High-Temperature Electronics: A Role for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neudeck, Philip G.; Okojie, Robert S.; Chen, Liang-Yu

2002-01-01

It is increasingly recognized that semiconductor based electronics that can function at ambient temperatures higher than 150 C without external cooling could greatly benefit a variety of important applications, especially-in the automotive, aerospace, and energy production industries. The fact that wide bandgap semiconductors are capable of electronic functionality at much higher temperatures than silicon has partially fueled their development, particularly in the case of SiC. It appears unlikely that wide bandgap semiconductor devices will find much use in low-power transistor applications until the ambient temperature exceeds approximately 300 C, as commercially available silicon and silicon-on-insulator technologies are already satisfying requirements for digital and analog very large scale integrated circuits in this temperature range. However, practical operation of silicon power devices at ambient temperatures above 200 C appears problematic, as self-heating at higher power levels results in high internal junction temperatures and leakages. Thus, most electronic subsystems that simultaneously require high-temperature and high-power operation will necessarily be realized using wide bandgap devices, once the technology for realizing these devices become sufficiently developed that they become widely available. Technological challenges impeding the realization of beneficial wide bandgap high ambient temperature electronics, including material growth, contacts, and packaging, are briefly discussed.

A hospital-wide clinical findings dictionary based on an extension of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

PubMed

Bréant, C; Borst, F; Campi, D; Griesser, V; Momjian, S

1999-01-01

The use of a controlled vocabulary set in a hospital-wide clinical information system is of crucial importance for many departmental database systems to communicate and exchange information. In the absence of an internationally recognized clinical controlled vocabulary set, a new extension of the International statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD) is proposed. It expands the scope of the standard ICD beyond diagnosis and procedures to clinical terminology. In addition, the common Clinical Findings Dictionary (CFD) further records the definition of clinical entities. The construction of the vocabulary set and the CFD is incremental and manual. Tools have been implemented to facilitate the tasks of defining/maintaining/publishing dictionary versions. The design of database applications in the integrated clinical information system is driven by the CFD which is part of the Medical Questionnaire Designer tool. Several integrated clinical database applications in the field of diabetes and neuro-surgery have been developed at the HUG.

A hospital-wide clinical findings dictionary based on an extension of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

PubMed Central

Bréant, C.; Borst, F.; Campi, D.; Griesser, V.; Momjian, S.

1999-01-01

The use of a controlled vocabulary set in a hospital-wide clinical information system is of crucial importance for many departmental database systems to communicate and exchange information. In the absence of an internationally recognized clinical controlled vocabulary set, a new extension of the International statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD) is proposed. It expands the scope of the standard ICD beyond diagnosis and procedures to clinical terminology. In addition, the common Clinical Findings Dictionary (CFD) further records the definition of clinical entities. The construction of the vocabulary set and the CFD is incremental and manual. Tools have been implemented to facilitate the tasks of defining/maintaining/publishing dictionary versions. The design of database applications in the integrated clinical information system is driven by the CFD which is part of the Medical Questionnaire Designer tool. Several integrated clinical database applications in the field of diabetes and neuro-surgery have been developed at the HUG. Images Figure 1 PMID:10566451

Application of multivariable statistical techniques in plant-wide WWTP control strategies analysis.

PubMed

Flores, X; Comas, J; Roda, I R; Jiménez, L; Gernaey, K V

2007-01-01

The main objective of this paper is to present the application of selected multivariable statistical techniques in plant-wide wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) control strategies analysis. In this study, cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis/factor analysis (PCA/FA) and discriminant analysis (DA) are applied to the evaluation matrix data set obtained by simulation of several control strategies applied to the plant-wide IWA Benchmark Simulation Model No 2 (BSM2). These techniques allow i) to determine natural groups or clusters of control strategies with a similar behaviour, ii) to find and interpret hidden, complex and casual relation features in the data set and iii) to identify important discriminant variables within the groups found by the cluster analysis. This study illustrates the usefulness of multivariable statistical techniques for both analysis and interpretation of the complex multicriteria data sets and allows an improved use of information for effective evaluation of control strategies.

Fabrication, modification, and application of poly(methyl methacrylate) microfluidic chips.

PubMed

Chen, Yun; Zhang, Luyan; Chen, Gang

2008-05-01

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is particularly useful for microfluidic chips with the features of low price, excellent optic transparency, attractive mechanical and chemical properties, ease of fabrication and modification, biocompatibility, etc. During the past decade, significant progress in the PMMA microfluidic chips has occurred. This review, which contains 120 references, summarizes the recent advances and the key strategies in the fabrication, modification, and application of PMMA microfluidic chips. It is expected that PMMA microchips should find a wide range of applications and will lead to the creation of truly disposable microfluidic devices.

Plowshare

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Teller, E.

1963-02-04

The purpose of this lecture is to give an impression of the main characteristic feature of Plowshare: its exceedingly wide applicability throughout fields of economic or scientific interest. If one wants to find the right applications, knowledge of the nuclear tool is not enough. One needs to have a thorough familiarity with the materials, with the processes, with all of science, with all the economics on our globe and maybe beyond. A survey is presented of all aspects of peaceful applications of nuclear explosives: earth moving, large-scale chemical and mining engineering, and scientific experiments. (D.L.C.)

The Neurobiology of Autism: Theoretical Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Jessica H.; Desrocher, Mary; Bebko, James M.; Cappadocia, M. Catherine

2010-01-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neurological disorders characterized by heterogeneity in skills and impairments. A variety of models have been developed to describe the disorders and a wide range of brain processes have been implicated. This review attempts to integrate some of the consistent neurological findings in the research with…

Handheld Computers in Education. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Partnerships, Inc., 2003

2003-01-01

For over the last 20 years, educators have been trying to find the best practice in using technology for student learning. Some of the most widely used applications with computers have been student learning of programming, word processing, Web research, spreadsheets, games, and Web design. The difficulty with integrating many of these activities…

Quantum machine learning for quantum anomaly detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Nana; Rebentrost, Patrick

2018-04-01

Anomaly detection is used for identifying data that deviate from "normal" data patterns. Its usage on classical data finds diverse applications in many important areas such as finance, fraud detection, medical diagnoses, data cleaning, and surveillance. With the advent of quantum technologies, anomaly detection of quantum data, in the form of quantum states, may become an important component of quantum applications. Machine-learning algorithms are playing pivotal roles in anomaly detection using classical data. Two widely used algorithms are the kernel principal component analysis and the one-class support vector machine. We find corresponding quantum algorithms to detect anomalies in quantum states. We show that these two quantum algorithms can be performed using resources that are logarithmic in the dimensionality of quantum states. For pure quantum states, these resources can also be logarithmic in the number of quantum states used for training the machine-learning algorithm. This makes these algorithms potentially applicable to big quantum data applications.

Sucrose esters as natural surfactants in drug delivery systems--a mini-review.

PubMed

Szűts, Angéla; Szabó-Révész, Piroska

2012-08-20

Sucrose esters (SEs) are widely used in the food and cosmetic industries and there has recently been great interest in their applicability in different pharmaceutical fields. They are natural and biodegradable excipients with well-known emulsifying and solubilizing behavior. Currently the most common pharmaceutical applications of SEs are for the enhancement of drug dissolution and drug absorption/permeation, and in controlled-release systems. Although the number of articles on SEs is continuously increasing, they have not yet been widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this review is to discuss and summarize some of the findings and applications of SEs in different areas of drug delivery. The article highlights the main properties of SEs and focuses on their use in pharmaceutical technology and on their regulatory and toxicological status. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Broadband anomalous reflection caused by unsymmetrical specific acoustic impedance in phononic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, S. K.; Wu, C. W.; Chen, Z.

2018-01-01

We investigate through numerical simulation the anomalous reflection (AR) of acoustic waves with perfect phononic crystals (PCs). Broadband AR is observed in a wide angle for the oblique incidence. The AR is due to the unsymmetrical specific acoustic impedance (SAI) profile along the surface, which is caused by the high frequency incidence. The findings in this paper complement the theories for the AR of acoustic waves with PCs, and may find applications in acoustic engineerings.

Miniature wide field-of-view star trackers for spacecraft attitude sensing and navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccarty, William; Curtis, Eric; Hull, Anthony; Morgan, William

1993-01-01

Introducing a family of miniature, wide field-of-view star trackers for low cost, high performance spacecraft attitude determination and navigation applications. These devices, derivative of the WFOV Star Tracker Camera developed cooperatively by OCA Applied Optics and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the Brilliant Pebbles program, offer a suite of options addressing a wide range of spacecraft attitude measurement and control requirements. These sensors employ much wider fields than are customary (ranging between 20 and 60 degrees) to assure enough bright stars for quick and accurate attitude determinations without long integration intervals. The key benefit of this approach are light weight, low power, reduced data processing loads and high information carrier rates for wide ACS bandwidths. Devices described range from the proven OCA/LLNL WFOV Star Tracker Camera (a low-cost, space-qualified star-field imager utilizing the spacecraft's own computer and centroiding and position-finding), to a new autonomous subsystem design featuring dual-redundant cameras and completely self-contained star-field data processing with output quaternion solutions accurate to 100 micro-rad, 3 sigma, for stand-alone applications.

Investigation on Mechanical Properties of Graphene Oxide reinforced GFRP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arun, G. K.; Sreenivas, Nikhil; Brahma Reddy, Kesari; Sai Krishna Reddy, K.; Shashi Kumar, M. E.; Pramod, R.

2018-02-01

Graphene and E-glass fibres individually find a very wide field of applications because of their various mechanical and chemical properties. Recently graphene has attracted both academic and industrial interest because it can produce a dramatic improvement in properties at very low filler content. The primary interest of this venture is to investigate on Graphene reinforced polymer matrix nanocomposites and finding the mechanical properties. The composites were fabricated by Hand Lay Process and have been evaluated by the addition of Graphene with 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 by weight% as reinforcement in composites. The theoretical and experimental results validate the increase in properties such as tensile strength, hardness and flexural strength with increase in weight proportions from 1% to 3% of graphene powder. It was observed that the composite material with 2.5% weight fraction of graphene yielded superior properties over other weight percentages. Graphene reinforced polymer matrix nanocomposites finds its major applications in the manufacture of aircraft bodies, ballistic missiles, sporting equipment, marine applications and extraterrestrial ventures.

Peer-Teaching in the Secondary Music Ensemble

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Erik

2015-01-01

Peer-teaching is an instructional technique that has been used by teachers world-wide to successfully engage, exercise and deepen student learning. Yet, in some instances, teachers find the application of peer-teaching in large music ensembles at the secondary level to be daunting. This article is meant to be a practical resource for secondary…

Azobisisobutyronitrile initiated aerobic oxidative transformation of amines: coupling of primary amines and cyanation of tertiary amines.

PubMed

Liu, Lianghui; Wang, Zikuan; Fu, Xuefeng; Yan, Chun-Hua

2012-11-16

In the presence of a catalytic amount of radical initiator AIBN, primary amines are oxidatively coupled to imines and tertiary amines are cyanated to α-aminonitriles. These "metal-free" aerobic oxidative coupling reactions may find applications in a wide range of "green" oxidation chemistry.

The "Finding Physics" Project: Recognizing and Exploring Physics outside the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beck, Judith; Perkins, James

2016-01-01

Students in introductory physics classes often have difficulty recognizing the relevance of physics concepts outside the confines of the physics classroom, lab, and textbook. Even though textbooks and instructors often provide examples of physics applications from a wide array of areas, students have difficulty relating physics to their own lives.…

Indicator Systems for School and Teacher Evaluation: Fire-Fighting It Is!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitz-Gibbon, C. T.

In 1979, Gene Glass suggested that it might not be possible to evaluate schools nor to create widely applicable research findings, but that the complexity of education was such that merely "fire-fighting," establishing monitoring systems to alert about educational events, was the best approach. In the United Kingdom, monitoring systems…

Advanced telepresence surgery system development.

PubMed

Jensen, J F; Hill, J W

1996-01-01

SRI International is currently developing a prototype remote telepresence surgery system, for the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), that will bring life-saving surgical care to wounded soldiers in the zone of combat. Remote surgery also has potentially important applications in civilian medicine. In addition, telepresence will find wide medical use in local surgery, in endoscopic, laparoscopic, and microsurgery applications. Key elements of the telepresence technology now being developed for ARPA, including the telepresence surgeon's workstation (TSW) and associated servo control systems, will have direct application to these areas of minimally invasive surgery. The TSW technology will also find use in surgical training, where it will provide an immersive visual and haptic interface for interaction with computer-based anatomical models. In this paper, we discuss our ongoing development of the MEDFAST telesurgery system, focusing on the TSW man-machine interface and its associated servo control electronics.

CMOS dot matrix microdisplay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venter, Petrus J.; Bogalecki, Alfons W.; du Plessis, Monuko; Goosen, Marius E.; Nell, Ilse J.; Rademeyer, P.

2011-03-01

Display technologies always seem to find a wide range of interesting applications. As devices develop towards miniaturization, niche applications for small displays may emerge. While OLEDs and LCDs dominate the market for small displays, they have some shortcomings as relatively expensive technologies. Although CMOS is certainly not the dominating semiconductor for photonics, its widespread use, favourable cost and robustness present an attractive potential if it could find application in the microdisplay environment. Advances in improving the quantum efficiency of avalanche electroluminescence and the favourable spectral characteristics of light generated through the said mechanism may afford CMOS the possibility to be used as a display technology. This work shows that it is possible to integrate a fully functional display in a completely standard CMOS technology mainly geared towards digital design while using light sources completely compatible with the process and without any post processing required.

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

Gilbert, Jack A.; Quinn, Robert A.; Debelius, Justine

Rapid advances in DNA sequencing, metabolomics, proteomics and computational tools are dramatically increasing access to the microbiome and identification of its links with disease. In particular, time-series studies and multiple molecular perspectives are facilitating microbiome-wide association studies, which are analogous to genome-wide association studies. Early findings point to actionable outcomes of microbiome-wide association studies, although their clinical application has yet to be approved. An appreciation of the complexity of interactions among the microbiome and the host's diet, chemistry and health, as well as determining the frequency of observations that are needed to capture and integrate this dynamic interface, is paramountmore » for developing precision diagnostics and therapies that are based on the microbiome.« less

Path finding methods accounting for stoichiometry in metabolic networks

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Graph-based methods have been widely used for the analysis of biological networks. Their application to metabolic networks has been much discussed, in particular noting that an important weakness in such methods is that reaction stoichiometry is neglected. In this study, we show that reaction stoichiometry can be incorporated into path-finding approaches via mixed-integer linear programming. This major advance at the modeling level results in improved prediction of topological and functional properties in metabolic networks. PMID:21619601

Hidden symmetries in plasmonic gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huidobro, P. A.; Chang, Y. H.; Kraft, M.; Pendry, J. B.

2017-04-01

Plasmonic gratings constitute a paradigmatic instance of the wide range of applications enabled by plasmonics. While subwavelength metal gratings find applications in optical biosensing and photovoltaics, atomically thin gratings achieved by periodically doping a graphene monolayer perform as metasurfaces for the control of terahertz radiation. In this paper we show how these two instances of plasmonic gratings inherit their spectral properties from an underlying slab with translational symmetry. We develop an analytical formalism to accurately derive the mode spectrum of the gratings that provides a great physical insight.

Ancestry Informative Marker Sets for Determining Continental Origin and Admixture Proportions in Common Populations in America

PubMed Central

Kosoy, Roman; Nassir, Rami; Tian, Chao; White, Phoebe A; Butler, Lesley M.; Silva, Gabriel; Kittles, Rick; Alarcon-Riquelme, Marta E.; Gregersen, Peter K.; Belmont, John W.; De La Vega, Francisco M.; Seldin, Michael F.

2011-01-01

To provide a resource for assessing continental ancestry in a wide variety of genetic studies we identified, validated and characterized a set of 128 ancestry informative markers (AIMs). The markers were chosen for informativeness, genome-wide distribution, and genotype reproducibility on two platforms (TaqMan® assays and Illumina arrays). We analyzed genotyping data from 825 subjects with diverse ancestry, including European, East Asian, Amerindian, African, South Asian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican. A comprehensive set of 128 AIMs and subsets as small as 24 AIMs are shown to be useful tools for ascertaining the origin of subjects from particular continents, and to correct for population stratification in admixed population sample sets. Our findings provide general guidelines for the application of specific AIM subsets as a resource for wide application. We conclude that investigators can use TaqMan assays for the selected AIMs as a simple and cost efficient tool to control for differences in continental ancestry when conducting association studies in ethnically diverse populations. PMID:18683858

Information Systems Integration and Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) Adoption: A Case from Financial Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Wing

2007-01-01

Increasingly, organizations find that they need to integrate large number of information systems in order to support enterprise-wide business initiatives such as e-business, supply chain management and customer relationship management. To date, organizations have largely tended to address information systems (IS) integration in an ad-hoc manner.…

Applications of Video-Conferencing Technology in Special Education Teacher Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Israel, Maya; Knowlton, Earle; Griswold, Deborah; Rowland, Amber

2009-01-01

Teacher educators must find ways to teach course content situated within realistic K-12 contexts so that their preservice teachers can better understand how to apply that content effectively in situations they will face as professionals. Video-conferencing (VC) technology has emerged as a useful tool in teacher education, evincing a wide range of…

Think outside the Box: A Logic-Defying "Impossible" Solution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raje, Sonali

2012-01-01

"Think outside the box" is a very common phrase, routinely used to convey the idea of finding creative and unconventional solutions to problems. Although widely used as a cliche in the business world, this phrase is significantly applicable to people who do science for a living, because scientists are constantly developing and testing new ideas.…

Application of near-infrared spectroscopy to preservative-treated wood

Treesearch

Chi-Leung So; Stan T. Lebow; Thomas L. Eberhardt; Leslie H. Groom; Todd F. Shupe

2009-01-01

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is now a widely-used technique in the field of forest products, especially for physical and mechanical property determinations. This technique is also ideal for the chemical analysis of wood. There has been a growing need to find a rapid, inexpensive and reliable method to distinguish between preservative-treated and untreated waste...

Proposing an Evaluation Framework for Interventions: Focusing on Students' Behaviours in Interactive Science Exhibitions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hauan, Nils Petter; DeWitt, Jennifer; Kolstø, Stein Dankert

2017-01-01

Materials designed for self-guided experiences such as worksheets and digital applications are widely used as tools to enable interactive science exhibitions to support students' progress towards conceptual understanding. However, there is a need to find expedient ways to evaluate the quality of educational experiences resulting from the use of…

Interactive Application in Spanish Sign Language for a Public Transport Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viera-Santana, José Guillermo; Hernández-Haddad, Juan C.; Rodríguez-Esparragón, Dionisio; Castillo-Ortiz, Jesús

2014-01-01

People with hearing disability find it difficult to access to information and communication in public places. According to this fact, it is considered the possibility to design a communication system based on the Spanish Sign Language (SSL), which helps to overcome this barrier in public environments of wide concurrence, where much of the…

Finding Waves: Techniques for a Successful Wireless Site Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shanafelt, Michael

2004-01-01

Wireless Local Area Networks are the most widely adopted networking technology to hit the market in the last three years. They have the potential to make network applications and the Internet available anywhere on a campus so that students and faculty are no longer tethered to their offices or shared computer laboratories in order to connect to a…

The current state of Bayesian methods in medical product development: survey results and recommendations from the DIA Bayesian Scientific Working Group.

PubMed

Natanegara, Fanni; Neuenschwander, Beat; Seaman, John W; Kinnersley, Nelson; Heilmann, Cory R; Ohlssen, David; Rochester, George

2014-01-01

Bayesian applications in medical product development have recently gained popularity. Despite many advances in Bayesian methodology and computations, increase in application across the various areas of medical product development has been modest. The DIA Bayesian Scientific Working Group (BSWG), which includes representatives from industry, regulatory agencies, and academia, has adopted the vision to ensure Bayesian methods are well understood, accepted more broadly, and appropriately utilized to improve decision making and enhance patient outcomes. As Bayesian applications in medical product development are wide ranging, several sub-teams were formed to focus on various topics such as patient safety, non-inferiority, prior specification, comparative effectiveness, joint modeling, program-wide decision making, analytical tools, and education. The focus of this paper is on the recent effort of the BSWG Education sub-team to administer a Bayesian survey to statisticians across 17 organizations involved in medical product development. We summarize results of this survey, from which we provide recommendations on how to accelerate progress in Bayesian applications throughout medical product development. The survey results support findings from the literature and provide additional insight on regulatory acceptance of Bayesian methods and information on the need for a Bayesian infrastructure within an organization. The survey findings support the claim that only modest progress in areas of education and implementation has been made recently, despite substantial progress in Bayesian statistical research and software availability. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Enzyme Immobilization: An Overview on Methods, Support Material, and Applications of Immobilized Enzymes.

PubMed

Sirisha, V L; Jain, Ankita; Jain, Amita

Immobilized enzymes can be used in a wide range of processes. In recent years, a variety of new approaches have emerged for the immobilization of enzymes that have greater efficiency and wider usage. During the course of the last two decades, this area has rapidly expanded into a multidisciplinary field. This current study is a comprehensive review of a variety of literature produced on the different enzymes that have been immobilized on various supporting materials. These immobilized enzymes have a wide range of applications. These include applications in the sugar, fish, and wine industries, where they are used for removing organic compounds from waste water. This study also reviews their use in sophisticated biosensors for metabolite control and in situ measurements of environmental pollutants. Immobilized enzymes also find significant application in drug metabolism, biodiesel and antibiotic production, bioremediation, and the food industry. The widespread usage of immobilized enzymes is largely due to the fact that they are cheaper, environment friendly, and much easier to use when compared to equivalent technologies. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review of optimization techniques of polygeneration systems for building applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Y, Rong A.; Y, Su; R, Lahdelma

2016-08-01

Polygeneration means simultaneous production of two or more energy products in a single integrated process. Polygeneration is an energy-efficient technology and plays an important role in transition into future low-carbon energy systems. It can find wide applications in utilities, different types of industrial sectors and building sectors. This paper mainly focus on polygeneration applications in building sectors. The scales of polygeneration systems in building sectors range from the micro-level for a single home building to the large- level for residential districts. Also the development of polygeneration microgrid is related to building applications. The paper aims at giving a comprehensive review for optimization techniques for designing, synthesizing and operating different types of polygeneration systems for building applications.

Low Temperature Double-layer Capacitors with Improved Energy Density: An Overview of Recent Development Efforts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandon, Erik J.; West, William C.; Smart, Marshall C.; Korenblit, Yair; Kajdos, Adam; Kvit, Alexander; Jagiello, Jacek; Yushin, Gleb

2012-01-01

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors are finding increased use in a wide range of energy storage applications, particularly where high pulse power capabilities are required. Double-layer capacitors store charge at a liquid/solid interface, making them ideal for low temperature power applications, due to the facile kinetic processes associated with the rearrangement of the electrochemical double-layer at these temperatures. Potential low temperature applications include hybrid and electric vehicles, operations in polar regions, high altitude aircraft and aerospace avionics, and distributed environmental and structural health monitoring. State-of-the-art capacitors can typically operate to -40 C, with a subsequent degradation in power performance below room temperature. However, recent efforts focused on advanced electrolyte and electrode systems can enable operation to temperatures as low as -70 C, with capacities similar to room temperature values accompanied by reasonably low equivalent series resistances. This presentation will provide an overview of recent development efforts to extend and improve the wide temperature performance of these devices.

The Use of Absorptive Capacity in Improving the New Product Development (NPD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunawan, W.; Gerardus, P.; Tji, B. J.; Richard, K.

2017-01-01

The term Absorptive Capacity (AC) refers to maximizing the external knowledge transfer into the organization in order to improve its performance. Since its introduction in year 1990, AC has been applied widely in many fields such as: economy, business, KM, HR, intellectual capital, IT, operation management, marketing, etc. Due to its wide application, nevertheless, The AC application in both Indonesian industry and higher education institutions (HEIs) are still rare to find. The Indonesian Directorate General of Higher Education (DGHE) has encouraged creating effective collaboration model that enables to link the HEIs with the industries in order to improve knowledge creation in improving product development that can be used by the firms. For this reason, the article examines the effective AC model that enables to assist in improving new product development (NPD) process in the polytechnic perspectives.

Energy Conversion Properties of ZnSiP2, a Lattice-Matched Material for Silicon-Based Tandem Photovoltaics

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

Martinez, Aaron D.; Warren, Emily L.; Gorai, Prashun

ZnSiP2 demonstrates promising potential as an optically active material on silicon. There has been a longstanding need for wide band gap materials that can be integrated with Si for tandem photovoltaics and other optoelectronic applications. ZnSiP2 is an inexpensive, earth abundant, wide band gap material that is stable and lattice matched with silicon. This conference proceeding summarizes our PV-relevant work on bulk single crystal ZnSiP2, highlighting the key findings and laying the ground work for integration into Si-based tandem devices.

Genome-wide association analysis accounting for environmental factors through propensity-score matching: application to stressful live events in major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Power, Robert A; Cohen-Woods, Sarah; Ng, Mandy Y; Butler, Amy W; Craddock, Nick; Korszun, Ania; Jones, Lisa; Jones, Ian; Gill, Michael; Rice, John P; Maier, Wolfgang; Zobel, Astrid; Mors, Ole; Placentino, Anna; Rietschel, Marcella; Aitchison, Katherine J; Tozzi, Federica; Muglia, Pierandrea; Breen, Gerome; Farmer, Anne E; McGuffin, Peter; Lewis, Cathryn M; Uher, Rudolf

2013-09-01

Stressful life events are an established trigger for depression and may contribute to the heterogeneity within genome-wide association analyses. With depression cases showing an excess of exposure to stressful events compared to controls, there is difficulty in distinguishing between "true" cases and a "normal" response to a stressful environment. This potential contamination of cases, and that from genetically at risk controls that have not yet experienced environmental triggers for onset, may reduce the power of studies to detect causal variants. In the RADIANT sample of 3,690 European individuals, we used propensity score matching to pair cases and controls on exposure to stressful life events. In 805 case-control pairs matched on stressful life event, we tested the influence of 457,670 common genetic variants on the propensity to depression under comparable level of adversity with a sign test. While this analysis produced no significant findings after genome-wide correction for multiple testing, we outline a novel methodology and perspective for providing environmental context in genetic studies. We recommend contextualizing depression by incorporating environmental exposure into genome-wide analyses as a complementary approach to testing gene-environment interactions. Possible explanations for negative findings include a lack of statistical power due to small sample size and conditional effects, resulting from the low rate of adequate matching. Our findings underscore the importance of collecting information on environmental risk factors in studies of depression and other complex phenotypes, so that sufficient sample sizes are available to investigate their effect in genome-wide association analysis. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Analysis of the Chemical, Pharmacological and Clinical Applications of Polygonum Cuspidatum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Chenyang; Bai, Ming; Miao, Mingsan; Miao, Yanyan

2018-01-01

Traditional Chinese medicine Polygonum cuspidatum widely used, the larger production, and in the clinical application of more, but the role played by the role of different roles are also different. By reviewing the relevant literatures in recent years, the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Polygonum cuspidatum were sorted and summarized, and the role of Polygonum cuspidatum was analyzed, and the function of Polygonum cuspidatum was explored to find out the role of Polygonum cuspidatum in compatibility. Application law. Which can not only study the medicinal mechanism of Polygonum cuspidatum, but also provide the theoretical basis for the medicinal development, clinical treatment and comprehensive utilization of Polygonum cuspidatum.

Portable Device Analyzes Rocks and Minerals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

inXitu Inc., of Mountain View, California, entered into a Phase II SBIR contract with Ames Research Center to develop technologies for the next generation of scientific instruments for materials analysis. The work resulted in a sample handling system that could find a wide range of applications in research and industrial laboratories as a means to load powdered samples for analysis or process control. Potential industries include chemical, cement, inks, pharmaceutical, ceramics, and forensics. Additional applications include characterizing materials that cannot be ground to a fine size, such as explosives and research pharmaceuticals.

Recent advances in plasma modeling for space applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinivasan, Bhuvana; Scales, Wayne; Cagas, Petr; Glesner, Colin

2017-02-01

This paper presents a brief overview of the application of advanced plasma modeling techniques to several space science and engineering problems currently of significant interest. Recent advances in both kinetic and fluid modeling provide the ability to study a wide variety of problems that may be important to space plasmas including spacecraft-environment interactions, plasma-material interactions for propulsion systems such as Hall thrusters, ionospheric plasma instabilities, plasma separation from magnetic nozzles, active space experiments, and a host of additional problems. Some of the key findings are summarized here.

Neutron beam irradiation study of workload dependence of SER in a microprocessor

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

Michalak, Sarah E; Graves, Todd L; Hong, Ted

It is known that workloads are an important factor in soft error rates (SER), but it is proving difficult to find differentiating workloads for microprocessors. We have performed neutron beam irradiation studies of a commercial microprocessor under a wide variety of workload conditions from idle, performing no operations, to very busy workloads resembling real HPC, graphics, and business applications. There is evidence that the mean times to first indication of failure, MTFIF defined in Section II, may be different for some of the applications.

Flat conductor cable for electrical packaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angele, W.

1972-01-01

Flat conductor cable (FCC) is relatively new, highly promising means for electrical packaging and system integration. FCC offers numerous desirable traits (weight, volume and cost savings, flexibility, high reliability, predictable and repeatable electrical characteristics) which make it extremely attractive as a packaging medium. FCC, today, finds wide application in everything from integration of lunar equipment to the packaging of electronics in nuclear submarines. Described are cable construction and means of termination, applicable specifications and standards, and total FCC systems. A list of additional sources of data is also included for more intensive study.

Radio and television use in Butte County, California: application to fire prevention

Treesearch

William S. Folkman

1975-01-01

A sample of Butte County residents were interviewed about their radio and television use habits. Their responses were analyzed in terms of demographic, social, and economic characteristics. The findings can be used in developing more effective fire prevention programs. Most people in Butte County listen to the radio or watch television but they differ widely in the way...

Fin-line horn antenna

DOEpatents

Reindel, John

1990-01-01

A fin line circuit card containing a fin line slot feeds a dipole antenna ich extends a quarterwave outside the waveguide and provides an energy beam focal point at or near the open end of the waveguide. The dipole antenna thus maintains a wide and nearly constant beamwidth, low VSWR and a circular symmetric radiation pattern for use in electronic warfare direction finding and surveillance applications.

Research on Computers in Mathematics Education, IV. The Use of Computers in Mathematics Education Resource Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kieren, Thomas E.

This last paper in a set of four reviews research on a wide variety of computer applications in the mathematics classroom. It covers computer-based instruction, especially drill-and-practice and tutorial modes; computer-managed instruction; and computer-augmented problem-solving. Analytical comments on the findings and status of the research are…

It's Not Just the Pedagogy: Challenges in Scaling Mobile Learning Applications into Institution-Wide Learning Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bird, Peter; Stubbs, Mark

2015-01-01

Whilst m-learning pedagogy has received considerable attention (e.g. Sharples et. al. 2007, Kukulska-Hulme, 2012), the process of adopting this potentially disruptive innovation within universities has been neglected. Based on a PhD thesis (Bird, 2014), this paper presents some of the findings from a longitudinal study which examined the adoption…

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

Pradeepkumar, Aiswarya; Mishra, Neeraj; Kermany, Atieh Ranjbar

Epitaxial cubic silicon carbide on silicon is of high potential technological relevance for the integration of a wide range of applications and materials with silicon technologies, such as micro electro mechanical systems, wide-bandgap electronics, and graphene. The hetero-epitaxial system engenders mechanical stresses at least up to a GPa, pressures making it extremely challenging to maintain the integrity of the silicon carbide/silicon interface. In this work, we investigate the stability of said interface and we find that high temperature annealing leads to a loss of integrity. High–resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis shows a morphologically degraded SiC/Si interface, while mechanical stress measurementsmore » indicate considerable relaxation of the interfacial stress. From an electrical point of view, the diode behaviour of the initial p-Si/n-SiC junction is catastrophically lost due to considerable inter-diffusion of atoms and charges across the interface upon annealing. Temperature dependent transport measurements confirm a severe electrical shorting of the epitaxial silicon carbide to the underlying substrate, indicating vast predominance of the silicon carriers in lateral transport above 25 K. This finding has crucial consequences on the integration of epitaxial silicon carbide on silicon and its potential applications.« less

The clinical application of genome-wide sequencing for monogenic diseases in Canada: Position Statement of the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists

PubMed Central

Boycott, Kym; Hartley, Taila; Adam, Shelin; Bernier, Francois; Chong, Karen; Fernandez, Bridget A; Friedman, Jan M; Geraghty, Michael T; Hume, Stacey; Knoppers, Bartha M; Laberge, Anne-Marie; Majewski, Jacek; Mendoza-Londono, Roberto; Meyn, M Stephen; Michaud, Jacques L; Nelson, Tanya N; Richer, Julie; Sadikovic, Bekim; Skidmore, David L; Stockley, Tracy; Taylor, Sherry; van Karnebeek, Clara; Zawati, Ma'n H; Lauzon, Julie; Armour, Christine M

2015-01-01

Purpose and scope The aim of this Position Statement is to provide recommendations for Canadian medical geneticists, clinical laboratory geneticists, genetic counsellors and other physicians regarding the use of genome-wide sequencing of germline DNA in the context of clinical genetic diagnosis. This statement has been developed to facilitate the clinical translation and development of best practices for clinical genome-wide sequencing for genetic diagnosis of monogenic diseases in Canada; it does not address the clinical application of this technology in other fields such as molecular investigation of cancer or for population screening of healthy individuals. Methods of statement development Two multidisciplinary groups consisting of medical geneticists, clinical laboratory geneticists, genetic counsellors, ethicists, lawyers and genetic researchers were assembled to review existing literature and guidelines on genome-wide sequencing for clinical genetic diagnosis in the context of monogenic diseases, and to make recommendations relevant to the Canadian context. The statement was circulated for comment to the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (CCMG) membership-at-large and, following incorporation of feedback, approved by the CCMG Board of Directors. The CCMG is a Canadian organisation responsible for certifying medical geneticists and clinical laboratory geneticists, and for establishing professional and ethical standards for clinical genetics services in Canada. Results and conclusions Recommendations include (1) clinical genome-wide sequencing is an appropriate approach in the diagnostic assessment of a patient for whom there is suspicion of a significant monogenic disease that is associated with a high degree of genetic heterogeneity, or where specific genetic tests have failed to provide a diagnosis; (2) until the benefits of reporting incidental findings are established, we do not endorse the intentional clinical analysis of disease-associated genes other than those linked to the primary indication; and (3) clinicians should provide genetic counselling and obtain informed consent prior to undertaking clinical genome-wide sequencing. Counselling should include discussion of the limitations of testing, likelihood and implications of diagnosis and incidental findings, and the potential need for further analysis to facilitate clinical interpretation, including studies performed in a research setting. These recommendations will be routinely re-evaluated as knowledge of diagnostic and clinical utility of clinical genome-wide sequencing improves. While the document was developed to direct practice in Canada, the applicability of the statement is broader and will be of interest to clinicians and health jurisdictions internationally. PMID:25951830

The clinical application of genome-wide sequencing for monogenic diseases in Canada: Position Statement of the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists.

PubMed

Boycott, Kym; Hartley, Taila; Adam, Shelin; Bernier, Francois; Chong, Karen; Fernandez, Bridget A; Friedman, Jan M; Geraghty, Michael T; Hume, Stacey; Knoppers, Bartha M; Laberge, Anne-Marie; Majewski, Jacek; Mendoza-Londono, Roberto; Meyn, M Stephen; Michaud, Jacques L; Nelson, Tanya N; Richer, Julie; Sadikovic, Bekim; Skidmore, David L; Stockley, Tracy; Taylor, Sherry; van Karnebeek, Clara; Zawati, Ma'n H; Lauzon, Julie; Armour, Christine M

2015-07-01

The aim of this Position Statement is to provide recommendations for Canadian medical geneticists, clinical laboratory geneticists, genetic counsellors and other physicians regarding the use of genome-wide sequencing of germline DNA in the context of clinical genetic diagnosis. This statement has been developed to facilitate the clinical translation and development of best practices for clinical genome-wide sequencing for genetic diagnosis of monogenic diseases in Canada; it does not address the clinical application of this technology in other fields such as molecular investigation of cancer or for population screening of healthy individuals. Two multidisciplinary groups consisting of medical geneticists, clinical laboratory geneticists, genetic counsellors, ethicists, lawyers and genetic researchers were assembled to review existing literature and guidelines on genome-wide sequencing for clinical genetic diagnosis in the context of monogenic diseases, and to make recommendations relevant to the Canadian context. The statement was circulated for comment to the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (CCMG) membership-at-large and, following incorporation of feedback, approved by the CCMG Board of Directors. The CCMG is a Canadian organisation responsible for certifying medical geneticists and clinical laboratory geneticists, and for establishing professional and ethical standards for clinical genetics services in Canada. Recommendations include (1) clinical genome-wide sequencing is an appropriate approach in the diagnostic assessment of a patient for whom there is suspicion of a significant monogenic disease that is associated with a high degree of genetic heterogeneity, or where specific genetic tests have failed to provide a diagnosis; (2) until the benefits of reporting incidental findings are established, we do not endorse the intentional clinical analysis of disease-associated genes other than those linked to the primary indication; and (3) clinicians should provide genetic counselling and obtain informed consent prior to undertaking clinical genome-wide sequencing. Counselling should include discussion of the limitations of testing, likelihood and implications of diagnosis and incidental findings, and the potential need for further analysis to facilitate clinical interpretation, including studies performed in a research setting. These recommendations will be routinely re-evaluated as knowledge of diagnostic and clinical utility of clinical genome-wide sequencing improves. While the document was developed to direct practice in Canada, the applicability of the statement is broader and will be of interest to clinicians and health jurisdictions internationally. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

CMS: A Web-Based System for Visualization and Analysis of Genome-Wide Methylation Data of Human Cancers

PubMed Central

Huang, Yi-Wen; Roa, Juan C.; Goodfellow, Paul J.; Kizer, E. Lynette; Huang, Tim H. M.; Chen, Yidong

2013-01-01

Background DNA methylation of promoter CpG islands is associated with gene suppression, and its unique genome-wide profiles have been linked to tumor progression. Coupled with high-throughput sequencing technologies, it can now efficiently determine genome-wide methylation profiles in cancer cells. Also, experimental and computational technologies make it possible to find the functional relationship between cancer-specific methylation patterns and their clinicopathological parameters. Methodology/Principal Findings Cancer methylome system (CMS) is a web-based database application designed for the visualization, comparison and statistical analysis of human cancer-specific DNA methylation. Methylation intensities were obtained from MBDCap-sequencing, pre-processed and stored in the database. 191 patient samples (169 tumor and 22 normal specimen) and 41 breast cancer cell-lines are deposited in the database, comprising about 6.6 billion uniquely mapped sequence reads. This provides comprehensive and genome-wide epigenetic portraits of human breast cancer and endometrial cancer to date. Two views are proposed for users to better understand methylation structure at the genomic level or systemic methylation alteration at the gene level. In addition, a variety of annotation tracks are provided to cover genomic information. CMS includes important analytic functions for interpretation of methylation data, such as the detection of differentially methylated regions, statistical calculation of global methylation intensities, multiple gene sets of biologically significant categories, interactivity with UCSC via custom-track data. We also present examples of discoveries utilizing the framework. Conclusions/Significance CMS provides visualization and analytic functions for cancer methylome datasets. A comprehensive collection of datasets, a variety of embedded analytic functions and extensive applications with biological and translational significance make this system powerful and unique in cancer methylation research. CMS is freely accessible at: http://cbbiweb.uthscsa.edu/KMethylomes/. PMID:23630576

Modeling and simulation of evacuation behavior using fuzzy logic in a goal finding application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Sharad; Ogunlana, Kola; Sree, Swetha

2016-05-01

Modeling and simulation has been widely used as a training and educational tool for depicting different evacuation strategies and damage control decisions during evacuation. However, there are few simulation environments that can include human behavior with low to high levels of fidelity. It is well known that crowd stampede induced by panic leads to fatalities as people are crushed or trampled. Our proposed goal finding application can be used to model situations that are difficult to test in real-life due to safety considerations. It is able to include agent characteristics and behaviors. Findings of this model are very encouraging as agents are able to assume various roles to utilize fuzzy logic on the way to reaching their goals. Fuzzy logic is used to model stress, panic and the uncertainty of emotions. The fuzzy rules link these parts together while feeding into behavioral rules. The contributions of this paper lies in our approach of utilizing fuzzy logic to show learning and adaptive behavior of agents in a goal finding application. The proposed application will aid in running multiple evacuation drills for what-if scenarios by incorporating human behavioral characteristics that can scale from a room to building. Our results show that the inclusion of fuzzy attributes made the evacuation time of the agents closer to the real time drills.

Ancestry informative marker sets for determining continental origin and admixture proportions in common populations in America.

PubMed

Kosoy, Roman; Nassir, Rami; Tian, Chao; White, Phoebe A; Butler, Lesley M; Silva, Gabriel; Kittles, Rick; Alarcon-Riquelme, Marta E; Gregersen, Peter K; Belmont, John W; De La Vega, Francisco M; Seldin, Michael F

2009-01-01

To provide a resource for assessing continental ancestry in a wide variety of genetic studies, we identified, validated, and characterized a set of 128 ancestry informative markers (AIMs). The markers were chosen for informativeness, genome-wide distribution, and genotype reproducibility on two platforms (TaqMan assays and Illumina arrays). We analyzed genotyping data from 825 subjects with diverse ancestry, including European, East Asian, Amerindian, African, South Asian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican. A comprehensive set of 128 AIMs and subsets as small as 24 AIMs are shown to be useful tools for ascertaining the origin of subjects from particular continents, and to correct for population stratification in admixed population sample sets. Our findings provide general guidelines for the application of specific AIM subsets as a resource for wide application. We conclude that investigators can use TaqMan assays for the selected AIMs as a simple and cost efficient tool to control for differences in continental ancestry when conducting association studies in ethnically diverse populations. Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Phase shifting white light interferometry using colour CCD for optical metrology and bio-imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upputuri, Paul Kumar; Pramanik, Manojit

2018-02-01

Phase shifting white light interferometry (PSWLI) has been widely used for optical metrology applications because of their precision, reliability, and versatility. White light interferometry using monochrome CCD makes the measurement process slow for metrology applications. WLI integrated with Red-Green-Blue (RGB) CCD camera is finding imaging applications in the fields optical metrology and bio-imaging. Wavelength dependent refractive index profiles of biological samples were computed from colour white light interferograms. In recent years, whole-filed refractive index profiles of red blood cells (RBCs), onion skin, fish cornea, etc. were measured from RGB interferograms. In this paper, we discuss the bio-imaging applications of colour CCD based white light interferometry. The approach makes the measurement faster, easier, cost-effective, and even dynamic by using single fringe analysis methods, for industrial applications.

Recognition of voice commands using adaptation of foreign language speech recognizer via selection of phonetic transcriptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maskeliunas, Rytis; Rudzionis, Vytautas

2011-06-01

In recent years various commercial speech recognizers have become available. These recognizers provide the possibility to develop applications incorporating various speech recognition techniques easily and quickly. All of these commercial recognizers are typically targeted to widely spoken languages having large market potential; however, it may be possible to adapt available commercial recognizers for use in environments where less widely spoken languages are used. Since most commercial recognition engines are closed systems the single avenue for the adaptation is to try set ways for the selection of proper phonetic transcription methods between the two languages. This paper deals with the methods to find the phonetic transcriptions for Lithuanian voice commands to be recognized using English speech engines. The experimental evaluation showed that it is possible to find phonetic transcriptions that will enable the recognition of Lithuanian voice commands with recognition accuracy of over 90%.

Intense transient electric field sensor based on the electro-optic effect of LiNbO{sub 3}

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

Yang, Qing, E-mail: yangqing@cqu.edu.cn; Sun, Shangpeng; Han, Rui

2015-10-15

Intense transient electric field measurements are widely applied in various research areas. An optical intense E-field sensor for time-domain measurements, based on the electro-optic effect of lithium niobate, has been studied in detail. Principles and key issues in the design of the sensor are presented. The sensor is insulated, small in size (65 mm × 15 mm × 15 mm), and suitable for high-intensity (<801 kV/m) electric field measurements over a wide frequency band (10 Hz–10 MHz). The input/output characteristics of the sensor were obtained and the sensor calibrated. Finally, an application using this sensor in testing laboratory lightning impulsesmore » and in measuring transient electric fields during switch-on of a disconnector confirmed that the sensor is expected to find widespread use in transient intense electric field measurement applications.« less

Intense transient electric field sensor based on the electro-optic effect of LiNbO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Qing; Sun, Shangpeng; Han, Rui; Sima, Wenxia; Liu, Tong

2015-10-01

Intense transient electric field measurements are widely applied in various research areas. An optical intense E-field sensor for time-domain measurements, based on the electro-optic effect of lithium niobate, has been studied in detail. Principles and key issues in the design of the sensor are presented. The sensor is insulated, small in size (65 mm × 15 mm × 15 mm), and suitable for high-intensity (<801 kV/m) electric field measurements over a wide frequency band (10 Hz-10 MHz). The input/output characteristics of the sensor were obtained and the sensor calibrated. Finally, an application using this sensor in testing laboratory lightning impulses and in measuring transient electric fields during switch-on of a disconnector confirmed that the sensor is expected to find widespread use in transient intense electric field measurement applications.

Computational predictions of the new Gallium nitride nanoporous structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lien, Le Thi Hong; Tuoc, Vu Ngoc; Duong, Do Thi; Thu Huyen, Nguyen

2018-05-01

Nanoporous structural prediction is emerging area of research because of their advantages for a wide range of materials science and technology applications in opto-electronics, environment, sensors, shape-selective and bio-catalysis, to name just a few. We propose a computationally and technically feasible approach for predicting Gallium nitride nanoporous structures with hollows at the nano scale. The designed porous structures are studied with computations using the density functional tight binding (DFTB) and conventional density functional theory methods, revealing a variety of promising mechanical and electronic properties, which can potentially find future realistic applications. Their stability is discussed by means of the free energy computed within the lattice-dynamics approach. Our calculations also indicate that all the reported hollow structures are wide band gap semiconductors in the same fashion with their parent’s bulk stable phase. The electronic band structures of these nanoporous structures are finally examined in detail.

Association Rule Based Feature Extraction for Character Recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dua, Sumeet; Singh, Harpreet

Association rules that represent isomorphisms among data have gained importance in exploratory data analysis because they can find inherent, implicit, and interesting relationships among data. They are also commonly used in data mining to extract the conditions among attribute values that occur together frequently in a dataset [1]. These rules have wide range of applications, namely in the financial and retail sectors of marketing, sales, and medicine.

Formatively Assessing Teamwork in Technology-Enabled Twenty-First Century Classrooms: Exploratory Findings of a Teamwork Awareness Programme in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koh, Elizabeth; Hong, Helen; Tan, Jennifer Pei-Ling

2018-01-01

Teamwork, one of the core competencies for the twenty-first century learner, is a critical skill for work and learning. However, assessing teamwork is complex, in particular, developing a measure of teamwork that is domain-generic and applicable across a wide range of learners. This paper documents one such study that leverages technology to help…

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

Deniz, O.; Sánchez-Sánchez, C.; Jaafar, R.

Electronic and thermal properties of chevron-type graphene nanoribbons can be widely tuned, making them interesting candidates for electronic and thermoelectric applications. In this paper, we use post-growth silicon intercalation to unambiguously access nanoribbons’ energy position of their electronic frontier states. These are otherwise obscured by substrate effects when investigated directly on the growth substrate. Finally, in agreement with first-principles calculations we find a band gap of 2.4 eV.

The role of p21-activated kinases in hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis.

PubMed

Tse, Edith Yuk Ting; Ching, Yick Pang

2014-01-01

The p21-activated kinases (PAKs) are downstream effectors of the Rho family small GTPases as well as a wide variety of mitogenic factors and have been implicated in cancer formation, development and metastasis. PAKs phosphorylate a wide spectrum of substrates to mediate extracellular signals and regulate cytoskeletal remodeling, cell motility and survival. In this review, we aim to summarize the findings regarding the oncogenic role and the underlying mechanisms of PAKs signaling in various cancers, and in particular highlight the prime importance of PAKs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and metastasis. Recent studies exploring the potential therapeutic application of PAK inhibitors will also be discussed.

Spectroscopic Analysis of 10MAG/LDAO Reverse Micelles to Determine Characteristic Properties and Behavioral Extrema

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Joshua; Mawson, Cara; Norris, Zach; Nucci, Nathaniel

Reverse micelles are spontaneously organizing complexes of surfactant that encapsulate a nanoscale pool of water in a bulk non-polar solvent. Reverse micelle (RM) mixtures have a wide range of applications, including biophysical investigation of protein systems. A new RM mixture composed of decyl-1-monoglycerol (10MAG) and lauryldimethylammonium-N-oxide (LDAO) was recently described. This mixture has the potential to prove more widely applicable for use of RMs in applications that involve encapsulation of macromolecules, yet little is known about the phase behavior or size of reverse micelles created by this mixture. Data describing such behaviors for this mixture are presented here. We have used dynamic light scattering (DLS) and fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate the size and partitioning behavior of RMs in varying mixtures of 10MAG, LDAO, water, pentane, and hexanol. These data demonstrate that the 10MAG/LDAO RM mixture exhibits markedly different phase and RM size behavior than that of commonly used RM surfactant mixtures. The implications of these findings for use of the 10MAG/LDAO mix for RM applications will also be addressed. Funding provided by Rowan University.

Web 2.0 in healthcare: state-of-the-art in the German health insurance landscape.

PubMed

Kuehne, Mirko; Blinn, Nadine; Rosenkranz, Christoph; Nuettgens, Markus

2011-01-01

The Internet is increasingly used as a source for information and knowledge. Even in the field of healthcare, information is widely available. Patients and their relatives increasingly use the Internet in order to search for healthcare information and applications. "Health 2.0" - the increasing use of Web 2.0 technologies and tools in Electronic Healthcare - promises new ways of interaction, communication, and participation for healthcare. In order to explore how Web 2.0 applications are in general adopted and implemented by health information providers, we analysed the websites of all German health insurances companies regarding their provision of Web 2.0 applications. As health insurances play a highly relevant role in the German healthcare system, we conduct an exploratory survey in order to provide answers about the adoption and implementation of Web 2.0 technologies. Hence, all 198 private and public health insurances were analysed according to their websites. The results show a wide spread diffusion of Web 2.0 applications but also huge differences between the implementation by the respective insurances. Therefore, our findings provide a foundation for further research on aspects that drive the adoption.

Chitosan as a bioactive polymer: Processing, properties and applications.

PubMed

Muxika, A; Etxabide, A; Uranga, J; Guerrero, P; de la Caba, K

2017-12-01

Chitin is one of the most abundant natural polysaccharides in the world and it is mainly used for the production of chitosan by a deacetylation process. Chitosan is a bioactive polymer with a wide variety of applications due to its functional properties such as antibacterial activity, non-toxicity, ease of modification, and biodegradability. This review summarizes the most common chitosan processing methods and highlights some applications of chitosan in various industrial and biomedical fields. Finally, environmental concerns of chitosan-based films, considering the stages from raw materials extraction up to the end of life after disposal, are also discussed with the aim of finding more eco-friendly alternatives. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploration of Global Trend on Biomedical Application of Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA): A Patent Survey.

PubMed

Ponnaiah, Paulraj; Vnoothenei, Nagiah; Chandramohan, Muruganandham; Thevarkattil, Mohamed Javad Pazhayakath

2018-01-30

Polyhydroxyalkanoates are bio-based, biodegradable naturally occurring polymers produced by a wide range of organisms, from bacteria to higher mammals. The properties and biocompatibility of PHA make it possible for a wide spectrum of applications. In this context, we analyze the potential applications of PHA in biomedical science by exploring the global trend through the patent survey. The survey suggests that PHA is an attractive candidate in such a way that their applications are widely distributed in the medical industry, drug delivery system, dental material, tissue engineering, packaging material as well as other useful products. In our present study, we explored patents associated with various biomedical applications of polyhydroxyalkanoates. Patent databases of European Patent Office, United States Patent and Trademark Office and World Intellectual Property Organization were mined. We developed an intensive exploration approach to eliminate overlapping patents and sort out significant patents. We demarcated the keywords and search criterions and established search patterns for the database request. We retrieved documents within the recent 6 years, 2010 to 2016 and sort out the collected data stepwise to gather the most appropriate documents in patent families for further scrutiny. By this approach, we retrieved 23,368 patent documents from all the three databases and the patent titles were further analyzed for the relevance of polyhydroxyalkanoates in biomedical applications. This ensued in the documentation of approximately 226 significant patents associated with biomedical applications of polyhydroxyalkanoates and the information was classified into six major groups. Polyhydroxyalkanoates has been patented in such a way that their applications are widely distributed in the medical industry, drug delivery system, dental material, tissue engineering, packaging material as well as other useful products. There are many avenues through which PHA & PHB could be used. Our analysis shows patent information can be used to identify various applications of PHA and its representatives in the biomedical field. Upcoming studies can focus on the application of PHA in the different field to discover the related topics and associate to this study. We believe that this approach of analysis and findings can initiate new researchers to undertake similar kind of studies in their represented field to fill the gap between the patent articles and researchpublications. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Water Filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Seeking to find a more effective method of filtering potable water that was highly contaminated, Mike Pedersen, founder of Western Water International, learned that NASA had conducted extensive research in methods of purifying water on board manned spacecraft. The key is Aquaspace Compound, a proprietary WWI formula that scientifically blends various types of glandular activated charcoal with other active and inert ingredients. Aquaspace systems remove some substances; chlorine, by atomic adsorption, other types of organic chemicals by mechanical filtration and still others by catalytic reaction. Aquaspace filters are finding wide acceptance in industrial, commercial, residential and recreational applications in the U.S. and abroad.

Wet-chemical synthesis and applications of non-layer structured two-dimensional nanomaterials

PubMed Central

Tan, Chaoliang; Zhang, Hua

2015-01-01

Non-layer structured nanomaterials with single- or few-layer thickness have two-dimensional sheet-like structures and possess intriguing properties. Recent years have seen major advances in development of a host of non-layer structured ultrathin two-dimensional nanomaterials such as noble metals, metal oxides and metal chalcogenides. The wet-chemical synthesis has emerged as the most promising route towards high-yield and mass production of such nanomaterials. These nanomaterials are now finding increasing applications in a wide range of areas including catalysis, energy production and storage, sensor and nanotherapy, to name but a few. PMID:26303763

Cold plasma decontamination using flexible jet arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konesky, Gregory

2010-04-01

Arrays of atmospheric discharge cold plasma jets have been used to decontaminate surfaces of a wide range of microorganisms quickly, yet not damage that surface. Its effectiveness in decomposing simulated chemical warfare agents has also been demonstrated, and may also find use in assisting in the cleanup of radiological weapons. Large area jet arrays, with short dwell times, are necessary for practical applications. Realistic situations will also require jet arrays that are flexible to adapt to contoured or irregular surfaces. Various large area jet array prototypes, both planar and flexible, are described, as is the application to atmospheric decontamination.

HoloHands: games console interface for controlling holographic optical manipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, C.; McPherson, M.; McDougall, C.; McGloin, D.

2013-03-01

The increasing number of applications for holographic manipulation techniques has sparked the development of more accessible control interfaces. Here, we describe a holographic optical tweezers experiment which is controlled by gestures that are detected by a Microsoft Kinect. We demonstrate that this technique can be used to calibrate the tweezers using the Stokes drag method and compare this to automated calibrations. We also show that multiple particle manipulation can be handled. This is a promising new line of research for gesture-based control which could find applications in a wide variety of experimental situations.

Your Higgs number—how fundamental physics is connected to technology and societal revolutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Roland E.; Lidström, Suzy

2015-02-01

Fundamental physics, as exemplified by the recently discovered Higgs boson, often appears to be completely disconnected from practical applications and ordinary human life. But this is not really the case, because science, technology, and human affairs are profoundly integrated in ways that are not immediately obvious. We illustrate this by defining a ‘Higgs number’ through overlapping activities. Following three different paths, which end respectively in applications of the World Wide Web, digital photography, and all modern electronic devices, we find that most people have a Higgs number of no greater than 3.

Estimating False Discovery Proportion Under Arbitrary Covariance Dependence*

PubMed Central

Fan, Jianqing; Han, Xu; Gu, Weijie

2012-01-01

Multiple hypothesis testing is a fundamental problem in high dimensional inference, with wide applications in many scientific fields. In genome-wide association studies, tens of thousands of tests are performed simultaneously to find if any SNPs are associated with some traits and those tests are correlated. When test statistics are correlated, false discovery control becomes very challenging under arbitrary dependence. In the current paper, we propose a novel method based on principal factor approximation, which successfully subtracts the common dependence and weakens significantly the correlation structure, to deal with an arbitrary dependence structure. We derive an approximate expression for false discovery proportion (FDP) in large scale multiple testing when a common threshold is used and provide a consistent estimate of realized FDP. This result has important applications in controlling FDR and FDP. Our estimate of realized FDP compares favorably with Efron (2007)’s approach, as demonstrated in the simulated examples. Our approach is further illustrated by some real data applications. We also propose a dependence-adjusted procedure, which is more powerful than the fixed threshold procedure. PMID:24729644

Changing computing paradigms towards power efficiency

PubMed Central

Klavík, Pavel; Malossi, A. Cristiano I.; Bekas, Costas; Curioni, Alessandro

2014-01-01

Power awareness is fast becoming immensely important in computing, ranging from the traditional high-performance computing applications to the new generation of data centric workloads. In this work, we describe our efforts towards a power-efficient computing paradigm that combines low- and high-precision arithmetic. We showcase our ideas for the widely used kernel of solving systems of linear equations that finds numerous applications in scientific and engineering disciplines as well as in large-scale data analytics, statistics and machine learning. Towards this goal, we developed tools for the seamless power profiling of applications at a fine-grain level. In addition, we verify here previous work on post-FLOPS/W metrics and show that these can shed much more light in the power/energy profile of important applications. PMID:24842033

Leadership Perspectives on Operationalizing the Learning Health Care System in an Integrated Delivery System

PubMed Central

Psek, Wayne; Davis, F. Daniel; Gerrity, Gloria; Stametz, Rebecca; Bailey-Davis, Lisa; Henninger, Debra; Sellers, Dorothy; Darer, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Introduction: Healthcare leaders need operational strategies that support organizational learning for continued improvement and value generation. The learning health system (LHS) model may provide leaders with such strategies; however, little is known about leaders’ perspectives on the value and application of system-wide operationalization of the LHS model. The objective of this project was to solicit and analyze senior health system leaders’ perspectives on the LHS and learning activities in an integrated delivery system. Methods: A series of interviews were conducted with 41 system leaders from a broad range of clinical and administrative areas across an integrated delivery system. Leaders’ responses were categorized into themes. Findings: Ten major themes emerged from our conversations with leaders. While leaders generally expressed support for the concept of the LHS and enhanced system-wide learning, their concerns and suggestions for operationalization where strongly aligned with their functional area and strategic goals. Discussion: Our findings suggests that leaders tend to adopt a very pragmatic approach to learning. Leaders expressed a dichotomy between the operational imperative to execute operational objectives efficiently and the need for rigorous evaluation. Alignment of learning activities with system-wide strategic and operational priorities is important to gain leadership support and resources. Practical approaches to addressing opportunities and challenges identified in the themes are discussed. Conclusion: Continuous learning is an ongoing, multi-disciplinary function of a health care delivery system. Findings from this and other research may be used to inform and prioritize system-wide learning objectives and strategies which support reliable, high value care delivery. PMID:27683668

Various synthetic routes for the preparation of nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulati, Shivani; Sachdeva, M.; Bhasin, K. K.

2018-05-01

During the last few decades, controlled synthesis of nanoparticles has attracted the interest of researchers to generate nanostructured materials with tailored morphologies, since such shape-controlled nanomaterials find wide potential applications in electronic, magnetic, optoelectronic, sensory devices, catalysis, controlled drug delivery, lightweight fillers, low-dielectric-constant thin films and medical diagnostics etc. This article summarizes the recent advances on the various synthetic techniques of nanostructured material highlighting greener nano-synthesis techniques.

A New, Directly Computer-Controlled pH Stat.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-08

Currently, potentiometric reaction-rate methods of analysis find a wide range of analytical application and a number of such procedeires and corresponding...oxidase glucose + 0 2 - gluconic acid + H20 2 Glucose concentrations are determined by potentiometrically measuring the rate at which gluconic acid is...of lKIlz. Electrodes and Reaction Vessel. Changes in pl! are measured * potentiometrically with a combination Ag/AgCl ceramic junction electrode (No

Widely Applicable n-Type Molecular Doping for Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance of All-Polymer Solar Cells.

PubMed

Xu, Yalong; Yuan, Jianyu; Sun, Jianxia; Zhang, Yannan; Ling, Xufeng; Wu, Haihua; Zhang, Guobing; Chen, Junmei; Wang, Yongjie; Ma, Wanli

2018-01-24

A widely applicable doping design for emerging nonfullerene solar cells would be an efficient strategy in order to further improve device photovoltaic performance. Herein, a family of compound TBAX (TBA= tetrabutylammonium, X = F, Cl, Br, or I, containing Lewis base anions are considered as efficient n-dopants for improving polymer-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) performance. In all cases, significantly increased fill factor (FF) and slightly increased short-circuit current density (J sc ) are observed, leading to a best PCE of 7.0% for all-PSCs compared to that of 5.8% in undoped devices. The improvement may be attributed to interaction between different anions X - (X = F, Cl, Br, and I) in TBAX with the polymer acceptor. We reveal that adding TBAX at relatively low content does not have a significantly impact on blend morphology, while it can reduce the work function (WF) of the electron acceptor. We find this simple and solution processable n-type doping can efficiently restrain charge recombination in all-polymer solar cell devices, resulting in improved FF and J sc. More importantly, our findings may provide new protocles and insights using n-type molecular dopants in improving the performance of current polymer-polymer solar cells.

Electrowetting retroreflectors: Scalable and wide-spectrum modulation between corner cube and scattering reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilaru, M. K.; Cumby, B.; Heikenfeld, J.

2009-01-01

Corner cube and spherical retroreflectors are ubiquitous in conspicuity and range-finding applications since they reflect light back to the illumination source with unmatched efficiency. We report here a switchable electrowetting retroreflector platform that provides multiple novel features, including (a) using <0.5 μJ/cm2 electrical energy to switch from a light scattering state, (b) low loss and wide spectrum as limited only by the absorption spectrum of water, (c) use of ultrasimple self-assembly of 103-105 liquid lenslets/in.2 on a polymer/Al corner-cube substrate, and (d) change in retroreflected irradiance of >10:1 over a ±30° field of view.

Water metamaterial for ultra-broadband and wide-angle absorption.

PubMed

Xie, Jianwen; Zhu, Weiren; Rukhlenko, Ivan D; Xiao, Fajun; He, Chong; Geng, Junping; Liang, Xianling; Jin, Ronghong; Premaratne, Malin

2018-02-19

A subwavelength water metamaterial is proposed and analyzed for ultra-broadband perfect absorption at microwave frequencies. We experimentally demonstrate that this metamaterial shows over 90% absorption within almost the entire frequency band of 12-29.6 GHz. It is also shown that the proposed metamaterial exhibits a good thermal stability with its absorption performance almost unchanged for the temperature range from 0 to 100°C. The study of the angular tolerance of the metamaterial absorber shows its ability of working at wide angles of incidence. Given that the proposed water metamaterial absorber is low-cost and easy for manufacture, we envision it may find numerous applications in electromagnetics such as broadband scattering reduction and electromagnetic energy harvesting.

High-efficiency high-brightness diode lasers at 1470 nm/1550 nm for medical and defense applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallup, Kendra; Ungar, Jeff; Vaissie, Laurent; Lammert, Rob; Hu, Wentao

2012-03-01

Diode lasers in the 1400 nm to 1600 nm regime are used in a variety of applications including pumping Er:YAG lasers, range finding, materials processing, aesthetic medical treatments and surgery. In addition to the compact size, efficiency, and low cost advantages of traditional diode lasers, high power semiconductor lasers in the eye-safe regime are becoming widely used in an effort to minimize the unintended impact of potentially hazardous scattered optical radiation from the laser source, the optical delivery system, or the target itself. In this article we describe the performance of high efficiency high brightness InP laser bars at 1470nm and 1550nm developed at QPC Lasers for applications ranging from surgery to rangefinding.

Significance of genome-wide association studies in molecular anthropology.

PubMed

Gupta, Vipin; Khadgawat, Rajesh; Sachdeva, Mohinder Pal

2009-12-01

The successful advent of a genome-wide approach in association studies raises the hopes of human geneticists for solving a genetic maze of complex traits especially the disorders. This approach, which is replete with the application of cutting-edge technology and supported by big science projects (like Human Genome Project; and even more importantly the International HapMap Project) and various important databases (SNP database, CNV database, etc.), has had unprecedented success in rapidly uncovering many of the genetic determinants of complex disorders. The magnitude of this approach in the genetics of classical anthropological variables like height, skin color, eye color, and other genome diversity projects has certainly expanded the horizons of molecular anthropology. Therefore, in this article we have proposed a genome-wide association approach in molecular anthropological studies by providing lessons from the exemplary study of the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium. We have also highlighted the importance and uniqueness of Indian population groups in facilitating the design and finding optimum solutions for other genome-wide association-related challenges.

Research on the optimization strategy of web search engine based on data mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ronghua

2018-04-01

With the wide application of search engines, web site information has become an important way for people to obtain information. People have found that they are growing in an increasingly explosive manner. Web site information is verydifficult to find the information they need, and now the search engine can not meet the need, so there is an urgent need for the network to provide website personalized information service, data mining technology for this new challenge is to find a breakthrough. In order to improve people's accuracy of finding information from websites, a website search engine optimization strategy based on data mining is proposed, and verified by website search engine optimization experiment. The results show that the proposed strategy improves the accuracy of the people to find information, and reduces the time for people to find information. It has an important practical value.

[Use of entomologic findings in forensic medicine and criminology].

PubMed

Franc, V; Hrasko, P; Snopko, M

1989-08-01

The submitted paper reacts to the unsatisfactory state as regards the literary treatment, and in particular the practical application of entomology in forensic medicine and criminology. The authors draw attention to the relatively wide perspectives of the application of entomological findings in the mentioned disciplines and define more accurately some terminological and oecological problems. The core of the work is a review of important species of necrophilous insects focused on Coleoptera. This part is introduced by an outline of oecological groups of necrophilous insects, whereby emphasis is given to their claims on habitat and food and their biotopical claims. The account of species is based on the chronological sequence as the insect invade the corpse in different stages of its destruction. Attention is paid also to abiotic (in particular climatic) factors which influence the rate of destruction. As to more extensive possible applications of entomology in the above disciplines, at least the following should be mentioned: 1. Application on the basis of the trophic relationship of insects and he corpses (time of death, possibly post-mortem transport based on investigation of the entomofauna of the corpse). 2. Information on restricted hygienic habits of the dead (the presence of ectoparasitic insects). 3. Passive intoxications, possibly active intoxications by poisonous insects. 4. Insects incidentally found on clothes, motor vehicles etc. during examination. In the conclusion the authors emphasize methodical problems of collection and processing of material and outline the prerequisites for extending and improving the application of entomological findings and methods in the mentioned disciplines.

Noise Estimation in Electroencephalogram Signal by Using Volterra Series Coefficients

PubMed Central

Hassani, Malihe; Karami, Mohammad Reza

2015-01-01

The Volterra model is widely used for nonlinearity identification in practical applications. In this paper, we employed Volterra model to find the nonlinearity relation between electroencephalogram (EEG) signal and the noise that is a novel approach to estimate noise in EEG signal. We show that by employing this method. We can considerably improve the signal to noise ratio by the ratio of at least 1.54. An important issue in implementing Volterra model is its computation complexity, especially when the degree of nonlinearity is increased. Hence, in many applications it is urgent to reduce the complexity of computation. In this paper, we use the property of EEG signal and propose a new and good approximation of delayed input signal to its adjacent samples in order to reduce the computation of finding Volterra series coefficients. The computation complexity is reduced by the ratio of at least 1/3 when the filter memory is 3. PMID:26284176

Mechanical Property Analysis on Sandwich Structured Hybrid Composite Made from Natural Fibre, Glass Fibre and Ceramic Fibre Wool Reinforced with Epoxy Resin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bharat, K. R.; Abhishek, S.; Palanikumar, K.

2017-06-01

Natural fibre composites find wide range of applications and usage in the automobile and manufacturing industries. They find lack in desired properties, which are required for present applications. In current scenario, many developments in composite materials involve the synthesis of Hybrid composite materials to overcome some of the lacking properties. In this present investigation, two sandwich structured hybrid composite materials have been made by reinforcing Aloe Vera-Ceramic Fibre Wool-Glass fibre with Epoxy resin matrix and Sisal fibre-Ceramic Fibre Wool-Glass fibre with Epoxy resin matrix and its mechanical properties such as Tensile, Flexural and Impact are tested and analyzed. The test results from the two samples are compared and the results show that sisal fibre reinforced hybrid composite has better mechanical properties than aloe vera reinforced hybrid composite.

Oxide-based materials by atomic layer deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godlewski, Marek; Pietruszka, Rafał; Kaszewski, Jarosław; Witkowski, Bartłomiej S.; Gierałtowska, Sylwia; Wachnicki, Łukasz; Godlewski, Michał M.; Slonska, Anna; Gajewski, Zdzisław

2017-02-01

Thin films of wide band-gap oxides grown by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) are suitable for a range of applications. Some of these applications will be presented. First of all, ALD-grown high-k HfO2 is used as a gate oxide in the electronic devices. Moreover, ALD-grown oxides can be used in memory devices, in transparent transistors, or as elements of solar cells. Regarding photovoltaics (PV), ALD-grown thin films of Al2O3 are already used as anti-reflection layers. In addition, thin films of ZnO are tested as replacement of ITO in PV devices. New applications in organic photovoltaics, electronics and optoelectronics are also demonstrated Considering new applications, the same layers, as used in electronics, can also find applications in biology, medicine and in a food industry. This is because layers of high-k oxides show antibacterial activity, as discussed in this work.

Short-Range Noncontact Sensors for Healthcare and Other Emerging Applications: A Review

PubMed Central

Gu, Changzhan

2016-01-01

Short-range noncontact sensors are capable of remotely detecting the precise movements of the subjects or wirelessly estimating the distance from the sensor to the subject. They find wide applications in our day lives such as noncontact vital sign detection of heart beat and respiration, sleep monitoring, occupancy sensing, and gesture sensing. In recent years, short-range noncontact sensors are attracting more and more efforts from both academia and industry due to their vast applications. Compared to other radar architectures such as pulse radar and frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar, Doppler radar is gaining more popularity in terms of system integration and low-power operation. This paper reviews the recent technical advances in Doppler radars for healthcare applications, including system hardware improvement, digital signal processing, and chip integration. This paper also discusses the hybrid FMCW-interferometry radars and the emerging applications and the future trends. PMID:27472330

Chemical control of the Asian citrus psyllid and of huanglongbing disease in citrus.

PubMed

Boina, Dhana Raj; Bloomquist, Jeffrey R

2015-06-01

By 2014, huanglongbing (HLB), the most destructive disease of citrus, and its insect vector, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri (Kuwayama), became established in all major citrus-growing regions of the world, including the United States, with the exception of California. At present, application of insecticides is the most widely followed option for reducing ACP populations, while application of antibiotics for suppressing HLB disease/symptoms is being practiced in some citrus-growing regions. Application of insecticides during the dormant winter season, along with cultivation of HLB-free seedlings and early detection and removal of symptomatic and asymptomatic trees, has been very effective in managing ACP. Area-wide management of ACP by application of insecticides at low volume in large areas of citrus cultivation has been shown to be effective in managing HLB and reducing management costs. As insecticide resistance is a major problem in sustainable management of ACP, rotation/alternation of insecticides with different chemistries and modes of action needs to be followed. Besides control of the insect vector, use of antibiotics has temporarily suppressed the symptoms of HLB in diseased trees. Recent efforts to discover and screen existing as well as new compounds for their antibiotic and antimicrobial activities have identified some promising molecules for HLB control. There is an urgent need to find a sustainable solution to the HLB menace through chemical control of ACP populations and within HLB-infected trees through the judicious use of labeled insecticides (existing and novel chemistries) and antibiotics in area-wide management programs with due consideration to the insecticide resistance problem. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

The research-practice relationship in ergonomics and human factors--surveying and bridging the gap.

PubMed

Chung, Amy Z Q; Shorrock, Steven T

2011-05-01

Significant discord has been aired regarding the widening research-practice gap in several disciplines (e.g. psychology, healthcare), especially with reference to research published in academic journals. The research-practice gap has profound and wide-ranging implications for the adequacy of ergonomics and human factors (E/HF) research and the implementation of research findings into practice. However, no substantive research on this issue has been identified in E/HF. Using an online questionnaire, practitioners were asked about their application of scientific research findings published in peer-reviewed journals and to suggest ways to improve research application in practice. A total of 587 usable responses were collected, spanning 46 countries. This article describes some of the key differences and correlations concerning reading, usefulness and barriers to application among respondents, who varied in terms of organisational type, percentage of work time devoted to application vs. research, society membership and experience. Various solutions proposed by the survey respondents on ways to bridge the research-practice gap are discussed. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: The relationship between research and practice in E/HF has long been a subject of discussion, with commentators pointing to tension and possible implications for the adequacy of the discipline. Findings from a cross-sectional survey provide ergonomics practitioners' views on research, leading to discussion of strategies for achieving better integration.

Electronic characterization of silicon intercalated chevron graphene nanoribbons on Au(111).

PubMed

Deniz, O; Sánchez-Sánchez, C; Jaafar, R; Kharche, N; Liang, L; Meunier, V; Feng, X; Müllen, K; Fasel, R; Ruffieux, P

2018-02-08

Electronic and thermal properties of chevron-type graphene nanoribbons can be widely tuned, making them interesting candidates for electronic and thermoelectric applications. Here, we use post-growth silicon intercalation to unambiguously access nanoribbons' energy position of their electronic frontier states. These are otherwise obscured by substrate effects when investigated directly on the growth substrate. In agreement with first-principles calculations we find a band gap of 2.4 eV.

Robust, synergistic regulation of human gene expression using TALE activators.

PubMed

Maeder, Morgan L; Linder, Samantha J; Reyon, Deepak; Angstman, James F; Fu, Yanfang; Sander, Jeffry D; Joung, J Keith

2013-03-01

Artificial activators designed using transcription activator-like effector (TALE) technology have broad utility, but previous studies suggest that these monomeric proteins often exhibit low activities. Here we demonstrate that TALE activators can robustly function individually or in synergistic combinations to increase expression of endogenous human genes over wide dynamic ranges. These findings will encourage applications of TALE activators for research and therapy, and guide design of monomeric TALE-based fusion proteins.

Judging nursing information on the world wide web.

PubMed

Cader, Raffik

2013-02-01

The World Wide Web is increasingly becoming an important source of information for healthcare professionals. However, finding reliable information from unauthoritative Web sites to inform healthcare can pose a challenge to nurses. A study, using grounded theory, was undertaken in two phases to understand how qualified nurses judge the quality of Web nursing information. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and focus groups. An explanatory framework that emerged from the data showed that the judgment process involved the application of forms of knowing and modes of cognition to a range of evaluative tasks and depended on the nurses' critical skills, the time available, and the level of Web information cues. This article mainly focuses on the six evaluative tasks relating to assessing user-friendliness, outlook and authority of Web pages, and relationship to nursing practice; appraising the nature of evidence; and applying cross-checking strategies. The implications of these findings to nurse practitioners and publishers of nursing information are significant.

An Algorithm Based Wavelet Entropy for Shadowing Effect of Human Detection Using Ultra-Wideband Bio-Radar

PubMed Central

Liu, Miao; Zhang, Yang; Liang, Fulai; Qi, Fugui; Lv, Hao; Wang, Jianqi; Zhang, Yang

2017-01-01

Ultra-wide band (UWB) radar for short-range human target detection is widely used to find and locate survivors in some rescue missions after a disaster. The results of the application of bistatic UWB radar for detecting multi-stationary human targets have shown that human targets close to the radar antennas are very often visible, while those farther from radar antennas are detected with less reliability. In this paper, on account of the significant difference of frequency content between the echo signal of the human target and that of noise in the shadowing region, an algorithm based on wavelet entropy is proposed to detect multiple targets. Our findings indicate that the entropy value of human targets was much lower than that of noise. Compared with the method of adaptive filtering and the energy spectrum, wavelet entropy can accurately detect the person farther from the radar antennas, and it can be employed as a useful tool in detecting multiple targets by bistatic UWB radar. PMID:28973988

An Algorithm Based Wavelet Entropy for Shadowing Effect of Human Detection Using Ultra-Wideband Bio-Radar.

PubMed

Xue, Huijun; Liu, Miao; Zhang, Yang; Liang, Fulai; Qi, Fugui; Chen, Fuming; Lv, Hao; Wang, Jianqi; Zhang, Yang

2017-09-30

Ultra-wide band (UWB) radar for short-range human target detection is widely used to find and locate survivors in some rescue missions after a disaster. The results of the application of bistatic UWB radar for detecting multi-stationary human targets have shown that human targets close to the radar antennas are very often visible, while those farther from radar antennas are detected with less reliability. In this paper, on account of the significant difference of frequency content between the echo signal of the human target and that of noise in the shadowing region, an algorithm based on wavelet entropy is proposed to detect multiple targets. Our findings indicate that the entropy value of human targets was much lower than that of noise. Compared with the method of adaptive filtering and the energy spectrum, wavelet entropy can accurately detect the person farther from the radar antennas, and it can be employed as a useful tool in detecting multiple targets by bistatic UWB radar.

Generalized bipartite quantum state discrimination problems with sequential measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakahira, Kenji; Kato, Kentaro; Usuda, Tsuyoshi Sasaki

2018-02-01

We investigate an optimization problem of finding quantum sequential measurements, which forms a wide class of state discrimination problems with the restriction that only local operations and one-way classical communication are allowed. Sequential measurements from Alice to Bob on a bipartite system are considered. Using the fact that the optimization problem can be formulated as a problem with only Alice's measurement and is convex programming, we derive its dual problem and necessary and sufficient conditions for an optimal solution. Our results are applicable to various practical optimization criteria, including the Bayes criterion, the Neyman-Pearson criterion, and the minimax criterion. In the setting of the problem of finding an optimal global measurement, its dual problem and necessary and sufficient conditions for an optimal solution have been widely used to obtain analytical and numerical expressions for optimal solutions. Similarly, our results are useful to obtain analytical and numerical expressions for optimal sequential measurements. Examples in which our results can be used to obtain an analytical expression for an optimal sequential measurement are provided.

Hydrogenation-controlled phase transition on two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides and their unique physical and catalytic properties.

PubMed

Qu, Yuanju; Pan, Hui; Kwok, Chi Tat

2016-09-30

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been widely used from nanodevices to energy harvesting/storage because of their tunable physical and chemical properties. In this work, we systematically investigate the effects of hydrogenation on the structural, electronic, magnetic, and catalytic properties of 33 TMDs based on first-principles calculations. We find that the stable phases of TMD monolayers can transit from 1T to 2H phase or vice versa upon the hydrogenation. We show that the hydrogenation can switch their magnetic and electronic states accompanying with the phase transition. The hydrogenation can tune the magnetic states of TMDs among non-, ferro, para-, and antiferro-magnetism and their electronic states among semiconductor, metal, and half-metal. We further show that, out of 33 TMD monolayers, 2H-TiS 2 has impressive catalytic ability comparable to Pt in hydrogen evolution reaction in a wide range of hydrogen coverages. Our findings would shed the light on the multi-functional applications of TMDs.

The Hydric Effect in Inorganic Nanomaterials for Nanoelectronics and Energy Applications.

PubMed

Sun, Xu; Guo, Yuqiao; Wu, Changzheng; Xie, Yi

2015-07-08

Protons, as one of the world's smallest ions, are able to trigger the charge effect without obvious lattice expansion inside inorganic materials, offering a unique and important test-bed for controlling their diverse functionalities. Arising from the high chemical reactivity of hydrogen (easily losing an electron) with various main group anions (easily accepting a proton), the hydric effect provides a convenient and environmentally benign route to bring about fascinating new physicochemical properties, as well as to create new inorganic structures based on the "old lattice" without dramatically destroying the pristine structure, covering most inorganic materials. Moreover, hydrogen atoms tend to bond with anions or to produce intrinsic defects, both of which are expected to inject extra electrons into lattice framework, promising advances in control of bandgap, spin behavior, and carrier concentration, which determine functionality for wide applications. In this review article, recently developed effective hydric strategies are highlighted, which include the conventional hydric reaction under high temperature or room temperature, proton irradiation or hydrogen plasma treatment, and gate-electrolyte-driven adsorption or doping. The diverse physicochemical properties brought by the hydric effect via modulation of the intrinsic electronic structure are also summarized, finding wide applications in nanoelectronics, energy applications, and catalysis. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Changing computing paradigms towards power efficiency.

PubMed

Klavík, Pavel; Malossi, A Cristiano I; Bekas, Costas; Curioni, Alessandro

2014-06-28

Power awareness is fast becoming immensely important in computing, ranging from the traditional high-performance computing applications to the new generation of data centric workloads. In this work, we describe our efforts towards a power-efficient computing paradigm that combines low- and high-precision arithmetic. We showcase our ideas for the widely used kernel of solving systems of linear equations that finds numerous applications in scientific and engineering disciplines as well as in large-scale data analytics, statistics and machine learning. Towards this goal, we developed tools for the seamless power profiling of applications at a fine-grain level. In addition, we verify here previous work on post-FLOPS/W metrics and show that these can shed much more light in the power/energy profile of important applications. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

The mechanism and design of sequencing batch reactor systems for nutrient removal--the state of the art.

PubMed

Artan, N; Wilderer, P; Orhon, D; Morgenroth, E; Ozgür, N

2001-01-01

The Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) process for carbon and nutrient removal is subject to extensive research, and it is finding a wider application in full-scale installations. Despite the growing popularity, however, a widely accepted approach to process analysis and modeling, a unified design basis, and even a common terminology are still lacking; this situation is now regarded as the major obstacle hindering broader practical application of the SBR. In this paper a rational dimensioning approach is proposed for nutrient removal SBRs based on scientific information on process stoichiometry and modelling, also emphasizing practical constraints in design and operation.

Effects of sunscreen on skin cancer and photoaging.

PubMed

Iannacone, Michelle R; Hughes, Maria Celia B; Green, Adèle C

2014-01-01

Application of sunscreen to the skin is widely used as an adjunct strategy, along with wearing protective clothing and seeking shade, to protect against skin cancer and photoaging that result from excessive sun exposure. Many epidemiological studies of case-control and cohort study design have studied the effects of sunscreen use on skin cancer, and more recently photoaging, but their findings have been mostly uninformative. This review of results of randomized controlled trials shows that the evidence, though limited, supports beneficial effects of sunscreen application on the occurrence of skin cancers and skin photoaging. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Product and technology innovation: what can biomimicry inspire?

PubMed

Lurie-Luke, Elena

2014-12-01

Biomimicry (bio- meaning life in Greek, and -mimesis, meaning to copy) is a growing field that seeks to interpolate natural biological mechanisms and structures into a wide range of applications. The rise of interest in biomimicry in recent years has provided a fertile ground for innovation. This review provides an eco-system based analysis of biomimicry inspired technology and product innovation. A multi-disciplinary framework has been developed to accomplish this analysis and the findings focus on the areas that have been most strikingly affected by the application of biomimicry and also highlight the emerging trends and opportunity areas. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Computational predictions of zinc oxide hollow structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuoc, Vu Ngoc; Huan, Tran Doan; Thao, Nguyen Thi

2018-03-01

Nanoporous materials are emerging as potential candidates for a wide range of technological applications in environment, electronic, and optoelectronics, to name just a few. Within this active research area, experimental works are predominant while theoretical/computational prediction and study of these materials face some intrinsic challenges, one of them is how to predict porous structures. We propose a computationally and technically feasible approach for predicting zinc oxide structures with hollows at the nano scale. The designed zinc oxide hollow structures are studied with computations using the density functional tight binding and conventional density functional theory methods, revealing a variety of promising mechanical and electronic properties, which can potentially find future realistic applications.

Application of Higuchi's fractal dimension from basic to clinical neurophysiology: A review.

PubMed

Kesić, Srdjan; Spasić, Sladjana Z

2016-09-01

For more than 20 years, Higuchi's fractal dimension (HFD), as a nonlinear method, has occupied an important place in the analysis of biological signals. The use of HFD has evolved from EEG and single neuron activity analysis to the most recent application in automated assessments of different clinical conditions. Our objective is to provide an updated review of the HFD method applied in basic and clinical neurophysiological research. This article summarizes and critically reviews a broad literature and major findings concerning the applications of HFD for measuring the complexity of neuronal activity during different neurophysiological conditions. The source of information used in this review comes from the PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and IEEE Xplore Digital Library databases. The review process substantiated the significance, advantages and shortcomings of HFD application within all key areas of basic and clinical neurophysiology. Therefore, the paper discusses HFD application alone, combined with other linear or nonlinear measures, or as a part of automated methods for analyzing neurophysiological signals. The speed, accuracy and cost of applying the HFD method for research and medical diagnosis make it stand out from the widely used linear methods. However, only a combination of HFD with other nonlinear methods ensures reliable and accurate analysis of a wide range of neurophysiological signals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A biocompatible synthesis of gold nanoparticles by Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Feng; Wang, Yanwei; Ma, Jun; Yang, Guangcan

2014-05-01

Gold nanoparticles' novel properties are widely realized in catalysis, plasmonics, electronics, and biomedical applications. For biomedical application, one challenge is to find a non-toxic chemical and/or physical method of functionalizing gold nanoparticles with biomolecular compounds that can promote efficient binding, clearance, and biocompatibility and to assess their safety to other biological systems and their long-term effects on human health and reproduction. In the present study, we describe a new method by using Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris), a widely used buffer solvent of nucleic acid and proteins, as the reducing agent for synthesizing gold nanoparticles by one step. It is found that Tris carries out the reduction reactions in relatively mild conditions for biomacromolecules. Particularly, it can be used to modify the DNA during the process of preparation of gold nanoparticles. The morphology and size distribution of gold nanoparticles are consistent and were confirmed by many different approaches including dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

DUK - A Fast and Efficient Kmer Based Sequence Matching Tool

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

Li, Mingkun; Copeland, Alex; Han, James

2011-03-21

A new tool, DUK, is developed to perform matching task. Matching is to find whether a query sequence partially or totally matches given reference sequences or not. Matching is similar to alignment. Indeed many traditional analysis tasks like contaminant removal use alignment tools. But for matching, there is no need to know which bases of a query sequence matches which position of a reference sequence, it only need know whether there exists a match or not. This subtle difference can make matching task much faster than alignment. DUK is accurate, versatile, fast, and has efficient memory usage. It uses Kmermore » hashing method to index reference sequences and Poisson model to calculate p-value. DUK is carefully implemented in C++ in object oriented design. The resulted classes can also be used to develop other tools quickly. DUK have been widely used in JGI for a wide range of applications such as contaminant removal, organelle genome separation, and assembly refinement. Many real applications and simulated dataset demonstrate its power.« less

Simultaneous multicolor imaging of wide-field epi-fluorescence microscopy with four-bucket detection

PubMed Central

Park, Kwan Seob; Kim, Dong Uk; Lee, Jooran; Kim, Geon Hee; Chang, Ki Soo

2016-01-01

We demonstrate simultaneous imaging of multiple fluorophores using wide-field epi-fluorescence microscopy with a monochrome camera. The intensities of the three lasers are modulated by a sinusoidal waveform in order to excite each fluorophore with the same modulation frequency and a different time-delay. Then, the modulated fluorescence emissions are simultaneously detected by a camera operating at four times the excitation frequency. We show that two different fluorescence beads having crosstalk can be clearly separated using digital processing based on the phase information. In addition, multiple organelles within multi-stained single cells are shown with the phase mapping method, demonstrating an improved dynamic range and contrast compared to the conventional fluorescence image. These findings suggest that wide-field epi-fluorescence microscopy with four-bucket detection could be utilized for high-contrast multicolor imaging applications such as drug delivery and fluorescence in situ hybridization. PMID:27375944

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR) in Regenerative Medicine: Molecular Mechanism for PPAR in Stem Cells' Adipocyte Differentiation.

PubMed

Xie, Qiang; Tian, Taoran; Chen, Zhaozhao; Deng, Shuwen; Sun, Ke; Xie, Jing; Cai, Xiaoxiao

2016-01-01

Regenerative medicine plays an indispensable role in modern medicine and many trials and researches have therefore been developed to fit our medical needs. Tissue engineering has proven that adipose tissue can widely be used and brings advantages to regenerative medicine. Moreover, a trait of adipose stem cells being isolated and grown in vitro is a cornerstone to various applications. Since the adipose tissue has been widely used in regenerative medicine, numerous studies have been conducted to seek methods for gaining more adipocytes. To investigate molecular mechanism for adipocyte differentiation, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) has been widely studied to find out its functional mechanism, as a key factor for adipocyte differentiation. However, the precise molecular mechanism is still unknown. This review thus summarizes recent progress on the study of molecular mechanism and role of PPAR in adipocyte differentiation.

Harnessing out-of-plane deformation to design 3D architected lattice metamaterials with tunable Poisson's ratio.

PubMed

Li, Tiantian; Hu, Xiaoyi; Chen, Yanyu; Wang, Lifeng

2017-08-21

Auxetic materials exhibiting a negative Poisson's ratio are of great research interest due to their unusual mechanical responses and a wide range of potential deployment. Efforts have been devoted to exploring novel 2D and 3D auxetic structures through rational design, optimization, and taking inspiration from nature. Here we report a 3D architected lattice system showing a negative Poisson's ratio over a wide range of applied uniaxial stretch. 3D printing, experimental tests, numerical simulation, and analytical modeling are implemented to quantify the evolution of the Poisson's ratio and reveal the underlying mechanisms responsible for this unusual behavior. We further show that the auxetic behavior can be controlled by tailoring the geometric features of the ligaments. The findings reported here provide a new routine to design architected metamaterial systems exhibiting unusual properties and having a wide range of potential applications.

Development and tests of x-ray multifoil optical system for 1D imaging (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pína, Ladislav; Hudec, René; Inneman, Adolf J.; Baca, Tomas; Blazek, M.; Platkevic, M.; Sieger, Ladislav; Doubravova, Daniela; McEntaffer, Randall L.; Schultz, Ted B.; Dániel, Vladimír.

2016-09-01

The proposed wide-field optical system has not been used yet. Described novel approach is based on the use of 1D "Lobster eye" optics in combination with Timepix X-ray detector in the energy range 3 - 40 keV. The proposed project includes theoretical study and a functional sample of the Timepix X-ray detector with multifoil wide-field X-ray "Lobster eye" optics. Using optics to focus X-rays on a detector is necessary in cases where the intensity of impinging X-ray radiation is below the sensitivity of the detector without optic. Generally this is the case of very low light phenomena, or e.g. monitoring astrophysical objects in space. Namely, such optical system could find applications in laboratory spectroscopy systems or in a rocket space experiment. Designed wide-field optical system combined with Timepix X-ray detector is described together with experimental results obtained during laboratory tests.

Based on graphene tunable dual-band terahertz metamaterial absorber with wide-angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Mulin; Cheng, Yongzhi; Cheng, Zhengze; Chen, Haoran; Mao, Xuesong; Gong, Rongzhou

2018-05-01

We present a wide-angle tunable dual-band terahertz (THz) metamaterial absorber (MMA) based on square graphene patch (SGP). This MMA is a simple periodic array, consisting of a dielectric substrate sandwiched with the SGP and a continuous metallic film. The designed MMA can achieve dual-band absorption by exciting fundamental and second higher-order resonance modes on SGP. The numerical simulations indicate that the absorption spectrum of the designed MMA is tuned from 0.85 THz to 1.01 THz, and from 2.84 THz to 3.37 THz when the chemical potential of the SGP is increasing from 0.4eV to 0.8eV. Moreover, it operates well in a wide-angle of the incident waves. The presented THz MMA based on the SGP could find some potential applications in optoelectronic related devices, such as sensor, emitter and wavelength selective radiators.

Peptides and peptidomimetics in medicine, surgery and biotechnology.

PubMed

Gentilucci, Luca; Tolomelli, Alessandra; Squassabia, Federico

2006-01-01

Despite the fact that they have been used for a century to treat several kinds of diseases, peptides and short proteins are now considered the new generation of biologically active tools. Indeed, recent findings suggest a wide range of novel applications in medicine, biotechnology, and surgery. The efficacy of native peptides has been greatly enhanced by introducing structural modifications in the original sequences, giving rise to the class of peptidomimetics. This review gives an overview of both classical applications and promising new categories of biologically active peptides and analogs. Besides the new entries in well known peptide families, such as antibiotic macrocyclic peptides, integrin inhibitors, as well as immunoactive, anticancer, neuromodulator, opioid, and hormone peptides, a number of novel applications have been recently reported. Outstanding examples include peptide-derived semi-synthetic vaccines, drug delivery systems, radiolabeled peptides, self-assembling peptides, which can serve as biomaterials in tissue engineering for creating cartilage, blood vessels, and other tissues, or as substrates for neurite outgrowth and synapse formation, immobilized peptides, and proteins. Finally, peptide-based biomaterials can find applications in bio-nanotechnology for bio-microchips, peptide nanorods and nanotubes, bio-sensors, bio-electronic devices, and peptide-metal wires.

Searching for superspreaders of information in real-world social media.

PubMed

Pei, Sen; Muchnik, Lev; Andrade, José S; Zheng, Zhiming; Makse, Hernán A

2014-07-03

A number of predictors have been suggested to detect the most influential spreaders of information in online social media across various domains such as Twitter or Facebook. In particular, degree, PageRank, k-core and other centralities have been adopted to rank the spreading capability of users in information dissemination media. So far, validation of the proposed predictors has been done by simulating the spreading dynamics rather than following real information flow in social networks. Consequently, only model-dependent contradictory results have been achieved so far for the best predictor. Here, we address this issue directly. We search for influential spreaders by following the real spreading dynamics in a wide range of networks. We find that the widely-used degree and PageRank fail in ranking users' influence. We find that the best spreaders are consistently located in the k-core across dissimilar social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Livejournal and scientific publishing in the American Physical Society. Furthermore, when the complete global network structure is unavailable, we find that the sum of the nearest neighbors' degree is a reliable local proxy for user's influence. Our analysis provides practical instructions for optimal design of strategies for "viral" information dissemination in relevant applications.

Searching for superspreaders of information in real-world social media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, Sen; Muchnik, Lev; Andrade, José S., Jr.; Zheng, Zhiming; Makse, Hernán A.

2014-07-01

A number of predictors have been suggested to detect the most influential spreaders of information in online social media across various domains such as Twitter or Facebook. In particular, degree, PageRank, k-core and other centralities have been adopted to rank the spreading capability of users in information dissemination media. So far, validation of the proposed predictors has been done by simulating the spreading dynamics rather than following real information flow in social networks. Consequently, only model-dependent contradictory results have been achieved so far for the best predictor. Here, we address this issue directly. We search for influential spreaders by following the real spreading dynamics in a wide range of networks. We find that the widely-used degree and PageRank fail in ranking users' influence. We find that the best spreaders are consistently located in the k-core across dissimilar social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Livejournal and scientific publishing in the American Physical Society. Furthermore, when the complete global network structure is unavailable, we find that the sum of the nearest neighbors' degree is a reliable local proxy for user's influence. Our analysis provides practical instructions for optimal design of strategies for ``viral'' information dissemination in relevant applications.

Searching for superspreaders of information in real-world social media

PubMed Central

Pei, Sen; Muchnik, Lev; Andrade, Jr., José S.; Zheng, Zhiming; Makse, Hernán A.

2014-01-01

A number of predictors have been suggested to detect the most influential spreaders of information in online social media across various domains such as Twitter or Facebook. In particular, degree, PageRank, k-core and other centralities have been adopted to rank the spreading capability of users in information dissemination media. So far, validation of the proposed predictors has been done by simulating the spreading dynamics rather than following real information flow in social networks. Consequently, only model-dependent contradictory results have been achieved so far for the best predictor. Here, we address this issue directly. We search for influential spreaders by following the real spreading dynamics in a wide range of networks. We find that the widely-used degree and PageRank fail in ranking users' influence. We find that the best spreaders are consistently located in the k-core across dissimilar social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Livejournal and scientific publishing in the American Physical Society. Furthermore, when the complete global network structure is unavailable, we find that the sum of the nearest neighbors' degree is a reliable local proxy for user's influence. Our analysis provides practical instructions for optimal design of strategies for “viral” information dissemination in relevant applications. PMID:24989148

Cell Membrane Coating Nanotechnology.

PubMed

Fang, Ronnie H; Kroll, Ashley V; Gao, Weiwei; Zhang, Liangfang

2018-06-01

Nanoparticle-based therapeutic, prevention, and detection modalities have the potential to greatly impact how diseases are diagnosed and managed in the clinic. With the wide range of nanomaterials available, the rational design of nanocarriers on an application-specific basis has become increasingly commonplace. Here, a comprehensive overview is provided on an emerging platform: cell-membrane-coating nanotechnology. As a fundamental unit of biology, cells carry out a wide range of functions, including the remarkable ability to interface and interact with their surrounding environment. Instead of attempting to replicate such functions via synthetic techniques, researchers are now directly leveraging naturally derived cell membranes as a means of bestowing nanoparticles with enhanced biointerfacing capabilities. This top-down technique is facile, highly generalizable, and has the potential to greatly augment existing nanocarriers. Further, the introduction of a natural membrane substrate onto nanoparticles surfaces has enabled additional applications beyond those traditionally associated with nanomedicine. Despite its relative youth, there exists an impressive body of literature on cell membrane coating, which is covered here in detail. Overall, there is still significant room for development, as researchers continue to refine existing workflows while finding new and exciting applications that can take advantage of this developing technology. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Marginal versus joint Box-Cox transformation with applications to percentile curve construction for IgG subclasses and blood pressures.

PubMed

He, Xuming; Ng, K W; Shi, Jian

2003-02-15

When age-specific percentile curves are constructed for several correlated variables, the marginal method of handling one variable at a time has typically been used. We address the question, frequently asked by practitioners, of whether we can achieve efficiency gains by joint estimation. We focus on a simple but common method of Box-Cox transformation and assess the statistical impact of a joint transformation to multivariate normality on the percentile curve estimation for correlated variables. We find that there is little gain from the joint transformation for estimating percentiles around the median but a noticeable reduction in variances is possible for estimating extreme percentiles that are usually of main interest in medical and biological applications. Our study is motivated by problems in constructing percentile charts for IgG subclasses of children and for blood pressures in adult populations, both of which are discussed in the paper as examples, and yet our general findings are applicable to a wide range of other problems. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Retrieving the optical parameters of biological tissues using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and Fourier series expansions. I. theory and application.

PubMed

Muñoz Morales, Aarón A; Vázquez Y Montiel, Sergio

2012-10-01

The determination of optical parameters of biological tissues is essential for the application of optical techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Diffuse Reflection Spectroscopy is a widely used technique to analyze the optical characteristics of biological tissues. In this paper we show that by using diffuse reflectance spectra and a new mathematical model we can retrieve the optical parameters by applying an adjustment of the data with nonlinear least squares. In our model we represent the spectra using a Fourier series expansion finding mathematical relations between the polynomial coefficients and the optical parameters. In this first paper we use spectra generated by the Monte Carlo Multilayered Technique to simulate the propagation of photons in turbid media. Using these spectra we determine the behavior of Fourier series coefficients when varying the optical parameters of the medium under study. With this procedure we find mathematical relations between Fourier series coefficients and optical parameters. Finally, the results show that our method can retrieve the optical parameters of biological tissues with accuracy that is adequate for medical applications.

Modular design, application architecture, and usage of a self-service model for enterprise data delivery: The Duke Enterprise Data Unified Content Explorer (DEDUCE)

PubMed Central

Horvath, Monica M.; Rusincovitch, Shelley A.; Brinson, Stephanie; Shang, Howard C.; Evans, Steve; Ferranti, Jeffrey M.

2015-01-01

Purpose Data generated in the care of patients are widely used to support clinical research and quality improvement, which has hastened the development of self-service query tools. User interface design for such tools, execution of query activity, and underlying application architecture have not been widely reported, and existing tools reflect a wide heterogeneity of methods and technical frameworks. We describe the design, application architecture, and use of a self-service model for enterprise data delivery within Duke Medicine. Methods Our query platform, the Duke Enterprise Data Unified Content Explorer (DEDUCE), supports enhanced data exploration, cohort identification, and data extraction from our enterprise data warehouse (EDW) using a series of modular environments that interact with a central keystone module, Cohort Manager (CM). A data-driven application architecture is implemented through three components: an application data dictionary, the concept of “smart dimensions”, and dynamically-generated user interfaces. Results DEDUCE CM allows flexible hierarchies of EDW queries within a grid-like workspace. A cohort “join” functionality allows switching between filters based on criteria occurring within or across patient encounters. To date, 674 users have been trained and activated in DEDUCE, and logon activity shows a steady increase, with variability between months. A comparison of filter conditions and export criteria shows that these activities have different patterns of usage across subject areas. Conclusions Organizations with sophisticated EDWs may find that users benefit from development of advanced query functionality, complimentary to the user interfaces and infrastructure used in other well-published models. Driven by its EDW context, the DEDUCE application architecture was also designed to be responsive to source data and to allow modification through alterations in metadata rather than programming, allowing an agile response to source system changes. PMID:25051403

Modular design, application architecture, and usage of a self-service model for enterprise data delivery: the Duke Enterprise Data Unified Content Explorer (DEDUCE).

PubMed

Horvath, Monica M; Rusincovitch, Shelley A; Brinson, Stephanie; Shang, Howard C; Evans, Steve; Ferranti, Jeffrey M

2014-12-01

Data generated in the care of patients are widely used to support clinical research and quality improvement, which has hastened the development of self-service query tools. User interface design for such tools, execution of query activity, and underlying application architecture have not been widely reported, and existing tools reflect a wide heterogeneity of methods and technical frameworks. We describe the design, application architecture, and use of a self-service model for enterprise data delivery within Duke Medicine. Our query platform, the Duke Enterprise Data Unified Content Explorer (DEDUCE), supports enhanced data exploration, cohort identification, and data extraction from our enterprise data warehouse (EDW) using a series of modular environments that interact with a central keystone module, Cohort Manager (CM). A data-driven application architecture is implemented through three components: an application data dictionary, the concept of "smart dimensions", and dynamically-generated user interfaces. DEDUCE CM allows flexible hierarchies of EDW queries within a grid-like workspace. A cohort "join" functionality allows switching between filters based on criteria occurring within or across patient encounters. To date, 674 users have been trained and activated in DEDUCE, and logon activity shows a steady increase, with variability between months. A comparison of filter conditions and export criteria shows that these activities have different patterns of usage across subject areas. Organizations with sophisticated EDWs may find that users benefit from development of advanced query functionality, complimentary to the user interfaces and infrastructure used in other well-published models. Driven by its EDW context, the DEDUCE application architecture was also designed to be responsive to source data and to allow modification through alterations in metadata rather than programming, allowing an agile response to source system changes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Noncontacting Optical Measurement And Inspection Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asher, Jeffrey A.; Jackson, Robert L.

1986-10-01

Product inspection continues to play a growing role in the improvement of quality and reduction of scrap. Recent emphasis on precision measurements and in-process inspection have been a driving force for the development of noncontacting sensors. Noncontacting sensors can provide long term, unattended use due to the lack of sensor wear. Further, in applications where, sensor contact can damage or geometrically change the part to be measured or inspected, noncontacting sensors are the only technical approach available. MTI is involved in the development and sale of noncontacting sensors and custom inspection systems. This paper will review the recent advances in noncontacting sensor development. Machine vision and fiber optics sensor systems are finding a wide variety of industrial inspection applications. This paper will provide detailed examples of several state-of-the-art applications for these noncontacting sensors.

Electronic characterization of silicon intercalated chevron graphene nanoribbons on Au(111)

DOE PAGES

Deniz, O.; Sánchez-Sánchez, C.; Jaafar, R.; ...

2018-01-08

Electronic and thermal properties of chevron-type graphene nanoribbons can be widely tuned, making them interesting candidates for electronic and thermoelectric applications. In this paper, we use post-growth silicon intercalation to unambiguously access nanoribbons’ energy position of their electronic frontier states. These are otherwise obscured by substrate effects when investigated directly on the growth substrate. Finally, in agreement with first-principles calculations we find a band gap of 2.4 eV.

Generating social impact scenarios, a key step in making technology assessment studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, M. V.

1972-01-01

The social impact scenario, a method used to trace the effects of new technological applications, is discussed. The research seeks to anticipate the secondary social impacts that arise from: (1) government or private programs that cope with major social problems like poverty, environmental pollution, or public safety; and (2) a concerted national effort to achieve a widely supported specific goal like landing a man on the moon or finding a cure for cancer.

Pre-melting hcp to bcc Transition in Beryllium: A Study by First-Principles Phonon Quasiparticle Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, D. B., Sr.

2017-12-01

Beryllium (Be) is an important material with wide applications ranging from aerospace components to X-ray equipments. Yet a precise understanding of its phase diagram remains elusive. We have investigated the phase stability of Be using a recently developed hybrid free energy computation method that accounts for anharmonic effects by invoking phonon quasiparticles. We find that the hcp to bcc transition occurs near the melting curve at 0

Selecting for Function: Solution Synthesis of Magnetic Nanopropellers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

We show that we can select magnetically steerable nanopropellers from a set of carbon coated aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles using weak homogeneous rotating magnetic fields. The carbon coating can be functionalized, enabling a wide range of applications. Despite their arbitrary shape, all nanostructures propel parallel to the vector of rotation of the magnetic field. We use a simple theoretical model to find experimental conditions to select nanopropellers which are predominantly smaller than previously published ones. PMID:24127909

High-speed plasmonic modulator in a single metal layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayata, Masafumi; Fedoryshyn, Yuriy; Heni, Wolfgang; Baeuerle, Benedikt; Josten, Arne; Zahner, Marco; Koch, Ueli; Salamin, Yannick; Hoessbacher, Claudia; Haffner, Christian; Elder, Delwin L.; Dalton, Larry R.; Leuthold, Juerg

2017-11-01

Plasmonics provides a possible route to overcome both the speed limitations of electronics and the critical dimensions of photonics. We present an all-plasmonic 116-gigabits per second electro-optical modulator in which all the elements—the vertical grating couplers, splitters, polarization rotators, and active section with phase shifters—are included in a single metal layer. The device can be realized on any smooth substrate surface and operates with low energy consumption. Our results show that plasmonics is indeed a viable path to an ultracompact, highest-speed, and low-cost technology that might find many applications in a wide range of fields of sensing and communications because it is compatible with and can be placed on a wide variety of materials.

Quantifying Information Flow During Emergencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Liang; Song, Chaoming; Gao, Ziyou; Barabási, Albert-László; Bagrow, James P.; Wang, Dashun

2014-02-01

Recent advances on human dynamics have focused on the normal patterns of human activities, with the quantitative understanding of human behavior under extreme events remaining a crucial missing chapter. This has a wide array of potential applications, ranging from emergency response and detection to traffic control and management. Previous studies have shown that human communications are both temporally and spatially localized following the onset of emergencies, indicating that social propagation is a primary means to propagate situational awareness. We study real anomalous events using country-wide mobile phone data, finding that information flow during emergencies is dominated by repeated communications. We further demonstrate that the observed communication patterns cannot be explained by inherent reciprocity in social networks, and are universal across different demographics.

Parameterized Cross Sections for Pion Production in Proton-Proton Collisions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blattnig, Steve R.; Swaminathan, Sudha R.; Kruger, Adam T.; Ngom, Moussa; Norbury, John W.; Tripathi, R. K.

2000-01-01

An accurate knowledge of cross sections for pion production in proton-proton collisions finds wide application in particle physics, astrophysics, cosmic ray physics, and space radiation problems, especially in situations where an incident proton is transported through some medium and knowledge of the output particle spectrum is required when given the input spectrum. In these cases, accurate parameterizations of the cross sections are desired. In this paper much of the experimental data are reviewed and compared with a wide variety of different cross section parameterizations. Therefore, parameterizations of neutral and charged pion cross sections are provided that give a very accurate description of the experimental data. Lorentz invariant differential cross sections, spectral distributions, and total cross section parameterizations are presented.

Particle swarm optimization and its application in MEG source localization using single time sliced data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Juan; Liu, Chenglian; Guo, Yongning

2014-10-01

The estimation of neural active sources from the magnetoencephalography (MEG) data is a very critical issue for both clinical neurology and brain functions research. A widely accepted source-modeling technique for MEG involves calculating a set of equivalent current dipoles (ECDs). Depth in the brain is one of difficulties in MEG source localization. Particle swarm optimization(PSO) is widely used to solve various optimization problems. In this paper we discuss its ability and robustness to find the global optimum in different depths of the brain when using single equivalent current dipole (sECD) model and single time sliced data. The results show that PSO is an effective global optimization to MEG source localization when given one dipole in different depths.

Electrospun Ceramic Nanofiber Mats Today: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

PubMed Central

Esfahani, Hamid; Ramakrishna, Seeram

2017-01-01

Ceramic nanofibers (NFs) have recently been developed for advanced applications due to their unique properties. In this article, we review developments in electrospun ceramic NFs with regard to their fabrication process, properties, and applications. We find that surface activity of electrospun ceramic NFs is improved by post pyrolysis, hydrothermal, and carbothermal processes. Also, when combined with another surface modification methods, electrospun ceramic NFs result in the advancement of properties and widening of the application domains. With the decrease in diameter and length of a fiber, many properties of fibrous materials are modified; characteristics of such ceramic NFs are different from their wide and long (bulk) counterparts. In this article, electrospun ceramic NFs are reviewed with an emphasis on their applications as catalysts, membranes, sensors, biomaterials, fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, energy harvesting systems, electric and magnetic parts, conductive wires, and wearable electronic textiles. Furthermore, properties of ceramic nanofibers, which enable the above applications, and techniques to characterize them are briefly outlined. PMID:29077074

Electrospun Ceramic Nanofiber Mats Today: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications.

PubMed

Esfahani, Hamid; Jose, Rajan; Ramakrishna, Seeram

2017-10-27

Ceramic nanofibers (NFs) have recently been developed for advanced applications due to their unique properties. In this article, we review developments in electrospun ceramic NFs with regard to their fabrication process, properties, and applications. We find that surface activity of electrospun ceramic NFs is improved by post pyrolysis, hydrothermal, and carbothermal processes. Also, when combined with another surface modification methods, electrospun ceramic NFs result in the advancement of properties and widening of the application domains. With the decrease in diameter and length of a fiber, many properties of fibrous materials are modified; characteristics of such ceramic NFs are different from their wide and long (bulk) counterparts. In this article, electrospun ceramic NFs are reviewed with an emphasis on their applications as catalysts, membranes, sensors, biomaterials, fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, energy harvesting systems, electric and magnetic parts, conductive wires, and wearable electronic textiles. Furthermore, properties of ceramic nanofibers, which enable the above applications, and techniques to characterize them are briefly outlined.

Superhydrophobic Materials for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Colson, Yolonda L.; Grinstaff, Mark W.

2016-01-01

Superhydrophobic surfaces are actively studied across a wide range of applications and industries, and are now finding increased use in the biomedical arena as substrates to control protein adsorption, cellular interaction, and bacterial growth, as well as platforms for drug delivery devices and for diagnostic tools. The commonality in the design of these materials is to create a stable or metastable air state at the material surface, which lends itself to a number of unique properties. These activities are catalyzing the development of new materials, applications, and fabrication techniques, as well as collaborations across material science, chemistry, engineering, and medicine given the interdisciplinary nature of this work. The review begins with a discussion of superhydrophobicity, and then explores biomedical applications that are utilizing superhydrophobicity in depth including material selection characteristics, in vitro performance, and in vivo performance. General trends are offered for each application in addition to discussion of conflicting data in the literature, and the review concludes with the authors’ future perspectives on the utility of superhydrophobic surfaces for biomedical applications. PMID:27449946

Passive wide spectrum harmonic filter for adjustable speed drives in oil and gas industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Jaafari, Khaled Ali

Non-linear loads such as variable speed drives constitute the bulky load of oil and gas industry power systems. They are widely used in driving induction and permanent magnet motors for variable speed applications. That is because variable speed drives provide high static and dynamic performance. Moreover, they are known of their high energy efficiency and high motion quality, and high starting torque. However, these non-linear loads are main sources of current and voltage harmonics and lower the quality of electric power system. In fact, it is the six-pulse and twelve-pulse diode and thyristor rectifiers that spoil the AC power line with the dominant harmonics (5th, 7th, 11th). They provide DC voltage to the inverter of the variable speed drives. Typical problems that arise from these harmonics are Harmonic resonances', harmonic losses, interference with electronic equipment, and line voltage distortion at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC). Thus, it is necessary to find efficient, reliable, and economical harmonic filters. The passive filters have definite advantage over active filters in terms of components count, cost and reliability. Reliability and maintenance is a serious issue in drilling rigs which are located in offshore and onshore with extreme operating conditions. Passive filters are tuned to eliminate a certain frequency and therefore there is a need to equip the system with more than one passive filter to eliminate all unwanted frequencies. An alternative solution is Wide Spectrum Harmonic passive filter. The wide spectrum harmonic filters are becoming increasingly popular in these applications and found to overcome some of the limitations of conventional tuned passive filter. The most important feature of wide spectrum harmonic passive filters is that only one capacitor is required to filter a wide range of harmonics. Wide spectrum filter is essentially a low-pass filter for the harmonic at fundamental frequency. It can also be considered as a single-stage passive filter plus input and output inductors. The work proposed gives a complete analysis of wide spectrum harmonic passive filters, the methodology to choose its parameters according to the operational condition, effect of load and source inductance on its characteristics. Also, comparison of the performance of the wide band passive filter with tuned filter is given. The analyses are supported with the simulation results and were verified experimentally. The analysis given in this thesis will be useful for the selection of proper wide spectrum harmonic filters for harmonic mitigation applications in oil and gas industry.

A restricted Steiner tree problem is solved by Geometric Method II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Dazhi; Zhang, Youlin; Lu, Xiaoxu

2013-03-01

The minimum Steiner tree problem has wide application background, such as transportation system, communication network, pipeline design and VISL, etc. It is unfortunately that the computational complexity of the problem is NP-hard. People are common to find some special problems to consider. In this paper, we first put forward a restricted Steiner tree problem, which the fixed vertices are in the same side of one line L and we find a vertex on L such the length of the tree is minimal. By the definition and the complexity of the Steiner tree problem, we know that the complexity of this problem is also Np-complete. In the part one, we have considered there are two fixed vertices to find the restricted Steiner tree problem. Naturally, we consider there are three fixed vertices to find the restricted Steiner tree problem. And we also use the geometric method to solve such the problem.

Morse oscillator propagator in the high temperature limit II: Quantum dynamics and spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toutounji, Mohamad

2018-04-01

This paper is a continuation of Paper I (Toutounji, 2017) of which motivation was testing the applicability of Morse oscillator propagator whose analytical form was derived by Duru (1983). This is because the Morse oscillator propagator was reported (Duru, 1983) in a triple-integral form of a functional of modified Bessel function of the first kind, which considerably limits its applicability. For this reason, I was prompted to find a regime under which Morse oscillator propagator may be simplified and hence be expressed in a closed-form. This was well accomplished in Paper I. Because Morse oscillator is of central importance and widely used in modelling vibrations, its propagator applicability will be extended to applications in quantum dynamics and spectroscopy as will be reported in this paper using the off-diagonal propagator of Morse oscillator whose analytical form is derived.

Outcomes of a NASA Workshop to Develop a Portfolio of Low Latency Datasets for Time-Sensitive Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davies, Diane K.; Brown, Molly E.; Green, David S.; Michael, Karen A.; Murray, John J.; Justice, Christopher O.; Soja, Amber J.

2016-01-01

It is widely accepted that time-sensitive remote sensing data serve the needs of decision makers in the applications communities and yet to date, a comprehensive portfolio of NASA low latency datasets has not been available. This paper will describe the NASA low latency, or Near-Real Time (NRT), portfolio, how it was developed and plans to make it available online through a portal that leverages the existing EOSDIS capabilities such as the Earthdata Search Client (https:search.earthdata.nasa.gov), the Common Metadata Repository (CMR) and the Global Imagery Browse Service (GIBS). This paper will report on the outcomes of a NASA Workshop to Develop a Portfolio of Low Latency Datasets for Time-Sensitive Applications (27-29 September 2016 at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton VA). The paper will also summarize findings and recommendations from the meeting outlining perceived shortfalls and opportunities for low latency research and application science.

Flexibility and Performance of Parallel File Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kotz, David; Nieuwejaar, Nils

1996-01-01

As we gain experience with parallel file systems, it becomes increasingly clear that a single solution does not suit all applications. For example, it appears to be impossible to find a single appropriate interface, caching policy, file structure, or disk-management strategy. Furthermore, the proliferation of file-system interfaces and abstractions make applications difficult to port. We propose that the traditional functionality of parallel file systems be separated into two components: a fixed core that is standard on all platforms, encapsulating only primitive abstractions and interfaces, and a set of high-level libraries to provide a variety of abstractions and application-programmer interfaces (API's). We present our current and next-generation file systems as examples of this structure. Their features, such as a three-dimensional file structure, strided read and write interfaces, and I/O-node programs, are specifically designed with the flexibility and performance necessary to support a wide range of applications.

Novel solid state lasers for Lidar applications at 2 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Della Valle, G.; Galzerano, G.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Laporta, P.

2005-09-01

A review on the results achieved by our group in the development of novel solid-state lasers for Lidar applications at 2 μm is presented. These lasers, based on fluoride crystals (YLF4, BaY2F8, and KYF4) doped with Tm and Ho ions, are characterized by high-efficiency and wide wavelength tunability around 2 μm. Single crystals of LiYF4, BaY2F8, and KYF4 codoped with the same Tm3+ and Ho3+ concentrations were successfully grown by the Czochralski method. The full spectroscopic characterization of the different laser crystals and the comparison between the laser performance are presented. Continuous wave operation was efficiently demonstrated by means of a CW diode-pumping. These oscillators find interesting applications in the field of remote sensing (Lidar and Dial systems) as well as in high-resolution molecular spectroscopy, frequency metrology, and biomedical applications.

Direct application of Padé approximant for solving nonlinear differential equations.

PubMed

Vazquez-Leal, Hector; Benhammouda, Brahim; Filobello-Nino, Uriel; Sarmiento-Reyes, Arturo; Jimenez-Fernandez, Victor Manuel; Garcia-Gervacio, Jose Luis; Huerta-Chua, Jesus; Morales-Mendoza, Luis Javier; Gonzalez-Lee, Mario

2014-01-01

This work presents a direct procedure to apply Padé method to find approximate solutions for nonlinear differential equations. Moreover, we present some cases study showing the strength of the method to generate highly accurate rational approximate solutions compared to other semi-analytical methods. The type of tested nonlinear equations are: a highly nonlinear boundary value problem, a differential-algebraic oscillator problem, and an asymptotic problem. The high accurate handy approximations obtained by the direct application of Padé method shows the high potential if the proposed scheme to approximate a wide variety of problems. What is more, the direct application of the Padé approximant aids to avoid the previous application of an approximative method like Taylor series method, homotopy perturbation method, Adomian Decomposition method, homotopy analysis method, variational iteration method, among others, as tools to obtain a power series solutions to post-treat with the Padé approximant. 34L30.

The Genetics of Autism: Key Issues, Recent Findings and Clinical Implications

PubMed Central

El-Fishawy, Paul; State, Matthew W.

2010-01-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD’S) are highly heritable. Consequently, gene discovery promises to help illuminate the pathophysiology of these syndromes, yielding important opportunities for the development of novel treatments and a more nuanced understanding of the natural history of these disorders. Although the underlying genetic architecture of ASD’s is not yet known, the literature demonstrates that it is not, writ large, a monogenic disorder with Mendelian inheritance, but rather a group of complex genetic syndromes with risk deriving from genetic variations in multiple genes. The widely accepted “Common Disease-Common Variant” hypothesis predicts that the risk alleles in ASD’s and other complex disorders will be common in the general population. However, recent evidence from gene discovery efforts in a wide range of diseases raises important questions regarding the overall applicability of the theory and the extent of its usefulness in explaining individual genetic liability. In contrast, considerable evidence points to the importance of rare alleles both with regard to their value in providing a foothold into the molecular mechanisms of ASD and their overall contribution to the population-wide risk. This chapter reviews the origins of the common versus rare variant debate, highlights recent findings in the field, and addresses the clinical implications of both common and rare variant discoveries. PMID:20159341

Digital simulation of an arbitrary stationary stochastic process by spectral representation.

PubMed

Yura, Harold T; Hanson, Steen G

2011-04-01

In this paper we present a straightforward, efficient, and computationally fast method for creating a large number of discrete samples with an arbitrary given probability density function and a specified spectral content. The method relies on initially transforming a white noise sample set of random Gaussian distributed numbers into a corresponding set with the desired spectral distribution, after which this colored Gaussian probability distribution is transformed via an inverse transform into the desired probability distribution. In contrast to previous work, where the analyses were limited to auto regressive and or iterative techniques to obtain satisfactory results, we find that a single application of the inverse transform method yields satisfactory results for a wide class of arbitrary probability distributions. Although a single application of the inverse transform technique does not conserve the power spectra exactly, it yields highly accurate numerical results for a wide range of probability distributions and target power spectra that are sufficient for system simulation purposes and can thus be regarded as an accurate engineering approximation, which can be used for wide range of practical applications. A sufficiency condition is presented regarding the range of parameter values where a single application of the inverse transform method yields satisfactory agreement between the simulated and target power spectra, and a series of examples relevant for the optics community are presented and discussed. Outside this parameter range the agreement gracefully degrades but does not distort in shape. Although we demonstrate the method here focusing on stationary random processes, we see no reason why the method could not be extended to simulate non-stationary random processes. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Dimensional oscillation. A fast variation of energy embedding gives good results with the AMBER potential energy function.

PubMed

Snow, M E; Crippen, G M

1991-08-01

The structure of the AMBER potential energy surface of the cyclic tetrapeptide cyclotetrasarcosyl is analyzed as a function of the dimensionality of coordinate space. It is found that the number of local energy minima decreases as the dimensionality of the space increases until some limit at which point equipotential subspaces appear. The applicability of energy embedding methods to finding global energy minima in this type of energy-conformation space is explored. Dimensional oscillation, a computationally fast variant of energy embedding is introduced and found to sample conformation space widely and to do a good job of finding global and near-global energy minima.

Tuning thermal conduction via extended defects in graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Huaqing; Xu, Yong; Zou, Xiaolong; Wu, Jian; Duan, Wenhui

2013-05-01

Designing materials for desired thermal conduction can be achieved via extended defects. We theoretically demonstrate the concept by investigating thermal transport in graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with the extended line defects observed by recent experiments. Our nonequilibrium Green's function study excluding phonon-phonon interactions finds that thermal conductance can be tuned over wide ranges (more than 50% at room temperature), by controlling the orientation and the bond configuration of the embedded extended defect. Further transmission analysis reveals that the thermal-conduction tuning is attributed to two fundamentally different mechanisms, via modifying the phonon dispersion and/or tailoring the strength of defect scattering. The finding, applicable to other materials, provides useful guidance for designing materials with desired thermal conduction.

Leadership Perspectives on Operationalizing the Learning Health Care System in an Integrated Delivery System.

PubMed

Psek, Wayne; Davis, F Daniel; Gerrity, Gloria; Stametz, Rebecca; Bailey-Davis, Lisa; Henninger, Debra; Sellers, Dorothy; Darer, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Healthcare leaders need operational strategies that support organizational learning for continued improvement and value generation. The learning health system (LHS) model may provide leaders with such strategies; however, little is known about leaders' perspectives on the value and application of system-wide operationalization of the LHS model. The objective of this project was to solicit and analyze senior health system leaders' perspectives on the LHS and learning activities in an integrated delivery system. A series of interviews were conducted with 41 system leaders from a broad range of clinical and administrative areas across an integrated delivery system. Leaders' responses were categorized into themes. Ten major themes emerged from our conversations with leaders. While leaders generally expressed support for the concept of the LHS and enhanced system-wide learning, their concerns and suggestions for operationalization where strongly aligned with their functional area and strategic goals. Our findings suggests that leaders tend to adopt a very pragmatic approach to learning. Leaders expressed a dichotomy between the operational imperative to execute operational objectives efficiently and the need for rigorous evaluation. Alignment of learning activities with system-wide strategic and operational priorities is important to gain leadership support and resources. Practical approaches to addressing opportunities and challenges identified in the themes are discussed. Continuous learning is an ongoing, multi-disciplinary function of a health care delivery system. Findings from this and other research may be used to inform and prioritize system-wide learning objectives and strategies which support reliable, high value care delivery.

The effect of mixed dopants on the stability of Fricke gel dosimeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penev, K.; Mequanint, K.

2013-06-01

Auto-oxidation and fast diffusion in Fricke gels are major drawbacks to wide-spread application of these gels in 3D dosimetry. Aiming to limit both processes, we used mixed dopants: the ferric-specific ligand xylenol orange with a ferrous-specific ligand (1,10-phenanthroline) and/or a bi-functional cross-linking agent (glyoxal). Markedly improved auto-oxidation stability was observed in the xylenol orange and phenanthroline doped gel at the expense of increased background absorbance and faster diffusion. Addition of glyoxal limited the diffusion rate and led to a partial bleaching of the gel. It is conceivable that these two new compositions may find useful practical application.

(abstract) NDE and Advanced Actuators at JPL

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

1996-01-01

JPL is responsible for deep space exploration using spacecraft and telerobotic technologies. Since all JPL's missions are one of a kind and hardware dependent, the requirements for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of the materials and structures that are employed are significantly more stringent than the ones for conventional aerospace needs. The multidisciplinary technologies that are developed at JPL, particularily the ones for the exploration of Mars, are finding applications to a wide variety of NDE applications. Further, technology spin-offs are enabling the development of advanced actuators that are being used to drive various types of telerobotic devices. A review will be given of the recent JPL NDE and advanced actuators activity and it will include several short videos.

[Opportunity and challenge of post-marketing evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine].

PubMed

Du, Xiao-Xi; Song, Hai-Bo; Ren, Jing-Tian; Yang, Le; Guo, Xiao-Xin; Pang, Yu

2014-09-01

Post-marketing evaluation is a process which evaluate the risks and benefits of drug clinical application comprehensively and systematically, scientific and systematic results of post-marketing evaluation not only can provide data support for clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine, but also can be a reliable basis for the supervision department to develop risk control measures. With the increasing demands for treatment and prevention of disease, traditional Chinese medicine has been widely used, and security issues are also exposed. How to find risk signal of traditional Chinese medicine in the early stages, carry out targeted evaluation work and control risk timely have become challenges in the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry.

Salicylaldehydes as privileged synthons in multicomponent reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Momahed Heravi, M.; Zadsirjan, V.; Mollaiye, M.; Heydari, M.; Taheri Kal Koshvandi, A.

2018-06-01

Salicylaldehyde (2-hydroxybenzaldehyde) bearing two different active functional groups, namely, a hydroxy group and an aldehyde group, finds wide application as a key chemical in a variety of industrial processes, especially in the large-scale production of pharmaceuticals. Salicylaldehyde and most of its derivatives are commercially available or readily accessible, and hence are ideal starting materials for multicomponent reactions (MCRs), mostly in pseudo-three and four-component ones, giving rise to a plethora of heterocyclic systems. The importance of salicylaldehyde and an impressive amount of studies concerning its applications in MCRs prompted us to highlight in this review the important role of this compound as a privileged synthon in the synthesis of heterocycles. The bibliography includes 276 references.

Cis-regulatory element based targeted gene finding: genome-wide identification of abscisic acid- and abiotic stress-responsive genes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Zhang, Weixiong; Ruan, Jianhua; Ho, Tuan-Hua David; You, Youngsook; Yu, Taotao; Quatrano, Ralph S

2005-07-15

A fundamental problem of computational genomics is identifying the genes that respond to certain endogenous cues and environmental stimuli. This problem can be referred to as targeted gene finding. Since gene regulation is mainly determined by the binding of transcription factors and cis-regulatory DNA sequences, most existing gene annotation methods, which exploit the conservation of open reading frames, are not effective in finding target genes. A viable approach to targeted gene finding is to exploit the cis-regulatory elements that are known to be responsible for the transcription of target genes. Given such cis-elements, putative target genes whose promoters contain the elements can be identified. As a case study, we apply the above approach to predict the genes in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana which are inducible by a phytohormone, abscisic acid (ABA), and abiotic stress, such as drought, cold and salinity. We first construct and analyze two ABA specific cis-elements, ABA-responsive element (ABRE) and its coupling element (CE), in A.thaliana, based on their conservation in rice and other cereal plants. We then use the ABRE-CE module to identify putative ABA-responsive genes in A.thaliana. Based on RT-PCR verification and the results from literature, this method has an accuracy rate of 67.5% for the top 40 predictions. The cis-element based targeted gene finding approach is expected to be widely applicable since a large number of cis-elements in many species are available.

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

Dykstra, Dave; Garzoglio, Gabriele; Kim, Hyunwoo

As of 2012, a number of US Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories have access to a 100 Gb/s wide-area network backbone. The ESnet Advanced Networking Initiative (ANI) project is intended to develop a prototype network, based on emerging 100 Gb/s Ethernet technology. The ANI network will support DOE's science research programs. A 100 Gb/s network test bed is a key component of the ANI project. The test bed offers the opportunity for early evaluation of 100Gb/s network infrastructure for supporting the high impact data movement typical of science collaborations and experiments. In order to make effective use of thismore » advanced infrastructure, the applications and middleware currently used by the distributed computing systems of large-scale science need to be adapted and tested within the new environment, with gaps in functionality identified and corrected. As a user of the ANI test bed, Fermilab aims to study the issues related to end-to-end integration and use of 100 Gb/s networks for the event simulation and analysis applications of physics experiments. In this paper we discuss our findings from evaluating existing HEP Physics middleware and application components, including GridFTP, Globus Online, etc. in the high-speed environment. These will include possible recommendations to the system administrators, application and middleware developers on changes that would make production use of the 100 Gb/s networks, including data storage, caching and wide area access.« less

Numerical relativity and the early Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mironov, Sergey

2016-10-01

We consider numerical simulations in general relativity in ADM formalism with cosmological ansatz for the metric. This ansatz is convenient for investigations of the Universe creation in laboratory with Galileons. Here we consider toy model for the software: spherically symmetric scalar field minimally coupled to the gravity with asymmetric double well potential. We studied the dependence of radius of critical bubble on the parameters of the theory. It demonstrates the wide applicability of thin-wall approximation. We did not find any kind of stable bubble solution.

Near contact phenomena and transient effects in far infrared photoconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haegel, Nancy M.

1989-01-01

A combination of experimental and modeling work is summarized in two areas: first, the calculation of excess free carrier and space charge distributions near contacts and their effects on device resistivity, and second, the characterization of a slow transient response (tau approx. 1 sec) in Ge:Be detectors which is due to trapping associated with Be(+) formation. In both cases, analytical models, based on continuity and rate equations, have been developed to enable the application of these findings to a wide variety of photoconductor materials.

Research progress on laser crystals in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yingxia, Z.

1985-01-01

Current Chinese research on laser crystals is now quite extensive and involves more than 30 research teams with nearly 1,000 technicians and workers actively engaged in the study of more than 20 types of laser cyrstals. Neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) and ruby (Cr:Al2O3) lasers have been manufactured and are widely employed. There are several new and promising crystals now under study which will find applications, and both basic and exploratory research have given rise to new developments.

Characteristics of the Unexpected Message Queue of MPI applications

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

Keller, Rainer; Graham, Richard L

2010-01-01

High Performance Computing systems are used on a regular basis to run a myriad of application codes, yet a surprising dearth of information exists with respect to communications characteristics. Even less information is available on the low-level communication libraries, such as the length of MPI Unexpected Message Queues (UMQs) and the length of time such messages spend in these queues. Such information is vital to developing appropriate strategies for handling such data at the library and system level. In this paper we present data on the communication characteristics of three applications GTC, LSMS, and S3D. We present data on themore » size of their UMQ, the time spend searching the UMQ and the length of time such messages spend in these queues. We find that for the particular inputs used, these applications have widely varying characteristics with regard to UMQ length and show patterns for specific applications which persist over various scales.« less

VIPRAM_L1CMS: a 2-Tier 3D Architecture for Pattern Recognition for Track Finding

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

Hoff, J. R.; Joshi, Joshi,S.; Liu, Liu,

In HEP tracking trigger applications, flagging an individual detector hit is not important. Rather, the path of a charged particle through many detector layers is what must be found. Moreover, given the increased luminosity projected for future LHC experiments, this type of track finding will be required within the Level 1 Trigger system. This means that future LHC experiments require not just a chip capable of high-speed track finding but also one with a high-speed readout architecture. VIPRAM_L1CMS is 2-Tier Vertically Integrated chip designed to fulfill these requirements. It is a complete pipelined Pattern Recognition Associative Memory (PRAM) architecture includingmore » pattern recognition, result sparsification, and readout for Level 1 trigger applications in CMS with 15-bit wide detector addresses and eight detector layers included in the track finding. Pattern recognition is based on classic Content Addressable Memories with a Current Race Scheme to reduce timing complexity and a 4-bit Selective Precharge to minimize power consumption. VIPRAM_L1CMS uses a pipelined set of priority-encoded binary readout structures to sparsify and readout active road flags at frequencies of at least 100MHz. VIPRAM_L1CMS is designed to work directly with the Pulsar2b Architecture.« less

Stability of similarity measurements for bipartite networks

PubMed Central

Liu, Jian-Guo; Hou, Lei; Pan, Xue; Guo, Qiang; Zhou, Tao

2016-01-01

Similarity is a fundamental measure in network analyses and machine learning algorithms, with wide applications ranging from personalized recommendation to socio-economic dynamics. We argue that an effective similarity measurement should guarantee the stability even under some information loss. With six bipartite networks, we investigate the stabilities of fifteen similarity measurements by comparing the similarity matrixes of two data samples which are randomly divided from original data sets. Results show that, the fifteen measurements can be well classified into three clusters according to their stabilities, and measurements in the same cluster have similar mathematical definitions. In addition, we develop a top-n-stability method for personalized recommendation, and find that the unstable similarities would recommend false information to users, and the performance of recommendation would be largely improved by using stable similarity measurements. This work provides a novel dimension to analyze and evaluate similarity measurements, which can further find applications in link prediction, personalized recommendation, clustering algorithms, community detection and so on. PMID:26725688

Finnish physicians' experiences with computer-supported patient information exchange and communication in clinical work.

PubMed

Viitanen, Johanna; Nieminen, Marko; Hypponen, Hannele; Laaveri, Tinja

2011-01-01

Several researchers share the concern of healthcare information systems failing to support communication and collaboration in clinical practices. The objective of this paper is to investigate the current state of computer-supported patient information exchange and associated communication between clinicians. We report findings from a national survey on Finnish physicians? experiences with their currently used clinical information systems with regard to patient information documentation, retrieval, management and exchange-related tasks. The questionnaire study with 3929 physicians indicated the main concern being cross-organisational patient information delivery. In addition, physicians argued computer usage increasingly steals time and attention from caring activities and even disturbs physician?nurse collaboration. Problems in information management were particularly emphasised among those physicians working in hospitals and wards. The survey findings indicated that collaborative applications and mobile or wireless solutions have not been widely adapted in Finnish healthcare and suggested an urgent need for adopting appropriate information and communication technology applications to support information exchange and communication between physicians, and physicians and nurses.

Stability of similarity measurements for bipartite networks.

PubMed

Liu, Jian-Guo; Hou, Lei; Pan, Xue; Guo, Qiang; Zhou, Tao

2016-01-04

Similarity is a fundamental measure in network analyses and machine learning algorithms, with wide applications ranging from personalized recommendation to socio-economic dynamics. We argue that an effective similarity measurement should guarantee the stability even under some information loss. With six bipartite networks, we investigate the stabilities of fifteen similarity measurements by comparing the similarity matrixes of two data samples which are randomly divided from original data sets. Results show that, the fifteen measurements can be well classified into three clusters according to their stabilities, and measurements in the same cluster have similar mathematical definitions. In addition, we develop a top-n-stability method for personalized recommendation, and find that the unstable similarities would recommend false information to users, and the performance of recommendation would be largely improved by using stable similarity measurements. This work provides a novel dimension to analyze and evaluate similarity measurements, which can further find applications in link prediction, personalized recommendation, clustering algorithms, community detection and so on.

Healthcare4VideoStorm: Making Smart Decisions Based on Storm Metrics.

PubMed

Zhang, Weishan; Duan, Pengcheng; Chen, Xiufeng; Lu, Qinghua

2016-04-23

Storm-based stream processing is widely used for real-time large-scale distributed processing. Knowing the run-time status and ensuring performance is critical to providing expected dependability for some applications, e.g., continuous video processing for security surveillance. The existing scheduling strategies' granularity is too coarse to have good performance, and mainly considers network resources without computing resources while scheduling. In this paper, we propose Healthcare4Storm, a framework that finds Storm insights based on Storm metrics to gain knowledge from the health status of an application, finally ending up with smart scheduling decisions. It takes into account both network and computing resources and conducts scheduling at a fine-grained level using tuples instead of topologies. The comprehensive evaluation shows that the proposed framework has good performance and can improve the dependability of the Storm-based applications.

Improvement of carbon nanotubes films conductivity for use in biomedical application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dybowska-Sarapuk, Łucja; Janczak, Daniel; Krzemiński, Jakub; Lepak, Sandra; Łekawa-Raus, Agnieszka; MłoŻniak, Anna; Jakubowska, Małgorzata

2017-08-01

Carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns and sheets due to their biocompatibility, very good mechanical strength and flexibility can find wide range of applications in nanomedicine, inter alia as mechanical actuators for artificial muscles or electrodes used for deep brain stimulation. However, because of CNT film behavior in liquid environment, before their using in biological applications, they should be coated with a special protective layer. The purpose of created coatings is not only to protect the films, but also to increase their conductivity. The aim of the research was to test various methods of achieving such coatings on CNT films and to evaluate quality and flexibility of coated CNT films. The coatings were made using various suspensions containing polymer materials such methyl polymethacrylate and conductive silver flakes. The methods tested in this study were: dipping, painting and flooding of the CNT yarns.

A new class of weight and WA systems of the Kravchenko-Kaiser functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kravchenko, V. F.; Pustovoit, V. I.; Churikov, D. V.

2014-05-01

A new class of weight and WA-systems of the Kravchenko-Kaiser functions which showed its efficiency in various physical applications is proposed and substantiated. This publication consists of three parts. In the first the Kravchenko-Kaiser weight functions are constructed on basis of the theory of atomic functions (AFs) and the Kaiser windows for the first time. In the second part new constructions of analytic WA-systems of the Kravchenko-Kaiser functions are costructed. In the third part their applications to problems of weight averaging of the difference frequency signals are considered. The numerical experiment and the physical analysis of the results for concrete physical models confirmed their efficiency. This class of functions can find wide physical applications in problems of digital signal processing, restoration of images, radar, radiometry, radio astronomy, remote sensing, etc.

Inference of human continental origin and admixture proportions using a highly discriminative ancestry informative 41-SNP panel

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Accurate determination of genetic ancestry is of high interest for many areas such as biomedical research, personal genomics and forensics. It remains an important topic in genetic association studies, as it has been shown that population stratification, if not appropriately considered, can lead to false-positive and -negative results. While large association studies typically extract ancestry information from available genome-wide SNP genotypes, many important clinical data sets on rare phenotypes and historical collections assembled before the GWAS area are in need of a feasible method (i.e., ease of genotyping, small number of markers) to infer the geographic origin and potential admixture of the study subjects. Here we report on the development, application and limitations of a small, multiplexable ancestry informative marker (AIM) panel of SNPs (or AISNP) developed specifically for this purpose. Results Based on worldwide populations from the HGDP, a 41-AIM AISNP panel for multiplex application with the ABI SNPlex and a subset with 31 AIMs for the Sequenome iPLEX system were selected and found to be highly informative for inferring ancestry among the seven continental regions Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Central/South Asia, East Asia, the Americas and Oceania. The panel was found to be least informative for Eurasian populations, and additional AIMs for a higher resolution are suggested. A large reference set including over 4,000 subjects collected from 120 global populations was assembled to facilitate accurate ancestry determination. We show practical applications of this AIM panel, discuss its limitations for admixed individuals and suggest ways to incorporate ancestry information into genetic association studies. Conclusion We demonstrated the utility of a small AISNP panel specifically developed to discern global ancestry. We believe that it will find wide application because of its feasibility and potential for a wide range of applications. PMID:23815888

In vivo genome-wide profiling of RNA secondary structure reveals novel regulatory features.

PubMed

Ding, Yiliang; Tang, Yin; Kwok, Chun Kit; Zhang, Yu; Bevilacqua, Philip C; Assmann, Sarah M

2014-01-30

RNA structure has critical roles in processes ranging from ligand sensing to the regulation of translation, polyadenylation and splicing. However, a lack of genome-wide in vivo RNA structural data has limited our understanding of how RNA structure regulates gene expression in living cells. Here we present a high-throughput, genome-wide in vivo RNA structure probing method, structure-seq, in which dimethyl sulphate methylation of unprotected adenines and cytosines is identified by next-generation sequencing. Application of this method to Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings yielded the first in vivo genome-wide RNA structure map at nucleotide resolution for any organism, with quantitative structural information across more than 10,000 transcripts. Our analysis reveals a three-nucleotide periodic repeat pattern in the structure of coding regions, as well as a less-structured region immediately upstream of the start codon, and shows that these features are strongly correlated with translation efficiency. We also find patterns of strong and weak secondary structure at sites of alternative polyadenylation, as well as strong secondary structure at 5' splice sites that correlates with unspliced events. Notably, in vivo structures of messenger RNAs annotated for stress responses are poorly predicted in silico, whereas mRNA structures of genes related to cell function maintenance are well predicted. Global comparison of several structural features between these two categories shows that the mRNAs associated with stress responses tend to have more single-strandedness, longer maximal loop length and higher free energy per nucleotide, features that may allow these RNAs to undergo conformational changes in response to environmental conditions. Structure-seq allows the RNA structurome and its biological roles to be interrogated on a genome-wide scale and should be applicable to any organism.

StereoGene: rapid estimation of genome-wide correlation of continuous or interval feature data.

PubMed

Stavrovskaya, Elena D; Niranjan, Tejasvi; Fertig, Elana J; Wheelan, Sarah J; Favorov, Alexander V; Mironov, Andrey A

2017-10-15

Genomics features with similar genome-wide distributions are generally hypothesized to be functionally related, for example, colocalization of histones and transcription start sites indicate chromatin regulation of transcription factor activity. Therefore, statistical algorithms to perform spatial, genome-wide correlation among genomic features are required. Here, we propose a method, StereoGene, that rapidly estimates genome-wide correlation among pairs of genomic features. These features may represent high-throughput data mapped to reference genome or sets of genomic annotations in that reference genome. StereoGene enables correlation of continuous data directly, avoiding the data binarization and subsequent data loss. Correlations are computed among neighboring genomic positions using kernel correlation. Representing the correlation as a function of the genome position, StereoGene outputs the local correlation track as part of the analysis. StereoGene also accounts for confounders such as input DNA by partial correlation. We apply our method to numerous comparisons of ChIP-Seq datasets from the Human Epigenome Atlas and FANTOM CAGE to demonstrate its wide applicability. We observe the changes in the correlation between epigenomic features across developmental trajectories of several tissue types consistent with known biology and find a novel spatial correlation of CAGE clusters with donor splice sites and with poly(A) sites. These analyses provide examples for the broad applicability of StereoGene for regulatory genomics. The StereoGene C ++ source code, program documentation, Galaxy integration scripts and examples are available from the project homepage http://stereogene.bioinf.fbb.msu.ru/. favorov@sensi.org. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Developing a Scenario for widespread use: Best practices, lessons learned

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, S.; Jones, L.; Cox, D.

2011-01-01

The ShakeOut Scenario is probably the most widely known and used earthquake scenario created to date. Much of the credit for its widespread dissemination and application lies with scenario development criteria that focused on the needs and involvement of end users and with a suite of products that tailored communication of the results to varied end users, who ranged from emergency managers to the general public, from corporations to grassroots organizations. Products were most effective when they were highly visual, when they emphasized the findings of social scientists, and when they communicated the experience of living through the earthquake. This paper summarizes the development criteria and the products that made the ShakeOut Scenario so widely known and used, and it provides some suggestions for future improvements. ?? 2011, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.

Progress Report on Optimizing X-ray Optical Prescriptions for Wide-Field Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elsner, R. F.; O'Dell, S. L.; Ramsey, B. D.; Weisskopf, M. C.

2011-01-01

We report on the present status of our continuing efforts to develop a method for optimizing wide-field nested x-ray telescope mirror prescriptions. Utilizing extensive Monte-Carlo ray trace simulations, we find an analytic form for the root-mean-square dispersion of rays from a Wolter I optic on the surface of a flat focal plane detector as a function of detector tilt away from the nominal focal plane and detector displacement along the optical axis. The configuration minimizing the ray dispersion from a nested array of Wolter I telescopes is found by solving a linear system of equations for tilt and individual mirror pair displacement. Finally we outline our initial efforts at expanding this method to include higher order polynomial terms in the mirror prescriptions.

A kernel adaptive algorithm for quaternion-valued inputs.

PubMed

Paul, Thomas K; Ogunfunmi, Tokunbo

2015-10-01

The use of quaternion data can provide benefit in applications like robotics and image recognition, and particularly for performing transforms in 3-D space. Here, we describe a kernel adaptive algorithm for quaternions. A least mean square (LMS)-based method was used, resulting in the derivation of the quaternion kernel LMS (Quat-KLMS) algorithm. Deriving this algorithm required describing the idea of a quaternion reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS), as well as kernel functions suitable with quaternions. A modified HR calculus for Hilbert spaces was used to find the gradient of cost functions defined on a quaternion RKHS. In addition, the use of widely linear (or augmented) filtering is proposed to improve performance. The benefit of the Quat-KLMS and widely linear forms in learning nonlinear transformations of quaternion data are illustrated with simulations.

Cyber-physical security of Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection and Control in a smart grid environment

PubMed Central

Ashok, Aditya; Hahn, Adam; Govindarasu, Manimaran

2013-01-01

Smart grid initiatives will produce a grid that is increasingly dependent on its cyber infrastructure in order to support the numerous power applications necessary to provide improved grid monitoring and control capabilities. However, recent findings documented in government reports and other literature, indicate the growing threat of cyber-based attacks in numbers and sophistication targeting the nation’s electric grid and other critical infrastructures. Specifically, this paper discusses cyber-physical security of Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection and Control (WAMPAC) from a coordinated cyber attack perspective and introduces a game-theoretic approach to address the issue. Finally, the paper briefly describes how cyber-physical testbeds can be used to evaluate the security research and perform realistic attack-defense studies for smart grid type environments. PMID:25685516

Cyber-physical security of Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection and Control in a smart grid environment.

PubMed

Ashok, Aditya; Hahn, Adam; Govindarasu, Manimaran

2014-07-01

Smart grid initiatives will produce a grid that is increasingly dependent on its cyber infrastructure in order to support the numerous power applications necessary to provide improved grid monitoring and control capabilities. However, recent findings documented in government reports and other literature, indicate the growing threat of cyber-based attacks in numbers and sophistication targeting the nation's electric grid and other critical infrastructures. Specifically, this paper discusses cyber-physical security of Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection and Control (WAMPAC) from a coordinated cyber attack perspective and introduces a game-theoretic approach to address the issue. Finally, the paper briefly describes how cyber-physical testbeds can be used to evaluate the security research and perform realistic attack-defense studies for smart grid type environments.

Development of Amperometric Glucose Biosensor Based on Prussian Blue Functionlized TiO2 Nanotube Arrays

PubMed Central

Gao, Zhi-Da; Qu, Yongfang; Li, Tongtong; Shrestha, Nabeen K.; Song, Yan-Yan

2014-01-01

Amperometric biosensors consisting of oxidase and peroxidase have attracted great attention because of their wide application. The current work demonstrates a novel approach to construct an enzymatic biosensor based on TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiNTs) as a supporting electrode on which Prussian Blue (PB)-an “artificial enzyme peroxidase” and enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) have been immobilized. For this, PB nanocrystals are deposited onto the nanotube wall photocatalytically using the intrinsic photocatalytical property of TiO2, and the GOx/AuNPs nanobiocomposites are subsequently immobilized into the nanotubes via the electrodeposition of polymer. The resulting electrode exhibits a fast response, wide linear range, and good stability for glucose sensing. The sensitivity of the sensor is as high as 248 mA M−1 cm−2, and the detection limit is about 3.2 μM. These findings demonstrate a promising strategy to integrate enzymes and TiNTs, which could provide an analytical access to a large group of enzymes for bioelectrochemical applications including biosensors and biofuel cells. PMID:25367086

Hoberman-sphere-inspired lattice metamaterials with tunable negative thermal expansion

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

Li, Yangbo; Chen, Yanyu; Li, Tiantian

Materials with engineered thermal expansion coefficients, capable of avoiding failure or irreversible destruction of structures and devices, are important for aerospace, civil, biomedical, optics, and semiconductor applications. In natural materials, thermal expansion usually cannot be adjusted easily and a negative thermal expansion coefficient is still uncommon. Here we propose a novel architected lattice bi-material system, inspired by the Hoberman sphere, showing a wide range of tunable thermal expansion coefficient from negative to positive, -1.04 x 10 -3 degrees C-1 to 1.0 x 10 -5 degrees C-1. Numerical simulations and analytical formulations are implemented to quantify the evolution of the thermalmore » expansion coefficients and reveal the underlying mechanisms responsible for this unusual behavior. We show that the thermal expansion coefficient of the proposed metamaterials depends on the thermal expansion coefficient ratio and the axial stiffness ratio of the constituent materials, as well as the bending stiffness and the topological arrangement of the constitutive elements. The finding reported here provides a new routine to design architected metamaterial systems with tunable negative thermal expansion for a wide range of potential applications.« less

Hoberman-sphere-inspired lattice metamaterials with tunable negative thermal expansion

DOE PAGES

Li, Yangbo; Chen, Yanyu; Li, Tiantian; ...

2018-02-02

Materials with engineered thermal expansion coefficients, capable of avoiding failure or irreversible destruction of structures and devices, are important for aerospace, civil, biomedical, optics, and semiconductor applications. In natural materials, thermal expansion usually cannot be adjusted easily and a negative thermal expansion coefficient is still uncommon. Here we propose a novel architected lattice bi-material system, inspired by the Hoberman sphere, showing a wide range of tunable thermal expansion coefficient from negative to positive, -1.04 x 10 -3 degrees C-1 to 1.0 x 10 -5 degrees C-1. Numerical simulations and analytical formulations are implemented to quantify the evolution of the thermalmore » expansion coefficients and reveal the underlying mechanisms responsible for this unusual behavior. We show that the thermal expansion coefficient of the proposed metamaterials depends on the thermal expansion coefficient ratio and the axial stiffness ratio of the constituent materials, as well as the bending stiffness and the topological arrangement of the constitutive elements. The finding reported here provides a new routine to design architected metamaterial systems with tunable negative thermal expansion for a wide range of potential applications.« less

Ergonomics Perspective in Agricultural Research: A User-Centred Approach Using CAD and Digital Human Modeling (DHM) Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Thaneswer; Sanjog, J.; Karmakar, Sougata

2016-09-01

Computer-aided Design (CAD) and Digital Human Modeling (DHM) (specialized CAD software for virtual human representation) technologies endow unique opportunities to incorporate human factors pro-actively in design development. Challenges of enhancing agricultural productivity through improvement of agricultural tools/machineries and better human-machine compatibility can be ensured by adoption of these modern technologies. Objectives of present work are to provide the detailed scenario of CAD and DHM applications in agricultural sector; and finding out means for wide adoption of these technologies for design and development of cost-effective, user-friendly, efficient and safe agricultural tools/equipment and operator's workplace. Extensive literature review has been conducted for systematic segregation and representation of available information towards drawing inferences. Although applications of various CAD software have momentum in agricultural research particularly for design and manufacturing of agricultural equipment/machinery, use of DHM is still at its infancy in this sector. Current review discusses about reasons of less adoption of these technologies in agricultural sector and steps to be taken for their wide adoption. It also suggests possible future research directions to come up with better ergonomic design strategies for improvement of agricultural equipment/machines and workstations through application of CAD and DHM.

Systematic Evaluation of Molecular Networks for Discovery of Disease Genes.

PubMed

Huang, Justin K; Carlin, Daniel E; Yu, Michael Ku; Zhang, Wei; Kreisberg, Jason F; Tamayo, Pablo; Ideker, Trey

2018-04-25

Gene networks are rapidly growing in size and number, raising the question of which networks are most appropriate for particular applications. Here, we evaluate 21 human genome-wide interaction networks for their ability to recover 446 disease gene sets identified through literature curation, gene expression profiling, or genome-wide association studies. While all networks have some ability to recover disease genes, we observe a wide range of performance with STRING, ConsensusPathDB, and GIANT networks having the best performance overall. A general tendency is that performance scales with network size, suggesting that new interaction discovery currently outweighs the detrimental effects of false positives. Correcting for size, we find that the DIP network provides the highest efficiency (value per interaction). Based on these results, we create a parsimonious composite network with both high efficiency and performance. This work provides a benchmark for selection of molecular networks in human disease research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scintillation Counters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Zane W.

Scintillators find wide use in radiation detection as the detecting medium for gamma/X-rays, and charged and neutral particles. Since the first notice in 1895 by Roentgen of the production of light by X-rays on a barium platinocyanide screen, and Thomas Edison's work over the following 2 years resulting in the discovery of calcium tungstate as a superior fluoroscopy screen, much research and experimentation have been undertaken to discover and elucidate the properties of new scintillators. Scintillators with high density and high atomic number are prized for the detection of gamma rays above 1 MeV; lower atomic number, lower-density materials find use for detecting beta particles and heavy charged particles; hydrogenous scintillators find use in fast-neutron detection; and boron-, lithium-, and gadolinium-containing scintillators are used for slow-neutron detection. This chapter provides the practitioner with an overview of the general characteristics of scintillators, including the variation of probability of interaction with density and atomic number, the characteristics of the light pulse, a list and characteristics of commonly available scintillators and their approximate cost, and recommendations regarding the choice of material for a few specific applications. This chapter does not pretend to present an exhaustive list of scintillators and applications.

A simple method for finding explicit analytic transition densities of diffusion processes with general diploid selection.

PubMed

Song, Yun S; Steinrücken, Matthias

2012-03-01

The transition density function of the Wright-Fisher diffusion describes the evolution of population-wide allele frequencies over time. This function has important practical applications in population genetics, but finding an explicit formula under a general diploid selection model has remained a difficult open problem. In this article, we develop a new computational method to tackle this classic problem. Specifically, our method explicitly finds the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the diffusion generator associated with the Wright-Fisher diffusion with recurrent mutation and arbitrary diploid selection, thus allowing one to obtain an accurate spectral representation of the transition density function. Simplicity is one of the appealing features of our approach. Although our derivation involves somewhat advanced mathematical concepts, the resulting algorithm is quite simple and efficient, only involving standard linear algebra. Furthermore, unlike previous approaches based on perturbation, which is applicable only when the population-scaled selection coefficient is small, our method is nonperturbative and is valid for a broad range of parameter values. As a by-product of our work, we obtain the rate of convergence to the stationary distribution under mutation-selection balance.

A Simple Method for Finding Explicit Analytic Transition Densities of Diffusion Processes with General Diploid Selection

PubMed Central

Song, Yun S.; Steinrücken, Matthias

2012-01-01

The transition density function of the Wright–Fisher diffusion describes the evolution of population-wide allele frequencies over time. This function has important practical applications in population genetics, but finding an explicit formula under a general diploid selection model has remained a difficult open problem. In this article, we develop a new computational method to tackle this classic problem. Specifically, our method explicitly finds the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the diffusion generator associated with the Wright–Fisher diffusion with recurrent mutation and arbitrary diploid selection, thus allowing one to obtain an accurate spectral representation of the transition density function. Simplicity is one of the appealing features of our approach. Although our derivation involves somewhat advanced mathematical concepts, the resulting algorithm is quite simple and efficient, only involving standard linear algebra. Furthermore, unlike previous approaches based on perturbation, which is applicable only when the population-scaled selection coefficient is small, our method is nonperturbative and is valid for a broad range of parameter values. As a by-product of our work, we obtain the rate of convergence to the stationary distribution under mutation–selection balance. PMID:22209899

Unidirectional thermal expansion in edge-sharing BO4 tetrahedra contained KZnB3O6

PubMed Central

Lou, Yanfang; Li, Dandan; Li, Zhilin; Jin, Shifeng; Chen, Xiaolong

2015-01-01

Borates are among a class of compounds that exhibit rich structural diversity and find wide applications. The formation of edge-sharing (es-) BO4 tetrahedra is extremely unfavored according to Pauling’s third and fourth rules. However, as the first and the only es-borate obtained under ambient pressure, es-KZnB3O6 shows an unexpected high thermal stability up to its melting point. The origin of this extraordinary stability is still unclear. Here, we report a novel property in KZnB3O6: unidirectional thermal expansion, which plays a role in preserving es-BO4 from disassociation at elevated temperatures. It is found that this unusual thermal behavior originates from cooperative rotations of rigid groups B6O12 and Zn2O6, driven by anharmonic thermal vibrations of K atoms. Furthermore, a detailed calculation of phonon dispersion in association with this unidirectional expansion predicts the melting initiates with the breakage of the link between BO3 and es-BO4. These findings will broaden our knowledge of the relationship between structure and property and may find applications in future. PMID:26047175

Integrating Brain Science into Health Studies: An Interdisciplinary Course in Contemplative Neuroscience and Yoga

PubMed Central

Wolfe, Uta; Moran, Amy

2017-01-01

As neuroscience knowledge grows in its scope of societal applications so does the need to educate a wider audience on how to critically evaluate its research findings. Efforts at finding teaching approaches that are interdisciplinary, accessible and highly applicable to student experience are thus ongoing. The article describes an interdisciplinary undergraduate health course that combines the academic study of contemplative neuroscience with contemplative practice, specifically yoga. The class aims to reach a diverse mix of students by teaching applicable, health-relevant neuroscience material while directly connecting it to first-hand experience. Outcomes indicate success on these goals: The course attracted a wide range of students, including nearly 50% non-science majors. On a pre/post test, students showed large increases in their knowledge of neuroscience. Students’ ratings of the course overall, of increases in positive feelings about its field, and of their progress on specific course objectives were highly positive. Finally, students in their written work applied neuroscience course content to their personal and professional lives. Such results indicate that this approach could serve as a model for the interdisciplinary, accessible and applied integration of relevant neuroscience material into the undergraduate health curriculum. PMID:29371845

Intermolecular electron transfer from intramolecular excitation and coherent acoustic phonon generation in a hydrogen-bonded charge-transfer solid

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

Rury, Aaron S., E-mail: arury@usc.edu; Sorenson, Shayne; Dawlaty, Jahan M.

2016-03-14

Organic materials that produce coherent lattice phonon excitations in response to external stimuli may provide next generation solutions in a wide range of applications. However, for these materials to lead to functional devices in technology, a full understanding of the possible driving forces of coherent lattice phonon generation must be attained. To facilitate the achievement of this goal, we have undertaken an optical spectroscopic study of an organic charge-transfer material formed from the ubiquitous reduction-oxidation pair hydroquinone and p-benzoquinone. Upon pumping this material, known as quinhydrone, on its intermolecular charge transfer resonance as well as an intramolecular resonance of p-benzoquinone,more » we find sub-cm{sup −1} oscillations whose dispersion with probe energy resembles that of a coherent acoustic phonon that we argue is coherently excited following changes in the electron density of quinhydrone. Using the dynamical information from these ultrafast pump-probe measurements, we find that the fastest process we can resolve does not change whether we pump quinhydrone at either energy. Electron-phonon coupling from both ultrafast coherent vibrational and steady-state resonance Raman spectroscopies allows us to determine that intramolecular electronic excitation of p-benzoquinone also drives the electron transfer process in quinhydrone. These results demonstrate the wide range of electronic excitations of the parent of molecules found in many functional organic materials that can drive coherent lattice phonon excitations useful for applications in electronics, photonics, and information technology.« less

Intermolecular electron transfer from intramolecular excitation and coherent acoustic phonon generation in a hydrogen-bonded charge-transfer solid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rury, Aaron S.; Sorenson, Shayne; Dawlaty, Jahan M.

2016-03-01

Organic materials that produce coherent lattice phonon excitations in response to external stimuli may provide next generation solutions in a wide range of applications. However, for these materials to lead to functional devices in technology, a full understanding of the possible driving forces of coherent lattice phonon generation must be attained. To facilitate the achievement of this goal, we have undertaken an optical spectroscopic study of an organic charge-transfer material formed from the ubiquitous reduction-oxidation pair hydroquinone and p-benzoquinone. Upon pumping this material, known as quinhydrone, on its intermolecular charge transfer resonance as well as an intramolecular resonance of p-benzoquinone, we find sub-cm-1 oscillations whose dispersion with probe energy resembles that of a coherent acoustic phonon that we argue is coherently excited following changes in the electron density of quinhydrone. Using the dynamical information from these ultrafast pump-probe measurements, we find that the fastest process we can resolve does not change whether we pump quinhydrone at either energy. Electron-phonon coupling from both ultrafast coherent vibrational and steady-state resonance Raman spectroscopies allows us to determine that intramolecular electronic excitation of p-benzoquinone also drives the electron transfer process in quinhydrone. These results demonstrate the wide range of electronic excitations of the parent of molecules found in many functional organic materials that can drive coherent lattice phonon excitations useful for applications in electronics, photonics, and information technology.

Antisense transcription is pervasive but rarely conserved in enteric bacteria.

PubMed

Raghavan, Rahul; Sloan, Daniel B; Ochman, Howard

2012-01-01

Noncoding RNAs, including antisense RNAs (asRNAs) that originate from the complementary strand of protein-coding genes, are involved in the regulation of gene expression in all domains of life. Recent application of deep-sequencing technologies has revealed that the transcription of asRNAs occurs genome-wide in bacteria. Although the role of the vast majority of asRNAs remains unknown, it is often assumed that their presence implies important regulatory functions, similar to those of other noncoding RNAs. Alternatively, many antisense transcripts may be produced by chance transcription events from promoter-like sequences that result from the degenerate nature of bacterial transcription factor binding sites. To investigate the biological relevance of antisense transcripts, we compared genome-wide patterns of asRNA expression in closely related enteric bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, by performing strand-specific transcriptome sequencing. Although antisense transcripts are abundant in both species, less than 3% of asRNAs are expressed at high levels in both species, and only about 14% appear to be conserved among species. And unlike the promoters of protein-coding genes, asRNA promoters show no evidence of sequence conservation between, or even within, species. Our findings suggest that many or even most bacterial asRNAs are nonadaptive by-products of the cell's transcription machinery. IMPORTANCE Application of high-throughput methods has revealed the expression throughout bacterial genomes of transcripts encoded on the strand complementary to protein-coding genes. Because transcription is costly, it is usually assumed that these transcripts, termed antisense RNAs (asRNAs), serve some function; however, the role of most asRNAs is unclear, raising questions about their relevance in cellular processes. Because natural selection conserves functional elements, comparisons between related species provide a method for assessing functionality genome-wide. Applying such an approach, we assayed all transcripts in two closely related bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and demonstrate that, although the levels of genome-wide antisense transcription are similarly high in both bacteria, only a small fraction of asRNAs are shared across species. Moreover, the promoters associated with asRNAs show no evidence of sequence conservation between, or even within, species. These findings indicate that despite the genome-wide transcription of asRNAs, many of these transcripts are likely nonfunctional.

[Possibilities of use of digital imaging in forensic medicine].

PubMed

Gaval'a, P; Ivicsics, I; Mlynár, J; Novomeský, F

2005-07-01

Based on the daily practice with digital photography and documentation, the authors point out the achievements of the computer technologies implementation to the practice of forensic medicine. The modern methods of imaging, especially the digital photography, offer a wide spectrum of use in forensic medicine--the digital documentation and archivation of autopsy findings, the possibility of immediate consultation of findings with another experts via Internet, and many others. Another possibility is a creation of digital photographic atlas of forensic medicine as a useful aid in pre- and postgradual study. Thus the application of the state-of-the-art computer technologies to the forensic medicine discloses the unknown before possibilities for further development of such a discipline of human medical sciences.

Superhydrophobic materials for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Falde, Eric J; Yohe, Stefan T; Colson, Yolonda L; Grinstaff, Mark W

2016-10-01

Superhydrophobic surfaces are actively studied across a wide range of applications and industries, and are now finding increased use in the biomedical arena as substrates to control protein adsorption, cellular interaction, and bacterial growth, as well as platforms for drug delivery devices and for diagnostic tools. The commonality in the design of these materials is to create a stable or metastable air layer at the material surface, which lends itself to a number of unique properties. These activities are catalyzing the development of new materials, applications, and fabrication techniques, as well as collaborations across material science, chemistry, engineering, and medicine given the interdisciplinary nature of this work. The review begins with a discussion of superhydrophobicity, and then explores biomedical applications that are utilizing superhydrophobicity in depth including material selection characteristics, in vitro performance, and in vivo performance. General trends are offered for each application in addition to discussion of conflicting data in the literature, and the review concludes with the authors' future perspectives on the utility of superhydrophobic biomaterials for medical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aqueous Exfoliation of Graphite into Graphene Assisted by Sulfonyl Graphene Quantum Dots for Photonic Crystal Applications.

PubMed

Zeng, Minxiang; Shah, Smit A; Huang, Dali; Parviz, Dorsa; Yu, Yi-Hsien; Wang, Xuezhen; Green, Micah J; Cheng, Zhengdong

2017-09-13

We investigate the π-π stacking of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with graphene surfaces, showing that such interactions are general across a wide range of PAH sizes and species, including graphene quantum dots. We synthesized a series of graphene quantum dots with sulfonyl, amino, and carboxylic functional groups and employed them to exfoliate and disperse pristine graphene in water. We observed that sulfonyl-functionalized graphene quantum dots were able to stabilize the highest concentration of graphene in comparison to other functional groups; this is consistent with prior findings by pyrene. The graphene nanosheets prepared showed excellent colloidal stability, indicating great potential for applications in electronics, solar cells, and photonic displays which was demonstrated in this work.

Design and performance of honeycomb structure for nanobubbles generating apparatus having different cell dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueda, T.; Zhai, H. F.; Ren, F.; Noda, N.-A.; Sano, Y.; Takase, Yasushi; Yonezawa, Y.; Tanaka, H.

2018-06-01

In recent years, nanobubble technology has drawn great attention due to their wide applications in various fields of science and technology, such as water treatment, biomedical engineering, and nanomaterials. This study focuses on the application to seafood long term storage. The nitrogen nanobubble water circulation may reduce the oxygen in water and slow the progressions of oxidation and spoilage. Our previous study showed the pressure reduction and shear stress are involved in nanobubble generation apparatus with honeycomb cells. In this work, the nanobubble generating performance is studied experimentally for honeycomb structures by varying the cell size and the flow velocity. Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis is also performed to simulate the experiment and find out the efficient nanobubble generation.

Review on the progress of ultra-precision machining technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Julong; Lyu, Binghai; Hang, Wei; Deng, Qianfa

2017-06-01

Ultra-precision machining technologies are the essential methods, to obtain the highest form accuracy and surface quality. As more research findings are published, such technologies now involve complicated systems engineering and been widely used in the production of components in various aerospace, national defense, optics, mechanics, electronics, and other high-tech applications. The conception, applications and history of ultra-precision machining are introduced in this article, and the developments of ultra-precision machining technologies, especially ultra-precision grinding, ultra-precision cutting and polishing are also reviewed. The current state and problems of this field in China are analyzed. Finally, the development trends of this field and the coping strategies employed in China to keep up with the trends are discussed.

Macro-Scale Strength and Microstructure of ZrW2O8 Cementitious Composites with Tunable Low Thermal Expansion

PubMed Central

Ouyang, Jianshu; Chen, Bo; Huang, Dahai

2018-01-01

Concretes with engineered thermal expansion coefficients, capable of avoiding failure or irreversible destruction of structures or devices, are important for civil engineering applications, such as dams, bridges, and buildings. In natural materials, thermal expansion usually cannot be easily regulated and an extremely low thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) is still uncommon. Here we propose a novel cementitious composite, doped with ZrW2O8, showing a wide range of tunable thermal expansion coefficients, from 8.65 × 10−6 °C−1 to 2.48 × 10−6 °C−1. Macro-scale experiments are implemented to quantify the evolution of the thermal expansion coefficients, compressive and flexural strength over a wide range of temperature. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) imaging was conducted to quantify the specimens’ microstructural characteristics including pores ratio and size. It is shown that the TEC of the proposed composites depends on the proportion of ZrW2O8 and the ambient curing temperature. Macro-scale experimental results and microstructures have a good agreement. The TEC and strength gradually decrease as ZrW2O8 increases from 0% to 20%, subsequently fluctuates until 60%. The findings reported here provide a new routine to design cementitious composites with tunable thermal expansion for a wide range of engineering applications. PMID:29735957

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)/maize (Zea mays L.) intercropping provides a feasible way to improve yield and economic incomes in farming and pastoral areas of northeast China.

PubMed

Sun, Baoru; Peng, Yi; Yang, Hongyu; Li, Zhijian; Gao, Yingzhi; Wang, Chao; Yan, Yuli; Liu, Yanmei

2014-01-01

Given the growing challenges to food and eco-environmental security as well as sustainable development of animal husbandry in the farming and pastoral areas of northeast China, it is crucial to identify advantageous intercropping modes and some constraints limiting its popularization. In order to assess the performance of various intercropping modes of maize and alfalfa, a field experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design with five treatments: maize monoculture in even rows, maize monoculture in alternating wide and narrow rows, alfalfa monoculture, maize intercropped with one row of alfalfa in wide rows and maize intercropped with two rows of alfalfa in wide rows. Results demonstrate that maize monoculture in alternating wide and narrow rows performed best for light transmission, grain yield and output value, compared to in even rows. When intercropped, maize intercropped with one row of alfalfa in wide rows was identified as the optimal strategy and the largely complementary ecological niches of alfalfa and maize were shown to account for the intercropping advantages, optimizing resource utilization and improving yield and economic incomes. These findings suggest that alfalfa/maize intercropping has obvious advantages over monoculture and is applicable to the farming and pastoral areas of northeast China.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)/Maize (Zea mays L.) Intercropping Provides a Feasible Way to Improve Yield and Economic Incomes in Farming and Pastoral Areas of Northeast China

PubMed Central

Sun, Baoru; Peng, Yi; Yang, Hongyu; Li, Zhijian; Gao, Yingzhi; Wang, Chao; Yan, Yuli; Liu, Yanmei

2014-01-01

Given the growing challenges to food and eco-environmental security as well as sustainable development of animal husbandry in the farming and pastoral areas of northeast China, it is crucial to identify advantageous intercropping modes and some constraints limiting its popularization. In order to assess the performance of various intercropping modes of maize and alfalfa, a field experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design with five treatments: maize monoculture in even rows, maize monoculture in alternating wide and narrow rows, alfalfa monoculture, maize intercropped with one row of alfalfa in wide rows and maize intercropped with two rows of alfalfa in wide rows. Results demonstrate that maize monoculture in alternating wide and narrow rows performed best for light transmission, grain yield and output value, compared to in even rows. When intercropped, maize intercropped with one row of alfalfa in wide rows was identified as the optimal strategy and the largely complementary ecological niches of alfalfa and maize were shown to account for the intercropping advantages, optimizing resource utilization and improving yield and economic incomes. These findings suggest that alfalfa/maize intercropping has obvious advantages over monoculture and is applicable to the farming and pastoral areas of northeast China. PMID:25329376

Growing applications of FDG PET-CT imaging in non-oncologic conditions

PubMed Central

Zhuang, Hongming; Codreanu, Ion

2015-01-01

Abstract As the number of clinical applications of 2-[fluorine 18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) grows, familiarity with the conditions that can be diagnosed by this modality and when relevant pieces of additional information can be obtained becomes increasingly important for both requesting physicians and nuclear medicine physicians or radiologists who interpret the findings. Apart from its heavy use in clinical oncology, FDG PET-CT is widely used in a variety of non-oncologic conditions interconnecting to such disciplines as general internal medicine, infectious diseases, cardiology, neurology, surgery, traumatology, orthopedics, pediatrics, endocrinology, rheumatology, psychiatry, neuropsychology, and cognitive neuroscience. The aim of this review was to summarize the current evidence of FDG PET-CT applications in evaluating non-oncologic pathologies and the relevant information it can add to achieve a final diagnosis. PMID:26060443

Certification trails for data structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, Gregory F.; Masson, Gerald M.

1993-01-01

Certification trails are a recently introduced and promising approach to fault detection and fault tolerance. The applicability of the certification trail technique is significantly generalized. Previously, certification trails had to be customized to each algorithm application; trails appropriate to wide classes of algorithms were developed. These certification trails are based on common data-structure operations such as those carried out using these sets of operations such as those carried out using balanced binary trees and heaps. Any algorithms using these sets of operations can therefore employ the certification trail method to achieve software fault tolerance. To exemplify the scope of the generalization of the certification trail technique provided, constructions of trails for abstract data types such as priority queues and union-find structures are given. These trails are applicable to any data-structure implementation of the abstract data type. It is also shown that these ideals lead naturally to monitors for data-structure operations.

Determination of industrial color tolerance limits: case studies in the textile industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gay, Jennifer; Hirschler, Robert

2002-06-01

The approach and findings during the application of instrumental color quality control in industry are described, where the best tolerance formulae and tolerance limits were determined by correlating visual and instrumental evaluations. A panel of previously tested observers evaluated a collection of samples taken from production and color measurements are then compared to these assessments, according to different color difference formulae. T he formula and the limit giving the best agreement with visual evaluations were determined with two different methods. For a large variety of textile substrates, processes and market situations the CMC(2:1) formula was always the best or one of the bests, but the limits varied widely, according to the individual application. Additional shade sorting, based on the tolerance limit, was also applied in several companies. The ideal box size was also determined by comparing visual and instrumental evaluations. The application as logistical tools was established according to individual necessities.

Compressed learning and its applications to subcellular localization.

PubMed

Zheng, Zhong-Long; Guo, Li; Jia, Jiong; Xie, Chen-Mao; Zeng, Wen-Cai; Yang, Jie

2011-09-01

One of the main challenges faced by biological applications is to predict protein subcellular localization in automatic fashion accurately. To achieve this in these applications, a wide variety of machine learning methods have been proposed in recent years. Most of them focus on finding the optimal classification scheme and less of them take the simplifying the complexity of biological systems into account. Traditionally, such bio-data are analyzed by first performing a feature selection before classification. Motivated by CS (Compressed Sensing) theory, we propose the methodology which performs compressed learning with a sparseness criterion such that feature selection and dimension reduction are merged into one analysis. The proposed methodology decreases the complexity of biological system, while increases protein subcellular localization accuracy. Experimental results are quite encouraging, indicating that the aforementioned sparse methods are quite promising in dealing with complicated biological problems, such as predicting the subcellular localization of Gram-negative bacterial proteins.

Visual analytics techniques for large multi-attribute time series data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Ming C.; Dayal, Umeshwar; Keim, Daniel A.

2008-01-01

Time series data commonly occur when variables are monitored over time. Many real-world applications involve the comparison of long time series across multiple variables (multi-attributes). Often business people want to compare this year's monthly sales with last year's sales to make decisions. Data warehouse administrators (DBAs) want to know their daily data loading job performance. DBAs need to detect the outliers early enough to act upon them. In this paper, two new visual analytic techniques are introduced: The color cell-based Visual Time Series Line Charts and Maps highlight significant changes over time in a long time series data and the new Visual Content Query facilitates finding the contents and histories of interesting patterns and anomalies, which leads to root cause identification. We have applied both methods to two real-world applications to mine enterprise data warehouse and customer credit card fraud data to illustrate the wide applicability and usefulness of these techniques.

The construction of airfoil pressure models by the plate method: Achievements, current research, technology development and potential applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawing, P. L.

1985-01-01

A method of constructing airfoils by inscribing pressure channels on the face of opposing plates, bonding them together to form one plate with integral channels, and contour machining this plate to form an airfoil model is described. The research and development program to develop the bonding technology is described as well as the construction and testing of an airfoil model. Sample aerodynamic data sets are presented and discussed. Also, work currently under way to produce thin airfoils with camber is presented. Samples of the aft section of a 6 percent airfoil with complete pressure instrumentation including the trailing edge are pictured and described. This technique is particularly useful in fabricating models for transonic cryogenic testing, but it should find application in a wide ange of model construction projects, as well as the fabrication of fuel injectors, space hardware, and other applications requiring advanced bonding technology and intricate fluid passages.

Some aspects of wind tunnel magnetic suspension systems with special application at large physical scales

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Britcher, C. P.

1983-01-01

Wind tunnel magnetic suspension and balance systems (MSBSs) have so far failed to find application at the large physical scales necessary for the majority of aerodynamic testing. Three areas of technology relevant to such application are investigated. Two variants of the Spanwise Magnet roll torque generation scheme are studied. Spanwise Permanent Magnets are shown to be practical and are experimentally demonstrated. Extensive computations of the performance of the Spanwise Iron Magnet scheme indicate powerful capability, limited principally be electromagnet technology. Aerodynamic testing at extreme attitudes is shown to be practical in relatively conventional MSBSs. Preliminary operation of the MSBS over a wide range of angles of attack is demonstrated. The impact of a requirement for highly reliable operation on the overall architecture of Large MSBSs is studied and it is concluded that system cost and complexity need not be seriously increased.

Partial breaking of the Coulombic ordering of ionic liquids confined in carbon nanopores

PubMed Central

Futamura, Ryusuke; Iiyama, Taku; Takasaki, Yuma; Gogotsi, Yury; Biggs, Mark J.; Salanne, Mathieu; Ségalini, Julie; Simon, Patrice; Kaneko, Katsumi

2017-01-01

Ionic liquids are composed of equal quantities of positive and negative ions. In the bulk, electrical neutrality occurs in these liquids due to Coulombic ordering, in which ion shells of alternating charge form around a central ion. Their structure under confinement is far less well understood. This hinders the widespread application of ionic liquids in technological applications. Here we use scattering experiments to resolve the structure of the widely used ionic liquid (EMI-TFSI) when it is confined inside nanoporous carbons. We show that Coulombic ordering reduces when the pores can only accommodate a single layer of ions. Instead, equally-charged ion pairs are formed due to the induction of an electric potential of opposite sign in the carbon pore walls. This non-Coulombic ordering is further enhanced in the presence of an applied external electric potential. This finding opens the door for the design of better materials for electrochemical applications. PMID:28920938

A High-Sensitivity Tunable Two-Beam Fiber-Coupled High-Density Magnetometer with Laser Heating

PubMed Central

Savukov, Igor; Boshier, Malcolm G.

2016-01-01

Atomic magnetometers (AM) are finding many applications in biomagnetism, national security, industry, and science. Fiber-coupled (FC) designs promise to make them compact and flexible for operation. Most FC designs are based on a single-beam configuration or electrical heating. Here, we demonstrate a two-beam FC AM with laser heating that has 5 fT/Hz1/2 sensitivity at low frequency (50 Hz), which is higher than that of other fiber-coupled magnetometers and can be improved to the sub-femtotesla level. This magnetometer is widely tunable from DC to very high frequencies (as high as 100 MHz; the only issue might be the application of a suitable uniform and stable bias field) with a sensitivity under 10 fT/Hz1/2 and can be used for magneto-encephalography (MEG), magneto-cardiography (MCG), underground communication, ultra-low MRI/NMR, NQR detection, and other applications. PMID:27754358

Constraint-Based Local Search for Constrained Optimum Paths Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, Quang Dung; Deville, Yves; van Hentenryck, Pascal

Constrained Optimum Path (COP) problems arise in many real-life applications and are ubiquitous in communication networks. They have been traditionally approached by dedicated algorithms, which are often hard to extend with side constraints and to apply widely. This paper proposes a constraint-based local search (CBLS) framework for COP applications, bringing the compositionality, reuse, and extensibility at the core of CBLS and CP systems. The modeling contribution is the ability to express compositional models for various COP applications at a high level of abstraction, while cleanly separating the model and the search procedure. The main technical contribution is a connected neighborhood based on rooted spanning trees to find high-quality solutions to COP problems. The framework, implemented in COMET, is applied to Resource Constrained Shortest Path (RCSP) problems (with and without side constraints) and to the edge-disjoint paths problem (EDP). Computational results show the potential significance of the approach.

The evolving role of telecommunications switching

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

Personick, S.D.

1993-01-01

There are many forces impacting on the evolution of switching vis-a-vis its role in telecommunications/information networking. Many of the technologies that in the past 15 years have enabled the cost reductions the industry has experienced in digital switches, and the emergence of intelligent networks are now also enabling a wide range of new end-user applications. Many of these applications are rapidly emerging and evolving to meet the, as yet, uncertain needs of the marketplace. There is an explosion of new ideas for applications involving personalized, nomadic communications, multimedia communications, and information access. Some of these will succeed in the marketplacemore » and some will not. There is a continuing emergence of new and improved underlying electronic and photonic technologies and, most recently, the emergence of reliable, secure distributed computing, communications, and management environments. End-user CPE and servers have become increasingly powerful and cost effective as places to locate session (call) management and session enabling objects such as user-interfaces, directories, agents, multimedia bridges, and storage/server subsystems. Not only are dramatically new paradigms for building networks to support existing applications possible, but there is a pressing need to support the emerging and evolving new applications in a timely way. Competition is accelerating the rate of introduction of new technologies, architectures, and telecommunication services. Every aspect of the business is being reexamined to find better ways of meeting customers' needs more efficiently. Meanwhile, as new applications become deployed, there are increasing pressures to provide for security, privacy, and network integrity. This article reviews the author's personal views (many of which are widely shared by others) of the implications of all of these forces on what we traditionally call telecommunications switching. 10 refs.« less

Chaos emerging in soil failure patterns observed during tillage: Normalized deterministic nonlinear prediction (NDNP) and its application.

PubMed

Sakai, Kenshi; Upadhyaya, Shrinivasa K; Andrade-Sanchez, Pedro; Sviridova, Nina V

2017-03-01

Real-world processes are often combinations of deterministic and stochastic processes. Soil failure observed during farm tillage is one example of this phenomenon. In this paper, we investigated the nonlinear features of soil failure patterns in a farm tillage process. We demonstrate emerging determinism in soil failure patterns from stochastic processes under specific soil conditions. We normalized the deterministic nonlinear prediction considering autocorrelation and propose it as a robust way of extracting a nonlinear dynamical system from noise contaminated motion. Soil is a typical granular material. The results obtained here are expected to be applicable to granular materials in general. From a global scale to nano scale, the granular material is featured in seismology, geotechnology, soil mechanics, and particle technology. The results and discussions presented here are applicable in these wide research areas. The proposed method and our findings are useful with respect to the application of nonlinear dynamics to investigate complex motions generated from granular materials.

Immobilized liquid layers: A new approach to anti-adhesion surfaces for medical applications

PubMed Central

Sotiri, Irini; Overton, Jonathan C; Waterhouse, Anna

2016-01-01

Surface fouling and undesired adhesion are nearly ubiquitous problems in the medical field, complicating everything from surgeries to routine daily care of patients. Recently, the concept of immobilized liquid (IL) interfaces has been gaining attention as a highly versatile new approach to antifouling, with a wide variety of promising applications in medicine. Here, we review the general concepts behind IL layers and discuss the fabrication strategies on medically relevant materials developed so far. We also summarize the most important findings to date on applications of potential interest to the medical community, including the use of these surfaces as anti-thrombogenic and anti-bacterial materials, anti-adhesive textiles, high-performance coatings for optics, and as unique platforms for diagnostics. Although the full potential and pitfalls of IL layers in medicine are just beginning to be explored, we believe that this approach to anti-adhesive surfaces will prove broadly useful for medical applications in the future. PMID:27022136

Pyroelectric Materials for Uncooled Infrared Detectors: Processing, Properties, and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aggarwal, M. D.; Batra, A. K.; Guggilla, P.; Edwards, M. E.; Penn, B. G.; Currie, J. R., Jr.

2010-01-01

Uncooled pyroelectric detectors find applications in diverse and wide areas such as industrial production; automotive; aerospace applications for satellite-borne ozone sensors assembled with an infrared spectrometer; health care; space exploration; imaging systems for ships, cars, and aircraft; and military and security surveillance systems. These detectors are the prime candidates for NASA s thermal infrared detector requirements. In this Technical Memorandum, the physical phenomena underlying the operation and advantages of pyroelectric infrared detectors is introduced. A list and applications of important ferroelectrics is given, which is a subclass of pyroelectrics. The basic concepts of processing of important pyroelectrics in various forms are described: single crystal growth, ceramic processing, polymer-composites preparation, and thin- and thick-film fabrications. The present status of materials and their characteristics and detectors figures-of-merit are presented in detail. In the end, the unique techniques demonstrated for improving/enhancing the performance of pyroelectric detectors are illustrated. Emphasis is placed on recent advances and emerging technologies such as thin-film array devices and novel single crystal sensors.

Broadband integrated polarization rotator using three-layer metallic grating structures

DOE PAGES

Fan, Ren -Hao; Liu, Dong; Peng, Ru -Wen; ...

2018-01-05

In this work, we demonstrate broadband integrated polarization rotator (IPR) with a series of three-layer rotating metallic grating structures. This transmissive optical IPR can conveniently rotate the polarization of linearly polarized light to any desired directions at different spatial locations with high conversion efficiency, which is nearly constant for different rotation angles. The linear polarization rotation originates from multi-wave interference in the three-layer grating structure. As a result, we anticipate that this type of IPR will find wide applications in analytical chemistry, biology, communication technology, imaging, etc.

Are You Connected to the Best Apps?

PubMed

Gaudette, Robert F

2015-11-01

While the vast majority of pharmacists use computers to access medical information, many prefer a mobile device to find information quickly. This review discusses pharmacists' use of mobile device applications (apps) and highlights an assortment of apps that are particularly helpful. Epocrates, which provides drug information and clinical content, was the first popular smartphone app developed in this area and was used to introduce the concept. Today, apps that provide a wide range of drug information can be supplemented with apps that fine-tune specific information about drug monitoring, disease states, and cost.

Application of SLURM, BOINC, and GlusterFS as Software System for Sustainable Modeling and Data Analytics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashansky, Vladislav V.; Kaftannikov, Igor L.

2018-02-01

Modern numerical modeling experiments and data analytics problems in various fields of science and technology reveal a wide variety of serious requirements for distributed computing systems. Many scientific computing projects sometimes exceed the available resource pool limits, requiring extra scalability and sustainability. In this paper we share the experience and findings of our own on combining the power of SLURM, BOINC and GlusterFS as software system for scientific computing. Especially, we suggest a complete architecture and highlight important aspects of systems integration.

Analytical studies on the Benney-Luke equation in mathematical physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, S. M. Rayhanul; Khan, Kamruzzaman; Woadud, K. M. Abdul Al

2018-04-01

The enhanced (G‧/G)-expansion method presents wide applicability to handling nonlinear wave equations. In this article, we find the new exact traveling wave solutions of the Benney-Luke equation by using the enhanced (G‧/G)-expansion method. This method is a useful, reliable, and concise method to easily solve the nonlinear evaluation equations (NLEEs). The traveling wave solutions have expressed in term of the hyperbolic and trigonometric functions. We also have plotted the 2D and 3D graphics of some analytical solutions obtained in this paper.

Levobupivacaine: a review of its use in regional anaesthesia and pain management.

PubMed

Sanford, Mark; Keating, Gillian M

2010-04-16

Levobupivacaine (Chirocaine) is a long-acting amide local anaesthetic that is effective when administered as an epidural, spinal, peripheral nerve or ocular block, or by topical application or local infiltration. In comparative trials, its clinical effects were not generally significantly different from those of bupivacaine or ropivacaine, although there was some variability in efficacy findings in different clinical populations. Levobupivacaine was generally well tolerated. Levobupivacaine provides effective anaesthesia and analgesia for a wide range of clinical populations and is a useful alternative to bupivacaine.

Demonstrations of Alternative Delivery Systems Under Medicare and Medicaid

PubMed Central

Galblum, Trudi W.; Trieger, Sidney

1982-01-01

The current Administration supports competition as one method of helping to contain escalating costs. Proponents of competition claim many advantages to its implementation, but their claims have yet to be widely tested. Over the past several years, however, the Health Care Financing Administration has supported a number of Medicare and Medicaid demonstrations to yield information on plan participation, marketing, and reimbursement under alternative delivery systems. Much of these data are applicable to the competitive plans being considered by the Administration and Congress. This paper discusses recent findings from these projects. PMID:10309599

Broadband integrated polarization rotator using three-layer metallic grating structures

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

Fan, Ren -Hao; Liu, Dong; Peng, Ru -Wen

In this work, we demonstrate broadband integrated polarization rotator (IPR) with a series of three-layer rotating metallic grating structures. This transmissive optical IPR can conveniently rotate the polarization of linearly polarized light to any desired directions at different spatial locations with high conversion efficiency, which is nearly constant for different rotation angles. The linear polarization rotation originates from multi-wave interference in the three-layer grating structure. As a result, we anticipate that this type of IPR will find wide applications in analytical chemistry, biology, communication technology, imaging, etc.

Early experiences in evolving an enterprise-wide information model for laboratory and clinical observations.

PubMed

Chen, Elizabeth S; Zhou, Li; Kashyap, Vipul; Schaeffer, Molly; Dykes, Patricia C; Goldberg, Howard S

2008-11-06

As Electronic Healthcare Records become more prevalent, there is an increasing need to ensure unambiguous data capture, interpretation, and exchange within and across heterogeneous applications. To address this need, a common, uniform, and comprehensive approach for representing clinical information is essential. At Partners HealthCare System, we are investigating the development and implementation of enterprise-wide information models to specify the representation of clinical information to support semantic interoperability. This paper summarizes our early experiences in: (1) defining a process for information model development, (2) reviewing and comparing existing healthcare information models, (3) identifying requirements for representation of laboratory and clinical observations, and (4) exploring linkages to existing terminology and data standards. These initial findings provide insight to the various challenges ahead and guidance on next steps for adoption of information models at our organization.

Applications of graph theory in protein structure identification

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

There is a growing interest in the identification of proteins on the proteome wide scale. Among different kinds of protein structure identification methods, graph-theoretic methods are very sharp ones. Due to their lower costs, higher effectiveness and many other advantages, they have drawn more and more researchers’ attention nowadays. Specifically, graph-theoretic methods have been widely used in homology identification, side-chain cluster identification, peptide sequencing and so on. This paper reviews several methods in solving protein structure identification problems using graph theory. We mainly introduce classical methods and mathematical models including homology modeling based on clique finding, identification of side-chain clusters in protein structures upon graph spectrum, and de novo peptide sequencing via tandem mass spectrometry using the spectrum graph model. In addition, concluding remarks and future priorities of each method are given. PMID:22165974

Designing application software in wide area network settings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Makpangou, Mesaac; Birman, Ken

1990-01-01

Progress in methodologies for developing robust local area network software has not been matched by similar results for wide area settings. The design of application software spanning multiple local area environments is examined. For important classes of applications, simple design techniques are presented that yield fault tolerant wide area programs. An implementation of these techniques as a set of tools for use within the ISIS system is described.

26 CFR 301.6104(d)-2 - Making applications and returns widely available.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... reproduces the image of the application for tax exemption or annual information return as it was originally... on the World Wide Web, if applicable). If the request is made in person, the organization shall...

Automated Detection and Analysis of Interplanetary Shocks with Real-Time Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vorotnikov, V.; Smith, C. W.; Hu, Q.; Szabo, A.; Skoug, R. M.; Cohen, C. M.

2006-12-01

The ACE real-time data stream provides web-based now-casting capabilities for solar wind conditions upstream of Earth. Our goal is to provide an automated code that finds and analyzes interplanetary shocks as they occur for possible real-time application to space weather nowcasting. Shock analysis algorithms based on the Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions exist and are in wide-spread use today for the interactive analysis of interplanetary shocks yielding parameters such as shock speed and propagation direction and shock strength in the form of compression ratios. Although these codes can be automated in a reasonable manner to yield solutions not far from those obtained by user-directed interactive analysis, event detection presents an added obstacle and the first step in a fully automated analysis. We present a fully automated Rankine-Hugoniot analysis code that can scan the ACE science data, find shock candidates, analyze the events, obtain solutions in good agreement with those derived from interactive applications, and dismiss false positive shock candidates on the basis of the conservation equations. The intent is to make this code available to NOAA for use in real-time space weather applications. The code has the added advantage of being able to scan spacecraft data sets to provide shock solutions for use outside real-time applications and can easily be applied to science-quality data sets from other missions. Use of the code for this purpose will also be explored.

Usability Evaluation of An Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) Application

PubMed Central

Guo, J.; Iribarren, S.; Kapsandoy, S.; Perri, S.; Staggers, N.

2011-01-01

Background Electronic medication administration records (eMARs) have been widely used in recent years. However, formal usability evaluations are not yet available for these vendor applications, especially from the perspective of nurses, the largest group of eMAR users. Objective To conduct a formal usability evaluation of an implemented eMAR. Methods Four evaluators examined a commercial vendor eMAR using heuristic evaluation techniques. The evaluators defined seven tasks typical of eMAR use and independently evaluated the application. Consensus techniques were used to obtain 100% agreement of identified usability problems and severity ratings. Findings were reviewed with 5 clinical staff nurses and the Director of Clinical Informatics who verified findings with a small group of clinical nurses. Results Evaluators found 60 usability problems categorized into 233 heuristic violations. Match, Error, and Visibility heuristics were the most frequently violated. Administer Medication and Order and Modify Medications tasks had the highest number of heuristic violations and usability problems rated as major or catastrophic. Conclusion The high number of usability problems could impact the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction of nurses’ medication administration activities and may include concerns about patient safety. Usability is a joint responsibility between sites and vendors. We offer a call to action for usability evaluations at all sites and eMAR application redesign as necessary to improve the user experience and promote patient safety. PMID:23616871

Advances in Electronic-Nose Technologies Developed for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Wilson, Alphus D.; Baietto, Manuela

2011-01-01

The research and development of new electronic-nose applications in the biomedical field has accelerated at a phenomenal rate over the past 25 years. Many innovative e-nose technologies have provided solutions and applications to a wide variety of complex biomedical and healthcare problems. The purposes of this review are to present a comprehensive analysis of past and recent biomedical research findings and developments of electronic-nose sensor technologies, and to identify current and future potential e-nose applications that will continue to advance the effectiveness and efficiency of biomedical treatments and healthcare services for many years. An abundance of electronic-nose applications has been developed for a variety of healthcare sectors including diagnostics, immunology, pathology, patient recovery, pharmacology, physical therapy, physiology, preventative medicine, remote healthcare, and wound and graft healing. Specific biomedical e-nose applications range from uses in biochemical testing, blood-compatibility evaluations, disease diagnoses, and drug delivery to monitoring of metabolic levels, organ dysfunctions, and patient conditions through telemedicine. This paper summarizes the major electronic-nose technologies developed for healthcare and biomedical applications since the late 1980s when electronic aroma detection technologies were first recognized to be potentially useful in providing effective solutions to problems in the healthcare industry. PMID:22346620

Evaluation of Braided Stiffener Concepts for Transport Aircraft Wing Structure Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deaton, Jerry W.; Dexter, H. Benson (Editor); Markus, Alan; Rohwer, Kim

1995-01-01

Braided composite materials have potential for application in aircraft structures. Stiffeners, wing spars, floor beams, and fuselage frames are examples where braided composites could find application if cost effective processing and damage requirements are met. Braiding is an automated process for obtaining near-net shape preforms for fabrication of components for structural applications. Previous test results on braided composite materials obtained at NASA Langley indicate that damage tolerance requirements can be met for some applications. In addition, the braiding industry is taking steps to increase the material through-put to be more competitive with other preform fabrication processes. Data are presented on the compressive behavior of three braided stiffener preform fabric constructions as determined from individual stiffener crippling test and three stiffener wide panel tests. Stiffener and panel fabrication are described and compression data presented for specimens tested with and without impact damage. In addition, data are also presented on the compressive behavior of the stitched stiffener preform construction currently being used by McDonnell Douglas Aerospace in the NASA ACT wing development program.

Employing genome-wide SNP discovery and genotyping strategy to extrapolate the natural allelic diversity and domestication patterns in chickpea

PubMed Central

Kujur, Alice; Bajaj, Deepak; Upadhyaya, Hari D.; Das, Shouvik; Ranjan, Rajeev; Shree, Tanima; Saxena, Maneesha S.; Badoni, Saurabh; Kumar, Vinod; Tripathi, Shailesh; Gowda, C. L. L.; Sharma, Shivali; Singh, Sube; Tyagi, Akhilesh K.; Parida, Swarup K.

2015-01-01

The genome-wide discovery and high-throughput genotyping of SNPs in chickpea natural germplasm lines is indispensable to extrapolate their natural allelic diversity, domestication, and linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns leading to the genetic enhancement of this vital legume crop. We discovered 44,844 high-quality SNPs by sequencing of 93 diverse cultivated desi, kabuli, and wild chickpea accessions using reference genome- and de novo-based GBS (genotyping-by-sequencing) assays that were physically mapped across eight chromosomes of desi and kabuli. Of these, 22,542 SNPs were structurally annotated in different coding and non-coding sequence components of genes. Genes with 3296 non-synonymous and 269 regulatory SNPs could functionally differentiate accessions based on their contrasting agronomic traits. A high experimental validation success rate (92%) and reproducibility (100%) along with strong sensitivity (93–96%) and specificity (99%) of GBS-based SNPs was observed. This infers the robustness of GBS as a high-throughput assay for rapid large-scale mining and genotyping of genome-wide SNPs in chickpea with sub-optimal use of resources. With 23,798 genome-wide SNPs, a relatively high intra-specific polymorphic potential (49.5%) and broader molecular diversity (13–89%)/functional allelic diversity (18–77%) was apparent among 93 chickpea accessions, suggesting their tremendous applicability in rapid selection of desirable diverse accessions/inter-specific hybrids in chickpea crossbred varietal improvement program. The genome-wide SNPs revealed complex admixed domestication pattern, extensive LD estimates (0.54–0.68) and extended LD decay (400–500 kb) in a structured population inclusive of 93 accessions. These findings reflect the utility of our identified SNPs for subsequent genome-wide association study (GWAS) and selective sweep-based domestication trait dissection analysis to identify potential genomic loci (gene-associated targets) specifically regulating important complex quantitative agronomic traits in chickpea. The numerous informative genome-wide SNPs, natural allelic diversity-led domestication pattern, and LD-based information generated in our study have got multidimensional applicability with respect to chickpea genomics-assisted breeding. PMID:25873920

Topological transitions for lattice bosons in a magnetic field

PubMed Central

Huber, Sebastian D.; Lindner, Netanel H.

2011-01-01

The Hall response provides an important characterization of strongly correlated phases of matter. We study the Hall conductivity of interacting bosons on a lattice subjected to a magnetic field. We show that for any density or interaction strength, the Hall conductivity is characterized by an integer. We find that the phase diagram is intersected by topological transitions between different values of this integer. These transitions lead to surprising effects, including sign reversal of the Hall conductivity and extensive regions in the phase diagram where it acquires a negative sign, which implies that flux flow is reversed in these regions—vortices there flow upstream. Our findings have immediate applications to a wide range of phenomena in condensed matter physics, which are effectively described in terms of lattice bosons. PMID:22109548

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

Krupar, V.; Eastwood, J. P.; Kruparova, O.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large-scale eruptions of magnetized plasma that may cause severe geomagnetic storms if Earth directed. Here, we report a rare instance with comprehensive in situ and remote sensing observations of a CME combining white-light, radio, and plasma measurements from four different vantage points. For the first time, we have successfully applied a radio direction-finding technique to an interplanetary type II burst detected by two identical widely separated radio receivers. The derived locations of the type II and type III bursts are in general agreement with the white-light CME reconstruction. We find that the radio emission arisesmore » from the flanks of the CME and are most likely associated with the CME-driven shock. Our work demonstrates the complementarity between radio triangulation and 3D reconstruction techniques for space weather applications.« less

Size and shape-dependent cytotoxicity profile of gold nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Woźniak, Anna; Malankowska, Anna; Nowaczyk, Grzegorz; Grześkowiak, Bartosz F; Tuśnio, Karol; Słomski, Ryszard; Zaleska-Medynska, Adriana; Jurga, Stefan

2017-06-01

Metallic nanoparticles, in particular gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), offer a wide spectrum of applications in biomedicine. A crucial issue is their cytotoxicity, which depends greatly on various factors, including morphology of nanoparticles. Because metallic nanoparticles have an effect on cell membrane integrity, their shape and size may affect the viability of cells, due to their different geometries as well as physical and chemical interactions with cell membranes. Variations in the size and shape of gold nanoparticles may indicate particular nanoparticle morphologies that provide strong cytotoxicity effects. Synthesis of different sized and shaped bare AuNPs was performed with spherical (~ 10 nm), nanoflowers (~ 370 nm), nanorods (~ 41 nm), nanoprisms (~ 160 nm) and nanostars (~ 240 nm) morphologies. These nanostructures were characterized and interacting with cancer (HeLa) and normal (HEK293T) cell lines and cell viability tests were performed by WST-1 tests and fluorescent live/dead cell imaging experiments. It was shown that various shapes and sizes of gold nanostructures may affect the viability of the cells. Gold nanospheres and nanorods proved to be more toxic than star, flower and prism gold nanostructures. This may be attributed to their small size and aggregation process. This is the first report concerning a comparison of cytotoxic profile in vitro with a wide spectrum of bare AuNPs morphology. The findings show their possible use in biomedical applications.

Correlations between Community Structure and Link Formation in Complex Networks

PubMed Central

Liu, Zhen; He, Jia-Lin; Kapoor, Komal; Srivastava, Jaideep

2013-01-01

Background Links in complex networks commonly represent specific ties between pairs of nodes, such as protein-protein interactions in biological networks or friendships in social networks. However, understanding the mechanism of link formation in complex networks is a long standing challenge for network analysis and data mining. Methodology/Principal Findings Links in complex networks have a tendency to cluster locally and form so-called communities. This widely existed phenomenon reflects some underlying mechanism of link formation. To study the correlations between community structure and link formation, we present a general computational framework including a theory for network partitioning and link probability estimation. Our approach enables us to accurately identify missing links in partially observed networks in an efficient way. The links having high connection likelihoods in the communities reveal that links are formed preferentially to create cliques and accordingly promote the clustering level of the communities. The experimental results verify that such a mechanism can be well captured by our approach. Conclusions/Significance Our findings provide a new insight into understanding how links are created in the communities. The computational framework opens a wide range of possibilities to develop new approaches and applications, such as community detection and missing link prediction. PMID:24039818

Interconnections between various analytic approaches applicable to third-order nonlinear differential equations

PubMed Central

Mohanasubha, R.; Chandrasekar, V. K.; Senthilvelan, M.; Lakshmanan, M.

2015-01-01

We unearth the interconnection between various analytical methods which are widely used in the current literature to identify integrable nonlinear dynamical systems described by third-order nonlinear ODEs. We establish an important interconnection between the extended Prelle–Singer procedure and λ-symmetries approach applicable to third-order ODEs to bring out the various linkages associated with these different techniques. By establishing this interconnection we demonstrate that given any one of the quantities as a starting point in the family consisting of Jacobi last multipliers, Darboux polynomials, Lie point symmetries, adjoint-symmetries, λ-symmetries, integrating factors and null forms one can derive the rest of the quantities in this family in a straightforward and unambiguous manner. We also illustrate our findings with three specific examples. PMID:27547076

Interconnections between various analytic approaches applicable to third-order nonlinear differential equations.

PubMed

Mohanasubha, R; Chandrasekar, V K; Senthilvelan, M; Lakshmanan, M

2015-04-08

We unearth the interconnection between various analytical methods which are widely used in the current literature to identify integrable nonlinear dynamical systems described by third-order nonlinear ODEs. We establish an important interconnection between the extended Prelle-Singer procedure and λ-symmetries approach applicable to third-order ODEs to bring out the various linkages associated with these different techniques. By establishing this interconnection we demonstrate that given any one of the quantities as a starting point in the family consisting of Jacobi last multipliers, Darboux polynomials, Lie point symmetries, adjoint-symmetries, λ-symmetries, integrating factors and null forms one can derive the rest of the quantities in this family in a straightforward and unambiguous manner. We also illustrate our findings with three specific examples.

A Systematic Literature Review of Agents Applied in Healthcare.

PubMed

Isern, David; Moreno, Antonio

2016-02-01

Intelligent agents and healthcare have been intimately linked in the last years. The intrinsic complexity and diversity of care can be tackled with the flexibility, dynamics and reliability of multi-agent systems. The purpose of this review is to show the feasibility of applying intelligent agents in the healthcare domain and use the findings to provide a discussion of current trends and devise future research directions. A review of the most recent literature (2009-2014) of applications of agents in healthcare is discussed, and two classifications considering the main goal of the health systems as well as the main actors involved have been investigated. This review shows that the number of published works exhibits a growing interest of researchers in this field in a wide range of applications.

Bristle-sensors—low-cost flexible passive dry EEG electrodes for neurofeedback and BCI applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grozea, Cristian; Voinescu, Catalin D.; Fazli, Siamac

2011-04-01

In this paper, we present a new, low-cost dry electrode for EEG that is made of flexible metal-coated polymer bristles. We examine various standard EEG paradigms, such as capturing occipital alpha rhythms, testing for event-related potentials in an auditory oddball paradigm and performing a sensory motor rhythm-based event-related (de-) synchronization paradigm to validate the performance of the novel electrodes in terms of signal quality. Our findings suggest that the dry electrodes that we developed result in high-quality EEG recordings and are thus suitable for a wide range of EEG studies and BCI applications. Furthermore, due to the flexibility of the novel electrodes, greater comfort is achieved in some subjects, this being essential for long-term use.

Truss systems and shape optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pricop, Mihai Victor; Bunea, Marian; Nedelcu, Roxana

2017-07-01

Structure optimization is an important topic because of its benefits and wide applicability range, from civil engineering to aerospace and automotive industries, contributing to a more green industry and life. Truss finite elements are still in use in many research/industrial codesfor their simple stiffness matrixand are naturally matching the requirements for cellular materials especially considering various 3D printing technologies. Optimality Criteria combined with Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization is the optimization method of choice, particularized for truss systems. Global locked structures areobtainedusinglocally locked lattice local organization, corresponding to structured or unstructured meshes. Post processing is important for downstream application of the method, to make a faster link to the CAD systems. To export the optimal structure in CATIA, a CATScript file is automatically generated. Results, findings and conclusions are given for two and three-dimensional cases.

A study on the effect of surface topography on the actuation performance of stacked-rolled dielectric electro active polymer actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sait, Usha; Muthuswamy, Sreekumar

2016-05-01

Dielectric electro active polymer (DEAP) is a suitable actuator material that finds wide applications in the field of robotics and medical areas. This material is highly controllable, flexible, and capable of developing large strain. The influence of geometrical behavior becomes critical when the material is used as miniaturized actuation devices in robotic applications. The present work focuses on the effect of surface topography on the performance of flat (single sheet) and stacked-rolled DEAP actuators. The non-active areas in the form of elliptical spots that affect the performance of the actuator are identified using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dissipated X-ray (EDX) experiments. Performance of DEAP actuation is critically evaluated, compared, and presented with analytical and experimental results.

Nanodiamonds as platforms for biology and medicine.

PubMed

Man, Han B; Ho, Dean

2013-02-01

Nanoparticles possess a wide range of exceptional properties applicable to biology and medicine. In particular, nanodiamonds (NDs) are being studied extensively because they possess unique characteristics that make them suitable as platforms for diagnostics and therapeutics. This carbon-based material (2-8 nm) is medically relevant because it unites several key properties necessary for clinical applications, such as stability and compatibility in biological environments, and scalability in production. Research by the Ho group and others has yielded ND particles with a variety of capabilities ranging from delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to targeted labeling and uptake studies. In addition, encouraging new findings have demonstrated the ability for NDs to effectively treat chemoresistant tumors in vivo. In this review, we highlight the progress made toward bringing nanodiamonds from the bench to the bedside.

Calculation of Phase Equilibria in the Y2O3-Yb2O3-ZrO2 System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, Nathan S.; Liu, Zi-Kui; Kaufman, Larry; Zhang, Fan

2001-01-01

Rare earth oxide stabilized zirconias find a wide range of applications. An understanding of phase equilibria is essential to all applications. In this study, the available phase boundary data and thermodynamic data is collected and assessed. Calphad-type databases are developed to completely describe the Y2O3-ZrO2, Yb2O3-ZrO2, and Y2O3-Yb2O3 systems. The oxide units are treated as components and regular and subregular solution models are used. The resultant calculated phase diagrams show good agreement with the experimental data. Then the binaries are combined to form the database for the Y2O3-Yb2O3-ZrO2 psuedo-ternary.

Biological Effects and Clinical Applications of Dwarf Elder (Sambucus ebulus L): A Review

PubMed Central

Jabbari, Marzie; Emtiazy, Majid; Khiveh, Ali; Hashempur, Mohammad Hashem

2017-01-01

Dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus L) is one of the best known medicinal herbs since ancient times. In view of its benefits as a widely applicable phytomedicine, it is still used in folk medicine of different parts of the world. In addition to its nutritional values, dwarf elder contains different phytochemicals among which flavonoids and lectins are responsible for most of its therapeutic effects. Dwarf elder has been used for different ailments including: joint pains, cold, wounds, and infections. Nevertheless, recent evidence has revealed its potentials for making attempts at treating cancer and metabolic disorders. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive description of dwarf elder regarding its traditional uses and modern findings which may contribute to the development of novel natural-based therapeutic agents. PMID:28397551

Importance and use of correlational research.

PubMed

Curtis, Elizabeth A; Comiskey, Catherine; Dempsey, Orla

2016-07-01

The importance of correlational research has been reported in the literature yet few research texts discuss design in any detail. To discuss important issues and considerations in correlational research, and suggest ways to avert potential problems during the preparation and application of the design. This article targets the gap identified in the literature regarding correlational research design. Specifically, it discusses the importance and purpose of correlational research, its application, analysis and interpretation with contextualisations to nursing and health research. Findings from correlational research can be used to determine prevalence and relationships among variables, and to forecast events from current data and knowledge. In spite of its many uses, prudence is required when using the methodology and analysing data. To assist researchers in reducing mistakes, important issues are singled out for discussion and several options put forward for analysing data. Correlational research is widely used and this paper should be particularly useful for novice nurse researchers. Furthermore, findings generated from correlational research can be used, for example, to inform decision-making, and to improve or initiate health-related activities or change.

Finding and estimating chemical property data for environmental assessment.

PubMed

Boethling, Robert S; Howard, Philip H; Meylan, William M

2004-10-01

The ability to predict the behavior of a chemical substance in a biological or environmental system largely depends on knowledge of the physicochemical properties and reactivity of that substance. We focus here on properties, with the objective of providing practical guidance for finding measured values and using estimation methods when necessary. Because currently available computer software often makes it more convenient to estimate than to retrieve measured values, we try to discourage irrational exuberance for these tools by including comprehensive lists of Internet and hard-copy data resources. Guidance for assessors is presented in the form of a process to obtain data that includes establishment of chemical identity, identification of data sources, assessment of accuracy and reliability, substructure searching for analogs when experimental data are unavailable, and estimation from chemical structure. Regarding property estimation, we cover estimation from close structural analogs in addition to broadly applicable methods requiring only the chemical structure. For the latter, we list and briefly discuss the most widely used methods. Concluding thoughts are offered concerning appropriate directions for future work on estimation methods, again with an emphasis on practical applications.

A 500 megabyte/second disk array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruwart, Thomas M.; Okeefe, Matthew T.

1994-01-01

Applications at the Army High Performance Computing Research Center's (AHPCRC) Graphic and Visualization Laboratory (GVL) at the University of Minnesota require a tremendous amount of I/O bandwidth and this appetite for data is growing. Silicon Graphics workstations are used to perform the post-processing, visualization, and animation of multi-terabyte size datasets produced by scientific simulations performed of AHPCRC supercomputers. The M.A.X. (Maximum Achievable Xfer) was designed to find the maximum achievable I/O performance of the Silicon Graphics CHALLENGE/Onyx-class machines that run these applications. Running a fully configured Onyx machine with 12-150MHz R4400 processors, 512MB of 8-way interleaved memory, 31 fast/wide SCSI-2 channel each with a Ciprico disk array controller we were able to achieve a maximum sustained transfer rate of 509.8 megabytes per second. However, after analyzing the results it became clear that the true maximum transfer rate is somewhat beyond this figure and we will need to do further testing with more disk array controllers in order to find the true maximum.

Torque Limit for Bolted Joint For Composites. Part B; Experimentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kostreva, Kristian M.

2003-01-01

Today, aerospace quality composite parts are generally made from either a unidirectional tape or a fabric prepreg form depending on the application. The matrix material, typically epoxy because of it dimensional stability, is pre-impregnated onto the fibers to ensure uniform distribution. Both of these composite forms are finding themselves used in applications where a joint is required. Two widely used joint methods are the classic mechanically fastened joint, and the contemporary bonded joint; however, the mechanically fastened joint is most commonly used by design engineers. A major portion of the research up-to-date about bolted composite joints has dealt with the inplane static load capacity. This work has helped to spawn standards dealing with filled-hole static joint strength. Other research has clearly shown that the clamp-up load in the mechanical fastener significantly affects the joint strength in a beneficial manner by reducing the bearing strength dependence of the composite laminate. One author reported a maximum increase in joint strength of 28%. This finding has helped to improve the reliability and efficiency of the joint in a composite structure.

On the Application of Quantitative EEG for Characterizing Autistic Brain: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Billeci, Lucia; Sicca, Federico; Maharatna, Koushik; Apicella, Fabio; Narzisi, Antonio; Campatelli, Giulia; Calderoni, Sara; Pioggia, Giovanni; Muratori, Filippo

2013-01-01

Autism-Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are thought to be associated with abnormalities in neural connectivity at both the global and local levels. Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) is a non-invasive technique that allows a highly precise measurement of brain function and connectivity. This review encompasses the key findings of QEEG application in subjects with ASD, in order to assess the relevance of this approach in characterizing brain function and clustering phenotypes. QEEG studies evaluating both the spontaneous brain activity and brain signals under controlled experimental stimuli were examined. Despite conflicting results, literature analysis suggests that QEEG features are sensitive to modification in neuronal regulation dysfunction which characterize autistic brain. QEEG may therefore help in detecting regions of altered brain function and connectivity abnormalities, in linking behavior with brain activity, and subgrouping affected individuals within the wide heterogeneity of ASD. The use of advanced techniques for the increase of the specificity and of spatial localization could allow finding distinctive patterns of QEEG abnormalities in ASD subjects, paving the way for the development of tailored intervention strategies. PMID:23935579

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

PubMed

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

2017-04-20

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

A new method for detecting signal regions in ordered sequences of real numbers, and application to viral genomic data.

PubMed

Gog, Julia R; Lever, Andrew M L; Skittrall, Jordan P

2018-01-01

We present a fast, robust and parsimonious approach to detecting signals in an ordered sequence of numbers. Our motivation is in seeking a suitable method to take a sequence of scores corresponding to properties of positions in virus genomes, and find outlying regions of low scores. Suitable statistical methods without using complex models or making many assumptions are surprisingly lacking. We resolve this by developing a method that detects regions of low score within sequences of real numbers. The method makes no assumptions a priori about the length of such a region; it gives the explicit location of the region and scores it statistically. It does not use detailed mechanistic models so the method is fast and will be useful in a wide range of applications. We present our approach in detail, and test it on simulated sequences. We show that it is robust to a wide range of signal morphologies, and that it is able to capture multiple signals in the same sequence. Finally we apply it to viral genomic data to identify regions of evolutionary conservation within influenza and rotavirus.

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

PubMed Central

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

2017-01-01

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

Use of Iba Techniques to Characterize High Velocity Thermal Spray Coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trompetter, W.; Markwitz, A.; Hyland, M.

Spray coatings are being used in an increasingly wide range of industries to improve the abrasive, erosive and sliding wear of machine components. Over the past decade industries have moved to the application of supersonic high velocity thermal spray techniques. These coating techniques produce superior coating quality in comparison to other traditional techniques such as plasma spraying. To date the knowledge of the bonding processes and the structure of the particles within thermal spray coatings is very subjective. The aim of this research is to improve our understanding of these materials through the use of IBA techniques in conjunction with other materials analysis techniques. Samples were prepared by spraying a widely used commercial NiCr powder onto substrates using a HVAF (high velocity air fuel) thermal spraying technique. Detailed analysis of the composition and structure of the power particles revealed two distinct types of particles. The majority was NiCr particles with a significant minority of particles composing of SiO2/CrO3. When the particles were investigated both as raw powder and in the sprayed coating, it was surprising to find that the composition of the coating meterial remained unchanged during the coating process despite the high velocity application.

Comparison of the Optical Properties of Graphene and Alkyl-terminated Si and Ge Quantum Dots.

PubMed

de Weerd, Chris; Shin, Yonghun; Marino, Emanuele; Kim, Joosung; Lee, Hyoyoung; Saeed, Saba; Gregorkiewicz, Tom

2017-10-31

Semiconductor quantum dots are widely investigated due to their size dependent energy structure. In particular, colloidal quantum dots represent a promising nanomaterial for optoelectronic devices, such as photodetectors and solar cells, but also luminescent markers for biotechnology, among other applications. Ideal materials for these applications should feature efficient radiative recombination and absorption transitions, altogether with spectral tunability over a wide range. Group IV semiconductor quantum dots can fulfill these requirements and serve as an alternative to the commonly used direct bandgap materials containing toxic and/or rare elements. Here, we present optical properties of butyl-terminated Si and Ge quantum dots and compare them to those of graphene quantum dots, finding them remarkably similar. We investigate their time-resolved photoluminescence emission as well as the photoluminescence excitation and linear absorption spectra. We contemplate that their emission characteristics indicate a (semi-) resonant activation of the emitting channel; the photoluminescence excitation shows characteristics similar to those of a molecule. The optical density is consistent with band-to-band absorption processes originating from core-related states. Hence, these observations strongly indicate a different microscopic origin for absorption and radiative recombination in the three investigated quantum dot systems.

Test Driven Development of Scientific Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clune, Thomas L.

2012-01-01

Test-Driven Development (TDD) is a software development process that promises many advantages for developer productivity and has become widely accepted among professional software engineers. As the name suggests, TDD practitioners alternate between writing short automated tests and producing code that passes those tests. Although this overly simplified description will undoubtedly sound prohibitively burdensome to many uninitiated developers, the advent of powerful unit-testing frameworks greatly reduces the effort required to produce and routinely execute suites of tests. By testimony, many developers find TDD to be addicting after only a few days of exposure, and find it unthinkable to return to previous practices. Of course, scientific/technical software differs from other software categories in a number of important respects, but I nonetheless believe that TDD is quite applicable to the development of such software and has the potential to significantly improve programmer productivity and code quality within the scientific community. After a detailed introduction to TDD, I will present the experience within the Software Systems Support Office (SSSO) in applying the technique to various scientific applications. This discussion will emphasize the various direct and indirect benefits as well as some of the difficulties and limitations of the methodology. I will conclude with a brief description of pFUnit, a unit testing framework I co-developed to support test-driven development of parallel Fortran applications.

Expression, purification and immobilization of tannase from Staphylococcus lugdunensis MTCC 3614.

PubMed

Chaitanyakumar, Amballa; Anbalagan, M

2016-12-01

Enzymes find their applications in various industries, due to their error free conversion of substrate into product. Tannase is an enzyme used by various industries for degradation of tannin. Biochemical characterization of a specific enzyme from one organism to other is one of the ways to search for enzymes with better traits for industrial applications. Here, tannase encoding gene from Staphylococcus lugdunensis was cloned and suitability of the enzyme in various conditions was analysed to find its application in various industry. The recombinant protein was expressed with 6× His tag and purified using nickel affinity beads. The enzyme was purified up to homogeneity, with approximate molecular weight of 66 kDa. Purified tannase exhibited specific activity of about 716 U/mg. Optimum enzyme activity was found to be 40 °C at pH 7.0. Biochemical characterization revealed; metal ions such as Zn 2+ , Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ and Mn 2+ inhibited tannase activity, and SDS at lower concentration, increased tannase activity. Non polar organic solvents increased the tannase activity and polar solvents inhibited the tannase activity. Tannase immobilization studies show protection of the enzyme under wide range of pH and temperature. Also in this study we report a method for recovery and repeated use of the tannase.

Detecting and visualizing weak signatures in hyperspectral data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacPherson, Duncan James

This thesis evaluates existing techniques for detecting weak spectral signatures from remotely sensed hyperspectral data. Algorithms are presented that successfully detect hard-to-find 'mystery' signatures in unknown cluttered backgrounds. The term 'mystery' is used to describe a scenario where the spectral target and background endmembers are unknown. Sub-Pixel analysis and background suppression are used to find deeply embedded signatures which can be less than 10% of the total signal strength. Existing 'mystery target' detection algorithms are derived and compared. Several techniques are shown to be superior both visually and quantitatively. Detection performance is evaluated using confidence metrics that are developed. A multiple algorithm approach is shown to improve detection confidence significantly. Although the research focuses on remote sensing applications, the algorithms presented can be applied to a wide variety of diverse fields such as medicine, law enforcement, manufacturing, earth science, food production, and astrophysics. The algorithms are shown to be general and can be applied to both the reflective and emissive parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. The application scope is a broad one and the final results open new opportunities for many specific applications including: land mine detection, pollution and hazardous waste detection, crop abundance calculations, volcanic activity monitoring, detecting diseases in food, automobile or airplane target recognition, cancer detection, mining operations, extracting galactic gas emissions, etc.

Validating vignette and conjoint survey experiments against real-world behavior

PubMed Central

Hainmueller, Jens; Hangartner, Dominik; Yamamoto, Teppei

2015-01-01

Survey experiments, like vignette and conjoint analyses, are widely used in the social sciences to elicit stated preferences and study how humans make multidimensional choices. However, there is a paucity of research on the external validity of these methods that examines whether the determinants that explain hypothetical choices made by survey respondents match the determinants that explain what subjects actually do when making similar choices in real-world situations. This study compares results from conjoint and vignette analyses on which immigrant attributes generate support for naturalization with closely corresponding behavioral data from a natural experiment in Switzerland, where some municipalities used referendums to decide on the citizenship applications of foreign residents. Using a representative sample from the same population and the official descriptions of applicant characteristics that voters received before each referendum as a behavioral benchmark, we find that the effects of the applicant attributes estimated from the survey experiments perform remarkably well in recovering the effects of the same attributes in the behavioral benchmark. We also find important differences in the relative performances of the different designs. Overall, the paired conjoint design, where respondents evaluate two immigrants side by side, comes closest to the behavioral benchmark; on average, its estimates are within 2% percentage points of the effects in the behavioral benchmark. PMID:25646415

CMS: a web-based system for visualization and analysis of genome-wide methylation data of human cancers.

PubMed

Gu, Fei; Doderer, Mark S; Huang, Yi-Wen; Roa, Juan C; Goodfellow, Paul J; Kizer, E Lynette; Huang, Tim H M; Chen, Yidong

2013-01-01

DNA methylation of promoter CpG islands is associated with gene suppression, and its unique genome-wide profiles have been linked to tumor progression. Coupled with high-throughput sequencing technologies, it can now efficiently determine genome-wide methylation profiles in cancer cells. Also, experimental and computational technologies make it possible to find the functional relationship between cancer-specific methylation patterns and their clinicopathological parameters. Cancer methylome system (CMS) is a web-based database application designed for the visualization, comparison and statistical analysis of human cancer-specific DNA methylation. Methylation intensities were obtained from MBDCap-sequencing, pre-processed and stored in the database. 191 patient samples (169 tumor and 22 normal specimen) and 41 breast cancer cell-lines are deposited in the database, comprising about 6.6 billion uniquely mapped sequence reads. This provides comprehensive and genome-wide epigenetic portraits of human breast cancer and endometrial cancer to date. Two views are proposed for users to better understand methylation structure at the genomic level or systemic methylation alteration at the gene level. In addition, a variety of annotation tracks are provided to cover genomic information. CMS includes important analytic functions for interpretation of methylation data, such as the detection of differentially methylated regions, statistical calculation of global methylation intensities, multiple gene sets of biologically significant categories, interactivity with UCSC via custom-track data. We also present examples of discoveries utilizing the framework. CMS provides visualization and analytic functions for cancer methylome datasets. A comprehensive collection of datasets, a variety of embedded analytic functions and extensive applications with biological and translational significance make this system powerful and unique in cancer methylation research. CMS is freely accessible at: http://cbbiweb.uthscsa.edu/KMethylomes/.

Improved Statistical Methods Enable Greater Sensitivity in Rhythm Detection for Genome-Wide Data

PubMed Central

Hutchison, Alan L.; Maienschein-Cline, Mark; Chiang, Andrew H.; Tabei, S. M. Ali; Gudjonson, Herman; Bahroos, Neil; Allada, Ravi; Dinner, Aaron R.

2015-01-01

Robust methods for identifying patterns of expression in genome-wide data are important for generating hypotheses regarding gene function. To this end, several analytic methods have been developed for detecting periodic patterns. We improve one such method, JTK_CYCLE, by explicitly calculating the null distribution such that it accounts for multiple hypothesis testing and by including non-sinusoidal reference waveforms. We term this method empirical JTK_CYCLE with asymmetry search, and we compare its performance to JTK_CYCLE with Bonferroni and Benjamini-Hochberg multiple hypothesis testing correction, as well as to five other methods: cyclohedron test, address reduction, stable persistence, ANOVA, and F24. We find that ANOVA, F24, and JTK_CYCLE consistently outperform the other three methods when data are limited and noisy; empirical JTK_CYCLE with asymmetry search gives the greatest sensitivity while controlling for the false discovery rate. Our analysis also provides insight into experimental design and we find that, for a fixed number of samples, better sensitivity and specificity are achieved with higher numbers of replicates than with higher sampling density. Application of the methods to detecting circadian rhythms in a metadataset of microarrays that quantify time-dependent gene expression in whole heads of Drosophila melanogaster reveals annotations that are enriched among genes with highly asymmetric waveforms. These include a wide range of oxidation reduction and metabolic genes, as well as genes with transcripts that have multiple splice forms. PMID:25793520

A network dedicated to sciences dissemination : Scité

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botman, M.; Scité Network

2005-11-01

The activities of the network Scité are destined for the schools and the general public and include laboratories visits, training periods, seminars, conferences, adult courses specially designed for teachers, etc. Since 2002, collaborations between universities and enterprises are enhanced and developed to bring to light the variety of jobs linked to science and the multi-disciplinary process leading to industrial application of scientific findings. Activities will include, enterprises visits preparation of CD and video support presenting "passionate" jobs, and the set up of interactive workshops for students. Systematic relations and interactions with scientific as well as global media are established and formalised. Activities enhancing such interactions include the development of media-universities interface assuring the quality and the adequacy of scientific information transfer and vulgarisation. Based on the wide expertise accumulated through recent projects, Scité Network develop innovative activities involving a wide range of actors: universities, enterprises, media, schools, general public.

Gap-mode enhancement on MoS2 probed by functionalized tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alajlan, Abdulrahman M.; Voronine, Dmitri V.; Sinyukov, Alexander M.; Zhang, Zhenrong; Sokolov, Alexei V.; Scully, Marlan O.

2016-09-01

Surface enhancement of molecular spectroscopic signals has been widely used for sensing and nanoscale imaging. Because of the weak electromagnetic enhancement of Raman signals on semiconductors, it is motivating but challenging to study the electromagnetic effect separately from the chemical effects. We report tip-enhanced Raman scattering measurements on Au and bulk MoS2 substrates using a metallic tip functionalized with copper phthalocyanine molecules and demonstrate similar gap-mode enhancement on both substrates. We compare the experimental results with theoretical calculations to confirm the gap-mode enhancement on MoS2 using a well-established electrostatic model. The functionalized tip approach allows for suppressing the background and is ideal for separating electromagnetic and chemical enhancement mechanisms on various substrates. Our results may find a wide range of applications in MoS2-based devices, sensors, and metal-free nanoscale bio-imaging.

Turbulence-induced persistence in laser beam wandering.

PubMed

Zunino, Luciano; Gulich, Damián; Funes, Gustavo; Pérez, Darío G

2015-07-01

We have experimentally confirmed the presence of long-memory correlations in the wandering of a thin Gaussian laser beam over a screen after propagating through a turbulent medium. A laboratory-controlled experiment was conducted in which coordinate fluctuations of the laser beam were recorded at a sufficiently high sampling rate for a wide range of turbulent conditions. Horizontal and vertical displacements of the laser beam centroid were subsequently analyzed by implementing detrended fluctuation analysis. This is a very well-known and widely used methodology to unveil memory effects from time series. Results obtained from this experimental analysis allow us to confirm that both coordinates behave as highly persistent signals for strong turbulent intensities. This finding is relevant for a better comprehension and modeling of the turbulence effects in free-space optical communication systems and other applications related to propagation of optical signals in the atmosphere.

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

Khrapak, Sergey A.; Joint Institute for High Temperatures, 125412 Moscow; Chaudhuri, Manis

We put forward an approximate method to locate the fluid-solid (freezing) phase transition in systems of classical particles interacting via a wide range of Lennard-Jones-type potentials. This method is based on the constancy of the properly normalized second derivative of the interaction potential (freezing indicator) along the freezing curve. As demonstrated recently it yields remarkably good agreement with previous numerical simulation studies of the conventional 12-6 Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluid [S.A.Khrapak, M.Chaudhuri, G.E.Morfill, Phys. Rev. B 134, 052101 (2010)]. In this paper, we test this approach using a wide range of the LJ-type potentials, including LJ n-6 and exp-6 models, andmore » find that it remains sufficiently accurate and reliable in reproducing the corresponding freezing curves, down to the triple-point temperatures. One of the possible application of the method--estimation of the freezing conditions in complex (dusty) plasmas with ''tunable'' interactions--is briefly discussed.« less

Pharmacologic therapy for erectile dysfunction and its interaction with the cardiovascular system.

PubMed

Ioakeimidis, Nikolaos; Kostis, John B

2014-01-01

Phosphodiesterase (PDE) enzymes are widely distributed throughout the body, having numerous effects and functions. The PDE type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are widely used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). Recent, intense preclinical and clinical research with PDE5 inhibitors has shed light on new mechanisms and has revealed a number of pleiotropic effects on the cardiovascular (CV) system. To date, PDE5 inhibition has been shown to be effective for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, and both sildenafil and tadalafil are approved for this indication. However, current or future PDE5 inhibitors have the potential of becoming clinically useful in a variety of CV conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, and hypertension. The present review discusses recent findings regarding pharmacologic treatment of ED and its interaction with the CV system and highlights current and future clinical applications beyond ED.

Selecting a Clinical Intervention Documentation System for an Academic Setting

PubMed Central

Andrus, Miranda; Hester, E. Kelly; Byrd, Debbie C.

2011-01-01

Pharmacists' clinical interventions have been the subject of a substantial body of literature that focuses on the process and outcomes of establishing an intervention documentation program within the acute care setting. Few reports describe intervention documentation as a component of doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs; none describe the process of selecting an intervention documentation application to support the complete array of pharmacy practice and experiential sites. The process that a school of pharmacy followed to select and implement a school-wide intervention system to document the clinical and financial impact of an experiential program is described. Goals included finding a tool that allowed documentation from all experiential sites and the ability to assign dollar savings (hard and soft) to all documented interventions. The paper provides guidance for other colleges and schools of pharmacy in selecting a clinical intervention documentation system for program-wide use. PMID:21519426

Selecting a clinical intervention documentation system for an academic setting.

PubMed

Fox, Brent I; Andrus, Miranda; Hester, E Kelly; Byrd, Debbie C

2011-03-10

Pharmacists' clinical interventions have been the subject of a substantial body of literature that focuses on the process and outcomes of establishing an intervention documentation program within the acute care setting. Few reports describe intervention documentation as a component of doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs; none describe the process of selecting an intervention documentation application to support the complete array of pharmacy practice and experiential sites. The process that a school of pharmacy followed to select and implement a school-wide intervention system to document the clinical and financial impact of an experiential program is described. Goals included finding a tool that allowed documentation from all experiential sites and the ability to assign dollar savings (hard and soft) to all documented interventions. The paper provides guidance for other colleges and schools of pharmacy in selecting a clinical intervention documentation system for program-wide use.

Superhydrophobic-like tunable droplet bouncing on slippery liquid interfaces

PubMed Central

Hao, Chonglei; Li, Jing; Liu, Yuan; Zhou, Xiaofeng; Liu, Yahua; Liu, Rong; Che, Lufeng; Zhou, Wenzhong; Sun, Dong; Li, Lawrence; Xu, Lei; Wang, Zuankai

2015-01-01

Droplet impacting on solid or liquid interfaces is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature. Although complete rebound of droplets is widely observed on superhydrophobic surfaces, the bouncing of droplets on liquid is usually vulnerable due to easy collapse of entrapped air pocket underneath the impinging droplet. Here, we report a superhydrophobic-like bouncing regime on thin liquid film, characterized by the contact time, the spreading dynamics, and the restitution coefficient independent of underlying liquid film. Through experimental exploration and theoretical analysis, we demonstrate that the manifestation of such a superhydrophobic-like bouncing necessitates an intricate interplay between the Weber number, the thickness and viscosity of liquid film. Such insights allow us to tune the droplet behaviours in a well-controlled fashion. We anticipate that the combination of superhydrophobic-like bouncing with inherent advantages of emerging slippery liquid interfaces will find a wide range of applications. PMID:26250403

Rational In Silico Design of an Organic Semiconductor with Improved Electron Mobility.

PubMed

Friederich, Pascal; Gómez, Verónica; Sprau, Christian; Meded, Velimir; Strunk, Timo; Jenne, Michael; Magri, Andrea; Symalla, Franz; Colsmann, Alexander; Ruben, Mario; Wenzel, Wolfgang

2017-11-01

Organic semiconductors find a wide range of applications, such as in organic light emitting diodes, organic solar cells, and organic field effect transistors. One of their most striking disadvantages in comparison to crystalline inorganic semiconductors is their low charge-carrier mobility, which manifests itself in major device constraints such as limited photoactive layer thicknesses. Trial-and-error attempts to increase charge-carrier mobility are impeded by the complex interplay of the molecular and electronic structure of the material with its morphology. Here, the viability of a multiscale simulation approach to rationally design materials with improved electron mobility is demonstrated. Starting from one of the most widely used electron conducting materials (Alq 3 ), novel organic semiconductors with tailored electronic properties are designed for which an improvement of the electron mobility by three orders of magnitude is predicted and experimentally confirmed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a key cell factory platform for future biorefineries.

PubMed

Hong, Kuk-Ki; Nielsen, Jens

2012-08-01

Metabolic engineering is the enabling science of development of efficient cell factories for the production of fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and food ingredients through microbial fermentations. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a key cell factory already used for the production of a wide range of industrial products, and here we review ongoing work, particularly in industry, on using this organism for the production of butanol, which can be used as biofuel, and isoprenoids, which can find a wide range of applications including as pharmaceuticals and as biodiesel. We also look into how engineering of yeast can lead to improved uptake of sugars that are present in biomass hydrolyzates, and hereby allow for utilization of biomass as feedstock in the production of fuels and chemicals employing S. cerevisiae. Finally, we discuss the perspectives of how technologies from systems biology and synthetic biology can be used to advance metabolic engineering of yeast.

Simulation, fabrication, and characterization of a tunable electrowetting-based lens with a wedge-shaped PDMS dielectric layer.

PubMed

Moghaddam, Mohammadreza Salehi; Latifi, H; Shahraki, Hamidreza; Cheri, Mohammad Sadegh

2015-04-01

Microlenses with tunable focal length have wide applications in optofluidic devices. This work presents a numerical and experimental investigation on a tunable electrowetting-based concave lens. Optical properties such as focal length of the lens and visibility of images were investigated numerically and experimentally. A finite element analysis and a ZEMAX simulation were used for determination of surface profile and focal length of the lens. The results show that the theoretical surface profile and focal length of the lens are in good agreement with the experimental ones. The lens has a wide tuning focal length equal to 6.5 (cm). Because the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer is wedge shaped (as both the dielectric and hydrophobic layers), lower applied voltage is needed. A commercial program was used to find the focal length of the lens from maximum visibility value by tuning the applied voltage.

Stille coupling via C-N bond cleavage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dong-Yu; Kawahata, Masatoshi; Yang, Ze-Kun; Miyamoto, Kazunori; Komagawa, Shinsuke; Yamaguchi, Kentaro; Wang, Chao; Uchiyama, Masanobu

2016-09-01

Cross-coupling is a fundamental reaction in the synthesis of functional molecules, and has been widely applied, for example, to phenols, anilines, alcohols, amines and their derivatives. Here we report the Ni-catalysed Stille cross-coupling reaction of quaternary ammonium salts via C-N bond cleavage. Aryl/alkyl-trimethylammonium salts [Ar/R-NMe3]+ react smoothly with arylstannanes in 1:1 molar ratio in the presence of a catalytic amount of commercially available Ni(cod)2 and imidazole ligand together with 3.0 equivalents of CsF, affording the corresponding biaryl with broad functional group compatibility. The reaction pathway, including C-N bond cleavage step, is proposed based on the experimental and computational findings, as well as isolation and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of Ni-containing intermediates. This reaction should be widely applicable for transformation of amines/quaternary ammonium salts into multi-aromatics.

Driving Forces Controlling Host-Guest Recognition in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Solvent.

PubMed

Ingrosso, Francesca; Altarsha, Muhannad; Dumarçay, Florence; Kevern, Gwendal; Barth, Danielle; Marsura, Alain; Ruiz-López, Manuel F

2016-02-24

The formation of supramolecular host-guest complexes is a very useful and widely employed tool in chemistry. However, supramolecular chemistry in non-conventional solvents such as supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2 ), one of the most promising sustainable solvents, is still in its infancy. In this work, we explored a successful route to the development of green processes in supercritical CO2 by combining a theoretical approach with experiments. We were able to synthesize and characterize an inclusion complex between a polar aromatic molecule (benzoic acid) and peracetylated-β-cyclodextrin, which is soluble in the supercritical medium. This finding opens the way to wide, environmental friendly, applications of scCO2 in many areas of chemistry, including supramolecular synthesis, reactivity and catalysis, micro and nano-particle formation, molecular recognition, as well as enhanced extraction processes with increased selectivity. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Immunoassays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsieh, Y.-H. Peggy

Immunochemistry is a relatively new science that has developed rapidly in the last few decades. One of the most useful analytical developments associated with this new science is immunoassay. Originally immunoassays were developed in medical settings to facilitate the study of immunology, particularly the antibody-antigen interaction. Immunoassays now are finding widespread applications outside the clinical field because they are appropriate for a wide range of analytes ranging from proteins to small organic molecules. In the food analysis area, immunoassays are widely used for chemical residue analysis, identification of bacteria and viruses, and detection of proteins in food and agricultural products. Protein detection is important for determination of allergens and meat species content, seafood species identification, and detection of genetically modified plant tissues. While immunoassays of all formats are too numerous to cover completely in this chapter, there are several procedures that have become standard for food analysis because of their specificity, sensitivity, and simplicity.

Controlled fabrication of luminescent and magnetic nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yingxin; Zhong, Yucheng; Fan, Jing; Huang, Weiren

2018-03-01

Luminescent and magnetic multifunctional nanocomposite is in high demand and widely used in many scales, such as drug delivery, bioseparation, chemical/biosensors, and so on. Although lots of strategies have been successfully developed for the demand of multifunctional nanocomposites, it is not easy to prepare multifunctional nanocomposites by using a simple method, and satisfy all kinds of demands simultaneously. In this work, via a facile and versatile method, luminescent nanocrystals and magnetic nanoparticles were successfully synthesized through self-assembly under vigorous stirring and ultrasonic treatment. These multifunctional nanocomposites are not only water stable but also find wide application such as magnetic separation and concentration with a series of moderate speed, multicolor fluorescence at different emission wavelength, high efficiency of the excitation and emission, and so on. By changing different kinds of luminescent nanocrystals and controlling the amount of luminescent and magnetic nanoparticles, a train of multifunctional nanocomposites was successfully fabricated via a versatile and robust method.

Introduction to Vector Field Visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, David; Shen, Han-Wei

2010-01-01

Vector field visualization techniques are essential to help us understand the complex dynamics of flow fields. These can be found in a wide range of applications such as study of flows around an aircraft, the blood flow in our heart chambers, ocean circulation models, and severe weather predictions. The vector fields from these various applications can be visually depicted using a number of techniques such as particle traces and advecting textures. In this tutorial, we present several fundamental algorithms in flow visualization including particle integration, particle tracking in time-dependent flows, and seeding strategies. For flows near surfaces, a wide variety of synthetic texture-based algorithms have been developed to depict near-body flow features. The most common approach is based on the Line Integral Convolution (LIC) algorithm. There also exist extensions of LIC to support more flexible texture generations for 3D flow data. This tutorial reviews these algorithms. Tensor fields are found in several real-world applications and also require the aid of visualization to help users understand their data sets. Examples where one can find tensor fields include mechanics to see how material respond to external forces, civil engineering and geomechanics of roads and bridges, and the study of neural pathway via diffusion tensor imaging. This tutorial will provide an overview of the different tensor field visualization techniques, discuss basic tensor decompositions, and go into detail on glyph based methods, deformation based methods, and streamline based methods. Practical examples will be used when presenting the methods; and applications from some case studies will be used as part of the motivation.

[MODERN PROKINETICS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE TREATMENT OF GASTROENTEROLOGICAL PATHOLOGY].

PubMed

Sheptulin, A A; Belousova, I B

2016-01-01

The importance of prokinetics (drugs stimulating motor function of the gastrointestinal tract) arises from the high prevalence of gastroenterological pathology associated with primary or secondary disturbances of this function in esophagus, stomach, and intestines. The main groups of prokinetics are beta-blockers of dopamine receptors, inhibitors of acetylcholine esterase (or their combination with dopamine receptor blockers), 5-HT4-receptor agonists. They find wide application for the treatment of gastroesophgeal reflux disease, functional dyspepsia and constipation, obstipational form of irritable bowel syndrome, and other conditions accompanied by motor function disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Droplet squeezing through a narrow constriction: Minimum impulse and critical velocity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhifeng; Drapaca, Corina; Chen, Xiaolin; Xu, Jie

2017-07-01

Models of a droplet passing through narrow constrictions have wide applications in science and engineering. In this paper, we report our findings on the minimum impulse (momentum change) of pushing a droplet through a narrow circular constriction. The existence of this minimum impulse is mathematically derived and numerically verified. The minimum impulse happens at a critical velocity when the time-averaged Young-Laplace pressure balances the total minor pressure loss in the constriction. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted to verify these concepts. These results could be relevant to problems of energy optimization and studies of chemical and biomedical systems.

Exact traveling-wave and spatiotemporal soliton solutions to the generalized (3+1)-dimensional Schrödinger equation with polynomial nonlinearity of arbitrary order.

PubMed

Petrović, Nikola Z; Belić, Milivoj; Zhong, Wei-Ping

2011-02-01

We obtain exact traveling wave and spatiotemporal soliton solutions to the generalized (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation with variable coefficients and polynomial Kerr nonlinearity of an arbitrarily high order. Exact solutions, given in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions, are presented for the special cases of cubic-quintic and septic models. We demonstrate that the widely used method for finding exact solutions in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions is not applicable to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with saturable nonlinearity. ©2011 American Physical Society

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

Sharma, Anupam Deep, E-mail: dr.anupamdeep@yahoo.com; Sinha, M. M.

Perovskite oxides find wide range of applications like oxygen sensors, catalyst support, high frequency capacitors, high temperature superconducting microwave devices, solid state oxide fuel cell (SOFC) etc. LaAlO{sub 3} is one of such type of prominent perovskite oxides and very prominent material for protonic conductions. Therefore knowledge of the thermal properties of LaAlO{sub 3} is most significant. Hence in the present study we have studied phonon density of states and specific heat of LaAlO{sub 3} in cubic structure by applying lattice dynamical theoretical model. The calculated results are interpreted with existing experimental or theoretical results.

Linear systems on balancing chemical reaction problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kafi, R. A.; Abdillah, B.

2018-01-01

The concept of linear systems appears in a variety of applications. This paper presents a small sample of the wide variety of real-world problems regarding our study of linear systems. We show that the problem in balancing chemical reaction can be described by homogeneous linear systems. The solution of the systems is obtained by performing elementary row operations. The obtained solution represents the finding coefficients of chemical reaction. In addition, we present a computational calculation to show that mathematical software such as Matlab can be used to simplify completion of the systems, instead of manually using row operations.

[Autogenic training within the therapeutic scope of schizophrenic patients].

PubMed

Starke, H

1976-06-01

The author calls the reader's attention to the rather strange fact that autogenic training, in spite of worldwide recognition and extensive uses of the method in various disciplines of medicine and spheres of live, has not so far been finding wide application in the medical specialty dealing with mental disorders. After discussing some possible causes of this situation and commenting on first signs of a necessary change in attitude toward autogenic training, he reports his own experience in the treatment of schizophrenic patients with this psychotherapeutic method, emphasizing the need for including psychotherapy in a complex concept of the treatment of psychoses.

Spectral linewidth of spin-current nano-oscillators driven by nonlocal spin injection

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

Demidov, V. E., E-mail: demidov@uni-muenster.de; Divinskiy, B.; Urazhdin, S.

2015-11-16

We study experimentally the auto-oscillation characteristics of magnetic nano-oscillators driven by pure spin currents generated by nonlocal spin injection. By combining micro-focus Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy with electronic microwave spectroscopy, we are able to simultaneously perform both the spatial and the high-resolution spectral analyses of auto-oscillations induced by spin current. We find that the devices exhibit a highly coherent dynamics with the spectral linewidth of a few megahertz at room temperature. This narrow linewidth can be achieved over a wide range of operational frequencies, demonstrating a significant potential of nonlocal oscillators for applications.

The neuroscience of vision-based grasping: a functional review for computational modeling and bio-inspired robotics.

PubMed

Chinellato, Eris; Del Pobil, Angel P

2009-06-01

The topic of vision-based grasping is being widely studied in humans and in other primates using various techniques and with different goals. The fundamental related findings are reviewed in this paper, with the aim of providing researchers from different fields, including intelligent robotics and neural computation, a comprehensive but accessible view on the subject. A detailed description of the principal sensorimotor processes and the brain areas involved is provided following a functional perspective, in order to make this survey especially useful for computational modeling and bio-inspired robotic applications.

Modeling direct interband tunneling. II. Lower-dimensional structures

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

Pan, Andrew, E-mail: pandrew@ucla.edu; Chui, Chi On; California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095

We investigate the applicability of the two-band Hamiltonian and the widely used Kane analytical formula to interband tunneling along unconfined directions in nanostructures. Through comparisons with k·p and tight-binding calculations and quantum transport simulations, we find that the primary correction is the change in effective band gap. For both constant fields and realistic tunnel field-effect transistors, dimensionally consistent band gap scaling of the Kane formula allows analytical and numerical device simulations to approximate non-equilibrium Green's function current characteristics without arbitrary fitting. This allows efficient first-order calibration of semiclassical models for interband tunneling in nanodevices.

The Land of Confusion? High School Students and Their Use of the World Wide Web for Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorenzen, Michael

2002-01-01

Examines high school students' use of the World Wide Web to complete assignments. Findings showed the students used a good variety of resources, including libraries and the World Wide Web, to find information for assignments. However, students were weak at determining the quality of the information found on web sites. Students did poorly at…

Multi-instance multi-label distance metric learning for genome-wide protein function prediction.

PubMed

Xu, Yonghui; Min, Huaqing; Song, Hengjie; Wu, Qingyao

2016-08-01

Multi-instance multi-label (MIML) learning has been proven to be effective for the genome-wide protein function prediction problems where each training example is associated with not only multiple instances but also multiple class labels. To find an appropriate MIML learning method for genome-wide protein function prediction, many studies in the literature attempted to optimize objective functions in which dissimilarity between instances is measured using the Euclidean distance. But in many real applications, Euclidean distance may be unable to capture the intrinsic similarity/dissimilarity in feature space and label space. Unlike other previous approaches, in this paper, we propose to learn a multi-instance multi-label distance metric learning framework (MIMLDML) for genome-wide protein function prediction. Specifically, we learn a Mahalanobis distance to preserve and utilize the intrinsic geometric information of both feature space and label space for MIML learning. In addition, we try to deal with the sparsely labeled data by giving weight to the labeled data. Extensive experiments on seven real-world organisms covering the biological three-domain system (i.e., archaea, bacteria, and eukaryote; Woese et al., 1990) show that the MIMLDML algorithm is superior to most state-of-the-art MIML learning algorithms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acute Pesticide Illnesses Associated with Off-Target Pesticide Drift from Agricultural Applications: 11 States, 1998–2006

PubMed Central

Lee, Soo-Jeong; Mehler, Louise; Beckman, John; Diebolt-Brown, Brienne; Prado, Joanne; Lackovic, Michelle; Waltz, Justin; Mulay, Prakash; Schwartz, Abby; Mitchell, Yvette; Moraga-McHaley, Stephanie; Gergely, Rita

2011-01-01

Background: Pesticides are widely used in agriculture, and off-target pesticide drift exposes workers and the public to harmful chemicals. Objective: We estimated the incidence of acute illnesses from pesticide drift from outdoor agricultural applications and characterized drift exposure and illnesses. Methods: Data were obtained from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks–Pesticides program and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Drift included off-target movement of pesticide spray, volatiles, and contaminated dust. Acute illness cases were characterized by demographics, pesticide and application variables, health effects, and contributing factors. Results: From 1998 through 2006, we identified 2,945 cases associated with agricultural pesticide drift from 11 states. Our findings indicate that 47% were exposed at work, 92% experienced low-severity illness, and 14% were children (< 15 years). The annual incidence ranged from 1.39 to 5.32 per million persons over the 9-year period. The overall incidence (in million person-years) was 114.3 for agricultural workers, 0.79 for other workers, 1.56 for nonoccupational cases, and 42.2 for residents in five agriculture-intensive counties in California. Soil applications with fumigants were responsible for the largest percentage (45%) of cases. Aerial applications accounted for 24% of cases. Common factors contributing to drift cases included weather conditions, improper seal of the fumigation site, and applicator carelessness near nontarget areas. Conclusions: Agricultural workers and residents in agricultural regions had the highest rate of pesticide poisoning from drift exposure, and soil fumigations were a major hazard, causing large drift incidents. Our findings highlight areas where interventions to reduce off-target drift could be focused. PMID:21642048

Accounting for linkage disequilibrium in association analysis of diverse populations.

PubMed

Charles, Bashira A; Shriner, Daniel; Rotimi, Charles N

2014-04-01

The National Human Genome Research Institute's catalog of published genome-wide association studies (GWAS) lists over 10,000 genetic variants collectively associated with over 800 human diseases or traits. Most of these GWAS have been conducted in European-ancestry populations. Findings gleaned from these studies have led to identification of disease-associated loci and biologic pathways involved in disease etiology. In multiple instances, these genomic findings have led to the development of novel medical therapies or evidence for prescribing a given drug as the appropriate treatment for a given individual beyond phenotypic appearances or socially defined constructs of race or ethnicity. Such findings have implications for populations throughout the globe and GWAS are increasingly being conducted in more diverse populations. A major challenge for investigators seeking to follow up genomic findings between diverse populations is discordant patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD). We provide an overview of common measures of LD and opportunities for their use in novel methods designed to address challenges associated with following up GWAS conducted in European-ancestry populations in African-ancestry populations or, more generally, between populations with discordant LD patterns. We detail the strengths and weaknesses associated with different approaches. We also describe application of these strategies in follow-up studies of populations with concordant LD patterns (replication) or discordant LD patterns (transferability) as well as fine-mapping studies. We review application of these methods to a variety of traits and diseases. © 2014 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

Educational Applications on the World Wide Web: An Example Using Amphion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Jane

1998-01-01

There is a great deal of excitement about using the internet and the World Wide Web in education. There are such exciting possibilities and there is a wealth and variety of material up on the web. There are however many problems, problems of access and resources, problems of quality -- for every excellent resource there are many poor ones, and there are insufficiently explored problems of teacher training and motivation. For example, Wiesenmayer and Meadows report on a study of 347 West Virginia science teachers. These teachers were enrolled in a week-long summer workshop to introduce them to the internet and its educational potential. The teachers were asked to review science sites as to overall quality and then about their usefulness in their own classrooms. The teachers were enthusiastic about the web, and gave two-thirds of the sites high ratings, and essentially all the rest average ratings. But alarmingly, over 80% of these sites were viewed as having no direct applicability in the teacher's own classroom. This summer I was assigned to work on the Amphion project in the Automated Software Engineering Group under the leadership of Michael Lowry. I wished to find educational applications of the Amphion system, which in its current implementation can be used to create fortran programs and animations using the SPICE libraries created by the NAIF group at JPL. I wished to find an application which provided real added educational value, which was in line with educational curriculum standards and which would serve a documented need of the educational community. The application selected was teaching about the causes of the seasons -- at the approximately the fourth, fifth, sixth grade level. This topic was chosen because it is in line with national curriculum standards. The fourth, fifth, sixth grade level was selected to coincide with the grade level served by the Ames Aerospace Encounter, which services 10,000 children a year on field trips. The hope is that eventually the Ames Aerospace Encounter could be used as a test bed for the lessons developed. The topic is one which is difficult to teach and the necessity for new methods is documented in the educational literature. Current educational standards indicate that seasons should be part of the elementary school curriculum.

Low Temperature Graphene Growth and Its Applications in Electronic and Optical Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chugh, Sunny

Graphene, a two dimensional allotrope of carbon in a honeycomb lattice, has gathered wide attention due to its excellent electrical, thermal, optical and mechanical properties. It has extremely high electron/hole mobility, very high thermal conductivity and fascinating optical properties, and combined with its mechanical strength and elasticity, graphene is believed to find commercial applications in existing as well as novel technologies. One of the biggest reasons behind the rapid development in graphene research during the last decade is the fact that laboratory procedures to obtain high quality graphene are rather cheap and simple. However, any new material market is essentially driven by the progress in its large scale commercial production with minimal costs, with properties that are suited for different applications. And it is in this aspect that graphene is still required to make a huge progress before its commercial benefits can be derived. Laboratory graphene synthesis techniques such as mechanical exfoliation, liquid phase exfoliation and SiC graphene growth pose several challenges in terms of cost, reliability and scalability. To this end, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) growth of graphene has emerged as a widely used synthesis method that overcomes these problems. Unfortunately, conventional thermal CVD requires a high temperature of growth and a catalytic metal substrate, making the undesirable step of graphene transfer a necessity. Besides requiring a catalyst, the high temperature of growth also limits the range of growth substrates. In this work, I have successfully demonstrated low temperature ( 550 °C) growth of graphene directly on dielectric materials using a Plasma-Enhanced CVD (PECVD) process. The PECVD technique described here solves the issues faced by conventional CVD methods and provides a direct route for graphene synthesis on arbitrary materials at relatively low temperatures. Detailed growth studies, as described here, illustrate the difference between the PECVD and the CVD growth mechanisms. This work also provides the first experimental comparison of graphene growth rates on different substrates using PECVD. In the second part of my thesis, I have discussed some of the potential applications of PECVD graphene, including graphene as a diffusion barrier, ultra-dark graphene metamaterials, graphene-protected metal plasmonics and copper-graphene hybrids for RF transmission line applications. The experimental findings discussed here lay a solid platform for integration of graphene in damascene structures, low-loss plasmonic materials, flexible electronics and dark materials, among others.

A study of education and KSAOs on career entry for product engineers: What employers really want

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornburgh, James

The purpose of the study was to investigate the ways that employers of product engineers evaluate potential employees' job readiness, and which theories related to the education-work transaction are supported by practice. This study used a mixed methods approach and consisted of a state-wide survey (N=106) and local interviews (N=8). The results of the research indicate that attributes of both the Theory of Individual Differences and Credentialing Theory are present in the hiring practices of product engineers. Consistent with the Theory of Individual Differences, employers indicate they look for evidence of various job-related Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other attributes (KSAOs) and they indicate they are willing to hire applicants who have less than a bachelor's degree. Consistent with Credentialing Theory, employers advertise a formal education minimum which represents only one way that individuals may learn to be an engineer. This study also confirmed prior research that most employers use primarily non-evidence based predictors to evaluate applicants. The primary initial screening predictors were experience, GPA, and major, while the primary finalist selection predictors were unstructured interviews, and applications, followed by structured interviews, job knowledge tests, and work sample test. Contrary to previous findings, this study did not find any major differences between what HR professionals, engineering managers, or other manager look for in terms of qualifications or what predictors they use when evaluating applicants for product engineer positions.

Efficient hash tables for network applications.

PubMed

Zink, Thomas; Waldvogel, Marcel

2015-01-01

Hashing has yet to be widely accepted as a component of hard real-time systems and hardware implementations, due to still existing prejudices concerning the unpredictability of space and time requirements resulting from collisions. While in theory perfect hashing can provide optimal mapping, in practice, finding a perfect hash function is too expensive, especially in the context of high-speed applications. The introduction of hashing with multiple choices, d-left hashing and probabilistic table summaries, has caused a shift towards deterministic DRAM access. However, high amounts of rare and expensive high-speed SRAM need to be traded off for predictability, which is infeasible for many applications. In this paper we show that previous suggestions suffer from the false precondition of full generality. Our approach exploits four individual degrees of freedom available in many practical applications, especially hardware and high-speed lookups. This reduces the requirement of on-chip memory up to an order of magnitude and guarantees constant lookup and update time at the cost of only minute amounts of additional hardware. Our design makes efficient hash table implementations cheaper, more predictable, and more practical.

Guar gum as a promising starting material for diverse applications: A review.

PubMed

Thombare, Nandkishore; Jha, Usha; Mishra, Sumit; Siddiqui, M Z

2016-07-01

Guar gum is the powdered endosperm of the seeds of the Cyamopsis tetragonolobus which is a leguminous crop. The endosperm contains a complex polysaccharide called galactomannan, which is a polymer of d-galactose and d-mannose. This hydroxyl group rich polymer when added to water forms hydrogen bonding imparting significant viscosity and thickening to the solution. Due to its thickening, emulsifying, binding and gelling properties, quick solubility in cold water, wide pH stability, film forming ability and biodegradability, it finds applications in large number of industries. In last few decades a lot of research has been done on guar gum to fit it into particular application, as such or by its structural modifications. This review gives an overview of the nature, chemistry and properties of guar gum and discusses recent developments in its modifications and applications in major industries like hydraulic fracturing, explosives, food, agriculture, textile, paper, cosmetics, bioremediation, drug delivery, medical and pharmaceuticals. This article would help researchers engaged in biopolymer area and other end-users who want to begin research in natural polysaccharides. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Feature evaluation of complex hysteresis smoothing and its practical applications to noisy SEM images.

PubMed

Suzuki, Kazuhiko; Oho, Eisaku

2013-01-01

Quality of a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image is strongly influenced by noise. This is a fundamental drawback of the SEM instrument. Complex hysteresis smoothing (CHS) has been previously developed for noise removal of SEM images. This noise removal is performed by monitoring and processing properly the amplitude of the SEM signal. As it stands now, CHS may not be so utilized, though it has several advantages for SEM. For example, the resolution of image processed by CHS is basically equal to that of the original image. In order to find wide application of the CHS method in microscopy, the feature of CHS, which has not been so clarified until now is evaluated correctly. As the application of the result obtained by the feature evaluation, cursor width (CW), which is the sole processing parameter of CHS, is determined more properly using standard deviation of noise Nσ. In addition, disadvantage that CHS cannot remove the noise with excessively large amplitude is improved by a certain postprocessing. CHS is successfully applicable to SEM images with various noise amplitudes. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Minimum relative entropy distributions with a large mean are Gaussian

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smerlak, Matteo

2016-12-01

Entropy optimization principles are versatile tools with wide-ranging applications from statistical physics to engineering to ecology. Here we consider the following constrained problem: Given a prior probability distribution q , find the posterior distribution p minimizing the relative entropy (also known as the Kullback-Leibler divergence) with respect to q under the constraint that mean (p ) is fixed and large. We show that solutions to this problem are approximately Gaussian. We discuss two applications of this result. In the context of dissipative dynamics, the equilibrium distribution of a Brownian particle confined in a strong external field is independent of the shape of the confining potential. We also derive an H -type theorem for evolutionary dynamics: The entropy of the (standardized) distribution of fitness of a population evolving under natural selection is eventually increasing in time.

Development of an advanced combined iodine dispenser/detector. [for spacecraft water supplies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lantz, J. B.; Jensen, F. C.; Winkler, H. E.; Schubert, F. A.

1977-01-01

Injection of iodine into water is widely used to control microbial growth. An entirely automated device for I2 injection has been developed for spacecraft application. Transfer of I2 into the water from a concentrated form is controlled electrochemically via feedback from an integrated photometric I2 level detector. All components are contained within a package weighing only 1.23 kg (2.7 lb) dry, which occupies only 1213 cu cm (74 cu in) of space, and which has the capacity to iodinate 10,900 kg (24,000 lb) of water of 5 ppm. These features exceed design specifications. The device performed satisfactorily during extended testing at variable water flow rates and temperatures. Designed to meet specifications of the Shuttle Orbiter, the device will find application in the regenerative water systems of advanced spacecraft.

Iminoboronate Formation Leads to Fast and Reversible Conjugation Chemistry of α-Nucleophiles at Neutral pH

PubMed Central

Bandyopadhyay, Anupam

2015-01-01

Bioorthogonal reactions that are fast and reversible under physiologic conditions are in high demand for biological applications. Herein, we show that an ortho boronic acid substituent makes aryl ketones to rapidly conjugate with α-nucleophiles at neutral pH. Specifically, 2-acetylphenylboronic acid and derivatives were found to conjugate with phenylhydrazine with rate constants of 102 to 103 M−1 s−1, comparable to the fastest bioorthogonal conjugations known to date. 11B-NMR analysis reveals varied extent of iminoboronate formation of the conjugates, in which the imine nitrogen forms a dative bond with boron. The iminoboronate formation activates the imines for hydrolysis and exchange, rendering these oxime/hydrazone conjugations reversible and dynamic under physiologic conditions. The fast and dynamic nature of the iminoboronate chemistry should find wide applications in biology. PMID:26311464

Ion probe determinations of the rare earth concentrations of individual meteoritic phosphate grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crozaz, G.; Zinner, E.

1985-01-01

A new ion probe method for quantitative measurements of the concentrations of all the REE down to the ppm level in 5-20 micron spots is presented. The first application of the method is the determination of REE abundances in meteoritic phosphates. Results are shown to be in good agreement with previous INAA and ion probe determinations. The merrillites in the St. Severin amphoterite are richer in REE than the apatites (the enrichment factors, for various REE, range from 2.3 to 14.2) in contradiction with the results of Ebihara and Honda (1983). Provided good standards for other mineral phases are found or implanted marker ion techniques are used, the method should find a wide range of applications for the study of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial crystals at the microscopic level.

Acoustophoretic contactless transport and handling of matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foresti, Daniele; Nabavi, Majid; Klingauf, Mirko; Ferrari, Aldo; Poulikakos, Dimos

2013-11-01

Levitation and controlled motion of matter in air, has a wealth of potential applications ranging from materials processing to biochemistry and pharmaceuticals. We present a novel acoustophoretic concept, for the contactless transport and handling of matter in air. Spatiotemporal modulation of the levitation acoustic field allows continuous planar transport and processing of multiple objects (volume 0.1-10 μl) . The independence of the handling principle from special material properties (magnetic, optical or electrical) is illustrated with a wide palette of application experiments, such as contactless droplet coalescence and mixing, solid-liquid encapsulation, absorption, dissolution, and DNA transfection. The dynamics of droplets and particles collision is studied numerically and experimentally. The findings show that the secondary acoustic force gives a significant contribution to the samples impact velocity. We thank the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant 144397) for financial support.

Physiology, ecology and industrial applications of aroma formation in yeast

PubMed Central

Dzialo, Maria C; Park, Rahel; Steensels, Jan; Lievens, Bart; Verstrepen, Kevin J

2017-01-01

Abstract Yeast cells are often employed in industrial fermentation processes for their ability to efficiently convert relatively high concentrations of sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Additionally, fermenting yeast cells produce a wide range of other compounds, including various higher alcohols, carbonyl compounds, phenolic compounds, fatty acid derivatives and sulfur compounds. Interestingly, many of these secondary metabolites are volatile and have pungent aromas that are often vital for product quality. In this review, we summarize the different biochemical pathways underlying aroma production in yeast as well as the relevance of these compounds for industrial applications and the factors that influence their production during fermentation. Additionally, we discuss the different physiological and ecological roles of aroma-active metabolites, including recent findings that point at their role as signaling molecules and attractants for insect vectors. PMID:28830094

Terahertz thickness determination with interferometric vibration correction for industrial applications.

PubMed

Pfeiffer, Tobias; Weber, Stefan; Klier, Jens; Bachtler, Sebastian; Molter, Daniel; Jonuscheit, Joachim; Von Freymann, Georg

2018-05-14

In many industrial fields, like automotive and painting industry, the thickness of thin layers is a crucial parameter for quality control. Hence, the demand for thickness measurement techniques continuously grows. In particular, non-destructive and contact-free terahertz techniques access a wide range of thickness determination applications. However, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy based systems perform the measurement in a sampling manner, requiring fixed distances between measurement head and sample. In harsh industrial environments vibrations of sample and measurement head distort the time-base and decrease measurement accuracy. We present an interferometer-based vibration correction for terahertz time-domain measurements, able to reduce thickness distortion by one order of magnitude for vibrations with frequencies up to 100 Hz and amplitudes up to 100 µm. We further verify the experimental results by numerical calculations and find very good agreement.

Demographic predictors of false negative self-reported tobacco use status in an insurance applicant population.

PubMed

Palmier, James; Lanzrath, Brian; Dixon, Ammon; Idowu, Oluseun

2014-01-01

To identify and quantify demographic correlates of false-negative self-reporting of tobacco use in life insurance applicants. Several studies have assessed the sensitivity of self-reporting for tobacco use in various populations, but statistical examination of the causes of misreporting has been rarer. The very large (488,000 confirmed tobacco users) sample size, US-wide geographic scope, and unique incentive structure of the life insurance application process permit more robust and insurance industry-specific results in this study. Approximately 6.2 million life insurance applicants for whom both tobacco-use interview questions and a confirmatory urine cotinine test were completed between 1999 and 2012 were evaluated for consistency between self-reported and laboratory-confirmed tobacco-use status. The data set was subjected to logistic regression to identify predictors of false negative self-reports (FNSR). False-negative self-reporting was found to be strongly associated with male gender, applicant ages of less than 30 or greater than 60, and low cotinine positivity rates in the applicant's state of residence. Policy face value was also moderately predictive, values above $500,000 associated with moderately higher FNSR. The findings imply that FNSR in life insurance applicants may be the result of complex interactions among financial incentives, geography and presumptive peer groups, and gender.

Photometric redshifts for the CFHTLS T0004 deep and wide fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coupon, J.; Ilbert, O.; Kilbinger, M.; McCracken, H. J.; Mellier, Y.; Arnouts, S.; Bertin, E.; Hudelot, P.; Schultheis, M.; Le Fèvre, O.; Le Brun, V.; Guzzo, L.; Bardelli, S.; Zucca, E.; Bolzonella, M.; Garilli, B.; Zamorani, G.; Zanichelli, A.; Tresse, L.; Aussel, H.

2009-06-01

Aims: We compute photometric redshifts in the fourth public release of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey. This unique multi-colour catalogue comprises u^*, g', r', i', z' photometry in four deep fields of 1 deg2 each and 35 deg2 distributed over three wide fields. Methods: We used a template-fitting method to compute photometric redshifts calibrated with a large catalogue of 16 983 high-quality spectroscopic redshifts from the VVDS-F02, VVDS-F22, DEEP2, and the zCOSMOS surveys. The method includes correction of systematic offsets, template adaptation, and the use of priors. We also separated stars from galaxies using both size and colour information. Results: Comparing with galaxy spectroscopic redshifts, we find a photometric redshift dispersion, σΔ z/(1+z_s), of 0.028-0.30 and an outlier rate, |Δ z| ≥ 0.15× (1+z_s), of 3-4% in the deep field at i'_AB < 24. In the wide fields, we find a dispersion of 0.037-0.039 and an outlier rate of 3-4% at i'_AB < 22.5. Beyond i'_AB = 22.5 in the wide fields the number of outliers rises from 5% to 10% at i'_AB < 23 and i'_AB < 24, respectively. For the wide sample the systematic redshift bias stays below 1% to i'_AB < 22.5, whereas we find no significant bias in the deep fields. We investigated the effect of tile-to-tile photometric variations and demonstrated that the accuracy of our photometric redshifts is reduced by at most 21%. Application of our star-galaxy classifier reduced the contamination by stars in our catalogues from 60% to 8% at i'_AB < 22.5 in our field with the highest stellar density while keeping a complete galaxy sample. Our CFHTLS T0004 photometric redshifts are distributed to the community. Our release includes 592891 (i'_AB < 22.5) and 244701 (i'_AB < 24) reliable galaxy photometric redshifts in the wide and deep fields, respectively. Based on observations obtained with MegaPrime/MegaCam, a joint project of CFHT and CEA/DAPNIA, at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) of France, and the University of Hawaii. This work is based in part on data products produced at Terapix and the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre as part of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey, a collaborative project of NRC and CNRS.

Applications of the Excimer Laser: A Review.

PubMed

Beggs, Sarah; Short, Jack; Rengifo-Pardo, Monica; Ehrlich, Alison

2015-11-01

The 308-nm excimer laser has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of psoriasis and vitiligo. Its ability to treat localized areas has led to many studies determining its potential in the treatment of focal diseases with inflammation or hypopigmentation. To review the different applications of the 308-nm excimer laser for treating dermatologic conditions. An extensive literature review was conducted by searching PubMed, MEDLINE, and ClinicalKey to find articles pertaining to dermatologic conditions treated with the 308-nm excimer laser. Articles published that contributed to new applications of the excimer laser were included, as well as initial studies utilizing the excimer laser. The outcomes and results were compiled for different dermatologic conditions treated with the excimer laser. The 308-nm excimer laser has a wide range of uses for focal inflammatory and hypopigmented conditions. Treatment is generally well tolerated, with few adverse reactions. Larger studies and studies evaluating the long-term effects of the 308-nm excimer laser are needed.

Co-culture systems and technologies: taking synthetic biology to the next level

PubMed Central

Goers, Lisa; Freemont, Paul; Polizzi, Karen M.

2014-01-01

Co-culture techniques find myriad applications in biology for studying natural or synthetic interactions between cell populations. Such techniques are of great importance in synthetic biology, as multi-species cell consortia and other natural or synthetic ecology systems are widely seen to hold enormous potential for foundational research as well as novel industrial, medical and environmental applications with many proof-of-principle studies in recent years. What is needed for co-cultures to fulfil their potential? Cell–cell interactions in co-cultures are strongly influenced by the extracellular environment, which is determined by the experimental set-up, which therefore needs to be given careful consideration. An overview of existing experimental and theoretical co-culture set-ups in synthetic biology and adjacent fields is given here, and challenges and opportunities involved in such experiments are discussed. Greater focus on foundational technology developments for co-cultures is needed for many synthetic biology systems to realize their potential in both applications and answering biological questions. PMID:24829281

IVAG: An Integrative Visualization Application for Various Types of Genomic Data Based on R-Shiny and the Docker Platform.

PubMed

Lee, Tae-Rim; Ahn, Jin Mo; Kim, Gyuhee; Kim, Sangsoo

2017-12-01

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has become a trend in the genomics research area. There are many software programs and automated pipelines to analyze NGS data, which can ease the pain for traditional scientists who are not familiar with computer programming. However, downstream analyses, such as finding differentially expressed genes or visualizing linkage disequilibrium maps and genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, still remain a challenge. Here, we introduce a dockerized web application written in R using the Shiny platform to visualize pre-analyzed RNA sequencing and GWAS data. In addition, we have integrated a genome browser based on the JBrowse platform and an automated intermediate parsing process required for custom track construction, so that users can easily build and navigate their personal genome tracks with in-house datasets. This application will help scientists perform series of downstream analyses and obtain a more integrative understanding about various types of genomic data by interactively visualizing them with customizable options.

Comparative Study on Various Authentication Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Rajeswari, S Raja; Seenivasagam, V

2016-01-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) consist of lightweight devices with low cost, low power, and short-ranged wireless communication. The sensors can communicate with each other to form a network. In WSNs, broadcast transmission is widely used along with the maximum usage of wireless networks and their applications. Hence, it has become crucial to authenticate broadcast messages. Key management is also an active research topic in WSNs. Several key management schemes have been introduced, and their benefits are not recognized in a specific WSN application. Security services are vital for ensuring the integrity, authenticity, and confidentiality of the critical information. Therefore, the authentication mechanisms are required to support these security services and to be resilient to distinct attacks. Various authentication protocols such as key management protocols, lightweight authentication protocols, and broadcast authentication protocols are compared and analyzed for all secure transmission applications. The major goal of this survey is to compare and find out the appropriate protocol for further research. Moreover, the comparisons between various authentication techniques are also illustrated.

Interfacial electrofluidics in confined systems

PubMed Central

Tang, Biao; Groenewold, Jan; Zhou, Min; Hayes, Robert A.; Zhou, Guofu (G.F.)

2016-01-01

Electrofluidics is a versatile principle that can be used for high speed actuation of liquid interfaces. In most of the applications, the fundamental mechanism of electro-capillary instability plays a crucial role, yet it’s potential richness in confined fluidic layers has not been well addressed. Electrofluidic displays which are comprised of thin pixelated colored films in a range of architectures are excellent systems for studying such phenomena. In this study we show theoretically and experimentally that confinement leads to the generation of a cascade of voltage dependent modes as a result of the electro-capillary instability. In the course of reconciling theory with our experimental data we have observed a number of previously unreported phenomena such as a significant induction time (several milliseconds) prior to film rupture as well as a rupture location not corresponding to the minimum electric field strength in the case of the standard convex water/oil interface used in working devices. These findings are broadly applicable to a wide range of switchable electrofluidic applications and devices having confined liquid films. PMID:27221211

Multiplexed Holographic Data Storage in Bacteriorhodopsin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehrl, David J.; Krile, Thomas F.

1999-01-01

Biochrome photosensitive films in particular Bacteriorhodopsin exhibit features which make these materials an attractive recording medium for optical data storage and processing. Bacteriorhodopsin films find numerous applications in a wide range of optical data processing applications; however the short-term memory characteristics of BR limits their applications for holographic data storage. The life-time of the BR can be extended using cryogenic temperatures [1], although this method makes the system overly complicated and unstable. Longer life-times can be provided in one modification of BR - the "blue" membrane BR [2], however currently available films are characterized by both low diffraction efficiency and difficulties in providing photoreversible recording. In addition, as a dynamic recording material, the BR requires different wavelengths for recording and reconstructing of optical data in order to prevent the information erasure during its readout. This fact also put constraints on a BR-based Optical Memory, due to information loss in holographic memory systems employing the two-lambda technique for reading-writing thick multiplexed holograms.

Visual mining business service using pixel bar charts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Ming C.; Dayal, Umeshwar; Casati, Fabio

2004-06-01

Basic bar charts have been commonly available, but they only show highly aggregated data. Finding the valuable information hidden in the data is essential to the success of business. We describe a new visualization technique called pixel bar charts, which are derived from regular bar charts. The basic idea of a pixel bar chart is to present all data values directly instead of aggregating them into a few data values. Pixel bar charts provide data distribution and exceptions besides aggregated data. The approach is to represent each data item (e.g. a business transaction) by a single pixel in the bar chart. The attribute of each data item is encoded into the pixel color and can be accessed and drilled down to the detail information as needed. Different color mappings are used to represent multiple attributes. This technique has been prototyped in three business service applications-Business Operation Analysis, Sales Analysis, and Service Level Agreement Analysis at Hewlett Packard Laboratories. Our applications show the wide applicability and usefulness of this new idea.

Fabrication of Titania Nanotubes for Gas Sensing Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dzilal, A. A.; Muti, M. N.; John, O. D.

2010-03-01

Detection of hydrogen is needed for industrial process control and medical applications where presence of hydrogen indicates different type of health problems. Titanium dioxide nanotube structure is chosen as an active component in the gas sensor because of its highly sensitive electrical resistance to hydrogen over a wide range of concentrations. The objective of the work is to fabricate good quality titania nanotubes suitable for hydrogen sensing applications. The fabrication method used is anodizing method. The anodizing parameters namely the voltage, time duration, concentration of hydrofluoric acid in water, separation between the electrodes and the ambient temperature are varied accordingly to find the optimum anodizing conditions for production of good quality titania nanotubes. The highly ordered porous titania nanotubes produced by this method are in tabular shape and have good uniformity and alignment over large areas. From the investigation done, certain set of anodizing parameters have been found to produce good quality titania nanotubes with diameter ranges from 47 nm to 94 nm.

Comparative Study on Various Authentication Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Rajeswari, S. Raja; Seenivasagam, V.

2016-01-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) consist of lightweight devices with low cost, low power, and short-ranged wireless communication. The sensors can communicate with each other to form a network. In WSNs, broadcast transmission is widely used along with the maximum usage of wireless networks and their applications. Hence, it has become crucial to authenticate broadcast messages. Key management is also an active research topic in WSNs. Several key management schemes have been introduced, and their benefits are not recognized in a specific WSN application. Security services are vital for ensuring the integrity, authenticity, and confidentiality of the critical information. Therefore, the authentication mechanisms are required to support these security services and to be resilient to distinct attacks. Various authentication protocols such as key management protocols, lightweight authentication protocols, and broadcast authentication protocols are compared and analyzed for all secure transmission applications. The major goal of this survey is to compare and find out the appropriate protocol for further research. Moreover, the comparisons between various authentication techniques are also illustrated. PMID:26881272

Effects of adding metals to MoS2 in a ytterbium doped Q-switched fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaleque, Abdul; Liu, Liming

2018-03-01

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is widely used in lubricants, metallic alloys and in electronic and optical components. It is also used as saturable absorbers (SAs) in lasers (e.g. fiber lasers): a simple deposition of MoS2 on the fiber end can create a saturable absorber without the necessity of extensive alignment of the optical beam. In this article, we study the effects of adding different metals (Cr, Au, and Al) to MoS2 in a ytterbium (Yb)-doped Q-switched fiber laser. Experimental results show that the addition of a thin layer of gold and aluminium can reduce pulse durations to about 5.8 μs and 8.5 μs, respectively, compared with pure MoS2 with pulse duration of 12 μs. Experimental analysis of the combined metal and MoS2 based composite SAs can be useful in fiber laser applications where it may also find applications in medical, three dimensional (3D) active imaging and dental applications.

Carbon nanotubes: Properties, biomedical applications, advantages and risks in patients and occupationally-exposed workers.

PubMed

Lamberti, M; Pedata, P; Sannolo, N; Porto, S; De Rosa, A; Caraglia, M

2015-03-01

Since the beginning of the 21st century, carbon-based nanomaterials (CNTs) have been introduced in pharmacy and medicine for drug delivery system in therapeutics. CNTs have proved able to transport a wide range of molecules across membranes and into living cells; therefore, they have attracted great interest in biomedical applications such as advanced imaging, tissue regeneration, and drug or gene delivery. Although there are many data on the advantages in terms of higher efficacy and less adverse effects, several recent findings have reported unexpected toxicities induced by CNTs. The dose, shape, surface chemistry, exposure route, and purity play important roles in these differential toxicities. Mapping these risks as well as understanding their molecular mechanisms is a crucial step in the development of any CNT-containing nanopharmaceuticals. This paper seeks to provide a comprehensive review of all articles published on cellular response to CNTs, underlining their therapeutic applications and possible toxicity in patients and occupationally exposed workers. © The Author(s) 2015.

Ion-beam technology and applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hudson, W. R.; Robson, R. R.; Sovey, J. S.

1977-01-01

Ion propulsion research and development yields a mature technology that is transferable to a wide range of nonpropulsive applications, including terrestrial and space manufacturing. A xenon ion source was used for an investigation into potential ion-beam applications. The results of cathode tests and discharge-chamber experiments are presented. A series of experiments encompassing a wide range of potential applications is discussed. Two types of processes, sputter deposition, and erosion were studied. Some of the potential applications are thin-film Teflon capacitor fabrication, lubrication applications, ion-beam cleaning and polishing, and surface texturing.

Fabrication of Porous Materials from Natural/Synthetic Biopolymers and Their Composites.

PubMed

Sampath, Udeni Gunathilake T M; Ching, Yern Chee; Chuah, Cheng Hock; Sabariah, Johari J; Lin, Pai-Chen

2016-12-07

Biopolymers and their applications have been widely studied in recent years. Replacing the oil based polymer materials with biopolymers in a sustainable manner might give not only a competitive advantage but, in addition, they possess unique properties which cannot be emulated by conventional polymers. This review covers the fabrication of porous materials from natural biopolymers (cellulose, chitosan, collagen), synthetic biopolymers (poly(lactic acid), poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid)) and their composite materials. Properties of biopolymers strongly depend on the polymer structure and are of great importance when fabricating the polymer into intended applications. Biopolymers find a large spectrum of application in the medical field. Other fields such as packaging, technical, environmental, agricultural and food are also gaining importance. The introduction of porosity into a biomaterial broadens the scope of applications. There are many techniques used to fabricate porous polymers. Fabrication methods, including the basic and conventional techniques to the more recent ones, are reviewed. Advantages and limitations of each method are discussed in detail. Special emphasis is placed on the pore characteristics of biomaterials used for various applications. This review can aid in furthering our understanding of the fabrication methods and about controlling the porosity and microarchitecture of porous biopolymer materials.

Fabrication of Porous Materials from Natural/Synthetic Biopolymers and Their Composites

PubMed Central

Sampath, Udeni Gunathilake T.M.; Ching, Yern Chee; Chuah, Cheng Hock; Sabariah, Johari J.; Lin, Pai-Chen

2016-01-01

Biopolymers and their applications have been widely studied in recent years. Replacing the oil based polymer materials with biopolymers in a sustainable manner might give not only a competitive advantage but, in addition, they possess unique properties which cannot be emulated by conventional polymers. This review covers the fabrication of porous materials from natural biopolymers (cellulose, chitosan, collagen), synthetic biopolymers (poly(lactic acid), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)) and their composite materials. Properties of biopolymers strongly depend on the polymer structure and are of great importance when fabricating the polymer into intended applications. Biopolymers find a large spectrum of application in the medical field. Other fields such as packaging, technical, environmental, agricultural and food are also gaining importance. The introduction of porosity into a biomaterial broadens the scope of applications. There are many techniques used to fabricate porous polymers. Fabrication methods, including the basic and conventional techniques to the more recent ones, are reviewed. Advantages and limitations of each method are discussed in detail. Special emphasis is placed on the pore characteristics of biomaterials used for various applications. This review can aid in furthering our understanding of the fabrication methods and about controlling the porosity and microarchitecture of porous biopolymer materials. PMID:28774113

The design and development of CO2 medium-level laser power calibration system for industrial and medical applications in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nontapot, Kanokwan

2018-03-01

The carbon dioxide laser (CO2 laser) is one of the most useful and is the highest CW laser at the present. The laser produces infrared light at 10.6 um. Due to its high power, CO2 lasers are usually used in industrial applications such as cutting and welding, or for engraving at less power. CO2 lasers are also used widely in medical applications, such as laser surgery, skin resurfacing, and removing mold, due to water (biological tissue) absorb light at this wavelength very well. CO2 lasers are also used as LIDAR laser source for military range finding applications because of the transparency of the atmosphere to infrared light. Due to the increasing use of CO2 lasers laser in industrial and medical applications in Thailand, the National Institute of Metrology (Thailand) has set up a CO2 laser power calibration system and provide calibration service to customers this year. The service support calibration of medium-level laser power at wavelength of 10.6 um and at power range 100 mW-10W. The design and development of the calibration system will be presented.

Applications of bacterial cellulose and its composites in biomedicine.

PubMed

Rajwade, J M; Paknikar, K M; Kumbhar, J V

2015-03-01

Bacterial cellulose produced by few but specific microbial genera is an extremely pure natural exopolysaccharide. Besides providing adhesive properties and a competitive advantage to the cellulose over-producer, bacterial cellulose confers UV protection, ensures maintenance of an aerobic environment, retains moisture, protects against heavy metal stress, etc. This unique nanostructured matrix is being widely explored for various medical and nonmedical applications. It can be produced in various shapes and forms because of which it finds varied uses in biomedicine. The attributes of bacterial cellulose such as biocompatibility, haemocompatibility, mechanical strength, microporosity and biodegradability with its unique surface chemistry make it ideally suited for a plethora of biomedical applications. This review highlights these qualities of bacterial cellulose in detail with emphasis on reports that prove its utility in biomedicine. It also gives an in-depth account of various biomedical applications ranging from implants and scaffolds for tissue engineering, carriers for drug delivery, wound-dressing materials, etc. that are reported until date. Besides, perspectives on limitations of commercialisation of bacterial cellulose have been presented. This review is also an update on the variety of low-cost substrates used for production of bacterial cellulose and its nonmedical applications and includes patents and commercial products based on bacterial cellulose.

Validation plays the role of a "bridge" in connecting remote sensing research and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhiqiang; Deng, Ying; Fan, Yida

2018-07-01

Remote sensing products contribute to improving earth observations over space and time. Uncertainties exist in products of different levels; thus, validation of these products before and during their applications is critical. This study discusses the meaning of validation in depth and proposes a new definition of reliability for use with such products. In this context, validation should include three aspects: a description of the relevant uncertainties, quantitative measurement results and a qualitative judgment that considers the needs of users. A literature overview is then presented evidencing improvements in the concepts associated with validation. It shows that the root mean squared error (RMSE) is widely used to express accuracy; increasing numbers of remote sensing products have been validated; research institutes contribute most validation efforts; and sufficient validation studies encourage the application of remote sensing products. Validation plays a connecting role in the distribution and application of remote sensing products. Validation connects simple remote sensing subjects with other disciplines, and it connects primary research with practical applications. Based on the above findings, it is suggested that validation efforts that include wider cooperation among research institutes and full consideration of the needs of users should be promoted.

47 CFR 73.7003 - Point system selection procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... stations. (3) State-wide network. Two points for an applicant that does not qualify for the credit for... the diversity credit and the state-wide network credit in any particular application. (4) Technical... following: (1) If the applicant is in a group for which a “B” cut-off notice issued prior to April 21, 2000...

Wide spectral band beam analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aharon, Oren

2015-03-01

The reality in laser beam profiling is that measurements are performed over a wide spectrum of wavelengths and power ranges. Many applications use multiple laser wavelengths with very different power levels, a fact which dictates a need for a better measuring tool. Rapid progress in the fiber laser area has increased the demand for lasers in the wavelength range of 900 - 1030 nm, while the telecommunication market has increased the demand for wavelength range of 1300nm - 1600 nm, on the other hand the silicone chip manufacturing and mass production requirements tend to lower the laser wavelength towards the 190nm region. In many cases there is a need to combine several lasers together in order to perform a specific task. A typical application is to combine one visible laser for pointing, with a different laser for material processing with a very different wavelength and power level. The visible laser enables accurate pointing before the second laser is operated. The beam profile of the intensity distribution is an important parameter that indicates how a laser beam will behave in an application. Currently a lab, where many different lasers are used, will find itself using various laser beam profilers from several vendors with different specifications and accuracies. It is the propose of this article to present a technological breakthrough in the area of detectors, electronics and optics allowing intricate measurements of lasers with different wavelength and with power levels that vary many orders of magnitude by a single beam profiler.

A Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Five Loci Influencing Facial Morphology in Europeans

PubMed Central

Liu, Fan; van der Lijn, Fedde; Schurmann, Claudia; Zhu, Gu; Chakravarty, M. Mallar; Hysi, Pirro G.; Wollstein, Andreas; Lao, Oscar; de Bruijne, Marleen; Ikram, M. Arfan; van der Lugt, Aad; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Uitterlinden, André G.; Hofman, Albert; Niessen, Wiro J.; Homuth, Georg; de Zubicaray, Greig; McMahon, Katie L.; Thompson, Paul M.; Daboul, Amro; Puls, Ralf; Hegenscheid, Katrin; Bevan, Liisa; Pausova, Zdenka; Medland, Sarah E.; Montgomery, Grant W.; Wright, Margaret J.; Wicking, Carol; Boehringer, Stefan; Spector, Timothy D.; Paus, Tomáš; Martin, Nicholas G.; Biffar, Reiner; Kayser, Manfred

2012-01-01

Inter-individual variation in facial shape is one of the most noticeable phenotypes in humans, and it is clearly under genetic regulation; however, almost nothing is known about the genetic basis of normal human facial morphology. We therefore conducted a genome-wide association study for facial shape phenotypes in multiple discovery and replication cohorts, considering almost ten thousand individuals of European descent from several countries. Phenotyping of facial shape features was based on landmark data obtained from three-dimensional head magnetic resonance images (MRIs) and two-dimensional portrait images. We identified five independent genetic loci associated with different facial phenotypes, suggesting the involvement of five candidate genes—PRDM16, PAX3, TP63, C5orf50, and COL17A1—in the determination of the human face. Three of them have been implicated previously in vertebrate craniofacial development and disease, and the remaining two genes potentially represent novel players in the molecular networks governing facial development. Our finding at PAX3 influencing the position of the nasion replicates a recent GWAS of facial features. In addition to the reported GWA findings, we established links between common DNA variants previously associated with NSCL/P at 2p21, 8q24, 13q31, and 17q22 and normal facial-shape variations based on a candidate gene approach. Overall our study implies that DNA variants in genes essential for craniofacial development contribute with relatively small effect size to the spectrum of normal variation in human facial morphology. This observation has important consequences for future studies aiming to identify more genes involved in the human facial morphology, as well as for potential applications of DNA prediction of facial shape such as in future forensic applications. PMID:23028347

Using the World Wide Web: Applications for Marketing Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stull, William A.; And Others

1996-01-01

This article introduces potential uses of the World Wide Web for marketing education, presents tips for navigating the web, and provides a sample of useful applications. Also provides suggestions for monitoring student use of the web. (JOW)

Accurate computation of survival statistics in genome-wide studies.

PubMed

Vandin, Fabio; Papoutsaki, Alexandra; Raphael, Benjamin J; Upfal, Eli

2015-05-01

A key challenge in genomics is to identify genetic variants that distinguish patients with different survival time following diagnosis or treatment. While the log-rank test is widely used for this purpose, nearly all implementations of the log-rank test rely on an asymptotic approximation that is not appropriate in many genomics applications. This is because: the two populations determined by a genetic variant may have very different sizes; and the evaluation of many possible variants demands highly accurate computation of very small p-values. We demonstrate this problem for cancer genomics data where the standard log-rank test leads to many false positive associations between somatic mutations and survival time. We develop and analyze a novel algorithm, Exact Log-rank Test (ExaLT), that accurately computes the p-value of the log-rank statistic under an exact distribution that is appropriate for any size populations. We demonstrate the advantages of ExaLT on data from published cancer genomics studies, finding significant differences from the reported p-values. We analyze somatic mutations in six cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), finding mutations with known association to survival as well as several novel associations. In contrast, standard implementations of the log-rank test report dozens-hundreds of likely false positive associations as more significant than these known associations.

Accurate Computation of Survival Statistics in Genome-Wide Studies

PubMed Central

Vandin, Fabio; Papoutsaki, Alexandra; Raphael, Benjamin J.; Upfal, Eli

2015-01-01

A key challenge in genomics is to identify genetic variants that distinguish patients with different survival time following diagnosis or treatment. While the log-rank test is widely used for this purpose, nearly all implementations of the log-rank test rely on an asymptotic approximation that is not appropriate in many genomics applications. This is because: the two populations determined by a genetic variant may have very different sizes; and the evaluation of many possible variants demands highly accurate computation of very small p-values. We demonstrate this problem for cancer genomics data where the standard log-rank test leads to many false positive associations between somatic mutations and survival time. We develop and analyze a novel algorithm, Exact Log-rank Test (ExaLT), that accurately computes the p-value of the log-rank statistic under an exact distribution that is appropriate for any size populations. We demonstrate the advantages of ExaLT on data from published cancer genomics studies, finding significant differences from the reported p-values. We analyze somatic mutations in six cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), finding mutations with known association to survival as well as several novel associations. In contrast, standard implementations of the log-rank test report dozens-hundreds of likely false positive associations as more significant than these known associations. PMID:25950620

Evidence-Based Practice in Forensic Mental Health Nursing: A Critical Review.

PubMed

Byrt, Richard; Spencer-Stiles, Theresa A; Ismail, Ismail

2018-06-15

Literature searches of databases, particularly CINAHL, using key phrases were undertaken. Some authors argue that there is a lack of evidence in forensic mental health (FMH) nursing, with few randomized controlled trials and other methods providing definitive, generalizable evidence. However, literature searches revealed randomized controlled trials of relevance to FMH nursing, many qualitative studies by FMH nurses, and arguments for clinical experience and knowledge of service users, and the latter's views, as sources of evidence. Research findings can be applied to practice, both directly and indirectly. Examples are given of ways that evidence can be used to inform FMH nursing interventions related to therapeutic ward environments, including communication, therapeutic relationships, preventing retraumatization, and enabling physical health. The complex nature of "evidence" is considered in relation to risk assessment and management. FMH nursing can be based on a wide range of sources of evidence. The types of evidence used in practice depend on individual service users' needs and views. In evaluating evidence, it is necessary to be aware of its complex, diverse nature. A distinction can be made between definitive, widely generalizable research findings and evidence with limited generalizability, requiring FMH nurses' judgments about whether it is applicable to their own area of practice. Recommendations for related education and research are made.

Prioritizing Scientific Data for Transmission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castano, Rebecca; Anderson, Robert; Estlin, Tara; DeCoste, Dennis; Gaines, Daniel; Mazzoni, Dominic; Fisher, Forest; Judd, Michele

2004-01-01

A software system has been developed for prioritizing newly acquired geological data onboard a planetary rover. The system has been designed to enable efficient use of limited communication resources by transmitting the data likely to have the most scientific value. This software operates onboard a rover by analyzing collected data, identifying potential scientific targets, and then using that information to prioritize data for transmission to Earth. Currently, the system is focused on the analysis of acquired images, although the general techniques are applicable to a wide range of data modalities. Image prioritization is performed using two main steps. In the first step, the software detects features of interest from each image. In its current application, the system is focused on visual properties of rocks. Thus, rocks are located in each image and rock properties, such as shape, texture, and albedo, are extracted from the identified rocks. In the second step, the features extracted from a group of images are used to prioritize the images using three different methods: (1) identification of key target signature (finding specific rock features the scientist has identified as important), (2) novelty detection (finding rocks we haven t seen before), and (3) representative rock sampling (finding the most average sample of each rock type). These methods use techniques such as K-means unsupervised clustering and a discrimination-based kernel classifier to rank images based on their interest level.

Graphene-on-paper sound source devices.

PubMed

Tian, He; Ren, Tian-Ling; Xie, Dan; Wang, Yu-Feng; Zhou, Chang-Jian; Feng, Ting-Ting; Fu, Di; Yang, Yi; Peng, Ping-Gang; Wang, Li-Gang; Liu, Li-Tian

2011-06-28

We demonstrate an interesting phenomenon that graphene can emit sound. The application of graphene can be expanded in the acoustic field. Graphene-on-paper sound source devices are made by patterning graphene on paper substrates. Three graphene sheet samples with the thickness of 100, 60, and 20 nm were fabricated. Sound emission from graphene is measured as a function of power, distance, angle, and frequency in the far-field. The theoretical model of air/graphene/paper/PCB board multilayer structure is established to analyze the sound directivity, frequency response, and efficiency. Measured sound pressure level (SPL) and efficiency are in good agreement with theoretical results. It is found that graphene has a significant flat frequency response in the wide ultrasound range 20-50 kHz. In addition, the thinner graphene sheets can produce higher SPL due to its lower heat capacity per unit area (HCPUA). The infrared thermal images reveal that a thermoacoustic effect is the working principle. We find that the sound performance mainly depends on the HCPUA of the conductor and the thermal properties of the substrate. The paper-based graphene sound source devices have highly reliable, flexible, no mechanical vibration, simple structure and high performance characteristics. It could open wide applications in multimedia, consumer electronics, biological, medical, and many other areas.

On the future contents of a small journal of histochemistry.

PubMed

Pellicciari, C

2012-12-10

In the last three years, more than 70,000 scientific articles have been published in peer reviewed journals on the application of histochemistry in the biomedical field: most of them did not appear in strictly histochemical journals, but in others dealing with cell and molecular biology, medicine or biotechnology. This proves that histochemistry is still an active and innovative discipline with relevance in basic and applied biological research, but also demonstrates that especially the small histochemical Journals should likely reconsider their scopes and strategies to preserve their authorship. A review of the last three years volumes of the European Journal of Histochemistry, taken as an example of a long-time established small Journal, confirmed that the published articles were widely heterogeneous in their topics and experimental models, as in this Journal's tradition. This strongly suggests that a Journal of histochemistry should keep its role as a forum open to an audience as broad as possible, publishing papers on cell and tissue biology in a wide variety of models. This will improve knowledge of the basic mechanisms of development and differentiation, while helping to increase the number of potential authors since scientists who generally do not use histochemistry in their research will find hints for the applications of histochemical techniques to novel still unexplored subjects.

Foeniculum vulgare Mill: A Review of Its Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Contemporary Application, and Toxicology

PubMed Central

Patel, Vainav V.; Bandivdekar, Atmaram H.

2014-01-01

Foeniculum vulgare Mill commonly called fennel has been used in traditional medicine for a wide range of ailments related to digestive, endocrine, reproductive, and respiratory systems. Additionally, it is also used as a galactagogue agent for lactating mothers. The review aims to gather the fragmented information available in the literature regarding morphology, ethnomedicinal applications, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of Foeniculum vulgare. It also compiles available scientific evidence for the ethnobotanical claims and to identify gaps required to be filled by future research. Findings based on their traditional uses and scientific evaluation indicates that Foeniculum vulgare remains to be the most widely used herbal plant. It has been used for more than forty types of disorders. Phytochemical studies have shown the presence of numerous valuable compounds, such as volatile compounds, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, and amino acids. Compiled data indicate their efficacy in several in vitro and in vivo pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antinociceptive, antipyretic, antispasmodic, antithrombotic, apoptotic, cardiovascular, chemomodulatory, antitumor, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and memory enhancing property. Foeniculum vulgare has emerged as a good source of traditional medicine and it provides a noteworthy basis in pharmaceutical biology for the development/formulation of new drugs and future clinical uses. PMID:25162032

Oxygen- and Nitrogen-Enriched 3D Porous Carbon for Supercapacitors of High Volumetric Capacity.

PubMed

Li, Jia; Liu, Kang; Gao, Xiang; Yao, Bin; Huo, Kaifu; Cheng, Yongliang; Cheng, Xiaofeng; Chen, Dongchang; Wang, Bo; Sun, Wanmei; Ding, Dong; Liu, Meilin; Huang, Liang

2015-11-11

Efficient utilization and broader commercialization of alternative energies (e.g., solar, wind, and geothermal) hinges on the performance and cost of energy storage and conversion systems. For now and in the foreseeable future, the combination of rechargeable batteries and electrochemical capacitors remains the most promising option for many energy storage applications. Porous carbonaceous materials have been widely used as an electrode for batteries and supercapacitors. To date, however, the highest specific capacitance of an electrochemical double layer capacitor is only ∼200 F/g, although a wide variety of synthetic approaches have been explored in creating optimized porous structures. Here, we report our findings in the synthesis of porous carbon through a simple, one-step process: direct carbonization of kelp in an NH3 atmosphere at 700 °C. The resulting oxygen- and nitrogen-enriched carbon has a three-dimensional structure with specific surface area greater than 1000 m(2)/g. When evaluated as an electrode for electrochemical double layer capacitors, the porous carbon structure demonstrated excellent volumetric capacitance (>360 F/cm(3)) with excellent cycling stability. This simple approach to low-cost carbonaceous materials with unique architecture and functionality could be a promising alternative to fabrication of porous carbon structures for many practical applications, including batteries and fuel cells.

Small intestinal submucosa extracellular matrix (CorMatrix®) in cardiovascular surgery: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Mosala Nezhad, Zahra; Poncelet, Alain; de Kerchove, Laurent; Gianello, Pierre; Fervaille, Caroline; El Khoury, Gebrine

2016-01-01

Extracellular matrix (ECM) derived from small intestinal submucosa (SIS) is widely used in clinical applications as a scaffold for tissue repair. Recently, CorMatrix® porcine SIS-ECM (CorMatrix Cardiovascular, Inc., Roswell, GA, USA) has gained popularity for ‘next-generation’ cardiovascular tissue engineering due to its ease of use, remodelling properties, lack of immunogenicity, absorbability and potential to promote native tissue growth. Here, we provide an overview of the biology of porcine SIS-ECM and systematically review the preclinical and clinical literature on its use in cardiovascular surgery. CorMatrix® has been used in a variety of cardiovascular surgical applications, and since it is the most widely used SIS-ECM, this material is the focus of this review. Since CorMatrix® is a relatively new product for cardiovascular surgery, some clinical and preclinical studies published lack systematic reporting of functional and pathological findings in sufficient numbers of subjects. There are also emerging reports to suggest that, contrary to expectations, an undesirable inflammatory response may occur in CorMatrix® implants in humans and longer-term outcomes at particular sites, such as the heart valves, may be suboptimal. Large-scale clinical studies are needed driven by robust protocols that aim to quantify the pathological process of tissue repair. PMID:26912574

On the future contents of a small journal of histochemistry

PubMed Central

Pellicciari, C.

2012-01-01

In the last three years, more than 70,000 scientific articles have been published in peer reviewed journals on the application of histochemistry in the biomedical field: most of them did not appear in strictly histochemical journals, but in others dealing with cell and molecular biology, medicine or biotechnology. This proves that histochemistry is still an active and innovative discipline with relevance in basic and applied biological research, but also demonstrates that especially the small histochemical journals should likely reconsider their scopes and strategies to preserve their authorship. A review of the last three years volumes of the European Journal of Histochemistry, taken as an example of a long-time established small journal, confirmed that the published articles were widely heterogeneous in their topics and experimental models, as in this journal's tradition. This strongly suggests that a journal of histochemistry should keep its role as a forum open to an audience as broad as possible, publishing papers on cell and tissue biology in a wide variety of models. This will improve knowledge of the basic mechanisms of development and differentiation, while helping to increase the number of potential authors since scientists who generally do not use histochemistry in their research will find hints for the applications of histochemical techniques to novel still unexplored subjects. PMID:23361247

Network sampling coverage II: The effect of non-random missing data on network measurement

PubMed Central

Smith, Jeffrey A.; Moody, James; Morgan, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Missing data is an important, but often ignored, aspect of a network study. Measurement validity is affected by missing data, but the level of bias can be difficult to gauge. Here, we describe the effect of missing data on network measurement across widely different circumstances. In Part I of this study (Smith and Moody, 2013), we explored the effect of measurement bias due to randomly missing nodes. Here, we drop the assumption that data are missing at random: what happens to estimates of key network statistics when central nodes are more/less likely to be missing? We answer this question using a wide range of empirical networks and network measures. We find that bias is worse when more central nodes are missing. With respect to network measures, Bonacich centrality is highly sensitive to the loss of central nodes, while closeness centrality is not; distance and bicomponent size are more affected than triad summary measures and behavioral homophily is more robust than degree-homophily. With respect to types of networks, larger, directed networks tend to be more robust, but the relation is weak. We end the paper with a practical application, showing how researchers can use our results (translated into a publically available java application) to gauge the bias in their own data. PMID:27867254

Network sampling coverage II: The effect of non-random missing data on network measurement.

PubMed

Smith, Jeffrey A; Moody, James; Morgan, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Missing data is an important, but often ignored, aspect of a network study. Measurement validity is affected by missing data, but the level of bias can be difficult to gauge. Here, we describe the effect of missing data on network measurement across widely different circumstances. In Part I of this study (Smith and Moody, 2013), we explored the effect of measurement bias due to randomly missing nodes. Here, we drop the assumption that data are missing at random: what happens to estimates of key network statistics when central nodes are more/less likely to be missing? We answer this question using a wide range of empirical networks and network measures. We find that bias is worse when more central nodes are missing. With respect to network measures, Bonacich centrality is highly sensitive to the loss of central nodes, while closeness centrality is not; distance and bicomponent size are more affected than triad summary measures and behavioral homophily is more robust than degree-homophily. With respect to types of networks, larger, directed networks tend to be more robust, but the relation is weak. We end the paper with a practical application, showing how researchers can use our results (translated into a publically available java application) to gauge the bias in their own data.

Optical tomography as adjunct to x-ray mammography: methods and results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khayat, Mario; Ichalalene, Zahia; Mincu, Niculae; Leblond, Fredéric; Guilman, Olga; Djeziri, Salim

2007-02-01

Recent years have seen significant efforts deployed to apply optical imaging techniques in clinical indications. Optical mammography as an adjunct to X-ray mammography is one such application. 3D optical mammography relies on the sensitivity of near-infrared light to endogenous breast chromophores in order to generate in vivo functional views of the breast. This work presents prospective tissue characterization results from a multi-site clinical study targeting optical tomography as an adjunct to conventional mammography. A 2 nd -generation multi-wavelength time-domain acquisition system was used to scan a wide population of women presenting normal or suspicious X-ray mammograms. Application specific algorithms based on a diffusive model of light transport were used to quantify the breast's optical properties and derive 3D images of physiological indices. Using histopathological findings as a gold standard, results confirm that optically derived parameters provide statistically significant discrimination between malignant and benign tissue in wide population of subjects. The methodology developed for case reviews, lesion delineation and characterization allows for better translation of the optical data to the more traditional x-ray paradigm while maintaining efficacy. They also point to the need for guidelines that facilitate correlation of optical data if those results are to be confirmed in a clinical setting.

Crop residue decomposition in Minnesota biochar-amended plots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weyers, S. L.; Spokas, K. A.

2014-06-01

Impacts of biochar application at laboratory scales are routinely studied, but impacts of biochar application on decomposition of crop residues at field scales have not been widely addressed. The priming or hindrance of crop residue decomposition could have a cascading impact on soil processes, particularly those influencing nutrient availability. Our objectives were to evaluate biochar effects on field decomposition of crop residue, using plots that were amended with biochars made from different plant-based feedstocks and pyrolysis platforms in the fall of 2008. Litterbags containing wheat straw material were buried in July of 2011 below the soil surface in a continuous-corn cropped field in plots that had received one of seven different biochar amendments or a uncharred wood-pellet amendment 2.5 yr prior to start of this study. Litterbags were collected over the course of 14 weeks. Microbial biomass was assessed in treatment plots the previous fall. Though first-order decomposition rate constants were positively correlated to microbial biomass, neither parameter was statistically affected by biochar or wood-pellet treatments. The findings indicated only a residual of potentially positive and negative initial impacts of biochars on residue decomposition, which fit in line with established feedstock and pyrolysis influences. Overall, these findings indicate that no significant alteration in the microbial dynamics of the soil decomposer communities occurred as a consequence of the application of plant-based biochars evaluated here.

An Multivariate Distance-Based Analytic Framework for Connectome-Wide Association Studies

PubMed Central

Shehzad, Zarrar; Kelly, Clare; Reiss, Philip T.; Craddock, R. Cameron; Emerson, John W.; McMahon, Katie; Copland, David A.; Castellanos, F. Xavier; Milham, Michael P.

2014-01-01

The identification of phenotypic associations in high-dimensional brain connectivity data represents the next frontier in the neuroimaging connectomics era. Exploration of brain-phenotype relationships remains limited by statistical approaches that are computationally intensive, depend on a priori hypotheses, or require stringent correction for multiple comparisons. Here, we propose a computationally efficient, data-driven technique for connectome-wide association studies (CWAS) that provides a comprehensive voxel-wise survey of brain-behavior relationships across the connectome; the approach identifies voxels whose whole-brain connectivity patterns vary significantly with a phenotypic variable. Using resting state fMRI data, we demonstrate the utility of our analytic framework by identifying significant connectivity-phenotype relationships for full-scale IQ and assessing their overlap with existent neuroimaging findings, as synthesized by openly available automated meta-analysis (www.neurosynth.org). The results appeared to be robust to the removal of nuisance covariates (i.e., mean connectivity, global signal, and motion) and varying brain resolution (i.e., voxelwise results are highly similar to results using 800 parcellations). We show that CWAS findings can be used to guide subsequent seed-based correlation analyses. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of the approach by examining CWAS for three additional datasets, each encompassing a distinct phenotypic variable: neurotypical development, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder diagnostic status, and L-dopa pharmacological manipulation. For each phenotype, our approach to CWAS identified distinct connectome-wide association profiles, not previously attainable in a single study utilizing traditional univariate approaches. As a computationally efficient, extensible, and scalable method, our CWAS framework can accelerate the discovery of brain-behavior relationships in the connectome. PMID:24583255

Private Information and Insurance Rejections

PubMed Central

Hendren, Nathaniel

2013-01-01

Across a wide set of non-group insurance markets, applicants are rejected based on observable, often high-risk, characteristics. This paper argues that private information, held by the potential applicant pool, explains rejections. I formulate this argument by developing and testing a model in which agents may have private information about their risk. I first derive a new no-trade result that theoretically explains how private information could cause rejections. I then develop a new empirical methodology to test whether this no-trade condition can explain rejections. The methodology uses subjective probability elicitations as noisy measures of agents beliefs. I apply this approach to three non-group markets: long-term care, disability, and life insurance. Consistent with the predictions of the theory, in all three settings I find significant amounts of private information held by those who would be rejected; I find generally more private information for those who would be rejected relative to those who can purchase insurance; and I show it is enough private information to explain a complete absence of trade for those who would be rejected. The results suggest private information prevents the existence of large segments of these three major insurance markets. PMID:24187381

Application of radar for automotive collision avoidance. Volume 1: Technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lichtenberg, C. L. (Editor)

1987-01-01

The purpose of this project was research and development of an automobile collision avoidance radar system. The major finding was that the application of radar to the automobile collision avoidance problem deserves continued research even though the specific approach investigated in this effort did not perform adequately in its angle measurement capability. Additional findings were that: (1) preliminary performance requirements of a candidate radar system are not unreasonable; (2) the number and severity of traffic accidents could be reduced by using a collision avoidance radar system which observes a fairly wide (at least + or - 10 deg) field of view ahead of the vehicle; (3) the health radiation hazards of a probable radar design are not significant even when a large number of radar-equipped vehicles are considered; (4) effects of inclement weather on radar operation can be accommodated in most cases; (5) the phase monopulse radar technique as implemented demonstrated inferior angle measurement performance which warrants the recommendation of investigating alternative radar techniques; and (6) extended target and multipath effects, which presumably distort the amplitude and phase distribution across the antenna aperture, are responsible for the observed inadequate phase monopulse radar performance.

A Forest of Sub-1.5-nm-wide Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes over an Engineered Alumina Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Ning; Li, Meng; Patscheider, Jörg; Youn, Seul Ki; Park, Hyung Gyu

2017-04-01

A precise control of the dimension of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in their vertical array could enable many promising applications in various fields. Here, we demonstrate the growth of vertically aligned, single-walled CNTs (VA-SWCNTs) with diameters in the sub-1.5-nm range (0.98 ± 0.24 nm), by engineering a catalyst support layer of alumina via thermal annealing followed by ion beam treatment. We find out that the ion beam bombardment on the alumina allows the growth of ultra-narrow nanotubes, whereas the thermal annealing promotes the vertical alignment at the expense of enlarged diameters; in an optimal combination, these two effects can cooperate to produce the ultra-narrow VA-SWCNTs. According to micro- and spectroscopic characterizations, ion beam bombardment amorphizes the alumina surface to increase the porosity, defects, and oxygen-laden functional groups on it to inhibit Ostwald ripening of catalytic Fe nanoparticles effectively, while thermal annealing can densify bulk alumina to prevent subsurface diffusion of the catalyst particles. Our findings contribute to the current efforts of precise diameter control of VA-SWCNTs, essential for applications such as membranes and energy storage devices.

Open-loop control of quasiperiodic thermoacoustic oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Yu; Gupta, Vikrant; Kashinath, Karthik; Li, Larry K. B.

2017-11-01

The open-loop application of periodic acoustic forcing has been shown to be a potentially effective strategy for controlling periodic thermoacoustic oscillations, but its effectiveness on aperiodic thermoacoustic oscillations is less clear. In this experimental study, we apply periodic acoustic forcing to a ducted premixed flame oscillating quasiperiodically at two incommensurate natural frequencies, f1 and f2. We find that (i) above a critical forcing amplitude, the system locks into the forcing by oscillating only at the forcing frequency ff, producing a closed periodic orbit in phase space with no evidence of the original T2 torus attractor; (ii) the critical forcing amplitude required for lock-in decreases as ff approaches either f1 or f2, resulting in characteristic ∨-shaped lock-in boundaries around the two natural modes; and (iii) for a wide range of forcing frequencies, the system's oscillation amplitude can be reduced to less than 20% of that of the unforced system. These findings show that the open-loop application of periodic acoustic forcing can be an effective strategy for controlling aperiodic thermoacoustic oscillations. This work was supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (Project No. 16235716 and 26202815).

Finding reproducible cluster partitions for the k-means algorithm

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

K-means clustering is widely used for exploratory data analysis. While its dependence on initialisation is well-known, it is common practice to assume that the partition with lowest sum-of-squares (SSQ) total i.e. within cluster variance, is both reproducible under repeated initialisations and also the closest that k-means can provide to true structure, when applied to synthetic data. We show that this is generally the case for small numbers of clusters, but for values of k that are still of theoretical and practical interest, similar values of SSQ can correspond to markedly different cluster partitions. This paper extends stability measures previously presented in the context of finding optimal values of cluster number, into a component of a 2-d map of the local minima found by the k-means algorithm, from which not only can values of k be identified for further analysis but, more importantly, it is made clear whether the best SSQ is a suitable solution or whether obtaining a consistently good partition requires further application of the stability index. The proposed method is illustrated by application to five synthetic datasets replicating a real world breast cancer dataset with varying data density, and a large bioinformatics dataset. PMID:23369085

Finding reproducible cluster partitions for the k-means algorithm.

PubMed

Lisboa, Paulo J G; Etchells, Terence A; Jarman, Ian H; Chambers, Simon J

2013-01-01

K-means clustering is widely used for exploratory data analysis. While its dependence on initialisation is well-known, it is common practice to assume that the partition with lowest sum-of-squares (SSQ) total i.e. within cluster variance, is both reproducible under repeated initialisations and also the closest that k-means can provide to true structure, when applied to synthetic data. We show that this is generally the case for small numbers of clusters, but for values of k that are still of theoretical and practical interest, similar values of SSQ can correspond to markedly different cluster partitions. This paper extends stability measures previously presented in the context of finding optimal values of cluster number, into a component of a 2-d map of the local minima found by the k-means algorithm, from which not only can values of k be identified for further analysis but, more importantly, it is made clear whether the best SSQ is a suitable solution or whether obtaining a consistently good partition requires further application of the stability index. The proposed method is illustrated by application to five synthetic datasets replicating a real world breast cancer dataset with varying data density, and a large bioinformatics dataset.

Soak Up the Rain New England Webinar Series: National ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presenters will provide an introduction to the most recent EPA green infrastructure tools to R1 stakeholders; and their use in making decisions about implementing green infrastructure. We will discuss structuring your green infrastructure decision, finding appropriate information and tools, evaluating options and selecting the right Best Management Practices mix for your needs.WMOST (Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool)- for screening a wide range of practices for cost-effectiveness in achieving watershed or water utilities management goals.GIWiz (Green Infrastructure Wizard)- a web application connecting communities to EPA Green Infrastructure tools and resources.Opti-Tool-designed to assist in developing technically sound and optimized cost-effective Stormwater management plans. National Stormwater Calculator- a desktop application for estimating the impact of land cover change and green infrastructure controls on stormwater runoff. DASEES-GI (Decision Analysis for a Sustainable Environment, Economy, and Society) – a framework for linking objectives and measures with green infrastructure methods. Presenters will provide an introduction to the most recent EPA green infrastructure tools to R1 stakeholders; and their use in making decisions about implementing green infrastructure. We will discuss structuring your green infrastructure decision, finding appropriate information and tools, evaluating options and selecting the right Best Management Pr

Efficacy Study of Broken Rice Maltodextrin in In Vitro Wound Healing Assay

PubMed Central

Mohamed Amin, Zahiah; Koh, Soo Peng; Abdul Hamid, Nur Syazwani

2015-01-01

Maltodextrins that contain both simple sugars and polymers of saccharides have been widely used as ingredients in food products and pharmaceutical delivery systems. To date, no much work has been reported on the applications of maltodextrin from broken rice (RB) sources. Therefore, the objective of this work was to investigate the in vitro wound healing efficacy of RB maltodextrin at different conditions. Wounds treated with lower dextrose equivalent (DE) range (DE 10–14) of maltodextrins at a concentration of 10% obtained from RB were found to be able to heal the wounds significantly faster (p < 0.01) than maltodextrin with higher DE ranges (DE 15–19 and DE 20–24) and concentrations of 5% and 20%. The findings from both BrdU and MTT assay further confirmed its wound healing properties as the NIH 3T3 fibroblast wounded cells were able to proliferate without causing cytotoxic effect when wounded cell was treated with maltodextrin. All these findings indicated that the RB maltodextrin could perform better than the commercial maltodextrin at the same DE range. This study showed that RB maltodextrins had better functionality properties than other maltodextrin sources and played a beneficial role in wound healing application. PMID:26436094

Bicycle Lanes Versus Wide Curb Lanes: Operational and Safety Findings and Countermeasure Recommendations

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-10-01

This report presents operational and safety findings and countermeasure recommendations from a comparative analysis of bicycle lanes (BLs) versus wide curb lanes (WCLs). The primary analysis was based on videotapes of almost 4,600 bicyclists in Santa...

Cryogenics and its application with reference to spice grinding: a review.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, S; Gupta, Manoj Kumar; Singh, K K

2012-01-01

Cryogenics is the study of very low temperature and its application on different materials including biological products. Cryogenics has numerous applications in space science, electronics, automobiles, the manufacturing industry, sports and musical instruments, biological science and agriculture, etc. Cryogenic freezing finds pivotal application in food, that is, spices and condiments. Although there is a wide range of cryogens to produce the desired low temperature, generally liquid nitrogen (LN₂) is used in food grinding. The application of low temperature shows a promising pathway to produce higher quality end product with higher flavor and volatile oil retention. Cryogenic grinders generally consist of precoolers and grinder with the cryogen distribution system. In such grinding systems, cryogens subject the raw material up to or lower than glass transition temperature before it is ground, thus eliminating much of the material and quality hassles of traditional grinding. At present, the capital investment including cryogen and handling costs escalate the final cost of the product. Thus, for large-scale production, a proper design to optimize and make it feasible is the need of the hour and understanding the behavior of different food materials at these low temperature conditions. This article reviews the scenario and application of cryogenics in different sectors, especially to spice grinding.

State of art of nanotechnology applications in the meat chain: A qualitative synthesis.

PubMed

Belluco, Simone; Gallocchio, Federica; Losasso, Carmen; Ricci, Antonia

2018-05-03

Nanotechnology is a promising area in industry with a broad range of applications including in the agri-food sector. Several studies have investigated the potential benefits deriving from use of nanomaterials in the context of the whole food chain drawing scenarios of benefits but also potential for concerns. Among the agri-food sector, animal production has potential for nanomaterial application but also for safety concerns due to the possibility of nanomaterial accumulation along the farm-to-fork path. Scope and Approach: The aim of this work was to define the state of the art of nanomaterial applications in the animal production sector by assessing data belonging to recently publishes studies. To do this, a qualitative synthesis approach was applied to build a fit-for-purpose framework and to summarise relevant themes in the context of effectiveness, feasibility and health concerns. Key findings and conclusions: Nanomaterials have potential for use in a wide range of applications from feed production and farming to food packaging, including several detection tools designed for the benefit of consumer protection. The current high degree of variability in nanomaterials tested and in study designs impairs external validation of research results. Further research is required to clearly define which safe nanomaterial applications have the potential to reach the market.

Applications of CCTO supercapacitor in energy storage and electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, R. K.; Stapleton, W. A.; Tate, J.; Bandyopadhyay, A. K.; Sutanto, I.; Sprissler, S.; Lin, S.

2013-06-01

Since the discovery of colossal dielectric constant in CCTO supercapacitor in 2000, development of its practical application to energy storage has been of great interest. In spite of intensive efforts, there has been thus far, no report of proven application. The object of this research is to understand the reason for this lack of success and to find ways to overcome this limitation. Reported herein is the synthesis of our research in ceramic processing of this material and its characterization, particularly with the objective of identifying potential applications. Experimental results have shown that CCTO's permittivity and loss tangent, the two most essential dielectric parameters of fundamental importance for the efficiency of a capacitor device, are intrinsically coupled. They increase or decrease in tandem. Therefore, efforts to simultaneously retain the high permittivity while minimizing the loss tangent of CCTO might not succeed unless an entirely non-typical approach is taken for processing this material. Based on the experimental results and their analysis, it has been identified that it is possible to produce CCTO bulk ceramics with conventional processes having properties that can be exploited for fabricating an efficient energy storage device (EDS). We have additionally identified that CCTO can be used for the development of efficient solid state capacitors of Class II type comparable to the widely used barium titanate (BT) capacitors. Based on high temperature studies of the resistivity and the Seebeck coefficient it is found that CCTO is a wide bandgap n-type semiconductor material which could be used for high temperature electronics. The temperature dependence of the linear thermal expansion of CCTO shows the presence of possible phase changes at 220 and 770 °C the origin of which remains unexplained.

A Study of Intimate Partner Violence, Substance Abuse, and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in a Sample of Geosocial-Networking Smartphone Application Users.

PubMed

Duncan, Dustin T; Goedel, William C; Stults, Christopher B; Brady, William J; Brooks, Forrest A; Blakely, Jermaine S; Hagen, Daniel

2018-03-01

Geosocial-networking smartphone applications ("apps") are widely used by gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and facilitate connections between users based on proximity and attraction. MSM have sexual encounters and relationships of varying degrees of emotional and physical intimacy with app-met individuals, potentially placing them at risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). The purpose of the current study was to utilize a geosocial-networking application to investigate relationships between experiences of IPV victimization as it relates to substance use and sexual risk behaviors in a sample of MSM. Participants ( n = 175) were recruited by means of broadcast advertisements on an application widely used by MSM (Grindr) to seek sexual partners. Multivariable regression models were fit to examine associations between IPV, substance abuse, and sexual risk behaviors. Lifetime experiences of IPV victimization were common, where 37.7% of respondents reported having experienced at least one form of IPV. While a marginally significant positive association between IPV and substance abuse was detected in multivariable models ( p = .095), individual forms of IPV were strongly associated with substance abuse. For example, sexual IPV victimization was associated with an increase in substance abuse in the preceding month ( p = .004). Experiences of IPV victimization were associated with higher numbers of partners for both condomless receptive and insertive anal intercourse ( p < .05). Given the relatively high prevalence of IPV victimization and its associations with substance abuse and sexual risk behaviors, these findings suggest that IPV screening and prevention programs may reduce substance abuse and sexual risk behaviors in this population.

A Large Scale Biorational Approach Using Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis (Strain AM65-52) for Managing Aedes aegypti Populations to Prevent Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika Transmission

PubMed Central

Pruszynski, Catherine A.; Hribar, Lawrence J.; Mickle, Robert; Leal, Andrea L.

2017-01-01

Background Aedes aegypti is a container-inhabiting mosquito and a vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. In 2009 several cases of autochthonous dengue transmission were reported in Key West, Florida, USA prompting a comprehensive response to control A. aegypti. In Key West, larvae of this mosquito develop in containers around human habitations which can be numerous and labor intensive to find and treat. Aerial applications of larvicide covering large areas in a short time can be an efficient and economical method to control A. aegypti. Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) is a bacterial larvicide which is highly target specific and appropriate for wide area spraying over urban areas, but to date, there are no studies that evaluate aerial spraying of Bti to control container mosquitoes like A. aegypti. Methodology This paper examines the effectiveness of aerial larvicide applications using VectoBac® WG, a commercially available Bti formulation, for A. aegypti control in an urban setting in the USA. Droplet characteristics and spray drop deposition were evaluated in Key West, Florida, USA. The mortality of A. aegypti in containers placed under canopy in an urban environment was also evaluated. Efficacy of multiple larvicide applications on adult female A. aegypti population reduction was compared between an untreated control and treatment site. Conclusions Droplet characteristics showed that small droplets can penetrate through dense canopy to reach small containers. VectoBac WG droplets reached small containers under heavy canopy in sufficient amounts to cause > 55% mortality on all application days and >90% mortality on 3 of 5 application days while controls had <5% mortality. Aerial applications of VectoBac WG caused significant decrease in adult female populations throughout the summer and during the 38th week (last application) the difference in adult female numbers between untreated and treated sites was >50%. Aerial larvicide applications using VectoBac WG can cover wide areas in a short period of time and can be effective in controlling A. aegypti and reducing A. aegypti-borne transmission in urban areas similar to Key West, Florida, USA. PMID:28199323

Development and application of a novel genome-wide SNP array reveals domestication history in soybean

PubMed Central

Wang, Jiao; Chu, Shanshan; Zhang, Huairen; Zhu, Ying; Cheng, Hao; Yu, Deyue

2016-01-01

Domestication of soybeans occurred under the intense human-directed selections aimed at developing high-yielding lines. Tracing the domestication history and identifying the genes underlying soybean domestication require further exploration. Here, we developed a high-throughput NJAU 355 K SoySNP array and used this array to study the genetic variation patterns in 367 soybean accessions, including 105 wild soybeans and 262 cultivated soybeans. The population genetic analysis suggests that cultivated soybeans have tended to originate from northern and central China, from where they spread to other regions, accompanied with a gradual increase in seed weight. Genome-wide scanning for evidence of artificial selection revealed signs of selective sweeps involving genes controlling domestication-related agronomic traits including seed weight. To further identify genomic regions related to seed weight, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted across multiple environments in wild and cultivated soybeans. As a result, a strong linkage disequilibrium region on chromosome 20 was found to be significantly correlated with seed weight in cultivated soybeans. Collectively, these findings should provide an important basis for genomic-enabled breeding and advance the study of functional genomics in soybean. PMID:26856884

Development and application of a novel genome-wide SNP array reveals domestication history in soybean.

PubMed

Wang, Jiao; Chu, Shanshan; Zhang, Huairen; Zhu, Ying; Cheng, Hao; Yu, Deyue

2016-02-09

Domestication of soybeans occurred under the intense human-directed selections aimed at developing high-yielding lines. Tracing the domestication history and identifying the genes underlying soybean domestication require further exploration. Here, we developed a high-throughput NJAU 355 K SoySNP array and used this array to study the genetic variation patterns in 367 soybean accessions, including 105 wild soybeans and 262 cultivated soybeans. The population genetic analysis suggests that cultivated soybeans have tended to originate from northern and central China, from where they spread to other regions, accompanied with a gradual increase in seed weight. Genome-wide scanning for evidence of artificial selection revealed signs of selective sweeps involving genes controlling domestication-related agronomic traits including seed weight. To further identify genomic regions related to seed weight, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted across multiple environments in wild and cultivated soybeans. As a result, a strong linkage disequilibrium region on chromosome 20 was found to be significantly correlated with seed weight in cultivated soybeans. Collectively, these findings should provide an important basis for genomic-enabled breeding and advance the study of functional genomics in soybean.

Self-Ordered Titanium Dioxide Nanotube Arrays: Anodic Synthesis and Their Photo/Electro-Catalytic Applications

PubMed Central

Smith, York R.; Ray, Rupashree S.; Carlson, Krista; Sarma, Biplab; Misra, Mano

2013-01-01

Metal oxide nanotubes have become a widely investigated material, more specifically, self-organized titania nanotube arrays synthesized by electrochemical anodization. As a highly investigated material with a wide gamut of applications, the majority of published literature focuses on the solar-based applications of this material. The scope of this review summarizes some of the recent advances made using metal oxide nanotube arrays formed via anodization in solar-based applications. A general methodology for theoretical modeling of titania surfaces in solar applications is also presented. PMID:28811415

Quantifying and modeling long-range cross correlations in multiple time series with applications to world stock indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Duan; Podobnik, Boris; Horvatić, Davor; Stanley, H. Eugene

2011-04-01

We propose a modified time lag random matrix theory in order to study time-lag cross correlations in multiple time series. We apply the method to 48 world indices, one for each of 48 different countries. We find long-range power-law cross correlations in the absolute values of returns that quantify risk, and find that they decay much more slowly than cross correlations between the returns. The magnitude of the cross correlations constitutes “bad news” for international investment managers who may believe that risk is reduced by diversifying across countries. We find that when a market shock is transmitted around the world, the risk decays very slowly. We explain these time-lag cross correlations by introducing a global factor model (GFM) in which all index returns fluctuate in response to a single global factor. For each pair of individual time series of returns, the cross correlations between returns (or magnitudes) can be modeled with the autocorrelations of the global factor returns (or magnitudes). We estimate the global factor using principal component analysis, which minimizes the variance of the residuals after removing the global trend. Using random matrix theory, a significant fraction of the world index cross correlations can be explained by the global factor, which supports the utility of the GFM. We demonstrate applications of the GFM in forecasting risks at the world level, and in finding uncorrelated individual indices. We find ten indices that are practically uncorrelated with the global factor and with the remainder of the world indices, which is relevant information for world managers in reducing their portfolio risk. Finally, we argue that this general method can be applied to a wide range of phenomena in which time series are measured, ranging from seismology and physiology to atmospheric geophysics.

Quantifying and modeling long-range cross correlations in multiple time series with applications to world stock indices.

PubMed

Wang, Duan; Podobnik, Boris; Horvatić, Davor; Stanley, H Eugene

2011-04-01

We propose a modified time lag random matrix theory in order to study time-lag cross correlations in multiple time series. We apply the method to 48 world indices, one for each of 48 different countries. We find long-range power-law cross correlations in the absolute values of returns that quantify risk, and find that they decay much more slowly than cross correlations between the returns. The magnitude of the cross correlations constitutes "bad news" for international investment managers who may believe that risk is reduced by diversifying across countries. We find that when a market shock is transmitted around the world, the risk decays very slowly. We explain these time-lag cross correlations by introducing a global factor model (GFM) in which all index returns fluctuate in response to a single global factor. For each pair of individual time series of returns, the cross correlations between returns (or magnitudes) can be modeled with the autocorrelations of the global factor returns (or magnitudes). We estimate the global factor using principal component analysis, which minimizes the variance of the residuals after removing the global trend. Using random matrix theory, a significant fraction of the world index cross correlations can be explained by the global factor, which supports the utility of the GFM. We demonstrate applications of the GFM in forecasting risks at the world level, and in finding uncorrelated individual indices. We find ten indices that are practically uncorrelated with the global factor and with the remainder of the world indices, which is relevant information for world managers in reducing their portfolio risk. Finally, we argue that this general method can be applied to a wide range of phenomena in which time series are measured, ranging from seismology and physiology to atmospheric geophysics.

Area-Wide Ground Applications of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis for the Control of Aedes albopictus in Residential Neighborhoods: From Optimization to Operation

PubMed Central

Williams, Gregory M.; Faraji, Ary; Unlu, Isik; Healy, Sean P.; Farooq, Muhammad; Gaugler, Randy; Hamilton, George; Fonseca, Dina M.

2014-01-01

The increasing range of Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, in the USA and the threat of chikungunya and dengue outbreaks vectored by this species have necessitated novel approaches to control this peridomestic mosquito. Conventional methods such as adulticiding provide temporary relief, but fail to manage this pest on a sustained basis. We explored the use of cold aerosol foggers and misting machines for area-wide applications of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (VectoBac WDG) as a larvicide targeting Aedes albopictus. During 2010–2013 we performed initially open field trials and then 19 operational area-wide applications in urban and suburban residential areas in northeastern USA to test three truck-mounted sprayers at two application rates. Area-wide applications of WDG in open field conditions at 400 and 800 g/ha killed on average 87% of tested larvae. Once techniques were optimized in residential areas, applications with a Buffalo Turbine Mist Sprayer at a rate of 800 g/ha, the best combination, consistently provided over 90% mortality. Importantly, there was no significant decrease in efficacy with distance from the spray line even in blocks of row homes with trees and bushes in the backyards. Under laboratory conditions Bti deposition in bioassay cups during the operational trials resulted in over 6 weeks of residual control. Our results demonstrate that area-wide truck mounted applications of WDG can effectively suppress Ae. albopictus larvae and should be used in integrated mosquito management approaches to control this nuisance pest and disease vector. PMID:25329314

Area-wide ground applications of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis for the control of Aedes albopictus in residential neighborhoods: from optimization to operation.

PubMed

Williams, Gregory M; Faraji, Ary; Unlu, Isik; Healy, Sean P; Farooq, Muhammad; Gaugler, Randy; Hamilton, George; Fonseca, Dina M

2014-01-01

The increasing range of Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, in the USA and the threat of chikungunya and dengue outbreaks vectored by this species have necessitated novel approaches to control this peridomestic mosquito. Conventional methods such as adulticiding provide temporary relief, but fail to manage this pest on a sustained basis. We explored the use of cold aerosol foggers and misting machines for area-wide applications of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (VectoBac WDG) as a larvicide targeting Aedes albopictus. During 2010-2013 we performed initially open field trials and then 19 operational area-wide applications in urban and suburban residential areas in northeastern USA to test three truck-mounted sprayers at two application rates. Area-wide applications of WDG in open field conditions at 400 and 800 g/ha killed on average 87% of tested larvae. Once techniques were optimized in residential areas, applications with a Buffalo Turbine Mist Sprayer at a rate of 800 g/ha, the best combination, consistently provided over 90% mortality. Importantly, there was no significant decrease in efficacy with distance from the spray line even in blocks of row homes with trees and bushes in the backyards. Under laboratory conditions Bti deposition in bioassay cups during the operational trials resulted in over 6 weeks of residual control. Our results demonstrate that area-wide truck mounted applications of WDG can effectively suppress Ae. albopictus larvae and should be used in integrated mosquito management approaches to control this nuisance pest and disease vector.

Highly efficient regioselective synthesis, spectroscopic characterizations and DFT calculations of novel hydroxymethylated 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole-based sulfonamides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taheri, Elmira; Mirjafary, Zohreh; Saeidian, Hamid

2018-04-01

The novel hydroxymethylated 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole-based sulfonamides were synthesized in excellent yields and high regioselectivity via a one-pot, two-step, three-component reaction of N-propargylsulfonamides, sodium azide, and epoxide derivatives under green conditions. Green and mild reaction condition, commercially readily available and inexpensive starting materials, wide scope and easy work-up are the key features of the present method. The Li+ and Na+ ion affinities of the model structure have been also investigated by density functional theory (DFT) studies to find the applicability of these products as ligand in coordination chemistry.

Optical and electrical studies of cerium mixed oxides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherly, T. R.; Raveendran, R.

2014-10-01

The fast development in nanotechnology makes enthusiastic interest in developing nanomaterials having tailor made properties. Cerium mixed oxide materials have received great attention due to their UV absorption property, high reactivity, stability at high temperature, good electrical property etc and these materials find wide applications in solid oxide fuel cells, solar control films, cosmetics, display units, gas sensors etc. In this study cerium mixed oxide compounds were prepared by co-precipitation method. All the samples were doped with Zn (II) and Fe (II). Preliminary characterizations such as XRD, SEM / EDS, TEM were done. UV - Vis, Diffuse reflectance, PL, FT-IR, Raman and ac conductivity studies of the samples were performed.

National space test centers - Lewis Research Center Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roskilly, Ronald R.

1990-01-01

The Lewis Research Center, NASA, presently has a number of test facilities that constitute a significant national space test resource. It is expected this capability will continue to find wide application in work involving this country's future in space. Testing from basic research to applied technology, to systems development, to ground support will be performed, supporting such activities as Space Station Freedom, the Space Exploration Initiative, Mission to Planet Earth, and many others. The major space test facilities at both Cleveland and Lewis' Plum Brook Station are described. Primary emphasis is on space propulsion facilities; other facilities of importance in space power and microgravity are also included.

International cooperative study of aircrew layover sleep Operational summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graeber, R. Curtis; Dement, William C.; Nicholson, Anthony N.; Sasaki, Mitsuo; Wegmann, Hans M.

1986-01-01

The findings of this cooperative study of layover sleep have direct implications for flight operations. In the consensus view of the principal investigators, these can be divided into their relevance for eastward or westward flight. Eastward flight produced more sleep disruption than westward. Different sleep and scheduling strategies are recommended for each flight direction, and the importance of individual crewmember factors is discussed in relation to age and circadian type. Despite the limitations of this study with regard to trip simplicity and the baseline data, the results for each airline are highly consistent and should be applicable to a wide range of long-haul crewmembers and carriers.

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

Singh, Suvam; Naghma, Rahla; Kaur, Jaspreet

The total and ionization cross sections for electron scattering by benzene, halobenzenes, toluene, aniline, and phenol are reported over a wide energy domain. The multi-scattering centre spherical complex optical potential method has been employed to find the total elastic and inelastic cross sections. The total ionization cross section is estimated from total inelastic cross section using the complex scattering potential-ionization contribution method. In the present article, the first theoretical calculations for electron impact total and ionization cross section have been performed for most of the targets having numerous practical applications. A reasonable agreement is obtained compared to existing experimental observationsmore » for all the targets reported here, especially for the total cross section.« less

Shaping perfect optical vortex with amplitude modulated using a digital micro-mirror device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chonglei; Min, Changjun; Yuan, X.-C.

2016-12-01

We propose a technique to generate of perfect optical vortex (POV) via Fourier transformation of Bessel-Gauss (BG) beams through encoding of the amplitude of the optical field with binary amplitude digital micro-mirrors device (DMD). Furthermore, we confirm the correct phase patterns of the POV with the method of Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Our approach to generate the POV has the advantages that rapidly switch among the different modes, wide spectral regions and high energy tolerance. Since the POV possess propagation properties that not shape-invariant, we therefore suppose that our proposed approach will find potential applications in optical microscopy, optical fabrication, and optical communication.

'Mobile' health needs and opportunities in developing countries.

PubMed

Kahn, James G; Yang, Joshua S; Kahn, James S

2010-02-01

Developing countries face steady growth in the prevalence of chronic diseases, along with a continued burden from communicable diseases. "Mobile" health, or m-health-the use of mobile technologies such as cellular phones to support public health and clinical care-offers promise in responding to both types of disease burdens. Mobile technologies are widely available and can play an important role in health care at the regional, community, and individual levels. We examine various m-health applications and define the risks and benefits of each. We find positive examples but little solid evaluation of clinical or economic performance, which highlights the need for such evaluation.

The Ozone Monitoring Instrument: overview of 14 years in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levelt, Pieternel F.; Joiner, Joanna; Tamminen, Johanna; Pepijn Veefkind, J.; Bhartia, Pawan K.; Stein Zweers, Deborah C.; Duncan, Bryan N.; Streets, David G.; Eskes, Henk; van der A, Ronald; McLinden, Chris; Fioletov, Vitali; Carn, Simon; de Laat, Jos; DeLand, Matthew; Marchenko, Sergey; McPeters, Richard; Ziemke, Jerald; Fu, Dejian; Liu, Xiong; Pickering, Kenneth; Apituley, Arnoud; González Abad, Gonzalo; Arola, Antti; Boersma, Folkert; Miller, Christopher Chan; Chance, Kelly; de Graaf, Martin; Hakkarainen, Janne; Hassinen, Seppo; Ialongo, Iolanda; Kleipool, Quintus; Krotkov, Nickolay; Li, Can; Lamsal, Lok; Newman, Paul; Nowlan, Caroline; Suleiman, Raid; Gijsbert Tilstra, Lieuwe; Torres, Omar; Wang, Huiqun; Wargan, Krzysztof

2018-04-01

This overview paper highlights the successes of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on board the Aura satellite spanning a period of nearly 14 years. Data from OMI has been used in a wide range of applications and research resulting in many new findings. Due to its unprecedented spatial resolution, in combination with daily global coverage, OMI plays a unique role in measuring trace gases important for the ozone layer, air quality, and climate change. With the operational very fast delivery (VFD; direct readout) and near real-time (NRT) availability of the data, OMI also plays an important role in the development of operational services in the atmospheric chemistry domain.

Suppression of single-wall carbon nanotube redox reaction by adsorbed proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakayama, Tomohito; Tanaka, Takeshi; Shiraki, Kentaro; Hase, Muneaki; Hirano, Atsushi

2018-07-01

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are widely used in biological applications. In biological systems, proteins readily adsorb to SWCNTs. However, little is known about the effects of proteins on the physicochemical properties of SWCNTs, such as their redox reaction. In this study, we measured the absorption and Raman spectra of SWCNTs dispersed in the presence of proteins such as bovine serum albumin to observe the redox reaction of the protein-adsorbed SWCNTs. The adsorbed proteins suppressed the redox reaction by forming thick and dense layers around the SWCNTs. Our findings are useful for understanding the behaviors of SWCNTs in biological systems.

The Ozone Monitoring Instrument: overview of 14 years in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tamminen, Johanna; Veefkind, J. Pepijn; van der A, Ronald; Miller, Christopher Chan; Ialongo, Iolanda; Kleipool, Quintus; Lamsal, Lok N.; Wang, Huiqun; Bhartia, Pawan K.; Zweers, Deborah C. Stein;

Catalytic Micromotors Moving Near Polyelectrolyte-Modified Substrates: The Roles of Surface Charges, Morphology, and Released Ions.

PubMed

Wei, Mengshi; Zhou, Chao; Tang, Jinyao; Wang, Wei

2018-01-24

Synthetic microswimmers, or micromotors, are finding potential uses in a wide range of applications, most of which involve boundaries. However, subtle yet important effects beyond physical confinement on the motor dynamics remain less understood. In this letter, glass substrates were functionalized with positively and negatively charged polyelectrolytes, and the dynamics of micromotors moving close to the modified surfaces was examined. Using acoustic levitation and numerical simulation, we reveal how the speed of a chemically propelled micromotor slows down significantly near a polyelectrolyte-modified surface by the combined effects of surface charges, surface morphology, and ions released from the films.

Hypergeometric continuation of divergent perturbation series: I. Critical exponents of the Bose-Hubbard model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanders, Sören; Holthaus, Martin

2017-10-01

We study the connection between the exponent of the order parameter of the Mott insulator-to-superfluid transition occurring in the two-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model, and the divergence exponents of its one- and two-particle correlation functions. We find that at the multicritical points all divergence exponents are related to each other, allowing us to express the critical exponent in terms of one single divergence exponent. This approach correctly reproduces the critical exponent of the three-dimensional XY universality class. Because divergence exponents can be computed in an efficient manner by hypergeometric analytic continuation, our strategy is applicable to a wide class of systems.

Detection of a Pool in Semi-Continuous Castings Made of Heat-Treatable Aluminum Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krushenko, G. G.; Nazarov, V. P.

2017-12-01

Various products (sheets, sections, etc.) manufactured by metal forming (rolled products, forged pieces, etc.) from semi-continuous castings are widely used in the aerospace industry. The so-called pool, which is the conical volume of a liquid metal, exists at the top of the liquid metal. Experience demonstrates that the geometry, the depth, and the shape of the pool substantially affect the structure formation in a casting and its quality. The application of a titanium nitride nanopowder, which is introduced in a melt in the volume of a rod, as a modifier allowed us to find the exact geometry of the pool.

Ultralight Graphene/Carbon Nanotubes Aerogels with Compressibility and Oil Absorption Properties.

PubMed

Zhao, Da; Yu, Li; Liu, Dongxu

2018-04-22

Graphene aerogels have many advantages, such as low density, high elasticity and strong adsorption. They are considered to be widely applicable in many fields. At present, the most valuable research area aims to find a convenient and effective way to prepare graphene aerogels with excellent properties. In this work graphene/carbon nanotube aerogels are prepared through hydrothermal reduction, freeze-drying and high temperature heat treatment with the blending of graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes. A new reducing agent-ascorbic acid is selected to explore the best preparation process. The prepared aerogels have compression and resilience and oil absorption properties due to the addition of carbon nanotubes as designed.

Inexpensive but accurate driving circuits for quartz crystal microbalances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruschi, L.; Delfitto, G.; Mistura, G.

1999-01-01

The quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is a common technique which finds a wide variety of applications in many different areas like adsorption, catalysis, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, etc., and more generally as a sensor in the investigation of viscoelastic films. In this article we describe some driving circuits of the quartz which we have realized and tested in our laboratory. These can be assembled with standard components which can be easily found. Their performance, in some cases, is as good as that of the much more expensive frequency modulation technique employed in very precise QCM measurements and which requires high-quality commercial radiofrequency generators and amplifiers.

Web-based visual analysis for high-throughput genomics

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Visualization plays an essential role in genomics research by making it possible to observe correlations and trends in large datasets as well as communicate findings to others. Visual analysis, which combines visualization with analysis tools to enable seamless use of both approaches for scientific investigation, offers a powerful method for performing complex genomic analyses. However, there are numerous challenges that arise when creating rich, interactive Web-based visualizations/visual analysis applications for high-throughput genomics. These challenges include managing data flow from Web server to Web browser, integrating analysis tools and visualizations, and sharing visualizations with colleagues. Results We have created a platform simplifies the creation of Web-based visualization/visual analysis applications for high-throughput genomics. This platform provides components that make it simple to efficiently query very large datasets, draw common representations of genomic data, integrate with analysis tools, and share or publish fully interactive visualizations. Using this platform, we have created a Circos-style genome-wide viewer, a generic scatter plot for correlation analysis, an interactive phylogenetic tree, a scalable genome browser for next-generation sequencing data, and an application for systematically exploring tool parameter spaces to find good parameter values. All visualizations are interactive and fully customizable. The platform is integrated with the Galaxy (http://galaxyproject.org) genomics workbench, making it easy to integrate new visual applications into Galaxy. Conclusions Visualization and visual analysis play an important role in high-throughput genomics experiments, and approaches are needed to make it easier to create applications for these activities. Our framework provides a foundation for creating Web-based visualizations and integrating them into Galaxy. Finally, the visualizations we have created using the framework are useful tools for high-throughput genomics experiments. PMID:23758618

Automatically pairing measured findings across narrative abdomen CT reports.

PubMed

Sevenster, Merlijn; Bozeman, Jeffrey; Cowhy, Andrea; Trost, William

2013-01-01

Radiological measurements are one of the key variables in widely adopted guidelines (WHO, RECIST) that standardize and objectivize response assessment in oncology care. Measurements are typically described in free-text, narrative radiology reports. We present a natural language processing pipeline that extracts measurements from radiology reports and pairs them with extracted measurements from prior reports of the same clinical finding, e.g., lymph node or mass. A ground truth was created by manually pairing measurements in the abdomen CT reports of 50 patients. A Random Forest classifier trained on 15 features achieved superior results in an end-to-end evaluation of the pipeline on the extraction and pairing task: precision 0.910, recall 0.878, F-measure 0.894, AUC 0.988. Representing the narrative content in terms of UMLS concepts did not improve results. Applications of the proposed technology include data mining, advanced search and workflow support for healthcare professionals managing radiological measurements.

Two-Particle Dispersion in Isotropic Turbulent Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salazar, Juan P. L. C.; Collins, Lance R.

2009-01-01

Two-particle dispersion is of central importance to a wide range of natural and industrial applications. It has been an active area of research since Richardson's (1926) seminal paper. This review emphasizes recent results from experiments, high-end direct numerical simulations, and modern theoretical discussions. Our approach is complementary to Sawford's (2001), whose review focused primarily on stochastic models of pair dispersion. We begin by reviewing the theoretical foundations of relative dispersion, followed by experimental and numerical findings for the dissipation subrange and inertial subrange. We discuss the findings in the context of the relevant theory for each regime. We conclude by providing a critical analysis of our current understanding and by suggesting paths toward further progress that take full advantage of exciting developments in modern experimental methods and peta-scale supercomputing.

Ferroelectric Polarization in Nanocrystalline Hydroxyapatite Thin Films on Silicon

PubMed Central

Lang, S. B.; Tofail, S. A. M.; Kholkin, A. L.; Wojtaś, M.; Gregor, M.; Gandhi, A. A.; Wang, Y.; Bauer, S.; Krause, M.; Plecenik, A.

2013-01-01

Hydroxyapatite nanocrystals in natural form are a major component of bone- a known piezoelectric material. Synthetic hydroxyapatite is widely used in bone grafts and prosthetic pyroelectric coatings as it binds strongly with natural bone. Nanocrystalline synthetic hydroxyapatite films have recently been found to exhibit strong piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity. While a spontaneous polarization in hydroxyapatite has been predicted since 2005, the reversibility of this polarization (i.e. ferroelectricity) requires experimental evidence. Here we use piezoresponse force microscopy to demonstrate that nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite indeed exhibits ferroelectricity: a reversal of polarization under an electrical field. This finding will strengthen investigations on the role of electrical polarization in biomineralization and bone-density related diseases. As hydroxyapatite is one of the most common biocompatible materials, our findings will also stimulate systematic exploration of lead and rare-metal free ferroelectric devices for potential applications in areas as diverse as in vivo and ex vivo energy harvesting, biosensing and electronics. PMID:23884324

The Moderating Effect of Psychological Contract Violation on the Relationship between Narcissism and Outcomes: An Application of Trait Activation Theory

PubMed Central

Zagenczyk, Thomas J.; Smallfield, Jarvis; Scott, Kristin L.; Galloway, Bret; Purvis, Russell L.

2017-01-01

We use trait activation and psychological contracts theories to build the argument that narcissism is a personality trait that will manifest itself in the form of exit and neglect when employees experience psychological contract violation. To test our hypotheses, we surveyed 262 employees from a wide array of industries working in different organizations at two points in time. Our results indicate that violation moderated the relationship between narcissism and exit such that narcissistic employees who experienced high levels of violation had higher levels of exit. However, we did not find support for our prediction regarding neglect. The findings suggest that the importance of narcissism at work may be contingent on the situation. Our study contributes to research on narcissism in the workplace, trait activation theory, and the role that individual differences play in shaping employee responses to psychological contract violation. PMID:28713315

Exact geodesic distances in FLRW spacetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, William J.; Rideout, David; Halverson, James; Krioukov, Dmitri

2017-11-01

Geodesics are used in a wide array of applications in cosmology and astrophysics. However, it is not a trivial task to efficiently calculate exact geodesic distances in an arbitrary spacetime. We show that in spatially flat (3 +1 )-dimensional Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) spacetimes, it is possible to integrate the second-order geodesic differential equations, and derive a general method for finding both timelike and spacelike distances given initial-value or boundary-value constraints. In flat spacetimes with either dark energy or matter, whether dust, radiation, or a stiff fluid, we find an exact closed-form solution for geodesic distances. In spacetimes with a mixture of dark energy and matter, including spacetimes used to model our physical universe, there exists no closed-form solution, but we provide a fast numerical method to compute geodesics. A general method is also described for determining the geodesic connectedness of an FLRW manifold, provided only its scale factor.

Organization and scaling in water supply networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Likwan; Karney, Bryan W.

2017-12-01

Public water supply is one of the society's most vital resources and most costly infrastructures. Traditional concepts of these networks capture their engineering identity as isolated, deterministic hydraulic units, but overlook their physics identity as related entities in a probabilistic, geographic ensemble, characterized by size organization and property scaling. Although discoveries of allometric scaling in natural supply networks (organisms and rivers) raised the prospect for similar findings in anthropogenic supplies, so far such a finding has not been reported in public water or related civic resource supplies. Examining an empirical ensemble of large number and wide size range, we show that water supply networks possess self-organized size abundance and theory-explained allometric scaling in spatial, infrastructural, and resource- and emission-flow properties. These discoveries establish scaling physics for water supply networks and may lead to novel applications in resource- and jurisdiction-scale water governance.

Ferroelectric Polarization in Nanocrystalline Hydroxyapatite Thin Films on Silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, S. B.; Tofail, S. A. M.; Kholkin, A. L.; Wojtaś, M.; Gregor, M.; Gandhi, A. A.; Wang, Y.; Bauer, S.; Krause, M.; Plecenik, A.

2013-07-01

Hydroxyapatite nanocrystals in natural form are a major component of bone- a known piezoelectric material. Synthetic hydroxyapatite is widely used in bone grafts and prosthetic pyroelectric coatings as it binds strongly with natural bone. Nanocrystalline synthetic hydroxyapatite films have recently been found to exhibit strong piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity. While a spontaneous polarization in hydroxyapatite has been predicted since 2005, the reversibility of this polarization (i.e. ferroelectricity) requires experimental evidence. Here we use piezoresponse force microscopy to demonstrate that nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite indeed exhibits ferroelectricity: a reversal of polarization under an electrical field. This finding will strengthen investigations on the role of electrical polarization in biomineralization and bone-density related diseases. As hydroxyapatite is one of the most common biocompatible materials, our findings will also stimulate systematic exploration of lead and rare-metal free ferroelectric devices for potential applications in areas as diverse as in vivo and ex vivo energy harvesting, biosensing and electronics.

Ferroelectric polarization in nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite thin films on silicon.

PubMed

Lang, S B; Tofail, S A M; Kholkin, A L; Wojtaś, M; Gregor, M; Gandhi, A A; Wang, Y; Bauer, S; Krause, M; Plecenik, A

2013-01-01

Hydroxyapatite nanocrystals in natural form are a major component of bone--a known piezoelectric material. Synthetic hydroxyapatite is widely used in bone grafts and prosthetic pyroelectric coatings as it binds strongly with natural bone. Nanocrystalline synthetic hydroxyapatite films have recently been found to exhibit strong piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity. While a spontaneous polarization in hydroxyapatite has been predicted since 2005, the reversibility of this polarization (i.e. ferroelectricity) requires experimental evidence. Here we use piezoresponse force microscopy to demonstrate that nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite indeed exhibits ferroelectricity: a reversal of polarization under an electrical field. This finding will strengthen investigations on the role of electrical polarization in biomineralization and bone-density related diseases. As hydroxyapatite is one of the most common biocompatible materials, our findings will also stimulate systematic exploration of lead and rare-metal free ferroelectric devices for potential applications in areas as diverse as in vivo and ex vivo energy harvesting, biosensing and electronics.

Exploring the potential duty of care in clinical genomics under UK law

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Colin; Ploem, Corrette; Chico, Victoria; Ormondroyd, Elizabeth; Hall, Alison; Wallace, Susan; Fay, Michael; Goodwin, Deirdre; Bell, Jessica; Phillips, Simon; Taylor, Jenny C.; Hennekam, Raoul; Kaye, Jane

2017-01-01

Genome-wide sequencing technologies are beginning to be used in projects that have both clinical diagnostic and research components. The clinical application of this technology, which generates a huge amount of information of varying diagnostic certainty, involves addressing a number of challenges to establish appropriate standards. In this article, we explore the way that UK law may respond to three of these key challenges and could establish new legal duties in relation to feedback of findings that are unrelated to the presenting condition (secondary, additional or incidental findings); duties towards genetic relatives as well as the patient and duties on the part of researchers and professionals who do not have direct contact with patients. When considering these issues, the courts will take account of European and international comparisons, developing guidance and relevant ethical, social and policy factors. The UK courts will also be strongly influenced by precedent set in case law. PMID:28943725

Exploring the potential duty of care in clinical genomics under UK law.

PubMed

Mitchell, Colin; Ploem, Corrette; Chico, Victoria; Ormondroyd, Elizabeth; Hall, Alison; Wallace, Susan; Fay, Michael; Goodwin, Deirdre; Bell, Jessica; Phillips, Simon; Taylor, Jenny C; Hennekam, Raoul; Kaye, Jane

2017-09-01

Genome-wide sequencing technologies are beginning to be used in projects that have both clinical diagnostic and research components. The clinical application of this technology, which generates a huge amount of information of varying diagnostic certainty, involves addressing a number of challenges to establish appropriate standards. In this article, we explore the way that UK law may respond to three of these key challenges and could establish new legal duties in relation to feedback of findings that are unrelated to the presenting condition (secondary, additional or incidental findings); duties towards genetic relatives as well as the patient and duties on the part of researchers and professionals who do not have direct contact with patients. When considering these issues, the courts will take account of European and international comparisons, developing guidance and relevant ethical, social and policy factors. The UK courts will also be strongly influenced by precedent set in case law.

The Moderating Effect of Psychological Contract Violation on the Relationship between Narcissism and Outcomes: An Application of Trait Activation Theory.

PubMed

Zagenczyk, Thomas J; Smallfield, Jarvis; Scott, Kristin L; Galloway, Bret; Purvis, Russell L

2017-01-01

We use trait activation and psychological contracts theories to build the argument that narcissism is a personality trait that will manifest itself in the form of exit and neglect when employees experience psychological contract violation. To test our hypotheses, we surveyed 262 employees from a wide array of industries working in different organizations at two points in time. Our results indicate that violation moderated the relationship between narcissism and exit such that narcissistic employees who experienced high levels of violation had higher levels of exit. However, we did not find support for our prediction regarding neglect. The findings suggest that the importance of narcissism at work may be contingent on the situation. Our study contributes to research on narcissism in the workplace, trait activation theory, and the role that individual differences play in shaping employee responses to psychological contract violation.

Contact angle hysteresis and oil film lubrication in electrowetting with two immiscible liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, J.; Mendel, N.; Dey, R.; Baratian, D.; Mugele, F.

2018-05-01

Electrowetting (EW) of water drops in ambient oil has found a wide range of applications including lab-on-a-chip devices, display screens, and variable focus lenses. The efficacy of all these applications is dependent on the contact angle hysteresis (CAH), which is generally reduced in the presence of ambient oil due to thin lubrication layers. While it is well-known that AC voltage reduces the effective contact angle hysteresis (CAH) for EW in ambient air, we demonstrate here that CAH for EW in ambient oil increases with increasing AC and DC voltage. Taking into account the disjoining pressure of the fluoropolymer-oil-water system, short range chemical interactions, viscous oil entrainment, and electrostatic stresses, we find that this observation can be explained by progressive thinning of the oil layer underneath the drop with increasing voltage. This exposes the droplet to the roughness of the underlying solid and thereby increases hysteresis.

Fast water transport in graphene nanofluidic channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Quan; Alibakhshi, Mohammad Amin; Jiao, Shuping; Xu, Zhiping; Hempel, Marek; Kong, Jing; Park, Hyung Gyu; Duan, Chuanhua

2018-01-01

Superfast water transport discovered in graphitic nanoconduits, including carbon nanotubes and graphene nanochannels, implicates crucial applications in separation processes and energy conversion. Yet lack of complete understanding at the single-conduit level limits development of new carbon nanofluidic structures and devices with desired transport properties for practical applications. Here, we show that the hydraulic resistance and slippage of single graphene nanochannels can be accurately determined using capillary flow and a novel hybrid nanochannel design without estimating the capillary pressure. Our results reveal that the slip length of graphene in the graphene nanochannels is around 16 nm, albeit with a large variation from 0 to 200 nm regardless of the channel height. We corroborate this finding with molecular dynamics simulation results, which indicate that this wide distribution of the slip length is due to the surface charge of graphene as well as the interaction between graphene and its silica substrate.

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

Savukov, Igor Mykhaylovich; Boshier, Malcolm Geoffrey

Atomic magnetometers (AM) are finding many applications in biomagnetism, national security, industry, and science. Fiber-coupled (FC) designs promise to make them compact and flexible for operation. Most FC designs are based on a single-beam configuration or electrical heating. Here, we demonstrate a two-beam FC AM with laser heating that has 5 fT/Hz 1/2 sensitivity at low frequency (50 Hz), which is higher than that of other fiber-coupled magnetometers and can be improved to the sub-femtotesla level. Here, this magnetometer is widely tunable from DC to very high frequencies (as high as 100 MHz; the only issue might be the applicationmore » of a suitable uniform and stable bias field) with a sensitivity under 10 fT/Hz 1/2 and can be used for magneto-encephalography (MEG), magneto-cardiography (MCG), underground communication, ultra-low MRI/NMR, NQR detection, and other applications.« less

A high-sensitivity tunable two-beam fiber-coupled high-density magnetometer with laser heating

DOE PAGES

Savukov, Igor Mykhaylovich; Boshier, Malcolm Geoffrey

2016-10-13

Atomic magnetometers (AM) are finding many applications in biomagnetism, national security, industry, and science. Fiber-coupled (FC) designs promise to make them compact and flexible for operation. Most FC designs are based on a single-beam configuration or electrical heating. Here, we demonstrate a two-beam FC AM with laser heating that has 5 fT/Hz 1/2 sensitivity at low frequency (50 Hz), which is higher than that of other fiber-coupled magnetometers and can be improved to the sub-femtotesla level. Here, this magnetometer is widely tunable from DC to very high frequencies (as high as 100 MHz; the only issue might be the applicationmore » of a suitable uniform and stable bias field) with a sensitivity under 10 fT/Hz 1/2 and can be used for magneto-encephalography (MEG), magneto-cardiography (MCG), underground communication, ultra-low MRI/NMR, NQR detection, and other applications.« less

Application of chemical biology in target identification and drug discovery.

PubMed

Zhu, Yue; Xiao, Ting; Lei, Saifei; Zhou, Fulai; Wang, Ming-Wei

2015-09-01

Drug discovery and development is vital to the well-being of mankind and sustainability of the pharmaceutical industry. Using chemical biology approaches to discover drug leads has become a widely accepted path partially because of the completion of the Human Genome Project. Chemical biology mainly solves biological problems through searching previously unknown targets for pharmacologically active small molecules or finding ligands for well-defined drug targets. It is a powerful tool to study how these small molecules interact with their respective targets, as well as their roles in signal transduction, molecular recognition and cell functions. There have been an increasing number of new therapeutic targets being identified and subsequently validated as a result of advances in functional genomics, which in turn led to the discovery of numerous active small molecules via a variety of high-throughput screening initiatives. In this review, we highlight some applications of chemical biology in the context of drug discovery.

Fast water transport in graphene nanofluidic channels.

PubMed

Xie, Quan; Alibakhshi, Mohammad Amin; Jiao, Shuping; Xu, Zhiping; Hempel, Marek; Kong, Jing; Park, Hyung Gyu; Duan, Chuanhua

2018-03-01

Superfast water transport discovered in graphitic nanoconduits, including carbon nanotubes and graphene nanochannels, implicates crucial applications in separation processes and energy conversion. Yet lack of complete understanding at the single-conduit level limits development of new carbon nanofluidic structures and devices with desired transport properties for practical applications. Here, we show that the hydraulic resistance and slippage of single graphene nanochannels can be accurately determined using capillary flow and a novel hybrid nanochannel design without estimating the capillary pressure. Our results reveal that the slip length of graphene in the graphene nanochannels is around 16 nm, albeit with a large variation from 0 to 200 nm regardless of the channel height. We corroborate this finding with molecular dynamics simulation results, which indicate that this wide distribution of the slip length is due to the surface charge of graphene as well as the interaction between graphene and its silica substrate.

A Flexible VHDL Floating Point Module for Control Algorithm Implementation in Space Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padierna, A.; Nicoleau, C.; Sanchez, J.; Hidalgo, I.; Elvira, S.

2012-08-01

The implementation of control loops for space applications is an area with great potential. However, the characteristics of this kind of systems, such as its wide dynamic range of numeric values, make inadequate the use of fixed-point algorithms.However, because the generic chips available for the treatment of floating point data are, in general, not qualified to operate in space environments and the possibility of using an IP module in a FPGA/ASIC qualified for space is not viable due to the low amount of logic cells available for these type of devices, it is necessary to find a viable alternative.For these reasons, in this paper a VHDL Floating Point Module is presented. This proposal allows the design and execution of floating point algorithms with acceptable occupancy to be implemented in FPGAs/ASICs qualified for space environments.

Distributed fiber-optic laser-ultrasound generation based on ghost-mode of tilted fiber Bragg gratings.

PubMed

Tian, Jiajun; Zhang, Qi; Han, Ming

2013-03-11

Active ultrasonic testing is widely used for medical diagnosis, material characterization and structural health monitoring. Ultrasonic transducer is a key component in active ultrasonic testing. Due to their many advantages such as small size, light weight, and immunity to electromagnetic interference, fiber-optic ultrasonic transducers are particularly attractive for permanent, embedded applications in active ultrasonic testing for structural health monitoring. However, current fiber-optic transducers only allow effective ultrasound generation at a single location of the fiber end. Here we demonstrate a fiber-optic device that can effectively generate ultrasound at multiple, selected locations along a fiber in a controllable manner based on a smart light tapping scheme that only taps out the light of a particular wavelength for laser-ultrasound generation and allow light of longer wavelengths pass by without loss. Such a scheme may also find applications in remote fiber-optic device tuning and quasi-distributed biochemical fiber-optic sensing.

Online Learning Tools as Supplements for Basic and Clinical Science Education.

PubMed

Ellman, Matthew S; Schwartz, Michael L

2016-01-01

Undergraduate medical educators are increasingly incorporating online learning tools into basic and clinical science curricula. In this paper, we explore the diversity of online learning tools and consider the range of applications for these tools in classroom and bedside learning. Particular advantages of these tools are highlighted, such as delivering foundational knowledge as part of the "flipped classroom" pedagogy and for depicting unusual physical examination findings and advanced clinical communication skills. With accelerated use of online learning, educators and administrators need to consider pedagogic and practical challenges posed by integrating online learning into individual learning activities, courses, and curricula as a whole. We discuss strategies for faculty development and the role of school-wide resources for supporting and using online learning. Finally, we consider the role of online learning in interprofessional, integrated, and competency-based applications among other contemporary trends in medical education are considered.

Ionization-induced annealing of pre-existing defects in silicon carbide

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Yanwen; Sachan, Ritesh; Pakarinen, Olli H.; ...

2015-08-12

A long-standing objective in materials research is to find innovative ways to remove preexisting damage and heal fabrication defects or environmentally induced defects in materials. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a fascinating wide-band gap semiconductor for high-temperature, high-power, high-frequency applications. Its high corrosion and radiation resistance makes it a key refractory/structural material with great potential for extremely harsh radiation environments. Here we show that the energy transferred to the electron system of SiC by energetic ions via inelastic ionization processes results in a highly localized thermal spike that can effectively heal preexisting defects and restore the structural order. This work revealsmore » an innovative self-healing process using highly ionizing ions, and it describes a critical aspect to be considered in modeling SiC performance as either a functional or a structural material for device applications or high-radiation environments.« less

Application of horizontal spiral coil heat exchanger for volatile organic compounds (VOC) emission control.

PubMed

Deshpande, P M; Dawande, S D

2013-04-01

The petroleum products have wide range of volatility and are required to be stored in bulk. The evaporation losses are significant and it is a economic as well as environmental concern, since evaporative losses of petroleum products cause increased VOC in ambient air. Control of these losses poses a major problem for the storage tank designers. Ever rising cost of petroleum products further adds to the gravity of the problem. Condensation is one of the technologies for reducing volatile organic compounds emissions. Condensation is effected by condenser, which is basically a heat exchanger and the heat exchanger configuration plays an important role. The horizontal spiral coil heat exchanger is a promising configuration that finds an application in VOC control. This paper attempts to understand underlying causes of emissions and analyse the option of horizontal spiral coil heat exchanger as vent condenser.

Optimal stabilization of Boolean networks through collective influence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jiannan; Pei, Sen; Wei, Wei; Feng, Xiangnan; Zheng, Zhiming

2018-03-01

Boolean networks have attracted much attention due to their wide applications in describing dynamics of biological systems. During past decades, much effort has been invested in unveiling how network structure and update rules affect the stability of Boolean networks. In this paper, we aim to identify and control a minimal set of influential nodes that is capable of stabilizing an unstable Boolean network. For locally treelike Boolean networks with biased truth tables, we propose a greedy algorithm to identify influential nodes in Boolean networks by minimizing the largest eigenvalue of a modified nonbacktracking matrix. We test the performance of the proposed collective influence algorithm on four different networks. Results show that the collective influence algorithm can stabilize each network with a smaller set of nodes compared with other heuristic algorithms. Our work provides a new insight into the mechanism that determines the stability of Boolean networks, which may find applications in identifying virulence genes that lead to serious diseases.

How coalescing droplets jump.

PubMed

Enright, Ryan; Miljkovic, Nenad; Sprittles, James; Nolan, Kevin; Mitchell, Robert; Wang, Evelyn N

2014-10-28

Surface engineering at the nanoscale is a rapidly developing field that promises to impact a range of applications including energy production, water desalination, self-cleaning and anti-icing surfaces, thermal management of electronics, microfluidic platforms, and environmental pollution control. As the area advances, more detailed insights of dynamic wetting interactions on these surfaces are needed. In particular, the coalescence of two or more droplets on ultra-low adhesion surfaces leads to droplet jumping. Here we show, through detailed measurements of jumping droplets during water condensation coupled with numerical simulations of binary droplet coalescence, that this process is fundamentally inefficient with only a small fraction of the available excess surface energy (≲ 6%) convertible into translational kinetic energy. These findings clarify the role of internal fluid dynamics during the jumping droplet coalescence process and underpin the development of systems that can harness jumping droplets for a wide range of applications.

Iminoboronate Formation Leads to Fast and Reversible Conjugation Chemistry of α-Nucleophiles at Neutral pH.

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Anupam; Gao, Jianmin

2015-10-12

Bioorthogonal reactions that are fast and reversible under physiological conditions are in high demand for biological applications. Herein, it is shown that an ortho boronic acid substituent makes aryl ketones rapidly conjugate with α-nucleophiles at neutral pH. Specifically, 2-acetylphenylboronic acid and derivatives were found to conjugate with phenylhydrazine with rate constants of 10(2) to 10(3) M(-1) s(-1) , comparable to the fastest bioorthogonal conjugations known to date. (11) B NMR analysis revealed the varied extent of iminoboronate formation of the conjugates, in which the imine nitrogen forms a dative bond with boron. The iminoboronate formation activates the imines for hydrolysis and exchange, rendering these oxime/hydrazone conjugations reversible and dynamic under physiological conditions. The fast and dynamic nature of the iminoboronate chemistry should find wide applications in biology. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Environmental monitoring using autonomous vehicles: a survey of recent searching techniques.

PubMed

Bayat, Behzad; Crasta, Naveena; Crespi, Alessandro; Pascoal, António M; Ijspeert, Auke

2017-06-01

Autonomous vehicles are becoming an essential tool in a wide range of environmental applications that include ambient data acquisition, remote sensing, and mapping of the spatial extent of pollutant spills. Among these applications, pollution source localization has drawn increasing interest due to its scientific and commercial interest and the emergence of a new breed of robotic vehicles capable of operating in harsh environments without human supervision. The aim is to find the location of a region that is the source of a given substance of interest (e.g. a chemical pollutant at sea or a gas leakage in air) using a group of cooperative autonomous vehicles. Motivated by fast paced advances in this challenging area, this paper surveys recent advances in searching techniques that are at the core of environmental monitoring strategies using autonomous vehicles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combinatorial microfluidic droplet engineering for biomimetic material synthesis

PubMed Central

Bawazer, Lukmaan A.; McNally, Ciara S.; Empson, Christopher J.; Marchant, William J.; Comyn, Tim P.; Niu, Xize; Cho, Soongwon; McPherson, Michael J.; Binks, Bernard P.; deMello, Andrew; Meldrum, Fiona C.

2016-01-01

Although droplet-based systems are used in a wide range of technologies, opportunities for systematically customizing their interface chemistries remain relatively unexplored. This article describes a new microfluidic strategy for rapidly tailoring emulsion droplet compositions and properties. The approach uses a simple platform for screening arrays of droplet-based microfluidic devices and couples this with combinatorial selection of the droplet compositions. Through the application of genetic algorithms over multiple screening rounds, droplets with target properties can be rapidly generated. The potential of this method is demonstrated by creating droplets with enhanced stability, where this is achieved by selecting carrier fluid chemistries that promote titanium dioxide formation at the droplet interfaces. The interface is a mixture of amorphous and crystalline phases, and the resulting composite droplets are biocompatible, supporting in vitro protein expression in their interiors. This general strategy will find widespread application in advancing emulsion properties for use in chemistry, biology, materials, and medicine. PMID:27730209

Making structured metals transparency for broadband and wide-incidence-angle electromagnetic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Renhao; Peng, Ruwen; Huang, Xianrong; Wang, Mu

2014-03-01

Very recently, we have demonstrated that one-dimensional metallic gratings can become transparent and completely antireflective for extremely broadband electromagnetic (EM) waves under oblique incidence. However, the oblique-incidence geometry, is inconvenient for the technological applications. To overcome this drawback, here we instead use oblique metal gratings with optimal tilt angles to achieve normal-incidence broadband transparence for EM waves. Further we use two-dimensional periodic metallic cuboids to achieve broadband and broad-angle high transmission and antireflection. By introducing such metallic cuboids arrays into silicon solar cells, we find that high performance of light trapping in the cells can be obtained with a significant enhancement of the ultimate quantum efficiency. The structured metals, which achieve broadband and broad-angle high transmission for EM waves, may have many other potential applications, such as transparent conducting panels, white-beam polarizers, and stealth objects.

Executive Summary of the Guidelines for the Use of interferon-gamma Release Assays in the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis Infection.

PubMed

Santin, Miguel; García-García, José-María; Rigau, David; Altet, Neus; Anibarro, Luis; Casas, Irma; Díez, Nuria; García-Gasalla, Mercedes; Martínez-Lacasa, Xavier; Penas, Antón; Pérez-Escolano, Elvira; Sánchez, Francisca; Domínguez, José

2016-09-01

Interferon-gamma release assays are widely used for the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection in Spain. However, there is no consensus on their application in specific clinical scenarios. To develop a guide-line for their use, a panel of experts comprising specialists in infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, microbiology, pediatrics and preventive medicine, together with a methodologist, conducted a systematic literature search, summarized the findings, rated the quality of the evidence, and formulated recommendations following the Grading of Recommendations of Assessment Development and Evaluations methodology. This document provides evidence-based guidance on the use of interferon-gamma release assays for the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection in patients at risk of tuberculosis or suspected of having active disease. The guidelines will be applicable to specialist and primary care, and public health. Copyright © 2016 SEPAR. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Stability, purification, and applications of bromelain: A review.

PubMed

de Lencastre Novaes, Letícia Celia; Jozala, Angela Faustino; Lopes, André Moreni; de Carvalho Santos-Ebinuma, Valéria; Mazzola, Priscila Gava; Pessoa Junior, Adalberto

2016-01-01

Bromelain is a cysteine protease found in pineapple tissue. Because of its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities, as well as its ability to induce apoptotic cell death, bromelain has proved useful in several therapeutic areas. The market for this protease is growing, and several studies exploring various properties of this molecule have been reported. This review aims to compile this data, and summarize the main findings on bromelain in the literature to date. The physicochemical properties and stability of bromelain under different conditions are discussed. Several studies on the purification of bromelain from crude extracts using a wide range of techniques such as liquid-liquid extractions by aqueous two-phase system, ultrafiltration, precipitation, and chromatography, have been reported. Finally, the various applications of bromelain are presented. This review therefore covers the main properties of bromelain, aiming to provide an up-to-date compilation of the data reported on this enzyme. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Cocoa Shell: A By-Product with Great Potential for Wide Application.

PubMed

Panak Balentić, Jelena; Ačkar, Đurđica; Jokić, Stela; Jozinović, Antun; Babić, Jurislav; Miličević, Borislav; Šubarić, Drago; Pavlović, Nika

2018-06-09

Solving the problem of large quantities of organic waste, which represents an enormous ecological and financial burden for all aspects of the process industry, is a necessity. Therefore, there is an emerged need to find specific solutions to utilize raw materials as efficiently as possible in the production process. The cocoa shell is a valuable by-product obtained from the chocolate industry. It is rich in protein, dietary fiber, and ash, as well as in some other valuable bioactive compounds, such as methylxanthines and phenolics. This paper gives an overview of published results related to the cocoa shell, mostly on important bioactive compounds and possible applications of the cocoa shell in different areas. The cocoa shell, due to its nutritional value and high-value bioactive compounds, could become a desirable raw material in a large spectrum of functional, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic products, as well as in the production of energy or biofuels in the near future.

Plasmonic beaming and active control over fluorescent emission.

PubMed

Jun, Young Chul; Huang, Kevin C Y; Brongersma, Mark L

2011-01-01

Nanometallic optical antennas are rapidly gaining popularity in applications that require exquisite control over light concentration and emission processes. The search is on for high-performance antennas that offer facile integration on chips. Here we demonstrate a new, easily fabricated optical antenna design that achieves an unprecedented level of control over fluorescent emission by combining concepts from plasmonics, radiative decay engineering and optical beaming. The antenna consists of a nanoscale plasmonic cavity filled with quantum dots coupled to a miniature grating structure that can be engineered to produce one or more highly collimated beams. Electromagnetic simulations and confocal microscopy were used to visualize the beaming process. The metals defining the plasmonic cavity can be utilized to electrically control the emission intensity and wavelength. These findings facilitate the realization of a new class of active optical antennas for use in new optical sources and a wide range of nanoscale optical spectroscopy applications.

Online Learning Tools as Supplements for Basic and Clinical Science Education

PubMed Central

Ellman, Matthew S.; Schwartz, Michael L.

2016-01-01

Undergraduate medical educators are increasingly incorporating online learning tools into basic and clinical science curricula. In this paper, we explore the diversity of online learning tools and consider the range of applications for these tools in classroom and bedside learning. Particular advantages of these tools are highlighted, such as delivering foundational knowledge as part of the “flipped classroom” pedagogy and for depicting unusual physical examination findings and advanced clinical communication skills. With accelerated use of online learning, educators and administrators need to consider pedagogic and practical challenges posed by integrating online learning into individual learning activities, courses, and curricula as a whole. We discuss strategies for faculty development and the role of school-wide resources for supporting and using online learning. Finally, we consider the role of online learning in interprofessional, integrated, and competency-based applications among other contemporary trends in medical education are considered. PMID:29349323

Micro-Stirling Active Cooling Module (MS/ACM) for DoD Electronics Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

MS/ACM uses miniaturized versions of components we have already developed for space-based cryocoolers for the MDA, AFRL, and NASA. Stirling...overcoming the technical challenges. Finally we describe the wide range of applications for Stirling-cycle coolers, cryocoolers , and generators...Applications: Figure 5 indicates the wide range of applications can benefit from our Stirling-cycle cooler, cryocooler , and generator technologies

Meeting the challenge of finding resources for ophthalmic nurses on the World Wide Web.

PubMed

Duffel, P G

1998-12-01

The World Wide Web ("the Web") is a macrocosm of resources that can be overwhelming. Often the sheer volume of material available causes one to give up in despair before finding information of any use. The Web is such a popular resource that it cannot be ignored. Two of the biggest challenges to finding good information on the Web are knowing where to start and judging whether the information gathered is pertinent and credible. This article addresses these two challenges and introduces the reader to a variety of ophthalmology and vision science resources on the World Wide Web.

CHRONIS: an animal chromosome image database.

PubMed

Toyabe, Shin-Ichi; Akazawa, Kouhei; Fukushi, Daisuke; Fukui, Kiichi; Ushiki, Tatsuo

2005-01-01

We have constructed a database system named CHRONIS (CHROmosome and Nano-Information System) to collect images of animal chromosomes and related nanotechnological information. CHRONIS enables rapid sharing of information on chromosome research among cell biologists and researchers in other fields via the Internet. CHRONIS is also intended to serve as a liaison tool for researchers who work in different centers. The image database contains more than 3,000 color microscopic images, including karyotypic images obtained from more than 1,000 species of animals. Researchers can browse the contents of the database using a usual World Wide Web interface in the following URL: http://chromosome.med.niigata-u.ac.jp/chronis/servlet/chronisservlet. The system enables users to input new images into the database, to locate images of interest by keyword searches, and to display the images with detailed information. CHRONIS has a wide range of applications, such as searching for appropriate probes for fluorescent in situ hybridization, comparing various kinds of microscopic images of a single species, and finding researchers working in the same field of interest.

WFIRST: Principal Components Analysis of H4RG-10 Near-IR Detector Data Cubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauscher, Bernard

2018-01-01

The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope’s (WFIRST) Wide Field Instrument (WFI) incorporates an array of eighteen Teledyne H4RG-10 near-IR detector arrays. Because WFIRST’s science investigations require controlling systematic uncertainties to state-of-the-art levels, we conducted principal components analysis (PCA) of some H4RG-10 test data obtained in the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Detector Characterization Laboratory (DCL). The PCA indicates that the Legendre polynomials provide a nearly orthogonal representation of up-the-ramp sampled illuminated data cubes, and suggests other representations that may provide an even more compact representation of the data in some circumstances. We hypothesize that by using orthogonal representations, such as those described here, it may be possible to control systematic errors better than has been achieved before for NASA missions. We believe that these findings are probably applicable to other H4RG, H2RG, and H1RG based systems.

Fluorescence tissue distribution of methylene blue used for photodynamic therapy of Helicobacter Pylori

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millson, Charles E.; Buonaccorsi, Giovanni A.; MacRobert, Alexander J.; Mlkvy, Peter; Bown, Stephen G.

1995-03-01

Helicobacter pylori is associated with a wide range of pathologies in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Current treatments employing antibiotics are disappointing, and an endoscopic PDT might offer a better alternative. Methylene blue is a widely known histological dye and has been in use for photodynamic therapy experimentally for some years. A prospective application of MB is photosensitization of Helicobacter pylori, but little is known about its effect with light on normal mucosa of the stomach. We studied the fluorescence microscopy of the stomachs of 3 ferrets which had been sensitized by oral route with three different concentrations of MB 1 hour prior to sacrifice. MB at all doses was seen to concentrate on the surface of the mucosa and shows little deeper penetration. As Helicobacter lie on the superficial mucosa, this study suggests that oral dosing with MB should sensitize these bacteria. These findings are an important preliminary to an in vivo trial of PDT for the treatment of H pylori.

Strategic Planning and NRC Decadal Survey Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lautenbacher, C. C., Jr.

2015-12-01

Strategic planning exercises are routinely undertaken by a wide variety of organizations that span the private, public and academic sectors and with a wide variety of corporate goals. It is difficult to single out best procedures as the purposes of strategic planning are as varied as the organizations. As a former head of a governmental agency that requested such a NRC study, namely the first "Earth Sciences and Applications from Space" study, I will examine the process, provide my definitions and assessments of the good and the not-so-good, and compare to my experiences with other similar strategic planning exercises during my Navy, NOAA, and private sector careers. I find that there is always room for improvement, but there is no one process or procedure that can guarantee success. Overarching initial considerations that can position the effort for overall "success" will be defined and applied to the recent NSC Study: "Sea Change: 2015-2025 Decadal Survey of Ocean Science", for which I was neither an initiator nor a participant, but a very interested observer.

Quantitation without Calibration: Response Profile as an Indicator of Target Amount.

PubMed

Debnath, Mrittika; Farace, Jessica M; Johnson, Kristopher D; Nesterova, Irina V

2018-06-21

Quantitative assessment of biomarkers is essential in numerous contexts from decision-making in clinical situations to food quality monitoring to interpretation of life-science research findings. However, appropriate quantitation techniques are not as widely addressed as detection methods. One of the major challenges in biomarker's quantitation is the need to have a calibration for correlating a measured signal to a target amount. The step complicates the methodologies and makes them less sustainable. In this work we address the issue via a new strategy: relying on position of response profile rather than on an absolute signal value for assessment of a target's amount. In order to enable the capability we develop a target-probe binding mechanism based on a negative cooperativity effect. A proof-of-concept example demonstrates that the model is suitable for quantitative analysis of nucleic acids over a wide concentration range. The general principles of the platform will be applicable toward a variety of biomarkers such as nucleic acids, proteins, peptides, and others.

MIG-seq: an effective PCR-based method for genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping using the next-generation sequencing platform

PubMed Central

Suyama, Yoshihisa; Matsuki, Yu

2015-01-01

Restriction-enzyme (RE)-based next-generation sequencing methods have revolutionized marker-assisted genetic studies; however, the use of REs has limited their widespread adoption, especially in field samples with low-quality DNA and/or small quantities of DNA. Here, we developed a PCR-based procedure to construct reduced representation libraries without RE digestion steps, representing de novo single-nucleotide polymorphism discovery, and its genotyping using next-generation sequencing. Using multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers, thousands of genome-wide regions were amplified effectively from a wide variety of genomes, without prior genetic information. We demonstrated: 1) Mendelian gametic segregation of the discovered variants; 2) reproducibility of genotyping by checking its applicability for individual identification; and 3) applicability in a wide variety of species by checking standard population genetic analysis. This approach, called multiplexed ISSR genotyping by sequencing, should be applicable to many marker-assisted genetic studies with a wide range of DNA qualities and quantities. PMID:26593239

Applications of Microbial Enzymes in Food Industry.

PubMed

Raveendran, Sindhu; Parameswaran, Binod; Ummalyma, Sabeela Beevi; Abraham, Amith; Mathew, Anil Kuruvilla; Madhavan, Aravind; Rebello, Sharrel; Pandey, Ashok

2018-03-01

The use of enzymes or microorganisms in food preparations is an age-old process. With the advancement of technology, novel enzymes with wide range of applications and specificity have been developed and new application areas are still being explored. Microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and fungi and their enzymes are widely used in several food preparations for improving the taste and texture and they offer huge economic benefits to industries. Microbial enzymes are the preferred source to plants or animals due to several advantages such as easy, cost-effective and consistent production. The present review discusses the recent advancement in enzyme technology for food industries. A comprehensive list of enzymes used in food processing, the microbial source of these enzymes and the wide range of their application are discussed.

First centenary of Röntgen's discovery of X-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valkovic, V.

1996-04-01

Usually it takes a decade or even several decades, from a discovery to its practical applications. This was not the case with X-rays; they were widely applied in medical and industrial radiography within a year of their discovery in 1895 by W.C. Röntgen. Today, X-ray analysis covers a wide range of techniques and fields of applications: from deduction of atomic arrangements by observation of diffraction phenomena to measurements of trace element concentration levels, distributions and maps by measuring fluorescence, X-ray attenuation or scattering. Although the contribution of analytical applications of X-rays to the present knowledge is difficult to surpass, modern application cover a wide range of activities from three-dimensional microfabrication using synchroton radiation to collecting information from the deep space by X-ray astronomy.

Applications of Microbial Enzymes in Food Industry

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Summary The use of enzymes or microorganisms in food preparations is an age-old process. With the advancement of technology, novel enzymes with wide range of applications and specificity have been developed and new application areas are still being explored. Microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and fungi and their enzymes are widely used in several food preparations for improving the taste and texture and they offer huge economic benefits to industries. Microbial enzymes are the preferred source to plants or animals due to several advantages such as easy, cost-effective and consistent production. The present review discusses the recent advancement in enzyme technology for food industries. A comprehensive list of enzymes used in food processing, the microbial source of these enzymes and the wide range of their application are discussed. PMID:29795993

End-to-end performance measurement of Internet based medical applications.

PubMed

Dev, P; Harris, D; Gutierrez, D; Shah, A; Senger, S

2002-01-01

We present a method to obtain an end-to-end characterization of the performance of an application over a network. This method is not dependent on any specific application or type of network. The method requires characterization of network parameters, such as latency and packet loss, between the expected server or client endpoints, as well as characterization of the application's constraints on these parameters. A subjective metric is presented that integrates these characterizations and that operates over a wide range of applications and networks. We believe that this method may be of wide applicability as research and educational applications increasingly make use of computation and data servers that are distributed over the Internet.

Silver nanoparticles: Synthesis methods, bio-applications and properties.

PubMed

Abbasi, Elham; Milani, Morteza; Fekri Aval, Sedigheh; Kouhi, Mohammad; Akbarzadeh, Abolfazl; Tayefi Nasrabadi, Hamid; Nikasa, Parisa; Joo, San Woo; Hanifehpour, Younes; Nejati-Koshki, Kazem; Samiei, Mohammad

2016-01-01

Silver nanoparticles size makes wide range of new applications in various fields of industry. Synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles for applications such as catalysis, electronics, optics, environmental and biotechnology is an area of constant interest. Two main methods for Silver nanoparticles are the physical and chemical methods. The problem with these methods is absorption of toxic substances onto them. Green synthesis approaches overcome this limitation. Silver nanoparticles size makes wide range of new applications in various fields of industry. This article summarizes exclusively scalable techniques and focuses on strengths, respectively, limitations with respect to the biomedical applicability and regulatory requirements concerning silver nanoparticles.

Energy reduction through voltage scaling and lightweight checking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadric, Edin

As the semiconductor roadmap reaches smaller feature sizes and the end of Dennard Scaling, design goals change, and managing the power envelope often dominates delay minimization. Voltage scaling remains a powerful tool to reduce energy. We find that it results in about 60% geomean energy reduction on top of other common low-energy optimizations with 22nm CMOS technology. However, when voltage is reduced, it becomes easier for noise and particle strikes to upset a node, potentially causing Silent Data Corruption (SDC). The 60% energy reduction, therefore, comes with a significant drop in reliability. Duplication with checking and triple-modular redundancy are traditional approaches used to combat transient errors, but spending 2--3x the energy for redundant computation can diminish or reverse the benefits of voltage scaling. As an alternative, we explore the opportunity to use checking operations that are cheaper than the base computation they are guarding. We devise a classification system for applications and their lightweight checking characteristics. In particular, we identify and evaluate the effectiveness of lightweight checks in a broad set of common tasks in scientific computing and signal processing. We find that the lightweight checks cost only a fraction of the base computation (0-25%) and allow us to recover the reliability losses from voltage scaling. Overall, we show about 50% net energy reduction without compromising reliability compared to operation at the nominal voltage. We use FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) in our work, although the same ideas can be applied to different systems. On top of voltage scaling, we explore other common low-energy techniques for FPGAs: transmission gates, gate boosting, power gating, low-leakage (high-Vth) processes, and dual-V dd architectures. We do not scale voltage for memories, so lower voltages help us reduce logic and interconnect energy, but not memory energy. At lower voltages, memories become dominant, and we get diminishing returns from continuing to scale voltage. To ensure that memories do not become a bottleneck, we also design an energy-robust FPGA memory architecture, which attempts to minimize communication energy due to mismatches between application and architecture. We do this alongside application parallelism tuning. We show our techniques on a wide range of applications, including a large real-time system used for Wide-Area Motion Imaging (WAMI).

Advances in high power linearly polarized fiber laser and its application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Pu; Huang, Long; Ma, Pengfei; Xu, Jiangming; Su, Rongtao; Wang, Xiaolin

2017-10-01

Fiber lasers are now attracting more and more research interest due to their advantages in efficiency, beam quality and flexible operation. Up to now, most of the high power fiber lasers have random distributed polarization state. Linearlypolarized (LP) fiber lasers, which could find wide application potential in coherent detection, coherent/spectral beam combining, nonlinear frequency conversion, have been a research focus in recent years. In this paper, we will present a general review on the achievements of various kinds of high power linear-polarized fiber laser and its application. The recent progress in our group, including power scaling by using power amplifier with different mechanism, high power linearly polarized fiber laser with diversified properties, and various applications of high power linear-polarized fiber laser, are summarized. We have achieved 100 Watt level random distributed feedback fiber laser, kilowatt level continuous-wave (CW) all-fiber polarization-maintained fiber amplifier, 600 watt level average power picosecond polarization-maintained fiber amplifier and 300 watt level average power femtosecond polarization-maintained fiber amplifier. In addition, high power linearly polarized fiber lasers have been successfully applied in 5 kilowatt level coherent beam combining, structured light field and ultrasonic generation.

Potential Applications of Carbohydrases Immobilization in the Food Industry

PubMed Central

Contesini, Fabiano Jares; de Alencar Figueira, Joelise; Kawaguti, Haroldo Yukio; de Barros Fernandes, Pedro Carlos; de Oliveira Carvalho, Patrícia; Nascimento, Maria da Graça; Sato, Hélia Harumi

2013-01-01

Carbohydrases find a wide application in industrial processes and products, mainly in the food industry. With these enzymes, it is possible to obtain different types of sugar syrups (viz. glucose, fructose and inverted sugar syrups), prebiotics (viz. galactooligossacharides and fructooligossacharides) and isomaltulose, which is an interesting sweetener substitute for sucrose to improve the sensory properties of juices and wines and to reduce lactose in milk. The most important carbohydrases to accomplish these goals are of microbial origin and include amylases (α-amylases and glucoamylases), invertases, inulinases, galactosidases, glucosidases, fructosyltransferases, pectinases and glucosyltransferases. Yet, for all these processes to be cost-effective for industrial application, a very efficient, simple and cheap immobilization technique is required. Immobilization techniques can involve adsorption, entrapment or covalent bonding of the enzyme into an insoluble support, or carrier-free methods, usually based on the formation of cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs). They include a broad variety of supports, such as magnetic materials, gums, gels, synthetic polymers and ionic resins. All these techniques present advantages and disadvantages and several parameters must be considered. In this work, the most recent and important studies on the immobilization of carbohydrases with potential application in the food industry are reviewed. PMID:23344046

Latency of TCP applications over the ATM-WAN using the GFR service category

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Kuo-Hsien; Siliquini, John F.; Budrikis, Zigmantas

1998-10-01

The GFR service category has been proposed for data services in ATM networks. Since users are ultimately interested in data service that provide high efficiency and low latency, it is important to study the latency performance for data traffic of the GFR service category in an ATM network. Today much of the data traffic utilizes the TCP/IP protocol suite and in this paper we study through simulation the latency of TCP applications running over a wide-area ATM network utilizing the GFR service category using a realistic TCP traffic model. From this study, we find that during congestion periods the reserved bandwidth in GFR can improve the latency performance for TCP applications. However, due to TCP 'Slow Start' data segment generation dynamics, we show that a large proportion of TCP segments are discarded under network congestion even when the reserved bandwidth is equal to the average generated rate of user data. Therefore, a user experiences worse than expected latency performance when the network is congested. In this study we also examine the effects of segment size on the latency performance of TCP applications using the GFR service category.

Macrocyclic cavitands cucurbit[n]urils: prospects for application in biochemistry, medicine and nanotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerasko, O. A.; Kovalenko, E. A.; Fedin, V. P.

2016-08-01

The prospects of using the organic macrocyclic cavitands cucurbit[n]urils (CB[n]) and their derivatives in biochemistry, medicine and nanotechnology are considered. A combination of CB[n] characteristics, such as a rigid highly symmetrical structure, polarized hydrophilic portals, a rather large intramolecular hydrophobic cavity, as well as high resistance to thermolysis and corrosive media and low toxicity, account for a wide range of unique opportunities for the deliberate design of new functional materials, which may find application in various areas of modern chemistry and new technologies. Inclusion compounds of CB[n] with biologically active molecules demonstrate a high potential for the design of a new generation of prolonged action pharmaceuticals. The review presents the prospects for the application of CB[n] to manufacture unique materials, such as CB[n]-containing vesicles, films and surfaces, suitable for immobilization of various molecules and nanoparticles on their surface and for the separation of complex mixtures. Potential applications of CB[n]-modified electrodes and hydrogels are analyzed, and the use of CB[n] in proton-conducting materials and materials for the gas sorption and separation are discussed. The bibliography includes 164 references.

Neural dynamics of grouping and segmentation explain properties of visual crowding.

PubMed

Francis, Gregory; Manassi, Mauro; Herzog, Michael H

2017-07-01

Investigations of visual crowding, where a target is difficult to identify because of flanking elements, has largely used a theoretical perspective based on local interactions where flanking elements pool with or substitute for properties of the target. This successful theoretical approach has motivated a wide variety of empirical investigations to identify mechanisms that cause crowding, and it has suggested practical applications to mitigate crowding effects. However, this theoretical approach has been unable to account for a parallel set of findings that crowding is influenced by long-range perceptual grouping effects. When the target and flankers are perceived as part of separate visual groups, crowding tends to be quite weak. Here, we describe how theoretical mechanisms for grouping and segmentation in cortical neural circuits can account for a wide variety of these long-range grouping effects. Building on previous work, we explain how crowding occurs in the model and explain how grouping in the model involves connected boundary signals that represent a key aspect of visual information. We then introduce new circuits that allow nonspecific top-down selection signals to flow along connected boundaries or within a surface contained by boundaries and thereby induce a segmentation that can separate the visual information corresponding to the flankers from the visual information corresponding to the target. When such segmentation occurs, crowding is shown to be weak. We compare the model's behavior to 5 sets of experimental findings on visual crowding and show that the model does a good job explaining the key empirical findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

76 FR 2647 - Application(s) for Duty-Free Entry of Scientific Instruments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-14

... Netherlands. Intended Use: The instrument will be used for a wide variety of research projects, including the..., the Netherlands. Intended Use: The instrument will be used for a wide variety of research projects including the study of artificial atoms, nanomagnetic research, and advanced semiconductor devices. The...

45 CFR 1340.3 - Applicability of Department-wide regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... awarded under this part: 48 CFR Chapter 1—Federal Acquisition Regulations. 48 CFR Chapter 3—Federal....3 Section 1340.3 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN... TREATMENT General Provisions § 1340.3 Applicability of Department-wide regulations. (a) The following HHS...

Miniature solid-state lasers for pointing, illumination, and warning devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, D. C.; Singley, J. M.; Yager, E.; Kowalewski, K.; Lotito, B.; Guelzow, J.; Hildreth, J.; Kuper, J. W.

2008-04-01

In this paper we review the current status of and progress towards higher power and more wavelength diverse diode-pumped solid-state miniature lasers. Snake Creek Lasers now offers unprecedented continuous wave (CW) output power from 9.0 mm and 5.6 mm TO type packages, including the smallest green laser in the world, the MicroGreen TM laser, and the highest density green laser in the world, the MiniGreen TM laser. In addition we offer an infrared laser, the MiniIR TM, operating at 1064 nm, and have just introduced a blue Mini laser operating at 473 nm in a 9.0 mm package. Recently we demonstrated over 1 W of output power at 1064 nm from a 12 mm TO type package, and green output power from 300-500 mW from the same 12 mm package. In addition, the company is developing a number of other innovative new miniature CW solid-state lasers operating at 750 nm, 820 nm, 458 nm, and an eye-safe Q-switched laser operating at 1550 nm. We also review recently demonstrated combining volume Bragg grating (VBG) technology has been combined with automatic power control (APC) to produce high power MiniGreen TM lasers whose output is constant to +/- 10 % over a wide temperature range, without the use of a thermoelectric cooler (TEC). This technology is expected to find widespread application in military and commercial applications where wide temperature operation is particularly important. It has immediate applications in laser pointers, illuminators, and laser flashlights, and displays.

Stretchable Materials for Robust Soft Actuators towards Assistive Wearable Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agarwal, Gunjan; Besuchet, Nicolas; Audergon, Basile; Paik, Jamie

2016-09-01

Soft actuators made from elastomeric active materials can find widespread potential implementation in a variety of applications ranging from assistive wearable technologies targeted at biomedical rehabilitation or assistance with activities of daily living, bioinspired and biomimetic systems, to gripping and manipulating fragile objects, and adaptable locomotion. In this manuscript, we propose a novel two-component soft actuator design and design tool that produces actuators targeted towards these applications with enhanced mechanical performance and manufacturability. Our numerical models developed using the finite element method can predict the actuator behavior at large mechanical strains to allow efficient design iterations for system optimization. Based on two distinctive actuator prototypes’ (linear and bending actuators) experimental results that include free displacement and blocked-forces, we have validated the efficacy of the numerical models. The presented extensive investigation of mechanical performance for soft actuators with varying geometric parameters demonstrates the practical application of the design tool, and the robustness of the actuator hardware design, towards diverse soft robotic systems for a wide set of assistive wearable technologies, including replicating the motion of several parts of the human body.

Soft Robotics: from scientific challenges to technological applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laschi, C.

2016-05-01

Soft robotics is a recent and rapidly growing field of research, which aims at unveiling the principles for building robots that include soft materials and compliance in the interaction with the environment, so as to exploit so-called embodied intelligence and negotiate natural environment more effectively. Using soft materials for building robots poses new technological challenges: the technologies for actuating soft materials, for embedding sensors into soft robot parts, for controlling soft robots are among the main ones. This is stimulating research in many disciplines and many countries, such that a wide community is gathering around initiatives like the IEEE TAS TC on Soft Robotics and the RoboSoft CA - A Coordination Action for Soft Robotics, funded by the European Commission. Though still in its early stages of development, soft robotics is finding its way in a variety of applications, where safe contact is a main issue, in the biomedical field, as well as in exploration tasks and in the manufacturing industry. And though the development of the enabling technologies is still a priority, a fruitful loop is growing between basic research and application-oriented research in soft robotics.

Confocal microscopy patterns in nonmelanoma skin cancer and clinical applications.

PubMed

González, S; Sánchez, V; González-Rodríguez, A; Parrado, C; Ullrich, M

2014-06-01

Reflectance confocal microscopy is currently the most promising noninvasive diagnostic tool for studying cutaneous structures between the stratum corneum and the superficial reticular dermis. This tool gives real-time images parallel to the skin surface; the microscopic resolution is similar to that of conventional histology. Numerous studies have identified the main confocal features of various inflammatory skin diseases and tumors, demonstrating the good correlation of these features with certain dermatoscopic patterns and histologic findings. Confocal patterns and diagnostic algorithms have been shown to have high sensitivity and specificity in melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer. Possible present and future applications of this noninvasive technology are wide ranging and reach beyond its use in noninvasive diagnosis. This tool can also be used, for example, to evaluate dynamic skin processes that occur after UV exposure or to assess tumor response to noninvasive treatments such as photodynamic therapy. We explain the characteristic confocal features found in the main nonmelanoma skin tumors and discuss possible applications for this novel diagnostic technique in routine dermatology practice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. and AEDV. All rights reserved.

A software tool for modeling and simulation of numerical P systems.

PubMed

Buiu, Catalin; Arsene, Octavian; Cipu, Corina; Patrascu, Monica

2011-03-01

A P system represents a distributed and parallel bio-inspired computing model in which basic data structures are multi-sets or strings. Numerical P systems have been recently introduced and they use numerical variables and local programs (or evolution rules), usually in a deterministic way. They may find interesting applications in areas such as computational biology, process control or robotics. The first simulator of numerical P systems (SNUPS) has been designed, implemented and made available to the scientific community by the authors of this paper. SNUPS allows a wide range of applications, from modeling and simulation of ordinary differential equations, to the use of membrane systems as computational blocks of cognitive architectures, and as controllers for autonomous mobile robots. This paper describes the functioning of a numerical P system and presents an overview of SNUPS capabilities together with an illustrative example. SNUPS is freely available to researchers as a standalone application and may be downloaded from a dedicated website, http://snups.ics.pub.ro/, which includes an user manual and sample membrane structures. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stretchable Materials for Robust Soft Actuators towards Assistive Wearable Devices

PubMed Central

Agarwal, Gunjan; Besuchet, Nicolas; Audergon, Basile; Paik, Jamie

2016-01-01

Soft actuators made from elastomeric active materials can find widespread potential implementation in a variety of applications ranging from assistive wearable technologies targeted at biomedical rehabilitation or assistance with activities of daily living, bioinspired and biomimetic systems, to gripping and manipulating fragile objects, and adaptable locomotion. In this manuscript, we propose a novel two-component soft actuator design and design tool that produces actuators targeted towards these applications with enhanced mechanical performance and manufacturability. Our numerical models developed using the finite element method can predict the actuator behavior at large mechanical strains to allow efficient design iterations for system optimization. Based on two distinctive actuator prototypes’ (linear and bending actuators) experimental results that include free displacement and blocked-forces, we have validated the efficacy of the numerical models. The presented extensive investigation of mechanical performance for soft actuators with varying geometric parameters demonstrates the practical application of the design tool, and the robustness of the actuator hardware design, towards diverse soft robotic systems for a wide set of assistive wearable technologies, including replicating the motion of several parts of the human body. PMID:27670953

Co-culture systems and technologies: taking synthetic biology to the next level.

PubMed

Goers, Lisa; Freemont, Paul; Polizzi, Karen M

2014-07-06

Co-culture techniques find myriad applications in biology for studying natural or synthetic interactions between cell populations. Such techniques are of great importance in synthetic biology, as multi-species cell consortia and other natural or synthetic ecology systems are widely seen to hold enormous potential for foundational research as well as novel industrial, medical and environmental applications with many proof-of-principle studies in recent years. What is needed for co-cultures to fulfil their potential? Cell-cell interactions in co-cultures are strongly influenced by the extracellular environment, which is determined by the experimental set-up, which therefore needs to be given careful consideration. An overview of existing experimental and theoretical co-culture set-ups in synthetic biology and adjacent fields is given here, and challenges and opportunities involved in such experiments are discussed. Greater focus on foundational technology developments for co-cultures is needed for many synthetic biology systems to realize their potential in both applications and answering biological questions. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Eye Tracking and Head Movement Detection: A State-of-Art Survey

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Eye-gaze detection and tracking have been an active research field in the past years as it adds convenience to a variety of applications. It is considered a significant untraditional method of human computer interaction. Head movement detection has also received researchers' attention and interest as it has been found to be a simple and effective interaction method. Both technologies are considered the easiest alternative interface methods. They serve a wide range of severely disabled people who are left with minimal motor abilities. For both eye tracking and head movement detection, several different approaches have been proposed and used to implement different algorithms for these technologies. Despite the amount of research done on both technologies, researchers are still trying to find robust methods to use effectively in various applications. This paper presents a state-of-art survey for eye tracking and head movement detection methods proposed in the literature. Examples of different fields of applications for both technologies, such as human-computer interaction, driving assistance systems, and assistive technologies are also investigated. PMID:27170851

Cost and efficacy comparison of in vitro fertilization and tubal anastomosis for women after tubal ligation

PubMed Central

Messinger, Lauren B.; Alford, Connie E.; Csokmay, John M.; Henne, Melinda B.; Mumford, Sunni L.; Segars, James H.; Armstrong, Alicia Y.

2016-01-01

Objective To compare cost and efficacy of tubal anastomosis to in vitro fertilization (IVF) in women who desired fertility after a tubal ligation. Design Cost-effectiveness analysis. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) Not applicable. Intervention(s) Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure(s) Cost per ongoing pregnancy. Result(s) Cost per ongoing pregnancy for women after tubal anastomosis ranged from $16,446 to $223,482 (2014 USD), whereas IVF ranged from $32,902 to $111,679 (2014 USD). Across maternal age groups <35 and 35–40, years tubal anastomosis was more cost effective than IVF for ongoing pregnancy. Sensitivity analyses validated these findings across a wide range of ongoing pregnancy probabilities as well as costs per procedure. Conclusion(s) Tubal anastomosis was the most cost-effective approach for most women less than 41 years of age, whereas IVF was the most cost-effective approach for women aged ≥41 years who desired fertility after tubal ligation. A model was created that can be modified based on cost and success rates in individual clinics for improved patient counseling. PMID:26006734

Cost and efficacy comparison of in vitro fertilization and tubal anastomosis for women after tubal ligation.

PubMed

Messinger, Lauren B; Alford, Connie E; Csokmay, John M; Henne, Melinda B; Mumford, Sunni L; Segars, James H; Armstrong, Alicia Y

2015-07-01

To compare cost and efficacy of tubal anastomosis to in vitro fertilization (IVF) in women who desired fertility after a tubal ligation. Cost-effectiveness analysis. Not applicable. Not applicable. Not applicable. Cost per ongoing pregnancy. Cost per ongoing pregnancy for women after tubal anastomosis ranged from $16,446 to $223,482 (2014 USD), whereas IVF ranged from $32,902 to $111,679 (2014 USD). Across maternal age groups <35 and 35-40, years tubal anastomosis was more cost effective than IVF for ongoing pregnancy. Sensitivity analyses validated these findings across a wide range of ongoing pregnancy probabilities as well as costs per procedure. Tubal anastomosis was the most cost-effective approach for most women less than 41 years of age, whereas IVF was the most cost-effective approach for women aged ≥41 years who desired fertility after tubal ligation. A model was created that can be modified based on cost and success rates in individual clinics for improved patient counseling. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. All rights reserved.

Stretchable Materials for Robust Soft Actuators towards Assistive Wearable Devices.

PubMed

Agarwal, Gunjan; Besuchet, Nicolas; Audergon, Basile; Paik, Jamie

2016-09-27

Soft actuators made from elastomeric active materials can find widespread potential implementation in a variety of applications ranging from assistive wearable technologies targeted at biomedical rehabilitation or assistance with activities of daily living, bioinspired and biomimetic systems, to gripping and manipulating fragile objects, and adaptable locomotion. In this manuscript, we propose a novel two-component soft actuator design and design tool that produces actuators targeted towards these applications with enhanced mechanical performance and manufacturability. Our numerical models developed using the finite element method can predict the actuator behavior at large mechanical strains to allow efficient design iterations for system optimization. Based on two distinctive actuator prototypes' (linear and bending actuators) experimental results that include free displacement and blocked-forces, we have validated the efficacy of the numerical models. The presented extensive investigation of mechanical performance for soft actuators with varying geometric parameters demonstrates the practical application of the design tool, and the robustness of the actuator hardware design, towards diverse soft robotic systems for a wide set of assistive wearable technologies, including replicating the motion of several parts of the human body.

Molecular and Cellular Biophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Meyer B.

2006-01-01

Molecular and Cellular Biophysics provides advanced undergraduate and graduate students with a foundation in the basic concepts of biophysics. Students who have taken physical chemistry and calculus courses will find this book an accessible and valuable aid in learning how these concepts can be used in biological research. The text provides a rigorous treatment of the fundamental theories in biophysics and illustrates their application with examples. Conformational transitions of proteins are studied first using thermodynamics, and subsequently with kinetics. Allosteric theory is developed as the synthesis of conformational transitions and association reactions. Basic ideas of thermodynamics and kinetics are applied to topics such as protein folding, enzyme catalysis and ion channel permeation. These concepts are then used as the building blocks in a treatment of membrane excitability. Through these examples, students will gain an understanding of the general importance and broad applicability of biophysical principles to biological problems. Offers a unique synthesis of concepts across a wide range of biophysical topics Provides a rigorous theoretical treatment, alongside applications in biological systems Author has been teaching biophysics for nearly 25 years

Topical Vitamin C and the Skin: Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Applications.

PubMed

Al-Niaimi, Firas; Chiang, Nicole Yi Zhen

2017-07-01

OBJECTIVE: This review article details the main mechanisms of action and clinical applications of topical vitamin C on the skin, including its antioxidative, photoprotective, antiaging, and antipigmentary effects. DESIGN: A PubMed search for the relevant articles on vitamin C and the skin was conducted using the following key words: "vitamin C," "ascorbic acid," "ascorbyl-6-palmitate,"and "magnesium ascorbyl phosphate." RESULTS: As one of the most powerful antioxidants in the skin, vitamin C has been shown to protect against photoaging, ultraviolet-induced immunosuppression, and photocarcinogenesis. It also has an antiaging effect by increasing collagen synthesis, stabilizing collagen fibers, and decreasing collagen degradation. It decreases melanin formation, thereby reducing pigmentation. Vitamin C is the primary replenisher of vitamin E and works synergistically with vitamin E in the protection against oxidative damage. CONCLUSION: Topical vitamin C has a wide range of clinical applications, from antiaging and antipigmentary to photoprotective. Currently, clinical studies on the efficacy of topical formulations of vitamin C remain limited, and the challenge lies in finding the most stable and permeable formulation in achieving the optimal results.

Monolithic ceramic capacitors for high reliability applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thornley, E. B.

1981-01-01

Monolithic multi-layer ceramic dielectric capacitors are widely used in high reliability applications in spacecraft, launch vehicles, and military equipment. Their relatively low cost, wide range of values, and package styles are attractive features that result in high usage in electronic circuitry in these applications. Design and construction of monolithic ceramic dielectric capacitors, defects that can lead to failure, and methods for defect detection that are being incorporated in military specifications are discussed.

Field emitter displays for future avionics applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Susan K.; Jones, Gary W.; Zimmerman, Steven M.; Blazejewski, Edward R.

1995-06-01

Field emitter array-based display technology offers CRT-like characteristics in a thin flat-panel display with many potential applications for vehicle-mounted, crew workstation, and helmet-mounted displays, as well as many other military and commercial applications. In addition to thinness, high brightness, wide viewing angle, wide temperature range, and low weight, field emitter array displays also offer potential advantages such as row-at-a-time matrix addressability and the ability to be segmented.

Comparative analysis of the application of different Low Power Wide Area Network technologies in power grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hao; Sui, Hong; Liao, Xing; Li, Junhao

2018-03-01

Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies developed rapidly in recent years, but the application principle of different LPWAN technologies in power grid is still not clear. This paper gives a comparative analysis of two mainstream LPWAN technologies including NB-IoT and LoRa, and gives an application suggestion of these two LPWAN technologies, which can guide the planning and construction of LPWAN in power grid.

MSAT wide-area fleet management: End-user requirements and applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pedersen, Allister

1995-01-01

MSAT (Mobile SATellite) Services will become a reality in North America in 1995. MSAT will provide wide-area voice, data and fax services to land, marine and aeronautical mobile users anywhere in North America including 200 nautical miles off the coasts and into the Arctic waters. MSAT will also convey GPS position information from mobiles to dispatch centers. One broad application of MSAT is Wide Area Fleet Management (WAFM). This paper defines WAFM, outlines end-user requirements and identifies potential applications of MSAT WAFM. The paper draws from information obtained in several preMSAT WAFM field trials in land, marine and aeronautical mobile environments. The paper concludes with an outline of the potential benefits of MSAT WAFM.

An examination of sources of sensitivity of consumer surplus estimates in travel cost models.

PubMed

Blaine, Thomas W; Lichtkoppler, Frank R; Bader, Timothy J; Hartman, Travis J; Lucente, Joseph E

2015-03-15

We examine sensitivity of estimates of recreation demand using the Travel Cost Method (TCM) to four factors. Three of the four have been routinely and widely discussed in the TCM literature: a) Poisson verses negative binomial regression; b) application of Englin correction to account for endogenous stratification; c) truncation of the data set to eliminate outliers. A fourth issue we address has not been widely modeled: the potential effect on recreation demand of the interaction between income and travel cost. We provide a straightforward comparison of all four factors, analyzing the impact of each on regression parameters and consumer surplus estimates. Truncation has a modest effect on estimates obtained from the Poisson models but a radical effect on the estimates obtained by way of the negative binomial. Inclusion of an income-travel cost interaction term generally produces a more conservative but not a statistically significantly different estimate of consumer surplus in both Poisson and negative binomial models. It also generates broader confidence intervals. Application of truncation, the Englin correction and the income-travel cost interaction produced the most conservative estimates of consumer surplus and eliminated the statistical difference between the Poisson and the negative binomial. Use of the income-travel cost interaction term reveals that for visitors who face relatively low travel costs, the relationship between income and travel demand is negative, while it is positive for those who face high travel costs. This provides an explanation of the ambiguities on the findings regarding the role of income widely observed in the TCM literature. Our results suggest that policies that reduce access to publicly owned resources inordinately impact local low income recreationists and are contrary to environmental justice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match: Migration of Populations via Marriages in the Past

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sang Hoon; Ffrancon, Robyn; Abrams, Daniel M.; Kim, Beom Jun; Porter, Mason A.

2014-10-01

The study of human mobility is both of fundamental importance and of great potential value. For example, it can be leveraged to facilitate efficient city planning and improve prevention strategies when faced with epidemics. The newfound wealth of rich sources of data—including banknote flows, mobile phone records, and transportation data—has led to an explosion of attempts to characterize modern human mobility. Unfortunately, the dearth of comparable historical data makes it much more difficult to study human mobility patterns from the past. In this paper, we present an analysis of long-term human migration, which is important for processes such as urbanization and the spread of ideas. We demonstrate that the data record from Korean family books (called "jokbo") can be used to estimate migration patterns via marriages from the past 750 years. We apply two generative models of long-term human mobility to quantify the relevance of geographical information to human marriage records in the data, and we find that the wide variety in the geographical distributions of the clans poses interesting challenges for the direct application of these models. Using the different geographical distributions of clans, we quantify the "ergodicity" of clans in terms of how widely and uniformly they have spread across Korea, and we compare these results to those obtained using surname data from the Czech Republic. To examine population flow in more detail, we also construct and examine a population-flow network between regions. Based on the correlation between ergodicity and migration in Korea, we identify two different types of migration patterns: diffusive and convective. We expect the analysis of diffusive versus convective effects in population flows to be widely applicable to the study of mobility and migration patterns across different cultures.

Locating the source of projectile fluid droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varney, Christopher R.; Gittes, Fred

2011-08-01

The ill-posed projectile problem of finding the source height from spattered droplets of viscous fluid is a longstanding obstacle to accident reconstruction and crime-scene analysis. It is widely known how to infer the impact angle of droplets on a surface from the elongation of their impact profiles. However, the lack of velocity information makes finding the height of the origin from the impact position and angle of individual drops not possible. From aggregate statistics of the spatter and basic equations of projectile motion, we introduce a reciprocal correlation plot that is effective when the polar launch angle is concentrated in a narrow range. The vertical coordinate depends on the orientation of the spattered surface and equals the tangent of the impact angle for a level surface. When the horizontal plot coordinate is twice the reciprocal of the impact distance, we can infer the source height as the slope of the data points in the reciprocal correlation plot. If the distribution of launch angles is not narrow, failure of the method is evident in the lack of linear correlation. We perform a number of experimental trials, as well as numerical calculations and show that the height estimate is relatively insensitive to aerodynamic drag. Besides its possible relevance for crime investigation, reciprocal-plot analysis of spatter may find application to volcanism and other topics and is most immediately applicable for undergraduate science and engineering students in the context of crime-scene analysis.

An efficient, widely applicable cryopreservation of Lilium shoot tips by droplet vitrification

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We report a straightforward and widely applicable cryopreservation method for Lilium shoot tips. This method uses adventitious shoots that were induced from leaf segments cultured for 4 weeks on a shoot regeneration medium containing 1 mg L-1 a-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 0.5 mg L-1 thidiazuron...

Multimodal wide-field two-photon excitation imaging: characterization of the technique for in vivo applications

PubMed Central

Hwang, Jae Youn; Wachsmann-Hogiu, Sebastian; Ramanujan, V Krishnan; Nowatzyk, Andreas G.; Koronyo, Yosef; Medina-Kauwe, Lali K.; Gross, Zeev; Gray, Harry B.; Farkas, Daniel L.

2011-01-01

We report fast, non-scanning, wide-field two-photon fluorescence excitation with spectral and lifetime detection for in vivo biomedical applications. We determined the optical characteristics of the technique, developed a Gaussian flat-field correction method to reduce artifacts resulting from non-uniform excitation such that contrast is enhanced, and showed that it can be used for ex vivo and in vivo cellular-level imaging. Two applications were demonstrated: (i) ex vivo measurements of beta-amyloid plaques in retinas of transgenic mice, and (ii) in vivo imaging of sulfonated gallium(III) corroles injected into tumors. We demonstrate that wide-field two photon fluorescence excitation with flat-field correction provides more penetration depth as well as better contrast and axial resolution than the corresponding one-photon wide field excitation for the same dye. Importantly, when this technique is used together with spectral and fluorescence lifetime detection modules, it offers improved discrimination between fluorescence from molecules of interest and autofluorescence, with higher sensitivity and specificity for in vivo applications. PMID:21339880

ON MODEL SELECTION STRATEGIES TO IDENTIFY GENES UNDERLYING BINARY TRAITS USING GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION DATA.

PubMed

Wu, Zheyang; Zhao, Hongyu

2012-01-01

For more fruitful discoveries of genetic variants associated with diseases in genome-wide association studies, it is important to know whether joint analysis of multiple markers is more powerful than the commonly used single-marker analysis, especially in the presence of gene-gene interactions. This article provides a statistical framework to rigorously address this question through analytical power calculations for common model search strategies to detect binary trait loci: marginal search, exhaustive search, forward search, and two-stage screening search. Our approach incorporates linkage disequilibrium, random genotypes, and correlations among score test statistics of logistic regressions. We derive analytical results under two power definitions: the power of finding all the associated markers and the power of finding at least one associated marker. We also consider two types of error controls: the discovery number control and the Bonferroni type I error rate control. After demonstrating the accuracy of our analytical results by simulations, we apply them to consider a broad genetic model space to investigate the relative performances of different model search strategies. Our analytical study provides rapid computation as well as insights into the statistical mechanism of capturing genetic signals under different genetic models including gene-gene interactions. Even though we focus on genetic association analysis, our results on the power of model selection procedures are clearly very general and applicable to other studies.

Quadratic String Method for Locating Instantons in Tunneling Splitting Calculations.

PubMed

Cvitaš, Marko T

2018-03-13

The ring-polymer instanton (RPI) method is an efficient technique for calculating approximate tunneling splittings in high-dimensional molecular systems. In the RPI method, tunneling splitting is evaluated from the properties of the minimum action path (MAP) connecting the symmetric wells, whereby the extensive sampling of the full potential energy surface of the exact quantum-dynamics methods is avoided. Nevertheless, the search for the MAP is usually the most time-consuming step in the standard numerical procedures. Recently, nudged elastic band (NEB) and string methods, originaly developed for locating minimum energy paths (MEPs), were adapted for the purpose of MAP finding with great efficiency gains [ J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2016 , 12 , 787 ]. In this work, we develop a new quadratic string method for locating instantons. The Euclidean action is minimized by propagating the initial guess (a path connecting two wells) over the quadratic potential energy surface approximated by means of updated Hessians. This allows the algorithm to take many minimization steps between the potential/gradient calls with further reductions in the computational effort, exploiting the smoothness of potential energy surface. The approach is general, as it uses Cartesian coordinates, and widely applicable, with computational effort of finding the instanton usually lower than that of determining the MEP. It can be combined with expensive potential energy surfaces or on-the-fly electronic-structure methods to explore a wide variety of molecular systems.

ON MODEL SELECTION STRATEGIES TO IDENTIFY GENES UNDERLYING BINARY TRAITS USING GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION DATA

PubMed Central

Wu, Zheyang; Zhao, Hongyu

2013-01-01

For more fruitful discoveries of genetic variants associated with diseases in genome-wide association studies, it is important to know whether joint analysis of multiple markers is more powerful than the commonly used single-marker analysis, especially in the presence of gene-gene interactions. This article provides a statistical framework to rigorously address this question through analytical power calculations for common model search strategies to detect binary trait loci: marginal search, exhaustive search, forward search, and two-stage screening search. Our approach incorporates linkage disequilibrium, random genotypes, and correlations among score test statistics of logistic regressions. We derive analytical results under two power definitions: the power of finding all the associated markers and the power of finding at least one associated marker. We also consider two types of error controls: the discovery number control and the Bonferroni type I error rate control. After demonstrating the accuracy of our analytical results by simulations, we apply them to consider a broad genetic model space to investigate the relative performances of different model search strategies. Our analytical study provides rapid computation as well as insights into the statistical mechanism of capturing genetic signals under different genetic models including gene-gene interactions. Even though we focus on genetic association analysis, our results on the power of model selection procedures are clearly very general and applicable to other studies. PMID:23956610

Postdiction: its implications on visual awareness, hindsight, and sense of agency

PubMed Central

Shimojo, Shinsuke

2014-01-01

There are a few postdictive perceptual phenomena known, in which a stimulus presented later seems causally to affect the percept of another stimulus presented earlier. While backward masking provides a classical example, the flash lag effect stimulates theorists with a variety of intriguing findings. The TMS-triggered scotoma together with “backward filling-in” of it offer a unique neuroscientific case. Findings suggest that various visual attributes are reorganized in a postdictive fashion to be consistent with each other, or to be consistent in a causality framework. In terms of the underlying mechanisms, four prototypical models have been considered: the “catch up,” the “reentry,” the “different pathway” and the “memory revision” models. By extending the list of postdictive phenomena to memory, sensory-motor and higher-level cognition, one may note that such a postdictive reconstruction may be a general principle of neural computation, ranging from milliseconds to months in a time scale, from local neuronal interactions to long-range connectivity, in the complex brain. The operational definition of the “postdictive phenomenon” can be applicable to such a wide range of sensory/cognitive effects across a wide range of time scale, even though the underlying neural mechanisms may vary across them. This has significant implications in interpreting “free will” and “sense of agency” in functional, psychophysical and neuroscientific terms. PMID:24744739

Light pollution is associated with earlier tree budburst across the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Ffrench-Constant, Richard H; Somers-Yeates, Robin; Bennie, Jonathan; Economou, Theodoros; Hodgson, David; Spalding, Adrian; McGregor, Peter K

2016-06-29

The ecological impact of night-time lighting is of concern because of its well-demonstrated effects on animal behaviour. However, the potential of light pollution to change plant phenology and its corresponding knock-on effects on associated herbivores are less clear. Here, we test if artificial lighting can advance the timing of budburst in trees. We took a UK-wide 13 year dataset of spatially referenced budburst data from four deciduous tree species and matched it with both satellite imagery of night-time lighting and average spring temperature. We find that budburst occurs up to 7.5 days earlier in brighter areas, with the relationship being more pronounced for later-budding species. Excluding large urban areas from the analysis showed an even more pronounced advance of budburst, confirming that the urban 'heat-island' effect is not the sole cause of earlier urban budburst. Similarly, the advance in budburst across all sites is too large to be explained by increases in temperature alone. This dramatic advance of budburst illustrates the need for further experimental investigation into the impact of artificial night-time lighting on plant phenology and subsequent species interactions. As light pollution is a growing global phenomenon, the findings of this study are likely to be applicable to a wide range of species interactions across the world. © 2016 The Authors.

A "twisted" microfluidic mixer suitable for a wide range of flow rate applications.

PubMed

Sivashankar, Shilpa; Agambayev, Sumeyra; Mashraei, Yousof; Li, Er Qiang; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T; Salama, Khaled Nabil

2016-05-01

This paper proposes a new "twisted" 3D microfluidic mixer fabricated by a laser writing/microfabrication technique. Effective and efficient mixing using the twisted micromixers can be obtained by combining two general chaotic mixing mechanisms: splitting/recombining and chaotic advection. The lamination of mixer units provides the splitting and recombination mechanism when the quadrant of circles is arranged in a two-layered serial arrangement of mixing units. The overall 3D path of the microchannel introduces the advection. An experimental investigation using chemical solutions revealed that these novel 3D passive microfluidic mixers were stable and could be operated at a wide range of flow rates. This micromixer finds application in the manipulation of tiny volumes of liquids that are crucial in diagnostics. The mixing performance was evaluated by dye visualization, and using a pH test that determined the chemical reaction of the solutions. A comparison of the tornado-mixer with this twisted micromixer was made to evaluate the efficiency of mixing. The efficiency of mixing was calculated within the channel by acquiring intensities using ImageJ software. Results suggested that efficient mixing can be obtained when more than 3 units were consecutively placed. The geometry of the device, which has a length of 30 mm, enables the device to be integrated with micro total analysis systems and other lab-on-chip devices.

A “twisted” microfluidic mixer suitable for a wide range of flow rate applications

PubMed Central

Sivashankar, Shilpa; Agambayev, Sumeyra; Mashraei, Yousof; Li, Er Qiang; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T.; Salama, Khaled Nabil

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a new “twisted” 3D microfluidic mixer fabricated by a laser writing/microfabrication technique. Effective and efficient mixing using the twisted micromixers can be obtained by combining two general chaotic mixing mechanisms: splitting/recombining and chaotic advection. The lamination of mixer units provides the splitting and recombination mechanism when the quadrant of circles is arranged in a two-layered serial arrangement of mixing units. The overall 3D path of the microchannel introduces the advection. An experimental investigation using chemical solutions revealed that these novel 3D passive microfluidic mixers were stable and could be operated at a wide range of flow rates. This micromixer finds application in the manipulation of tiny volumes of liquids that are crucial in diagnostics. The mixing performance was evaluated by dye visualization, and using a pH test that determined the chemical reaction of the solutions. A comparison of the tornado-mixer with this twisted micromixer was made to evaluate the efficiency of mixing. The efficiency of mixing was calculated within the channel by acquiring intensities using ImageJ software. Results suggested that efficient mixing can be obtained when more than 3 units were consecutively placed. The geometry of the device, which has a length of 30 mm, enables the device to be integrated with micro total analysis systems and other lab-on-chip devices. PMID:27453767

Assessing slope stability in unplanned settlements in developing countries.

PubMed

Anderson, Malcolm G; Holcombe, Liz; Renaud, Jean-Philippe

2007-10-01

Unplanned housing in developing countries is often located on steep slopes. Frequently no building code is enforced for such housing and mains water is provided with no drainage provision. Both of these factors can be particularly significant in terms of landslide risk if, as is so often the case, such slopes lack any planned drainage provision. There is thus a need to develop a model that facilitates the assessment of slope stability in an holistic context, incorporating a wide range of factors (including surface cover, soil water topographic convergence, slope loading and point source water leakage) in order that appropriate advice can be given as to the general controls on slope stability in such circumstances. This paper outlines a model configured for this specific purpose and describes an application to a site in St. Lucia, West Indies, where there is active slope movement in an unplanned housing development on relatively steep topography. The model findings are in accord with the nature of the current failure at the site, provide guidance as to the significance of slope drainage and correspond to inferences drawn from an application of resistance envelope methods to the site. In being able to scenario test a uniquely wide range of combinations of factors, the model structure is shown to be highly valuable in assessing dominant slope stability process controls in such complex environments.

Is economic valuation of ecosystem services useful to decision-makers? Lessons learned from Australian coastal and marine management.

PubMed

Marre, Jean-Baptiste; Thébaud, Olivier; Pascoe, Sean; Jennings, Sarah; Boncoeur, Jean; Coglan, Louisa

2016-08-01

Economic valuation of ecosystem services is widely advocated as being useful to support ecosystem management decision-making. However, the extent to which it is actually used or considered useful in decision-making is poorly documented. This literature blindspot is explored with an application to coastal and marine ecosystems management in Australia. Based on a nation-wide survey of eighty-eight decision-makers representing a diversity of management organizations, the perceived usefulness and level of use of economic valuation of ecosystem services, in support of coastal and marine management, are examined. A large majority of decision-makers are found to be familiar with economic valuation and consider it useful - even necessary - in decision-making, although this varies across groups of decision-makers. However, most decision-makers never or rarely use economic valuation. The perceived level of importance and trust in estimated dollar values differ across ecosystem services, and are especially high for values that relate to commercial activities. A number of factors are also found to influence respondent's use of economic valuation. Such findings concur with conclusions from other studies on the usefulness and use of ESV in environmental management decision-making. They also demonstrate the strength of the survey-based approach developed in this application to examine this issue in a variety of contexts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adaptive platform for fluorescence microscopy-based high-content screening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geisbauer, Matthias; Röder, Thorsten; Chen, Yang; Knoll, Alois; Uhl, Rainer

2010-04-01

Fluorescence microscopy has become a widely used tool for the study of medically relevant intra- and intercellular processes. Extracting meaningful information out of a bulk of acquired images is usually performed during a separate post-processing task. Thus capturing raw data results in an unnecessary huge number of images, whereas usually only a few images really show the particular information that is searched for. Here we propose a novel automated high-content microscope system, which enables experiments to be carried out with only a minimum of human interaction. It facilitates a huge speed-increase for cell biology research and its applications compared to the widely performed workflows. Our fluorescence microscopy system can automatically execute application-dependent data processing algorithms during the actual experiment. They are used for image contrast enhancement, cell segmentation and/or cell property evaluation. On-the-fly retrieved information is used to reduce data and concomitantly control the experiment process in real-time. Resulting in a closed loop of perception and action the system can greatly decrease the amount of stored data on one hand and increases the relative valuable data content on the other hand. We demonstrate our approach by addressing the problem of automatically finding cells with a particular combination of labeled receptors and then selectively stimulate them with antagonists or agonists. The results are then compared against the results of traditional, static systems.

ZnO core spike particles and nano-networks and their wide range of applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wille, S.; Mishra, Y. K.; Gedamu, D.; Kaps, S.; Jin, X.; Koschine, T.; Bathnagar, A.; Adelung, R.

2011-05-01

In our approach we are producing a polymer composite material with ZnO core spike particles as concave fillers. The core spike particles are synthesized by a high throughput method. Using PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) as a matrix material the core spike particles achieve not only a high mechanical reinforcement but also influence other material properties in a very interesting way, making such a composite very interesting for a wide range of applications. In a very similar synthesis route a nanoscopic ZnO-network is produced. As a ceramic this network can withstand high temperatures like 1300 K. In addition this material is quite elastic. To find a material with these two properties is a really difficult task, as polymers tend to decompose already at lower temperatures and metals melt. Especially under ambient conditions, often oxygen creates a problem for metals at these temperatures. If this material is at the same time a semiconductor, it has a high potential as a multifunctional material. Ceramic or classical semiconductors like III-V or IIVI type are high temperature stable, but typically brittle. This is different on the nanoscale. Even semiconductor wires like silicon with a very small diameter do not easily built up enough stress that leads to a failure while being bent, because in a first order approximation the maximum stress of a fiber scales with its diameter.

[Application and progress of RNA in forensic science].

PubMed

Gao, Lin-Lin; Li, You-Ying; Yan, Jiang-Wei; Liu, Ya-Cheng

2011-12-01

With the development of molecular biology, the evidences of genetics has been used widely in forensic sciences. DNA technology has played an important role in individual identification and paternity testing, RNA technology is showing more and more wide application in prospect. This article reviews the application and progress of RNA in forensic science including estimation of postmortem interval, bloodstain age, wound age, as well as determination of cause of death and the source of body fluids.

FRENDY: A new nuclear data processing system being developed at JAEA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tada, Kenichi; Nagaya, Yasunobu; Kunieda, Satoshi; Suyama, Kenya; Fukahori, Tokio

2017-09-01

JAEA has provided an evaluated nuclear data library JENDL and nuclear application codes such as MARBLE, SRAC, MVP and PHITS. These domestic codes have been widely used in many universities and industrial companies in Japan. However, we sometimes find problems in imported processing systems and need to revise them when the new JENDL is released. To overcome such problems and immediately process the nuclear data when it is released, JAEA started developing a new nuclear data processing system, FRENDY in 2013. This paper describes the outline of the development of FRENDY and both its capabilities and performances by the analyses of criticality experiments. The verification results indicate that FRENDY properly generates ACE files.

Reviving oscillations in coupled nonlinear oscillators.

PubMed

Zou, Wei; Senthilkumar, D V; Zhan, Meng; Kurths, Jürgen

2013-07-05

By introducing a processing delay in the coupling, we find that it can effectively annihilate the quenching of oscillation, amplitude death (AD), in a network of coupled oscillators by switching the stability of AD. It revives the oscillation in the AD regime to retain sustained rhythmic functioning of the networks, which is in sharp contrast to the propagation delay with the tendency to induce AD. This processing delay-induced phenomenon occurs both with and without the propagation delay. Further this effect is rather general from two coupled to networks of oscillators in all known scenarios that can exhibit AD, and it has a wide range of applications where sustained oscillations should be retained for proper functioning of the systems.

Quantum-enhanced multiparameter estimation in multiarm interferometers

PubMed Central

Ciampini, Mario A.; Spagnolo, Nicolò; Vitelli, Chiara; Pezzè, Luca; Smerzi, Augusto; Sciarrino, Fabio

2016-01-01

Quantum metrology is the state-of-the-art measurement technology. It uses quantum resources to enhance the sensitivity of phase estimation over that achievable by classical physics. While single parameter estimation theory has been widely investigated, much less is known about the simultaneous estimation of multiple phases, which finds key applications in imaging and sensing. In this manuscript we provide conditions of useful particle (qudit) entanglement for multiphase estimation and adapt them to multiarm Mach-Zehnder interferometry. We theoretically discuss benchmark multimode Fock states containing useful qudit entanglement and overcoming the sensitivity of separable qudit states in three and four arm Mach-Zehnder-like interferometers - currently within the reach of integrated photonics technology. PMID:27381743

Photonic crystal geometry for organic solar cells.

PubMed

Ko, Doo-Hyun; Tumbleston, John R; Zhang, Lei; Williams, Stuart; DeSimone, Joseph M; Lopez, Rene; Samulski, Edward T

2009-07-01

We report organic solar cells with a photonic crystal nanostructure embossed in the photoactive bulk heterojunction layer, a topography that exhibits a 3-fold enhancement of the absorption in specific regions of the solar spectrum in part through multiple excitation resonances. The photonic crystal geometry is fabricated using a materials-agnostic process called PRINT wherein highly ordered arrays of nanoscale features are readily made in a single processing step over wide areas (approximately 4 cm(2)) that is scalable. We show efficiency improvements of approximately 70% that result not only from greater absorption, but also from electrical enhancements. The methodology is generally applicable to organic solar cells and the experimental findings reported in our manuscript corroborate theoretical expectations.

Next-generation sequencing: hype and hope for development of personalized radiation therapy?

PubMed

Tinhofer, Ingeborg; Niehr, Franziska; Konschak, Robert; Liebs, Sandra; Munz, Matthias; Stenzinger, Albrecht; Weichert, Wilko; Keilholz, Ulrich; Budach, Volker

2015-08-28

The introduction of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in the field of cancer research has boosted worldwide efforts of genome-wide personalized oncology aiming at identifying predictive biomarkers and novel actionable targets. Despite considerable progress in understanding the molecular biology of distinct cancer entities by the use of this revolutionary technology and despite contemporaneous innovations in drug development, translation of NGS findings into improved concepts for cancer treatment remains a challenge. The aim of this article is to describe shortly the NGS platforms for DNA sequencing and in more detail key achievements and unresolved hurdles. A special focus will be given on potential clinical applications of this innovative technique in the field of radiation oncology.

Premelting hcp to bcc Transition in Beryllium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Y.; Sun, T.; Zhang, Ping; Zhang, P.; Zhang, D.-B.; Wentzcovitch, R. M.

2017-04-01

Beryllium (Be) is an important material with wide applications ranging from aerospace components to x-ray equipment. Yet a precise understanding of its phase diagram remains elusive. We have investigated the phase stability of Be using a recently developed hybrid free energy computation method that accounts for anharmonic effects by invoking phonon quasiparticles. We find that the hcp → bcc transition occurs near the melting curve at 0

Ultralight Graphene/Carbon Nanotubes Aerogels with Compressibility and Oil Absorption Properties

PubMed Central

Zhao, Da; Yu, Li; Liu, Dongxu

2018-01-01

Graphene aerogels have many advantages, such as low density, high elasticity and strong adsorption. They are considered to be widely applicable in many fields. At present, the most valuable research area aims to find a convenient and effective way to prepare graphene aerogels with excellent properties. In this work graphene/carbon nanotube aerogels are prepared through hydrothermal reduction, freeze-drying and high temperature heat treatment with the blending of graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes. A new reducing agent-ascorbic acid is selected to explore the best preparation process. The prepared aerogels have compression and resilience and oil absorption properties due to the addition of carbon nanotubes as designed. PMID:29690559

Application of artificial neural networks with backpropagation technique in the financial data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaiswal, Jitendra Kumar; Das, Raja

2017-11-01

The propensity of applying neural networks has been proliferated in multiple disciplines for research activities since the past recent decades because of its powerful control with regulatory parameters for pattern recognition and classification. It is also being widely applied for forecasting in the numerous divisions. Since financial data have been readily available due to the involvement of computers and computing systems in the stock market premises throughout the world, researchers have also developed numerous techniques and algorithms to analyze the data from this sector. In this paper we have applied neural network with backpropagation technique to find the data pattern from finance section and prediction for stock values as well.

Chemical constituents of the genus Polygonatum and their role in medicinal treatment.

PubMed

Zhao, Xueying; Li, Ji

2015-04-01

Polygonatum is a famous traditional Chinese medicine that is widely used in China, Korea and Japan. In the last decade, constituents of the genus have been reported including steroidal saponins, flavones, alkaloids, lignins, amino acids and carbohydrates, some of which show biological properties such as antiviral and antitumor activity, variable effects on the immune system and anticoagulant activity. In addition, some findings provide novel evidence that Polygonatum species may contain potential anti-tumor and anti-viral proteins for possible medical application and large-scale pharmaceutical production. In this review, we focus on the updated research of the chemical constituents of Polygonatum including polysaccharides, steroidal saponins, flavonoids and lectins, and their potential therapeutic roles.

An Experimental Introduction to Acoustics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Black, Andy Nicholas; Magruder, Robert H.

2017-11-01

Learning and understanding physics requires more than studying physics texts. It requires doing physics. Doing research is a key opportunity for students to connect physical principles with their everyday experience. A powerful way to introduce students to research and technique is through subjects in which they might find interest. Presented is an experiment that serves to introduce an advanced undergraduate or high school student to conducting research in acoustics via an experiment involving a standard dreadnought acoustic guitar, recording industry-related equipment, and relevant industrial analysis software. This experimental process is applicable to a wide range of acoustical topics including both acoustic and electric instruments. Also, the student has a hands-on experience with relevant audio engineering technology to study physical principles.

Unintended Consequences of Evidence-Based Treatment Policy Reform: Is Implementation the Goal or the Strategy for Higher Quality Care?

PubMed

Park, Alayna L; Tsai, Katherine H; Guan, Karen; Chorpita, Bruce F

2018-02-14

This study examined patterns of evidence-based treatment (EBT) delivery following a county-wide EBT reform initiative. Data were gathered from 60 youth and their 21 providers, who were instructed to deliver therapy as they normally would under the EBT initiative. Results showed limited applicability of county-supported EBTs to this service sample, and that most youth did not receive traditional delivery of EBTs. Findings suggest that it may be unrealistic to expect providers to deliver EBTs with fidelity with all clients, and that EBT implementation may be best thought of as a strategy for improving mental health services rather than a goal.

Raman spectroscopic evidence of tissue restructuring in heat-induced tissue fusion.

PubMed

Su, Lei; Cloyd, Kristy L; Arya, Shobhit; Hedegaard, Martin A B; Steele, Joseph A M; Elson, Daniel S; Stevens, Molly M; Hanna, George B

2014-09-01

Heat-induced tissue fusion via radio-frequency (RF) energy has gained wide acceptance clinically and here we present the first optical-Raman-spectroscopy study on tissue fusion samples in vitro. This study provides direct insights into tissue constituent and structural changes on the molecular level, exposing spectroscopic evidence for the loss of distinct collagen fibre rich tissue layers as well as the denaturing and restructuring of collagen crosslinks post RF fusion. These findings open the door for more advanced optical feedback-control methods and characterization during heat-induced tissue fusion, which will lead to new clinical applications of this promising technology. Copyright © 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Possible Experiment for the Demonstration of Neutron Waves Interaction with Spatially Oscillating Potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miloi, Mădălina Mihaela; Goryunov, Semyon; Kulin, German

2018-04-01

A wide range of problems in neutron optics is well described by a theory based on application of the effective potential model. It was assumed that the concept of the effective potential in neutron optics have a limited region of validity and ceases to be correct in the case of the giant acceleration of a matter. To test this hypothesis a new Ultra Cold neutron experiment for the observation neutron interaction with potential structure oscillating in space was proposed. The report is focused on the model calculations of the topography of sample surface that oscillate in space. These calculations are necessary to find an optimal parameters and geometry of the planned experiment.

Simple linear and multivariate regression models.

PubMed

Rodríguez del Águila, M M; Benítez-Parejo, N

2011-01-01

In biomedical research it is common to find problems in which we wish to relate a response variable to one or more variables capable of describing the behaviour of the former variable by means of mathematical models. Regression techniques are used to this effect, in which an equation is determined relating the two variables. While such equations can have different forms, linear equations are the most widely used form and are easy to interpret. The present article describes simple and multiple linear regression models, how they are calculated, and how their applicability assumptions are checked. Illustrative examples are provided, based on the use of the freely accessible R program. Copyright © 2011 SEICAP. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Optimization of SDS exposure on preservation of ECM characteristics in whole organ decellularization of rat kidneys.

PubMed

He, M; Callanan, A; Lagaras, K; Steele, J A M; Stevens, M M

2017-08-01

Renal transplantation is well established as the optimal form of renal replacement therapy but is restricted by the limited pool of organs available for transplantation. The whole organ decellularisation approach is leading the way for a regenerative medicine solution towards bioengineered organ replacements. However, systematic preoptimization of both decellularization and recellularization parameters is essential prior to any potential clinical application and should be the next stage in the evolution of whole organ decellularization as a potential strategy for bioengineered organ replacements. Here we have systematically assessed two fundamental parameters (concentration and duration of perfusion) with regards to the effects of differing exposure to the most commonly used single decellularizing agent (sodium dodecyl sulphate/SDS) in the perfusion decellularization process for whole rat kidney ECM bioscaffolds, with findings showing improved preservation of both structural and functional components of the whole kidney ECM bioscaffold. Whole kidney bioscaffolds based on our enhanced protocol were successfully recellularized with rat primary renal cells and mesenchymal stromal cells. These findings should be widely applicable to decellularized whole organ bioscaffolds and their optimization in the development of regenerated organ replacements for transplantation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1352-1360, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[New colposcopic terminology: Rio de Janeiro--2011].

PubMed

Zlatkov, V; Kostova, P

2014-01-01

The purpose of this work is to review the new colposcopic classification of the International Federation for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy (IFCPC) from 2011 and the possibilities for its application in diagnostic and treatment processes and research. It fulfills the necessity for a modern and widely applicable nomenclature of the findings and it is based on the latest knowledge in this area. Colposcopic terminology of the vagina, as part of the pathology of the lower genital tract, is included as well, while the vulva and perineum terminology is not yet finally adopted. Furthermore, the various cervical excisional techniques are evaluated and described. According to experts, the popularity of colposcopy will not diminish and it will continue to be used as a routine technique in daily practice. In a critical sense, despite its descriptive and punctual character, the accepted terminology classification does not give a new interpretation of the severity of changes, and as such, it does not significantly modify the diagnostic and therapeutic approach. The lack of a scoring system that would allow the dynamic comparison of the severity of symptoms and the categories over time is a serious weakness. This limits the new colposcopic classification as no more than a working sheet that descriptively assesses the findings of the lower genital tract.

Human genetics as a model for target validation: finding new therapies for diabetes.

PubMed

Thomsen, Soren K; Gloyn, Anna L

2017-06-01

Type 2 diabetes is a global epidemic with major effects on healthcare expenditure and quality of life. Currently available treatments are inadequate for the prevention of comorbidities, yet progress towards new therapies remains slow. A major barrier is the insufficiency of traditional preclinical models for predicting drug efficacy and safety. Human genetics offers a complementary model to assess causal mechanisms for target validation. Genetic perturbations are 'experiments of nature' that provide a uniquely relevant window into the long-term effects of modulating specific targets. Here, we show that genetic discoveries over the past decades have accurately predicted (now known) therapeutic mechanisms for type 2 diabetes. These findings highlight the potential for use of human genetic variation for prospective target validation, and establish a framework for future applications. Studies into rare, monogenic forms of diabetes have also provided proof-of-principle for precision medicine, and the applicability of this paradigm to complex disease is discussed. Finally, we highlight some of the limitations that are relevant to the use of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the search for new therapies for diabetes. A key outstanding challenge is the translation of GWAS signals into disease biology and we outline possible solutions for tackling this experimental bottleneck.

Measurement of overgeneral autobiographical memory: Psychometric properties of the autobiographical memory test in young and older populations

PubMed Central

Romero, Dulce; Ricarte, Jorge J.; Serrano, Juan P.; Nieto, Marta; Latorre, Jose M.

2018-01-01

The Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) is the most widely used measure of overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM). The AMT appears to have good psychometric properties, but more research is needed on the influence and applicability of individual cue words in different languages and populations. To date, no studies have evaluated its usefulness as a measure of OMG in Spanish or older populations. This work aims to analyze the applicability of the AMT in young and older Spanish samples. We administered a Spanish version of the AMT to samples of young (N = 520) and older adults (N = 155). We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), item response theory-based analysis (IRT) and differential item functioning (DIF). Results confirm the one-factor structure for the AMT. IRT analysis suggests that both groups find the AMT easy given that they generally perform well, and that it is more precise in individuals who score low on memory specificity. DIF analysis finds three items differ in their functioning depending on age group. This differential functioning of these items affects the overall AMT scores and, thus, they should be excluded from the AMT in studies comparing young and older samples. We discuss the possible implications of the samples and cue words used. PMID:29672583

Measurement of overgeneral autobiographical memory: Psychometric properties of the autobiographical memory test in young and older populations.

PubMed

Ros, Laura; Romero, Dulce; Ricarte, Jorge J; Serrano, Juan P; Nieto, Marta; Latorre, Jose M

2018-01-01

The Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) is the most widely used measure of overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM). The AMT appears to have good psychometric properties, but more research is needed on the influence and applicability of individual cue words in different languages and populations. To date, no studies have evaluated its usefulness as a measure of OMG in Spanish or older populations. This work aims to analyze the applicability of the AMT in young and older Spanish samples. We administered a Spanish version of the AMT to samples of young (N = 520) and older adults (N = 155). We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), item response theory-based analysis (IRT) and differential item functioning (DIF). Results confirm the one-factor structure for the AMT. IRT analysis suggests that both groups find the AMT easy given that they generally perform well, and that it is more precise in individuals who score low on memory specificity. DIF analysis finds three items differ in their functioning depending on age group. This differential functioning of these items affects the overall AMT scores and, thus, they should be excluded from the AMT in studies comparing young and older samples. We discuss the possible implications of the samples and cue words used.

Nanofluidic transport through isolated carbon nanotube channels: Advances, controversies, and challenges

DOE PAGES

Guo, Shirui; Meshot, Eric R.; Kuykendall, Tevye; ...

2015-06-02

Owing to their simple chemistry and structure, controllable geometry, and a plethora of unusual yet exciting transport properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged as exceptional channels for fundamental nanofluidic studies, as well as building blocks for future fluidic devices that can outperform current technology in many applications. Leveraging the unique fluidic properties of CNTs in advanced systems requires a full understanding of their physical origin. Recent advancements in nanofabrication technology enable nanofluidic devices to be built with a single, nanometer-wide CNT as a fluidic pathway. These novel platforms with isolated CNT nanochannels offer distinct advantages for establishing quantitative structure–transport correlationsmore » in comparison with membranes containing many CNT pores. In addition, they are promising components for single-molecule sensors as well as for building nanotube-based circuits wherein fluidics and electronics can be coupled. With such advanced device architecture, molecular and ionic transport can be manipulated with vastly enhanced control for applications in sensing, separation, detection, and therapeutic delivery. Recent achievements in fabricating isolated-CNT nanofluidic platforms are highlighted, along with the most-significant findings each platform enables for water, ion, and molecular transport. Furthermore, the implications of these findings and remaining open questions on the exceptional fluidic properties of CNTs are also discussed.« less

EUROPA2: Plan Database Services for Planning and Scheduling Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bedrax-Weiss, Tania; Frank, Jeremy; Jonsson, Ari; McGann, Conor

2004-01-01

NASA missions require solving a wide variety of planning and scheduling problems with temporal constraints; simple resources such as robotic arms, communications antennae and cameras; complex replenishable resources such as memory, power and fuel; and complex constraints on geometry, heat and lighting angles. Planners and schedulers that solve these problems are used in ground tools as well as onboard systems. The diversity of planning problems and applications of planners and schedulers precludes a one-size fits all solution. However, many of the underlying technologies are common across planning domains and applications. We describe CAPR, a formalism for planning that is general enough to cover a wide variety of planning and scheduling domains of interest to NASA. We then describe EUROPA(sub 2), a software framework implementing CAPR. EUROPA(sub 2) provides efficient, customizable Plan Database Services that enable the integration of CAPR into a wide variety of applications. We describe the design of EUROPA(sub 2) from the perspective of both modeling, customization and application integration to different classes of NASA missions.

Two-dimensional wide-band-gap nitride semiconductors: Single-layer 1 T -X N2 (X =S ,Se , and Te )

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jia-He; Zhang, Hong; Cheng, Xin-Lu; Miyamoto, Yoshiyuki

2016-11-01

Recently, the two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors arsenene and antimonene, with band gaps larger than 2.0 eV, have attracted tremendous interest, especially for potential applications in optoelectronic devices with a photoresponse in the blue and UV range. Motivated by this exciting discovery, types of highly stable wide-band-gap 2D nitride semiconductors were theoretically designed. We propose single-layer 1 T -X N2 (X =S , Se, and Te) via first-principles simulations. We compute 1 T -X N2 (X =S , Se, and Te) with indirect band gaps of 2.825, 2.351, and 2.336 eV, respectively. By applying biaxial strain, they are able to induce the transition from a wide-band-gap semiconductor to a metal, and the range of absorption spectra of 1 T -X N2 (X =S , Se, and Te) obviously extend from the ultraviolet region to the blue-purple light region. With an underlying graphene, we find that 1 T -X N2 can completely shield the light absorption of graphene in the range of 1-1.6 eV. Our research paves the way for optoelectronic devices working under blue or UV light, and mechanical sensors based on these 2D crystals.

Double-u double-u double-u dot APIC dot org: a review of the APIC World Wide Web site.

PubMed

Harr, J

1996-12-01

The widespread use of the Internet and the development of the World Wide Web have led to a revolution in electronic communication and information access. The Association for Professional in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) has developed a site on the World Wide Web to provide mechanisms for international on-line information access and exchange on issues related to the practice of infection control and the application of epidemiology. From the home page of the APIC Web site, users can access information on professional resources, publications, educational offering, governmental affairs, the APIC organization, and the infection control profession. Among the chief features of the site is a discussion forum for posing questions and sharing information about infection control and epidemiology. The site also contains a searchable database of practice-related abstracts and descriptions and order forms for APIC publications. Users will find continuing education course descriptions and registration forms, legislative and regulatory action alerts and a congressional mailer, chapter and committee information, and infection control information of interest to the general public. APIC is considering several potential future enhancements to their Web site and will continue to review the site's content and features to provide current and useful information to infection control professionals.

Automated Transition State Search and Its Application to Diverse Types of Organic Reactions.

PubMed

Jacobson, Leif D; Bochevarov, Art D; Watson, Mark A; Hughes, Thomas F; Rinaldo, David; Ehrlich, Stephan; Steinbrecher, Thomas B; Vaitheeswaran, S; Philipp, Dean M; Halls, Mathew D; Friesner, Richard A

2017-11-14

Transition state search is at the center of multiple types of computational chemical predictions related to mechanistic investigations, reactivity and regioselectivity predictions, and catalyst design. The process of finding transition states in practice is, however, a laborious multistep operation that requires significant user involvement. Here, we report a highly automated workflow designed to locate transition states for a given elementary reaction with minimal setup overhead. The only essential inputs required from the user are the structures of the separated reactants and products. The seamless workflow combining computational technologies from the fields of cheminformatics, molecular mechanics, and quantum chemistry automatically finds the most probable correspondence between the atoms in the reactants and the products, generates a transition state guess, launches a transition state search through a combined approach involving the relaxing string method and the quadratic synchronous transit, and finally validates the transition state via the analysis of the reactive chemical bonds and imaginary vibrational frequencies as well as by the intrinsic reaction coordinate method. Our approach does not target any specific reaction type, nor does it depend on training data; instead, it is meant to be of general applicability for a wide variety of reaction types. The workflow is highly flexible, permitting modifications such as a choice of accuracy, level of theory, basis set, or solvation treatment. Successfully located transition states can be used for setting up transition state guesses in related reactions, saving computational time and increasing the probability of success. The utility and performance of the method are demonstrated in applications to transition state searches in reactions typical for organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and homogeneous catalysis research. In particular, applications of our code to Michael additions, hydrogen abstractions, Diels-Alder cycloadditions, carbene insertions, and an enzyme reaction model involving a molybdenum complex are shown and discussed.

Advanced ceramic materials for next-generation nuclear applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marra, John

2011-10-01

The nuclear industry is at the eye of a 'perfect storm' with fuel oil and natural gas prices near record highs, worldwide energy demands increasing at an alarming rate, and increased concerns about greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that have caused many to look negatively at long-term use of fossil fuels. This convergence of factors has led to a growing interest in revitalization of the nuclear power industry within the United States and across the globe. Many are surprised to learn that nuclear power provides approximately 20% of the electrical power in the US and approximately 16% of the world-wide electric power. With the above factors in mind, world-wide over 130 new reactor projects are being considered with approximately 25 new permit applications in the US. Materials have long played a very important role in the nuclear industry with applications throughout the entire fuel cycle; from fuel fabrication to waste stabilization. As the international community begins to look at advanced reactor systems and fuel cycles that minimize waste and increase proliferation resistance, materials will play an even larger role. Many of the advanced reactor concepts being evaluated operate at high-temperature requiring the use of durable, heat-resistant materials. Advanced metallic and ceramic fuels are being investigated for a variety of Generation IV reactor concepts. These include the traditional TRISO-coated particles, advanced alloy fuels for 'deep-burn' applications, as well as advanced inert-matrix fuels. In order to minimize wastes and legacy materials, a number of fuel reprocessing operations are being investigated. Advanced materials continue to provide a vital contribution in 'closing the fuel cycle' by stabilization of associated low-level and high-level wastes in highly durable cements, ceramics, and glasses. Beyond this fission energy application, fusion energy will demand advanced materials capable of withstanding the extreme environments of high-temperature plasma systems. Fusion reactors will likely depend on lithium-based ceramics to produce tritium that fuels the fusion plasma, while high-temperature alloys or ceramics will contain and control the hot plasma. All the while, alloys, ceramics, and ceramic-related processes continue to find applications in the management of wastes and byproducts produced by these processes.

Application of the wide-field shadowgraph technique to rotor wake visualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, Thomas R.; Light, Jeffrey S.

1989-01-01

The wide field shadowgraph technique is reviewed along with its application to the visualization of rotor wakes. In particular, current experimental methods and data reduction requirements are discussed. Sample shadowgraphs are presented. These include shadowgraphs of model-scale helicopter main rotors and tilt rotors, and full scale tail rotors, both in hover and in forward flight.

10 CFR Appendix A to Part 603 - Applicable Federal Statutes, Executive Orders, and Government-wide Regulations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Applicable Federal Statutes, Executive Orders, and Government-wide Regulations A Appendix A to Part 603 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE... sources of drinking water. 4. If the project may impact a historic property, it is subject to the National...

10 CFR Appendix A to Part 603 - Applicable Federal Statutes, Executive Orders, and Government-wide Regulations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Applicable Federal Statutes, Executive Orders, and Government-wide Regulations A Appendix A to Part 603 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE... sources of drinking water. 4. If the project may impact a historic property, it is subject to the National...