Digital controller design: Analysis of the annular suspension pointing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuo, B. C.

1979-01-01

The Annular Suspension and Pointing System (ASPS) is a payload auxiliary pointing device of the Space Shuttle. The ASPS is comprised of two major subassemblies, a vernier and a coarse pointing subsystem. The experiment is attached to a mounting plate/rim combination which is suspended on magnetic bearing/actuators (MBA) strategically located about the rim. Fine pointing is achieved by gimballing the plate/rim within the MBA gaps. Control about the experiment line-of-sight is obtained through the use of a non-contacting rim drive and positioning torquer. All sensors used to close the servo loops on the vernier system are noncontacting elements. Therefore, the experiment is a free-flyer constrained only by the magnetic forces generated by the control loops.

Design and tolerance analysis of two null corrector designs for the Space Telescope fine guidance aspheric collimating mirror

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, I.; Casas, R. E.

1982-01-01

The collimating mirror within the Fine Guidance Subsystem of the Space Telescope's Pointing Control System is aspherized in order to correct the pupil aberration. A null corrector is needed to test the collimating mirror in autocollimation. Triplet and doublet null corrector designs are subjected to tolerance sensitivity analyses, and the doublet design is chosen despite its more restricted tolerances because of its compactness and simplicity.

A simulation of the instrument pointing system for the Astro-1 mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whorton, M.; West, M.; Rakoczy, J.

1991-01-01

NASA has recently completed a shuttle-borne stellar ultraviolet astronomy mission known as Astro-1. A three axis instrument pointing system (IPS) was employed to accurately point the science instruments. In order to analyze the pointing control system and verify pointing performance, a simulation of the IPS was developed using the multibody dynamics software TREETOPS. The TREETOPS IPS simulation is capable of accurately modeling the multibody IPS system undergoing large angle, nonlinear motion. The simulation is documented and example cases are presented demonstrating disturbance rejection, fine pointing operations, and multiple target pointing and slewing of the IPS.

Fine motor skills predict performance in the Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test after stroke.

PubMed

Allgöwer, Kathrin; Hermsdörfer, Joachim

2017-10-01

To determine factors characterizing the differences in fine motor performance between stroke patients and controls. To confirm the relevance of the factors by analyzing their predictive power with regard to the Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT), a common clinical test of fine motor control. Twenty-two people with slight paresis in an early chronic phase following stroke and twenty-two healthy controls were examined. Performance on the JTHFT, Nine-Hole Peg Test and 2-point discrimination was evaluated. To analyze object manipulation skills, grip forces and temporal measures were examined during (1) lifting actions with variations of weight and surface (2) cyclic movements (3) predictive/reactive catching tasks. Three other aspects of force control included (4) visuomotor tracking (5) fast force changes and (6) grip strength. Based on 9 parameters which significantly distinguished fine motor performance in the two groups, we identified three principal components (factors): grip force scaling, motor coordination and speed of movement. The three factors are shown to predict JTHFT scores via linear regression (R 2 =0.687, p<0.001). We revealed a factor structure behind fine motor impairments following stroke and showed that it explains JTHFT results to a large extend. This result can serve as a basis for improving diagnostics and enabling more targeted therapy. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Realtime control of multiple-focus phased array heating patterns based on noninvasive ultrasound thermography.

PubMed

Casper, Andrew; Liu, Dalong; Ebbini, Emad S

2012-01-01

A system for the realtime generation and control of multiple-focus ultrasound phased-array heating patterns is presented. The system employs a 1-MHz, 64-element array and driving electronics capable of fine spatial and temporal control of the heating pattern. The driver is integrated with a realtime 2-D temperature imaging system implemented on a commercial scanner. The coordinates of the temperature control points are defined on B-mode guidance images from the scanner, together with the temperature set points and controller parameters. The temperature at each point is controlled by an independent proportional, integral, and derivative controller that determines the focal intensity at that point. Optimal multiple-focus synthesis is applied to generate the desired heating pattern at the control points. The controller dynamically reallocates the power available among the foci from the shared power supply upon reaching the desired temperature at each control point. Furthermore, anti-windup compensation is implemented at each control point to improve the system dynamics. In vitro experiments in tissue-mimicking phantom demonstrate the robustness of the controllers for short (2-5 s) and longer multiple-focus high-intensity focused ultrasound exposures. Thermocouple measurements in the vicinity of the control points confirm the dynamics of the temperature variations obtained through noninvasive feedback. © 2011 IEEE

Differential expression of genes and proteins associated with wool follicle cycling.

PubMed

Liu, Nan; Li, Hegang; Liu, Kaidong; Yu, Juanjuan; Cheng, Ming; De, Wei; Liu, Jifeng; Shi, Shuyan; He, Yanghua; Zhao, Jinshan

2014-08-01

Sheep are valuable resources for the wool industry. Wool growth of Aohan fine wool sheep has cycled during different seasons in 1 year. Therefore, identifying genes that control wool growth cycling might lead to ways for improving the quality and yield of fine wool. In this study, we employed Agilent sheep gene expression microarray and proteomic technology to compare the gene expression patterns of the body side skins at August and December time points in Aohan fine wool sheep (a Chinese indigenous breed). Microarray study revealed that 2,223 transcripts were differentially expressed, including 1,162 up-regulated and 1,061 down-regulated transcripts, comparing body side skin at the August time point to the December one (A/D) in Aohan fine wool sheep. Then seven differentially expressed genes were selected to validated the reliability of the gene chip data. The majority of the genes possibly related to follicle development and wool growth could be assigned into the categories including regulation of receptor binding, extracellular region, protein binding and extracellular space. Proteomic study revealed that 84 protein spots showed significant differences in expression levels. Of the 84, 63 protein spots were upregulated and 21 were downregulated in A/D. Finally, 55 protein points were determined through MALDI-TOF/MS analyses. Furthermore, the regulation mechanism of hair follicle might resemble that of fetation.

Fine manipulation of sound via lossy metamaterials with independent and arbitrary reflection amplitude and phase.

PubMed

Zhu, Yifan; Hu, Jie; Fan, Xudong; Yang, Jing; Liang, Bin; Zhu, Xuefeng; Cheng, Jianchun

2018-04-24

The fine manipulation of sound fields is critical in acoustics yet is restricted by the coupled amplitude and phase modulations in existing wave-steering metamaterials. Commonly, unavoidable losses make it difficult to control coupling, thereby limiting device performance. Here we show the possibility of tailoring the loss in metamaterials to realize fine control of sound in three-dimensional (3D) space. Quantitative studies on the parameter dependence of reflection amplitude and phase identify quasi-decoupled points in the structural parameter space, allowing arbitrary amplitude-phase combinations for reflected sound. We further demonstrate the significance of our approach for sound manipulation by producing self-bending beams, multifocal focusing, and a single-plane two-dimensional hologram, as well as a multi-plane 3D hologram with quality better than the previous phase-controlled approach. Our work provides a route for harnessing sound via engineering the loss, enabling promising device applications in acoustics and related fields.

Robust non-rigid registration algorithm based on local affine registration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Liyang; Xiong, Lei; Du, Shaoyi; Bi, Duyan; Fang, Ting; Liu, Kun; Wu, Dongpeng

2018-04-01

Aiming at the problem that the traditional point set non-rigid registration algorithm has low precision and slow convergence speed for complex local deformation data, this paper proposes a robust non-rigid registration algorithm based on local affine registration. The algorithm uses a hierarchical iterative method to complete the point set non-rigid registration from coarse to fine. In each iteration, the sub data point sets and sub model point sets are divided and the shape control points of each sub point set are updated. Then we use the control point guided affine ICP algorithm to solve the local affine transformation between the corresponding sub point sets. Next, the local affine transformation obtained by the previous step is used to update the sub data point sets and their shape control point sets. When the algorithm reaches the maximum iteration layer K, the loop ends and outputs the updated sub data point sets. Experimental results demonstrate that the accuracy and convergence of our algorithm are greatly improved compared with the traditional point set non-rigid registration algorithms.

Study protocol to examine the effects of spaceflight and a spaceflight analog on neurocognitive performance: extent, longevity, and neural bases.

PubMed

Koppelmans, Vincent; Erdeniz, Burak; De Dios, Yiri E; Wood, Scott J; Reuter-Lorenz, Patricia A; Kofman, Igor; Bloomberg, Jacob J; Mulavara, Ajitkumar P; Seidler, Rachael D

2013-12-18

Long duration spaceflight (i.e., 22 days or longer) has been associated with changes in sensorimotor systems, resulting in difficulties that astronauts experience with posture control, locomotion, and manual control. The microgravity environment is an important causal factor for spaceflight induced sensorimotor changes. Whether spaceflight also affects other central nervous system functions such as cognition is yet largely unknown, but of importance in consideration of the health and performance of crewmembers both in- and post-flight. We are therefore conducting a controlled prospective longitudinal study to investigate the effects of spaceflight on the extent, longevity and neural bases of sensorimotor and cognitive performance changes. Here we present the protocol of our study. This study includes three groups (astronauts, bed rest subjects, ground-based control subjects) for which each the design is single group with repeated measures. The effects of spaceflight on the brain will be investigated in astronauts who will be assessed at two time points pre-, at three time points during-, and at four time points following a spaceflight mission of six months. To parse out the effect of microgravity from the overall effects of spaceflight, we investigate the effects of seventy days head-down tilted bed rest. Bed rest subjects will be assessed at two time points before-, two time points during-, and three time points post-bed rest. A third group of ground based controls will be measured at four time points to assess reliability of our measures over time. For all participants and at all time points, except in flight, measures of neurocognitive performance, fine motor control, gait, balance, structural MRI (T1, DTI), task fMRI, and functional connectivity MRI will be obtained. In flight, astronauts will complete some of the tasks that they complete pre- and post flight, including tasks measuring spatial working memory, sensorimotor adaptation, and fine motor performance. Potential changes over time and associations between cognition, motor-behavior, and brain structure and function will be analyzed. This study explores how spaceflight induced brain changes impact functional performance. This understanding could aid in the design of targeted countermeasures to mitigate the negative effects of long-duration spaceflight.

Nonlinear analysis and performance evaluation of the Annular Suspension and Pointing System (ASPS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joshi, S. M.

1978-01-01

The Annular Suspension and Pointing System (ASPS) can provide high accurate fine pointing for a variety of solar-, stellar-, and Earth-viewing scientific instruments during space shuttle orbital missions. In this report, a detailed nonlinear mathematical model is developed for the ASPS/Space Shuttle system. The equations are augmented with nonlinear models of components such as magnetic actuators and gimbal torquers. Control systems and payload attitude state estimators are designed in order to obtain satisfactory pointing performance, and statistical pointing performance is predicted in the presence of measurement noise and disturbances.

Design and evaluation of an optical fine-pointing control system for telescopes utilizing a digital star sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ostroff, A. J.; Romanczyk, K. C.

1973-01-01

One of the most significant problems associated with the development of large orbiting astronomical telescopes is that of maintaining the very precise pointing accuracy required. A proposed solution to this problem utilizes dual-level pointing control. The primary control system maintains the telescope structure attitude stabilized within the field of view to the desired accuracy. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of optically stabilizing the star images to the desired accuracy a regulating system has been designed and evaluated. The control system utilizes a digital star sensor and an optical star image motion compensator, both of which have been developed for this application. These components have been analyzed mathematically, analytical models have been developed, and hardware has been built and tested.

Fine Guidance Sensing for Coronagraphic Observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brugarolas, Paul; Alexander, James W.; Trauger, John T.; Moody, Dwight C.

2011-01-01

Three options have been developed for Fine Guidance Sensing (FGS) for coronagraphic observatories using a Fine Guidance Camera within a coronagraphic instrument. Coronagraphic observatories require very fine precision pointing in order to image faint objects at very small distances from a target star. The Fine Guidance Camera measures the direction to the target star. The first option, referred to as Spot, was to collect all of the light reflected from a coronagraph occulter onto a focal plane, producing an Airy-type point spread function (PSF). This would allow almost all of the starlight from the central star to be used for centroiding. The second approach, referred to as Punctured Disk, collects the light that bypasses a central obscuration, producing a PSF with a punctured central disk. The final approach, referred to as Lyot, collects light after passing through the occulter at the Lyot stop. The study includes generation of representative images for each option by the science team, followed by an engineering evaluation of a centroiding or a photometric algorithm for each option. After the alignment of the coronagraph to the fine guidance system, a "nulling" point on the FGS focal point is determined by calibration. This alignment is implemented by a fine alignment mechanism that is part of the fine guidance camera selection mirror. If the star images meet the modeling assumptions, and the star "centroid" can be driven to that nulling point, the contrast for the coronagraph will be maximized.

Uprated fine guidance sensor study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

Future orbital observatories will require star trackers of extremely high precision. These sensors must maintain high pointing accuracy and pointing stability simultaneously with a low light level signal from a guide star. To establish the fine guidance sensing requirements and to evaluate candidate fine guidance sensing concepts, the Space Telescope Optical Telescope Assembly was used as the reference optical system. The requirements review was separated into three areas: Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA), Fine Guidance Sensing and astrometry. The results show that the detectors should be installed directly onto the focal surface presented by the optics. This would maximize throughput and minimize point stability error by not incoporating any additional optical elements.

Solar dynamic modules for Space Station Freedom: The relationship between fine-pointing control and thermal loading of the aperture plate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quinn, Roger D.; Kerslake, Thomas W.

1992-01-01

Dynamic simulations of Space Station Freedom (SSF) configured with solar dynamic (SD) power modules were performed. The structure was subjected to Space Shuttle docking disturbances, while being controlled with a 'natural' vibration and tracking control approach. Three control cases were investigated for the purpose of investigating the relationship between actuator effort, SD pointing, and thermal loading on the receiver aperture plate. Transient, one-dimensional heat transfer analyses were performed to conservatively predict temperatures of the multi-layered receiver aperture plate assembly and thermal stresses in its shield layer. Results indicate that the proposed aperture plate is tolerant of concentrated flux impingement during short-lived structural disturbances. Pointing requirements may be loosened and the requirement control torques lessened from that previously specified. Downsizing and simplifying the joint drive system should result in a considerable savings mass.

Effects of Long-Duration Microgravity on Fine Motor Skills: ISS One-Year Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holden, Kritina; Greene, Maya; Cross, Ernest

2017-01-01

Fine motor skills will be critical in future long-duration missions, particularly those skills needed to interact with advanced technologies in next-generation vehicles, spacesuits, and habitats. Studies to date on the effects of microgravity and gravitational transitions on fine motor performance have not yielded conclusive results. Datasets are incomplete-timeline gaps in the microgravity data sessions. Studies have not focused on the fine motor actions that are likely to be required for interacting with software displays and controls (pointing, clicking, dragging, multi-touch/pinching). The majority of studies have used a joystick or arm reaching task. Touchscreen tablets are already in use on ISS, and at least one commercial partner is already planning a cockpit with touchscreens as the primary means of input. We must ensure that crewmembers are ready to perform with computer-based devices after a long-duration voyage and transition to surface operations.

Overview of magnetic suspension research at Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Groom, Nelson J.

1992-01-01

An overview of research in small- and large-gap magnetic suspension systems at LaRC is presented. The overview is limited to systems which have been built as laboratory models or engineering models. Small-gap systems applications include the Annular Momentum Control Device (AMCD), which is a momentum storage device for the stabilization and control of spacecraft, and the Annular Suspension and Pointing System (ASPS), which is a general purpose pointing mount designed to provide orientation, mechanical isolation, and fine pointing space experiments. These devices are described and control and linearization approaches for the magnetic suspension systems for these devices are discussed. Large-gap systems applications at LaRC have been almost exclusively wind tunnel magnetic suspension systems. A brief description of these efforts is also presented.

Colloid Microthruster Feed System Development for Fine Pointing and Drag-Free Control of Multi-Year Astronomical Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziemer, John; Mueller, J.; Spence, D.; Hruby, V.

2014-01-01

A new Colloid Microthruster feed system, including a propellant tank and redundant Microvalves, is being developed for fine pointing and drag-free operations of multi-year astronomical observatories under the PCOS SAT program. Almost all Gravitational Wave Observatory (GWO) concepts require microthrusters to maintain a drag-free environment for the inertial sensor instrument to meet the mission science objectives. The current state-of-the-art microthruster in the US is the Busek Colloid Micro-Newton Thruster (CMNT) originally developed under the New Millennium Program for the Space Technology 7 (ST7) and ESA's LISA Pathfinder (LPF) technology demonstration mission. The ST7 CMNT design includes a bellows propellant storage tank that is sized to provide up to 90 days of maximum thrust (30 µN). The new propellant tank is based on a blow-down, metal-diaphragm spherical tank design with enough capacity for a 5-year GWO mission. The new feed system will also include the third generation of Busek’s Microvalve, currently being developed under a NASA Phase II SBIR. The Microvalve is responsible for the picoliter per second control of the propellant from the tank to the thruster head, demanding parts with micron-level tolerances, critical alignments, and challenging acceptance test protocols. This microthruster system could also be considered for replacement of reaction wheels for slewing and fine pointing of other astronomical observatories, including Exo-Planet Observatory concepts. The goal of the PCOS SAT effort is to raise the new system to TRL 5 with performance and environmental testing within the next two years.

Hybrid Architecture Active Wavefront Sensing and Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feinberg, Lee; Dean, Bruce; Hyde, Tupper

2010-01-01

A method was developed for performing relatively high-speed wavefront sensing and control to overcome thermal instabilities in a segmented primary mirror telescope [e.g., James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) at L2], by using the onboard fine guidance sensor (FGS) to minimize expense and complexity. This FGS performs centroiding on a bright star to feed the information to the pointing and control system. The proposed concept is to beam split the image of the guide star (or use a single defocused guide star image) to perform wavefront sensing using phase retrieval techniques. Using the fine guidance sensor star image for guiding and fine phasing eliminates the need for other, more complex ways of achieving very accurate sensing and control that is needed for UV-optical applications. The phase retrieval occurs nearly constantly, so passive thermal stability over fourteen days is not required. Using the FGS as the sensor, one can feed segment update information to actuators on the primary mirror that can update the primary mirror segment fine phasing with this frequency. Because the thermal time constants of the primary mirror are very slow compared to this duration, the mirror will appear extremely stable during observations (to the level of accuracy of the sensing and control). The sensing can use the same phase retrieval techniques as the JWST by employing an additional beam splitter, and having each channel go through a weak lens (one positive and one negative). The channels can use common or separate detectors. Phase retrieval can be performed onboard. The actuation scheme would include a coarse stage able to achieve initial alignment of several millimeters of range (similar to JWST and can use a JWST heritage sensing approach in the science camera) and a fine stage capable of continual updates.

The effect of fine and grapho-motor skill demands on preschoolers' decoding skill.

PubMed

Suggate, Sebastian; Pufke, Eva; Stoeger, Heidrun

2016-01-01

Previous correlational research has found indications that fine motor skills (FMS) link to early reading development, but the work has not demonstrated causality. We manipulated 51 preschoolers' FMS while children learned to decode letters and nonsense words in a within-participants, randomized, and counterbalanced single-factor design with pre- and posttesting. In two conditions, children wrote with a pencil that had a conical shape fitted to the end filled with either steel (impaired writing condition) or polystyrene (normal writing condition). In a third control condition, children simply pointed at the letters with the light pencil as they learned to read the words (pointing condition). Results indicate that children learned the most decoding skills in the normal writing condition, followed by the pointing and impaired writing conditions. In addition, working memory, phonemic awareness, and grapho-motor skills were generally predictors of decoding skill development. The findings provide experimental evidence that having lower FMS is disadvantageous for reading development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Particulates and fine dust removal: processes and equipment

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

Sittig, M.

1977-01-01

Particulates and fine dust created by man's activities contribute significantly to all major aspects of air pollution. While the generation of natural fine dusts is also very large in some parts of the earth, industrially generated, particle-loaded air emissions may push the particulate level to a point where acceptable air quality standards are exceeded continuously. How to reduce such emissions at the source, and what processes and equipment to use, is the subject of this book, which is based on reports of federally-financed air pollution studies as well as U.S. patents. Following an introduction with an overview of industrial particulatemore » emissions, emission data and emission control processes are discussed for the following specific industries: airlines; asphalt; cement; coal; electric utilities; ferrous metals; fertilizer; food; forest products; paper; chemicals; nonferrous metals; nuclear; petroleum refining; stone and clay; and textiles. Conventional and innovative particle removal devices are described. The disposal of collected particles is discussed. The economic and energy consumption aspects of particulate control are presented. (LCL)« less

Study protocol to examine the effects of spaceflight and a spaceflight analog on neurocognitive performance: extent, longevity, and neural bases

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Long duration spaceflight (i.e., 22 days or longer) has been associated with changes in sensorimotor systems, resulting in difficulties that astronauts experience with posture control, locomotion, and manual control. The microgravity environment is an important causal factor for spaceflight induced sensorimotor changes. Whether spaceflight also affects other central nervous system functions such as cognition is yet largely unknown, but of importance in consideration of the health and performance of crewmembers both in- and post-flight. We are therefore conducting a controlled prospective longitudinal study to investigate the effects of spaceflight on the extent, longevity and neural bases of sensorimotor and cognitive performance changes. Here we present the protocol of our study. Methods/design This study includes three groups (astronauts, bed rest subjects, ground-based control subjects) for which each the design is single group with repeated measures. The effects of spaceflight on the brain will be investigated in astronauts who will be assessed at two time points pre-, at three time points during-, and at four time points following a spaceflight mission of six months. To parse out the effect of microgravity from the overall effects of spaceflight, we investigate the effects of seventy days head-down tilted bed rest. Bed rest subjects will be assessed at two time points before-, two time points during-, and three time points post-bed rest. A third group of ground based controls will be measured at four time points to assess reliability of our measures over time. For all participants and at all time points, except in flight, measures of neurocognitive performance, fine motor control, gait, balance, structural MRI (T1, DTI), task fMRI, and functional connectivity MRI will be obtained. In flight, astronauts will complete some of the tasks that they complete pre- and post flight, including tasks measuring spatial working memory, sensorimotor adaptation, and fine motor performance. Potential changes over time and associations between cognition, motor-behavior, and brain structure and function will be analyzed. Discussion This study explores how spaceflight induced brain changes impact functional performance. This understanding could aid in the design of targeted countermeasures to mitigate the negative effects of long-duration spaceflight. PMID:24350728

Sample-based synthesis of two-scale structures with anisotropy

DOE PAGES

Liu, Xingchen; Shapiro, Vadim

2017-05-19

A vast majority of natural or synthetic materials are characterized by their anisotropic properties, such as stiffness. Such anisotropy is effected by the spatial distribution of the fine-scale structure and/or anisotropy of the constituent phases at a finer scale. In design, proper control of the anisotropy may greatly enhance the efficiency and performance of synthesized structures. In this paper, we propose a sample-based two-scale structure synthesis approach that explicitly controls anisotropic effective material properties of the structure on the coarse scale by orienting sampled material neighborhoods at the fine scale. We first characterize the non-uniform orientations distribution of the samplemore » structure by showing that the principal axes of an orthotropic material may be determined by the eigenvalue decomposition of its effective stiffness tensor. Such effective stiffness tensors can be efficiently estimated based on the two-point correlation functions of the fine-scale structures. Then we synthesize the two-scale structure by rotating fine-scale structures from the sample to follow a given target orientation field. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through examples in both 2D and 3D.« less

Sample-based synthesis of two-scale structures with anisotropy

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

Liu, Xingchen; Shapiro, Vadim

A vast majority of natural or synthetic materials are characterized by their anisotropic properties, such as stiffness. Such anisotropy is effected by the spatial distribution of the fine-scale structure and/or anisotropy of the constituent phases at a finer scale. In design, proper control of the anisotropy may greatly enhance the efficiency and performance of synthesized structures. In this paper, we propose a sample-based two-scale structure synthesis approach that explicitly controls anisotropic effective material properties of the structure on the coarse scale by orienting sampled material neighborhoods at the fine scale. We first characterize the non-uniform orientations distribution of the samplemore » structure by showing that the principal axes of an orthotropic material may be determined by the eigenvalue decomposition of its effective stiffness tensor. Such effective stiffness tensors can be efficiently estimated based on the two-point correlation functions of the fine-scale structures. Then we synthesize the two-scale structure by rotating fine-scale structures from the sample to follow a given target orientation field. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through examples in both 2D and 3D.« less

Fine Pointing of Military Spacecraft

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

estimate is high. But feedback controls are attempting to fix the attitude at the next time step with error based on the previous time step without using ...52 a. Stability Analysis Consider not using the reference trajectory in the feedback signal. The previous stability proof (Refs.[43],[46]) are no... robust steering law and quaternion feedback control [52]. TASS2 has center-of-gravity offset disturbance that must be countered by the three CMG

Automatic control of the effluent turbidity from a chemically enhanced primary treatment with microsieving.

PubMed

Väänänen, J; Memet, S; Günther, T; Lilja, M; Cimbritz, M; la Cour Jansen, J

2017-10-01

For chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) with microsieving, a feedback proportional integral controller combined with a feedforward compensator was used in large pilot scale to control effluent water turbidity to desired set points. The effluent water turbidity from the microsieve was maintained at various set points in the range 12-80 NTU basically independent for a number of studied variations in influent flow rate and influent wastewater compositions. Effluent turbidity was highly correlated with effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD). Thus, for CEPT based on microsieving, controlling the removal of COD was possible. Thereby incoming carbon can be optimally distributed between biological nitrogen removal and anaerobic digestion for biogas production. The presented method is based on common automation and control strategies; therefore fine tuning and optimization for specific requirements are simplified compared to model-based dosing control.

Solar Array Disturbances to Spacecraft Pointing During the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calhoun, Philip

2010-01-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), the first spacecraft to support NASA s return to the Moon, launched on June 18, 2009 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle. It was initially inserted into a direct trans-lunar trajectory to the Moon. After a five day transit to the Moon, LRO was inserted into the Lunar orbit and successfully lowered to a low altitude elliptical polar orbit for spacecraft commissioning. Successful commissioning was completed in October 2009 when LRO was placed in its near circular mission orbit with an approximate altitude of 50km. LRO will spend at least one year orbiting the Moon, collecting lunar environment science and mapping data, utilizing a suite of seven instruments to enable future human exploration. The objective is to provide key science data necessary to facilitate human return to the Moon as well as identification of opportunities for future science missions. LRO's instrument suite will provide the high resolution imaging data with sub-meter accuracy, highly accurate lunar cartographic maps, mineralogy mapping, amongst other science data of interest. LRO employs a 3-axis stabilized attitude control system (ACS) whose primary control mode, the "Observing Mode", provides Lunar nadir, off-nadir, and inertial fine pointing for the science data collection and instrument calibration. This controller combines the capability of fine pointing with on-demand large angle full-sky attitude reorientation. It provides simplicity of spacecraft operation as well as additional flexibility for science data collection. A conventional suite of ACS components is employed in the Observing Mode to meet the pointing and control objectives. Actuation is provided by a set of four reaction wheels developed in-house at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Attitude feedback is provided by a six state Kalman filter which utilizes two SELEX Galileo Star Trackers for attitude updates, and a single Honeywell Miniature Inertial Measurement Unit (MIMU) to provide body rates for attitude propagation. Rate is computed by differentiating accumulated angle provided by the MIMU. The Observing Mode controller is required to maintain fine pointing while a large fully-articulated solar array (SA) maintains its panel normal to the solar incidence. This paper describes the disturbances to the attitude control resulting from the SA articulation. Observing Mode performance in the presence of this disturbance was assessed while the spacecraft was in an initial elliptical low altitude orbit during the commissioning phase, which started about two weeks after launch and lasted for 90 days. LRO demonstrated excellent pointing performance during Observing Mode nadir and inertial attitude target operations during this phase. Transient LRO attitude errors observed during commissioning resulted primarily from three sources, Diviner instrument calibrations, RW zero crossings, and SA articulation. Even during times of considerable disturbance from SA articulation, the attitude errors were maintained below the statistical attitude error requirement level of 15 arc-sec (3 sigma).

[Fine stereo structure for natural organic molecules, a preliminary study. II. Melting point influenced by structure factors].

PubMed

Lu, Y; Zheng, Q; Lu, D; Ma, P; Chen, Y

1995-06-01

Crystal structures of two compounds from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f. have been determined by X-ray diffraction method. Structure factors influencing melting point of solid state have been analysed. Crystal class (or space group), recrystallization solvent, force between molecules and fine changes of molecular structures will all cause melting point changes of crystal substance.

Monitoring Fine-Grained Sediment in the Colorado River Ecosystem, Arizona - Control Network and Conventional Survey Techniques

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hazel, Joseph E.; Kaplinski, Matt; Parnell, Roderic A.; Kohl, Keith; Schmidt, John C.

2008-01-01

In 2002, fine-grained sediment (sand, silt, and clay) monitoring in the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam was initiated to survey channel topography at scales previously unobtainable in this canyon setting. This report presents the methods used to establish the high-resolution global positioning system (GPS) control network required for this effort as well as the conventional surveying techniques used in the study. Using simultaneous, dual-frequency GPS vector-based methods, the network points were determined to have positioning accuracies of less than 0.03 meters (m) and ellipsoidal height accuracies of between 0.01 and 0.10 m at a 95-percent degree of confidence. We also assessed network point quality with repeated, electronic (optical) total-station observations at 39 points for a total of 362 measurements; the mean range was 0.022 m in horizontal and 0.13 in vertical at a 95-percent confidence interval. These results indicate that the control network is of sufficient spatial and vertical accuracy for collection of airborne and subaerial remote-sensing technologies and integration of these data in a geographic information system on a repeatable basis without anomalies. The monitoring methods were employed in up to 11 discrete reaches over various time intervals. The reaches varied from 1.3 to 6.4 kilometers in length. Field results from surveys in 2000, 2002, and 2004 are described, during which conventional surveying was used to collect more than 3000 points per day. Ground points were used as checkpoints and to supplement areas just below or above the water surface, where remote-sensing data are not collected or are subject to greater error. An accuracy of +or- 0.05 m was identified as the minimum precision of individual ground points. These results are important for assessing digital elevation model (DEM) quality and identifying detection limits of significant change among surfaces generated from remote-sensing technologies.

KSC-08pd2344

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are ready to move the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, for integration onto the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-08pd2343

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center are ready to move the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, for integration onto the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) calibration of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hashmall, J.; Garrick, J.

1993-01-01

Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) responsibilities for calibration of Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) sensors included alignment calibration of the fixed-head star trackers (FHST's) and the fine Sun sensor (FSS), determination of misalignments and scale factors for the inertial reference units (IRU's), determination of biases for the three-axis magnetometers (TAM's) and Earth sensor assemblies (ESA's), determination of gimbal misalignments of the Solar/Stellar Pointing Platform (SSPP), and field-of-view calibration for the FSS's mounted both on the Modular Attitude Control System (MACS) and on the SSPP. The calibrations, which used a combination of new and established algorithms, gave excellent results. Alignment calibration results markedly improved the accuracy of both ground and onboard Computer (OBC) attitude determination. SSPP calibration results allowed UARS to identify stars in the period immediately after yaw maneuvers, removing the delay required for the OBC to reacquire its fine pointing attitude mode. SSPP calibration considerably improved the pointing accuracy of the attached science instrument package. This paper presents a summary of the methods used and the results of all FDF UARS sensor calibration.

New Worlds Observer Formation Control Design Based on the Dynamics of Relative Motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luquette, Richard J.

2008-01-01

The New Worlds Observer (NWO) mission is designed for the direct detection and characterization of extrasolar planets. The NWO mission concept employs a two spacecraft leader-follower formation on a trajectory around the Earth/Moon-Sun L(sub 2) Libration Point. The leader spacecraft is baselined as a 4 meter optical telescope. The follower, Starshade spacecraft, is designed to suppress light from a central body star permitting direct detection of a surrounding exoplanetary system. The current design requires a nominal leader-follower separation range of 72 Megameters. NWO poses many challenges including formation control. NWO cycles between three principal control modes during the nominal mission timeline: science (fine pointing), realignment and transition. This paper examines formation control strategies in the context of dynamics of relative motion for two spacecraft operating in the vicinity of the Earth/Moon-Sun L(sub 2)libration point. The paper presents an overview of the equations of relative motion followed by a discussion of each of the control modes. Discussion and analysis characterize control strategies for each of the mission control modes, including requirements, implementation challenges and project fuel budgets.

Fine reservoir structure modeling based upon 3D visualized stratigraphic correlation between horizontal wells: methodology and its application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chenghua, Ou; Chaochun, Li; Siyuan, Huang; Sheng, James J.; Yuan, Xu

2017-12-01

As the platform-based horizontal well production mode has been widely applied in petroleum industry, building a reliable fine reservoir structure model by using horizontal well stratigraphic correlation has become very important. Horizontal wells usually extend between the upper and bottom boundaries of the target formation, with limited penetration points. Using these limited penetration points to conduct well deviation correction means the formation depth information obtained is not accurate, which makes it hard to build a fine structure model. In order to solve this problem, a method of fine reservoir structure modeling, based on 3D visualized stratigraphic correlation among horizontal wells, is proposed. This method can increase the accuracy when estimating the depth of the penetration points, and can also effectively predict the top and bottom interfaces in the horizontal penetrating section. Moreover, this method will greatly increase not only the number of points of depth data available, but also the accuracy of these data, which achieves the goal of building a reliable fine reservoir structure model by using the stratigraphic correlation among horizontal wells. Using this method, four 3D fine structure layer models have been successfully built of a specimen shale gas field with platform-based horizontal well production mode. The shale gas field is located to the east of Sichuan Basin, China; the successful application of the method has proven its feasibility and reliability.

Reaction Control Engine for Space Launch Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have begun a series of engine tests on a new breed of space propulsion: a Reaction Control Engine developed for the Space Launch Initiative (SLI). The engine, developed by TRW Space and Electronics of Redondo Beach, California, is an auxiliary propulsion engine designed to maneuver vehicles in orbit. It is used for docking, reentry, attitude control, and fine-pointing while the vehicle is in orbit. The engine uses nontoxic chemicals as propellants, a feature that creates a safer environment for ground operators, lowers cost, and increases efficiency with less maintenance and quicker turnaround time between missions. Testing includes 30 hot-firings. This photograph shows the first engine test performed at MSFC that includes SLI technology. Another unique feature of the Reaction Control Engine is that it operates at dual thrust modes, combining two engine functions into one engine. The engine operates at both 25 and 1,000 pounds of force, reducing overall propulsion weight and allowing vehicles to easily maneuver in space. The low-level thrust of 25 pounds of force allows the vehicle to fine-point maneuver and dock while the high-level thrust of 1,000 pounds of force is used for reentry, orbit transfer, and coarse positioning. SLI is a NASA-wide research and development program, managed by the MSFC, designed to improve safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness of space travel for second generation reusable launch vehicles.

The Annular Suspension and Pointing (ASP) system for space experiments and predicted pointing accuracies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, W. W.; Joshi, S. M.

1975-01-01

An annular suspension and pointing system consisting of pointing assemblies for coarse and vernier pointing is described. The first assembly is attached to a carrier spacecraft (e.g., the space shuttle) and consists of an azimuth gimbal and an elevation gimbal which provide 'coarse' pointing. The second or vernier pointing assembly is made up of magnetic actuators of suspension and fine pointing, roll motor segments, and an instrument or experiment mounting plate around which is attached a continuous annular rim similar to that used in the annular momentum control device. The rim provides appropriate magnetic circuits for the actuators and the roll motor segments for any instrument roll position. The results of a study to determine the pointing accuracy of the system in the presence of crew motion disturbances are presented. Typical 3 sigma worst-case errors are found to be of the order of 0.001 arc-second.

Flight demonstration of a milliarcsecond pointing system for direct exoplanet imaging.

PubMed

Mendillo, Christopher B; Chakrabarti, Supriya; Cook, Timothy A; Hicks, Brian A; Lane, Benjamin F

2012-10-10

We present flight results from the optical pointing control system onboard the Planetary Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Rocket Experiment (PICTURE) sounding rocket. PICTURE (NASA mission number: 36.225 UG) was launched on 8 October 2011, from White Sands Missile Range. It attempted to directly image the exozodiacal dust disk of ϵ Eridani (K2V, 3.22 pc) down to an inner radius of 1.5 AU using a visible nulling coronagraph. The rocket attitude control system (ACS) provided 627 milliarcsecond (mas) RMS body pointing (~2'' peak-to-valley). The PICTURE fine pointing system (FPS) successfully stabilized the telescope beam to 5.1 mas (0.02λ/D) RMS using an angle tracker camera and fast steering mirror. This level of pointing stability is comparable to that of the Hubble Space Telescope. We present the hardware design of the FPS, a description of the limiting noise sources and a power spectral density analysis of the FPS and rocket ACS in-flight performance.

An optimization-based integrated controls-structures design methodology for flexible space structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maghami, Peiman G.; Joshi, Suresh M.; Armstrong, Ernest S.

1993-01-01

An approach for an optimization-based integrated controls-structures design is presented for a class of flexible spacecraft that require fine attitude pointing and vibration suppression. The integrated design problem is posed in the form of simultaneous optimization of both structural and control design variables. The approach is demonstrated by application to the integrated design of a generic space platform and to a model of a ground-based flexible structure. The numerical results obtained indicate that the integrated design approach can yield spacecraft designs that have substantially superior performance over a conventional design wherein the structural and control designs are performed sequentially. For example, a 40-percent reduction in the pointing error is observed along with a slight reduction in mass, or an almost twofold increase in the controlled performance is indicated with more than a 5-percent reduction in the overall mass of the spacecraft (a reduction of hundreds of kilograms).

Effects of pre-cooked cheeses of different emulsifying conditions on mechanical properties and microstructure of processed cheese.

PubMed

Fu, Wei; Watanabe, Yurika; Inoue, Keita; Moriguchi, Natsumi; Fusa, Kazunao; Yanagisawa, Yuya; Mutoh, Takaaki; Nakamura, Takashi

2018-04-15

The effect of pre-cooked cheeses of different emulsifying conditions on the viscosities, mechanical properties, fat globules, and microstructure of processed cheese was investigated, and changes in protein network relating to the creaming effect and the occurrence of yielding point were discussed. The addition of pre-cooked cheeses with a short stirring time had no obvious impact on the fat globules and protein network. The random network brought low viscosities and a gradual increase in the fracture stress/strain curve. The addition of pre-cooked cheeses with the long stirring time caused protein network to become fine-stranded. The fine-stranded network caused creaming effect, and brought yielding points in the mechanical properties. The pre-cooked cheese with the small fat globules also caused fat globules to become smaller, and give the processed cheese more firmness. This study provides a potential solution to control the functional properties of processed cheese by using a variety of pre-cooked cheeses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fine-scale topography in sensory systems: insights from Drosophila and vertebrates

PubMed Central

Kaneko, Takuya; Ye, Bing

2015-01-01

To encode the positions of sensory stimuli, sensory circuits form topographic maps in the central nervous system through specific point-to-point connections between pre- and post-synaptic neurons. In vertebrate visual systems, the establishment of topographic maps involves the formation of a coarse topography followed by that of fine-scale topography that distinguishes the axon terminals of neighboring neurons. It is known that intrinsic differences in the form of broad gradients of guidance molecules instruct coarse topography while neuronal activity is required for fine-scale topography. On the other hand, studies in the Drosophila visual system have shown that intrinsic differences in cell adhesion among the axon terminals of neighboring neurons instruct the fine-scale topography. Recent studies on activity-dependent topography in the Drosophila somatosensory system have revealed a role of neuronal activity in creating molecular differences among sensory neurons for establishing fine-scale topography, implicating a conserved principle. Here we review the findings in both Drosophila and vertebrates and propose an integrated model for fine-scale topography. PMID:26091779

Fine-scale topography in sensory systems: insights from Drosophila and vertebrates.

PubMed

Kaneko, Takuya; Ye, Bing

2015-09-01

To encode the positions of sensory stimuli, sensory circuits form topographic maps in the central nervous system through specific point-to-point connections between pre- and postsynaptic neurons. In vertebrate visual systems, the establishment of topographic maps involves the formation of a coarse topography followed by that of fine-scale topography that distinguishes the axon terminals of neighboring neurons. It is known that intrinsic differences in the form of broad gradients of guidance molecules instruct coarse topography while neuronal activity is required for fine-scale topography. On the other hand, studies in the Drosophila visual system have shown that intrinsic differences in cell adhesion among the axon terminals of neighboring neurons instruct the fine-scale topography. Recent studies on activity-dependent topography in the Drosophila somatosensory system have revealed a role of neuronal activity in creating molecular differences among sensory neurons for establishing fine-scale topography, implicating a conserved principle. Here we review the findings in both Drosophila and vertebrates and propose an integrated model for fine-scale topography.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-03-11

Engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have begun a series of engine tests on a new breed of space propulsion: a Reaction Control Engine developed for the Space Launch Initiative (SLI). The engine, developed by TRW Space and Electronics of Redondo Beach, California, is an auxiliary propulsion engine designed to maneuver vehicles in orbit. It is used for docking, reentry, attitude control, and fine-pointing while the vehicle is in orbit. The engine uses nontoxic chemicals as propellants, a feature that creates a safer environment for ground operators, lowers cost, and increases efficiency with less maintenance and quicker turnaround time between missions. Testing includes 30 hot-firings. This photograph shows the first engine test performed at MSFC that includes SLI technology. Another unique feature of the Reaction Control Engine is that it operates at dual thrust modes, combining two engine functions into one engine. The engine operates at both 25 and 1,000 pounds of force, reducing overall propulsion weight and allowing vehicles to easily maneuver in space. The low-level thrust of 25 pounds of force allows the vehicle to fine-point maneuver and dock while the high-level thrust of 1,000 pounds of force is used for reentry, orbit transfer, and coarse positioning. SLI is a NASA-wide research and development program, managed by the MSFC, designed to improve safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness of space travel for second generation reusable launch vehicles.

Magnetic suspension and pointing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, W. W.; Groom, N. J. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

An apparatus is reported for accurate pointing of instruments on a carrier vehicle and for isolation of the instruments from the vehicle's motion disturbances. The apparatus includes two assemblies with connecting interfaces. The first assembly is attached to the carrier vehicle and consists of an azimuth gimbal and an elevation gimbal which provide coarse pointing by allowing two rotations of the instruments relative to the carrier vehicle. The second or vernier pointing assembly is made up of magnetic suspension and fine pointing actuators, roll motor segments, and an instrument mounting plase which provides appropriate magnetic circuits for the actuators and the roll motor segments. The vernier pointing assembly provides attitude fine pointing and roll positioning of the instruments as well as six degree-of-freedom isolation from carrier motion disturbances.

Spacelab

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-02

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. Pictured onboard the shuttle is astronaut Robert Parker using a Manual Pointing Controller (MPC) for the ASTRO-1 mission Instrument Pointing System (IPS).

KSC-08pd2340

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-07

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, is being prepared for backlight inspection and cleaning in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The FGS is part of the payload for the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, aboard space shuttle Atlantis. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Two Axis Pointing System (TAPS) attitude acquisition, determination, and control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Azzolini, John D.; Mcglew, David E.

1990-01-01

The Two Axis Pointing System (TAPS) is a 2 axis gimbal system designed to provide fine pointing of Space Transportation System (STS) borne instruments. It features center-of-mass instrument mounting and will accommodate instruments of up to 1134 kg (2500 pounds) which fit within a 1.0 by 1.0 by 4.2 meter (40 by 40 by 166 inch) envelope. The TAPS system is controlled by a microcomputer based Control Electronics Assembly (CEA), a Power Distribution Unit (PDU), and a Servo Control Unit (SCU). A DRIRU-II inertial reference unit is used to provide incremental angles for attitude propagation. A Ball Brothers STRAP star tracker is used for attitude acquisition and update. The theory of the TAPS attitude determination and error computation for the Broad Band X-ray Telescope (BBXRT) are described. The attitude acquisition is based upon a 2 star geometric solution. The acquisition theory and quaternion algebra are presented. The attitude control combines classical position, integral and derivative (PID) control with techniques to compensate for coulomb friction (bias torque) and the cable harness crossing the gimbals (spring torque). Also presented is a technique for an adaptive bias torque compensation which adjusts to an ever changing frictional torque environment. The control stability margins are detailed, with the predicted pointing performance, based upon simulation studies. The TAPS user interface, which provides high level operations commands to facilitate science observations, is outlined.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-03-13

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, has begun a series of engine tests on the Reaction Control Engine developed by TRW Space and Electronics for NASA's Space Launch Initiative (SLI). SLI is a technology development effort aimed at improving the safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness of space travel for reusable launch vehicles. The engine in this photo, the first engine tested at MSFC that includes SLI technology, was tested for two seconds at a chamber pressure of 185 pounds per square inch absolute (psia). Propellants used were liquid oxygen as an oxidizer and liquid hydrogen as fuel. Designed to maneuver vehicles in orbit, the engine is used as an auxiliary propulsion system for docking, reentry, fine-pointing, and orbit transfer while the vehicle is in orbit. The Reaction Control Engine has two unique features. It uses nontoxic chemicals as propellants, which creates a safer environment with less maintenance and quicker turnaround time between missions, and it operates in dual thrust modes, combining two engine functions into one engine. The engine operates at both 25 and 1,000 pounds of force, reducing overall propulsion weight and allowing vehicles to easily maneuver in space. The force of low level thrust allows the vehicle to fine-point maneuver and dock, while the force of the high level thrust is used for reentry, orbital transfer, and course positioning.

Line of Sight Stabilization of James Webb Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meza, Luis; Tung, Frank; Anandakrishnan, Satya; Spector, Victor; Hyde, Tupper

2005-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) builds upon the successful flight experience of the Chandra Xray Telescope by incorporating an additional LOS pointing servo to meet the more stringent pointing requirements. The LOS pointing servo, referred to in JWST as the Fine Guidance Control System (FGCS), will utilize a Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) as the sensor, and a Fine Steering Mirror (FSM) as the actuator. The FSM is a part of the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) and is in the optical path between the tertiary mirror and the instrument focal plane, while the FGS is part of the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). The basic Chandra spacecraft bus attitude control and determination architecture, utilizing gyros, star trackers/aspect camera, and reaction wheels, is retained for JWST. This system has achieved pointing stability of better than 0.5 arcseconds. To reach the JWST requirements of milli-arcsecond pointing stability with this ACS hardware, the local FGCS loop is added to the optical path. The FGCS bandwidth is about 2.0 Hz and will therefore attenuate much of the spacecraft ACS induced low frequency jitter. In order to attenuate the higher frequency (greatet than 2.0 Hz) disturbances associated with reaction wheel static and dynamic imbalances, as well as bearing run-out, JWST will employ a two-stage passive vibration isolation system consisting of (1) 7.0 Hz reaction wheel isolators between each reaction wheel and the spacecraft bus, and (2) a 1.0 Hz tower isolator between the spacecraft bus and the Optical Telescope Element (OTE). In order to sense and measure the LOS, the FGS behaves much like an autonomous star tracker that has a very small field of view and uses the optics of the telescope. It performs the functions of acquisition, identification and tracking of stars in its 2.5 x 2.5 arcminute field of view (FOV), and provides the centroid and magnitude of the selected star for use in LOS control. However, since only a single star is being tracked at any time within the FGS FOV there is only tip and tilt information; rotation about the FGS LOS will not be sensed. The FGCS uses the FSM to move the guide star within the FGS FOV and place the centroid of the guide star at any desired position within the FGS focal plane. Using this architecture allows the FGCS to correct the low frequency LOS jitter that is induced by the spacecraft ACS in pitch and yaw, and achieve the milli-arcsecond pointing stability required by JWST. The less stringent ISIM FOV roll performance will be provided solely by the ACS, using the spacecraft gyros and star trackers. Since the FSM is in the optical path, the pointing stabilrty of a science object in any of the instruments will be similar to that of the guide star LOS.

40 CFR 430.110 - Applicability; description of the fine and lightweight papers from purchased pulp subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PAPERBOARD POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Fine and Lightweight Papers from Purchased Pulp Subcategory § 430.110 Applicability; description of the fine and lightweight papers from purchased pulp subcategory. The provisions of... and lightweight papers from purchased pulp subcategory. 430.110 Section 430.110 Protection of...

Workshop on Structural Dynamics and Control Interaction of Flexible Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, L. P.; Wilson, J. F.; Jewell, R. E.

1987-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope features the most exacting line of sight jitter requirement thus far imposed on a spacecraft pointing system. Consideration of the fine pointing requirements prompted an attempt to isolate the telescope from the low level vibration disturbances generated by the attitude control system reaction wheels. The primary goal was to provide isolation from axial component of wheel disturbance without compromising the control system bandwidth. A passive isolation system employing metal springs in parallel with viscous fluid dampers was designed, fabricated, and space qualified. Stiffness and damping characteristics are deterministic, controlled independently, and were demonstrated to remain constant over at least five orders of input disturbance magnitude. The damping remained purely viscous even at the data collection threshold of .16 x .000001 in input displacement, a level much lower than the anticipated Hubble Space Telescope disturbance amplitude. Vibration attenuation goals were obtained and ground test of the vehicle has demonstrated the isolators are transparent to the attitude control system.

Non-Mechanical Beam Steering in Free-Space Optical Communication Transceivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shortt, Kevin

Free-space optical communications systems are a rapidly growing field as they carry many of the advantages of traditional fibre-based communications systems without the added investment of installing complex infrastructure. Moreover, these systems are finding key niches in mobile platforms in order to take advantage of the increased bandwidth over traditional RF systems. Of course, the inevitable problem of tracking arises when dealing with mobile stations. To compound the problem in the case of communications to low Earth or geosynchronous orbits, FSOC systems typically operate with tightly confined beams over great distances often requiring pointing accuracies on the order of micro-radians or smaller. Mechanisms such as gimbal mounts and fine-steering mirrors are the usual candidates for platform stabilization, however, these clearly have substantial power requirements and inflate the mass of the system. Spatial light modulators (also known as optical phased arrays), on the other hand, offer a suitable alternative for beam-pointing stabilization. Some of the advantages of spatial light modulators over fine-steering mirrors include programmable multiple simultaneous beams, dynamic focus/defocus and moderate to excellent optical power handling capability. This thesis serves as an investigation into the implementation of spatial light modulators as a replacement for traditional fine-steering mirrors in the fine-pointing subsystem. In particular, pointing accuracy and scanning ability will be highlighted as performance metrics in the context of a variety of communication scenarios. Keywords: Free-space optical communications, beam steering, fine-steering mirror, spatial light modulator, optical phased array.

Series-nonuniform rational B-spline signal feedback: From chaos to any embedded periodic orbit or target point.

PubMed

Shao, Chenxi; Xue, Yong; Fang, Fang; Bai, Fangzhou; Yin, Peifeng; Wang, Binghong

2015-07-01

The self-controlling feedback control method requires an external periodic oscillator with special design, which is technically challenging. This paper proposes a chaos control method based on time series non-uniform rational B-splines (SNURBS for short) signal feedback. It first builds the chaos phase diagram or chaotic attractor with the sampled chaotic time series and any target orbit can then be explicitly chosen according to the actual demand. Second, we use the discrete timing sequence selected from the specific target orbit to build the corresponding external SNURBS chaos periodic signal, whose difference from the system current output is used as the feedback control signal. Finally, by properly adjusting the feedback weight, we can quickly lead the system to an expected status. We demonstrate both the effectiveness and efficiency of our method by applying it to two classic chaotic systems, i.e., the Van der Pol oscillator and the Lorenz chaotic system. Further, our experimental results show that compared with delayed feedback control, our method takes less time to obtain the target point or periodic orbit (from the starting point) and that its parameters can be fine-tuned more easily.

Series-nonuniform rational B-spline signal feedback: From chaos to any embedded periodic orbit or target point

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

Shao, Chenxi, E-mail: cxshao@ustc.edu.cn; Xue, Yong; Fang, Fang

2015-07-15

The self-controlling feedback control method requires an external periodic oscillator with special design, which is technically challenging. This paper proposes a chaos control method based on time series non-uniform rational B-splines (SNURBS for short) signal feedback. It first builds the chaos phase diagram or chaotic attractor with the sampled chaotic time series and any target orbit can then be explicitly chosen according to the actual demand. Second, we use the discrete timing sequence selected from the specific target orbit to build the corresponding external SNURBS chaos periodic signal, whose difference from the system current output is used as the feedbackmore » control signal. Finally, by properly adjusting the feedback weight, we can quickly lead the system to an expected status. We demonstrate both the effectiveness and efficiency of our method by applying it to two classic chaotic systems, i.e., the Van der Pol oscillator and the Lorenz chaotic system. Further, our experimental results show that compared with delayed feedback control, our method takes less time to obtain the target point or periodic orbit (from the starting point) and that its parameters can be fine-tuned more easily.« less

LSAH: a fast and efficient local surface feature for point cloud registration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Rongrong; Zhu, Feng; Wu, Qingxiao; Kong, Yanzi

2018-04-01

Point cloud registration is a fundamental task in high level three dimensional applications. Noise, uneven point density and varying point cloud resolutions are the three main challenges for point cloud registration. In this paper, we design a robust and compact local surface descriptor called Local Surface Angles Histogram (LSAH) and propose an effectively coarse to fine algorithm for point cloud registration. The LSAH descriptor is formed by concatenating five normalized sub-histograms into one histogram. The five sub-histograms are created by accumulating a different type of angle from a local surface patch respectively. The experimental results show that our LSAH is more robust to uneven point density and point cloud resolutions than four state-of-the-art local descriptors in terms of feature matching. Moreover, we tested our LSAH based coarse to fine algorithm for point cloud registration. The experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm is robust and efficient as well.

On the feasibility of the Chevron Notch Beam method to measure fracture toughness of fine-grained zirconia ceramics.

PubMed

Kailer, Andreas; Stephan, Marc

2016-10-01

The fracture toughness determination of fine-grained zirconia ceramics using the chevron notched beam method (CNB) was investigated to assess the feasibility of this method for quality assurance and material characterization. CNB tests were performed using four different yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramics under various testing modes and conditions, including displacement-controlled and load-rate-controlled four point bending to assess the influence of slow crack growth and identify most suitable test parameters. For comparison, tests using single-edge V-notch beams (SEVNB) were conducted. It was observed that the CNB method yields well-reproducible results. However, slow crack growth effects significantly affect the measured KIC values, especially when slow loading rates are used. To minimize the effect of slow crack growth, the application of high loading rates is recommended. Despite a certain effort needed for setting up a sample preparation routine, the CNB method is considered to be very useful for measuring and controlling the fracture toughness of zirconia ceramics. Copyright © 2016 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-Capacity Communications from Martian Distances Part 4: Assessment of Spacecraft Pointing Accuracy Capabilities Required For Large Ka-Band Reflector Antennas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodges, Richard E.; Sands, O. Scott; Huang, John; Bassily, Samir

2006-01-01

Improved surface accuracy for deployable reflectors has brought with it the possibility of Ka-band reflector antennas with extents on the order of 1000 wavelengths. Such antennas are being considered for high-rate data delivery from planetary distances. To maintain losses at reasonable levels requires a sufficiently capable Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) onboard the spacecraft. This paper provides an assessment of currently available ADCS strategies and performance levels. In addition to other issues, specific factors considered include: (1) use of "beaconless" or open loop tracking versus use of a beacon on the Earth side of the link, and (2) selection of fine pointing strategy (body-fixed/spacecraft pointing, reflector pointing or various forms of electronic beam steering). Capabilities of recent spacecraft are discussed.

In Situ Characterization of Point-of-Discharge Fine Particulate Emissions

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

of Point- of -Discharge Fine Particulate Emissions 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6... NUMBER OF PAGES 163 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT unclassified b. ABSTRACT unclassified c. THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form... number of weapons systems. A number of Ft. Sill’s training ranges were projected to be in use during the last half of March, 2007 through

Process-based control of HAPs emissions from drying wood flakes.

PubMed

Banerjee, Sujit; Pendyala, Krishna; Buchanan, Mike; Yang, Rallming; Abu-Daabes, Malyuba; Otwell, Lawrence P E

2006-04-01

Industrial wood flake drying generates methanol, formaldehyde, and other hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). A simple theoretical model shows that particles smaller than 400 microm will begin to thermally degrade and release disproportionately large quantities of HAPs. This is confirmed in full-scale practice where particles smaller than 500 microm show visible signs of charring. Laboratory measurement of the activation energy for the breakdown of wood tissue into methanol and formaldehyde led to a value of about 17 kcal/mol. The apparent activation energy measured in the field was higher. This result was obtained under nonisothermal conditions and is biased high by the fines fraction of the furnish, which is exposed to elevated temperatures. It is proposed that a combination of screening out the fines fraction smaller than 500 microm and reducing the dryer inlet temperature will substantially reduce emissions, possibly to the point where control devices can be downsized or eliminated. Our findings allow these HAPs reductions to be semiquantitatively estimated.

Resistance spot welding of ultra-fine grained steel sheets produced by constrained groove pressing: Optimization and characterization

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

Khodabakhshi, F.; Kazeminezhad, M., E-mail: mkazemi@sharif.edu; Kokabi, A.H.

2012-07-15

Constrained groove pressing as a severe plastic deformation method is utilized to produce ultra-fine grained low carbon steel sheets. The ultra-fine grained sheets are joined via resistance spot welding process and the characteristics of spot welds are investigated. Resistance spot welding process is optimized for welding of the sheets with different severe deformations and their results are compared with those of as-received samples. The effects of failure mode and expulsion on the performance of ultra-fine grained sheet spot welds have been investigated in the present paper and the welding current and time of resistance spot welding process according to thesemore » subjects are optimized. Failure mode and failure load obtained in tensile-shear test, microhardness, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope images have been used to describe the performance of spot welds. The region between interfacial to pullout mode transition and expulsion limit is defined as the optimum welding condition. The results show that optimum welding parameters (welding current and welding time) for ultra-fine grained sheets are shifted to lower values with respect to those for as-received specimens. In ultra-fine grained sheets, one new region is formed named recrystallized zone in addition to fusion zone, heat affected zone and base metal. It is shown that microstructures of different zones in ultra-fine grained sheets are finer than those of as-received sheets. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Resistance spot welding process is optimized for joining of UFG steel sheets. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Optimum welding current and time are decreased with increasing the CGP pass number. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microhardness at BM, HAZ, FZ and recrystallized zone is enhanced due to CGP.« less

The relationship between executive function and fine motor control in young and older adults.

PubMed

Corti, Emily J; Johnson, Andrew R; Riddle, Hayley; Gasson, Natalie; Kane, Robert; Loftus, Andrea M

2017-01-01

The present study examined the relationship between executive function (EF) and fine motor control in young and older healthy adults. Participants completed 3 measures of executive function; a spatial working memory (SWM) task, the Stockings of Cambridge task (planning), and the Intra-Dimensional Extra-Dimensional Set-Shift task (set-shifting). Fine motor control was assessed using 3 subtests of the Purdue Pegboard (unimanual, bimanual, sequencing). For the younger adults, there were no significant correlations between measures of EF and fine motor control. For the older adults, all EFs significantly correlated with all measures of fine motor control. Three separate regressions examined whether planning, SWM and set-shifting independently predicted unimanual, bimanual, and sequencing scores for the older adults. Planning was the primary predictor of performance on all three Purdue subtests. A multiple-groups mediation model examined whether planning predicted fine motor control scores independent of participants' age, suggesting that preservation of planning ability may support fine motor control in older adults. Planning remained a significant predictor of unimanual performance in the older age group, but not bimanual or sequencing performance. The findings are discussed in terms of compensation theory, whereby planning is a key compensatory resource for fine motor control in older adults. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preliminary GAOFEN-3 Insar dem Accuracy Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Q.; Li, T.; Tang, X.; Gao, X.; Zhang, X.

2018-04-01

GF-3 satellite, the first C band and full-polarization SAR satellite of China with spatial resolution of 1 m, was successfully launched in August 2016. We analyze the error sources of GF-3 satellite in this paper, and provide the interferometric calibration model based on range function, Doppler shift equation and interferometric phase function, and interferometric parameters calibrated using the three-dimensional coordinates of ground control points. Then, we conduct the experimental two pairs of images in fine stripmap I mode covering Songshan of Henan Province and Tangshan of Hebei Province, respectively. The DEM data are assessed using SRTM DEM, ICESat-GLAS points, and ground control points database obtained using ZY-3 satellite to validate the accuracy of DEM elevation. The experimental results show that the accuracy of DEM extracted from GF-3 satellite SAR data can meet the requirements of topographic mapping in mountain and alpine regions at the scale of 1 : 50000 in China. Besides, it proves that GF-3 satellite has the potential of interferometry.

Effectiveness of double fines as a speed control measure in safety corridors.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-12-01

The use of elevated traffic fines, and specifically doubling of applicable traffic fines under certain conditions, is widely used in Oregon as a speed control measure. Double fines have applied to safety corridors in Oregon since 1999. Double f...

Fine motor control

MedlinePlus

... figure out the child's developmental age. Children develop fine motor skills over time, by practicing and being taught. To have fine motor control, children need: Awareness and planning Coordination ...

Flow Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-08

fined as p( xs , t), to the flow state which is modeled by the time coefficients of a POD truncation (a fj (t) in equation 17) (Note: the f superscript...spatially to desired flow features (e.g. vortex shedding, vortex pairing, boundary layer growth, separation points, etc.) are chosen and defined as ( xs ...within the numeric simulation. A surface POD analysis, p( xs , t)≃ k ∑ p=1 asp(t)ϕsp( xs ), (30) yields surface POD modes φ sp( xs ). The resulting

Space Launch Initiative (SLI) Engine Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, has begun a series of engine tests on the Reaction Control Engine developed by TRW Space and Electronics for NASA's Space Launch Initiative (SLI). SLI is a technology development effort aimed at improving the safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness of space travel for reusable launch vehicles. The engine in this photo, the first engine tested at MSFC that includes SLI technology, was tested for two seconds at a chamber pressure of 185 pounds per square inch absolute (psia). Propellants used were liquid oxygen as an oxidizer and liquid hydrogen as fuel. Designed to maneuver vehicles in orbit, the engine is used as an auxiliary propulsion system for docking, reentry, fine-pointing, and orbit transfer while the vehicle is in orbit. The Reaction Control Engine has two unique features. It uses nontoxic chemicals as propellants, which creates a safer environment with less maintenance and quicker turnaround time between missions, and it operates in dual thrust modes, combining two engine functions into one engine. The engine operates at both 25 and 1,000 pounds of force, reducing overall propulsion weight and allowing vehicles to easily maneuver in space. The force of low level thrust allows the vehicle to fine-point maneuver and dock, while the force of the high level thrust is used for reentry, orbital transfer, and course positioning.

Removal of single point diamond-turning marks by abrasive jet polishing.

PubMed

Li, Z Z; Wang, J M; Peng, X Q; Ho, L T; Yin, Z Q; Li, S Y; Cheung, C F

2011-06-01

Single point diamond turning (SPDT) is highly controllable and versatile in producing axially symmetric forms, non-axially-symmetric forms, microstructured surfaces, and free forms. However, the fine SPDT marks left in the surface limit its performance, and they are difficult to reduce or eliminate. It is unpractical for traditional methods to remove the fine marks without destroying their forms, especially for the aspheres and free forms. This paper introduces abrasive jet polishing (AJP) for the posttreatment of diamond-turned surfaces to remove the periodic microstructures. Samples of diamond-turned electroless nickel plated plano mirror were used in the experiments. One sample with an original surface roughness of more than 400 nm decreased to 4 nm after two iterations abrasive jet polishing; the surface roughness of another sample went from 3.7 nm to 1.4 nm after polishing. The periodic signatures on both of the samples were removed entirely after polishing. Contrastive experimental research was carried out on electroless nickel mirror with magnetorheological finishing, computer controlled optical surfacing, and AJP. The experimental results indicate that AJP is more appropriate in removing the periodic SPDT marks. Also, a figure maintaining experiment was carried out with the AJP process; the uniform polishing process shows that the AJP process can remove the periodic turning marks without destroying the original form.

Fine mapping and identification of a novel locus qGL12.2 control grain length in wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.).

PubMed

Qi, Lan; Ding, Yingbin; Zheng, Xiaoming; Xu, Rui; Zhang, Lizhen; Wang, Yanyan; Wang, Xiaoning; Zhang, Lifang; Cheng, Yunlian; Qiao, Weihua; Yang, Qingwen

2018-04-19

A wild rice QTL qGL12.2 for grain length was fine mapped to an 82-kb interval in chromosome 12 containing six candidate genes and none was reported previously. Grain length is an important trait for yield and commercial value in rice. Wild rice seeds have a very slender shape and have many desirable genes that have been lost in cultivated rice during domestication. In this study, we identified a quantitative trait locus, qGL12.2, which controls grain length in wild rice. First, a wild rice chromosome segment substitution line, CSSL41, was selected that has longer glume and grains than does the Oryza sativa indica cultivar, 9311. Next, an F 2 population was constructed from a cross between CSSL41 and 9311. Using the next-generation sequencing combined with bulked-segregant analysis and F 3 recombinants analysis, qGL12.2 was finally fine mapped to an 82-kb interval in chromosome 12. Six candidate genes were found, and no reported grain length genes were found in this interval. Using scanning electron microscopy, we found that CSSL41 cells are significantly longer than those of 9311, but there is no difference in cell widths. These data suggest that qGL12.2 is a novel gene that controls grain cell length in wild rice. Our study provides a new genetic resource for rice breeding and a starting point for functional characterization of the wild rice GL gene.

Coarse Point Cloud Registration by Egi Matching of Voxel Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jinhu; Lindenbergh, Roderik; Shen, Yueqian; Menenti, Massimo

2016-06-01

Laser scanning samples the surface geometry of objects efficiently and records versatile information as point clouds. However, often more scans are required to fully cover a scene. Therefore, a registration step is required that transforms the different scans into a common coordinate system. The registration of point clouds is usually conducted in two steps, i.e. coarse registration followed by fine registration. In this study an automatic marker-free coarse registration method for pair-wise scans is presented. First the two input point clouds are re-sampled as voxels and dimensionality features of the voxels are determined by principal component analysis (PCA). Then voxel cells with the same dimensionality are clustered. Next, the Extended Gaussian Image (EGI) descriptor of those voxel clusters are constructed using significant eigenvectors of each voxel in the cluster. Correspondences between clusters in source and target data are obtained according to the similarity between their EGI descriptors. The random sampling consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is employed to remove outlying correspondences until a coarse alignment is obtained. If necessary, a fine registration is performed in a final step. This new method is illustrated on scan data sampling two indoor scenarios. The results of the tests are evaluated by computing the point to point distance between the two input point clouds. The presented two tests resulted in mean distances of 7.6 mm and 9.5 mm respectively, which are adequate for fine registration.

KSC-08pd2342

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center perform backlight inspection and cleaning on the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS. The FGS is part of the payload for the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, aboard space shuttle Atlantis. Black light inspection uses UVA fluorescence to detect possible particulate microcontamination, minute cracks or fluid leaks. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-08pd2341

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center perform backlight inspection and cleaning on the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS. The FGS is part of the payload for the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, aboard space shuttle Atlantis. Black light inspection uses UVA fluorescence to detect possible particulate microcontamination, minute cracks or fluid leaks. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

77 FR 24985 - Importer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Registration; ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-26

... Registration; ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals By Notice dated October 8, 2010, and published in the Federal Register on October 20, 2010, 75 FR 64743, ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals, 238 South Main Street, Assonet... that the registration of ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals to import the basic class of controlled substance...

78 FR 69134 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Registration: AMPAC Fine Chemicals, LLC.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-18

...; Notice of Registration: AMPAC Fine Chemicals, LLC. By Notice dated July 23, 2013, and published in the Federal Register on July 31, 2013, 78 FR 46372, AMPAC Fine Chemicals, LLC., Highway 50 and Hazel Avenue... AMPAC Fine Chemicals, LLC., to manufacture the listed basic classes of controlled substances is...

77 FR 64142 - Importer of Controlled Substances, Notice of Registration, ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-18

... Registration, ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals By Notice dated July 2, 2012, and published in the Federal Register on July 11, 2012, 77 FR 40910, ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals, 238 South Main Street, Assonet... that the registration of ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals to import the basic class of controlled substance...

77 FR 24988 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Registration; ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-26

...; Notice of Registration; ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals By Notice dated October 8, 2010, and published in the Federal Register on October 20, 2010, 75 FR 64746, ISP Freetown Fine Chemicals, 238 South Main Street... Fine Chemicals, to manufacture the listed basic classes of controlled substances is consistent with the...

Robust iterative closest point algorithm based on global reference point for rotation invariant registration.

PubMed

Du, Shaoyi; Xu, Yiting; Wan, Teng; Hu, Huaizhong; Zhang, Sirui; Xu, Guanglin; Zhang, Xuetao

2017-01-01

The iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm is efficient and accurate for rigid registration but it needs the good initial parameters. It is easily failed when the rotation angle between two point sets is large. To deal with this problem, a new objective function is proposed by introducing a rotation invariant feature based on the Euclidean distance between each point and a global reference point, where the global reference point is a rotation invariant. After that, this optimization problem is solved by a variant of ICP algorithm, which is an iterative method. Firstly, the accurate correspondence is established by using the weighted rotation invariant feature distance and position distance together. Secondly, the rigid transformation is solved by the singular value decomposition method. Thirdly, the weight is adjusted to control the relative contribution of the positions and features. Finally this new algorithm accomplishes the registration by a coarse-to-fine way whatever the initial rotation angle is, which is demonstrated to converge monotonically. The experimental results validate that the proposed algorithm is more accurate and robust compared with the original ICP algorithm.

Robust iterative closest point algorithm based on global reference point for rotation invariant registration

PubMed Central

Du, Shaoyi; Xu, Yiting; Wan, Teng; Zhang, Sirui; Xu, Guanglin; Zhang, Xuetao

2017-01-01

The iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm is efficient and accurate for rigid registration but it needs the good initial parameters. It is easily failed when the rotation angle between two point sets is large. To deal with this problem, a new objective function is proposed by introducing a rotation invariant feature based on the Euclidean distance between each point and a global reference point, where the global reference point is a rotation invariant. After that, this optimization problem is solved by a variant of ICP algorithm, which is an iterative method. Firstly, the accurate correspondence is established by using the weighted rotation invariant feature distance and position distance together. Secondly, the rigid transformation is solved by the singular value decomposition method. Thirdly, the weight is adjusted to control the relative contribution of the positions and features. Finally this new algorithm accomplishes the registration by a coarse-to-fine way whatever the initial rotation angle is, which is demonstrated to converge monotonically. The experimental results validate that the proposed algorithm is more accurate and robust compared with the original ICP algorithm. PMID:29176780

Two-Channel Kondo Effect in a Modified Single Electron Transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oreg, Yuval; Goldhaber-Gordon, David

2003-04-01

We suggest a simple system of two electron droplets which should display two-channel Kondo behavior at experimentally accessible temperatures. Stabilization of the two-channel Kondo fixed point requires fine control of the electrochemical potential in each droplet, which can be achieved by adjusting voltages on nearby gate electrodes. We study the conditions for obtaining this type of two-channel Kondo behavior, discuss the experimentally observable consequences, and explore the gener­alization to the multichannel Kondo case.

Flow Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-08

estimator will relate an array of surface mounted sensor signals, de- fined as p( xs , t), to the flow state which is modeled by the time coefficients of a POD...layer growth, separation points, etc.) are chosen and defined as ( xs ) within the numeric simulation. A surface POD analysis, p( xs , t)≃ k ∑ p=1 asp(t)ϕsp... xs ), (30) yields surface POD modes φ sp( xs ). The resulting locations of the maxima and minima of the sur- face modes show where the largest

Source contributions of fine particulate matter during one winter haze episodes in Xi'an, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X.; Wu, Q.

2017-12-01

Long-term exposure to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is found to be associated with adverse effects on human health, ecological environment and climate change. Identification the major source regions of fine particulate matter are essential to proposing proper joint prevention and control strategies for heavy haze mitigation. In this work, the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (CAMx) together with the Particulate Source Apportionment Technology (PSAT) and the Weather Research and Forecast Model (WRF), have been applied to analyze the major source regions of PM2.5 in Xi'an during the heavy haze episodes in winter (29, December, 2016 - 5 January 2017), and the framework of the model system is shown in Fig. 1. Firstly, according to the model evaluation of the daily PM2.5 concentrations for the two months, the model has well performance, and the fraction of predictions within a factor of 2 of the observations (FAC2) is 84%, while the correlation coefficient (R) is 0.80 in Xi'an. By using the PSAT in CAMx model, a detailed source region contribution matrix is derived for all points within the Xi'an region and its six surrounding areas, and long-range regional transport. The results show that the local emission in Xi'an is the mainly sources at downtown area, which contributing 72.9% as shown in Fig.2, and the contribution rate of transportations between adjacent areas depends on wind direction. Meanwhile, three different suburban areas selected for detailed analysis in fine particles sources. Comparing to downtown area, the sources of suburban areas are more multiply, and the transportations make the contribution 40%-82%. In the suburban areas, regional inflows play an important role in the fine particles concentrations, indicating a strong need for regional joint emission control efforts. The results enhance the quantitative understanding of the PM2.5 source regions and provide a basis for policymaking to advance the control of pollution in Xi'an, China.

Fabrication of Multi-point Side-Firing Optical Fiber by Laser Micro-ablation

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Hoang; Arnob, Md Masud Parvez; Becker, Aaron T; Wolfe, John C; Hogan, Matthew K; Horner, Philip J; Shih, Wei-Chuan

2018-01-01

A multi-point, side-firing design enables an optical fiber to output light at multiple desired locations along the fiber body. This provides advantages over traditional end-to-end fibers, especially in applications requiring fiber bundles such as brain stimulation or remote sensing. This paper demonstrates that continuous wave (CW) laser micro-ablation can controllably create conical-shaped cavities, or side windows, for outputting light. The dimensions of these cavities determine the amount of firing light and their firing angle. Experimental data show that a single side window on a 730 μm fiber can deliver more than 8 % of the input light. This was increased to more than 19 % on a 65 μm fiber with side windows created using femtosecond (fs) laser ablation and chemical etching. Fine control of light distribution along an optical fiber is critical for various biomedical applications such as light activated drug-release and optogenetics studies. PMID:28454166

Modeling and control of flexible space platforms with articulated payloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graves, Philip C.; Joshi, Suresh M.

1989-01-01

The first steps in developing a methodology for spacecraft control-structure interaction (CSI) optimization are identification and classification of anticipated missions, and the development of tractable mathematical models in each mission class. A mathematical model of a generic large flexible space platform (LFSP) with multiple independently pointed rigid payloads is considered. The objective is not to develop a general purpose numerical simulation, but rather to develop an analytically tractable mathematical model of such composite systems. The equations of motion for a single payload case are derived, and are linearized about zero steady-state. The resulting model is then extended to include multiple rigid payloads, yielding the desired analytical form. The mathematical models developed clearly show the internal inertial/elastic couplings, and are therefore suitable for analytical and numerical studies. A simple decentralized control law is proposed for fine pointing the payloads and LFSP attitude control, and simulation results are presented for an example problem. The decentralized controller is shown to be adequate for the example problem chosen, but does not, in general, guarantee stability. A centralized dissipative controller is then proposed, requiring a symmetric form of the composite system equations. Such a controller guarantees robust closed loop stability despite unmodeled elastic dynamics and parameter uncertainties.

Precision Pointing for the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope(WFIRST)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoneking, Eric T.; Hsu, Oscar C.; Welter, Gary

2017-01-01

The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission, scheduled for a mid-2020's launch, is currently in its definition phase. The mission is designed to investigate essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics. WFIRST will use a 2.4-meter primary telescope (same size as the Hubble Space Telescope's primary mirror) and two instruments: the Wide Field Instrument (WFI) and the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI). In order to address the critical science requirements, the WFIRST mission will conduct large-scale surveys of the infrared sky, requiring both agility and precision pointing (11.6 milli-arcsec stability, 14 milli-arcsec jitter). This paper describes some of the challenges this mission profile presents to the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystem, and some of the design elements chosen to accommodate those challenges. The high-galactic-latitude survey is characterized by 3-minute observations separated by slews ranging from 0.025 deg to 0.8 deg. The need for observation efficiency drives the slew and settle process to be as rapid as possible. A description of the shaped slew profile chosen to minimize excitation of structural oscillation, and the handoff from star tracker-gyro control to fine guidance sensor control is detailed. Also presented is the fine guidance sensor (FGS), which is integral with the primary instrument (WFI). The FGS is capable of tracking up to 18 guide stars, enabling robust FGS acquisition and precision pointing. To avoid excitation of observatory structural jitter, reaction wheel speeds are operationally maintained within set limits. In addition, the wheel balance law is designed to maintain 1-Hz separation between the wheel speeds to avoid reinforcing jitter excitation at any particular frequency. The wheel balance law and operational implications are described. Finally, the candidate GNC hardware suite needed to meet the requirements of the mission is presented.

A Point Mutation in Suppressor of Cytokine Signalling 2 (Socs2) Increases the Susceptibility to Inflammation of the Mammary Gland while Associated with Higher Body Weight and Size and Higher Milk Production in a Sheep Model

PubMed Central

Rupp, Rachel; Senin, Pavel; Sarry, Julien; Allain, Charlotte; Tasca, Christian; Ligat, Laeticia; Portes, David; Woloszyn, Florent; Bouchez, Olivier; Tabouret, Guillaume; Lebastard, Mathieu; Caubet, Cécile

2015-01-01

Mastitis is an infectious disease mainly caused by bacteria invading the mammary gland. Genetic control of susceptibility to mastitis has been widely evidenced in dairy ruminants, but the genetic basis and underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown. We describe the discovery, fine mapping and functional characterization of a genetic variant associated with elevated milk leukocytes count, or SCC, as a proxy for mastitis. After implementing genome-wide association studies, we identified a major QTL associated with SCC on ovine chromosome 3. Fine mapping of the region, using full sequencing with 12X coverage in three animals, provided one strong candidate SNP that mapped to the coding sequence of a highly conserved gene, suppressor of cytokine signalling 2 (Socs2). The frequency of the SNP associated with increased SCC was 21.7% and the Socs2 genotype explained 12% of the variance of the trait. The point mutation induces the p.R96C substitution in the SH2 functional domain of SOCS2 i.e. the binding site of the protein to various ligands, as well-established for the growth hormone receptor GHR. Using surface plasmon resonance we showed that the p.R96C point mutation completely abrogates SOCS2 binding affinity for the phosphopeptide of GHR. Additionally, the size, weight and milk production in p.R96C homozygote sheep, were significantly increased by 24%, 18%, and 4.4%, respectively, when compared to wild type sheep, supporting the view that the point mutation causes a loss of SOCS2 functional activity. Altogether these results provide strong evidence for a causal mutation controlling SCC in sheep and highlight the major role of SOCS2 as a tradeoff between the host’s inflammatory response to mammary infections, and body growth and milk production, which are all mediated by the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. PMID:26658352

A Point Mutation in Suppressor of Cytokine Signalling 2 (Socs2) Increases the Susceptibility to Inflammation of the Mammary Gland while Associated with Higher Body Weight and Size and Higher Milk Production in a Sheep Model.

PubMed

Rupp, Rachel; Senin, Pavel; Sarry, Julien; Allain, Charlotte; Tasca, Christian; Ligat, Laeticia; Portes, David; Woloszyn, Florent; Bouchez, Olivier; Tabouret, Guillaume; Lebastard, Mathieu; Caubet, Cécile; Foucras, Gilles; Tosser-Klopp, Gwenola

2015-12-01

Mastitis is an infectious disease mainly caused by bacteria invading the mammary gland. Genetic control of susceptibility to mastitis has been widely evidenced in dairy ruminants, but the genetic basis and underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown. We describe the discovery, fine mapping and functional characterization of a genetic variant associated with elevated milk leukocytes count, or SCC, as a proxy for mastitis. After implementing genome-wide association studies, we identified a major QTL associated with SCC on ovine chromosome 3. Fine mapping of the region, using full sequencing with 12X coverage in three animals, provided one strong candidate SNP that mapped to the coding sequence of a highly conserved gene, suppressor of cytokine signalling 2 (Socs2). The frequency of the SNP associated with increased SCC was 21.7% and the Socs2 genotype explained 12% of the variance of the trait. The point mutation induces the p.R96C substitution in the SH2 functional domain of SOCS2 i.e. the binding site of the protein to various ligands, as well-established for the growth hormone receptor GHR. Using surface plasmon resonance we showed that the p.R96C point mutation completely abrogates SOCS2 binding affinity for the phosphopeptide of GHR. Additionally, the size, weight and milk production in p.R96C homozygote sheep, were significantly increased by 24%, 18%, and 4.4%, respectively, when compared to wild type sheep, supporting the view that the point mutation causes a loss of SOCS2 functional activity. Altogether these results provide strong evidence for a causal mutation controlling SCC in sheep and highlight the major role of SOCS2 as a tradeoff between the host's inflammatory response to mammary infections, and body growth and milk production, which are all mediated by the JAK/STAT signaling pathway.

Application of tumbling melt granulation (TMG) method to prepare controlled-release fine granules.

PubMed

Maejima, T; Kubo, M; Osawa, T; Nakajima, K; Kobayashi, M

1998-03-01

The tumbling melt granulation (TMG) method was applied to prepare controlled-release fine granules of diltiazem hydrochloride (DH). The entire process, from the preparation of the cores by the adherence of DH to the sucrose crystal to the subsequent coating of the controlled-release layer, was performed without using any solvent. A mixture of meltable material, talc, and ethylcellulose was used for the controlled-release layer and controlled-release fine granules approximately 400 microns in diameter were obtained with excellent producibility. The dissolution rate of DH from these fine granules was similar to that of a once-a-day dosage form obtained in the market; further, the dependency of the dissolution profile on pH of the media was less. Thus, it was concluded that this TMG method was very useful for preparing not only controlled-release beads of granule size (usually 500 to 1400 microns) but also fine granules.

The Euclid AOCS science mode design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacchetta, A.; Saponara, M.; Torasso, A.; Saavedra Criado, G.; Girouart, B.

2015-06-01

Euclid is a Medium-Class mission of the ESA Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 plan. Thales Alenia Space Italy has been selected as prime contractor for the Euclid design and implementation. The spacecraft will be launched in 2020 on a Soyuz launch vehicle from Kourou, to a large-amplitude orbit around the sun-earth libration point L2. The objective of Euclid is to understand the origin of the Universe's accelerating expansion, by mapping large-scale structure over a cosmic time covering the last 10 billion years. The mission requires the ability to survey a large fraction of the extragalactic sky (i.e. portion of sky with latitude higher than 30 deg with respect to galactic plane) over its lifetime, with very high system stability (telescope, focal plane, spacecraft pointing) to minimize systematic effects. The AOCS is a key element to meet the scientific requirements. The AOCS design drivers are pointing performance and image quality (Relative Pointing Error over 700 s less than 25 m as, 68 % confidence level), and minimization of slew time between observation fields to meet the goal of completing the Wide Extragalactic Survey in 6 years. The first driver demands a Fine Guidance Sensor in the telescope focal plane for accurate attitude measurement and actuators with low noise and fine command resolution. The second driver requires high-torque actuators and an extended attitude control bandwidth. In the design, reaction wheels (RWL) and cold-gas micro-propulsion (MPS) are used in a synergetic and complementary way during different operational phases of the science mode. The RWL are used for performing the field slews, whereas during scientific observation they are stopped not to perturb the pointing by additional mechanical noise. The MPS is used for maintaining the reference attitude with high pointing accuracy during the scientific observation. This unconventional concept achieves the pointing performance with the shortest maneuver times, with significant mass savings with respect to the MPS-only solution.

The Point Lookout Sandstone: a tale of two cores, or petrology, diagenesis, and reservoir properties of Point Lookout Sandstone, Southern Ute Indian Reservation, San Juan Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keighin, C.W.; Zech, R.S.; Dunbar, R.W.

1993-01-01

The Point Lookout sandstones are quartz-rich, fine to very-fine grained, and contain moderately variable quantities of potassium feldspar (2 to 20 modal percent) and lithic fragments (9 to 20 modal percent). Locally, sandstone is tightly cemented by carbonate cement; clays are not important as cementing agents, although they significantly reduce permeability of some samples. Pores are small; many are intergranular micropores between crystals of authigenic clay. Depositional environments are highly variable and range from lower shoreface to coastal plain and include minor deltaic environments. The best reservoir characteristics are generally in the upper shoreface sandstones. -from Authors

KSC-08pd2350

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center help guide the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, as it moves toward the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier or ORUC, for installation. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” The ORUC is one of three carriers that are being prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, on space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd2353

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – An overhead crane in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center lowers the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, onto the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier or ORUC, below for installation. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” The ORUC is one of three carriers that are being prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, on space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Seebeck effect on a weak link between Fermi and non-Fermi liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, T. K. T.; Kiselev, M. N.

2018-02-01

We propose a model describing Seebeck effect on a weak link between two quantum systems with fine-tunable ground states of Fermi and non-Fermi liquid origin. The experimental realization of the model can be achieved by utilizing the quantum devices operating in the integer quantum Hall regime [Z. Iftikhar et al., Nature (London) 526, 233 (2015), 10.1038/nature15384] designed for detection of macroscopic quantum charged states in multichannel Kondo systems. We present a theory of thermoelectric transport through hybrid quantum devices constructed from quantum-dot-quantum-point-contact building blocks. We discuss pronounced effects in the temperature and gate voltage dependence of thermoelectric power associated with a competition between Fermi and non-Fermi liquid behaviors. High controllability of the device allows to fine tune the system to different regimes described by multichannel and multi-impurity Kondo models.

A microprocessor-based position control system for a telescope secondary mirror

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorell, K. R.; Barrows, W. F.; Clappier, R. R.; Lee, G. K.

1983-01-01

The pointing requirements for the Shuttle IR Telescope Facility (SIRTF), which consists of an 0.85-m cryogenically cooled IR telescope, call for an image stability of 0.25 arcsec. Attention is presently given to a microprocessor-based position control system developed for the control of the SIRTF secondary mirror, employing a special control law (to minimize energy dissipation), a precision capacitive position sensor, and a specially designed power amplifier/actuator combination. The microprocessor generates the command angular position and rate waveforms in order to maintain a 90 percent dwell time/10 percent transition time ratio independently of chop frequency or amplitude. Performance and test results of a prototype system designed for use with a demonstration model of the SIRTF focal plane fine guidance sensor are presented.

Momentum Management for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid Scout Solar Sail Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heaton, Andrew; Diedrich, Benjamin L.; Orphee, Juan; Stiltner, Brandon; Becker, Christopher

2017-01-01

The Momentum Management (MM) system is described for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid Scout (NEA Scout) cubesat solar sail mission. Unlike many solar sail mission proposals that used solar torque as the primary or only attitude control system, NEA Scout uses small reaction wheels (RW) and a reaction control system (RCS) with cold gas thrusters, as described in the abstract "Solar Sail Attitude Control System for Near Earth Asteroid Scout Cubesat Mission." The reaction wheels allow fine pointing and higher rates with low mass actuators to meet the science, communication, and trajectory guidance requirements. The MM system keeps the speed of the wheels within their operating margins using a combination of solar torque and the RCS.

Fine pointing control for a Next-Generation Space Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosier, Gary E.; Femiano, Michael; Ha, Kong; Bely, Pierre Y.; Burg, Richard; Redding, David C.; Kissil, Andrew; Rakoczy, John; Craig, Larry

1998-08-01

The Next Generation Space Telescope will provide at least ten times the collecting area of the Hubble Space Telescope in a package that fits into the shroud of an expendable launch vehicle. The resulting large, flexible structure provides a challenge to the design of a pointing control system for which the requirements are at the milli-arcsecond level. This paper describes a design concept in which pointing stability is achieved by means of a nested-loop design involving an inertial attitude control system (ACS) and a fast steering mirror (FSM). A key to the integrated control design is that the ACS controllers has a bandwidth well below known structural modes and the FSM uses a rotationally balanced mechanism which should not interact with the flexible modes that are within its control bandwidth. The ACS controller provides stable pointing of the spacecraft bus with star trackers and gyros. This low bandwidth loop uses nearly co-located sensors and actuators to slew and acquire faint guide stars in the NIR camera. This controller provides a payload reference stable to the arcsecond level. Low-frequency pointing errors due to sensor noise and dynamic disturbances are suppressed by a 2-axis gimbaled FSM locate din the instrument module. The FSM servo bandwidth of 6 Hz is intended to keep the guide star position stable in the NIR focal plane to the required milli-arcsecond level. The mirror is kept centered in its range of travel by a low-bandwidth loop closed around the ACS. This paper presents the result of parametric trade studies designed to assess the performance of this control design in the presence of modeled reaction wheel disturbances, assumed to be the principle source of vibration for the NGST, and variations in structural dynamics. Additionally, requirements for reaction wheel disturbance levels and potential vibration isolation subsystems were developed.

[DPOAE in tinnitus patients with cochlear hearing loss considering hyperacusis and misophonia].

PubMed

Sztuka, Aleksandra; Pośpiech, Lucyna; Gawron, Wojciech; Dudek, Krzysztof

2006-01-01

The most probable place generating tinnitus in auditory pathway are outer hair cells (OHC) inside cochlea. To asses their activity otoacoustic emission is used. The goal of the investigation was estimation the features of otoemission DPOAE in groups with tinnitus patients with cochlear hearing loss, estimation of diagnostic value of DPOAE parameters for analysis of function of the cochlea in investigated patients emphasizing DPOAE parameters most useful in localizing tinnitus generators and estimation of hypothetic influence of hyperacusis and misophony on parameters of DPOAE in tinnitus patients with cochlear hearing loss. The material of the study were 42 tinnitus patients with cochlear hearing loss. In the control group there were 21 patients without tinnitus with the same type of hearing loss. Then tinnitus patients were divided into three subgroups--with hyperacusis, misophony and without both of them, based on audiologic findings. after taking view on tinnitus and physical examination in all the patients pure tone and impedance audiometry, supratreshold tests, ABR and audiometric average and discomfort level were evaluated. Then otoemission DPOAE was measured in three procedures. First the amplitudes of two points per octave were assessed, in second--"fine structure" method-- 16-20 points per octave (f2/f1 = 1.2, L1 = L2 = 70 dB). Third procedure included recording of growth rate function in three series for input tones of value f2 = 2002, 4004, 6006 Hz (f2/f1= 1.22) and levels L1=L2, growing by degrees of 5dB in each series. DPOAE amplitudes in recording of 2 points per octave and fine structure method are very valuable parameters for estimation of cochlear function in tinnitus patients with cochlear hearing loss. Decreasing of DPOAE amplitudes in patients with cochlear hearing loss and tinnitus suggests significant role of OHC pathology, unbalanced by IHC injury in generation of tinnitus in patients with hearing loss of cochlear localization. DPOAE fine structure provides us the additional information about DPOAE amplitude recorded in two points per octave, spreading the amount of frequencies f2, where differences are noticed in comparison of two groups--tinnitus patients and control. Function growth rate cannot be the only parameter in estimation of DPOAE in tinnitus patients with cochlear hearing loss, also including subjects with hyperacusis and misophony. Hyperacusis has important influence on DPOAE amplitude, increases essentially amplitude of DPOAE in the examined group of tinnitus patients.

Clay-mineral suites, sources, and inferred dispersal routes: Southern California continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hein, J.R.; Dowling, J.S.; Schuetze, A.; Lee, H.J.

2003-01-01

Clay mineralogy is useful in determining the distribution, sources, and dispersal routes of fine-grained sediments. In addition, clay minerals, especially smectite, may control the degree to which contaminants are adsorbed by the sediment. We analyzed 250 shelf sediment samples, 24 river-suspended-sediment samples, and 12 river-bed samples for clay-mineral contents in the Southern California Borderland from Point Conception to the Mexico border. In addition, six samples were analyzed from the Palos Verdes Headland in order to characterize the clay minerals contributed to the offshore from that point source. The <2 ??m-size fraction was isolated, Mg-saturated, and glycolated before analysis by X-ray diffraction. Semi-quantitative percentages of smectite, illite, and kaolinite plus chlorite were calculated using peak areas and standard weighting factors. Most fine-grained sediment is supplied to the shelf by rivers during major winter storms, especially during El Nin??o years. The largest sediment fluxes to the region are from the Santa Ynez and Santa Clara Rivers, which drain the Transverse Ranges. The mean clay-mineral suite for the entire shelf sediment data set (26% smectite, 50% illite, 24% kaolinite+chlorite) is closely comparable to that for the mean of all the rivers (31% smectite, 49% illite, 20% kaolinite+chlorite), indicating that the main source of shelf fine-grained sediments is the adjacent rivers. However, regional variations do exist and the shelf is divided into four provinces with characteristic clay-mineral suites. The means of the clay-mineral suites of the two southernmost provinces are within analytical error of the mineral suites of adjacent rivers. The next province to the north includes Santa Monica Bay and has a suite of clay minerals derived from mixing of fine-grained sediments from several sources, both from the north and south. The northernmost province clay-mineral suite matches moderately well that of the adjacent rivers, but does indicate some mixing from sources in adjacent provinces.

Ocular stability and set-point adaptation

PubMed Central

Jareonsettasin, P.; Leigh, R. J.

2017-01-01

A fundamental challenge to the brain is how to prevent intrusive movements when quiet is needed. Unwanted limb movements such as tremor impair fine motor control and unwanted eye drifts such as nystagmus impair vision. A stable platform is also necessary to launch accurate movements. Accordingly, nature has designed control systems with agonist (excitation) and antagonist (inhibition) muscle pairs functioning in push–pull, around a steady level of balanced tonic activity, the set-point. Sensory information can be organized similarly, as in the vestibulo-ocular reflex, which generates eye movements that compensate for head movements. The semicircular canals, working in coplanar pairs, one in each labyrinth, are reciprocally excited and inhibited as they transduce head rotations. The relative change in activity is relayed to the vestibular nuclei, which operate around a set-point of stable balanced activity. When a pathological imbalance occurs, producing unwanted nystagmus without head movement, an adaptive mechanism restores the proper set-point and eliminates the nystagmus. Here we used 90 min of continuous 7 T magnetic field labyrinthine stimulation (MVS) in normal humans to produce sustained nystagmus simulating vestibular imbalance. We identified multiple time-scale processes towards a new zero set-point showing that MVS is an excellent paradigm to investigate the neurobiology of set-point adaptation. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Movement suppression: brain mechanisms for stopping and stillness’. PMID:28242733

A robust cloud registration method based on redundant data reduction using backpropagation neural network and shift window

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Meiting; Li, Bing; Yan, Xiao; Chen, Lei; Wei, Xiang

2018-02-01

A robust coarse-to-fine registration method based on the backpropagation (BP) neural network and shift window technology is proposed in this study. Specifically, there are three steps: coarse alignment between the model data and measured data, data simplification based on the BP neural network and point reservation in the contour region of point clouds, and fine registration with the reweighted iterative closest point algorithm. In the process of rough alignment, the initial rotation matrix and the translation vector between the two datasets are obtained. After performing subsequent simplification operations, the number of points can be reduced greatly. Therefore, the time and space complexity of the accurate registration can be significantly reduced. The experimental results show that the proposed method improves the computational efficiency without loss of accuracy.

Image motion compensation on the Spacelab 2 Solar Optical Universal Polarimeter /SL2 SOUP/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarbell, T. D.; Duncan, D. W.; Finch, M. L.; Spence, G.

1981-01-01

The SOUP experiment on Spacelab 2 includes a 30 cm visible light telescope and focal plane package mounted on the Instrument Pointing System (IPS). Scientific goals of the experiment dictate pointing stability requirements of less than 0.05 arcsecond jitter over periods of 5-20 seconds. Quantitative derivations of these requirements from two different aspects are presented: (1) avoidance of motion blurring of diffraction-limited images; (2) precise coalignment of consecutive frames to allow measurement of small image differences. To achieve this stability, a fine guider system capable of removing residual jitter of the IPS and image motions generated on the IPS cruciform instrument support structure has been constructed. This system uses solar limb detectors in the prime focal plane to derive an error signal. Image motion due to pointing errors is compensated by the agile secondary mirror mounted on piezoelectric transducers, controlled by a closed-loop servo system.

NGST fine guidance sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowlands, Neil; Hutchings, John; Murowinski, Richard G.; Alexander, Russ

2003-03-01

Instrumentation for the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) is currently in the Phase A definition stage. We have developed a concept for the NGST Fine Guidance Sensor or FGS. The FGS is a detector array based imager which resides in the NGST focal plane. We report here on tradeoff studies aimed at defining an overall configuration of the FGS which will meet the performance and interface requirements. A key performance requirement is a noise equivalent angle of 3 milli-arcseconds to be achieved with 95% probability for any pointing of the observatory in the celestial sphere. A key interface requirement is compatibility with the architecture of the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). The concept developed consists of two independent and redundant FGS modules, each with a 4' x 2' field of view covered by two 2048 x 2048 infrared detector arrays, providing 60 milli-arcsecond sampling. Performance modeling supporting the choice of this architecture and the trade space considered is presented. Each module has a set of readout electronics which perform star detection, pixel-by-pixel correction, and in fine guiding mode, centroid calculation. These readout electronics communicate with the ISIM Command &Data Handling Units where the FGS control software is based. Rationale for this choice of architecture is also presented.

Macromolecular scaffolding: the relationship between nanoscale architecture and function in multichromophoric arrays for organic electronics.

PubMed

Palermo, Vincenzo; Schwartz, Erik; Finlayson, Chris E; Liscio, Andrea; Otten, Matthijs B J; Trapani, Sara; Müllen, Klaus; Beljonne, David; Friend, Richard H; Nolte, Roeland J M; Rowan, Alan E; Samorì, Paolo

2010-02-23

The optimization of the electronic properties of molecular materials based on optically or electrically active organic building blocks requires a fine-tuning of their self-assembly properties at surfaces. Such a fine-tuning can be obtained on a scale up to 10 nm by mastering principles of supramolecular chemistry, i.e., by using suitably designed molecules interacting via pre-programmed noncovalent forces. The control and fine-tuning on a greater length scale is more difficult and challenging. This Research News highlights recent results we obtained on a new class of macromolecules that possess a very rigid backbone and side chains that point away from this backbone. Each side chain contains an organic semiconducting moiety, whose position and electronic interaction with neighboring moieties are dictated by the central macromolecular scaffold. A combined experimental and theoretical approach has made it possible to unravel the physical and chemical properties of this system across multiple length scales. The (opto)electronic properties of the new functional architectures have been explored by constructing prototypes of field-effect transistors and solar cells, thereby providing direct insight into the relationship between architecture and function.

Reservoir characterization of Mesaverde (Campanian) bedload fluvial meanderbelt sandstones, northwestern Colorado

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

Jones, J.R. Jr.

1984-04-01

Reservoir characterization of Mesaverde meanderbelt sandstones is used to determined directional continuity of permeable zones. A 500-m (1600 ft) wide fluvial meanderbelt in the Mesaverde Group is exposed as laterally continuous 3-10-m (10-33-ft) high sandstone cliffs north of Rangely, Colorado. Forty-eight detailed measured sections through 3 point bar complexes oriented at right angles to the long axis of deposition and 1 complex oriented parallel to deposition were prepared. Sections were tied together by detailed sketches delineating and tracing major bounding surfaces such as scours and clay drapes. These complexes contain 3 to 8 multilateral sandstone packages separated by 5-20 cmmore » (2-8 in.) interbedded siltstone and shale beds. Component facies are point bars, crevasse splays, chute bars, and floodplain/overbank deposits. Two types of lateral accretion surfaces are recognized in the point bar facies. Gently dipping lateral accretions containing fining-upward sandstone packages. Large scale trough cross-bedding at the base grades upward into ripples and plane beds. Steeply dipping lateral accretion surfaces enclose beds characterized by climbing ripple cross laminations. Bounding surfaces draped by shale lags can seal vertically stacked point bars from reservoir communication. Scoured boundaries allow communication in some stacked point bars. Crevasse splays showing climbing ripples form tongues of very fine-grained sandstone which flank point bars. Chute channels commonly cut upper point bar surfaces at their downstream end. Chute facies are upward-fining with small scale troughs and common dewatering structures. Siltstones and shales underlie the point bar complexes and completely encase the meanderbelt system. Bounding surfaces at the base of the complexes are erosional and contain large shale rip-up clasts.« less

Influence of Fines Content on Consolidation and Compressibility Characteristics of Granular Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipiński, Mirosław J.; Wdowska, Małgorzata K.; Jaroń, Łukasz

2017-10-01

Various behaviour of soil under loading results to large extent from kind of soil considered. There is a lot of literature concerning pure sand or plastic clays, while little is known about materials, which are from classification point of view, between those soils. These materials can be considered as cohesionless soils with various fines content. The paper present results of tests carried out in large consolidometer on three kinds of soil, containing 10, 36 and 97% of fines content. Consolidation, permeability and compressibility characteristics were determined. Analysis of the test results allowed to formulate conclusion concerning change in soil behaviour resulting from fines content.

40 CFR 52.131 - Control Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Control Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter. 52.131 Section 52.131 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter. (a) Determination of Attainment: Effective February 6, 2013...

40 CFR 52.247 - Control Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Control Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter. 52.247 Section 52.247 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter. (a) Determination of Attainment: Effective February 8, 2013...

40 CFR 52.247 - Control Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Control Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter. 52.247 Section 52.247 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter. (a) Determination of Attainment: Effective February 8, 2013...

40 CFR 52.131 - Control Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Control Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter. 52.131 Section 52.131 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Strategy and regulations: Fine Particle Matter. (a) Determination of Attainment: Effective February 6, 2013...

Effects of Practical Life Materials on Kindergartners' Fine Motor Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rule, Audrey C.; Stewart, Roger A.

2002-01-01

A pretest-posttest control group design was used to measure the effect of practical life materials (e.g., tweezers, tongs, spoons) on kindergarten children's fine motor skill development. Experimental and control group teachers reported equal amounts of fine motor activity in their classrooms; however, significant interaction effects were found…

The effect of amblyopia on fine motor skills in children.

PubMed

Webber, Ann L; Wood, Joanne M; Gole, Glen A; Brown, Brian

2008-02-01

In an investigation of the functional impact of amblyopia in children, the fine motor skills of amblyopes and age-matched control subjects were compared. The influence of visual factors that might predict any decrement in fine motor skills was also explored. Vision and fine motor skills were tested in a group of children (n = 82; mean age, 8.2 +/- 1.7 [SD] years) with amblyopia of different causes (infantile esotropia, n = 17; acquired strabismus, n = 28; anisometropia, n = 15; mixed, n = 13; and deprivation n = 9), and age-matched control children (n = 37; age 8.3 +/- 1.3 years). Visual motor control (VMC) and upper limb speed and dexterity (ULSD) items of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency were assessed, and logMAR visual acuity (VA) and Randot stereopsis were measured. Multiple regression models were used to identify the visual determinants of fine motor skills performance. Amblyopes performed significantly poorer than control subjects on 9 of 16 fine motor skills subitems and for the overall age-standardized scores for both VMC and ULSD items (P < 0.05). The effects were most evident on timed tasks. The etiology of amblyopia and level of binocular function significantly affected fine motor skill performance on both items; however, when examined in a multiple regression model that took into account the intercorrelation between visual characteristics, poorer fine motor skills performance was associated with strabismus (F(1,75) = 5.428; P = 0.022), but not with the level of binocular function, refractive error, or visual acuity in either eye. Fine motor skills were reduced in children with amblyopia, particularly those with strabismus, compared with control subjects. The deficits in motor performance were greatest on manual dexterity tasks requiring speed and accuracy.

Adaptation of fine roots to annual fertilization and irrigation in a 13-year-old Pinus pinaster stand.

PubMed

Bakker, M R; Jolicoeur, E; Trichet, P; Augusto, L; Plassard, C; Guinberteau, J; Loustau, D

2009-02-01

Effects of fertilization and irrigation on fine roots and fungal hyphae were studied in 13-year-old maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aït. in Soland), 7 years after the initiation of the treatments. The fertilization trials consisted of a phosphorus treatment, a complete fertilizer treatment (N, P, K, Ca and Mg), and an unfertilized treatment (control). Fertilizers were applied annually and were adjusted according to foliar target values. Two irrigation regimes (no irrigation and irrigation of a set amount each day) were applied from May to October. Root samples to depths of 120 cm were collected in summer of 2005, and the biomass of small roots (diameter 2-20 mm) and fine roots (diameter

MicroRNA inhibition fine-tunes and provides robustness to the restriction point switch of the cell cycle.

PubMed

Del Rosario, Ricardo C H; Damasco, Joseph Ray Clarence G; Aguda, Baltazar D

2016-09-09

The restriction point marks a switch in G1 from growth factor-dependent to growth factor-independent progression of the cell cycle. The proper regulation of this switch is important for normal cell processes; aberrations could result in a number of diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, stroke and myocardial infarction. To further understand the regulation of the restriction point, we extended a mathematical model of the Rb-E2F pathway to include members of the microRNA cluster miR-17-92. Our mathematical analysis shows that microRNAs play an essential role in fine-tuning and providing robustness to the switch. We also demonstrate how microRNA regulation can steer cells in or out of cancer states.

MicroRNA inhibition fine-tunes and provides robustness to the restriction point switch of the cell cycle

PubMed Central

del Rosario, Ricardo C. H.; Damasco, Joseph Ray Clarence G.; Aguda, Baltazar D.

2016-01-01

The restriction point marks a switch in G1 from growth factor-dependent to growth factor-independent progression of the cell cycle. The proper regulation of this switch is important for normal cell processes; aberrations could result in a number of diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, stroke and myocardial infarction. To further understand the regulation of the restriction point, we extended a mathematical model of the Rb-E2F pathway to include members of the microRNA cluster miR-17-92. Our mathematical analysis shows that microRNAs play an essential role in fine-tuning and providing robustness to the switch. We also demonstrate how microRNA regulation can steer cells in or out of cancer states. PMID:27610602

Integrated controls-structures design methodology development for a class of flexible spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maghami, P. G.; Joshi, S. M.; Walz, J. E.; Armstrong, E. S.

1990-01-01

Future utilization of space will require large space structures in low-Earth and geostationary orbits. Example missions include: Earth observation systems, personal communication systems, space science missions, space processing facilities, etc., requiring large antennas, platforms, and solar arrays. The dimensions of such structures will range from a few meters to possibly hundreds of meters. For reducing the cost of construction, launching, and operating (e.g., energy required for reboosting and control), it will be necessary to make the structure as light as possible. However, reducing structural mass tends to increase the flexibility which would make it more difficult to control with the specified precision in attitude and shape. Therefore, there is a need to develop a methodology for designing space structures which are optimal with respect to both structural design and control design. In the current spacecraft design practice, it is customary to first perform the structural design and then the controller design. However, the structural design and the control design problems are substantially coupled and must be considered concurrently in order to obtain a truly optimal spacecraft design. For example, let C denote the set of the 'control' design variables (e.g., controller gains), and L the set of the 'structural' design variables (e.g., member sizes). If a structural member thickness is changed, the dynamics would change which would then change the control law and the actuator mass. That would, in turn, change the structural model. Thus, the sets C and L depend on each other. Future space structures can be roughly divided into four mission classes. Class 1 missions include flexible spacecraft with no articulated appendages which require fine attitude pointing and vibration suppression (e.g., large space antennas). Class 2 missions consist of flexible spacecraft with articulated multiple payloads, where the requirement is to fine-point the spacecraft and each individual payload while suppressing the elastic motion. Class 3 missions include rapid slewing of spacecraft without appendages, while Class 4 missions include general nonlinear motion of a flexible spacecraft with articulated appendages and robot arms. Class 1 and 2 missions represent linear mathematical modeling and control system design problems (except for actuator and sensor nonlinearities), while Class 3 and 4 missions represent nonlinear problems. The development of an integrated controls/structures design approach for Class 1 missions is addressed. The performance for these missions is usually specified in terms of (1) root mean square (RMS) pointing errors at different locations on the structure, and (2) the rate of decay of the transient response. Both of these performance measures include the contributions of rigid as well as elastic motion.

A general gridding, discretization, and coarsening methodology for modeling flow in porous formations with discrete geological features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karimi-Fard, M.; Durlofsky, L. J.

2016-10-01

A comprehensive framework for modeling flow in porous media containing thin, discrete features, which could be high-permeability fractures or low-permeability deformation bands, is presented. The key steps of the methodology are mesh generation, fine-grid discretization, upscaling, and coarse-grid discretization. Our specialized gridding technique combines a set of intersecting triangulated surfaces by constructing approximate intersections using existing edges. This procedure creates a conforming mesh of all surfaces, which defines the internal boundaries for the volumetric mesh. The flow equations are discretized on this conforming fine mesh using an optimized two-point flux finite-volume approximation. The resulting discrete model is represented by a list of control-volumes with associated positions and pore-volumes, and a list of cell-to-cell connections with associated transmissibilities. Coarse models are then constructed by the aggregation of fine-grid cells, and the transmissibilities between adjacent coarse cells are obtained using flow-based upscaling procedures. Through appropriate computation of fracture-matrix transmissibilities, a dual-continuum representation is obtained on the coarse scale in regions with connected fracture networks. The fine and coarse discrete models generated within the framework are compatible with any connectivity-based simulator. The applicability of the methodology is illustrated for several two- and three-dimensional examples. In particular, we consider gas production from naturally fractured low-permeability formations, and transport through complex fracture networks. In all cases, highly accurate solutions are obtained with significant model reduction.

An Action-Based Fine-Grained Access Control Mechanism for Structured Documents and Its Application

PubMed Central

Su, Mang; Li, Fenghua; Tang, Zhi; Yu, Yinyan; Zhou, Bo

2014-01-01

This paper presents an action-based fine-grained access control mechanism for structured documents. Firstly, we define a describing model for structured documents and analyze the application scenarios. The describing model could support the permission management on chapters, pages, sections, words, and pictures of structured documents. Secondly, based on the action-based access control (ABAC) model, we propose a fine-grained control protocol for structured documents by introducing temporal state and environmental state. The protocol covering different stages from document creation, to permission specification and usage control are given by using the Z-notation. Finally, we give the implementation of our mechanism and make the comparisons between the existing methods and our mechanism. The result shows that our mechanism could provide the better solution of fine-grained access control for structured documents in complicated networks. Moreover, it is more flexible and practical. PMID:25136651

An action-based fine-grained access control mechanism for structured documents and its application.

PubMed

Su, Mang; Li, Fenghua; Tang, Zhi; Yu, Yinyan; Zhou, Bo

2014-01-01

This paper presents an action-based fine-grained access control mechanism for structured documents. Firstly, we define a describing model for structured documents and analyze the application scenarios. The describing model could support the permission management on chapters, pages, sections, words, and pictures of structured documents. Secondly, based on the action-based access control (ABAC) model, we propose a fine-grained control protocol for structured documents by introducing temporal state and environmental state. The protocol covering different stages from document creation, to permission specification and usage control are given by using the Z-notation. Finally, we give the implementation of our mechanism and make the comparisons between the existing methods and our mechanism. The result shows that our mechanism could provide the better solution of fine-grained access control for structured documents in complicated networks. Moreover, it is more flexible and practical.

Relationship between postural control and fine motor skills in preterm infants at 6 and 12 months adjusted age.

PubMed

Wang, Tien-Ni; Howe, Tsu-Hsin; Hinojosa, Jim; Weinberg, Sharon L

2011-01-01

We examined the relationship between postural control and fine motor skills of preterm infants at 6 and 12 mo adjusted age. The Alberta Infant Motor Scale was used to measure postural control, and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales II was used to measure fine motor skills. The data analyzed were taken from 105 medical records from a preterm infant follow-up clinic at an urban academic medical center in south Taiwan. Using multiple regression analyses, we found that the development of postural control is related to the development of fine motor skills, especially in the group of preterm infants with delayed postural control. This finding supports the theoretical assumption of proximal-distal development used by many occupational therapists to guide intervention. Further research is suggested to corroborate findings.

An analysis of the Hubble Space Telescope fine guidance sensor fine lock mode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taff, L. G.

1991-01-01

There are two guiding modes of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) used for the acquisition of astronomical data by one of its six scientific instruments. The more precise one is called Fine Lock. Command and control problems in the onboard electronics has limited Fine Lock to brighter stars, V less than 13.0 mag, instead of fulfilling its goal of V = 14.5 mag. Consequently, the less precise guiding mode of Coarse Track (approximately 40 milli-arc seconds) has to be used fairly frequently. Indeed, almost half of the scientific observations to have been made with the HST will be compromised. The only realistic or extensive simulations of the Fine Lock guidance mode are reported. The theoretical analysis underlying the Monte Carlo experiments and the numerical computations clearly show both that the control electronics are severely under-engineered and how to adjust the various control parameters to successfully extend Fine Lock guiding performance back to V = 14.0 mag and sometimes beyond.

The IBM HeadTracking Pointer: improvements in vision-based pointer control.

PubMed

Kjeldsen, Rick

2008-07-01

Vision-based head trackers have been around for some years and are even beginning to be commercialized, but problems remain with respect to usability. Users without the ability to use traditional pointing devices--the intended audience of such systems--have no alternative if the automatic bootstrapping process fails. There is room for improvement in face tracking, and the pointer movement dynamics do not support accurate and efficient pointing. This paper describes the IBM HeadTracking Pointer, a system which attempts to directly address some of these issues. Head gestures are used to provide the end user a greater level of autonomous control over the system. A novel face-tracking algorithm reduces drift under variable lighting conditions, allowing the use of absolute, rather than relative, pointer positioning. Most importantly, the pointer dynamics have been designed to take into account the constraints of head-based pointing, with a non-linear gain which allows stability in fine pointer movement, high speed on long transitions and adjustability to support users with different movement dynamics. User studies have identified some difficulties with training the system and some characteristics of the pointer motion that take time to get used to, but also good user feedback and very promising performance results.

Tactual sensitivity in hypochondriasis.

PubMed

Haenen, M A; Schmidi, A J; Schoenmakers, M; van den Hout, M A

1997-01-01

In his article on amplification, somatization and somatoform disorders Barsky [Psychosomatics 1992; 33:28-34] pointed out the importance of studying the perception and processing of somatic and visceral symptoms. Subsequently, it was demonstrated that hypochondriacal patients are not more accurately aware of cardiac activity than a group of non-hypochondriacal patients. Authors concluded that hypochondriacal somatic complaints do not result from an unusually fine discriminative ability to detect normal physiological sensations that non-hypochondriacal patients are unable to perceive. The aim of the present study was to investigate tactual sensitivity to non-painful stimuli in hypochondriacal patients and healthy subjects. Twenty-seven outpatients with DSM-III-R hypochondriasis and 27 healthy control subjects were compared. In all subjects the two-point discrimination threshold was measured, as well as subjective sensitivity to harmless bodily sensations as measured by the Somatosensory Amplification Scale. It was found that hypochondriacal patients reported more distress and discomfort with benign bodily sensations. The two-point discrimination threshold of hypochondriacal patients was not significantly lower in patients as compared to controls. Hypochondriacal subjects considered themselves more sensitive to benign bodily sensations without being better able to discriminate between two tactual bodily signals. These findings of the present study correspond quite closely to those reported earlier.

Fine motor skills in children with rolandic epilepsy.

PubMed

Ayaz, Muhammed; Kara, Bülent; Soylu, Nusret; Ayaz, Ayşe Burcu

2013-11-01

This study aimed to evaluate fine motor skills in children with rolandic epilepsy (RE). The research included 44 children diagnosed with typical RE and 44 controls matched in terms of age, gender, and level of education. Fine motor skills were evaluated with the Purdue Pegboard Test, and intelligence was measured with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. After controlling for the effect of intelligence on fine motor skills, the results showed that the children with RE did not perform as well as the controls in the PPT dominant hand, both hands, and assembly subtests. Epileptic focus, treatment status, type of antiepileptic treatment, age at the time of the first seizure, time since the last seizure, and total number of seizures did not affect motor skills. Rolandic epilepsy negatively affected fine motor skills regardless of the children's level of intelligence. © 2013.

Distribution, behavior, and transport of inorganic and methylmercury in a high gradient stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flanders, J.R.; Turner, R.R.; Morrison, T.; Jensen, R.; Pizzuto, J.; Skalak, K.; Stahl, R.

2010-01-01

Concentrations of Hg remain elevated in physical and biological media of the South River (Virginia, USA), despite the cessation of the industrial use of Hg in its watershed nearly six decades ago, and physical characteristics that would not seem to favor Hg(II)-methylation. A 3-a study of inorganic Hg (IHg) and methylmercury (MeHg) was conducted in physical media (soil, sediment, surface water, porewater and soil/sediment extracts) to identify non-point sources, transport mechanisms, and potential controls on Hg(II)-methylation. Data collected from surface water and sediment indicate that the majority of the non-point sources of IHg to the South River are within the first 14. km downstream from the historic point source. Partitioning data indicate that particle bound IHg is introduced in this reach, releasing dissolved and colloidal bound IHg, which is transported downstream. Extraction experiments revealed that floodplain soils released a higher fraction of their IHg content in aqueous extractions than fine-grained sediment (FGS). Based on ultrafiltration [<5000 nominal molecular weight cutoff (NMWC)] the majority of soil IHg released was colloidal in nature, providing evidence for the continued evolution of IHg for Hg(II)-methylation from soil. Strong seasonal patterns in MeHg concentrations were observed in surface water and sediment. The highest concentrations of MeHg in surface water were observed at moderate temperatures, suggesting that other factors limit net Hg(II)-methylation. Seasonal changes in sediment organic content and the fraction of 1. N KOH-extractable THg were also observed and may be important factors in controlling net Hg(II)-methylation rates. Sulfate concentrations in surface water are low and the evidence suggests that Fe reduction may be an important Hg(II)-methylation process. The highest sediment MeHg concentrations were observed in habitats with large amounts of FGS, which are more prevalent in the upper half of the study area due to the lower hydrologic gradient and agricultural impacts. Past and present land use practices and other geomorphologic controls contribute to the erosion of banks and accumulation of fine-grained sediment in this section of the river, acting as sources of IHg. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

High-Performance Reaction Wheel Optimization for Fine-Pointing Space Platforms: Minimizing Induced Vibration Effects on Jitter Performance plus Lessons Learned from Hubble Space Telescope for Current and Future Spacecraft Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasha, Martin D.

2016-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) applies large-diameter optics (2.5-m primary mirror) for diffraction-limited resolution spanning an extended wavelength range (approx. 100-2500 nm). Its Pointing Control System (PCS) Reaction Wheel Assemblies (RWAs), in the Support Systems Module (SSM), acquired an unprecedented set of high-sensitivity Induced Vibration (IV) data for 5 flight-certified RWAs: dwelling at set rotation rates. Focused on 4 key ratios, force and moment harmonic values (in 3 local principal directions) are extracted in the RWA operating range (0-3000 RPM). The IV test data, obtained under ambient lab conditions, are investigated in detail, evaluated, compiled, and curve-fitted; variational trends, core causes, and unforeseen anomalies are addressed. In aggregate, these values constitute a statistically-valid basis to quantify ground test-to-test variations and facilitate extrapolations to on-orbit conditions. Accumulated knowledge of bearing-rotor vibrational sources, corresponding harmonic contributions, and salient elements of IV key variability factors are discussed. An evolved methodology is presented for absolute assessments and relative comparisons of macro-level IV signal magnitude due to micro-level construction-assembly geometric details/imperfections stemming from both electrical drive and primary bearing design parameters. Based upon studies of same-size/similar-design momentum wheels' IV changes, upper estimates due to transitions from ground tests to orbital conditions are derived. Recommended HST RWA choices are discussed relative to system optimization/tradeoffs of Line-Of-Sight (LOS) vector-pointing focal-plane error driven by higher IV transmissibilities through low-damped structural dynamics that stimulate optical elements. Unique analytical disturbance results for orbital HST accelerations are described applicable to microgravity efforts. Conclusions, lessons learned, historical context/insights, and perspectives on future applications are given; these previously unpublished data and findings represents a valuable resource for fine-pointing spacecraft or space-based platforms using RWAs, Control Moment Gyros (CMGs), Momentum Wheels, or other ball-bearing-based rotational units.

Registration of Laser Scanning Point Clouds: A Review.

PubMed

Cheng, Liang; Chen, Song; Liu, Xiaoqiang; Xu, Hao; Wu, Yang; Li, Manchun; Chen, Yanming

2018-05-21

The integration of multi-platform, multi-angle, and multi-temporal LiDAR data has become important for geospatial data applications. This paper presents a comprehensive review of LiDAR data registration in the fields of photogrammetry and remote sensing. At present, a coarse-to-fine registration strategy is commonly used for LiDAR point clouds registration. The coarse registration method is first used to achieve a good initial position, based on which registration is then refined utilizing the fine registration method. According to the coarse-to-fine framework, this paper reviews current registration methods and their methodologies, and identifies important differences between them. The lack of standard data and unified evaluation systems is identified as a factor limiting objective comparison of different methods. The paper also describes the most commonly-used point cloud registration error analysis methods. Finally, avenues for future work on LiDAR data registration in terms of applications, data, and technology are discussed. In particular, there is a need to address registration of multi-angle and multi-scale data from various newly available types of LiDAR hardware, which will play an important role in diverse applications such as forest resource surveys, urban energy use, cultural heritage protection, and unmanned vehicles.

Registration of Laser Scanning Point Clouds: A Review

PubMed Central

Cheng, Liang; Chen, Song; Xu, Hao; Wu, Yang; Li, Manchun

2018-01-01

The integration of multi-platform, multi-angle, and multi-temporal LiDAR data has become important for geospatial data applications. This paper presents a comprehensive review of LiDAR data registration in the fields of photogrammetry and remote sensing. At present, a coarse-to-fine registration strategy is commonly used for LiDAR point clouds registration. The coarse registration method is first used to achieve a good initial position, based on which registration is then refined utilizing the fine registration method. According to the coarse-to-fine framework, this paper reviews current registration methods and their methodologies, and identifies important differences between them. The lack of standard data and unified evaluation systems is identified as a factor limiting objective comparison of different methods. The paper also describes the most commonly-used point cloud registration error analysis methods. Finally, avenues for future work on LiDAR data registration in terms of applications, data, and technology are discussed. In particular, there is a need to address registration of multi-angle and multi-scale data from various newly available types of LiDAR hardware, which will play an important role in diverse applications such as forest resource surveys, urban energy use, cultural heritage protection, and unmanned vehicles. PMID:29883397

Precision Pointing for the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoneking, Eric; Hsu, Oscar; Welter, Gary

2017-01-01

The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission, scheduled for a mid-2020's launch, is currently in its definition phase. The mission is designed to investigate essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics. WFIRST will use a 2.4-meter primary telescope (same size as the Hubble Space Telescope's primary mirror) and two instruments: the Wide Field Instrument (WFI) and the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI). In order to ad-dress the critical science requirements, the WFIRST mission will conduct large-scale surveys of the infrared sky, requiring both agility and precision pointing (11.6 milli-arcsec stability, 14 milli-arcsec jitter). This paper describes some of the challenges this mission profile presents to the GNC subsystem, and some of the design elements chosen to accommodate those challenges. The high-galactic-latitude survey is characterized by 3-minute observations separated by slews ranging from 0.025 deg to 0.8 deg. The need for observation efficiency drives the slew and settle process to be as rapid as possible. A description of the shaped slew profile chosen to minimize excitation of structural oscillation, and the handoff from star tracker-gyro control to fine guidance sensor control is detailed. Also presented is the fine guidance sensor (FGS), which is integral with the primary instrument (WFI). The FGS is capable of tracking up to 18 guide stars, enabling robust FGS acquisition and precision pointing. To avoid excitation of observatory structural jitter, reaction wheel speeds are operationally maintained within set limits. In addition, the wheel balance law is designed to maintain 1-Hz separation between the wheel speeds to avoid reinforcing jitter excitation at any particular frequency. The wheel balance law and operational implications are described. Finally, the candidate GNC hardware suite needed to meet the requirements of the mission is presented.

IQ discrepancy differentiates levels of fine motor skills and their relationship in children with autism spectrum disorders

PubMed Central

Yu, Tzu-Ying; Chou, Willy; Chow, Julie Chi; Lin, Chien-Ho; Tung, Li-Chen; Chen, Kuan-Lin

2018-01-01

Purpose We investigated 1) the impact of differences in intelligence quotient discrepancy (IQD) on motor skills of preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); 2) the relationships between IQD and motor skills in preschool-aged children with ASD. Methods A total of 127 ASD preschool-aged children were divided into three groups according to the size of the IQD: IQD within 1 standard deviation (1SD; EVENIQ; n=81), discrepantly higher verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ; n=22; VIQ>performance intelligence quotient [PIQ] above 1SD [≥15 points]), and discrepantly higher PIQ (n=24; PIQ>VIQ above 1SD [≥15 points]). Children’s IQD and motor skills were determined with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence™ – Fourth Edition and the motor subtests of the Comprehensive Developmental Inventory for Infants and Toddlers (CDIIT), respectively. Results One-way analysis of variance revealed significant group differences for the fine motor domain of the CDIIT and the visual–motor coordination subtest (F=3.37–4.38, p<0.05). Children with discrepantly higher PIQ were associated with better fine motor skills than were children with even IQD and those with discrepantly higher VIQ, and vice versa. IQD (PIQ – VIQ) had significant positive correlations with the fine motor domain and fine motor subtests of the CDIIT (r=0.18–0.29, p<0.05). Conclusion The IQD can identify different levels of fine motor skills in preschool-aged children with ASD. This study suggests important implications for clinicians, therapists, and researchers: discrepantly higher PIQ could be related to better visual–motor coordination, and discrepantly higher VIQ could be related to poor visual–motor coordination. Furthermore, the results support that when therapists are working with preschool-aged children with ASD who are developing fine motor skills or undertaking fine motor tasks related to visual–motor coordination, they may need to pay attention to the children’s IQD. PMID:29503543

IQ discrepancy differentiates levels of fine motor skills and their relationship in children with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Yu, Tzu-Ying; Chou, Willy; Chow, Julie Chi; Lin, Chien-Ho; Tung, Li-Chen; Chen, Kuan-Lin

2018-01-01

We investigated 1) the impact of differences in intelligence quotient discrepancy (IQD) on motor skills of preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); 2) the relationships between IQD and motor skills in preschool-aged children with ASD. A total of 127 ASD preschool-aged children were divided into three groups according to the size of the IQD: IQD within 1 standard deviation (1SD; EVENIQ; n=81), discrepantly higher verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ; n=22; VIQ>performance intelligence quotient [PIQ] above 1SD [≥15 points]), and discrepantly higher PIQ (n=24; PIQ>VIQ above 1SD [≥15 points]). Children's IQD and motor skills were determined with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence™ - Fourth Edition and the motor subtests of the Comprehensive Developmental Inventory for Infants and Toddlers (CDIIT), respectively. One-way analysis of variance revealed significant group differences for the fine motor domain of the CDIIT and the visual-motor coordination subtest ( F =3.37-4.38, p <0.05). Children with discrepantly higher PIQ were associated with better fine motor skills than were children with even IQD and those with discrepantly higher VIQ, and vice versa. IQD (PIQ - VIQ) had significant positive correlations with the fine motor domain and fine motor subtests of the CDIIT ( r =0.18-0.29, p <0.05). The IQD can identify different levels of fine motor skills in preschool-aged children with ASD. This study suggests important implications for clinicians, therapists, and researchers: discrepantly higher PIQ could be related to better visual-motor coordination, and discrepantly higher VIQ could be related to poor visual-motor coordination. Furthermore, the results support that when therapists are working with preschool-aged children with ASD who are developing fine motor skills or undertaking fine motor tasks related to visual-motor coordination, they may need to pay attention to the children's IQD.

Balance of dark and luminous mass in rotating galaxies.

PubMed

McGaugh, Stacy S

2005-10-21

A fine balance between dark and baryonic mass is observed in spiral galaxies. As the contribution of the baryons to the total rotation velocity increases, the contribution of the dark matter decreases by a compensating amount. This poses a fine-tuning problem for galaxy formation models, and may point to new physics for dark matter particles or even a modification of gravity.

Thermodynamics of strongly coupled repulsive Yukawa particles in ambient neutralizing plasma: Thermodynamic instability and the possibility of observation in fine particle plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Totsuji, Hiroo

2008-07-01

The thermodynamics is analyzed for a system composed of particles with hard cores, interacting via the repulsive Yukawa potential (Yukawa particulates), and neutralizing ambient (background) plasma. An approximate equation of state is given with proper account of the contribution of ambient plasma and it is shown that there exists a possibility for the total isothermal compressibility of Yukawa particulates and ambient plasma to diverge when the coupling between Yukawa particulates is sufficiently strong. In this case, the system undergoes a transition into separated phases with different densities and we have a critical point for this phase separation. Examples of approximate phase diagrams related to this transition are given. It is emphasized that the critical point can be in the solid phase and we have the possibility to observe a solid-solid phase separation. The applicability of these results to fine particle plasmas is investigated. It is shown that, though the values of the characteristic parameters are semiquantitative due to the effects not described by this model, these phenomena are expected to be observed in fine particle plasmas, when approximately isotropic bulk systems are realized with a very strong coupling between fine particles.

KSC-08pd2351

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center help guide the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, as it is lifted over the crossbar of the stand at right. The sensor will be installed on the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier or ORUC, below. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” The ORUC is one of three carriers that are being prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, on space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd2347

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center install a specialized overhead crane onto the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS. The sensor will be lifted and moved to the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier or ORUC, for installation. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” The ORUC is one of three carriers that are being prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, on space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd2349

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center check the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, as it is lifted from its stand. The sensor will be moved to the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier or ORUC, for installation. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” The ORUC is one of three carriers that are being prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, on space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd2348

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A specialized overhead crane lifts the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The sensor will be moved to the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier, or ORUC, for installation. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” The ORUC is one of three carriers that are being prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, on space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd2345

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A specialized crane is moved toward the Fine Guidance Sensor in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The sensor will be lifted and moved to the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier or ORUC, for installation. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” The ORUC is one of three carriers that are being prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, on space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd2346

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center help guide a specialized overhead crane toward the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS. The sensor will be lifted and moved to the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier or ORUC, for installation. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” The ORUC is one of three carriers that are being prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, on space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd2352

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, is lifted over the crossbar of the stand. The sensor will be installed on the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier or ORUC, below. An FGS consists of a large structure housing a collection of mirrors, lenses, servos, prisms, beam splitters and photomultiplier tubes. There are three fine guidance sensors on Hubble located at 90-degree intervals around the circumference of the telescope. Along with the gyroscopes, the optical sensors are a key component of Hubble’s highly complex but extraordinarily effective “pointing control system.” The ORUC is one of three carriers that are being prepared for the integration of telescope science instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts during the fifth and final Hubble servicing mission, STS-125, on space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for Oct. 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Negative Consequences of Poor Driving Outcomes Reported by Adolescents With and Without ADHD.

PubMed

Narad, Megan E; Garner, Annie A; Antonini, Tanya N; Kingery, Kathleen M; Tamm, Leanne; Calhoun, Heather R; Epstein, Jeffery N

2015-03-16

Although adolescents with ADHD report less driving experience, a greater proportion of adolescents with ADHD report receiving at least one ticket; however, no study has examined the severity of infractions committed by adolescent drivers with ADHD. A total of 61 adolescents (28 ADHD, 33 controls) aged 16 to 17 with a valid driver's license completed a self-report Driving History Questionnaire (DHQ), which asked about months of driving experience, negative driving outcomes, and severity of consequences. A greater proportion of adolescents with ADHD reported receiving fines, points on their driver's license, and remedial driving class. Furthermore, adolescents with ADHD reported attending a greater number of hours in remedial driving class, and a greater expense associated with fines. Importantly, ADHD-related negative driving outcomes manifest early in driving careers. Furthermore, increased negative consequences of poor and/or risky driving among adolescents with ADHD were evident despite having fewer months of independent driving. © 2015 SAGE Publications.

Development of fine-leaved Festuca grass populations identified genetic resources having potential for improved forage production and wildfire control in the western United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Drought and heat tolerant fine-leaved fescue (Festuca ssp.) grasses have potential as components in rangeland greenstrips for wildfire control in semi-arid climates. However, such fine-leaved grasses have been difficult to identify because of specific adaptations, lack of late maturity, and often p...

Asthma-Related Outcomes in Patients Initiating Extrafine Ciclesonide or Fine-Particle Inhaled Corticosteroids

PubMed Central

Postma, Dirkje S.; Dekhuijzen, Richard; van der Molen, Thys; Martin, Richard J.; van Aalderen, Wim; Roche, Nicolas; Guilbert, Theresa W.; Israel, Elliot; van Eickels, Daniela; Khalid, Javaria Mona; Herings, Ron M.C.; Overbeek, Jetty A.; Miglio, Cristiana; Thomas, Victoria; Hutton, Catherine; Hillyer, Elizabeth V.

2017-01-01

Purpose Extrafine-particle inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) have greater small airway deposition than standard fine-particle ICS. We sought to compare asthma-related outcomes after patients initiated extrafine-particle ciclesonide or fine-particle ICS (fluticasone propionate or non-extrafine beclomethasone). Methods This historical, matched cohort study included patients aged 12-60 years prescribed their first ICS as ciclesonide or fine-particle ICS. The 2 cohorts were matched 1:1 for key demographic and clinical characteristics over the baseline year. Co-primary endpoints were 1-year severe exacerbation rates, risk-domain asthma control, and overall asthma control; secondary endpoints included therapy change. Results Each cohort included 1,244 patients (median age 45 years; 65% women). Patients in the ciclesonide cohort were comparable to those in the fine-particle ICS cohort apart from higher baseline prevalence of hospitalization, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and rhinitis. Median (interquartile range) prescribed doses of ciclesonide and fine-particle ICS were 160 (160-160) µg/day and 500 (250-500) µg/day, respectively (P<0.001). During the outcome year, patients prescribed ciclesonide experienced lower severe exacerbation rates (adjusted rate ratio [95% CI], 0.69 [0.53-0.89]), and higher odds of risk-domain asthma control (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI], 1.62 [1.27-2.06]) and of overall asthma control (2.08 [1.68-2.57]) than those prescribed fine-particle ICS. The odds of therapy change were 0.70 (0.59-0.83) with ciclesonide. Conclusions In this matched cohort analysis, we observed that initiation of ICS with ciclesonide was associated with better 1-year asthma outcomes and fewer changes to therapy, despite data suggesting more difficult-to-control asthma. The median prescribed dose of ciclesonide was one-third that of fine-particle ICS. PMID:28102056

Intrinsic exciton-state mixing and nonlinear optical properties in transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glazov, M. M.; Golub, L. E.; Wang, G.; Marie, X.; Amand, T.; Urbaszek, B.

2017-01-01

Optical properties of transition metal dichalcogenides monolayers are controlled by Wannier-Mott excitons forming a series of 1 s ,2 s ,2 p ,... hydrogen-like states. We develop the theory of the excited excitonic states energy spectrum fine structure. We predict that p - and s -shell excitons are mixed due to the specific D3 h point symmetry of the transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers. Hence, both s - and p -shell excitons are active in both single- and two-photon processes, providing an efficient mechanism of second harmonic generation. The corresponding contribution to the nonlinear susceptibility is calculated.

Space and energy. [space systems for energy generation, distribution and control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bekey, I.

1976-01-01

Potential contributions of space to energy-related activities are discussed. Advanced concepts presented include worldwide energy distribution to substation-sized users using low-altitude space reflectors; powering large numbers of large aircraft worldwide using laser beams reflected from space mirror complexes; providing night illumination via sunlight-reflecting space mirrors; fine-scale power programming and monitoring in transmission networks by monitoring millions of network points from space; prevention of undetected hijacking of nuclear reactor fuels by space tracking of signals from tagging transmitters on all such materials; and disposal of nuclear power plant radioactive wastes in space.

Changes in fine-root production, phenology and spatial distribution in response to N application in irrigated sweet cherry trees.

PubMed

Artacho, Pamela; Bonomelli, Claudia

2016-05-01

Factors regulating fine-root growth are poorly understood, particularly in fruit tree species. In this context, the effects of N addition on the temporal and spatial distribution of fine-root growth and on the fine-root turnover were assessed in irrigated sweet cherry trees. The influence of other exogenous and endogenous factors was also examined. The rhizotron technique was used to measure the length-based fine-root growth in trees fertilized at two N rates (0 and 60 kg ha(-1)), and the above-ground growth, leaf net assimilation, and air and soil variables were simultaneously monitored. N fertilization exerted a basal effect throughout the season, changing the magnitude, temporal patterns and spatial distribution of fine-root production and mortality. Specifically, N addition enhanced the total fine-root production by increasing rates and extending the production period. On average, N-fertilized trees had a length-based production that was 110-180% higher than in control trees, depending on growing season. Mortality was proportional to production, but turnover rates were inconsistently affected. Root production and mortality was homogeneously distributed in the soil profile of N-fertilized trees while control trees had 70-80% of the total fine-root production and mortality concentrated below 50 cm depth. Root mortality rates were associated with soil temperature and water content. In contrast, root production rates were primarily under endogenous control, specifically through source-sink relationships, which in turn were affected by N supply through changes in leaf photosynthetic level. Therefore, exogenous and endogenous factors interacted to control the fine-root dynamics of irrigated sweet cherry trees. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Changes in fine-root production, phenology and spatial distribution in response to N application in irrigated sweet cherry trees

PubMed Central

Artacho, Pamela; Bonomelli, Claudia

2016-01-01

Factors regulating fine-root growth are poorly understood, particularly in fruit tree species. In this context, the effects of N addition on the temporal and spatial distribution of fine-root growth and on the fine-root turnover were assessed in irrigated sweet cherry trees. The influence of other exogenous and endogenous factors was also examined. The rhizotron technique was used to measure the length-based fine-root growth in trees fertilized at two N rates (0 and 60 kg ha−1), and the above-ground growth, leaf net assimilation, and air and soil variables were simultaneously monitored. N fertilization exerted a basal effect throughout the season, changing the magnitude, temporal patterns and spatial distribution of fine-root production and mortality. Specifically, N addition enhanced the total fine-root production by increasing rates and extending the production period. On average, N-fertilized trees had a length-based production that was 110–180% higher than in control trees, depending on growing season. Mortality was proportional to production, but turnover rates were inconsistently affected. Root production and mortality was homogeneously distributed in the soil profile of N-fertilized trees while control trees had 70–80% of the total fine-root production and mortality concentrated below 50 cm depth. Root mortality rates were associated with soil temperature and water content. In contrast, root production rates were primarily under endogenous control, specifically through source–sink relationships, which in turn were affected by N supply through changes in leaf photosynthetic level. Therefore, exogenous and endogenous factors interacted to control the fine-root dynamics of irrigated sweet cherry trees. PMID:26888890

Fine Grained Chaos in AdS2 Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haehl, Felix M.; Rozali, Moshe

2018-03-01

Quantum chaos can be characterized by an exponential growth of the thermal out-of-time-order four-point function up to a scrambling time u^*. We discuss generalizations of this statement for certain higher-point correlation functions. For concreteness, we study the Schwarzian theory of a one-dimensional time reparametrization mode, which describes two-dimensional anti-de Sitter space (AdS2 ) gravity and the low-energy dynamics of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model. We identify a particular set of 2 k -point functions, characterized as being both "maximally braided" and "k -out of time order," which exhibit exponential growth until progressively longer time scales u^*(k)˜(k -1 )u^*. We suggest an interpretation as scrambling of increasingly fine grained measures of quantum information, which correspondingly take progressively longer time to reach their thermal values.

Fine Grained Chaos in AdS_{2} Gravity.

PubMed

Haehl, Felix M; Rozali, Moshe

2018-03-23

Quantum chaos can be characterized by an exponential growth of the thermal out-of-time-order four-point function up to a scrambling time u[over ^]_{*}. We discuss generalizations of this statement for certain higher-point correlation functions. For concreteness, we study the Schwarzian theory of a one-dimensional time reparametrization mode, which describes two-dimensional anti-de Sitter space (AdS_{2}) gravity and the low-energy dynamics of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model. We identify a particular set of 2k-point functions, characterized as being both "maximally braided" and "k-out of time order," which exhibit exponential growth until progressively longer time scales u[over ^]_{*}^{(k)}∼(k-1)u[over ^]_{*}. We suggest an interpretation as scrambling of increasingly fine grained measures of quantum information, which correspondingly take progressively longer time to reach their thermal values.

Regulatory T cells in the control of host-microorganism interactions (*).

PubMed

Belkaid, Yasmine; Tarbell, Kristin

2009-01-01

Each microenvironment requires a specific set of regulatory elements that are finely and constantly tuned to maintain local homeostasis. Various populations of regulatory T cells contribute to the maintenance of this equilibrium and establishment of controlled immune responses. In particular, regulatory T cells limit the magnitude of effector responses, which may result in failure to adequately control infection. However, regulatory T cells also help limit collateral tissue damage caused by vigorous antimicrobial immune responses against pathogenic microbes as well as commensals. In this review, we describe various situations in which the balance between regulatory T cells and effector immune functions influence the outcome of host-microorganism coexistence and discuss current hypotheses and points of polemic associated with the origin, target, and antigen specificity of both endogenous and induced regulatory T cells during these interactions.

LOITA: Lunar Optical/Infrared Telescope Array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

LOITA (Lunar Optical/Infrared Telescope Array) is a lunar-based interferometer composed of 18 alt-azimuth telescopes arranged in a circular geometry. This geometry results in excellent uv coverage and allows baselines up to 5 km long. The angular resolution will be 25 micro-arcsec at 500 nm and the main spectral range of the array will be 200 to 1100 nm. For infrared planet detection, the spectral range may be extended to nearly 10 mu m. The telescope mirrors have a Cassegrain configuration using a 1.75 m diameter primary mirror and a 0.24 m diameter secondary mirror. A three-stage (coarse, intermediate, and fine) optical delay system, controlled by laser metrology, is used to equalize path lengths from different telescopes to within a few wavelengths. All instruments and the fine delay system are located within the instrument room. Upon exiting the fine delay system, all beams enter the beam combiner and are then directed to the various scientific instruments and detectors. The array instrumentation will consist of CCD detectors optimized for both the visible and infrared as well as specially designed cameras and spectrographs. For direct planet detection, a beam combiner employing achromatic nulling interferometry will be used to reduce star light (by several orders of magnitude) while passing the planet light. A single telescope will be capable of autonomous operation. This telescope will be equipped with four instruments: wide field and planetary camera, faint object camera, high resolution spectrograph, and faint object spectrograph. These instruments will be housed beneath the telescope. The array pointing and control system is designed to meet the fine pointing requirement of one micro-arcsec stability and to allow precise tracking of celestial objects for up to 12 days. During the lunar night, the optics and the detectors will be passively cooled to 70-80 K temperature. To maintain a continuous communication with the earth a relay satellite placed at the L4 libration point will be used in conjunction with the Advanced Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (ATDRSS). Electrical power of about 10 kW will be supplied by a nuclear reactor based on the SP-100 technology. LOITA will be constructed in three phases of six telescopes each. The total mass of the first operational phase is estimated at 58,820 kg. The cost of the fully operational first phase of the observatory is estimated at $8.9 billion. LOITA's primary objectives will be to detect and characterize planets around nearby stars (up to ten parsec away), study physics of collapsed stellar objects, solar/stellar surface features and the processes in nuclear regions of galaxies and quasars. An interferometric array such as LOITA will be capable of achieving resolutions three orders of magnitude greater than Hubble's design goal. LOITA will also be able to maintain higher signal to noise ratios than are currently attainable due to long observation times available on the moon.

Doubly stochastic Poisson process models for precipitation at fine time-scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramesh, Nadarajah I.; Onof, Christian; Xie, Dichao

2012-09-01

This paper considers a class of stochastic point process models, based on doubly stochastic Poisson processes, in the modelling of rainfall. We examine the application of this class of models, a neglected alternative to the widely-known Poisson cluster models, in the analysis of fine time-scale rainfall intensity. These models are mainly used to analyse tipping-bucket raingauge data from a single site but an extension to multiple sites is illustrated which reveals the potential of this class of models to study the temporal and spatial variability of precipitation at fine time-scales.

Atmospheric Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Coupled With Point Measurement Air Quality Samplers to Measure Fine Particulate Matter (PM) Emissions From Agricultural Operations: The Los Banos CA Fall 2007 Tillage Campaign.

EPA Science Inventory

Airborne particles, especially fine particulate matter 2.5 micrometers (μm) or less in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), are microscopic solids or liquid droplets that can cause serious health problems, including increased respiratory symptoms such as coughing or difficulty breathing...

Process development for producing fine-grain casting in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gelles, S. H.; Malik, R. K.

1975-01-01

Assessment of grain growth kinetics at temperatures near the melting point and investigation into the use of potential nucleating agents in combination with the naturally occurring BeO led to the definition of critical low-g experiments which would help to determine whether one or both of these possibilities are valid and whether space processing would be able to yield fine grain ingot beryllium.

Development of the fine-particle agglomerator

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

Feldman, P.; Balasic, P.

1999-07-01

This paper presents the current status of the commercial development of a new technology to more efficiently control fine particulate emissions. The technology is based on an invention by Environmental Elements Corporation (EEC) which utilizes laminar flow to promote contact of fine submicron particles with larger particles to form agglomerates prior to their removal in a conventional particulate control device, such as an ESP. As agglomerates the particles are easily captured in the control device, whereas a substantial amount would pass through if allowed to remain as fine particles. EEC has developed the laminar-flow agglomerator technology through the laboratory proof-of-conceptmore » stage, which was funded by a DOE SBIR grant, to pilot-scale and full-scale demonstrations.« less

ASTERIA: Arcsecond Space Telescope Enabling Research in Astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapp, M.; Seager, S.; Smith, M. W.; Pong, C. M.

2017-12-01

ASTERIA (Arcsecond Space Telescope Enabling Research in Astrophysics) is a technology demonstration and opportunistic science mission to advance the state of the art in CubeSat capabilities for astrophysical measurements. The goal of ASTERIA is to achieve arcsecond-level line of sight pointing error and highly stable focal plane temperature control. These technologies will enable precision photometry, i.e. the careful measurement of stellar brightness over time. This in turn provides a way to study stellar activity, transiting exoplanets, and other astrophysical phenomena, both during the ASTERIA mission and in future CubeSat constellations. ASTERIA is a 6U CubeSat (roughly 10 x 20 x 30 cm, 12 kg) that will operate in low-Earth orbit. The payload consists of a lens and baffle assembly, a CMOS imager, and a two-axis piezoelectric positioning stage on which the focal plane is mounted. A set of commercial reaction wheels provides coarse attitude control. Fine pointing control is achieved by tracking a set of guide stars on the CMOS sensor and moving the piezoelectric stage to compensate for residual pointing errors. Precision thermal control is achieved by isolating the payload from the spacecraft bus, passively cooling the detector, and using trim heaters to perform small temperature corrections over the course of an observation. The ASTERIA project is a collaboration with MIT and is funded at JPL through the Phaeton Program for training early career employees. Flight hardware was delivered in June 2017, with launch expected in August 2017 and deployment targeted for October 2017.

Insight into the biological effects of acupuncture points by X-ray absorption fine structure.

PubMed

Liu, Chenglin; Liu, Qinghua; Zhang, Dongming; Liu, Wei; Yan, Xiaohui; Zhang, Xinyi; Oyanagi, Hiroyuki; Pan, Zhiyun; Hu, Fengchun; Wei, Shiqiang

2018-06-02

Exploration of the biological effects of transition metal ions in acupuncture points is essential to clarify the functional mechanism of acupuncture treatment. Here we show that in the SP6 acupuncture point (Sanyinjiao) the Fe ions are in a high-spin state of approximately t 2g 4.5 e g 1.5 in an Fe-N(O) octahedral crystal field. The Fe K-edge synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption fine structure results reveal that the Fe-N and Fe-O bond lengths in the SP6 acupuncture point are 2.05 and 2.13 Å, respectively, and are 0.05-0.10 Å longer than those in the surrounding tissue. The distorted atomic structure reduces the octahedral symmetry and weakens the crystal field around the Fe ions by approximately 0.3 eV, leading to the high-spin configuration of the Fe ions, which is favorable for strengthening the magnetotransport and oxygen transportation properties in the acupuncture point by the enhanced spin coherence. This finding might provide some insight into the microscopic effect of the atomic and electronic interactions of transition metal ions in the acupuncture point. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Addressing Control Research Issues Leading to Piloted Simulations in Support of the IFCS F-15

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Napolitano, Marcello; Perhinschi, Mario; Campa, Giampiero; Seanor, Brad

2004-01-01

This report summarizes the research effort by a team of researchers at West Virginia University in support of the NASA Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) F-15 program. In particular, WVU researchers assisted NASA Dryden researchers in the following technical tasks leading to piloted simulation of the 'Gen_2' IFCS control laws. Task #1- Performance comparison of different neural network (NN) augmentation for the Dynamic Inversion (DI) -based VCAS 'Gen_2' control laws. Task #2- Development of safety monitor criteria for transition to research control laws with and without failure during flight test. Task #3- Fine-tuning of the 'Gen_2' control laws for cross-coupling reduction at post-failure conditions. Matlab/Simulink-based simulation codes were provided to the technical monitor on a regular basis throughout the duration of the project. Additional deliverables for the project were Power Point-based slides prepared for different project meetings. This document provides a description of the methodology and discusses the general conclusions from the simulation results.

Phase-shifting point diffraction interferometer focus-aid enhanced mask

DOEpatents

Naulleau, Patrick

2000-01-01

A phase-shifting point diffraction interferometer system (PS/PDI) employing a PS/PDI mask that includes a PDI focus aid is provided. The PDI focus aid mask includes a large or secondary reference pinhole that is slightly displaced from the true or primary reference pinhole. The secondary pinhole provides a larger capture tolerance for interferometrically performing fine focus. With the focus-aid enhanced mask, conventional methods such as the knife-edge test can be used to perform an initial (or rough) focus and the secondary (large) pinhole is used to perform interferometric fine focus. Once the system is well focused, high accuracy interferometry can be performed using the primary (small) pinhole.

Description and primary results of Total Solar Irradiance Monitor, a solar-pointing instrument on an Earth observing satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongrui; Fang, Wei; Li, Huiduan

2015-04-01

Solar driving mechanism for Earth climate has been a controversial problem for centuries. Long-time data of solar activity is required by the investigations of the solar driving mechanism, such as Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) record. Three Total Solar Irradiance Monitors (TSIM) have been developed by Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics for China Meteorological Administration to maintain continuities of TSI data series which lasted for nearly 4 decades.The newest TSIM has recorded TSI daily with accurate solar pointing on the FY-3C meteorological satellite since Oct 2013. TSIM/FY-3C has a pointing system for automatic solar tracking, onboard the satellite designed mainly for Earth observing. Most payloads of FY-3C are developed for observation of land, ocean and atmosphere. Consequently, the FY-3C satellite is a nadir-pointing spacecraft with its z axis to be pointed at the center of the Earth. Previous TSIMs onboard the FY-3A and FY-3B satellites had no pointing system, solar observations were only performed when the sun swept through field-of-view of the instruments. And TSI measurements are influenced inevitably by the solar pointing errors. Corrections of the solar pointing errors were complex. The problem is now removed by TSIM/FY-3C.TSIM/FY-3C follows the sun accurately by itself using its pointing system based on scheme of visual servo control. The pointing system is consisted of a radiometer package, two motors for solar tracking, a sun sensor and etc. TSIM/FY-3C has made daily observations of TSI for more than one year, with nearly zero solar pointing errors. Short time-scale variations in TSI detected by TSIM/FY-3C are nearly the same with VIRGO/SOHO and TIM/SORCE.Instrument details, primary results of solar pointing control, solar observations and etc will be given in the presentation.

Comparison of vapor concentrations of volatile organic compounds with ground-water concentrations of selected contaminants in sediments beneath the Sudbury River, Ashland, Massachusetts, 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Campbell, J.P.; Lyford, F.P.; Willey, Richard E.

2002-01-01

A mixed plume of contaminants in ground water, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), and metals, near the former Nyanza property in Ashland, Massachusetts, discharges to the Sudbury River upstream and downstream of Mill Pond and a former mill raceway. Polyethylene-membrane vapor-diffusion (PVD) samplers were installed in river-bottom sediments to determine if PVD samplers provide an alternative to ground-water sampling from well points for identifying areas of detectable concentrations of contaminants in sediment pore water near the ground-water and surface-water interface. In August and September 2000, the PVD samplers were installed near well points at depths of 8 to 12 inches in both fine and coarse sediments, whereas the well points were installed at depths of 1 to 5 feet in coarse sediments only. Comparison between vapor and water samples at 29 locations upstream from Mill Pond show that VOC vapor concentrations from PVD samplers in coarse river-bottom sediments are more likely to correspond to ground-water concentrations from well points than PVD samplers installed in fine sediments. Significant correlations based on Kendall's Tau were shown between vapor and ground-water concentrations for trichloroethylene and chlorobenzene for PVD samplers installed in coarse sediments where the fine organic layer that separated the two sampling depths was 1 foot or less in thickness. VOC concentrations from vapor samples also were compared to VOC, SVOC, and metals concentrations from ground-water samples at 10 well points installed upstream and downstream from Mill Pond, and in the former mill raceway. Chlorobenzene vapor concentrations correlated significantly with ground-water concentrations for 5 VOCs, 2 SVOCs, and 10 metals. Trichloroethylene vapor concentrations did not correlate with any of the other ground-water constituents analyzed at the 10 well points. Chlorobenzene detected by use of PVD samplers appears to be a strong indicator of the presence of VOCs, SVOCs, and metals in ground water sampled from well points at this site. Results from PVD samplers indicate that contaminant concentrations in water from well points installed 1 to 5 ft below fine sediments may not reflect concentrations in pore water less than 1 foot below the river bottom. There is insufficient information available to determine if VOC concentrations detected in PVD samplers are useful for identifying detectable aqueous concentrations of SVOCs and metals in sediment pore water at this site. Samples of pore water from a similar depth as PVD samplers are needed for confirmation of this objective.

Distinctive features of high-ash bituminuos coals combution with low milling fineness in furnace chambers with bottom blowing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zroychikov, N. A.; Kaverin, A. A.; Biryukov, Ya A.

2017-11-01

Nowadays the problem of improvement of pulverized coal combustion schemes is an actual one for national power engineering, especially for combustion of coals with low milling fineness with significant portion of moisture or mineral impurities. In this case a big portion of inert material in the fuel may cause impairment of its ignition and combustion. In addition there are a lot of boiler installations on which nitrogen oxides emission exceeds standard values significantly. Decreasing of milling fineness is not without interest as a way of lowering an electric energy consumption for pulverization, which can reach 30% of power plant’s auxiliary consumption of electricity. Development of a combustion scheme meeting the requirements both for effective coal burning and environmental measures (related to NOx emission) is a complex task and demands compromising between these two factors, because implementation of NOx control by combustion very often leads to rising of carbon-in-ash loss. However widespread occurrence of such modern research technique as computer modeling allows to conduct big amount of variants calculations of combustion schemes with low cost and find an optimum. This paper presents results of numerical research of combined schemes of coal combustion with high portion of inert material based on straight-flow burners and nozzles. Several distinctive features of furnace aerodynamics, heat transfer and combustion has been found. The combined scheme of high-ash bituminouos coals combustion with low milling fineness, which allows effective combustion of pointed type of fuels with nitrogen oxides emission reduction has been proposed.

Metabolic control of respiratory levels in coenzyme Q biosynthesis-deficient Escherichia coli strains leading to fine-tune aerobic lactate fermentation.

PubMed

Wu, Hui; Bennett, George N; San, Ka-Yiu

2015-08-01

A novel strategy to finely control the electron transfer chain (ETC) activity of Escherichia coli was established. In this study, the fine-tuning of the ubiquinone biosynthesis pathway was applied to further controlling ETC function in coenzyme Q8 biosynthesis-deficient E. coli strains, HW108 and HW109, which contain mutations in ubiE and ubiG, respectively. A competing pathway on the intermediate substrates of the Q8 synthesis pathway, catalyzed by diphosphate:4-hydroxybenzoate geranyltransferase (PGT-1) of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, was introduced into these mutant strains. A nearly theoretical yield of lactate production can be achieved under fully aerobic conditions via an in vivo, genetically fine-tunable means to further control the activity of the ETC of the Q8 biosynthesis-deficient E. coli strains. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

CONSTRAINTS ON SPATIAL VARIATIONS IN THE FINE-STRUCTURE CONSTANT FROM PLANCK

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

O'Bryan, Jon; Smidt, Joseph; De Bernardis, Francesco

2015-01-01

We use the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy data from Planck to constrain the spatial fluctuations of the fine-structure constant α at a redshift of 1100. We use a quadratic estimator to measure the four-point correlation function of the CMB temperature anisotropies and extract the angular power spectrum fine-structure constant spatial variations projected along the line of sight at the last scattering surface. At tens of degree angular scales and above, we constrain the fractional rms fluctuations of the fine-structure constant to be (δα/α){sub rms} < 3.4 × 10{sup –3} at the 68% confidence level. We find no evidence formore » a spatially varying α at a redshift of 10{sup 3}.« less

Naturalness and a light Z'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Bin; Staub, Florian; Ding, Ran

2017-08-01

Models with a light, additional gauge boson are attractive extensions of the standard model. Often these models are only considered as an effective low-energy theory without any assumption about an UV completion. This not only leaves the hierarchy problem of the SM unsolved, but also introduces a copy of it because of the new fundamental scalars responsible for breaking the new gauge group. A possible solution is to embed these models into a supersymmetric framework. However, this gives rise to an additional source of fine-tuning compared to the MSSM and poses a question about how natural such a setup is. One might expect that the additional fine-tuning is huge, namely, O (MSUSY2/mZ'2). In this paper, we point out that this is not necessarily the case. We show that it is possible to find a focus point behavior also in the new sector in coexistence with the MSSM focus point. We call this the "double focus point supersymmetry." Moreover, we stress the need for a proper inclusion of radiative corrections in the fine-tuning calculation: a tree-level estimate would lead to predictions for the tuning which can be wrong by many orders of magnitude. As a showcase, we use the U (1 )B -L extended MSSM and discuss possible consequences of the observed 8Be anomaly. However, similar features are expected for other models with an extended gauge group which involve potentially large Yukawa-like interactions of the new scalars.

77 FR 55505 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Registration; AMPAC Fine Chemicals LLC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-10

...; Notice of Registration; AMPAC Fine Chemicals LLC By Notice dated May 11, 2012, and published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2012, 77 FR 30026, AMPAC Fine Chemicals LLC., Highway 50 and Hazel Avenue.... 823(a) and determined that the registration of AMPAC Fine Chemicals LLC., to manufacture the listed...

40 CFR 430.113 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS THE PULP, PAPER, AND PAPERBOARD POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Fine and Lightweight Papers from Purchased Pulp Subcategory § 430.113 Effluent limitations... existing point source subject to this subpart shall achieve the following effluent limitations representing...

Ceramic transactions - Materials processing and design: Grain-boundary-controlled properties of fine ceramics II. Volume 44

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

Niihara, Koichi; Ishizaki, Kozo; Isotani, Mitsuo

This volume contains selected papers presented at a workshop by the Japan Fine Ceramics Center, `Materials Processing and Design Through Better Control of Grain Boundaries: Emphasizing Fine Ceramics II,` which was held March 17-19, 1994, in Koda-cho, Aichi, Japan. The focus of the workshop was the application of grain boundary phenomena to materials processing and design. The topics covered included electronic materials, evaluation methods, structural materials, and interfaces. Also included is an illuminating overview of the current status of work on grain boundary assisted materials processing and design, particularly for fine ceramics. The volume`s chapter titles are: Electron Microscopy, Evaluation,more » Grain Boundary Control and Design, Functional Ceramics, Composite Materials, Synthesis and Sintering, and Mechanical Properties.« less

Oxidative Stress, Motor Abilities, and Behavioral Adjustment in Children Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

PubMed

Hockenberry, Marilyn J; Krull, Kevin R; Insel, Kathleen C; Harris, Lynnette L; Gundy, Patricia M; Adkins, Kristin B; Pasvogel, Alice E; Taylor, Olga A; Koerner, Kari M; Montgomery, David W; Ross, Adam K; Hill, Adam; Moore, Ida M

2015-09-01

To examine associations among oxidative stress, fine and visual-motor abilities, and behavioral adjustment in children receiving chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
. A prospective, repeated-measures design
. Two pediatric oncology settings in the southwestern United States. 89 children with ALL were followed from diagnosis to the end of chemotherapy. Serial cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected during scheduled lumbar punctures and analyzed for oxidative stress biomarkers. Children completed fine motor dexterity, visual processing speed, and visual-motor integration measures at three time points. Parents completed child behavior ratings at the same times. Oxidative stress, fine motor dexterity, visual processing, visual-motor integration, and behavioral adjustment
. Children with ALL had below-average fine motor dexterity, visual processing speed, and visual-motor integration following the induction phase of ALL therapy. By end of therapy, visual processing speed normalized, and fine motor dexterity and visual-motor integration remained below average. Oxidative stress measures correlated with fine motor dexterity and visual-motor integration. Decreased motor functioning was associated with increased hyperactivity and anxiety
. Oxidative stress occurs following chemo-therapy for childhood ALL and is related to impaired fine motor skills and visual symptoms
. Early intervention should be considered to prevent fine motor and visual-spatial deficits, as well as behavioral problems.

Customized altitude-azimuth mount for a raster-scanning Fourier transform spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durrenberger, Jed E.; Gutman, William M.; Gammill, Troy D.; Grover, Dennis H.

1996-10-01

Applications of the Army Research Laboratory Mobile Atmospheric Spectrometer Remote Sensing Rover required development of a customized computer-controlled mount to satisfy a variety of requirements within a limited budget. The payload was designed to operate atop a military electronics shelter mounted on a 4-wheel drive truck to be above most atmospheric ground turbulence. Pointing orientation in altitude is limited by constraints imposed by use of a liquid nitrogen detector Dewar in the spectrometer. Stepper motor drives and control system are compatible with existing custom software used with other instrumentation for controlled incremental raster stepping. The altitude axis passes close to the center of gravity of the complete payload to minimize load eccentricity and drive torque requirements. Dovetail fixture mounting enables quick service and fine adjustment of balance to minimize stepper/gearbox drive backlash through the limited orientation range in altitude. Initial applications to characterization of remote gas plumes have been successful.

78 FR 5500 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Registration; Ampac Fine Chemicals, LLC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-25

...; Notice of Registration; Ampac Fine Chemicals, LLC By Notice dated September 20, 2012, and published in the Federal Register on October 2, 2012, 77 FR 60145, AMPAC Fine Chemicals, LLC, Highway 50 and Hazel... considered the factors in 21 U.S.C. 823(a), and determined that the registration of AMPAC Fine Chemicals, LLC...

Prenatal methamphetamine exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children from 1 to 3 years

PubMed Central

Wouldes, Trecia A.; LaGasse, Linda L.; Huestis, Marilyn A.; DellaGrotta, Sheri; Dansereau, Lynne M.; Lester, Barry M.

2014-01-01

Background: Despite the evidence that women world-wide are using methamphetamine (MA) during pregnancy little is known about the neurodevelopment of their children. Design: The controlled, prospective longitudinal New Zealand (NZ) Infant Development, Environment and Lifestyle (IDEAL) study was carried out in Auckland, NZ. Participants were 103 children exposed to MA prenatally and 107 not exposed. The Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and the Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition (BSID-II) measured cognitive and motor performance at ages 1, 2 and 3, and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale, Second Edition (PDMS-II) measured gross and fine motor performance at 1 and 3. Measures of the child’s environment included the Home Observation of Measurement of the Environment and the Maternal Lifestyle Interview. The Substance Use Inventory measured maternal drug use. Results: After controlling for other drug use and contextual factors, prenatal MA exposure was associated with poorer motor performance at 1 and 2 years on the BSID-II. No differences were observed for cognitive development (MDI). Relative to non-MA exposed children, longitudinal scores on the PDI and the gross motor scale of the PDMS-2 were 4.3 and 3.2 points lower, respectively. Being male and of Maori descent predicted lower cognitive scores (MDI) and being male predicted lower fine motor scores (PDMS-2) Conclusions: Prenatal exposure to MA was associated with delayed gross motor development over the first 3 years, but not cognitive development. However, being male and of Maori descent were both associated with poorer cognitive outcomes. Males in general did more poorly on tasks related to fine motor development. PMID:24566524

Prenatal methamphetamine exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children from 1 to 3 years.

PubMed

Wouldes, Trecia A; Lagasse, Linda L; Huestis, Marilyn A; Dellagrotta, Sheri; Dansereau, Lynne M; Lester, Barry M

2014-01-01

Despite the evidence that women world-wide are using methamphetamine (MA) during pregnancy little is known about the neurodevelopment of their children. The controlled, prospective longitudinal New Zealand (NZ) Infant Development, Environment and Lifestyle (IDEAL) study was carried out in Auckland, NZ. Participants were 103 children exposed to MA prenatally and 107 who were not exposed. The Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and the Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition (BSID-II) measured cognitive and motor performances at ages 1, 2 and 3, and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale, Second Edition (PDMS-II) measured gross and fine motor performances at 1 and 3. Measures of the child's environment included the Home Observation of Measurement of the Environment and the Maternal Lifestyle Interview. The Substance Use Inventory measured maternal drug use. After controlling for other drug use and contextual factors, prenatal MA exposure was associated with poorer motor performance at 1 and 2 years on the BSID-II. No differences were observed for cognitive development (MDI). Relative to non-MA exposed children, longitudinal scores on the PDI and the gross motor scale of the PDMS-2 were 4.3 and 3.2 points lower, respectively. Being male and of Maori descent predicted lower cognitive scores (MDI) and being male predicted lower fine motor scores (PDMS-2). Prenatal exposure to MA was associated with delayed gross motor development over the first 3 years, but not with cognitive development. However, being male and of Maori descent were both associated with poorer cognitive outcomes. Males in general did more poorly on tasks related to fine motor development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Twelve tips for postgraduate or undergraduate medics building a basic microsurgery simulation training course.

PubMed

Mason, Katrina A; Theodorakopoulou, Evgenia; Pafitanis, Georgios; Ghanem, Ali M; Myers, Simon R

2016-09-01

Microsurgery is used in a variety of surgical specialties, including Plastic Surgery, Maxillofacial Surgery, Ophthalmic Surgery, Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery. It is considered one of the most technically challenging fields of surgery. Microsurgical skills demand fine, precise and controlled movements, and microsurgical skill acquisition has a steep initial learning curve. Microsurgical simulation provides a safe environment for skill acquisition before operating clinically. The traditional starting point for anyone wanting to pursue microsurgery is a basic simulation training course. We present twelve tips for postgraduate and undergraduate medics on how to set up and run a basic ex-vivo microsurgery simulation training course suitable for their peers.

Are Current Law Enforcement Strategies Associated with a Lower Risk of Repeat Speeding Citations and Crash Involvement? A Longitudinal Study of Speeding Maryland Drivers

PubMed Central

Amr, Sania; Braver, Elisa R.; Langenberg, Patricia; Zhan, Min; Smith, Gordon S.; Dischinger, Patricia C.

2013-01-01

PURPOSE To determine whether traffic court appearances and different court verdicts were associated with risk of subsequent speeding citations and crashes. METHODS A cohort of 29,754 Maryland drivers ticketed for speeding who either went to court or paid fines by mail in May/June 2003 was followed for 3 years. Drivers appearing in court were categorized by verdicts: 1) not guilty, 2) suspension of prosecution/no prosecution (STET/NP), 3) case dismissed, 4) probation before judgment and fines (PBJ), or 5) fines and demerit points. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (AHR). RESULTS Court appearances were associated with lower risk of subsequent speeding citations (AHR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.88-0.96), but higher risk of crashes (AHR=1.25; 95% CI: 1.16-1.35). PBJ was associated with significantly lower repeat speeding tickets (AHR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.75-0.91) and a non-significant decrease in crashes (AHR = 0.87; 95% CI 0.75-1.02). Both repeat speeding tickets and subsequent crashes were significantly lower in the STET/NP group. CONCLUSIONS PBJ and STET/NP may reduce speeding and crashes, but neither verdict eliminated excess crash risk among drivers who choose court appearances. Randomized controlled evaluations of speeding countermeasures are needed to inform traffic safety policies. PMID:21684176

Parallel generation of uniform fine droplets at hundreds of kilohertz in a flow-focusing module.

PubMed

Bardin, David; Kendall, Michael R; Dayton, Paul A; Lee, Abraham P

2013-01-01

Droplet-based microfluidic systems enable a variety of biomedical applications from point-of-care diagnostics with third world implications, to targeted therapeutics alongside medical ultrasound, to molecular screening and genetic testing. Though these systems maintain the key advantage of precise control of the size and composition of the droplet as compared to conventional methods of production, the low rates at which droplets are produced limits translation beyond the laboratory setting. As well, previous attempts to scale up shear-based microfluidic systems focused on increasing the volumetric throughput and formed large droplets, negating many practical applications of emulsions such as site-specific therapeutics. We present the operation of a parallel module with eight flow-focusing orifices in the dripping regime of droplet formation for the generation of uniform fine droplets at rates in the hundreds of kilohertz. Elevating the capillary number to access dripping, generation of monodisperse droplets of liquid perfluoropentane in the parallel module exceeded 3.69 × 10(5) droplets per second, or 1.33 × 10(9) droplets per hour, at a mean diameter of 9.8 μm. Our microfluidic method offers a novel means to amass uniform fine droplets in practical amounts, for instance, to satisfy clinical needs, with the potential for modification to form massive amounts of more complex droplets.

Designing, producing, and constructing fine-graded hot mix asphalt on Illinois roadways.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-04-01

Fine-graded (F-G) asphalt concrete mixtures are composed of an aggregate structure in which the fine fraction controls the : load-carrying capacity of the mix. Other states have reported benefits in using F-G mixtures, including improved compaction, ...

Screening preschool children for fine motor skills: environmental influence.

PubMed

Comuk-Balci, Nilay; Bayoglu, Birgul; Tekindal, Agah; Kerem-Gunel, Mintaze; Anlar, Banu

2016-03-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of gender and family factors on performance in the fine motor domain of the Denver II developmental screening test. [Subjects and Methods] Data were obtained from 2038 healthy children, 999 boys (49%) and 1039 girls (51%) in four age groups: 0-24 months (57%), 25-40 months (21.1%), 41-56 months (10.4%), and 57-82 months (11.5%). [Results] Female gender, higher maternal age, especially in children older than 24 months, and higher maternal education were associated with earlier accomplishment of fine motor items. Higher socioeconomic status was correlated with fine motor skills more noticeably at young ages. [Conclusion] The results of this study support the role of environmental factors in the interpretation of fine motor test results and point to target groups for intervention, such as infants in the low socioeconomic group and preschool children of less educated mothers. Studies in different populations may reveal particular patterns that affect child development.

Spatial adaptive sampling in multiscale simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouet-Leduc, Bertrand; Barros, Kipton; Cieren, Emmanuel; Elango, Venmugil; Junghans, Christoph; Lookman, Turab; Mohd-Yusof, Jamaludin; Pavel, Robert S.; Rivera, Axel Y.; Roehm, Dominic; McPherson, Allen L.; Germann, Timothy C.

2014-07-01

In a common approach to multiscale simulation, an incomplete set of macroscale equations must be supplemented with constitutive data provided by fine-scale simulation. Collecting statistics from these fine-scale simulations is typically the overwhelming computational cost. We reduce this cost by interpolating the results of fine-scale simulation over the spatial domain of the macro-solver. Unlike previous adaptive sampling strategies, we do not interpolate on the potentially very high dimensional space of inputs to the fine-scale simulation. Our approach is local in space and time, avoids the need for a central database, and is designed to parallelize well on large computer clusters. To demonstrate our method, we simulate one-dimensional elastodynamic shock propagation using the Heterogeneous Multiscale Method (HMM); we find that spatial adaptive sampling requires only ≈ 50 ×N0.14 fine-scale simulations to reconstruct the stress field at all N grid points. Related multiscale approaches, such as Equation Free methods, may also benefit from spatial adaptive sampling.

Flying Qualities Design Requirements for Sidestick Controllers

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-10-01

Harper vs wc - Fine Tracking 111 56. Cooper-Harper vs wc - Fine Tracking 111 57. Cooper-Harper ve wc - Landing 112 58. Cooper-Harper vs wc - Lending 112...c - Fine Tracking 119 62. Preference Rating vs wc - Fine Tracking 119 64. Preference Rating vs wc - Landing 120 65. Preference Rating vs w(c...a "fast airplane" to make up for the filtering effect of his arm and the stick. In fine tracking with a center stick the pilot will rest his arm

Critical Technology Assessment: Fine Grain, High Density Graphite

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

Control Classification Number ( ECCN ) 1C107.a on the Commerce Control List (CCL). The parameters of 1C107.a stem from controls established by the Missile...Technology Control Regime (MTCR). In this assessment, BIS specifically examined: • The application of ECCN 1C107.a and related licensing...export licensing process for fine grain, high density graphite controlled by ECCN 1C107.a, especially to China, requires more license conditions and

High-precision positioning system of four-quadrant detector based on the database query

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xin; Deng, Xiao-guo; Su, Xiu-qin; Zheng, Xiao-qiang

2015-02-01

The fine pointing mechanism of the Acquisition, Pointing and Tracking (APT) system in free space laser communication usually use four-quadrant detector (QD) to point and track the laser beam accurately. The positioning precision of QD is one of the key factors of the pointing accuracy to APT system. A positioning system is designed based on FPGA and DSP in this paper, which can realize the sampling of AD, the positioning algorithm and the control of the fast swing mirror. We analyze the positioning error of facular center calculated by universal algorithm when the facular energy obeys Gauss distribution from the working principle of QD. A database is built by calculation and simulation with MatLab software, in which the facular center calculated by universal algorithm is corresponded with the facular center of Gaussian beam, and the database is stored in two pieces of E2PROM as the external memory of DSP. The facular center of Gaussian beam is inquiry in the database on the basis of the facular center calculated by universal algorithm in DSP. The experiment results show that the positioning accuracy of the high-precision positioning system is much better than the positioning accuracy calculated by universal algorithm.

Lifetime competing risks between coronary heart disease mortality and other causes of death during 50years of follow-up.

PubMed

Puddu, Paolo Emilio; Piras, Paolo; Menotti, Alessandro

2017-02-01

To study coronary heart disease (CHD) death versus 11 other causes of death using the cumulative incidence function (CIF) and the competing risks procedures to disentangle the differential role of risk factors for different end-points. Standard Cox and Fine-Gray models among 1712 middle-aged men were compared during 50years of follow-up. CHD death was the primary event, while deaths from 11 selected causes, mutually exclusive from the primary end-point, were considered as secondary events. Reverse solutions were also performed. We considered 10 selected risk factors. CHD death risk was the second highest among 12 mostly specific causes of death. Some risk factors were specific: serum cholesterol for CHD death whereas, systolic blood pressure, cigarette smoking and age may have a differential role in other causes of death. Application of the Fine-Gray model based on CIF enabled to dissect, at least in part, the respective role that baseline covariates may have to segregate the probabilities of two types of death in contrast from each other. They also point to the absence of contributing significance for some of the selected risk factors and this calls for a parsimonious approach in predictions. The relative rarity of competing risk challenges when defining the risk factors role at long-term needs now be corrected since we have clearly shown, with Fine-Gray model, at direct or reverse use, that comparing different end-points heavily influences the risk factor predictive capacity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Model Uncertainty and Test of a Segmented Mirror Telescope

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

Optical Telescope project EOM: equation of motion FCA: fine control actuator FCD: Face-Centered Cubic Design FEA: finite element analysis FEM: finite...housed in a dark tent to isolate the telescope from stray light, air currents, or dust and other debris. However, the closed volume is prone to...is composed of six hexagonal segments that each have six coarse control actuators (CCA) for segment phasing control, three fine control actuators

Hubble Space Telescope Fine Guidance Sensor and Two-Gyro Control Law Design, Implementation, and On-Orbit Performance. Part 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clapp, Brian R.

2005-01-01

For fifteen years, the science mission of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) required using at least three rate gyros for n Controlling with alternate sensors to replace failing gyros can extend the HST science mission. A two-gyro control law has been designed and implemented using magnetometers, star trackers, and Fine Guidance Sensors (FGSs) to control vehicle rate about the missing gyro axis. The three aforementioned sensors are used in succession to reduce HST boresight jitter to less than 7 milli-arcseconds rms prior to science imaging. The Magnetometer and 2-Gyro (M2G) control law is used for large angle maneuvers and attitude control during earth. occultation of star trackers and FGSs. The Tracker and 2-Gyro (T2G) control law dampens M2G rates and controls attitude in preparation for guide star acquisition with the FGSs. The Fine Guidance Sensor and 2-Gyro (F2G) control law dampens T2G rates and controls HST attitude during science imaging. This paper describes the F2G control law. Details of F2G algorithms are presented, including computation of the FGS-measured star vector using non-linear equations, optimal estimation of HST body rate, design of the F2G control laws and gyro bias observer, SISO and MIMO linear stability analyses, and design of the F2G intramode transition and guide star acquisition logic. Results from an FGS flight spare ground test are presented that define acceptable HST jitter levels for successful guide star acquisition under two-gyro control. HST-specific disturbance and noise models are described that are based upon flight telemetry; these models are used in HSTSIM, a high-fidelity non-linear time domain simulation, to predict HST on-orbit disturbance responses and FGS interferometer Loss of Lock (LOL) characteristics under F2G control. Additional HSTSIM results are presented predicting HST quiescent boresight jitter performance, science maneuver performance, and observer configuration performance during F2G operation. Simulation results are compared to on-orbit data b m F2G flight tests performed in February 2005. Science images and point spread functions from the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) High Resolution Camera (HRC) are presented that compare HST science performance under F2G versus three-gyro control. Images and flight telemetry show that HST boresight jitter with the new F2G control law is usually less than jitter using the three-gyro law, and HST boresight jitter during F2G operation is dependent upon guide star magnitude.

Carbon turnover in an agricultural sub-soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Chris

2010-05-01

Maize was added to a grassland subsoil (10 - 50 cm) and the fate of the carbon from the plant material followed for 520 days with nine sampling points over an exponential time series. The carbon and delta 13C signature in five soil fractions: POM (particulate organic matter), fine sand, coarse silt, fine silt and clay were monitored. Over the course of the experiment there was a 57% decline in the total C of the soil principally from the particulate organic matter which contained the added maize equivalent to a half life of 533 days. A single exponential was the best fit to the data indicating that the slower turnover pools proposed in models such as Roth C were not observed in the time course of this experiment. Carbon rapidly entered the fine sand and coarse silt fractions, it then passed into the clay fraction. The fine silt fraction was not significantly changed. The maize carbon showed a delay to this pattern, but there was accumulation of maize carbon in the fine sand and fine silt fractions. The largest increases in % carbon as a consequence of the introduction of the maize carbon were of the following order clay > fine sand > coarse silt >fine silt. The results suggest that all these fractions are actively being turnover in this soil and that carbon is most protected in the fine sand and silt fractions, not clay as has been observed by other workers. The results are also discussed in the wider contexts of representative pools for modeling.

Quantum-gravity predictions for the fine-structure constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichhorn, Astrid; Held, Aaron; Wetterich, Christof

2018-07-01

Asymptotically safe quantum fluctuations of gravity can uniquely determine the value of the gauge coupling for a large class of grand unified models. In turn, this makes the electromagnetic fine-structure constant calculable. The balance of gravity and matter fluctuations results in a fixed point for the running of the gauge coupling. It is approached as the momentum scale is lowered in the transplanckian regime, leading to a uniquely predicted value of the gauge coupling at the Planck scale. The precise value of the predicted fine-structure constant depends on the matter content of the grand unified model. It is proportional to the gravitational fluctuation effects for which computational uncertainties remain to be settled.

The influence of controlled floods on fine sediment storage in debris fan-affected canyons of the Colorado River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, Erich R.; Grams, Paul E.; Schmidt, John C.; Hazel, Joseph E.; Alexander, Jason S.; Kaplinski, Matt

2014-01-01

Prior to the construction of large dams on the Green and Colorado Rivers, annual floods aggraded sandbars in lateral flow-recirculation eddies with fine sediment scoured from the bed and delivered from upstream. Flows greater than normal dam operations may be used to mimic this process in an attempt to increase time-averaged sandbar size. These controlled floods may rebuild sandbars, but sediment deficit conditions downstream from the dams restrict the frequency that controlled floods produce beneficial results. Here, we integrate complimentary, long-term monitoring data sets from the Colorado River in Marble and Grand Canyons downstream from Glen Canyon dam and the Green River in the Canyon of Lodore downstream from Flaming Gorge dam. Since the mid-1990s, several controlled floods have occurred in these canyon rivers. These controlled floods scour fine sediment from the bed and build sandbars in eddies, thus increasing channel relief. These changes are short-lived, however, as interflood dam operations erode sandbars within several months to years. Controlled flood response and interflood changes in bed elevation are more variable in Marble Canyon and Grand Canyon, likely reflecting more variable fine sediment supply and stronger transience in channel bed sediment storage. Despite these differences, neither system shows a trend in fine-sediment storage during the period in which controlled floods were monitored. These results demonstrate that controlled floods build eddy sandbars and increase channel relief for short interflood periods, and this response may be typical in other dam-influenced canyon rivers. The degree to which these features persist depends on the frequency of controlled floods, but careful consideration of sediment supply is necessary to avoid increasing the long-term sediment deficit.

Re/Os constraint on the time variability of the fine-structure constant.

PubMed

Fujii, Yasunori; Iwamoto, Akira

2003-12-31

We argue that the accuracy by which the isochron parameters of the decay 187Re-->187Os are determined by dating iron meteorites may constrain the possible time dependence of the decay rate and hence of the fine-structure constant alpha, not directly but only in a model-dependent manner. From this point of view, some of the attempts to analyze the Oklo constraint and the results of the quasistellar-object absorption lines are reexamined.

Internal Fine Structure of Ellerman Bombs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, Yuki; Kitai, Reizaburo; Ichimoto, Kiyoshi; Ueno, Satoru; Nagata, Shin'ichi; Ishii, Takako T.; Hagino, Masaoki; Komori, Hiroyuki; Nishida, Keisuke; Matsumoto, Takuma; Otsuji, Kenichi; Nakamura, Tahei; Kawate, Tomoko; Watanabe, Hiroko; Shibata, Kazunari

2010-08-01

We conducted coordinated observations of Ellerman bombs (EBs) between Hinode Satellite and Hida Observatory (HOP12). CaII H broad-band filter images of NOAA 10966 on 2007 August 9 and 10 were obtained with the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) aboard the Hinode Satellite, and many bright points were observed. We identified a total of 4 bright points as EBs, and studied the temporal variation of their morphological fine structures and spectroscopic characteristics. With high-resolution CaII H images of SOT, we found that the EBs, thus far thought of as single bright features, are composed of a few of fine subcomponents. Also, by using Stokes I/V filtergrams with Hinode/SOT, and CaII H spectroheliograms with Hida/Domeless Solar Telescope (DST), our observation showed: (1) The mean duration, the mean width, the mean length, and the mean aspect ratio of the subcomponents were 390 s, 170 km, 450 km, and 2.7, respectively. (2) Subcomponents started to appear on the magnetic neutral lines, and extended their lengths from the original locations. (3) When the CaII H line of EBs showed the characteristic blue asymmetry, they are associated with the appearance or re-brightening of subcomponents. Summarizing our results, we obtained an observational view that elementary magnetic reconnections take place one by one successively and intermittently in EBs, and that their manifestation is the fine subcomponents of the EB phenomena.

Automatic Learning of Fine Operating Rules for Online Power System Security Control.

PubMed

Sun, Hongbin; Zhao, Feng; Wang, Hao; Wang, Kang; Jiang, Weiyong; Guo, Qinglai; Zhang, Boming; Wehenkel, Louis

2016-08-01

Fine operating rules for security control and an automatic system for their online discovery were developed to adapt to the development of smart grids. The automatic system uses the real-time system state to determine critical flowgates, and then a continuation power flow-based security analysis is used to compute the initial transfer capability of critical flowgates. Next, the system applies the Monte Carlo simulations to expected short-term operating condition changes, feature selection, and a linear least squares fitting of the fine operating rules. The proposed system was validated both on an academic test system and on a provincial power system in China. The results indicated that the derived rules provide accuracy and good interpretability and are suitable for real-time power system security control. The use of high-performance computing systems enables these fine operating rules to be refreshed online every 15 min.

The role of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in the fine motor coordination in children with ADHD.

PubMed

Fenollar-Cortés, Javier; Gallego-Martínez, Ana; Fuentes, Luis J

2017-10-01

Deficits in fine motor coordination have been suggested to be associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, despite the negative impact of poor fine motor skills on academic achievement, researchers have paid little attention to this problem. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between ADHD dimensions and fine motor performance. Participants were 43 children with a diagnosis of ADHD aged between 7 and 14 years (M=9.61; 81% male) and 42 typically developing (TP) children in the same age range (M=10.76; 75.2% male). Children with ADHD performed worse than TP on all tasks (δ Fine_motor_tasks, -0.19 to -0.44). After controlling for age and ADHD-HY (hyperactivity/impulsivity), higher scores on ADHD-IN (inattentiveness) predicted a larger number of mistakes among all psychomotricity tasks and conditions (β 0.39-0.58, ps<0.05). The ADHD group showed poorer fine motor performance than controls across all fine motor coordination tasks. However, lower performance (more mistakes), was related to the inattention dimension but not to the hyperactivity/impulsivity dimensions. Authors recommend including training and enhancement of the fine motor skills for more comprehensive ADHD treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increased cardiogenesis in P19-GFP teratocarcinoma cells expressing the propeptide IGF-1Ea

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

Poudel, Bhawana; Bilbao, Daniel; Sarathchandra, Padmini

2011-12-16

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In this study, we explored the function of IGF-1Ea propeptide in inducing cardiogenesis of stem cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer IGF-1Ea promoted cardiac mesodermal induction in uncommitted cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Under differentiation condition, IGF-1Ea increased expression of cardiac differentiation markers. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Furthermore, it promoted formation of finely organized sarcomeric structure. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer IGF-1Ea propeptide may be a good candidate to improve production of cardiomyocytes from pluripotent cells. -- Abstract: The mechanism implicated in differentiation of endogenous cardiac stem cells into cardiomyocytes to regenerate the heart tissue upon an insult remains elusive, limiting the therapeutical goals to exogenous cell injection and/or gene therapy. Wemore » have shown previously that cardiac specific overexpression of the insulin-like growth factor 1 propeptide IGF-1Ea induces beneficial myocardial repair after infarct. Although the mechanism is still under investigation, the possibility that this propeptide may be involved in promoting stem cell differentiation into the cardiac lineage has yet to be explored. To investigate whether IGF-1Ea promote cardiogenesis, we initially modified P19 embryonal carcinoma cells to express IGF-1Ea. Taking advantage of their cardiomyogenic nature, we analyzed whether overexpression of this propeptide affected cardiac differentiation program. The data herein presented showed for the first time that constitutively overexpressed IGF-1Ea increased cardiogenic differentiation program in both undifferentiated and DMSO-differentiated cells. In details, IGF-1Ea overexpression promoted localization of alpha-actinin in finely organized sarcomeric structure compared to control cells and upregulated the cardiac mesodermal marker NKX-2.5 and the ventricular structural protein MLC2v. Furthermore, activated IGF-1 signaling promoted cardiac mesodermal induction in undifferentiated cells independently of cell proliferation. This analysis suggests that IGF-1Ea may be a good candidate to improve both in vitro production of cardiomyocytes from pluripotent stem cells and in vivo activation of the differentiation program of cardiac progenitor cells.« less

MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL OF FOULING IN FINE PORE DIFFUSER SYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the study was two-fold: First, to define the efficiency of various methods of cleaning fine pore diffusers and, second, to develop a methodology that could be used to evaluate the efficiency of the cleaning techniques. Dirty fine pore domes from the North Texas Mu...

Distinct neural circuits for control of movement vs. holding still

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

In generating a point-to-point movement, the brain does more than produce the transient commands needed to move the body part; it also produces the sustained commands that are needed to hold the body part at its destination. In the oculomotor system, these functions are mapped onto two distinct circuits: a premotor circuit that specializes in generating the transient activity that displaces the eyes and a “neural integrator” that transforms that transient input into sustained activity that holds the eyes. Different parts of the cerebellum adaptively control the motor commands during these two phases: the oculomotor vermis participates in fine tuning the transient neural signals that move the eyes, monitoring the activity of the premotor circuit via efference copy, whereas the flocculus participates in controlling the sustained neural signals that hold the eyes, monitoring the activity of the neural integrator. Here, I review the oculomotor literature and then ask whether this separation of control between moving and holding is a design principle that may be shared with other modalities of movement. To answer this question, I consider neurophysiological and psychophysical data in various species during control of head movements, arm movements, and locomotion, focusing on the brain stem, motor cortex, and hippocampus, respectively. The review of the data raises the possibility that across modalities of motor control, circuits that are responsible for producing commands that change the sensory state of a body part are distinct from those that produce commands that maintain that sensory state. PMID:28053244

Control of microparticles packing density in a microfluidic channel for bead based immunoassays applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caballero-Robledo, Gabriel; Guevara-Pantoja, Pablo

2014-11-01

Bead based immunoassays in microfluidic devices have shown to greatly outperform conventional methods. But if functional point-of-care devices are to be developed, precise and reproducible control over the granulate packings inside microchannels is needed. In this work we study the efficiency of a nanoparticles magnetic trap previously developed by B. Teste et al. [Lab Chip 11, 4207 (2011)] when we vary the compaction of micrometric iron beads packed against a restriction inside a microfluidic channel. The packing density of the beads is finely and reproducibly changed by applying a vibrational protocol originally developed for macroscopic, dry granular systems. We find, counterintuitively, that the most compact and stable packings are up to four times less efficient in trapping nano particles than the loosest packings. This work has been supported by Conacyt, Mexico, under Grant No. 180873.

Fine root respiration in mature eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) in situ: the importance of CO2 in controlled environments.

Treesearch

Barton D. Clinton; James M. Vose

1999-01-01

Clinton and Vose measured seasonal fine root respiration rate in situ while controlling chamber temperature and [CO2]. Atmospheric and [CO2] ([CO2]a) and measured soil [CO2] ([CO2]s) were alternately delivered...

Development of fine-leaved Festuca grass for forage and wildfire control in the Great Basin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Drought and heat tolerant fine-leaved fescue (Festuca ssp.) grasses have potential as components in rangeland greenstrips for wildfire control in semi-arid climates, although such grasses have not been evaluated under rangeland conditions. Therefore, 64 geographically diverse Festuca accessions of ...

Effect of Two Polishing Systems on Surface Roughness, Topography, and Flexural Strength of a Monolithic Lithium Disilicate Ceramic.

PubMed

Mohammadibassir, Mahshid; Rezvani, Mohammad Bagher; Golzari, Hossein; Moravej Salehi, Elham; Fahimi, Mohammad Amin; Kharazi Fard, Mohammad Javad

2017-03-08

To evaluate the effect of overglazing and two polishing procedures on flexural strength and quality and quantity of surface roughness of a monolithic lithium disilicate ceramic computer-aided design (CAD) after grinding. This in vitro study was conducted on 52 partially crystalized bar-shaped specimens (16 × 4 × 1.6 mm) of monolithic lithium disilicate ceramic. The specimens were wet polished with 600-, 800-, and 1200-grit silicon carbide papers for 15 seconds using a grinding/polishing machine at a speed of 300 rpm. Then, the specimens were crystalized and glaze-fired in one step simultaneously and randomly divided into four groups of 13: (I) Glazing group (control); (II) Grinding-glazing group, subjected to grinding with red band finishing diamond bur (46 μm) followed by glazing; (III) Grinding-D+Z group, subjected to grinding and then polishing by coarse, medium, and fine diamond rubber points (D+Z); and (IV) Grinding-OptraFine group, subjected to grinding and then polishing with a two-step diamond rubber polishing system followed by a final polishing step with an OptraFine HP brush and diamond polishing paste. The surface roughness (Ra and Rz) values (μm) were measured by a profilometer, and the mean values were compared using one-way ANOVA and Tamhane's test (post hoc comparison). One specimen of each group was evaluated under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for surface topography. The three-point flexural strength values of the bars were measured using a universal testing machine at a 0.5 mm/min crosshead speed and recorded. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tamhane's test (α = 0.05). Statistically significant differences were noted among the experimental groups for Ra, Rz (p < 0.0001), and flexural strength values (p < 0.009). The lowest Ra and Rz values were found in the grinding-OptraFine group (0.465 ± 0.153), which were significantly lower than those in glazing (p < 0.03) and grinding-glazing (p < 0.001) groups. The Ra and Rz values were not significantly different between the two polishing systems (p = 0.23 and p = 0.25, respectively). The highest flexural strength was found in the glazing group (283.350 ± 49.854 MPa) without significant differences compared to grinding-glazing (p = 0.98) and grinding-OptraFine groups (p = 0.86). The lowest flexural strength was found in grinding-D+Z group (225.070 ± 17.299), which was significantly different from the value in glazing (p < 0.03) and grinding-glazing (p < 0.04) groups. SEM analysis of polished surfaces revealed regular morphology with some striations. The OptraFine system created smoother and more uniform surfaces in terms of quantity (p < 0.03 for Ra, p < 0.01 for Rz) and quality of roughness compared to glazing. The flexural strength of lithium disilicate ceramic after polishing with the OptraFine system was similar to that after glazing (p = 0.86). Despite similar surface roughness after polishing with the two systems, the D+Z system reduced the flexural strength of ceramic (p < 0.03). © 2017 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Task specific grip force control in writer's cramp.

PubMed

Schneider, A S; Fürholzer, W; Marquardt, C; Hermsdörfer, J

2014-04-01

Writer's cramp is defined as a task specific focal dystonia generating hypertonic muscle co-contractions during handwriting resulting in impaired writing performance and exaggerated finger force. However, little is known about the generalisation of grip force across tasks others than writing. The aim of the study was to directly compare regulation of grip forces during handwriting with force regulation in other fine-motor tasks in patients and control subjects. Handwriting, lifting and cyclic movements of a grasped object were investigated in 21 patients and 14 controls. The applied forces were registered in all three tasks and compared between groups and tasks. In addition, task-specific measures of fine-motor skill were assessed. As expected, patients generated exaggerated forces during handwriting compared to control subjects. However there were no statistically significant group differences during lifting and cyclic movements. The control group revealed a generalisation of grip forces across manual tasks whereas in patients there was no such correlation. We conclude that increased finger forces during handwriting are a task-specific phenomenon that does not necessarily generalise to other fine-motor tasks. Force control of patients with writer's cramp in handwriting and other fine-motor tasks is characterised by individualised control strategies. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of fining non-attendance at public hospitals: a randomised controlled trial from Danish outpatient clinics.

PubMed

Blæhr, Emely Ek; Væggemose, Ulla; Søgaard, Rikke

2018-04-13

Fines have been proposed as means for reducing non-attendance in healthcare. The empirical evidence of the effect of fines is however limited. The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of fining non-attendance at outpatient clinics. 1:1 randomised controlled trial of appointments for an outpatient clinic, posted to Danish addresses, between 1 May 2015 and 30 November 2015. Only first appointment for users was included. Healthcare professionals and investigators were masked. A fine of DKK250 (€34) was issued for non-attendance. Users were informed about the fine in case of non-attendance by the appointment letter, and were able to reschedule or cancel until the appointment. A central administration office administered the fine system. The main outcome measures were non-attendance of non-cancelled appointments, fine policy administration costs, net of productivity consequences and probability of fining non-attendance being cost-effective over no fining for a range of hypothetical values of reduced non-attendance. All of the 6746 appointments included were analysed. Of the 3333 appointments randomised to the fine policy, 130 (5%) of non-cancelled appointments were unattended, and of the 3413 appointments randomised to no-fine policy, 131 (5%) were unattended. The cost per appointment of non-attendance was estimated at DKK 56 (SE 5) in the fine group and DKK47 (SE 4) in the no-fine group, leading to a non-statistically significant difference of DKK10 (95% CI -9 to 22) per appointment attributable to the fine policy. The probability of cost-effectiveness remained around 50%, irrespective of increased values of reduced non-attendance or various alternative assumptions used for sensitivity analyses. At a baseline level of around 5%, fining non-attendance does not seem to further reduce non-attendance. Future studies should focus on other means for reduction of non-attendance such as nudging or negative reinforcement. ISRCTN61925912. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of fining non-attendance at public hospitals: a randomised controlled trial from Danish outpatient clinics

PubMed Central

Væggemose, Ulla; Søgaard, Rikke

2018-01-01

Objectives Fines have been proposed as means for reducing non-attendance in healthcare. The empirical evidence of the effect of fines is however limited. The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of fining non-attendance at outpatient clinics. Design, participants and setting 1:1 randomised controlled trial of appointments for an outpatient clinic, posted to Danish addresses, between 1 May 2015 and 30 November 2015. Only first appointment for users was included. Healthcare professionals and investigators were masked. Intervention A fine of DKK250 (€34) was issued for non-attendance. Users were informed about the fine in case of non-attendance by the appointment letter, and were able to reschedule or cancel until the appointment. A central administration office administered the fine system. Main outcome measures The main outcome measures were non-attendance of non-cancelled appointments, fine policy administration costs, net of productivity consequences and probability of fining non-attendance being cost-effective over no fining for a range of hypothetical values of reduced non-attendance. Results All of the 6746 appointments included were analysed. Of the 3333 appointments randomised to the fine policy, 130 (5%) of non-cancelled appointments were unattended, and of the 3413 appointments randomised to no-fine policy, 131 (5%) were unattended. The cost per appointment of non-attendance was estimated at DKK 56 (SE 5) in the fine group and DKK47 (SE 4) in the no-fine group, leading to a non-statistically significant difference of DKK10 (95% CI –9 to 22) per appointment attributable to the fine policy. The probability of cost-effectiveness remained around 50%, irrespective of increased values of reduced non-attendance or various alternative assumptions used for sensitivity analyses. Conclusions At a baseline level of around 5%, fining non-attendance does not seem to further reduce non-attendance. Future studies should focus on other means for reduction of non-attendance such as nudging or negative reinforcement. Trial registration number ISRCTN61925912. PMID:29654019

Real-Life Outcomes for Patients with Asthma Prescribed Spacers for Use with Either Extrafine- or Fine-Particle Inhaled Corticosteroids.

PubMed

Guilbert, Theresa W; Colice, Gene; Grigg, Jonathan; van Aalderen, Wim; Martin, Richard J; Israel, Elliot; Postma, Dirkje S; Roche, Nicolas; Phipatanakul, Wanda; Hillyer, Elizabeth V; Evans, Jennifer M; Dolovich, Myrna B; Price, David B

Spacers are often used with pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) to eliminate the need for coordinating inhalation with actuation. To investigate the real-life effectiveness of spacers prescribed for use with either extrafine- or fine-particle inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs). This historical matched cohort study examined anonymous medical record data over 2 years (1-year baseline, 1-year outcome) for patients with asthma aged 12 to 80 years initiating ICSs by pMDI with or without prescribed spacer. We compared outcomes for spacer versus no-spacer arms, matched for key baseline and asthma-related characteristics, within 2 ICS cohorts: (1) extrafine-particle ICS (beclomethasone) and (2) fine-particle ICS (fluticasone). Effectiveness end points were compared using conditional regression methods. Matched spacer and no-spacer arms of the extrafine-particle ICS cohort each included 2090 patients (69% females; median age, 46-47 years) and the 2 arms of the fine-particle ICS cohort each included 444 patients (67% females; median age, 45 years). With extrafine-particle ICS, we observed no significant difference between spacer and no-spacer arms in severe exacerbation rate (primary end point): adjusted rate ratio, 1.01 (95% CI, 0.83-1.23). With fine-particle ICS, the severe exacerbation rate ratio with spacers was 0.77 (0.47-1.25). Oropharyngeal candidiasis incidence was low and similar in spacer and no-spacer arms for both ICS cohorts. We found no evidence that prescribed spacer devices are associated with improved asthma outcomes for extrafine- or fine-particle ICS administered by pMDI. These findings challenge long-standing assumptions that spacers should improve pMDI effectiveness and indicate the need for pragmatic trials of spacers in clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrated design of the CSI evolutionary structure: A verification of the design methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maghami, Peiman G.; Joshi, S. M.; Elliott, Kenny B.; Walz, J. E.

1993-01-01

One of the main objectives of the Controls-Structures Interaction (CSI) program is to develop and evaluate integrated controls-structures design methodology for flexible space structures. Thus far, integrated design methodologies for a class of flexible spacecraft, which require fine attitude pointing and vibration suppression with no payload articulation, have been extensively investigated. Various integrated design optimization approaches, such as single-objective optimization, and multi-objective optimization, have been implemented with an array of different objectives and constraints involving performance and cost measures such as total mass, actuator mass, steady-state pointing performance, transient performance, control power, and many more. These studies have been performed using an integrated design software tool (CSI-DESIGN CODE) which is under development by the CSI-ADM team at the NASA Langley Research Center. To date, all of these studies, irrespective of the type of integrated optimization posed or objectives and constraints used, have indicated that integrated controls-structures design results in an overall spacecraft design which is considerably superior to designs obtained through a conventional sequential approach. Consequently, it is believed that validation of some of these results through fabrication and testing of a structure which is designed through an integrated design approach is warranted. The objective of this paper is to present and discuss the efforts that have been taken thus far for the validation of the integrated design methodology.

Effect of percentage baghouse fines on the amount and type of anti-stripping agent required to control moisture sensitivity : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-06-30

This study investigated the effect of moisture and amount of baghouse fines on AC mixes. Two : types of baghouse fines, each with a different gradation, were used in varying concentrations to prepare : laboratory samples. The binder used was PG64-22 ...

Helping Preschoolers Prepare for Writing: Developing Fine Motor Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huffman, J. Michelle; Fortenberry, Callie

2011-01-01

Early childhood is the most intensive period for the development of physical skills. Writing progress depends largely on the development of fine motor skills involving small muscle movements of the hand. Young children need to participate in a variety of developmentally appropriate activities intentionally designed to promote fine motor control.…

40 CFR 430.111 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... AND STANDARDS THE PULP, PAPER, AND PAPERBOARD POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Fine and Lightweight Papers from Purchased Pulp Subcategory § 430.111 Specialized definitions. For the purpose of this subpart: (a) Except as...

Automated thin-film analyses of anhydrous interplanetary dust particles in the analytical electron microscope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradley, J. P.; Germani, M. S.; Brownlee, D. E.

1989-01-01

An AEM apparatus equipped with digital beam control has obtained quantitative point-count analyses of thin sections taken from eight anhydrous chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs); between 200 and 500 X-ray analyses were collected from each thin section and analyzed for Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni. Two types of anhydrous chondritic aggregates were observed in the eight IDPs: one highly porous, the other less so. The eight anhydrous IDPs are characterizable as mixtures of fine- and coarse-grained aggregates, large mineral grains, glass, and carbonaceous materials. Their elemental concentrations follow those of solar abundances, suggesting that they are unperturbed by aqueous alteration.

Hybrid Configuration of Darrieus and Savonius Rotors for Stand-alone Power Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakui, Tetsuya; Tanzawa, Yoshiaki; Hashizume, Takumi; Nagao, Toshio

The suitable hybrid configuration of Darrieus lift-type and Savonius drag-type rotors for stand-alone wind turbine-generator systems is discussed using our dynamic simulation model. Two types of hybrid configurations are taken up: Type-A installs the Savonius rotor inside the Darrieus rotor and Type-B installs the Savonius rotor outside the Darrieus rotor. The computed results of the output characteristics and the dynamic behaviors of the system operated at the maximum power coefficient points show that Type-A, which has fine operating behavior to wind speed changes and can be compactly designed because of a shorter rotational shaft, is an effective way for self-controlled stand-alone small-scale systems.

Language Acquisition and Categorical Perception with Particular Reference to /r/ and /1/.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perecman, Ellen; Kellar, Lucia A.

1983-01-01

Examines the relationship between the development of fine motor control for articulation and the development of fine motor control in other muscle systems. Discusses whether the late appearance of /r/ and /1/ is due to the fact that their articulation requires finer motor coordination than other classes of sounds. (EKN)

Intermediate Cognitive Phenotypes in Bipolar Disorder

PubMed Central

Langenecker, Scott A.; Saunders, Erika F.H.; Kade, Allison M.; Ransom, Michael T.; McInnis, Melvin G.

2013-01-01

Background Intermediate cognitive phenotypes (ICPs) are measurable and quantifiable states that may be objectively assessed in a standardized method, and can be integrated into association studies, including genetic, biochemical, clinical, and imaging based correlates. The present study used neuropsychological measures as ICPs, with factor scores in executive functioning, attention, memory, fine motor function, and emotion processing, similar to prior work in schizophrenia. Methods Healthy control subjects (HC, n=34) and euthymic (E, n=66), depressed (D, n=43), or hypomanic/mixed (HM, n=13) patients with bipolar disorder (BD) were assessed with neuropsychological tests. These were from eight domains consistent with previous literature; auditory memory, visual memory, processing speed with interference resolution, verbal fluency and processing speed, conceptual reasoning and set-shifting, inhibitory control, emotion processing, and fine motor dexterity. Results Of the eight factor scores, the HC group outperformed the E group in three (Processing Speed with Interference Resolution, Visual Memory, Fine Motor Dexterity), the D group in seven (all except Inhibitory Control), and the HM group in four (Inhibitory Control, Processing Speed with Interference Resolution, Fine Motor Dexterity, and Auditory Memory). Limitations The HM group was relatively small, thus effects of this phase of illness may have been underestimated. Effects of medication could not be fully controlled without a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Conclusions Use of the factor scores can assist in determining ICPs for BD and related disorders, and may provide more specific targets for development of new treatments. We highlight strong ICPs (Processing Speed with Interference Resolution, Visual Memory, Fine Motor Dexterity) for further study, consistent with the existing literature. PMID:19800130

Effects of inhaled fine dust on lung tissue changes and antibody response induced by spores of opportunistic fungi in goats.

PubMed

Purdy, Charles W; Layton, Robert C; Straus, David C; Ayers, J R

2008-04-01

To investigate the effects of sterile fine dust aerosol inhalation on antibody responses and lung tissue changes induced by Mucor ramosissimus or Trichoderma viride spores following intratracheal inoculation in goats. 36 weanling Boer-Spanish goats. 6 goats were allocated to each of 2 M ramosissimus-inoculated groups, 2 T viride-inoculated groups, and 2 control (tent or pen) groups. One of each pair of sporetreated groups and the tent control group were exposed 7 times to sterilized fine feedyard dust (mean+/-SD particle diameter, <7.72+/-0.69 microm) for 4 hours in a specially constructed tent. Goats in the 4 fungal treatment groups were inoculated intratracheally 5 times with a fungal spore preparation (30 mL), whereas tent control goats were intratracheally inoculated with physiologic saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (30 mL). Pen control goats were not inoculated or exposed to dust. Goats received an IV challenge with equine RBCs to assess antibody responses to foreign antigens. Postmortem examinations were performed at study completion (day 68) to evaluate lung tissue lesions. 5 of 7 deaths occurred between days 18 and 45 and were attributed to fine dust exposures prior to fungal treatments. Fine dust inhalation induced similar lung lesions and precipitating antibodies among spore-treated goats. Following spore inoculations, dust-exposed goats had significantly more spores per gram of consolidated lung tissue than did their nonexposed counterparts. Fine dust inhalation appeared to decrease the ability of goats to successfully clear fungal spores from the lungs following intratracheal inoculation.

Settling velocities of fine suspended particles in the Changjiang Estuary, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shi, Z.; Zhou, H.J.; Eittreim, S.L.; Winterwerp, J.C.

2003-01-01

Point-sampled suspended sediment concentration profiles (grain size largely < 32 ??m) were measured in August 1978, April 1990, and May 1990 in the Changjiang Estuary. They were selectively fit with the Rouse equation in order to calculate the median settling velocities ws,50 of fine suspended particles in the Changjiang Estuary, East China Sea. Calculated settling velocities ranged from 0.4 to 4.1 mm s-1. Furthermore, ws values increased with the mean concentration C?? of sediment in suspension. The best-fit equation for the field settling velocity of fine particles in the Changjiang Estuary can be expressed by the power law: ws = 2.37 C??0.84 (r2 < 0.3). ?? 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shaping of Rack Cutter Original Profile for Fine-module Ratchet Teeth Cutting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharkov, O. V.; Koryagin, S. I.; Velikanov, N. L.

2018-05-01

The design models and the process of shaping the cutting edges of the rack cutter for cutting fine-module ratchet teeth are considered in the article. The use of fine-module ratchet teeth can reduce the noise and impact loads during operation of the freewheel mechanisms. Mathematical dependencies for calculating the coordinates determining the geometric position of the points of the front and back edges of the cutting profile of the rack cutter, the workpiece angle of rotation during cutting the ratchet teeth were obtained. When applying the developed method, the initial data are: the radii of the workpiece circumferences passing through the dedendum of the external and internal cut teeth; gradient angles of the front and back edges of the rail.

Fine tuning may not be enough

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

Miao, S.P.; Woodard, R.P., E-mail: spmiao5@mail.ncku.edu.tw, E-mail: woodard@phys.ufl.edu

2015-09-01

We argue that the fine tuning problems of scalar-driven inflation may be worse than is commonly believed. The reason is that reheating requires the inflaton to be coupled to other matter fields whose vacuum fluctuations alter the inflaton potential. The usual response has been that even more fine-tuning of the classical potential V(φ) can repair any damage done in this way. We point out that the effective potential in de Sitter background actually depends in a complicated way upon the dimensionless combination of φ/H. We also show that the factors of H which occur in de Sitter do not evenmore » correspond to local functionals of the metric for general geometries, nor are they Planck-suppressed.« less

Motion control of the rabbit ankle joint with a flat interface nerve electrode.

PubMed

Park, Hyun-Joo; Durand, Dominique M

2015-12-01

A flat interface nerve electrode (FINE) has been shown to improve fascicular and subfascicular selectivity. A recently developed novel control algorithm for FINE was applied to motion control of the rabbit ankle. A 14-contact FINE was placed on the rabbit sciatic nerve (n = 8), and ankle joint motion was controlled for sinusoidal trajectories and filtered random trajectories. To this end, a real-time controller was implemented with a multiple-channel current stimulus isolator. The performance test results showed good tracking performance of rabbit ankle joint motion for filtered random trajectories and sinusoidal trajectories (0.5 Hz and 1.0 Hz) with <10% average root-mean-square (RMS) tracking error, whereas the average range of ankle joint motion was between -20.0 ± 9.3° and 18.1 ± 8.8°. The proposed control algorithm enables the use of a multiple-contact nerve electrode for motion trajectory tracking control of musculoskeletal systems. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Continuous micro-feeding of fine cohesive powders actuated by pulse inertia force and acoustic radiation force in ultrasonic standing wave field.

PubMed

Wang, Hongcheng; Wu, Liqun; Zhang, Ting; Chen, Rangrang; Zhang, Linan

2018-07-10

Stable continuous micro-feeding of fine cohesive powders has recently gained importance in many fields. However, it remains a great challenge in practice because of the powder aggregate caused by interparticle cohesive forces in small capillaries. This paper describes a novel method of feeding fine cohesive powder actuated by a pulse inertia force and acoustic radiation force simultaneously in an ultrasonic standing wave field using a tapered glass nozzle. Nozzles with different outlet diameters are fabricated using glass via a heating process. A pulse inertia force is excited to drive powder movement to the outlet section of the nozzle in a consolidated columnar rod mode. An acoustic radiation force is generated to suspend the particles and make the rod break into large quantities of small agglomerates which impact each other randomly. So the aggregation phenomenon in the fluidization of cohesive powders can be eliminated. The suspended powder is discharged continuously from the nozzle orifice owing to the self-gravities and collisions between the inner particles. The micro-feeding rates can be controlled accurately and the minimum values for RespitoseSV003 and Granulac230 are 0.4 mg/s and 0.5 mg/s respectively. The relative standard deviations of all data points are below 0.12, which is considerably smaller than those of existing vibration feeders with small capillaries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fine dissection of the tarsal tunnel in 60 cases

PubMed Central

Yang, Y.; Du, M. L.; Fu, Y. S.; Liu, W.; Xu, Q.; Chen, X.; Hao, Y. J.; Liu, Z.; Gao, M. J.

2017-01-01

The fine dissection of nerves and blood vessels in the tarsal tunnel is necessary for clinical operations to provide anatomical information. A total of 60 feet from 30 cadavers were dissected. Two imaginary reference lines that passed through the tip of the medial malleolus were applied. A detailed description of the branch pattern and the corresponding position of the posterior tibial nerve, posterior tibial artery, medial calcaneal nerve and medial calcaneal artery was provided, and the measured data were analyzed. Our results can be summarized as follows. I. A total of 81.67% of the bifurcation points of the posterior tibial nerve, which was divided into the medial and lateral plantar nerves, were located within the tarsal tunnel, not distal to the tarsal tunnel. II. The bifurcation points of the posterior tibial artery were all located in the tarsal tunnel. Almost all of the bifurcation points of the posterior tibial artery were lower than those of the posterior tibial nerve. The bifurcation point of the posterior tibial artery situated distal to the tarsal tunnel was not found. III. The number and the origin of the medial calcaneal nerves and arteries were highly variable. PMID:28398291

Research Related to Multi Degree of Freedom Magnetic Suspensions. Degree awarded by Old Dominion Univ. Aug. 1997

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Britcher, Colin; Yang, Yan

1997-01-01

This thesis covers the activities associated with (1) recommissioning of the 6-inch Magnetic Suspension and Balance System (MSBS) and (2) enhancing the Annular Suspension and Pointing System (ASPS). These activities continue the program of research in the multi degree of freedom magnetic suspension program at Old Dominion University. The 6-inch MSBS is a large gap magnetic suspension system used as a model support and balance system in wind tunnels. The first stage of recommissioning of the 6-inch MSBS for the 6-inch subsonic wind tunnel is performed. Experimental data and computational results for the magnetic field distribution of the MSBS are given and compared with the estimated magnetic field strength. The comparison indicates that the magnet system is still operating as designed. The Electromagnetic Position Sensor used in the 6-inch MSBS is analyzed before its find reinstatement. The ASPS is a small gap magnetic suspension system providing orientation, mechanical isolation and fine pointing of space payloads. The control system of the ASPS is improved by designing a new code to realize red time control over the system. The original Proportional-Derivative controller is upgraded to a Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller. This progress leads to a system which is more stable and robust with less noise. This new controller is generic and can be adapted to the 6-inch MSBS. Finally, future work on these two systems is proposed.

Relationships between fine root dynamics and nitrogen availability in Michigan northern hardwood forests

Treesearch

A. J. Burton; K. S. Pregitzer; R. L. Hendrick

2000-01-01

Minirhizotrons were used to observe fine root (≤1 mm) production, mortality, and longevity over 2 years in four sugar-maple-dominated northern hardwood forests located along a latitudinal temperature gradient. The sites also differed in N availability, allowing us to assess the relative influences of soil temperature and N availability in controlling fine...

Supernatural MSSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Guangle; Li, Tianjun; Nanopoulos, D. V.; Raza, Shabbar

2015-07-01

We point out that the electroweak fine-tuning problem in the supersymmetric standard models (SSMs) is mainly due to the high energy definition of the fine-tuning measure. We propose supernatural supersymmetry which has an order one high energy fine-tuning measure automatically. The key point is that all the mass parameters in the SSMs arise from a single supersymmetry breaking parameter. In this paper, we show that there is no supersymmetry electroweak fine-tuning problem explicitly in the minimal SSM (MSSM) with no-scale supergravity and Giudice-Masiero mechanism. We demonstrate that the Z -boson mass, the supersymmetric Higgs mixing parameter μ at the unification scale, and the sparticle spectrum can be given as functions of the universal gaugino mass M1 /2. Because the light stau is the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) in the no-scale MSSM, to preserve R parity, we introduce a non-thermally generated axino as the LSP dark matter candidate. We estimate the lifetime of the light stau by calculating its two-body and three-body decays to the LSP axino for several values of axion decay constant fa, and find that the light stau has a lifetime ττ ˜1 in [10-4,100 ] s for an fa range [109,1012] GeV . We show that our next to the LSP stau solutions are consistent with all the current experimental constraints, including the sparticle mass bounds, B-physics bounds, Higgs mass, cosmological bounds, and the bounds on long-lived charged particles at the LHC.

Solar Sail Attitude Control System for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid Scout Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orphee, Juan; Diedrich, Ben; Stiltner, Brandon; Becker, Chris; Heaton, Andrew

2017-01-01

An Attitude Control System (ACS) has been developed for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission. The NEA Scout spacecraft is a 6U cubesat with an eighty-six square meter solar sail for primary propulsion that will launch as a secondary payload on the Space Launch System (SLS) Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) and rendezvous with a target asteroid after a two year journey, and will conduct science imagery. The spacecraft ACS consists of three major actuating subsystems: a Reaction Wheel (RW) control system, a Reaction Control System (RCS), and an Active Mass Translator (AMT) system. The reaction wheels allow fine pointing and higher rates with low mass actuators to meet the science, communication, and trajectory guidance requirements. The Momentum Management System (MMS) keeps the speed of the wheels within their operating margins using a combination of solar torque and the RCS. The AMT is used to adjust the sign and magnitude of the solar torque to manage pitch and yaw momentum. The RCS is used for initial de-tumble, performing a Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM), and performing momentum management about the roll axis. The NEA Scout ACS is able to meet all mission requirements including attitude hold, slews, pointing for optical navigation and pointing for science with margin and including flexible body effects. Here we discuss the challenges and solutions of meeting NEA Scout mission requirements for the ACS design, and present a novel implementation of managing the spacecraft Center of Mass (CM) to trim the solar sail disturbance torque. The ACS we have developed has an applicability to a range of potential missions and does so in a much smaller volume than is traditional for deep space missions beyond Earth.

Carbon nanotube growth density control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delzeit, Lance D. (Inventor); Schipper, John F. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

Method and system for combined coarse scale control and fine scale control of growth density of a carbon nanotube (CNT) array on a substrate, using a selected electrical field adjacent to a substrate surface for coarse scale density control (by one or more orders of magnitude) and a selected CNT growth temperature range for fine scale density control (by multiplicative factors of less than an order of magnitude) of CNT growth density. Two spaced apart regions on a substrate may have different CNT growth densities and/or may use different feed gases for CNT growth.

Effects of cow milk versus extensive protein hydrolysate formulas on infant cognitive development.

PubMed

Mennella, Julie A; Trabulsi, Jillian C; Papas, Mia A

2016-03-01

Little research has focused on infant developmental effects, other than growth, of formulas that differ substantially in the form of protein. To examine development of infants fed formulas differing in free amino acid content, we randomized 0.5-month-old infants (n = 79) to either a control group who fed only cow milk formula (CMF) during the first 8 months (CMF8), or to one of two experimental groups: one experimental group fed extensively protein hydrolyzed formula (EHF) for 1-3 months during first 4.5 months (EHF1-3) of life, and the other fed EHF for 8 months (EHF8). The Mullen Scales of Early Learning were administered monthly from 1.5 to 8.5 months to assess fine (FM) and gross (GM) motor control, receptive (RL) and expressive (EL) language, visual reception (VR), and an early learning composite (ELC). Across the 5.5-8.5-month time period, when compared to CMF8 infants, GM scores in EHF1-3 infants averaged 1.5 points higher (95 % CI 0.1, 3.0) and in EHF8 infants 2.2 points higher (95 % CI 0.3, 4.0). Similarly, VR scores averaged 1.9 points higher (95 % CI 0.1, 3.8) in EHF1-3 infants and 2.2 points higher (95 % CI -0.2, 4.5) in EHF8 infants. EHF8 infants' RL scores averaged 1.8 points lower (95 % CI 0.1, 3.6) than CMF8 infants. These data suggest that the form of protein in infant formula may impact cognitive development and that the higher free amino acid content in breast milk may be a contributing factor to the differential cognitive development between breastfed and CMF-fed infants. clinicaltrials.gov NCT00994747.

Effectiveness of a 10-week tier-1 response to intervention program in improving fine motor and visual-motor skills in general education kindergarten students.

PubMed

Ohl, Alisha M; Graze, Hollie; Weber, Karen; Kenny, Sabrina; Salvatore, Christie; Wagreich, Sarah

2013-01-01

This study examined the efficacy of a 10-wk Tier 1 Response to Intervention (RtI) program developed in collaboration with classroom teachers to improve the fine motor and visual-motor skills of general education kindergarten students. We recruited 113 students in six elementary schools. Two general education kindergarten classrooms at each school participated in the study. Classrooms were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. Fine motor skills, pencil grip, and visual-motor integration were measured at the beginning of the school year and after the 10-wk intervention. The intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in fine motor and visual-motor skills, whereas the control group demonstrated a slight decline in both areas. Neither group demonstrated a change in pencil grip. This study provides preliminary evidence that a Tier 1 RtI program can improve fine motor and visual-motor skills in kindergarten students. Copyright © 2013 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Visual imaging capacity and imagery control in Fine Arts students.

PubMed

Pérez-Fabello, Maria José; Campos, Alfredo; Gómez-Juncal, Rocío

2007-06-01

This study investigated relationships between visual imaging abilities (imaging capacity and imagery control) and academic performance in 146 Fine Arts students (31 men, 115 women). Mean age was 22.3 yr. (SD= 1.9; range 20-26 yr.). All of the participants who volunteered for the experiment regularly attended classes and were first, second, or third year students. For evaluation of imaging abilities, the Spanish versions of the Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control, the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, the Verbalizer-Visualizer Questionnaire, and Betts' Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery were used. Academic performance was assessed in four areas, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, and Complementary Subjects, over a three-year period. The results indicate that imagery control was associated with academic performance in Fine Arts. These findings are discussed in the context of previous studies, and new lines of research are proposed.

Add-on LABA in a separate inhaler as asthma step-up therapy versus increased dose of ICS or ICS/LABA combination inhaler.

PubMed

Price, David B; Colice, Gene; Israel, Elliot; Roche, Nicolas; Postma, Dirkje S; Guilbert, Theresa W; van Aalderen, Willem M C; Grigg, Jonathan; Hillyer, Elizabeth V; Thomas, Victoria; Martin, Richard J

2016-04-01

Asthma management guidelines recommend adding a long-acting β 2 -agonist (LABA) or increasing the dose of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) as step-up therapy for patients with uncontrolled asthma on ICS monotherapy. However, it is uncertain which option works best, which ICS particle size is most effective, and whether LABA should be administered by separate or combination inhalers. This historical, matched cohort study compared asthma-related outcomes for patients (aged 12-80 years) prescribed step-up therapy as a ≥50% extrafine ICS dose increase or add-on LABA, via either a separate inhaler or a fine-particle ICS/LABA fixed-dose combination (FDC) inhaler. Risk-domain asthma control was the primary end-point in comparisons of cohorts matched for asthma severity and control during the baseline year. After 1:2 cohort matching, the increased extrafine ICS versus separate ICS+LABA cohorts included 3232 and 6464 patients, respectively, and the fine-particle ICS/LABA FDC versus separate ICS+LABA cohorts included 7529 and 15 058 patients, respectively (overall mean age 42 years; 61-62% females). Over one outcome year, adjusted OR (95% CI) for achieving asthma control were 1.25 (1.13-1.38) for increased ICS versus separate ICS+LABA and 1.06 (1.05-1.09) for ICS/LABA FDC versus separate ICS+LABA. For patients with asthma, increased dose of extrafine-particle ICS, or add-on LABA via ICS/LABA combination inhaler, is associated with significantly better outcomes than ICS+LABA via separate inhalers.

Multimodal microfluidic platform for controlled culture and analysis of unicellular organisms.

PubMed

Geng, Tao; Smallwood, Chuck R; Bredeweg, Erin L; Pomraning, Kyle R; Plymale, Andrew E; Baker, Scott E; Evans, James E; Kelly, Ryan T

2017-09-01

Modern live-cell imaging approaches permit real-time visualization of biological processes, yet limitations exist for unicellular organism isolation, culturing, and long-term imaging that preclude fully understanding how cells sense and respond to environmental perturbations and the link between single-cell variability and whole-population dynamics. Here, we present a microfluidic platform that provides fine control over the local environment with the capacity to replace media components at any experimental time point, and provides both perfused and compartmentalized cultivation conditions depending on the valve configuration. The functionality and flexibility of the platform were validated using both bacteria and yeast having different sizes, motility, and growth media. The demonstrated ability to track the growth and dynamics of both motile and non-motile prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms emphasizes the versatility of the devices, which should enable studies in bioenergy and environmental research.

Monitoring Coral Growth - the Dichotomy Between Underwater Photogrammetry and Geodetic Control Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neyer, F.; Nocerino, E.; Gruen, A.

2018-05-01

Creating 3-dimensional (3D) models of underwater scenes has become a common approach for monitoring coral reef changes and its structural complexity. Also in underwater archeology, 3D models are often created using underwater optical imagery. In this paper, we focus on the aspect of detecting small changes in the coral reef using a multi-temporal photogrammetric modelling approach, which requires a high quality control network. We show that the quality of a good geodetic network limits the direct change detection, i.e., without any further registration process. As the photogrammetric accuracy is expected to exceed the geodetic network accuracy by at least one order of magnitude, we suggest to do a fine registration based on a number of signalized points. This work is part of the Moorea Island Digital Ecosystem Avatar (IDEA) project that has been initiated in 2013 by a group of international researchers (https://mooreaidea.ethz.ch/).

Controlled flavour changing neutral couplings in two Higgs Doublet models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alves, Joao M.; Botella, Francisco J.; Branco, Gustavo C.; Cornet-Gomez, Fernando; Nebot, Miguel

2017-09-01

We propose a class of two Higgs doublet models where there are flavour changing neutral currents (FCNC) at tree level, but under control due to the introduction of a discrete symmetry in the full Lagrangian. It is shown that in this class of models, one can have simultaneously FCNC in the up and down sectors, in contrast to the situation encountered in the renormalisable and minimal flavour violating 2HDM models put forward by Branco et al. (Phys Lett B 380:119, 1996). The intensity of FCNC is analysed and it is shown that in this class of models one can respect all the strong constraints from experiment without unnatural fine-tuning. It is pointed out that the additional sources of flavour and CP violation are such that they can enhance significantly the generation of the Bbaryon asymmetry of the Universe, with respect to the standard model.

Computer-assisted 3D kinematic analysis of all leg joints in walking insects.

PubMed

Bender, John A; Simpson, Elaine M; Ritzmann, Roy E

2010-10-26

High-speed video can provide fine-scaled analysis of animal behavior. However, extracting behavioral data from video sequences is a time-consuming, tedious, subjective task. These issues are exacerbated where accurate behavioral descriptions require analysis of multiple points in three dimensions. We describe a new computer program written to assist a user in simultaneously extracting three-dimensional kinematics of multiple points on each of an insect's six legs. Digital video of a walking cockroach was collected in grayscale at 500 fps from two synchronized, calibrated cameras. We improved the legs' visibility by painting white dots on the joints, similar to techniques used for digitizing human motion. Compared to manual digitization of 26 points on the legs over a single, 8-second bout of walking (or 106,496 individual 3D points), our software achieved approximately 90% of the accuracy with 10% of the labor. Our experimental design reduced the complexity of the tracking problem by tethering the insect and allowing it to walk in place on a lightly oiled glass surface, but in principle, the algorithms implemented are extensible to free walking. Our software is free and open-source, written in the free language Python and including a graphical user interface for configuration and control. We encourage collaborative enhancements to make this tool both better and widely utilized.

Age-related differences in processing visual device and task characteristics when using technical devices.

PubMed

Oehl, M; Sutter, C

2015-05-01

With aging visual feedback becomes increasingly relevant in action control. Consequently, visual device and task characteristics should more and more affect tool use. Focussing on late working age, the present study aims to investigate age-related differences in processing task irrelevant (display size) and task relevant visual information (task difficulty). Young and middle-aged participants (20-35 and 36-64 years of age, respectively) sat in front of a touch screen with differently sized active touch areas (4″ to 12″) and performed pointing tasks with differing task difficulties (1.8-5 bits). Both display size and age affected pointing performance, but the two variables did not interact and aiming duration moderated both effects. Furthermore, task difficulty affected the pointing durations of middle-aged adults moreso than those of young adults. Again, aiming duration accounted for the variance in the data. The onset of an age-related decline in aiming duration can be clearly located in middle adulthood. Thus, the fine psychomotor ability "aiming" is a moderator and predictor for age-related differences in pointing tasks. The results support a user-specific design for small technical devices with touch interfaces. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Spectro-microscopic Characterization of Physical Properties and Phase Separations in Individual Atmospheric Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

OBrien, R. E.; Wang, B.; Neu, A.; Kelly, S. T.; Lundt, N.; Epstein, S. A.; MacMillan, A.; You, Y.; Laskin, A.; Nizkorodov, S.; Bertram, A. K.; Moffet, R.; Gilles, M.

2013-12-01

The phase state and liquid-liquid phase separations of ambient and laboratory generated aerosol particles were investigated using (1) scanning transmission x-ray microscopy/near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (STXM/NEXAFS) coupled to a relative humidity (RH) controlled in-situ chamber and (2) environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The phase states of the particles were determined from measurements of their size and optical density. A comparison is made between the observed phase states of ambient samples and of laboratory generated aerosols to determine how well laboratory samples represent the phase of ambient samples. In addition, liquid-liquid phase separations in laboratory generated particles were investigated. Preliminary results showing that liquid-liquid phase separations occur at RH's between the deliquescence and efflorescence points and that the organic phase surrounds the inorganic phase will be presented. The STXM/NEXAFS technique provides insight into the degree of mixing at the deliquescence point and the degree of phase separation for particles of atmospherically relevant sizes.

SS/RCS surface tension propellant acquisition/expulsion tankage technology program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

An evaluation of published propellant physical property data together with bubble point tests of fine-mesh screen in propellants, was conducted. The effort consisted of: (1) the collection and evaluation of pertinent physical property data for hydrazine (N2H4), monomethylhydrazine (MMH), and nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4); (2) testing to determine the effect of dissolved pressurant gas, temperature, purity, and system cleanliness or contamination on system bubble point, and (3) the compilation and publishing of both the literature and test results. The space shuttle reaction control system (SS/RCS) is a bipropellant system using N2O4 and MMH, while the auxiliary power system (SS/APU) employs monopropellant N2H4. Since both the RCS and the APU use a surface tension device for propellant acquisition, the propellant properties of interest are those which impact the design and operation of surface tension systems. Information on propellant density, viscosity, surface tension, and contact angle was collected, compiled, and evaluated.

Compliance With Point-of-Sale Tobacco Control Policies in School-Adjacent Neighborhoods in Mumbai, India.

PubMed

Mistry, Ritesh; Pimple, Sharmila; Mishra, Gauravi; Gupta, Prakash C; Pednekar, Mangesh; Ranz-Schleifer, Naomi; Shastri, Surendra

2015-09-21

Purpose . We assessed factors associated with tobacco vendor compliance with India's Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) provisions regulating tobacco sales and point-of-sale (POS) environments. Design . Study design was a cross-sectional random sample of tobacco vendors in Mumbai, India (2010). Setting . School-adjacent neighborhoods were the study setting. Subjects . Study subjects were tobacco vendors (n = 436). Measures . Face-to-face interviews, and audits of POS environments were used to assess compliance. Analysis . Factors associated with compliance were identified using logistic regression. Results . About 4% of vendors were fully compliant. Although 80% reported compliance with the ban on tobacco sales to minors, only 10% displayed signage about the ban. About 84% were compliant with the two-tobacco advertisement limit; of those displaying advertisements, 67% were compliant with size limits, 68% with content restrictions, and 8% with health warning requirements. Knowledge about fines for noncompliance was associated with compliance with the ban on sales to minors (odds ratio [OR], 2.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26, 3.56) and signage requirement (OR, 4.42; 95% CI, 1.76, 11.13). Greater compliance with the two-advertisement limit was associated with higher store income from tobacco (OR, .26; 95% CI, .09, .73) and lower neighborhood socioeconomic status (p < .01); the latter was associated with advertisement size limits compliance (p < .05). Conclusions . Compliance with COTPA provisions was low. Interventions modifying vendor knowledge about provisions and fines may increase compliance, and they should target stores that are reliant on tobacco sales.

Rapid assessment of road safety policy change: relaxation of the national speed enforcement law in Russia leads to large increases in the prevalence of speeding.

PubMed

Bhalla, Kavi; Paichadze, Nino; Gupta, Shivam; Kliavin, Vladimir; Gritsenko, Elena; Bishai, David; Hyder, Adnan A

2015-02-01

Reducing vehicle speed is among the most effective road safety strategies. We assess how a new policy in Russia that eliminates fines for driving up to 20 km/h above the speed limit has affected the prevalence of speeding. We measured speeds periodically in 13 districts of two Russian regions during 2011-2013 and analysed the effect of the policy using difference-in-differences to control for seasonality. We find that the prevalence of speeding was declining steadily but half of the gains since mid-2011 were lost immediately after the new policy. Overall speeding increased significantly by 13 percentage points (pp, 95% CI 4 to 19). Speeding more than 10 km/h above the limit increased significantly by 10 pp (95% CI 2 to 12), and extreme speeding increased but not significantly (1.7 pp, 95% CI -1.1 to 4.5). Road traffic injuries will likely increase in Russia unless speeding fines are reinstated. 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.

Estimating Anthropogenic Emissions of Hydrogen Chloride and Fine Particulate Chloride in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, X.; Wang, T.; Wang, S.; Zhang, L.

2017-12-01

Nitryl chloride (ClNO2) can significantly impact the atmospheric photochemistry via photolysis and subsequent reactions of chlorine radical with other gases. The formation of ClNO2 in the atmosphere is sensitive to the emissions of chlorine-containing particulates from oceanic and anthropogenic sources. For China, the only available anthropogenic chlorine emission inventory was compiled for the year 1990 with a coarse resolution of 1 degree. In this study, we developed an up-to-date anthropogenic inventory of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and fine particulate chloride (Cl-) emissions in China for the year 2014, including coal burning, industrial processes, biomass burning and waste burning. Bottom-up and top-down methodologies were combined. Detailed local data (e.g. Cl content in coal, control technologies, etc.) were collected and applied. In order to improve the spatial resolution of emissions, detailed point source information were collected for coal-fired power plants, cement factories, iron & steel factories and waste incineration factories. Uncertainties of this emission inventory and their major causes were analyzed using the Monte Carlo method. This work enables better quantification of the ClNO2 production and impact over China.

Functional MRI evidence for fine motor praxis dysfunction in children with persistent speech disorders

PubMed Central

Redle, Erin; Vannest, Jennifer; Maloney, Thomas; Tsevat, Rebecca K.; Eikenberry, Sarah; Lewis, Barbara; Shriberg, Lawrence D.; Tkach, Jean; Holland, Scott K.

2014-01-01

Children with persistent speech disorders (PSD) often present with overt or subtle motor deficits; the possibility that speech disorders and motor deficits could arise from a shared neurological base is currently unknown. Functional MRI (fMRI) was used to examine the brain networks supporting fine motor praxis in children with PSD and without clinically identified fine motor deficits. Methods This case-control study included 12 children with PSD (mean age 7.42 years, 4 female) and 12 controls (mean age 7.44 years, 4 female). Children completed behavioral evaluations using standardized motor assessments and parent reported functional measures. During fMRI scanning, participants completed a cued finger tapping task contrasted passive listening. A general linear model approach identified brain regions associated with finger tapping in each group and regions that differed between groups. The relationship between regional fMRI activation and fine motor skill was assessed using a regression analysis. Results Children with PSD had significantly poorer results for rapid speech production and fine motor praxis skills, but did not differ on classroom functional skills. Functional MRI results showed that children with PSD had significantly more activation in the cerebellum during finger tapping. Positive correlations between performance on a fine motor praxis test and activation multiple cortical regions were noted for children with PSD but not for controls. Conclusions Over-activation in the cerebellum during a motor task may reflect a subtle abnormality in the non-speech motor neural circuitry in children with PSD. PMID:25481413

Role of mutual punishment in the snowdrift game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Han-Xin; Wang, Zhen

2015-09-01

The effects of punishment on cooperation have drawn increasing attention. In this paper, we propose a new mechanism of punishment, in which an individual will punish each neighbor if their strategies are different, and vice versa. We incorporate the mutual punishment into the snowdrift game. Results for well-mixed and structured populations have shown that, for no punishment or small values of punishment fine, the fraction of cooperators continuously decreases with the temptation to defect. However, for large values of punishment fine, there exists an abrupt transition point, at which the fraction of cooperators suddenly drops from 1 to 0. Compared to no punishment, mutual punishment promotes cooperation when the temptation to defect is small but inhibits cooperation when the temptation to defect is large. For weak (strong) temptation to defect, the cooperation level increases (decreases) with the punishment fine. For moderate temptation to defect, there exists an optimal value of the punishment fine that leads to the highest cooperation level.

Congenital amusia: a cognitive disorder limited to resolved harmonics and with no peripheral basis.

PubMed

Cousineau, Marion; Oxenham, Andrew J; Peretz, Isabelle

2015-01-01

Pitch plays a fundamental role in audition, from speech and music perception to auditory scene analysis. Congenital amusia is a neurogenetic disorder that appears to affect primarily pitch and melody perception. Pitch is normally conveyed by the spectro-temporal fine structure of low harmonics, but some pitch information is available in the temporal envelope produced by the interactions of higher harmonics. Using 10 amusic subjects and 10 matched controls, we tested the hypothesis that amusics suffer exclusively from impaired processing of spectro-temporal fine structure. We also tested whether the inability of amusics to process acoustic temporal fine structure extends beyond pitch by measuring sensitivity to interaural time differences, which also rely on temporal fine structure. Further tests were carried out on basic intensity and spectral resolution. As expected, pitch perception based on spectro-temporal fine structure was impaired in amusics; however, no significant deficits were observed in amusics' ability to perceive the pitch conveyed via temporal-envelope cues. Sensitivity to interaural time differences was also not significantly different between the amusic and control groups, ruling out deficits in the peripheral coding of temporal fine structure. Finally, no significant differences in intensity or spectral resolution were found between the amusic and control groups. The results demonstrate a pitch-specific deficit in fine spectro-temporal information processing in amusia that seems unrelated to temporal or spectral coding in the auditory periphery. These results are consistent with the view that there are distinct mechanisms dedicated to processing resolved and unresolved harmonics in the general population, the former being altered in congenital amusia while the latter is spared. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kinematic performance of fine motor control in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: the effects of comorbid developmental coordination disorder and core symptoms.

PubMed

Lee, I-Ching; Chen, Yung-Jung; Tsai, Chin-Liang

2013-02-01

The aims of this study were: (i) to determine whether differences exist in the fine motor fluency and flexibility of three groups (children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], children in whom ADHD is comorbid with developmental coordination disorder [DCD] [denoted as ADHD+DCD], and a typically developing control group); and (ii) to clarify whether the degree of severity of core symptoms affects performance. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, the Beery-Buktenica Development Test of Visual-Motor Integration and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children were used as prescreening tests. The Integrated Visual and Auditory+Plus test was utilized to assess subjects' attention. The redesigned fine motor tracking and pursuit tasks were administered to evaluate subjects' fine motor performance. No significant difference was found when comparing the performance of the Children with ADHD and the typically developing group. Significant differences existed between children in whom ADHD is comorbid with DCD and typically developing children. Children with ADHD demonstrated proper fine motor fluency and flexibility, and deficient performance occurred when ADHD was comorbid with developmental coordination disorder. Children with ADHD had more difficulty implementing closed-loop movements that required higher levels of cognitive processing than those of their typically developing peers. Also, deficits in fine motor control were more pronounced when ADHD was combined with movement coordination problems. The severity of core symptoms had a greater effect on children with ADHD's fine motor flexibility than did fluency performance. In children with pure ADHD, unsmooth movement performance was highly related to the severity of core symptoms. © 2012 The Authors. Pediatrics International © 2012 Japan Pediatric Society.

Laboratory Investigation on the Effects of Natural Fine Aggregates and Recycled Waste Tire Rubber in Pervious Concrete to Develop More Sustainable Pavement Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonicelli, Alessandra; Fuentes, Luis G.; Khalil Dawd Bermejo, Ibrahim

2017-10-01

Pervious concrete pavement is a recognized sustainable solution for urban roads. To enhance mechanical properties of pervious concrete material, in order to allow wider use of this technology, a lot of studies are going on all over the world. The use of a little percentage of fine aggregates is proven to increase the material resistance without an excessive reduction of permeability. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of replacing the fine virgin aggregates with r cycled tire rubber. 14 different mixes were analysed in terms of indirect tensile strength resistance, void content and density. Two different dimensions of crumb rubber were studied, as well as two different dosages, which were applied to different no-fine control mixes. All results were compared with the same control mixes containing natural fine aggregate. The mixes had a fixed granulometric curve but varied in water/cement ratio; this in order to evaluate the effect of recycled rubber depending to w/c ratio of the mix. An image analysis was also conducted to verify the rubber distribution in the mixture and the cracking surfaces. The experimental analysis showed that a correct proportioning of fine sand significantly increased the strength of the material. Moreover, the use of recycled waste tire rubber, gave interesting improvements respect to the no-fine control mixes, even though the developed resistance was lower respect to mixes containing mineral sand. This result was expected because of the cementing property of mineral sand. Although, the important result was that it was possible to use waste tire rubber in pervious concrete, with an appropriate dosage and granular dimension, for increasing the performance of traditional mix design, in order to achieve pavement materials more and more sustainable.

The minimal SUSY B - L model: from the unification scale to the LHC

DOE PAGES

Ovrut, Burt A.; Purves, Austin; Spinner, Sogee

2015-06-26

Here, this paper introduces a random statistical scan over the high-energy initial parameter space of the minimal SUSY B - L model — denoted as the B - L MSSM. Each initial set of points is renormalization group evolved to the electroweak scale — being subjected, sequentially, to the requirement of radiative B - L and electroweak symmetry breaking, the present experimental lower bounds on the B - L vector boson and sparticle masses, as well as the lightest neutral Higgs mass of ~125 GeV. The subspace of initial parameters that satisfies all such constraints is presented, shown to bemore » robust and to contain a wide range of different configurations of soft supersymmetry breaking masses. The low-energy predictions of each such “valid” point — such as the sparticle mass spectrum and, in particular, the LSP — are computed and then statistically analyzed over the full subspace of valid points. Finally, the amount of fine-tuning required is quantified and compared to the MSSM computed using an identical random scan. The B - L MSSM is shown to generically require less fine-tuninng.« less

Fine motor skills in a population of children in remote Australia with high levels of prenatal alcohol exposure and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Doney, Robyn; Lucas, Barbara R; Watkins, Rochelle E; Tsang, Tracey W; Sauer, Kay; Howat, Peter; Latimer, Jane; Fitzpatrick, James P; Oscar, June; Carter, Maureen; Elliott, Elizabeth J

2017-11-21

Many children in the remote Fitzroy Valley region of Western Australia have prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Individuals with PAE can have neurodevelopmental impairments and be diagnosed with one of several types of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Fine motor skills can be impaired by PAE, but no studies have developed a comprehensive profile of fine motor skills in a population-based cohort of children with FASD. We aimed to develop a comprehensive profile of fine motor skills in a cohort of Western Australian children; determine whether these differed in children with PAE or FASD; and establish the prevalence of impairment. Children (n = 108, 7 to 9 years) were participants in a population-prevalence study of FASD in Western Australia. Fine motor skills were assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, which provided a Fine Motor Composite score, and evaluated Fine Manual Control (Fine Motor Precision; Fine Motor Integration) and Manual Coordination (Manual Dexterity; Upper-Limb Coordination). Descriptive statistics were reported for the overall cohort; and comparisons made between children with and without PAE and/or FASD. The prevalence of severe (≤ 2nd percentile) and moderate (≤16th percentile) impairments was determined. Overall, Fine Motor Composite scores were 'average' (M = 48.6 ± 7.4), as were Manual Coordination (M = 55.7 ± 7.9) and Fine Manual Control scores (M = 42.5 ± 6.2). Children with FASD had significantly lower Fine Motor Composite (M = 45.2 ± 7.7 p = 0.046) and Manual Coordination scores (M = 51.8 ± 7.3, p = 0.027) than children without PAE (Fine Motor Composite M = 49.8 ± 7.2; Manual Coordination M = 57.0 ± 7.7). Few children had severe impairment, but rates of moderate impairment were very high. Different types of fine motor skills should be evaluated in children with PAE or FASD. The high prevalence of fine motor impairment in our cohort, even in children without PAE, highlights the need for therapeutic intervention for many children in remote communities.

Evidence of soil nutrient availability as the proximate constraint on growth of treeline trees in northwest Alaska.

PubMed

Sullivan, Patrick F; Ellison, Sarah B Z; McNown, Robert W; Brownlee, Annalis H; Sveinbjörnsson, Bjartmar

2015-03-01

The position of the Arctic treeline, which is a key regulator of surface energy exchange and carbon cycling, is widely thought to be controlled by temperature. Here, we present evidence that soil nutrient availability, rather than temperature, may be the proximate control on growth of treeline trees at our study site in northwest Alaska. We examined constraints on growth and allocation of white spruce in three contrasting habitats. The habitats had similar aboveground climates, but soil temperature declined from the riverside terrace to the forest to the treeline. We identified six lines of evidence that conflict with the hypothesis of direct temperature control and/or point to the importance of soil nutrient availability. First, the magnitude of aboveground growth declined from the terrace to the forest to the treeline, along gradients of diminishing soil nitrogen (N) availability and needle N concentration. Second, peak rates of branch extension, main stem radial and fine-root growth were generally not coincident with seasonal air and soil temperature maxima. At the treeline, in particular, rates of aboveground and fine-root growth declined well before air and soil temperatures reached their seasonal peaks. Third, in contrast with the hypothesis of temperature-limited growth, growing season average net photosynthesis was positively related to the sum of normalized branch extension, main stem radial and fine-root growth across trees and sites. Fourth, needle nonstructural carbohydrate concentration was significantly higher on the terrace, where growth was greatest. Fifth, annual branch extension growth was positively related to snow depth, consistent with the hypothesis that deeper snow promotes microbial activity and greater soil nutrient availability. Finally, the tree ring record revealed a large growth increase during late 20th-century climate warming on the terrace, where soil N availability is relatively high. Meanwhile, trees in the forest and at the treeline showed progressively smaller growth increases. Our results suggest temperature effects on tree growth at our study sites may be mediated by soil nutrient availability, making responses to climate change more complex and our ability to interpret the tree ring record more challenging than previously thought.

A Time-Domain CMOS Oscillator-Based Thermostat with Digital Set-Point Programming

PubMed Central

Chen, Chun-Chi; Lin, Shih-Hao

2013-01-01

This paper presents a time-domain CMOS oscillator-based thermostat with digital set-point programming [without a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) or external resistor] to achieve on-chip thermal management of modern VLSI systems. A time-domain delay-line-based thermostat with multiplexers (MUXs) was used to substantially reduce the power consumption and chip size, and can benefit from the performance enhancement due to the scaling down of fabrication processes. For further cost reduction and accuracy enhancement, this paper proposes a thermostat using two oscillators that are suitable for time-domain curvature compensation instead of longer linear delay lines. The final time comparison was achieved using a time comparator with a built-in custom hysteresis to generate the corresponding temperature alarm and control. The chip size of the circuit was reduced to 0.12 mm2 in a 0.35-μm TSMC CMOS process. The thermostat operates from 0 to 90 °C, and achieved a fine resolution better than 0.05 °C and an improved inaccuracy of ± 0.6 °C after two-point calibration for eight packaged chips. The power consumption was 30 μW at a sample rate of 10 samples/s. PMID:23385403

Tool mark striations in pig skin produced by stabs from a serrated blade.

PubMed

Pounder, Derrick J; Bhatt, Shivani; Cormack, Lesley; Hunt, Bill A C

2011-03-01

Stab wounds produced by serrated blades are generally indistinguishable from stab wounds produced by non-serrated blades, except when visible tool mark striations are left on severed cartilage. Using a pig-skin experimental model, we explored the possibility that similar striations may be left in skin. Stabs into pig skin were made using a straight spine coarsely serrated blade (121), a drop point finely serrated blade (20), a clip point irregular coarsely serrated blade (20), a drop point coarsely serrated blade (15), and as controls 2 non-serrated blades (40). Tool mark striations could be seen on the skin wall of the stab canal in all stabs made using serrated blades but in none with non-serrated blades.The striation pattern, reflecting the class characteristics of the serrated blade, was the same as that described in cartilage but less well defined. Fixation of the specimen with Carnoy's solution best preserved visible striations, and fixation with formaldehyde after staining with 5% Neutral Red was also satisfactory. Casting with vinyl polysiloxane dental impression material greatly facilitated photo-documentation. Applying the technique to homicidal stabbings may help identify stab wounds produced with serrated blades.

Comprehension of handwriting development: Pen-grip kinetics in handwriting tasks and its relation to fine motor skills among school-age children.

PubMed

Lin, Yu-Chen; Chao, Yen-Li; Wu, Shyi-Kuen; Lin, Ho-Hsio; Hsu, Chieh-Hsiang; Hsu, Hsiao-Man; Kuo, Li-Chieh

2017-10-01

Numerous tools have been developed to evaluate handwriting performances by analysing written products. However, few studies have directly investigated kinetic performances of digits when holding a pen. This study thus attempts to investigate pen-grip kinetics during writing tasks of school-age children and explore the relationship between the kinetic factors and fine motor skills. This study recruited 181 children aged from 5 to 12 years old and investigated the effects of age on handwriting kinetics and the relationship between these and fine motor skills. The forces applied from the digits and pen-tip were measured during writing tasks via a force acquisition pen, and the children's fine motor performances were also evaluated. The results indicate that peak force and average force might not be direct indicators of handwriting performance for normally developing children at this age. Younger children showed larger force variation and lower adjustment frequency during writing, which might indicate they had poorer force control than the older children. Force control when handling a pen is significantly correlated with fine motor performance, especially in relation to the manual dexterity. A novel system is proposed for analysing school-age children's force control while handwriting. We observed the development of force control in relation to pen grip among the children with different ages in this study. The findings suggested that manipulation skill may be crucial when children are establishing their handwriting capabilities. © 2017 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Improvements of the Ray-Tracing Based Method Calculating Hypocentral Loci for Earthquake Location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, A. H.

2014-12-01

Hypocentral loci are very useful to reliable and visual earthquake location. However, they can hardly be analytically expressed when the velocity model is complex. One of methods numerically calculating them is based on a minimum traveltime tree algorithm for tracing rays: a focal locus is represented in terms of ray paths in its residual field from the minimum point (namely initial point) to low residual points (referred as reference points of the focal locus). The method has no restrictions on the complexity of the velocity model but still lacks the ability of correctly dealing with multi-segment loci. Additionally, it is rather laborious to set calculation parameters for obtaining loci with satisfying completeness and fineness. In this study, we improve the ray-tracing based numerical method to overcome its advantages. (1) Reference points of a hypocentral locus are selected from nodes of the model cells that it goes through, by means of a so-called peeling method. (2) The calculation domain of a hypocentral locus is defined as such a low residual area that its connected regions each include one segment of the locus and hence all the focal locus segments are respectively calculated with the minimum traveltime tree algorithm for tracing rays by repeatedly assigning the minimum residual reference point among those that have not been traced as an initial point. (3) Short ray paths without branching are removed to make the calculated locus finer. Numerical tests show that the improved method becomes capable of efficiently calculating complete and fine hypocentral loci of earthquakes in a complex model.

Fining of Red Wine Monitored by Multiple Light Scattering.

PubMed

Ferrentino, Giovanna; Ramezani, Mohsen; Morozova, Ksenia; Hafner, Daniela; Pedri, Ulrich; Pixner, Konrad; Scampicchio, Matteo

2017-07-12

This work describes a new approach based on multiple light scattering to study red wine clarification processes. The whole spectral signal (1933 backscattering points along the length of each sample vial) were fitted by a multivariate kinetic model that was built with a three-step mechanism, implying (1) adsorption of wine colloids to fining agents, (2) aggregation into larger particles, and (3) sedimentation. Each step is characterized by a reaction rate constant. According to the first reaction, the results showed that gelatin was the most efficient fining agent, concerning the main objective, which was the clarification of the wine, and consequently the increase in its limpidity. Such a trend was also discussed in relation to the results achieved by nephelometry, total phenols, ζ-potential, color, sensory, and electronic nose analyses. Also, higher concentrations of the fining agent (from 5 to 30 g/100 L) or higher temperatures (from 10 to 20 °C) sped up the process. Finally, the advantage of using the whole spectral signal vs classical univariate approaches was demonstrated by comparing the uncertainty associated with the rate constants of the proposed kinetic model. Overall, multiple light scattering technique showed a great potential for studying fining processes compared to classical univariate approaches.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-03

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo is an overview of the MSFC Payload Control Room (PCR).

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-02

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activity at the Operations Control Facility during the mission as Dr. Urban and Paul Whitehouse give a “thumbs up”.

Landscape capability predicts upland game bird abundance and occurrence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loman, Zachary G.; Blomberg, Erik J.; DeLuca, William; Harrison, Daniel J.; Loftin, Cyndy; Wood, Petra B.

2017-01-01

Landscape capability (LC) models are a spatial tool with potential applications in conservation planning. We used survey data to validate LC models as predictors of occurrence and abundance at broad and fine scales for American woodcock (Scolopax minor) and ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus). Landscape capability models were reliable predictors of occurrence but were less indicative of relative abundance at route (11.5–14.6 km) and point scales (0.5–1 km). As predictors of occurrence, LC models had high sensitivity (0.71–0.93) and were accurate (0.71–0.88) and precise (0.88 and 0.92 for woodcock and grouse, respectively). Models did not predict point-scale abundance independent of the ability to predict occurrence of either species. The LC models are useful predictors of patterns of occurrences in the northeastern United States, but they have limited utility as predictors of fine-scale or route-specific abundances. 

Thermocouple design for measuring temperatures of small insects.

PubMed

Hanson, A A; Venette, R C

2013-01-01

Contact thermocouples often are used to measure surface body temperature changes of insects during cold exposure. However, small temperature changes of minute insects can be difficult to detect, particularly during the measurement of supercooling points. We developed two thermocouple designs, which use 0.51 mm diameter or 0.127 mm diameter copper-constantan wires, to improve our ability to resolve insect exotherms. We tested the designs with adults from three parasitoid species: Tetrastichus planipennisi, Spathius agrili, and S. floridanus. These species are <3 mm long and <0.1 mg. Mean exotherms were greater for fine-gauge thermocouples than thick-gauge thermocouples for the smallest species tested, T. planipennisi. This difference was not apparent for larger species S. agrili and S. floridanus. Thermocouple design did not affect the mean supercooling point for any of the species. The cradle thermocouple design developed with the fine gauge wire was reusable and allowed for easy insect recovery after cold exposure.

A study on the relationship between mass concentrations, chemistry and number size distribution of urban fine aerosols in Milan, Barcelona and London

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez, S.; van Dingenen, R.; Putaud, J.-P.; Dell'Acqua, A.; Pey, J.; Querol, X.; Alastuey, A.; Chenery, S.; Ho, K.-F.; Harrison, R. M.; Tardivo, R.; Scarnato, B.; Gianelle, V.

2007-01-01

A physicochemical characterization of the urban fine aerosol (aerosol number size distribution, chemical composition and mass concentrations) in Milan, Barcelona and London is presented in this article. The objective is to obtain a comprehensive picture on the involvement of the microphysical processes of the aerosol dynamic in the: 1) regular evolution of the urban aerosol (daily, weekly and seasonal basis) and in the day-to-day variations (from clean-air to pollution-events), and 2) link between "aerosol chemistry and mass concentrations" with the "number size distribution". The mass concentrations of the fine PM2.5 aerosol exhibit a high correlation with the number concentration of particles >100 nm (which only accounts for <20% of the total number concentration N of fine aerosols) and do not correlate with the number of particles <100 nm ("ultrafine particles", which accounts for >80% of fine particles). Organic matter (OM) and black-carbon (BC) are the only aerosol components showing a significant correlation with ultrafine particles (attributed to vehicles emissions), whereas ammonium-nitrate, ammonium-sulphate and also OM and BC correlate with N>100(nm) (attributed to gas-to-particle transformation mechanisms and some primary emissions). Time series of the aerosol DpN diameter (dN/dlogD mode), mass PM2.5 concentrations and number N>100(nm) concentrations, exhibit correlated day-to-day variations which point to a significant involvement of condensation of semi-volatile compounds during urban pollution events. This agrees with the fact that ammonium-nitrate is the component exhibiting the highest increases from mid-to-high pollution episodes, when the highest DpN increases are observed. The results indicates that "fine PM2.5 particles urban pollution events" tend to occur when condensation processes have made particles grow enough to produce significant concentrations of N>100(nm). In contrast, because the low contribution of ultrafine particles to the fine aerosol mass concentrations, high "ultrafine particles N<100(nm) events" frequently occurs under low PM2.5 conditions. The data of this study point that vehicles emissions are strongly involved in this ultrafine particles aerosol pollution (for example, the "morning-rush-hours to nocturnal-background" concentrations ratio is 1.5-2.5 for "particles 10-100 nm" and <1.5 for both "particle >100 nm and PM2.5").

Monitoring Sediment Size Distributions in a Regulated Gravel-Bed Coastal Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, M. D.; Lewis, J.; Andrew, G.

2014-12-01

Lagunitas Creek drains 282 km2 in coastal Marin County, California. The watershed contains water supply reservoirs, urban areas, parks and habitat for threatened species (e.g. coho salmon). Water quality is impaired by excess fine sediment, and a plan to improve water quality (i.e. TMDL) was adopted by State authorities in 2014. The TMDL asserts changes in sediment delivery, transport, and storage contributed to the decline of coho. A sediment source analysis found a 2x increase in sediment supply. Concentrations of sand and fine gravel in the channel are elevated and, during high flows, more mobile. The Federal Coho Salmon Recovery Plan (2012) describes sediment conditions affecting coho habitat as "fair". Reservoir managers were directed by the State in 1995 to reduce sedimentation and improve riparian vegetation and woody debris to improve fish habitat. Prior sediment monitoring found variability related primarily to intense winter runoff without identifying clear trends. A new sediment monitoring program was implemented in 2012 for ongoing quantification of sediment conditions. The goal of monitoring is to determine with specified statistical certainty changes in sediment conditions over time and variation among reaches throughout the watershed. Conditions were compared in 3 reaches of Lagunitas Cr. and 2 tributaries. In each of the 5 channel reaches, 4 shorter reaches were sampled in a systematic grid comprised of 30 cross-channel transects spaced at intervals of 1/2 bankfull width and 10 sample points per transect; n=1200 in 5 channel reaches. Sediment diameter class (one clast), sediment facies (a patch descriptor), and habitat type were observed at each point. Fine sediment depth was measured by probing the thickness of the deposit, providing a means to estimate total volume of fine sediment and a measure of rearing habitat occupied by fine sediment (e.g. V*). Sub-surface sediment samples were collected and analyzed for size distribution at two scales: a larger sample of a spawning site in each sample reach and 20 smaller sub-samples of fine sediment facies. These data provide a robust description of streambed sediment conditions (e.g. % < 1 mm) expected to vary systematically across the watershed (e.g. fining downstream) and over time in response to management of watershed resources.

[Methodical problems of monitoring of fine particulate matters in atmospheric air of residential areas].

PubMed

Karelin, A O; Lomtev, A Yu; Mozzhukhina, N A; Yeremin, G B; Nikonov, V A

Inhalation of fine particulate matters (PM and PM ) poses a threat for the health of population. Purpose of the study the analysis of the monitoring of fine particulate matters in the atmospheric air of Saint-Petersburg and identification of the main problems of the monitoring. Research methods methods of scientific hypothetical deductive cognition, sanitary-statistical methods, general logical methods and approaches of researches: analysis, synthesis, abstracting, generalization, induction. Results. The article represents the analysis of the monitoring of fine particulate matters in the atmospheric air of Saint- Petersburg. Only 11 in automatic monitoring stations out of 22 there is carried out the control of fine particulate matters: in 7 - PM and PM, and in 4 - PM The average year concentrations were below MAC in all the stations. The maximum concentrations achieved 3 MAC, but the repeatance of cases of exceedence of concentrations more than MAC was very rare. On the average of the city concentrations of PM were decreased from 0,8 MAC in 2006 and 1,1 MAC in 2007 to 0,5 MAC in 2013-14. The executed analysis revealed main problems of the monitoring of fine particulate matters in the Russian Federation. They include the absence of the usage 1of the officially approved methods of controlling of PM and PM in the atmospheric air until March 1, 2016, lack of the modern equipment for measurement of fine particulate matters. Conclusions. Therefore, the state of the monitoring of fine particulate matters in the atmospheric air in the Russian Federation fails to be satisfactory. It is necessary to improve system of the monitoring, create modern Russian appliances, methods and means for measurement of fine particulate matters concentrations in the atmospheric air.

Randomized controlled trial on the effects of CCTV training on quality of life, depression, and adaptation to vision loss.

PubMed

Burggraaff, Marloes C; van Nispen, Ruth M A; Knol, Dirk L; Ringens, Peter J; van Rens, Ger H M B

2012-06-14

In addition to performance-based measures, vision-related quality of life (QOL) and other subjective measures of psychosocial functioning are considered important outcomes of training in the visually impaired. In a multicenter, masked, randomized controlled trial, subjective effects of training in the use of closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) were investigated. Patients (n = 122) were randomized either to a treatment group that received usual delivery instructions from the supplier combined with concise outpatient training, or to a control group that received delivery instructions only. Subjective outcomes were the low vision quality-of-life questionnaire (LVQOL), EuroQOL 5 dimensions, adaptation to age-related vision loss (AVL), and the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression scales. Linear mixed models were used to investigate treatment effects. Differential effects of patient characteristics were studied by implementing higher order interactions into the models. From baseline to follow-up, all patients perceived significantly less problems on the reading and fine work dimension (-28.8 points; P < 0.001) and the adaptation dimension (-4.67 points; P = 0.04) of the LVQOL. However, no treatment effect was found based on the intention-to-treat analysis. This study demonstrated the effect of receiving and using a CCTV on two vision-related QOL dimensions; however, outpatient training in the use of CCTVs had no additional value. (trialregister.nl number, NTR1031.).

Balloon Exoplanet Nulling Interferometer (BENI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Woodruff, Robert A.; Vasudevan, Gopal; Ford, Holland; Petro, Larry; Herman, Jay; Rinehart, Stephen; Carpenter, Kenneth; Marzouk, Joe

2009-01-01

We evaluate the feasibility of using a balloon-borne nulling interferometer to detect and characterize exosolar planets and debris disks. The existing instrument consists of a 3-telescope Fizeau imaging interferometer with 3 fast steering mirrors and 3 delay lines operating at 800 Hz for closed-loop control of wavefront errors and fine pointing. A compact visible nulling interferometer is under development which when coupled to the imaging interferometer would in-principle allow deep suppression of starlight. We have conducted atmospheric simulations of the environment above 100,000 feet and believe balloons are a feasible path forward towards detection and characterization of a limited set of exoplanets and their debris disks. Herein we will discuss the BENI instrument, the balloon environment and the feasibility of such as mission.

The PI3K Pathway Balances Self-Renewal and Differentiation of Nephron Progenitor Cells through β-Catenin Signaling

PubMed Central

Lindström, Nils Olof; Carragher, Neil Oliver; Hohenstein, Peter

2015-01-01

Summary Nephron progenitor cells differentiate to form nephrons during embryonic kidney development. In contrast, self-renewal maintains progenitor numbers and premature depletion leads to impaired kidney function. Here we analyze the PI3K pathway as a point of convergence for the multiple pathways that are known to control self-renewal in the kidney. We demonstrate that a reduction in PI3K signaling triggers premature differentiation of the progenitors and activates a differentiation program that precedes the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition through ectopic activation of the β-catenin pathway. Therefore, the combined output of PI3K and other pathways fine-tunes the balance between self-renewal and differentiation in nephron progenitors. PMID:25754203

Multimodal Microchannel and Nanowell-Based Microfluidic Platforms for Bioimaging

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

Geng, Tao; Smallwood, Chuck R.; Zhu, Ying

2017-03-30

Modern live-cell imaging approaches permit real-time visualization of biological processes. However, limitations for unicellular organism trapping, culturing and long-term imaging can preclude complete understanding of how such microorganisms respond to perturbations in their local environment or linking single-cell variability to whole population dynamics. We have developed microfluidic platforms to overcome prior technical bottlenecks to allow both chemostat and compartmentalized cellular growth conditions using the same device. Additionally, a nanowell-based platform enables a high throughput approach to scale up compartmentalized imaging optimized within the microfluidic device. These channel and nanowell platforms are complementary, and both provide fine control over the localmore » environment as well as the ability to add/replace media components at any experimental time point.« less

Pointing control system design and performance evaluation of TPF coronagraph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Kuo-Chia; Blaurock, Carl; Mosier, Gary E.

2004-09-01

The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) project aims to detect and characterize extra-solar Earth-like planets. The coronagraph telescope is one of the two mission concepts being studied. To reject the star flux and detect the planet flux in the visible light range, the coronagraph telescope must achieve a rejection ratio on the order of a billion to one. Dynamic jitter, introduced by environmental and on-board mechanical disturbances, degrades the optical performance, as characterized primarily by contrast ratio. The feasibility of using passive vibration isolation combined with active attitude and line-of-sight (LOS) control systems to stabilize the spacecraft and the optical components to the requisite level is being studied. The telescope is also required to slew between targets or rotate around the LOS. The slew mode control law must be designed to balance the need for efficient large-angle maneuvers while simultaneously avoiding the excitation of flexible modes in order to minimize settling time. This paper provides an overview of the current control design concept and sensor/actuator topology for TPF Coronagraph and illustrates the fine pointing performance of the telescope. This performance is primarily a function of the rejection of high-frequency dynamic disturbances, in this case due to reaction wheel disturbance forces/torques transmitted through the passive isolation stage. Trade studies between isolator force rejection and disturbance level reduction via wheel redesign are also presented to illustrate the requirements imposed on current technologies. Finally, the paper summarizes preliminary results on the slew/settle performance of the telescope.

Melt Adsorption as a Manufacturing Method for Fine Particles of Wax Matrices without Any Agglomerates.

PubMed

Shiino, Kai; Fujinami, Yukari; Kimura, Shin-Ichiro; Iwao, Yasunori; Noguchi, Shuji; Itai, Shigeru

2017-01-01

We have focused on melt adsorption as manufacture method of wax matrices to control particles size of granules more easily than melt granulation. The purpose of present study was to investigate the possibility of identifying a hydrophobic material with a low melting point, currently used as a meltable binder of melt granulation, to apply as a novel carrier in melt adsorption. Glyceryl monostearate (GM) and stearic acid (SA) were selected as candidate hydrophobic materials with low melting points. Neusilin US2 (US2), with a particle diameter of around 100 µm was selected as a surface adsorbent, while dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD), was used as a non-adsorbent control to prepare melting granules as a standard for comparison. We prepared granules containing ibuprofen (IBU) by melt adsorption or melt granulation and evaluated the particle size, physical properties and crystallinity of granules. Compared with melt granulation using DCPD, melt adsorption can be performed over a wide range of 14 to 70% for the ratio of molten components. Moreover, the particle size; d50 of obtained granules was 100-200 µm, and these physical properties showed good flowability and roundness. The process of melt adsorption did not affect the crystalline form of IBU. Therefore, the present study has demonstrated for the first time that melt adsorption using a hydrophobic material, GM or SA, has the potential capability to control the particle size of granules and offers the possibility of application as a novel controlled release technique.

Effects of cafestol and kahweol from coffee grounds on serum lipids and serum liver enzymes in humans.

PubMed

Urgert, R; Schulz, A G; Katan, M B

1995-01-01

The diterpenes cafestol and kahweol are present in unfiltered coffee in oil droplets and floating fines. They elevate serum cholesterol and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). We measured fines in coffee brews, and examined diterpene availability from spent grounds in healthy volunteers. Turkish or Scandinavian boiled coffee contained 2-5 g fines/L and French press coffee contained 1.5 g fines/L. An intake of 8 g fine grounds/d for 3 wk increased cholesterol by 0.65 mmol/L (95% CI 0.41-0.89 mmol/L) and ALT by 18 U/L (95% CI 4-32 U/L) relative to control subjects (n = 7/group). In a crossover study (n = 15), mean serum cholesterol was 4.9 mmol/L after consumption of both fine and coarse grounds for 10 d (P = 0.43). Serum ALT activities were 29 U/L on fine and 21 U/L on coarse grounds (P = 0.02). Floating fines could contribute substantially to the hyperlipidemic and ALT-elevating effect of unfiltered coffee. Diterpene measurements in coffee brews should include the contribution of fines.

Recognition of strong seasonality and climatic cyclicity in an ancient, fluvially dominated, tidally influenced point bar: Middle McMurray Formation, Lower Steepbank River, north-eastern Alberta, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jablonski, Bryce V. J.; Dalrymple, Robert W.

2016-04-01

Inclined heterolithic stratification in the Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation, exposed along the Steepbank River in north-eastern Alberta, Canada, accumulated on point bars of a 30 to 40 m deep continental-scale river in the fluvial-marine transition. This inclined heterolithic stratification consists of two alternating lithologies, sand and fine-grained beds. Sand beds were deposited rapidly by unidirectional currents and contain little or no bioturbation. Fine-grained beds contain rare tidal structures, and are intensely bioturbated by low-diversity ichnofossil assemblages. The alternations between the sand and fine-grained beds are probably caused by strong variations in fluvial discharge; that are believed to be seasonal (probably annual) in duration. The sand beds accumulated during river floods, under fluvially dominated conditions when the water was fresh, whereas the fine-grained beds accumulated during the late stages of the river flood and deposition continued under tidally influenced brackish-water conditions during times of low-river flow (i.e. the interflood periods). These changes reflect the annual migration in the positions of the tidal and salinity limits within the fluvial-marine transition that result from changes in river discharge. Sand and fine-grained beds are cyclically organized in the studied outcrops forming metre-scale cycles. A single metre-scale cycle is defined by a sharp base, an upward decrease in sand-bed thickness and upward increases in the preservation of fine-grained beds and the intensity of bioturbation. Metre-scale cycles are interpreted to be the product of a longer term (decadal) cyclicity in fluvial discharge, probably caused by fluctuations in ocean or solar dynamics. The volumetric dominance of river-flood deposits within the succession suggests that accumulation occurred in a relatively landward position within the fluvial-marine transition. This study shows that careful observation can reveal much about the interplay of processes within the fluvial-marine transition, which in turn provides a powerful tool for determining the palaeo-environmental location of a deposit within the fluvial-marine transition.

Investigation of the effect of gelatine, egg albumin and cross-flow microfiltration on the phenolic composition of Pinotage wine.

PubMed

Oberholster, A; Carstens, L M; du Toit, W J

2013-06-01

The effect of fining and cross-flow microfiltration on the phenolic composition of red wine was investigated. Both gelatine (G) and egg albumin (EA) fining decreased the mean degree of polymerisation (mDP) of tannin significantly by 26.4% and 25.2%, respectively, compared to the control (C). Cross-flow microfiltration (CF) also decreased the mDP significantly by 25%. Thus, the fining agents and cross-flow microfiltration selectively removed the highly polymerised phenols. After 3.5 months of bottle ageing, differences between the different treatments and the control decreased. CF had the most significant effect on the flavan-3-ol and polymeric phenol (tannin) content of the wines compared to the control followed by G fining. CF and EA treatments significantly decreased the total pigment content compared to C. CF was also the only treatment that could be distinguished from the other treatments by sensory analysis. All treatments improved clarity of the wines with cross-flow microfiltration having the largest effect. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emission wavelength tuning of fluorescence by fine structural control of optical metamaterials with Fano resonance

PubMed Central

Moritake, Y.; Kanamori, Y.; Hane, K.

2016-01-01

We demonstrated fine emission wavelength tuning of quantum dot (QD) fluorescence by fine structural control of optical metamaterials with Fano resonance. An asymmetric-double-bar (ADB), which was composed of only two bars with slightly different bar lengths, was used to obtain Fano resonance in the optical region. By changing the short bar length of ADB structures with high dimensional accuracy in the order of 10 nm, resonant wavelengths of Fano resonance were controlled from 1296 to 1416 nm. Fluorescence of QDs embedded in a polymer layer on ADB metamaterials were modified due to coupling to Fano resonance and fine tuning from 1350 to 1376 nm was observed. Wavelength tuning of modified fluorescence was reproduced by analysis using absorption peaks of Fano resonance. Tuning range of modified fluorescence became narrow, which was interpreted by a simple Gaussian model and resulted from comparable FWHM in QD fluorescence and Fano resonant peaks. The results will help the design and fabrication of metamaterial devices with fluorophores such as light sources and biomarkers. PMID:27622503

Improving NATO’s Interoperability Through U.S. Precision Weapons

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-06-01

They must identify the target and manually fine-tune the laser designator onto the desired impact point . The challenge is keeping the laser designator...aimed at the appropriate impact point , especially while maneuvering the aircraft to avoid threats. Once the LGB is released, the laser seeker...originally configured for low altitude operations. Later in the war, the Tornado aircraft were re-equipped with their Thermal Imaging and Laser-Designating

Survey and Assessment of the Cultural Resources, Toronto Lake Project.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

impressions, cross hatching, rocker stamping, cord- wrapped stick impressions, and roulette impressions generally con- fined within incised zoning...Its surface collection included one fragment of a plano -convex end scraper, one biface midsection probably from a large point (Fig. 3b), one possible...recovered during the entire survey. Eight point or knife tips were found and seven midsections. Scrapers included five plano - convex end scrapers, three

Vividness and Control of Mental Imagery and the Components of In-Depth Drawing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pérez-Fabello, María José; Campos, Alfredo; Meana, Juan Carlos

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the associations of control and vividness of mental imagery on performance in several components of in-depth drawing in a sample of fine arts undergraduates. The sample consisted of 56 second-year undergraduates (44 women and 12 men, mean age = 21.18 years) from the Fine Arts Faculty of Vigo University,…

Effects of combined fine motor skill and cognitive therapy to cognition, degree of dementia, depression, and activities of daily living in the elderly with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Lee, Jin; Lee, ByoungHee; Park, YuHyung; Kim, Yumi

2015-10-01

[Purpose] This study evaluated the effects of combined fine motor skill and cognitive therapies on cognition, depression, and activities of daily living in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-six participants comprised 2 groups. The experimental group (n=13) received combined fine motor skill and cognitive therapy, and the control group (n=13) received only general medical care. [Results] The experimental group showed improvements in cognition, degree of dementia, depression, and activities of daily living compared to the control group. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups. [Conclusion] These results suggest that combined fine motor skill and cognitive therapy improves cognition, degree of dementia, depression, and daily living in elderly patients with AD. These therapies would therefore be effective as general medical care strategies.

Novel laboratory methods for determining the fine scale electrical resistivity structure of core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haslam, E. P.; Gunn, D. A.; Jackson, P. D.; Lovell, M. A.; Aydin, A.; Prance, R. J.; Watson, P.

2014-12-01

High-resolution electrical resistivity measurements are made on saturated rocks using novel laboratory instrumentation and multiple electrical voltage measurements involving in principle a four-point electrode measurement but with a single, moving electrode. Flat, rectangular core samples are scanned by varying the electrode position over a range of hundreds of millimetres with an accuracy of a tenth of a millimetre. Two approaches are tested involving a contact electrode and a non-contact electrode arrangement. The first galvanic method uses balanced cycle switching of a floating direct current (DC) source to minimise charge polarisation effects masking the resistivity distribution related to fine scale structure. These contacting electrode measurements are made with high common mode noise rejection via differential amplification with respect to a reference point within the current flow path. A computer based multifunction data acquisition system logs the current through the sample and voltages along equipotentials from which the resistivity measurements are derived. Multiple measurements are combined to create images of the surface resistivity structure, with variable spatial resolution controlled by the electrode spacing. Fine scale sedimentary features and open fractures in saturated rocks are interpreted from the measurements with reference to established relationships between electrical resistivity and porosity. Our results successfully characterise grainfall lamination and sandflow cross-stratification in a brine saturated, dune bedded core sample representative of a southern North Sea reservoir sandstone, studied using the system in constant current, variable voltage mode. In contrast, in a low porosity marble, identification of open fracture porosity against a background very low matrix porosity is achieved using the constant voltage, variable current mode. This new system is limited by the diameter of the electrode that for practical reasons can only be reduced to between 0.5 and 0.75 mm. Improvements to this resolution may be achieved by further reducing the electrode footprint to 0.1 mm × 0.1 mm using a novel high-impedance, non-contact potential probe. Initial results with this non-contact electric potential sensor indicate the possibility for generating images with grain-scale resolution.

Arterial blood pressure responses to short-term exposure to fine and ultrafine particles from indoor sources - A randomized sham-controlled exposure study of healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Soppa, Vanessa J; Schins, Roel P F; Hennig, Frauke; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Hellack, Bryan; Quass, Ulrich; Kaminski, Heinz; Sasse, Birgitta; Shinnawi, Samir; Kuhlbusch, Thomas A J; Hoffmann, Barbara

2017-10-01

Particulate air pollution is linked to adverse cardiovascular effects. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of short-term exposure to indoor particles on blood pressure (BP). We analyzed the association of particle emissions from indoor sources (candle burning, toasting bread, frying sausages) with BP changes in 54 healthy volunteers in a randomized cross-over controlled exposure study. Particle mass concentration (PMC), size-specific particle number concentration (PNC) and lung-deposited particle surface area concentration (PSC) were measured during the 2h exposure. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured before, during, directly, 2, 4 and 24h after exposure. We performed multiple mixed linear regression analyses of different particle metrics and BP. BP significantly increased with increasing PMC, PSC and PNC resulting from toasting bread. For example, an increase per 10µg/m 3 PM 10 and PM 2.5 , systolic BP increased at all time points with largest changes 1h after exposure initiation of 1.5mmHg (95%-CI: 1.1; 1.9) and of 2.2mmHg (95%-CI: 1.3; 3.1), respectively. Our study suggests an association of short-term exposure to fine and ultrafine particles emitted from toasting bread with increases in BP. Particles emitted from frying sausages and candle burning did not consistently affect BP. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Effect of Diamond Bur Grit Size on Composite Repair.

PubMed

Valente, Lisia L; Silva, Manuela F; Fonseca, Andrea S; Münchow, Eliseu A; Isolan, Cristina P; Moraes, Rafael R

2015-06-01

This study investigated the effect of diamond bur grit size on the repair bond strength of fresh and aged resin composites. Blocks of microhybrid composite (Opallis, FGM) were stored in distilled water at 37°C for 24 h (fresh composite) or subjected to 5000 thermal cycles (aged composite). The surfaces were roughened using diamond-coated, flame-shaped carbide burs with medium grit (#3168), fine grit (#3168F), or extra-fine grit (#3168FF). The control group underwent no surface treatment. Surface roughness, water contact angle, and surface topography by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were evaluated (n = 3). Samples were restored with resin composite and sectioned into beam-shaped specimens, which were subjected to microtensile bond testing. Failure modes were classified using a stereomicroscope. Data were statistically analyzed using the Student- Newman-Keuls test and two-way ANOVA, with significance set at p < 0.05. Higher surface roughness was observed for groups treated with the medium- and fine-grit burs; aged composites were rougher than fresh composites. The water contact angle formed on the aged composite was lower than that on the fresh composite. The highest repair bond strength was observed for the fine-grit bur group, and the lowest was recorded for control. Interfacial failures were more predominant. SEM images showed that the surfaces treated with fine- and extra-fine-grit burs had a more irregular topography. Surface roughening of fresh or aged resin composites with diamond burs improved retention of the repair material. Fine-grit burs generally performed better than medium- and extra-fine-grit burs.

Optical communication for space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Firtmaurice, M.

1991-01-01

Activities performed at NASA/GSFC (Goddard Space Flight Center) related to direct detection optical communications for space applications are discussed. The following subject areas are covered: (1) requirements for optical communication systems (data rates and channel quality; spatial acquisition; fine tracking and pointing; and transmit point-ahead correction); (2) component testing and development (laser diodes performance characterization and life testing; and laser diode power combining); (3) system development and simulations (The GSFC pointing, acquisition and tracking system; hardware description; preliminary performance analysis; and high data rate transmitter/receiver systems); and (4) proposed flight demonstration of optical communications.

A robust automatic phase correction method for signal dense spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Qingjia; Feng, Jiwen; Chen, Li; Chen, Fang; Liu, Zao; Jiang, Bin; Liu, Chaoyang

2013-09-01

A robust automatic phase correction method for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra is presented. In this work, a new strategy combining ‘coarse tuning' with ‘fine tuning' is introduced to correct various spectra accurately. In the ‘coarse tuning' procedure, a new robust baseline recognition method is proposed for determining the positions of the tail ends of the peaks, and then the preliminary phased spectra are obtained by minimizing the objective function based on the height difference of these tail ends. After the ‘coarse tuning', the peaks in the preliminary corrected spectra can be categorized into three classes: positive, negative, and distorted. Based on the classification result, a new custom negative penalty function used in the step of ‘fine tuning' is constructed to avoid the negative peak points in the spectra excluded in the negative peaks and distorted peaks. Finally, the fine phased spectra can be obtained by minimizing the custom negative penalty function. This method is proven to be very robust for it is tolerant to low signal-to-noise ratio, large baseline distortion and independent of the starting search points of phasing parameters. The experimental results on both 1D metabonomics spectra with over-crowded peaks and 2D spectra demonstrate the high efficiency of this automatic method.

Explore your toothpaste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Planinsic, Gorazd

2006-07-01

A simple packet of toothpaste is a good starting point for investigations by students. By looking at (i) the modern packaging and (ii) the fine abrasive material in the toothpaste, pupils can appreciate one way in which modern technology shapes the world around us.

Spear-anvil point-contact spectroscopy in pulsed magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, F.; Yager, B.; Kampert, E.; Putzke, C.; Nyéki, J.; Saunders, J.

2013-11-01

We describe a new design and experimental technique for point-contact spectroscopy in non-destructive pulsed magnetic fields up to 70 {T}. Point-contact spectroscopy uses a quasi-dc four-point measurement of the current and voltage across a spear-anvil point-contact. The contact resistance could be adjusted over three orders of magnitude by a built-in fine pitch threaded screw. The first measurements using this set-up were performed on both single-crystalline and exfoliated graphite samples in a 150 {ms}, pulse length 70 {T} coil at 4.2 {K} and reproduced the well known point-contact spectrum of graphite and showed evidence for a developing high field excitation above 35 T, the onset field of the charge-density wave instability in graphite.

Performance comparison of sand and fine sawdust vermifilters in treating concentrated grey water for urban poor.

PubMed

Adugna, Amare T; Andrianisa, Harinaivo A; Konate, Yacouba; Ndiaye, Awa; Maiga, Amadou H

2015-01-01

A comparative investigation was conducted for 10 months with sand and fine sawdust vermifilters and a control unit to treat concentrated grey water generated from a poor urban household in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Each of the filters was made up of cylindrical DN200-PVC pipes and filled with 10 cm of gravel at the bottom. On top of the gravel layer, filter 1 (fully sand, F1) was completed with 40 cm of sand and 10 cm of fine sawdust, filter 2 (partially sand, F2) with 20 cm of sand and 30 cm of fine sawdust, respectively, and filter 3 (fully sawdust, F3) and 4 (control, F4) with 50 cm of fine sawdust only. Two hundred Eudrilus eugeniae earthworms were inoculated in each of the vermifilters. The vermifiltration system was supplied with grey water four times per day at a hydraulic loading rate of 64 L/m(2)/day on a batch basis. The removal efficiencies of biological oxygen demand, total chemical oxygen demand, and dissolved chemical oxygen demand (dCOD) by the vermifilters were 25-30% higher than the control, but little differences were observed in terms of total suspended solids and coliform removal efficiencies. Though there was no significant difference in the performance of the three vermifilters (p > 0.05), except for dCOD removal efficiency, the lifespan of F2 and F3 was longer than that of F1. Therefore, fine sawdust can substitute sand as a filter medium in vermifilters.

Functional MRI evidence for fine motor praxis dysfunction in children with persistent speech disorders.

PubMed

Redle, Erin; Vannest, Jennifer; Maloney, Thomas; Tsevat, Rebecca K; Eikenberry, Sarah; Lewis, Barbara; Shriberg, Lawrence D; Tkach, Jean; Holland, Scott K

2015-02-09

Children with persistent speech disorders (PSD) often present with overt or subtle motor deficits; the possibility that speech disorders and motor deficits could arise from a shared neurological base is currently unknown. Functional MRI (fMRI) was used to examine the brain networks supporting fine motor praxis in children with PSD and without clinically identified fine motor deficits. This case-control study included 12 children with PSD (mean age 7.42 years, four female) and 12 controls (mean age 7.44 years, four female). Children completed behavioral evaluations using standardized motor assessments and parent reported functional measures. During fMRI scanning, participants completed a cued finger tapping task contrasted passive listening. A general linear model approach identified brain regions associated with finger tapping in each group and regions that differed between groups. The relationship between regional fMRI activation and fine motor skill was assessed using a regression analysis. Children with PSD had significantly poorer results for rapid speech production and fine motor praxis skills, but did not differ on classroom functional skills. Functional MRI results showed that children with PSD had significantly more activation in the cerebellum during finger tapping. Positive correlations between performance on a fine motor praxis test and activation multiple cortical regions were noted for children with PSD but not for controls. Over-activation in the cerebellum during a motor task may reflect a subtle abnormality in the non-speech motor neural circuitry in children with PSD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigating selective transport and abrasion on an alluvial fan using quantitative grain size and shape analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litwin, K. L.; Jerolmack, D. J.

2011-12-01

Selective sorting and abrasion are the two major fluvial processes that are attributed to the downstream fining of sediments in rivers and alluvial fans. Selective transport is the process by which smaller grains are preferentially transported downstream while larger grains are deposited closer to the source. Abrasion is defined by the production of fine sediments and sand that occurs by saltation of gravel, where particle-to-particle collisions supply the energy required to break apart grains. We hypothesize that abrasion results in the gradual fining of large grains and the production of fine sands and silts, while sorting accounts for the differences in transport of these two grain-size fractions produced from abrasion, thereby creating the abrupt gravel-sand transition observed in many channel systems. In this research, we explore both selective transport and abrasion processes on the Dog Canyon alluvial fan near Alamogordo, New Mexico. We complete an extensive grain size analysis down the main channel of the fan employing an image-based technique that utilizes an autocorrelation process. We also characterize changes in grain shape using standard shape parameters, as well as Fourier analysis, which allows the study of contributions of grain roughness on a variety of length scales. Sorting appears to dominate the upper portion of the fan; the grain-size distribution narrows moving downstream until reaching a point of equal mobility, at which point sorting ceases. Abrasion exerts a subtle but persistent effect on grains during transport down the fan. Shape analysis reveals that particles become more rounded by the removal of small-scale textural features, a process that is expected to only modestly influence grain size of gravel, but should produce significant quantities of sand. This study provides a better understanding of the importance of grain abrasion and sorting on the downstream fining of channel grains in an alluvial fan, as well as an improved knowledge about the abrupt gravel-sand transition observed in a majority of alluvial fans.

Evolution of Fine-Grained Channel Margin Deposits behind Large Woody Debris in an Experimental Gravel-Bed Flume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ONeill, B.; Marks, S.; Skalak, K.; Puleo, J. A.; Wilcock, P. R.; Pizzuto, J. E.

2014-12-01

Fine grained channel margin (FGCM) deposits of the South River, Virginia sequester a substantial volume of fine-grained sediment behind large woody debris (LWD). FGCM deposits were created in a laboratory setting meant to simulate the South River environment using a recirculating flume (15m long by 0.6m wide) with a fixed gravel bed and adjustable slope (set to 0.0067) to determine how fine sediment is transported and deposited behind LWD. Two model LWD structures were placed 3.7 m apart on opposite sides of the flume. A wire mesh screen with attached wooden dowels simulated LWD with an upstream facing rootwad. Six experiments with three different discharge rates, each with low and high sediment concentrations, were run. Suspended sediment was very fine grained (median grain size of 3 phi) and well sorted (0.45 phi) sand. Upstream of the wood, water depths averaged about 0.08m, velocities averaged about 0.3 m/s, and Froude numbers averaged around 0.3. Downstream of the first LWD structure, velocities were reduced tenfold. Small amounts of sediment passed through the rootwad and fell out of suspension in the area of reduced flow behind LWD, but most of the sediment was carried around the LWD by the main flow and then behind the LWD by a recirculating eddy current. Upstream migrating dunes formed behind LWD due to recirculating flow, similar to reattachment bars documented in bedrock canyon rivers partially obstructed by debouching debris fans. These upstream migrating dunes began at the reattachment point and merged with deposits formed from sediment transported through the rootwad. Downstream migrating dunes formed along the channel margin behind the LWD, downstream of the reattachment point. FGCM deposits were about 3 m long, with average widths of about 0.8 m. Greater sediment concentration created thicker FGCM deposits, and higher flows eroded the sides of the deposits, reducing their widths.

EVALUATION OF FOUR NOVEL FINE PARTICULATE COLLECTION DEVICES

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of an experimental performance evaluation of four novel fine particulate control devices: the Johns-Manville Cleanable High-Efficiency Air Filtration (CHEAF) System, the APS Electrostatic Scrubber, the APS Electrotube, and the TRW Charged Droplet Scrubber...

Fine Particle Scrubbing: A Proceedings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association, 1974

1974-01-01

These articles deal with the proceedings of a 1974 symposium on the use of wet scrubbers for the control of fine particle air pollutants. Various wet scrubbers, their engineering, performance, efficiency, and future are discussed. Tables, formulas, and models are included. (TK)

Wetter for fine dry powder

DOEpatents

Hall, James E.; Williams, Everett H.

1977-01-01

A system for wetting fine dry powders such as bentonite clay with water or other liquids is described. The system includes a wetting tank for receiving water and a continuous flow of fine powder feed. The wetting tank has a generally square horizontal cross section with a bottom end closure in the shape of an inverted pyramid. Positioned centrally within the wetting tank is a flow control cylinder which is supported from the walls of the wetting tank by means of radially extending inclined baffles. A variable speed motor drives a first larger propeller positioned immediately below the flow control cylinder in a direction which forces liquid filling the tank to flow downward through the flow control cylinder and a second smaller propeller positioned below the larger propeller having a reverse pitch to oppose the flow of liquid being driven downward by the larger propeller.

A Finger-Pressing Position Detector for Assisting People with Developmental Disabilities to Control Their Environmental Stimulation through Fine Motor Activities with a Standard Keyboard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shih, Ching-Hsiang

2012-01-01

This study used a standard keyboard with a newly developed finger-pressing position detection program (FPPDP), i.e. a new software program, which turns a standard keyboard into a finger-pressing position detector, to evaluate whether two people with developmental disabilities would be able to actively perform fine motor activities to control their…

Fine mapping of the chromosome 10q11-q21 linkage region in Alzheimer's disease cases and controls.

PubMed

Fallin, Margaret Daniele; Szymanski, Megan; Wang, Ruihua; Gherman, Adrian; Bassett, Susan S; Avramopoulos, Dimitrios

2010-07-01

We have previously reported strong linkage on chromosome 10q in pedigrees transmitting Alzheimer's disease through the mother, overlapping with many significant linkage reports including the largest reported study. Here, we report the most comprehensive fine mapping of this region to date. In a sample of 638 late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) cases and controls including 104 maternal LOAD cases, we genotyped 3,884 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering 15.2 Mb. We then used imputations and publicly available data to generate an extended dataset including 4,329 SNPs for 1,209 AD cases and 839 controls in the same region. Further, we screened eight genes in this region for rare alleles in 283 individuals by nucleotide sequencing, and we tested for possible monoallelic expression as it might underlie our maternal parent of origin linkage. We excluded the possibility of multiple rare coding risk variants for these genes and monoallelic expression when we could test for it. One SNP, rs10824310 in the PRKG1 gene, showed study-wide significant association without a parent of origin effect, but the effect size estimate is not of sufficient magnitude to explain the linkage, and no association is observed in an independent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) report. Further, no causative variants were identified though sequencing. Analysis of cases with maternal disease origin pointed to a few regions of interest that included the genes PRKG1 and PCDH15 and an intergenic interval of 200 Kb. It is likely that non-transcribed rare variants or other mechanisms involving these genomic regions underlie the observed linkage and parent of origin effect. Acquiring additional support and clarifying the mechanisms of such involvement is important for AD and other complex disorder genetics research.

Psychological aspects of retirement: About Schmidt (2002), and Everybody's Fine (2009).

PubMed

Wolman, Thomas

2011-06-01

With the films About Schmidt and Everybody's Fine as his main point of reference, the author elucidates the complex and often melancholic sojourn that follows ordinary men's retirement from their jobs. As this usually occurs during late middle age, the complicating variable of spousal loss, departure of children from the family home, a failing body, and social marginalization also get added to the picture. The vicissitudes of the resulting intrapsychic and interpersonal upheaval can lead to depressive withdrawal or a renewed effort at finding meaning in life. Ego resilience is tested and sublimation and creativity, if possible, save the day.

A preliminary study of numerical simulation of thermosolutal convection of interest to crystal growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, T. L.

1984-01-01

Calculations were performed with computer models using three types of finite difference methods of thermosolutal convection: horizontal heating of a container filled with a stably stratified solution, finger convection in a container, and finger convection in a horizontally infinite channel. The importance of including thermosolutal convection in models of crystal growth is emphasized, and the difficulties in doing so are demonstrated. It is pointed out that these difficulties, due primarily to the fine structure of the convection, may be partly overcome by the use of fine grids and implicit time stepping methods.

Improvement of the energy resolution of pixelated CdTe detectors for applications in 0νββ searches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleixner, T.; Anton, G.; Filipenko, M.; Seller, P.; Veale, M. C.; Wilson, M. D.; Zang, A.; Michel, T.

2015-07-01

Experiments trying to detect 0νββ are very challenging. Their requirements include a good energy resolution and a good detection efficiency. With current fine pixelated CdTe detectors there is a trade off between the energy resolution and the detection efficiency, which limits their performance. It will be shown with simulations that this problem can be mostly negated by analysing the cathode signal which increases the optimal sensor thickness. We will compare different types of fine pixelated CdTe detectors (Timepix, Dosepix, HEXITEC) from this point of view.

Optimization control of LNG regasification plant using Model Predictive Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahid, A.; Adicandra, F. F.

2018-03-01

Optimization of liquified natural gas (LNG) regasification plant is important to minimize costs, especially operational costs. Therefore, it is important to choose optimum LNG regasification plant design and maintaining the optimum operating conditions through the implementation of model predictive control (MPC). Optimal tuning parameter for MPC such as P (prediction horizon), M (control of the horizon) and T (sampling time) are achieved by using fine-tuning method. The optimal criterion for design is the minimum amount of energy used and for control is integral of square error (ISE). As a result, the optimum design is scheme 2 which is developed by Devold with an energy savings of 40%. To maintain the optimum conditions, required MPC with P, M and T as follows: tank storage pressure: 90, 2, 1; product pressure: 95, 2, 1; temperature vaporizer: 65, 2, 2; and temperature heater: 35, 6, 5, with ISE value at set point tracking respectively 0.99, 1792.78, 34.89 and 7.54, or improvement of control performance respectively 4.6%, 63.5%, 3.1% and 58.2% compared to PI controller performance. The energy savings that MPC controllers can make when there is a disturbance in temperature rise 1°C of sea water is 0.02 MW.

When chefs adopt a school? An evaluation of a cooking intervention in English primary schools.

PubMed

Caraher, Martin; Seeley, Annie; Wu, Michelle; Lloyd, Susan

2013-03-01

This article sets out the findings from research on the impact of a, UK based, chefs in schools teaching programme on food, health, nutrition and cookery. Professional chefs link with local schools, where they deliver up to three sessions to one class over a year. The research measured the impact of a standardised intervention package and changes in food preparation and consumption as well as measuring cooking confidence. The target group was 9-11year olds in four schools. The main data collection method was a questionnaire delivered 2weeks before the intervention and 2weeks afterwards. There was a group of four matched control schools. Those taking part in the intervention were enthused and engaged by the sessions and the impact measures indicated an intention to change. There were gains in skills and confidence to prepare and ask for the ingredients to be purchased for use in the home. Following the session with the chef, the average reported cooking confidence score increased from 3.09 to 3.35 (by 0.26 points) in the intervention group - a statistically significant improvement. In the control group this change was not statistically significant. Children's average reported vegetable consumption increased after the session with the chef, with the consumption score increasing from 2.24 to 2.46 points (0.22 points) again, a statistically significant increase with no significant changes in the control group. The research highlights the need to incorporate evaluation into school cooking initiatives as the findings can provide valuable information necessary to fine-tune interventions and to ensure consistency of the healthy eating messages. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A reinforcement learning-based architecture for fuzzy logic control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berenji, Hamid R.

1992-01-01

This paper introduces a new method for learning to refine a rule-based fuzzy logic controller. A reinforcement learning technique is used in conjunction with a multilayer neural network model of a fuzzy controller. The approximate reasoning based intelligent control (ARIC) architecture proposed here learns by updating its prediction of the physical system's behavior and fine tunes a control knowledge base. Its theory is related to Sutton's temporal difference (TD) method. Because ARIC has the advantage of using the control knowledge of an experienced operator and fine tuning it through the process of learning, it learns faster than systems that train networks from scratch. The approach is applied to a cart-pole balancing system.

Ultra-Fine Scale Spatially-Integrated Mapping of Habitat and Occupancy Using Structure-From-Motion.

PubMed

McDowall, Philip; Lynch, Heather J

2017-01-01

Organisms respond to and often simultaneously modify their environment. While these interactions are apparent at the landscape extent, the driving mechanisms often occur at very fine spatial scales. Structure-from-Motion (SfM), a computer vision technique, allows the simultaneous mapping of organisms and fine scale habitat, and will greatly improve our understanding of habitat suitability, ecophysiology, and the bi-directional relationship between geomorphology and habitat use. SfM can be used to create high-resolution (centimeter-scale) three-dimensional (3D) habitat models at low cost. These models can capture the abiotic conditions formed by terrain and simultaneously record the position of individual organisms within that terrain. While coloniality is common in seabird species, we have a poor understanding of the extent to which dense breeding aggregations are driven by fine-scale active aggregation or limited suitable habitat. We demonstrate the use of SfM for fine-scale habitat suitability by reconstructing the locations of nests in a gentoo penguin colony and fitting models that explicitly account for conspecific attraction. The resulting digital elevation models (DEMs) are used as covariates in an inhomogeneous hybrid point process model. We find that gentoo penguin nest site selection is a function of the topography of the landscape, but that nests are far more aggregated than would be expected based on terrain alone, suggesting a strong role of behavioral aggregation in driving coloniality in this species. This integrated mapping of organisms and fine scale habitat will greatly improve our understanding of fine-scale habitat suitability, ecophysiology, and the complex bi-directional relationship between geomorphology and habitat use.

The decomposition of fine and coarse roots: their global patterns and controlling factors

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xinyue; Wang, Wei

2015-01-01

Fine root decomposition represents a large carbon (C) cost to plants, and serves as a potential soil C source, as well as a substantial proportion of net primary productivity. Coarse roots differ markedly from fine roots in morphology, nutrient concentrations, functions, and decomposition mechanisms. Still poorly understood is whether a consistent global pattern exists between the decomposition of fine (<2 mm root diameter) and coarse (≥2 mm) roots. A comprehensive terrestrial root decomposition dataset, including 530 observations from 71 sampling sites, was thus used to compare global patterns of decomposition of fine and coarse roots. Fine roots decomposed significantly faster than coarse roots in middle latitude areas, but their decomposition in low latitude regions was not significantly different from that of coarse roots. Coarse root decomposition showed more dependence on climate, especially mean annual temperature (MAT), than did fine roots. Initial litter lignin content was the most important predictor of fine root decomposition, while lignin to nitrogen ratios, MAT, and mean annual precipitation were the most important predictors of coarse root decomposition. Our study emphasizes the necessity of separating fine roots and coarse roots when predicting the response of belowground C release to future climate changes. PMID:25942391

Flexural properties untreated and treated kenaf fiber reinforced polypropylene composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husin, Muhammad Muslimin; Mustapa, Mohammad Sukri; Wahab, Md Saidin; Arifin, Ahmad Mubarak Tajul; Masirin, Mohd Idrus Mohd; Jais, Farhana Hazwanee

2017-05-01

Today natural fiber polymer composites are being extensively used as alternatives in producing furniture to fulfill society demand instead of saving cost and environmentally friendly. The objective of this search is to investigate the untreated fine and rough kenaf fiber (KF) as well as treated KF reinforced with polypropylene (PP) on the flexural strength. Flexural strengths of pure PP, 10%, and 20% of untreated fine and rough KF by weight to PP have been recorded. In addition, flexural strengths of treated KF soaked with 5% and 10% of Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) have also been recorded. KF reinforced PP (PP/KF) untreated and treated composites were melt blended and then injection molded to observe their flexural strengths by measuring their threshold. Three point bending test was apply to determine the flexural stress of the composites. The result show treated fine KF produce better flexural performance at 20% PP/KF. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is used to observe the morphological surface PP/KF. Overall 5% NaOH with 20% PP/KF (Fine KF) show good interfacial bonding PP/KF and best result with flexural stress value 30.25MPa.

Spiral drawing performance as an indicator of fine motor function in people with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Longstaff, M G; Heath, R A

2006-10-01

This study investigated spiral drawing performance as an indicator of fine motor function, as well as to gain insight into adaptive movement strategies used by people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Seven people with MS, nine younger controls (mean age of 20) and eight older controls (mean age of 40) drew spirals on a graphics tablet at a comfortable speed and size. Spirography (i.e., a subjective visual assessment of the static trace) revealed indications of reduced control of the pen for people with MS. Analysis of the movements showed that people with MS tended to draw the spirals slower and with less pen pressure than controls. All groups increased their speed and pressure along with spiral size, but this increase was much steeper for the controls. MS participants drew spirals with more variability around an ideal trajectory, highlighting fine motor control degradation. MS patients tended to use a smaller scaling ratio, resulting in smaller spirals for a given number of revolutions. The younger and older control groups drew the spirals in a similar manner, and age was not a significant factor in any of the analyses. It is argued that the relatively lower pressure used, and slower, smaller movements (particularly during the more difficult outer sections of the spiral) are in part an adaptive strategy used to reduce movement variability. These results demonstrate the utility of the analysis of spiral movements as an objective technique for assessing motor control degradation, which can compliment the subjective rating based on the static pen trace. As such, it can provide further insight into the biomechanical strategies used when performing fine movements.

Bilateral transfer for learning to control timing but not for learning to control fine force.

PubMed

Yao, Wan X; Cordova, Alberto; Huang, Yufei; Wang, Yan; Lu, Xing

2014-04-01

This study examined the characteristics of bilateral transfer of learning to control timing and fine force from a dominant limb to a nondominant limb. 20 right-handed college students (12 women, 8 men; M age = 21.5 yr., SD = 2.3) learned a sequential task consisting of timing and force control. Each participant completed a pre-test of the task with both hands and then performed 100 practice trials with the dominant hand. A post-test was conducted 1 hr. later. The results showed that after training, participants learned to control the timing and force. Nevertheless, only the time-control learning was transferred to the untrained hand, whereas the force-control learning did not transfer to the untrained hand.

Randomized controlled study of the safety and efficacy of nitrous oxide-sedated endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for digestive tract diseases.

PubMed

Wang, Cai-Xia; Wang, Jian; Chen, Yuan-Yuan; Wang, Jia-Ni; Yu, Xin; Yang, Feng; Sun, Si-Yu

2016-12-14

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nitrous oxide-sedated endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration. Enrolled patients were divided randomly into an experimental group (inhalation of nitrous oxide) and a control group (inhalation of pure oxygen) and heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, and the occurrence of complications were monitored and recorded. All patients and physicians completed satisfaction questionnaires about the examination and scored the process using a visual analog scale. There was no significant difference in heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, ECG changes, or complication rate between the two groups of patients ( P > 0.05). However, patient and physician satisfaction were both significantly higher in the nitrous oxide compared with the control group ( P < 0.05). Nitrous oxide-sedation is a safe and effective option for patients undergoing endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.

Unique intermetallic compounds prepared by shock wave synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otto, G.; Reece, O. Y.; Roy, U.

1971-01-01

Technique compresses fine ground metallic powder mixture beyond crystal fusion point. Absence of vapor pressure voids and elimination of incongruous effects permit application of technique to large scale fabrication of intermetallic compounds with specific characteristics, e.g., semiconduction, superconduction, or magnetic properties.

Caught on the Web

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isakson, Carol

2005-01-01

In this article, the author presents several Web sites supporting electronic presentation skills. The sites featured here will help fine-tune one's skills in modeling effective presentations and provide suggestions for managing student presentations meeting National Educational Technology Standards (NETS). Most use PowerPoint, the current industry…

Fine tuning and orientation control of surface Cu complexes on TiO2(110) premodified with mercapto compounds: the effect of different mercapto group positions.

PubMed

Takakusagi, Satoru; Nojima, Hirotaka; Ariga, Hiroko; Uehara, Hiromitsu; Miyazaki, Kotaro; Chun, Wang-Jae; Iwasawa, Yasuhiro; Asakura, Kiyotaka

2013-09-07

Three-dimensional structures of vacuum-deposited Cu species formed on TiO2(110) surfaces premodified with three mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) isomers were studied using polarization-dependent total reflection fluorescence X-ray absorption fine structure (PTRF-XAFS). We explored the possibility of fine tuning and orientation control of the surface Cu structures, including their coordination and configuration against the surface, according to the different mercapto group positions of the three MBA isomers (o-, m-, and p-MBA). Almost linear S-Cu-O (lattice O of TiO2) surface compounds were formed on the three MBA-modified TiO2(110) surfaces; however, the orientation of the Cu species on the o- and m-MBA-modified TiO2(110) surfaces (40-45° inclined from the surface normal) was different from that on the p-MBA-modified TiO2(110) surface (60° from the surface normal). This work suggests that the selection of a different MBA isomer for premodification of a single crystal TiO2(110) surface enables fine tuning and orientation control of surface Cu complexes.

The Effects of an Intervention on the Gross and Fine Motor Skills of Hispanic Pre-K Children from Low SES Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Michelle; Liu, Ting

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a motor skill intervention on gross and fine motor skill performance of Hispanic pre-K children from low SES backgrounds. One hundred and forty-nine pre-K children were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 74) and control group (n = 75). All children were assessed on fine and gross…

Rb-Sr age and content of potassium, rubidium strontium, barium, and rare earths in surface material from the Sea of Fertility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allegre, C. J.; Birck, J. L.; Loubet, M.; Provost, A.

1974-01-01

The Luna 16 automatic station returned from the Sea of Fertility a 35 cm long column of lunar surface material. 1 g of the Luna 16 lunar surface material, taken at a depth of 22 cm, consists of fine material: surface material and fine fragments of rocks from 1 to 4 mm in diameter. Analyses made on 17 mg of the fine lunar surface material are presented. The results obtained for the Luna 16 surface material are plotted on the diagram of the isotopic evolution of strontium and show that this surface material is most depleted of radiogenic Sr-87 of all the known lunar surface materials and that the point characterizing Lunar 16 lies somewhat to the right of the line corresponding to an age of 4.6 billion years.

The Fine-Scale Functional Correlation of Striate Cortex in Sighted and Blind People

PubMed Central

Butt, Omar H.; Benson, Noah C.; Datta, Ritobrato

2013-01-01

To what extent are spontaneous neural signals within striate cortex organized by vision? We examined the fine-scale pattern of striate cortex correlations within and between hemispheres in rest-state BOLD fMRI data from sighted and blind people. In the sighted, we find that corticocortico correlation is well modeled as a Gaussian point-spread function across millimeters of striate cortical surface, rather than degrees of visual angle. Blindness produces a subtle change in the pattern of fine-scale striate correlations between hemispheres. Across participants blind before the age of 18, the degree of pattern alteration covaries with the strength of long-range correlation between left striate cortex and Broca's area. This suggests that early blindness exchanges local, vision-driven pattern synchrony of the striate cortices for long-range functional correlations potentially related to cross-modal representation. PMID:24107953

Band-Edge Exciton Fine Structure and Recombination Dynamics in InP/ZnS Colloidal Nanocrystals.

PubMed

Biadala, Louis; Siebers, Benjamin; Beyazit, Yasin; Tessier, Mickaël D; Dupont, Dorian; Hens, Zeger; Yakovlev, Dmitri R; Bayer, Manfred

2016-03-22

We report on a temperature-, time-, and spectrally resolved study of the photoluminescence of type-I InP/ZnS colloidal nanocrystals with varying core size. By studying the exciton recombination dynamics we assess the exciton fine structure in these systems. In addition to the typical bright-dark doublet, the photoluminescence stems from an upper bright state in spite of its large energy splitting (∼100 meV). This striking observation results from dramatically lengthened thermalization processes among the fine structure levels and points to optical-phonon bottleneck effects in InP/ZnS nanocrystals. Furthermore, our data show that the radiative recombination of the dark exciton scales linearly with the bright-dark energy splitting for CdSe and InP nanocrystals. This finding strongly suggests a universal dangling bonds-assisted recombination of the dark exciton in colloidal nanostructures.

The Laboratory Study of Shear Strength of the Overconsolidated and Quasi - Overconsolidated Fine - Grained Soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strozyk, Joanna

2017-12-01

The paper presents results of laboratory shear strength test conducted on fine-grained soil samples with different grain size distribution and with different geological age and stress history. The Triaxial Isotopic Consolidation Undrained Tests (TXCIU) were performed under different consolidation stress in normal and overconsolidadion stress state on the samples with natural structure. Soil samples were selected from soil series of different age and geological origins: overconsolidated sensu stricto Miopliocene silty clay (siCl) and quasi overconsolidated Pleistocene clayey silt (clSi). Paper pointed out that overconsolidated sensu stricto and quasi overconsolidated fine-grained soil in same stress and environmental condition could show almost similar behaviour, and in other condition could behave significantly different. The correct evaluation of geotechnical parameters, the possibility of predicting their time-correct ability is only possible with appropriately recognized geological past and past processes that accompanied the soil formation.

[Subtype classification of ceftriaxone sodium and its influence on the quality of product].

PubMed

Xue, Jing; Jia, Yan-Hua; Li, Jin; Yin, Li-Hui; Hu, Chang-Qin

2014-07-01

Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) technology combined with cluster analysis method was used to classify 75 batches of crystalline ceftriaxone sodium into subtypes, the crystalline characteristics of each subtype were measured with scanning electron microscope (SEM). By comparing some parameters of these subtypes correlated to crystallization process of ceftriaxone sodium, such as salification rate, water content in different subtypes, as well as by studying different lattice stabilities, different compatibilities with rubber closures during accelerated stability tests, the key point to improve the quality of domestic ceftriaxone sodium was disclosed. The results of this paper indicated that the fine structure of the products could be controlled well by improving the salification and crystallization process. As a result, the subtype II of ceftriaxone sodium with high stability can be produced.

Handwriting difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorders: a scoping review.

PubMed

Kushki, Azadeh; Chau, Tom; Anagnostou, Evdokia

2011-12-01

Functional handwriting involves complex interactions among physical, cognitive and sensory systems. Impairments in many aspects of these systems are associated with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD), suggesting a heightened risk of handwriting difficulties in children with ASD. This scoping review aimed to: (1) survey the existing evidence about potential contributions to compromised handwriting function in children with ASD, and (2) map out the existing studies documenting handwriting difficulties in children with ASD. The current evidence implicates impairments in fine motor control and visual-motor integration as likely contributors to handwriting difficulties in children with ASD, though the role of the latter is not well-understood. Moreover, diminished overall legibility and compromised letter formation are emerging points of convergence among existing studies of handwriting quality in children with ASD.

Image guided neuroendoscopy for third ventriculostomy.

PubMed

Broggi, G; Dones, I; Ferroli, P; Franzini, A; Servello, D; Duca, S

2000-01-01

Third ventriculostomy has become an increasing popular procedure for the treatment of hydrocephalus of different aetiologies. Between october 1997 and october 1998, 17 patients (12 females, 5 males; 12-82 year-old; mean age 43) underwent image-assisted endoscopic third ventriculostomy for hydrocephalus at the Istituto Nazionale Neurologico "C.Besta" of Milano. There was no mortality and no long term morbidity. Neuronavigation has been found useful in selecting the safest trajectory to the target avoiding any traction on the foramen of Monro related structures and allowing the necessary mobility for fine adjustments under visual and "tactile" control when choosing the safest point to perform the stoma. According to our experience neuro-endoscopy and neuronavigation seems to be complementary in reaching easy, safe and successful results in the treatment of hydrocephalus of different origins.

Partial-Isothermally-Treated Low Alloy Ultrahigh Strength Steel with Martensitic/Bainitic Microstructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Quanshun; Kitchen, Matthew; Patel, Vinay; Filleul, Martin; Owens, Dave

We introduce a new strengthening heat treatment of a Ni-Cr-Mo-V alloyed spring steel by partial isothermal salt-bath and subsequent air-cooling and tempering. Detailed isothermal treatments were made at temperatures below or above the Ms point (230°C). The salt bath time was controlled between 10 and 80 minutes. Through the new treatment, the candidate steel developed ultrahigh tensile strength 2,100 MPa, yield strength 1,800 MPa, elongation 8-10 %, hardness 580-710 HV, and V-notch Charpy toughness 10-12 J. Optical and electron microscopic observations and X-ray diffraction revealed multi-phase microstructures of bainitic/martensitic ferrites, fine carbide precipitates and retained austenite. Carbon partitioning during the bainitic/martensitic transformation was investigated for its remarkable influence on the strengthening mechanism.

Current Status of a NASA High-Altitude Balloon-Based Observatory for Planetary Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varga, Denise M.; Dischner, Zach

2015-01-01

Recent studies have shown that progress can be made on over 20% of the key questions called out in the current Planetary Science Decadal Survey by a high-altitude balloon-borne observatory. Therefore, NASA has been assessing concepts for a gondola-based observatory that would achieve the greatest possible science return in a low-risk and cost-effective manner. This paper addresses results from the 2014 Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) mission, namely successes in the design and performance of the Fine Pointing System. The paper also addresses technical challenges facing the new Gondola for High Altitude Planetary Science (GHAPS) reusable platform, including thermal control for the Optical Telescope Assembly, power generation and management, and weight-saving considerations that the team will be assessing in 2015 and beyond.

Motor development in 9-month-old infants in relation to cultural differences and iron status.

PubMed

Angulo-Barroso, Rosa M; Schapiro, Lauren; Liang, Weilang; Rodrigues, Onike; Shafir, Tal; Kaciroti, Niko; Jacobson, Sandra W; Lozoff, Betsy

2011-03-01

Motor development, which allows infants to explore their environment, promoting cognitive, social, and perceptual development, can be influenced by cultural practices and nutritional factors, such as iron deficiency. This study compared fine and gross motor development in 209 9-month-old infants from urban areas of China, Ghana, and USA (African-Americans) and considered effects of iron status. Iron deficiency anemia was most common in the Ghana sample (55%) followed by USA and China samples. Controlling for iron status, Ghanaian infants displayed precocity in gross motor development and most fine-motor reach-and-grasp tasks. US African-Americans performed the poorest in all tasks except bimanual coordination and the large ball. Controlling for cultural site, iron status showed linear trends for gross motor milestones and fine motor skills with small objects. Our findings add to the sparse literature on infant fine motor development across cultures. The results also indicate the need to consider nutritional factors when examining cultural differences in infant development. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Motor Development in 9-Month-Old Infants in Relation to Cultural Differences and Iron Status

PubMed Central

Schapiro, Lauren; Liang, Weilang; Rodrigues, Onike; Shafir, Tal; Kaciroti, Niko; Jacobson, Sandra W.; Lozoff, Betsy

2011-01-01

Motor development, which allows infants to explore their environment, promoting cognitive, social, and perceptual development, can be influenced by cultural practices and nutritional factors, such as iron deficiency. This study compared fine and gross motor development in 209 9-month-old infants from urban areas of China, Ghana, and USA (African-Americans) and considered effects of iron status. Iron deficiency anemia was most common in the Ghana sample (55%) followed by USA and China samples. Controlling for iron status, Ghanaian infants displayed precocity in gross motor development and most fine-motor reach-and-grasp tasks. US African-Americans performed the poorest in all tasks except bimanual coordination and the large ball. Controlling for cultural site, iron status showed linear trends for gross motor milestones and fine motor skills with small objects. Our findings add to the sparse literature on infant fine motor development across cultures. The results also indicate the need to consider nutritional factors when examining cultural differences in infant development. PMID:21298634

Fine motor skills and executive function both contribute to kindergarten achievement

PubMed Central

Cameron, Claire E.; Brock, Laura L.; Murrah, William M.; Bell, Lindsay H.; Worzalla, Samantha L.; Grissmer, David; Morrison, Frederick J.

2012-01-01

This study examined the contribution of executive function (EF) and multiple aspects of fine motor skills to achievement on six standardized assessments in a sample of middle-SES kindergarteners. 3- and 4-year-olds’ (N=213) fine and gross motor skills were assessed in a home visit before kindergarten; EF was measured at fall of kindergarten; and Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III) Tests of Academic Achievement were administered at fall and spring. Correlations indicated that EF and fine motor skills appeared distinct. Further, controlling for background variables, higher levels of both EF and fine motor skills, specifically design copy, predicted higher achievement on multiple subtests at kindergarten entry, as well as improvement from fall to spring. Implications for research on school readiness are discussed. PMID:22537276

Antisolvent membrane crystallization of pharmaceutical compounds.

PubMed

Di Profio, Gianluca; Stabile, Carmen; Caridi, Antonella; Curcio, Efrem; Drioli, Enrico

2009-12-01

This article describes a modification of the conventional membrane crystallization technique in which a membrane is used to dose the solvent/antisolvent composition to generate supersaturation and induce crystallization in a drug solution. Two operative configurations are proposed: (a) solvent/antisolvent demixing crystallization, where the solvent is removed in at higher flow rate than the antisolvent so that phase inversion promotes supersaturation and (b) antisolvent addition, in which the antisolvent is dosed into the crystallizing drug solution. In both cases, solvent/antisolvent migration occurs in vapor phase and it is controlled by the porous membrane structure, acting on the operative process parameters. This mechanism is different than that observed when forcing the liquid phases through the pores and the more finely controllable supersaturated environment would generate crystals with the desired characteristics. Two organic molecules of relevant industrial implication, like paracetamol and glycine, were used to test the new systems. Experiments demonstrated that, by using antisolvent membrane crystallization in both configurations, accurate control of solution composition at the crystallization point has been achieved with effects on crystals morphology. 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-12

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activity of WUPPE data review at the Science Operations Area during the mission.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-04

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures a press briefing at MSFC during STS-35, ASTRO-1 Mission.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-02

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activity of viewing HUT data in the Mission Manager Actions Room during the mission.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-02

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activities at the Mission Manager Actions Room during the mission.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-02

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activity of BBKRT data review in the Science Operations Area during the mission.

Low-profile heliostat design for solar central receiver systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fourakis, E.; Severson, A. M.

1977-01-01

Heliostat designs intended to reduce costs and the effect of adverse wind loads on the devices were developed. Included was the low-profile heliostat consisting of a stiff frame with sectional focusing reflectors coupled together to turn as a unit. The entire frame is arranged to turn angularly about a center point. The ability of the heliostat to rotate about both the vertical and horizontal axes permits a central computer control system to continuously aim the sun's reflection onto a selected target. An engineering model of the basic device was built and is being tested. Control and mirror parameters, such as roughness and need for fine aiming, are being studied. The fabrication of these prototypes is in process. The model was also designed to test mirror focusing techniques, heliostat geometry, mechanical functioning, and tracking control. The model can be easily relocated to test mirror imaging on a tower from various directions. In addition to steering and aiming studies, the tests include the effects of temperature changes, wind gusting and weathering. The results of economic studies on this heliostat are also presented.

Performance limitations of joint variable-feedback controllers due to manipulator structural flexibility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cetinkunt, Sabri; Book, Wayne J.

1990-01-01

The performance limitations of manipulators under joint variable-feedback control are studied as a function of the mechanical flexibility inherent in the manipulator structure. A finite-dimensional time-domain dynamic model of a two-link two-joint planar manipulator is used in the study. Emphasis is placed on determining the limitations of control algorithms that use only joint variable-feedback information in calculations of control decisions, since most motion control systems in practice are of this kind. Both fine and gross motion cases are studied. Results for fine motion agree well with previously reported results in the literature and are also helpful in explaining the performance limitations in fast gross motions.

Coexistence between wildlife and humans at fine spatial scales.

PubMed

Carter, Neil H; Shrestha, Binoj K; Karki, Jhamak B; Pradhan, Narendra Man Babu; Liu, Jianguo

2012-09-18

Many wildlife species face imminent extinction because of human impacts, and therefore, a prevailing belief is that some wildlife species, particularly large carnivores and ungulates, cannot coexist with people at fine spatial scales (i.e., cannot regularly use the exact same point locations). This belief provides rationale for various conservation programs, such as resettling human communities outside protected areas. However, quantitative information on the capacity and mechanisms for wildlife to coexist with humans at fine spatial scales is scarce. Such information is vital, because the world is becoming increasingly crowded. Here, we provide empirical information about the capacity and mechanisms for tigers (a globally endangered species) to coexist with humans at fine spatial scales inside and outside Nepal's Chitwan National Park, a flagship protected area for imperiled wildlife. Information obtained from field cameras in 2010 and 2011 indicated that human presence (i.e., people on foot and vehicles) was ubiquitous and abundant throughout the study site; however, tiger density was also high. Surprisingly, even at a fine spatial scale (i.e., camera locations), tigers spatially overlapped with people on foot and vehicles in both years. However, in both years, tigers offset their temporal activity patterns to be much less active during the day when human activity peaked. In addition to temporal displacement, tiger-human coexistence was likely enhanced by abundant tiger prey and low levels of tiger poaching. Incorporating fine-scale spatial and temporal activity patterns into conservation plans can help address a major global challenge-meeting human needs while sustaining wildlife.

Mechanical Failure of Fine Root Cortical Cells Initiates Plant Hydraulic Decline during Drought.

PubMed

Cuneo, Italo F; Knipfer, Thorsten; Brodersen, Craig R; McElrone, Andrew J

2016-11-01

Root systems perform the crucial task of absorbing water from the soil to meet the demands of a transpiring canopy. Roots are thought to operate like electrical fuses, which break when carrying an excessive load under conditions of drought stress. Yet the exact site and sequence of this dysfunction in roots remain elusive. Using in vivo x-ray computed microtomography, we found that drought-induced mechanical failure (i.e. lacunae formation) in fine root cortical cells is the initial and primary driver of reduced fine root hydraulic conductivity (Lp r ) under mild to moderate drought stress. Cortical lacunae started forming under mild drought stress (-0.6 MPa Ψ stem ), coincided with a dramatic reduction in Lp r , and preceded root shrinkage or significant xylem embolism. Only under increased drought stress was embolism formation observed in the root xylem, and it appeared first in the fine roots (50% loss of hydraulic conductivity [P 50 ] reached at -1.8 MPa) and then in older, coarse roots (P 50 = -3.5 MPa). These results suggest that cortical cells in fine roots function like hydraulic fuses that decouple plants from drying soil, thus preserving the hydraulic integrity of the plant's vascular system under early stages of drought stress. Cortical lacunae formation led to permanent structural damage of the root cortex and nonrecoverable Lp r , pointing to a role in fine root mortality and turnover under drought stress. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

The endurance of the effects of the penalty point system in Spain three years after. Main influencing factors.

PubMed

Izquierdo, F Aparicio; Ramírez, B Arenas; McWilliams, J M Mira; Ayuso, J Páez

2011-05-01

In this work we have used ARIMA time series models to analyse the contribution of the penalty point system, the most important legislative measure for driving licences, in reducing the number of fatalities over 24h on the roads in Spain during the study period (January 1995 to June 2009). In addition, because of this long period of analysis, other control variables were introduced to model the enactment of the Reform of the Penal Code in December 2007, together with other more specific effects needed to fit the model correctly. The ARIMA intervention models methodology combines the basic features of specific times series models: it controls the trend and seasonal variation in data that is present when modelling the structure through autoregressive and moving average parameters and allows for inserting step or impulse input variables for checking and evaluating the effects of deterministic measures, such as legislative changes which are the object of study in this work. This paper analyses the surveillance and control measures introduced in the periods before and after the implementation of the penalty point system and helps to partly explain its apparent endurance over time. The results show that the introduction of the penalty point system in Spain had a very positive effect in reducing the number of fatalities (over 24h) on the road, and that this effect has endured up to the present time. This success may be due to the continuing increase in surveillance measures and fines as well the significantly growing interest shown by the news media in road safety since the measures were introduced. All this has led to positive changes in driver behaviour. It is, therefore, a combination of three factors: the penalty point system, the gradual stepping up of surveillance measures and sanctions, and the publicity given to road safety issues in the mass media would appear to be the key to success. The absence of any of these three factors would have predictably led to a far less positive evolution of the accident rate on Spanish roads. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fine Resolution Imaging of Space Objects.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-01

Figur einschliesst," J. reine agnew. Math. 123, 241 (1901). 5. J. Christou, "Imaging of Star Clusters from Speckle Inter- ferometry," Opt. Commun...Also, at any point x, by definition g.+,(x) is the near- est value to gMx ) that satisfies the object-domain constraints. Therefore, at all...the point gk(x) rather than from g^(x) since presumably gMx ) is closer to the solution than gk(x). After using Eq. (40), one would employ Eq. (35

Registration of terrestrial mobile laser data on 2D or 3D geographic database by use of a non-rigid ICP approach.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monnier, F.; Vallet, B.; Paparoditis, N.; Papelard, J.-P.; David, N.

2013-10-01

This article presents a generic and efficient method to register terrestrial mobile data with imperfect location on a geographic database with better overall accuracy but less details. The registration method proposed in this paper is based on a semi-rigid point to plane ICP ("Iterative Closest Point"). The main applications of such registration is to improve existing geographic databases, particularly in terms of accuracy, level of detail and diversity of represented objects. Other applications include fine geometric modelling and fine façade texturing, object extraction such as trees, poles, road signs marks, facilities, vehicles, etc. The geopositionning system of mobile mapping systems is affected by GPS masks that are only partially corrected by an Inertial Navigation System (INS) which can cause an important drift. As this drift varies non-linearly, but slowly in time, it will be modelled by a translation defined as a piecewise linear function of time which variation over time will be minimized (rigidity term). For each iteration of the ICP, the drift is estimated in order to minimise the distance between laser points and planar model primitives (data attachment term). The method has been tested on real data (a scan of the city of Paris of 3.6 million laser points registered on a 3D model of approximately 71,400 triangles).

Airborne particulate matter PM2.5 from Mexico City affects the generation of reactive oxygen species by blood neutrophils from asthmatics: an in vitro approach.

PubMed

Sierra-Vargas, Martha Patricia; Guzman-Grenfell, Alberto Martin; Blanco-Jimenez, Salvador; Sepulveda-Sanchez, Jose David; Bernabe-Cabanillas, Rosa Maria; Cardenas-Gonzalez, Beatriz; Ceballos, Guillermo; Hicks, Juan Jose

2009-06-29

The Mexico City Metropolitan Area is densely populated, and toxic air pollutants are generated and concentrated at a higher rate because of its geographic characteristics. It is well known that exposure to particulate matter, especially to fine and ultra-fine particles, enhances the risk of cardio-respiratory diseases, especially in populations susceptible to oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fine particles on the respiratory burst of circulating neutrophils from asthmatic patients living in Mexico City. In total, 6 subjects diagnosed with mild asthma and 11 healthy volunteers were asked to participate. Neutrophils were isolated from peripheral venous blood and incubated with fine particles, and the generation of reactive oxygen species was recorded by chemiluminescence. We also measured plasma lipoperoxidation susceptibility and plasma myeloperoxidase and paraoxonase activities by spectrophotometry. Asthmatic patients showed significantly lower plasma paraoxonase activity, higher susceptibility to plasma lipoperoxidation and an increase in myeloperoxidase activity that differed significantly from the control group. In the presence of fine particles, neutrophils from asthmatic patients showed an increased tendency to generate reactive oxygen species after stimulation with fine particles (PM2.5). These findings suggest that asthmatic patients have higher oxidation of plasmatic lipids due to reduced antioxidant defense. Furthermore, fine particles tended to increase the respiratory burst of blood human neutrophils from the asthmatic group.On the whole, increased myeloperoxidase activity and susceptibility to lipoperoxidation with a concomitant decrease in paraoxonase activity in asthmatic patients could favor lung infection and hence disrupt the control of asthmatic crises.

Ion composition of coarse and fine particles in Iasi, north-eastern Romania: Implications for aerosols chemistry in the area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsene, Cecilia; Olariu, Romeo Iulian; Zarmpas, Pavlos; Kanakidou, Maria; Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos

2011-02-01

Atmospheric loadings of the aerosols coarse (particles of AED > 1.5 μm) and fine fractions (particles of AED < 1.5 μm) were determined in Iasi, north-eastern Romania from January 2007 to March 2008. Concentrations of water soluble ions (SO 42-, NO 3-, Cl -, C 2O 42-, NH 4+, K +, Na +, Ca 2+ and Mg 2+) were measured using ion chromatography (IC). In the coarse particles, calcium and carbonate are the main ionic constituents (˜65%), whereas in the fine particles SO 42-, NO 3-, Cl - and NH 4+ are the most abundant. Temperature and relative humidity (RH) associated with increased concentrations of specific ions might be the main factors controlling the aerosol chemistry at the investigated site. From August 2007 to March 2008 high RH (as high as 80% for about 82% of the investigated period) was prevailing in Iasi and the collected particles were expected to have deliquesced and form an internal mixture. We found that in fine particles ammonium nitrate (NH 4NO 3) is important especially under conditions of NH 4+/SO 42- ratio higher than 1.5 and high RH (RH above deliquescence of NH 4Cl, NH 4NO 3 and (NH 4) 2SO 4). At the investigated site large ammonium artifacts may occur due to inter-particle interaction especially under favorable meteorological conditions. A methodology for estimating the artifact free ambient ammonium concentration is proposed for filter pack sampling data of deliquesced particles. Nitrate and sulfate ions in coarse particles are probably formed via reactions of nitric and sulfuric acid with calcium carbonate and sodium chloride which during specific seasons are abundant at the investigated site. In the fine mode sulfate concentration maximized during summer (due to enhanced photochemistry) and winter (due to high concentration of SO 2 emitted from coal burning). Natural contributions, dust or sea-salt related, prevail mainly in the coarse particles. From May 2007 to August 2007, when air masses originated mainly from Black Sea, in the coarse particles an nss-Cl/Na ratio of 1.11 was measured. Elevated levels of chloride in fine particles have been attributed to waste burning in the proximity of the investigated site or to NaCl salt widely spread on roads during winter. Considering the importance of atmospheric aerosols, this study may constitute a reference point for Eastern Europe.

Sources and chemical composition of atmospheric fine and coarse particles in the Helsinki area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pakkanen, Tuomo A.; Loukkola, Kati; Korhonen, Christina H.; Aurela, Minna; Mäkelä, Timo; Hillamo, Risto E.; Aarnio, Päivi; Koskentalo, Tarja; Kousa, Anu; Maenhaut, Willy

During April 1996-June 1997 size-segregated atmospheric aerosol particles were collected at an urban and a rural site in the Helsinki area by utilising virtual impactors (VI) and Berner low-pressure impactors (BLPI). In addition, VI samples were collected at a semi-urban site during October 1996-May 1997. The average PM 2.3 (fine particle) concentrations at the urban and rural sites were 11.8 and 8.4 μg/m 3, and the PM 2.3-15 (coarse particle) concentrations were 12.8 and about 5 μg/m 3, respectively. The difference in fine particle mass concentrations suggests that on average, more than one third of the fine mass at the urban site is of local origin. Evaporation of fine particle nitrate from the VI Teflon filters during sampling varied similarly at the three sites, the average evaporation being about 50-60%. The average fine particle concentrations of the chemical components (25 elements and 13 ions) appeared to be fairly similar at the three sites for most components, which suggests that despite the long-range transport, the local emissions of these components were relatively evenly distributed in the Helsinki area. Exceptions were the average fine particles Ba, Fe, Sb and V concentrations that were clearly highest at the urban site pointing to traffic (Ba, Fe, Sb) and to combustion of heavy fuel oil (V) as the likely local sources. The average coarse particle concentrations for most components were highest at the urban site and lowest at the rural site. Average chemical composition of fine particles was fairly similar at the urban and rural sites: non-analysed fraction (mainly carbonaceous material and water) 43% and 37%, sulphate 21% and 25%, crustal matter 12% and 13%, nitrate 12% and 11%, ammonium 9% and 10% and sea-salt 2.5% and 3.2%, respectively. At the semi-urban site also, the average fine particle composition was similar. At the urban site, the year round average composition of coarse particles was dominated by crustal matter (59%) and the non-analysed components (28%, mainly carbonaceous material and water), while the other contributions were much lower: sea-salt 7%, nitrate 4% and sulphate 2%. At the rural site, the coarse samples were collected in spring and summer and the percentage was clearly lower for crustal matter (37%) and sea-salt (3%) but higher for the not-analysed fraction (51%). At the semi-urban site, the average composition of coarse particles was nearly identical to that at the urban site. Correlations between the chemical components were calculated separately for fine and coarse particles. In urban fine particles sulphate, ammonium, Tl, oxalate and PM 2.3 mass correlated with each other and originated mainly from long-range transport. The sea-salt ions Na +, Cl - and Mg 2+ formed another group and still another group was formed by the organic anions oxalate, malonate, succinate, glutarate and methane sulphonate. Ni and V correlated strongly pointing to combustion of heavy fuel oil as the likely source. In addition, some groups with lower correlations were detected. At the rural and semi-urban sites, the correlating components were rather similar to those at the urban site, although differences were also observed.

Diagnostics and control of wavenumber stability and purity of tunable diode lasers relevant to their use as local oscillators in heterodyne systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poultney, S.; Chen, D.; Steinberg, G.; Wu, F.; Pires, A.; Miller, M. D.; Mcnally, M.

1980-01-01

Initial operation of the tunable diode lasers (TDL) showed that it was not possible to adjust the wavenumber to one selected a priori in the TDL tuning range. During operation, the operating point would change by 0.1/cm over the longer term with even larger changes occurring during some thermal cycles. Most changes during thermal cycling required using lower temperatures and higher currents to reach the former wavenumber (when it could be reached). In many cases, an operating point could be selected by changing TDL current and temperature to give both the desired wavenumber and most of the power in a single mode. The selection procedure had to be used after each thermal cycling. Wavenumber nonlinearities of about 10% over a 0.5 cm tuning range were observed. Diagnostics of the single mode selected by a grating monochromator showed wavenumber fine structure under certain operating conditions. The characteristics due to the TDL environment included short term wavenumber stability, the instrument lineshape function, and intermediate term wavenumber stability.

Amorphous topological insulators constructed from random point sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, Noah P.; Nash, Lisa M.; Hexner, Daniel; Turner, Ari M.; Irvine, William T. M.

2018-04-01

The discovery that the band structure of electronic insulators may be topologically non-trivial has revealed distinct phases of electronic matter with novel properties1,2. Recently, mechanical lattices have been found to have similarly rich structure in their phononic excitations3,4, giving rise to protected unidirectional edge modes5-7. In all of these cases, however, as well as in other topological metamaterials3,8, the underlying structure was finely tuned, be it through periodicity, quasi-periodicity or isostaticity. Here we show that amorphous Chern insulators can be readily constructed from arbitrary underlying structures, including hyperuniform, jammed, quasi-crystalline and uniformly random point sets. While our findings apply to mechanical and electronic systems alike, we focus on networks of interacting gyroscopes as a model system. Local decorations control the topology of the vibrational spectrum, endowing amorphous structures with protected edge modes—with a chirality of choice. Using a real-space generalization of the Chern number, we investigate the topology of our structures numerically, analytically and experimentally. The robustness of our approach enables the topological design and self-assembly of non-crystalline topological metamaterials on the micro and macro scale.

Usefulness of Time-Point Serum Cortisol and ACTH Measurements for the Adjustment of Glucocorticoid Replacement in Adrenal Insufficiency.

PubMed

Rousseau, Elise; Joubert, Michael; Trzepla, Géraldine; Parienti, Jean Jacques; Freret, Thomas; Vanthygem, Marie Christine; Desailloud, Rachel; Lefebvre, Hervé; Coquerel, Antoine; Reznik, Yves

2015-01-01

Adjustment of daily hydrocortisone dose on clinical criteria lacks sensitivity for fine tuning. Long term hydrocortisone (HC) over-replacement may lead to increased morbidity and mortality in patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI). Biochemical criteria may help detecting over- or under-replacement but have been poorly evaluated. Multicenter, institutional, pharmacokinetic study on ACTH and cortisol plasma profiles during HC replacement in 27 AI patients compared to 29 matched controls. All AI patients were administered HC thrice daily at doses of 6, 10 and 14 mg/m2/d. Blood samples were drawn hourly from 0800h to 1900h. The main outcome measures were: i) plasma peak cortisol and cortisol area under the curve (AUC) in AI patients compared to controls, ii) correlations between cortisol AUC vs single-point cortisol or ACTH decrease from baseline (ΔACTH) and iii) the predictive value of the two latters for obtaining AI patients' cortisol AUC in the control range. Cortisol peaks were observed 1h after each HC intake and a dose response was demonstrated for cortisol peak and cortisol AUC. The comparison of AI patients' cortisol AUC to controls showed that 81.5% AI patients receiving 6mg/m2/d were adequately replaced, whereas most patients receiving higher doses were over-replaced. The correlation coefficient between 1000h/1400h cortisol concentrations and 0800-1900h cortisol AUC were 0.93/0.88 respectively, whereas the 0800-1200h ΔACTH fairly correlated with 0800-1900h cortisol AUC (R = 0.57). ROC curve analysis indicated that the 1000h and 1400h cortisol concentrations best predicted over-replacement. Patients receiving a 6mg/m2 hydrocortisone daily dose exhibited the most physiological daytime cortisol profile. Single point plasma cortisol correlated with daytime cortisol AUC in AI patients. Although hydrocortisone dose should be currently determined on clinical grounds, our data suggest that single point plasma cortisol may be an adjunct for further hydrocortisone dose adjustment in AI patients.

Usefulness of Time-Point Serum Cortisol and ACTH Measurements for the Adjustment of Glucocorticoid Replacement in Adrenal Insufficiency

PubMed Central

Trzepla, Géraldine; Parienti, Jean Jacques; Freret, Thomas; Vanthygem, Marie Christine; Desailloud, Rachel; Lefebvre, Hervé; Coquerel, Antoine; Reznik, Yves

2015-01-01

Background Adjustment of daily hydrocortisone dose on clinical criteria lacks sensitivity for fine tuning. Long term hydrocortisone (HC) over-replacement may lead to increased morbidity and mortality in patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI). Biochemical criteria may help detecting over- or under-replacement but have been poorly evaluated. Methods Multicenter, institutional, pharmacokinetic study on ACTH and cortisol plasma profiles during HC replacement in 27 AI patients compared to 29 matched controls. All AI patients were administered HC thrice daily at doses of 6, 10 and 14 mg/m2/d. Blood samples were drawn hourly from 0800h to 1900h. The main outcome measures were: i) plasma peak cortisol and cortisol area under the curve (AUC) in AI patients compared to controls, ii) correlations between cortisol AUC vs single-point cortisol or ACTH decrease from baseline (ΔACTH) and iii) the predictive value of the two latters for obtaining AI patients’ cortisol AUC in the control range. Results Cortisol peaks were observed 1h after each HC intake and a dose response was demonstrated for cortisol peak and cortisol AUC. The comparison of AI patients’ cortisol AUC to controls showed that 81.5% AI patients receiving 6mg/m2/d were adequately replaced, whereas most patients receiving higher doses were over-replaced. The correlation coefficient between 1000h/1400h cortisol concentrations and 0800-1900h cortisol AUC were 0.93/0.88 respectively, whereas the 0800-1200h ΔACTH fairly correlated with 0800-1900h cortisol AUC (R = 0.57). ROC curve analysis indicated that the 1000h and 1400h cortisol concentrations best predicted over-replacement. Conclusions Patients receiving a 6mg/m2 hydrocortisone daily dose exhibited the most physiological daytime cortisol profile. Single point plasma cortisol correlated with daytime cortisol AUC in AI patients. Although hydrocortisone dose should be currently determined on clinical grounds, our data suggest that single point plasma cortisol may be an adjunct for further hydrocortisone dose adjustment in AI patients. PMID:26317782

Pulsatile release of biomolecules from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips with hydrolytically degradable seals.

PubMed

Intra, Janjira; Glasgow, Justin M; Mai, Hoang Q; Salem, Aliasger K

2008-05-08

We demonstrate, for the first time, a robust novel polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip that can provide controlled pulsatile release of DNA based molecules, proteins and oligonucleotides without external stimuli or triggers. The PDMS chip with arrays of wells was constructed by replica molding. Poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymer films of varying composition and thickness were used as seals to the wells. The composition, molecular weight and thickness of the PLGA films were all parameters used to control the degradation rate of the seals and therefore the release profiles. Degradation of the films followed the PLGA composition order of 50:50 PLGA>75:25 PLGA>85:15 PLGA at all time-points beyond week 1. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that films were initially smooth, became porous and ruptured as the osmotic pressure pushed the degrading PLGA film outwards. Pulsatile release of DNA was controlled by the composition and thickness of the PLGA used to seal the well. Transfection experiments in a model Human Embryonic Kidney 293 (HEK293) cell line showed that plasmid DNA loaded in the wells was functional after pulsatile release in comparison to control plasmid DNA at all time-points. Thicker films degraded faster than thinner films and could be used to fine-tune the release of DNA over day length periods. Finally the PDMS chip was shown to provide repeated sequential release of CpG oligonucleotides and a model antigen, Ovalbumin (OVA), indicating significant potential for this device for vaccinations or applications that require defined complex release patterns of a variety of chemicals, drugs and biomolecules.

Advanced Hybrid Particulate Collector Project Management Plan

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

Miller, S.J.

As the consumption of energy increases, its impact on ambient air quality has become a significant concern. Recent studies indicate that fine particles from coal combustion cause health problems as well as atmospheric visibility impairment. These problems are further compounded by the concentration of hazardous trace elements such as mercury, cadmium, selenium, and arsenic in fine particles. Therefore, a current need exists to develop superior, but economical, methods to control emissions of fine particles. Since most of the toxic metals present in coal will be in particulate form, a high level of fine- particle collection appears to be the bestmore » method of overall air toxics control. However, over 50% of mercury and a portion of selenium emissions are in vapor form and cannot be collected in particulate control devices. Therefore, this project will focus on developing technology not only to provide ultrahigh collection efficiency of particulate air toxic emissions, but also to capture vapor- phase trace metals such as mercury and selenium. Currently, the primary state-of-the-art technologies for particulate control are fabric filters (baghouses) and electrostatic precipitators (ESPs). However, they both have limitations that prevent them from achieving ultrahigh collection of fine particulate matter and vapor-phase trace metals. The objective of this project is to develop a highly reliable advanced hybrid particulate collector (AHPC) that can provide > 99.99 % particulate collection efficiency for all particle sizes between 0.01 and 50 14m, is applicable for use with all U.S. coals, and is cost-0443competitive with existing technologies. Phase I of the project is organized into three tasks: Task I - Project Management, Reporting, and Subcontract Consulting Task 2 - Modeling, Design, and Construction of 200-acfm AHPC Model Task 3 - Experimental Testing and Subcontract Consulting« less

Lunar glass: interferometric evidence for low-temperature shock.

PubMed

Tolansky, S

1972-05-12

Glass objects in the fines from the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions are shown, by two-beam reflection interferometry, to have been subject to shock at temperatures below the melting or softening point of the glass. Possible causes for the glass fragmentation are discussed.

PHOTOCHEMICAL AND AEROSOL MODELING WITH THE CMAQ PLUME-IN-GRID APPROACH

EPA Science Inventory

Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO) and/or sulfur oxides (SO) from individual point sources, such as coal-fired power plants, with tall stacks contribute to reduced air quality. These primary species are important precursors of various oxidant species and secondary fine particul...

Bubble Point Measurements with Liquid Methane of a Screen Channel Capillary Liquid Acquisition Device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurns, John M.; McQuillen, John B.; Gaby, Joseph D., Jr.; Sinacore, Steven A., Jr.

2009-01-01

Liquid acquisition devices (LADs) can be utilized within a propellant tank in space to deliver single-phase liquid to the engine in low gravity. One type of liquid acquisition device is a screened gallery whereby a fine mesh screen acts as a 'bubble filter' and prevents the gas bubbles from passing through until a crucial pressure differential condition across the screen, called the bubble point, is reached. This paper presents data for LAD bubble point data in liquid methane (LCH4) for stainless steel Dutch twill screens with mesh sizes of 325 by 2300. These tests represent the first known nonproprietary effort to collect bubble point data for LCH4.

Rheological changes induced by clast fragmentation in debris flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caballero, Lizeth; Sarocchi, Damiano; Soto, Enrique; Borselli, Lorenzo

2014-09-01

On the basis of rotating drum analogue experiments, we describe a fragmentation process acting within debris flows during transport and its influence on rheologic behavior. Our hypothesis is based on a detailed textural analysis including granulometry, clast morphology, and rheologic properties of the fluid matrix. Results of the experiments point out that breakage of certain granulometric classes produces fine particles like fine sand and silt. The population growth of fine clasts with time leads to an increase in yield strength and viscosity that progressively modifies the rheologic behavior. From a textural point of view, this is reflected in a bimodal granulometric distribution. Up to now this characteristic has been explained as the effect of bulking and/or sedimentation processes during transport. Our experimental results show that the type of fragmentation depends on particle size and is the consequence of strong clast-clast interaction and clast-fluid interactions. Coarse particles develop small fractures which cause the loss of sharp edges and asperities. Medium-sized particles develop through-going fractures that cause them to break apart. The latter process explains why intermediate granulometric classes progressively diminish with time in debris flows. Analogue experiments enable us to study the efficacy of clast fragmentation in modifying the textural character and flow behavior of debris flows without the influence of external factors such as erosion and sedimentation. The obtained results constitute the base of a new approach for modeling debris flow dynamics.

OFF-GAS ANALYSIS RESULTS AND FINE PORE RETROFIT INFORMATION FOR GLASTONBURY, CONNECTICUT

EPA Science Inventory

In the summer of 1984, the Glastonbury, Connecticut Water Pollution Control Plant underwent a retrofit from a spiral roll coarse bubble to a spiral roll fine pore aeration system. Only diffuser replacement was performed in the aeration tanks. From November 1985 through Septembe...

OFF-GAS ANALYSIS RESULTS AND FINE PORE RETROFIT CASE HISTORY FOR HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

EPA Science Inventory

In the summer of 1982, the Hartford Metropolitan District Commission, Hartford County, Connecticut, Water Pollution Control Facility underwent a retrofit form a spiral roll coarse bubble to a full floor coverage fine pore aeration system. Work performed included all new in-tank ...

SPECIATION OF GAS-PHASE AND FINE PARTICLE EMISSIONS FROM BURNING OF FOLIAR FUELS

EPA Science Inventory

Particle size distributions (10-1000 nm aerodynamic diameter), physical and chemical properties of fine particle matter (PM2.5) with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 micrometers, and gas-phase emissions from controlled open burning of assorted taxa were measured. Chemical speciation of ...

SOURCE SAMPLING FINE PARTICULATE MATTER: WOOD-FIRED INDUSTRIAL BOILER

EPA Science Inventory

The report provides a profile for a wood-fired industrial boiler equipped with a multistage electrostatic precipitator control device. Along with the profile of emissions of fine particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (PM-2.5), data are also provide...

Improving Fine Control of Grasping Force during Hand–Object Interactions for a Soft Synergy-Inspired Myoelectric Prosthetic Hand

PubMed Central

Fu, Qiushi; Santello, Marco

2018-01-01

The concept of postural synergies of the human hand has been shown to potentially reduce complexity in the neuromuscular control of grasping. By merging this concept with soft robotics approaches, a multi degrees of freedom soft-synergy prosthetic hand [SoftHand-Pro (SHP)] was created. The mechanical innovation of the SHP enables adaptive and robust functional grasps with simple and intuitive myoelectric control from only two surface electromyogram (sEMG) channels. However, the current myoelectric controller has very limited capability for fine control of grasp forces. We addressed this challenge by designing a hybrid-gain myoelectric controller that switches control gains based on the sensorimotor state of the SHP. This controller was tested against a conventional single-gain (SG) controller, as well as against native hand in able-bodied subjects. We used the following tasks to evaluate the performance of grasp force control: (1) pick and place objects with different size, weight, and fragility levels using power or precision grasp and (2) squeezing objects with different stiffness. Sensory feedback of the grasp forces was provided to the user through a non-invasive, mechanotactile haptic feedback device mounted on the upper arm. We demonstrated that the novel hybrid controller enabled superior task completion speed and fine force control over SG controller in object pick-and-place tasks. We also found that the performance of the hybrid controller qualitatively agrees with the performance of native human hands. PMID:29375360

Thermal, Structural, and Optical Analysis of a Balloon-Based Imaging System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borden, Michael; Lewis, Derek; Ochoa, Hared; Jones-Wilson, Laura; Susca, Sara; Porter, Michael; Massey, Richard; Clark, Paul; Netterfield, Barth

2017-03-01

The Subarcsecond Telescope And BaLloon Experiment, STABLE, is the fine stage of a guidance system for a high-altitude ballooning platform designed to demonstrate subarcsecond pointing stability over one minute using relatively dim guide stars in the visible spectrum. The STABLE system uses an attitude rate sensor and the motion of the guide star on a detector to control a Fast Steering Mirror to stabilize the image. The characteristics of the thermal-optical-mechanical elements in the system directly affect the quality of the point-spread function of the guide star on the detector, so a series of thermal, structural, and optical models were built to simulate system performance and ultimately inform the final pointing stability predictions. This paper describes the modeling techniques employed in each of these subsystems. The results from those models are discussed in detail, highlighting the development of the worst-case cold and hot cases, the optical metrics generated from the finite element model, and the expected STABLE residual wavefront error and decenter. Finally, the paper concludes with the predicted sensitivities in the STABLE system, which show that thermal deadbanding, structural pre-loading, and self-deflection under different loading conditions, and the speed of individual optical elements were particularly important to the resulting STABLE optical performance.

Relations between fine motor skill and parental report of attention in young children with neurofibromatosis type 1.

PubMed

Casnar, Christy L; Janke, Kelly M; van der Fluit, Faye; Brei, Natalie G; Klein-Tasman, Bonita P

2014-01-01

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is one of the most common genetic disorders presenting in approximately 1 in 3,500 live births. NF1 is a highly variable condition with a large number of complications. A common complication is neuropsychological problems, including developmental delays and learning difficulties that affect as many as 60% of patients. Research has suggested that school-aged children with NF1 often have poorer fine motor skills and are at greater risk for attention difficulties than the general population. Thirty-eight children with NF1 and 23 unaffected children between the ages of 4 and 6 years, who are enrolled in a study of early development in NF1, were included in the present study. Varying levels of fine motor functioning were examined (simple to complex fine motor tasks). For children with NF1, significant difficulties were demonstrated on lab-based mid-level and complex fine motor tasks, even after controlling for nonverbal reasoning abilities, but not on simple fine motor tasks. Parental report also indicated difficulties in everyday adaptive fine motor functioning. No significant correlations were found between complex fine motor ability and attention difficulties. This study provides much needed descriptive data on the early emergence of fine motor difficulties and attention difficulties in young children with NF1.

Software feedback for monochromator tuning at UNICAT (abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jemian, Pete R.

2002-03-01

Automatic tuning of double-crystal monochromators presents an interesting challenge in software. The goal is to either maximize, or hold constant, the throughput of the monochromator. An additional goal of the software feedback is to disable itself when there is no beam and then, at the user's discretion, re-enable itself when the beam returns. These and other routine goals, such as adherence to limits of travel for positioners, are maintained by software controls. Many solutions exist to lock in and maintain a fixed throughput. Among these include a hardware solution involving a wave form generator, and a lock-in amplifier to autocorrelate the movement of a piezoelectric transducer (PZT) providing fine adjustment of the second crystal Bragg angle. This solution does not work when the positioner is a slow acting device such as a stepping motor. Proportional integral differential (PID) loops have been used to provide feedback through software but additional controls must be provided to maximize the monochromator throughput. Presented here is a software variation of the PID loop which meets the above goals. By using two floating point variables as inputs, representing the intensity of x rays measured before and after the monochromator, it attempts to maximize (or hold constant) the ratio of these two inputs by adjusting an output floating point variable. These floating point variables are connected to hardware channels corresponding to detectors and positioners. When the inputs go out of range, the software will stop making adjustments to the control output. Not limited to monochromator feedback, the software could be used, with beam steering positioners, to maintain a measure of beam position. Advantages of this software feedback are the flexibility of its various components. It has been used with stepping motors and PZTs as positioners. Various devices such as ion chambers, scintillation counters, photodiodes, and photoelectron collectors have been used as detectors. The software provides significant cost savings over hardware feedback methods. Presently implemented in EPICS, the software is sufficiently general to any automated instrument control system.

Post-LHC7 fine-tuning in the minimal supergravity/CMSSM model with a 125 GeV Higgs boson

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baer, Howard; Barger, Vernon; Huang, Peisi; Mickelson, Dan; Mustafayev, Azar; Tata, Xerxes

2013-02-01

The recent discovery of a 125 GeV Higgs-like resonance at LHC, coupled with the lack of evidence for weak scale supersymmetry (SUSY), has severely constrained SUSY models such as minimal supergravity (mSUGRA)/CMSSM. As LHC probes deeper into SUSY model parameter space, the little hierarchy problem—how to reconcile the Z and Higgs boson mass scale with the scale of SUSY breaking—will become increasingly exacerbated unless a sparticle signal is found. We evaluate two different measures of fine-tuning in the mSUGRA/CMSSM model. The more stringent of these, ΔHS, includes effects that arise from the high-scale origin of the mSUGRA parameters while the second measure, ΔEW, is determined only by weak scale parameters: hence, it is universal to any model with the same particle spectrum and couplings. Our results incorporate the latest constraints from LHC7 sparticle searches, LHCb limits from Bs→μ+μ- and also require a light Higgs scalar with mh˜123-127GeV. We present fine-tuning contours in the m0 vs m1/2 plane for several sets of A0 and tan⁡β values. We also present results for ΔHS and ΔEW from a scan over the entire viable model parameter space. We find a ΔHS≳103, or at best 0.1%, fine-tuning. For the less stringent electroweak fine-tuning, we find ΔEW≳102, or at best 1%, fine-tuning. Two benchmark points are presented that have the lowest values of ΔHS and ΔEW. Our results provide a quantitative measure for ascertaining whether or not the remaining mSUGRA/CMSSM model parameter space is excessively fine-tuned and so could provide impetus for considering alternative SUSY models.

Ultra-Fine Scale Spatially-Integrated Mapping of Habitat and Occupancy Using Structure-From-Motion

PubMed Central

McDowall, Philip; Lynch, Heather J.

2017-01-01

Organisms respond to and often simultaneously modify their environment. While these interactions are apparent at the landscape extent, the driving mechanisms often occur at very fine spatial scales. Structure-from-Motion (SfM), a computer vision technique, allows the simultaneous mapping of organisms and fine scale habitat, and will greatly improve our understanding of habitat suitability, ecophysiology, and the bi-directional relationship between geomorphology and habitat use. SfM can be used to create high-resolution (centimeter-scale) three-dimensional (3D) habitat models at low cost. These models can capture the abiotic conditions formed by terrain and simultaneously record the position of individual organisms within that terrain. While coloniality is common in seabird species, we have a poor understanding of the extent to which dense breeding aggregations are driven by fine-scale active aggregation or limited suitable habitat. We demonstrate the use of SfM for fine-scale habitat suitability by reconstructing the locations of nests in a gentoo penguin colony and fitting models that explicitly account for conspecific attraction. The resulting digital elevation models (DEMs) are used as covariates in an inhomogeneous hybrid point process model. We find that gentoo penguin nest site selection is a function of the topography of the landscape, but that nests are far more aggregated than would be expected based on terrain alone, suggesting a strong role of behavioral aggregation in driving coloniality in this species. This integrated mapping of organisms and fine scale habitat will greatly improve our understanding of fine-scale habitat suitability, ecophysiology, and the complex bi-directional relationship between geomorphology and habitat use. PMID:28076351

Recovering the fine structures in solar images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karovska, Margarita; Habbal, S. R.; Golub, L.; Deluca, E.; Hudson, Hugh S.

1994-01-01

Several examples of the capability of the blind iterative deconvolution (BID) technique to recover the real point spread function, when limited a priori information is available about its characteristics. To demonstrate the potential of image post-processing for probing the fine scale and temporal variability of the solar atmosphere, the BID technique is applied to different samples of solar observations from space. The BID technique was originally proposed for correction of the effects of atmospheric turbulence on optical images. The processed images provide a detailed view of the spatial structure of the solar atmosphere at different heights in regions with different large-scale magnetic field structures.

Accelerated weathering of limestone for CO2 mitigation: Opportunities for the stone and cement industries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langer, William H.; San, Juan A.; Rau, Greg H.; Caldeira, Ken

2009-01-01

Large amounts of limestone fines co-produced during the processing of crushed limestone may be useful in the sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2). Accelerated weathering of limestone (AWL) is proposed as a low-tech method to capture and sequester CO2 from fossil fuel-fired power plants and other point sources such as cement manufacturing. AWL reactants are readily available, inexpensive and environmentally benign. Waste CO2 is hydrated with water to produce carbonic acid. This reacts with and is neutralized by limestone fines, thus converting CO2 gas to dissolved calcium bicarbonate.

Wavefront Sensing with the Fine Guidance Sensor for James Webb Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, J. Scott; Aronstein, David; Dean, Bruce H.; Howard,Joe; Shiri, Ron

2008-01-01

An analysis is presented that utilizes the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) for focal-plane wavefront sensing (WFS) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). WFS with FGS increases the number of wavefront measurements taken in field of the telescope, but has many challenges over the other JWST instruments that make it unique, such as; less sampling of the Point Spread Function (PSF), a smaller diversity-defocus range, a smaller image detector size, and a polychromatic object or source. Additionally, presented is an analysis of sampling for wavefront sensing. Results are shown based on simulations of flight and the cryogenic optical testing at NASA Johnson Space Center.

Heterogeneity and anisotropy in the lithospheric mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tommasi, Andréa; Vauchez, Alain

2015-10-01

The lithospheric mantle is intrinsically heterogeneous and anisotropic. These two properties govern the repartition of deformation, controlling intraplate strain localization and development of new plate boundaries. Geophysical and geological observations provide clues on the types, ranges, and characteristic length scales of heterogeneity and anisotropy in the lithospheric mantle. Seismic tomography points to variations in geothermal gradient and hence in rheological behavior at scales of hundreds of km. Seismic anisotropy data substantiate anisotropic physical properties consistent at scales of tens to hundreds of km. Receiver functions imply lateral and vertical heterogeneity at scales < 10 km, which might record gradients in composition or anisotropy. Observations on naturally deformed peridotites establish that compositional heterogeneity and Crystal Preferred Orientations (CPOs) are ubiquitous from the mm to the km scales. These data allow discussing the processes that produce/destroy heterogeneity and anisotropy and constraining the time scales over which they are active. This analysis highlights: (i) the role of deformation and reactive percolation of melts and fluids in producing compositional and structural heterogeneity and the feedbacks between these processes, (ii) the weak mechanical effect of mineralogical variations, and (iii) the low volumes of fine-grained microstructures and difficulty to preserve them. In contrast, olivine CPO and the resulting anisotropy of mechanical and thermal properties are only modified by deformation. Based on this analysis, we propose that strain localization at the plate scale is, at first order, controlled by large-scale variations in thermal structure and in CPO-induced anisotropy. In cold parts of the lithospheric mantle, grain size reduction may contribute to strain localization, but the low volume of fine-grained domains limits this effect.

A procedure to achieve fine control in MW processing of foods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuccurullo, G.; Cinquanta, L.; Sorrentino, G.

2007-01-01

A two-dimensional analytical model for predicting the unsteady temperature field in a cylindrical shaped body affected by spatially varying heat generation is presented. The dimensionless problem is solved analytically by using both partial solutions and the variation of parameters techniques. Having in mind industrial microwave heating for food pasteurization, the easy-to-handle solution is used to confirm the intrinsic lack of spatial uniformity of such a treatment in comparison to the traditional one. From an experimental point of view, a batch pasteurization treatment was realized to compare the effect of two different control techniques both based on IR thermography readout: the former assured a classical PID control, while the latter was based on a "shadowing" technique, consisting in covering portions of the sample which are hot enough with a mobile metallic screen. A measure of the effectiveness of the two control techniques was obtained by evaluating the thermal death curves of a strain Lactobacillus plantarum submitted to pasteurization temperatures. Preliminary results showed meaningful increases in the microwave thermal inactivation of the L. plantarum and similar significant decreases in thermal inactivation time with respect to the traditional pasteurization thermal treatment.

Utilizing the Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm for enhanced registration of high resolution surface models - more than a simple black-box application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stöcker, Claudia; Eltner, Anette

2016-04-01

Advances in computer vision and digital photogrammetry (i.e. structure from motion) allow for fast and flexible high resolution data supply. Within geoscience applications and especially in the field of small surface topography, high resolution digital terrain models and dense 3D point clouds are valuable data sources to capture actual states as well as for multi-temporal studies. However, there are still some limitations regarding robust registration and accuracy demands (e.g. systematic positional errors) which impede the comparison and/or combination of multi-sensor data products. Therefore, post-processing of 3D point clouds can heavily enhance data quality. In this matter the Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm represents an alignment tool which iteratively minimizes distances of corresponding points within two datasets. Even though tool is widely used; it is often applied as a black-box application within 3D data post-processing for surface reconstruction. Aiming for precise and accurate combination of multi-sensor data sets, this study looks closely at different variants of the ICP algorithm including sub-steps of point selection, point matching, weighting, rejection, error metric and minimization. Therefore, an agricultural utilized field was investigated simultaneously by terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sensors two times (once covered with sparse vegetation and once bare soil). Due to different perspectives both data sets show diverse consistency in terms of shadowed areas and thus gaps so that data merging would provide consistent surface reconstruction. Although photogrammetric processing already included sub-cm accurate ground control surveys, UAV point cloud exhibits an offset towards TLS point cloud. In order to achieve the transformation matrix for fine registration of UAV point clouds, different ICP variants were tested. Statistical analyses of the results show that final success of registration and therefore data quality depends particularly on parameterization and choice of error metric, especially for erroneous data sets as in the case of sparse vegetation cover. At this, the point-to-point metric is more sensitive to data "noise" than the point-to-plane metric which results in considerably higher cloud-to-cloud distances. Concluding, in order to comply with accuracy demands of high resolution surface reconstruction and the aspect that ground control surveys can reach their limits both in time exposure and terrain accessibility ICP algorithm represents a great tool to refine rough initial alignment. Here different variants of registration modules allow for individual application according to the quality of the input data.

HIGH STRENGTH CONTROL RODS FOR NEUTRONIC REACTORS

DOEpatents

Lustman, B.; Losco, E.F.; Cohen, I.

1961-07-11

Nuclear reactor control rods comprised of highly compressed and sintered finely divided metal alloy panticles and fine metal oxide panticles substantially uniformly distributed theretbrough are described. The metal alloy consists essentially of silver, indium, cadmium, tin, and aluminum, the amount of each being present in centain percentages by weight. The oxide particles are metal oxides of the metal alloy composition, the amount of oxygen being present in certain percentages by weight and all the oxygen present being substantially in the form of metal oxide. This control rod is characterized by its high strength and resistance to creep at elevated temperatures.

Sequence for the Training of Eye-Hand Coordination Needed for the Organization of Handwriting Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trester, Mary Fran

1971-01-01

Suggested is a sequence of 11 class activities, progressing from gross to fine motor skills, to assist the development of skills required to perform handwriting tasks successfully, for use particularly with children who lack fine motor control and eye-hand coordination. (KW)

ASSESSING RELATIVE BED STABILITY AND EXCESS FINE SEDIMENTS IN STREAMS

EPA Science Inventory

Excess fine sedimentation is recognized as a leading cause of water quality impairment in surface waters in the United States. We developed an index of Relative Bed Stability (RBS) that factors out natural controls on streambed particle size to allow evaluation of the role of hu...

CONTROLLED EXPOSURES OF HUMAN VOLUNTEERS TO DIESEL ENGINE EXHAUST: BIOMARKERS OF EXPOSURE AND HEALTH OUTCOMES

EPA Science Inventory

Combustion of diesel fuel contributes to ambient air pollutant fine particulate matter (PM) and gases. Fine PM exposure has been associated with increased mortality due to adverse cardiac events, and morbidity, such as increased hospitalization for asthma symptoms and lung infect...

Myopia: the importance of seeing fine detail.

PubMed

Schaeffel, Frank

2006-04-04

Eye growth and myopia development are controlled by the retina. What properties of the image tell the retina how the eye should grow? A recent study has shown that, in chickens, fine details are necessary to prevent the development of myopia. Should we carefully avoid any defocus to avoid becoming myopic?

Development of Quality Control Parameters and Electronic Data Recording for an Ambient Air Particle Inhalation Exposure System

EPA Science Inventory

Ambient air particle concentrating systems were installed by the US EPA in RTP, NC. These systems, designed by Harvard School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (Boston, MA), concentrated ambient fine and ultra-fine mode particulate matter (P...

Fine motor skills and executive function both contribute to kindergarten achievement.

PubMed

Cameron, Claire E; Brock, Laura L; Murrah, William M; Bell, Lindsay H; Worzalla, Samantha L; Grissmer, David; Morrison, Frederick J

2012-01-01

This study examined the contribution of executive function (EF) and multiple aspects of fine motor skills to achievement on 6 standardized assessments in a sample of middle-socioeconomic status kindergarteners. Three- and 4-year-olds' (n=213) fine and gross motor skills were assessed in a home visit before kindergarten, EF was measured at fall of kindergarten, and Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Academic Achievement were administered at fall and spring. Correlations indicated that EF and fine motor skills appeared distinct. Further, controlling for background variables, higher levels of both EF and fine motor skills, specifically design copy, predicted higher achievement on multiple subtests at kindergarten entry, as well as improvement from fall to spring. Implications for research on school readiness are discussed. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Teacher's Counselor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noon, Elizabeth F.

1976-01-01

Elsa Bunting, an elementary teacher, and her principal, Don Forrester, got along fine. But then Elsa was injured and was left with a 30 percent hearing disability. Forrester thought she should resign because of her handicap. Presents both points of view and the solution to the problem through proper counseling. (Editor/RK)

Lidar Based Emissions Measurement at the Whole Facility Scale: Method and Error Analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Particulate emissions from agricultural sources vary from dust created by operations and animal movement to the fine secondary particulates generated from ammonia and other emitted gases. The development of reliable facility emission data using point sampling methods designed to characterize regiona...

Assessment without Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Earle, Sarah; Davies, Dan

2014-01-01

Assessment is primarily a matter of judgement rather than measurement, yet for too long the nation has been pretending that pupils' attainment and measurement can be measured in increasingly fine detail (one APS "point" being one sixth of an original National Curriculum level). The lack of validity and reliability of this approach…

Magnetic suspension and pointing system. [on a carrier vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, W. W.; Groom, N. J. (Inventor)

1979-01-01

Apparatus for providing accurate pointing of instruments on a carrier vehicle and for providing isolation of the instruments from the vehicle's motion disturbances is presented. The apparatus includes two assemblies, with connecting interfaces, each assembly having a separate function. The first assembly is attached to the carrier vehicle and consists of an azimuth gimbal and an elevation gimbal which provide coarse pointing of the instruments by allowing two rotations of the instruments relative to the carrier vehicle. The second or vernier pointing assembly is made up of magnetic suspension and fine pointing actuators, roll motor segments, and an instrument mounting plate around which a continuous annular rim is attached which provides appropriate magnetic circuits for the actuators and the roll motor segments. The vernier pointing assembly provides six degree-of-freedom isolation from carrier motion disturbances.

Vanishing Point Extraction and Refinement for Robust Camera Calibration

PubMed Central

Tsai, Fuan

2017-01-01

This paper describes a flexible camera calibration method using refined vanishing points without prior information. Vanishing points are estimated from human-made features like parallel lines and repeated patterns. With the vanishing points extracted from the three mutually orthogonal directions, the interior and exterior orientation parameters can be further calculated using collinearity condition equations. A vanishing point refinement process is proposed to reduce the uncertainty caused by vanishing point localization errors. The fine-tuning algorithm is based on the divergence of grouped feature points projected onto the reference plane, minimizing the standard deviation of each of the grouped collinear points with an O(1) computational complexity. This paper also presents an automated vanishing point estimation approach based on the cascade Hough transform. The experiment results indicate that the vanishing point refinement process can significantly improve camera calibration parameters and the root mean square error (RMSE) of the constructed 3D model can be reduced by about 30%. PMID:29280966

Image registration algorithm for high-voltage electric power live line working robot based on binocular vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chengqi; Ren, Zhigang; Yang, Bo; An, Qinghao; Yu, Xiangru; Li, Jinping

2017-12-01

In the process of dismounting and assembling the drop switch for the high-voltage electric power live line working (EPL2W) robot, one of the key problems is the precision of positioning for manipulators, gripper and the bolts used to fix drop switch. To solve it, we study the binocular vision system theory of the robot and the characteristic of dismounting and assembling drop switch. We propose a coarse-to-fine image registration algorithm based on image correlation, which can improve the positioning precision of manipulators and bolt significantly. The algorithm performs the following three steps: firstly, the target points are marked respectively in the right and left visions, and then the system judges whether the target point in right vision can satisfy the lowest registration accuracy by using the similarity of target points' backgrounds in right and left visions, this is a typical coarse-to-fine strategy; secondly, the system calculates the epipolar line, and then the regional sequence existing matching points is generated according to neighborhood of epipolar line, the optimal matching image is confirmed by calculating the similarity between template image in left vision and the region in regional sequence according to correlation matching; finally, the precise coordinates of target points in right and left visions are calculated according to the optimal matching image. The experiment results indicate that the positioning accuracy of image coordinate is within 2 pixels, the positioning accuracy in the world coordinate system is within 3 mm, the positioning accuracy of binocular vision satisfies the requirement dismounting and assembling the drop switch.

Automatic generation of endocardial surface meshes with 1-to-1 correspondence from cine-MR images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Yi; Teo, S.-K.; Lim, C. W.; Zhong, L.; Tan, R. S.

2015-03-01

In this work, we develop an automatic method to generate a set of 4D 1-to-1 corresponding surface meshes of the left ventricle (LV) endocardial surface which are motion registered over the whole cardiac cycle. These 4D meshes have 1- to-1 point correspondence over the entire set, and is suitable for advanced computational processing, such as shape analysis, motion analysis and finite element modelling. The inputs to the method are the set of 3D LV endocardial surface meshes of the different frames/phases of the cardiac cycle. Each of these meshes is reconstructed independently from border-delineated MR images and they have no correspondence in terms of number of vertices/points and mesh connectivity. To generate point correspondence, the first frame of the LV mesh model is used as a template to be matched to the shape of the meshes in the subsequent phases. There are two stages in the mesh correspondence process: (1) a coarse matching phase, and (2) a fine matching phase. In the coarse matching phase, an initial rough matching between the template and the target is achieved using a radial basis function (RBF) morphing process. The feature points on the template and target meshes are automatically identified using a 16-segment nomenclature of the LV. In the fine matching phase, a progressive mesh projection process is used to conform the rough estimate to fit the exact shape of the target. In addition, an optimization-based smoothing process is used to achieve superior mesh quality and continuous point motion.

The Jeanie Point complex revisited

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dumoulin, Julie A.; Miller, Martha L.

1984-01-01

The so-called Jeanie Point complex is a distinctive package of rocks within the Orca Group, a Tertiary turbidite sequence. The rocks crop out on the southeast coast of Montague Island, Prince William Sound, approximately 3 km northeast of Jeanie Point (loc. 7, fig. 44). These rocks consist dominantly of fine-grained limestone and lesser amounts of siliceous limestone, chert, tuff, mudstone, argillite, and sandstone (fig. 47). The Jeanie Point rocks also differ from those typical of the Orca Group in their fold style. Thus, the Orca Group of the area is isoclinally folded on a large scale (tens to hundreds of meters), whereas the Jeanie Point rocks are tightly folded on a 1- to 3- m-wavelength scale (differences in rock competency may be responsible for this variation in fold style).

Nanoparticle inhalation augments particle-dependent systemic microvascular dysfunction

PubMed Central

Nurkiewicz, Timothy R; Porter, Dale W; Hubbs, Ann F; Cumpston, Jared L; Chen, Bean T; Frazer, David G; Castranova, Vincent

2008-01-01

Background We have shown that pulmonary exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) impairs endothelium dependent dilation in systemic arterioles. Ultrafine PM has been suggested to be inherently more toxic by virtue of its increased surface area. The purpose of this study was to determine if ultrafine PM (or nanoparticle) inhalation produces greater microvascular dysfunction than fine PM. Rats were exposed to fine or ultrafine TiO2 aerosols (primary particle diameters of ~1 μm and ~21 nm, respectively) at concentrations which do not alter bronchoalveolar lavage markers of pulmonary inflammation or lung damage. Results By histopathologic evaluation, no significant inflammatory changes were seen in the lung. However, particle-containing macrophages were frequently seen in intimate contact with the alveolar wall. The spinotrapezius muscle was prepared for in vivo microscopy 24 hours after inhalation exposures. Intraluminal infusion of the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 was used to evaluate endothelium-dependent arteriolar dilation. In control rats, A23187 infusion produced dose-dependent arteriolar dilations. In rats exposed to fine TiO2, A23187 infusion elicited vasodilations that were blunted in proportion to pulmonary particle deposition. In rats exposed to ultrafine TiO2, A23187 infusion produced arteriolar constrictions or significantly impaired vasodilator responses as compared to the responses observed in control rats or those exposed to a similar pulmonary load of fine particles. Conclusion These observations suggest that at equivalent pulmonary loads, as compared to fine TiO2, ultrafine TiO2 inhalation produces greater remote microvascular dysfunction. PMID:18269765

Winter-time size distribution and source apportionment of total suspended particulate matter and associated metals in Delhi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Arun; Gupta, Sandeep; Jain, V. K.

2009-03-01

A study of the winter time size distribution and source apportionment of total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) and associated heavy metal concentrations have been carried out for the city of Delhi. This study is important from the point of view of implementation of compressed natural gas (CNG) as alternate of diesel fuel in the public transport system in 2001 to reduce the pollution level. TSPM were collected using a five-stage cascade impactor at six sites in the winters of 2005-06. The results of size distribution indicate that a major portion (~ 40%) of TSPM concentration is in the form of PM0.7 (< 0.7 μm). Similar trends were observed with most of the heavy metals associated with various size fractions of TSPM. A very good correlation between coarse and fine size fraction of TSPM was observed. It was also observed that the metals associated with coarse particles have more chances of correlation with other metals; rather they are associated with fine particles. Source apportionment was carried out separately in coarse and fine size modes of TSPM by Chemical Mass Balance Receptor Model (CMB8) as well as by Principle Component Analysis (PCA) of SPSS. Source apportionment by PCA reveals that there are two major sources (possibly vehicular and crustal re-suspension) in both coarse and fine size fractions. Results obtained by CMB8 show the dominance of vehicular pollutants and crustal dust in fine and coarse size mode respectively. Noticeably the dominance of vehicular pollutants are now confined to fine size only whilst during pre CNG era it dominated both coarse and fine size mode. An increase of 42.5, 44.4, 48.2, 38.6 and 38.9% in the concentrations of TSPM, PM10.9, coarse particles, fine particles and lead respectively was observed during pre (2001) to post CNG (2005-06) period.

Reverse flexing as a physical/mechanical treatment to mitigate fouling of fine bubble diffusers.

PubMed

Odize, Victory O; Novak, John; De Clippeleir, Haydee; Al-Omari, Ahmed; Smeraldi, Joshua D; Murthy, Sudhir; Rosso, Diego

2017-10-01

Achieving energy neutrality has shifted focus towards aeration system optimization, due to the high energy consumption of aeration processes in modern advanced wastewater treatment plants. A study on fine bubble diffuser fouling and mitigation, quantified by dynamic wet pressure (DWP), oxygen transfer efficiency and alpha was carried out in Blue Plains, Washington, DC. Four polyurethane fine bubble diffusers were installed in a pilot reactor column fed with high rate activated sludge from a full scale system. A mechanical cleaning method, reverse flexing (RF), was used to treat two diffusers (RF1, RF2), while two diffusers were kept as a control (i.e., no reverse flexing). There was a 45% increase in DWP of the control diffuser after 17 months of operation, an indication of fouling. RF treated diffusers (RF1 and RF2) did not show significant increase in DWP, and in comparison to the control diffuser prevented about 35% increase in DWP. Hence, reverse flexing potentially saves blower energy, by reducing the pressure burden on the air blower which increases blower energy requirement. However, no significant impact of the RF treatment in preventing a decrease in alpha-fouling (αF) of the fine pore diffusers, over time in operation was observed.

Method and apparatus for controlling fluid flow

DOEpatents

Miller, J.R.

1980-06-27

A method and apparatus for precisely controlling the rate (and hence amount) of fluid flow are given. The controlled flow rate is finely adjustable, can be extremely small (on the order of microliter-atmospheres per second), can be adjusted to zero (flow stopped), and is stable to better than 1% with time. The dead volume of the valve can be made arbitrarily small, in fact essentially zero. The valve employs no wearing mechanical parts (including springs, stems, or seals). The valve is finely adjustable, has a flow rate dynamic range of many decades, can be made compatible with any fluid, and is suitable for incorporation into an open or closed loop servo-control system.

Airborne particulate matter PM2.5 from Mexico City affects the generation of reactive oxygen species by blood neutrophils from asthmatics: an in vitro approach

PubMed Central

Sierra-Vargas, Martha Patricia; Guzman-Grenfell, Alberto Martin; Blanco-Jimenez, Salvador; Sepulveda-Sanchez, Jose David; Bernabe-Cabanillas, Rosa Maria; Cardenas-Gonzalez, Beatriz; Ceballos, Guillermo; Hicks, Juan Jose

2009-01-01

Background The Mexico City Metropolitan Area is densely populated, and toxic air pollutants are generated and concentrated at a higher rate because of its geographic characteristics. It is well known that exposure to particulate matter, especially to fine and ultra-fine particles, enhances the risk of cardio-respiratory diseases, especially in populations susceptible to oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fine particles on the respiratory burst of circulating neutrophils from asthmatic patients living in Mexico City. Methods In total, 6 subjects diagnosed with mild asthma and 11 healthy volunteers were asked to participate. Neutrophils were isolated from peripheral venous blood and incubated with fine particles, and the generation of reactive oxygen species was recorded by chemiluminescence. We also measured plasma lipoperoxidation susceptibility and plasma myeloperoxidase and paraoxonase activities by spectrophotometry. Results Asthmatic patients showed significantly lower plasma paraoxonase activity, higher susceptibility to plasma lipoperoxidation and an increase in myeloperoxidase activity that differed significantly from the control group. In the presence of fine particles, neutrophils from asthmatic patients showed an increased tendency to generate reactive oxygen species after stimulation with fine particles (PM2.5). Conclusion These findings suggest that asthmatic patients have higher oxidation of plasmatic lipids due to reduced antioxidant defense. Furthermore, fine particles tended to increase the respiratory burst of blood human neutrophils from the asthmatic group. On the whole, increased myeloperoxidase activity and susceptibility to lipoperoxidation with a concomitant decrease in paraoxonase activity in asthmatic patients could favor lung infection and hence disrupt the control of asthmatic crises. PMID:19563660

Poly(vinylidene fluoride)-La(0.5)Sr(0.5)CoO(3-δ) composites: the influence of LSCO particle size on the structure and dielectric properties.

PubMed

Deepa, K S; Shaiju, P; Sebastian, M T; Gowd, E Bhoje; James, J

2014-08-28

Dielectric composites composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and La0.5Sr0.5CoO3-δ (LSCO) with high permittivity, low loss and high breakdown strength have been developed. The effects of particle size of LSCO (fine (∼250 nm) and coarse (∼3 μm)) on the phase crystallization of PVDF and dielectric properties of polymer-LSCO composites are studied. The inclusion of fine LSCO into PVDF readily favours the formation of polar crystals (β and γ-phases), which makes the composite suitable for both electromechanical and high charge storage embedded capacitor applications. Moreover, the addition of fine LSCO particles also increases the overall crystallization rate as well as the melting point of PVDF. The composite containing fine LSCO particles gave a percolation threshold at about 25 volume percentage, while that with coarse particles did not show any percolation even at very high volume percentage. As a result of fine LSCO particle loading, the composite exhibited a relative permittivity (εr) of ∼600, a conductivity of 2.7 × 10(-7) S cm(-1), a dielectric loss (tan δ) of 0.7 at 1 kHz and a breakdown voltage of 100 V even at 20 volume percentage of a filler, demonstrating promising applications in the embedded capacitors.

Late Recovery from Stuttering: The Role of Hand Dominancy, Fine Motor and ‎Inhibition Control

PubMed Central

Mohammadi, Hiwa; Khazaie, Habibolah; Rezaei, Mansour; Joghataei, Mohammad Taghi

2016-01-01

Objective: There are controversial reports about factors that affect recovery from stuttering. In the ‎present study, the effect of hand dominancy, fine motor and inhibition control on late ‎recovery from stuttering was investigated among a group of Kurdish-Persian children who ‎stuttered in Iran.‎ Method: Twenty-two Kurdish-Persian children aged 7-14 years who stuttered were followed for 6 ‎years. Based on the evaluation of three experienced speech therapists and parental judgments, ‎these children were classified into recovered or persistent groups. Data about fine motor ‎control of hand and inhibition control were obtained, using Purdue Pegboard and Victoria ‎Strop Color Word Tests, respectively. Risk factors including sex, age, and family history of ‎stuttering, handedness, inhibitory control and fine motor control of hand were compared ‎between the groups and modeled to predict recovery from stuttering using logistic regression.‎ Results: From the 22 participants, 5 (22.7%) recovered from stuttering. The recovered and persistent ‎groups did not show significant differences in the interference effect. By dividing the scores ‎of the Purdue Pegboard tests to the right and left hand, we created a new Handedness Index ‎‎(HI). HI was significantly higher in the recovered group. The score of right hand was higher ‎than the left in the recovered group, but no difference was found between the two hands in ‎the persistent group. Among the investigated risk factors, only HI could predict the recovery ‎from or persistency of stuttering with 94% sensitivity and 84% specificity.‎ Conclusion: Handedness Index can predict the recovery from stuttering significantly among children who ‎stutter.‎ PMID:27252769

Rotational and fine structure of open-shell molecules in nearly degenerate electronic states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jinjun

2018-03-01

An effective Hamiltonian without symmetry restriction has been developed to model the rotational and fine structure of two nearly degenerate electronic states of an open-shell molecule. In addition to the rotational Hamiltonian for an asymmetric top, this spectroscopic model includes the energy separation between the two states due to difference potential and zero-point energy difference, as well as the spin-orbit (SO), Coriolis, and electron spin-molecular rotation (SR) interactions. Hamiltonian matrices are computed using orbitally and fully symmetrized case (a) and case (b) basis sets. Intensity formulae and selection rules for rotational transitions between a pair of nearly degenerate states and a nondegenerate state have also been derived using all four basis sets. It is demonstrated using real examples of free radicals that the fine structure of a single electronic state can be simulated with either a SR tensor or a combination of SO and Coriolis constants. The related molecular constants can be determined precisely only when all interacting levels are simulated simultaneously. The present study suggests that analysis of rotational and fine structure can provide quantitative insights into vibronic interactions and related effects.

The relation between cognitive and motor performance and their relevance for children's transition to school: a latent variable approach.

PubMed

Roebers, Claudia M; Röthlisberger, Marianne; Neuenschwander, Regula; Cimeli, Patrizia; Michel, Eva; Jäger, Katja

2014-02-01

Both theoretically and empirically there is a continuous interest in understanding the specific relation between cognitive and motor development in childhood. In the present longitudinal study including three measurement points, this relation was targeted. At the beginning of the study, the participating children were 5-6-year-olds. By assessing participants' fine motor skills, their executive functioning, and their non-verbal intelligence, their cross-sectional and cross-lagged interrelations were examined. Additionally, performance in these three areas was used to predict early school achievement (in terms of mathematics, reading, and spelling) at the end of participants' first grade. Correlational analyses and structural equation modeling revealed that fine motor skills, non-verbal intelligence and executive functioning were significantly interrelated. Both fine motor skills and intelligence had significant links to later school achievement. However, when executive functioning was additionally included into the prediction of early academic achievement, fine motor skills and non-verbal intelligence were no longer significantly associated with later school performance suggesting that executive functioning plays an important role for the motor-cognitive performance link. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Randomized controlled study of the safety and efficacy of nitrous oxide-sedated endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for digestive tract diseases

PubMed Central

Wang, Cai-Xia; Wang, Jian; Chen, Yuan-Yuan; Wang, Jia-Ni; Yu, Xin; Yang, Feng; Sun, Si-Yu

2016-01-01

AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nitrous oxide-sedated endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration. METHODS Enrolled patients were divided randomly into an experimental group (inhalation of nitrous oxide) and a control group (inhalation of pure oxygen) and heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, and the occurrence of complications were monitored and recorded. All patients and physicians completed satisfaction questionnaires about the examination and scored the process using a visual analog scale. RESULTS There was no significant difference in heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, ECG changes, or complication rate between the two groups of patients (P > 0.05). However, patient and physician satisfaction were both significantly higher in the nitrous oxide compared with the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Nitrous oxide-sedation is a safe and effective option for patients undergoing endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration. PMID:28028373

Changes in gross grasp strength and fine motor skills in adolescents with pediatric multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Squillace, Mary; Ray, Sharon; Milazzo, Maria

2015-01-01

This study examined the gross grasp strength and fine motor dexterity of adolescents, who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). A total sample size of 72 participants between the ages of 13 to 17 was studied. Thirty six with a diagnosis of pediatric relapse remitting MS and 36 matched control participants were selected from various local youth groups. Data on hand strength and dexterity was collected using a dynamometer, nine hole peg board and Purdue pegboard on both groups. Utilizing ANCOVA to describe the differences across the two groups by diagnosis, controlling for age and gender, it was found that the MS group demonstrated significantly decreased dexterity when compared to age and gender matched controls. There was no significant difference in gross grasp strength by diagnostic group. This preliminary study showed that children with a diagnosis of pediatric MS may have differences in fine motor dexterity, but not gross grasp strength from their peers who do not have the diagnosis. Further study is indicated to examine this phenomenon.

Generation and control of polarization-entangled photons from GaAs island quantum dots by an electric field.

PubMed

Ghali, Mohsen; Ohtani, Keita; Ohno, Yuzo; Ohno, Hideo

2012-02-07

Semiconductor quantum dots are potential sources for generating polarization-entangled photons efficiently. The main prerequisite for such generation based on biexciton-exciton cascaded emission is to control the exciton fine-structure splitting. Among various techniques investigated for this purpose, an electric field is a promising means to facilitate the integration into optoelectronic devices. Here we demonstrate the generation of polarization-entangled photons from single GaAs quantum dots by an electric field. In contrast to previous studies, which were limited to In(Ga)As quantum dots, GaAs island quantum dots formed by a thickness fluctuation were used because they exhibit a larger oscillator strength and emit light with a shorter wavelength. A forward voltage was applied to a Schottky diode to control the fine-structure splitting. We observed a decrease and suppression in the fine-structure splitting of the studied single quantum dot with the field, which enabled us to generate polarization-entangled photons with a high fidelity of 0.72 ± 0.05.

P-polarized reflectance spectroscopy: A high sensitive real-time monitoring technique to study surface kinetics under steady state epitaxial deposition conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dietz, Nikolaus; Bachmann, Klaus J.

1995-01-01

This paper describes the results of real-time optical monitoring of epitaxial growth processes by p-polarized reflectance spectroscopy (PRS) using a single wavelength application under pulsed chemical beam epitaxy (PCBE) condition. The high surface sensitivity of PRS allows the monitoring of submonolayer precursors coverage on the surface as shown for GaP homoepitaxy and GaP on Si heteroepitaxy as examples. In the case of heteroepitaxy, the growth rate and optical properties are revealed by PRS using interference oscillations as they occur during growth. Super-imposed on these interference oscillations, the PRS signal exhibits a fine structure caused by the periodic alteration of the surface chemistry by the pulsed supply of chemical precursors. This fine structure is modeled under conditions where the surface chemistry cycles between phosphorus supersaturated and phosphorus depleted surfaces. The mathematical model describes the fine structure using a surface layer that increases during the tertiarybutyl phosphine (TBP) supply and decreases during and after the triethylgallium (TEG) pulse, which increases the growing GaP film thickness. The imaginary part of the dielectric function of the surface layer is revealed from the turning points in the fine structure, where the optical response to the first precursor pulse in the cycle sequence changes sign. The amplitude of the fine structure is determined by the surface layer thickness and the complex dielectric functions for the surface layer with the underlying bulk film. Surface kinetic data can be obtained by analyzing the rise and decay transients of the fine structure.

Coexistence between wildlife and humans at fine spatial scales

PubMed Central

Carter, Neil H.; Shrestha, Binoj K.; Karki, Jhamak B.; Pradhan, Narendra Man Babu; Liu, Jianguo

2012-01-01

Many wildlife species face imminent extinction because of human impacts, and therefore, a prevailing belief is that some wildlife species, particularly large carnivores and ungulates, cannot coexist with people at fine spatial scales (i.e., cannot regularly use the exact same point locations). This belief provides rationale for various conservation programs, such as resettling human communities outside protected areas. However, quantitative information on the capacity and mechanisms for wildlife to coexist with humans at fine spatial scales is scarce. Such information is vital, because the world is becoming increasingly crowded. Here, we provide empirical information about the capacity and mechanisms for tigers (a globally endangered species) to coexist with humans at fine spatial scales inside and outside Nepal’s Chitwan National Park, a flagship protected area for imperiled wildlife. Information obtained from field cameras in 2010 and 2011 indicated that human presence (i.e., people on foot and vehicles) was ubiquitous and abundant throughout the study site; however, tiger density was also high. Surprisingly, even at a fine spatial scale (i.e., camera locations), tigers spatially overlapped with people on foot and vehicles in both years. However, in both years, tigers offset their temporal activity patterns to be much less active during the day when human activity peaked. In addition to temporal displacement, tiger–human coexistence was likely enhanced by abundant tiger prey and low levels of tiger poaching. Incorporating fine-scale spatial and temporal activity patterns into conservation plans can help address a major global challenge—meeting human needs while sustaining wildlife. PMID:22949642

Mathematics Capital in the Educational Field: Bourdieu and Beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Julian; Choudry, Sophina

2016-01-01

Mathematics education needs a better appreciation of the dominant power structures in the educational field: Bourdieu's theory of capital provides a good starting point. We argue from Bourdieu's perspective that school mathematics provides capital that is finely tuned to generationally reproduce the social structures that serve to keep the…

PXK locus in systemic lupus erythematosus: fine mapping and functional analysis reveals novel susceptibility gene ABHD6.

PubMed

Oparina, Nina Y; Delgado-Vega, Angelica M; Martinez-Bueno, Manuel; Magro-Checa, César; Fernández, Concepción; Castro, Rafaela Ortega; Pons-Estel, Bernardo A; D'Alfonso, Sandra; Sebastiani, Gian Domenico; Witte, Torsten; Lauwerys, Bernard R; Endreffy, Emoke; Kovács, László; Escudero, Alejandro; López-Pedrera, Chary; Vasconcelos, Carlos; da Silva, Berta Martins; Frostegård, Johan; Truedsson, Lennart; Martin, Javier; Raya, Enrique; Ortego-Centeno, Norberto; de Los Angeles Aguirre, Maria; de Ramón Garrido, Enrique; Palma, María-Jesús Castillo; Alarcon-Riquelme, Marta E; Kozyrev, Sergey V

2015-03-01

To perform fine mapping of the PXK locus associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and study functional effects that lead to susceptibility to the disease. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) mapping was conducted by using 1251 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism) covering a 862 kb genomic region on 3p14.3 comprising the PXK locus in 1467 SLE patients and 2377 controls of European origin. Tag SNPs and genotypes imputed with IMPUTE2 were tested for association by using SNPTEST and PLINK. The expression QTLs data included three independent datasets for lymphoblastoid cells of European donors: HapMap3, MuTHER and the cross-platform eQTL catalogue. Correlation analysis of eQTLs was performed using Vassarstats. Alternative splicing for the PXK gene was analysed on mRNA from PBMCs. Fine mapping revealed long-range LD (>200 kb) extended over the ABHD6, RPP14, PXK, and PDHB genes on 3p14.3. The highly correlated variants tagged an SLE-associated haplotype that was less frequent in the patients compared with the controls (OR=0.89, p=0.00684). A robust correlation between the association with SLE and enhanced expression of ABHD6 gene was revealed, while neither expression, nor splicing alterations associated with SLE susceptibility were detected for PXK. The SNP allele frequencies as well as eQTL pattern analysed in the CEU and CHB HapMap3 populations indicate that the SLE association and the effect on ABHD6 expression are specific to Europeans. These results confirm the genetic association of the locus 3p14.3 with SLE in Europeans and point to the ABHD6 and not PXK, as the major susceptibility gene in the region. We suggest a pathogenic mechanism mediated by the upregulation of ABHD6 in individuals carrying the SLE-risk variants. 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.

The Integrated Role of Water Availability, Nutrient Dynamics, and Xylem Hydraulic Dysfunction on Plant Rooting Strategies in Managed and Natural Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackay, D. S.; Savoy, P.; Pleban, J. R.; Tai, X.; Ewers, B. E.

2015-12-01

Plants adapt or acclimate to changing environments in part by allocating biomass to roots and leaves to strike a balance between water and nutrient uptake requirements on the one hand and growth and hydraulic safety on the other hand. In a recent study examining experimental drought with the TREES model, which couples plant ecophysiology with rhizosphere-and-xylem hydraulics, we hypothesized that the asynchronous nature of soil water availability and xylem repair supported root-to-leaf area (RLA) proportionality that favored long-term survival over short-term carbon gain or water use. To investigate this as a possible general principal of plant adjustment to changing environmental conditions, TREES was modified to allocate carbon to fine and coarse roots organized in ten orders differing in biomass allocated per unit absorbing root area, root lifespan, and total absorbing root area in each of several soil-root zones with depth. The expanded model allowed for adjustment of absorbing root area and rhizosphere volume based on available carbohydrate production and nitrogen (N) availability, resulting in dynamic expansion and contraction of the supply-side of the rhizosphere-plant hydraulics and N uptake capacity in response to changing environmental conditions and plant-environment asynchrony. The study was conducted partly in a controlled experimental setting with six genotypes of a widely grown crop species, Brassica rapa. The implications for forests were investigated in controlled experiments and at Fluxnet sites representing temperate mixed forests, semi-arid evergreen needle-leaf, and Mediterranean biomes. The results showed that the effects of N deficiency on total plant growth was modulated by a relative increase in fine root biomass representing a larger absorbing root volume per unit biomass invested. We found that the total absorbing root area per unit leaf area was consistently lower than that needed to maximize short-term water uptake and carbohydrate gain. Moreover, the acclimated RLA fell within a small range for both crops and trees despite changing environmental conditions, demonstrating an adaptation that was consistent with empiricism on fine roots and thus pointing to a fundamental connection between ecological and hydrological processes.

Effect of air-abrasion regimens and fine diamond bur grinding on flexural strength, Weibull modulus and phase transformation of zirconium dioxide.

PubMed

Michida, Silvia Masae de Araújo; Kimpara, Estevão Tomomitsu; dos Santos, Claudinei; Souza, Rodrigo Othavio Assunção; Bottino, Marco Antonio; Özcan, Mutlu

2015-10-16

This study evaluated the effect of air abrasion and polishing regimens on the flexural strength of yttrium stabilized polycrystalline tetragonal zirconia (Y-TZP). From Y-TZP blocks (InCeram 2000 YZ Cubes; Vita Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany) 120 bars (25 mm × 4 mm × 1.2 mm) were obtained according to ISO 6872:2008 and randomly divided into 4 groups: Group C: (control) without surface treatment (n = 30); Group APA: Air abrasion with aluminum oxide (44 µm) (n = 30); Group SC: Silica-coating (CoJet, 30 µm) (n = 30); Group FD: Fine diamond bur (n = 30). Subsequently, all specimens were subjected to 4-point bending test (in distilled water at 37 °C) in a universal testing machine (EMIC DL 1000; São José dos Pinhais, Paraná, Brazil); cross-head speed: 0.5 mm/min). The characteristic strength (σ0) of each specimen was obtained from the flexural strength test and evaluated using Weibull analysis. X-ray diffraction analysis was utilized to quantity the monoclinic phase. The surface topography of specimens was analyzed using 3D optical profilometer and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after surface conditioning methods. The flexural strength data (σ4p) were statistically analyzed by 1-way ANOVA, Tukey test (α = 0.05) and Weibull (m = modulus, σ0 = characteristic strength) were calculated. The mean ± standard deviations (MPa) of the groups were as follows: C: 1196.2 ± 284.2a; APA: 1369.7 ± 272.3a; SC: 1207.1 ± 229.7a and FD: 874.4 ± 365.4b. The values (m) and (σ0) were as follows: C: 4.5 and 1308.12; APA: 5.9 and 1477.88; SC: 6.0 and 1300.28; and FD: 2.6 and 985.901, respectively. Air particle abrasion with neither silica nor alumina showed significant difference compared to the control group but grinding with fine diamond bur impaired the flexural strength of the zirconia tested.

Effects of Inundation, Nutrient Availability and Plant Species Diversity on Fine Root Mass and Morphology Across a Saltmarsh Flooding Gradient

PubMed Central

Redelstein, Regine; Dinter, Thomas; Hertel, Dietrich; Leuschner, Christoph

2018-01-01

Saltmarsh plants are exposed to multiple stresses including tidal inundation, salinity, wave action and sediment anoxia, which require specific root system adaptations to secure sufficient resource capture and firm anchorage in a temporary toxic environment. It is well known that many saltmarsh species develop large below-ground biomass (roots and rhizomes) but relations between fine roots, in particular, and the abiotic conditions in salt marshes are widely unknown. We studied fine root mass (<2 mm in diameter), fine root depth distribution and fine root morphology in three typical communities (Spartina anglica-dominated pioneer zone, Atriplex portulacoides-dominated lower marsh, Elytrigia atherica-dominated upper marsh) across elevational gradients in two tidal salt marshes of the German North Sea coast [a mostly sandy marsh on a barrier island (Spiekeroog), and a silty-clayey marsh on the mainland coast (Westerhever)]. Fine root mass in the 0–40 cm profile ranged between 750 and 2,500 g m−2 in all plots with maxima at both sites in the lower marsh with intermediate inundation frequency and highest plant species richness indicating an effect of biodiversity on fine root mass. Fine root mass and, even more, total fine root surface area (maximum 340 m2 m−2) were high compared to terrestrial grasslands, and were greater in the nutrient-poorer Spiekeroog marsh. Fine root density showed only a slight or no decrease toward 40 cm depth. We conclude that the standing fine root mass and morphology of these salt marshes is mainly under control of species identity and nutrient availability, but species richness is especially influential. The plants of the pioneer zone and lower marsh possess well adapted fine roots and large standing root masses despite the often water-saturated sediment. PMID:29467778

Fine gravel controls hydrologic and erodibility responses to trampling disturbance for coarse-textured soils with weak cyanobacterial crusts.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We compared short-term effects of lug-soled boot trampling disturbance on water infiltration and soil erodibility on coarse-textured soils covered by a mixture of fine gravel and coarse sand over weak cyanobacterially-dominated biological soil crusts. Trampling significantly reduced final infiltrati...

78 FR 882 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Delaware, New Jersey, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-07

...)(2).) List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control... 2011 ambient air quality data, the Philadelphia-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE fine particulate matter (PM 2.5... 2011 ambient air quality data, the Philadelphia-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE fine particulate matter (PM 2.5...

Doppler-free spectroscopy of the atomic rubidium fine structure using ultrafast spatial coherent control method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Minhyuk; Kim, Kyungtae; Lee, Woojun; Kim, Hyosub; Ahn, Jaewook

2017-04-01

Spectral programming solutions for the ultrafast spatial coherent control (USCC) method to resolve the fine-structure energy levels of atomic rubidium are reported. In USCC, a pair of counter-propagating ultrashort laser pulses are programmed to make a two-photon excitation pattern specific to particular transition pathways and atom species, thus allowing the involved transitions resolvable in space simultaneously. With a proper spectral phase and amplitude modulation, USCC has been also demonstrated for the systems with many intermediate energy levels. Pushing the limit of system complexity even further, we show here an experimental demonstration of the rubidium fine-structure excitation pattern resolvable by USCC. The spectral programming solution for the given USCC is achieved by combining a double-V-shape spectral phase function and a set of phase steps, where the former distinguishes the fine structure and the latter prevents resonant transitions. The experimental results will be presented along with its application in conjunction with the Doppler-free frequency-comb spectroscopy for rubidium hyperfine structure measurements. Samsung Science and Technology Foundation [SSTFBA1301-12].

Finding the Balance of Autonomy on-Board Versus Man-Triggered Actions from Ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundin, Stefan

Odin is a scientific, 3-axis stabilised, fine-pointing, small satellite with a sensitive payload that provides high quality spectroscopy data in the optical, mm and submm regions. End-users are atmosphere scientists as well as astronomers in Canada, France, Finland and Sweden. The satellite was successfully injected into orbit in February 2001 by a START-1 rocket. Designed, developed and procured by the Swedish Space Corporation, Odin is now operated by our company ten times per day from its dedicated control centre located at Esrange in the northern Sweden. The usage of the same organisation gave us the possibility to find an efficient trade-off between "degree of autonomy on-board" versus "future operational cost".. The necessity of sophisticated, hard-to-develop autonomy was judged against mission objectives, spacecraft safety and additional operational cost. In the paper, the operational philosophy of Odin is presented and based on gathered experience in-orbit, the most essential autonomous functions on-board are identified. Odin is a low cost satellite with very high performance. For comparison, it is capable of unique science with a pointing accuracy better than 15 arcseconds. The procurement and launch of the satellite ended up to a total cost of 45 MUSD using a tight project team of only ten persons truly responsible for their subsystems. The same amount of people now operates the satellite and staffs the Mission Control Centre.

Bilateral deficits in fine motor control and pinch grip force are not associated with electrodiagnostic findings in women with carpal tunnel syndrome.

PubMed

de la Llave-Rincón, Ana Isabel; Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, César; Pérez-de-Heredia-Torres, Marta; Martínez-Perez, Almudena; Valenza, Marie Carmen; Pareja, Juan A

2011-06-01

: The aim of this study was to analyze the differences in deficits in fine motor control and pinch grip force between patients with minimal, moderate/mild, or severe carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and healthy age- and hand dominance-matched controls. : A case-control study was conducted. The subtests of the Purdue Pegboard Test (one-hand and bilateral pin placements and assemblies) and pinch grip force between the thumb and the remaining four fingers of the hand were bilaterally evaluated in 66 women with minimal (n = 16), moderate (n = 16), or severe (n = 34) CTS and in 20 age- and hand-matched healthy women. The differences among the groups were analyzed using different mixed models of analysis of variance. : A two-way mixed analysis of variance revealed significant differences between groups, not depending on the presence of unilateral or bilateral symptoms (side), for the one-hand pin placement subtest: patients showed bilateral lower scores compared with controls (P < 0.001), without differences among those with minimal, moderate, or severe CTS (P = 0.946). The patients also exhibited lower scores in bilateral pin placement (P < 0.001) and assembly (P < 0.001) subtests, without differences among them. The three-way analysis of variance revealed significant differences among groups (P < 0.001) and fingers (P < 0.001), not depending on the presence of unilateral/bilateral symptoms (P = 0.684), for pinch grip force: patients showed bilateral lower pinch grip force in all fingers compared with healthy controls, without differences among those with minimal, moderate, or severe CTS. : The current study revealed similar bilateral deficits in fine motor control and pinch grip force in patients with minimal, moderate, or severe CTS, supporting that fine motor control deficits are a common feature of CTS not associated with electrodiagnostic findings.

Contour-based image warping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Kwai H.; Lau, Rynson W.

1996-09-01

Image warping concerns about transforming an image from one spatial coordinate to another. It is widely used for the vidual effect of deforming and morphing images in the film industry. A number of warping techniques have been introduced, which are mainly based on the corresponding pair mapping of feature points, feature vectors or feature patches (mostly triangular or quadrilateral). However, very often warping of an image object with an arbitrary shape is required. This requires a warping technique which is based on boundary contour instead of feature points or feature line-vectors. In addition, when feature point or feature vector based techniques are used, approximation of the object boundary by using point or vectors is required. In this case, the matching process of the corresponding pairs will be very time consuming if a fine approximation is required. In this paper, we propose a contour-based warping technique for warping image objects with arbitrary shapes. The novel idea of the new method is the introduction of mathematical morphology to allow a more flexible control of image warping. Two morphological operators are used as contour determinators. The erosion operator is used to warp image contents which are inside a user specified contour while the dilation operation is used to warp image contents which are outside of the contour. This new method is proposed to assist further development of a semi-automatic motion morphing system when accompanied with robust feature extractors such as deformable template or active contour model.

AIROscope: Ames infrared balloon-borne telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koontz, O. L.; Scott, S. G.

1974-01-01

A balloon-borne telescope system designed for astronomical observations at infrared wavelengths is discussed. The telescope is gyro-stabilized with updated pointing information derived from television, star tracker, or ground commands. The television system furnishes both course and fine acquisition after initial orientation using a pair of fluxgate servo compasses. Command and control is by a UHF link with 256 commands available. Scientific and engineering data are telemetered to the ground station via narrow band F.M. in the L band. The ground station displays all scientific, engineering and status information during the flights and records the command and telemetry digital bit stream for detailed analysis. The AIROscope telescope has a 28-inch diameter primary mirror and Dall-Kirkham optics. The beam is modulated by oscillating a secondary mirror at 11 or 25 Hz with provision for left or right beam fixed positions by command.

From Evidence Based Medicine to Medicine Based Evidence.

PubMed

Horwitz, Ralph I; Hayes-Conroy, Allison; Caricchio, Roberto; Singer, Burton H

2017-11-01

Evidence based medicine, using randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses as the major tools and sources of evidence about average results for heterogeneous groups of patients, developed as a reaction against poorly designed observational treatment research and physician reliance on personal experience with other patients as a guide to decision-making about a patient at hand. However, these tools do not answer the clinician's question: "Will a given therapeutic regimen help my patient at a given point in her/his clinical course?" We introduce fine-grained profiling of the patient at hand, accompanied by comparative evidence of responses from approximate matches to this patient on whom a contemplated treatment has/has not been administered. This represents medicine based evidence that is tuned to decision-making for the particular patient. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Geng, Tao; Smallwood, Chuck R.; Bredeweg, Erin L.

Modern live-cell imaging approaches permit real-time visualization of biological processes, yet limitations exist for unicellular organism isolation, culturing and long-term imaging that preclude fully understanding how cells sense and respond to environmental perturbations and the link between single-cell variability and whole-population dynamics. Here we present a microfluidic platform that provides fine control over the local environment with the capacity to replace media components at any experimental time point, and provides both perfused and compartmentalized cultivation conditions depending on the valve configuration. The functionality and flexibility of the platform were validated using both bacteria and yeast having different sizes, motility andmore » growth media. The demonstrated ability to track the growth and dynamics of both motile and non-motile prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms emphasizes the versatility of the devices, which with further scale-up should enable studies in bioenergy and environmental research.« less

Chemical Fucosylation of a Polysaccharide: A Semisynthetic Access to Fucosylated Chondroitin Sulfate.

PubMed

Laezza, Antonio; Iadonisi, Alfonso; Castro, Cristina De; De Rosa, Mario; Schiraldi, Chiara; Parrilli, Michelangelo; Bedini, Emiliano

2015-07-13

Chemical O-glycosylation of polysaccharides is an almost unexplored reaction. This is mainly due to the difficulties in derivatizing such complex biomacromolecules in a quantitative manner and with a fine control of the obtained structural parameters. In this work, chondroitin raw material from a microbial source was chemo- and regioselectively protected to give two polysaccharide intermediates, that acted in turn as glycosyl acceptors in fucosylation reactions. Further manipulations on the fucosylated polysaccharides, including multiple de-O-benzylation and sulfation, furnished for the first time nonanimal sourced fucosylated chondroitin sulfates (fCSs)-polysaccharides obtained so far exclusively from sea cucumbers (Echinoidea, Holothuroidea) and showing several very interesting biological activities. A semisynthetic fCS was characterized from a structural point of view by means of 2D-NMR techniques, and preliminarily assayed in an anticoagulant test.

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

Liu, Zheng; Li, Zhilin; Institute of Carbon Fibers and Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029

Graphical abstract: The MWCNT/Ni-B catalyst has been successfully prepared by an electroless deposition process. The Ni-B nanoparticles on the supporter are amorphous and are well-distributed. The catalytic conversion towards hydrogenation of styrene shows excellent catalytic activity of the obtained materials. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A two-step treatment of MWCNTs enabled the homogeneous growth of Ni-B nanoparticles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ni-B nanoparticles were amorphous with an average size of 60 nm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer There were electron transfer between Ni and B. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The catalyst had excellent catalytic activity towards hydrogenation of styrene. -- Abstract: Nickel-boron (Ni-B) nanoparticles supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were successfully synthesizedmore » through an electroless deposition process using the plating bath with sodium borohydride as a reducing agent. The structural and morphological analyses using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy have shown that the Ni-B nanoparticles deposited on the sidewalls of MWCNTs are fine spheres comprised of amorphous structure with the morphologically unique fine-structure like flowers, and homogenously dispersed with a narrow particle size distribution centered at around 60 nm diameter. The catalytic activity of MWCNT/Ni-B nanoparticles was evaluated with respect to hydrogenation of styrene. The hydrogenation catalyzed by MWCNT-supported Ni-B nanoparticles has been found to make styrene selectively converted into ethylbenzene. The highest conversion reaches 99.8% under proper reaction conditions, which demonstrates the high catalytic activity of MWCNT/Ni-B nanoparticles.« less

Cyclic hardening behavior of extruded ZK60 magnesium alloy with different grain sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lixin; Zhang, Wencong; Chen, Wenzhen; Wang, Wenke

2018-04-01

Montonic and fully reversed strain-controlled cyclic deformation experiments were conducted on extruded ZK60 magnesium alloy with two different grain sizes in ambient air. Results revealed that the hardening rates of the ZK60 magnesium alloy rods with fine grain and coarse grain in the monotonic deformation and the fully reversed strain-controlled cyclic deformation were opposite along the extrusion direction. Electron Backscatter Diffration analysis revealed that fine grains were more easily rotated than coarse grains under the cyclic deformation. Under the twinning and detwinning process of the cyclic deformation at a large strain amplitude, the coarse grained ZK60 magnesium alloys were more prone to tension twinning {10-12}<10-11> and more residual twins were observed. Texture hardening of coarse grained magnesium alloy was more obvious in cyclic defromation than fine-grained magnesium alloy.

Correlating field and laboratory rates of particle abrasion, Rio Medio, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polito, P. J.; Sklar, L. S.

2006-12-01

River bed sediments commonly fine downstream due to a combination of particle abrasion, selective transport of finer grains, and fining of the local sediment supply from hillslopes and tributaries. Particle abrasion rates can be directly measured in the laboratory using tumbling barrels and annular flumes, however, scaling experimental particle abrasion rates to the field has proven difficult due to the confounding effects of selective transport and local supply variations. Here we attempt to correlate laboratory and field rates of particle abrasion in a field setting where these confounding effects can be controlled. The Rio Medio, which flows westward from the crest of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in north central New Mexico, is one of several streams studied by John P. Miller in the early 1960's. Several kilometers downstream of its headwaters, the river crosses the Picuris-Pecos fault. Upstream of the fault the river receives quartzite, sandstone and shale clasts from the Ortega Formation, while downstream sediments are supplied by the Embudo Granite. Because the upstream lithologies are not resupplied downstream of the fault, any observed fining of these clasts should be due only to abrasion and selective transport. We hypothesize that we can account for the effects of selective transport by comparing relative fining rates for the different upstream lithologies from both the field and a laboratory tumbler. By correlating laboratory abrasion rates with rock strength, we can predict the relative fining rates due solely to abrasion expected in the field; differences between the predicted and observed fining rates could then be attributed to selective transport. We used point counts to measure bed surface sediment grain size distributions at 15 locations along a 25 kilometer reach of the Rio Medio, beginning just downstream of the fault and ending upstream of a developed area with disturbed channel conditions. We recorded intermediate particle diameter as well as lithologic composition for 100 clasts at each location. To better characterize the size distribution of poorly represented lithologies we also measured every grain we could find of these minority lithologies within a one square meter area on adjacent bar top surfaces. At each sampling site we also measured channel gradient, and bank-full width and depth. We collected gravel samples for laboratory tumbling experiments and larger bedrock blocks from which we extracted cores for the Brazilian tensile splitting strength test. Preliminary results show very rapid fining of the weak sedimentary rocks downstream of the fault, much less rapid fining of the quartzite and a net downstream coarsening of the granitic sediments, which dominate the bed in the downstream end of the study reach. This enigmatic downstream coarsening may be a legacy of Pliestocene glaciation, which is evident in the landscape upstream of the fault. Outburst floods or debris flows from upstream moraines may have delivered large quantities of coarse sediments to downstream reaches, which are now relatively immobile. Despite these complications, the Rio Medio site may yet provide sufficient information to test our proposed method for scaling laboratory particle abrasion rates to the field.

On the fine-structure constant in a plasma model of the fluctuating vacuum substratum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cragin, B. L.

1986-01-01

The existence of an intimate connection between the quivering motion of electrons and positrons (Zitterbewegung), predicted by the Dirac equation, and the zero-point fluctuations of the vacuum is suggested. The nature of the proposed connection is discussed quantitatively, and an approximate self-consistency relation is derived, supplying a purely mathematical expression that relates the dimensionless coupling strengths (fine-structure constants) alpha sub e and alpha sub g of electromagnetism and gravity. These considerations provide a tentative explanation for the heretofore puzzling number 1/alpha sub e of about 137.036 and suggest that attempts to unify gravity with the electroweak and strong interactions will ultimately prove successful.

A method for optical ground station reduce alignment error in satellite-ground quantum experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Dong; Wang, Qiang; Zhou, Jian-Wei; Song, Zhi-Jun; Zhong, Dai-Jun; Jiang, Yu; Liu, Wan-Sheng; Huang, Yong-Mei

2018-03-01

A satellite dedicated for quantum science experiments, has been developed and successfully launched from Jiuquan, China, on August 16, 2016. Two new optical ground stations (OGSs) were built to cooperate with the satellite to complete satellite-ground quantum experiments. OGS corrected its pointing direction by satellite trajectory error to coarse tracking system and uplink beacon sight, therefore fine tracking CCD and uplink beacon optical axis alignment accuracy was to ensure that beacon could cover the quantum satellite in all time when it passed the OGSs. Unfortunately, when we tested specifications of the OGSs, due to the coarse tracking optical system was commercial telescopes, the change of position of the target in the coarse CCD was up to 600μrad along with the change of elevation angle. In this paper, a method of reduce alignment error between beacon beam and fine tracking CCD is proposed. Firstly, OGS fitted the curve of target positions in coarse CCD along with the change of elevation angle. Secondly, OGS fitted the curve of hexapod secondary mirror positions along with the change of elevation angle. Thirdly, when tracking satellite, the fine tracking error unloaded on the real-time zero point position of coarse CCD which computed by the firstly calibration data. Simultaneously the positions of the hexapod secondary mirror were adjusted by the secondly calibration data. Finally the experiment result is proposed. Results show that the alignment error is less than 50μrad.

Proceedings from the 2nd International Symposium on Formation Flying Missions and Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Topics discussed include: The Stellar Imager (SI) "Vision Mission"; First Formation Flying Demonstration Mission Including on Flight Nulling; Formation Flying X-ray Telescope in L2 Orbit; SPECS: The Kilometer-baseline Far-IR Interferometer in NASA's Space Science Roadmap Presentation; A Tight Formation for Along-track SAR Interferometry; Realization of the Solar Power Satellite using the Formation Flying Solar Reflector; SIMBOL-X : Formation Flying for High-Energy Astrophysics; High Precision Optical Metrology for DARWIN; Close Formation Flight of Micro-Satellites for SAR Interferometry; Station-Keeping Requirements for Astronomical Imaging with Constellations of Free-Flying Collectors; Closed-Loop Control of Formation Flying Satellites; Formation Control for the MAXIM Mission; Precision Formation Keeping at L2 Using the Autonomous Formation Flying Sensor; Robust Control of Multiple Spacecraft Formation Flying; Virtual Rigid Body (VRB) Satellite Formation Control: Stable Mode-Switching and Cross-Coupling; Electromagnetic Formation Flight (EMFF) System Design, Mission Capabilities, and Testbed Development; Navigation Algorithms for Formation Flying Missions; Use of Formation Flying Small Satellites Incorporating OISL's in a Tandem Cluster Mission; Semimajor Axis Estimation Strategies; Relative Attitude Determination of Earth Orbiting Formations Using GPS Receivers; Analysis of Formation Flying in Eccentric Orbits Using Linearized Equations of Relative Motion; Conservative Analytical Collision Probabilities for Orbital Formation Flying; Equations of Motion and Stability of Two Spacecraft in Formation at the Earth/Moon Triangular Libration Points; Formations Near the Libration Points: Design Strategies Using Natural and Non-Natural Ares; An Overview of the Formation and Attitude Control System for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Formation Flying Interferometer; GVE-Based Dynamics and Control for Formation Flying Spacecraft; GNC System Design for a New Concept of X-Ray Distributed Telescope; GNC System for the Deployment and Fine Control of the DARWIN Free-Flying Interferometer; Formation Algorithm and Simulation Testbed; and PLATFORM: A Formation Flying, RvD and Robotic Validation Test-bench.

Kepler Commissioning Data for Measurement of the Pixel Response Function and Focal Plane Geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryson, Stephen T.

2017-01-01

This document describes the Kepler PRF/FPG data release. This data was taken on April 27-29, 2009, during Kepler's commissioning phase in order to measure the pixel response function (PRF) (Bryson et al., 2010a) and focal plane geometry (FPG) (Tenenbaum and Jenkins, 2010). 33,424 stellar targets were observed for 243 long cadences, each with a duration of 14.7 minutes (half the duration of a normal Kepler long cadence). During these 243 cadences the Kepler photometer was moved, pointing in a dither pattern to facilitate PRF measurement. Motion occurred during the even cadences (second, fourth, etc.), with the telescope in stable fine point at each pointing in the dither pattern during the odd cadences (first, third, etc.). The first and last cadences were at the center of the dither pattern. Motion cadences are included in this release, but they do not contain any data. For details on how this data was used to derive the Kepler PRF and FPG models, see Bryson et al. (2010a) and Tenenbaum and Jenkins (2010). Descriptions of the PRF and FPG models are found in Thompson et al. (2016), x2.3.5.17 and x2.3.5.16 respectively. The data in this release can be used to recompute the Kepler PRF and FPG. Such a reconstruction, however, would not reflect measured seasonal changes in the PRF described in Van Cleve et al. (2016b), x5.2.The dither pattern is shown in Figure 1. The crosses show the commanded pointings and the circles show the measured pointings. Measured pointings are different from the commanded pointings due to the early state of calibration of the fine guidance sensors during commissioning (Van Cleve et al., 2016a). The measured offsets from the center of the pattern are given in RADEC offsets and pixel offsets in Table 1. The order of the offsets was randomized during data collection to avoid time-dependent systematics.

Fine structure of the red luminescence band in undoped GaN

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

Reshchikov, M. A., E-mail: mreshchi@vcu.edu; Usikov, A.; Saint-Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics, 49 Kronverkskiy Ave., 197101 Saint Petersburg

2014-01-20

Many point defects in GaN responsible for broad photoluminescence (PL) bands remain unidentified. Their presence in thick GaN layers grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) detrimentally affects the material quality and may hinder the use of GaN in high-power electronic devices. One of the main PL bands in HVPE-grown GaN is the red luminescence (RL) band with a maximum at 1.8 eV. We observed the fine structure of this band with a zero-phonon line (ZPL) at 2.36 eV, which may help to identify the related defect. The shift of the ZPL with excitation intensity and the temperature-related transformation of the RLmore » band fine structure indicate that the RL band is caused by transitions from a shallow donor (at low temperature) or from the conduction band (above 50 K) to an unknown deep acceptor having an energy level 1.130 eV above the valence band.« less

pH-Controlled Assembly of DNA Tiles

DOE PAGES

Amodio, Alessia; Adedeji, Abimbola Feyisara; Castronovo, Matteo; ...

2016-09-15

We demonstrate a strategy to trigger and finely control the assembly of supramolecular DNA nanostructures with pH. Control is achieved via a rationally designed strand displacement circuit that responds to pH and activates a downstream DNA tile self-assembly process. We observe that the DNA structures form under neutral/basic conditions, while the self-assembly process is suppressed under acidic conditions. The strategy presented here demonstrates a modular approach toward building systems capable of processing biochemical inputs and finely controlling the assembly of DNA-based nanostructures under isothermal conditions. In particular, the presented architecture is relevant for the development of complex DNA devices ablemore » to sense and respond to molecular markers associated with abnormal metabolism.« less

pH-Controlled Assembly of DNA Tiles

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

Amodio, Alessia; Adedeji, Abimbola Feyisara; Castronovo, Matteo

We demonstrate a strategy to trigger and finely control the assembly of supramolecular DNA nanostructures with pH. Control is achieved via a rationally designed strand displacement circuit that responds to pH and activates a downstream DNA tile self-assembly process. We observe that the DNA structures form under neutral/basic conditions, while the self-assembly process is suppressed under acidic conditions. The strategy presented here demonstrates a modular approach toward building systems capable of processing biochemical inputs and finely controlling the assembly of DNA-based nanostructures under isothermal conditions. In particular, the presented architecture is relevant for the development of complex DNA devices ablemore » to sense and respond to molecular markers associated with abnormal metabolism.« less

Grain refinement control in TIG arc welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iceland, W. F.; Whiffen, E. L. (Inventor)

1975-01-01

A method for controlling grain size and weld puddle agitation in a tungsten electrode inert gas welding system to produce fine, even grain size and distribution is disclosed. In the method the frequency of dc welding voltage pulses supplied to the welding electrode is varied over a preselected frequency range and the arc gas voltage is monitored. At some frequency in the preselected range the arc gas voltage will pass through a maximum. By maintaining the operating frequency of the system at this value, maximum weld puddle agitation and fine grain structure are produced.

Formation of fine sediment deposit from a flash flood river in the Mediterranean Sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grifoll, Manel; Gracia, Vicenç; Aretxabaleta, Alfredo L.; Guillén, Jorge; Espino, Manuel; Warner, John C.

2014-01-01

We identify the mechanisms controlling fine deposits on the inner-shelf in front of the Besòs River, in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. This river is characterized by a flash flood regime discharging large amounts of water (more than 20 times the mean water discharge) and sediment in very short periods lasting from hours to few days. Numerical model output was compared with bottom sediment observations and used to characterize the multiple spatial and temporal scales involved in offshore sediment deposit formation. A high-resolution (50 m grid size) coupled hydrodynamic-wave-sediment transport model was applied to the initial stages of the sediment dispersal after a storm-related flood event. After the flood, sediment accumulation was predominantly confined to an area near the coastline as a result of preferential deposition during the final stage of the storm. Subsequent reworking occurred due to wave-induced bottom shear stress that resuspended fine materials, with seaward flow exporting them toward the midshelf. Wave characteristics, sediment availability, and shelf circulation determined the transport after the reworking and the final sediment deposition location. One year simulations of the regional area revealed a prevalent southwestward average flow with increased intensity downstream. The circulation pattern was consistent with the observed fine deposit depocenter being shifted southward from the river mouth. At the southern edge, bathymetry controlled the fine deposition by inducing near-bottom flow convergence enhancing bottom shear stress. According to the short-term and long-term analyses, a seasonal pattern in the fine deposit formation is expected.

Sediment Resuspension and Deposition on Seagrass Leaves Impedes Internal Plant Aeration and Promotes Phytotoxic H2S Intrusion.

PubMed

Brodersen, Kasper E; Hammer, Kathrine J; Schrameyer, Verena; Floytrup, Anja; Rasheed, Michael A; Ralph, Peter J; Kühl, Michael; Pedersen, Ole

2017-01-01

HIGHLIGHTS: Sedimentation of fine sediment particles onto seagrass leaves severely hampers the plants' performance in both light and darkness, due to inadequate internal plant aeration and intrusion of phytotoxic H 2 S. Anthropogenic activities leading to sediment re-suspension can have adverse effects on adjacent seagrass meadows, owing to reduced light availability and the settling of suspended particles onto seagrass leaves potentially impeding gas exchange with the surrounding water. We used microsensors to determine O 2 fluxes and diffusive boundary layer (DBL) thickness on leaves of the seagrass Zostera muelleri with and without fine sediment particles, and combined these laboratory measurements with in situ microsensor measurements of tissue O 2 and H 2 S concentrations. Net photosynthesis rates in leaves with fine sediment particles were down to ~20% of controls without particles, and the compensation photon irradiance increased from a span of 20-53 to 109-145 μmol photons m -2 s -1 . An ~2.5-fold thicker DBL around leaves with fine sediment particles impeded O 2 influx into the leaves during darkness. In situ leaf meristematic O 2 concentrations of plants exposed to fine sediment particles were lower than in control plants and exhibited long time periods of complete meristematic anoxia during night-time. Insufficient internal aeration resulted in H 2 S intrusion into the leaf meristematic tissues when exposed to sediment resuspension even at relatively high night-time water-column O 2 concentrations. Fine sediment particles that settle on seagrass leaves thus negatively affect internal tissue aeration and thereby the plants' resilience against H 2 S intrusion.

Potential food allergens in wine: double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and basophil activation analysis.

PubMed

Rolland, Jennifer M; Apostolou, Effie; Deckert, Kirsten; de Leon, Maria P; Douglass, Jo A; Glaspole, Ian N; Bailey, Michael; Stockley, Creina S; O'Hehir, Robyn E

2006-09-01

Recent Australian and international legislation requires labeling of wines made by using the potentially allergenic food proteins casein, milk, egg white, or isinglass (fish-derived) where "there is a detectable residual processing aid." We investigated whether wines fined using these proteins or non-grape-derived tannins (tree-nut derived) can provoke significant clinical allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) in patients with confirmed immunoglobulin E-mediated relevant food allergy. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed to determine whether allergic reactions followed consumption of Australian commercial wines fined using one or more of the legislation-targeted food proteins. In addition, allergenicity of a larger panel of these wines was evaluated by blood basophil activation. No anaphylaxis was induced by wine consumption. Three mild clinical reactions to protein-fined wine and two mild reactions to unfined wine occurred, but there was no statistically significant difference in reaction parameters between subject groups or between processing aids. No pattern of basophil activation correlated with wine type, processing aid, or subject group. Wines fined with egg white, isinglass, or non-grape-derived tannins present an extremely low risk of anaphylaxis to fish-, egg-, or peanut-allergic consumers. Although consumption of milk protein-fined wine did not induce anaphylaxis, there were insufficient subjects to determine statistically whether wines fined with milk proteins present a risk to the very rare milk-allergic consumers. In summary, the observed lack of anaphylaxis and basophil activation induced by wines made using the legislation-targeted food proteins according to good manufacturing practice suggests negligible residual food allergens in these wines.

Multifaceted brain networks reconfiguration in disorders of consciousness uncovered by co-activation patterns.

PubMed

Di Perri, Carol; Amico, Enrico; Heine, Lizette; Annen, Jitka; Martial, Charlotte; Larroque, Stephen Karl; Soddu, Andrea; Marinazzo, Daniele; Laureys, Steven

2018-01-01

Given that recent research has shown that functional connectivity is not a static phenomenon, we aim to investigate the dynamic properties of the default mode network's (DMN) connectivity in patients with disorders of consciousness. Resting-state fMRI volumes of a convenience sample of 17 patients in unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and controls were reduced to a spatiotemporal point process by selecting critical time points in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Spatial clustering was performed on the extracted PCC time frames to obtain 8 different co-activation patterns (CAPs). We investigated spatial connectivity patterns positively and negatively correlated with PCC using both CAPs and standard stationary method. We calculated CAPs occurrences and the total number of frames. Compared to controls, patients showed (i) decreased within-network positive correlations and between-network negative correlations, (ii) emergence of "pathological" within-network negative correlations and between-network positive correlations (better defined with CAPs), and (iii) "pathological" increases in within-network positive correlations and between-network negative correlations (only detectable using CAPs). Patients showed decreased occurrence of DMN-like CAPs (1-2) compared to controls. No between-group differences were observed in the total number of frames CONCLUSION: CAPs reveal at a more fine-grained level the multifaceted spatial connectivity reconfiguration following the DMN disruption in UWS patients, which is more complex than previously thought and suggests alternative anatomical substrates for consciousness. BOLD fluctuations do not seem to differ between patients and controls, suggesting that BOLD response represents an intrinsic feature of the signal, and therefore that spatial configuration is more important for consciousness than BOLD activation itself. Hum Brain Mapp 39:89-103, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Carbon Allocation into Different Fine-Root Classes of Young Abies alba Trees Is Affected More by Phenology than by Simulated Browsing

PubMed Central

Endrulat, Tina; Buchmann, Nina; Brunner, Ivano

2016-01-01

Abies alba (European silver fir) was used to investigate possible effects of simulated browsing on C allocation belowground by 13CO2 pulse-labelling at spring, summer or autumn, and by harvesting the trees at the same time point of the labelling or at a later season for biomass and for 13C-allocation into the fine-root system. Before budburst in spring, the leader shoots and 50% of all lateral shoots of half of the investigated 5-year old Abies alba saplings were clipped to simulate browsing. At harvest, different fine-root classes were separated, and starch as an important storage compartment was analysed for concentrations. The phenology had a strong effect on the allocation of the 13C-label from shoots to roots. In spring, shoots did not supply the fine-roots with high amounts of the 13C-label, because the fine-roots contained less than 1% of the applied 13C. In summer and autumn, however, shoots allocated relatively high amounts of the 13C-label to the fine roots. The incorporation of the 13C-label as structural C or as starch into the roots is strongly dependent on the root type and the root diameter. In newly formed fine roots, 3–5% of the applied 13C was incorporated, whereas 1–3% in the ≤0.5 mm root class and 1–1.5% in the >0.5–1.0 mm root class were recorded. Highest 13C-enrichment in the starch was recorded in the newly formed fine roots in autumn. The clipping treatment had a significant positive effect on the amount of allocated 13C-label to the fine roots after the spring labelling, with high relative 13C-contents observed in the ≤0.5 mm and the >0.5–1.0 mm fine-root classes of clipped trees. No effects of the clipping were observed after summer and autumn labelling in the 13C-allocation patterns. Overall, our data imply that the season of C assimilation and, thus, the phenology of trees is the main determinant of the C allocation from shoots to roots and is clearly more important than browsing. PMID:27123860

Carbon Allocation into Different Fine-Root Classes of Young Abies alba Trees Is Affected More by Phenology than by Simulated Browsing.

PubMed

Endrulat, Tina; Buchmann, Nina; Brunner, Ivano

2016-01-01

Abies alba (European silver fir) was used to investigate possible effects of simulated browsing on C allocation belowground by 13CO2 pulse-labelling at spring, summer or autumn, and by harvesting the trees at the same time point of the labelling or at a later season for biomass and for 13C-allocation into the fine-root system. Before budburst in spring, the leader shoots and 50% of all lateral shoots of half of the investigated 5-year old Abies alba saplings were clipped to simulate browsing. At harvest, different fine-root classes were separated, and starch as an important storage compartment was analysed for concentrations. The phenology had a strong effect on the allocation of the 13C-label from shoots to roots. In spring, shoots did not supply the fine-roots with high amounts of the 13C-label, because the fine-roots contained less than 1% of the applied 13C. In summer and autumn, however, shoots allocated relatively high amounts of the 13C-label to the fine roots. The incorporation of the 13C-label as structural C or as starch into the roots is strongly dependent on the root type and the root diameter. In newly formed fine roots, 3-5% of the applied 13C was incorporated, whereas 1-3% in the ≤0.5 mm root class and 1-1.5% in the >0.5-1.0 mm root class were recorded. Highest 13C-enrichment in the starch was recorded in the newly formed fine roots in autumn. The clipping treatment had a significant positive effect on the amount of allocated 13C-label to the fine roots after the spring labelling, with high relative 13C-contents observed in the ≤0.5 mm and the >0.5-1.0 mm fine-root classes of clipped trees. No effects of the clipping were observed after summer and autumn labelling in the 13C-allocation patterns. Overall, our data imply that the season of C assimilation and, thus, the phenology of trees is the main determinant of the C allocation from shoots to roots and is clearly more important than browsing.

Discharge modulates stream metabolism dependence on fine particulate organic carbon in a Mediterranean WWTP-influenced stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drummond, J. D.; Bernal, S.; Meredith, W.; Schumer, R.; Martí Roca, E.

2017-12-01

Waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluents constitute point source inputs of fine sediment, nutrients, carbon, and microbes to stream ecosystems. A range of responses to these inputs may be observed in recipient streams, including increases in respiration rates, which augment CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Yet, little is known about which fractions of organic carbon (OC) contribute the most to stream metabolism in WWTP-influenced streams. Fine particulate OC (POC) represents ca. 40% of the total mass of OC in river networks, and is generally more labile than dissolved OC. Therefore, POC inputs from WWTPs could contribute disproportionately to higher rates of heterotrophic metabolism by stream microbial communities. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of POC inputs from a WWTP effluent on the metabolism of a Mediterranean stream over a wide range of hydrologic conditions. We hypothesized that POC inputs would have a positive effect on respiration rates, and that the response to POC availability would be larger during low flows when the dilution capacity of the recipient stream is negligible. We focused on the easily resuspended fine sediment near the sediment-water interface (top 3 cm), as this region is a known hot spot for biogeochemical processes. For one year, samples of resuspended sediment were collected bimonthly at 7 sites from 0 to 800 m downstream of the WWTP point source. We measured total POC, organic matter (OM) content (%), and the associated metabolic activity of the resuspended sediment using the resazurin-resorufin smart tracer system as a proxy for aerobic ecosystem respiration. Resuspended sediment showed no difference in total POC over the year, while the OM content increased with decreasing discharge. This result together with the decreasing trend of total POC observed downstream of the point source during autumn after a long dry period, suggests that the WWTP effluent was the main contributor to stream POC. Furthermore, there was a positive relationship between aerobic ecosystem respiration and OM content in resuspended sediments. Our results suggest that WWTP effluents can be important sources of POC to recipient streams, and that the increased availability of POC enhances aerobic ecosystem respiration, especially when the dilution capacity of the recipient streams is low.

Elbow Angle during a Simulated Task Requiring Fine Psychomotor Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colangelo, Gary A.; And Others

1991-01-01

This study examined elbow angle during a fine motor task (threading a needle), in the context of positions used in preclinical training exercises and assumed by practitioners performing dental procedures. The 101 subjects tended to choose an obtuse angle (mean of 125 degrees) and to vary this angle only slightly in repeated trials. (DB)

Punishment and Sympathy Judgments: Is the Quality of Mercy Strained in Asperger's Syndrome?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Channon, Shelley; Fitzpatrick, Sian; Drury, Helena; Taylor, Isabelle; Lagnado, David

2010-01-01

This study examined reasoning about wrongdoing in people with Asperger's syndrome (AS) and matched healthy controls in relation to car accident scenarios. The two groups made similar judgments with respect to degree of driver negligence for both fines imposed and sympathy ratings. They also made similar judgments of fines in relation to the type…

The Effect of Fine Motor Skill Activities on Kindergarten Student Attention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Roger A.; Rule, Audrey C.; Giordano, Debra A.

2007-01-01

This study explored the effect of fine motor skill activities on the development of attention in kindergarteners (n = 68) in five classes at a suburban public school in the Intermountain West through a pretest/posttest experimental group (n = 36) control group (n = 32) design. All children received the regular curriculum which included typical…

Fine particle retention within stream storage areas at base flow and in response to a storm event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drummond, J. D.; Larsen, L. G.; González-Pinzón, R.; Packman, A. I.; Harvey, J. W.

2017-07-01

Fine particles (1-100 µm), including particulate organic carbon (POC) and fine sediment, influence stream ecological functioning because they may contain or have a high affinity to sorb nitrogen and phosphorus. These particles are immobilized within stream storage areas, especially hyporheic sediments and benthic biofilms. However, fine particles are also known to remobilize under all flow conditions. This combination of downstream transport and transient retention, influenced by stream geomorphology, controls the distribution of residence times over which fine particles influence stream ecosystems. The main objective of this study was to quantify immobilization and remobilization rates of fine particles in a third-order sand-and-gravel bed stream (Difficult Run, Virginia, USA) within different geomorphic units of the stream (i.e., pool, lateral cavity, and thalweg). During our field injection experiment, a thunderstorm-driven spate allowed us to observe fine particle dynamics during both base flow and in response to increased flow. Solute and fine particles were measured within stream surface waters, pore waters, sediment cores, and biofilms on cobbles. Measurements were taken at four different subsurface locations with varying geomorphology and at multiple depths. Approximately 68% of injected fine particles were retained during base flow until the onset of the spate. Retention was evident even after the spate, with 15.4% of the fine particles deposited during base flow still retained within benthic biofilms on cobbles and 14.9% within hyporheic sediment after the spate. Thus, through the combination of short-term remobilization and long-term retention, fine particles can serve as sources of carbon and nutrients to downstream ecosystems over a range of time scales.

Fine particle retention within stream storage areas at base flow and in response to a storm event

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drummond, J. D.; Larsen, L. G.; González-Pinzón, R.; Packman, A. I.; Harvey, Judson

2017-01-01

Fine particles (1–100 µm), including particulate organic carbon (POC) and fine sediment, influence stream ecological functioning because they may contain or have a high affinity to sorb nitrogen and phosphorus. These particles are immobilized within stream storage areas, especially hyporheic sediments and benthic biofilms. However, fine particles are also known to remobilize under all flow conditions. This combination of downstream transport and transient retention, influenced by stream geomorphology, controls the distribution of residence times over which fine particles influence stream ecosystems. The main objective of this study was to quantify immobilization and remobilization rates of fine particles in a third-order sand-and-gravel bed stream (Difficult Run, Virginia, USA) within different geomorphic units of the stream (i.e., pool, lateral cavity, and thalweg). During our field injection experiment, a thunderstorm-driven spate allowed us to observe fine particle dynamics during both base flow and in response to increased flow. Solute and fine particles were measured within stream surface waters, pore waters, sediment cores, and biofilms on cobbles. Measurements were taken at four different subsurface locations with varying geomorphology and at multiple depths. Approximately 68% of injected fine particles were retained during base flow until the onset of the spate. Retention was evident even after the spate, with 15.4% of the fine particles deposited during base flow still retained within benthic biofilms on cobbles and 14.9% within hyporheic sediment after the spate. Thus, through the combination of short-term remobilization and long-term retention, fine particles can serve as sources of carbon and nutrients to downstream ecosystems over a range of time scales.

The effect of fines on nonattendance in public hospital outpatient clinics: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Blæhr, Emely Ek; Kristensen, Thomas; Væggemose, Ulla; Søgaard, Rikke

2016-06-13

Nonattendance at scheduled appointments in public hospitals presents a challenge for efficient resource use and may ultimately affect health outcomes due to longer waiting times. Seven percent of all scheduled outpatient appointments in the United Kingdom are estimated to be nonattended. Various reminder systems have been shown to moderately reduce nonattendance, although the effect of issuing fines for nonattendance has not yet been tested in a randomized context. However, such use of financial incentives could impact access to care differently across the different socioeconomic groups. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of fines on hospital outpatient nonattendance. A 1:1 randomized controlled trial of scheduled outpatient appointments was used, with follow-ups until the date of appointment. The setting is an orthopedic clinic at a regional hospital in Denmark. Appointments for users who are scheduled for diagnostics, treatment, surgery, or follow-ups were included from May 2015 to November 2015. Appointments assigned to the intervention arm include an attachment of the appointment letter explaining that a fine will be issued in the case of nonattendance without prior notice. Appointments assigned to the control arm follow usual practice (same system but no letter attachment). The primary outcome is the proportion of nonattendance. Secondary outcomes are proportions of cancellations, sociodemographics, and health-problem characteristics. Furthermore, the intervention costs and production value of nonattended appointments will be measured. An analysis of effect and cost-effectiveness will be conducted based on a 5 % significance level. The study is initiated and funded by the Danish Regions, which have the responsibility for the Danish public healthcare sector. The results are expected to inform future decisions about the introduction of fines for nonattendance at public hospitals. Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN61925912 . Registered on 6 July 2015.

Effects of interaural time differences in fine structure and envelope on lateral discrimination in electric hearing.

PubMed

Majdak, Piotr; Laback, Bernhard; Baumgartner, Wolf-Dieter

2006-10-01

Bilateral cochlear implant (CI) listeners currently use stimulation strategies which encode interaural time differences (ITD) in the temporal envelope but which do not transmit ITD in the fine structure, due to the constant phase in the electric pulse train. To determine the utility of encoding ITD in the fine structure, ITD-based lateralization was investigated with four CI listeners and four normal hearing (NH) subjects listening to a simulation of electric stimulation. Lateralization discrimination was tested at different pulse rates for various combinations of independently controlled fine structure ITD and envelope ITD. Results for electric hearing show that the fine structure ITD had the strongest impact on lateralization at lower pulse rates, with significant effects for pulse rates up to 800 pulses per second. At higher pulse rates, lateralization discrimination depended solely on the envelope ITD. The data suggest that bilateral CI listeners benefit from transmitting fine structure ITD at lower pulse rates. However, there were strong interindividual differences: the better performing CI listeners performed comparably to the NH listeners.

Major controls on architecture, sequence stratigraphy and paleosols of middle Pleistocene continental sediments ("Qc Unit"), eastern central Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Celma, Claudio; Pieruccini, Pierluigi; Farabollini, Piero

2015-05-01

Middle Pleistocene continental sediments in central Italy ("Qc Unit") record the oldest fluvial accumulation along the uplifting margin of the Peri-Adriatic basin. The architecture of the sediment body can be divided into two unconformity-bounded, fining-upward cycles interpreted as genetically related depositional sequences. These sequences highlight the systematic adjustment of the fluvial system to changes in the ratio between accommodation space and sediment supply (A/S ratio) and, from base to top, comprise the following surfaces and stratal components: (i) a regionally correlative sequence boundary resulting from an A/S ratio ≤ 0; (ii) a low-accommodation systems tract characterized by conglomerate-rich, amalgamated channel fills and recording an A/S ratio < 1; (iii) an expansion surface marking the turnaround point from low-accommodation systems tract to high-accommodation systems tract deposits; (iv) a high-accommodation systems tract dominated by floodplain fines encasing lens-like, fluvial channel deposits and denoting an A/S ratio > 1; and (v) a mature red argillic paleosol. To constrain the climatic signal for paleosols formation, the two sequence-capping mature paleosols have been investigated. The results of these studies suggest that they were developed under humid and warm climatic conditions associated with interglacial phases, which have been correlatively attributed to Marine Oxygen Isotope Stages 11 and 9.

DNA repair kinetic of hydrogen peroxide and UVA/B induced lesions in peripheral blood leucocytes from xeroderma pigmentosum patients and healthy subjects.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Elio A Prieto; Mudry, Marta D; Palermo, Ana Maria

2014-01-01

The objective of the present work was to study the fine kinetics of DNA repair in xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) syndrome, a complex disorder linked to a deficiency in repair that increases cancer susceptibility. The repair process was evaluated by the comet assay (CA) in cells from 2 XP patients and 9 controls exposed to UVA/B (UVA 366/UVB 280 nm) and H2O2 (150 μM) at temperatures of 4, 15, and 37°C. Samples were taken at 2-min intervals during the first 10 min to analyze the "fine kinetics" repair during the initial phase of the curve, and then at 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60, and 120 min. CA evaluation of DNA repair activity points to BER/NER initiation in the first 30 min with both inductors at 37°C and 15°C, but final comet length showed differences according to treatment. Repair kinetics during 120 min showed a good correlation with clinical features in both XP patients. Differences in final comet length were less pronounced in XP cells treated with H2O2 than with UVA/B, probably because the peroxide produces mainly base oxidation but less bulky lesions; UVA/B generates a mixture of both. These findings reinforce the value of CA in testing in DNA repair ability or exposure monitoring.

Truth-Conditionally Inert Aspects of Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, David A.

2009-01-01

Against a background of disagreement about what sorts of things linguistic contents are, many philosophers of language share the assumption that they're cut only as finely as the conditions under which they are true. This includes many theorists who would reject the program known as "truth-conditional semantics". I argue that this point of…

Essential Questions to Raise during a Building Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Tod

2005-01-01

School planning isn't easy. Compromises can inadvertently undermine critical health and safety features. Errors can go undetected until too late, becoming apparent only after the cement is dry. As a school design consultant, the author is often pointing out dysfunctional elements in otherwise fine school buildings. He would much rather catch them…

Wallops Arc Second Pointer: WASP Description Subsystems X-Calibur Flight 2017 Test Flight Current Collaborations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stuchlik, David William

2017-01-01

WASP is a NASA developed Fine Pointing System adaptable to a variety of Science Instruments. Standardized System with Reusable Parts to Minimize the Cost to Users and NASA. Supports Multiple Science Disciplines and a wide range of Masses and Inertias. Currently Operational and Available for Science Collaborations.

Litter type control on soil C and N stabilization dynamics in a temperate forest.

PubMed

Hatton, Pierre-Joseph; Castanha, Cristina; Torn, Margaret S; Bird, Jeffrey A

2015-03-01

While plant litters are the main source of soil organic matter (SOM) in forests, the controllers and pathways to stable SOM formation remain unclear. Here, we address how litter type ((13) C/(15) N-labeled needles vs. fine roots) and placement-depth (O vs. A horizon) affect in situ C and N dynamics in a temperate forest soil after 5 years. Litter type rather than placement-depth controlled soil C and N retention after 5 years in situ, with belowground fine root inputs greatly enhancing soil C (x1.4) and N (x1.2) retention compared with aboveground needles. While the proportions of added needle and fine root-derived C and N recovered into stable SOM fractions were similar, they followed different transformation pathways into stable SOM fractions: fine root transfer was slower than for needles, but proportionally more of the remaining needle-derived C and N was transferred into stable SOM fractions. The stoichiometry of litter-derived C vs. N within individual SOM fractions revealed the presence at least two pools of different turnover times (per SOM fraction) and emphasized the role of N-rich compounds for long-term persistence. Finally, a regression approach suggested that models may underestimate soil C retention from litter with fast decomposition rates. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Gross and fine motor function in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

PubMed

Rasouli, Omid; Fors, Egil A; Borchgrevink, Petter Chr; Öhberg, Fredrik; Stensdotter, Ann-Katrin

2017-01-01

This paper aimed to investigate motor proficiency in fine and gross motor function, with a focus on reaction time (RT) and movement skill, in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) compared to healthy controls (HC). A total of 60 individuals (20 CFS, 20 FM, and 20 HC), age 19-49 years, participated in this study. Gross motor function in the lower extremity was assessed using a RT task during gait initiation in response to an auditory trigger. Fine motor function in the upper extremity was measured during a precision task (the Purdue Pegboard test) where the number of pins inserted within 30 s was counted. No significant differences were found between FM and CFS in any parameters. FM and CFS groups had significantly longer RT than HC in the gait initiation ( p =0.001, and p =0.004 respectively). In the Purdue Pegboard test, 20% in the FM group, 15% in the CFS groups, and 0% of HC group, scored below the threshold of the accepted performance. However, there were no significant differences between FM, CFS, and HC in this task ( p =0.12). Compared to controls, both CFS and FM groups displayed significantly longer RT in the gait initiation task. Generally, FM patients showed the worst results in both tests, although no group differences were found in fine motor control, according to the Purdue Pegboard test.

Area-to-point regression kriging for pan-sharpening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qunming; Shi, Wenzhong; Atkinson, Peter M.

2016-04-01

Pan-sharpening is a technique to combine the fine spatial resolution panchromatic (PAN) band with the coarse spatial resolution multispectral bands of the same satellite to create a fine spatial resolution multispectral image. In this paper, area-to-point regression kriging (ATPRK) is proposed for pan-sharpening. ATPRK considers the PAN band as the covariate. Moreover, ATPRK is extended with a local approach, called adaptive ATPRK (AATPRK), which fits a regression model using a local, non-stationary scheme such that the regression coefficients change across the image. The two geostatistical approaches, ATPRK and AATPRK, were compared to the 13 state-of-the-art pan-sharpening approaches summarized in Vivone et al. (2015) in experiments on three separate datasets. ATPRK and AATPRK produced more accurate pan-sharpened images than the 13 benchmark algorithms in all three experiments. Unlike the benchmark algorithms, the two geostatistical solutions precisely preserved the spectral properties of the original coarse data. Furthermore, ATPRK can be enhanced by a local scheme in AATRPK, in cases where the residuals from a global regression model are such that their spatial character varies locally.

Switching Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, H. E.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Franzese, G.; Havlin, S.; Mallamace, F.; Mazza, M. G.; Kumar, P.; Plerou, V.; Preis, T.; Stokely, K.; Xu, L.

One challenge of biology, medicine, and economics is that the systems treated by these serious scientific disciplines can suddenly "switch" from one behavior to another, even though they possess no perfect metronome in time. As if by magic, out of nothing but randomness one finds remarkably fine-tuned processes in time. The past century has, philosophically, been concerned with placing aside the human tendency to see the universe as a fine-tuned machine. Here we will address the challenge of uncovering how, through randomness (albeit, as we shall see, strongly correlated randomness), one can arrive at some of the many temporal patterns in physics, economics, and medicine and even begin to characterize the switching phenomena that enable a system to pass from one state to another. We discuss some applications of correlated randomness to understanding switching phenomena in various fields. Specifically, we present evidence from experiments and from computer simulations supporting the hypothesis that water's anomalies are related to a switching point (which is not unlike the "tipping point" immortalized by Malcolm Gladwell), and that the bubbles in economic phenomena that occur on all scales are not "outliers" (another Gladwell immortalization).

Surmounting retraining limits in musicians' dystonia by transcranial stimulation.

PubMed

Furuya, Shinichi; Nitsche, Michael A; Paulus, Walter; Altenmüller, Eckart

2014-05-01

Abnormal cortical excitability is evident in various movement disorders that compromise fine motor control. Here we tested whether skilled finger movements can be restored in musicians with focal hand dystonia through behavioral training assisted by transcranial direct current stimulation to the motor cortex of both hemispheres. The bilateral motor cortices of 20 pianists (10 with focal dystonia, 10 healthy controls) were electrically stimulated noninvasively during bimanual mirrored finger movements. We found improvement in the rhythmic accuracy of sequential finger movements with the affected hand during and after cathodal stimulation over the affected cortex and simultaneous anodal stimulation over the unaffected cortex. The improvement was retained 4 days after intervention. Neither a stimulation with the reversed montage of electrodes nor sham stimulation yielded any improvement. Furthermore, the amount of improvement was positively correlated with the severity of the symptoms. Bihemispheric stimulation without concurrent motor training failed to improve fine motor control, underlining the importance of combined retraining and stimulation for restoring the dystonic symptoms. For the healthy pianists, none of the stimulation protocols enhanced movement accuracy. These results suggest a therapeutic potential of behavioral training assisted by bihemispheric, noninvasive brain stimulation in restoring fine motor control in focal dystonia. © 2014 American Neurological Association.

An Intensive Survey of Archaeological Resources in the Proposed Long Branch Reservoir. Volume 2B

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-01-01

GcGb - Gneissic Gabbro Hematite TGn - Talc Gneiss c - chipped ShGb - Schistic Gabbro a - scratched ShD - Schistic Dolerite f - flake FH/SS - Flint...Hill Sandstone g - ground Mss - Micaceous Sandstone fss - Ferruginous Sandstone A - Argillite c - chert Qtz - Quartz FGQtt - Fine-grained Quartzite Qtt...ARTIFACTS - LONG BRANCI RESERVOIR 41 0 Points Contracti~ng-@ taed, square-based points l a 23MC55 4-4 50 25 9 9.6g b 23MCSS 2-1 74 39 9 22.8g c

Self regulating formulations for safe hydrogen gettering

DOEpatents

Shepodd, Timothy Jon

2002-01-01

A method and composition are disclosed for preventing uncontrolled exothermic reaction in the presence of a catalyst. A catalyst deployed as a finely divided powder which is attached to the surface of a low melting point wax or wax-like material which is utilized as a carrier for the catalyst. During operation should the catalyst overheat due to uncontrolled conditions brought about by a run-away reaction the heat of reaction melts the low melting point wax which would itself wet the surface of the catalyst and prevent further catalysis.

Exploring image data assimilation in the prospect of high-resolution satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verron, J. A.; Duran, M.; Gaultier, L.; Brankart, J. M.; Brasseur, P.

2016-02-01

Many recent works show the key importance of studying the ocean at fine scales including the meso- and submesoscales. Satellite observations such as ocean color data provide informations on a wide range of scales but do not directly provide information on ocean dynamics. Satellite altimetry provide informations on the ocean dynamic topography (SSH) but so far with a limited resolution in space and even more, in time. However, in the near future, high-resolution SSH data (e.g. SWOT) will give a vision of the dynamic topography at such fine space resolution. This raises some challenging issues for data assimilation in physical oceanography: develop reliable methodology to assimilate high resolution data, make integrated use of various data sets including biogeochemical data, and even more simply, solve the challenge of handling large amont of data and huge state vectors. In this work, we propose to consider structured information rather than pointwise data. First, we take an image data assimilation approach in studying the feasibility of inverting tracer observations from Sea Surface Temperature and/or Ocean Color datasets, to improve the description of mesoscale dynamics provided by altimetric observations. Finite Size Lyapunov Exponents are used as an image proxy. The inverse problem is formulated in a Bayesian framework and expressed in terms of a cost function measuring the misfits between the two images. Second, we explore the inversion of SWOT-like high resolution SSH data and more especially the various possible proxies of the actual SSH that could be used to control the ocean circulation at various scales. One focus is made on controlling the subsurface ocean from surface only data. A key point lies in the errors and uncertainties that are associated to SWOT data.

Randomized clinical efficacy of superficial peeling with 85% lactic acid versus 70% glycolic acid.

PubMed

Prestes, Paula Souza; Oliveira, Márcia Motta Maia de; Leonardi, Gislaine Ricci

2013-01-01

Peeling is a procedure which aims to accelerate the process of skin exfoliation. Development of formulations containing lactic acid at 85% or glycolic acid at 70% and the evaluation of these formulations on clinical efficacy in reduction of fine wrinkles. Preliminary stability tests were carried out and an in vivo study was performed with three groups with 9 representatives each. One was the control group, which used only sunscreen; another one used lactic acid+sunscreen, and the last group used acid glycolic+sunscreen. Clinical efficacy was assessed with a CCD color microscope, through the digitization of images before and after treatment. The applications were carried out by a dermatologist, once a mont h every 30 days, during 3 months. The area with wrinkles was calculated by planimetry point counting, in accordance with Mandarin-de-Lacerda. The formulations were stable in the visual and Ph evaluation. There was no improvement in the control group; for lactic acid, there was significant improvement after the second peeling application on the outer lateral area of the right eye and after the third application on the outer lateral area of the left eye. For the glycolic acid group, there was significant improvement in the outer lateral area of the left eye after the first application, and of the right eye region, after three applications. The formulations used must be kept under refrigeration and should be manipulated every 30 days. Both peelings were effective in reducing fine wrinkles of the outer lateral eye area after three applications (p ≤ 0.05%). It was observed that peeling efficacy in the external-lateral region of one eye might be different compared with that in skin of the external-lateral region of the other eye, relative to the speed of skin improvement.

Light stops and fine-tuning in MSSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Çiçi, Ali; Kırca, Zerrin; Ün, Cem Salih

2018-01-01

We discuss the fine-tuning issue within the MSSM framework. Following the idea that the fine-tuning can measure effects of some missing mechanism, we impose non-universal gaugino masses at the GUT scale, and explore the low scale implications. We realize that the fine-tuning parametrized with Δ _{EW} can be as low as zero. We consider the stop mass with a special importance and focus on the mass scales as m_{\\tilde{t}} ≤ 700 GeV, which are excluded by the current experiments when the stop decays into a neutralino along with a top quark or a chargino along with a bottom quark. We find that the stop mass can be as low as about 250 GeV with Δ _{EW} ˜ 50. We find that the solutions in this region can be exluded only up to 60% when stop decays into a neutralino-top quark, and 50% when it decays into a chargino-b quark. Setting 65% CL to be potential exclusion and 95% to be pure exclusion limit such solutions will be tested in near future experiments, which are conducted with higher luminosity. In addition to stop, the region with low fine-tuning and light stops predicts masses for the other supersymmetric particles such as m_{\\tilde{b}} ≳ 700 GeV, m_{\\tilde{τ }} ≳ 1 TeV, m_{\\tilde{χ }1^{± }} ≳ 120 GeV. The details for the mass scales and decay rates are also provided by tables of benchmark points.

STS-35 Mission Manager Actions Room at the Marshall Space Flight Center Spacelab Payload Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activities at the Mission Manager Actions Room during the mission.

HUT Data Inspected at Marshall Space Flight Center During the STS-35 Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activity of viewing HUT data in the Mission Manager Actions Room during the mission.

Variations in Grain-Scale Sediment Structure in a Gravel-Bed Channel as a Function of Fine Sediment Content and Morphological Location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voepel, H.; Ahmed, S. I.; Hodge, R. A.; Leyland, J.; Sear, D. A.

2016-12-01

One of the major causes of uncertainty in estimates of bedload transport rates in gravel bed rivers is a lack of understanding of grain-scale sediment structure, and the impact that this structure has on bed stability. Furthermore, grain-scale structure varies throughout a channel and over time in ways that have not been fully quantified. Our research aims to quantify variations in sediment structure caused by two key variables; morphological location within a riffle-pool sequence (reflecting variation in hydraulic conditions), and the fine sediment content of the gravel bed (sand and clay). We report results from a series of flume experiments in which we water-worked a gravel bed with a riffle-pool morphology. The fine sediment content of the bed was incrementally increased over a series of runs from gravel only, to coarse sand, fine sand and two concentrations of clay. After each experimental run intact samples of the bed at different locations were extracted and the internal structure of the bed was measured using non-destructive, micro-focus X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging. The CT images were processed to measure the properties of individual grains, including volume, center of mass, dimension, and contact points. From these data we were able to quantify the sediment structure through metrics including measurement of grain pivot angles, grain exposure and protrusion, and vertical variation in bed porosity and fine sediment content. Metrics derived from the CT data were verified using data from grain counts and tilt-table measurements on co-located samples. Comparison of the metrics across different morphological locations and fine sediment content demonstrates how these factors affect the bed structure. These results have implications for the development of sediment entrainment models for gravel bed rivers.

Eruption processes and deposit characteristics at the monogenetic Mt. Gambier Volcanic Complex, SE Australia: implications for alternating magmatic and phreatomagmatic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Otterloo, Jozua; Cas, Raymond A. F.; Sheard, Malcolm J.

2013-08-01

The ˜5 ka Mt. Gambier Volcanic Complex in the Newer Volcanics Province, Australia is an extremely complex monogenetic, volcanic system that preserves at least 14 eruption points aligned along a fissure system. The complex stratigraphy can be subdivided into six main facies that record alternations between magmatic and phreatomagmatic eruption styles in a random manner. The facies are (1) coherent to vesicular fragmental alkali basalt (effusive/Hawaiian spatter and lava flows); (2) massive scoriaceous fine lapilli with coarse ash (Strombolian fallout); (3) bedded scoriaceous fine lapilli tuff (violent Strombolian fallout); (4) thin-medium bedded, undulating very fine lapilli in coarse ash (dry phreatomagmatic surge-modified fallout); (5) palagonite-altered, cross-bedded, medium lapilli to fine ash (wet phreatomagmatic base surges); and (6) massive, palagonite-altered, very poorly sorted tuff breccia and lapilli tuff (phreato-Vulcanian pyroclastic flows). Since most deposits are lithified, to quantify the grain size distributions (GSDs), image analysis was performed. The facies are distinct based on their GSDs and the fine ash to coarse+fine ash ratios. These provide insights into the fragmentation intensities and water-magma interaction efficiencies for each facies. The eruption chronology indicates a random spatial and temporal sequence of occurrence of eruption styles, except for a "magmatic horizon" of effusive activity occurring at both ends of the volcanic complex simultaneously. The eruption foci are located along NW-SE trending lineaments, indicating that the complex was fed by multiple dykes following the subsurface structures related to the Tartwaup Fault System. Possible factors causing vent migration along these dykes and changes in eruption styles include differences in magma ascent rates, viscosity, crystallinity, degassing and magma discharge rate, as well as hydrological parameters.

Advances in graphonomics: studies on fine motor control, its development and disorders.

PubMed

Van Gemmert, Arend W A; Teulings, Hans-Leo

2006-10-01

During the past 20 years graphonomic research has become a major contributor to the understanding of human movement science. Graphonomic research investigates the relationship between the planning and generation of fine motor tasks, in particular, handwriting and drawing. Scientists in this field are at the forefront of using new paradigms to investigate human movement. The 16 articles in this special issue of Human Movement Science show that the field of graphonomics makes an important contribution to the understanding of fine motor control, motor development, and movement disorders. Topics discussed include writer's cramp, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, drug-induced parkinsonism, dopamine depletion, dysgraphia, motor development, developmental coordination disorder, caffeine, alertness, arousal, sleep deprivation, visual feedback transformation and suppression, eye-hand coordination, pen grip, pen pressure, movement fluency, bimanual interference, dominant versus non-dominant hand, tracing, freehand drawing, spiral drawing, reading, typewriting, and automatic segmentation.

Coarse and fine sediment transportation patterns and causes downstream of the Three Gorges Dam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Songzhe; Yang, Yunping; Zhang, Mingjin; Sun, Zhaohua; Zhu, Lingling; You, Xingying; Li, Kanyu

2017-11-01

Reservoir construction within a basin affects the process of water and sediment transport downstream of the dam. The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) affects the sediment transport downstream of the dam. The impoundment of the TGR reduced total downstream sediment. The sediment group d≤0.125 mm (fine particle) increased along the path, but the average was still below what existed before the reservoir impoundment. The sediments group d>0.125 mm (coarse particle) was recharged in the Yichang to Jianli reach, but showed a deposition trend downstream of Jianli. The coarse sediment in the Yichang to Jianli section in 2003 to 2007 was above the value before the TGR impoundment. However, the increase of both coarse and fine sediments in 2008 to 2014 was less than that in 2003 to 2007. The sediment retained in the dam is the major reason for the sediment reduction downstream. However, the retention in different river reaches is affected by riverbed coarsening, discharge, flow process, and conditions of lake functioning and recharging from the tributaries. The main conclusions derived from our study are as follows: 1) The riverbed in the Yichang to Shashi section was relatively coarse, thereby limiting the supply of fine and coarse sediments. The fine sediment supply was mainly controlled by TGR discharge, whereas the coarse sediment supply was controlled by the duration of high flow and its magnitude. 2) The supply of both coarse and fine sediments in the Shashi to Jianli section was controlled by the amount of total discharge. The sediment supply from the riverbed was higher in flood years than that in the dry years. The coarse sediment tended to deposit, and the deposition in the dry years was larger than that in the flood years. 3) The feeding of the fine sediment in the Luoshan to Hankou section was mainly from the riverbed. The supply in 2008 to 2014 was more than that in 2003 to 2007. Around 2010, the coarse sediments transited from depositing to scouring that was probably caused by the increased duration of high flow days. 4) Fine sediments appeared to be deposited in large amounts in the Hankou to Jiujiang section. The coarse sediment was fed by the riverbed scouring, and much more coarse sediments were recharged from the riverbed in the flood years than in the dry years. 5) In the Jiujiang to Datong section, the ratio of fine sediments from the Poyang Lake and that from the riverbed was 1: 2.82. The sediment from the riverbed scouring contributed more to the coarse sediment transportation. The contribution was mainly affected by the input by magnitude and duration of high flows.

[Development ideas of fine pharmaceutical materials of traditional Chinese medicine preparations based on active cluster theory].

PubMed

Ke, Zhong-Cheng; Hou, Xue-Feng; Jia, Xiao-Bin

2016-07-01

The pharmaceutical materials are divided into coarse and fine types in the development of traditional Chinese medicine preparations. Fine materials with clear composition, stable content and high quality control conform to the international development trend of traditional Chinese medicine preparations. In this paper, the status of fine materials was analyzed, and the development ideas were tentatively put forward. On the one hand, the study on simple methods and efficient equipment shall be strengthened for the simultaneous separation of multiple components of traditional Chinese medicine; on the other hand, the knowledge for traditional Chinese medicine shall be broadened to further develop the scientific compatibility of monomers under the guidance of the theory of traditional Chinese medicine. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

The Optimization of Four-Stage Low Pressure Turbine with Outlet Guide Vane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matveev, V.; Baturin, O.; Popov, G.

2018-01-01

The goal of the research was to improve efficiency of four-stage low-pressure turbine with outlet guide vane (LPT) at the design point by optimization the shape of all turbine stator vanes and the stagger angles of all rotor blades. The LPT mathematical model was created by using NUMECA FineTurbo software. Several constraints were imposed the mass flow rate through the LPT and the total pressure ratio at the design point may vary within ±0.5% from the original. Parameters of the stator blade shape and rotor blades stagger angles were obtained. This new geometry of the LPT blades produce a 0.8% increase in efficiency at the design point.

Measuring intellectual ability in children with cerebral palsy: can we do better?

PubMed

Sherwell, Sarah; Reid, Susan M; Reddihough, Dinah S; Wrennall, Jacquie; Ong, Ben; Stargatt, Robyn

2014-10-01

Standard intelligence tests such as the WPPSI-III have limitations when testing children with motor impairment. This study aimed to determine the proportion of children with cerebral palsy with sufficient verbal and motor skills to complete the WPPSI-III, to determine their comparative ability to complete tasks with and without a significant motor component, and to investigate short forms of the WPPSI-III as alternatives. Participants were 78 of 235 eligible 4-5 year old children with cerebral palsy resident in the Australian state of Victoria. Verbal IQ (VIQ), Performance IQ (PIQ), and Full-scale IQ (FSIQ) were determined using the WPPSI-III. Initial screening for pointing and verbal abilities determined which tests were attempted. The impact of speed was investigated by comparing scores on the Block Design subtest with and without an imposed time limit. FSIQ scores were calculated from two short forms of the WPPSI-III and compared to the full form. On screening, 16 children had inadequate pointing (14) and verbal abilities (2). FSIQ was obtained in 62 (82%) children. Strong associations were seen between completion of the entire test battery and topographical pattern, level of manual ability and level of gross motor function. Scores on subtests requiring manual ability were depressed relative to other scores. Children performed better using short forms of the WPPSI-III and, for a minority, when time limits were disregarded. In summary, children with cerebral palsy often lack the fine and gross motor skills necessary to complete the WPPSI-III, scoring relatively poorly on tasks requiring a fine motor response. Using short-form estimations of FSIQ comprised of subtests without a significant fine motor component has the potential to increase a child's FSIQ by approximately 5 points. These findings have important clinical implications when assessing a child with both motor and cognitive limitations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

No short-term cytogenetic consequences of Hungarian red mud catastrophe.

PubMed

Gundy, Sarolta; Farkas, Gyöngyi; Székely, Gábor; Kásler, Miklós

2013-01-01

Red mud is an industrial waste produced in the process of alumina extraction from bauxite with concentrated NaOH. When the red mud-containing reservoir collapsed in Ajka Alumina Plant Hungary in October 2010, the most serious immediate effects were caused by the high alkalinity (pH ≥ 13) of the flood. Many persons suffered burn-like damage to tissues and contact with caustic desiccated ultra-fine dust with traces of toxic metals also caused irritation of upper respiratory tract and eyes. This catastrophe was unique from the point of view of genotoxic effects as well. Therefore cytogenetic examinations were carried out on inhabitants, either with burns (17 persons) or on those inhaling desiccated caustic dust (42 persons). Chromosomal aberration (CA) analysis and bleomycin (BLM)-sensitivity assays, as possible markers of effects, were studied in peripheral blood lymphocytes of persons within 4-6 weeks following the catastrophe. Controls were matched for age, sex and smoking habits, and also places of residence with different constituents of air pollution either from rural (59 persons), or from urban environments (59 persons). Neither spontaneous rate of CAs (1.47% vs. 1.69%) nor BLM-induced in vitro chromosomal breakage (0.79 vs. 0.83 break/cell) showed elevated rates when cytogenetic biomarkers of genotoxicity were compared between controls and exposed persons. Time spent in cleaning did not affect cytogenetic changes either (R(2) = 0.04). BLM-induced mutagen sensitivity was similar in exposed and control persons (27.1% vs. 30.5%). It seems that the red mud exposure does not appear to pose an immediate genotoxic hazard on residents when measured with cytogenetic methods. We recommend, however, that those involved in clean-up activities should be followed closely not only for overall health, but also for further genotoxic risk assessment, because the long-term hazards of ultra-fine fugitive dust particles with alkalinity of residual NaOH in red mud are still unknown.

Regional distribution patterns of chemical parameters in surface sediments of the south-western Baltic Sea and their possible causes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leipe, T.; Naumann, M.; Tauber, F.; Radtke, H.; Friedland, R.; Hiller, A.; Arz, H. W.

2017-12-01

This study presents selected results of a sediment geochemical mapping program of German territorial waters in the south-western Baltic Sea. The field work was conducted mainly during the early 2000s. Due to the strong variability of sediment types in the study area, it was decided to separate and analyse the fine fraction (<63 μm, mud) from more than 600 surficial samples, combined with recalculations for the bulk sediment. For the contents of total organic carbon (TOC) and selected elements (P, Hg), the regional distribution maps show strong differences between the analysed fine fraction and the recalculated total sediment. Seeing that mud contents vary strongly between 0 and 100%, this can be explained by the well-known grain-size effect. To avoid (or at least minimise) this effect, further interpretations were based on the data for the fine fraction alone. Lateral transport from the large Oder River estuary combined with high abundances and activities of benthic fauna on the shallow-water Oder Bank (well sorted fine sand) could be some main causes for hotspots identified in the fine-fraction element distribution. The regional pattern of primary production as the main driver of nutrient element fixation (C, N, P, Si) was found to be only weakly correlated with, for example, the TOC distribution in the fine fraction. This implies that, besides surface sediment dynamics, local conditions (e.g. benthic secondary production) also have strong impacts. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there is no comparable study with geochemical analyses of the fine fraction of marine sediments to this extent (13,600 km2) and coverage (between 600 and 800 data points) in the Baltic Sea. This aspect proved pivotal in confidently pinpointing geochemical "anomalies" in surface sediments of the south-western Baltic Sea.

Quantifying sources of fine sediment supplied to post-fire debris flows using fallout radionuclide tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Hugh G.; Sheridan, Gary J.; Nyman, Petter; Child, David P.; Lane, Patrick N. J.; Hotchkis, Michael A. C.; Jacobsen, Geraldine E.

2012-02-01

Fine sediment supply has been identified as an important factor contributing to the initiation of runoff-generated debris flows after fire. However, despite the significance of fines for post-fire debris flow generation, no investigations have sought to quantify sources of this material in debris flow affected catchments. In this study, we employ fallout radionuclides ( 137Cs, 210Pb ex and 239,240Pu) as tracers to measure proportional contributions of fine sediment (< 10 μm) from hillslope surface and channel bank sources to levee and terminal fan deposits formed by post-fire debris flows in two forest catchments in southeastern Australia. While 137Cs and 210Pb ex have been widely used in sediment tracing studies, application of Pu as a tracer represents a recent development and was limited to only one catchment. The ranges in estimated proportional hillslope surface contributions of fine sediment to individual debris flow deposits in each catchment were 22-69% and 32-74%. The greater susceptibility of 210Pb ex to apparent reductions in the ash content of channel deposits relative to hillslope sources resulted in its exclusion from the final analysis. No systematic change in the proportional source contributions to debris flow deposits was observed with distance downstream from channel initiation points. Instead, spatial variability in source contributions was largely influenced by the pattern of debris flow surges forming the deposits. Linking the tracing analysis with interpretation of depositional evidence allowed reconstruction of temporal sequences in sediment source contributions to debris flow surges. Hillslope source inputs dominated most elevated channel deposits such as marginal levees that were formed under peak flow conditions. This indicated the importance of hillslope runoff and fine sediment supply for debris flow generation in both catchments. In contrast, material stored within channels that was deposited during subsequent surges was predominantly channel-derived. The results demonstrate that fallout radionuclide tracers may provide unique information on changing source contributions of fine sediment during debris flow events.

Comparative Accuracy Evaluation of Fine-Scale Global and Local Digital Surface Models: The Tshwane Case Study I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breytenbach, A.

2016-10-01

Conducted in the City of Tshwane, South Africa, this study set about to test the accuracy of DSMs derived from different remotely sensed data locally. VHR digital mapping camera stereo-pairs, tri-stereo imagery collected by a Pléiades satellite and data detected from the Tandem-X InSAR satellite configuration were fundamental in the construction of seamless DSM products at different postings, namely 2 m, 4 m and 12 m. The three DSMs were sampled against independent control points originating from validated airborne LiDAR data. The reference surfaces were derived from the same dense point cloud at grid resolutions corresponding to those of the samples. The absolute and relative positional accuracies were computed using well-known DEM error metrics and accuracy statistics. Overall vertical accuracies were also assessed and compared across seven slope classes and nine primary land cover classes. Although all three DSMs displayed significantly more vertical errors where solid waterbodies, dense natural and/or alien woody vegetation and, in a lesser degree, urban residential areas with significant canopy cover were encountered, all three surpassed their expected positional accuracies overall.

Effect of black rice husk ash on the physical and rheological properties of bitumen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romastarika, Raissa; Jaya, Ramadhansyah Putra; Yaacob, Haryati; Nazri, Fadzli Mohamed; Agussabti, Ichwana, Jayanti, Dewi Sri

2017-08-01

Black rice husk ash (BRHA) waste product is inexpensive and can be obtained from rice mills. Reuse of waste product is ideal to reduce pollution, because disposal is decreased or eliminated. The commercial value of BRHA has increased, and it is suitable for use in road construction. In this study, BRHA waste was ground using a grinding ball mill for 120 min to form fine powder. BRHA was then sieved to less than 75 µm. At the laboratory, BRHA was mixed with bitumen to replace 2%, 4%, and 6% of the total weight, whereas 0% represented the control sample. The penetration, softening point, dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and rolling thin film oven (RTFO) were investigated in this study. Results showed that bitumen became harder, whereas the rate of penetration decreased when the replacement amount of BRHA increased. Softening point test of bitumen also revealed an increase. The short-term aging test revealed that modification of bitumen could relieve the effect of aging. BRHA waste added into bitumen improved the performance of bitumen. Therefore, the usage of BRHA could help improve the performance of road pavement and reduce the rutting effect.

KSC-99pp1288

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-11-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39B, the payload canister for Space Shuttle Discovery, for mission STS-103, is lifted up the Rotating Service Structure. The hoses attached to the canister provide airconditioning until the canister is mated to the environmentally controlled Payload Changeout Room and the payload bay doors are open. Installation of the payload into Discovery is slated for Friday, Nov. 12. The mission is a "call-up" due to the need to replace portions of the pointing system, the gyros, which have begun to fail on the Hubble Space Telescope. Although Hubble is operating normally and conducting its scientific observations, only three of its six gyroscopes are working properly. The gyroscopes allow the telescope to point at stars, galaxies and planets. The STS-103 crew will also be replacing a Fine Guidance Sensor and an older computer with a new enhanced model, an older data tape recorder with a solid-state digital recorder, a failed spare transmitter with a new one, and degraded insulation on the telescope with new thermal insulation. The crew will also install a Battery Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kit to protect the spacecraft batteries from overcharging and overheating when the telescope goes into a safe mode

KSC-99pp1289

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-11-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39B, the open doors of the payload canister, inside the environmentally controlled Payload Changeout Room, reveal the Hubble Servicing Mission cargo. At the top is the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier and at the bottom is the Flight Support System. Installation of the payload into Discovery is slated for Friday, Nov. 12. The mission is a "call-up" due to the need to replace portions of the pointing system, the gyros, which have begun to fail on the Hubble Space Telescope. Although Hubble is operating normally and conducting its scientific observations, only three of its six gyroscopes are working properly. The gyroscopes allow the telescope to point at stars, galaxies and planets. The STS-103 crew will also be replacing a Fine Guidance Sensor and an older computer with a new enhanced model, an older data tape recorder with a solid-state digital recorder, a failed spare transmitter with a new one, and degraded insulation on the telescope with new thermal insulation. The crew will also install a Battery Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kit to protect the spacecraft batteries from overcharging and overheating when the telescope goes into a safe mode

Aerospace laser communications technology as enabler for worldwide quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moll, Florian; Weinfurter, Harald; Rau, Markus; Schmidt, Christopher; Melén, Gwen; Vogl, Tobias; Nauerth, Sebastian; Fuchs, Christian

2016-04-01

A worldwide growing interest in fast and secure data communications pushes technology development along two lines. While fast communications can be realized using laser communications in fiber and free-space, inherently secure communications can be achieved using quantum key distribution (QKD). By combining both technologies in a single device, many synergies can be exploited, therefore reducing size, weight and power of future systems. In recent experiments we demonstrated quantum communications over large distances as well as between an aircraft and a ground station which proved the feasibility of QKD between moving partners. Satellites thus may be used as trusted nodes in combination with QKD receiver stations on ground, thereby enabling fast and secure communications on a global scale. We discuss the previous experiment with emphasis on necessary developments to be done and corresponding ongoing research work of German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Ludwig Maximilians University Munich (LMU). DLR is performing research on satellite and ground terminals for the high-rate laser communication component, which are enabling technologies for the QKD link. We describe the concept and hardware of three generations of OSIRIS (Optical High Speed Infrared Link System) laser communication terminals for low Earth orbiting satellites. The first type applies laser beam pointing solely based on classical satellite control, the second uses an optical feedback to the satellite bus and the third, currently being in design phase, comprises of a special coarse pointing assembly to control beam direction independent of satellite orientation. Ongoing work also targets optical terminals for CubeSats. A further increase of beam pointing accuracy can be achieved with a fine pointing assembly. Two ground stations will be available for future testing, an advanced stationary ground station and a transportable ground station. In parallel the LMU QKD source size will be reduced by more than an order of magnitude thereby simplifying its integration into future free-space optical communication links with CubeSats.

Clumsiness in fine motor tasks: evidence from the quantitative drawing evaluation of children with Down Syndrome.

PubMed

Vimercati, S L; Galli, M; Stella, G; Caiazzo, G; Ancillao, A; Albertini, G

2015-03-01

Drawing tests are commonly used for the clinical evaluation of cognitive capabilities in children with learning disabilities. We analysed quantitatively the drawings of children with Down Syndrome (DS) and of healthy, mental age-matched controls to characterise the features of fine motor skills in DS during a drawing task, with particular attention to clumsiness, a well-known feature of DS gross movements. Twenty-three children with DS and 13 controls hand-copied the figures of a circle, a cross and a square on a sheet. An optoelectronic system allowed the acquisition of the three-dimensional track of the drawing. The participants' posture and upper limb movements were analysed as well. Results showed that the participants with DS tended to draw faster but with less accuracy than controls. While clumsiness in gross movements manifests mainly as slow, less efficient movements, it manifests as high velocity and inaccurate movements in fine motor tasks such as drawing. © 2014 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Generation and control of polarization-entangled photons from GaAs island quantum dots by an electric field

PubMed Central

Ghali, Mohsen; Ohtani, Keita; Ohno, Yuzo; Ohno, Hideo

2012-01-01

Semiconductor quantum dots are potential sources for generating polarization-entangled photons efficiently. The main prerequisite for such generation based on biexciton–exciton cascaded emission is to control the exciton fine-structure splitting. Among various techniques investigated for this purpose, an electric field is a promising means to facilitate the integration into optoelectronic devices. Here we demonstrate the generation of polarization-entangled photons from single GaAs quantum dots by an electric field. In contrast to previous studies, which were limited to In(Ga)As quantum dots, GaAs island quantum dots formed by a thickness fluctuation were used because they exhibit a larger oscillator strength and emit light with a shorter wavelength. A forward voltage was applied to a Schottky diode to control the fine-structure splitting. We observed a decrease and suppression in the fine-structure splitting of the studied single quantum dot with the field, which enabled us to generate polarization-entangled photons with a high fidelity of 0.72±0.05. PMID:22314357

Regional scale patterns of fine root lifespan and turnover under current and future climate

Treesearch

M. Luke McCormack; David M. Eissenstat; Anantha M. Prasad; Erica A. Smithwick

2013-01-01

Fine root dynamics control a dominant flux of carbon from plants and into soils and mediate potential uptake and cycling of nutrients and water in terrestrial ecosystems. Understanding of these patterns is needed to accurately describe critical processes like productivity and carbon storage from ecosystem to global scales. However, limited observations of root dynamics...

High-density genetic map using whole-genome re-sequencing for fine mapping and candidate gene discovery for disease resistance in peanut

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

High-density genetic linkage maps are essential for fine mapping QTLs controlling disease resistance traits, such as early leaf spot (ELS), late leaf spot (LLS), and Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). With completion of the genome sequences of two diploid ancestors of cultivated peanut, we could use ...

Fine scale variations of surface water chemistry in an ephemeral to perennial drainage network

Treesearch

Margaret A. Zimmer; Scott W. Bailey; Kevin J. McGuire; Thomas D. Bullen

2013-01-01

Although temporal variation in headwater stream chemistry has long been used to document baseline conditions and response to environmental drivers, less attention is paid to fine scale spatial variations that could yield clues to processes controlling stream water sources. We documented spatial and temporal variation in water composition in a headwater catchment (41 ha...

Fine Motor Skills and Mathematics Achievement in East Asian American and European American Kindergartners and First Graders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luo, Zupei; Jose, Paul E.; Huntsinger, Carol S.; Pigott, Therese D.

2007-01-01

This study examined whether fine motor skills were related to the initial scores and growth rate of mathematics achievement in American kindergartners and first graders. Participants were 244 East Asian American and 9,816 European American children from the US-based Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K). To control sampling bias, two…

Disentangling fine motor skills' relations to academic achievement: the relative contributions of visual-spatial integration and visual-motor coordination.

PubMed

Carlson, Abby G; Rowe, Ellen; Curby, Timothy W

2013-01-01

Recent research has established a connection between children's fine motor skills and their academic performance. Previous research has focused on fine motor skills measured prior to elementary school, while the present sample included children ages 5-18 years old, making it possible to examine whether this link remains relevant throughout childhood and adolescence. Furthermore, the majority of research linking fine motor skills and academic achievement has not determined which specific components of fine motor skill are driving this relation. The few studies that have looked at associations of separate fine motor tasks with achievement suggest that copying tasks that tap visual-spatial integration skills are most closely related to achievement. The present study examined two separate elements of fine motor skills--visual-motor coordination and visual-spatial integration--and their associations with various measures of academic achievement. Visual-motor coordination was measured using tracing tasks, while visual-spatial integration was measured using copy-a-figure tasks. After controlling for gender, socioeconomic status, IQ, and visual-motor coordination, and visual-spatial integration explained significant variance in children's math and written expression achievement. Knowing that visual-spatial integration skills are associated with these two achievement domains suggests potential avenues for targeted math and writing interventions for children of all ages.

Cracking of porcelain surfaces arising from abrasive grinding with a dental air turbine.

PubMed

Chang, Chee W; Waddell, J Neil; Lyons, Karl M; Swain, Michael V

2011-12-01

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate porcelain cracking induced by abrasive grinding with a conventional dental air turbine and abrasive diamond burs. Four commercially available porcelains were examined-Wieland ALLUX, Wieland ZIROX, IPS e.max Ceram, and IPS Empress Esthetic Veneering porcelain. Sixty discs of each porcelain type were fabricated according to manufacturer instructions, followed by an auto-glaze cycle. Abrasive grinding using fine, extra-fine, and ultra-fine diamond burs was carried out, using a conventional dental air turbine. The grinding parameters were standardized with regard to the magnitude of the force applied, rotational speed of the diamond bur, and flow rate of the water coolant. A testing apparatus was used to control the magnitude of force applied during the grinding procedure. The ground surfaces were then examined under scanning electron microscope. Cracking was seen for all porcelain types when ground with the fine bur. Cracking was not seen for specimens ground with the extra-fine or the ultra-fine bur. Wet abrasive grinding with a conventional dental air turbine and fine grit diamond burs has the potential to cause cracking in the four porcelain types tested. Similar abrasive grinding with smaller grit size particles does not cause similar observable cracking. © 2011 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

The effect of limited availability of N or water on C allocation to fine roots and annual fine root turnover in Alnus incana and Salix viminalis.

PubMed

Rytter, Rose-Marie

2013-09-01

The effect of limited nitrogen (N) or water availability on fine root growth and turnover was examined in two deciduous species, Alnus incana L. and Salix viminalis L., grown under three different regimes: (i) supply of N and water in amounts which would not hamper growth, (ii) limited N supply and (iii) limited water supply. Plants were grown outdoors during three seasons in covered and buried lysimeters placed in a stand structure and filled with quartz sand. Computer-controlled irrigation and fertilization were supplied through drip tubes. Production and turnover of fine roots were estimated by combining minirhizotron observations and core sampling, or by sequential core sampling. Annual turnover rates of fine roots <1 mm (5-6 year(-1)) and 1-2 mm (0.9-2.8 year(-1)) were not affected by changes in N or water availability. Fine root production (<1 mm) differed between Alnus and Salix, and between treatments in Salix; i.e., absolute length and biomass production increased in the order: water limited < unlimited < N limited. Few treatment effects were detected for fine roots 1-2 mm. Proportionally more C was allocated to fine roots (≤2 mm) in N or water-limited Salix; 2.7 and 2.3 times the allocation to fine roots in the unlimited regime, respectively. Estimated input to soil organic carbon increased by ca. 20% at N limitation in Salix. However, future studies on fine root decomposition under various environmental conditions are required. Fine root growth responses to N or water limitation were less pronounced in Alnus, thus indicating species differences caused by N-fixing capacity and slower initial growth in Alnus, or higher fine root plasticity in Salix. A similar seasonal growth pattern across species and treatments suggested the influence of outer stimuli, such as temperature and light.

Effectiveness of a handwriting readiness program in head start: a two-group controlled trial.

PubMed

Lust, Carol A; Donica, Denise K

2011-01-01

This study measured skill improvement in prewriting skills, kindergarten readiness, first-name writing, and handwriting-nonspecific fine motor skills of students at Head Start who participated in Handwriting Without Tears-Get Set for School (HWT-GSS) programming. We conducted a two-group, nonrandomized controlled trial using a pretest-posttest design at a rural Head Start. The effectiveness of adding the HWT-GSS curriculum in one preschool classroom was compared with a control classroom. On posttesting, the experimental group made significant improvements compared with the control group in prewriting, kindergarten readiness, and fine motor skills. Both groups made significant improvements between pretesting and posttesting in prewriting, first name writing, and school readiness. Adding HWT-GSS to the Head Start program would be beneficial in improving handwriting readiness skills.

Interaction of fine sediment with alluvial streambeds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jobson, Harvey E.; Carey, William P.

1989-01-01

More knowledge is needed about the physical processes that control the transport of fine sediment moving over an alluvial bed. The knowledge is needed to design rational sampling and monitoring programs that assess the transport and fate of toxic substances in surface waters because the toxics are often associated with silt- and clay-sized particles. This technical note reviews some of the past research in areas that may contribute to an increased understanding of the processes involved. An alluvial streambed can have a large capacity to store fine sediments that are extracted from the flow when instream concentrations are high and it can gradually release fine sediment to the flow when the instream concentrations are low. Several types of storage mechanisms are available depending on the relative size distribution of the suspended load and bed material, as well as the flow hydraulics. Alluvial flow tends to segregate the deposited material according to size and density. Some of the storage locations are temporary, but some can store the fine sediment for very long periods of time.

Effects of experimental fuel additions on fire intensity and severity: unexpected carbon resilience of a neotropical forest.

PubMed

Brando, Paulo M; Oliveria-Santos, Claudinei; Rocha, Wanderley; Cury, Roberta; Coe, Michael T

2016-07-01

Global changes and associated droughts, heat waves, logging activities, and forest fragmentation may intensify fires in Amazonia by altering forest microclimate and fuel dynamics. To isolate the effects of fuel loads on fire behavior and fire-induced changes in forest carbon cycling, we manipulated fine fuel loads in a fire experiment located in southeast Amazonia. We predicted that a 50% increase in fine fuel loads would disproportionally increase fire intensity and severity (i.e., tree mortality and losses in carbon stocks) due to multiplicative effects of fine fuel loads on the rate of fire spread, fuel consumption, and burned area. The experiment followed a fully replicated randomized block design (N = 6) comprised of unburned control plots and burned plots that were treated with and without fine fuel additions. The fuel addition treatment significantly increased burned area (+22%) and consequently canopy openness (+10%), fine fuel combustion (+5%), and mortality of individuals ≥5 cm in diameter at breast height (dbh; +37%). Surprisingly, we observed nonsignificant effects of the fuel addition treatment on fireline intensity, and no significant differences among the three treatments for (i) mortality of large trees (≥30 cm dbh), (ii) aboveground forest carbon stocks, and (iii) soil respiration. It was also surprising that postfire tree growth and wood increment were higher in the burned plots treated with fuels than in the unburned control. These results suggest that (i) fine fuel load accumulation increases the likelihood of larger understory fires and (ii) single, low-intensity fires weakly influence carbon cycling of this primary neotropical forest, although delayed postfire mortality of large trees may lower carbon stocks over the long term. Overall, our findings indicate that increased fine fuel loads alone are unlikely to create threshold conditions for high-intensity, catastrophic fires during nondrought years. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Physical pretreatment of biogenic-rich trommel fines for fast pyrolysis.

PubMed

Eke, Joseph; Onwudili, Jude A; Bridgwater, Anthony V

2017-12-01

Energy from Waste (EfW) technologies such as fluidized bed fast pyrolysis, are beneficial for both energy generation and waste management. Such technologies, however face significant challenges due to the heterogeneous nature, particularly the high ash contents of some municipal solid waste types e.g. trommel fines. A study of the physical/mechanical and thermal characteristics of these complex wastes is important for two main reasons; (a) to inform the design and operation of pyrolysis systems to handle the characteristics of such waste; (b) to control/modify the characteristics of the waste to fit with existing EFW technologies via appropriate feedstock preparation methods. In this study, the preparation and detailed characterisation of a sample of biogenic-rich trommel fines has been carried out with a view to making the feedstock suitable for fast pyrolysis based on an existing fluidized bed reactor. Results indicate that control of feed particle size was very important to prevent problems of dust entrainment in the fluidizing gas as well as to prevent feeder hardware problems caused by large stones and aggregates. After physical separation and size reduction, nearly 70wt% of the trommel fines was obtained within the size range suitable for energy recovery using the existing fast pyrolysis system. This pyrolyzable fraction could account for about 83% of the energy content of the 'as received' trommel fines sample. Therefore there was no significant differences in the thermochemical properties of the raw and pre-treated feedstocks, indicating that suitably prepared trommel fines samples can be used for energy recovery, with significant reduction in mass and volume of the original waste. Consequently, this can lead to more than 90% reduction in the present costs of disposal of trommel fines in landfills. In addition, the recovered plastics and textile materials could be used as refuse derived fuel. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the use of immersive virtual reality, mouse and touchscreen in pointing and dragging-and-dropping tasks among young, middle-aged and older adults.

PubMed

Chen, Jiayin; Or, Calvin

2017-11-01

This study assessed the use of an immersive virtual reality (VR), a mouse and a touchscreen for one-directional pointing, multi-directional pointing, and dragging-and-dropping tasks involving targets of smaller and larger widths by young (n = 18; 18-30 years), middle-aged (n = 18; 40-55 years) and older adults (n = 18; 65-75 years). A three-way, mixed-factorial design was used for data collection. The dependent variables were the movement time required and the error rate. Our main findings were that the participants took more time and made more errors in using the VR input interface than in using the mouse or the touchscreen. This pattern applied in all three age groups in all tasks, except for multi-directional pointing with a larger target width among the older group. Overall, older adults took longer to complete the tasks and made more errors than young or middle-aged adults. Larger target widths yielded shorter movement times and lower error rates in pointing tasks, but larger targets yielded higher rates of error in dragging-and-dropping tasks. Our study indicated that any other virtual environments that are similar to those we tested may be more suitable for displaying scenes than for manipulating objects that are small and require fine control. Although interacting with VR is relatively difficult, especially for older adults, there is still potential for older adults to adapt to that interface. Furthermore, adjusting the width of objects according to the type of manipulation required might be an effective way to promote performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accuracy assessment of a mobile terrestrial lidar survey at Padre Island National Seashore

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lim, Samsung; Thatcher, Cindy A.; Brock, John C.; Kimbrow, Dustin R.; Danielson, Jeffrey J.; Reynolds, B.J.

2013-01-01

The higher point density and mobility of terrestrial laser scanning (light detection and ranging (lidar)) is desired when extremely detailed elevation data are needed for mapping vertically orientated complex features such as levees, dunes, and cliffs, or when highly accurate data are needed for monitoring geomorphic changes. Mobile terrestrial lidar scanners have the capability for rapid data collection on a larger spatial scale compared with tripod-based terrestrial lidar, but few studies have examined the accuracy of this relatively new mapping technology. For this reason, we conducted a field test at Padre Island National Seashore of a mobile lidar scanner mounted on a sport utility vehicle and integrated with a position and orientation system. The purpose of the study was to assess the vertical and horizontal accuracy of data collected by the mobile terrestrial lidar system, which is georeferenced to the Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988. To accomplish the study objectives, independent elevation data were collected by conducting a high-accuracy global positioning system survey to establish the coordinates and elevations of 12 targets spaced throughout the 12 km transect. These independent ground control data were compared to the lidar scanner-derived elevations to quantify the accuracy of the mobile lidar system. The performance of the mobile lidar system was also tested at various vehicle speeds and scan density settings (e.g. field of view and linear point spacing) to estimate the optimal parameters for desired point density. After adjustment of the lever arm parameters, the final point cloud accuracy was 0.060 m (east), 0.095 m (north), and 0.053 m (height). The very high density of the resulting point cloud was sufficient to map fine-scale topographic features, such as the complex shape of the sand dunes.

Local, smooth, and consistent Jacobi set simplification

DOE PAGES

Bhatia, Harsh; Wang, Bei; Norgard, Gregory; ...

2014-10-31

The relation between two Morse functions defined on a smooth, compact, and orientable 2-manifold can be studied in terms of their Jacobi set. The Jacobi set contains points in the domain where the gradients of the two functions are aligned. Both the Jacobi set itself as well as the segmentation of the domain it induces, have shown to be useful in various applications. In practice, unfortunately, functions often contain noise and discretization artifacts, causing their Jacobi set to become unmanageably large and complex. Although there exist techniques to simplify Jacobi sets, they are unsuitable for most applications as they lackmore » fine-grained control over the process, and heavily restrict the type of simplifications possible. In this paper, we introduce a new framework that generalizes critical point cancellations in scalar functions to Jacobi set in two dimensions. We present a new interpretation of Jacobi set simplification based on the perspective of domain segmentation. Generalizing the cancellation of critical points from scalar functions to Jacobi sets, we focus on simplifications that can be realized by smooth approximations of the corresponding functions, and show how these cancellations imply simultaneous simplification of contiguous subsets of the Jacobi set. Using these extended cancellations as atomic operations, we introduce an algorithm to successively cancel subsets of the Jacobi set with minimal modifications to some user-defined metric. We show that for simply connected domains, our algorithm reduces a given Jacobi set to its minimal configuration, that is, one with no birth–death points (a birth–death point is a specific type of singularity within the Jacobi set where the level sets of the two functions and the Jacobi set have a common normal direction).« less

Coupling Solute and Fine Particle Transport with Sand Bed Morphodynamics within a Field Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, C. B.; Ortiz, C. P.; Schumer, R.; Jerolmack, D. J.; Packman, A. I.

2017-12-01

Fine suspended particles are typically considered to pass through streams and rivers as wash load without interacting with the bed, however experiments have demonstrated that hyporheic flow causes advective exchange of fine particles with the stream bed, yielding accumulation of fine particle deposits within the bed. Ultimately, understanding river morphodynamics and ecosystem dynamics requires coupling both fine particle and solute transport with bed morphodynamics. To better understand the coupling between these processes we analyze a novel dataset from a controlled field experiment conducted on Clear Run, a 2nd order sand bed stream located within the North Carolina coastal plain. Data include concentrations of continuously injected conservative solutes and fine particulate tracers measured at various depths within the stream bed, overhead time lapse images of bed forms, stream discharge, and geomorphological surveys of the stream. We use image analysis of bed morphodynamics to assess exchange, retention, and remobilization of solutes and fine particles during constant discharge and a short duration experimental flood. From the images, we extract a time series of bedform elevations and scour depths for the duration of the experiment. The high-resolution timeseries of bed elevation enables us to assess coupling of bed morphodynamics with both the solute and fine particle flux during steady state mobile bedforms prior to the flood and to changing bedforms during the flood. These data allow the application of a stochastic modeling framework relating bed elevation fluctuations to fine particle residence times. This combined experimental and modeling approach ultimately informs our ability to predict not only the fate of fine particulate matter but also associated nutrient and carbon dynamics within streams and rivers.

Sediment Resuspension and Deposition on Seagrass Leaves Impedes Internal Plant Aeration and Promotes Phytotoxic H2S Intrusion

PubMed Central

Brodersen, Kasper E.; Hammer, Kathrine J.; Schrameyer, Verena; Floytrup, Anja; Rasheed, Michael A.; Ralph, Peter J.; Kühl, Michael; Pedersen, Ole

2017-01-01

HIGHLIGHTS: Sedimentation of fine sediment particles onto seagrass leaves severely hampers the plants' performance in both light and darkness, due to inadequate internal plant aeration and intrusion of phytotoxic H2S. Anthropogenic activities leading to sediment re-suspension can have adverse effects on adjacent seagrass meadows, owing to reduced light availability and the settling of suspended particles onto seagrass leaves potentially impeding gas exchange with the surrounding water. We used microsensors to determine O2 fluxes and diffusive boundary layer (DBL) thickness on leaves of the seagrass Zostera muelleri with and without fine sediment particles, and combined these laboratory measurements with in situ microsensor measurements of tissue O2 and H2S concentrations. Net photosynthesis rates in leaves with fine sediment particles were down to ~20% of controls without particles, and the compensation photon irradiance increased from a span of 20–53 to 109–145 μmol photons m−2 s−1. An ~2.5-fold thicker DBL around leaves with fine sediment particles impeded O2 influx into the leaves during darkness. In situ leaf meristematic O2 concentrations of plants exposed to fine sediment particles were lower than in control plants and exhibited long time periods of complete meristematic anoxia during night-time. Insufficient internal aeration resulted in H2S intrusion into the leaf meristematic tissues when exposed to sediment resuspension even at relatively high night-time water-column O2 concentrations. Fine sediment particles that settle on seagrass leaves thus negatively affect internal tissue aeration and thereby the plants' resilience against H2S intrusion. PMID:28536583

Dual-peak long-period fiber gratings with enhanced refractive index sensitivity by finely tailored mode dispersion that uses the light cladding etching technique.

PubMed

Chen, Xianfeng; Zhou, Kaiming; Zhang, Lin; Bennion, Ian

2007-02-01

We have experimentally investigated the mode dispersion property and refractive index sensitivity of dual-peak long-period fiber gratings (LPGs) that were sensitized by hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching. The nature of the coupled cladding modes close to the dispersion turning point makes the dual-peak LPGs ultrasensitive to cladding property, permitting a fine tailoring of the mode dispersion and index sensitivity by the light cladding etching method using HF acid of only 1% concentration. As an implementation of an optical biosensor, the etched device was used to detect the concentration of hemoglobin protein in a sugar solution, showing a sensitivity as high as 20 nm/1%.

High resolution telescope and spectrograph observations of solar fine structure in the 1600 A region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, J. W.; Brueckner, G. E.; Bartoe, J.-D. F.

1983-01-01

High spatial resolution spectroheliograms of the 1600 A region obtained during the HRTS rocket flight of 1978 February 13 are presented. The morphology, fine structure, and temporal behavior of emission bright points (BPs) in active and quiet regions are illustrated. In quiet regions, network elements persist as morphological units, although individual BPs may vary in intensity while usually lasting the flight duration. In cell centers, the BPs are highly variable on a 1 minute time scale. BPs in plages remain more constant in brightness over the observing sequence. BPs cover less than 4 percent of the quiet surface. The lifetime and degree of packing of BPs vary with the local strength of the magnetic field.

A fine pointed glucose oxidase immobilized electrode for low-invasive amperometric glucose monitoring.

PubMed

Li, Jiang; Koinkar, Pankaj; Fuchiwaki, Yusuke; Yasuzawa, Mikito

2016-12-15

A low invasive type glucose sensor, which has a sensing region at the tip of a fine pointed electrode, was developed for continuous glucose monitoring. Platinum-iridium alloy electrode with a surface area of 0.045mm(2) was settled at the middle of pointed PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) tubing and was employed as sensing electrode. Electrodeposition of glucose oxidase in the presence of surfactant, Triton X-100, was performed for high-density enzyme immobilization followed by the electropolymerization of o-phenylenediamine for the formation of functional entrapping and permselective polymer membrane. Ag/AgCl film was coated on the surface of PEEK tubing as reference electrode. Amperometric responses of the prepared sensors to glucose were measured at a potential of 0.60V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The prepared electrode showed the sensitivity of 2.55μA/cm(2) mM with high linearity of 0.9986, within the glucose concentration range up to 21mM. The detection limit (S/N=3) was determined to be 0.11mM. The glucose sensor properties were evaluated in phosphate buffer solution and in vivo monitoring by the implantation of the sensors in rabbit, while conventional needle type sensors as a reference were used. The results showed that change in output current of the proposed sensor fluctuated similar with one in output current of the conventional needle type sensors, which was also in similar accordance with actual blood sugar level measured by commercially glucose meter. One-point calibration method was used to calibrate the sensor output current. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heritability maps of human face morphology through large-scale automated three-dimensional phenotyping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsagkrasoulis, Dimosthenis; Hysi, Pirro; Spector, Tim; Montana, Giovanni

2017-04-01

The human face is a complex trait under strong genetic control, as evidenced by the striking visual similarity between twins. Nevertheless, heritability estimates of facial traits have often been surprisingly low or difficult to replicate. Furthermore, the construction of facial phenotypes that correspond to naturally perceived facial features remains largely a mystery. We present here a large-scale heritability study of face geometry that aims to address these issues. High-resolution, three-dimensional facial models have been acquired on a cohort of 952 twins recruited from the TwinsUK registry, and processed through a novel landmarking workflow, GESSA (Geodesic Ensemble Surface Sampling Algorithm). The algorithm places thousands of landmarks throughout the facial surface and automatically establishes point-wise correspondence across faces. These landmarks enabled us to intuitively characterize facial geometry at a fine level of detail through curvature measurements, yielding accurate heritability maps of the human face (www.heritabilitymaps.info).

Method for the visualization of landform by mapping using low altitude UAV application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharan Kumar, N.; Ashraf Mohamad Ismail, Mohd; Sukor, Nur Sabahiah Abdul; Cheang, William

2018-05-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Digital Photogrammetry are evolving drastically in mapping technology. The significance and necessity for digital landform mapping are developing with years. In this study, a mapping workflow is applied to obtain two different input data sets which are the orthophoto and DSM. A fine flying technology is used to capture Low Altitude Aerial Photography (LAAP). Low altitude UAV (Drone) with the fixed advanced camera was utilized for imagery while computerized photogrammetry handling using Photo Scan was applied for cartographic information accumulation. The data processing through photogrammetry and orthomosaic processes is the main applications. High imagery quality is essential for the effectiveness and nature of normal mapping output such as 3D model, Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Ortho Images. The exactitude of Ground Control Points (GCP), flight altitude and the resolution of the camera are essential for good quality DEM and Orthophoto.

Rippled scour depressions on the inner continental shelf off central California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cacchione, David A.; Drake, David E.; Grant, William D.; Tate, George B.

1984-01-01

Side-scan sonar records taken during the recent Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment (CODE) show elongate, shore-normal tippled depressions of low relief on the inner continental shelf off central California between Bodega Bay and Point Arena. These features extend up to 2 kin from the coast into water depths of up to 65 m. The proposed mechanism for their generation is storm- generated bottom currents associated with coastal downwelling during the late fall and winter which scour the surficial fine-sand sediment and expose the coarser-sand substrate in the depressions. The zones of most intense erosion and the irregular spacing of the features may be controlled by submerged rock ledges and other prominent coastal features. The large straight-crested ripples within the depres- sions (heights to 40 cm; wavelengths to 1.7 m) are probably formed by large-amplitude, long-period surface waves generated by winter storms.

A Fine-Tuned Look at White Space Variation in Desktop Publishing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knupfer, Nancy Nelson; McIsaac, Marina Stock

This investigation of the use of white space in print-based, computer-generated text focused on the point at which the white space interferes with reading speed and comprehension. It was hypothesized that reading speed and comprehension would be significantly greater when text was wrapped tightly around the graphic than when it had one-half inch…

Simplified Guidelines to Hardwood Lumber Grading

Treesearch

Walton R. Smith

1967-01-01

All native hardwood lumber is graded according to the rules established by the National Hardwood Lumber Association. The rules are complete and detailed so that they permit accurate lumber grading with a minimum of personal judgment. To the student lumber grader, the many fine points and exceptions by species are often confusing and hide the basic rules of standard...

Teaching Backwards: Reflections on an Unacknowledged Teaching Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Debenham, Pat; Lee, Mary Ann

2005-01-01

Good teaching, at its core, is an intuitive practice. It is an art and craft in which, through vision, objectives, and planning, a teacher prepares for the teaching moment. Experienced teachers know that lesson plans and pre-planning though, no matter how finely crafted, only point the teacher and the student in a direction. As artist-educators…