare Textur- und Strukturmerkmale aufweisen.

  14. Apple EIN3 BINDING F-box 1 inhibits the activity of three apple EIN3-like transcription factors

    PubMed Central

    Tacken, Emma J.; Ireland, Hilary S.; Wang, Yen-Yi; Putterill, Jo; Schaffer, Robert J.

    2012-01-01

    Background and aims Fruit ripening in Malus× domestica (apple) is controlled by ethylene. Work in model species has shown that following the detection of ethylene, the ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3 (EIN3) transcription factor is stabilized, leading to an increase in transcript accumulation of ethylene-responsive genes, such as POLYGALACTURONASE1 (PG1). In the absence of ethylene, the EIN3 BINDING F-box (EBF) proteins rapidly degrade EIN3 via the ubiquitination/SCF (Skp, Cullin, F-Box) proteasome pathway. In this study, we aim to identify and characterize the apple EBF genes, and test their activity against apple EIN3-like proteins (EILs). Methodology The apple genome sequence was mined for EBF-like genes. The expression of EBF-like genes was measured during fruit development. Using a transient assay in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, the activity of three apple EILs was tested against the PG1 promoter, with and without ethylene and EBF1. Principal results Four EBF-like genes in apple were identified and grouped into two sub-clades. Sub-clade I genes had constant expression over fruit development while sub-clade II genes increased in expression at ripening. EBF1 was shown to reduce the transactivation of the apple PG1 promoter by the EIL1, EIL2 and EIL3 transcription factors in the presence of ethylene. Conclusions The apple EBF1 gene identified here is likely to be a functionally conserved EBF orthologue, modulating EIL activity in apples. The activity of EBF1 suggests that it is not specific to a single EIL, instead acting as a global regulator of apple EIL transcription factors. PMID:23585922

  15. Analyse der Literatur zu Klimawirkungen in Deutschland: ein Gesamtbild mit Lücken

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fleischhauer, Mark; Greiving, Stefan; Lindner, Christian; Lückenkötter, Johannes; Schauser, Inke

    Dieses Kapitel präsentiert Ergebnisse einer umfassenden Literaturauswertung zu relevanten Klimawirkungen für Deutschland, die im Rahmen des Projekts "Netzwerk Vulnerabilität" vorgenommen wurde. Es zeigt auf, dass ein aggregiertes Gesamtbild der Klimawirkungen für Deutschland als Grundlage für Folgenabschätzungen und Anpassungsplanungen noch nicht gezeichnet werden kann, da eine große Bandbreite an Ansätzen zur Bewertung von Vulnerabilitäten oder Klimawandelfolgen existiert und die gegenwärtig vorhandenen Klimawirkungs- und Vulnerabilitätsstudien von großer Heterogenität gekennzeichnet sind. Als erster Schritt wird deshalb eine Zusammenschau bereits vorhandener Ansätze geliefert.

  16. Innovative BI-Lösungen als Basis für eine erfolgreiche Transformation zu Utility 4.0

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phillipp, Daniel; Ebert, Sebastian

    Für eine erfolgreiche Transformation, vom reinen Energieversorger hin zum Energiedienstleister, werden innovative Business-Intelligence-Lösungen notwendig sein und eine zentrale Rolle einnehmen. Dabei ist es zunächst essenziell, die Herausforderungen zu kennen und ihnen mit geeigneten Analysen zu begegnen. Die Basis hierzu bildet eine abgestimmte und auf die strategischen Unternehmensziele ausgerichtete Architektur und Vorgehensweise. Zwei Beispiele veranschaulichen, wie ein gesamtheitlicher Ansatz, auch bei Datenvielfalt und hoher Komplexität, operative Prozesse optimiert, und fortgeschrittene Analysen zukünftig einen Beitrag zum Unternehmenserfolg liefern können.

  17. Was leistet ein Sportler? Kraft, Leistung und Energie im Muskel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thaller, Sigrid; Mathelitsch, Leopold

    2006-01-01

    Der Leistungsbegriff ist im Sport weiter gefasst als in der Physik. In beiden Fällen liegt der Fokus jedoch auf einer pro Zeiteinheit erfolgten Energieumsetzung. Allerdings gibt die rein physikalische Leistung nicht immer Auskunft über den Energieumsatz der Muskeln. Die Muskelkraft hängt von der Kontraktionsgeschwindigkeit des Muskels ab. Ein Muskel verhält sich also anders als eine Feder. Für den Hochleistungssport müssen die Energieumsätze der Muskeln durch spezielle Trainings- und Nahrungsprogramme optimiert werden.

  18. Transcriptome Analysis Provides a Preliminary Regulation Route of the Ethylene Signal Transduction Component, SlEIN2, during Tomato Ripening.

    PubMed

    Wang, Rui-Heng; Yuan, Xin-Yu; Meng, Lan-Huan; Zhu, Ben-Zhong; Zhu, Hong-Liang; Luo, Yun-Bo; Fu, Da-Qi

    2016-01-01

    Ethylene is crucial in climacteric fruit ripening. The ethylene signal pathway regulates several physiological alterations such as softening, carotenoid accumulation and sugar level reduction, and production of volatile compounds. All these physiological processes are controlled by numerous genes and their expression simultaneously changes at the onset of ripening. Ethylene insensitive 2 (EIN2) is a key component for ethylene signal transduction, and its mutation causes ethylene insensitivity. In tomato, silencing SlEIN2 resulted in a non-ripening phenotype and low ethylene production. RNA sequencing of SlEIN2-silenced and wild type tomato, and differential gene expression analyses, indicated that silencing SlEIN2 caused changes in more than 4,000 genes, including those related to photosynthesis, defense, and secondary metabolism. The relative expression level of 28 genes covering ripening-associated transcription factors, ethylene biosynthesis, ethylene signal pathway, chlorophyll binding proteins, lycopene and aroma biosynthesis, and defense pathway, showed that SlEIN2 influences ripening inhibitor (RIN) in a feedback loop, thus controlling the expression of several other genes. SlEIN2 regulates many aspects of fruit ripening, and is a key factor in the ethylene signal transduction pathway. Silencing SlEIN2 ultimately results in lycopene biosynthesis inhibition, which is the reason why tomato does not turn red, and this gene also affects the expression of several defense-associated genes. Although SlEIN2-silenced and green wild type fruits are similar in appearance, their metabolism is significantly different at the molecular level.

  19. AaEIN3 Mediates the Downregulation of Artemisinin Biosynthesis by Ethylene Signaling Through Promoting Leaf Senescence in Artemisia annua.

    PubMed

    Tang, Yueli; Li, Ling; Yan, Tingxiang; Fu, Xueqing; Shi, Pu; Shen, Qian; Sun, Xiaofen; Tang, Kexuan

    2018-01-01

    Artemisinin is an important drug for malaria treatment, which is exclusively produced in Artemisia annua . It's important to dissect the regulatory mechanism of artemisinin biosynthesis by diverse plant hormones and transcription factors. Our study shows ethylene, a plant hormone which accelerates flower and leaf senescence and fruit ripening, suppressed the expression of genes encoding three key enzymes ADS, DBR2, CYP71AV1, and a positive regulator AaORA involved in artemisinin biosynthesis. Then we isolated the gene encoding ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3), a key transcription factor in ethylene signaling pathway, by screening the transcriptome and genome database from Artemisia annua , named AaEIN3 . Overexpressing AaEIN3 suppressed artemisinin biosynthesis, while repressing its expression with RNAi enhanced artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua , indicating AaEIN3 negatively regulates artemisinin biosynthesis. Further study showed the downregulation of artemisinin biosynthesis by ethylene required the mediation of AaEIN3. AaEIN3 could accelerate leaf senescence, and leaf senescence attenuated the expression of ADS, DBR2, CYP71AV1 , and AaORA that are involved in artemisinin biosynthesis. Collectively, our study demonstrated a negative correlation between ethylene signaling and artemisinin biosynthesis, which is ascribed to AaEIN3-induced senescence process of leaves. Our work provided novel knowledge on the regulatory network of plant hormones for artemisinin metabolic pathway.

  20. AaEIN3 Mediates the Downregulation of Artemisinin Biosynthesis by Ethylene Signaling Through Promoting Leaf Senescence in Artemisia annua

    PubMed Central

    Tang, Yueli; Li, Ling; Yan, Tingxiang; Fu, Xueqing; Shi, Pu; Shen, Qian; Sun, Xiaofen; Tang, Kexuan

    2018-01-01

    Artemisinin is an important drug for malaria treatment, which is exclusively produced in Artemisia annua. It’s important to dissect the regulatory mechanism of artemisinin biosynthesis by diverse plant hormones and transcription factors. Our study shows ethylene, a plant hormone which accelerates flower and leaf senescence and fruit ripening, suppressed the expression of genes encoding three key enzymes ADS, DBR2, CYP71AV1, and a positive regulator AaORA involved in artemisinin biosynthesis. Then we isolated the gene encoding ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3), a key transcription factor in ethylene signaling pathway, by screening the transcriptome and genome database from Artemisia annua, named AaEIN3. Overexpressing AaEIN3 suppressed artemisinin biosynthesis, while repressing its expression with RNAi enhanced artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua, indicating AaEIN3 negatively regulates artemisinin biosynthesis. Further study showed the downregulation of artemisinin biosynthesis by ethylene required the mediation of AaEIN3. AaEIN3 could accelerate leaf senescence, and leaf senescence attenuated the expression of ADS, DBR2, CYP71AV1, and AaORA that are involved in artemisinin biosynthesis. Collectively, our study demonstrated a negative correlation between ethylene signaling and artemisinin biosynthesis, which is ascribed to AaEIN3-induced senescence process of leaves. Our work provided novel knowledge on the regulatory network of plant hormones for artemisinin metabolic pathway. PMID:29675029

  1. EIN3 and ORE1 Accelerate Degreening during Ethylene-Mediated Leaf Senescence by Directly Activating Chlorophyll Catabolic Genes in Arabidopsis

    PubMed Central

    Qiu, Kai; Li, Zhongpeng; Yang, Zhen; Chen, Junyi; Wu, Shouxin; Zhu, Xiaoyu; Gao, Shan; Gao, Jiong; Ren, Guodong; Kuai, Benke; Zhou, Xin

    2015-01-01

    Degreening, caused by chlorophyll degradation, is the most obvious symptom of senescing leaves. Chlorophyll degradation can be triggered by endogenous and environmental cues, and ethylene is one of the major inducers. ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) is a key transcription factor in the ethylene signaling pathway. It was previously reported that EIN3, miR164, and a NAC (NAM, ATAF, and CUC) transcription factor ORE1/NAC2 constitute a regulatory network mediating leaf senescence. However, how this network regulates chlorophyll degradation at molecular level is not yet elucidated. Here we report a feed-forward regulation of chlorophyll degradation that involves EIN3, ORE1, and chlorophyll catabolic genes (CCGs). Gene expression analysis showed that the induction of three major CCGs, NYE1, NYC1 and PAO, by ethylene was largely repressed in ein3 eil1 double mutant. Dual-luciferase assay revealed that EIN3 significantly enhanced the promoter activity of NYE1, NYC1 and PAO in Arabidopsis protoplasts. Furthermore, Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) indicated that EIN3 could directly bind to NYE1, NYC1 and PAO promoters. These results reveal that EIN3 functions as a positive regulator of CCG expression during ethylene-mediated chlorophyll degradation. Interestingly, ORE1, a senescence regulator which is a downstream target of EIN3, could also activate the expression of NYE1, NYC1 and PAO by directly binding to their promoters in EMSA and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. In addition, EIN3 and ORE1 promoted NYE1 and NYC1 transcriptions in an additive manner. These results suggest that ORE1 is also involved in the direct regulation of CCG transcription. Moreover, ORE1 activated the expression of ACS2, a major ethylene biosynthesis gene, and subsequently promoted ethylene production. Collectively, our work reveals that EIN3, ORE1 and CCGs constitute a coherent feed-forward loop involving in the robust regulation of ethylene-mediated chlorophyll degradation

  2. Ustekinumab in der Therapie der Pustulosis palmoplantaris - Eine Fallserie mit neun Patienten.

    PubMed

    Buder, Valeska; Herberger, Katharina; Jacobi, Arnd; Augustin, Matthias; Radtke, Marc Alexander

    2016-11-01

    Die Pustulosis palmoplantaris ist eine chronisch entzündliche Hauterkrankung, die mit bedeutenden Einschränkungen der Lebensqualität und der Belastbarkeit einhergeht. Aufgrund von Zulassungsbeschränkungen und einem häufig therapierefraktären Verlauf sind die Behandlungsmöglichkeiten limitiert. Nach zuvor frustranen Therapien erhielten 9 Patienten mit Pustulosis palmoplantaris nach Ausschluss einer latenten Tuberkulose Ustekinumab (45 mg Ustekinumab bei < 100 kg Körpergewicht [KG], 90 mg Ustekinumab > 100 kg KG) in Woche 0, 4, 12 und 24. Reguläre Visiten erfolgten nach 4 und 12 Wochen, im weiteren Verlauf alle 12 Wochen. Das Durchschnittsalter bei Therapiebeginn betrug 48 Jahre. Drei Patienten waren männlich. Bei n  =  4 Patienten (44,4 %) wurde eine Verbesserung um 75 % des Palmoplantar-Psoriasis-Area-Severity-Index (PPPASI) erreicht. Insgesamt verbesserte sich der PPPASI nach 24 Wochen durchschnittlich um 71,6 %. Eine komplette Abheilung zeigte sich bei n  =  2 Patienten nach 24 Wochen. Bis auf lokale Injektionsreaktionen und leichte Infekte wurden keine unerwünschten Wirkungen beobachtet. Die Fallserie ist ein weiterer Beleg für die Wirksamkeit und Verträglichkeit von Ustekinumab in der Therapie der Pustulosis palmoplantaris. Zur Beurteilung der Langzeitwirkung und -sicherheit sowie der Wirksamkeit einer intermittierenden Therapie sind kontrollierte Studiendaten sowie Beobachtungen im Rahmen von Patientenregistern notwendig. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Pax2 expression in simultaneously diagnosed WHO and EIN classification systems.

    PubMed

    Joiner, Amy K; Quick, Charles M; Jeffus, Susanne K

    2015-01-01

    PAX2 has been cited as a technically robust biomarker which nicely delineates precancerous lesions of the endometrium when the endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN) classification scheme is used. Its utility in distinguishing between atypical and nonatypical hyperplasia when applied within the 1994 World Health Organization classification system is questionable. The purpose of this study was to evaluate PAX2 in a side by side comparison of its staining patterns in a series of endometrial samples that were classified using both systems. A total of 108 precancerous endometrial cases were identified, of which 30 cases were deemed nonhyperplastic by consensus agreement and 11 cases lost the tissue of interest on deeper sections. The remaining 67 cases were categorized according to the 1994 World Health Organization criteria and EIN scheme by 2 gynecologic pathologists. PAX2 staining was scored in lesional tissue as normal or altered (lost, increased, or decreased) compared with nonlesional background. The most common pattern of alteration was complete loss of nuclear PAX2 staining (86.3%) followed by decreased staining (11.3%) and markedly increased staining (2.3%). PAX2 alterations correlated well with EIN diagnoses (33/36, 92%) compared with benign hyperplasia (2/13, 15%) but were less useful when the 1994 World Health Organization classification system was applied (PAX2 alteration in 22/25 (88%) of atypical hyperplasia cases versus 16/25 (64%) of nonatypical hyperplasia cases). Forty-five percent of follow-up hysterectomies with a previous PAX2-altered biopsy case harbored adenocarcinoma. In conclusion, PAX2 may be a helpful adjunct stain and training tool when the features of atypical hyperplasia/EIN are in question.

  4. ORA59 and EIN3 interaction couples jasmonate-ethylene synergistic action to antagonistic salicylic acid regulation of PDF expression.

    PubMed

    He, Xiang; Jiang, Jishan; Wang, Chang-Quan; Dehesh, Katayoon

    2017-04-01

    Hormonal crosstalk is central for tailoring plant responses to the nature of challenges encountered. The role of antagonism between the two major defense hormones, salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), and modulation of this interplay by ethylene (ET) in favor of JA signaling pathway in plant stress responses is well recognized, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Here, we show the opposing function of two transcription factors, ethylene insensitive3 (EIN3) and EIN3-Like1 (EIL1), in SA-mediated suppression and JA-mediated activation of PLANT DEFENSIN1.2 (PDF1.2). This functional duality is mediated via their effect on protein, not transcript levels of the PDF1.2 transcriptional activator octadecanoid-responsive Arabidopsis59 (ORA59). Specifically, JA induces ORA59 protein levels independently of EIN3/EIL1, whereas SA reduces the protein levels dependently of EIN3/EIL1. Co-infiltration assays revealed nuclear co-localization of ORA59 and EIN3, and split-luciferase together with yeast-two-hybrid assays established their physical interaction. The functional ramification of the physical interaction is EIN3-dependent degradation of ORA59 by the 26S proteasome. These findings allude to SA-responsive reduction of ORA59 levels mediated by EIN3 binding to and targeting of ORA59 for degradation, thus nominating ORA59 pool as a coordination node for the antagonistic function of ET/JA and SA. © 2017 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  5. CTR1 phosphorylates the central regulator EIN2 to control ethylene hormone signaling from the ER membrane to the nucleus in Arabidopsis

    PubMed Central

    Ju, Chuanli; Yoon, Gyeong Mee; Shemansky, Jennifer Marie; Lin, David Y.; Ying, Z. Irene; Chang, Jianhong; Garrett, Wesley M.; Kessenbrock, Mareike; Groth, Georg; Tucker, Mark L.; Cooper, Bret; Kieber, Joseph J.; Chang, Caren

    2012-01-01

    The gaseous phytohormone ethylene C2H4 mediates numerous aspects of growth and development. Genetic analysis has identified a number of critical elements in ethylene signaling, but how these elements interact biochemically to transduce the signal from the ethylene receptor complex at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane to transcription factors in the nucleus is unknown. To close this gap in our understanding of the ethylene signaling pathway, the challenge has been to identify the target of the CONSTITUTIVE TRIPLE RESPONSE1 (CTR1) Raf-like protein kinase, as well as the molecular events surrounding ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE2 (EIN2), an ER membrane-localized Nramp homolog that positively regulates ethylene responses. Here we demonstrate that CTR1 interacts with and directly phosphorylates the cytosolic C-terminal domain of EIN2. Mutations that block the EIN2 phosphorylation sites result in constitutive nuclear localization of the EIN2 C terminus, concomitant with constitutive activation of ethylene responses in Arabidopsis. Our results suggest that phosphorylation of EIN2 by CTR1 prevents EIN2 from signaling in the absence of ethylene, whereas inhibition of CTR1 upon ethylene perception is a signal for cleavage and nuclear localization of the EIN2 C terminus, allowing the ethylene signal to reach the downstream transcription factors. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying ethylene signal transduction. PMID:23132950

  6. Inzidenz von bullösen Autoimmunerkrankungen in Serbien: eine retrospektive Studie über 20 Jahre.

    PubMed

    Milinković, Mirjana; Janković, Slavenka; Medenica, Ljiljana; Nikolić, Miloš; Reljić, Vesna; Popadić, Svetlana; Janković, Janko

    2016-10-01

    Die meisten früheren Arbeiten zu den klinisch-epidemiologischen Merkmalen von bullösen Autoimmunerkrankungen (AIBD) konzentrierten sich vor allem auf eine einzige Krankheitsentität oder nur eine Krankheitsgruppe; nur in wenigen Studien wurde die Inzidenz verschiedener AIBD untersucht. Bei der vorliegenden Studie war es unser Ziel, das gesamte Spektrum der AIBD zu betrachten, die Inzidenz der häufigsten AIBD zu ermitteln und die zeitlichen Trends ihres Auftretens in Zentralserbien über einen Zeitraum von 20 Jahren zu untersuchen. Wir rekrutierten retrospektiv 1161 AIBD-Fälle, die in Zentralserbien von Januar 1991 bis Dezember 2010 neu diagnostiziert wurden. Die Diagnose stützte sich auf eine strikte klinische, histologische und immunhistologische Beurteilung. Folgende Inzidenzraten wurden für die einzelnen Erkrankungen ermittelt: 4,35 pro eine Million Einwohner/Jahr (pME/Jahr) für Pemphigus, 4,47 pME/Jahr für Pemphigoid, 1,42 pME/Jahr für Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), 0,25 pME/Jahr IgA-Dermatose und 0,08 pME/Jahr für Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. Im betrachteten Zeitraum stieg die altersbereinigte Inzidenzrate für Pemphigus und insbesondere für Pemphigoid signifikant an, während sie für DH, allerdings nicht signifikant, abnahm. Unsere Studie befasst sich zum ersten Mal mit den Inzidenzraten des gesamten Spektrums der AIBD in Serbien und untersucht die zeitlichen Trends ihres Auftretens über einen Zeitraum von 20 Jahren. Nach unserem besten Wissen wurde ein ähnlicher Befund wie der unsere, dass nämlich die Inzidenzraten von Pemphigus und Pemphigoid vergleichbar sind, bisher noch nicht publiziert. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Ethylene Promotes Cadmium-induced Root Growth Inhibition through EIN3 controlled XTH33 and LSU1 expression in Arabidopsis.

    PubMed

    Kong, Xiangpei; Li, Cuiling; Zhang, Feng; Yu, Qianqian; Gao, Shan; Zhang, Maolin; Tian, Huiyu; Zhang, Jian; Yuan, Xianzheng; Ding, Zhaojun

    2018-06-05

    Cadmium (Cd) stress is one of the most serious heavy metal stresses limiting plant growth and development. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Cd-induced root growth inhibition remain unclear. Here, we found that ethylene signaling positively regulates Cd-induced root growth inhibition. Arabidopsis seedlings pretreated with the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid exhibited enhanced Cd-induced root growth inhibition; while the addition of the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor aminoethoxyvinyl glycine decreased Cd-induced root growth inhibition. Consistently, ethylene-insensitive mutants such as ein4-1, ein3-1 eil1-1 double mutant, and EBF1ox, displayed an increased tolerance to Cd. Furthermore, we also observed that Cd inhibited EIN3 protein degradation, a process which was regulated by ethylene signaling. Genetic and biochemical analyses showed that EIN3 enhanced root growth inhibition under Cd stress through direct binding to the promoters and regulating the expression of XTH33 and LSU1, which encode key regulators of cell wall extension and S metabolic process, respectively. Collectively, our study demonstrates that ethylene plays a positive role in Cd-regulated root growth inhibition through EIN3-mediated transcriptional regulation of XTH33 and LSU1, and provides a molecular framework for the integration of environmental signals and intrinsic regulators in modulating plant root growth. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  8. Erhöhtes Lungenkrebs-Risiko bei Ekzempatienten: eine landesweite Kohortenstudie in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Juan, Chao-Kuei; Shen, Jui-Lung; Lin, Cheng-Li; Kim, Karen Wang; Chen, Wen-Chi

    2016-09-01

    Der Zusammenhang zwischen Lungenkrebs und Ekzemen bleibt umstritten. Frühere Studien haben zu widersprüchlichen Ergebnissen geführt. Diese retrospektive populationsbasierte Kohortenstudie zielt darauf ab, das Risiko von Lungenkrebs im Zusammenhang mit Ekzemen abzuklären. In der Forschungsdatenbank der taiwanesischen nationalen Krankenversicherung identifizierten wir 43719 Patienten, bei denen in den Jahren 2000 bis 2010 ein Ekzem neu diagnostiziert wurde. Die Vergleichskohorte bildeten 87438 zufällig ausgewählte, altersangepasste Patienten ohne Ekzem. Die Fälle aus diesen beiden Kohorten wurden bis 2011 verfolgt. Zur Kalkulation des Lungenkrebsrisikos bei Ekzempatienten wurde die Cox-Regression verwendet. Die Datenbank enthielt keine Informationen über Raucherstatus, Alkoholkonsum, sozioökonomischen Status oder Familienanamnese. Nach der Bereinigung um Alter und Komorbidität hatte die Population mit Ekzemen ein um 2,80 erhöhtes Risiko für die Entwicklung von Lungenkrebs gegenüber der Vergleichskohorte (bereinigte Hazard-Ratio 2,80, 95 % Konfidenzinterval 2,59-3,03). Ekzempatienten mit Begleiterkrankungen, darunter Asthma, chronisch obstruktive Lungenerkrankungen, alkoholbedingten Leberschäden oder Diabetes, hatten ein höheres Lungenkrebsrisiko als Patienten ohne Ekzeme oder Komorbidität. Ekzeme gehen mit einem höheren Risiko für die Entwicklung von Lungenkrebs einher. Weitere Studien mit umfassenderen Informationen über weitere potentielle Einflussfaktoren sind sinnvoll. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. SN 2017ein and the Possible First Identification of a Type Ic Supernova Progenitor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Zheng, WeiKang; Brink, Thomas G.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Milisavljevic, Dan; Andrews, Jennifer E.; Smith, Nathan; Cignoni, Michele; Fox, Ori D.; Kelly, Patrick L.; Adamo, Angela; Yunus, Sameen; Zhang, Keto; Kumar, Sahana

    2018-06-01

    We have identified a progenitor candidate in archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images for the Type Ic supernova (SN Ic) SN 2017ein in NGC 3938, pinpointing the candidate’s location via HST Target of Opportunity imaging of the SN itself. This would be the first identification of a stellar-like object as a progenitor candidate for any SN Ic to date. We also present observations of SN 2017ein during the first ∼49 days since explosion. We find that SN 2017ein most resembles the well-studied SN Ic SN 2007gr. We infer that SN 2017ein experienced a total visual extinction of A V ≈ 1.0–1.9 mag, predominantly because of dust within the host galaxy. Although the distance is not well known, if this object is the progenitor, it was likely of high initial mass, ∼47–48 M ⊙ if a single star, or ∼60–80 M ⊙ if in a binary system. However, we also find that the progenitor candidate could be a very blue and young compact cluster, further implying a very massive (>65 M ⊙) progenitor. Furthermore, the actual progenitor might not be associated with the candidate at all and could be far less massive. From the immediate stellar environment, we find possible evidence for three different populations; if the SN progenitor was a member of the youngest population, this would be consistent with an initial mass of ∼57 M ⊙. After it has faded, the SN should be reobserved at high spatial resolution and sensitivity, to determine whether the candidate is indeed the progenitor.

  10. Separation anxiety: An analysis of ethylene-induced cleavage of EIN2

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Since the discovery of the CTR1 protein kinase and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized EIN2 protein nearly 20 y ago, plant biologists have wondered how these proteins respectively serve as negative and positive regulators of ethylene-mediated signal transduction in plants. Now with the publicat...

  11. Interlanguage Passive Construction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simargool, Nirada

    2008-01-01

    Because the appearance of the passive construction varies cross linguistically, differences exist in the interlanguage (IL) passives attempted by learners of English. One such difference is the widely studied IL pseudo passive, as in "*new cars must keep inside" produced by Chinese speakers. The belief that this is a reflection of L1 language…

  12. Method of passivating semiconductor surfaces

    DOEpatents

    Wanlass, Mark W.

    1990-01-01

    A method of passivating Group III-V or II-VI semiconductor compound surfaces. The method includes selecting a passivating material having a lattice constant substantially mismatched to the lattice constant of the semiconductor compound. The passivating material is then grown as an ultrathin layer of passivating material on the surface of the Group III-V or II-VI semiconductor compound. The passivating material is grown to a thickness sufficient to maintain a coherent interface between the ultrathin passivating material and the semiconductor compound. In addition, a device formed from such method is also disclosed.

  13. Method of passivating semiconductor surfaces

    DOEpatents

    Wanlass, M.W.

    1990-06-19

    A method is described for passivating Group III-V or II-VI semiconductor compound surfaces. The method includes selecting a passivating material having a lattice constant substantially mismatched to the lattice constant of the semiconductor compound. The passivating material is then grown as an ultrathin layer of passivating material on the surface of the Group III-V or II-VI semiconductor compound. The passivating material is grown to a thickness sufficient to maintain a coherent interface between the ultrathin passivating material and the semiconductor compound. In addition, a device formed from such method is also disclosed.

  14. Passive Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bojesen, Emile

    2018-01-01

    This paper does not present an advocacy of a passive education as opposed to an active education nor does it propose that passive education is in any way 'better' or more important than active education. Through readings of Maurice Blanchot, Jacques Derrida and B.S. Johnson, and gentle critiques of Jacques Rancière and John Dewey, passive…

  15. Hydrogenation of passivated contacts

    DOEpatents

    Nemeth, William; Yuan, Hao-Chih; LaSalvia, Vincenzo; Stradins, Pauls; Page, Matthew R.

    2018-03-06

    Methods of hydrogenation of passivated contacts using materials having hydrogen impurities are provided. An example method includes applying, to a passivated contact, a layer of a material, the material containing hydrogen impurities. The method further includes subsequently annealing the material and subsequently removing the material from the passivated contact.

  16. Zusammenarbeit aus Sicht eines outgesourcten Instandhalters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grüßer, Stefan; Loeven, Heinz-Wilhelm

    Dauerhafter Unternehmenserfolg ist nur mit einer fortschrittlichen Instandhaltung zu erzielen. Durch den enormen Kostendruck infolge der Globalisierung und die Innovationssprünge auf der technischen Seite wird auch die Frage nach der modernen Organisationsform für die Instandhaltung gestellt. Eine Möglichkeit der Kostenoptimierung ist das Outsourcing von Instandhaltungsleistungen. Hierbei ist es unerlässlich, dass sich die Mitarbeiter zum Dienstleister entwickeln. In diesem Beitrag wird die Entwicklung der InfraServ Knapsack von einer internen Instandhaltungsabteilung hin zu einem Industriellen Dienstleister beschrieben und Aspekte der Zusammenarbeit mit externen Kunden aus der Sicht des outgesourcten Instandhalters geschildert. Es werden die wichtigen Entwicklungsschritte zur Dienstleistungsorientierung der früheren Eigeninstandhaltung aufgezeigt. Dieser Beitrag ist nicht als "Königsweg“ zu verstehen, er soll vielmehr anhand der Erfahrungen einer outgesourcten Eigeninstandhaltung Anregungen für die Entwicklung der eigenen Instandhaltungsorganisation liefern.

  17. Commentary on "Capturing the Evasive Passive"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lillo-Martin, Diane; Snyder, William

    2009-01-01

    Passives has been the focus of much research in language acquisition since the 1970s. It has been clear from this research that young children seldom produce passives spontaneously, particularly "long" or "full" passives with a by-phrase; and they usually perform poorly on experimental tests of the comprehension of passives, especially passives of…

  18. Surface Passivation in Empirical Tight Binding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Yu; Tan, Yaohua; Jiang, Zhengping; Povolotskyi, Michael; Klimeck, Gerhard; Kubis, Tillmann

    2016-03-01

    Empirical Tight Binding (TB) methods are widely used in atomistic device simulations. Existing TB methods to passivate dangling bonds fall into two categories: 1) Method that explicitly includes passivation atoms is limited to passivation with atoms and small molecules only. 2) Method that implicitly incorporates passivation does not distinguish passivation atom types. This work introduces an implicit passivation method that is applicable to any passivation scenario with appropriate parameters. This method is applied to a Si quantum well and a Si ultra-thin body transistor oxidized with SiO2 in several oxidation configurations. Comparison with ab-initio results and experiments verifies the presented method. Oxidation configurations that severely hamper the transistor performance are identified. It is also shown that the commonly used implicit H atom passivation overestimates the transistor performance.

  19. Passivation Of High-Temperature Superconductors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vasquez, Richard P.

    1991-01-01

    Surfaces of high-temperature superconductors passivated with native iodides, sulfides, or sulfates formed by chemical treatments after superconductors grown. Passivating compounds nearly insoluble in and unreactive with water and protect underlying superconductors from effects of moisture. Layers of cuprous iodide and of barium sulfate grown. Other candidate passivating surface films: iodides and sulfides of bismuth, strontium, and thallium. Other proposed techniques for formation of passivating layers include deposition and gas-phase reaction.

  20. Measure Guideline: Passive Vents

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

    Berger, David; Neri, Robin

    2016-02-05

    This document addresses the use of passive vents as a source of outdoor air in multifamily buildings. The challenges associated with implementing passive vents and the factors affecting performance are outlined. A comprehensive design methodology and quantified performance metrics are provided. Two hypothetical design examples are provided to illustrate the process. This document is intended to be useful to designers, decision-makers, and contractors implementing passive ventilation strategies. It is also intended to be a resource for those responsible for setting high-performance building program requirements, especially pertaining to ventilation and outdoor air. To ensure good indoor air quality, a dedicated sourcemore » of outdoor air is an integral part of high-performance buildings. Presently, there is a lack of guidance pertaining to the design and installation of passive vents, resulting in poor system performance. This report details the criteria necessary for designing, constructing, and testing passive vent systems to enable them to provide consistent and reliable levels of ventilation air from outdoors.« less

  1. Techniques for active passivation

    DOEpatents

    Roscioli, Joseph R.; Herndon, Scott C.; Nelson, Jr., David D.

    2016-12-20

    In one embodiment, active (continuous or intermittent) passivation may be employed to prevent interaction of sticky molecules with interfaces inside of an instrument (e.g., an infrared absorption spectrometer) and thereby improve response time. A passivation species may be continuously or intermittently applied to an inlet of the instrument while a sample gas stream is being applied. The passivation species may have a highly polar functional group that strongly binds to either water or polar groups of the interfaces, and once bound presents a non-polar group to the gas phase in order to prevent further binding of polar molecules. The instrument may be actively used to detect the sticky molecules while the passivation species is being applied.

  2. [Kombinierte Anwendung von Strahlentherapie und adjuvanter Therapie mit einem Mistelextrakt (Viscum album L.) zur Behandlung des oralen malignen Melanoms beim Hund: Eine retrospektive Studie].

    PubMed

    von Bodungen, Uta; Ruess, Katja; Reif, Marcus; Biegel, Ulrike

    2017-01-01

    Hintergrund: Orale maligne Melanome (OMM) des Hundes zeichnen sich durch schnelles Wachstum, lokale Invasion und hohe Metastasierungsraten aus. Extrakte auf Basis von Viscum album L. (VAE) werden zunehmend in der Krebstherapie sowohl in der Human- als auch in der Veterinärmedizin eingesetzt. Ziel unserer Studie war es zu untersuchen, inwieweit die adjuvante Therapie mit VAE eine therapeutische Option zur Behandlung von OMM ist. Besonderes Augenmerk galt dabei der Überlebenszeit und möglichen Nebenwirkungen. Tiere und Methoden: 26 Hunde mit OMM, die in einem der größten veterinäronkologischen Zentren der Schweiz allesamt eine Strahlentherapie erhielten (teilweise nach operativer Tumorresektion) wurden in die retrospektive Studie eingeschlossen: 18 Hunde wurden mit VAE behandelt (1 ml VAE (Iscador®) in ansteigenden Konzentrationen von 0,1 bis 20 mg/ml subkutan 3-mal pro Woche (VAE-Gruppe), 8 erhielten keine adjuvante Behandlung (Vergleichsgruppe). Wir verglichen die Größenentwicklung der OMM sowie die Überlebenszeit. Ergebnisse: Patienten mit Bestrahlung und adjuvanter VAE-Therapie zeigten mit 236 Tagen eine signifikant längere mediane Überlebenszeit im Vergleich zu Patienten mit Bestrahlung, aber ohne adjuvante VAE-Therapie (49 Tage; Log-Rank-Test: p = 0,0047). Die VAE-Therapie verlängerte die Überlebenszeit um mehr als zwei Drittel (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0,30, 95%-Konfidenzintervall (KI) 0,11-0,86; p = 0,024), während ein höheres Tumorstadium gemäß UICC (Union internationale contre le cancer) einen statistischen Trend zur Verdopplung des Sterberisikos zeigte (UICC-Stadium III/IV vs. I/II: HR = 2,12, 95%-KI 0,88-5,12; p = 0,095). Zwei Patienten zeigten milde Nebenwirkungen während der VAE-Behandlung. Einer der beiden zeigte 1 Tag lang ein selbstlimitiertes Fieber, bei dem anderen Patienten reduzierten wir die Dosis von einem konzentrierteren zu einem weniger konzentrierten VAE (Serie 0) aufgrund von Müdigkeit, die daraufhin verschwand

  3. Mixtures of Bosonic and Fermionic atoms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albus, Alexander

    2003-12-01

    , die Grundzustandsenergie und daraus abgeleitete Größen über die Molekularfeldtheorie hinaus zu berechnen. Unter Zuhilfenahme der dieser Resultate System wurde ein Boson-Fermion Gemisch in einem Fallenpotential im Rahmen der Dichtefunktionaltheorie beschrieben. Daraus konnten die Dichteprofile ermittelt werden und es ließen sich drei Bereiche im Phasendiagramm identifizieren: (i) ein Bereich eines stabilen Gemisches, (ii) ein Bereich, in dem die Spezies entmischt sind und (iii) ein Bereich, in dem das System kollabiert. Im letzten dieser drei Fällen waren Austausch--Korrelationseffekte signifikant. Weiterhin wurde die Änderung der kritischen Temperatur der Bose-Einstein-Kondensation aufgrund der Boson-Fermion-Wechselwirkung berechnet. Verursacht wird dieser Effekt von Dichtumverteilungen aufgrund der Wechselwirkung. Dann wurden Boson-Fermion Gemische in optischen Gittern betrachtet. Ein Stabilitätskriterium gegen Phasenentmischung wurde gefunden und es ließen sich Bedingungen für einen supraflüssig zu Mott-isolations Phasenübergang angeben. Diese wurden sowohl mittels einer Molekularfeldrechnung als auch numerisch im Rahmen eines Gutzwilleransatzes gefunden. Es wurden weiterhin neuartige frustrierte Grundzustände im Fall von sehr großen Gitterstärken gefunden.

  4. Passive cavitation imaging with ultrasound arrays

    PubMed Central

    Salgaonkar, Vasant A.; Datta, Saurabh; Holland, Christy K.; Mast, T. Douglas

    2009-01-01

    A method is presented for passive imaging of cavitational acoustic emissions using an ultrasound array, with potential application in real-time monitoring of ultrasound ablation. To create such images, microbubble emissions were passively sensed by an imaging array and dynamically focused at multiple depths. In this paper, an analytic expression for a passive image is obtained by solving the Rayleigh–Sommerfield integral, under the Fresnel approximation, and passive images were simulated. A 192-element array was used to create passive images, in real time, from 520-kHz ultrasound scattered by a 1-mm steel wire. Azimuthal positions of this target were accurately estimated from the passive images. Next, stable and inertial cavitation was passively imaged in saline solution sonicated at 520 kHz. Bubble clusters formed in the saline samples were consistently located on both passive images and B-scans. Passive images were also created using broadband emissions from bovine liver sonicated at 2.2 MHz. Agreement was found between the images and source beam shape, indicating an ability to map therapeutic ultrasound beams in situ. The relation between these broadband emissions, sonication amplitude, and exposure conditions are discussed. PMID:20000921

  5. Passive cavitation imaging with ultrasound arrays.

    PubMed

    Salgaonkar, Vasant A; Datta, Saurabh; Holland, Christy K; Mast, T Douglas

    2009-12-01

    A method is presented for passive imaging of cavitational acoustic emissions using an ultrasound array, with potential application in real-time monitoring of ultrasound ablation. To create such images, microbubble emissions were passively sensed by an imaging array and dynamically focused at multiple depths. In this paper, an analytic expression for a passive image is obtained by solving the Rayleigh-Sommerfield integral, under the Fresnel approximation, and passive images were simulated. A 192-element array was used to create passive images, in real time, from 520-kHz ultrasound scattered by a 1-mm steel wire. Azimuthal positions of this target were accurately estimated from the passive images. Next, stable and inertial cavitation was passively imaged in saline solution sonicated at 520 kHz. Bubble clusters formed in the saline samples were consistently located on both passive images and B-scans. Passive images were also created using broadband emissions from bovine liver sonicated at 2.2 MHz. Agreement was found between the images and source beam shape, indicating an ability to map therapeutic ultrasound beams in situ. The relation between these broadband emissions, sonication amplitude, and exposure conditions are discussed.

  6. Einstellung und Wissen von Lehramtsstudierenden zur Evolution - ein Vergleich zwischen Deutschland und der Türkei

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Graf, Dittmar; Soran, Haluk

    Es wird eine Untersuchung vorgestellt, in der Wissen und Überzeugungen von Lehramtsstudierenden aller Fächer zum Thema Evolution an zwei Universitäten in Deutschland und der Türkei erhoben worden sind. Die Befragung wurde in Dortmund und in Ankara durchgeführt. Es stellte sich heraus, dass ausgeprägte Defizite im Verständnis der Evolutionsmechanismen herrschen. Viele Studierende, insbesondere aus der Türkei, sind nicht von der Faktizität der Evolution überzeugt. Dies gilt sowohl für Studierende mit Fach Biologie als auch für Studierende mit anderen Fächern. Näher untersucht worden sind die Faktoren, die die Überzeugungen zur Evolution beeinflussen können, was ja in Anbetracht der hohen Ablehnungsrate der Evolution von besonderem Interesse ist. Das Vertrauen in die Wissenschaft spielt hierbei eine besondere Rolle: Wer der Wissenschaft vertraut, ist auch eher von der Evolution überzeugt, als diejenigen, die skeptisch gegenüber der Wissenschaft sind.

  7. Tropospheric Passive Remote Sensing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Keafer, L. S., Jr. (Editor)

    1982-01-01

    The long term role of airborne/spaceborne passive remote sensing systems for tropospheric air quality research and the identification of technology advances required to improve the performance of passive remote sensing systems were discussed.

  8. Evaluating the Relationship between Equilibrium Passive ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This review evaluates passive sampler uptake of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) as it relates to organism bioaccumulation in the water column and interstitial water. Fifty-five studies were found where both passive samplers and organism bioaccumulation were used to measured water quality. Of these investigations, 19 provided direct comparisons relating passive sampler concentrations and organism bioaccumulation. Passive sampling polymers included in the review were: low density polyethylene (LDPE); polyoxymethylene (POM); and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and organisms ranged from polychaetes and oligochaetes to bivalves, aquatic insects, and gastropods. Log-linear regressions correlating bioaccumulation (CL) and passive sampler concentration (CPS) were used to assess the strength of observed relationships. In general, the passive sampler concentrations resulted in statistically-significant, logarithmic, predictive relationships, most of which were within one to two orders of magnitude of measured bioaccumulation. Overall, bioaccumulation values were greater than passive sampler concentrations. A mean ratio of CL to CPS was 10.8 ± 18.4 (n = 609) for available data. Given that all studies presented resulted in a strong CL versus CPS relationship suggests that using passive sampling as a surrogate for organism bioaccumulation is viable when biomonitoring organisms are not available. Passive sampling based measurements can provide useful information for ma

  9. Ein statistisches Modell zum Einfluß der thermischen Bewegung auf NMR-Festkörperspektren

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ploss, W.; Freude, D.; Pfeifer, H.; Schmiedel, H.

    Es wird ein statistisches Modell zum Einfluß der thermischen Bewegung auf die NMR-Linienform vorgestellt, das die Verschmälerung von Festkörper-Spektren bei wachsender Temperatur beschreibt. Das Modell geht von der Annahme aus, daß nach einer Ortsveränderung eines Kerns infolge thermischer Bewegung jede beliebige Kernresonanzfrequenz mit der durch das Festkörperspektrum vorgegebenen Wahrscheinlichkeit angenommen werden kann. Am Beispiel der Festkörper-Gaußlinie wird der Unterschied zu dem bekannten Modell von ANDERSON und WEISS verdeutlicht.Translated AbstractA Statistical Model for the Influence of Thermal Motion on N. M. R. Spectra in SolidsA theory is proposed which allows to describe the narrowing of n. m. r.-line width in the presence of thermal motions of the spins. The model is based on the assumption, that the local resonance frequency of a given spin immediately after the jump is distributed according to the n. m. r.-line shape of the rigid lattice. The difference to the well-known ANDERSON-WEISS-model of spectral narrowing is demonstrated for a gaussian line shape.

  10. [A cross sectional study of passive smoking of non-smoking women and analysis of influence factors on women passive smoking].

    PubMed

    Han, Jing-Xiu; Ma, Ling; Zhang, Hong-Wei; Liu, Xi; Zheng, Su-hua; Gan, De-kun; Fang, Jun

    2006-09-01

    To fund out the state of passive smoking of non-smoking women and search for measures of controlling women passive smoking. 3500 non-smoking women in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu city were interviewed. Analyses were performed by chi2 test Fisher test and ANOVA test. 92.7% passive smoking women exposure to ETS at home, 40.8% at workplace. 38.9% exposed to ETS from birthday, and 42.3% from 18 - 30 age. The average exposure time of passive smoking is (1.17 +/- 1.10) hours per day. The proportion of passive-smoking time over 2 hours at home is higher than work place. In passive-smoking group, the proportion of 30 - 50 age group, secondary education, married, merchant/service, principal of units, and manufacture/transport workers were higher than non-smoking group. 97.5% think that passive smoking is harmful to health, and the proportion of thinking passive smoking has severe harm to health in non-passive-smoking group is higher than passive-smoking group. 70.0% open windows when someone smokes around her, but only 16.9% ask the smokers do not smoke around her forwardly. Suppose that someone were smoking around yourself, the consciousness of avoiding passive smoking forwardly in non-passive-smoking group is stronger than passive-smoking group. 95.1% believe the content of smoking-harm propagandized by medium. The main places of controlling passive smoking are the home and the department, commerce, service, and manufacture/ transport workplace. The rate of passive smoking was influenced by the consciousness of the serious level of harms by passive smoking. Propagandizing the serious harm of passive smoking by medium and strengthening the consciousness of avoiding passive smoking were one of feasible measures to lower the rate of smoking and passive smoking.

  11. Multiple mechanisms quench passive spiral galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fraser-McKelvie, Amelia; Brown, Michael J. I.; Pimbblet, Kevin; Dolley, Tim; Bonne, Nicolas J.

    2018-02-01

    We examine the properties of a sample of 35 nearby passive spiral galaxies in order to determine their dominant quenching mechanism(s). All five low-mass (M⋆ < 1 × 1010 M⊙) passive spiral galaxies are located in the rich Virgo cluster. This is in contrast to low-mass spiral galaxies with star formation, which inhabit a range of environments. We postulate that cluster-scale gas stripping and heating mechanisms operating only in rich clusters are required to quench low-mass passive spirals, and ram-pressure stripping and strangulation are obvious candidates. For higher mass passive spirals, while trends are present, the story is less clear. The passive spiral bar fraction is high: 74 ± 15 per cent, compared with 36 ± 5 per cent for a mass, redshift and T-type matched comparison sample of star-forming spiral galaxies. The high mass passive spirals occur mostly, but not exclusively, in groups, and can be central or satellite galaxies. The passive spiral group fraction of 74 ± 15 per cent is similar to that of the comparison sample of star-forming galaxies at 61 ± 7 per cent. We find evidence for both quenching via internal structure and environment in our passive spiral sample, though some galaxies have evidence of neither. From this, we conclude no one mechanism is responsible for quenching star formation in passive spiral galaxies - rather, a mixture of mechanisms is required to produce the passive spiral distribution we see today.

  12. Chinese Passives: Transformational or Lexical?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Jiuwu; Wen, Xiaohong

    Analysis of Chinese passive constructions indicates two types. The first is a verbal or syntactic passive because it is derived through a transformational rule. The second is a lexical passive that has certain properties in common with the predicate adjectives in both Chinese and English and is derived through the semantic function and in lexical…

  13. Thick-Filament Strain and Interfilament Spacing in Passive Muscle: Effect of Titin-Based Passive Tension

    PubMed Central

    Irving, Thomas; Wu, Yiming; Bekyarova, Tanya; Farman, Gerrie P.; Fukuda, Norio; Granzier, Henk

    2011-01-01

    We studied the effect of titin-based passive tension on sarcomere structure by simultaneously measuring passive tension and low-angle x-ray diffraction patterns on passive fiber bundles from rabbit skinned psoas muscle. We used a stretch-hold-release protocol with measurement of x-ray diffraction patterns at various passive tension levels during the hold phase before and after passive stress relaxation. Measurements were performed in relaxing solution without and with dextran T-500 to compress the lattice toward physiological levels. The myofilament lattice spacing was measured in the A-band (d1,0) and Z-disk (dZ) regions of the sarcomere. The axial spacing of the thick-filament backbone was determined from the sixth myosin meridional reflection (M6) and the equilibrium positions of myosin heads from the fourth myosin layer line peak position and the I1,1/I1,0 intensity ratio. Total passive tension was measured during the x-ray experiments, and a differential extraction technique was used to determine the relations between collagen- and titin-based passive tension and sarcomere length. Within the employed range of sarcomere lengths (∼2.2–3.4 μm), titin accounted for >80% of passive tension. X-ray results indicate that titin compresses both the A-band and Z-disk lattice spacing with viscoelastic behavior when fibers are swollen after skinning, and elastic behavior when the lattice is reduced with dextran. Titin also increases the axial thick-filament spacing, M6, in an elastic manner in both the presence and absence of dextran. No changes were detected in either I1,1/I1,0 or the position of peaks on the fourth myosin layer line during passive stress relaxation. Passive tension and M6 measurements were converted to thick-filament compliance, yielding a value of ∼85 m/N, which is several-fold larger than the thick-filament compliance determined by others during the tetanic tension plateau of activated intact muscle. This difference can be explained by the fact

  14. 26 CFR 1.1398-1 - Treatment of passive activity losses and passive activity credits in individuals' title 11 cases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 11 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Treatment of passive activity losses and passive... to Individuals' Title 11 Cases § 1.1398-1 Treatment of passive activity losses and passive activity... and rules of general application. For purposes of this section— (1) Passive activity and former...

  15. RCN1-regulated phosphatase activity and EIN2 modulate hypocotyl gravitropism by a mechanism that does not require ethylene signaling.

    PubMed

    Muday, Gloria K; Brady, Shari R; Argueso, Cristiana; Deruère, Jean; Kieber, Joseph J; DeLong, Alison

    2006-08-01

    The roots curl in naphthylphthalamic acid1 (rcn1) mutant of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) has altered auxin transport, gravitropism, and ethylene response, providing an opportunity to analyze the interplay between ethylene and auxin in control of seedling growth. Roots of rcn1 seedlings were previously shown to have altered auxin transport, growth, and gravitropism, while rcn1 hypocotyl elongation exhibited enhanced ethylene response. We have characterized auxin transport and gravitropism phenotypes of rcn1 hypocotyls and have explored the roles of auxin and ethylene in controlling these phenotypes. As in roots, auxin transport is increased in etiolated rcn1 hypocotyls. Hypocotyl gravity response is accelerated, although overall elongation is reduced, in etiolated rcn1 hypocotyls. Etiolated, but not light grown, rcn1 seedlings also overproduce ethylene, and mutations conferring ethylene insensitivity restore normal hypocotyl elongation to rcn1. Auxin transport is unaffected by treatment with the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid in etiolated hypocotyls of wild-type and rcn1 seedlings. Surprisingly, the ethylene insensitive2-1 (ein2-1) and ein2-5 mutations dramatically reduce gravitropic bending in hypocotyls. However, the ethylene resistant1-3 (etr1-3) mutation does not significantly affect hypocotyl gravity response. Furthermore, neither the etr1 nor the ein2 mutation abrogates the accelerated gravitropism observed in rcn1 hypocotyls, indicating that both wild-type gravity response and enhanced gravity response in rcn1 do not require an intact ethylene-signaling pathway. We therefore conclude that the RCN1 protein affects overall hypocotyl elongation via negative regulation of ethylene synthesis in etiolated seedlings, and that RCN1 and EIN2 modulate hypocotyl gravitropism and ethylene responses through independent pathways.

  16. Antireflection/Passivation Step For Silicon Cell

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crotty, Gerald T.; Kachare, Akaram H.; Daud, Taher

    1988-01-01

    New process excludes usual silicon oxide passivation. Changes in principal electrical parameters during two kinds of processing suggest antireflection treatment almost as effective as oxide treatment in passivating cells. Does so without disadvantages of SiOx passivation.

  17. Evaluating the Relationship between Equilibrium Passive ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This Critcal Review evaluates passive sampler uptake of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in water column and interstitial water exposures as a surrogate for organism bioaccumulation. Fifty-seven studies were found where both passive sampler uptake and organism bioaccumulation were measured and 19 of these investigations provided direct comparisons relating passive sampler uptake and organism bioaccumulation. Polymers compared included low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyoxymethylene (POM), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and organisms ranged from polychaetes and oligochaetes to bivalves, aquatic insects, and gastropods. Regression equations correlating bioaccumulation (CL) and passive sampler uptake (CPS) were used to assess the strength of observed relationships. Passive sampling based concentrations resulted in log–log predictive relationships, most of which were within one to 2 orders of magnitude of measured bioaccumulation. Mean coefficients of determination (r2) for LDPE, PDMS, and POM were 0.68, 0.76, and 0.58, respectively. For the available raw, untransformed data, the mean ratio of CL and CPS was 10.8 ± 18.4 (n = 609). Using passive sampling as a surrogate for organism bioaccumulation is viable when biomonitoring organisms are not available. Passive sampling based estimates of bioaccumulation provide useful information for making informed decisions about the bioavailability of HOCs. This review evaluates passive sampler uptake of hydrophobi

  18. Interior design for passive solar homes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Breen, J. C.

    1981-07-01

    The increasing emphasis on refinement of passive solar systems brought recognition to interior design as an integral part of passive solar architecture. Interior design can be used as a finetuning tool minimizing many of the problems associated with passive solar energy use in residential buildings. In addition, treatment of interior space in solar model homes may be a prime factor in determining sales success. A new style of interior design is evolving in response to changes in building from incorporating passive solar design features. The psychology behind passive solar architecture is reflected in interiors, and selection of interior components increasingly depends on the functional suitably of various interior elements.

  19. Results of a Demonstration Assessment of Passive System Reliability Utilizing the Reliability Method for Passive Systems (RMPS)

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

    Bucknor, Matthew; Grabaskas, David; Brunett, Acacia

    2015-04-26

    Advanced small modular reactor designs include many advantageous design features such as passively driven safety systems that are arguably more reliable and cost effective relative to conventional active systems. Despite their attractiveness, a reliability assessment of passive systems can be difficult using conventional reliability methods due to the nature of passive systems. Simple deviations in boundary conditions can induce functional failures in a passive system, and intermediate or unexpected operating modes can also occur. As part of an ongoing project, Argonne National Laboratory is investigating various methodologies to address passive system reliability. The Reliability Method for Passive Systems (RMPS), amore » systematic approach for examining reliability, is one technique chosen for this analysis. This methodology is combined with the Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization (RISMC) approach to assess the reliability of a passive system and the impact of its associated uncertainties. For this demonstration problem, an integrated plant model of an advanced small modular pool-type sodium fast reactor with a passive reactor cavity cooling system is subjected to a station blackout using RELAP5-3D. This paper discusses important aspects of the reliability assessment, including deployment of the methodology, the uncertainty identification and quantification process, and identification of key risk metrics.« less

  20. Passive and active floating torque during swimming.

    PubMed

    Kjendlie, Per-Ludvik; Stallman, Robert Keig; Stray-Gundersen, James

    2004-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of passive underwater torque on active body angle with the horizontal during front crawl swimming and to assess the effect of body size on passive torque and active body angle. Additionally, the effects of passive torque, body angle and hydrostatic lift on maximal sprinting performance were addressed. Ten boys [aged 11.7 (0.8) years] and 12 male adult [aged 21.4 (3.7) years] swimmers volunteered to participate. Their body angle with the horizontal was measured at maximal velocity, and at two submaximal velocities using an underwater video camera system. Passive torque and hydrostatic lift were measured during an underwater weighing procedure, and the center of mass and center of volume were determined. The results showed that passive torque correlated significantly with the body angle at a velocity 63% of v(max) ( alpha(63) r=-0.57), and that size-normalized passive torque correlated significantly with the alpha(63) and alpha(77) (77% of v(max)) with r=-0.59 and r=-0.54 respectively. Hydrostatic lift correlated with alpha(63) with r=-0.45. The negative correlation coefficients are suggested to be due to the adults having learned to overcome passive torque when swimming at submaximal velocities by correcting their body angle. It is concluded that at higher velocities the passive torque and hydrostatic lift do not influence body angle during swimming. At a velocity of 63% of v(max), hydrostatic lift and passive torque influences body angle. Passive torque and size-normalized passive torque increases with body size. When corrected for body size, hydrostatic lift and passive torque did not influence the maximal sprinting velocity.

  1. The link between exercise and titin passive stiffness.

    PubMed

    Lalande, Sophie; Mueller, Patrick J; Chung, Charles S

    2017-09-01

    What is the topic of this review? This review focuses on how in vivo and molecular measurements of cardiac passive stiffness can predict exercise tolerance and how exercise training can reduce cardiac passive stiffness. What advances does it highlight? This review highlights advances in understanding the relationship between molecular (titin-based) and in vivo (left ventricular) passive stiffness, how passive stiffness modifies exercise tolerance, and how exercise training may be therapeutic for cardiac diseases with increased passive stiffness. Exercise can help alleviate the negative effects of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular co-morbidities associated with sedentary behaviour; this may be especially true in diseases that are associated with increased left ventricular passive stiffness. In this review, we discuss the inverse relationship between exercise tolerance and cardiac passive stiffness. Passive stiffness is the physical property of cardiac muscle to produce a resistive force when stretched, which, in vivo, is measured using the left ventricular end diastolic pressure-volume relationship or is estimated using echocardiography. The giant elastic protein titin is the major contributor to passive stiffness at physiological muscle (sarcomere) lengths. Passive stiffness can be modified by altering titin isoform size or by post-translational modifications. In both human and animal models, increased left ventricular passive stiffness is associated with reduced exercise tolerance due to impaired diastolic filling, suggesting that increased passive stiffness predicts reduced exercise tolerance. At the same time, exercise training itself may induce both short- and long-term changes in titin-based passive stiffness, suggesting that exercise may be a treatment for diseases associated with increased passive stiffness. Direct modification of passive stiffness to improve exercise tolerance is a potential therapeutic approach. Titin passive stiffness itself may

  2. Most energetic passive states.

    PubMed

    Perarnau-Llobet, Martí; Hovhannisyan, Karen V; Huber, Marcus; Skrzypczyk, Paul; Tura, Jordi; Acín, Antonio

    2015-10-01

    Passive states are defined as those states that do not allow for work extraction in a cyclic (unitary) process. Within the set of passive states, thermal states are the most stable ones: they maximize the entropy for a given energy, and similarly they minimize the energy for a given entropy. Here we find the passive states lying in the other extreme, i.e., those that maximize the energy for a given entropy, which we show also minimize the entropy when the energy is fixed. These extremal properties make these states useful to obtain fundamental bounds for the thermodynamics of finite-dimensional quantum systems, which we show in several scenarios.

  3. Passivity-based Robust Control of Aerospace Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kelkar, Atul G.; Joshi, Suresh M. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    This report provides a brief summary of the research work performed over the duration of the cooperative research agreement between NASA Langley Research Center and Kansas State University. The cooperative agreement which was originally for the duration the three years was extended by another year through no-cost extension in order to accomplish the goals of the project. The main objective of the research was to develop passivity-based robust control methodology for passive and non-passive aerospace systems. The focus of the first-year's research was limited to the investigation of passivity-based methods for the robust control of Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) single-input single-output (SISO), open-loop stable, minimum-phase non-passive systems. The second year's focus was mainly on extending the passivity-based methodology to a larger class of non-passive LTI systems which includes unstable and nonminimum phase SISO systems. For LTI non-passive systems, five different passification. methods were developed. The primary effort during the years three and four was on the development of passification methodology for MIMO systems, development of methods for checking robustness of passification, and developing synthesis techniques for passifying compensators. For passive LTI systems optimal synthesis procedure was also developed for the design of constant-gain positive real controllers. For nonlinear passive systems, numerical optimization-based technique was developed for the synthesis of constant as well as time-varying gain positive-real controllers. The passivity-based control design methodology developed during the duration of this project was demonstrated by its application to various benchmark examples. These example systems included longitudinal model of an F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) for pitch axis control, NASA's supersonic transport wind tunnel model, ACC benchmark model, 1-D acoustic duct model, piezo-actuated flexible link model, and NASA

  4. Passive-solar homes for Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garrison, M. L.

    1982-06-01

    Acceptance of passive solar technologies has been slow within the conventional building trades in Texas because it is a common misconception that solar is expensive, and data on local applications is severely limited or nonexistent. It is the purpose of this solar development to move passive solar design into the mainstream of public acceptance by helping to overcome and eliminate these barriers. Specifically, the goal is to develop a set of regional climatic building standards to help guide the conventional building trade toward the utilization of soft energy systems which will reduce overall consumption at a price and convenience most Texans can afford. To meet this objective, eight sample passive design structures are presented. These designs represent state of the art regional applications of passive solar space conditioning. The methodology used in the passive solar design process included: analysis of regional climatic data; analysis of historical regional building prototypes; determination of regional climatic design priorities and assets; prototypical design models for the discretionary housing market; quantitative thermal analysis of prototypical designs; and construction drawings of building prototypes.

  5. Evaluating the Relationship between Equilibrium Passive ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Objectives. This review evaluates passive sampler uptake of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in water column and interstitial water exposures as a surrogate for organism bioaccumulation. Approach/Activities. Fifty-five studies were found where both passive sampler uptake and organism bioaccumulation were measured and 19 of these investigations provided direct comparisons relating passive sampler uptake and organism bioaccumulation. Polymers compared included low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyoxymethylene (POM), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and organisms ranged from polychaetes and oligochaetes to bivalves, aquatic insects, and gastropods. Regression equations correlating bioaccumulation (CL) and passive sampler uptake (CPS) were used to assess the strength of observed relationships. Results/Lessons Learned. Passive sampling based concentrations resulted in strong logarithmic regression relationships, most of which were within one to two orders of magnitude of measured bioaccumulation. Mean coefficients of determination (r2) for LDPE, PDMS and POM were 0.68, 0.76 and 0.58, respectively. For the available raw data, the mean ratio of CL and CPS was 10.8 ± 18.4 (n = 609). Passive sampler uptake and bioaccumulation were not found to be identical (i.e., CPS ≠ CL) but the logarithmic-based relationships between these values were consistently linear and predictive. This review concludes that in many applications passive sampling may serve as a

  6. Evaluating the Relationship between Equilibrium Passive ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This review evaluates passive sampler uptake of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in water column and interstitial water exposures as a surrogate for organism bioaccumulation. Fifty-four studies were found where both passive sampler uptake and organism bioaccumulation were measured and 19 of these investigations provided direct comparisons relating passive sampler uptake and organism bioaccumulation. Polymers compared included low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyoxymethylene (POM), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and organisms ranged from polychaetes and oligochaetes to bivalves, aquatic insects, and gastropods. Regression equations correlating bioaccumulation (CL) and passive sampler uptake (CPS) were used to assess the strength of observed relationships. Passive sampling based concentrations resulted in logarithmic predictive relationships, most of which were within one to two orders of magnitude of measured bioaccumulation. Mean coefficients of determination (r2) for LDPE, PDMS and POM were 0.68, 0.76 and 0.58, respectively. For the available raw data, the mean ratio of CL and CPS was 10.8 ± 18.4 (n = 609). This review concludes that in many applications passive sampling may serve as a reliable surrogate for biomonitoring organisms when biomonitoring organisms are not available. When applied properly, passive sampling based estimates of bioaccumulation provide useful information for making informed decisions about the bioavailability of HOCs

  7. High-throughput countercurrent microextraction in passive mode.

    PubMed

    Xie, Tingliang; Xu, Cong

    2018-05-15

    Although microextraction is much more efficient than conventional macroextraction, its practical application has been limited by low throughputs and difficulties in constructing robust countercurrent microextraction (CCME) systems. In this work, a robust CCME process was established based on a novel passive microextractor with four units without any moving parts. The passive microextractor has internal recirculation and can efficiently mix two immiscible liquids. The hydraulic characteristics as well as the extraction and back-extraction performance of the passive CCME were investigated experimentally. The recovery efficiencies of the passive CCME were 1.43-1.68 times larger than the best values achieved using cocurrent extraction. Furthermore, the total throughput of the passive CCME developed in this work was about one to three orders of magnitude higher than that of other passive CCME systems reported in the literature. Therefore, a robust CCME process with high throughputs has been successfully constructed, which may promote the application of passive CCME in a wide variety of fields.

  8. Passive Sensor Materials Based on Liquid Crystals

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-03-12

    REPORT Passive Sensor Materials based on Liquid Crystals 14. ABSTRACT 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: Research supported by this grant entitled “Passive...Sensor Materials Based on Liquid Crystals” revolved around an investigation of liquid crystalline materials for use in passive sensors for chemical... based on Liquid Crystals Report Title ABSTRACT Research supported by this grant entitled “Passive Sensor Materials Based on Liquid Crystals” revolved

  9. Visuomotor learning by passive motor experience

    PubMed Central

    Sakamoto, Takashi; Kondo, Toshiyuki

    2015-01-01

    Humans can adapt to unfamiliar dynamic and/or kinematic transformations through the active motor experience. Recent studies of neurorehabilitation using robots or brain-computer interface (BCI) technology suggest that passive motor experience would play a measurable role in motor recovery, however our knowledge of passive motor learning is limited. To clarify the effects of passive motor experience on human motor learning, we performed arm reaching experiments guided by a robotic manipulandum. The results showed that the passive motor experience had an anterograde transfer effect on the subsequent motor execution, whereas no retrograde interference was confirmed in the ABA paradigm experiment. This suggests that the passive experience of the error between visual and proprioceptive sensations leads to the limited but actual compensation of behavior, although it is fragile and cannot be consolidated as a persistent motor memory. PMID:26029091

  10. Climate-Specific Passive Building Standards

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

    Wright, Graham S.; Klingenberg, Katrin

    2015-07-29

    In 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognized the value of performance-based passive building standards when it joined with Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) to promote DOE’s Challenge Home program in tandem with the PHIUS+ Certification program. Since then, the number of passive building projects that have been certified under the partnership has grown exponentially because of some synergy. Passive building represents a well-developed approach to arrive at the envelope basis for zero energy and energy-positive projects by employing performance-based criteria and maximizing cost-effective savings from conservation before implementing renewable energy technologies. The Challenge Home program evolved into themore » Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program in a move toward 1) attaining zero energy and 2) including active renewable energy generation such as photovoltaics (PV)—toward the zero energy goal.« less

  11. Atomic Scale Understanding of Poly-Si/SiO2/c-Si Passivated Contacts: Passivation Degradation Due to Metallization

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

    Aguiar, Jeffery A.; Young, David; Lee, Benjamin

    2016-11-21

    The key attributes for achieving high efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells include class leading developments in the ability to approach the theoretical limits of silicon solar technology (29.4% efficiency). The push for high efficiency devices is further compounded with the clear need for passivation to reduce recombination at the metal contacts. At the same time there is stringent requirement to retain the same material device quality, surface passivation, and performance characteristics following subsequent processing. The development of passivated silicon cell structures that retain active front and rear surface passivation and overall material cell quality is therefore a relevant and activemore » area of development. To address the potential outcomes of metallization on passivated silicon stack, we report on some common microstructural features of degradation due to metallization for a series of silicon device stacks. A fundamental materials understanding of the metallization process on retaining high-efficiency passivated Si devices is therefore gained over these series of results.« less

  12. Effect of hypergravity on lignin formation and expression of lignin-related genes in inflorescence stems of an ethylene-insensitive Arabidopsis mutant ein3-1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karahara, Ichirou; Kobayashi, Mai; Tamaoki, Daisuke; Kamisaka, Seiichiro

    Our previous studies have shown that hypergravity inhibits growth and promotes lignin forma-tion in inflorescence stems of Arabidopsis thaliana by up-regulation of genes involved in lignin biosynthesis (Tamaoki et al. 2006, 2009). In the present study, we have examined whether ethylene is involved in these responses using an ethylene-insensitive Arabidopsis mutant ein3-1. Our results revealed that hypergravity treatment at 300 G for 24 h significantly inhibited growth of inflorescence stems, promoted both deposition of acetyl bromide extractable lignin and gene expression involved in lignin formation in inflorescence stems of wild type plants. Growth inhibition of inflorescence stems was also observed in ein3-1. However, the effects of hypergravity on the promotion of the deposition of acetyl bromide lignin and the expression of genes involved in lignin formation were not observed in ein3-1, indicating that ethylene sig-naling is involved in the up-regulation of the expression of lignin-related genes as well as the promotion of deposition of lignin by hypergravity in Arabidopsis inflorescence stems.

  13. Arabidopsis thaliana responses to mechanical stimulation do not require ETR1 or EIN2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, K. A.; Sistrunk, M. L.; Polisensky, D. H.; Braam, J.; McIntire, L. V. (Principal Investigator)

    1998-01-01

    Plants exposed to repetitive touch or wind are generally shorter and stockier than sheltered plants. These mechanostimulus-induced developmental changes are termed thigmomorphogenesis and may confer resistance to subsequent stresses. An early response of Arabidopsis thaliana to touch or wind is the up-regulation of TCH (touch) gene expression. The signal transduction pathway that leads to mechanostimulus responses is not well defined. A role for ethylene has been proposed based on the observation that mechanostimulation of plants leads to ethylene evolution and exogenous ethylene leads to thigmomorphogenetic-like changes. To determine whether ethylene has a role in plant responses to mechanostimulation, we assessed the ability of two ethylene-insensitive mutants, etr1-3 and ein2-1, to undergo thigmomorphogenesis and TCH gene up-regulation of expression. The ethylene-insensitive mutants responded to wind similarly to the wild type, with a delay in flowering, decrease in inflorescence elongation rate, shorter mature primary inflorescences, more rosette paraclades, and appropriate TCH gene expression changes. Also, wild-type and mutant Arabidopsis responded to vibrational stimulation, with an increase in hypocotyl elongation and up-regulation of TCH gene expression. We conclude that the ETR1 and EIN2 protein functions are not required for the developmental and molecular responses to mechanical stimulation.

  14. Passive magnetic bearing configurations

    DOEpatents

    Post, Richard F [Walnut Creek, CA

    2011-01-25

    A journal bearing provides vertical and radial stability to a rotor of a passive magnetic bearing system when the rotor is not rotating and when it is rotating. In the passive magnetic bearing system, the rotor has a vertical axis of rotation. Without the journal bearing, the rotor is vertically and radially unstable when stationary, and is vertically stable and radially unstable when rotating.

  15. Lipid-Based Passivation in Nanofluidics

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Stretching DNA in nanochannels is a useful tool for direct, visual studies of genomic DNA at the single molecule level. To facilitate the study of the interaction of linear DNA with proteins in nanochannels, we have implemented a highly effective passivation scheme based on lipid bilayers. We demonstrate virtually complete long-term passivation of nanochannel surfaces to a range of relevant reagents, including streptavidin-coated quantum dots, RecA proteins, and RecA–DNA complexes. We show that the performance of the lipid bilayer is significantly better than that of standard bovine serum albumin-based passivation. Finally, we show how the passivated devices allow us to monitor single DNA cleavage events during enzymatic degradation by DNase I. We expect that our approach will open up for detailed, systematic studies of a wide range of protein–DNA interactions with high spatial and temporal resolution. PMID:22432814

  16. Citric Acid Passivation of Stainless Steel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yasensky, David; Reali, John; Larson, Chris; Carl, Chad

    2009-01-01

    Passivation is a process for cleaning and providing corrosion protection for stainless steel. Currently, on Kennedy Space Center (KSC), only parts passivated with nitric acid are acceptable for use. KSC disposes of approximately 125gal of concentrated nitric acid per year, and receives many parts from vendors who must also dispose of used nitric acid. Unfortunately, nitric acid presents health and environmental hazards. As a result, several recent industry studies have examined citric acid as an alternative. Implementing a citric acid-based passivation procedure would improve the health and environmental safety aspects of passivation process. However although there is a lack of published studies that conclusively prove citric acid is a technically sound passivation agent. In 2007, NASA's KSC Materials Advisory Working Group requested the evaluation of citric acid in place of nitric acid for passivation of parts at KSC. United Space Alliance Materials & Processes engineers have developed a three-phase test plan to evaluate citric acid as an alternative to nitric acid on three stainless steels commonly used at KSC: UNS S30400, S41000, and S17400. Phases 1 and 2 will produce an optimized citric acid treatment based on results from atmospheric exposure at NASA's Beach Corrosion Facility. Phase 3 will compare the optimized solution(s) with nitric acid treatments. If the results indicate that citric acid passivates as well or better than nitric acid, NASA intends to approve this method for parts used at the Kennedy Space Center.

  17. Technical - Economic Research for Passive Buildings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miniotaite, Ruta

    2017-10-01

    A newly constructed passive house must save 80 % of heat resources; otherwise it is not a passive house. The heating energy demand of a passive building is less than 15 kWh/m2 per year. However, a passive house is something more than just an energy-saving house. This concept involves sustainable, high-quality, valuable, healthy and durable construction. Features of a passive house: high insulation of envelope components, high-quality windows, good tightness of the building, regenerative ventilation system and elimination of thermal bridges. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) 61 requires all new public buildings to become near-zero energy buildings by 2019 and will be extended to all new buildings by 2021. This concept involves sustainable, high-quality, valuable, healthy and durable construction. Foundation, walls and roofs are the most essential elements of a house. The type of foundation for a private house is selected considering many factors. The article examines technological and structural solutions for passive buildings foundation, walls and roofs. The technical-economic comparison of the main structures of a passive house revealed that it is cheaper to install an adequately designed concrete slab foundation than to build strip or pile foundation and the floor separately. Timber stud walls are the cheapest wall option for a passive house and 45-51% cheaper compared to other options. The comparison of roofs and ceilings showed that insulation of the ceiling is 25% more efficient than insulation of the roof. The comparison of the main envelope elements efficiency by multiple-criteria evaluation methods showed that it is economically feasible to install concrete slab on ground foundation, stud walls with sheet cladding and a pitched roof with insulated ceiling.

  18. End-of-Mission Passivation: Successes and Challenges

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, Nicholas; Matney, Mark

    2012-01-01

    The passivation of spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages at end-of-mission has been a principal space debris mitigation measure world-wide since the 1980 s. Space vehicle passivation includes the removal of stored energies, especially those associated with propulsion and electrical power systems. Prior to 2007 the breakup of non-functioning, non-passivated space vehicles was the major source of hazardous debris in Earth orbit. The United Nations and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee have both included passivation in their formal space debris mitigation guidelines. This often simple countermeasure has been adopted by many spacefaring countries and organizations and has undoubtedly prevented numerous major satellite breakups. For some existing space vehicle designs, passivation requires changes in hardware, software, and/or operational procedures. Questions about the permissible degree of passivation for both current and future space vehicles have arisen and are addressed herein. An important element to be considered is the potentially long period in which the space vehicle will remain in orbit, i.e., up to 25 years after mission termination in LEO and for centuries in orbits above LEO. Finally, the issue of passivation of space vehicles which have failed prematurely is addressed.

  19. An Event-Structural Account of Passive Acquisition in Korean

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Kwee-Ock; Lee, Youngjoo

    2008-01-01

    Some peculiar properties of children's passives have long been observed in various languages such as an asymmetry between actional passives and nonactional passives. These peculiarities have been accounted for under the hypothesis that children's early passives are adjectival, and as such exhibit properties of adjectival passives in adult grammar.…

  20. Enlightened Use of Passive Voice in Technical Writing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trammell, M. K.

    1981-01-01

    The passive voice as a normal, acceptable, and established syntactic form in technical writing is defended. Passive/active verb ratios, taken from sources including 'antipassivist' text books, are considered. The suitability of the passive voice in technical writing which involves unknown or irrelevant agents is explored. Three 'myths' that the passive (1) utilizes an abnormal and artificial word order, (2) is lifeless, and (3) is indirect are considered. Awkward and abnormal sounding examples encountered in text books are addressed in terms of original context. Unattractive or incoherent passive sentences are explained in terms of inappropriate conversion from active sentences having (1) short nominal or pronominal subjects or (2) verbs with restrictions on their passive use.

  1. Asymptotic Stability of Interconnected Passive Non-Linear Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Isidori, A.; Joshi, S. M.; Kelkar, A. G.

    1999-01-01

    This paper addresses the problem of stabilization of a class of internally passive non-linear time-invariant dynamic systems. A class of non-linear marginally strictly passive (MSP) systems is defined, which is less restrictive than input-strictly passive systems. It is shown that the interconnection of a non-linear passive system and a non-linear MSP system is globally asymptotically stable. The result generalizes and weakens the conditions of the passivity theorem, which requires one of the systems to be input-strictly passive. In the case of linear time-invariant systems, it is shown that the MSP property is equivalent to the marginally strictly positive real (MSPR) property, which is much simpler to check.

  2. 26 CFR 1.469-2 - Passive activity loss.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 6 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Passive activity loss. 1.469-2 Section 1.469-2...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Taxable Year for Which Deductions Taken § 1.469-2 Passive activity loss. (a)-(c... passive activity unless the interest in property was used in a passive activity for either— (1) 20 percent...

  3. 21 CFR 888.3025 - Passive tendon prosthesis.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Passive tendon prosthesis. 888.3025 Section 888...) MEDICAL DEVICES ORTHOPEDIC DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 888.3025 Passive tendon prosthesis. (a) Identification. A passive tendon prosthesis is a device intended to be implanted made of silicon elastomer or a...

  4. 21 CFR 888.3025 - Passive tendon prosthesis.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Passive tendon prosthesis. 888.3025 Section 888...) MEDICAL DEVICES ORTHOPEDIC DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 888.3025 Passive tendon prosthesis. (a) Identification. A passive tendon prosthesis is a device intended to be implanted made of silicon elastomer or a...

  5. Handbook on passive thermal control coatings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mookherji, T. K.; Hayes, J. D.

    1973-01-01

    A handbook of passive thermal control surfaces data pertaining to the heat transfer requirements of spacecraft is presented. Passive temperature control techniques and the selection of control surfaces are analyzed. The space environmental damage mechanisms in passive thermal control surfaces are examined. Data on the coatings for which technical information is available are presented in tabular form. Emphasis was placed on consulting only those references where the experimental simulation of the space environment appeared to be more appropriate.

  6. Development of Verbal Passive in Williams Syndrome

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perovic, Alexandra; Wexler, Kenneth

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To experimentally investigate knowledge of passives of actional ("hold") and psychological ("love") verbs in children with Williams syndrome (WS). Passives are usually reported to be in line with mental age in WS. However, studies usually focus on passives of actional verbs only. Method: Twenty-six children with WS, ages 6-16, and 3…

  7. Demonstration of Passive Fuel Cell Thermal Management Technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burke, Kenneth A.; Jakupca, Ian; Colozza, Anthony; Wynne, Robert; Miller, Michael; Meyer, Al; Smith, William

    2012-01-01

    The NASA Glenn Research Center is developing advanced passive thermal management technology to reduce the mass and improve the reliability of space fuel cell systems for the NASA Exploration program. The passive thermal management system relies on heat conduction within highly thermally conductive cooling plates to move the heat from the central portion of the cell stack out to the edges of the fuel cell stack. Using the passive approach eliminates the need for a coolant pump and other cooling loop components within the fuel cell system which reduces mass and improves overall system reliability. Previous development demonstrated the performance of suitable highly thermally conductive cooling plates and integrated heat exchanger technology to collect the heat from the cooling plates (Ref. 1). The next step in the development of this passive thermal approach was the demonstration of the control of the heat removal process and the demonstration of the passive thermal control technology in actual fuel cell stacks. Tests were run with a simulated fuel cell stack passive thermal management system outfitted with passive cooling plates, an integrated heat exchanger and two types of cooling flow control valves. The tests were run to demonstrate the controllability of the passive thermal control approach. Finally, successful demonstrations of passive thermal control technology were conducted with fuel cell stacks from two fuel cell stack vendors.

  8. 26 CFR 1.1398-1 - Treatment of passive activity losses and passive activity credits in individuals' title 11 cases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 11 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Treatment of passive activity losses and passive activity credits in individuals' title 11 cases. 1.1398-1 Section 1.1398-1 Internal Revenue... (CONTINUED) Rules Relating to Individuals' Title 11 Cases § 1.1398-1 Treatment of passive activity losses and...

  9. Energy extraction from a semi-passive flapping-foil turbine with active heave and passive pitch

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boudreau, Matthieu; Dumas, Guy; Gunther, Kevin; CFD Laboratory LMFN Team

    2017-11-01

    Due to the inherent complexity of the mechanisms needed to prescribe the heaving and the pitching motions of optimal flapping-foil turbines, several research groups are now investigating the potential of using unconstrained passive motions. The amplitude, the phase and the frequency of such free motions are thus the result of the interaction of the blade with the flow and its elastic supports, namely springs and dampers. In parallel with our current study on fully-passive flapping-foil turbines, we investigate in this work the possibility of using a semi-passive turbine. Unlike previous semi-passive turbines studied in the literature, we propose a turbine with a passive pitching motion and an active heaving motion constrained to be a sine wave with desired amplitude and frequency. As most of the energy extracted by flapping-foil turbines comes from the heaving motion, it is natural to connect an electric generator to this degree of freedom, thereby allowing one to constrain this motion. It is found that large-amplitude pitching motions leading to a considerable energy extraction can arise under different circumstances and mechanisms, either forced by the heaving motion or driven by an instability of the pitching motion itself. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Tyler Lewis Clean Energy Research Foundation, Calcul Québec and Compute Canada.

  10. Silicon surface passivation by silicon nitride deposition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olsen, L. C.

    1984-01-01

    Silicon nitride deposition was studied as a method of passivation for silicon solar cell surfaces. The following three objectives were the thrust of the research: (1) the use of pecvd silicon nitride for passivation of silicon surfaces; (2) measurement techniques for surface recombination velocity; and (3) the importance of surface passivation to high efficiency solar cells.

  11. [Osteopathie bei gastroösophagealem Reflux mit Hiatushernie: Ein Fallbericht gemäß der CARE-Leitlinie].

    PubMed

    Rotter, Gabriele; Brinkhaus, Benno

    2017-01-01

    Hintergrund: Das Vorhandensein einer Hiatushernie kann das Auftreten einer gastroösophagealen Refluxerkrankung (GERD) als Komplikation bedingen. Konventionelle medizinische Therapiemaßnahmen können zu unerwünschten Ereignissen und Rezidiven führen. Bisher sind die Effekte von osteopathischen Behandlungen bei Hiatushernie und GERD nicht bekannt. Fallbericht: Eine 59-jährige Patientin mit endoskopisch diagnostizierter chronischer Gastritis, GERD und Hiatushernie beklagte einen persistierenden gastroösophagealen Reflux trotz konventionell-medizinischer konservativer Therapie. Die osteopathische Diagnostik ergab eine funktionelle Störung im Bereich des Magens und der Kardia mit einer Beteiligung zugehöriger Reflexzonen. Nach einer osteopathischen Behandlung als individuelle, befundorientierte Therapie ließen die Beschwerden erheblich nach. Die Hiatushernie war nach einer dieser Behandlung endoskopisch nicht mehr nachweisbar. Schlussfolgerungen: Dieser Fallbericht schildert die Symptomreduktion einer GERD nach osteopathischer Behandlung. In der endoskopischen Folgeuntersuchung fand sich die initial diagnostizierte Hiatushernie nicht mehr, diese Befund änderung könnte jedoch auf die unterschiedlichen Untersucher zurückgeführt werden. Prospektive kontrollierte klinische Studien sind notwendig, um den Stellenwert von osteopathischen Behandlungen bei GERD mit Hiatushernie zu untersuchen. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

  12. Discreet passive explosive detection through 2-sided waveguided fluorescence

    DOEpatents

    Harper, Ross James [Stillwater, OK; la Grone, Marcus [Cushing, OK; Fisher, Mark [Stillwater, OK

    2011-10-18

    The current invention provides a passive sampling device suitable for collecting and detecting the presence of target analytes. In particular, the passive sampling device is suitable for detecting nitro-aromatic compounds. The current invention further provides a passive sampling device reader suitable for determining the collection of target analytes. Additionally, the current invention provides methods for detecting target analytes using the passive sampling device and the passive sampling device reader.

  13. Modeling of Passive Forces of Machine Tool Covers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kolar, Petr; Hudec, Jan; Sulitka, Matej

    The passive forces acting against the drive force are phenomena that influence dynamical properties and precision of linear axes equipped with feed drives. Covers are one of important sources of passive forces in machine tools. The paper describes virtual evaluation of cover passive forces using the cover complex model. The model is able to compute interaction between flexible cover segments and sealing wiper. The result is deformation of cover segments and wipers which is used together with measured friction coefficient for computation of cover total passive force. This resulting passive force is dependent on cover position. Comparison of computational results and measurement on the real cover is presented in the paper.

  14. Using paired visual and passive acoustic surveys to estimate passive acoustic detection parameters for harbor porpoise abundance estimates.

    PubMed

    Jacobson, Eiren K; Forney, Karin A; Barlow, Jay

    2017-01-01

    Passive acoustic monitoring is a promising approach for monitoring long-term trends in harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) abundance. Before passive acoustic monitoring can be implemented to estimate harbor porpoise abundance, information about the detectability of harbor porpoise is needed to convert recorded numbers of echolocation clicks to harbor porpoise densities. In the present study, paired data from a grid of nine passive acoustic click detectors (C-PODs, Chelonia Ltd., United Kingdom) and three days of simultaneous aerial line-transect visual surveys were collected over a 370 km 2 study area. The focus of the study was estimating the effective detection area of the passive acoustic sensors, which was defined as the product of the sound production rate of individual animals and the area within which those sounds are detected by the passive acoustic sensors. Visually estimated porpoise densities were used as informative priors in a Bayesian model to solve for the effective detection area for individual harbor porpoises. This model-based approach resulted in a posterior distribution of the effective detection area of individual harbor porpoises consistent with previously published values. This technique is a viable alternative for estimating the effective detection area of passive acoustic sensors when other experimental approaches are not feasible.

  15. EIN3-like gene expression during fruit ripening of Cavendish banana (Musa acuminata cv. Grande naine).

    PubMed

    Mbéguié-A-Mbéguié, Didier; Hubert, Olivier; Fils-Lycaon, Bernard; Chillet, Marc; Baurens, Franc-Christophe

    2008-06-01

    Ethylene signal transduction initiates with ethylene binding at receptor proteins and terminates in a transcription cascade involving the EIN3/EIL transcription factors. Here, we have isolated four cDNAs homologs of the Arabidopsis EIN3/EIN3-like gene, MA-EILs (Musa acuminata ethylene insensitive 3-like) from banana fruit. Sequence comparison with other banana EIL gene already registered in the database led us to conclude that, at this day, at least five different genes namely MA-EIL1, MA-EIL2/AB266318, MA-EIL3/AB266319, MA-EIL4/AB266320 and AB266321 exist in banana. Phylogenetic analyses included all banana EIL genes within a same cluster consisting of rice OsEILs, a monocotyledonous plant as banana. However, MA-EIL1, MA-EIL2/AB266318, MA-EIL4/AB266320 and AB266321 on one side, and MA-EIL3/AB266319 on the other side, belong to two distant subclusters. MA-EIL mRNAs were detected in all examined banana tissues but at lower level in peel than in pulp. According to tissues, MA-EIL genes were differentially regulated by ripening and ethylene in mature green fruit and wounding in old and young leaves. MA-EIL2/AB266318 was the unique ripening- and ethylene-induced gene; MA-EIL1, MA-EIL4/Ab266320 and AB266321 genes were downregulated, while MA-EIL3/AB266319 presented an unusual pattern of expression. Interestingly, a marked change was observed mainly in MA-EIL1 and MA-EIL3/Ab266319 mRNA accumulation concomitantly with changes in ethylene responsiveness of fruit. Upon wounding, the main effect was observed in MA-EIL4/AB266320 and AB266321 mRNA levels, which presented a markedly increase in both young and old leaves, respectively. Data presented in this study suggest the importance of a transcriptionally step control in the regulation of EIL genes during banana fruit ripening.

  16. 76 FR 72875 - Passive Activity Losses and Credits Limited

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-28

    ... Passive Activity Losses and Credits Limited AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION... losses from passive activities. Section 469(b) permits passive losses disallowed in one year to be carried over to the next year. Section 469(c)(1) provides that a passive activity means any activity which...

  17. Interferometric inversion for passive imaging and navigation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-05-01

    AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2017-0096 Interferometric inversion for passive imaging and navigation Laurent Demanet MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Final...COVERED (From - To) Feb 2015-Jan 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Interferometric inversion for passive imaging and navigation 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER...Grant title: Interferometric inversion for passive imaging and navigation • Grant number: FA9550-15-1-0078 • Period: Feburary 2015 - January 2017

  18. Temperature initiated passive cooling system

    DOEpatents

    Forsberg, C.W.

    1994-11-01

    A passive cooling system for cooling an enclosure only when the enclosure temperature exceeds a maximum standby temperature comprises a passive heat transfer loop containing heat transfer fluid having a particular thermodynamic critical point temperature just above the maximum standby temperature. An upper portion of the heat transfer loop is insulated to prevent two phase operation below the maximum standby temperature. 1 fig.

  19. Temperature initiated passive cooling system

    DOEpatents

    Forsberg, Charles W.

    1994-01-01

    A passive cooling system for cooling an enclosure only when the enclosure temperature exceeds a maximum standby temperature comprises a passive heat transfer loop containing heat transfer fluid having a particular thermodynamic critical point temperature just above the maximum standby temperature. An upper portion of the heat transfer loop is insulated to prevent two phase operation below the maximum standby temperature.

  20. Anomalous scaling of passive scalars in rotating flows.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez Imazio, P; Mininni, P D

    2011-06-01

    We present results of direct numerical simulations of passive scalar advection and diffusion in turbulent rotating flows. Scaling laws and the development of anisotropy are studied in spectral space, and in real space using an axisymmetric decomposition of velocity and passive scalar structure functions. The passive scalar is more anisotropic than the velocity field, and its power spectrum follows a spectral law consistent with ~ k[Please see text](-3/2). This scaling is explained with phenomenological arguments that consider the effect of rotation. Intermittency is characterized using scaling exponents and probability density functions of velocity and passive scalar increments. In the presence of rotation, intermittency in the velocity field decreases more noticeably than in the passive scalar. The scaling exponents show good agreement with Kraichnan's prediction for passive scalar intermittency in two dimensions, after correcting for the observed scaling of the second-order exponent.

  1. Wireless passive radiation sensor

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

    Pfeifer, Kent B; Rumpf, Arthur N; Yelton, William G

    2013-12-03

    A novel measurement technique is employed using surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, passive RF, and radiation-sensitive films to provide a wireless passive radiation sensor that requires no batteries, outside wiring, or regular maintenance. The sensor is small (<1 cm.sup.2), physically robust, and will operate unattended for decades. In addition, the sensor can be insensitive to measurement position and read distance due to a novel self-referencing technique eliminating the need to measure absolute responses that are dependent on RF transmitter location and power.

  2. Vertical Diffusivities of Active and Passive Tracers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Canuto, V. M.; Cheng, Y.; Howard, A. M.

    2010-01-01

    The climate models that include a carbon-cycle need the vertical diffusivity of a passive tracer. Since an expression for the latter is not available, it has been common practice to identify it with that of salt. The identification is questionable since T, S are active, not passive tracers. We present the first derivation of the diffusivity of a passive tracer in terms of Ri (Richardson number) and Rq (density ratio, ratio of salinity over temperature z-gradients). The following results have emerged: (a) The passive tracer diffusivity is an algebraic function of Ri, Rq. (b) In doubly stable regimes (DS, partial derivative of T with respect to z > 0, partial derivative of S with respect to z < 0), the passive scalar diffusivity is nearly the same as that of salt/heat for any values of Rq < 0 and Ri > 0. (c) In DC regimes (diffusive convection, partial derivative of T with respect to z < 0, partial derivative of S with respect to z < 0, Rq > 1), the passive scalar diffusivity is larger than that of salt. At Ri = O(1), it can be more than twice as large. (d) In SF regimes (salt fingers, partial derivative of T with respect to z > 0, partial derivative of S with respect to z > 0, Rq < 1), the passive scalar diffusivity is smaller than that of salt. At Ri = O(1), it can be less than half of it. (e) The passive tracer diffusivity predicted at the location of NATRE (North Atlantic Tracer Release Experiment) is discussed. (f) Perhaps the most relevant conclusion is that the common identification of the tracer diffusivity with that of salt is valid only in DS regimes. In the Southern Ocean, where there is the largest CO2 absorption, the dominant regime is diffusive convection discussed in (c) above.

  3. Antenna for passive RFID tags

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schiopu, Paul; Manea, Adrian; Cristea, Ionica; Grosu, Neculai; Vladescu, Marian; Craciun, Anca-Ileana; Craciun, Alexandru

    2015-02-01

    Minuscule devices, called RFID tags are attached to objects and persons and emit information which positioned readers may capture wirelessly. Many methods of identification have been used, but that of most common is to use a unique serial number for identification of person or object. RFID tags can be characterized as either active or passive [1,2]. Traditional passive tags are typically in "sleep" state until awakened by the reader's emitted field. In passive tags, the reader's field acts to charge the capacitor that powers the badge and this can be a combination of antenna and barcodes obtained with SAW( Surface Acoustic Wave) devices [1,2,3] . The antenna in an RFID tag is a conductive element that permits the tag to exchange data with the reader. The paper contribution are targeted to antenna for passive RFID tags. The electromagnetic field generated by the reader is somehow oriented by the reader antenna and power is induced in the tag only if the orientation of the tag antenna is appropriate. A tag placed orthogonal to the reader yield field will not be read. This is the reason that guided manufacturers to build circular polarized antenna capable of propagating a field that is alternatively polarized on all planes passing on the diffusion axis. Passive RFID tags are operated at the UHF frequencies of 868MHz (Europe) and 915MHz (USA) and at the microwave frequencies of 2,45 GHz and 5,8 GHz . Because the tags are small dimensions, in paper, we present the possibility to use circular polarization microstrip antenna with fractal edge [2].

  4. Passive cooling during transport of asphyxiated term newborns

    PubMed Central

    O’Reilly, Deirdre; Labrecque, Michelle; O’Melia, Michael; Bacic, Janine; Hansen, Anne; Soul, Janet S

    2014-01-01

    Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of passive cooling during transport of asphyxiated newborns. Study Design Retrospective medical record review of newborns with perinatal asphyxia transported for hypothermia between July 2007 and June 2010. Results Forty-three newborns were transported, 27 of whom were passively cooled. Twenty (74%) passively cooled newborns arrived with axillary temperature between 32.5 and 34.5 °C. One newborn (4%) arrived with a subtherapeutic temperature, and 6 (22%) had temperatures >34.5 °C. Time from birth to hypothermia was significantly shorter among passively cooled newborns compared with newborns not cooled (215 vs. 327 minutes, p<0.01), even though time from birth to arrival was similar (252 vs. 259 minutes, p=0.77). There were no significant adverse events related to passive cooling. Conclusions Exclusive passive cooling for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy results in significantly earlier achievement of effective therapeutic hypothermia without significant adverse events. PMID:23154670

  5. Active subjects of passive monitoring: responses to a passive monitoring system in low-income independent living

    PubMed Central

    BERRIDGE, CLARA

    2016-01-01

    Passive monitoring technology is beginning to be reimbursed by third-party payers in the United States of America. Given the low voluntary uptake of these technologies on the market, it is important to understand the concerns and perspectives of users, former users and non-users. In this paper, the range of ways older adults relate to passive monitoring in low-income independent-living residences is presented. This includes experiences of adoption, non-adoption, discontinuation and creative ‘misuse’. The analysis of interviews reveals three key insights. First, assumptions built into the technology about how older adults live present a problem for many users who experience unwanted disruptions and threats to their behavioural autonomy. Second, resident response is varied and challenges the dominant image of residents as passive subjects of a passive monitoring system. Third, the priorities of older adults (e.g. safety, autonomy, privacy, control, contact) are more diverse and multi-faceted than those of the housing organisation staff and family members (e.g. safety, efficiency) who drive the passive monitoring intervention. The tension between needs, desires and the daily lives of older adults and the technological solutions offered to them is made visible by their active responses, including resistance to them. This exposes the active and meaningful qualities of older adults’ decisions and practices. PMID:28239211

  6. Low cost passive solar adobe house

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

    Not Available

    1981-12-21

    A brief description, photographs, and cost breakdown of a hybrid direct-gain passive solar adobe house constructed in the City of El Paso, Texas. The 3-panel active solar domestic hot water system acts as a back-up to the direct gain passive system.

  7. Passive Solar Heating Residences.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-07-01

    concerned, as long as the basic system falls within one of the passive concepts, then it is a passive system. If a fan can increase the system~s...wood walls and roof is R-22, in the block walls (urea-formaldahyde foam sprayed in wall cavity) is R-30, and a 4" styro- foam board at the slab edge (R...is based cn 1,000 BTU/sq. ft./day, which is a clear day value. The south windows have reflectors which will increase the energy gained (30% by Steve

  8. Passive Superconducting Shielding: Experimental Results and Computer Models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Warner, B. A.; Kamiya, K.

    2003-01-01

    Passive superconducting shielding for magnetic refrigerators has advantages over active shielding and passive ferromagnetic shielding in that it is lightweight and easy to construct. However, it is not as easy to model and does not fail gracefully. Failure of a passive superconducting shield may lead to persistent flux and persistent currents. Unfortunately, modeling software for superconducting materials is not as easily available as is software for simple coils or for ferromagnetic materials. This paper will discuss ways of using available software to model passive superconducting shielding.

  9. Configurations and calibration methods for passive sampling techniques.

    PubMed

    Ouyang, Gangfeng; Pawliszyn, Janusz

    2007-10-19

    Passive sampling technology has developed very quickly in the past 15 years, and is widely used for the monitoring of pollutants in different environments. The design and quantification of passive sampling devices require an appropriate calibration method. Current calibration methods that exist for passive sampling, including equilibrium extraction, linear uptake, and kinetic calibration, are presented in this review. A number of state-of-the-art passive sampling devices that can be used for aqueous and air monitoring are introduced according to their calibration methods.

  10. Print media coverage of research on passive smoking

    PubMed Central

    Kennedy, G.; Bero, L.

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVE—To assess the extent and content of newspaper and magazine coverage of research on passive smoking.
DESIGN—Content analysis of newspaper and magazine articles.
SUBJECTS—Articles reporting on passive smoking research published in newspapers (n = 180) or magazines (n = 92) between January 1981 and December 1994.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES—Numbers of articles, conclusions of articles, sources quoted, numbers and characteristics of research studies cited, presence of tobacco advertising.
RESULTS—The number of newspaper and magazine articles reporting on passive smoking research increased from four in 1981 to 57 in 1992 and 32 in 1994. Sixty-two per cent (168/272) of articles concluded that the research on passive smoking is controversial. Tobacco industry representatives were quoted significantly more often in newspaper articles (52%, 94/180) than magazine articles (12%, 11/92) (p<0.0001). Of 121 different research studies cited in the lay press articles, only 15 were from tobacco-industry sponsored projects or publications. In magazines, acceptance of tobacco industry advertising was associated with the conclusion that research on passive smoking is controversial (p<0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS—Although research on the harmful effects of passive smoking accumulated between 1981 and 1994, lay press coverage of the research maintained that the science was controversial. Few research studies were cited to support the industry's claim that passive smoking is not harmful to health. However, tobacco industry representatives who were critical of the research methods used to study the health effects of passive smoking were frequently quoted.


Keywords: environmental tobacco smoke; media; passive smoking PMID:10599568

  11. Cellular automaton formulation of passive scalar dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Hudong; Matthaeus, William H.

    1987-01-01

    Cellular automata modeling of the advection of a passive scalar in a two-dimensional flow is examined in the context of discrete lattice kinetic theory. It is shown that if the passive scalar is represented by tagging or 'coloring' automation particles a passive advection-diffusion equation emerges without use of perturbation expansions. For the specific case of the hydrodynamic lattice gas model of Frisch et al. (1986), the diffusion coefficient is calculated by perturbation.

  12. Columbia County Habitat for Humanity Passive Townhomes

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

    None, None

    2016-03-01

    Columbia County Habitat for Humanity (CCHH) (New York, Climate Zone 5A) built a pair of townhomes to Passive House Institute U.S. (PHIUS+ 2015) criteria to explore approaches for achieving Passive House performance (specifically with respect to exterior wall, space-conditioning, and ventilation strategies) within the labor and budget context inherent in a Habitat for Humanity project. CCHH’s goal is to eventually develop a cost-justified Passive House prototype design for future projects.

  13. Passive Thermal Management of Foil Bearings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bruckner, Robert J. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    Systems and methods for passive thermal management of foil bearing systems are disclosed herein. The flow of the hydrodynamic film across the surface of bearing compliant foils may be disrupted to provide passive cooling and to improve the performance and reliability of the foil bearing system.

  14. Passive ice freezing-releasing heat pipe

    DOEpatents

    Gorski, Anthony J.; Schertz, William W.

    1982-01-01

    A heat pipe device has been developed which permits completely passive ice formation and periodic release of ice without requiring the ambient temperature to rise above the melting point of water. This passive design enables the maximum amount of cooling capacity to be stored in the tank.

  15. Can Passive Touch Be Better than Active Touch? A Comparison of Active and Passive Tactile Maze Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richardson, Barry L.; And Others

    1981-01-01

    In a comparison of the performance of active and passive mechanically yoked subjects who learned their way through a tactile maze, it was shown that active subjects made more errors and took a greater number of trials to reach criterion than did passive subjects. (Author)

  16. Passivated niobium cavities

    DOEpatents

    Myneni, Ganapati Rao [Yorktown, VA; Hjorvarsson, Bjorgvin [Lagga Arby, SE; Ciovati, Gianluigi [Newport News, VA

    2006-12-19

    A niobium cavity exhibiting high quality factors at high gradients is provided by treating a niobium cavity through a process comprising: 1) removing surface oxides by plasma etching or a similar process; 2) removing hydrogen or other gases absorbed in the bulk niobium by high temperature treatment of the cavity under ultra high vacuum to achieve hydrogen outgassing; and 3) assuring the long term chemical stability of the niobium cavity by applying a passivating layer of a superconducting material having a superconducting transition temperature higher than niobium thereby reducing losses from electron (cooper pair) scattering in the near surface region of the interior of the niobium cavity. According to a preferred embodiment, the passivating layer comprises niobium nitride (NbN) applied by reactive sputtering.

  17. Hydrodynamic interactions between a self-rotation rotator and passive particles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ouyang, Zhenyu; Lin, Jian-Zhong; Ku, Xiaoke

    2017-10-01

    In this paper, we numerically investigate the hydrodynamic interaction between a self-rotation rotator and passive particles in a two-dimensional confined cavity at two typical Reynolds numbers according to the different flow features. Both the fluid-particle interaction and particle-particle interaction through fluid media are taken into consideration. The results show that from the case of a rotator and one passive particle to the case of a rotator and two passive particles, the system becomes much more complex because the relative displacement between the rotator and the passive particles and the velocity of passive particles are strongly dependent on the Reynolds number and the initial position of passive particles. For the system of two particles, the passive particle gradually departs from the rotator although its relative displacement to the rotator exhibits a periodic oscillation at the lower Reynolds number. Furthermore, the relative distance between the two particles and the rotator's rotational frequency are responsible for the oscillation amplitude and frequency of the passive particle's velocity. For the system of three particles, the passive particle's velocities exhibit a superposition of a large amplitude oscillation and a small amplitude oscillation at the lower Reynolds number, and the large amplitude oscillation will disappear at the higher Reynolds number. The change of the included angle of the two passive particles is dependent on the initial positions of the passive particles at the lower Reynolds number, whereas the included angle of the two passive particles finally approaches a fixed value at the higher Reynolds number. It is interesting that the two passive particles periodically approach and depart from each other when the included angle is not equal to π, while all the three particles (including the rotator) keep the positions in a straight line when the included angle is equal to π because the interference between two passive

  18. The Passive in 3- and 4-Year-Olds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Barros Pereira Rubin, Maraci Coelho

    2009-01-01

    This paper argues that analyzing the patterns of individual subject performance in tests of comprehension of passives might give insight into how little children interpret passives: 3 and 4 year-olds seem to go through a range of passive interpretation, that varies from actual comprehension to total non-comprehension. The fact that some small…

  19. Polarimetric passive remote sensing of periodic surfaces

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Veysoglu, Murat E.; Yueh, H. A.; Shin, R. T.; Kong, J. A.

    1991-01-01

    The concept of polarimetry in active remote sensing is extended to passive remote sensing. The potential use of the third and fourth Stokes parameters U and V, which play an important role in polarimetric active remote sensing, is demonstrated for passive remote sensing. It is shown that, by the use of the reciprocity principle, the polarimetric parameters of passive remote sensing can be obtained through the solution of the associated direct scattering problem. These ideas are applied to study polarimetric passive remote sensing of periodic surfaces. The solution of the direct scattering problem is obtained by an integral equation formulation which involves evaluation of periodic Green's functions and normal derivative of those on the surface. Rapid evaluation of the slowly convergent series associated with these functions is observed to be critical for the feasibility of the method. New formulas, which are rapidly convergent, are derived for the calculation of these series. The study has shown that the brightness temperature of the Stokes parameter U can be significant in passive remote sensing. Values as high as 50 K are observed for certain configurations.

  20. Passive exposure to nicotine from e-cigarettes.

    PubMed

    Gallart-Mateu, D; Elbal, L; Armenta, S; de la Guardia, M

    2016-05-15

    A procedure based on the use of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), after liquid-liquid microextraction (LLME), has been successfully employed for the determination of passive exposure to nicotine from cigarette and e-cigarette smoking. Nicotine has been determined in exhaled breath and oral fluids of both, active and passive smokers. The aforementioned studies, made in closed environments, evidenced that the exhaled breath after conventional blend cigarette smoke provides nicotine levels of the order of 220 ng per puff, in the case of experienced smokers, being exhaled only 32 ng in the case of e-cigarettes. On the other hand, the nicotine amount in oral fluids of passive vapers was between 8 and 14 µg L(-1) lower than the average value of 38±14 µg L(-1) found for passive smokers of rolling tobacco and clearly lower than the 79±36 µg L(-1) obtained from passive smokers of classical yellow blend. This study was also placed in the frame of the verification of the e-cigarettes composition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Climate-Specific Passive Building Standards

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

    Wright, Graham S.; Klingenberg, Katrin

    2015-07-01

    Passive design principles (super insulation, airtight envelopes, elimination of thermal bridges, etc.) - pioneered in North America in the 70s and 80s and refined in Europe in the 90s have proven to be universally effective to significantly reduce heating and cooling loads. However, a single, rigid performance metric developed in Germany has led to limited uptake of passive building principles in many regions of the United States. It has also, in many cases, promoted some design decisions that had negative effects on economic feasibility and thermal comfort. This study's main objective is to validate (in a theoretical sense) verifiable, climate-specificmore » passive standards and space conditioning criteria that retain ambitious, environmentally-necessary energy reduction targets and are economically feasible, such standards provide designers an ambitious but achievable performance target on the path to zero.« less

  2. Discreet passive explosive detection through 2-sided wave guided fluorescence

    DOEpatents

    Harper, Ross James; la Grone, Marcus; Fisher, Mark

    2012-10-16

    The current invention provides a passive sampling device suitable for collecting and detecting the presence of target analytes. In particular, the passive sampling device is suitable for detecting nitro-aromatic compounds. The current invention further provides a passive sampling device reader suitable for determining the collection of target analytes. Additionally, the current invention provides methods for detecting target analytes using the passive sampling device and the passive sampling device reader.

  3. Erzwingt die Quantenmechanik eine drastische Änderung unseres Weltbilds? Gedanken und Experimente nach Einstein, Podolsky und Rosen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frodl, Peter

    Von den Anfängen der Quantenmechanik bis heute gibt es Versuche, sie als statistische Theorie über Ensembles individueller klassischer Systeme zu interpretieren. Die Bedingungen, unter denen Theorien verborgener Parameter zu deterministischen Beschreibungen dieser individuellen Systeme als klassisch angesehen werden können, wurden von Einstein, Podolsky und Rosen 1935 formuliert: 1. Physikalische Systeme sind im Prinzip separierbar. 2. Zu jeder physikalischen Größe, deren Wert man ohne Störung des betrachteten Systems mit Sicherheit voraussagen kann, existiert ein ihr entsprechendes Element der physikalischen Realität.Zusammen sind sie, wie Bell 1964 gezeigt hat, prinzipiell unverträglich mit der Quantenmechanik und unhaltbar angesichts neuerer Experimente. Diese erweisen einmal mehr die Quantenmechanik als richtige Theorie. Um ihre Ergebnisse zu verstehen, müssen wir entweder die in der klassischen Physik als selbstverständlich angesehene Annahme der Separierbarkeit physikalischer Systeme aufgeben oder unseren Begriff der physikalischen Realität revidieren. Eine Untersuchung des Begriffs der Separabilität und einige Überlegungen zum Problem der Messung von Observablen zeigen, daß eine Änderung des Begriffs der physikalischen Realität unumgänglich ist. Der revidierte Realitätsbegriff sollte mit klassischer Physik und Quantenmechanik verträglich sein, um ein einheitliches Weltbild zu ermöglichen.Translated AbstractDo Quantum Mechanics Force us to Drastically Change our View of the World? Thoughts and Experiments after Einstein, Podolsky and RosenSince the advent of quantum mechanics there have been attempts of its interpretation in terms of statistical theory concerning individual classical systems. The very conditions necessary to consider hidden variable theories describing these individual systems as classical had been pointed out by Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen in 1935: 1. Physical systems are in principle separable. 2. If it is possible to

  4. Passive sampler for PM10-2.5 aerosol.

    PubMed

    Leith, David; Sommerlatt, Darrell; Boundy, Maryanne G

    2007-03-01

    This study investigates the use of a small passive sampler for aerosol particles to determine particulate matter (PM)10-2.5 concentrations in outdoor air. The passive sampler collects particles by gravity, diffusion, and convective diffusion onto a glass coverslip that is then examined with an optical microscope; digital images are processed with free software and the resultant PM10-2.5 concentrations determined. Both the samplers and the analyses are relatively inexpensive. Passive samplers were collocated with Federal Reference Method (FRM) samplers in Chapel Hill, NC; Phoenix, AZ; and Birmingham, AL; for periods from 5 to 15 days. Particles consisted primarily of inorganic dusts at some sites and a mix of industrial and inorganic materials at other sites. Measured concentrations ranged from < 10 microg/m3 to approximately 40 microg/m3. Overall, PM10-2.5 concentrations measured with the passive samplers were within approximately 1 standard deviation of concentrations measured with the FRM samplers. Concentrations determined with passive samplers depend on assumptions about particle density and shape factors and may also depend somewhat on local wind speed and turbulence; accurate values for these parameters may not be known. The degree of agreement between passive and FRM concentrations measured here suggests that passive measurements may not be overly dependent on accurate knowledge of these parameters.

  5. Fully Passive Wireless Acquisition of Neuropotentials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwerdt, Helen N.

    The ability to monitor electrophysiological signals from the sentient brain is requisite to decipher its enormously complex workings and initiate remedial solutions for the vast amount of neurologically-based disorders. Despite immense advancements in creating a variety of instruments to record signals from the brain, the translation of such neurorecording instrumentation to real clinical domains places heavy demands on their safety and reliability, both of which are not entirely portrayed by presently existing implantable recording solutions. In an attempt to lower these barriers, alternative wireless radar backscattering techniques are proposed to render the technical burdens of the implant chip to entirely passive neurorecording processes that transpire in the absence of formal integrated power sources or powering schemes along with any active circuitry. These radar-like wireless backscattering mechanisms are used to conceive of fully passive neurorecording operations of an implantable microsystem. The fully passive device potentially manifests inherent advantages over current wireless implantable and wired recording systems: negligible heat dissipation to reduce risks of brain tissue damage and minimal circuitry for long term reliability as a chronic implant. Fully passive neurorecording operations are realized via intrinsic nonlinear mixing properties of the varactor diode. These mixing and recording operations are directly activated by wirelessly interrogating the fully passive device with a microwave carrier signal. This fundamental carrier signal, acquired by the implant antenna, mixes through the varactor diode along with the internal targeted neuropotential brain signals to produce higher frequency harmonics containing the targeted neuropotential signals. These harmonics are backscattered wirelessly to the external interrogator that retrieves and recovers the original neuropotential brain signal. The passive approach removes the need for internal power

  6. 26 CFR 1.469-3T - Passive activity credit (temporary).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Passive activity credit (temporary). 1.469-3T... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Taxable Year for Which Deductions Taken § 1.469-3T Passive activity credit (temporary). (a) Computation of passive activity credit. The taxpayer's passive activity credit...

  7. 26 CFR 1.469-3T - Passive activity credit (temporary).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 6 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Passive activity credit (temporary). 1.469-3T... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Taxable Year for Which Deductions Taken § 1.469-3T Passive activity credit (temporary). (a) Computation of passive activity credit. The taxpayer's passive activity...

  8. Passive cooling system for a vehicle

    DOEpatents

    Hendricks, Terry Joseph; Thoensen, Thomas

    2005-11-15

    A passive cooling system for a vehicle (114) transfers heat from an overheated internal component, for example, an instrument panel (100), to an external portion (116) of the vehicle (114), for example, a side body panel (126). The passive cooling system includes one or more heat pipes (112) having an evaporator section (118) embedded in the overheated internal component and a condenser section (120) at the external portion (116) of the vehicle (114). The evaporator (118) and condenser (120) sections are in fluid communication. The passive cooling system may also include a thermally conductive film (140) for thermally connecting the evaporator sections (118) of the heat pipes (112) to each other and to the instrument panel (100).

  9. Passive Cooling System for a Vehicle

    DOEpatents

    Hendricks, T. J.; Thoensen, T.

    2005-11-15

    A passive cooling system for a vehicle (114) transfers heat from an overheated internal component, for example, an instrument panel (100), to an external portion (116) of the vehicle (114), for example, a side body panel (126). The passive cooling system includes one or more heat pipes (112) having an evaporator section (118) embedded in the overheated internal component and a condenser section (120) at the external portion (116) of the vehicle (114). The evaporator (118) and condenser (120) sections are in fluid communication. The passive cooling system may also include a thermally conductive film (140) for thermally connecting the evaporator sections (118) of the heat pipes (112) to each other and to the instrument panel (100).

  10. Passive inhalation of cocaine.

    PubMed

    Cone, E J; Yousefnejad, D; Hillsgrove, M J; Holicky, B; Darwin, W D

    1995-10-01

    Six healthy male volunteers were exposed to the vapor of 100 and 200 mg freebase cocaine heated to a temperature of 200 degrees C in an unventilated room (12,600-L volume) for a period of 1 h. No pharmacological effects were detected as a result of the exposure. Blood specimens collected immediately following exposure were negative for cocaine and metabolites. Urine specimens analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry contained peak concentrations of benzoylecgonine that ranged from 22 to 123 ng/mL. The peak excretion time for benzoylecgonine following passive exposure was approximately 5 h. The amount of cocaine inhaled by the subjects during passive exposure was estimated from room air measurements of cocaine to be approximately 0.25 mg. The total amount of cocaine (cocaine plus metabolites) excreted in urine by the six subjects ranged from 0.04 to 0.21 mg. For comparison, the six subjects also received an intravenous injection of 1 mg cocaine hydrochloride. Four of six subjects screened positive (300-ng/mL cutoff concentration) following the injection, indicating that the minimum amount of cocaine in these subjects necessary to produce positive results was approximately 1 mg. A second passive inhalation study was undertaken in which specimens were collected from research staff who assisted in a series of experimental studies with "crack" (freebase cocaine) smokers. The research staff remained in close vicinity while the crack smokers smoked three doses of freebase cocaine (12.5, 25, and 50 mg) over a period of 4 h. As a result, staff members were passively exposed to sidestream smoke from crack pipes and to breath exhalation from the crack smokers. Urine specimens from the staff members contained a maximum of 6 ng/mL benzoylecgonine. Only traces (less than 1 ng/mL) of cocaine were detected in any specimen. Overall, these studies demonstrated that individuals exposed to cocaine smoke under naturalistic or artificial conditions absorbed small amounts of

  11. Advanced Aerodynamic Design of Passive Porosity Control Effectors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hunter, Craig A.; Viken, Sally A.; Wood, Richard M.; Bauer, Steven X. S.

    2001-01-01

    This paper describes aerodynamic design work aimed at developing a passive porosity control effector system for a generic tailless fighter aircraft. As part of this work, a computational design tool was developed and used to layout passive porosity effector systems for longitudinal and lateral-directional control at a low-speed, high angle of attack condition. Aerodynamic analysis was conducted using the NASA Langley computational fluid dynamics code USM3D, in conjunction with a newly formulated surface boundary condition for passive porosity. Results indicate that passive porosity effectors can provide maneuver control increments that equal and exceed those of conventional aerodynamic effectors for low-speed, high-alpha flight, with control levels that are a linear function of porous area. This work demonstrates the tremendous potential of passive porosity to yield simple control effector systems that have no external moving parts and will preserve an aircraft's fixed outer mold line.

  12. Folding in and out: passive morphing in flapping wings.

    PubMed

    Stowers, Amanda K; Lentink, David

    2015-03-25

    We present a new mechanism for passive wing morphing of flapping wings inspired by bat and bird wing morphology. The mechanism consists of an unactuated hand wing connected to the arm wing with a wrist joint. Flapping motion generates centrifugal accelerations in the hand wing, forcing it to unfold passively. Using a robotic model in hover, we made kinematic measurements of unfolding kinematics as functions of the non-dimensional wingspan fold ratio (2-2.5) and flapping frequency (5-17 Hz) using stereo high-speed cameras. We find that the wings unfold passively within one to two flaps and remain unfolded with only small amplitude oscillations. To better understand the passive dynamics, we constructed a computer model of the unfolding process based on rigid body dynamics, contact models, and aerodynamic correlations. This model predicts the measured passive unfolding within about one flap and shows that unfolding is driven by centrifugal acceleration induced by flapping. The simulations also predict that relative unfolding time only weakly depends on flapping frequency and can be reduced to less than half a wingbeat by increasing flapping amplitude. Subsequent dimensional analysis shows that the time required to unfold passively is of the same order of magnitude as the flapping period. This suggests that centrifugal acceleration can drive passive unfolding within approximately one wingbeat in small and large wings. Finally, we show experimentally that passive unfolding wings can withstand impact with a branch, by first folding and then unfolding passively. This mechanism enables flapping robots to squeeze through clutter without sophisticated control. Passive unfolding also provides a new avenue in morphing wing design that makes future flapping morphing wings possibly more energy efficient and light-weight. Simultaneously these results point to possible inertia driven, and therefore metabolically efficient, control strategies in bats and birds to morph or recover

  13. Global Passivity in Microscopic Thermodynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uzdin, Raam; Rahav, Saar

    2018-04-01

    The main thread that links classical thermodynamics and the thermodynamics of small quantum systems is the celebrated Clausius inequality form of the second law. However, its application to small quantum systems suffers from two cardinal problems. (i) The Clausius inequality does not hold when the system and environment are initially correlated—a commonly encountered scenario in microscopic setups. (ii) In some other cases, the Clausius inequality does not provide any useful information (e.g., in dephasing scenarios). We address these deficiencies by developing the notion of global passivity and employing it as a tool for deriving thermodynamic inequalities on observables. For initially uncorrelated thermal environments the global passivity framework recovers the Clausius inequality. More generally, global passivity provides an extension of the Clausius inequality that holds even in the presences of strong initial system-environment correlations. Crucially, the present framework provides additional thermodynamic bounds on expectation values. To illustrate the role of the additional bounds, we use them to detect unaccounted heat leaks and weak feedback operations ("Maxwell demons") that the Clausius inequality cannot detect. In addition, it is shown that global passivity can put practical upper and lower bounds on the buildup of system-environment correlations for dephasing interactions. Our findings are highly relevant for experiments in various systems such as ion traps, superconducting circuits, atoms in optical cavities, and more.

  14. Post-exercise cortical depression following repetitive passive finger movement.

    PubMed

    Otsuka, Ryohei; Sasaki, Ryoki; Tsuiki, Shota; Kojima, Sho; Onishi, Hideaki

    2017-08-24

    This study aimed to clarify the influence of range of repetitive passive finger movement on corticospinal excitability. Thirteen healthy subjects participated in this study. Passive index finger adduction-abduction movements were performed from 15° abduction to 15° adduction, 15° abduction to 0°, 0° to 15° adduction, and 15° adduction to 30° adduction, each at 15°/s for 10min on separate days. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation and M- and F-waves were measured before and after each repetitive passive index finger movement protocol to evaluate changes in corticospinal excitability. MEP amplitude significantly decreased after all passive movements, while F-wave amplitude, F-wave persistence, and M-wave amplitude remained stable. These results suggest that cortical excitability decreases after repetitive passive movement. However, the range of repetitive passive movement does not markedly influence the magnitude of cortical depression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Anti-collision radio-frequency identification system using passive SAW tags

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sorokin, A. V.; Shepeta, A. P.

    2017-06-01

    Modern multi sensor systems should have high operating speed and resistance to climate impacts. Radiofrequency systems use passive SAW tags for identification items and vehicles. These tags find application in industry, traffic remote control systems, and railway remote traffic control systems for identification and speed measuring. However, collision of the passive SAW RFID tags hinders development passive RFID SAW technology in Industry. The collision problem for passive SAW tags leads for incorrect identification and encoding each tag. In our researching, we suggest approach for identification of several passive SAW tags in collision case.

  16. Microrobot with passive diamagnetic levitation for microparticle manipulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Lin; Zhang, Shengyuan; Jiang, Yonggang; Zhang, Deyuan; Arai, Fumihito

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, an innovative microrobot with passive diamagnetic levitation is presented. Based on theoretical analysis, finite element method simulation, and experiments, the shape of pyrolytic graphite is redesigned, which improves the stability of passive diamagnetic levitation significantly. Therefore, passive diamagnetic levitation is able to be applied for 3-D control of the microrobot. Compared with the traditional microrobots driven by permanent magnets in a microfluidic chip, the microrobot made of pyrolytic graphite and driven by magnetic force has two advantages, no friction and 3-D control, which is able to expand the scope of the microrobot applications. Finally, the microrobot with passive diamagnetic levitation was demonstrated by being encapsulated in a microfluidic chip for microparticle manipulations.

  17. Aspects and Some Results on Passivity and Positivity of Dynamic Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De la Sen, M.

    2017-12-01

    This paper is devoted to discuss certain aspects of passivity results in dynamic systems and the characterization of the regenerative systems counterparts. In particular, the various concepts of passivity as standard passivity, strict input passivity, strict output passivity and very strict passivity (i.e. joint strict input and output passivity) are given and related to the existence of a storage function and a dissipation function. Later on, the obtained results are related to external positivity of systems and positivity or strict positivity of the transfer matrices and transfer functions in the time-invariant case. On the other hand, it is discussed how to achieve or how eventually to increase the passivity effects via linear feedback by the synthesis of the appropriate feed-forward or feedback controllers or, simply, by adding a positive parallel direct input-output matrix interconnection gain.

  18. Passive damping in EDS maglev systems.

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

    Rote, D. M.

    2002-05-03

    There continues to be strong interest in the subjects of damping and drag forces associated with electrodynamic suspension (EDS) systems. While electromagnetic drag forces resist the forward motion of a vehicle and therefore consume energy, damping forces control, at least in part, the response of the vehicle to disturbances. Ideally, one would like to reduce the drag forces as much as possible while retaining adequate damping forces to insure dynamic stability and satisfactory ride quality. These two goals turn out to be difficult to achieve in practice. It is well known that maglev systems tend to be intrinsically under damped.more » Consequently it is often necessary in a practical system design to enhance the damping passively or actively. For reasons of cost and simplicity, it is desirable to rely as much as possible on passive damping mechanisms. In this paper, rough estimates are made of the passive damping and drag forces caused by various mechanisms in EDS systems. No attention will be given to active control systems or secondary suspension systems which are obvious ways to augment passive damping mechanisms if the latter prove to be inadequate.« less

  19. Integrated passive/active vibration absorber for multi-story buildings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee-Glauser, Gina J.; Ahmadi, Goodarz; Horta, Lucas G.

    1995-01-01

    Passive isolator, active vibration absorber, and an integrated passive/active (hybrid) control are studied for their effectiveness in reducing structural vibration under seismic excitations. For the passive isolator, a laminated rubber bearing base isolator which has been studied and used extensively by researchers and seismic designers is considered. An active vibration absorber concept, which can provide guaranteed closed-loop stability with minimum knowledge of the controlled system, is used to reduce the passive isolator displacement and to suppress the top floor vibration. A three-story building model is used for the numerical simulation. The performance of an active vibration absorber and a hybrid vibration controller in reducing peak structural responses is compared with the passively isolated structural response and with absence of vibration control systems under the N00W component of El Centro 1940 and N90W component of the Mexico City earthquake excitation records. The results show that the integrated passive/active vibration control system is most effective in suppressing the peak structural acceleration for the El Centro 1940 earthquake when compared with the passive or active vibration absorber alone. The active vibration absorber, however, is the only system that suppresses the peak acceleration of the structure for the Mexico City 1985 earthquake.

  20. 21 CFR 888.3025 - Passive tendon prosthesis.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Passive tendon prosthesis. 888.3025 Section 888.3025 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ORTHOPEDIC DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 888.3025 Passive tendon prosthesis. (a...

  1. 21 CFR 888.3025 - Passive tendon prosthesis.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Passive tendon prosthesis. 888.3025 Section 888.3025 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ORTHOPEDIC DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 888.3025 Passive tendon prosthesis. (a...

  2. 21 CFR 888.3025 - Passive tendon prosthesis.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Passive tendon prosthesis. 888.3025 Section 888.3025 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ORTHOPEDIC DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 888.3025 Passive tendon prosthesis. (a...

  3. Passive chevron replicator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oeffinger, Thomas R. (Inventor); Tocci, Leonard R. (Inventor)

    1977-01-01

    There is described a passive replicator device to be used in magnetic bubble domain systems. The replicator is passive, i.e., does not require an active element such as a current source or the like, and both propagates and replicates bubble domains. In a preferred embodiment, the replicator uses chevron type elements arranged in an appropriate pattern so as to interact with a pair of propagation paths wherein bubble domains are propagated. A bubble in one propagation path is routinely transferred therealong and, concurrently, replicated by the instant device into another propagation path. A plurality of elements arranged in juxtaposition to the chevrons assists in controlling the propagation of the bubbles through the respective propagation paths and, at the appropriate time, provides a cutting action wherein a bubble which is elongated between the chevrons of the two propagation paths is split into two separate bubbles.

  4. Energetic Passivity of the Human Ankle Joint.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hyunglae; Hogan, Neville

    2016-12-01

    Understanding the passive or nonpassive behavior of the neuromuscular system is important to design and control robots that physically interact with humans, since it provides quantitative information to secure coupled stability while maximizing performance. This has become more important than ever apace with the increasing demand for robotic technologies in neurorehabilitation. This paper presents a quantitative characterization of passive and nonpassive behavior of the ankle of young healthy subjects, which provides a baseline for future studies in persons with neurological impairments and information for future developments of rehabilitation robots, such as exoskeletal devices and powered prostheses. Measurements using a wearable ankle robot actuating 2 degrees-of-freedom of the ankle combined with curl analysis and passivity analysis enabled characterization of both quasi-static and steady-state dynamic behavior of the ankle, unavailable from single DOF studies. Despite active neuromuscular control over a wide range of muscle activation, in young healthy subjects passive or dissipative ankle behavior predominated.

  5. Passivation of high temperature superconductors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vasquez, Richard P. (Inventor)

    1991-01-01

    The surface of high temperature superconductors such as YBa2Cu3O(7-x) are passivated by reacting the native Y, Ba and Cu metal ions with an anion such as sulfate or oxalate to form a surface film that is impervious to water and has a solubility in water of no more than 10(exp -3) M. The passivating treatment is preferably conducted by immersing the surface in dilute aqueous acid solution since more soluble species dissolve into the solution. The treatment does not degrade the superconducting properties of the bulk material.

  6. A flexible layout design method for passive micromixers.

    PubMed

    Deng, Yongbo; Liu, Zhenyu; Zhang, Ping; Liu, Yongshun; Gao, Qingyong; Wu, Yihui

    2012-10-01

    This paper discusses a flexible layout design method of passive micromixers based on the topology optimization of fluidic flows. Being different from the trial and error method, this method obtains the detailed layout of a passive micromixer according to the desired mixing performance by solving a topology optimization problem. Therefore, the dependence on the experience of the designer is weaken, when this method is used to design a passive micromixer with acceptable mixing performance. Several design disciplines for the passive micromixers are considered to demonstrate the flexibility of the layout design method for passive micromixers. These design disciplines include the approximation of the real 3D micromixer, the manufacturing feasibility, the spacial periodic design, and effects of the Péclet number and Reynolds number on the designs obtained by this layout design method. The capability of this design method is validated by several comparisons performed between the obtained layouts and the optimized designs in the recently published literatures, where the values of the mixing measurement is improved up to 40.4% for one cycle of the micromixer.

  7. In situ passivation of GaAsP nanowires.

    PubMed

    Himwas, C; Collin, S; Rale, P; Chauvin, N; Patriarche, G; Oehler, F; Julien, F H; Travers, L; Harmand, J-C; Tchernycheva, M

    2017-12-08

    We report on the structural and optical properties of GaAsP nanowires (NWs) grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. By adjusting the alloy composition in the NWs, the transition energy was tuned to the optimal value required for tandem III-V/silicon solar cells. We discovered that an unintentional shell was also formed during the GaAsP NW growth. The NW surface was passivated by an in situ deposition of a radial Ga(As)P shell. Different shell compositions and thicknesses were investigated. We demonstrate that the optimal passivation conditions for GaAsP NWs (with a gap of 1.78 eV) are obtained with a 5 nm thick GaP shell. This passivation enhances the luminescence intensity of the NWs by 2 orders of magnitude and yields a longer luminescence decay. The luminescence dynamics changes from single exponential decay with a 4 ps characteristic time in non-passivated NWs to a bi-exponential decay with characteristic times of 85 and 540 ps in NWs with GaP shell passivation.

  8. Factors that influence muscle shear modulus during passive stretch.

    PubMed

    Koo, Terry K; Hug, François

    2015-09-18

    Although elastography has been increasingly used for evaluating muscle shear modulus associated with age, sex, musculoskeletal, and neurological conditions, its physiological meaning is largely unknown. This knowledge gap may hinder data interpretation, limiting the potential of using elastography to gain insights into muscle biomechanics in health and disease. We derived a mathematical model from a widely-accepted Hill-type passive force-length relationship to gain insight about the physiological meaning of resting shear modulus of skeletal muscles under passive stretching, and validated the model by comparing against the ex-vivo animal data reported in our recent work (Koo et al. 2013). The model suggested that resting shear modulus of a slack muscle is a function of specific tension and parameters that govern the normalized passive muscle force-length relationship as well as the degree of muscle anisotropy. The model also suggested that although the slope of the linear shear modulus-passive force relationship is primarily related to muscle anatomical cross-sectional area (i.e. the smaller the muscle cross-sectional area, the more the increase in shear modulus to result in the same passive muscle force), it is also governed by the normalized passive muscle force-length relationship and the degree of muscle anisotropy. Taken together, although muscle shear modulus under passive stretching has a strong linear relationship with passive muscle force, its actual value appears to be affected by muscle's mechanical, material, and architectural properties. This should be taken into consideration when interpreting the muscle shear modulus values. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Incremental passivity and output regulation for switched nonlinear systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pang, Hongbo; Zhao, Jun

    2017-10-01

    This paper studies incremental passivity and global output regulation for switched nonlinear systems, whose subsystems are not required to be incrementally passive. A concept of incremental passivity for switched systems is put forward. First, a switched system is rendered incrementally passive by the design of a state-dependent switching law. Second, the feedback incremental passification is achieved by the design of a state-dependent switching law and a set of state feedback controllers. Finally, we show that once the incremental passivity for switched nonlinear systems is assured, the output regulation problem is solved by the design of global nonlinear regulator controllers comprising two components: the steady-state control and the linear output feedback stabilising controllers, even though the problem for none of subsystems is solvable. Two examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

  10. Active and Passive Sport Interests of Adolescents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stensaasen, Svein

    1980-01-01

    A study dealing with the sport interests of adolescents reveals significant relationships between different passive sport interests, and a relationship of active and passive sport interests which decreases with age and depends to some degree on social background. The study upholds previously determined relationships between sex and sport activity.…

  11. The German Passive: Analysis and Teaching Technique.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Griffen, T. D.

    1981-01-01

    Proposes an analysis of German passive based upon internal structure rather than translation conventions from Latin and Greek. Claims that this approach leads to a description of the perfect participle as an adjectival complement, which eliminates the classification of a passive voice for German and simplifies the learning task. (MES)

  12. Active and Passive Remote Sensing of Ice.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-09-01

    This is a report on the progress that has been made in the study of active and passive remote sensing of ice during the period of February 1, 1984...the emissivities as functions of viewing angles and polarizations. They are used to interpret the passive microwave remote sensing data from

  13. Active and Passive Remote Sensing of Ice.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-01-01

    This is a report on the progress that has been made in the study of active and passive remote sensing of ice during the period of August 1, 1984...active and passive microwave remote sensing , (2) used the strong fluctuation theory and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem to calculate the brightness

  14. Ein Entscheidungsmodell zur Weitergabe persönlicher Daten im Internet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Treiblmaier, Horst

    In den vergangenen zwei Jahrzehnten wandelte sich das Internet von einer Spielwiese für technikbegeisterte Computerspezialisten zu einem vielseitig einsetzbaren weltweiten Netzwerk für Privatpersonen und Unternehmen. Maßgeblichen Anteil daran besaß die rasante Entwicklung des World Wide Web (WWW), das, durch die Möglichkeit multimediale Inhalte zu vermitteln, für einen großen Teil der Bevölkerung industrialisierter Länder zu einem wesentlichen Bestandteil des täglichen Lebens wurde. Dass diese Entwicklung noch lange nicht abgeschlossen ist, zeigt die derzeitige Diskussion zum Thema Web 2.0 bzw. 3.0. Waren es in den letzten Jahren die hohen Umsatzzuwächse im E-Commerce und multimedial gestaltete Webseiten in Kombination mit aufwändigen Applikationen, die für ständig steigende Nutzerzahlen im World Wide Web sorgten, so wird dieser Innovationsschub nunmehr durch eine Vielzahl von Anwendungen fortgesetzt, die sich durch die zunehmende Vernetzung der Nutzer untereinander auszeichnen.

  15. Quantitative Frequency-Domain Passive Cavitation Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Haworth, Kevin J.; Bader, Kenneth B.; Rich, Kyle T.; Holland, Christy K.; Mast, T. Douglas

    2017-01-01

    Passive cavitation detection has been an instrumental technique for measuring cavitation dynamics, elucidating concomitant bioeffects, and guiding ultrasound therapies. Recently, techniques have been developed to create images of cavitation activity to provide investigators with a more complete set of information. These techniques use arrays to record and subsequently beamform received cavitation emissions, rather than processing emissions received on a single-element transducer. In this paper, the methods for performing frequency-domain delay, sum, and integrate passive imaging are outlined. The method can be applied to any passively acquired acoustic scattering or emissions, including cavitation emissions. In order to compare data across different systems, techniques for normalizing Fourier transformed data and converting the data to the acoustic energy received by the array are described. A discussion of hardware requirements and alternative imaging approaches are additionally outlined. Examples are provided in MATLAB. PMID:27992331

  16. Is Children's Acquisition of the Passive a Staged Process? Evidence from Six- and Nine-Year-Olds' Production of Passives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Messenger, Katherine; Branigan, Holly P.; McLean, Janet F.

    2012-01-01

    We report a syntactic priming experiment that examined whether children's acquisition of the passive is a staged process, with acquisition of constituent structure preceding acquisition of thematic role mappings. Six-year-olds and nine-year-olds described transitive actions after hearing active and passive prime descriptions involving the same or…

  17. New insights into the passive force enhancement in skeletal muscles.

    PubMed

    Lee, Eun-Jeong; Joumaa, Venus; Herzog, Walter

    2007-01-01

    The steady-state isometric force following active stretching of a muscle is always greater than the steady-state isometric force obtained in a purely isometric contraction at the same length. This phenomenon has been termed "residual force enhancement" and it is associated with an active and a passive component. The origin of these components remains a matter of scientific debate. The purpose of this work was to test the hypothesis that the passive component of the residual force enhancement is caused by a passive structural element. In order to achieve this purpose, single fibers (n=6) from the lumbrical muscles of frog (Rana pipiens) were isolated and attached to a force transducer and a motor that could produce computer-controlled length changes. The passive force enhancement was assessed for three experimental conditions: in a normal Ringer's solution, and after the addition of 5 and 15mM 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) which inhibits force production in a dose-dependent manner. If our hypothesis was correct, one would expect the passive force enhancement to be unaffected following BDM application. However, we found that increasing concentrations of BDM decreased the isometric forces, increased the normalized residual force enhancement, and most importantly for this study, increased the passive force enhancement. Furthermore, BDM decreased the rate of force relaxation after deactivation following active stretching of fibers, passive stretching in the Ringer's and BDM conditions produced the same passive force-sarcomere length relationship, and passive force enhancement required activation and force production. These results led to the conclusion that the passive force enhancement cannot be caused by a structural component exclusively as had been assumed up to date, but must be associated, directly or indirectly, with cross-bridge attachments upon activation and the associated active force.

  18. Passive appendages improve the maneuverability of fish-like robots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pollard, Beau; Tallapragada, Phanindra

    2017-11-01

    It is known that the passive mechanics of fish appendages play a role in the high efficiency of their swimming. A well known example of this is the experimental demonstration that a dead fish could swim upstream. However little is known about the role if any of passive deformations of a fish-like body that could aid in its maneuverability. Part of the difficulty investigating this lies in clearly separating the role of actuated body deformations and passive deformations in response to the fluid structure interaction. In this paper we compare the maneuverability of several fish shaped robotic models that possess varying numbers of passive appendages with a fish shaped robot that has no appendages. All the robots are propelled by the oscillations of an internal momentum wheel thereby eliminating any active deformations of the body. Our experiments clearly reveal the significant improvement in maneuverability of robots with passive appendages. In the broader context of swimming robots our experiments show that passive mechanisms could be useful to provide mechanical feedback that can help maneuverability and obstacle avoidance along with propulsive efficiency. This work was partly supported by a Grant from the NSF CMMI 1563315.

  19. 48 CFR 211.275 - Passive radio frequency identification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Passive radio frequency identification. 211.275 Section 211.275 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS... Requirements Documents 211.275 Passive radio frequency identification. ...

  20. Passive Optical Locking Techniques for Diode Lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Quan

    1995-01-01

    Most current diode-based nonlinear frequency converters utilize electronic frequency locking techniques. However, this type of locking technique typically involves very complex electronics, and suffers the 'power-drop' problem. This dissertation is devoted to the development of an all-optical passive locking technique that locks the diode laser frequency to the external cavity resonance stably without using any kind of electronic servo. The amplitude noise problem associated with the strong optical locking has been studied. Single-mode operation of a passively locked single-stripe diode with an amplitude stability better than 1% has been achieved. This passive optical locking technique applies to broad-area diodes as well as single-stripe diodes, and can be easily used to generate blue light. A schematic of a milliwatt level blue laser based on the single-stripe diode locking technique has been proposed. A 120 mW 467 nm blue laser has been built using the tapered amplifier locking technique. In addition to diode-based blue lasers, this passive locking technique has applications in nonlinear frequency conversions, resonant spectroscopy, particle counter devices, telecommunications, and medical devices.

  1. Passive range estimation using dual baseline triangulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pieper, Ronald J.; Cooper, Alfred W.; Pelegris, G.

    1996-03-01

    Modern combat systems based on active radar sensing suffer disadvantages against low-flying targets in cluttered backgrounds. Use of passive infrared sensors with these systems, either in cooperation or as an alternative, shows potential for improving target detection and declaration range for targets crossing the horizon. Realization of this potential requires fusion of target position data from dissimilar sensors, or passive sensor measurement of target range. The availability of passive sensors that can supply both range and bearing data on such targets would significantly extend the robustness of an integrated ship self-defense system. This paper considers a new method of range determination with passive sensors based on the principle of triangulation, extending the principle to two orthogonal baselines. The performance of single or double baseline triangulation depends on sensor bearing precision and direction to target. An expression for maximum triangulation range at a required accuracy is derived as a function of polar angle relative to the center of the dual-baseline system. Limitations in the dual- baseline model due to the geometrically assessed horizon are also considered.

  2. [The consequences of passive smoking in adults].

    PubMed

    Trédaniel, J; Savinelli, F; Vignot, S; Bousquet, G; Le Maignan, C; Misset, J-L

    2006-04-01

    Passive smoking is the involuntary inhalation by a non-smoker of smoke generated in his neighbourhood by one or more smokers. The effect of this exposure is already generally recognised in children. In adults the induction of chronic obstructive lung disease has not been demonstrated. This is no longer the case for ischaemic heart disease and lung cancer where the effect of passive exposure of non-smokers to cigarette smoke is recognised. The biological plausibility together with the concordance of results obtained over successive years, as well as the large numbers of patients included in the studies, lead to a confident conclusion that the risks in adult non-smokers are increased by the order of 25%. There is no evidence that bias affects the conclusions reached and the World Health Organisation has recently classified passive smoking as being carcinogenic in man. As a result of these data prevention of passive exposure to cigarette smoke should be part of a larger framework of smoking prevention, especially among the young.

  3. Hydrogen passivation of polycrystalline silicon thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scheller, L.-P.; Weizman, M.; Simon, P.; Fehr, M.; Nickel, N. H.

    2012-09-01

    The influence of post-hydrogenation on the electrical and optical properties of solid phase crystallized polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) was examined. The passivation of grain-boundary defects was measured as a function of the passivation time. The silicon dangling-bond concentration decreases with increasing passivation time due to the formation of Si-H complexes. In addition, large H-stabilized platelet-like clusters are generated. The influence of H on the electrical properties was investigated using temperature dependent conductivity and Hall-effect measurements. For poly-Si on Corning glass, the dark conductivity decreases upon hydrogenation, while it increases when the samples are fabricated on silicon-nitride covered Borofloat glass. Hall-effect measurements reveal that for poly-Si on Corning glass the hole concentration and the mobility decrease upon post-hydrogenation, while a pronounced increase is observed for poly-Si on silicon-nitride covered Borofloat glass. This indicates the formation of localized states in the band gap, which is supported by sub band-gap absorption measurments. The results are discussed in terms of hydrogen-induced defect passivation and generation mechanisms.

  4. Active and passive vibration suppression for space structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hyland, David C.

    1991-01-01

    The relative benefits of passive and active vibration suppression for large space structures (LSS) are discussed. The intent is to sketch the true ranges of applicability of these approaches using previously published technical results. It was found that the distinction between active and passive vibration suppression approaches is not as sharp as might be thought at first. The relative simplicity, reliability, and cost effectiveness touted for passive measures are vitiated by 'hidden costs' bound up with detailed engineering implementation issues and inherent performance limitations. At the same time, reliability and robustness issues are often cited against active control. It is argued that a continuum of vibration suppression measures offering mutually supporting capabilities is needed. The challenge is to properly orchestrate a spectrum of methods to reap the synergistic benefits of combined advanced materials, passive damping, and active control.

  5. Cardiovascular remodeling induced by passive smoking.

    PubMed

    Minicucci, Marcos F; Azevedo, Paula S; Paiva, Sergio A R; Zornoff, Leonardo A M

    2009-12-01

    Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common cause of death in many developed countries. The major risk factors for CHD are smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and lack of physical activity. Importantly, passive smoke also increases the risk for CHD. The mechanisms involved in the effects of passive smoke in CHD are complex and include endothelial dysfunction, lipoprotein modification, increased inflammation and platelet activation. Recently, several studies have shown that exposure to tobacco smoke can result in cardiac remodeling and compromised cardiac function. Potential mechanisms for these alterations are neurohumoral activation, oxidative stress, and MAPK activation. Although the vascular effects of cigarette smoke exposure are well known, the effects of tobacco smoking on the heart have received less attention. Therefore, this review will focus on the recent findings as to the effects of passive smoking in acute and chronic phases of vascular and cardiac remodeling.

  6. Passive infrared bullet detection and tracking

    DOEpatents

    Karr, Thomas J.

    1997-01-01

    An apparatus and method for passively detecting a projectile such as, for example, a bullet using a passive infrared detector. A passive infrared detector is focused onto a region in which a projectile is expected to be located. Successive images of infrared radiation in the region are recorded. Background infrared radiation present in the region is suppressed such that second successive images of infrared radiation generated by the projectile as the projectile passes through the region are produced. A projectile path calculator determines the path and other aspects of the projectile by using the second successive images of infrared radiation generated by the projectile. The present invention, in certain embodiments, also determines the origin of the path of the projectile and takes a photograph of the area surrounding the origin and/or fires at least one projectile at the area surrounding the origin of the path of the projectile.

  7. Passive infrared bullet detection and tracking

    DOEpatents

    Karr, T.J.

    1997-01-21

    An apparatus and method for passively detecting a projectile such as, for example, a bullet using a passive infrared detector. A passive infrared detector is focused onto a region in which a projectile is expected to be located. Successive images of infrared radiation in the region are recorded. Background infrared radiation present in the region is suppressed such that second successive images of infrared radiation generated by the projectile as the projectile passes through the region are produced. A projectile path calculator determines the path and other aspects of the projectile by using the second successive images of infrared radiation generated by the projectile. The present invention, in certain embodiments, also determines the origin of the path of the projectile and takes a photograph of the area surrounding the origin and/or fires at least one projectile at the area surrounding the origin of the path of the projectile. 9 figs.

  8. Passive Magnetic Bearing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Studer, P. A.

    1983-01-01

    Magnetic bearing for limited rotation devices requires no feedback control system to sense and correct shaft position. Passive Magnetic Torsion Bearing requires no power supply and has no rubbing parts. Torsion wire restrains against axial instability. Magnetic flux geometry chosen to assure lateral stability with radial restoring force that maintains alignment.

  9. Laboratory evaluation of two passive alcohol sensor devices

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1988-12-01

    Passive alcohol sensing devices are designed to detect the presence of alcohol in a person's normally-expelled breath; they are "passive" in that one is not required to blow into a mouthpiece as with conventional breath test devices. The National Hig...

  10. A passivity criterion for sampled-data bilateral teleoperation systems.

    PubMed

    Jazayeri, Ali; Tavakoli, Mahdi

    2013-01-01

    A teleoperation system consists of a teleoperator, a human operator, and a remote environment. Conditions involving system and controller parameters that ensure the teleoperator passivity can serve as control design guidelines to attain maximum teleoperation transparency while maintaining system stability. In this paper, sufficient conditions for teleoperator passivity are derived for when position error-based controllers are implemented in discrete-time. This new analysis is necessary because discretization causes energy leaks and does not necessarily preserve the passivity of the system. The proposed criterion for sampled-data teleoperator passivity imposes lower bounds on the teleoperator's robots dampings, an upper bound on the sampling time, and bounds on the control gains. The criterion is verified through simulations and experiments.

  11. Polymer optics for the passive infrared

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Claytor, Richard N.

    2016-10-01

    An important, but largely invisible, area of polymer optics involves sensing the motion of warm objects. It can be further subdivided into optics for security, for energy conservation, and for convenience; the area has become known as optics for the passive infrared. The passive infrared is generally known as the 8 to 14 μm region of the optical spectrum. The region's roots are in the traditional infrared technology of many decades ago; there is a coincident atmospheric window, although that has little relevance to many short-range applications relevant to polymer optics. Regrettably, there is no polymer material ideally suited to the passive infrared, but one material is generally superior to other candidates. The inadequacy of this material makes the Fresnel lens important. Polymer optics for the passive infrared were first introduced in the 1970s. Patents from that period will be shown, as well as early examples. The unfamiliar names of the pioneering companies and their technical leaders will be mentioned. The 1980s and 90s brought a new and improved lens type, and rapid growth. Pigments for visible-light appearance and other reasons were introduced; one was a spectacular failure. Recent advances include faster lenses, a new groove structure, additional pigments, and lens-mirror combinations. New sensor types are also being introduced. Finally, some unique and inventive applications will be discussed.

  12. Immunizations: Active vs. Passive

    MedlinePlus

    ... Listen Español Text Size Email Print Share Immunizations: Active vs. Passive Page Content Article Body Pediatricians can protect your child by administering not only active immunizations , but sometimes they can use what physicians ...

  13. 77 FR 19531 - 7(a) Loan Program; Eligible Passive Companies

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-02

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 13 CFR Part 120 RIN 3245-AG48 7(a) Loan Program; Eligible Passive... Company in connection with an SBA-guaranteed loan to an Eligible Passive Company. DATES: This rule is... prohibits such assistance to entities engaged in passive investment or real estate development, or which do...

  14. Significantly enhanced thermal conductivity of indium arsenide nanowires via sulfur passivation.

    PubMed

    Xiong, Yucheng; Tang, Hao; Wang, Xiaomeng; Zhao, Yang; Fu, Qiang; Yang, Juekuan; Xu, Dongyan

    2017-10-16

    In this work, we experimentally investigated the effect of sulfur passivation on thermal transport in indium arsenide (InAs) nanowires. Our measurement results show that thermal conductivity can be enhanced by a ratio up to 159% by sulfur passivation. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements were performed on both unpassivated and S-passivated InAs nanowires to understand the mechanism of thermal conductivity enhancement. We observed a remarkable improvement in electrical conductivity upon sulfur passivation and a significant contribution of electrons to thermal conductivity, which account for the enhanced thermal conductivity of the S-passivated InAs nanowires.

  15. 13 CFR 120.111 - What conditions must an Eligible Passive Company satisfy?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Passive Company satisfy? 120.111 Section 120.111 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Policies Applying to All Business Loans Ineligible Businesses and Eligible Passive Companies § 120.111 What conditions must an Eligible Passive Company satisfy? An Eligible Passive Company...

  16. 13 CFR 120.111 - What conditions must an Eligible Passive Company satisfy?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Passive Company satisfy? 120.111 Section 120.111 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Policies Applying to All Business Loans Ineligible Businesses and Eligible Passive Companies § 120.111 What conditions must an Eligible Passive Company satisfy? An Eligible Passive Company...

  17. Load attenuating passively adaptive wind turbine blade

    DOEpatents

    Veers, Paul S.; Lobitz, Donald W.

    2003-01-07

    A method and apparatus for improving wind turbine performance by alleviating loads and controlling the rotor. The invention employs the use of a passively adaptive blade that senses the wind velocity or rotational speed, and accordingly modifies its aerodynamic configuration. The invention exploits the load mitigation prospects of a blade that twists toward feather as it bends. The invention includes passively adaptive wind turbine rotors or blades with currently preferred power control features. The apparatus is a composite fiber horizontal axis wind-turbine blade, in which a substantial majority of fibers in the blade skin are inclined at angles of between 15 and 30 degrees to the axis of the blade, to produces passive adaptive aeroelastic tailoring (bend-twist coupling) to alleviate loading without unduly jeopardizing performance.

  18. Load attenuating passively adaptive wind turbine blade

    DOEpatents

    Veers, Paul S.; Lobitz, Donald W.

    2003-01-01

    A method and apparatus for improving wind turbine performance by alleviating loads and controlling the rotor. The invention employs the use of a passively adaptive blade that senses the wind velocity or rotational speed, and accordingly modifies its aerodynamic configuration. The invention exploits the load mitigation prospects of a blade that twists toward feather as it bends. The invention includes passively adaptive wind turbine rotors or blades with currently preferred power control features. The apparatus is a composite fiber horizontal axis wind-turbine blade, in which a substantial majority of fibers in the blade skin are inclined at angles of between 15 and 30 degrees to the axis of the blade, to produces passive adaptive aeroelastic tailoring (bend-twist coupling) to alleviate loading without unduly jeopardizing performance.

  19. Association between passive smoking and salivary markers related to periodontitis.

    PubMed

    Nishida, Nobuko; Yamamoto, Yumiko; Tanaka, Muneo; Maeda, Kazuhiko; Kataoka, Kosuke; Nakayama, Kunio; Morimoto, Kanehisa; Shizukuishi, Satoshi

    2006-10-01

    The mechanism of passive smoking in terms of development of periodontitis has not been investigated. This study examined the effect of passive smoking on salivary markers related to periodontitis. Periodontal status was evaluated on the basis of probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level in 273 workers. Salivary marker levels were determined by enzyme assay including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Six periodontal pathogens in saliva were assessed using real-time PCR methodology. Non-, passive and active smokers were defined as subjects exhibiting salivary cotinine levels of 0 (53 subjects), 1-7 (118) and > or = 8 ng/ml (102). Levels of salivary markers, including IL-1beta, lactoferrin, albumin and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), were elevated significantly in passive smokers relative to non-smokers. Additionally, these marker levels, with the exception of IL-1beta, decreased significantly in active smokers in comparison with passive smokers. However, no meaningful differences in percentages of periodontal pathogens were observed between non- and passive smokers. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed for each marker utilizing age, gender, cotinine level and periodontal status as independent variables. IL-1beta, albumin and AST were independently associated with cotinine level. Passive smoke exposure leads to elevation of IL-1beta, albumin and AST levels in saliva.

  20. Highly air stable passivation of graphene based field effect devices.

    PubMed

    Sagade, Abhay A; Neumaier, Daniel; Schall, Daniel; Otto, Martin; Pesquera, Amaia; Centeno, Alba; Elorza, Amaia Zurutuza; Kurz, Heinrich

    2015-02-28

    The sensitivity of graphene based devices to surface adsorbates and charge traps at the graphene/dielectric interface requires proper device passivation in order to operate them reproducibly under ambient conditions. Here we report on the use of atomic layer deposited aluminum oxide as passivation layer on graphene field effect devices (GFETs). We show that successful passivation produce hysteresis free DC characteristics, low doping level GFETs stable over weeks though operated and stored in ambient atmosphere. This is achieved by selecting proper seed layer prior to deposition of encapsulation layer. The passivated devices are also demonstrated to be robust towards the exposure to chemicals and heat treatments, typically used during device fabrication. Additionally, the passivation of high stability and reproducible characteristics is also shown for functional devices like integrated graphene based inverters.

  1. The nonlinearity of passive extraocular muscles

    PubMed Central

    Quaia, Christian; Ying, Howard S.; Optican, Lance M.

    2011-01-01

    Passive extraocular muscles (EOMs), like most biological tissues, are hyper-elastic, i.e., their stiffness increases as they are stretched. It has always been assumed, and in a few occasions argued, that this is their only nonlinearity and that it can be ignored in central gaze. However, using novel measurement techniques in anesthetized paralyzed monkeys, we have recently demonstrated that EOMs are characterized by another prominent nonlinearity: the forces induced by sequences of stretches do not sum. Thus, superposition, a central tenet of linear and quasi-linear models, does not hold in passive EOMs. Here, we outline the implications of this finding, especially in light of the common assumption that it is easier for the brain to control a linear than a nonlinear plant. We argue against this common belief: the specific nonlinearity of passive EOMs may actually make it easier for the brain to control the plant than if muscles were linear. PMID:21950971

  2. Hybrid Active/Passive Jet Engine Noise Suppression System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parente, C. A.; Arcas, N.; Walker, B. E.; Hersh, A. S.; Rice, E. J.

    1999-01-01

    A novel adaptive segmented liner concept has been developed that employs active control elements to modify the in-duct sound field to enhance the tone-suppressing performance of passive liner elements. This could potentially allow engine designs that inherently produce more tone noise but less broadband noise, or could allow passive liner designs to more optimally address high frequency broadband noise. A proof-of-concept validation program was undertaken, consisting of the development of an adaptive segmented liner that would maximize attenuation of two radial modes in a circular or annular duct. The liner consisted of a leading active segment with dual annuli of axially spaced active Helmholtz resonators, followed by an optimized passive liner and then an array of sensing microphones. Three successively complex versions of the adaptive liner were constructed and their performances tested relative to the performance of optimized uniform passive and segmented passive liners. The salient results of the tests were: The adaptive segmented liner performed well in a high flow speed model fan inlet environment, was successfully scaled to a high sound frequency and successfully attenuated three radial modes using sensor and active resonator arrays that were designed for a two mode, lower frequency environment.

  3. Compressibility Effects on the Passive Scalar Flux Within Homogeneous Turbulence

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blaisdell, G. A.; Mansour, N. N.; Reynolds, W. C.

    1994-01-01

    Compressibility effects on turbulent transport of a passive scalar are studied within homogeneous turbulence using a kinematic decomposition of the velocity field into solenoidal and dilatational parts. It is found that the dilatational velocity does not produce a passive scalar flux, and that all of the passive scalar flux is due to the solenoidal velocity.

  4. Neuronal correlates of a virtual-reality-based passive sensory P300 network.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chun-Chuan; Syue, Kai-Syun; Li, Kai-Chiun; Yeh, Shih-Ching

    2014-01-01

    P300, a positive event-related potential (ERP) evoked at around 300 ms after stimulus, can be elicited using an active or passive oddball paradigm. Active P300 requires a person's intentional response, whereas passive P300 does not require an intentional response. Passive P300 has been used in incommunicative patients for consciousness detection and brain computer interface. Active and passive P300 differ in amplitude, but not in latency or scalp distribution. However, no study has addressed the mechanism underlying the production of passive P300. In particular, it remains unclear whether the passive P300 shares an identical active P300 generating network architecture when no response is required. This study aims to explore the hierarchical network of passive sensory P300 production using dynamic causal modelling (DCM) for ERP and a novel virtual reality (VR)-based passive oddball paradigm. Moreover, we investigated the causal relationship of this passive P300 network and the changes in connection strength to address the possible functional roles. A classical ERP analysis was performed to verify that the proposed VR-based game can reliably elicit passive P300. The DCM results suggested that the passive and active P300 share the same parietal-frontal neural network for attentional control and, underlying the passive network, the feed-forward modulation is stronger than the feed-back one. The functional role of this forward modulation may indicate the delivery of sensory information, automatic detection of differences, and stimulus-driven attentional processes involved in performing this passive task. To our best knowledge, this is the first study to address the passive P300 network. The results of this study may provide a reference for future clinical studies on addressing the network alternations under pathological states of incommunicative patients. However, caution is required when comparing patients' analytic results with this study. For example, the task

  5. Neuronal Correlates of a Virtual-Reality-Based Passive Sensory P300 Network

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Chun-Chuan; Syue, Kai-Syun; Li, Kai-Chiun; Yeh, Shih-Ching

    2014-01-01

    P300, a positive event-related potential (ERP) evoked at around 300 ms after stimulus, can be elicited using an active or passive oddball paradigm. Active P300 requires a person’s intentional response, whereas passive P300 does not require an intentional response. Passive P300 has been used in incommunicative patients for consciousness detection and brain computer interface. Active and passive P300 differ in amplitude, but not in latency or scalp distribution. However, no study has addressed the mechanism underlying the production of passive P300. In particular, it remains unclear whether the passive P300 shares an identical active P300 generating network architecture when no response is required. This study aims to explore the hierarchical network of passive sensory P300 production using dynamic causal modelling (DCM) for ERP and a novel virtual reality (VR)-based passive oddball paradigm. Moreover, we investigated the causal relationship of this passive P300 network and the changes in connection strength to address the possible functional roles. A classical ERP analysis was performed to verify that the proposed VR-based game can reliably elicit passive P300. The DCM results suggested that the passive and active P300 share the same parietal-frontal neural network for attentional control and, underlying the passive network, the feed-forward modulation is stronger than the feed-back one. The functional role of this forward modulation may indicate the delivery of sensory information, automatic detection of differences, and stimulus-driven attentional processes involved in performing this passive task. To our best knowledge, this is the first study to address the passive P300 network. The results of this study may provide a reference for future clinical studies on addressing the network alternations under pathological states of incommunicative patients. However, caution is required when comparing patients’ analytic results with this study. For example, the task

  6. Active and Passive Microrheology: Theory and Simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zia, Roseanna N.

    2018-01-01

    Microrheological study of complex fluids traces its roots to the work of the botanist Robert Brown in the early nineteenth century. Indeed, passive microrheology and Brownian motion are one and the same. Once thought to reveal a fundamental life force, the phenomenon was ultimately leveraged by Einstein in proof of the atomic nature of matter ( Haw 2006 ). His work simultaneously paved the way for modern-day passive microrheology by connecting observable particle motion—diffusion—to solvent properties—the viscosity—via the well-known Stokes-Einstein relation. Advances in microscopy techniques in the last two decades have prompted extensions of the original model to generalized forms for passive probing of complex fluids. In the last decade, active microrheology has emerged as a means by which to interrogate the nonequilibrium behavior of complex fluids, in particular, the non-Newtonian rheology of dynamically heterogeneous and microscopically small systems. Here we review theoretical and computational approaches and advances in both passive and active microrheology, with a focus on the extent to which these techniques preserve the connection between single-particle motion and flow properties, as well as the rather surprising recovery of non-Newtonian flow behavior observed in bulk rheology.

  7. Perceptions of Active Versus Passive Risks, and the Effect of Personal Responsibility.

    PubMed

    Keinan, Ruty; Bereby-Meyer, Yoella

    2017-07-01

    Not getting vaccinated or not backing up computer files are examples of passive risk taking: risk brought on or magnified by inaction. We suggest the difficulty in paying attention to absences, together with the reduced agency and responsibility that is associated with passive choices, leads to the perception of passive risks as being less risky than equivalent active risks. Using scenarios in which risk was taken either actively or passively, we demonstrate that passive risks are judged as less risky than equivalent active risks. We find the perception of personal responsibility mediates the differences between the perception of passive and active risks. The current research offers an additional explanation for omission or default biases: The passive nature of these choices causes them to appear less risky than they really are.

  8. Passive ice freezing-releasing heat pipe. [Patent application

    DOEpatents

    Gorski, A.J.; Schertz, W.W.

    1980-09-29

    A heat pipe device has been developed which permits completely passive ice formation and periodic release of ice without requiring the ambient temperature to rise above the melting point of water. This passive design enables the maximum amount of cooling capacity to be stored in the tank.

  9. Evaluation of Non-Chromate Passivations on Electroplated gamma-Phase Zinc Nickel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Volz, Steven Michael

    This research focused on the corrosion response and electrochemical behavior of electroplated low hydrogen embrittlement alkaline gamma-phase zinc nickel with passivation layers. The motivation was the need to replace hexavalent chromium conversion coatings in military grade electrical systems with a more environment friendly alternative. The passivation layers were employed for the purpose of mitigating corrosion attack while maintaining low contact resistance. Trivalent chromium-based passivations and cerium-based passivations were compared against the currently used hexavalent chromium conversion coating. The coating systems were compared using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic potentiodymanic scans, salt spray exposure testing, electrical resistance measurements, microstructure analysis, and compositional analysis. Coating systems with lower open circuit had a lower corrosion current and performed better during salt spray testing. All of the systems evaluated had corrosion products consistent with oxidized zinc compounds but the morphology of the passivation was dependent on the passivation. The electrical contact resistance ranged from 1 to 108 mO/cm 2, after salt spray testing. Two versions of Trivalent chromium-based passivations, were able to meet military performance specifications after corrosion testing.

  10. Suppressing turbulence of self-propelling rods by strongly coupled passive particles.

    PubMed

    Su, Yen-Shuo; Wang, Hao-Chen; I, Lin

    2015-03-01

    The strong turbulence suppression, mainly for large-scale modes, of two-dimensional self-propelling rods, by increasing the long-range coupling strength Γ of low-concentration passive particles, is numerically demonstrated. It is found that large-scale collective rod motion in forms of swirls or jets is mainly contributed from well-aligned dense patches, which can push small poorly aligned rod patches and uncoupled passive particles. The more efficient momentum transfer and dissipation through increasing passive particle coupling leads to the formation of a more ordered and slowed down network of passive particles, which competes with coherent dense active rod clusters. The frustration of active rod alignment ordering and coherent motion by the passive particle network, which interrupt the inverse cascading of forming large-scale swirls, is the key for suppressing collective rod motion with scales beyond the interpassive distance, even in the liquid phase of passive particles. The loosely packed active rods are weakly affected by increasing passive particle coupling due to the weak rod-particle interaction. They mainly contribute to the small-scale modes and high-speed motion.

  11. Symmetry Breaking in a random passive scalar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kilic, Zeliha; McLaughlin, Richard; Camassa, Roberto

    2017-11-01

    We consider the evolution of a decaying passive scalar in the presence of a gaussian white noise fluctuating shear flow. We focus on deterministic initial data and establish the short, intermediate, and long time symmetry properties of the evolving point wise probability measure for the random passive scalar. Analytical results are compared directly to Monte Carlo simulations. Time permitting we will compare the predictions to experimental observations.

  12. Turbulent flow separation control through passive techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, J. C.; Howard, F. G.; Selby, G. V.

    1989-01-01

    Several passive separation control techniques for controlling moderate two-dimensional turbulent flow separation over a backward-facing ramp are studied. Small transverse and swept grooves, passive porous surfaces, large longitudinal grooves, and vortex generators were among the techniques used. It was found that, unlike the transverse and longitudinal grooves of an equivalent size, the 45-deg swept-groove configurations tested tended to enhance separation.

  13. All-passive nonreciprocal metastructure.

    PubMed

    Mahmoud, Ahmed M; Davoyan, Arthur R; Engheta, Nader

    2015-09-28

    One-way propagation of light, analogous to the directional flow of electrons in the presence of electric potential difference, has been an important goal in the wave-matter interaction. Breaking time-reversal symmetry in photonic flows is faced with challenges different from those for electron flows. In recent years several approaches and methods have been offered towards achieving this goal. Here we investigate another systematic approach to design all-passive relatively high-throughput metastructures that exhibit nonreciprocal properties and achieve wave-flow isolation. Moreover, we build on those findings and propose a paradigm for a quasi-two-dimensional metastructure that mimics the nonreciprocal property of Faraday rotation without using any magnetic or electric biasing. We envision that the proposed approaches may serve as a building block for all-passive time-reversal symmetry breaking with potential applications for future nonreciprocal systems and devices.

  14. Time-to-impact estimation in passive missile warning systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Şahıngıl, Mehmet Cihan

    2017-05-01

    A missile warning system can detect the incoming missile threat(s) and automatically cue the other Electronic Attack (EA) systems in the suit, such as Directed Infrared Counter Measure (DIRCM) system and/or Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS). Most missile warning systems are currently based on passive sensor technology operating in either Solar Blind Ultraviolet (SBUV) or Midwave Infrared (MWIR) bands on which there is an intensive emission from the exhaust plume of the threatening missile. Although passive missile warning systems have some clear advantages over pulse-Doppler radar (PDR) based active missile warning systems, they show poorer performance in terms of time-to-impact (TTI) estimation which is critical for optimizing the countermeasures and also "passive kill assessment". In this paper, we consider this problem, namely, TTI estimation from passive measurements and present a TTI estimation scheme which can be used in passive missile warning systems. Our problem formulation is based on Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). The algorithm uses the area parameter of the threat plume which is derived from the used image frame.

  15. 17 CFR 242.103 - Nasdaq passive market making.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 4 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Nasdaq passive market making... Regulation M § 242.103 Nasdaq passive market making. (a) Scope of section. This section permits broker-dealers to engage in market making transactions in covered securities that are Nasdaq securities without...

  16. 17 CFR 242.103 - Nasdaq passive market making.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Nasdaq passive market making... Regulation M § 242.103 Nasdaq passive market making. (a) Scope of section. This section permits broker-dealers to engage in market making transactions in covered securities that are Nasdaq securities without...

  17. 17 CFR 242.103 - Nasdaq passive market making.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Nasdaq passive market making... Regulation M § 242.103 Nasdaq passive market making. (a) Scope of section. This section permits broker-dealers to engage in market making transactions in covered securities that are Nasdaq securities without...

  18. 17 CFR 242.103 - Nasdaq passive market making.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Nasdaq passive market making... Regulation M § 242.103 Nasdaq passive market making. (a) Scope of Section. This section permits broker-dealers to engage in market making transactions in covered securities that are Nasdaq securities without...

  19. 17 CFR 242.103 - Nasdaq passive market making.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Nasdaq passive market making... Regulation M § 242.103 Nasdaq passive market making. (a) Scope of Section. This section permits broker-dealers to engage in market making transactions in covered securities that are Nasdaq securities without...

  20. Bystanders' Supportive and Passive Responses to Cyberaggression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Machackova, Hana; Dedkova, Lenka; Sevcikova, Anna; Cerna, Alena

    2018-01-01

    Bystanders in cyberaggression can support the victim, join the aggressor, or remain passive. We examined how supportive and passive adolescent Czech cyberbystanders (N = 443, ages 12-18) differ in terms of individual characteristics, emotional responses, and contextual factors. The most substantial distinguishing factor between the two groups…

  1. Active and passive immunization for cancer.

    PubMed

    Baxter, David

    2014-01-01

    Vaccination started around the 10th century AD as a means of preventing smallpox. By the end of the 19th century such therapeutic vaccines were well established with both active and passive preparations being used in clinical practice. Active immunization involved administering an immunogen that might be live/ attenuated, killed/ inactivated, toxoid or subunit in origin. Passive immunization involved giving pre-formed antibodies, usually to very recently exposed individuals. At about the same time such approaches were also tried to treat a variety of cancers - proof of principle for the protective role of the immune response against malignancy was established by the observation that tumors transplanted into syngeneic hosts were rejected by the host innate and adaptive responses. The impact of these therapeutic vaccination has taken a considerable time to become established - in part because target antigens against which an adaptive response can be directed do not appear to be uniquely expressed on malignant transformed cells; and also because tumor cells are able to manipulate their environment to downregulate the host immune response. Therapeutic cancer vaccines are also divided into active and passive types - the latter being subdivided into specific and non-specific vaccines. Active immunization utilizes an immunogen to generate a host response designed to eliminate the malignant cells, whereas in passive immunization preformed antibodies or cells are administered to directly eliminate the transformed cells - examples of each are considered in this review.

  2. Active and passive immunization for cancer

    PubMed Central

    Baxter, David

    2014-01-01

    Vaccination started around the 10th century AD as a means of preventing smallpox. By the end of the 19th century such therapeutic vaccines were well established with both active and passive preparations being used in clinical practice. Active immunization involved administering an immunogen that might be live/ attenuated, killed/ inactivated, toxoid or subunit in origin. Passive immunization involved giving pre-formed antibodies, usually to very recently exposed individuals. At about the same time such approaches were also tried to treat a variety of cancers – proof of principle for the protective role of the immune response against malignancy was established by the observation that tumors transplanted into syngeneic hosts were rejected by the host innate and adaptive responses. The impact of these therapeutic vaccination has taken a considerable time to become established - in part because target antigens against which an adaptive response can be directed do not appear to be uniquely expressed on malignant transformed cells; and also because tumor cells are able to manipulate their environment to downregulate the host immune response. Therapeutic cancer vaccines are also divided into active and passive types – the latter being subdivided into specific and non-specific vaccines. Active immunization utilizes an immunogen to generate a host response designed to eliminate the malignant cells, whereas in passive immunization preformed antibodies or cells are administered to directly eliminate the transformed cells - examples of each are considered in this review. PMID:25424829

  3. A passive sampler for airborne formaldehyde

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grosjean, Daniel; Williams, Edwin L.

    A simple, inexpensive passive sampler is described that is capable of reliable measurements of formaldehyde at the parts per billion (ppb) levels relevant to indoor and outdoor air quality. The passive sampler consists of a modified dual filter holder in which the upper stage serves as the diffusion barrier, the lower stage includes a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH)-coated filter which collects formaldehyde, and the space between the two stages serve as the diffusion gap. The measured sampling rate, 18.8 ± 1.8 ml min -1, was determined in experiments involving sampling of ppb levels of formaldehyde with the passive sampler and with DNPH-coated C 18 cartridges and agrees well with the value of 19.4 ± 2.0 ml min -1 calculated from theory. The measured sampling rate was independent of formaldehyde concentration (16-156 ppb) and sampling duration (1.5-72 h). The precision of the measurements for colocated passive samplers averaged 8.6% in purified and indoor air (office and museums) and 10.2% in photochemically polluted outdoor air. With a 1.2-μm pore size Teflon filter as the diffusion barrier, the detection limit is 32 ppb h, e.g. 4 ppb in an 8-h sample, 1.3 ppb in a 24-h sample, and so on. Perceived advantages and limitations of the sampler are discussed including flexibility, cost effectiveness and possible negative bias at high ambient levels of ozone.

  4. Multi-family update to the passive solar construction handbook

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howard, B. D.; Callahan, K. D.

    1983-11-01

    Builders and developers will accept passive solar construction and designs for integration with their existing practice if accurate and detailed plans of actual, proven passive solar subsystems and assemblies are made available to them. A Passive Solar Construction Handbook was developed. It focuses primarily upon single family homes. The multifamily update of the Handbook, is described and examples of the valuable builder information are shown. It represents a new breakthrough in DOE sponsored projects, performing a Technology Transfer on a most useful level.

  5. NASA and ESA Collaboration on Alternative to Nitric Acid Passivation: Parameter Optimization of Citric Acid Passivation for Stainless Steel Alloys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt R.

    2016-01-01

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters chartered the Technology Evaluation for Environmental Risk Mitigation Principal Center (TEERM) to coordinate agency activities affecting pollution prevention issues identified during system and component acquisition and sustainment processes. The primary objectives of NASA TEERM are to: Reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous materials or hazardous processes at manufacturing, remanufacturing, and sustainment locations. Avoid duplication of effort in actions required to reduce or eliminate hazardous materials through joint center cooperation and technology sharing. Corrosion is an extensive problem that affects the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). The damaging effects of corrosion result in steep costs, asset downtime affecting mission readiness, and safety risks to personnel. Consequently, it is vital to reduce corrosion costs and risks in a sustainable manner. NASA and ESA have numerous structures and equipment that are fabricated from stainless steel. The standard practice for protection of stainless steel is a process called passivation. Passivation is defined by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language as to treat or coat (a metal) in order to reduce the chemical reactivity of its surface. Passivation works by forming a shielding outer (metal oxide) layer that reduces the impact of destructive environmental factors such as air or water. Consequently, this process necessitates a final product that is very clean and free of iron and other contaminants. Typical passivation procedures call for the use of nitric acid; however, there are a number of environmental, worker safety, and operational issues associated with its use. Citric acid is an alternative to nitric acid for the passivation of stainless steels. Citric acid offers a variety of benefits including increased safety for personnel, reduced environmental impact, and

  6. Developmental Perspectives on the Acquisition of the Passive

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crawford, Jean Lenore

    2012-01-01

    This dissertation investigates the acquisition of the passive. The apparent cross-linguistic delay of the verbal passive compared to other constructions suggests children's knowledge is somehow restricted, leading some to propose the difficulty arises because of syntactic maturation (Wexler 2004, Orfitelli 2012) or because of a heavy reliance…

  7. 26 CFR 1.469-3 - Passive activity credit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 6 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Passive activity credit. 1.469-3 Section 1.469-3 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Taxable Year for Which Deductions Taken § 1.469-3 Passive activity credit. (a...

  8. Effects of Passive Finger Movement on Cortical Excitability

    PubMed Central

    Nakagawa, Masaki; Sasaki, Ryoki; Tsuiki, Shota; Miyaguchi, Shota; Kojima, Sho; Saito, Kei; Inukai, Yasuto; Onishi, Hideaki

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the effects of joint angle and passive movement direction on corticospinal excitability. The subjects were 14 healthy adults from whom consent could be obtained. We performed two experiments. In Experiment 1, we measured motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude, F-wave and M-wave at 0° and 20° adduction during adduction or abduction movement, in the range of movement from 10° abduction to 30° adduction. In Experiment 2, MEPs were measured at static 0° and 20° adduction during passive adduction from 10° adduction to 30° adduction and static 20° adduction. MEP, F-waves and M-waves were recorded from the right first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle. Experiment 1 revealed significantly increased MEP amplitude at 0° during passive adduction compared to static 0° (p < 0.01). No other significant differences in MEP, M-wave and F-wave parameters were observed. In Experiment 2, MEP amplitude was significantly higher at 20° adduction during passive adduction compared with static 0° (p < 0.01). Based on these findings, it appears that fluctuations in MEP amplitude values during passive movement are not influenced by joint angle, but rather it is possible that it is due to intracortical afferent facilitation (AF) dependent on afferent input due to the start of movement and interstimulus interval (ISI) of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). PMID:28515687

  9. Tracking marine mammals using passive acoustics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nosal, Eva-Marie

    2007-12-01

    It is difficult to study the behavior and physiology of marine mammals or to understand and mitigate human impact on them because much of their lives are spent underwater. Since sound propagates for long distances in the ocean and since many cetaceans are vocal, passive acoustics is a valuable tool for studying and monitoring their behavior. After a brief introduction to and review of passive acoustic tracking methods, this dissertation develops and applies two new methods. Both methods use widely-spaced (tens of kilometers) bottom-mounted hydrophone arrays, as well as propagation models that account for depth-dependent sound speed profiles. The first passive acoustic tracking method relies on arrival times of direct and surface-reflected paths. It is used to track a sperm whale using 5 at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) and gives position estimates that are accurate to within 10 meters. With such accuracy, the whale's pitch and yaw are estimated by assuming that its main axis (which points from the tail to the rostrum) is parallel to its velocity. Roll is found by fitting the details of the pulses within each sperm whale click to the so-called bent horn model of sperm whale sound production. Finally, given the position and orientation of the whale, its beam pattern is reconstructed and found to be highly directional with an intense forward directed component. Pair-wise spectrogram (PWS) processing is the second passive acoustic tracking method developed in this dissertation. Although it is computationally more intensive, PWS has several advantages over arrival-time tracking methods, especially in shallow water environments, for long duration calls, and for multiple-animal datasets, as is the case for humpback whales on Hawaiian breeding grounds. Results of simulations with realistic noise conditions and environmental mismatch are given and compared to other passive localization techniques. When applied to the AUTEC sperm whale dataset, PWS

  10. Active–passive soil moisture retrievals during the SMAP validation experiment 2012

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The goal of this study is to assess the performance of the active–passive algorithm for the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive mission (SMAP) using airborne and ground observations from a field campaign. The SMAP active–passive algorithm disaggregates the coarse-resolution radiometer brightness tempe...

  11. An experimentally based nonlinear viscoelastic model of joint passive moment.

    PubMed

    Esteki, A; Mansour, J M

    1996-04-01

    Previous investigations have not converged on a generally accepted model of the dissipative part of joint passive moment. To provide a basis for developing a model, a series of measurements were performed to characterize the passive moment at the metacarpophalangeal joint of the index finger. Two measurement procedures were used, one in moment relaxation over a range of fixed joint angles and the other at a series of constant joint velocities. Fung's quasi-linear viscoelastic theory motivated the development of the passive moment model. Using this approach, it was not necessary to make restrictive assumptions regarding the viscoelastic behavior of the passive moment. The generality of the formulation allowed specific functions to be chosen based on experimental data rather than finding coefficients which attempted to fit a preselected model of the data. It was shown that a nonlinear viscoelastic model described the passive stiffness. No significant frictional effects were found. Of particular importance was the nonlinear behavior of the dissipative part of the passive moment which was modeled by joint speed raised to a power less than one. This result could explain the differing findings among previous investigations, and may have important implications for control of limb movement.

  12. Passive smoking, Cyp1A1 gene polymorphism and dysmenorrhea

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Hong; Yang, Fan; Li, Zhiping; Chen, Changzhong; Fang, Zhian; Wang, Lihua; Hu, Yonghua; Chen, Dafang

    2007-01-01

    Objective This study investigated whether the association between passive smoking exposure and dysmenorrhea is modified by two susceptibility genes, CYP1A1MspI and CYP1A1HincII. Methods This report includes 1645 (1124 no dysmenorrhea, 521 dysmenorrhea) nonsmoking and nondrinking newly wed female workers at Anqing, China between June 1997 and June 2000. Multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations of passive smoking exposure and genetic susceptibility with dysmenorrhea, adjusting for perceived stress. Results When stratified by women genotype, the adjusted OR of dysmenorrhea was 1.6 (95%CI=1.3-2.1) for passive smoking group with Ile/Ile462 genotype, and 1.5 (95%CI=1.1-2.1) with C/C6235 genotype, compared to non passive smoking group, respectively. The data further showed that there was a significant combined effect between passive smoking and the CYP1A1 Msp1 C/C6235 and HincII Ile/Ile462 genotype (OR=2.6, 95%CI=1.3-5.2). Conclusion CYP1A1 MspI and HincII genotypes modified the association between passive smoking and dysmenorrhea. PMID:17566695

  13. Effects of surface passivation on twin-free GaAs nanosheets.

    PubMed

    Arab, Shermin; Chi, Chun-Yung; Shi, Teng; Wang, Yuda; Dapkus, Daniel P; Jackson, Howard E; Smith, Leigh M; Cronin, Stephen B

    2015-02-24

    Unlike nanowires, GaAs nanosheets exhibit no twin defects, stacking faults, or dislocations even when grown on lattice mismatched substrates. As such, they are excellent candidates for optoelectronic applications, including LEDs and solar cells. We report substantial enhancements in the photoluminescence efficiency and the lifetime of passivated GaAs nanosheets produced using the selected area growth (SAG) method with metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Measurements are performed on individual GaAs nanosheets with and without an AlGaAs passivation layer. Both steady-state photoluminescence and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy are performed to study the optoelectronic performance of these nanostructures. Our results show that AlGaAs passivation of GaAs nanosheets leads to a 30- to 40-fold enhancement in the photoluminescence intensity. The photoluminescence lifetime increases from less than 30 to 300 ps with passivation, indicating an order of magnitude improvement in the minority carrier lifetime. We attribute these enhancements to the reduction of nonradiative recombination due to the compensation of surface states after passivation. The surface recombination velocity decreases from an initial value of 2.5 × 10(5) to 2.7 × 10(4) cm/s with passivation.

  14. High sensitivity broadband 360GHz passive receiver for TeraSCREEN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hui; Oldfield, Matthew; Maestrojuán, Itziar; Platt, Duncan; Brewster, Nick; Viegas, Colin; Alderman, Byron; Ellison, Brian N.

    2016-05-01

    TeraSCREEN is an EU FP7 Security project aimed at developing a combined active, with frequency channel centered at 360 GHz, and passive, with frequency channels centered at 94, 220 and 360 GHz, imaging system for border controls in airport and commercial ferry ports. The system will include automatic threat detection and classification and has been designed with a strong focus on the ethical, legal and practical aspects of operating in these environments and with the potential threats in mind. Furthermore, both the passive and active systems are based on array receivers with the active system consisting of a 16 element MIMO FMCW radar centered at 360 GHz with a bandwidth of 30 GHz utilizing a custom made direct digital synthesizer. The 16 element passive receiver system at 360 GHz uses commercial Gunn diode oscillators at 90 GHz followed by custom made 90 to 180 GHz frequency doublers supplying the local oscillator for 360 GHz sub-harmonic mixers. This paper describes the development of the passive antenna module, local oscillator chain, frequency mixers and detectors used in the passive receiver array of this system. The complete passive receiver chain is characterized in this paper.

  15. CVD-Based Valence-Mending Passivation for Crystalline-Si Solar Cells

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

    Tao, Meng

    2015-03-01

    The objective of this project is to investigate a new surface passivation technique, valence-mending passivation, for its applications in crystalline-Si solar cells to achieve significant efficiency improvement and cost reduction. As the enabling technique, the project includes the development of chemical vapor deposition recipes to passivate textured Si(100) and multicrystalline-Si surfaces by sulfur and the characterization of the passivated Si surfaces, including thermal stability, Schottky barrier height, contact resistance and surface recombination. One important application is to replace the Ag finger electrode in Si cells with Al to reduce cost, by ~$0.1/Wp, and allow terawatt-scale deployment of crystalline-Si solar cells.more » These all-Al Si cells require a low-temperature metallization process for the Al electrode, to be compatible with valence-mending passivation and to prevent Al diffusion into n-type Si. Another application is to explore valence-mending passivation of grain boundaries in multicrystalline Si by diffusing sulfur into grain boundaries, to reduce the efficiency gas between monocrystalline-Si solar cells and multicrystalline-Si cells. The major accomplishments of this project include: 1) Demonstration of chemical vapor deposition processes for valence-mending passivation of both monocrystalline Si(100) and multicrystalline Si surfaces. Record Schottky barriers have been demonstrated, with the new record-low barrier of less than 0.08 eV between Al and sulfur-passivated n-type Si(100) and the new record-high barrier of 1.14 eV between Al and sulfur-passivated p-type Si(100). On the textured p-type monocrystalline Si(100) surface, the highest barrier with Al is 0.85 eV by valence-mending passivation. 2) Demonstration of a low-temperature metallization process for Al in crystalline-Si solar cells. The new metallization process is based on electroplating of Al in a room-temperature ionic liquid. The resistivity of the electroplated Al is ~7

  16. 26 CFR 1.469-3 - Passive activity credit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Passive activity credit. 1.469-3 Section 1.469-3 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Taxable Year for Which Deductions Taken § 1.469-3 Passive activity credit. (a)-(d) [Reserved...

  17. Plants for passive cooling. A preliminary investigation of the use of plants for passive cooling in temperate humid climates

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

    Spirn, A W; Santos, A N; Johnson, D A

    1981-04-01

    The potential of vegetation for cooling small, detached residential and commercial structures in temperate, humid climates is discussed. The results of the research are documented, a critical review of the literature is given, and a brief review of energy transfer processes is presented. A checklist of design objectives for passive cooling, a demonstration of design applications, and a palette of selected plant species suitable for passive cooling are included.

  18. Passive athermalization of doublets in 8-13 micron waveband

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schuster, Norbert

    2014-10-01

    Passive athermalization of lenses has become a key-technology for automotive and other outdoor applications using modern uncooled 25, 17 and 12 micron pixel pitch bolometer arrays. Typical pixel counts for thermal imaging are 384x288 (qVGA), 640x480 (VGA), and 1024x768 (XGA). Two lens arrangements (called Doublets) represent a cost effective way to satisfy resolution requirements of these detectors with F-numbers 1.4 or faster. Thermal drift of index of refraction and the geometrical changes (in lenses and housing) versus temperature defocus the initial image plane from the detector plane. The passive athermalization restricts this drop of spatial resolution in a wide temperature range (typically -40°C…+80°C) to an acceptable value without any additional external refocus. In particular, lenses with long focal lengths and high apertures claim athermalization. A careful choice of lens and housing materials and a sophistical dimensioning lead to three different principles of passivation: The Passive Mechanical Athermalization (PMA) shifts the complete lens cell, the Passive Optical and Mechanical Athermalization (POMA) shifts only one lens inside the housing, the Passive Optical Athermalization (POA) works without any mechanism. All three principles will be demonstrated for a typical narrow-field lens (HFOV about 12°) with high aperture (aperture based F-number 1.3) for the actual uncooled reference detector (17micron VGA). Six design examples using different combinations of lens materials show the impact on spatial lens resolution, on overall length, and on weight. First order relations are discussed. They give some hints for optimization solutions. Pros and cons of different passive athermalization principles are evaluated in regards of housing design, availability of materials and costing. Examples with a convergent GASIR®1-lens in front distinguish by best resolution, short overall length, and lowest weight.

  19. Gas-cell measurements for evaluating longwave-infrared passive-sensor performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cummings, Alan S.; Combs, Roger J.; Thomas, Mark J.; Curry, Timothy; Kroutil, Robert T.

    2006-10-01

    A longwave-infrared (LWIR) passive-spectrometer performance was evaluated with a short-pathlength gas cell. This cell was accurately positioned between the sensor and a NIST-traceable blackbody radiance source. Cell contents were varied over the Beer's Law absorbance range from the limit of detection to saturation for the gas analytes of sulfur hexafluoride and hexafluoroethane. The spectral impact of saturation on infrared absorbance was demonstrated for the passive sensor configuration. The gas-cell contents for all concentration-pathlength products was monitored with an active traditional-laboratory Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer and was verified by comparison with the established PNNL/DOE vapor-phase infrared (IR) spectral database. For the passive FTIR measurements, the blackbody source employed a range of background temperatures from 5 °C to 50 °C. The passive measurements without the presence of a gas cell permitted a determination of the noise equivalent spectral noise (NESR) for each set of passive gas-cell measurements. In addition, the no-cell condition allowed the evaluation of the effect of gas cell window materials of low density poly(ethylene), potassium chloride, potassium bromide, and zinc selenide. The components of gas cell, different window materials, temperature differentials, and absorbances of target-analyte gases supplied the means of evaluating the LWIR performance of a passive FTIR spectrometer. The various LWIR-passive measurements were found to simulate those often encountered in open-air scenarios important to both industrial and environmental monitoring applications.

  20. THE PASSIVE PROPERTIES OF MUSCLE FIBERS ARE VELOCITY DEPENDENT

    PubMed Central

    Rehorn, Michael R.; Schroer, Alison K.; Blemker, Silvia S.

    2014-01-01

    The passive properties of skeletal muscle play an important role in muscle function. While the passive quasi-static elastic properties of muscle fibers have been well characterized, the dynamic visco-elastic passive behavior of fibers has garnered less attention. In particular, it is unclear how the visco-elastic properties are influenced by lengthening velocity, in particular for the range of physiologically relevant velocities. The goals of this work were to: (i) measure the effects of lengthening velocity on the peak stresses within single muscle fibers to determine how passive behavior changes over a range of physiologically relevant lengthening rates (0.1–10 Lo/s), and (ii) develop a mathematical model of fiber viscoelasticity based on these measurements. We found that passive properties depend on strain rate, in particular at the low loading rates (0.1–3 Lo/s), and that the measured behavior can be predicted across a range of loading rates and time histories with a quasi-linear viscoelastic model. In the future, these results can be used to determine the impact of viscoelastic behavior on intramuscular stresses and forces during a variety of dynamic movements. PMID:24360198

  1. Increased oxidative stress in infants exposed to passive smoking.

    PubMed

    Aycicek, Ali; Erel, Ozcan; Kocyigit, Abdurrahim

    2005-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of passive cigarette smoking on the oxidative and anti-oxidative status of plasma in infants. Eighty-four infants aged 6-28 weeks were divided into two groups: the study group included infants who had been exposed to passive smoking via at least five cigarettes per day for at least the past 6 weeks at home, while the control group included infants who had never been exposed to passive smoking. The antioxidative status of plasma was assessed by the measurement of individual antioxidant components: vitamin C, albumin, bilirubin, uric acid, thiol contents and total antioxidant capacity (TAC 1 and TAC 2). Oxidative status was assessed by the determination of total peroxide levels and the oxidative stress index (OSI 1 and OSI 2). Plasma vitamin C, thiol concentration and TAC 1 and TAC 2 levels were significantly lower, whereas plasma total peroxide levels and OSI 1 and OSI 2 were significantly higher, in passive smoking infants than in the controls (P<0.01). We conclude that passive smoking has a negative impact on numerous parts of the antioxidant defence system in infants, and exposes them to potent oxidative stress.

  2. Passivating the sulfur vacancy in monolayer MoS2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Haichang; Kummel, Andrew; Robertson, John

    2018-06-01

    Various methods to passivate the sulfur vacancy in 2D MoS2 are modeled using density functional theory (DFT) to understand the passivation mechanism at an atomic scale. First, the organic super acid, bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (TFSI) is a strong protonating agent, and it is experimentally found to greatly increase the photoluminescence efficiency. DFT simulations find that the effectiveness of passivation depends critically on the charge state and number of hydrogens donated by TFSI since this determines the symmetry of the defect complex. A symmetrical complex is formed by three hydrogen atoms bonding to the defect in a -1 charge state, and this gives no bandgap states and a Fermi level in the midgap. However, a charge state of +1 gives a lower symmetry complex with one state in the gap. One or two hydrogens also give complexes with gap states. Second, passivation by O2 can provide partial passivation by forming a bridge bond across the S vacancy, but it leaves a defect state in the lower bandgap. On the other hand, substitutional additions do not shift the vacancy states out of the gap.

  3. Is Young Children's Passive Syntax Semantically Constrained? Evidence from Syntactic Priming

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Messenger, Katherine; Branigan, Holly P.; McLean, Janet F.; Sorace, Antonella

    2012-01-01

    Previous research suggests that English-speaking children comprehend agent-patient verb passives earlier than experiencer-theme verb passives (Maratsos, Fox, Becker, & Chalkley, 1985). We report three experiments examining whether such effects reflect delayed acquisition of the passive syntax or instead are an artifact of the experimental task,…

  4. Passive wall cooling panel with phase change material as a cooling agent

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Majid, Masni A.; Tajudin, Rasyidah Ahmad; Salleh, Norhafizah; Hamid, Noor Azlina Abd

    2017-11-01

    The study was carried out to the determine performance of passive wall cooling panels by using Phase Change Materials as a cooling agent. This passive cooling system used cooling agent as natural energy storage without using any HVAC system. Eight full scale passive wall cooling panels were developed with the size 1500 mm (L) × 500 mm (W) × 100 mm (T). The cooling agent such as glycerine were filled in the tube with horizontal and vertical arrangement. The passive wall cooling panels were casting by using foamed concrete with density between 1200 kg/m3 - 1500 kg/m3. The passive wall cooling panels were tested in a small house and the differences of indoor and outdoor temperature was recorded. Passive wall cooling panels with glycerine as cooling agent in vertical arrangement showed the best performance with dropped of indoor air temperature within 3°C compared to outdoor air temperature. The lowest indoor air temperature recorded was 25°C from passive wall cooling panels with glycerine in vertical arrangement. From this study, the passive wall cooling system could be applied as it was environmental friendly and less maintenance.

  5. Advancing the Use of Passive Sampling in Risk Assessment and Management of Sediments Contaminated with Hydrophobic Organic Chemicals: Results of an International Ex Situ Passive Sampling Interlaboratory Comparison

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    This work presents the results of an international interlaboratory comparison on ex situ passive sampling in sediments. The main objectives were to map the state of the science in passively sampling sediments, identify sources of variability, provide recommendations and practical guidance for standardized passive sampling, and advance the use of passive sampling in regulatory decision making by increasing confidence in the use of the technique. The study was performed by a consortium of 11 laboratories and included experiments with 14 passive sampling formats on 3 sediments for 25 target chemicals (PAHs and PCBs). The resulting overall interlaboratory variability was large (a factor of ∼10), but standardization of methods halved this variability. The remaining variability was primarily due to factors not related to passive sampling itself, i.e., sediment heterogeneity and analytical chemistry. Excluding the latter source of variability, by performing all analyses in one laboratory, showed that passive sampling results can have a high precision and a very low intermethod variability (passive sampling, irrespective of the specific method used, is fit for implementation in risk assessment and management of contaminated sediments, provided that method setup and performance, as well as chemical analyses are quality-controlled. PMID:29488382

  6. Passivating Window/First Layer AR Coating for Space Solar Cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Faur, Mircea; Faur, Maria; Bailey, S. G.; Flood, D. J.; Brinker, D. J.; Alterovitz, S. A.; Wheeler, D. R.; Matesscu, G.; Goradia, C.; Goradia, M.

    2004-01-01

    Chemically grown oxides, if well designed, offer excellent surface passivation of the emitter surface of space solar cells and can be used as effective passivating window/first layer AR coating. In this paper, we demonstrate the effectiveness of using a simple room temperature wet chemical technique to grow cost effective passivating layers on solar cell front surfaces after the front grid metallization step. These passivating layers can be grown both on planar and porous surfaces. Our results show that these oxide layers: (i) can effectively passivate the from the surface, (ii) can serve as an effective optical window/first layer AR coating, (iii) are chemically, thermally and UV stable, and (iv) have the potential of improving the BOL and especially the EOL efficiency of space solar cells. The potential of using this concept to simplify the III-V based space cell heterostructures while increasing their BOL and EOL efficiency is also discussed.

  7. Influence of Prosthetic Screw Material on Joint Stability in Passive and Non-Passive Implant-Supported Dentures

    PubMed Central

    Spazzin, Aloísio Oro; Henriques, Guilherme Elias Pessanha; de Arruda Nóbilo, Mauro Antônio; Consani, Rafael Leonardo Xediek; Correr-Sobrinho, Lourenço; Mesquita, Marcelo Ferraz

    2009-01-01

    Objectives: This study evaluated the influence of prosthetic screw material on joint stability in implantsupported dentures at two levels of fit. Methods: Ten mandibular implant-supported dentures were fabricated. Twenty cast models were fabricated using these dentures. Four groups (n=10) were tested, according to the vertical fit of the dentures [passive and non-passive] and prosthetic screw materials [titanium (Ti) or gold (Au) alloy]. The one-screw test was performed to quantify the vertical misfits using an optic microscope. The loosening torque for the prosthetic screws was measured 24 hours after the tightening torque (10 Ncm) using a digital torque meter. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (α=0.05). Results: Overall, dentures with passive fit and Ti screws resulted in significantly higher loosening torque of the prosthetic screws (p<0.05). No significant interaction was found between fit level and screw material (p=0.199). The prosthetic screw material and fit of implant-supported dentures have an influence on screw joint stability. Ti screws presented higher joint stability than Au screws and minimum of misfit should be found clinically to improve the mechanical behavior of the screw joint. PMID:20148135

  8. Enhancement of biocompatibility of 316LVM stainless steel by cyclic potentiodynamic passivation.

    PubMed

    Shahryari, Arash; Omanovic, Sasha; Szpunar, Jerzy A

    2009-06-15

    Passivation of stainless steel implants is a common procedure used to increase their biocompatibility. The results presented in this work demonstrate that the electrochemical cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP) of a biomedical grade 316LVM stainless steel surface is a very efficient passivation method that can be used to significantly improve the material's general corrosion resistance and thus its biocompatibility. The influence of a range of experimental parameters on the passivation/corrosion protection efficiency is discussed. The passive film formed on a 316LVM surface by using the CPP method offers a significantly higher general corrosion resistance than the naturally grown passive film. The corresponding relative corrosion protection efficiency measured in saline during a 2-month period was 97% +/- 1%, which demonstrates a very high stability of the CPP-formed passive film. Its high corrosion protection efficiency was confirmed also at temperatures and chloride concentrations well above normal physiological levels. It was also shown that the CPP is a significantly more effective passivation method than some other surface-treatment methods commonly used to passivate biomedical grade stainless steels. In addition, the CPP-passivated 316LVM surface showed an enhanced biocompatibility in terms of preosteoblast (MC3T3) cells attachment. An increased thickness of the CPP-formed passive film and its enrichment with Cr(VI) and oxygen was determined to be the origin of the material's increased general corrosion resistance, whereas the increased surface roughness and surface (Volta) potential were suggested to be the origin of the enhanced preosteoblast cells attachment. Copyright 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Analysis on Target Detection and Classification in LTE Based Passive Forward Scattering Radar

    PubMed Central

    Raja Abdullah, Raja Syamsul Azmir; Abdul Aziz, Noor Hafizah; Abdul Rashid, Nur Emileen; Ahmad Salah, Asem; Hashim, Fazirulhisyam

    2016-01-01

    The passive bistatic radar (PBR) system can utilize the illuminator of opportunity to enhance radar capability. By utilizing the forward scattering technique and procedure into the specific mode of PBR can provide an improvement in target detection and classification. The system is known as passive Forward Scattering Radar (FSR). The passive FSR system can exploit the peculiar advantage of the enhancement in forward scatter radar cross section (FSRCS) for target detection. Thus, the aim of this paper is to show the feasibility of passive FSR for moving target detection and classification by experimental analysis and results. The signal source is coming from the latest technology of 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) base station. A detailed explanation on the passive FSR receiver circuit, the detection scheme and the classification algorithm are given. In addition, the proposed passive FSR circuit employs the self-mixing technique at the receiver; hence the synchronization signal from the transmitter is not required. The experimental results confirm the passive FSR system’s capability for ground target detection and classification. Furthermore, this paper illustrates the first classification result in the passive FSR system. The great potential in the passive FSR system provides a new research area in passive radar that can be used for diverse remote monitoring applications. PMID:27690051

  10. Analysis on Target Detection and Classification in LTE Based Passive Forward Scattering Radar.

    PubMed

    Raja Abdullah, Raja Syamsul Azmir; Abdul Aziz, Noor Hafizah; Abdul Rashid, Nur Emileen; Ahmad Salah, Asem; Hashim, Fazirulhisyam

    2016-09-29

    The passive bistatic radar (PBR) system can utilize the illuminator of opportunity to enhance radar capability. By utilizing the forward scattering technique and procedure into the specific mode of PBR can provide an improvement in target detection and classification. The system is known as passive Forward Scattering Radar (FSR). The passive FSR system can exploit the peculiar advantage of the enhancement in forward scatter radar cross section (FSRCS) for target detection. Thus, the aim of this paper is to show the feasibility of passive FSR for moving target detection and classification by experimental analysis and results. The signal source is coming from the latest technology of 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) base station. A detailed explanation on the passive FSR receiver circuit, the detection scheme and the classification algorithm are given. In addition, the proposed passive FSR circuit employs the self-mixing technique at the receiver; hence the synchronization signal from the transmitter is not required. The experimental results confirm the passive FSR system's capability for ground target detection and classification. Furthermore, this paper illustrates the first classification result in the passive FSR system. The great potential in the passive FSR system provides a new research area in passive radar that can be used for diverse remote monitoring applications.

  11. Passive cooler

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aronson, Albert Irving (Inventor)

    1977-01-01

    A three stage passive cooler for use in a spacecraft for cooling an infra-red detector includes a detector mounting cold plate for mounting the detector directly to the telescope optics. The telescope optics collect and direct the infra-red radiation from the earth, for example, to the infra-red detector, and are mounted directly to the spacecraft. The remaining stages of the cooler are mounted with thermal insulators to each other and to the spacecraft at separate locations from the detector mounting cold plate.

  12. Evidence for (Shared) Abstract Structure Underlying Children's Short and Full Passives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Messenger, Katherine; Branigan, Holly P.; McLean, Janet F.

    2011-01-01

    In a syntactic priming paradigm, three- and four-year-old children and adults described transitive events after hearing thematically and lexically unrelated active and short passive prime descriptions. Both groups were more likely to produce full passive descriptions ("the king is being scratched by the tiger") following short passive primes ("the…

  13. 31 CFR 800.223 - Solely for the purpose of passive investment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Solely for the purpose of passive..., ACQUISITIONS, AND TAKEOVERS BY FOREIGN PERSONS Definitions § 800.223 Solely for the purpose of passive investment. Ownership interests are held or acquired solely for the purpose of passive investment if the...

  14. Electrolyte and Electrode Passivation for Thin Film Batteries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    West, W.; Whitacre, J.; Ratnakumar, B.; Brandon, E.; Blosiu, J.; Surampudi, S.

    2000-01-01

    Passivation films for thin film batteries have been prepared and the conductivity and voltage stability window have been measured. Thin films of Li2CO3 have a large voltage stability window of 4.8V, which facilitates the use of this film as a passivation at both the lithium anode-electrolyte interface at high cathodic potentials.

  15. Deep influence of passive low energy consumption multi-storey residential building in cold region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shuai, Zhang; Lihua, Zhao; Rong, Jin; Dong, Junyan

    2018-02-01

    The example of passive architecture demonstration building in Jilin Province, China, based on the practical experience of this project, the control index of passive and low energy consumption residential buildings in cold and passive buildings is referenced by reference to the German construction standard and the Chinese residence construction document, “passive ultra-low energy consumption green Building Technology Guide (Trial)”. The requirement of passive low energy residential buildings on the ground heat transfer coefficient limits is determined, and the performance requirements of passive residential buildings are discussed. This paper analyzes the requirement of the passive low energy residential building on the ground heat transfer coefficient limit, and probes into the influence factors of the ground thermal insulation of the passive low energy consumption residential building. The construction method of passive low energy consumption residential building is proposed.

  16. Effect of Organic and Inorganic Passivation in Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    de la Fuente, Mauricio Solis; Sánchez, Rafael S; González-Pedro, Victoria; Boix, Pablo P; Mhaisalkar, S G; Rincón, Marina E; Bisquert, Juan; Mora-Seró, Iván

    2013-05-02

    The effect of semiconductor passivation on quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) has been systematically characterized for CdS and CdS/ZnS. We have found that passivation strongly depends on the passivation agent, obtaining an enhancement of the solar cell efficiency for compounds containing amine and thiol groups and, in contrast, a decrease in performance for passivating agents with acid groups. Passivation can induce a change in the position of TiO2 conduction band and also in the recombination rate and nature, reflected in a change in the β parameter. Especially interesting is the finding that β, and consequently the fill factor can be increased with the passivation treatment. Applying this strategy, record cells of 4.65% efficiency for PbS-based QDSCs have been produced.

  17. An all-silicon passive optical diode.

    PubMed

    Fan, Li; Wang, Jian; Varghese, Leo T; Shen, Hao; Niu, Ben; Xuan, Yi; Weiner, Andrew M; Qi, Minghao

    2012-01-27

    A passive optical diode effect would be useful for on-chip optical information processing but has been difficult to achieve. Using a method based on optical nonlinearity, we demonstrate a forward-backward transmission ratio of up to 28 decibels within telecommunication wavelengths. Our device, which uses two silicon rings 5 micrometers in radius, is passive yet maintains optical nonreciprocity for a broad range of input power levels, and it performs equally well even if the backward input power is higher than the forward input. The silicon optical diode is ultracompact and is compatible with current complementary metal-oxide semiconductor processing.

  18. Parameters influencing the course of passive drug loading into lipid nanoemulsions.

    PubMed

    Göke, Katrin; Bunjes, Heike

    2018-05-01

    Passive drug loading can be used to effectively identify suitable colloidal lipid carrier systems for poorly water-soluble drugs. This method comprises incubation of preformed carrier systems with drug powder and subsequent determination of the resulting drug load of the carrier particles. Until now, the passive loading mechanism is unknown, which complicates reliable routine use. In this work, the influence of drug characteristics on the course of passive loading was investigated systematically varying drug surface area and drug solubility. Fenofibrate and flufenamic acid were used as model drugs; the carrier system was a trimyristin nanodispersion. Loading progress was analyzed by UV spectroscopy or by a novel method based on differential scanning calorimetry. While increasing drug solubility by micelle incorporation did not speed up passive loading, a large drug surface area and high water solubility were key parameters for fast loading. Since both factors are crucial in drug dissolution as described by the Noyes-Whitney equation, these findings point to a dissolution-diffusion-based passive loading mechanism. Accordingly, passive loading also occurred when drug and carrier particles were separated by a dialysis membrane. Knowledge of the loading mechanism allows optimizing the conditions for future passive loading studies and assessing the limitations of the method. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Passive solar design strategies: Remodeling guidelines for conserving energy at home

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    The idea of passive solar is simple, but applying it effectively does require information and attention to the details of design and construction. Some passive solar techniques are modest and low-cost, and require only small changes in remodeler's typical practice. At the other end of the spectrum, some passive solar systems can almost eliminate a house's need for purchased heating (and in some cases, cooling) energy - but probably at a relatively high first cost. In between are a broad range of energy-conserving passive solar techniques. Whether or not they are cost-effective, practical, and attractive enough to offer a market advantage to any individual remodeler depends on very specific factors such as local costs, climate, and market characteristics. Passive Solar Design Strategies: Remodeling Guidelines For Conserving Energy At Home is written to help give remodelers the information they need to make these decisions. Passive Solar Design Strategies is a package in three basic parts: the guidelines contain information about passive solar techniques and how they work, and provides specific examples of systems which will save various percentages of energy; the worksheets offer a simple, fill-in-the-blank method to pre-evaluate the performance of a specific design; and the worked example demonstrates how to complete the worksheets for a typical residence.

  20. Passive absolute age and temperature history sensor

    DOEpatents

    Robinson, Alex; Vianco, Paul T.

    2015-11-10

    A passive sensor for historic age and temperature sensing, including a first member formed of a first material, the first material being either a metal or a semiconductor material and a second member formed of a second material, the second material being either a metal or a semiconductor material. A surface of the second member is in contact with a surface of the first member such that, over time, the second material of the second member diffuses into the first material of the first member. The rate of diffusion for the second material to diffuse into the first material depends on a temperature of the passive sensor. One of the electrical conductance, the electrical capacitance, the electrical inductance, the optical transmission, the optical reflectance, or the crystalline structure of the passive sensor depends on the amount of the second material that has diffused into the first member.

  1. Alternative to Nitric Acid Passivation Project Overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lewis, Pattie L.

    2013-01-01

    The standard practice for protection of stainless steel is a process called passivation. This procedure results in the formation of a metal oxide layer to prevent corrosion. Typical passivation procedures call for the use of nitric acid which exhibits excellent corrosion performance; however, there are a number of environmental, worker safety, and operational issues associated with its use. The longtime military specification for the passivation of stainless steel was cancelled in favor of newer specifications which allow for the use of citric acid in place of nitric acid. Citric acid offers a variety of benefits that include increased safety for personnel, reduced environmental impact, and reduced operational costs. There have been few studies, however, to determine whether citric acid is an acceptable alternative for NASA and DoD. This paper details activities to date including development of the joint test plan, on-going and planned testing, and preliminary results.

  2. Second Law based definition of passivity/activity of devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sundqvist, Kyle M.; Ferry, David K.; Kish, Laszlo B.

    2017-10-01

    Recently, our efforts to clarify the old question, if a memristor is a passive or active device [1], triggered debates between engineers, who have had advanced definitions of passivity/activity of devices, and physicists with significantly different views about this seemingly simple question. This debate triggered our efforts to test the well-known engineering concepts about passivity/activity in a deeper way, challenging them by statistical physics. It is shown that the advanced engineering definition of passivity/activity of devices is self-contradictory when a thermodynamical system executing Johnson-Nyquist noise is present. A new, statistical physical, self-consistent definition based on the Second Law of Thermodynamics is introduced. It is also shown that, in a system with uniform temperature distribution, any rectifier circuitry that can rectify thermal noise must contain an active circuit element, according to both the engineering and statistical physical definitions.

  3. Electronic band-gap modified passive silicon optical modulator at telecommunications wavelengths.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Rui; Yu, Haohai; Zhang, Huaijin; Liu, Xiangdong; Lu, Qingming; Wang, Jiyang

    2015-11-13

    The silicon optical modulator is considered to be the workhorse of a revolution in communications. In recent years, the capabilities of externally driven active silicon optical modulators have dramatically improved. Self-driven passive modulators, especially passive silicon modulators, possess advantages in compactness, integration, low-cost, etc. Constrained by a large indirect band-gap and sensitivity-related loss, the passive silicon optical modulator is scarce and has been not advancing, especially at telecommunications wavelengths. Here, a passive silicon optical modulator is fabricated by introducing an impurity band in the electronic band-gap, and its nonlinear optics and applications in the telecommunications-wavelength lasers are investigated. The saturable absorption properties at the wavelength of 1.55 μm was measured and indicates that the sample is quite sensitive to light intensity and has negligible absorption loss. With a passive silicon modulator, pulsed lasers were constructed at wavelengths at 1.34 and 1.42 μm. It is concluded that the sensitive self-driven passive silicon optical modulator is a viable candidate for photonics applications out to 2.5 μm.

  4. Surface passivation for tight-binding calculations of covalent solids.

    PubMed

    Bernstein, N

    2007-07-04

    Simulation of a cluster representing a finite portion of a larger covalently bonded system requires the passivation of the cluster surface. We compute the effects of an explicit hybrid orbital passivation (EHOP) on the atomic structure in a model bulk, three-dimensional, narrow gap semiconductor, which is very different from the wide gap, quasi-one-dimensional organic molecules where most passivation schemes have been studied in detail. The EHOP approach is directly applicable to minimal atomic orbital basis methods such as tight-binding. Each broken bond is passivated by a hybrid created from an explicitly expressed linear combination of basis orbitals, chosen to represent the contribution of the missing neighbour, e.g. a sp(3) hybrid for a single bond. The method is tested by computing the forces on atoms near a point defect as a function of cluster geometry. We show that, compared to alternatives such as pseudo-hydrogen passivation, the force on an atom converges to the correct bulk limit more quickly as a function of cluster radius, and that the force is more stable with respect to perturbations in the position of the cluster centre. The EHOP method also obviates the need for parameterizing the interactions between the system atoms and the passivating atoms. The method is useful for cluster calculations of non-periodic defects in large systems and for hybrid schemes that simulate large systems by treating finite regions with a quantum-mechanical model, coupled to an interatomic potential description of the rest of the system.

  5. Surface passivation for tight-binding calculations of covalent solids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernstein, N.

    2007-07-01

    Simulation of a cluster representing a finite portion of a larger covalently bonded system requires the passivation of the cluster surface. We compute the effects of an explicit hybrid orbital passivation (EHOP) on the atomic structure in a model bulk, three-dimensional, narrow gap semiconductor, which is very different from the wide gap, quasi-one-dimensional organic molecules where most passivation schemes have been studied in detail. The EHOP approach is directly applicable to minimal atomic orbital basis methods such as tight-binding. Each broken bond is passivated by a hybrid created from an explicitly expressed linear combination of basis orbitals, chosen to represent the contribution of the missing neighbour, e.g. a sp3 hybrid for a single bond. The method is tested by computing the forces on atoms near a point defect as a function of cluster geometry. We show that, compared to alternatives such as pseudo-hydrogen passivation, the force on an atom converges to the correct bulk limit more quickly as a function of cluster radius, and that the force is more stable with respect to perturbations in the position of the cluster centre. The EHOP method also obviates the need for parameterizing the interactions between the system atoms and the passivating atoms. The method is useful for cluster calculations of non-periodic defects in large systems and for hybrid schemes that simulate large systems by treating finite regions with a quantum-mechanical model, coupled to an interatomic potential description of the rest of the system.

  6. In defense of the passive voice in medical writing.

    PubMed

    Minton, Timothy D

    2015-01-01

    Few medical journals specifically instruct authors to use the active voice and avoid the passive voice, but advice to that effect is common in the large number of stylebooks and blogs aimed at medical and scientific writers. Such advice typically revolves around arguments that the passive voice is less clear, less direct, and less concise than the active voice, that it conceals the identity of the person(s) performing the action(s) described, that it obscures meaning, that it is pompous, and that the high rate of passive-voice usage in scientific writing is a result of conformity to an established and old-fashioned style of writing. Some of these arguments are valid with respect to specific examples of passive-voice misuse by some medical (and other) writers, but as arguments for avoiding passive-voice use in general, they are seriously flawed. In addition, many of the examples that stylebook writers give of inappropriate use are actually much more appropriate in certain contexts than the active-voice alternatives they provide. In this review, I examine the advice offered by anti-passive writers, along with some of their examples of "inappropriate" use, and argue that the key factor in voice selection is sentence word order as determined by the natural tendency in English for the topic of discourse ("old" information) to take subject position and for "new" information to come later. Authors who submit to this natural tendency will not have to worry much about voice selection, because it will usually be automatic.

  7. Surface passivation and aging of InGaAs/InP heterojunction phototransistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Min-Su; Razaei, Mohsen; Barnhart, Katie; Tan, Chee Leong; Mohseni, Hooman

    2017-06-01

    We report the effect of different surface treatment and passivation techniques on the stability of InGaAs/InP heterojunction phototransistors (HPTs). An In0.53Ga0.47As surface passivated with aqueous ammonium sulfide ((NH4)2S), aluminum oxide (Al2O3) grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD), and their combination is evaluated by using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). All samples were kept in the air ambient, and their performances were periodically measured to investigate their long-term stability. Raman spectroscopy revealed that the peak intensity of the GaAs-like longitudinal optical phonon of all passivated samples is decreased compared with that of the control sample. This is attributable to the diminution of the carriers near the passivated surfaces, which was proven by extracted surface potential (Vs). The Vs of all passivated samples was decreased to less than half of that for the control sample. XPS evaluation of As3d spectra showed that arsenic oxides (As2O3 and As2O5) on the surfaces of the samples can be removed by passivation. However, both Raman and XPS spectra show that the (NH4)2S passivated sample reverts back over time and will resemble the untreated control sample. When capped with ALD-grown Al2O3, passivated samples irrespective of the pretreatment show no degradation over the measured time of 4 weeks. Similar conclusions are made from our experimental measurement of the performance of differently passivated HPTs. The ALD-grown Al2O3 passivated devices show an improved optical gain at low optical powers and long-term stability.

  8. [Interventions on the exposure of non-smoking pregnant women to passive smoking].

    PubMed

    Yao, Ting-ting; Chen, Xue-yun; Hu, De-wei; Mao, Zheng-zhong

    2008-09-01

    To investigate the extent of exposure of non-smoking pregnant women to passive smoking; to undertake interventions on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of those women toward passive smoking; and to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions. A total of 128 non-smoking pregnant women participated in the survey. Their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors towards passive smoking were measured by a self-administered questionnaire. A sixteen-week intervention was undertaken. The knowledge and attitudes of the non-smoking pregnant women towards passive smoking improved significantly, as well as their attempts to avoid exposure to the passive smoking brought by their smoking husbands or other family members. Telephone counseling, booklets and doctors' advices were the most acceptable approaches of health education. The comprehensive interventions are effective for improving the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of non-smoking women toward passive smoking.

  9. Orion Passive Thermal: Control Overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alvarez-Hermandez, Angel; Miller, Stephen W.

    2009-01-01

    A general overview of the NASA Orion Passive Thermal Control System (PTCS) is presented. The topics include: 1) Orion in CxP Hierarchy; 2) General Orion Description/Orientation; and 3) Orion PTCS Overview.

  10. Prescribing Activities that Engage Passive Residents. An Innovative Method

    PubMed Central

    Kolanowski, Ann; Buettner, Linda

    2009-01-01

    Individuals with dementia are often passive, which places them at risk for further cognitive and functional decline. Recreational activities have been used in research to reduce passive behaviors, but systematic reviews of these studies have found modest effect sizes for many activities. In this article, we describe the further theoretical development of an innovative method for prescribing activities that have a high likelihood of engaging nursing home residents who are passive and present examples for research application and clinical practice. This method may increase the effect size of activity interventions and encourage more widespread adoption of nonpharmacological interventions in practice. PMID:18274300

  11. Passivated aluminum nanohole arrays for label-free biosensing applications.

    PubMed

    Canalejas-Tejero, Víctor; Herranz, Sonia; Bellingham, Alyssa; Moreno-Bondi, María Cruz; Barrios, Carlos Angulo

    2014-01-22

    We report the fabrication and performance of a surface plasmon resonance aluminum nanohole array refractometric biosensor. An aluminum surface passivation treatment based on oxygen plasma is developed in order to circumvent the undesired effects of oxidation and corrosion usually found in aluminum-based biosensors. Immersion tests in deionized water and device simulations are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the passivation process. A label-free bioassay based on biotin analysis through biotin-functionalized dextran-lipase conjugates immobilized on the biosensor-passivated surface in aqueous media is performed as a proof of concept to demonstrate the suitability of these nanostructured aluminum films for biosensing.

  12. Using Ozone To Clean and Passivate Oxygen-Handling Hardware

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Torrance, Paul; Biesinger, Paul

    2009-01-01

    A proposed method of cleaning, passivating, and verifying the cleanliness of oxygen-handling hardware would extend the established art of cleaning by use of ozone. As used here, "cleaning" signifies ridding all exposed surfaces of combustible (in particular, carbon-based) contaminants. The method calls for exposing the surfaces of the hardware to ozone while monitoring the ozone effluent for carbon dioxide. The ozone would passivate the hardware while oxidizing carbon-based residues, converting the carbon in them to carbon dioxide. The exposure to ozone would be continued until no more carbon dioxide was detected, signifying that cleaning and passivation were complete.

  13. Intercomparison of global, ultraviolet B and A radiation measurements in the Dead Sea region (Ein Bokek) and Beer Sheva.

    PubMed

    Kushelevsky, A P; Kudish, A I

    1996-07-01

    Thousands of patients suffering from psoriasis have been treated successfully in the Dead Sea area by climatological methods, without medication. This high rate of success, measured in terms of partial to complete plaque clearance and reported to exceed 85% after 3-4 weeks of treatment, has been assumed to be associated with a unique ultraviolet (UV) radiation environment present in the Dead Sea region. In order to broaden our knowledge of the UV radiation environment at the Dead Sea, continuous monitoring of UV (both B and A) and global radiation has recently been initiated at two sites--Ein Bokek (located in the vicinity of the Dead Sea 375 m below mean sea level) and Beer Sheva (315 m above mean sea level)--to facilitate an intercomparison of their respective radiation intensities. The results of the first year of a detailed study of the global, UVB and UVA radiation intensities measured at both sites are summarized and reported in terms of the monthly average daily, average midday (11:00-13:00) and the corresponding maximum values. The radiation data for clear days (based upon the absolute magnitude of the global radiation) were also analyzed to perform an intercomparison between Ein Bokek and Beer Sheva for a winter month and a summer month for which all three types of radiation data were available at both sites.

  14. A Passively Q-Switched, CW-Pumped Fe:ZnSe Laser

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-03-01

    passively Q-switched microchip lasers using semiconductor saturable absorbers,” J. Opt. Soc. Amer. B, Opt. Phys., vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 376–388, Mar. 1999...204 IEEE JOURNAL OF QUANTUM ELECTRONICS, VOL. 50, NO. 3, MARCH 2014 A Passively Q-Switched, CW-Pumped Fe:ZnSe Laser Jonathan W. Evans, Patrick A...Berry, and Kenneth L. Schepler Abstract— We report the demonstration of high-average-power passively Q-switched laser oscillation from Fe2+ ions in zinc

  15. Surface passivation process of compound semiconductor material using UV photosulfidation

    DOEpatents

    Ashby, Carol I. H.

    1995-01-01

    A method for passivating compound semiconductor surfaces by photolytically disrupting molecular sulfur vapor with ultraviolet radiation to form reactive sulfur which then reacts with and passivates the surface of compound semiconductors.

  16. Heterojunction solar cell with passivated emitter surface

    DOEpatents

    Olson, Jerry M.; Kurtz, Sarah R.

    1994-01-01

    A high-efficiency heterojunction solar cell wherein a thin emitter layer (preferably Ga.sub.0.52 In.sub.0.48 P) forms a heterojunction with a GaAs absorber layer. A passivating window layer of defined composition is disposed over the emitter layer. The conversion efficiency of the solar cell is at least 25.7%. The solar cell preferably includes a passivating layer between the substrate and the absorber layer. An anti-reflection coating is preferably disposed over the window layer.

  17. Active and Passive Remote Sensing of Ice

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-01-26

    92 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE S. FUNDING NUMBERS Active and Passive Remote Sensing of Ice NO0014-89-J-l 107 6. AUTHOR(S) 425f023-08 Prof. J.A. Kong 7... REMOTE SENSING OF ICE Sponsored by: Department of the Navy Office of Naval Research Contract number: N00014-89-J-1107 Research Organization: Center for...J. A. Kong Period covered: October 1, 1988 - November 30, 1992 St ACTIVE AND PASSIVE REMOTE SENSING OF ICE FINAL REPORT This annual report covers

  18. Wireless SAW passive tag temperature measurement in the collision case

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sorokin, A.; Shepeta, A.; Wattimena, M.

    2018-04-01

    This paper describes temperature measurement in the multisensor systems based on the radio-frequency identification SAW passive tags which are currently applied in the electric power systems and the switchgears. Different approaches of temperature measurement in the collision case are shown here. The study is based on the tag model with specific topology, which allows us to determine temperature through the response signal with time-frequency information. This research considers the collision case for several passive tags as the temperature sensors which are placed in the switchgear. This research proposal is to analyze the possibility of using several SAW passive sensors in the collision case. We consider the using of the different typical elements for passive surface acoustic wave tag which applies as an anticollision passive sensor. These wireless sensors based on the surface acoustic waves tags contain specifically coded structures. This topology makes possible the reliability of increasing tag identification and the temperature measurement in the collision case. As the results for this case we illustrate simultaneous measurement of at least six sensors.

  19. Passive Endwall Treatments for Enhancing Stability

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hathaway, Michael D.

    2007-01-01

    These lecture notes were presented at the von Karman Institutes lecture series on Advances in Axial Compressor Aerodynamics, May 2006. They provide a fairly extensive overview of what's been learned from numerous investigations of various passive casing endwall technologies that have been proposed for alleviating the stall limiting physics associated with the compressor endwall flow field. The lecture notes are organized to give an appreciation for the inventiveness and understanding of the earliest compressor technologists and to provide a coherent thread of understanding that has arisen out of the early investigations. As such the lecture notes begin with a historical overview of casing treatments from their infancy through the earliest proposed concepts involving blowing, suction and flow recirculation. A summary of lessons learned from these early investigations is provided at the end of this section. The lecture notes then provide a somewhat more in-depth overview of recent advancements in the development of passive casing treatments from the late 1990's through 2006, including advancements in understanding the flow mechanism of circumferential groove casing treatments, and the development of discrete tip injection and self-recirculating casing treatments. At the conclusion of the lecture notes a final summary of lessons learned throughout the history of the development of passive casing treatments is provided. Finally, a list of future needs is given. It is hoped that these lecture notes will be a useful reference for future research endeavors to improve our understanding of the fluid physics of passive casing treatments and how they act to enhance compressor stability, and that they will perhaps provide a springboard for future research activities in this area of interest

  20. Development of a passive sampler for gaseous mercury

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gustin, M. S.; Lyman, S. N.; Kilner, P.; Prestbo, E.

    2011-10-01

    Here we describe work toward development of the components of a cost effective passive sampling system for gaseous Hg that could be broadly deployed by nontechnical staff. The passive sampling system included an external shield to reduce turbulence and exposure to precipitation and dust, a diffusive housing that directly protects the collection surface during deployment and handling, and a collection surface. A protocol for cleaning and deploying the sampler and an analytical method were developed. Our final design consisted of a polycarbonate external shield enclosing a custom diffusive housing made from expanded PTFE tubing. Two collection surfaces were investigated, gold sputter-coated quartz plates and silver wires. Research showed the former would require extensive quality control for use, while the latter had interferences with other atmosphere constituents. Although the gold surface exhibited the best performance over space and time, gradual passivation would limit reuse. For both surfaces lack of contamination during shipping, deployment and storage indicated that the handling protocols developed worked well with nontechnical staff. We suggest that the basis for this passive sampling system is sound, but further exploration and development of a reliable collection surface is needed.

  1. Development of Passive Fuel Cell Thermal Management Technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burke, Kenneth A.; Jakupca, Ian; Colozza, Anthony

    2011-01-01

    The NASA Glenn Research Center is developing advanced passive thermal management technology to reduce the mass and improve the reliability of space fuel cell systems for the NASA exploration program. The passive thermal management system relies on heat conduction within the cooling plate to move the heat from the central portion of the cell stack out to the edges of the fuel cell stack rather than using a pumped loop cooling system to convectively remove the heat. Using the passive approach eliminates the need for a coolant pump and other cooling loop components which reduces fuel cell system mass and improves overall system reliability. Previous analysis had identified that low density, ultra-high thermal conductivity materials would be needed for the cooling plates in order to achieve the desired reductions in mass and the highly uniform thermal heat sink for each cell within a fuel cell stack. A pyrolytic graphite material was identified and fabricated into a thin plate using different methods. Also a development project with Thermacore, Inc. resulted in a planar heat pipe. Thermal conductivity tests were done using these materials. The results indicated that lightweight passive fuel cell cooling is feasible.

  2. Turbulenzübergang in der Rohrströmung: Die Lösung eines alten Rätsels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eckhardt, Bruno; Hof, Björn; Faisst, Holger

    2006-09-01

    Die Strömung von Flüssigkeiten und Gasen durch eine Röhre kann zwei Zustände annehmen. Einer ist laminar, also gleichmäßig geordnet, einer ist zeitlich-räumlich verwirbelt und turbulent. Mit dem Übergang zur Turbulenz nimmt der Strömungswiderstand drastisch zu. Vor etwa 120 Jahren beschrieb Osborne Reynolds bereits das Verhalten der Rohrströmung sehr genau. Er beobachtete, dass der Turbulenzübergang sehr empfindlich von äußeren Störungen abhängt, was bislang rätselhaft blieb. Dieses Rätsel konnte nun mit einer Kombination aus Computerstudien, Konzepten aus der nichtlinearen Dynamik und speziell entwickelten Experimenten gelöst werden.

  3. Surface passivation of semiconducting oxides by self-assembled nanoparticles

    PubMed Central

    Park, Dae-Sung; Wang, Haiyuan; Vasheghani Farahani, Sepehr K.; Walker, Marc; Bhatnagar, Akash; Seghier, Djelloul; Choi, Chel-Jong; Kang, Jie-Hun; McConville, Chris F.

    2016-01-01

    Physiochemical interactions which occur at the surfaces of oxide materials can significantly impair their performance in many device applications. As a result, surface passivation of oxide materials has been attempted via several deposition methods and with a number of different inert materials. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach to passivate the surface of a versatile semiconducting oxide, zinc oxide (ZnO), evoking a self-assembly methodology. This is achieved via thermodynamic phase transformation, to passivate the surface of ZnO thin films with BeO nanoparticles. Our unique approach involves the use of BexZn1-xO (BZO) alloy as a starting material that ultimately yields the required coverage of secondary phase BeO nanoparticles, and prevents thermally-induced lattice dissociation and defect-mediated chemisorption, which are undesirable features observed at the surface of undoped ZnO. This approach to surface passivation will allow the use of semiconducting oxides in a variety of different electronic applications, while maintaining the inherent properties of the materials. PMID:26757827

  4. Passive swimming in viscous oscillatory flows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jo, Ikhee; Huang, Yangyang; Zimmermann, Walter; Kanso, Eva

    2016-12-01

    Fluid-based locomotion at low Reynolds number is subject to the constraints of Purcell's scallop theorem: reciprocal shape kinematics identical under a time-reversal symmetry cannot cause locomotion. In particular, a single degree-of-freedom scallop undergoing opening and closing motions cannot swim. Most strategies for symmetry breaking and locomotion rely on direct control of the swimmer's shape kinematics. Less is known about indirect control via actuation of the fluid medium. To address how such indirect actuation strategies can lead to locomotion, we analyze a Λ -shaped model system analogous to Purcell's scallop but able to deform passively in oscillatory flows. Neutrally buoyant scallops undergo no net locomotion. We show that dense, elastic scallops can exhibit passive locomotion in zero-mean oscillatory flows. We examine the efficiency of swimming parallel to the background flow and analyze the stability of these motions. We observe transitions from stable to unstable swimming, including ordered transitions from fluttering to chaoticlike motions and tumbling. Our results demonstrate that flow oscillations can be used to passively actuate and control the motion of microswimmers, which may be relevant to applications such as surgical robots and cell sorting and manipulation in microfluidic devices.

  5. Stable surface passivation process for compound semiconductors

    DOEpatents

    Ashby, Carol I. H.

    2001-01-01

    A passivation process for a previously sulfided, selenided or tellurated III-V compound semiconductor surface. The concentration of undesired mid-gap surface states on a compound semiconductor surface is reduced by the formation of a near-monolayer of metal-(sulfur and/or selenium and/or tellurium)-semiconductor that is effective for long term passivation of the underlying semiconductor surface. Starting with the III-V compound semiconductor surface, any oxidation present thereon is substantially removed and the surface is then treated with sulfur, selenium or tellurium to form a near-monolayer of chalcogen-semiconductor of the surface in an oxygen-free atmosphere. This chalcogenated surface is then contacted with a solution of a metal that will form a low solubility chalcogenide to form a near-monolayer of metal-chalcogen-semiconductor. The resulting passivating layer provides long term protection for the underlying surface at or above the level achieved by a freshly chalcogenated compound semiconductor surface in an oxygen free atmosphere.

  6. Potential Relationship between Passive Plantar Flexor Stiffness and Running Performance.

    PubMed

    Ueno, Hiromasa; Suga, Tadashi; Takao, Kenji; Tanaka, Takahiro; Misaki, Jun; Miyake, Yuto; Nagano, Akinori; Isaka, Tadao

    2018-02-01

    The present study aimed to determine the relationship between passive stiffness of the plantar flexors and running performance in endurance runners. Forty-eight well-trained male endurance runners and 24 untrained male control subjects participated in this study. Plantar flexor stiffness during passive dorsiflexion was calculated from the slope of the linear portion of the torque-angle curve. Of the endurance runners included in the present study, running economy in 28 endurance runners was evaluated by measuring energy cost during three 4-min trials (14, 16, and 18 km/h) of submaximal treadmill running. Passive stiffness of the plantar flexors was significantly higher in endurance runners than in untrained subjects. Moreover, passive plantar flexor stiffness in endurance runners was significantly correlated with a personal best 5000-m race time. Furthermore, passive plantar flexor stiffness in endurance runners was significantly correlated with energy cost during submaximal running at 16 km/h and 18 km/h, and a trend towards such significance was observed at 14 km/h. The present findings suggest that stiffer plantar flexors may help achieve better running performance, with greater running economy, in endurance runners. Therefore, in the clinical setting, passive stiffness of the plantar flexors may be a potential parameter for assessing running performance. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  7. Passivation of black phosphorus saturable absorbers for reliable pulse formation of fiber lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Na, Dongsoo; Park, Kichul; Park, Ki-Hwan; Song, Yong-Won

    2017-11-01

    Black phosphorus (BP) has attracted increasing attention due to its unique electrical properties. In addition, the outstanding optical nonlinearity of BP has been demonstrated in various ways. Its functionality as a saturable absorber, in particular, has been validated in demonstrations of passive mode-locked lasers. However, normally, the performance of BP is degraded eventually by both thermal and chemical damage in ambient conditions. The passivation of BP is the critical issue to guarantee a stable performance of the optical devices. We quantitatively characterized the mode-locked lasers operated by BP saturable absorbers with diversified passivation materials such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or Al2O3, considering the atomic structure of the materials, and therefore the hydro-permeability of the passivation layers. Unlike the BP layers without passivation, we demonstrated that the Al2O3-passivated BP layer was protected from the surface oxidation reaction in the long-term, and the PDMS-passivated one had a short-term blocking effect. The quantitative analysis showed that the time-dependent characteristics of the pulsed laser without passivation were changed with respect to the pulse duration, spectral width, and time-bandwidth product displaying 550 fs, 2.8 nm, and 0.406, respectively. With passivation, the changes were limited to <43 fs, <0.3 nm, and <0.012, respectively.

  8. Passivation of black phosphorus saturable absorbers for reliable pulse formation of fiber lasers.

    PubMed

    Na, Dongsoo; Park, Kichul; Park, Ki-Hwan; Song, Yong-Won

    2017-11-24

    Black phosphorus (BP) has attracted increasing attention due to its unique electrical properties. In addition, the outstanding optical nonlinearity of BP has been demonstrated in various ways. Its functionality as a saturable absorber, in particular, has been validated in demonstrations of passive mode-locked lasers. However, normally, the performance of BP is degraded eventually by both thermal and chemical damage in ambient conditions. The passivation of BP is the critical issue to guarantee a stable performance of the optical devices. We quantitatively characterized the mode-locked lasers operated by BP saturable absorbers with diversified passivation materials such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or Al 2 O 3 , considering the atomic structure of the materials, and therefore the hydro-permeability of the passivation layers. Unlike the BP layers without passivation, we demonstrated that the Al 2 O 3 -passivated BP layer was protected from the surface oxidation reaction in the long-term, and the PDMS-passivated one had a short-term blocking effect. The quantitative analysis showed that the time-dependent characteristics of the pulsed laser without passivation were changed with respect to the pulse duration, spectral width, and time-bandwidth product displaying 550 fs, 2.8 nm, and 0.406, respectively. With passivation, the changes were limited to <43 fs, <0.3 nm, and <0.012, respectively.

  9. Effective passivation of silicon surfaces by ultrathin atomic-layer deposited niobium oxide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Macco, B.; Bivour, M.; Deijkers, J. H.; Basuvalingam, S. B.; Black, L. E.; Melskens, J.; van de Loo, B. W. H.; Berghuis, W. J. H.; Hermle, M.; Kessels, W. M. M. Erwin

    2018-06-01

    This letter reports on effective surface passivation of n-type crystalline silicon by ultrathin niobium oxide (Nb2O5) films prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and subjected to a forming gas anneal at 300 °C. A champion recombination parameter J0 of 20 fA/cm2 and a surface recombination velocity Seff of 4.8 cm/s have been achieved for ultrathin films of 1 nm. The surface pretreatment was found to have a strong impact on the passivation. Good passivation can be achieved on both HF-treated c-Si surfaces and c-Si surfaces with a wet-chemically grown interfacial silicon oxide layer. On HF-treated surfaces, a minimum film thickness of 3 nm is required to achieve a high level of surface passivation, whereas the use of a wet chemically-grown interfacial oxide enables excellent passivation even for Nb2O5 films of only 1 nm. This discrepancy in passivation between both surface types is attributed to differences in the formation and stoichiometry of interfacial silicon oxide, resulting in different levels of chemical passivation. On both surface types, the high level of passivation of ALD Nb2O5 is aided by field-effect passivation originating from a high fixed negative charge density of 1-2 × 1012 cm-3. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the passivation level provided by 1 nm of Nb2O5 can be further enhanced through light-soaking. Finally, initial explorations show that a low contact resistivity can be obtained using Nb2O5-based contacts. Together, these properties make ALD Nb2O5 a highly interesting building block for high-efficiency c-Si solar cells.

  10. Superacid Passivation of Crystalline Silicon Surfaces.

    PubMed

    Bullock, James; Kiriya, Daisuke; Grant, Nicholas; Azcatl, Angelica; Hettick, Mark; Kho, Teng; Phang, Pheng; Sio, Hang C; Yan, Di; Macdonald, Daniel; Quevedo-Lopez, Manuel A; Wallace, Robert M; Cuevas, Andres; Javey, Ali

    2016-09-14

    The reduction of parasitic recombination processes commonly occurring within the silicon crystal and at its surfaces is of primary importance in crystalline silicon devices, particularly in photovoltaics. Here we explore a simple, room temperature treatment, involving a nonaqueous solution of the superacid bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide, to temporarily deactivate recombination centers at the surface. We show that this treatment leads to a significant enhancement in optoelectronic properties of the silicon wafer, attaining a level of surface passivation in line with state-of-the-art dielectric passivation films. Finally, we demonstrate its advantage as a bulk lifetime and process cleanliness monitor, establishing its compatibility with large area photoluminescence imaging in the process.

  11. Inherently safe passive gas monitoring system

    DOEpatents

    Cordaro, Joseph V.; Bellamy, John Stephen; Shuler, James M.; Shull, Davis J.; Leduc, Daniel R.

    2016-09-06

    Generally, the present disclosure is directed to gas monitoring systems that use inductive power transfer to safely power an electrically passive device included within a nuclear material storage container. In particular, the electrically passive device can include an inductive power receiver for receiving inductive power transfer through a wall of the nuclear material storage container. The power received by the inductive power receiver can be used to power one or more sensors included in the device. Thus, the device is not required to include active power generation components such as, for example, a battery, that increase the risk of a spark igniting flammable gases within the container.

  12. On the design and role of passive stabilisation within the ST40 spherical tokamak

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buxton, P. F.; Asunta, O.; Gryaznevich, M. P.; Lockley, D.; McNamara, S.; Medvedev, S.; Ruiz de Villa Valdés, E.; Whitfield, G.; Wood, J. M.

    2018-06-01

    The position of passive stabilisation has been optimised for the low aspect ratio tokamak ST40. We find that passive stabilisation is most effective when conductors are placed near the plasma’s x-point, and the combined effect of having both inboard and outboard passive stabilisation significantly reduces the vertical instability growth rate. The growth rate can be further decreased by cooling the passive conductors down to 80 K. Two concepts for passive stabilisation are considered, passive plates and passive coils, and the relative advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. Both concepts involve connecting the upper and lower conductors in an ‘anti-symmetric’ manner, which prevents large currents from being induced.

  13. Passive and Active Control of Space Structures (PACOSS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morosow, G.; Harcrow, H.; Rogers, L.

    1985-04-01

    Passive and Active Control of Space Structures (PACOSS) is a five-year program designed to investigate highly damped structures in conjunction with active control systems, and in particular to develop technology that integrates passive damping and active control to achieve precise pointing control. Major areas of research include metal matrix composites; viscoelastic materials; damping devices; dynamic test article design, fabrication and testing; and active damping.

  14. Passive Thermal Management for a Fuel Cell Reforming Process

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-06-01

    American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 1 PASSIVE THERMAL MANAGEMENT FOR A FUEL CELL REFORMING PROCESS David B. Sarraf * and...REPORT DATE JUN 2006 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2006 to 00-00-2006 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Passive Thermal Management for a Fuel Cell

  15. Heterojunction solar cell with passivated emitter surface

    DOEpatents

    Olson, J.M.; Kurtz, S.R.

    1994-05-31

    A high-efficiency heterojunction solar cell is described wherein a thin emitter layer (preferably Ga[sub 0.52]In[sub 0.48]P) forms a heterojunction with a GaAs absorber layer. A passivating window layer of defined composition is disposed over the emitter layer. The conversion efficiency of the solar cell is at least 25.7%. The solar cell preferably includes a passivating layer between the substrate and the absorber layer. An anti-reflection coating is preferably disposed over the window layer. 1 fig.

  16. Passive Smoking Impairs Histone Deacetylase-2 in Children With Severe Asthma

    PubMed Central

    Kobayashi, Yoshiki; Bossley, Cara; Gupta, Atul; Akashi, Kenichi; Tsartsali, Lemonia; Mercado, Nicolas; Barnes, Peter J.; Bush, Andrew

    2014-01-01

    Background: Parental smoking is known to worsen asthma symptoms in children and to make them refractory to asthma treatment, but the molecular mechanism is unclear. Oxidative stress from tobacco smoke has been reported to impair histone deacetylase-2 (HDAC2) via phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt activation and, thus, to reduce corticosteroid sensitivity. The aim of this study was to investigate passive smoking-dependent molecular abnormalities in alveolar macrophages (AMs) by comparing passive smoke-exposed children and non-passive smoke-exposed children with uncontrolled severe asthma. Methods: BAL fluid (BALF) was obtained from 19 children with uncontrolled severe asthma (10 non-passive smoking-exposed subjects and nine passive smoking-exposed subjects), and HDAC2 expression/activity, Akt/HDAC2 phosphorylation levels, and corticosteroid responsiveness in AMs were evaluated. Results: Parental smoking reduced HDAC2 protein expression by 54% and activity by 47%, with concomitant enhancement of phosphorylation of Akt1 and HDAC2. In addition, phosphorylation levels of Akt1 correlated positively with HDAC2 phosphorylation levels and negatively with HDAC2 activity. Furthermore, passive smoke exposure reduced the inhibitory effects of dexamethasone on tumor necrosis factor-α-induced CXCL8 release in AMs. There were relatively higher neutrophil counts and CXCL8 concentrations in BALF and lower Asthma Control Test scores compared with non-passive smoke-exposed children with uncontrolled severe asthma. Conclusions: Passive smoking impairs HDAC2 function via PI3K signaling activation, which could contribute to corticosteroid-insensitive inflammation in children with severe asthma. This novel mechanism will be a treatment target in children with severe asthma and stresses the need for a smoke-free environment for asthmatic children. PMID:24030221

  17. Ein Blick ins Licht. Einblicke in die Natur des Lichts und des Sehens, in Farbe und Fotografie.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Falk, D. S.; Brill, D. R.; Stork, D. G.

    This book is a German translation, by A. Ehlers, of the American original "Seeing the light. Optics in nature, photography, color, vision, and holography", published in 1986. Contents: 1. Die Haupteigenschaften des Lichts. 2. Grundlagen der geometrischen Optik. 3. Spiegel und Linsen. 4. Kamera und Fotografie. 5. Das menschliche Auge und sein Sehvermögen. I: Wie das Bild erzeugt wird. 6. Optische Instrumente. 7. Das menschliche Auge und sein Sehvermögen. II: Bildverarbeitung. 8. Räumliches Sehen und Tiefenwahrnehmung. 9. Farbe. 10. Farbwahrnehmung. 11. Farbfotografie. 12. Wellenoptik. 13. Streuung und Polarisation. 14. Holografie. 15. Ein Blick in die moderne Physik.

  18. Passively Shunted Piezoelectric Damping of Centrifugally-Loaded Plates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duffy, Kirsten P.; Provenza, Andrew J.; Trudell, Jeffrey J.; Min, James B.

    2009-01-01

    Researchers at NASA Glenn Research Center have been investigating shunted piezoelectric circuits as potential damping treatments for turbomachinery rotor blades. This effort seeks to determine the effects of centrifugal loading on passively-shunted piezoelectric - damped plates. Passive shunt circuit parameters are optimized for the plate's third bending mode. Tests are performed both non-spinning and in the Dynamic Spin Facility to verify the analysis, and to determine the effectiveness of the damping under centrifugal loading. Results show that a resistive shunt circuit will reduce resonant vibration for this configuration. However, a tuned shunt circuit will be required to achieve the desired damping level. The analysis and testing address several issues with passive shunt circuit implementation in a rotating system, including piezoelectric material integrity under centrifugal loading, shunt circuit implementation, and tip mode damping.

  19. 48 CFR 552.211-92 - Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) using passive tags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Identification (RFID) using passive tags. 552.211-92 Section 552.211-92 Federal Acquisition Regulations System... Provisions and Clauses 552.211-92 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) using passive tags. As prescribed in 511.204(b)(11), insert the following clause: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Using Passive Tags...

  20. 48 CFR 552.211-92 - Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) using passive tags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Identification (RFID) using passive tags. 552.211-92 Section 552.211-92 Federal Acquisition Regulations System... Provisions and Clauses 552.211-92 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) using passive tags. As prescribed in 511.204(b)(11), insert the following clause: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Using Passive Tags...

  1. Synthesis of Optimal Constant-Gain Positive-Real Controllers for Passive Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mao, Y.; Kelkar, A. G.; Joshi, S. M.

    1999-01-01

    This paper presents synthesis methods for the design of constant-gain positive real controllers for passive systems. The results presented in this paper, in conjunction with the previous work by the authors on passification of non-passive systems, offer a useful synthesis tool for the design of passivity-based robust controllers for non-passive systems as well. Two synthesis approaches are given for minimizing an LQ-type performance index, resulting in optimal controller gains. Two separate algorithms, one for each of these approaches, are given. The synthesis techniques are demonstrated using two numerical examples: control of a flexible structure and longitudinal control of a fighter aircraft.

  2. Nickel Silicide Metallization for Passivated Tunneling Contacts for Silicon Solar Cells

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

    Marshall, Alexander; Florent, Karine; Tapriya, Astha

    Passivated tunneling contacts offer promise for applications in Interdigitated Back Passivated Contact (IBPC) high efficiency silicon solar cells. Metallization of these contacts remains a key research topic. This paper investigates NiSi/poly-Si/SiO2/c-Si passivated contacts using photoluminescence and contact resistivity measurements. An amorphous Si interlayer between the NiSi and poly-Si is observed to improve passivation, decreasing recombination. The overall recombination loss has a linear trend with the NiSi thickness. Implied Voc values close to 700 mV and contact resistivities below 10 mohm-cm2 have been achieved in NiSi/poly-Si:P/SiO2/c-Si contacts.

  3. Dispersion analysis of passive surface-wave noise generated during hydraulic-fracturing operations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Forghani-Arani, Farnoush; Willis, Mark; Snieder, Roel; Haines, Seth S.; Behura, Jyoti; Batzle, Mike; Davidson, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Surface-wave dispersion analysis is useful for estimating near-surface shear-wave velocity models, designing receiver arrays, and suppressing surface waves. Here, we analyze whether passive seismic noise generated during hydraulic-fracturing operations can be used to extract surface-wave dispersion characteristics. Applying seismic interferometry to noise measurements, we extract surface waves by cross-correlating several minutes of passive records; this approach is distinct from previous studies that used hours or days of passive records for cross-correlation. For comparison, we also perform dispersion analysis for an active-source array that has some receivers in common with the passive array. The active and passive data show good agreement in the dispersive character of the fundamental-mode surface-waves. For the higher mode surface waves, however, active and passive data resolve the dispersive properties at different frequency ranges. To demonstrate an application of dispersion analysis, we invert the observed surface-wave dispersion characteristics to determine the near-surface, one-dimensional shear-wave velocity.

  4. Sunspot Time Series: Passive and Active Intervals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zięba, S.; Nieckarz, Z.

    2014-07-01

    Solar activity slowly and irregularly decreases from the first spotless day (FSD) in the declining phase of the old sunspot cycle and systematically, but also in an irregular way, increases to the new cycle maximum after the last spotless day (LSD). The time interval between the first and the last spotless day can be called the passive interval (PI), while the time interval from the last spotless day to the first one after the new cycle maximum is the related active interval (AI). Minima of solar cycles are inside PIs, while maxima are inside AIs. In this article, we study the properties of passive and active intervals to determine the relation between them. We have found that some properties of PIs, and related AIs, differ significantly between two group of solar cycles; this has allowed us to classify Cycles 8 - 15 as passive cycles, and Cycles 17 - 23 as active ones. We conclude that the solar activity in the PI declining phase (a descending phase of the previous cycle) determines the strength of the approaching maximum in the case of active cycles, while the activity of the PI rising phase (a phase of the ongoing cycle early growth) determines the strength of passive cycles. This can have implications for solar dynamo models. Our approach indicates the important role of solar activity during the declining and the rising phases of the solar-cycle minimum.

  5. Effectiveness of passive alcohol sensors

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1996-03-01

    Author's abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of passive alcohol sensors for youth alcohol enforcement conducted as part of normal or typical police operations. Three municipal police departments of 100 or more sworn ...

  6. Stance Taking and Passive Voice in Turkish Academic Discourse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Emeksiz, Zeynep Erk

    2015-01-01

    This study aims at describing the functions of passive voice and how authors reflect their stance through those functions in Turkish academic discourse. Depending on the findings of a corpus based research, this study makes a counterpoint to functionalist views on the ground that passivization does not necessarily result in promoting agents in…

  7. The passive-aggressive organization.

    PubMed

    Kaplan, Robert S; Norton, David P

    2005-10-01

    Passive-aggressive organizations are friendly places to work: People are congenial, conflict is rare, and consensus is easy to reach. But, at the end of the day, even the best proposals fail to gain traction, and a company can go nowhere so imperturbably that it's easy to pretend everything is fine. Such companies are not necessarily saddled with mulishly passive-aggressive employees. Rather, they are filled with mostly well-intentioned people who are the victirms of flawed processes and policies. Commonly, a growing company's halfhearted or poorly thought-out attempts to decentralize give rise to multiple layers of managers, whose authority for making decisions becomes increasingly unclear. Some managers, as a result, hang back, while others won't own up to the calls they've made, inviting colleagues to second-guess or overturn the decisions. In such organizations, information does not circulate freely, and that makes it difficult for workers to understand the impact of their actions on company performance and for managers to correctly appraise employees' value to the organization. A failure to accurately match incentives to performance stifles initiative, and people do just enough to get by. Breaking free from this pattern is hard; a long history of seeing corporate initiatives ignored and then fade away tends to make people cynical. Often it's best to bring in an outsider to signal that this time things will be different. He or she will need to address every obstacle all at once: clarify decision rights; see to it that decisions stick; and reward people for sharing information and adding value, not for successfully negotiating corporate politics. If those steps are not taken, it's only a matter of time before the diseased elements of a passive-aggressive organization overwhelm the remaining healthy ones and drive the company into financial distress.

  8. Field intercomparison of ammonia passive samplers: results and lessons learned.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stephens, Amy; Leeson, Sarah; Jones, Matthew; van Dijk, Netty; Kentisbeer, John; Twigg, Marsailidh; Simmons, Ivan; Braban, Christine; Martin, Nick; Poskitt, Janet; Ferm, Martin; Seitler, Eva; Sacco, Paolo; Gates, Linda; Stolk, Ariën; Stoll, Jean-Marc; Tang, Sim

    2017-04-01

    Ammonia pollution contributes significantly to eutrophication and acidification of ecosystems with resultant losses of biodiversity and ecosystem changes. Monitoring of ambient ammonia over a wide spatial and long temporal scales is primarily done with low-cost diffusive samplers. Less frequently, surface flux measurements of ammonia can be made using passive samplers at plot scale. This paper will present a field intercomparison conducted within the MetNH3 project to assess the performance of passive samplers for ambient measurements of ammonia. Eight different designs of commercial passive samplers housed in shelters provided by the manufacturer/laboratory were exposed over an 8-week period at the Whim experimental field site in Scotland between August and October 2016. Whim Bog has a facility in place for controlled releases of ammonia (http://www.whimbog.ceh.ac.uk/). Automated conditional release from the line source occurs when the wind direction in the preceding minute is from the northeast (wind sector 180-215°) and wind speed is > 5 m s-1. The passive samplers were exposed at different distances from the release source (16, 32 and 60 m) and also at a background location. Most were exposed for 2 x 4-week long periods and some for 4 x 2-week long periods. At the 32 m position, an active denuder method, the CEH DELTA sampler and a continuous high temporal resolution wet chemistry ammonia instrument (AiRRmonia, Mechatronics, NL.) were also deployed alongside the passive samplers to provide reference measurements of ammonia. Results are presented within the context of the MetNH3 CATFAC controlled laboratory exposure assessments. The results are discussed in terms of typical deployments of passive samplers and quality control. Measurement for policy evidence for both local and regional studies using passive samplers are discussed.

  9. Passive bistatic radar analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Hagan, Daniel W.; Kuschel, H.; Schiller, Joachim

    2009-06-01

    Passive Bistatic Radar (PBR) research is at its zenith with several notable PBR systems currently operational, or available for deployment. Such PBRs include the Manastash Ridge Radar (MRR) developed for and by academia; Silent Sentry developed as a commercial concern by Lockheed Martin; and Homeland Alerter (HA100) also a commercial system developed by Thales. However at present, despite the existence of numerous PBR prototypes, take up of commercial passive radar technology remains slow. This is due in part to technology immaturity, in part to politics, and particularly due to the fact that monostatic radars perform so well. If PBRs are to enjoy longevity as a viable technology then it is imperative that they address certain niche application areas, with the aforementioned MRR being one prime example of this. The focus of this paper will be an analysis of a PBR system that utilised FM radio signals of opportunity to detect aircraft targets with an RCS generally not lower than 20 m2. The paper will demonstrate the theoretical detection coverage of an FM based PBR operating in a severe interference environment.

  10. Understanding the rates of nonpolar organic chemical accumulation into passive samplers deployed in the environment: Guidance for passive sampler deployments.

    PubMed

    Apell, Jennifer N; Tcaciuc, A Patricia; Gschwend, Philip M

    2016-07-01

    Polymeric passive samplers have become a common method for estimating freely dissolved concentrations in environmental media. However, this approach has not yet been adopted by investigators conducting remedial investigations of contaminated environmental sites. Successful adoption of this sampling methodology relies on an understanding of how passive samplers accumulate chemical mass as well as developing guidance for the design and deployment of passive samplers. Herein, we outline the development of a simple mathematical relationship of the environmental, polymer, and chemical properties that control the uptake rate. This relationship, called a timescale, is then used to illustrate how each property controls the rate of equilibration in samplers deployed in the water or in the sediment. Guidance is also given on how to use the timescales to select an appropriate polymer, deployment time, and suite of performance reference compounds. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:486-492. © 2015 SETAC. © 2015 SETAC.

  11. Emerging Needs for Pervasive Passive Wireless Sensor Networks on Aerospace Vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, William C.; Juarez, Peter D.

    2014-01-01

    NASA is investigating passive wireless sensor technology to reduce instrumentation mass and volume in ground testing, air flight, and space exploration applications. Vehicle health monitoring systems (VHMS) are desired on all aerospace programs to ensure the safety of the crew and the vehicles. Pervasive passive wireless sensor networks facilitate VHMS on aerospace vehicles. Future wireless sensor networks on board aerospace vehicles will be heterogeneous and will require active and passive network systems. Since much has been published on active wireless sensor networks, this work will focus on the need for passive wireless sensor networks on aerospace vehicles. Several passive wireless technologies such as microelectromechanical systems MEMS, SAW, backscatter, and chipless RFID techniques, have all shown potential to meet the pervasive sensing needs for aerospace VHMS applications. A SAW VHMS application will be presented. In addition, application areas including ground testing, hypersonic aircraft and spacecraft will be explored along with some of the harsh environments found in aerospace applications.

  12. Elastography Study of Hamstring Behaviors during Passive Stretching

    PubMed Central

    Le Sant, Guillaume; Ates, Filiz; Brasseur, Jean-Louis; Nordez, Antoine

    2015-01-01

    Introduction The mechanical properties of hamstring muscles are usually inferred from global passive torque/angle relationships, in combination with adjoining tissues crossing the joint investigated. Shear modulus measurement provides an estimate of changes in muscle-tendon stiffness and passive tension. This study aimed to assess the passive individual behavior of each hamstring muscle in different stretching positions using shear wave elastography. Methods/Results The muscle shear modulus of each hamstring muscle was measured during a standardized slow passive knee extension (PKE, 80% of maximal range of motion) on eighteen healthy male volunteers. Firstly, we assessed the reliability of the measurements. Results were good for semitendinosus (ST, CV: 8.9%-13.4%), semimembranosus (SM, CV: 10.3%-11.2%) and biceps femoris long-head (BF-lh, CV: 8.6%-13.3%), but not for biceps femoris short-head (BF-sh, CV: 20.3%-44.9%). Secondly, we investigated each reliable muscle in three stretch positions: 70°, 90° and 110° of hip flexion. The results showed different values of shear modulus for the same amount of perceived stretch, with the highest measurements in the high-flexed hip situation. Moreover, individual muscles displayed different values, with values increasing or BF-lh, SM and ST, respectively. The inter-subject variability was 35.3% for ST, 27.4% for SM and 30.2% for BF-lh. Conclusion This study showed that the hip needs to be high-flexed to efficiently tension the hamstrings, and reports a higher muscle-tendon stress tolerance at 110° of hip angle. In addition muscles have different passive behaviors, and future works will clarify if it can be linked with rate of injury. PMID:26418862

  13. South Philadelphia passive sampler and sensor study.

    PubMed

    Thoma, Eben D; Brantley, Halley L; Oliver, Karen D; Whitaker, Donald A; Mukerjee, Shaibal; Mitchell, Bill; Wu, Tai; Squier, Bill; Escobar, Elsy; Cousett, Tamira A; Gross-Davis, Carol Ann; Schmidt, Howard; Sosna, Dennis; Weiss, Hallie

    2016-10-01

    From June 2013 to March 2015, in total 41 passive sampler deployments of 2 wk duration each were conducted at 17 sites in South Philadelphia, PA, with results for benzene discussed here. Complementary time-resolved measurements with lower cost prototype fenceline sensors and an open-path ultraviolet differential optical absorption spectrometer were also conducted. Minimum passive sampler benzene concentrations for each sampling period ranged from 0.08 ppbv to 0.65 ppbv, with a mean of 0.25 ppbv, and were negatively correlated with ambient temperature (-0.01 ppbv/°C, R(2) = 0.68). Co-deployed duplicate passive sampler pairs (N = 609) demonstrated good precision with an average and maximum percent difference of 1.5% and 34%, respectively. A group of passive samplers located within 50 m of a refinery fenceline had a study mean benzene concentration of 1.22 ppbv, whereas a group of samplers located in communities >1 km distant from facilities had a mean of 0.29 ppbv. The difference in the means of these groups was statistically significant at the 95% confidence level (p < 0.001). A decreasing gradient in benzene concentrations moving away from the facilities was observed, as was a significant period-to-period variation. The highest recorded 2-wk average benzene concentration for the fenceline group was 3.11 ppbv. During this period, time-resolved data from the prototype sensors and the open-path spectrometer detected a benzene signal from the west on one day in particular, with the highest 5-min path-averaged benzene concentration measured at 24 ppbv. Using a variation of EPA's passive sampler refinery fenceline monitoring method, coupled with time-resolved measurements, a multiyear study in South Philadelphia informed benzene concentrations near facilities and in communities. The combination of measurement strategies can assist facilities in identification and mitigation of emissions from fugitive sources and improve information on air quality complex air sheds.

  14. Front surface passivation of silicon solar cells with antireflection coating

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crotty, G.; Daud, T.; Kachare, R.

    1987-01-01

    It is demonstrated that the deposition and postdeposition sintering of an antireflection (AR) coating in hydrogen acts to passivate silicon solar cells. Cells with and without an SiO2 passivating layer, coated with a TiO(x)/Al2O3 AR coating, showed comparable enhancements in short-wavelength spectral response and in open-circuit voltage Voc after sintering at 400 C for 5 min in a hydrogen ambient. The improvement in Voc of cells without SiO2 is attributed to front-surface passivation by the AR coating during processing.

  15. Passive cooling safety system for liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors

    DOEpatents

    Hunsbedt, Anstein; Boardman, Charles E.; Hui, Marvin M.; Berglund, Robert C.

    1991-01-01

    A liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor having a passive cooling system for removing residual heat resulting from fuel decay during reactor shutdown. The passive cooling system comprises a plurality of partitions surrounding the reactor vessel in spaced apart relation forming intermediate areas for circulating heat transferring fluid which remove and carry away heat from the reactor vessel. The passive cooling system includes a closed primary fluid circuit through the partitions surrounding the reactor vessel and a partially adjoining secondary open fluid circuit for carrying transferred heat out into the atmosphere.

  16. Indirect passive cooling system for liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors

    DOEpatents

    Hunsbedt, Anstein; Boardman, Charles E.

    1990-01-01

    A liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor having a passive cooling system for removing residual heat resulting from fuel decay during reactor shutdown. The passive cooling system comprises a plurality of partitions surrounding the reactor vessel in spaced apart relation forming intermediate areas for circulating heat transferring fluid which remove and carry away heat from the reactor vessel. The passive cooling system includes a closed primary fluid circuit through the partitions surrounding the reactor vessel and a partially adjoining secondary open fluid circuit for carrying transferred heat out into the atmosphere.

  17. Passive Impact Damage Detection of Fiber Glass Composite Panels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-12-19

    PASSIVE IMPACT DAMAGE DETECTION OF FIBER GLASS COMPOSITE PANELS. By BRUNO ZAMORANO-SENDEROS A dissertation...COVERED 04-11-2012 to 10-12-2013 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE PASSIVE IMPACT DAMAGE DETECTION OF FIBER GLASS COMPOSITE PANELS 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b...process. .................................... 31 Figure 3-8 Sensor attached to the fiber glass fabric

  18. Passive Standoff Detection of Chemical Warfare Agents on Surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thériault, Jean-Marc; Puckrin, Eldon; Hancock, Jim; Lecavalier, Pierre; Lepage, Carmela Jackson; Jensen, James O.

    2004-11-01

    Results are presented on the passive standoff detection and identification of chemical warfare (CW) liquid agents on surfaces by the Fourier-transform IR radiometry. This study was performed during surface contamination trials at Defence Research and Development Canada-Suffield in September 2002. The goal was to verify that passive long-wave IR spectrometric sensors can potentially remotely detect surfaces contaminated with CW agents. The passive sensor, the Compact Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer, was used in the trial to obtain laboratory and field measurements of CW liquid agents, HD and VX. The agents were applied to high-reflectivity surfaces of aluminum, low-reflectivity surfaces of Mylar, and several other materials including an armored personnel carrier. The field measurements were obtained at a standoff distance of 60 m from the target surfaces. Results indicate that liquid contaminant agents deposited on high-reflectivity surfaces can be detected, identified, and possibly quantified with passive sensors. For low-reflectivity surfaces the presence of the contaminants can usually be detected; however, their identification based on simple correlations with the absorption spectrum of the pure contaminant is not possible.

  19. [Passive smoking--health consequences and effects of exposure prevention].

    PubMed

    Raupach, T; Radon, K; Nowak, D; Andreas, S

    2008-01-01

    Passive smoking is the third leading but preventable cause of death worldwide. It is associated with an elevated risk of developing acute respiratory diseases, obstructive lung disorders, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Whereas the dose-response relationship between second-hand smoke exposure and respiratory diseases is likely to be linear, a non-linear dose-response curve has been observed with respect to acute cardiovascular events. This explains the disproportionately high risk of myocardial infarction among passive smokers as compared to unexposed individuals. Over the last ten years, exposure to second-hand smoke has declined in Germany, but it is still substantial. With passive smoking in the home being a difficult target for preventive measures, public smoking bans have recently been shown to greatly reduce second-hand smoke-related morbidity and mortality. In addition, such measures are usually well tolerated and highly relevant regarding legal aspects related to workplace issues. This article summarises the current evidence on the health consequences of passive smoking and on the favourable effects of public smoking bans.

  20. Determining Passive Sampler Partition Coefficients for Dissolved-phase Organic Contaminants

    EPA Science Inventory

    Passive samplers are used for environmental and analytical purposes to measure dissolved nonionic organic contaminants (NOCs) by absorption from a contaminated medium into a clean phase, usually in the form of a synthetic organic film. Recently developed passive sampler techniqu...

  1. Remarques sur le Passif (suite) (Remarks on the Passive, Continued)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pinchon, Jacqueline

    1977-01-01

    The continuation of articles on the passive voice appearing in the "Grammaire vivante" section of the periodical. The production of the passive sentence is considered under two headings: the simple verb and the complex verbal group. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

  2. The effects of passive stretching plus vibration on strength and activation of the plantar flexors.

    PubMed

    Miller, Jonathan D; Herda, Trent J; Trevino, Michael A; Mosier, Eric M

    2016-09-01

    This study examined the effects of passive stretching only (PS+CON) and passive stretching with the addition of continuous vibration (VIB) during post-passive stretching tests (PS+VIB) on peak torque (PT), percent voluntary inactivation (%VI), single stimulus twitch torque (TTSINGLE), and doublet stimuli twitch torque (TTDOUBLET) of the plantar flexors at a short (20° plantar flexion (PF)) and long muscle length (15° dorsiflexion (DF)). Fourteen healthy men (age = 22 ± 3 years) performed isometric maximal voluntary contractions at PF and DF, and passive range of motion (PROM) assessments before and after 8 × 30-s passive stretches without (PS+CON) or with VIB (PS+VIB) administered continuously throughout post-passive stretching tests. The passive properties of the muscle tendon unit were assessed pre- and post-passive stretching via PROM, passive torque (PASSTQ), and musculotendinous stiffness (MTS) measurements. PT, TTSINGLE, and TTDOUBLET decreased, whereas, %VI increased following passive stretching at PF and DF (P < 0.05) with no significant differences between PS+CON and PS+VIB. PASSTQ and MTS decreased while PROM increased post-passive stretching during both trials (P < 0.05). The stretching-induced force/torque deficit and increases in %VI were evident following passive stretching at short and long muscle lengths. Although not statistically significant, effect size calculations suggested large and moderate differences in the absolute changes in PT (Cohen's d = 1.14) and %VI (Cohen's d = 0.54) from pre- to post-passive stretching between treatments, with PS+VIB having greater decreases of PT and higher %VI than PS+CON. The decrement in PT following passive stretching may be primarily neural in origin.

  3. Passive lumbar tissue loading during trunk bending at three speeds: An in vivo study.

    PubMed

    Ning, Xiaopeng; Nussbaum, Maury A

    2015-08-01

    Low back disorders are closely related with the magnitude of mechanical loading on human spine. However, spinal loading contributed by the lumbar passive tissues is still not well understood. In this study, the effect of motion speed on lumbar passive moment output was investigated. In addition, the increase of lumbar passive moment during trunk bending was modeled. Twelve volunteers performed trunk-bending motions at three different speeds. Trunk kinematics and muscle activities were collected and used to estimate instantaneous spinal loading and the corresponding lumbar passive moment. The lumbar passive moments at different ranges of trunk motion were compared at different speed levels and the relationship between lumbar passive moment lumbar flexion was modeled. A non-linear, two-stage pattern of increase in lumbar passive moment was evident during trunk flexion. However, the effect of motion speed was not significant on lumbar passive moments or any of the model parameters. As reported previously, distinct lumbar ligaments may begin to generate tension at differing extents of trunk flexion, and this could be the cause of the observed two-stage increasing pattern of lumbar passive moment. The current results also suggest that changes in tissue strain rate may not have a significant impact on the total passive moment output at the relatively slow trunk motions examined here. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Changes in Passive Tension of the Hamstring Muscles During a Simulated Soccer Match.

    PubMed

    Marshall, Paul W; Lovell, Ric; Siegler, Jason C

    2016-07-01

    Passive muscle tension is increased after damaging eccentric exercise. Hamstring-strain injury is associated with damaging eccentric muscle actions, but no research has examined changes in hamstring passive muscle tension throughout a simulated sport activity. The authors measured hamstring passive tension throughout a 90-min simulated soccer match (SAFT90), including the warm-up period and every 15 min throughout the 90-min simulation. Passive hamstring tension of 15 amateur male soccer players was measured using the instrumented straight-leg-raise test. Absolute torque (Nm) and slope (Nm/°) of the recorded torque-angular position curve were used for data analysis, in addition to total leg range of motion (ROM). Players performed a 15-min prematch warm-up, then performed the SAFT90 including a 15-min halftime rest period. Reductions in passive stiffness of 20-50° of passive hip flexion of 22.1-29.2% (P < .05) were observed after the warm-up period. During the SAFT90, passive tension increased in the latter 20% of the range of motion of 10.1-10.9% (P < .05) concomitant to a 4.5% increase in total hamstring ROM (P = .0009). The findings of this study imply that hamstring passive tension is reduced after an active warm-up that includes dynamic stretching but does not increase in a pattern suggestive of eccentric induced muscle damage during soccer-specific intermittent exercise. Hamstring ROM and passive tension increases are best explained by improved stretch tolerance.

  5. Field application of passive SBSE for the monitoring of pesticides in surface waters.

    PubMed

    Assoumani, A; Coquery, M; Liger, L; Mazzella, N; Margoum, C

    2015-03-01

    Spot sampling lacks representativeness for monitoring organic contaminants in most surface waters. Passive sampling has emerged as a cost-effective complementary sampling technique. We recently developed passive stir bar sorptive extraction (passive SBSE), with Twister from Gerstel, for monitoring moderately hydrophilic to hydrophobic pesticides (2.18 < log K ow < 5.11) in surface water. The aims of the present study were to assess this new passive sampler for the determination of representative average concentrations and to evaluate the contamination levels of two French rivers. Passive SBSE was evaluated for the monitoring of 16 pesticides in two rivers located in a small vineyard watershed during two 1-month field campaigns in spring 2010 and spring 2011. Passive SBSE was applied for periods of 1 or 2 weeks during the field campaigns and compared with spot sampling and weekly average automated sampling. The results showed that passive SBSE could achieve better time-representativeness than spot sampling and lower limits of quantification than automated sampling coupled with analytical SBSE for the pesticides studied. Finally, passive SBSE proved useful for revealing spatial and temporal variations in pesticide contamination of both rivers and the impact of rainfall and runoff on the river water quality.

  6. Regulation of adult cardiocyte growth: effects of active and passive mechanical loading

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Decker, M. L.; Janes, D. M.; Barclay, M. M.; Harger, L.; Decker, R. S.

    1997-01-01

    Fluctuations in hemodynamic load have been documented to modulate contractile protein turnover and myofibrillar structure in the heart; however, the relative importance of active and passive loading in regulating adult cardiocyte growth remains unresolved. To address this issue at the cellular level, adult feline cardiocytes were cultured either on Silastic membranes or plastic surfaces. Cardiocyte-laden membranes were stretched 10% of their rest length to enhance passive loading, whereas heart cells cultured on plastic or Silastic were field stimulated at 1 Hz to mimic active loading. Turnover of contractile proteins and structural integrity of the contractile-cytoskeletal apparatus were monitored for periods ranging from 4 to 72 h. Active and passive loading elevated contractile protein synthesis nearly equally (approximately 50%) and promoted the attachment of remodeled myofibrils to vinculin-positive focal contacts and/or costameres during the first 24 h of loading. Thereafter, rates of contractile protein synthesis returned to control values in passively stretched heart cells but remained elevated in field-stimulated cultures. The fractional rate of growth was increased significantly (approximately 8%/day) in electrically paced cells, whereas in passively stretched cardiocytes the growth rate rose only modestly (approximately 2%/day). Changes in the rate of myocyte growth appeared more closely correlated with the development of focal contacts and myofibril remodeling than with changes in myofibrillar protein turnover per se. 2,3-Butanedione monoxime, nifedipine, and, to a lesser extent, ryanodine blocked field-stimulated contractile protein synthesis and myofibrillar remodeling but had no impact on protein turnover or myofibril reassembly in passively loaded cardiocytes. The results of these experiments imply that both active and passive loading stimulate contractile protein turnover and myofibril remodeling, but the generation of active tension accelerates

  7. Regulation of adult cardiocyte growth: effects of active and passive mechanical loading.

    PubMed

    Decker, M L; Janes, D M; Barclay, M M; Harger, L; Decker, R S

    1997-06-01

    Fluctuations in hemodynamic load have been documented to modulate contractile protein turnover and myofibrillar structure in the heart; however, the relative importance of active and passive loading in regulating adult cardiocyte growth remains unresolved. To address this issue at the cellular level, adult feline cardiocytes were cultured either on Silastic membranes or plastic surfaces. Cardiocyte-laden membranes were stretched 10% of their rest length to enhance passive loading, whereas heart cells cultured on plastic or Silastic were field stimulated at 1 Hz to mimic active loading. Turnover of contractile proteins and structural integrity of the contractile-cytoskeletal apparatus were monitored for periods ranging from 4 to 72 h. Active and passive loading elevated contractile protein synthesis nearly equally (approximately 50%) and promoted the attachment of remodeled myofibrils to vinculin-positive focal contacts and/or costameres during the first 24 h of loading. Thereafter, rates of contractile protein synthesis returned to control values in passively stretched heart cells but remained elevated in field-stimulated cultures. The fractional rate of growth was increased significantly (approximately 8%/day) in electrically paced cells, whereas in passively stretched cardiocytes the growth rate rose only modestly (approximately 2%/day). Changes in the rate of myocyte growth appeared more closely correlated with the development of focal contacts and myofibril remodeling than with changes in myofibrillar protein turnover per se. 2,3-Butanedione monoxime, nifedipine, and, to a lesser extent, ryanodine blocked field-stimulated contractile protein synthesis and myofibrillar remodeling but had no impact on protein turnover or myofibril reassembly in passively loaded cardiocytes. The results of these experiments imply that both active and passive loading stimulate contractile protein turnover and myofibril remodeling, but the generation of active tension accelerates

  8. Silicon surface passivation by polystyrenesulfonate thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Jianhui; Shen, Yanjiao; Guo, Jianxin; Chen, Bingbing; Fan, Jiandong; Li, Feng; Liu, Haixu; Xu, Ying; Mai, Yaohua

    2017-02-01

    The use of polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) thin films in a high-quality passivation scheme involving the suppression of minority carrier recombination at the silicon surface is presented. PSS has been used as a dispersant for aqueous poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene. In this work, PSS is coated as a form of thin film on a Si surface. A millisecond level minority carrier lifetime on a high resistivity Si wafer is obtained. The film thickness, oxygen content, and relative humidity are found to be important factors affecting the passivation quality. While applied to low resistivity silicon wafers, which are widely used for photovoltaic cell fabrication, this scheme yields relatively shorter lifetime, for example, 2.40 ms on n-type and 2.05 ms on p-type wafers with a resistivity of 1-5 Ω.cm. However, these lifetimes are still high enough to obtain high implied open circuit voltages (Voc) of 708 mV and 697 mV for n-type and p-type wafers, respectively. The formation of oxides at the PSS/Si interface is suggested to be responsible for the passivation mechanism.

  9. Columbia County Habitat for Humanity Passive Townhomes

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

    Dentz, Jordan; Alaigh, Kunal; Dadia, Devanshi

    2016-03-18

    Columbia County (New York) Habitat for Humanity built a pair of townhomes to Passive House criteria with the purpose of exploring approaches for achieving Passive House performance and to eventually develop a prototype design for future projects. The project utilized a 2x6 frame wall with a structural insulated panel curtain wall and a ventilated attic over a sealed OSB ceiling air barrier. Mechanical systems include a single head, wall mounted ductless mini-split heat pump in each unit and a heat recovery ventilator. Costs were $26,000 per unit higher for Passive House construction compared with the same home built to ENERGYmore » STAR version 3 specifications, representing about 18% of total construction cost. This report discusses the cost components, energy modeling results and lessons from construction. Two alternative ventilation systems are analyzed: a central system; and, a point-source system with small through-wall units distributed throughout the house. The report includes a design and cost analysis of these two approaches.« less

  10. Liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors with passive cooling system

    DOEpatents

    Hunsbedt, Anstein; Fanning, Alan W.

    1991-01-01

    A liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor having a passive cooling system for removing residual heat resulting from fuel decay during reactor shutdown. The passive cooling system comprises a plurality of cooling medium flow circuits which cooperate to remove and carry heat away from the fuel core upon loss of the normal cooling flow circuit to areas external thereto.

  11. Re-Active Passive devices for control of noise transmission through a panel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carneal, James P.; Giovanardi, Marco; Fuller, Chris R.; Palumbo, Dan

    2008-01-01

    Re-Active Passive devices have been developed to control low-frequency (<1000 Hz) noise transmission through a panel. These devices use a combination of active, re-active, and passive technologies packaged into a single unit to control a broad frequency range utilizing the strength of each technology over its best suited frequency range. The Re-Active Passive device uses passive constrained layer damping to cover relatively high-frequency range (>150 Hz), reactive distributed vibration absorber to cover the medium-frequency range (50-200 Hz), and active control for controlling low frequencies (<150 Hz). The actuator was applied to control noise transmission through a panel mounted in the Transmission Loss Test Facility at Virginia Tech. Experimental results are presented for the bare panel, and combinations of passive treatment, reactive treatment, and active control. Results indicate that three Re-Active Passive devices were able to increase the overall broadband (15-1000 Hz) transmission loss by 9.4 dB. These three devices added a total of 285 g to the panel mass of 6.0 kg, or approximately 5%, not including control electronics.

  12. Passive cooling system for top entry liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors

    DOEpatents

    Boardman, Charles E.; Hunsbedt, Anstein; Hui, Marvin M.

    1992-01-01

    A liquid metal cooled nuclear fission reactor plant having a top entry loop joined satellite assembly with a passive auxiliary safety cooling system for removing residual heat resulting from fuel decay during shutdown, or heat produced during a mishap. This satellite type reactor plant is enhanced by a backup or secondary passive safety cooling system which augments the primary passive auxiliary cooling system when in operation, and replaces the primary cooling system when rendered inoperative.

  13. RADON MITIGATION EFFECTS OF PASSIVE STACKS IN RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION

    EPA Science Inventory

    The paper discusses the effects of passive stacks in mitigating radon levels in residential new construction. Although passive stacks have been installed as a radon resistant measure in new houses, little quantitative data on their performance has been collected. This study invol...

  14. a Thermally Desorbable Miniature Passive Dosimeter for Organic Vapors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gonzalez, Jesus Antonio

    A thermally desorbable miniature passive dosimeter (MPD) for organic vapors has been developed in conformity with theoretical and practical aspects of passive dosimeter design. The device was optimized for low sample loadings resulting from short-term and/or low concentration level exposure. This was accomplished by the use of thermal desorption rather than solvent elution, which provided the GC method with significantly higher sensitivity. Laboratory evaluation of this device for factors critical to the performance of passive dosimeters using benzene as the test vapor included: desorption efficiency (97.2%), capacity (1400 ppm-min), sensitivity (7ng/sample or 0.06 ppmv for 15 minutes sampling) accuracy and precision, concentration level, environmental conditions (i.e., air face velocity, relative humidity) and sample stability during short (15 minutes) and long periods of time (15 days). This device has demonstrated that its overall accuracy meets NIOSH and OSHA requirements for a sampling and analytical method for the exposure concentration range of 0.1 to 50 ppm (v/v) and 15 minutes exposures. It was demonstrated that the MPD operates in accordance with theoretically predicted performance and should be adequate for short-term and/or low concentration exposure monitoring of organic vapors in the workplace. In addition a dynamic vapor exposure evaluation system for passive dosimeters have been validated using benzene as the test vapor. The system is capable of generating well defined short-square wave concentration profiles suitable for the evaluation of passive dosimeters for ceiling exposure monitoring.

  15. Passive cannabis smoke exposure and oral fluid testing.

    PubMed

    Niedbala, Sam; Kardos, Keith; Salamone, Sal; Fritch, Dean; Bronsgeest, Matth; Cone, Edward J

    2004-10-01

    Oral fluid testing for Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) provides a convenient means of detection of recent cannabis usage. In this study, the risk of positive oral fluid tests from passive cannabis smoke exposure was investigated by housing four cannabis-free volunteers in a small, unventilated, and sealed room with an approximate volume of 36 m(3). Five active cannabis smokers were also present in the room, and each smoked a single cannabis cigarette (1.75% THC). Cannabis smoking occurred over the first 20 min of the study session. All subjects remained in the room for approximately 4 h. Oral fluid specimens were collected with the Intercept DOA Oral Specimen Collection Device. Three urine specimens were collected (0, 20, and 245 min). In addition, three air samples were collected for measurement of THC content. All oral fluid specimens were screened by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for cannabinoids (cutoff concentration = 3 ng/mL) and tested by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) for THC (LOQ/LOD = 0.75 ng/mL). All urine specimens were screened by EIA for cannabinoids (cutoff concentration = 50 ng/mL) and tested by GC-MS-MS for THCCOOH (LOQ/LOD = 1 ng/mL). Air samples were measured for THC by GC-MS (LOD = 1 ng/L). A total of eight oral fluid specimens (collected 20 to 50 min following initiation of smoking) from the four passive subjects screened and confirmed positive for THC at concentrations ranging from 3.6 to 26.4 ng/mL. Two additional specimens from one passive subject, collected at 50 and 65 min, screened negative but contained THC in concentrations of 4.2 and 1.1 ng/mL, respectively. All subsequent specimens for passive participants tested negative by EIA and GC-MS-MS for the remainder of the 4-h session. In contrast, oral fluid specimens collected from the five cannabis smokers generally screened and confirmed positive for THC throughout the session at concentrations substantially higher than observed for passive subjects. Urine

  16. Optimization of Integrative Passive Sampling Approaches for Use in the Epibenthic Environment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-23

    Passive sampler, POCIS, Integrative, Sediment , Benthic 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 19a...Unexploded ordnance, Passive sampler, POCIS, Integrative, Sediment , Benthic v Acknowledgements Dr. Shane Morrison and Ms. Ingrid...flow and turbulence near the sampler. In complex environments at the sediment – water interface, this may limit the utility of passive sampling

  17. Quantitative passive soil vapor sampling for VOCs--Part 4: Flow-through cell.

    PubMed

    McAlary, Todd; Groenevelt, Hester; Seethapathy, Suresh; Sacco, Paolo; Crump, Derrick; Tuday, Michael; Schumacher, Brian; Hayes, Heidi; Johnson, Paul; Parker, Louise; Górecki, Tadeusz

    2014-05-01

    This paper presents a controlled experiment comparing several quantitative passive samplers for monitoring concentrations of volatile organic compound (VOC) vapors in soil gas using a flow-through cell. This application is simpler than conventional active sampling using adsorptive tubes because the flow rate does not need to be precisely measured and controlled, which is advantageous because the permeability of subsurface materials affects the flow rate and the permeability of geologic materials is highly variable. Using passive samplers in a flow-through cell, the flow rate may not need to be known exactly, as long as it is sufficient to purge the cell in a reasonable time and minimize any negative bias attributable to the starvation effect. An experiment was performed in a 500 mL flow-through cell using a two-factor, one-half fraction fractional factorial test design with flow rates of 80, 670 and 930 mL min(-1) and sample durations of 10, 15 and 20 minutes for each of five different passive samplers (passive Automatic Thermal Desorption Tube, Radiello®, SKC Ultra, Waterloo Membrane Sampler™ and 3M™ OVM 3500). A Summa canister was collected coincident with each passive sampler and analyzed by EPA Method TO-15 to provide a baseline for comparison of the passive sampler concentrations. The passive sampler concentrations were within a factor of 2 of the Summa canister concentrations in 32 of 35 cases. Passive samples collected at the low flow rate and short duration showed low concentrations, which is likely attributable to insufficient purging of the cell after sampler placement.

  18. Thermal-hydraulic modeling needs for passive reactors

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

    Kelly, J.M.

    1997-07-01

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received an application for design certification from the Westinghouse Electric Corporation for an Advanced Light Water Reactor design known as the AP600. As part of the design certification process, the USNRC uses its thermal-hydraulic system analysis codes to independently audit the vendor calculations. The focus of this effort has been the small break LOCA transients that rely upon the passive safety features of the design to depressurize the primary system sufficiently so that gravity driven injection can provide a stable source for long term cooling. Of course, large break LOCAs have also been considered,more » but as the involved phenomena do not appear to be appreciably different from those of current plants, they were not discussed in this paper. Although the SBLOCA scenario does not appear to threaten core coolability - indeed, heatup is not even expected to occur - there have been concerns as to the performance of the passive safety systems. For example, the passive systems drive flows with small heads, consequently requiring more precision in the analysis compared to active systems methods for passive plants as compared to current plants with active systems. For the analysis of SBLOCAs and operating transients, the USNRC uses the RELAP5 thermal-hydraulic system analysis code. To assure the applicability of RELAP5 to the analysis of these transients for the AP600 design, a four year long program of code development and assessment has been undertaken.« less

  19. Passive stiffness of rat skeletal muscle undernourished during fetal development

    PubMed Central

    Toscano, Ana Elisa; Ferraz, Karla Mônica; de Castro, Raul Manhães; Canon, Francis

    2010-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of fetal undernutrition on the passive mechanical properties of skeletal muscle of weaned and young adult rats. INTRODUCTION: A poor nutrition supply during fetal development affects physiological functions of the fetus. From a mechanical point of view, skeletal muscle can be also characterized by its resistance to passive stretch. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups according to their mother's diet during pregnancy: a control group (mothers fed a 17% protein diet) and an isocaloric low‐protein group (mothers fed a 7.8% protein diet). At birth, all mothers received a standardized meal ad libitum. At the age of 25 and 90 days, the soleus muscle and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were removed in order to test the passive mechanical properties. A first mechanical test consisted of an incremental stepwise extension test using fast velocity stretching (500 mm/s) enabling us to measure, for each extension stepwise, the dynamic stress (σd) and the steady stress (σs). A second test consisted of a slow velocity stretch in order to calculate normalized stiffness and tangent modulus from the stress–strain relationship. RESULTS: The results for the mechanical properties showed an important increase in passive stiffness in both the soleus and EDL muscles in weaned rat. In contrast, no modification was observed in young adult rats. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in passive stiffness in skeletal muscle of weaned rat submitted to intrauterine undernutrition it is most likely due to changes in muscle passive stiffness. PMID:21340228

  20. The effect of postoperative passive motion on rotator cuff healing in a rat model.

    PubMed

    Peltz, Cathryn D; Dourte, Leann M; Kuntz, Andrew F; Sarver, Joseph J; Kim, Soung-Yon; Williams, Gerald R; Soslowsky, Louis J

    2009-10-01

    Surgical repairs of torn rotator cuff tendons frequently fail. Immobilization has been shown to improve tissue mechanical properties in an animal model of rotator cuff repair, and passive motion has been shown to improve joint mechanics in animal models of flexor tendon repair. Our objective was to determine if daily passive motion would improve joint mechanics in comparison with continuous immobilization in a rat rotator cuff repair model. We hypothesized that daily passive motion would result in improved passive shoulder joint mechanics in comparison with continuous immobilization initially and that there would be no differences in passive joint mechanics or insertion site mechanical properties after four weeks of remobilization. A supraspinatus injury was created and was surgically repaired in sixty-five Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were separated into three postoperative groups (continuous immobilization, passive motion protocol 1, and passive motion protocol 2) for two weeks before all underwent a remobilization protocol for four weeks. Serial measurements of passive shoulder mechanics (internal and external range of motion and joint stiffness) were made before surgery and at two and six weeks after surgery. After the animals were killed, collagen organization and mechanical properties of the tendon-to-bone insertion site were determined. Total range of motion for both passive motion groups (49% and 45% of the pre-injury values) was less than that for the continuous immobilization group (59% of the pre-injury value) at two weeks and remained significantly less following four weeks of remobilization exercise. Joint stiffness at two weeks was increased for both passive motion groups in comparison with the continuous immobilization group. At both two and six weeks after repair, internal range of motion was significantly decreased whereas external range of motion was not. There were no differences between the groups in terms of collagen organization or mechanical

  1. Pneumatic Muscle Actuated Equipment for Continuous Passive Motion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deaconescu, Tudor T.; Deaconescu, Andrea I.

    2009-10-01

    Applying continuous passive rehabilitation movements as part of the recovery programme of patients with post-traumatic disabilities of the bearing joints of the inferior limbs requires the development of new high performance equipment. This chapter discusses a study of the kinematics and performance of such a new, continuous passive motion based rehabilitation system actuated by pneumatic muscles. The utilized energy source is compressed air ensuring complete absorption of the end of stroke shocks, thus minimizing user discomfort.

  2. THE IMPACT OF PASSIVE SAMPLING METHODOLOGIES USED IN THE DEARS

    EPA Science Inventory

    This abstract details the use of passive sampling methodologies in the Detroit Exposure and Aerosol Research Study (DEARS). A discussion about the utility of various gas-phase passive samplers used in the study will be described along with examples of field data measurements empl...

  3. Passive Polarimetric Information Processing for Target Classification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadjadi, Firooz; Sadjadi, Farzad

    Polarimetric sensing is an area of active research in a variety of applications. In particular, the use of polarization diversity has been shown to improve performance in automatic target detection and recognition. Within the diverse scope of polarimetric sensing, the field of passive polarimetric sensing is of particular interest. This chapter presents several new methods for gathering in formation using such passive techniques. One method extracts three-dimensional (3D) information and surface properties using one or more sensors. Another method extracts scene-specific algebraic expressions that remain unchanged under polariza tion transformations (such as along the transmission path to the sensor).

  4. Fast correlation method for passive-solar design

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

    Wray, W.O.; Biehl, F.A.; Kosiewicz, C.E.

    1982-01-01

    A passive-solar design manual for single-family detached residences and dormitory-type buildings is being developed. The design procedure employed in the manual is a simplification of the original monthly solar load ratio (SLR) method. The new SLR correlations involve a single constant for each system. The correlation constant appears as a scale factor permitting the use of a universal performance curve for all passive systems. Furthermore, by providing location-dependent correlations between the annual solar heating fraction (SHF) and the minimum monthly SHF, we have eliminated the need to perform an SLR calculation for each month of the heating season.

  5. Chemical Passivation of Li(exp +)-Conducting Solid Electrolytes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    West, William; Whitacre, Jay; Lim, James

    2008-01-01

    Plates of a solid electrolyte that exhibits high conductivity for positive lithium ions can now be passivated to prevent them from reacting with metallic lithium. Such passivation could enable the construction and operation of high-performance, long-life lithium-based rechargeable electrochemical cells containing metallic lithium anodes. The advantage of this approach, in comparison with a possible alternative approach utilizing lithium-ion graphitic anodes, is that metallic lithium anodes could afford significantly greater energy-storage densities. A major impediment to the development of such cells has been the fact that the available solid electrolytes having the requisite high Li(exp +)-ion conductivity are too highly chemically reactive with metallic lithium to be useful, while those solid electrolytes that do not react excessively with metallic lithium have conductivities too low to be useful. The present passivation method exploits the best features of both extremes of the solid-electrolyte spectrum. The basic idea is to coat a higher-conductivity, higher-reactivity solid electrolyte with a lower-conductivity, lower-reactivity solid electrolyte. One can then safely deposit metallic lithium in contact with the lower-reactivity solid electrolyte without incurring the undesired chemical reactions. The thickness of the lower-reactivity electrolyte must be great enough to afford the desired passivation but not so great as to contribute excessively to the electrical resistance of the cell. The feasibility of this method was demonstrated in experiments on plates of a commercial high-performance solid Li(exp +)- conducting electrolyte. Lithium phosphorous oxynitride (LiPON) was the solid electrolyte used for passivation. LiPON-coated solid-electrolyte plates were found to support electrochemical plating and stripping of Li metal. The electrical resistance contributed by the LiPON layers were found to be small relative to overall cell impedances.

  6. Confocal imaging to quantify passive transport across biomimetic lipid membranes.

    PubMed

    Li, Su; Hu, Peichi; Malmstadt, Noah

    2010-09-15

    The ability of a molecule to pass through the plasma membrane without the aid of any active cellular mechanisms is central to that molecule's pharmaceutical characteristics. Passive transport has been understood in the context of Overton's rule, which states that more lipophilic molecules cross membrane lipid bilayers more readily. Existing techniques for measuring passive transport lack reproducibility and are hampered by the presence of an unstirred layer (USL) that dominates transport across the bilayer. This report describes assays based on spinning-disk confocal microscopy (SDCM) of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) that allow for the detailed investigation of passive transport processes and mechanisms. This approach allows the concentration field to be directly observed, allowing membrane permeability to be determined easily from the transient concentration profile data. A series of molecules of increasing hydrophilicity was constructed, and the transport of these molecules into GUVs was observed. The observed permeability trend is consistent with Overton's rule. However, the values measured depart from the simple partition-diffusion proportionality model of passive transport. This technique is easy to implement and has great promise as an approach to measure membrane transport. It is optimally suited to precise quantitative measurements of the dependence of passive transport on membrane properties.

  7. Stable High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells via Grain Boundary Passivation.

    PubMed

    Niu, Tianqi; Lu, Jing; Munir, Rahim; Li, Jianbo; Barrit, Dounya; Zhang, Xu; Hu, Hanlin; Yang, Zhou; Amassian, Aram; Zhao, Kui; Liu, Shengzhong Frank

    2018-04-01

    The trap states at grain boundaries (GBs) within polycrystalline perovskite films deteriorate their optoelectronic properties, making GB engineering particularly important for stable high-performance optoelectronic devices. It is demonstrated that trap states within bulk films can be effectively passivated by semiconducting molecules with Lewis acid or base functional groups. The perovskite crystallization kinetics are studied using in situ synchrotron-based grazing-incidence X-ray scattering to explore the film formation mechanism. A model of the passivation mechanism is proposed to understand how the molecules simultaneously passivate the Pb-I antisite defects and vacancies created by under-coordinated Pb atoms. In addition, it also explains how the energy offset between the semiconducting molecules and the perovskite influences trap states and intergrain carrier transport. The superior optoelectronic properties are attained by optimizing the molecular passivation treatments. These benefits are translated into significant enhancements of the power conversion efficiencies to 19.3%, as well as improved environmental and thermal stability of solar cells. The passivated devices without encapsulation degrade only by ≈13% after 40 d of exposure in 50% relative humidity at room temperature, and only ≈10% after 24 h at 80 °C in controlled environment. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Westinghouse Small Modular Reactor passive safety system response to postulated events

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

    Smith, M. C.; Wright, R. F.

    2012-07-01

    The Westinghouse Small Modular Reactor (SMR) is an 800 MWt (>225 MWe) integral pressurized water reactor. This paper is part of a series of four describing the design and safety features of the Westinghouse SMR. This paper focuses in particular upon the passive safety features and the safety system response of the Westinghouse SMR. The Westinghouse SMR design incorporates many features to minimize the effects of, and in some cases eliminates the possibility of postulated accidents. The small size of the reactor and the low power density limits the potential consequences of an accident relative to a large plant. Themore » integral design eliminates large loop piping, which significantly reduces the flow area of postulated loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs). The Westinghouse SMR containment is a high-pressure, compact design that normally operates at a partial vacuum. This facilitates heat removal from the containment during LOCA events. The containment is submerged in water which also aides the heat removal and provides an additional radionuclide filter. The Westinghouse SMR safety system design is passive, is based largely on the passive safety systems used in the AP1000{sup R} reactor, and provides mitigation of all design basis accidents without the need for AC electrical power for a period of seven days. Frequent faults, such as reactivity insertion events and loss of power events, are protected by first shutting down the nuclear reaction by inserting control rods, then providing cold, borated water through a passive, buoyancy-driven flow. Decay heat removal is provided using a layered approach that includes the passive removal of heat by the steam drum and independent passive heat removal system that transfers heat from the primary system to the environment. Less frequent faults such as loss of coolant accidents are mitigated by passive injection of a large quantity of water that is readily available inside containment. An automatic depressurization system is

  9. Transport Of Passive Scalars In A Turbulent Channel Flow

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kim, John; Moin, Parviz

    1990-01-01

    Computer simulation of transport of passive scalars in turbulent channel flow described in report. Shows flow structures and statistical properties. As used here, "passive scalars" means scalar quantities like fluctuations in temperature or concentrations of contaminants that do not disturb flow appreciably. Examples include transport of heat in heat exchangers, gas turbines, and nuclear reactors and dispersal of pollution in atmosphere.

  10. Electrical and optical characterization of surface passivation in GaAs nanowires.

    PubMed

    Chang, Chia-Chi; Chi, Chun-Yung; Yao, Maoqing; Huang, Ningfeng; Chen, Chun-Chung; Theiss, Jesse; Bushmaker, Adam W; Lalumondiere, Stephen; Yeh, Ting-Wei; Povinelli, Michelle L; Zhou, Chongwu; Dapkus, P Daniel; Cronin, Stephen B

    2012-09-12

    We report a systematic study of carrier dynamics in Al(x)Ga(1-x)As-passivated GaAs nanowires. With passivation, the minority carrier diffusion length (L(diff)) increases from 30 to 180 nm, as measured by electron beam induced current (EBIC) mapping, and the photoluminescence (PL) lifetime increases from sub-60 ps to 1.3 ns. A 48-fold enhancement in the continuous-wave PL intensity is observed on the same individual nanowire with and without the Al(x)Ga(1-x)As passivation layer, indicating a significant reduction in surface recombination. These results indicate that, in passivated nanowires, the minority carrier lifetime is not limited by twin stacking faults. From the PL lifetime and minority carrier diffusion length, we estimate the surface recombination velocity (SRV) to range from 1.7 × 10(3) to 1.1 × 10(4) cm·s(-1), and the minority carrier mobility μ is estimated to lie in the range from 10.3 to 67.5 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) for the passivated nanowires.

  11. Mesoscale Elucidation of Surface Passivation in the Li-Sulfur Battery Cathode.

    PubMed

    Liu, Zhixiao; Mukherjee, Partha P

    2017-02-15

    The cathode surface passivation caused by Li 2 S precipitation adversely affects the performance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Li 2 S precipitation is a complicated mesoscale process involving adsorption, desorption and diffusion kinetics, which are affected profoundly by the reactant concentration and operating temperature. In this work, a mesoscale interfacial model is presented to study the growth of Li 2 S film on carbon cathode surface. Li 2 S film growth experiences nucleation, isolated Li 2 S island growth and island coalescence. The slow adsorption rate at small S 2- concentration inhibits the formation of nucleation seeds and the lateral growth of Li 2 S islands, which deters surface passivation. An appropriate operating temperature, especially in the medium-to-high temperature range, can also defer surface passivation. Fewer Li 2 S nucleation seeds form in such an operating temperature range, thereby facilitating heterogeneous growth and potentially inhibiting the lateral growth of the Li 2 S film, which may ultimately result in reduced surface passivation. The high specific surface area of the cathode microstructure is expected to mitigate the surface passivation.

  12. Patient-related constraints on get- and be-passive uses in English: evidence from paraphrasing

    PubMed Central

    Thompson, Dominic; Ling, S. P.; Myachykov, Andriy; Ferreira, Fernanda; Scheepers, Christoph

    2013-01-01

    In English, transitive events can be described in various ways. The main possibilities are active-voice and passive-voice, which are assumed to have distinct semantic and pragmatic functions. Within the passive, there are two further options, namely be-passive or get-passive. While these two forms are generally understood to differ, there is little agreement on precisely how and why. The passive Patient is frequently cited as playing a role, though again agreement on the specifics is rare. Here we present three paraphrasing experiments investigating Patient-related constraints on the selection of active vs. passive voice, and be- vs. get-passive, respectively. Participants either had to re-tell short stories in their own words (Experiments 1 and 2) or had to answer specific questions about the Patient in those short stories (Experiment 3). We found that a given Agent in a story promotes the use of active-voice, while a given Patient promotes be-passives specifically. Meanwhile, get-passive use increases when the Patient is marked as important. We argue that the three forms of transitive description are functionally and semantically distinct, and can be arranged along two dimensions: Patient Prominence and Patient Importance. We claim that active-voice has a near-complementary relationship with the be-passive, driven by which protagonist is given. Since both get and be are passive, they share the features of a Patient-subject and an optional Agent by-phrase; however, get specifically responds to a Patient being marked as important. Each of these descriptions has its own set of features that differentiate it from the others. PMID:24273527

  13. Passive synthetic aperture radar imaging of ground moving targets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wacks, Steven; Yazici, Birsen

    2012-05-01

    In this paper we present a method for imaging ground moving targets using passive synthetic aperture radar. A passive radar imaging system uses small, mobile receivers that do not radiate any energy. For these reasons, passive imaging systems result in signicant cost, manufacturing, and stealth advantages. The received signals are obtained by multiple airborne receivers collecting scattered waves due to illuminating sources of opportunity such as commercial television, radio, and cell phone towers. We describe a novel forward model and a corresponding ltered-backprojection type image reconstruction method combined with entropy optimization. Our method determines the location and velocity of multiple targets moving at dierent velocities. Furthermore, it can accommodate arbitrary imaging geometries. we present numerical simulations to verify the imaging method.

  14. Development of Embedded Vascular Networks in FRP for Active/Passive Thermal Management

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-04-01

    Passive Thermal Management Katarzyna...To) 30 September 2012 – 31 December 2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Development of Embedded Vascular Networks in FRP for Active/ Passive Thermal Management   5a...Active/ Passive   Thermal   Management   Reference:       EOARD  grant  (FA8655-­‐12-­‐1-­‐2144)   Investigators:    

  15. Passively actuated valve

    DOEpatents

    Modro, S. Michael; Ougouag, Abderrafi M.

    2005-09-20

    A passively actuated valve for isolating a high pressure zone from a low pressure zone and discontinuing the isolation when the pressure in the high pressure zone drops below a preset threshold. If the pressure in the high pressure zone drops below the preset threshold, the valve opens and allows flow from the high pressure zone to the low pressure zone. The valve remains open allowing pressure equalization and back-flow should a pressure inversion between the two pressure zone occur.

  16. Large area tunnel oxide passivated rear contact n -type Si solar cells with 21.2% efficiency: Large area tunnel oxide passivated rear contact n -type Si solar cells

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

    Tao, Yuguo; Upadhyaya, Vijaykumar; Chen, Chia-Wei

    This paper reports on the implementation of carrier-selective tunnel oxide passivated rear contact for high-efficiency screen-printed large area n-type front junction crystalline Si solar cells. It is shown that the tunnel oxide grown in nitric acid at room temperature (25°C) and capped with n+ polysilicon layer provides excellent rear contact passivation with implied open-circuit voltage iVoc of 714mV and saturation current density J0b of 10.3 fA/cm2 for the back surface field region. The durability of this passivation scheme is also investigated for a back-end high temperature process. In combination with an ion-implanted Al2O3-passivated boron emitter and screen-printed front metal grids,more » this passivated rear contact enabled 21.2% efficient front junction Si solar cells on 239 cm2 commercial grade n-type Czochralski wafers.« less

  17. Sputter-Deposited Oxides for Interface Passivation of CdTe Photovoltaics

    DOE PAGES

    Kephart, Jason M.; Kindvall, Anna; Williams, Desiree; ...

    2018-01-18

    Commercial CdTe PV modules have polycrystalline thin films deposited on glass, and devices made in this format have exceeded 22% efficiency. Devices made by the authors with a magnesium zinc oxide window layer and tellurium back contact have achieved efficiency over 18%, but these cells still suffer from an open-circuit voltage far below ideal values. Oxide passivation layers made by sputter deposition have the potential to increase voltage by reducing interface recombination. CdTe devices with these passivation layers were studied with photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) to detect an increase in minority carrier lifetime. Because these oxidemore » materials exhibit barriers to carrier collection, micropatterning was used to expose small point contacts while still allowing interface passivation. TRPL decay lifetimes have been greatly enhanced for thin polycrystalline absorber films with interface passivation. Device performance was measured and current collection was mapped spatially by light-beam-induced current.« less

  18. Passive antibody-mediated immunotherapy for the treatment of malignant gliomas.

    PubMed

    Mitra, Siddhartha; Li, Gordon; Harsh, Griffith R

    2010-01-01

    Despite advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of brain cancer, the outcome of patients with malignant gliomas treated according to the current standard of care remains poor. Novel therapies are needed, and immunotherapy has emerged with great promise. The diffuse infiltration of malignant gliomas is a major challenge to effective treatment; immunotherapy has the advantage of accessing the entire brain with specificity for tumor cells. Therapeutic immune approaches include cytokine therapy, passive immunotherapy, and active immunotherapy. Cytokine therapy involves the administration of immunomodulatory cytokines to activate the immune system. Active immunotherapy is the generation or augmentation of an immune response, typically by vaccination against tumor antigens. Passive immunotherapy connotes either adoptive therapy, in which tumor-specific immune cells are expanded ex vivo and reintroduced into the patient, or passive antibody-mediated therapy. In this article, the authors discuss the preclinical and clinical studies that have used passive antibody-mediated immunotherapy, otherwise known as serotherapy, for the treatment of malignant gliomas.

  19. Calibrated Passive Sampling--Multi-plot Field Measurements of NH3 Emissions with a Combination of Dynamic Tube Method and Passive Samplers.

    PubMed

    Pacholski, Andreas

    2016-03-21

    Agricultural ammonia (NH3) emissions (90% of total EU emissions) are responsible for about 45% airborne eutrophication, 31% soil acidification and 12% fine dust formation within the EU15. But NH3 emissions also mean a considerable loss of nutrients. Many studies on NH3 emission from organic and mineral fertilizer application have been performed in recent decades. Nevertheless, research related to NH3 emissions after application fertilizers is still limited in particular with respect to relationships to emissions, fertilizer type, site conditions and crop growth. Due to the variable response of crops to treatments, effects can only be validated in experimental designs including field replication for statistical testing. The dominating ammonia loss methods yielding quantitative emissions require large field areas, expensive equipment or current supply, which restricts their application in replicated field trials. This protocol describes a new methodology for the measurement of NH3 emissions on many plots linking a simple semi-quantitative measuring method used in all plots, with a quantitative method by simultaneous measurements using both methods on selected plots. As a semi-quantitative measurement method passive samplers are used. The second method is a dynamic chamber method (Dynamic Tube Method) to obtain a transfer quotient, which converts the semi-quantitative losses of the passive sampler to quantitative losses (kg nitrogen ha(-1)). The principle underlying this approach is that passive samplers placed in a homogeneous experimental field have the same NH3 absorption behavior under identical environmental conditions. Therefore, a transfer co-efficient obtained from single passive samplers can be used to scale the values of all passive samplers used in the same field trial. The method proved valid under a wide range of experimental conditions and is recommended to be used under conditions with bare soil or small canopies (<0.3 m). Results obtained from

  20. Carrier characteristics influence the kinetics of passive drug loading into lipid nanoemulsions.

    PubMed

    Göke, Katrin; Bunjes, Heike

    2018-05-01

    Passive loading as a novel screening approach is a material-saving tool for the efficient selection of a suitable colloidal lipid carrier system for poorly water soluble drug candidates. This method comprises incubation of preformed carrier systems with drug powder and subsequent determination of the resulting drug load of the carrier particles after removal of excess drug. For reliable routine use and to obtain meaningful loading results, information on the kinetics of the process is required. Passive loading proceeds via a dissolution-diffusion-based mechanism, where drug surface area and drug water solubility are key parameters for fast passive loading. While the influence of the drug characteristics is mostly understood, the influence of the carrier characteristics remains unknown. The aim of this study was to examine how the lipid nanocarriers' characteristics, i.e. the type of lipid, the lipid content and the particle size, influence the kinetics of passive loading. Fenofibrate was used as model drug and the loading progress was analyzed by UV spectroscopy. The saturation solubility in the nanocarrier particles, i.e. the lipid type, did not influence the passive loading rate constant. Low lipid content in the nanocarrier and a small nanocarrier particle size both increased passive loading speed. Both variations increase the diffusivity of the nanocarrier particles, which is the primary cause for fast loading at these conditions: The quicker the carrier particles diffuse, the higher is the speed of passive loading. The influence of the diffusivity of the lipid nanocarriers and the effect of drug dissolution rate were included in an overall mechanistic model developed for similar processes (A. Balakrishnan, B.D. Rege, G.L. Amidon, J.E. Polli, Surfactant-mediated dissolution: contributions of solubility enhancement and relatively low micelle diffusivity, J. Pharm. Sci. 93 (2004) 2064-2075). The resulting mechanistic model gave a good estimate of the speed of

  1. Effectiveness of passivation techniques on hydrogen desorption in a tritium environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woodall, Steven Michael

    2009-11-01

    Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. It is used as a fuel in fusion reactors, a booster material in nuclear weapons and as a light source in commercial applications. When tritium is used in fusion reactors, and especially when used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons, purity is critical. For U.S. Department of Energy use, tritium is recycled by Savannah River Site in South Carolina and is processed to a minimum purity of 99.5%. For use elsewhere in the country, it must be shipped and stored, while maintaining the highest purity possible. As an isotope of hydrogen it exchanges easily with the most common isotope of hydrogen, protium. Stainless steel bottles are used to transport and store tritium. Protium, present in air, becomes associated in and on the surface of stainless steel during and after the manufacture of the steel. When filled, the tritium within the bottle exchanges with the protium in and on the surface of the stainless steel, slowly contaminating the pure tritium with protium. The stainless steel is therefore passivated to minimize the protium outgrowth of the bottles into the pure tritium. This research is to determine how effective different passivation techniques are in minimizing the contamination of tritium with protium. Additionally, this research will attempt to determine a relationship between surface chemistry of passivated steels and protium contamination of tritium. The conclusions of this research found that passivated bottles by two companies which routinely provide passivated materials to the US Department of Energy provide low levels of protium outgrowth into pure tritium. A bottle passivated with a material to prevent excessive corrosion in a highly corrosive environment, and a clean and polished bottle provided outgrowth rates roughly twice those of the passivated bottles above. Beyond generally high levels of chromium, oxygen, iron and nickel in the passivated bottles, there did not appear to be a strong correlation

  2. Developing a Passive Acoustic Monitoring Network for Harbor Porpoise in California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jacobson, Eiren Kate

    Assessing the abundance of and trends in whale, dolphin, and porpoise (cetacean) populations using traditional visual methods can be challenging due primarily to their limited availability at the surface of the ocean. As a result, researchers are increasingly interested in incorporating non-visual and remote observations to improve cetacean population assessments. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) can complement or replace visual surveys for cetaceans that produce echolocation clicks, whistles, and other vocalizations. My doctoral dissertation is focused on developing methods to improve PAM of cetaceans. I used the Monterey Bay population of harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena ) as a case study for methods development. In Chapter 2, I used passive acoustic data to document that harbor porpoises avoid bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in nearshore Monterey Bay. In Chapter 3, I investigated whether different passive acoustic instruments could be used to monitor harbor porpoise. I recorded harbor porpoise echolocation clicks simultaneously on two different passive acoustic instruments and compared the number and peak frequency of echolocation signals recorded on the two instruments. I found that the number of echolocation clicks was highly correlated between instruments but that the peak frequency of echolocation clicks was not well-correlated, suggesting that some instruments may not be capable of discriminating harbor porpoise echolocation clicks in regions where multiple species with similar echolocation signals are present. In Chapter 4, I used paired visual and passive acoustic surveys to estimate the effective detection area of the passive acoustic sensors in a Bayesian framework. This approach resulted in a posterior distribution of the effective detection area that was consistent with previously published values. In Chapter 5, I used aerial survey and passive acoustic data in a simulation framework to investigate the statistical power of different

  3. Development of Passive Fuel Cell Thermal Management Heat Exchanger

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burke, Kenneth A.; Jakupca, Ian J.; Colozza, Anthony J.

    2010-01-01

    The NASA Glenn Research Center is developing advanced passive thermal management technology to reduce the mass and improve the reliability of space fuel cell systems for the NASA Exploration program. The passive thermal management system relies on heat conduction within highly thermally conductive cooling plates to move the heat from the central portion of the cell stack out to the edges of the fuel cell stack. Using the passive approach eliminates the need for a coolant pump and other cooling loop components within the fuel cell system which reduces mass and improves overall system reliability. Previous development demonstrated the performance of suitable highly thermally conductive cooling plates that could conduct the heat, provide a sufficiently uniform temperature heat sink for each cell of the fuel cell stack, and be substantially lighter than the conventional thermal management approach. Tests were run with different materials to evaluate the design approach to a heat exchanger that could interface with the edges of the passive cooling plates. Measurements were made during fuel cell operation to determine the temperature of individual cooling plates and also to determine the temperature uniformity from one cooling plate to another.

  4. Seismic passive earth resistance using modified pseudo-dynamic method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pain, Anindya; Choudhury, Deepankar; Bhattacharyya, S. K.

    2017-04-01

    In earthquake prone areas, understanding of the seismic passive earth resistance is very important for the design of different geotechnical earth retaining structures. In this study, the limit equilibrium method is used for estimation of critical seismic passive earth resistance for an inclined wall supporting horizontal cohesionless backfill. A composite failure surface is considered in the present analysis. Seismic forces are computed assuming the backfill soil as a viscoelastic material overlying a rigid stratum and the rigid stratum is subjected to a harmonic shaking. The present method satisfies the boundary conditions. The amplification of acceleration depends on the properties of the backfill soil and on the characteristics of the input motion. The acceleration distribution along the depth of the backfill is found to be nonlinear in nature. The present study shows that the horizontal and vertical acceleration distribution in the backfill soil is not always in-phase for the critical value of the seismic passive earth pressure coefficient. The effect of different parameters on the seismic passive earth pressure is studied in detail. A comparison of the present method with other theories is also presented, which shows the merits of the present study.

  5. Miniature DMFCs with passive thermal-fluids management system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Zhen; Faghri, Amir

    A new miniature DMFC system that includes a fuel cell stack, a fuel tank and a passive ancillary system (termed "thermal-fluids management system" in this paper) is presented. The thermal-fluids management system utilizes passive approaches for fuel storage and delivery, air breathing, water management, CO 2 release and thermal management. With 5.1 g of neat methanol in the fuel cartridge, a prototype has successfully demonstrated 18 h of continuous operation with total power output of 1.56 Wh.

  6. Sidewall passivation for InGaN/GaN nanopillar light emitting diodes

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

    Choi, Won Hyuck; Abraham, Michael; Yu, Shih-Ying

    2014-07-07

    We studied the effect of sidewall passivation on InGaN/GaN multiquantum well-based nanopillar light emitting diode (LED) performance. In this research, the effects of varying etch rate, KOH treatment, and sulfur passivation were studied for reducing nanopillar sidewall damage and improving device efficiency. Nanopillars prepared under optimal etching conditions showed higher photoluminescence intensity compared with starting planar epilayers. Furthermore, nanopillar LEDs with and without sulfur passivation were compared through electrical and optical characterization. Suppressed leakage current under reverse bias and four times higher electroluminescence (EL) intensity were observed for passivated nanopillar LEDs compared with unpassivated nanopillar LEDs. The suppressed leakage currentmore » and EL intensity enhancement reflect the reduction of non-radiative recombination at the nanopillar sidewalls. In addition, the effect of sulfur passivation was found to be very stable, and further insight into its mechanism was gained through transmission electron microscopy.« less

  7. Time domain passivity controller for 4-channel time-delay bilateral teleoperation.

    PubMed

    Rebelo, Joao; Schiele, Andre

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents an extension of the time-domain passivity control approach to a four-channel bilateral controller under the effects of time delays. Time-domain passivity control has been used successfully to stabilize teleoperation systems with position-force and position-position controllers; however, the performance with such control architectures is sub-optimal both with and without time delays. This work extends the network representation of the time-domain passivity controller to the four-channel architecture, which provides perfect transparency to the user without time delay. The proposed architecture is based on modelling the controllers as dependent voltage sources and using only series passivity controllers. The obtained results are shown on a one degree-of-freedom setup and illustrate the stabilization behaviour of the proposed controller when time delay is present in the communication channel.

  8. Passivation layer breakdown during laser-fired contact formation for photovoltaic devices

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

    Raghavan, A.; DebRoy, T.; Palmer, T. A.

    2014-07-14

    Low resistance laser-fired ohmic contacts (LFCs) can be formed on the backside of Si-based solar cells using microsecond pulses. However, the impact of these longer pulse durations on the dielectric passivation layer is not clear. Retention of the passivation layer during processing is critical to ensure low recombination rates of electron-hole pairs at the rear surface of the device. In this work, advanced characterization tools are used to demonstrate that although the SiO{sub 2} passivation layer melts directly below the laser, it is well preserved outside the immediate LFC region over a wide range of processing parameters. As a result,more » low recombination rates at the passivation layer/wafer interface can be expected despite higher energy densities associated with these pulse durations.« less

  9. DecouplingModes: Passive modes amplitudes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaw, J. Richard; Lewis, Antony

    2018-01-01

    DecouplingModes calculates the amplitude of the passive modes, which requires solving the Einstein equations on superhorizon scales sourced by the anisotropic stress from the magnetic fields (prior to neutrino decoupling), and the magnetic and neutrino stress (after decoupling). The code is available as a Mathematica notebook.

  10. Passive field reflectance measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weber, Christian; Schinca, Daniel C.; Tocho, Jorge O.; Videla, Fabian

    2008-10-01

    The results of reflectance measurements performed with a three-band passive radiometer with independent channels for solar irradiance reference are presented. Comparative operation between the traditional method that uses downward-looking field and reference white panel measurements and the new approach involving duplicated downward- and upward-looking spectral channels (each latter one with its own diffuser) is analyzed. The results indicate that the latter method performs in very good agreement with the standard method and is more suitable for passive sensors under rapidly changing atmospheric conditions (such as clouds, dust, mist, smog and other scatterers), since a more reliable synchronous recording of reference and incident light is achieved. Besides, having separate channels for the reference and the signal allows a better balancing of gains in the amplifiers for each spectral channel. We show the results obtained in the determination of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) corresponding to the period 2004-2007 field experiments concerning weed detection in soybean stubbles and fertilizer level assessment in wheat. The method may be used to refine sensor-based nitrogen fertilizer rate recommendations and to determine suitable zones for herbicide applications.

  11. Passive perception system for day/night autonomous off-road navigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rankin, Arturo L.; Bergh, Charles F.; Goldberg, Steven B.; Bellutta, Paolo; Huertas, Andres; Matthies, Larry H.

    2005-05-01

    Passive perception of terrain features is a vital requirement for military related unmanned autonomous vehicle operations, especially under electromagnetic signature management conditions. As a member of Team Raptor, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed a self-contained passive perception system under the DARPA funded PerceptOR program. An environmentally protected forward-looking sensor head was designed and fabricated in-house to straddle an off-the-shelf pan-tilt unit. The sensor head contained three color cameras for multi-baseline daytime stereo ranging, a pair of cooled mid-wave infrared cameras for nighttime stereo ranging, and supporting electronics to synchronize captured imagery. Narrow-baseline stereo provided improved range data density in cluttered terrain, while wide-baseline stereo provided more accurate ranging for operation at higher speeds in relatively open areas. The passive perception system processed stereo images and outputted over a local area network terrain maps containing elevation, terrain type, and detected hazards. A novel software architecture was designed and implemented to distribute the data processing on a 533MHz quad 7410 PowerPC single board computer under the VxWorks real-time operating system. This architecture, which is general enough to operate on N processors, has been subsequently tested on Pentium-based processors under Windows and Linux, and a Sparc based-processor under Unix. The passive perception system was operated during FY04 PerceptOR program evaluations at Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia, and Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. This paper discusses the Team Raptor passive perception system hardware and software design, implementation, and performance, and describes a road map to faster and improved passive perception.

  12. Decreased total antioxidant capacity and increased oxidative stress in passive smoker infants and their mothers.

    PubMed

    Aycicek, Ali; Erel, Ozcan; Kocyigit, Abdurrahim

    2005-12-01

    Smoking has many adverse health effects in infants and adults. The purpose of the study was to study the effect of passive cigarette smoking on oxidative and antioxidative status of plasma in passive smoker infants and their mothers and to compare with those of non-smokers. Subjects were randomly chosen from infants aged 8-26 weeks and their mothers aged 20-34 years. Passive smoker infants (n = 29) and their mothers (n = 29) were defined as having other family members who smoked six or more cigarettes per day continually for at least 8 weeks. Non-smokers were defined as infants (n = 30) and their mothers (n = 24) who had never been exposed to passive smoking. The antioxidative status of plasma were perused by measuring the total antioxidant capacity. Oxidative status was evaluated by predicating total peroxide level, oxidative stress index, protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation. Plasma concentrations of total antioxidant capacity were significantly lower in passive smoker infants and their mothers than non-passive smoker infants and their mothers. However, lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress index were remarkably higher in passive smoker infants and their mothers than those of non-passive smoker infants and their mothers. There were significant correlations between the oxidative and antioxidative parameters of the passive smoker infants and their mothers. Oxidants are increased and antioxidants are decreased in passive smoker infants and their mothers than those of non-smokers. Passive smoker infants and their mothers are exposed to potent oxidative stress.

  13. Passivation on High Q Acoustic Strain Sensor for Accelerometer.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-11-01

    selection of passivation layers. Preliminary results indicated that V203 , (yttrium oxide ) and AIN (aluminum nitride) were the best materials for...thickness selection of passivation layers. Preliminary results indicated that Y203 (yttrium oxide ) and AIN (aluminum nitride) were the best materials...crystal, in this case a parabolic temperature characteristic. Several circuits were designed using varactor diode phase shifting networks. FOjcTl Ta tor

  14. Impact of hydrodynamics on effective interactions in suspensions of active and passive matter.

    PubMed

    Krafnick, Ryan C; García, Angel E

    2015-02-01

    Passive particles exhibit unique properties when immersed in an active bath of self-propelling entities. In particular, an effective attraction can appear between particles that repel each other when in a passive solution. Here we numerically study the effect of hydrodynamics on an active-passive hybrid system, where we observe qualitative differences as compared to simulations with excluded volume effects alone. The results shed light on an existing discrepancy in pair lifetimes between simulation and experiment, due to the hydrodynamically enhanced stability of coupled passive particles.

  15. Passivation effects on quantum dots prepared by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dai, Qilin; Maloney, Scott; Chen, Weimin; Poudyal, Uma; Wang, Wenyong

    2016-06-01

    ZnS is typically used to passivate semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) prepared by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method for solar cell applications, while for colloidal QDs, organic ligands are usually used for this passivation purpose. In this study we utilized oleylamine and oleic acid ligands, besides ZnS, to passivate QDs prepared by the SILAR approach, and investigated their effects on the incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) performance of the solar cells. It was observed that oleylamine passivation decreased device performance, while oleic acid passivation improved the IPCE of the cells. Redshift of the IPCE onset wavelength was also observed after oleic acid coating, which was attributed to the delocalization of excitons in the CdS QDs.

  16. Self- and other-agency in people with passivity (first rank) symptoms in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Graham-Schmidt, Kyran T; Martin-Iverson, Mathew T; Waters, Flavie A V

    2018-02-01

    Individuals with passivity (first-rank) symptoms report that their actions, thoughts and sensations are influenced or controlled by an external (non-self) agent. Passivity symptoms are closely linked to schizophrenia and related disorders yet they remain poorly understood. One dominant framework posits a role for deficits in the sense of agency. An important question is whether deficits in self-agency can be differentiated from other-agency in schizophrenia and passivity symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate self- and other-agency in 51 people with schizophrenia (n=20 current, 10 past, 21 no history of passivity symptoms), and 48 healthy controls. Participants completed the projected hand illusion (PHI) with active and passive movements, as well as immediate and delayed visual feedback. Experiences of agency and loss of agency over the participant's hand and the image ('the other hand') were assessed with a self-report questionnaire. Those with passivity symptoms (current and past) reported less difference in agency between active and passive movements on items assessing agency over their own hand (but not agency over the other hand). Relative to the healthy controls, the current and never groups continued to experience the illusion with delayed visual feedback suggesting impaired timing mechanisms regardless of symptom profile. These findings are consistent with a reduced contribution of proprioceptive predictive cues to agency judgements specific to self representations in people with passivity symptoms, and a subsequent reliance on external visual cues in these judgements. Altogether, these findings emphasise the multifactorial nature of agency and the contribution of multiple impairments to passivity symptoms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Strategy for Passivating Char Efficiently at the Pilot Scale

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

    Dunning, Timothy C

    Fast pyrolysis is a promising pathway for the commercialization of liquid transportation fuels from biomass. Fast pyrolysis is performed at moderate heat (450-600 degrees Celcius) in an oxygen-deficient environment. One of the products of fast pyrolysis is biochar, which is often used as a heat source or as a soil amendment. Biochar is a partially reacted solid that is created in the production of bio-oil during fast pyrolysis. Biochar produced at these conditions contains significant quantities of carbon that adsorb oxygen when exposed to air. Biochar adsorption of oxygen is an exothermic process that may generate sufficient heat for combustionmore » in ambient air. Biochar is also a self-insulating material which compounds the effects of heat generated internally. These factors lead to safety concerns and material handling difficulties. The Thermochemical Process Development Unit at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory operates a pilot plant that may be configured for fast pyrolysis, gasification, and will be introducing catalytic fast pyrolysis capabilities in 2018. The TCPDU designed and installed a system to introduce oxygen to collected biochar systematically for a controlled passivation. Biochar is collected and cooled in an oxygen deficient environment during fast pyrolysis. Oxygen is then introduced to the biochar on a mass flow basis. A sparger imbedded within the biochar sample near the bottom of the bed flows air diluted with nitrogen into the char bed, and excess gasses are removed from the top of the collection drum, above the char bed. Pressure within the collection drum is measured indicating adequate flow through filters. Sample weight is recorded before and after passivation. During passivation, temperature is measured at 18 points within the char bed. Oxygen content and temperature are measured leaving the char bed. Maximum temperature parameters were established to ensure operator safety during biochar passivation. Extensive passivation

  18. Passive Microwave Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Njoku, Eni G.; Entekhabi, Dara

    1996-01-01

    Microwave remote sensing provides a unique capability for direct observation of soil moisture. Remote measurements from space afford the possibility of obtaining frequent, global sampling of soil moisture over a large fraction of the Earth's land surface. Microwave measurements have the benefit of being largely unaffected by cloud cover and variable surface solar illumination, but accurate soil moisture estimates are limited to regions that have either bare soil or low to moderate amounts of vegetation cover. A particular advantage of passive microwave sensors is that in the absence of significant vegetation cover soil moisture is the dominant effect on the received signal. The spatial resolutions of passive Microwave soil moisture sensors currently considered for space operation are in the range 10-20 km. The most useful frequency range for soil moisture sensing is 1-5 GHz. System design considerations include optimum choice of frequencies, polarizations, and scanning configurations, based on trade-offs between requirements for high vegetation penetration capability, freedom from electromagnetic interference, manageable antenna size and complexity, and the requirement that a sufficient number of information channels be available to correct for perturbing geophysical effects. This paper outlines the basic principles of the passive microwave technique for soil moisture sensing, and reviews briefly the status of current retrieval methods. Particularly promising are methods for optimally assimilating passive microwave data into hydrologic models. Further studies are needed to investigate the effects on microwave observations of within-footprint spatial heterogeneity of vegetation cover and subsurface soil characteristics, and to assess the limitations imposed by heterogeneity on the retrievability of large-scale soil moisture information from remote observations.

  19. A Review on Passive and Integrated Near-Field Microwave Biosensors

    PubMed Central

    Guha, Subhajit; Jamal, Farabi Ibne

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we review the advancement of passive and integrated microwave biosensors. The interaction of microwave with biological material is discussed in this paper. Passive microwave biosensors are microwave structures, which are fabricated on a substrate and are used for sensing biological materials. On the other hand, integrated biosensors are microwave structures fabricated in standard semiconductor technology platform (CMOS or BiCMOS). The CMOS or BiCMOS sensor technology offers a more compact sensing approach which has the potential in the future for point of care testing systems. Various applications of the passive and the integrated sensors have been discussed in this review paper. PMID:28946617

  20. Assessment of the SMAP level 2 passive soil moisture product

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite mission was launched on Jan 31, 2015. The observatory was developed to provide global mapping of high-resolution soil moisture and freeze-thaw state every 2–3 days using an L-band (active) radar and an L-band (passive) radiometer. SMAP provides ...

  1. Factors Facilitating Implicit Learning: The Case of the Sesotho Passive

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kline, Melissa; Demuth, Katherine

    2010-01-01

    Researchers have long debated the mechanisms underlying the learning of syntactic structure. Of significant interest has been the fact that passive constructions appear to be learned earlier in Sesotho than English. This paper provides a comprehensive, quantitative analysis of the passive input Sesotho-speaking children hear, how it differs from…

  2. Passive MIMO Radar Detection

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-01

    investigated using recent results from random matrix theory. Equivalence is established between PMR networks without direct-path signals and passive...approach ignores a potentially useful source of information about the unknown transmit signals . This is particularly true in high-DNR scenarios, in...which the direct-path signal provides a high-quality reference that can be used for (noisy) matched filtering, as in the conventional approach. Thus

  3. Selecting Performance Reference Compounds (PRCS) for Low Density Polyethylene Passive Samplers

    EPA Science Inventory

    Use of equilibrium passive samplers for performing aquatic environmental monitoring at contaminated sites is becoming more common. However, a current challenge in passive sampling is determining when equilibrium is achieved between the sampler, target contaminants, and environm...

  4. Submerged passively-safe power plant

    DOEpatents

    Herring, J. Stephen

    1993-01-01

    The invention as presented consists of a submerged passively-safe power station including a pressurized water reactor capable of generating at least 600 MW of electricity, encased in a double hull vessel, and provides fresh water by using the spent thermal energy in a multistage flash desalination process.

  5. Advanced Reactor Passive System Reliability Demonstration Analysis for an External Event

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

    Bucknor, Matthew D.; Grabaskas, David; Brunett, Acacia J.

    2016-01-01

    Many advanced reactor designs rely on passive systems to fulfill safety functions during accident sequences. These systems depend heavily on boundary conditions to induce a motive force, meaning the system can fail to operate as intended due to deviations in boundary conditions, rather than as the result of physical failures. Furthermore, passive systems may operate in intermediate or degraded modes. These factors make passive system operation difficult to characterize within a traditional probabilistic framework that only recognizes discrete operating modes and does not allow for the explicit consideration of time-dependent boundary conditions. Argonne National Laboratory has been examining various methodologiesmore » for assessing passive system reliability within a probabilistic risk assessment for a station blackout event at an advanced small modular reactor. This paper provides an overview of a passive system reliability demonstration analysis for an external event. Centering on an earthquake with the possibility of site flooding, the analysis focuses on the behavior of the passive reactor cavity cooling system following potential physical damage and system flooding. The assessment approach seeks to combine mechanistic and simulation-based methods to leverage the benefits of the simulation-based approach without the need to substantially deviate from conventional probabilistic risk assessment techniques. While this study is presented as only an example analysis, the results appear to demonstrate a high level of reliability for the reactor cavity cooling system (and the reactor system in general) to the postulated transient event.« less

  6. Advanced Reactor Passive System Reliability Demonstration Analysis for an External Event

    DOE PAGES

    Bucknor, Matthew; Grabaskas, David; Brunett, Acacia J.; ...

    2017-01-24

    We report that many advanced reactor designs rely on passive systems to fulfill safety functions during accident sequences. These systems depend heavily on boundary conditions to induce a motive force, meaning the system can fail to operate as intended because of deviations in boundary conditions, rather than as the result of physical failures. Furthermore, passive systems may operate in intermediate or degraded modes. These factors make passive system operation difficult to characterize within a traditional probabilistic framework that only recognizes discrete operating modes and does not allow for the explicit consideration of time-dependent boundary conditions. Argonne National Laboratory has beenmore » examining various methodologies for assessing passive system reliability within a probabilistic risk assessment for a station blackout event at an advanced small modular reactor. This paper provides an overview of a passive system reliability demonstration analysis for an external event. Considering an earthquake with the possibility of site flooding, the analysis focuses on the behavior of the passive Reactor Cavity Cooling System following potential physical damage and system flooding. The assessment approach seeks to combine mechanistic and simulation-based methods to leverage the benefits of the simulation-based approach without the need to substantially deviate from conventional probabilistic risk assessment techniques. Lastly, although this study is presented as only an example analysis, the results appear to demonstrate a high level of reliability of the Reactor Cavity Cooling System (and the reactor system in general) for the postulated transient event.« less

  7. Effects of hamstring stretching on passive muscle stiffness vary between hip flexion and knee extension maneuvers.

    PubMed

    Miyamoto, N; Hirata, K; Kanehisa, H

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine whether the effects of hamstring stretching on the passive stiffness of each of the long head of the biceps femoris (BFl), semitendinosus (ST), and semimembranosus (SM) vary between passive knee extension and hip flexion stretching maneuvers. In 12 male subjects, before and after five sets of 90 s static stretching, passive lengthening measurements where knee or hip joint was passively rotated to the maximal range of motion (ROM) were performed. During the passive lengthening, shear modulus of each muscle was measured by ultrasound shear wave elastography. Both stretching maneuvers significantly increased maximal ROM and decreased passive torque at a given joint angle. Passive knee extension stretching maneuver significantly reduced shear modulus at a given knee joint angle in all of BFl, ST, and SM. In contrast, the stretching effect by passive hip flexion maneuver was significant only in ST and SM. The present findings indicate that the effects of hamstring stretching on individual passive muscles' stiffness vary between passive knee extension and hip flexion stretching maneuvers. In terms of reducing the muscle stiffness of BFl, stretching of the hamstring should be performed by passive knee extension rather than hip flexion. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. A simultaneous deep micromachining and surface passivation method suitable for silicon-based devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Babaei, E.; Gharooni, M.; Mohajerzadeh, S.; Soleimani, E. A.

    2018-07-01

    Three novel methods for simultaneous micromachining and surface passivation of silicon are reported. A thin passivation layer is achieved using continuous and sequential plasma processes based on SF6, H2 and O2 gases. Reducing the recombination by surface passivation is crucial for the realization of high-performance nanosized optoelectronic devices. The passivation of the surface as an important step, is feasible by plasma processing based on hydrogen pulses in proper time-slots or using a mixture of H2 and O2, and SF6 gases. The passivation layer which is formed in situ during the micromachining process obviates a separate passivation step needed in conventional methods. By adjusting the plasma parameters such as power, duration, and flows of gases, the process can be controlled for the best results and acceptable under-etching at the same time. Moreover, the pseudo-oxide layer which is formed during the micromachining processes will also improve the electrical characteristics of the surface, which can be used as an add-on for micro and nanowire applications. To quantify the effect of surface passivation in our method, ellipsometry, lifetime measurements, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, current–voltage and capacitance–voltage measurements and solar cell testing have been employed.

  9. Influence of Passive Joint Stiffness on Proprioceptive Acuity in Individuals With Functional Instability of the Ankle.

    PubMed

    Marinho, Hellen Veloso Rocha; Amaral, Giovanna Mendes; de Souza Moreira, Bruno; Araújo, Vanessa Lara; Souza, Thales Rezende; Ocarino, Juliana Melo; da Fonseca, Sérgio Teixeira

    2017-12-01

    Study Design Controlled laboratory study, cross-sectional. Background Deficits in ankle proprioceptive acuity have been reported in persons with functional instability of the ankle. Passive stiffness has been proposed as a possible mechanism underlying proprioceptive acuity. Objective To compare proprioceptive acuity and passive ankle stiffness in persons with and without functional ankle instability, and to assess the influence of passive joint stiffness on proprioceptive acuity in persons with functional ankle instability. Methods A sample of 18 subjects with and 18 without complaints of functional ankle instability following lateral ankle sprain participated. An isokinetic dynamometer was used to compare motion perception threshold, passive position sense, and passive ankle stiffness between groups. To evaluate the influence of passive stiffness on proprioceptive acuity, individuals in the lateral functional ankle instability group were divided into 2 subgroups: "high" and "low" passive ankle stiffness. Results The functional ankle instability group exhibited increased motion perception threshold when compared with the corresponding limb of the control group. Between-group differences were not found for passive position sense and passive ankle stiffness. Those in the functional ankle instability group with higher passive ankle stiffness had smaller motion perception thresholds than those with lower passive ankle stiffness. Conclusion Unlike motion perception threshold, passive position sense is not affected by the presence of functional ankle instability. Passive ankle stiffness appears to influence proprioceptive acuity in persons with functional ankle instability. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(12):899-905. Epub 7 Oct 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7030.

  10. Potassium ions in SiO2: electrets for silicon surface passivation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonilla, Ruy S.; Wilshaw, Peter R.

    2018-01-01

    This manuscript reports an experimental and theoretical study of the transport of potassium ions in thin silicon dioxide films. While alkali contamination was largely researched in the context of MOSFET instability, recent reports indicate that potassium ions can be embedded into oxide films to produce dielectric materials with permanent electric charge, also known as electrets. These electrets are integral to a number of applications, including the passivation of silicon surfaces for optoelectronic devices. In this work, electric field assisted migration of ions is used to rapidly drive K+ into SiO2 and produce effective passivation of silicon surfaces. Charge concentrations of up to ~5  ×  1012 e cm-2 have been achieved. This charge was seen to be stable for over 1500 d, with decay time constants as high as 17 000 d, producing an effectively passivated oxide-silicon interface with SRV  <  7 cm s-1, in 1 Ω cm n-type material. This level of charge stability and passivation effectiveness has not been previously reported. Overall, this is a new and promising methodology to enhance surface passivation for the industrial manufacture of silicon optoelectronic devices.

  11. Mesoscale Elucidation of Surface Passivation in the Li–Sulfur Battery Cathode

    DOE PAGES

    Liu, Zhixiao; Mukherjee, Partha P.

    2017-01-23

    We report the cathode surface passivation caused by Li 2S precipitation adversely affects the performance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Li 2S precipitation is a complicated mesoscale process involving adsorption, desorption and diffusion kinetics, which are affected profoundly by the reactant concentration and operating temperature. In this work, a mesoscale interfacial model is presented to study the growth of Li 2S film on carbon cathode surface. Li 2S film growth experiences nucleation, isolated Li 2S island growth and island coalescence. The slow adsorption rate at small S 2- concentration inhibits the formation of nucleation seeds and the lateral growth of Limore » 2S islands, which deters surface passivation. An appropriate operating temperature, especially in the medium-to-high temperature range, can also defer surface passivation. Fewer Li 2S nucleation seeds form in such an operating temperature range, which facilitates heterogeneous growth and thereby inhibits the lateral growth of the Li 2S film, which may also result in reduced surface passivation. Finally, the high specific surface area of the cathode microstructure is expected to mitigate the surface passivation.« less

  12. Resolvent-based modeling of passive scalar dynamics in wall-bounded turbulence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dawson, Scott; Saxton-Fox, Theresa; McKeon, Beverley

    2017-11-01

    The resolvent formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations expresses the system state as the output of a linear (resolvent) operator acting upon a nonlinear forcing. Previous studies have demonstrated that a low-rank approximation of this linear operator predicts many known features of incompressible wall-bounded turbulence. In this work, this resolvent model for wall-bounded turbulence is extended to include a passive scalar field. This formulation allows for a number of additional simplifications that reduce model complexity. Firstly, it is shown that the effect of changing scalar diffusivity can be approximated through a transformation of spatial wavenumbers and temporal frequencies. Secondly, passive scalar dynamics may be studied through the low-rank approximation of a passive scalar resolvent operator, which is decoupled from velocity response modes. Thirdly, this passive scalar resolvent operator is amenable to approximation by semi-analytic methods. We investigate the extent to which this resulting hierarchy of models can describe and predict passive scalar dynamics and statistics in wall-bounded turbulence. The support of AFOSR under Grant Numbers FA9550-16-1-0232 and FA9550-16-1-0361 is gratefully acknowledged.

  13. Improving Defect-Based Quantum Emitters in Silicon Carbide via Inorganic Passivation.

    PubMed

    Polking, Mark J; Dibos, Alan M; de Leon, Nathalie P; Park, Hongkun

    2018-01-01

    Defect-based color centers in wide-bandgap crystalline solids are actively being explored for quantum information science, sensing, and imaging. Unfortunately, the luminescent properties of these emitters are frequently degraded by blinking and photobleaching that arise from poorly passivated host crystal surfaces. Here, a new method for stabilizing the photoluminescence and charge state of color centers based on epitaxial growth of an inorganic passivation layer is presented. Specifically, carbon antisite-vacancy pairs (CAV centers) in 4H-SiC, which serve as single-photon emitters at visible wavelengths, are used as a model system to demonstrate the power of this inorganic passivation scheme. Analysis of CAV centers with scanning confocal microscopy indicates a dramatic improvement in photostability and an enhancement in emission after growth of an epitaxial AlN passivation layer. Permanent, spatially selective control of the defect charge state can also be achieved by exploiting the mismatch in spontaneous polarization at the AlN/SiC interface. These results demonstrate that epitaxial inorganic passivation of defect-based quantum emitters provides a new method for enhancing photostability, emission, and charge state stability of these color centers. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Passive Facebook usage undermines affective well-being: Experimental and longitudinal evidence.

    PubMed

    Verduyn, Philippe; Lee, David Seungjae; Park, Jiyoung; Shablack, Holly; Orvell, Ariana; Bayer, Joseph; Ybarra, Oscar; Jonides, John; Kross, Ethan

    2015-04-01

    Prior research indicates that Facebook usage predicts declines in subjective well-being over time. How does this come about? We examined this issue in 2 studies using experimental and field methods. In Study 1, cueing people in the laboratory to use Facebook passively (rather than actively) led to declines in affective well-being over time. Study 2 replicated these findings in the field using experience-sampling techniques. It also demonstrated how passive Facebook usage leads to declines in affective well-being: by increasing envy. Critically, the relationship between passive Facebook usage and changes in affective well-being remained significant when controlling for active Facebook use, non-Facebook online social network usage, and direct social interactions, highlighting the specificity of this result. These findings demonstrate that passive Facebook usage undermines affective well-being. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. Combining Radiography and Passive Measurements for Radiological Threat Detection in Cargo

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

    Miller, Erin A.; White, Timothy A.; Jarman, Kenneth D.

    Abstract Radiography is widely understood to provide information complimentary to passive detection: while not directly sensitive to radiological materials, radiography can reveal highly shielded regions which may mask a passive radiological signal. We present a method for combining radiographic and passive data which uses the radiograph to provide an estimate of scatter and attenuation for possible sources. This approach allows quantitative use of radiographic images without relying on image interpretation, and results in a probabilistic description of likely source locations and strengths. We present first results for this method for a simple modeled test case of a cargo container drivingmore » through a PVT portal. With this inversion approach, we address criteria for an integrated passive and radiographic screening system and how detection of SNM threats might be improved in such a system.« less

  16. The effect of age on hamstring passive properties after a 10-week stretch training

    PubMed Central

    Haab, Thomas; Wydra, Georg

    2017-01-01

    [Purpose] Degenerative changes take place in the musculoskeletal system of elderly people, resulting in a reduced range of motion. For this reason, stretch training is recommended for elderly individuals. To date, there have been no studies of the adaptations of the passive properties of muscles following long-term stretch training. The aim of this study is to investigate the hamstring elasticity of elderly people following a 10-week stretch training and compare the results to a younger cohort. [Subjects and Methods] The experimental groups consisted of 15 younger (24.0 ± 4.0 years) and 14 older (65.1 ± 7.9 years) individuals. Both experimental groups undertook a standardised 10-week static passive hamstring stretch training. Passive properties of the hamstring were measured with an instrumented Straight Leg Raise Test. [Results] After a 10-week stretch training, there were increases in range of motion, passive resistive force and passive elastic energy in both age groups. Passive elastic stiffness decreased. Changes of hamstring passive properties did not differ significantly between age groups after a 10-week stretch training. [Conclusion] Increasing age has a negative effect on muscle passive properties, but older individuals benefit from regular stretch training, just as younger individuals do. PMID:28626322

  17. Passivation Behavior of Ultrafine-Grained Pure Copper Fabricated by Accumulative Roll Bonding (ARB) Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fattah-alhosseini, Arash; Imantalab, Omid

    2016-01-01

    In this study, passivation behavior of ultrafine-grained (UFG) pure copper fabricated by ARB process in 0.01 M borax solution has been investigated. Before any electrochemical measurements, evaluation of microstructure was obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM observations revealed that with increasing the number of ARB passes, the grain size of specimens decrease. Also, TEM images showed that UFGs with average size of below 100 nm appeared after 7 passes of ARB. To investigate the passivation behavior of the specimens, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Mott-Schottky analysis was carried out. For this purpose, three potentials within the passive region were chosen for potentiostatic passive film growth. EIS results showed that both passive film and charge-transfer resistance increases with increasing the number of ARB passes. Moreover, Mott-Schottky analysis revealed that with increasing the number of ARB passes, the acceptor density of the passive films decreased. In conclusion, increasing the number of ARB passes offers better conditions for forming the passive films with higher protection behavior, due to the growth of a much thicker and less defective films.

  18. Verb-based versus class-based accounts of actionality effects in children's comprehension of passives.

    PubMed

    Gordon, P; Chafetz, J

    1990-09-01

    Several studies have shown that children perform worse on tests of passive comprehension when the verb is non-actional than when it is actional. Most existing accounts focus on the semantic characteristics of the class of non-action verbs in explaining this difference. An alternative is a "verb-based" account in which passives are initially learned verb by verb, and children hear fewer non-actional passives in their language input. An analysis of the passives heard by Adam, Eve and Sarah (Brown, 1973) found more actional than non-actional passives, consistent with the verb-based account. In a second study, children tested for passive comprehension were re-tested a week later. The verb-based account predicts that children should show a consistent pattern of responses for individual verbs on test and re-test. Such consistency was found, with some inconsistency due to improvement over the re-test. Further analyses showed no effects of affectedness in explaining children's problems with passives. Finally, we discuss whether a mixed model containing both verb-based and class-based mechanisms is required to explain the actionality effects.

  19. Schönheit und andere Provokationen - Eine neue evolutionsbiologische Theorie der Kunst

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Junker, Thomas

    Die Evolution hat viele spektakuläre Phänomene hervorgebracht - von der Eleganz des Vogelflugs über die gigantischen Körper der Dinosaurier und die farbenprächtige Vielfalt der Korallenriffe bis hin zu ihrem jüngsten Geniestreich - der menschlichen Kunst. Die schönen Künste - Malerei, Bildhauerei und Architektur, Theater, Tanz, Oper und Filmkunst, Musik und Literatur - Produkte der Evolution? Diese Vorstellung mutet vielen Menschen fremd an, aber wie könnte es anders sein? Denn wenn Charles Darwin recht hat, dann sind nicht nur die körperlichen Merkmale der Menschen als Antworten auf die Erfordernisse des Lebens entstanden, sondern auch ihre geistigen Fähigkeiten und Verhaltensweisen. Im Jahr 1859 hatte er auf den letzten Seiten seines berühmten Buches über die Entstehung der Arten eine kühne Prophezeiung gemacht: Durch die Evolutionstheorie werde es "zu einer bemerkenswerten Revolution in der Naturwissenschaft kommen […]. Die Psychologie wird auf die neue Grundlage gestellt, dass jede geistige Kraft und Fähigkeit notwendigerweise durch graduelle Übergänge erworben wird“ (Darwin 1859, S. 484, 488; Junker 2008).

  20. Role of bond adaptability in the passivation of colloidal quantum dot solids.

    PubMed

    Thon, Susanna M; Ip, Alexander H; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Levina, Larissa; Kemp, Kyle W; Carey, Graham H; Masala, Silvia; Sargent, Edward H

    2013-09-24

    Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solids are attractive materials for photovoltaic devices due to their low-cost solution-phase processing, high absorption cross sections, and their band gap tunability via the quantum size effect. Recent advances in CQD solar cell performance have relied on new surface passivation strategies. Specifically, cadmium cation passivation of surface chalcogen sites in PbS CQDs has been shown to contribute to lowered trap state densities and improved photovoltaic performance. Here we deploy a generalized solution-phase passivation strategy as a means to improving CQD surface management. We connect the effects of the choice of metal cation on solution-phase surface passivation, film-phase trap density of states, minority carrier mobility, and photovoltaic power conversion efficiency. We show that trap passivation and midgap density of states determine photovoltaic device performance and are strongly influenced by the choice of metal cation. Supported by density functional theory simulations, we propose a model for the role of cations, a picture wherein metals offering the shallowest electron affinities and the greatest adaptability in surface bonding configurations eliminate both deep and shallow traps effectively even in submonolayer amounts. This work illustrates the importance of materials choice in designing a flexible passivation strategy for optimum CQD device performance.

  1. Submerged passively-safe power plant

    DOEpatents

    Herring, J.S.

    1993-09-21

    The invention as presented consists of a submerged passively-safe power station including a pressurized water reactor capable of generating at least 600 MW of electricity, encased in a double hull vessel, and provides fresh water by using the spent thermal energy in a multistage flash desalination process. 8 figures.

  2. Passive alcohol sensors tested in 3 states for youth alcohol enforcement

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1996-05-01

    Passive alcohol sensors were tested in three states to determine their effectiveness in enforcing zero tolerance or low BAC laws for under 21 age drivers. The passive alcohol sensor was designed to sample the air immediately around the suspect for si...

  3. Increased oxidative stress in preschool children exposed to passive smoking.

    PubMed

    Yıldırım, Faruk; Sermetow, Kabil; Aycicek, Ali; Kocyigit, Abdurrahim; Erel, Ozcan

    2011-01-01

    To study the effect of passive cigarette smoking on plasma oxidative and antioxidative status in passive smoking preschool children and to compare them with controls. Thirty-four passive smoking (five to 50 cigarettes per day) preschool children (study group) and 32 controls who had never been exposed to cigarette smoke were randomly chosen from children aged from 4 to 6 years. Urinary cotinine and plasma indicators of oxidative and antioxidative status, i.e., total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and oxidative stress index (OSI), were determined. Mean environmental cigarette consumption was 22±13 cigarettes per day in passive smoking children. Mean urinary cotinine levels were 77.6±41.4 ng/mL and 11.9±2.3 ng/mL in the study and control groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Mean plasma TAC levels were 0.95±0.13 mmol Trolox equivalent/L and 1.01±0.09 mmol Trolox equivalent/L, respectively (p = 0.039). Mean plasma TOS levels were 28.6±7.9 µmol H2O2 equivalent/L and 18.5±6.3 µmol H2O2 equivalent/L, respectively (p < 0.001). Mean OSI levels were 3.08±0.98 arbitrary units and 1.84±0.64 arbitrary units, respectively (p < 0.001). A small amount of cigarette smoke (five to 10 cigarettes per day) causes considerable oxidative stress. There were significant correlations between number of cigarettes consumed and oxidant status and OSI levels. Passive smoke is a potent oxidant in preschool children. Its deleterious effects are not limited just to heavy passive smoking, but also occur with exposure to small amounts of smoke.

  4. Passive margin evolution, initiation of subduction and the Wilson cycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cloetingh, S. A. P. L.; Wortel, M. J. R.; Vlaar, N. J.

    1984-10-01

    We have constructed finite element models at various stages of passive margin evolution, in which we have incorporated the system of forces acting on the margin, depth-dependent rheological properties and lateral variations across the margin. We have studied the interrelations between age-dependent forces, geometry and rheology, to decipher their net effect on the state of stress at passive margins. Lithospheric flexure induced by sediment loading dominates the state of stress at passive margins. This study has shown that if after a short evolution of the margin (time span a few tens of million years) subduction has not yet started, continued aging of the passive margin alone does not result in conditions more favourable for transformation into an active margin. Although much geological evidence is available in support of the key role small ocean basins play in orogeny and ophiolite emplacement, evolutionary frameworks of the Wilson cycle usually are cast in terms of opening and closing of wide ocean basins. We propose a more limited role for large oceans in the Wilson cycle concept.

  5. Passive smoking: directions for health education among Malaysian college students.

    PubMed

    Kurtz, M E; Johnson, S M; Ross-Lee, B

    1992-01-01

    This study investigated knowledge, attitudes, and preventive efforts of Malaysian college students regarding health risks associated with passive smoking, as well as possible directions for intervention and health education programs. Students responded anonymously to a structured written questionnaire. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine (1) differences in knowledge, attitudes, and preventive efforts between smokers and nonsmokers and between men and women; (2) the relationship between smoking by parents, siblings, and friends, and students' knowledge, attitudes, and preventive efforts; and (3) relationships between knowledge, attitudes, and preventive efforts. Peer groups and siblings had a substantial influence on students' attitudes toward passive smoking and their preventive efforts when exposed to passive smoke. A regression analysis revealed a statistically significant linear dependence of preventive efforts on knowledge and attitudes, with the attitude component playing the dominant role. This research suggests that educational efforts on passive smoking, directed toward young college students in developing countries such as Malaysia, should concentrate heavily on changing attitudes and reducing the effects of peer group and sibling influences.

  6. Simple rules for passive diffusion through the nuclear pore complex

    PubMed Central

    Mironska, Roxana; Kim, Seung Joong

    2016-01-01

    Passive macromolecular diffusion through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) is thought to decrease dramatically beyond a 30–60-kD size threshold. Using thousands of independent time-resolved fluorescence microscopy measurements in vivo, we show that the NPC lacks such a firm size threshold; instead, it forms a soft barrier to passive diffusion that intensifies gradually with increasing molecular mass in both the wild-type and mutant strains with various subsets of phenylalanine-glycine (FG) domains and different levels of baseline passive permeability. Brownian dynamics simulations replicate these findings and indicate that the soft barrier results from the highly dynamic FG repeat domains and the diffusing macromolecules mutually constraining and competing for available volume in the interior of the NPC, setting up entropic repulsion forces. We found that FG domains with exceptionally high net charge and low hydropathy near the cytoplasmic end of the central channel contribute more strongly to obstruction of passive diffusion than to facilitated transport, revealing a compartmentalized functional arrangement within the NPC. PMID:27697925

  7. Passive margins getting squeezed in the mantle convection vice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamato, Philippe; Husson, Laurent; Becker, Thorsten W.; Pedoja, Kevin

    2014-05-01

    Passive margins often exhibit uplift, exhumation and tectonic inversion. We speculate that the compression in the lithosphere gradually increased during the Cenozoic. In the same time, the many mountain belts at active margins that accompany this event seem readily witness this increase. However, how that compression increase affects passive margins remains unclear. In order to address this issue, we design a 2D viscous numerical model wherein a lithospheric plate rests above a weaker mantle. It is driven by a mantle conveyor belt, alternatively excited by a lateral downwelling on one side, an upwelling on the other side, or both simultaneously. The lateral edges of the plate are either free or fixed, representing the cases of free convergence, and collision or slab anchoring, respectively. This distinction changes the upper boundary condition for mantle circulation and, as a consequence, the stress field. Our results show that between these two regimes, the flow pattern transiently evolves from a free-slip convection mode towards a no-slip boundary condition above the upper mantle. In the second case, the lithosphere is highly stressed horizontally and deforms. For an equivalent bulk driving force, compression increases drastically at passive margins provided that upwellings are active. Conversely, if downwellings alone are activated, compression occurs at short distances from the trench and extension prevails elsewhere. These results are supported by Earth-like 3D spherical models that reveal the same pattern, where active upwellings are required to excite passive margins compression. These results support the idea that compression at passive margins, is the response to the underlying mantle flow, that is increasingly resisted by the Cenozoic collisions.

  8. Passive and active ventricular elastances of the left ventricle

    PubMed Central

    Zhong, Liang; Ghista, Dhanjoo N; Ng, Eddie YK; Lim, Soo T

    2005-01-01

    Background Description of the heart as a pump has been dominated by models based on elastance and compliance. Here, we are presenting a somewhat new concept of time-varying passive and active elastance. The mathematical basis of time-varying elastance of the ventricle is presented. We have defined elastance in terms of the relationship between ventricular pressure and volume, as: dP = EdV + VdE, where E includes passive (Ep) and active (Ea) elastance. By incorporating this concept in left ventricular (LV) models to simulate filling and systolic phases, we have obtained the time-varying expression for Ea and the LV-volume dependent expression for Ep. Methods and Results Using the patient's catheterization-ventriculogram data, the values of passive and active elastance are computed. Ea is expressed as: ; Epis represented as: . Ea is deemed to represent a measure of LV contractility. Hence, Peak dP/dt and ejection fraction (EF) are computed from the monitored data and used as the traditional measures of LV contractility. When our computed peak active elastance (Ea,max) is compared against these traditional indices by linear regression, a high degree of correlation is obtained. As regards Ep, it constitutes a volume-dependent stiffness property of the LV, and is deemed to represent resistance-to-filling. Conclusions Passive and active ventricular elastance formulae can be evaluated from a single-beat P-V data by means of a simple-to-apply LV model. The active elastance (Ea) can be used to characterize the ventricle's contractile state, while passive elastance (Ep) can represent a measure of resistance-to-filling. PMID:15707494

  9. Comparison of different passive knee extension torque-angle assessments.

    PubMed

    Freitas, Sandro R; Vaz, João R; Bruno, Paula M; Valamatos, Maria J; Mil-Homens, Pedro

    2013-11-01

    Previous studies have used isokinetic dynamometry to assess joint torques and angles during passive extension of the knee, often without reporting upon methodological errors and reliability outcomes. In addition, the reliability of the techniques used to measure passive knee extension torque-angle and the extent to which reliability may be affected by the position of the subjects is also unclear. Therefore, we conducted an analysis of the intra- and inter-session reliability of two methods of assessing passive knee extension: (A) a 2D kinematic analysis coupled to a custom-made device that enabled the direct measurement of resistance to stretch and (B) an isokinetic dynamometer used in two testing positions (with the non-tested thigh either flexed at 45° or in the neutral position). The intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) of torque, the slope of the torque-angle curve, and the parameters of the mathematical model that were fit to the torque-angle data for the above conditions were measured in sixteen healthy male subjects (age: 21.4 ± 2.1 yr; BMI: 22.6 ± 3.3 kg m(-2); tibial length: 37.4 ± 3.4 cm). The results found were: (1) methods A and B led to distinctly different torque-angle responses; (2) passive torque-angle relationship and stretch tolerance were influenced by the position of the non-tested thigh; and (3) ICCs obtained for torque were higher than for the slope and for the mathematical parameters that were fit to the torque-angle curve. In conclusion, the measurement method that is used and the positioning of subjects can influence the passive knee extension torque-angle outcome.

  10. Passivity-Based Control for Two-Wheeled Robot Stabilization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uddin, Nur; Aryo Nugroho, Teguh; Agung Pramudito, Wahyu

    2018-04-01

    A passivity-based control system design for two-wheeled robot (TWR) stabilization is presented. A TWR is a statically-unstable non-linear system. A control system is applied to actively stabilize the TWR. Passivity-based control method is applied to design the control system. The design results in a state feedback control law that makes the TWR closed loop system globally asymptotically stable (GAS). The GAS is proven mathematically. The TWR stabilization is demonstrated through computer simulation. The simulation results show that the designed control system is able to stabilize the TWR.

  11. Hood River Passive House, Hood River, Oregon (Fact Sheet)

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

    None, None

    2014-02-01

    The Hood River Passive Project was developed by Root Design Build of Hood River Oregon using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) to meet all of the requirements for certification under the European Passive House standards. The Passive House design approach has been gaining momentum among residential designers for custom homes and BEopt modeling indicates that these designs may actually exceed the goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Building America program to "reduce home energy use by 30%-50%" (compared to 2009 energy codes for new homes). This report documents the short term test results of the Shift Housemore » and compares the results of PHPP and BEopt modeling of the project. The design includes high R-Value assemblies, extremely tight construction, high performance doors and windows, solar thermal DHW, heat recovery ventilation, moveable external shutters and a high performance ductless mini-split heat pump. Cost analysis indicates that many of the measures implemented in this project did not meet the BA standard for cost neutrality. The ductless mini-split heat pump, lighting and advanced air leakage control were the most cost effective measures. The future challenge will be to value engineer the performance levels indicated here in modeling using production based practices at a significantly lower cost.« less

  12. Emergent scar lines in chaotic advection of passive directors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hejazi, Bardia; Mehlig, Bernhard; Voth, Greg A.

    2017-12-01

    We examine the spatial field of orientations of slender fibers that are advected by a two-dimensional fluid flow. The orientation field of these passive directors are important in a wide range of industrial and geophysical flows. We introduce emergent scar lines as the dominant coherent structures in the orientation field of passive directors in chaotic flows. Previous work has identified the existence of scar lines where the orientation rotates by π over short distances, but the lines that were identified disappeared as time progressed. As a result, earlier work focused on topological singularities in the orientation field, which we find to play a negligible role at long times. We use the standard map as a simple time-periodic two-dimensional flow that produces Lagrangian chaos. This class of flows produces persistent patterns in passive scalar advection and we find that a different kind of persistent pattern develops in the passive director orientation field. We identify the mechanism by which emergent scar lines grow to dominate these patterns at long times in complex flows. Emergent scar lines form where the recent stretching of the fluid element is perpendicular to earlier stretching. Thus these scar lines can be labeled by their age, defined as the time since their stretching reached a maximum.

  13. Power spectrum analysis of cardiovascular variability during passive heating in conscious rats.

    PubMed

    Moura, Anselmo Gomes; Pires, Washington; Leite, Laura Hora Rios; da Cunha, Daise Nunes Queiroz; Peçanha, Tiago; de Lima, Jorge Roberto Peurrot; Natali, Antônio José; Prímola-Gomes, Thales Nicolau

    2016-12-01

    The cardiovascular system plays a direct role in the maintenance of body temperature. Whether passive heating alters cardiovascular autonomic modulation in conscious rats is still unknown. This study investigated the effects of passive heating on systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV) and heart rate variability (HRV) in conscious rats and the involvement of the renin-angiotensin system in the passive heating effects on SBPV and HRV. Fourteen male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to the control group or the losartan treatment group. A catheter was implanted in the left carotid artery to record pulsatile arterial pressure (PAP), and a telemetry sensor was implanted in the abdominal cavity to measure body temperature (T body ). After recovering from surgery, the animals were subjected to a passive heating protocol (35°C; 30min) in resting conditions, during which T body , tail skin temperature and PAP were measured. The mean arterial pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, double product (i.e., the product of systolic blood pressure by heart rate), SBPV and HRV were calculated from the PAP. SBPV and HRV were analyzed in terms of both time and frequency domains. Increases in the thermoregulatory and cardiovascular parameters were observed during passive heating in both groups, and those increases were reflected in the higher time and frequency domains of the SBPV. However, passive heating was not effective in altering HRV. Passive heating altered SBPV but not HRV in conscious rats when they were treated with losartan. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Physics validation for design change of KSTAR passive stabilizer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeon, Y. M.; Kim, J. Y.; Oh, Y. K.; Yang, H. L.; Kim, W. C.; Kim, H. K.; Sabbagh, S. A.; Bialek, J. M.; Humphreys, D. A.; Welander, A. S.; Walker, M. L.

    2009-11-01

    Recently, the design of the passive stabilizer in KSTAR has been changed to improve controllability of the active control system and reduce the possibility of producing an additional error field. Originally the passive stabilizer in KSTAR was designed for RWM and vertical instability (or VDE) stabilizations and plasma startup efficiency, so that current bridges were designed and combined through 3D saddle-loop connections. Since the key design change is removing the current bridges, it's essential to assure satisfactory control performance for these instabilities under the design change. Control capability for n=1 RWM and achievable βN will be addressed as a primary goal of the passive stabilizer together with vertical instability control and effects on plasma startup. In addition, the changes in electro-magnetic force on conducting structures will be discussed qualitatively as a key engineering issue of the design change.

  15. A randomized controlled trial for the effect of passive stretching on measures of hamstring extensibility, passive stiffness, strength, and stretch tolerance.

    PubMed

    Marshall, Paul W M; Cashman, Anthony; Cheema, Birinder S

    2011-11-01

    To measure hamstring extensibility, stiffness, stretch tolerance, and strength following a 4-week passive stretching program. Randomized controlled trial. Twenty-two healthy participants were randomly assigned to either a 4-week stretching program consisting of 4 hamstring and hip stretches performed 5 times per week, or a non-stretching control group. Hamstring extensibility and stiffness were measured before and after training using the instrumented straight leg raise test (iSLR). Stretch tolerance was measured as the pain intensity (visual analog scale; VAS) elicited during the maximal stretch. Hamstring strength was measured using isokinetic dynamometry at 30 and 120° s(-1). Hamstring extensibility increased by 20.9% in the intervention group following 4 weeks of training (p<0.001; d=0.86). Passive stiffness was reduced by 31% in the intervention group (p<0.05; d=-0.89). Stretch tolerance VAS scores were not different between groups at either time point, and no changes were observed following training. There were no changes in hamstring concentric strength measured at 30 and 120° s(-1). Passive stretching increases hamstring extensibility and decreases passive stiffness, with no change in stretch tolerance defined by pain intensity during the stretch. Compared to previous research, the volume of stretching was higher in this study. The volume of prescribed stretching is important for eliciting the strong clinical effect observed in this study. Copyright © 2011 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Novel Approach to Front Contact Passivation for CdTe Photovoltaics

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

    Kephart, Jason M.

    2018-02-18

    The goal of this project was to study the use of sputter-deposited oxide materials for interface passivation of CdTe-based photovoltaics. Several candidate materials were chosen based on their promise in passivating the CdTe and CdSeTe semiconductor interface, chemical and thermal stability to device processing, and ability to be deposited by sputter deposition.

  17. Avian Influenza Vaccination of Poultry and Passive Case Reporting, Egypt

    PubMed Central

    Grosbois, Vladimir; Jobre, Yilma; Saad, Ahmed; El Nabi, Amira Abd; Galal, Shereen; Kalifa, Mohamed; El Kader, Soheir Abd; Dauphin, Gwenaëlle; Roger, François; Lubroth, Juan; Peyre, Marisa

    2012-01-01

    We investigated the influence of a mass poultry vaccination campaign on passive surveillance of highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype (H5N1) outbreaks among poultry in Egypt. Passive reporting dropped during the campaign, although probability of infection remained unchanged. Future poultry vaccination campaigns should consider this negative impact on reporting for adapting surveillance strategies. PMID:23171740

  18. Orion Passive Thermal Control Overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, Stephen W.

    2007-01-01

    An viewgraph presentation of Orion's passive thermal control system is shown. The topics include: 1) Orion in CxP Hierarchy; 2) General Orion Description/Orientation; 3) Module Descriptions and Images; 4) Orion PTCS Overview; 5) Requirements/Interfaces; 6) Design Reference Missions; 7) Natural Environments; 8) Thermal Models; 9) Challenges/Issues; and 10) Testing

  19. Evaluating the Passivation of Corrosion of API-X100 Steel with Cyclic Voltammetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eliyan, Faysal Fayez; Alfantazi, Akram

    2017-10-01

    In this research, cyclic voltammetry, in oxygen-free low bicarbonate-carbonate solutions, was used to study the corrosion reactions of a high-strength steel, API-X100. With cycles of different scan ranges, the effects of cycling, transpassivation, and cathodic reduction on the electrochemistry of the passive films were analyzed. It was found that carbonate in higher concentrations reduces the anodic activity and the cathodic reactions of the surface. Bicarbonate in small concentrations in solutions that contained low carbonate concentrations catalyzed dissolution and disrupted the formation of the passive films, in reference to the measured anodic currents. From the experiments, there was electrochemical evidence that with more cycles, the passive films were growing thicker, the transpassivation deteriorated the passive films, and during the cathodic reduction, the dissolution was occurring at lower potentials to facilitate later the passivation at higher potentials.

  20. Nitride surface passivation of GaAs nanowires: impact on surface state density.

    PubMed

    Alekseev, Prokhor A; Dunaevskiy, Mikhail S; Ulin, Vladimir P; Lvova, Tatiana V; Filatov, Dmitriy O; Nezhdanov, Alexey V; Mashin, Aleksander I; Berkovits, Vladimir L

    2015-01-14

    Surface nitridation by hydrazine-sulfide solution, which is known to produce surface passivation of GaAs crystals, was applied to GaAs nanowires (NWs). We studied the effect of nitridation on conductivity and microphotoluminescence (μ-PL) of individual GaAs NWs using conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) and confocal luminescent microscopy (CLM), respectively. Nitridation is found to produce an essential increase in the NW conductivity and the μ-PL intensity as well evidence of surface passivation. Estimations show that the nitride passivation reduces the surface state density by a factor of 6, which is of the same order as that found for GaAs/AlGaAs nanowires. The effects of the nitride passivation are also stable under atmospheric ambient conditions for six months.

  1. Passive stiffness of the gastrocnemius muscle in athletes with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

    PubMed

    Hussain, A W; Onambele, G L; Williams, A G; Morse, C I

    2013-09-01

    The passive properties of the muscle-tendon unit are regularly assessed in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). However, no information is available on the passive properties of adult muscle, and whether any differences exist between the paretic and control muscles. Eleven ambulant male athletes with spastic hemiplegic CP (21.2 ± 3.0 years) and controls without neurological impairment (age = 21.8 ± 2.2 years) completed two and one passive stretch session, respectively. During each session, the ankle was passively dorsiflexed until end range of motion (ROM), whilst recording passive ankle angle, torque and gastrocnemius medialis (GM) myotendinous junction (MTJ) displacement. In addition, GM cross-sectional area (CSA) and length were measured. Subsequently, in vivo stress and strain were determined to calculate elastic modulus. Passive stiffness, MTJ displacement and ROM of the paretic GM were not different from the control muscles. However, the elastic modulus of the paretic GM was two times stiffer than the control GM muscles. In conclusion, athletes with CP exhibit absolute passive muscle stiffness similar to the controls; however, the elastic modulus of the CP muscle was significantly greater. Therefore, throughout the same ROM a smaller GM CSA in CP athletes has to dissipate larger relative torque compared to the control muscles, consequently causing the muscle to elongate to the same extent as the non-paretic muscle under stretch.

  2. Cost of tobacco-related diseases, including passive smoking, in Hong Kong.

    PubMed

    McGhee, S M; Ho, L M; Lapsley, H M; Chau, J; Cheung, W L; Ho, S Y; Pow, M; Lam, T H; Hedley, A J

    2006-04-01

    Costs of tobacco-related disease can be useful evidence to support tobacco control. In Hong Kong we now have locally derived data on the risks of smoking, including passive smoking. To estimate the health-related costs of tobacco from both active and passive smoking. Using local data, we estimated active and passive smoking-attributable mortality, hospital admissions, outpatient, emergency and general practitioner visits for adults and children, use of nursing homes and domestic help, time lost from work due to illness and premature mortality in the productive years. Morbidity risk data were used where possible but otherwise estimates based on mortality risks were used. Utilisation was valued at unit costs or from survey data. Work time lost was valued at the median wage and an additional costing included a value of USD 1.3 million for a life lost. In the Hong Kong population of 6.5 million in 1998, the annual value of direct medical costs, long term care and productivity loss was USD 532 million for active smoking and USD 156 million for passive smoking; passive smoking accounted for 23% of the total costs. Adding the value of attributable lives lost brought the annual cost to USD 9.4 billion. The health costs of tobacco use are high and represent a net loss to society. Passive smoking increases these costs by at least a quarter. This quantification of the costs of tobacco provides strong motivation for legislative action on smoke-free areas in the Asia Pacific Region and elsewhere.

  3. Is Passive Smoking Associated With Sleep Disturbance Among Pregnant Women?

    PubMed Central

    Ohida, Takashi; Kaneita, Yoshitaka; Osaki, Yoneatsu; Harano, Satoru; Tanihata, Takeo; Takemura, Shinji; Wada, Kiyoshi; Kanda, Hideyuki; Hayashi, Kenji; Uchiyama, Makoto

    2007-01-01

    Study Objective: Pregnant women suffer from sleep disturbance, which may be aggravated by passive smoking. In this study we investigated the effects of passive smoking on sleep disturbance during pregnancy. Design: Two cross-sectional questionnaire surveys conducted in 2002 and 2006. Setting: Clinical institutions specializing in obstetrics and gynecology that participated in the nationwide surveys: 260 in the 2002 survey and 344 in the 2006 survey. Participants: 16,396 and 19,386 pregnant women in Japan surveyed in 2002 and 2006, respectively. Intervention: N/A. Measurements and Results: Pregnant women exposed to passive smoking were likely to have sleep disturbances, such as subjective insufficient sleep, difficulty in initiating sleep, short sleep duration, and snoring loudly/breathing uncomfortably. Smoking pregnant women had the same sleep disturbances and also experienced excessive daytime sleepiness and early morning awakening. The prevalence of 5 types of sleep disturbance (insufficient sleep, difficulty in initiating sleep, short sleep duration, excessive daytime sleepiness, and snoring loudly/breathing uncomfortably) among nonsmokers with environmental tobacco smoke showed a mean value intermediate between that of active smokers and that of nonsmokers without environmental tobacco smoke. Conclusion: Passive smoking is independently associated with increased sleep disturbance during pregnancy. Citation: Ohida T; Kaneita Y; Osaki Y; Harano S; Tanihata T; Takemura S; Wada K; Kanda H; Hayashi K; Uchiyama M. Is passive smoking associated with sleep disturbance among pregnant women? SLEEP 2007;30(9):1155-1161. PMID:17910387

  4. Calibrated Passive Sampling - Multi-plot Field Measurements of NH3 Emissions with a Combination of Dynamic Tube Method and Passive Samplers

    PubMed Central

    Pacholski, Andreas

    2016-01-01

    Agricultural ammonia (NH3) emissions (90% of total EU emissions) are responsible for about 45% airborne eutrophication, 31% soil acidification and 12% fine dust formation within the EU15. But NH3 emissions also mean a considerable loss of nutrients. Many studies on NH3 emission from organic and mineral fertilizer application have been performed in recent decades. Nevertheless, research related to NH3 emissions after application fertilizers is still limited in particular with respect to relationships to emissions, fertilizer type, site conditions and crop growth. Due to the variable response of crops to treatments, effects can only be validated in experimental designs including field replication for statistical testing. The dominating ammonia loss methods yielding quantitative emissions require large field areas, expensive equipment or current supply, which restricts their application in replicated field trials. This protocol describes a new methodology for the measurement of NH3 emissions on many plots linking a simple semi-quantitative measuring method used in all plots, with a quantitative method by simultaneous measurements using both methods on selected plots. As a semi-quantitative measurement method passive samplers are used. The second method is a dynamic chamber method (Dynamic Tube Method) to obtain a transfer quotient, which converts the semi-quantitative losses of the passive sampler to quantitative losses (kg nitrogen ha-1). The principle underlying this approach is that passive samplers placed in a homogeneous experimental field have the same NH3 absorption behavior under identical environmental conditions. Therefore, a transfer co-efficient obtained from single passive samplers can be used to scale the values of all passive samplers used in the same field trial. The method proved valid under a wide range of experimental conditions and is recommended to be used under conditions with bare soil or small canopies (<0.3 m). Results obtained from

  5. Fly ash carbon passivation

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

    La Count, Robert B; Baltrus, John P; Kern, Douglas G

    A thermal method to passivate the carbon and/or other components in fly ash significantly decreases adsorption. The passivated carbon remains in the fly ash. Heating the fly ash to about 500 and 800 degrees C. under inert gas conditions sharply decreases the amount of surfactant adsorbed by the fly ash recovered after thermal treatment despite the fact that the carbon content remains in the fly ash. Using oxygen and inert gas mixtures, the present invention shows that a thermal treatment to about 500 degrees C. also sharply decreases the surfactant adsorption of the recovered fly ash even though most ofmore » the carbon remains intact. Also, thermal treatment to about 800 degrees C. under these same oxidative conditions shows a sharp decrease in surfactant adsorption of the recovered fly ash due to the fact that the carbon has been removed. This experiment simulates the various "carbon burnout" methods and is not a claim in this method. The present invention provides a thermal method of deactivating high carbon fly ash toward adsorption of AEAs while retaining the fly ash carbon. The fly ash can be used, for example, as a partial Portland cement replacement in air-entrained concrete, in conductive and other concretes, and for other applications.« less

  6. Passive Sampling in Regulatory Chemical Monitoring of Nonpolar Organic Compounds in the Aquatic Environment.

    PubMed

    Booij, Kees; Robinson, Craig D; Burgess, Robert M; Mayer, Philipp; Roberts, Cindy A; Ahrens, Lutz; Allan, Ian J; Brant, Jan; Jones, Lisa; Kraus, Uta R; Larsen, Martin M; Lepom, Peter; Petersen, Jördis; Pröfrock, Daniel; Roose, Patrick; Schäfer, Sabine; Smedes, Foppe; Tixier, Céline; Vorkamp, Katrin; Whitehouse, Paul

    2016-01-05

    We reviewed compliance monitoring requirements in the European Union, the United States, and the Oslo-Paris Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic, and evaluated if these are met by passive sampling methods for nonpolar compounds. The strengths and shortcomings of passive sampling are assessed for water, sediments, and biota. Passive water sampling is a suitable technique for measuring concentrations of freely dissolved compounds. This method yields results that are incompatible with the EU's quality standard definition in terms of total concentrations in water, but this definition has little scientific basis. Insufficient quality control is a present weakness of passive sampling in water. Laboratory performance studies and the development of standardized methods are needed to improve data quality and to encourage the use of passive sampling by commercial laboratories and monitoring agencies. Successful prediction of bioaccumulation based on passive sampling is well documented for organisms at the lower trophic levels, but requires more research for higher levels. Despite the existence of several knowledge gaps, passive sampling presently is the best available technology for chemical monitoring of nonpolar organic compounds. Key issues to be addressed by scientists and environmental managers are outlined.

  7. Some comments on passive microwave measurement of rain

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilheit, Thomas T.

    1986-01-01

    It is argued that because microwave radiation interacts much more strongly with hydrometeors than with cloud particles, microwave measurements from space offer a significant chance of making global precipitation estimates. Over oceans, passive microwave measurements are essentially attenuation measurements that can be very closely related to the rain rate independently of the details of the drop-size distribution. Over land, scattering of microwave radiation by the hydrometeors, especially in the ice phase, can be used to estimate rainfall. In scattering, the details of the drop-size distribution are very important and it is therefore more difficult to achieve a high degree of accuracy. The SSM/I (Special Sensor Microwave Imager), a passive microwave imaging sensor that will be launched soon, will have dual-polarized channels at 85.5 GHz that will be very sensitive to scattering by frozen hydrometeors. Other sensors being considered for the future space missions would extend the ability to estimate rain rates from space. The ideal spaceborne precipitation-measurement system would use the complementary strengths of passive microwave, radar, and visible/infrared measurements.

  8. Aquarius Active-Passive RFI Environment at L-Band

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Le Vine, David M.; De Matthaeis, Paolo

    2014-01-01

    Active/Passive instrument combinations (i.e., radiometer and radar) are being developed at L-band for remote sensing of sea surface salinity and soil moisture. Aquarius is already in orbit and SMAP is planned for launch in the Fall of 2014. Aquarius has provided for the first time a simultaneous look at the Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) environment from space for both active and passive instruments. The RFI environment for the radiometer observations is now reasonably well known and examples from Aquarius are presented in this manuscript that show that RFI is an important consideration for the scatterometer as well. In particular, extensive areas of the USA, Europe and Asia exhibit strong RFI in both the radiometer band at 1.41 GHz and in the band at 1.26 GHz employed by the Aquarius scatterometer. Furthermore, in areas such as the USA, where RFI at 1.4 GHz is relatively well controlled, RFI in the scatterometer band maybe the limiting consideration for the operation of combination active/passive instruments.

  9. Novel Passivating/Antireflective Coatings for Space Solar Cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Faur, Mircea; Faur, Maria; Bailey, S. G.; Flood, D. J.; Faur, H. M.; Mateescu, C. G.; Alterovitz, S. A.; Scheiman, D.; Jenkins, P. P.; Brinker, D. J.

    2005-01-01

    We are developing a novel process to grow passivating/antireflective (AR) coatings for terrestrial and space solar cells. Our approach involves a Room Temperature Wet Chemical Growth (RTWCG) process, which was pioneered, and is under development at SPECMAT, Inc., under a Reimbursable Space Act Agreement with NASA Glenn Research Center. The RTWCG passivating/AR coatings with graded index of refraction are applied in one easy step on finished (bare) cells. The RTWCG coatings grown on planar, textured and porous Si, as well as on poly-Si, CuInSe2, and III-V substrates, show excellent uniformity irrespective of surface topography, crystal orientation, size and shape. In this paper we present some preliminary results of the RTWCG coatings on Si and III-V substrates that show very good potential for use as a passivation/AR coating for space solar cell applications. Compared to coatings grown using conventional techniques, the RTWCG coatings have the potential to reduce reflection losses and improve current collection near the illuminated surface of space solar cells, while reducing the fabrication costs.

  10. The design, effectiveness and construction of passive-thermal-control roofing shingles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolf, L., Jr.

    1982-09-01

    The concept of a passive thermal control roofing shingle, which is a shingle that reflects the summer sun and absorbs the winter sun, is discussed. It is indicated that it is possible to design shingles for particular latitudes and styles of roof which absorb nearly all of the winter solar energy and reflect nearly all of the summer solar energy. Calculations of the energy savings and cost effectiveness of the passive thermal control roofing shingle indicate that it is most cost effective on all south facing pitched roofs regardless of heating fuel type, and on flat or east or west facing roofs that are heated with costly fuels such as electricity or heating oil. The shingle is most effective on poorly insulated structures. The feasibility of using the passive thermal control roofing shingle in conjunction with a heat pump to pump heat absorbed by the shingle into a well insulated structure is demonstrated. Construction of a variety of models of the passive thermal control roofing shingle illustrate numerous alternate methods of manufacture. A profile extruded, plastic, glazed shingle appears to be the most promising approach. Use of a glazed shingle can increase the effectiveness of the passive thermal control roofing shingle by reducing convective heat losses.

  11. WiFi-Based Real-Time Calibration-Free Passive Human Motion Detection.

    PubMed

    Gong, Liangyi; Yang, Wu; Man, Dapeng; Dong, Guozhong; Yu, Miao; Lv, Jiguang

    2015-12-21

    With the rapid development of WLAN technology, wireless device-free passive human detection becomes a newly-developing technique and holds more potential to worldwide and ubiquitous smart applications. Recently, indoor fine-grained device-free passive human motion detection based on the PHY layer information is rapidly developed. Previous wireless device-free passive human detection systems either rely on deploying specialized systems with dense transmitter-receiver links or elaborate off-line training process, which blocks rapid deployment and weakens system robustness. In the paper, we explore to research a novel fine-grained real-time calibration-free device-free passive human motion via physical layer information, which is independent of indoor scenarios and needs no prior-calibration and normal profile. We investigate sensitivities of amplitude and phase to human motion, and discover that phase feature is more sensitive to human motion, especially to slow human motion. Aiming at lightweight and robust device-free passive human motion detection, we develop two novel and practical schemes: short-term averaged variance ratio (SVR) and long-term averaged variance ratio (LVR). We realize system design with commercial WiFi devices and evaluate it in typical multipath-rich indoor scenarios. As demonstrated in the experiments, our approach can achieve a high detection rate and low false positive rate.

  12. EPMOSt: An Energy-Efficient Passive Monitoring System for Wireless Sensor Networks

    PubMed Central

    Garcia, Fernando P.; Andrade, Rossana M. C.; Oliveira, Carina T.; de Souza, José Neuman

    2014-01-01

    Monitoring systems are important for debugging and analyzing Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). In passive monitoring, a monitoring network needs to be deployed in addition to the network to be monitored, named the target network. The monitoring network captures and analyzes packets transmitted by the target network. An energy-efficient passive monitoring system is necessary when we need to monitor a WSN in a real scenario because the lifetime of the monitoring network is extended and, consequently, the target network benefits from the monitoring for a longer time. In this work, we have identified, analyzed and compared the main passive monitoring systems proposed for WSN. During our research, we did not identify any passive monitoring system for WSN that aims to reduce the energy consumption of the monitoring network. Therefore, we propose an Energy-efficient Passive MOnitoring SysTem for WSN named EPMOSt that provides monitoring information using a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent. Thus, any management tool that supports the SNMP protocol can be integrated with this monitoring system. Experiments with real sensors were performed in several scenarios. The results obtained show the energy efficiency of the proposed monitoring system and the viability of using it to monitor WSN in real scenarios. PMID:24949639

  13. Passive damping concepts for free and forced member and grillage vibration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Razzaq, Zia; Najjar, Bassam

    1988-01-01

    The performance of potential passive damping concepts is investigted for a long tubular aluminum alloy member, and a two-bar grillage structure. The members are restrained partially at the ends and are of the type being considered by NASA for possible use in the construction of a future space station. Four different passive damping concepts are studied and include nylon brush, wool swab, copper brush, and silly putty in chamber dampers. Both free and forced vibration tests are conducted. It is found that the silly putty in chamber damper concept provides considerably greater passive damping as compared to that of the other three concepts. For the grillage natural vibration, a five wool swab damper configuration provides greater damping than the five silly putty dampers in chamber configuration. Due to the constrained motion imposed by the vibrator used in the tests, the effectiveness of the passive dampers could not be adequately evaluated for the individual member. However, it is found that for the grillage under forced vibration, the five silly putty dampers in chamber damper configuration provides very effective passive damping although only at and around the resonant frequency. At resonance, these dampers provide a 51 percent reduction in the dynamic magnification factor for this case.

  14. The Passive Aggressive Conflict Cycle

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitson, Signe

    2013-01-01

    Understanding the Passive Aggressive Conflict Cycle (PACC) helps observers to be able to look beyond behavior and better understand what is occurring beneath the surface. This article presents a real-life example of a seemingly minor conflict between a teacher and child that elicited an apparent major overreaction by the adult. Also provided is a…

  15. Physical criteria for the interface passivation layer in hydrogenated amorphous/crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Lei; Wang, Guanghong; Diao, Hongwei; Wang, Wenjing

    2018-01-01

    AFORS-HET (automat for simulation of heterostructures) simulation was utilized to explore the physical criteria for the passivation layer in hydrogenated amorphous/crystalline silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells, by systematically investigating the solar cell current density-voltage (J-V) performance as a function of the interface defect density (D it) at the passivation layer/c-Si hetero-interface, the thickness (t) of the passivation layer, the bandgap (E g) of the passivation layer, and the density of dangling bond states (D db)/band tail states (D bt) in the band gap of the passivation layer. The corresponding impact regulations were presented clearly. Except for D it, the impacts of D db, D bt and E g are strongly dependent on the passivation layer thickness t. While t is smaller than 4-5 nm, the solar cell performance is less sensitive to the variation of D db, D bt and E g. Low D it at the a-Si:H/c-Si interface and small thickness t are the critical criteria for the passivation layer in such a case. However, if t has to be relatively larger, the microstructure, i.e. the material quality, including D db, D bt and E g, of the passivation layer should be controlled carefully. The mechanisms involved were analyzed and some applicable methods to prepare the passivation layer were proposed.

  16. An assessment of polyurethane foam passive samplers for atmospheric metals compared with active samplers.

    PubMed

    Li, Qilu; Yang, Kong; Li, Jun; Zeng, Xiangying; Yu, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Gan

    2018-05-01

    In this study, we conducted an assessment of polyurethane foam (PUF) passive sampling for metals combining active sampling. Remarkably, we found that the metals collected in the passive samples differed greatly from those collected in active samples. By composition, Cu and Ni accounted for significantly higher proportions in passive samples than in active samples, leading to significantly higher uptake rates of Cu and Ni. In assessing seasonal variation, metals in passive samples had higher concentrations in summer (excluding Heshan), which differed greatly from the pattern of active samples (winter > summer), indicating that the uptake rates of most metals were higher in summer than in winter. Overall, due to the stable passive uptake rates, we considered that PUF passive samplers can be applied to collect atmospheric metals. Additionally, we created a snapshot of the metal pollution in the Pearl River Delta using principal component analysis of PUF samples and their source apportionment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Passive propulsion in vortex wakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beal, D. N.; Hover, F. S.; Triantafyllou, M. S.; Liao, J. C.; Lauder, G. V.

    A dead fish is propelled upstream when its flexible body resonates with oncoming vortices formed in the wake of a bluff cylinder, despite being well outside the suction region of the cylinder. Within this passive propulsion mode, the body of the fish extracts sufficient energy from the oncoming vortices to develop thrust to overcome its own drag. In a similar turbulent wake and at roughly the same distance behind a bluff cylinder, a passively mounted high-aspect-ratio foil is also shown to propel itself upstream employing a similar flow energy extraction mechanism. In this case, mechanical energy is extracted from the flow at the same time that thrust is produced. These results prove experimentally that, under proper conditions, a body can follow at a distance or even catch up to another upstream body without expending any energy of its own. This observation is also significant in the development of low-drag energy harvesting devices, and in the energetics of fish dwelling in flowing water and swimming behind wake-forming obstacles.

  18. The influence of active and passive smoking on the cardiorespiratory fitness of adults.

    PubMed

    de Borba, Andresa Thier; Jost, Renan Trevisan; Gass, Ricardo; Nedel, Fúlvio Borges; Cardoso, Dannuey Machado; Pohl, Hildegard Hedwig; Reckziegel, Miriam Beatris; Corbellini, Valeriano Antonio; Paiva, Dulciane Nunes

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of active and passive smoking on cardiorespiratory responses in asymptomatic adults during a sub-maximal-exertion incremental test. The participants (n = 43) were divided into three different groups: active smokers (n = 14; aged 36.5 ± 8 years), passive smokers (n = 14; aged 34.6 ± 11.9 years) and non-smokers (n = 15; aged 30 ± 8.1 years). They all answered the Test for Nicotine Dependence and underwent anthropometric evaluation, spirometry and ergospirometry according to the Bruce Treadmill Protocol. VO2max differed statistically between active and non-smokers groups (p < 0.001) and between non-smokers and passive group (p=0.022). However, there was no difference between the passive and active smokers groups (p=0.053). Negative and significant correlations occurred between VO2max and age (r = - 0.401, p = 0.044), percentage of body fat (r = - 0.429, p = 0.011), and waist circumference (WC) (r = - 0.382, p = 0.025). VO2max was significantly higher in non-smokers compared to active smokers and passive smokers. However, the VO2max of passive smokers did not differ from active smokers.

  19. Enhanced Charge Collection with Passivation Layers in Perovskite Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    Lee, Yong Hui; Luo, Jingshan; Son, Min-Kyu; Gao, Peng; Cho, Kyung Taek; Seo, Jiyoun; Zakeeruddin, Shaik M; Grätzel, Michael; Nazeeruddin, Mohammad Khaja

    2016-05-01

    The Al2 O3 passivation layer is beneficial for mesoporous TiO2 -based perovskite solar cells when it is deposited selectively on the compact TiO2 surface. Such a passivation layer suppressing surface recombination can be formed by thermal decomposition of the perovskite layer during post-annealing. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Changes in executive function after acute bouts of passive cycling in Parkinson's disease.

    PubMed

    Ridgel, Angela L; Kim, Chul-Ho; Fickes, Emily J; Muller, Matthew D; Alberts, Jay L

    2011-04-01

    Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) often experience cognitive declines. Although pharmacologic therapies are helpful in treating motor deficits in PD, they do not appear to be effective for cognitive complications. Acute bouts of moderate aerobic exercise have been shown to improve cognitive function in healthy adults. However, individuals with PD often have difficulty with exercise. This study examined the effects of passive leg cycling on executive function in PD. Executive function was assessed with Trail-Making Test (TMT) A and B before and after passive leg cycling. Significant improvements on the TMT-B test occurred after passive leg cycling. Furthermore, the difference between times to complete the TMT-B and TMT-A significantly decreased from precycling to postcycling. Improved executive function after passive cycling may be a result of increases in cerebral blood flow. These findings suggest that passive exercise could be a concurrent therapy for cognitive decline in PD.

  1. A Large-Scale Cross-Linguistic Investigation of the Acquisition of Passive

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Armon-Lotem, Sharon; Haman, Ewa; de López, Kristine Jensen; Smoczynska, Magdalena; Yatsushiro, Kazuko; Szczerbinski, Marcin; van Hout, Angeliek; Dabašinskiene, Ineta; Gavarró, Anna; Hobbs, Erin; Kamandulyte-Merfeldiene, Laura; Katsos, Napoleon; Kunnari, Sari; Nitsiou, Chrisa; Olsen, Lone Sundahl; Parramon, Xavier; Sauerland, Uli; Torn-Leesik, Reeli; van der Lely, Heather

    2016-01-01

    This cross-linguistic study evaluates children's understanding of passives in 11 typologically different languages: Catalan, Cypriot Greek, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, German, Hebrew, Lithuanian, and Polish. The study intends to determine whether the reported gaps between the comprehension of active and passive and between short and…

  2. Measurement of indoor formaldehyde concentrations with a passive sampler

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

    Gillett, R.W.; Kreibich, H.; Ayers, G.P.

    2000-05-15

    An existing Ferm-type passive sampler technique has been further developed to measure concentrations of formaldehyde gas in indoor air. Formaldehyde forms a derivative after reaction with a filter coated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNPH). The formaldehyde 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivative (formaldehyde-2,4-DNPH) is extracted from the filter, and the concentration is determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The technique has been validated against an active sampling method, and the agreement is close when the appropriate laminar boundary layer depth is applied to the passive measurement. For this technique an exposure period of 3 days is equivalent to a limit of detection of formaldehyde of 3.4 ppbvmore » and a limit of quantification of 7.6 ppbv. To test the performance of the passive samplers ambient formaldehyde measurements were carried out inside homes and in a range of workplace environments.« less

  3. Perspectives on scaling and multiscaling in passive scalar turbulence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Banerjee, Tirthankar; Basu, Abhik

    2018-05-01

    We revisit the well-known problem of multiscaling in substances passively advected by homogeneous and isotropic turbulent flows or passive scalar turbulence. To that end we propose a two-parameter continuum hydrodynamic model for an advected substance concentration θ , parametrized jointly by y and y ¯, that characterize the spatial scaling behavior of the variances of the advecting stochastic velocity and the stochastic additive driving force, respectively. We analyze it within a one-loop dynamic renormalization group method to calculate the multiscaling exponents of the equal-time structure functions of θ . We show how the interplay between the advective velocity and the additive force may lead to simple scaling or multiscaling. In one limit, our results reduce to the well-known results from the Kraichnan model for passive scalar. Our framework of analysis should be of help for analytical approaches for the still intractable problem of fluid turbulence itself.

  4. Electrochemical and passive behaviour of tin alloyed ferritic stainless steel in concrete environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Hong; Su, Huaizhi; Li, Baosong; Ying, Guobing

    2018-05-01

    In the present work, the electrochemical behavior and semiconducting properties of a tin alloyed ferritic stainless steel in simulated concrete solution in presence of NaCl were estimated by conventional electrochemical methods such as potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and capacitance measurement (Mott-Schottky approach). The surface passive film was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results revealed a good agreement between pitting corrosion, electrochemical behaviour, and electronic properties. The p and n-type bilayer structure passive film were observed. The increase of Sn4+ oxide species in the passive film shows no beneficial effects on the pitting corrosion. In addition, the dehydration of the passive film was further discussed.

  5. Bismuth Passivation Technique for High-Resolution X-Ray Detectors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chervenak, James; Hess, Larry

    2013-01-01

    The Athena-plus team requires X-ray sensors with energy resolution of better than one part in 3,000 at 6 keV X-rays. While bismuth is an excellent material for high X-ray stopping power and low heat capacity (for large signal when an X-ray is stopped by the absorber), oxidation of the bismuth surface can lead to electron traps and other effects that degrade the energy resolution. Bismuth oxide reduction and nitride passivation techniques analogous to those used in indium passivation are being applied in a new technique. The technique will enable improved energy resolution and resistance to aging in bismuth-absorber-coupled X-ray sensors. Elemental bismuth is lithographically integrated into X-ray detector circuits. It encounters several steps where the Bi oxidizes. The technology discussed here will remove oxide from the surface of the Bi and replace it with nitridized surface. Removal of the native oxide and passivating to prevent the growth of the oxide will improve detector performance and insulate the detector against future degradation from oxide growth. Placing the Bi coated sensor in a vacuum system, a reduction chemistry in a plasma (nitrogen/hydrogen (N2/H2) + argon) is used to remove the oxide and promote nitridization of the cleaned Bi surface. Once passivated, the Bi will perform as a better X-ray thermalizer since energy will not be trapped in the bismuth oxides on the surface. A simple additional step, which can be added at various stages of the current fabrication process, can then be applied to encapsulate the Bi film. After plasma passivation, the Bi can be capped with a non-diffusive layer of metal or dielectric. A non-superconducting layer is required such as tungsten or tungsten nitride (WNx).

  6. Passive Isolators for use on the International Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Houston, Janice; Gattis, Christy

    2003-01-01

    The value of the International Space Station (ISS) as a premier microgravity environment is currently at risk due to structure-borne vibration. The vibration sources are varied and include crew activities such as exercising or simply moving from module to module, and electro- mechanical equipment such as fans and pumps. Given such potential degradation of usable microgravity, anything that can be done to dampen vibration on-orbit will significantly benefit microgravity users. Most vibration isolation schemes, both active and passive, have proven to be expensive - both operationally and from the cost of integrating isolation systems into primary/secondary structural interfaces (e.g., the ISS module/rack interface). Recently, passively absorptive materials have been tested at the bolt interfaces between the operating equipment and support structure (secondary/tertiary structural interfaces). The results indicate that these materials may prove cost-effective in mitigating the vibrational problems of the ISS. We report herein tests of passive absorbers placed at the interface of a vibration-inducing component: the Development Distillation Assembly, a subassembly of the Urine Processing Assembly, which is a rotating centrifuge and cylinder assembly attached to a mounting plate. Passive isolators were installed between this mounting plate and its support shelf. Three materials were tested: BISCO HT-800, Sorbothane 30 and Sorbothane 50, plus a control test with a hard shim. In addition, four distinct combinations of the HT-800 and Sorbothane 50 were tested. Results show a significant (three orders of magnitude) reduction of transmitted energy, as measured in power spectral density (PSD), using the isolation materials. It is noted, however, that passive materials cannot prevent the transmission of very strong forces or absorb the total energy induced from structural resonances.

  7. Advanced Demonstration of Motion Correction for Ship-to-Ship Passive Inspections

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

    Ziock, Klaus-Peter; Boehnen, Chris Bensing; Ernst, Joseph

    2013-09-30

    Passive radiation detection is a key tool for detecting illicit nuclear materials. In maritime applications it is most effective against small vessels where attenuation is of less concern. Passive imaging provides: discrimination between localized (threat) and distributed (non-threat) sources, removal of background fluctuations due to nearby shorelines and structures, source localization to an individual craft in crowded waters, and background subtracted spectra. Unfortunately, imaging methods cannot be easily applied in ship-to-ship inspections because relative motion of the vessels blurs the results over many pixels, significantly reducing sensitivity. This is particularly true for the smaller water craft where passive inspections aremore » most valuable. In this project we performed tests and improved the performance of an instrument (developed earlier under, “Motion Correction for Ship-to-Ship Passive Inspections”) that uses automated tracking of a target vessel in visible-light images to generate a 3D radiation map of the target vessel from data obtained using a gamma-ray imager.« less

  8. Decoupling the effects of confinement and passivation on semiconductor quantum dots.

    PubMed

    Rudd, Roya; Hall, Colin; Murphy, Peter J; Reece, Peter J; Charrault, Eric; Evans, Drew

    2016-07-20

    Semiconductor (SC) quantum dots (QDs) have recently been fabricated by both chemical and plasma techniques for specific absorption and emission of light. Their optical properties are governed by the size of the QD and the chemistry of any passivation at their surface. Here, we decouple the effects of confinement and passivation by utilising DC magnetron sputtering to fabricate SC QDs in a perfluorinated polyether oil. Very high band gaps are observed for fluorinated QDs with increasing levels of quantum confinement (from 4.2 to 4.6 eV for Si, and 2.5 to 3 eV for Ge), with a shift down to 3.4 eV for Si when oxygen is introduced to the passivation layer. In contrast, the fluorinated Si QDs display a constant UV photoluminescence (3.8 eV) irrespective of size. This ability to tune the size and passivation independently opens a new opportunity to extending the use of simple semiconductor QDs.

  9. Gas-diffusion-based passive sampler for ammonia monitoring in marine waters.

    PubMed

    O'Connor Šraj, Lenka; Almeida, M Inês G S; Bassett, Chelsea; McKelvie, Ian D; Kolev, Spas D

    2018-05-01

    A novel passive sampler based on gas-diffusion across a hydrophobic membrane is described for the determination of the time-weighted average concentration of dissolved molecular ammonia in high ionic strength aquatic environments, such as sea, coastal and estuarine waters, for a period of 3 days. The passive sampler developed is cheap, easy-to-use, reusable, and has a dynamic concentration range of 2.0-12µM, which covers the water quality guideline trigger value of 11.4µM (160µgL -1 NH 3 -N) for high conservation value waters, making this a powerful new tool for water quality managers involved in long-term ammonia monitoring. The gas-diffusion-based passive sampler was calibrated under laboratory conditions and deployed in a tank of seawater in the laboratory and at an estuarine site for proof of concept, and a good agreement between passive and spot sampling was achieved in both cases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Active/passive microwave sensor comparison of MIZ-ice concentration estimates. [Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burns, B. A.; Cavalieri, D. J.; Keller, M. R.

    1986-01-01

    Active and passive microwave data collected during the 1984 summer Marginal Ice Zone Experiment in the Fram Strait (MIZEX 84) are used to compare ice concentration estimates derived from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to those obtained from passive microwave imagery at several frequencies. The comparison is carried out to evaluate SAR performance against the more established passive microwave technique, and to investigate discrepancies in terms of how ice surface conditions, imaging geometry, and choice of algorithm parameters affect each sensor. Active and passive estimates of ice concentration agree on average to within 12%. Estimates from the multichannel passive microwave data show best agreement with the SAR estimates because the multichannel algorithm effectively accounts for the range in ice floe brightness temperatures observed in the MIZ.

  11. Lead effect on the corrosion and passivation behavior of Alloy 600

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Zhongquan

    2005-07-01

    Dissolved Pb is considered as the most aggressive chemical species involved in the initiation and growth of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) power generating system. The results from laboratory studies indicate that Pb-induced SCC (PbSCC) covers a range of potential and pH which is the largest of all the submodes of SCC occurring in steam generators (SG) and it occurs at threshold concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm. It is hypothesized that PbSCC is caused by the incorporation of Pb into the passive film, which reduces the passivity of the film and enhances the selective dissolution of Ni from the base metal. This investigation is focused on studying the effect of Pb on the dissolution and passivation of Alloy 600 MA in order to provide information for understanding the PbSCC mechanism. The effect of Pb on Alloy 600 MA was investigated in the solutions containing 110ppm Cl- and different concentrations of Pb 2+ at 90°C with pH4.5. Potentiodynamic polarization scans, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to study the electrochemical behavior of Alloy 600 MA in the active and passive potential region in the solutions with/without Pb2+ in order to compare the effect of Pb on the dissolution and passivation of Alloy 600. The results indicated that the corrosion of Alloy 600 induced by Pb 2+ was ascribed to the enhanced dissolution of Ni by the reduction of Pb2+ at potentials slightly more cathodic than EPb2+/Pb0G Pb0=1 . The lower boundary of Pb2+ concentration for the occurrence of the displacement reaction is 2.5ppb according to thermodynamic calculations. The passivation of Alloy 600 was retarded by the Pb2+ and it was ascribed to the inhibited growth of NiO at passive potential and the increased conductivity of Cr2O3 by doping Pb 2+ in Cr2O3 lattice.

  12. Passivation of bimetallic catalysts used in water treatment: prevention and reactivation.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jianming; Gillham, Robert W; Gui, Lai

    2013-01-01

    With respect to degradation rates and the range in contaminants treated, bimetals such as Ni-Fe or Pd-Fe generally outperform unamended granular iron. However, the catalytic enhancement is generally short-lived, lasting from a few days to months. To take advantage of the significant benefits of bimetals, this study aims at developing an effective method for the rejuvenation of passivated bimetals and alternatively, the prevention of rapid reactivity loss of bimetals. Because the most likely cause of Ni-Fe and Pd-Fe passivation is the deposition of iron oxide films over the catalyst sites, it is hypothesized that removal of the iron oxide films will restore the lost reactivity or avoiding the deposition of iron oxide films will prevent passivation. Two organic ligands (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and [s,s]-ethylenediaminedisuccinate acid ([s,s]-EDDS)) and two acids (citric acid and sulphuric acid) were tested as possible chemical reagents for both passivation rejuvenation and prevention. Trichloroethene (TCE) and Ni-Fe were chosen as probes for chlorinated solvents and bimetals respectively. The test was carried out using small glass columns packed with Ni-Fe. TCE solution containing a single reagent at various concentrations was pumped through the Ni-Fe columns with a residence time in the Ni-Fe of about 6.6 min. TCE concentrations in the influent and effluent were measured to evaluate the performance of each chemical reagent. The results show that (i) for passivated Ni-Fe, flushing with a low concentration of acid or ligand solution without mechanical mixing can fully restore the lost reactivity; and (ii) for passivation prevention, adding a small amount of a ligand or an acid to the feed solution can successfully prevent or at least substantially reduce Ni-Fe passivation. All four chemicals tested are effective in both rejuvenation and prevention, but sulphuric acid and citric acid are considered to be the most practical reagents due to their

  13. [CPM--Continuous Passive Motion: treatment of injured or operated knee-joints using passive movement. A meta-analysis of current literature].

    PubMed

    Kirschner, P

    2004-04-01

    There is still a controversial discussion in literature about the use of motor driven splints in knee surgery--as the principle of continuous passive motion, CPM. For this reason it seemed useful for an evaluation to look through the papers which were published since 1990. It was obvious, that negative results were published often before this year, but this papers are still quoted standard works. In medical data bases subito-doc.de, medscape.com, medica.de and zbmed.de 230 papers were found by search CPM, continuous passive motion and arthromot. Coincidentally there was a search for authors who were already quoted in other papers. 36 papers concerning CPM after knee surgery were utilized. The role of CPM regarding the range of motion, swelling, duration of hospital stay, use of analgesics, costs, postoperative manipulations, wound healing and thrombo embolic complications was evaluated. Although the results of this partial retrospective, partial prospective, sometimes randomized or double blinded studies are in contradiction, there can only be found a trend to better results. New clinical studies for evidence based guidelines in the handling of continuous passive motion after knee surgery are necessary.

  14. Surface Passivation by Quantum Exclusion Using Multiple Layers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hoenk, Michael E. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    A semiconductor device has a multilayer doping to provide improved passivation by quantum exclusion. The multilayer doping includes a plurality M of doped layers, where M is an integer greater than 1. The dopant sheet densities in the M doped layers need not be the same, but in principle can be selected to be the same sheet densities or to be different sheet densities. M-1 interleaved layers provided between the M doped layers are not deliberately doped (also referred to as "undoped layers"). Structures with M=2, M=3 and M=4 have been demonstrated and exhibit improved passivation.

  15. Parallel Processing Systems for Passive Ranging During Helicopter Flight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sridhar, Bavavar; Suorsa, Raymond E.; Showman, Robert D. (Technical Monitor)

    1994-01-01

    The complexity of rotorcraft missions involving operations close to the ground result in high pilot workload. In order to allow a pilot time to perform mission-oriented tasks, sensor-aiding and automation of some of the guidance and control functions are highly desirable. Images from an electro-optical sensor provide a covert way of detecting objects in the flight path of a low-flying helicopter. Passive ranging consists of processing a sequence of images using techniques based on optical low computation and recursive estimation. The passive ranging algorithm has to extract obstacle information from imagery at rates varying from five to thirty or more frames per second depending on the helicopter speed. We have implemented and tested the passive ranging algorithm off-line using helicopter-collected images. However, the real-time data and computation requirements of the algorithm are beyond the capability of any off-the-shelf microprocessor or digital signal processor. This paper describes the computational requirements of the algorithm and uses parallel processing technology to meet these requirements. Various issues in the selection of a parallel processing architecture are discussed and four different computer architectures are evaluated regarding their suitability to process the algorithm in real-time. Based on this evaluation, we conclude that real-time passive ranging is a realistic goal and can be achieved with a short time.

  16. A Passive System Reliability Analysis for a Station Blackout

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

    Brunett, Acacia; Bucknor, Matthew; Grabaskas, David

    2015-05-03

    The latest iterations of advanced reactor designs have included increased reliance on passive safety systems to maintain plant integrity during unplanned sequences. While these systems are advantageous in reducing the reliance on human intervention and availability of power, the phenomenological foundations on which these systems are built require a novel approach to a reliability assessment. Passive systems possess the unique ability to fail functionally without failing physically, a result of their explicit dependency on existing boundary conditions that drive their operating mode and capacity. Argonne National Laboratory is performing ongoing analyses that demonstrate various methodologies for the characterization of passivemore » system reliability within a probabilistic framework. Two reliability analysis techniques are utilized in this work. The first approach, the Reliability Method for Passive Systems, provides a mechanistic technique employing deterministic models and conventional static event trees. The second approach, a simulation-based technique, utilizes discrete dynamic event trees to treat time- dependent phenomena during scenario evolution. For this demonstration analysis, both reliability assessment techniques are used to analyze an extended station blackout in a pool-type sodium fast reactor (SFR) coupled with a reactor cavity cooling system (RCCS). This work demonstrates the entire process of a passive system reliability analysis, including identification of important parameters and failure metrics, treatment of uncertainties and analysis of results.« less

  17. Protective capping and surface passivation of III-V nanowires by atomic layer deposition

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

    Dhaka, Veer, E-mail: veer.dhaka@aalto.fi; Perros, Alexander; Kakko, Joona-Pekko

    2016-01-15

    Low temperature (∼200 °C) grown atomic layer deposition (ALD) films of AlN, TiN, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, GaN, and TiO{sub 2} were tested for protective capping and surface passivation of bottom-up grown III-V (GaAs and InP) nanowires (NWs), and top-down fabricated InP nanopillars. For as-grown GaAs NWs, only the AlN material passivated the GaAs surface as measured by photoluminescence (PL) at low temperatures (15K), and the best passivation was achieved with a few monolayer thick (2Å) film. For InP NWs, the best passivation (∼2x enhancement in room-temperature PL) was achieved with a capping of 2nm thick Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. All othermore » ALD capping layers resulted in a de-passivation effect and possible damage to the InP surface. Top-down fabricated InP nanopillars show similar passivation effects as InP NWs. In particular, capping with a 2 nm thick Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer increased the carrier decay time from 251 ps (as-etched nanopillars) to about 525 ps. Tests after six months ageing reveal that the capped nanostructures retain their optical properties. Overall, capping of GaAs and InP NWs with high-k dielectrics AlN and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} provides moderate surface passivation as well as long term protection from oxidation and environmental attack.« less

  18. Is passive smoking associated with sleep disturbance among pregnant women?

    PubMed

    Ohida, Takashi; Kaneita, Yoshitaka; Osaki, Yoneatsu; Harano, Satoru; Tanihata, Takeo; Takemura, Shinji; Wada, Kiyoshi; Kanda, Hideyuki; Hayashi, Kenji; Uchiyama, Makoto

    2007-09-01

    Pregnant women suffer from sleep disturbance, which may be aggravated by passive smoking. In this study we investigated the effects of passive smoking on sleep disturbance during pregnancy. Two cross-sectional questionnaire surveys conducted in 2002 and 2006. Clinical institutions specializing in obstetrics and gynecology that participated in the nationwide surveys: 260 in the 2002 survey and 344 in the 2006 survey. 16,396 and 19,386 pregnant women in Japan surveyed in 2002 and 2006, respectively. N/A. Pregnant women exposed to passive smoking were likely to have sleep disturbances, such as subjective insufficient sleep, difficulty in initiating sleep, short sleep duration, and snoring loudly/breathing uncomfortably. Smoking pregnant women had the same sleep disturbances and also experienced excessive daytime sleepiness and early morning awakening. The prevalence of 5 types of sleep disturbance (insufficient sleep, difficulty in initiating sleep, short sleep duration, excessive daytime sleepiness, and snoring loudly/breathing uncomfortably) among nonsmokers with environmental tobacco smoke showed a mean value intermediate between that of active smokers and that of nonsmokers without environmental tobacco smoke. Passive smoking is independently associated with increased sleep disturbance during pregnancy.

  19. Effect of temperature on the passivation behavior of steel rebar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Shan-meng; Cao, Bei; Wu, Yin-shun; Ma, Ke

    2014-05-01

    Steel rebar normally forms an oxide or rusty skin before it is embedded into concrete and the passivation properties of this skin will be heavily influenced by temperature. To study the effect of temperature on the passivation properties of steel rebar under different surface conditions, we conducted scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations and electrochemical measurements, such as measurements of the free corrosion potential and polarization curves of HPB235 steel rebar. These measurements identified three kinds of surfaces: polished, oxide skin, and rusty skin. Our results show that the passivation properties of all the surface types decrease with the increase of temperature. Temperature has the greatest effect on the rusty-skin rebar and least effect on the polished steel rebar, because of cracks and crevices on the mill scale on the steel rebar's surface. The rusty-skin rebar exhibits the highest corrosion rate because crevice corrosion can accelerate the corrosion of the steel rebar, particularly at high temperature. The results also indicate that the threshold temperatures of passivation for the oxide-skin rebar and the rusty-skin rebar are 37°C and 20°C, respectively.

  20. Alternative to Nitric Acid for Passivation of Stainless Steel Alloys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lewis, Pattie L.; Kolody, Mark; Curran, Jerry

    2013-01-01

    Corrosion is an extensive problem that affects the Department of Defense (DoD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The deleterious effects of corrosion result in steep costs, asset downtime affecting mission readiness, and safety risks to personnel. Consequently, it is vital to reduce corrosion costs and risks in a sustainable manner. The DoD and NASA have numerous structures and equipment that are fabricated from stainless steel. The standard practice for protection of stainless steel is a process called passivation. Typical passivation procedures call for the use of nitric acid; however, there are a number of environmental, worker safety, and operational issues associated with its use. Citric acid offers a variety of benefits including increased safety for personnel, reduced environmental impact, and reduced operational cost. DoD and NASA agreed to collaborate to validate citric acid as an acceptable passivating agent for stainless steel. This paper details our investigation of prior work developing the citric acid passivation process, development of the test plan, optimization of the process for specific stainless steel alloys, ongoing and planned testing to elucidate the process' resistance to corrosion in comparison to nitric acid, and preliminary results.

  1. Advancing the Use of Passive Sampling in Risk Assessment and Management of Sediments Contaminated with Hydrophobic Organic Chemicals: Results of an International Ex Situ Passive Sampling Interlaboratory Comparison

    EPA Science Inventory

    This work presents the results of an international interlaboratory comparison on ex situ passive sampling in sediments. The main objectives were to map the state of the science in passively sampling sediments, identify sources of variability, provide recommendations and practical...

  2. Advancing the Use of Passive Sampling in Risk Assessment and Management of Sediments Contaminated with Hydrophobic Organic Chemicals: Results of an International Ex Situ Passive Sampling Interlaboratory Comparison

    EPA Science Inventory

    This work presents the results of an international interlaboratory comparison on ex situ passive sampling in sediments. The main objectives were to map the state of the science in passively sampling sediments, identify sources of variability, provide recommendations and practica...

  3. Redesign of Water Distribution Systems for Passive ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Journal article The purpose of this paper is to examine how water distribution systems could be designed or retrofitted to passively contain contaminants that might enter the water distribution system.

  4. Passivation of long-wave infrared InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plis, E.; Kutty, M. N.; Myers, S.; Kim, H. S.; Gautam, N.; Dawson, L. R.; Krishna, S.

    2011-05-01

    We have investigated various passivation techniques for type-II InAs/GaSb strained layer superlattice (SLS) detectors with p-i-n and PbIbN designs with a 100%-cut-off wavelength of ˜12 μm at 77 K. The passivation schemes include dielectric deposition (silicon nitride (SiN x), silicon dioxide (SiO 2), photoresist (SU-8)), chalcogenide treatments (zinc sulfide (ZnS), ammonium sulfide [(NH 4) 2S]), and electrochemical sulphur deposition. [(NH 4) 2S] passivation and electrochemical sulphur passivation (ECP) showed the better performances, improving the dark current density by factors of 200 and 25 (p-i-n detector) and ˜3 and 54 (PbIbN detector), respectively ( T = 77 K, -0.1 V of applied bias). The specific detectivity D* was improved by a factor of 2 and by an order of magnitude for (NH 4) 2S and ECP passivated PbIbN detectors, respectively.

  5. Molecular Monolayers for Electrical Passivation and Functionalization of Silicon-Based Solar Energy Devices.

    PubMed

    Veerbeek, Janneke; Firet, Nienke J; Vijselaar, Wouter; Elbersen, Rick; Gardeniers, Han; Huskens, Jurriaan

    2017-01-11

    Silicon-based solar fuel devices require passivation for optimal performance yet at the same time need functionalization with (photo)catalysts for efficient solar fuel production. Here, we use molecular monolayers to enable electrical passivation and simultaneous functionalization of silicon-based solar cells. Organic monolayers were coupled to silicon surfaces by hydrosilylation in order to avoid an insulating silicon oxide layer at the surface. Monolayers of 1-tetradecyne were shown to passivate silicon micropillar-based solar cells with radial junctions, by which the efficiency increased from 8.7% to 9.9% for n + /p junctions and from 7.8% to 8.8% for p + /n junctions. This electrical passivation of the surface, most likely by removal of dangling bonds, is reflected in a higher shunt resistance in the J-V measurements. Monolayers of 1,8-nonadiyne were still reactive for click chemistry with a model catalyst, thus enabling simultaneous passivation and future catalyst coupling.

  6. Evaluation of passive samplers for the collection of dissolved organic matter in streams.

    PubMed

    Warner, Daniel L; Oviedo-Vargas, Diana; Royer, Todd V

    2015-01-01

    Traditional sampling methods for dissolved organic matter (DOM) in streams limit opportunities for long-term studies due to time and cost constraints. Passive DOM samplers were constructed following a design proposed previously which utilizes diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose as a sampling medium, and they were deployed throughout a temperate stream network in Indiana. Two deployments of the passive samplers were conducted, during which grab samples were frequently collected for comparison. Differences in DOM quality between sites and sampling methods were assessed using several common optical analyses. The analyses revealed significant differences in optical properties between sampling methods, with the passive samplers preferentially collecting terrestrial, humic-like DOM. We assert that the differences in DOM composition from each sampling method were caused by preferential binding of complex humic compounds to the DEAE cellulose in the passive samplers. Nonetheless, the passive samplers may provide a cost-effective, integrated sample of DOM in situations where the bulk DOM pool is composed mainly of terrestrial, humic-like compounds.

  7. Germanium detector passivated with hydrogenated amorphous germanium

    DOEpatents

    Hansen, William L.; Haller, Eugene E.

    1986-01-01

    Passivation of predominantly crystalline semiconductor devices (12) is provided for by a surface coating (21) of sputtered hydrogenated amorphous semiconductor material. Passivation of a radiation detector germanium diode, for example, is realized by sputtering a coating (21) of amorphous germanium onto the etched and quenched diode surface (11) in a low pressure atmosphere of hydrogen and argon. Unlike prior germanium diode semiconductor devices (12), which must be maintained in vacuum at cryogenic temperatures to avoid deterioration, a diode processed in the described manner may be stored in air at room temperature or otherwise exposed to a variety of environmental conditions. The coating (21) compensates for pre-existing undesirable surface states as well as protecting the semiconductor device (12) against future impregnation with impurities.

  8. Evaluating the Relationship between Equilibrium Passive Sampler Uptake and Aquatic Organism Bioaccumulation,

    EPA Science Inventory

    Objectives. This review evaluates passive sampler uptake of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in water column and interstitial water exposures as a surrogate for organism bioaccumulation. Approach/Activities. Fifty-five studies were found where both passive sampler uptake...

  9. Measurement of the passive fast-ion D-alpha emission on the NSTX-U tokamak

    DOE PAGES

    Hao, G. Z.; Heidbrink, W. W.; Liu, D.; ...

    2018-01-08

    On National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade, the passive fast-ion D-alpha (passive-FIDA) spectra from charge exchange (CX) between the beam ions and the background neutrals are measured and simulated. The results indicate that the passive-FIDA signal is measurable and comparable to the active-FIDA on several channels, such as at the major radius R = 117 cm. For this, active-FIDA means the active D-alpha emission from the fast ions that CX with the injected neutrals. The shapes of measured spectra are in agreement with FIDASIM simulations on many fibers. Furthermore, the passive-FIDA spatial profile agrees with the simulation. When making measurements ofmore » active-FIDA in the edge region using time-slice subtraction, variations in the passive-FIDA contribution to the signal should be considered.« less

  10. Measurement of the passive fast-ion D-alpha emission on the NSTX-U tokamak

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

    Hao, G. Z.; Heidbrink, W. W.; Liu, D.

    On National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade, the passive fast-ion D-alpha (passive-FIDA) spectra from charge exchange (CX) between the beam ions and the background neutrals are measured and simulated. The results indicate that the passive-FIDA signal is measurable and comparable to the active-FIDA on several channels, such as at the major radius R = 117 cm. For this, active-FIDA means the active D-alpha emission from the fast ions that CX with the injected neutrals. The shapes of measured spectra are in agreement with FIDASIM simulations on many fibers. Furthermore, the passive-FIDA spatial profile agrees with the simulation. When making measurements ofmore » active-FIDA in the edge region using time-slice subtraction, variations in the passive-FIDA contribution to the signal should be considered.« less

  11. Antioxidant responses following active and passive smoking of tobacco and electronic cigarettes.

    PubMed

    Poulianiti, Konstantina; Karatzaferi, Christina; Flouris, Andreas D; Fatouros, Ioannis G; Koutedakis, Yiannis; Jamurtas, Athanasios Z

    2016-07-01

    It has been indicated that acute active and passive tobacco cigarette smoking may cause changes on redox status balance that may result in significant pathologies. However, no study has evaluated the effects of active and passive e-cigarette smoking on redox status of consumers. To examine the acute effects of active and passive e-cigarette and tobacco cigarette smoking on selected redox status markers. Using a randomized single-blind crossover design, 30 participants (15 smokers and 15 nonsmokers) were exposed to three different experimental conditions. Smokers underwent a control session, an active tobacco cigarette smoking session (smoked 2 cigarettes within 30-min) and an active e-cigarette smoking session (smoked a pre-determined number of puffs within 30-min using a liquid with 11 ng/ml nicotine). Similarly, nonsmokers underwent a control session, a passive tobacco cigarette smoking session (exposure of 1 h to 23 ± 1 ppm of CO in a 60 m(3) environmental chamber) and a passive e-cigarette smoking session (exposure of 1 h to air enriched with pre- determined number of puffs in a 60 m(3) environmental chamber). Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase activity (CAT) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were assessed in participants' blood prior to, immediately after, and 1-h post-exposure. TAC, CAT and GSH remained similar to baseline levels immediately after and 1-h-post exposure (p > 0.05) in all trials. Tobacco and e-cigarette smoking exposure do not acutely alter the response of the antioxidant system, neither under active nor passive smoking conditions. Overall, there is not distinction between tobacco and e-cigarette active and passive smoking effects on specific redox status indices.

  12. Impact of Various Charge States of Hydrogen on Passivation of Dislocation in Silicon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Lihui; Lou, Jingjing; Fu, Jiayi; Ji, Zhenguo

    2018-03-01

    Dislocation, one of typical crystallographic defects in silicon, is detrimental to the minority carrier lifetime of silicon wafer. Hydrogen passivation is able to reduce the recombination activity of dislocation, however, the passivation efficacy is strongly dependent on the experimental conditions. In this paper, a model based on the theory of hydrogen charge state control is proposed to explain the passivation efficacy of dislocation correlated to the peak temperature of thermal annealing and illumination intensity. Experimental results support the prediction of the model that a mix of positively charged hydrogen and negatively charged hydrogen at certain ratio can maximise the passivation efficacy of dislocation, leading to a better power conversion efficiency of silicon solar cell with dislocation in it.

  13. Evaluating the Relationship between Equilibrium Passive Sampler Uptake and Aquatic Organism Bioaccumulation..

    EPA Science Inventory

    This review evaluates passive sampler uptake of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in water column and interstitial water exposures as a surrogate for organism bioaccumulation. Fifty-four studies were found where both passive sampler uptake and organism bioaccumulation wer...

  14. Evaluating the Relationship between Equilibrium Passive Sampler Uptake and Aquatic Organism Bioaccumulation

    EPA Science Inventory

    This Critcal Review evaluates passive sampler uptake of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in water column and interstitial water exposures as a surrogate for organism bioaccumulation. Fifty-seven studies were found where both passive sampler uptake and organism bioaccumulat...

  15. Assimilation of Passive and Active Microwave Soil Moisture Retrievals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Draper, C. S.; Reichle, R. H.; DeLannoy, G. J. M.; Liu, Q.

    2012-01-01

    Root-zone soil moisture is an important control over the partition of land surface energy and moisture, and the assimilation of remotely sensed near-surface soil moisture has been shown to improve model profile soil moisture [1]. To date, efforts to assimilate remotely sensed near-surface soil moisture at large scales have focused on soil moisture derived from the passive microwave Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) and the active Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT; together with its predecessor on the European Remote Sensing satellites (ERS. The assimilation of passive and active microwave soil moisture observations has not yet been directly compared, and so this study compares the impact of assimilating ASCAT and AMSR-E soil moisture data, both separately and together. Since the soil moisture retrieval skill from active and passive microwave data is thought to differ according to surface characteristics [2], the impact of each assimilation on the model soil moisture skill is assessed according to land cover type, by comparison to in situ soil moisture observations.

  16. Optimized thin film coatings for passive radiative cooling applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naghshine, Babak B.; Saboonchi, Ahmad

    2018-03-01

    Passive radiative cooling is a very interesting method, which lays on low atmospheric downward radiation within 8-13 μm waveband at dry climates. Various thin film multilayer structures have been investigated in numerous experimental studies, in order to find better coatings to exploit the full potential of this method. However, theoretical works are handful and limited. In this paper, the Simulated Annealing and Genetic Algorithm are used to optimize a thin film multilayer structure for passive radiative cooling applications. Spectral radiative properties are calculated through the matrix formulation. Considering a wide range of materials, 30 high-potential convective shields are suggested. According to the calculations, cooling can be possible even under direct sunlight, using the introduced shields. Moreover, a few water-soluble materials are studied for the first time and the results show that, a KBr substrate coated by a thin CaF2 or polyethylene film can is very close to an ideal coating for passive radiative cooling at night.

  17. Passive Seismic for Hydrocarbon Indicator : Between Expectation and Reality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandito, Riky H. B.

    2018-03-01

    In between 5 – 10 years, in our country, passive seismic method became more popular to finding hydrocarbon. Low price, nondestructive acquisition and easy to mobilization is the best reason for choose the method. But in the other part, some people are pessimistically to deal with the result. Instrument specification, data condition and processing methods is several points which influence characteristic and interpretation passive seismic result. In 2010 one prospect in East Java Basin has been measurement constist of 112 objective points and several calibration points. Data measurement results indicate a positive response. Furthermore, in 2013 exploration drliing conducted on the prospect. Drill steam test showes 22 MMCFD in objective zone, upper – late oligocene. In 2015, remeasurement taken in objective area and show consistent responses with previous measurement. Passive seismic is unique method, sometimes will have difference results on dry, gas and oil area, in field production and also temporary suspend area with hidrocarbon content.

  18. The effects of passive smoking on olfaction in children.

    PubMed

    Nageris, B; Hadar, T; Hansen, M C

    2002-01-01

    The effect of passive smoking on odor identification was studied in 10 children exposed to passive smoke at home. All had at least one parent who smoked at least one pack of cigarettes a day. The control group consisted of 10 children of nonsmoking parents. Ten odorants were tested: vinegar, ammonia, peppermint, roses, bleach, vanilla, cough drops, turpentine, licorice and mothballs. Each child was presented with five test trays containing all 10 odorants in random order. Of the total of 500 odors presented, the control group correctly identified 396 (79%) and the study group, 356 (71%) (p < 0.005). This work demonstrates that children exposed to passive smoke have difficulty identifying odors in comparison to children raised in relatively smoke-free environments. Since the study group tend to misidentify four of the 10 odorants tested--vanilla, roses, mothballs and cough drops--we suggest that these four odorants should suffice in testing odor identification in children.

  19. A Comparison of Passive Aggressive and Negativistic Personality Disorders

    PubMed Central

    Hopwood, Christopher J.; Wright, Aidan G.C.

    2012-01-01

    Passive aggressive personality disorder (PAPD) has historically played an important role in clinical theorizing and was diagnosable prior to the DSM-IV, in which the construct was relabeled ‘negativistic’, expanded to include negative affective symptoms, and appendicized. In this study we tested the hypothesis that the expansion of PAPD to include content related to negative moods and non-specific personality pathology compromised its discriminant validity. In an undergraduate sample (N = 1215), a self-report measure of PAPD was only moderately related to NEGPD and showed less diagnostic overlap with other PDs than NEGPD. Furthermore, a conjoint factor analysis yielded a strong first factor (moodiness) which appeared less specific to passive aggressive behavior than three other factors (irresponsibility, inadequacy and contempt). We conclude that future research on this potentially important clinical construct should focus on core passive aggressive features and abandon the negativistic content that has been added to it in successive editions of the DSM. PMID:22329420

  20. Successful passive and active immunization of cynomolgus monkeys against hepatitis E.

    PubMed Central

    Tsarev, S A; Tsareva, T S; Emerson, S U; Govindarajan, S; Shapiro, M; Gerin, J L; Purcell, R H

    1994-01-01

    Virtually full protection against hepatitis E and partial or complete protection against infection with hepatitis E virus (HEV) were achieved in passively or actively immunized cynomolgus monkeys. Hepatitis, viremia, and shedding of the virus in feces were detected in all nonimmunized animals that were challenged with HEV. HEV titers detected by reverse transcriptase PCR were higher in feces than in serum of nonimmunized animals. Anti-HEV antibody titers at the time of challenge ranged between 1:40 and 1:200 in animals passively immunized with convalescent plasma from a cynomolgus monkey previously infected with HEV and between 1:100 and 1:10,000 in animals actively immunized with a recombinant 55-kDa open reading frame 2 protein. The estimated 50% protective titer of passively acquired anti-HEV antibodies was 1:40. Although only one of four passively immunized animals showed histopathologic evidence of hepatitis, all four were infected after challenge; however, the titers of HEV in serum and feces were lower in the passively immunized animals than in the nonimmunized group. The actively immunized animals developed neither hepatitis nor viremia when challenged with HEV and virus was either not detected or was present in low titer in feces. The protective response was a function of the ELISA anti-HEV antibody titer at the time of challenge and the immunization schedule. PMID:7937861

  1. Maternal active or passive smoking causes oxidative stress in placental tissue.

    PubMed

    Aycicek, Ali; Varma, Mustafa; Ahmet, Koc; Abdurrahim, Kocyigit; Erel, Ozcan

    2011-05-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the influence of active and passive maternal smoking on placenta total oxidant/antioxidant status in term infants. The levels of cord blood total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were measured in samples of fetal placental tissue, cord blood, and the maternal peripheral blood serum and from 19 mothers who were active smokers, 19 who were passive smokers, and 22 who were nonsmokers (not exposed to active or passive smoking). The pregnancies were between 37 and 40 weeks' gestation, were uncomplicated, and the infants were delivered vaginally. Birth weight and head circumference in the active smokers were significantly (P < 0.001) lower than those in the controls. Placenta, cord blood, and the maternal peripheral TAC levels were significantly lower in the active smokers compared with the controls (P < 0.001), while TOS and OSI levels were significantly higher in the active and passive smokers than in the controls (P < 0.001). A positive significant correlation was found between active maternal smoking and placenta TOS and OSI levels (P < 0.016), and a significant negative correlation was found between number of cigarettes exposed to and birthweight and head circumference (P < 0.05). In conclusion, active or passive maternal smoking is associated with important alterations in oxidant and antioxidant balance in fetal placental tissue and causes potent oxidative stress.

  2. Bio-inspired passive actuator simulating an abalone shell mechanism for structural control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Henry T. Y.; Lin, Chun-Hung; Bridges, Daniel; Randall, Connor J.; Hansma, Paul K.

    2010-10-01

    An energy dispersion mechanism called 'sacrificial bonds and hidden length', which is found in some biological systems, such as abalone shells and bones, is the inspiration for new strategies for structural control. Sacrificial bonds and hidden length can substantially increase the stiffness and enhance energy dissipation in the constituent molecules of abalone shells and bone. Having been inspired by the usefulness and effectiveness of such a mechanism, which has evolved over millions of years and countless cycles of evolutions, the authors employ the conceptual underpinnings of this mechanism to develop a bio-inspired passive actuator. This paper presents a fundamental method for optimally designing such bio-inspired passive actuators for structural control. To optimize the bio-inspired passive actuator, a simple method utilizing the force-displacement-velocity (FDV) plots based on LQR control is proposed. A linear regression approach is adopted in this research to find the initial values of the desired parameters for the bio-inspired passive actuator. The illustrative examples, conducted by numerical simulation with experimental validation, suggest that the bio-inspired passive actuator based on sacrificial bonds and hidden length may be comparable in performance to state-of-the-art semi-active actuators.

  3. Surface Defect Passivation and Reaction of c-Si in H2S.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hsiang-Yu; Das, Ujjwal K; Birkmire, Robert W

    2017-12-26

    A unique passivation process of Si surface dangling bonds through reaction with hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is demonstrated in this paper. A high-level passivation quality with an effective minority carrier lifetime (τ eff ) of >2000 μs corresponding to a surface recombination velocity of <3 cm/s is achieved at a temperature range of 550-650 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the bonding states of Si and S and provides insights into the reaction pathway of Si with H 2 S and other impurity elements both during and after the reaction. Quantitative analysis of XPS spectra showed that the τ eff increases with an increase in the surface S content up to ∼3.5% and stabilizes thereafter, indicative of surface passivation by monolayer coverage of S on the Si surface. However, S passivation of the Si surface is highly unstable because of thermodynamically favorable reaction with atmospheric H 2 O and O 2 . This instability can be eliminated by capping the S-passivated Si surface with a protective thin film such as low-temperature-deposited amorphous silicon nitride.

  4. Passive and semi-active heave compensator: Project design methodology and control strategies.

    PubMed

    Cuellar Sanchez, William Humberto; Linhares, Tássio Melo; Neto, André Benine; Fortaleza, Eugênio Libório Feitosa

    2017-01-01

    Heave compensator is a system that mitigates transmission of heave movement from vessels to the equipment in the vessel. In drilling industry, a heave compensator enables drilling in offshore environments. Heave compensator attenuates movement transmitted from the vessel to the drill string and drill bit ensuring security and efficiency of the offshore drilling process. Common types of heave compensators are passive, active and semi-active compensators. This article presents 4 main points. First, a bulk modulus analysis obtains a simple condition to determine if the bulk modulus can be neglected in the design of hydropneumatic passive heave compensator. Second, the methodology to design passive heave compensators with the desired frequency response. Third, four control methodologies for semi-active heave compensator are tested and compared numerically. Lastly, we show experimental results obtained from a prototype with the methodology developed to design passive heave compensator.

  5. Method to grow group III-nitrides on copper using passivation layers

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

    Li, Qiming; Wang, George T; Figiel, Jeffrey T

    Group III-nitride epilayers can be grown directly on copper substrates using intermediate passivation layers. For example, single crystalline c-plane GaN can be grown on Cu (110) substrates with MOCVD. The growth relies on a low temperature AlN passivation layer to isolate any alloying reaction between Ga and Cu.

  6. Passivation of MBE grown InGaSb/InAs superlattice photodiodes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hill, Cory J.; Keo, Sam S.; Mumolo, Jason M.; Gunapala, Sarath D.

    2005-01-01

    We have performed wet chemical passivation tests on InGaSb/InAs superlattice photodiode structures grown molecular beam epitaxy. The details of the devices growth and characterization as well as the results of chemical passivation involving RuCl3 and H2SO4 with SiO2 dielectric depositions are presented.

  7. Passivation and electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel in chlorinated simulated concrete pore solution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Hong; Su, Huaizhi; Dong, Chaofang; Li, Xiaogang

    2017-04-01

    In this paper, the passivation and electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel in chlorinated simulated concrete pore solutions at different pH was evaluated by potentiodynamic measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The composition of the passive film and surface morphology were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results reveal that metastable pitting susceptibility, stable pitting corrosion, and composition of the passive film are influenced by pH value. After long time immersion, a bilayer structure passive film can be formed in this environment. The appearance of molybdates on the outermost surface layer, further enhancing the stability of the passive film. Moreover, the good pitting corrosion resistance of 316L stainless steel in simulated concrete pore solution without carbonated is mainly due to the presence of high Cr/Fe ratio and molybdates ions within the passive film.

  8. Neural networks application to divergence-based passive ranging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barniv, Yair

    1992-01-01

    The purpose of this report is to summarize the state of knowledge and outline the planned work in divergence-based/neural networks approach to the problem of passive ranging derived from optical flow. Work in this and closely related areas is reviewed in order to provide the necessary background for further developments. New ideas about devising a monocular passive-ranging system are then introduced. It is shown that image-plan divergence is independent of image-plan location with respect to the focus of expansion and of camera maneuvers because it directly measures the object's expansion which, in turn, is related to the time-to-collision. Thus, a divergence-based method has the potential of providing a reliable range complementing other monocular passive-ranging methods which encounter difficulties in image areas close to the focus of expansion. Image-plan divergence can be thought of as some spatial/temporal pattern. A neural network realization was chosen for this task because neural networks have generally performed well in various other pattern recognition applications. The main goal of this work is to teach a neural network to derive the divergence from the imagery.

  9. Is passive stiffness in human muscles related to the elasticity of tendon structures?

    PubMed

    Kubo, K; Kanehisa, H; Fukunaga, T

    2001-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine in vivo whether passive stiffness in human muscles was related to the elasticity of tendon structures and to performance during stretch-shortening cycle exercise. Passive torque of plantar flexor muscles was measured during passive stretch from 90 degrees (anatomical position) to 65 degrees of dorsiflexion at a constant velocity of 5 degrees.s-1. The slope of the linear portion of the passive torque-angle curve during stretching was defined as the passive stiffness of the muscle. The elongation of the tendon and aponeurosis of the medial gastrocnemius muscle (MG) was directly measured using ultrasonography during ramp isometric plantar flexion up to the voluntary maximum. The relationship between the estimated muscle force of MG and tendon elongation was fitted to a linear regression, the slope of which was defined as the stiffness of the tendon. In addition, the dynamic torques during maximal voluntary concentric plantar flexion with and without prior eccentric contraction were determined at a constant velocity of 120 degrees.s-1. There were no significant correlations between passive stiffness and either the tendon stiffness (r = 0.19, P > 0.05) or the relative increase in torque with prior eccentric contraction (r = -0.19, P > 0.05). However, tendon stiffness was negatively correlated to the relative increase in torque output (r = -0.42, P < 0.05). The present results suggested that passive stiffness was independent of the elasticity of tendon structures, and had no favourable effect on the muscle performance during stretch-shortening cycle exercise.

  10. Systematic review of smartphone-based passive sensing for health and wellbeing.

    PubMed

    Cornet, Victor P; Holden, Richard J

    2018-01-01

    To review published empirical literature on the use of smartphone-based passive sensing for health and wellbeing. A systematic review of the English language literature was performed following PRISMA guidelines. Papers indexed in computing, technology, and medical databases were included if they were empirical, focused on health and/or wellbeing, involved the collection of data via smartphones, and described the utilized technology as passive or requiring minimal user interaction. Thirty-five papers were included in the review. Studies were performed around the world, with samples of up to 171 (median n = 15) representing individuals with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, older adults, and the general population. The majority of studies used the Android operating system and an array of smartphone sensors, most frequently capturing accelerometry, location, audio, and usage data. Captured data were usually sent to a remote server for processing but were shared with participants in only 40% of studies. Reported benefits of passive sensing included accurately detecting changes in status, behavior change through feedback, and increased accountability in participants. Studies reported facing technical, methodological, and privacy challenges. Studies in the nascent area of smartphone-based passive sensing for health and wellbeing demonstrate promise and invite continued research and investment. Existing studies suffer from weaknesses in research design, lack of feedback and clinical integration, and inadequate attention to privacy issues. Key recommendations relate to developing passive sensing strategies matching the problem at hand, using personalized interventions, and addressing methodological and privacy challenges. As evolving passive sensing technology presents new possibilities for health and wellbeing, additional research must address methodological, clinical integration, and privacy issues. Doing so depends on interdisciplinary collaboration

  11. Passive Fully Polarimetric W-Band Millimeter-Wave Imaging

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

    Bernacki, Bruce E.; Kelly, James F.; Sheen, David M.

    2012-04-01

    We present the theory, design, and experimental results obtained from a scanning passive W-band fully polarimetric imager. Passive millimeter-wave imaging offers persistent day/nighttime imaging and the ability to penetrate dust, clouds and other obscurants, including clothing and dry soil. The single-pixel scanning imager includes both far-field and near-field fore-optics for investigation of polarization phenomena. Using both fore-optics, a variety of scenes including natural and man-made objects was imaged and these results are presented showing the utility of polarimetric imaging for anomaly detection. Analysis includes conventional Stokes-parameter based approaches as well as multivariate image analysis methods.

  12. Passive magnetic bearing element with minimal power losses

    DOEpatents

    Post, R.F.

    1998-12-08

    Systems employing passive magnetic bearing elements having minimal power losses are provided. Improved stabilizing elements are shown, employing periodic magnet arrays and inductively loaded circuits, but with improved characteristics compared to the elements disclosed in US Patent No. 5,495,221 entitled ``Dynamically Stable Magnetic Suspension/Bearing System.`` The improvements relate to increasing the magnitude of the force derivative, while at the same time reducing the power dissipated during the normal operation of the bearing system, to provide a passive bearing system that has virtually no losses under equilibrium conditions, that is, when the supported system is not subject to any accelerations except those of gravity. 8 figs.

  13. Extended Range Passive Wireless Tag System and Method

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fink, Patrick W. (Inventor); Lin, Gregory Y. (Inventor); Kennedy, Timothy F. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    A passive wireless tag assembly comprises a plurality of antennas and transmission lines interconnected with circuitry and constructed and arranged in a Van Atta array or configuration to reflect an interrogator signal in the direction from where it came. The circuitry may comprise at least one surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based circuit that functions as a signal reflector and is operatively connected with an information circuit. In another embodiment, at least one delay circuit and/or at least one passive modulation circuit(s) are utilized. In yet another embodiment, antennas connected to SAW-based devices are mounted to at least one of the orthogonal surfaces of a corner reflector.

  14. Control of Combustion-Instabilities Through Various Passive Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frendi, Abdelkader; Nesman, Tom; Canabal, Francisco

    2005-01-01

    Results of a computational study on the effectiveness of various passive devices for the control of combustion instabilities are presented. An axi-symmetric combustion chamber is considered. The passive control devices investigated are, baffles, Helmholtz resonators and quarter-waves. The results show that a Helmholtz resonator with a smooth orifice achieves the best control results, while a baffle is the least effective for the frequency tested. At high sound pressure levels, the Helmholtz resonator is less effective. It is also found that for a quarter wave, the smoothness of the orifice has the opposite effect than the Helmholtz resonator, i.e. results in less control.

  15. Passive magnetic bearing element with minimal power losses

    DOEpatents

    Post, Richard F.

    1998-01-01

    Systems employing passive magnetic bearing elements having minimal power losses are provided. Improved stabilizing elements are shown, employing periodic magnet arrays and inductively loaded circuits, but with improved characteristics compared to the elements disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,495,221 entitled "Dynamically Stable Magnetic Suspension/Bearing System." The improvements relate to increasing the magnitude of the force derivative, while at the same time reducing the power dissipated during the normal operation of the bearing system, to provide a passive bearing system that has virtually no losses under equilibrium conditions, that is, when the supported system is not subject to any accelerations except those of gravity.

  16. How Passive-Aggressive Behavior in Emotionally Disturbed Children Affects Peer Interactions in a Classroom Setting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hardt, Janet

    Passive-aggressive behavior in an emotionally disturbed child affects the child's progress and affects peer interactions in classroom settings. Passive-aggressive personalities are typically helpless, dependent, impulsive, overly anxious, poorly oriented to reality, and procrastinating. The characteristics of passive-aggressive children need to be…

  17. Surface passivation investigation on ultra-thin atomic layer deposited aluminum oxide layers for their potential application to form tunnel layer passivated contacts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xin, Zheng; Ling, Zhi Peng; Nandakumar, Naomi; Kaur, Gurleen; Ke, Cangming; Liao, Baochen; Aberle, Armin G.; Stangl, Rolf

    2017-08-01

    The surface passivation performance of atomic layer deposited ultra-thin aluminium oxide layers with different thickness in the tunnel layer regime, i.e., ranging from one atomic cycle (∼0.13 nm) to 11 atomic cycles (∼1.5 nm) on n-type silicon wafers is studied. The effect of thickness and thermal activation on passivation performance is investigated with corona-voltage metrology to measure the interface defect density D it(E) and the total interface charge Q tot. Furthermore, the bonding configuration variation of the AlO x films under various post-deposition thermal activation conditions is analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Additionally, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrene sulfonate) is used as capping layer on ultra-thin AlO x tunneling layers to further reduce the surface recombination current density to values as low as 42 fA/cm2. This work is a useful reference for using ultra-thin ALD AlO x layers as tunnel layers in order to form hole selective passivated contacts for silicon solar cells.

  18. Passive fire building protection system evaluation (case study: millennium ict centre)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahman, Vinky; Stephanie

    2018-03-01

    Passive fire protection system is a system that refers to the building design, both regarding of architecture and structure. This system usually consists of structural protection that protects the structure of the building and prevents the spread of fire and facilitate the evacuation process in case of fire. Millennium ICT Center is the largest electronic shopping center in Medan, Indonesia. As a public building that accommodates the crowd, this building needs a fire protection system by the standards. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate passive fire protection system of Millennium ICT Center building. The study was conducted to describe the facts of the building as well as direct observation to the research location. The collected data is then processed using the AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) method in its weighting process to obtain the reliability value of passive fire protection fire system. The results showed that there are some components of passive fire protection system in the building, but some are still unqualified. The first section in your paper

  19. Linear and passive silicon optical isolator

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Chen; Zhong, Xiao-Lan; Li, Zhi-Yuan

    2012-01-01

    On-chip optical isolation plays a key role in optical communications and computing based on silicon integrated photonic structures and has attracted great attentions for long years. Recently there have appeared hot controversies upon whether isolation of light can be realized via linear and passive photonic structures. Here we demonstrate optical isolation of infrared light in purely linear and passive silicon photonic structures. Both numerical simulations and experimental measurements show that the round-trip transmissivity of in-plane infrared light across a silicon photonic crystal slab heterojunction diode could be two orders of magnitudes smaller than the forward transmissivity at around 1,550 nm with a bandwidth of about 50 nm, indicating good performance of optical isolation. The occurrence of in-plane light isolation is attributed to the information dissipation due to off-plane and side-way scattering and selective modal conversion in the multiple-channel structure and has no conflict with the reciprocal principle. PMID:22993699

  20. Passive margins getting squeezed in the mantle convection vice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Husson, Laurent; Yamato, Philippe; Becker, Thorsten; Pedoja, Kevin

    2013-04-01

    Quaternary coastal geomorphology reveals that passive margins underwent wholesale uplift at least during the glacial cycle. In addition, these not-so-passive margins often exhibit long term exhumation and tectonic inversion, which suggest that compression and tectonic shortening could be the mechanism that triggers their overall uplift. We speculate that the compression in the lithosphere gradually increased during the Cenozoic. The many mountain belts at active margins that accompany this event readily witness this increase. Less clear is how that compression increase affects passive margins. In order to address this issue, we design minimalist 2D viscous models to quantify the impact of plate collision on the stress regime. In these models, a sluggish plate is disposed on a less viscous mantle. It is driven by a "mantle conveyor belt" alternatively excited by lateral shear stresses that represent a downwelling on one side, an upwelling on the other side, or both simultaneously. The lateral edges of the plate are either free or fixed, respectively representing the cases of free convergence and collision. In practice, it dramatically changes the upper boundary condition for mantle circulation and subsequently, for the stress field. The flow pattern transiently evolves almost between two end-members, starting from a situation close to a Couette flow to a pattern that looks like a Poiseuille flow with an almost null velocity at the surface (though in the models, the horizontal velocity at the surface is not strictly null, as the lithosphere deforms). In the second case, the lithosphere is highly stressed horizontally and deforms. For an equivalent bulk driving force, compression increases drastically at passive margins if upwellings are active because they push plates towards the collision. Conversely, if only downwellings are activated, compression occurs on one half of the plate and extension on the other half, because only the downwelling is pulling the plate

  1. Dispersion-free pulse duration reduction of passively Q-switched microchip lasers.

    PubMed

    Lehneis, R; Steinmetz, A; Jauregui, C; Limpert, J; Tünnermann, A

    2012-11-01

    We present a dispersion-free method for the pulse duration reduction of passively Q-switched microchip laser (MCL) seed sources. This technique comprises two stages: one that carries out the self-phase modulation induced spectral broadening in a waveguide structure and a subsequent spectral filtering stage in order to shorten the pulses in time domain. The setup of a proof-of-principle experiment consists of a fiber-amplified passively Q-switched MCL, a passive single-mode fiber used as nonlinear element in which the spectrum is broadened, and a reflective volume-Bragg-grating acting as bandpass filter. A reduction of the pulse duration from 118 to 32 ps with high temporal quality has been achieved with this setup.

  2. Passive fetal monitoring sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zuckerwar, Allan J.; Hall, Earl T.; Baker, Donald A.; Bryant, Timothy D.

    1992-08-01

    An ambulatory, passive sensor for use in a fetal monitoring system is discussed. The invention is comprised of a piezoelectric polymer film, combined with a metallic mounting plate fastened to a belt, and electrically connected to a signal processing unit by means of a shielded cable. The purpose of the sensor is to receive pressure pulses emitted by a fetus inside an expectant mother. Additionally, the monitor will filter out pressure pulses arising from other sources, such as the maternal heart.

  3. Passive fetal monitoring sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1990-07-01

    The invention is an ambulatory, passive sensor for use in a fetal monitoring system. The invention incorporates piezoelectric polymer film combined with a metallic mounting plate fastened to a belt and electrically connected to a signal processing unit by means of a shielded cable. The purpose of the sensor is to receive pressure pulses emitted from a fetus inside an expectant mother and to provide means for filtering out pressure pulses arising from other sources, such as the maternal heart.

  4. Passive fetal monitoring sensor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zuckerwar, Allan J. (Inventor); Hall, Earl T. (Inventor); Baker, Donald A. (Inventor); Bryant, Timothy D. (Inventor)

    1992-01-01

    An ambulatory, passive sensor for use in a fetal monitoring system is discussed. The invention is comprised of a piezoelectric polymer film, combined with a metallic mounting plate fastened to a belt, and electrically connected to a signal processing unit by means of a shielded cable. The purpose of the sensor is to receive pressure pulses emitted by a fetus inside an expectant mother. Additionally, the monitor will filter out pressure pulses arising from other sources, such as the maternal heart.

  5. Passive micromixer using by convection and surface tension effects with air-liquid interface.

    PubMed

    Ju, Jongil; Warrick, Jay

    2013-12-01

    This article describes a passive micromixer that utilizes an air-liquid interface and surface tension effects to enhance fluid mixing via convection and Marangoni effects. Performance of the microfluidic component is tested within a passive-pumping-based device that consists of three microchannels connected in succession using passive micro-mixers. Mixing was quantified at 5 key points along the length of the device using microscope images of patterned streams of Alexa 488 fluorescent-dyed water and pure DI water flowing through the device. The passive micro-mixer mixed fluid 15-20 times more effectively than diffusion between laminar flow streams alone and is a novel micro-mixer embodiment that provides an additional strategy for removing external components from microscale devices for simpler, autonomous operation.

  6. Passive micromixer using by convection and surface tension effects with air-liquid interface

    PubMed Central

    Ju, Jongil; Warrick, Jay

    2014-01-01

    This article describes a passive micromixer that utilizes an air-liquid interface and surface tension effects to enhance fluid mixing via convection and Marangoni effects. Performance of the microfluidic component is tested within a passive-pumping-based device that consists of three microchannels connected in succession using passive micro-mixers. Mixing was quantified at 5 key points along the length of the device using microscope images of patterned streams of Alexa 488 fluorescent-dyed water and pure DI water flowing through the device. The passive micro-mixer mixed fluid 15–20 times more effectively than diffusion between laminar flow streams alone and is a novel micro-mixer embodiment that provides an additional strategy for removing external components from microscale devices for simpler, autonomous operation. PMID:25104979

  7. Enhancing Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells to Moisture by the Facile Hydrophobic Passivation.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Insung; Jeong, Inyoung; Lee, Jinwoo; Ko, Min Jae; Yong, Kijung

    2015-08-12

    In this study, a novel and facile passivation process for a perovskite solar cell is reported. Poor stability in ambient atmosphere, which is the most critical demerit of a perovskite solar cell, is overcome by a simple passivation process using a hydrophobic polymer layer. Teflon, the hydrophobic polymer, is deposited on the top of a perovskite solar cell by a spin-coating method. With the hydrophobic passivation, the perovskite solar cell shows negligible degradation after a 30 day storage in ambient atmosphere. Suppressed degradation of the perovskite film is proved in various ways: X-ray diffraction, light absorption spectrum, and quartz crystal microbalance. This simple but effective passivation process suggests new kind of approach to enhance stability of perovskite solar cells to moisture.

  8. Effect of excimer laser annealing on a-InGaZnO thin-film transistors passivated by solution-processed hybrid passivation layers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bermundo, Juan Paolo; Ishikawa, Yasuaki; Fujii, Mami N.; Nonaka, Toshiaki; Ishihara, Ryoichi; Ikenoue, Hiroshi; Uraoka, Yukiharu

    2016-01-01

    We demonstrate the use of excimer laser annealing (ELA) as a low temperature annealing alternative to anneal amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) passivated by a solution-processed hybrid passivation layer. Usually, a-IGZO is annealed using thermal annealing at high temperatures of up to 400 °C. As an alternative to high temperature thermal annealing, two types of ELA, XeCl (308 nm) and KrF (248 nm) ELA, are introduced. Both ELA types enhanced the electrical characteristics of a-IGZO TFTs leading to a mobility improvement of ~13 cm2 V-1 s-1 and small threshold voltage which varied from ~0-3 V. Furthermore, two-dimensional heat simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics was used to identify possible degradation sites, analyse laser heat localization, and confirm that the substrate temperature is below 50 °C. The two-dimensional heat simulation showed that the substrate temperature remained at very low temperatures, less than 30 °C, during ELA. This implies that any flexible material can be used as the substrate. These results demonstrate the large potential of ELA as a low temperature annealing alternative for already-passivated a-IGZO TFTs.

  9. London 2012 Paralympic swimming: passive drag and the classification system.

    PubMed

    Oh, Yim-Taek; Burkett, Brendan; Osborough, Conor; Formosa, Danielle; Payton, Carl

    2013-09-01

    The key difference between the Olympic and Paralympic Games is the use of classification systems within Paralympic sports to provide a fair competition for athletes with a range of physical disabilities. In 2009, the International Paralympic Committee mandated the development of new, evidence-based classification systems. This study aims to assess objectively the swimming classification system by determining the relationship between passive drag and level of swimming-specific impairment, as defined by the current swimming class. Data were collected on participants at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The passive drag force of 113 swimmers (classes 3-14) was measured using an electro-mechanical towing device and load cell. Swimmers were towed on the surface of a swimming pool at 1.5 m/s while holding their most streamlined position. Passive drag ranged from 24.9 to 82.8 N; the normalised drag (drag/mass) ranged from 0.45 to 1.86 N/kg. Significant negative associations were found between drag and the swimming class (τ = -0.41, p < 0.01) and normalised drag and the swimming class (τ = -0.60, p < 0.01). The mean difference in drag between adjacent classes was inconsistent, ranging from 0 N (6 vs 7) to 11.9 N (5 vs 6). Reciprocal Ponderal Index (a measure of slenderness) correlated moderately with normalised drag (r(P) = -0.40, p < 0.01). Although swimmers with the lowest swimming class experienced the highest passive drag and vice versa, the inconsistent difference in mean passive drag between adjacent classes indicates that the current classification system does not always differentiate clearly between swimming groups.

  10. Continuous passive motion with accelerated flexion after total knee arthroplasty.

    PubMed

    Yashar, A A; Venn-Watson, E; Welsh, T; Colwell, C W; Lotke, P

    1997-12-01

    The use of continuous passive motion after total knee arthroplasty remains controversial. A new approach, starting continuous passive motion at 70 degrees to 100 degrees flexion in the recovery room (Group I) was evaluated. A randomized, prospective study of 210 consecutive total knee arthroplasties was performed at two institutions. The control population (Group II) started continuous passive motion at 0 degree to 30 degrees, and progressed toward 100 degrees flexion. Flexion at postoperative Day 3 (Group I = 82.5 degrees, Group II = 72.8 degrees), and at discharge (Group I = 89.1 degrees, Group II = 84.3 degrees) were significantly different. There was no significant difference between the groups at 4 weeks (Group I = 5.0 degrees-104.1 degrees, Group II = 5.6 degrees-102.0 degrees), 6 weeks (Group I = 2.3 degrees-104.8 degrees, Group II = 2.7 degrees-103.6 degrees), 12 weeks (Group I = 1.7 degrees-107.7 degrees, Group II = 4.7 degrees-108.2 degrees), or at 1 year (Group I = 0.5 degree-113.2 degrees, Group II = 1.8 degrees-110.5 degrees). In Group I, wound necrosis developed in one patient that required a gastrocnemius flap. This major complication was caused by a tight dressing, and not necessarily to the accelerated flexion continuous passive motion. This investigation shows that continuous passive motion using accelerated flexion allows increased flexion during the hospital stay without increased risk of complications, pain, or blood loss. This has significant implications for achieving safe, early discharge. However, no difference was found at followup of 4 weeks or greater, and this did not add significantly to the final outcome.

  11. Investigation of passive films on nickel Alloy 690 in lead-containing environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peng, B.; Lu, B. T.; Luo, J. L.; Lu, Y. C.; Ma, H. Y.

    2008-09-01

    Passive films formed on Alloy UNS N06690 were investigated in simulated crevice chemistries. It was found the role of lead in corrosion processes is strongly dependent on the pH value of the testing solutions. At pH 1.5 the effect of lead is narrowly noticeable; while at pH 12.7, lead has a significant influence on the electrochemical performance of alloy UNS N06690. The lead alters the surface morphologies at both pH and account for higher hydroxide content in the surface film at pH 12.7. The lead incorporation hinders the formation of spinel oxides during the passivation in alkaline solution. Nanoindentation tests indicate a significant lead-induced degradation in the mechanical properties of passive films. The passivation degradation is attributed to detrimental effects of lead via interrupting the dehydration process and hindering the formation of protective layers on the alloy surface.

  12. Passive and semi-active heave compensator: Project design methodology and control strategies

    PubMed Central

    Cuellar Sanchez, William Humberto; Neto, André Benine; Fortaleza, Eugênio Libório Feitosa

    2017-01-01

    Heave compensator is a system that mitigates transmission of heave movement from vessels to the equipment in the vessel. In drilling industry, a heave compensator enables drilling in offshore environments. Heave compensator attenuates movement transmitted from the vessel to the drill string and drill bit ensuring security and efficiency of the offshore drilling process. Common types of heave compensators are passive, active and semi-active compensators. This article presents 4 main points. First, a bulk modulus analysis obtains a simple condition to determine if the bulk modulus can be neglected in the design of hydropneumatic passive heave compensator. Second, the methodology to design passive heave compensators with the desired frequency response. Third, four control methodologies for semi-active heave compensator are tested and compared numerically. Lastly, we show experimental results obtained from a prototype with the methodology developed to design passive heave compensator. PMID:28813494

  13. Passively damped vibration welding system and method

    DOEpatents

    Tan, Chin-An; Kang, Bongsu; Cai, Wayne W.; Wu, Tao

    2013-04-02

    A vibration welding system includes a controller, welding horn, an anvil, and a passive damping mechanism (PDM). The controller generates an input signal having a calibrated frequency. The horn vibrates in a desirable first direction at the calibrated frequency in response to the input signal to form a weld in a work piece. The PDM is positioned with respect to the system, and substantially damps or attenuates vibration in an undesirable second direction. A method includes connecting the PDM having calibrated properties and a natural frequency to an anvil of an ultrasonic welding system. Then, an input signal is generated using a weld controller. The method includes vibrating a welding horn in a desirable direction in response to the input signal, and passively damping vibration in an undesirable direction using the PDM.

  14. The effect of video-guidance on passive movement in patients with cerebral palsy: fMRI study.

    PubMed

    Dinomais, Mickael; Chinier, Eva; Lignon, Gregoire; Richard, Isabelle; Ter Minassian, Aram; Tich, Sylvie Nguyen The

    2013-10-01

    In patients with cerebral palsy (CP), neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that passive movement and action-observation tasks have in common to share neuronal activation in all or part of areas involved in motor system. Action observation with simultaneous congruent passive movements may have additional effects in the recruitment of brain motor areas. The aim of this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to examine brain activation in patients with unilateral CP during passive movement with and without simultaneous observation of simple hand movement. Eighteen patients with unilateral CP (fourteen male, mean age 14 years and 2 months) participated in the study. Using fMRI block design, brain activation following passive simple opening-closing hand movement of either the paretic or nonparetic hand with and without simultaneous observation of a similar movement performed by either the left or right hand of an actor was compared. Passive movement of the paretic hand performed simultaneously to the observation of congruent movement activated more "higher motor areas" including contralesional pre-supplementary motor area, superior frontal gyrus (extending to premotor cortex), and superior and inferior parietal regions than nonvideo-guided passive movement of the paretic hand. Passive movement of the paretic hand recruited more ipsilesional sensorimotor areas compared to passive movement of the nonparetic hand. Our study showed that the combination of observation of congruent hand movement simultaneously to passive movement of the paretic hand recruits more motor areas, giving neuronal substrate to propose video-guided passive movement of paretic hand in CP rehabilitation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Evaluation of a Passive Nature Viewing Program Set to Music.

    PubMed

    Cadman, Sally J

    2014-09-01

    Research has revealed that passive nature viewing (viewing nature scenes without actually being in nature) has many health benefits but little is known about the best method of offering this complementary modality. The purpose of this pilot program was to evaluate the impact of a passive nature viewing program set to music on stress reduction in adults living in the community. A pre- and postsurvey design along with weekly recordings of stress and relaxation levels were used to evaluate the effect of this passive nature viewing program on stress reduction. Participants watched one of three preselected nature scenes for 5 minutes a day over 1 month and rated their stress and relaxation levels weekly on a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale before and after viewing the nature DVD. Quantitative analysis were not performed because of the less number of subjects (n = 10) completing the study. Qualitative analysis found five key categories that have an impact on program use: (a) technology, (b) personal preferences, (c) time, (d) immersion, and (e) use of the program. Holistic nurses may consider integrating patient preferences and immersion strategies in the design of future passive nature viewing programs to reduce attrition and improve success. © The Author(s) 2013.

  16. New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Hood River Passive House

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

    None

    2014-02-01

    The Hood River Passive Project was developed by Root Design Build of Hood River Oregon using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) to meet all of the requirements for certification under the European Passive House standards. The Passive House design approach has been gaining momentum among residential designers for custom homes and BEopt modeling indicates that these designs may actually exceed the goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Building America program to "reduce home energy use by 30%-50%" (compared to 2009 energy codes for new homes). This report documents the short term test results of the Shift Housemore » and compares the results of PHPP and BEopt modeling of the project. The design includes high R-Value assemblies, extremely tight construction, high performance doors and windows, solar thermal DHW, heat recovery ventilation, moveable external shutters and a high performance ductless mini-split heat pump. Cost analysis indicates that many of the measures implemented in this project did not meet the BA standard for cost neutrality. The ductless mini-split heat pump, lighting and advanced air leakage control were the most cost effective measures. The future challenge will be to value engineer the performance levels indicated here in modeling using production based practices at a significantly lower cost.« less

  17. Passive Smoking and Breast Cancer Risk among Non-Smoking Women: A Case-Control Study in China.

    PubMed

    Li, Bin; Wang, Lian; Lu, Min-Shan; Mo, Xiong-Fei; Lin, Fang-Yu; Ho, Suzanne C; Zhang, Cai-Xia

    2015-01-01

    The role of passive smoking on breast cancer risk was unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between passive smoking and breast cancer risk among Chinese women. A hospital-based case-control study, including 877 breast cancer cases and 890 controls, frequency-matched by age and residence, was conducted. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on passive smoking history through face-to-face interview by trained interviewers. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between passive smoking and breast cancer risk. A positive association between any passive smoking exposure and breast cancer risk was observed. Compared with women who were never exposed to passive smoking, women who were ever exposed had a higher breast cancer risk, with the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.35 (1.11-1.65). Similar result was found on home passive smoking exposure and breast cancer risk, but not on workplace passive smoking exposure. Women who were ever exposed to tobacco smoke at home had a higher risk of breast cancer compared with never exposed women, with the adjusted OR (95% CI) of 1.30 (1.05-1.61). Home passive smoking exposure showed significant dose-response relationships with breast cancer risk in smoker-years, cigarettes/day and total pack-years (Ptrend=0.003, 0.006 and 0.009, respectively). An increased total smoker-years of any passive exposure significantly elevated the risk of breast cancer (Ptrend<0.001). Positive associations and dose-response relationships were found among postmenopausal women and all subtypes of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status of breast cancer. Passive smoking was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer among non-smoking Chinese women. A stronger positive association with breast cancer risk was seen mainly among postmenopausal women.

  18. Passive Smoking and Breast Cancer Risk among Non-Smoking Women: A Case-Control Study in China

    PubMed Central

    Li, Bin; Wang, Lian; Lu, Min-Shan; Mo, Xiong-Fei; Lin, Fang-Yu; Ho, Suzanne C.; Zhang, Cai-Xia

    2015-01-01

    Background The role of passive smoking on breast cancer risk was unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between passive smoking and breast cancer risk among Chinese women. Methods/Principal Findings A hospital-based case-control study, including 877 breast cancer cases and 890 controls, frequency-matched by age and residence, was conducted. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on passive smoking history through face-to-face interview by trained interviewers. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between passive smoking and breast cancer risk. A positive association between any passive smoking exposure and breast cancer risk was observed. Compared with women who were never exposed to passive smoking, women who were ever exposed had a higher breast cancer risk, with the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.35 (1.11-1.65). Similar result was found on home passive smoking exposure and breast cancer risk, but not on workplace passive smoking exposure. Women who were ever exposed to tobacco smoke at home had a higher risk of breast cancer compared with never exposed women, with the adjusted OR (95% CI) of 1.30 (1.05-1.61). Home passive smoking exposure showed significant dose-response relationships with breast cancer risk in smoker-years, cigarettes/day and total pack-years (P trend=0.003, 0.006 and 0.009, respectively). An increased total smoker-years of any passive exposure significantly elevated the risk of breast cancer (P trend<0.001). Positive associations and dose-response relationships were found among postmenopausal women and all subtypes of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status of breast cancer. Conclusions Passive smoking was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer among non-smoking Chinese women. A stronger positive association with breast cancer risk was seen mainly among postmenopausal women. PMID:25915759

  19. Protection of passive radio frequencies used for earth exploration by satellite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rochard, Guy

    2004-10-01

    Space-borne passive sensing of the Earth"s surface and atmosphere has an essential and increasing importance in Earth Observation. The impressive progress recently made or shortly expected in weather analysis, warning and forecasts (in particular for dangerous weather phenomena as rain and floods, storms, cyclones, droughts) as well as in the study and prediction of climate change, is mainly attributable to the spaceborne observations. On this basis, economic studies show that meteorological services have a high positive impact on a wide range of economic activities, notwithstanding safety of life and property aspects. Space-borne passive sensing feeds crucial observational data to numerical weather predction models run on the most advanced super-computers that are operated by a few global forecasting centers. All meteorological and environmental satellite organizations operate these crucial remote-sensing missions as part of the GOS of the World Weather Watch and others... Spaceborne passive sensing for meterological applications is performed in frequency bands allocated to the Earth Exploration-Satellite Service. This is named "EESS passive" in the ITU-R Radio Regulations. The appropriate bands are uniquely determined by the physical properties (e.g. molecular resonance) of constituents of the atmosphere, and are therefore one of the unique natural resources (similarly to Radio Astronomy bands). Passive measurements at several frequencies in the microwave spectrum must be made simultaneously in order to extract the individual contribution of the geophysical parameter of interest. Bands below 100 GHz are of particular importance to provide an "all-weather" capability since many clouds are almost transparent at these frequencies. Along this line, the two first figures below about zenithal opacity describes respectively the atmosphere optical thickness due to water vapor and dry components in the frequency range 1 to 275 GHz and 275 GHz to 1000 GHz on which have

  20. Passive immunization of mice pups through oral immunization of dams with a plant-derived vaccine.

    PubMed

    Walmsley, Amanda M; Kirk, Dwayne D; Mason, Hugh S

    2003-03-03

    Passive immunization plays an important role in protecting young mammals against pathogens before the maturation of their own immune systems. Although many reports have shown active immunization of animals and human through the use of plant-derived vaccines, only one report has given evidence of passive immunization of offspring through oral immunization of parents using plant-derived vaccines. In this case, a challenge alone provided the evidence of passive immunization and the mechanism through which this occurred was not investigated. This report describes the first step in elucidating the mechanism of passive immunization of offspring through actively immunizing the female parent through an orally delivered, plant-derived vaccine. The authors found passive immunization of offspring was caused by transfer of antigen-specific IgG through either transplacental transfer or ingesting colostrum. Future studies will investigate the roles of transplacental antibody transfer and ingesting colostrum in passive immunization and the possible involvement of IgA in this immunization route.