Acoustic fine structure may encode biologically relevant information for zebra finches.

PubMed

Prior, Nora H; Smith, Edward; Lawson, Shelby; Ball, Gregory F; Dooling, Robert J

2018-04-18

The ability to discriminate changes in the fine structure of complex sounds is well developed in birds. However, the precise limit of this discrimination ability and how it is used in the context of natural communication remains unclear. Here we describe natural variability in acoustic fine structure of male and female zebra finch calls. Results from psychoacoustic experiments demonstrate that zebra finches are able to discriminate extremely small differences in fine structure, which are on the order of the variation in acoustic fine structure that is present in their vocal signals. Results from signal analysis methods also suggest that acoustic fine structure may carry information that distinguishes between biologically relevant categories including sex, call type and individual identity. Combined, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that zebra finches can encode biologically relevant information within the fine structure of their calls. This study provides a foundation for our understanding of how acoustic fine structure may be involved in animal communication.

Microstructures of ancient and modern cast silver–copper alloys

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

Northover, S.M., E-mail: s.m.northover@open.ac.uk; Northover, J.P., E-mail: peter.northover@materials.ox.ac.uk

The microstructures of modern cast Sterling silver and of cast silver objects about 2500 years old have been compared using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Microstructures of both ancient and modern alloys were typified by silver-rich dendrites with a few pools of eutectic and occasional cuprite particles with an oxidised rim on the outer surface. EBSD showed the dendrites to have a complex internal structure, often involving extensive twinning. There was copious intragranular precipitation within the dendrites, in themore » form of very fine copper-rich rods which TEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM and STEM suggest to be of a metastable face-centred-cubic (FCC) phase with a cube–cube orientation relationship to the silver-rich matrix but a higher silver content than the copper-rich β in the eutectic. Samples from ancient objects displayed a wider range of microstructures including a fine scale interpenetration of the adjoining grains not seen in the modern material. Although this study found no unambiguous evidence that this resulted from microstructural change produced over archaeological time, the copper supersaturation remaining after intragranular precipitation suggests that such changes, previously proposed for wrought and annealed material, may indeed occur in ancient silver castings. - Highlights: • Similar twinned structures and oxidised surfaces seen in ancient and modern cast silver • General precipitation of fine Cu-rich rods apparently formed by discontinuous precipitation is characteristic of as-cast silver. • The fine rods are cube-cube related to the matrix in contrast with the eutectic. • The silver-rich phase remains supersaturated with copper. • Possibly age-related grain boundary features seen in ancient cast silver.« less

Keypoint Density-Based Region Proposal for Fine-Grained Object Detection and Classification Using Regions with Convolutional Neural Network Features

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-15

Keypoint Density-based Region Proposal for Fine-Grained Object Detection and Classification using Regions with Convolutional Neural Network ... Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) enable them to outperform conventional techniques on standard object detection and classification tasks, their...detection accuracy and speed on the fine-grained Caltech UCSD bird dataset (Wah et al., 2011). Recently, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), a deep

A spherical aberration-free microscopy system for live brain imaging.

PubMed

Ue, Yoshihiro; Monai, Hiromu; Higuchi, Kaori; Nishiwaki, Daisuke; Tajima, Tetsuya; Okazaki, Kenya; Hama, Hiroshi; Hirase, Hajime; Miyawaki, Atsushi

2018-06-02

The high-resolution in vivo imaging of mouse brain for quantitative analysis of fine structures, such as dendritic spines, requires objectives with high numerical apertures (NAs) and long working distances (WDs). However, this imaging approach is often hampered by spherical aberration (SA) that results from the mismatch of refractive indices in the optical path and becomes more severe with increasing depth of target from the brain surface. Whereas a revolving objective correction collar has been designed to compensate SA, its adjustment requires manual operation and is inevitably accompanied by considerable focal shift, making it difficult to acquire the best image of a given fluorescent object. To solve the problems, we have created an objective-attached device and formulated a fast iterative algorithm for the realization of an automatic SA compensation system. The device coordinates the collar rotation and the Z-position of an objective, enabling correction collar adjustment while stably focusing on a target. The algorithm provides the best adjustment on the basis of the calculated contrast of acquired images. Together, they enable the system to compensate SA at a given depth. As proof of concept, we applied the SA compensation system to in vivo two-photon imaging with a 25 × water-immersion objective (NA, 1.05; WD, 2 mm). It effectively reduced SA regardless of location, allowing quantitative and reproducible analysis of fine structures of YFP-labeled neurons in the mouse cerebral cortical layers. Interestingly, although the cortical structure was optically heterogeneous along the z-axis, the refractive index of each layer could be assessed on the basis of the compensation degree. It was also possible to make fully corrected three-dimensional reconstructions of YFP-labeled neurons in live brain samples. Our SA compensation system, called Deep-C, is expected to bring out the best in all correction-collar-equipped objectives for imaging deep regions of heterogeneous tissues. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Designing Intelligent Computer Aided Instruction Systems with Integrated Knowledge Representation Schemes

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

the form of structured objects was first pioneered by Marvin Minsky . In his seminal article " A Framework for Representing Knowl- edge" he introduced... Minsky felt that the existing methods of knowledge representation were too finely grained and he proposed that knowledge is more than just a...not work" in realistic, complex domains. ( Minsky , 1981, pp. 95-128) According to Minsky "A frame is a data-structure for representing a stereo- typed

Infrared fine-structure line diagnostics of shrouded active galactic nuclei

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voit, G. M.

1992-01-01

The ultraluminous far-IR galaxies revealed by IRAS, quasar-like in luminosity but smothered in molecular gas, probably conceal either immense starbursts or luminous active nuclei. In both scenarios, these objects ought to produce copious infrared fine-structure emission with several lines comparable to H-beta in luminosity. We show how these lines, if detected, can be used to determine the electron densities and far-IR obscurations of shrouded photoionized regions and to constrain the shape and ionization parameter of the ionizing spectra. The presence of Ne v emission in particular will distinguish shrouded AGNs from shrouded starbursts. Since all active galaxies photoionize at least some surrounding material, these diagnostics can also be applied to active galaxies in general and will aid in studying how an active nucleus interacts with the interstellar medium of its host galaxy.

Raman structural studies of the nickel electrode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornilsen, Bahne C.

1994-01-01

The objectives of this investigation have been to define the structures of charged active mass, discharged active mass, and related precursor materials (alpha-phases), with the purpose of better understanding the chemical and electrochemical reactions, including failure mechanisms and cobalt incorporation, so that the nickel electrode may be improved. Although our primary tool has been Raman spectroscopy, the structural conclusions drawn from the Raman data have been supported and augmented by three other analysis methods: infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (in particular EXAFS, Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure spectroscopy).

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.

Humanoid Mobile Manipulation Using Controller Refinement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Platt, Robert; Burridge, Robert; Diftler, Myron; Graf, Jodi; Goza, Mike; Huber, Eric; Brock, Oliver

2006-01-01

An important class of mobile manipulation problems are move-to-grasp problems where a mobile robot must navigate to and pick up an object. One of the distinguishing features of this class of tasks is its coarse-to-fine structure. Near the beginning of the task, the robot can only sense the target object coarsely or indirectly and make gross motion toward the object. However, after the robot has located and approached the object, the robot must finely control its grasping contacts using precise visual and haptic feedback. This paper proposes that move-to-grasp problems are naturally solved by a sequence of controllers that iteratively refines what ultimately becomes the final solution. This paper introduces the notion of a refining sequence of controllers and characterizes this type of solution. The approach is demonstrated in a move-to-grasp task where Robonaut, the NASA/JSC dexterous humanoid, is mounted on a mobile base and navigates to and picks up a geological sample box. In a series of tests, it is shown that a refining sequence of controllers decreases variance in robot configuration relative to the sample box until a successful grasp has been achieved.

Humanoid Mobile Manipulation Using Controller Refinement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Platt, Robert; Burridge, Robert; Diftler, Myron; Graf, Jodi; Goza, Mike; Huber, Eric

2006-01-01

An important class of mobile manipulation problems are move-to-grasp problems where a mobile robot must navigate to and pick up an object. One of the distinguishing features of this class of tasks is its coarse-to-fine structure. Near the beginning of the task, the robot can only sense the target object coarsely or indirectly and make gross motion toward the object. However, after the robot has located and approached the object, the robot must finely control its grasping contacts using precise visual and haptic feedback. In this paper, it is proposed that move-to-grasp problems are naturally solved by a sequence of controllers that iteratively refines what ultimately becomes the final solution. This paper introduces the notion of a refining sequence of controllers and characterizes this type of solution. The approach is demonstrated in a move-to-grasp task where Robonaut, the NASA/JSC dexterous humanoid, is mounted on a mobile base and navigates to and picks up a geological sample box. In a series of tests, it is shown that a refining sequence of controllers decreases variance in robot configuration relative to the sample box until a successful grasp has been achieved.

Airframe-Jet Engine Integration Noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tam, Christopher; Antcliff, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

It has been found experimentally that the noise radiated by a jet mounted under the wing of an aircraft exceeds that of the same jet in a stand-alone environment. The increase in noise is referred to as jet engine airframe integration noise. The objectives of the present investigation are, (1) To obtain a better understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for jet engine airframe integration noise or installation noise. (2) To develop a prediction model for jet engine airframe integration noise. It is known that jet mixing noise consists of two principal components. They are the noise from the large turbulence structures of the jet flow and the noise from the fine scale turbulence. In this investigation, only the effect of jet engine airframe interaction on the fine scale turbulence noise of a jet is studied. The fine scale turbulence noise is the dominant noise component in the sideline direction. Thus we limit out consideration primarily to the sideline.

Additive Mixing and Conformal Coating of Noniridescent Structural Colors with Robust Mechanical Properties Fabricated by Atomization Deposition.

PubMed

Li, Qingsong; Zhang, Yafeng; Shi, Lei; Qiu, Huihui; Zhang, Suming; Qi, Ning; Hu, Jianchen; Yuan, Wei; Zhang, Xiaohua; Zhang, Ke-Qin

2018-04-24

Artificial structural colors based on short-range-ordered amorphous photonic structures (APSs) have attracted great scientific and industrial interest in recent years. However, the previously reported methods of self-assembling colloidal nanoparticles lack fine control of the APS coating and fixation on substrates and poorly realize three-dimensional (3D) conformal coatings for objects with irregular or highly curved surfaces. In this paper, atomization deposition of silica colloidal nanoparticles with poly(vinyl alcohol) as the additive is proposed to solve the above problems. By finely controlling the thicknesses of APS coatings, additive mixing of noniridescent structural colors is easily realized. Based on the intrinsic omnidirectional feature of atomization, a one-step 3D homogeneous conformal coating is also readily realized on various irregular or highly curved surfaces, including papers, resins, metal plates, ceramics, and flexible silk fabrics. The vivid coatings on silk fabrics by atomization deposition possess robust mechanical properties, which are confirmed by rubbing and laundering tests, showing great potential in developing an environmentally friendly coloring technique in the textile industry.

Comparison of transect sampling and object-oriented image classification methods of urbanizing catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Tenenbaum, D. E.

2009-12-01

The process of urbanization has major effects on both human and natural systems. In order to monitor these changes and better understand how urban ecological systems work, urban spatial structure and the variation needs to be first quantified at a fine scale. Because the land-use and land-cover (LULC) in urbanizing areas is highly heterogeneous, the classification of urbanizing environments is the most challenging field in remote sensing. Although a pixel-based method is a common way to do classification, the results are not good enough for many research objectives which require more accurate classification data in fine scales. Transect sampling and object-oriented classification methods are more appropriate for urbanizing areas. Tenenbaum used a transect sampling method using a computer-based facility within a widely available commercial GIS in the Glyndon Catchment and the Upper Baismans Run Catchment, Baltimore, Maryland. It was a two-tiered classification system, including a primary level (which includes 7 classes) and a secondary level (which includes 37 categories). The statistical information of LULC was collected. W. Zhou applied an object-oriented method at the parcel level in Gwynn’s Falls Watershed which includes the two previously mentioned catchments and six classes were extracted. The two urbanizing catchments are located in greater Baltimore, Maryland and drain into Chesapeake Bay. In this research, the two different methods are compared for 6 classes (woody, herbaceous, water, ground, pavement and structure). The comparison method uses the segments in the transect method to extract LULC information from the results of the object-oriented method. Classification results were compared in order to evaluate the difference between the two methods. The overall proportions of LULC classes from the two studies show that there is overestimation of structures in the object-oriented method. For the other five classes, the results from the two methods are similar, except for a difference in the proportions of the woody class. The segment to segment comparison shows that the resolution of the light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data used in the object-oriented method does affect the accuracy of the classification. Shadows of trees and structures are still a big problem in the object-oriented method. For classes that make up a small proportion of the catchments, such as water, neither method was capable of detecting them.

Laser interferometric measurement of ion electrode shape and charge exchange erosion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macrae, Gregory S.; Mercer, Carolyn R.

1991-01-01

A projected fringe profilometry system was applied to surface contour measurements of an accelerator electrode from an ion thrustor. The system permitted noncontact, nondestructive evaluation of the fine and gross structure of the electrode. A 3-D surface map of a dished electrode was generated without altering the electrode surface. The same system was used to examine charge exchange erosion pits near the periphery of the electrode to determine the depth, location, and volume of material lost. This electro-optical measurement system allowed rapid, nondestructive, digital data acquisition coupled with automated computer data processing. In addition, variable sensitivity allowed both coarse and fine measurements of objects having various surface finishes.

M553 sphere forming experiment: Pure nickel specimen evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, P. C.; Peters, E. T.

1973-01-01

A region or cap of very fine two-dimensional surface growth structure was observed at the top of three of the six pure nickel flight specimens. Such two-dimensional surface growth structures have been observed both on the ground-based specimens and on other surface areas of the flight specimens. However, the fine structures observed on the three flight samples are at least an order of magnitude finer than those previously observed, and resemble similar localized, fine, two-dimensional surface structures observed in both ground and flight specimens for the nickel alloys. The two-dimensional growth areas consist primarily of fine equiaxed grains, specimen SL-2.6, fine dendrites, specimen SL-2.5, or a core of fine equiaxed grains surrounded by a ring of fine dendrites, specimen SL-1.9.

Effect of silhouetting and inversion on view invariance in the monkey inferotemporal cortex

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

We effortlessly recognize objects across changes in viewpoint, but we know relatively little about the features that underlie viewpoint invariance in the brain. Here, we set out to characterize how viewpoint invariance in monkey inferior temporal (IT) neurons is influenced by two image manipulations—silhouetting and inversion. Reducing an object into its silhouette removes internal detail, so this would reveal how much viewpoint invariance depends on the external contours. Inverting an object retains but rearranges features, so this would reveal how much viewpoint invariance depends on the arrangement and orientation of features. Our main findings are 1) view invariance is weakened by silhouetting but not by inversion; 2) view invariance was stronger in neurons that generalized across silhouetting and inversion; 3) neuronal responses to natural objects matched early with that of silhouettes and only later to that of inverted objects, indicative of coarse-to-fine processing; and 4) the impact of silhouetting and inversion depended on object structure. Taken together, our results elucidate the underlying features and dynamics of view-invariant object representations in the brain. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We easily recognize objects across changes in viewpoint, but the underlying features are unknown. Here, we show that view invariance in the monkey inferotemporal cortex is driven mainly by external object contours and is not specialized for object orientation. We also find that the responses to natural objects match with that of their silhouettes early in the response, and with inverted versions later in the response—indicative of a coarse-to-fine processing sequence in the brain. PMID:28381484

Effect of silhouetting and inversion on view invariance in the monkey inferotemporal cortex.

PubMed

Ratan Murty, N Apurva; Arun, S P

2017-07-01

We effortlessly recognize objects across changes in viewpoint, but we know relatively little about the features that underlie viewpoint invariance in the brain. Here, we set out to characterize how viewpoint invariance in monkey inferior temporal (IT) neurons is influenced by two image manipulations-silhouetting and inversion. Reducing an object into its silhouette removes internal detail, so this would reveal how much viewpoint invariance depends on the external contours. Inverting an object retains but rearranges features, so this would reveal how much viewpoint invariance depends on the arrangement and orientation of features. Our main findings are 1 ) view invariance is weakened by silhouetting but not by inversion; 2 ) view invariance was stronger in neurons that generalized across silhouetting and inversion; 3 ) neuronal responses to natural objects matched early with that of silhouettes and only later to that of inverted objects, indicative of coarse-to-fine processing; and 4 ) the impact of silhouetting and inversion depended on object structure. Taken together, our results elucidate the underlying features and dynamics of view-invariant object representations in the brain. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We easily recognize objects across changes in viewpoint, but the underlying features are unknown. Here, we show that view invariance in the monkey inferotemporal cortex is driven mainly by external object contours and is not specialized for object orientation. We also find that the responses to natural objects match with that of their silhouettes early in the response, and with inverted versions later in the response-indicative of a coarse-to-fine processing sequence in the brain. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Fine and distributed subcellular retinotopy of excitatory inputs to the dendritic tree of a collision-detecting neuron

PubMed Central

Zhu, Ying

2016-01-01

Individual neurons in several sensory systems receive synaptic inputs organized according to subcellular topographic maps, yet the fine structure of this topographic organization and its relation to dendritic morphology have not been studied in detail. Subcellular topography is expected to play a role in dendritic integration, particularly when dendrites are extended and active. The lobula giant movement detector (LGMD) neuron in the locust visual system is known to receive topographic excitatory inputs on part of its dendritic tree. The LGMD responds preferentially to objects approaching on a collision course and is thought to implement several interesting dendritic computations. To study the fine retinotopic mapping of visual inputs onto the excitatory dendrites of the LGMD, we designed a custom microscope allowing visual stimulation at the native sampling resolution of the locust compound eye while simultaneously performing two-photon calcium imaging on excitatory dendrites. We show that the LGMD receives a distributed, fine retinotopic projection from the eye facets and that adjacent facets activate overlapping portions of the same dendritic branches. We also demonstrate that adjacent retinal inputs most likely make independent synapses on the excitatory dendrites of the LGMD. Finally, we show that the fine topographic mapping can be studied using dynamic visual stimuli. Our results reveal the detailed structure of the dendritic input originating from individual facets on the eye and their relation to that of adjacent facets. The mapping of visual space onto the LGMD's dendrites is expected to have implications for dendritic computation. PMID:27009157

Meteorite fractures and the behavior of meteoroids in the atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryson, K.; Ostrowski, D. R.; Sears, D. W. G.

2015-12-01

Arguably the major difficulty faced to model the atmospheric behavior of objects entering the atmosphere is that we know very little about the internal structure of these objects and their methods of fragmentation during fall. In a study of over a thousand meteorite fragments (mostly hand-sized, some 40 or 50 cm across) in the collections of the Natural History Museums in Vienna and London, we identified six kinds of fracturing behavior. (1) Chondrites usually showed random fractures with no particular sensitivity to meteorite texture. (2) Coarse irons fractured along kamacite grain boundaries, while (3) fine irons fragmented randomly, c.f. chondrites. (4) Fine irons with large crystal boundaries (e.g. Arispe) fragmented along the crystal boundaries. (5) A few chondrites, three in the present study, have a distinct and strong network of fractures making a brickwork or chicken-wire structure. The Chelyabinsk meteorite has the chicken-wire structure of fractures, which explains the very large number of centimeter-sized fragments that showered the Earth. Finally, (6) previous work on Sutter's Mill showed that water-rich meteorites fracture around clasts. To scale the meteorite fractures to the fragmentation behavior of near-Earth asteroids, it has been suggested that the fracturing behavior follows a statistical prediction made in the 1930s, the Weibull distribution, where fractures are assumed to be randomly distributed through the target and the likelihood of encountering a fracture increases with distance. This results in a relationship: σl = σs(ns/nl)α, where σs and σl refers to stress in the small and large object and ns and nl refer to the number of cracks per unit volume of the small and large object. The value for α, the Weibull coefficient, is unclear. Ames meteorite laboratory is working to measure the density and length of fractures observed in these six types of fracture to determine values for the Weibull coefficient for each type of object.

Cortical Correlates of Binaural Temporal Processing Deficits in Older Adults.

PubMed

Eddins, Ann Clock; Eddins, David A

This study was designed to evaluate binaural temporal processing in young and older adults using a binaural masking level difference (BMLD) paradigm. Using behavioral and electrophysiological measures within the same listeners, a series of stimulus manipulations was used to evaluate the relative contribution of binaural temporal fine-structure and temporal envelope cues. We evaluated the hypotheses that age-related declines in the BMLD task would be more strongly associated with temporal fine-structure than envelope cues and that age-related declines in behavioral measures would be correlated with cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) measures. Thirty adults participated in the study, including 10 young normal-hearing, 10 older normal-hearing, and 10 older hearing-impaired adults with bilaterally symmetric, mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Behavioral and CAEP thresholds were measured for diotic (So) and dichotic (Sπ) tonal signals presented in continuous diotic (No) narrowband noise (50-Hz wide) maskers. Temporal envelope cues were manipulated by using two different narrowband maskers; Gaussian noise (GN) with robust envelope fluctuations and low-noise noise (LNN) with minimal envelope fluctuations. The potential to use temporal fine-structure cues was controlled by varying the signal frequency (500 or 4000 Hz), thereby relying on the natural decline in phase-locking with increasing frequency. Behavioral and CAEP thresholds were similar across groups for diotic conditions, while the masking release in dichotic conditions was larger for younger than for older participants. Across all participants, BMLDs were larger for GN than LNN and for 500-Hz than for 4000-Hz conditions, where envelope and fine-structure cues were most salient, respectively. Specific age-related differences were demonstrated for 500-Hz dichotic conditions in GN and LNN, reflecting reduced binaural temporal fine-structure coding. No significant age effects were observed for 4000-Hz dichotic conditions, consistent with similar use of binaural temporal envelope cues across age in these conditions. For all groups, thresholds and derived BMLD values obtained using the behavioral and CAEP methods were strongly correlated, supporting the notion that CAEP measures may be useful as an objective index of age-related changes in binaural temporal processing. These results demonstrate an age-related decline in the processing of binaural temporal fine-structure cues with preserved temporal envelope coding that was similar with and without mild-to-moderate peripheral hearing loss. Such age-related changes can be reliably indexed by both behavioral and CAEP measures in young and older adults.

Lens-Aided Multi-Angle Spectroscopy (LAMAS) Reveals Small-Scale Outflow Structure in Quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, Paul J.

2006-06-01

Spectral differences between lensed quasar image components are common. Since lensing is intrinsically achromatic, these differences are typically explained as the effect of either microlensing, or as light path time delays sampling intrinsic quasar spectral variability. Here we advance a novel third hypothesis: some spectral differences are due to small line-of-sight differences through quasar disk wind outflows. In particular, we propose that variable spectral differences seen only in component A of the widest separation lens SDSS J1004+4112 are due to differential absorption along the sight lines. The absorber properties required by this hypothesis are akin to known broad absorption line (BAL) outflows but must have a broader, smoother velocity profile. We interpret the observed C IV emission-line variability as further evidence for spatial fine structure transverse to the line of sight. Since outflows are likely to be rotating, such absorber fine structure can consistently explain some of the UV and X-ray variability seen in AGNs. The implications are many: (1) Spectroscopic differences in other lensed objects may be due to this ``lens-aided multi-angle spectroscopy'' (LAMAS). (2) Outflows have fine structure on size scales of arcseconds, as seen from the nucleus. (3) Assuming either broad absorption line region sizes proposed in recent wind models, or typically assumed continuum emission region sizes, LAMAS and/or variability provide broadly consistent absorber size scale estimates of ~1015 cm. (4) Very broad smooth absorption may be ubiquitous in quasar spectra, even when no obvious troughs are seen.

Improving depiction of temporal bone anatomy with low-radiation dose CT by an integrated circuit detector in pediatric patients: a preliminary study.

PubMed

He, Jingzhen; Zu, Yuliang; Wang, Qing; Ma, Xiangxing

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the performance of low-dose computed tomography (CT) scanning with integrated circuit (IC) detector in defining fine structures of temporal bone in children by comparing with the conventional detector. The study was performed with the approval of our institutional review board and the patients' anonymity was maintained. A total of 86 children<3 years of age underwent imaging of temporal bone with low-dose CT (80 kV/150 mAs) equipped with either IC detector or conventional discrete circuit (DC) detector. The image noise was measured for quantitative analysis. Thirty-five structures of temporal bone were further assessed and rated by 2 radiologists for qualitative analysis. κ Statistics were performed to determine the agreement reached between the 2 radiologists on each image. Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine the difference in image quality between the 2 detector systems. Objective analysis showed that the image noise was significantly lower (P<0.001) with the IC detector than with the DC detector. The κ values for qualitative assessment of the 35 fine anatomical structures revealed high interobserver agreement. The delineation for 30 of the 35 landmarks (86%) with the IC detector was superior to that with the conventional DC detector (P<0.05) although there were no differences in the delineation of the remaining 5 structures (P>0.05). The low-dose CT images acquired with the IC detector provide better depiction of fine osseous structures of temporal bone than that with the conventional DC detector.

A Reflective Encounter with the Fine Sand Area in a Nursery School Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnett, Anthony

2016-01-01

This article draws on a model of reflection that involves creating meanings through repeated encounters with evocative objects. Responses to one such evocative object, a 20-second video clip of children playing in the fine sand area, illustrates the "turning toward" and then "turning away" from the object to engage with broader…

Fine structure of heliumlike ions and determination of the fine structure constant.

PubMed

Pachucki, Krzysztof; Yerokhin, Vladimir A

2010-02-19

We report a calculation of the fine-structure splitting in light heliumlike atoms, which accounts for all quantum electrodynamical effects up to order alpha{5} Ry. For the helium atom, we resolve the previously reported disagreement between theory and experiment and determine the fine-structure constant with an accuracy of 31 ppb. The calculational results are extensively checked by comparison with the experimental data for different nuclear charges and by evaluation of the hydrogenic limit of individual corrections.

The ultra high resolution XUV spectroheliograph: An attached payload for the Space Station Freedom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Arthur B. C., Jr.; Hoover, Richard B.; Barbee, Troy W., Jr.; Tandberg-Hanssen, Einar; Timothy, J. Gethyn; Lindblom, Joakim F.

1990-01-01

The principle goal of the ultra high resolution XUV spectroheliograph (UHRXS) is to improve the ability to identify and understand the fundamental physical processes that shape the structure and dynamics of the solar chromosphere and corona. The ability of the UHRXS imaging telescope and spectrographs to resolve fine scale structures over a broad wavelength (and hence temperature) range is critical to this mission. The scientific objectives and instrumental capabilities of the UHRXS investigation are reviewed before proceeding to a discussion of the expected performance of the UHRXS observatory.

Capturing Fine Details Involving Low-Cost Sensors -a Comparative Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehany, N.; Barsi, A.; Lovas, T.

2017-11-01

Capturing the fine details on the surface of small objects is a real challenge to many conventional surveying methods. Our paper discusses the investigation of several data acquisition technologies, such as arm scanner, structured light scanner, terrestrial laser scanner, object line-scanner, DSLR camera, and mobile phone camera. A palm-sized embossed sculpture reproduction was used as a test object; it has been surveyed by all the instruments. The result point clouds and meshes were then analyzed, using the arm scanner's dataset as reference. In addition to general statistics, the results have been evaluated based both on 3D deviation maps and 2D deviation graphs; the latter allows even more accurate analysis of the characteristics of the different data acquisition approaches. Additionally, own-developed local minimum maps were created that nicely visualize the potential level of detail provided by the applied technologies. Besides the usual geometric assessment, the paper discusses the different resource needs (cost, time, expertise) of the discussed techniques. Our results proved that even amateur sensors operated by amateur users can provide high quality datasets that enable engineering analysis. Based on the results, the paper contains an outlook to potential future investigations in this field.

Fine-scale structure in the far-infrared Milky-Way

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waller, William H.; Wall, William F.; Reach, William T.; Varosi, Frank; Ebert, Rick; Laughlin, Gaylin; Boulanger, Francois

1995-01-01

This final report summarizes the work performed and which falls into five broad categories: (1) generation of a new data product (mosaics of the far-infrared emission in the Milky Way); (2) acquisition of associated data products at other wavelengths; (3) spatial filtering of the far-infrared mosaics and resulting images of the FIR fine-scale structure; (4) evaluation of the spatially filtered data; (5) characterization of the FIR fine-scale structure in terms of its spatial statistics; and (6) identification of interstellar counterparts to the FIR fine-scale structure.

Multiple Objects Fusion Tracker Using a Matching Network for Adaptively Represented Instance Pairs

PubMed Central

Oh, Sang-Il; Kang, Hang-Bong

2017-01-01

Multiple-object tracking is affected by various sources of distortion, such as occlusion, illumination variations and motion changes. Overcoming these distortions by tracking on RGB frames, such as shifting, has limitations because of material distortions caused by RGB frames. To overcome these distortions, we propose a multiple-object fusion tracker (MOFT), which uses a combination of 3D point clouds and corresponding RGB frames. The MOFT uses a matching function initialized on large-scale external sequences to determine which candidates in the current frame match with the target object in the previous frame. After conducting tracking on a few frames, the initialized matching function is fine-tuned according to the appearance models of target objects. The fine-tuning process of the matching function is constructed as a structured form with diverse matching function branches. In general multiple object tracking situations, scale variations for a scene occur depending on the distance between the target objects and the sensors. If the target objects in various scales are equally represented with the same strategy, information losses will occur for any representation of the target objects. In this paper, the output map of the convolutional layer obtained from a pre-trained convolutional neural network is used to adaptively represent instances without information loss. In addition, MOFT fuses the tracking results obtained from each modality at the decision level to compensate the tracking failures of each modality using basic belief assignment, rather than fusing modalities by selectively using the features of each modality. Experimental results indicate that the proposed tracker provides state-of-the-art performance considering multiple objects tracking (MOT) and KITTIbenchmarks. PMID:28420194

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.

The Orion Nebula in the Far-Infrared: High-J CO and fine-structure lines mapped by FIFI-LS/SOFIA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Randolf; Looney, Leslie W.; Cox, Erin; Fischer, Christian; Iserlohe, Christof; Krabbe, Alfred

2017-03-01

The Orion Nebula is the closest massive star forming region allowing us to study the physical conditions in such a region with high spatial resolution. We used the far infrared integral-field spectrometer, FIFI-LS, on-board the airborne observatory SOFIA to study the atomic and molecular gas in the Orion Nebula at medium spectral resolution. The large maps obtained with FIFI-LS cover the nebula from the BN/KL-object to the bar in several fine structure lines. They allow us to study the conditions of the photon-dominated region and the interface to the molecular cloud with unprecedented detail. Another investigation targeted the molecular gas in the BN/KL region of the Orion Nebula, which is stirred up by a violent explosion about 500 years ago. The explosion drives a wide angled molecular outflow. We present maps of several high-J CO observations, allowing us to analyze the heated molecular gas.

Evidence for similar early but not late representation of possible and impossible objects

PubMed Central

Freud, Erez; Hadad, Bat-Sheva; Avidan, Galia; Ganel, Tzvi

2015-01-01

The perceptual processes that mediate the ability to efficiently represent object 3D structure are still not fully understood. The current study was aimed to shed light on these processes by utilizing spatially possible and impossible objects that could not be created in real 3D space. Despite being perceived as exceptionally unusual, impossible objects still possess fundamental Gestalt attributes and valid local depth cues that may support their initial successful representation. Based on this notion and on recent findings from our lab, we hypothesized that the initial representation of impossible objects would involve common mechanisms to those mediating typical object perception while the perceived differences between possible and impossible objects would emerge later along the processing hierarchy. In Experiment 1, participants preformed same/different classifications of two markers superimposed on a display containing two objects (possible or impossible). Faster reaction times were observed for displays in which the markers were superimposed on the same object (“object-based benefit”). Importantly, this benefit was similar for possible and impossible objects, suggesting that the representations of the two object categories rely on similar perceptual organization processes. Yet, responses for impossible objects were slower compared to possible objects. Experiment 2 was designed to examine the origin of this effect. Participants classified the location of two markers while exposure duration was manipulated. A similar pattern of performance was found for possible and impossible objects for the short exposure duration, with differences in accuracy between these two types of objects emerging only for longer exposure durations. Overall, these findings provide evidence that the representation of object structure relies on a multi-level process and that object impossibility selectively impairs the rendering of fine-detailed description of object structure. PMID:25762949

Mapping Urban Tree Canopy Coverage and Structure using Data Fusion of High Resolution Satellite Imagery and Aerial Lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmes, A.; Rogan, J.; Williams, C. A.; Martin, D. G.; Ratick, S.; Nowak, D.

2015-12-01

Urban tree canopy (UTC) coverage is a critical component of sustainable urban areas. Trees provide a number of important ecosystem services, including air pollution mitigation, water runoff control, and aesthetic and cultural values. Critically, urban trees also act to mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect by shading impervious surfaces and via evaporative cooling. The cooling effect of urban trees can be seen locally, with individual trees reducing home HVAC costs, and at a citywide scale, reducing the extent and magnitude of an urban areas UHI. In order to accurately model the ecosystem services of a given urban forest, it is essential to map in detail the condition and composition of these trees at a fine scale, capturing individual tree crowns and their vertical structure. This paper presents methods for delineating UTC and measuring canopy structure at fine spatial resolution (<1m). These metrics are essential for modeling the HVAC benefits from UTC for individual homes, and for assessing the ecosystem services for entire urban areas. Such maps have previously been made using a variety of methods, typically relying on high resolution aerial or satellite imagery. This paper seeks to contribute to this growing body of methods, relying on a data fusion method to combine the information contained in high resolution WorldView-3 satellite imagery and aerial lidar data using an object-based image classification approach. The study area, Worcester, MA, has recently undergone a large-scale tree removal and reforestation program, following a pest eradication effort. Therefore, the urban canopy in this location provides a wide mix of tree age class and functional type, ideal for illustrating the effectiveness of the proposed methods. Early results show that the object-based classifier is indeed capable of identifying individual tree crowns, while continued research will focus on extracting crown structural characteristics using lidar-derived metrics. Ultimately, the resulting fine resolution UTC map will be compared with previously created UTC maps of the same area but for earlier dates, producing a canopy change map corresponding to the Worcester area tree removal and replanting effort.

Final Report - High-Order Spectral Volume Method for the Navier-Stokes Equations On Unstructured Tetrahedral Grids

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

Wang, Z J

2012-12-06

The overriding objective for this project is to develop an efficient and accurate method for capturing strong discontinuities and fine smooth flow structures of disparate length scales with unstructured grids, and demonstrate its potentials for problems relevant to DOE. More specifically, we plan to achieve the following objectives: 1. Extend the SV method to three dimensions, and develop a fourth-order accurate SV scheme for tetrahedral grids. Optimize the SV partition by minimizing a form of the Lebesgue constant. Verify the order of accuracy using the scalar conservation laws with an analytical solution; 2. Extend the SV method to Navier-Stokes equationsmore » for the simulation of viscous flow problems. Two promising approaches to compute the viscous fluxes will be tested and analyzed; 3. Parallelize the 3D viscous SV flow solver using domain decomposition and message passing. Optimize the cache performance of the flow solver by designing data structures minimizing data access times; 4. Demonstrate the SV method with a wide range of flow problems including both discontinuities and complex smooth structures. The objectives remain the same as those outlines in the original proposal. We anticipate no technical obstacles in meeting these objectives.« less

Multilevel Green's function interpolation method for scattering from composite metallic and dielectric objects.

PubMed

Shi, Yan; Wang, Hao Gang; Li, Long; Chan, Chi Hou

2008-10-01

A multilevel Green's function interpolation method based on two kinds of multilevel partitioning schemes--the quasi-2D and the hybrid partitioning scheme--is proposed for analyzing electromagnetic scattering from objects comprising both conducting and dielectric parts. The problem is formulated using the surface integral equation for homogeneous dielectric and conducting bodies. A quasi-2D multilevel partitioning scheme is devised to improve the efficiency of the Green's function interpolation. In contrast to previous multilevel partitioning schemes, noncubic groups are introduced to discretize the whole EM structure in this quasi-2D multilevel partitioning scheme. Based on the detailed analysis of the dimension of the group in this partitioning scheme, a hybrid quasi-2D/3D multilevel partitioning scheme is proposed to effectively handle objects with fine local structures. Selection criteria for some key parameters relating to the interpolation technique are given. The proposed algorithm is ideal for the solution of problems involving objects such as missiles, microstrip antenna arrays, photonic bandgap structures, etc. Numerical examples are presented to show that CPU time is between O(N) and O(N log N) while the computer memory requirement is O(N).

[The role of temporal fine structure in tone recognition and music perception].

PubMed

Zhou, Q; Gu, X; Liu, B

2017-11-07

The sound signal can be decomposed into temporal envelope and temporal fine structure information. The temporal envelope information is crucial for speech perception in quiet environment, and the temporal fine structure information plays an important role in speech perception in noise, Mandarin tone recognition and music perception, especially the pitch and melody perception.

Willis Lamb, Jr., the Hydrogen Atom, and the Lamb Shift

Science.gov Websites

1955, Lamb won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his discoveries concerning "the fine structure of , May 7 - September 30, 1979 Fine Structure of the Hydrogen Atom, Part I; Part II; Part III; Part IV ; Part V; Part VI (from Physical Review 1950-1953) Microwave Technique for Determining the Fine Structure

Incidental and context-responsive activation of structure- and function-based action features during object identification

PubMed Central

Lee, Chia-lin; Middleton, Erica; Mirman, Daniel; Kalénine, Solène; Buxbaum, Laurel J.

2012-01-01

Previous studies suggest that action representations are activated during object processing, even when task-irrelevant. In addition, there is evidence that lexical-semantic context may affect such activation during object processing. Finally, prior work from our laboratory and others indicates that function-based (“use”) and structure-based (“move”) action subtypes may differ in their activation characteristics. Most studies assessing such effects, however, have required manual object-relevant motor responses, thereby plausibly influencing the activation of action representations. The present work utilizes eyetracking and a Visual World Paradigm task without object-relevant actions to assess the time course of activation of action representations, as well as their responsiveness to lexical-semantic context. In two experiments, participants heard a target word and selected its referent from an array of four objects. Gaze fixations on non-target objects signal activation of features shared between targets and non-targets. The experiments assessed activation of structure-based (Experiment 1) or function-based (Experiment 2) distractors, using neutral sentences (“S/he saw the …”) or sentences with a relevant action verb (Experiment 1: “S/he picked up the……”; Experiment 2: “S/he used the….”). We observed task-irrelevant activations of action information in both experiments. In neutral contexts, structure-based activation was relatively faster-rising but more transient than function-based activation. Additionally, action verb contexts reliably modified patterns of activation in both Experiments. These data provide fine-grained information about the dynamics of activation of function-based and structure-based actions in neutral and action-relevant contexts, in support of the “Two Action System” model of object and action processing (e.g., Buxbaum & Kalénine, 2010). PMID:22390294

Early differential sensitivity of evoked-potentials to local and global shape during the perception of three-dimensional objects.

PubMed

Leek, E Charles; Roberts, Mark; Oliver, Zoe J; Cristino, Filipe; Pegna, Alan J

2016-08-01

Here we investigated the time course underlying differential processing of local and global shape information during the perception of complex three-dimensional (3D) objects. Observers made shape matching judgments about pairs of sequentially presented multi-part novel objects. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to measure perceptual sensitivity to 3D shape differences in terms of local part structure and global shape configuration - based on predictions derived from hierarchical structural description models of object recognition. There were three types of different object trials in which stimulus pairs (1) shared local parts but differed in global shape configuration; (2) contained different local parts but shared global configuration or (3) shared neither local parts nor global configuration. Analyses of the ERP data showed differential amplitude modulation as a function of shape similarity as early as the N1 component between 146-215ms post-stimulus onset. These negative amplitude deflections were more similar between objects sharing global shape configuration than local part structure. Differentiation among all stimulus types was reflected in N2 amplitude modulations between 276-330ms. sLORETA inverse solutions showed stronger involvement of left occipitotemporal areas during the N1 for object discrimination weighted towards local part structure. The results suggest that the perception of 3D object shape involves parallel processing of information at local and global scales. This processing is characterised by relatively slow derivation of 'fine-grained' local shape structure, and fast derivation of 'coarse-grained' global shape configuration. We propose that the rapid early derivation of global shape attributes underlies the observed patterns of N1 amplitude modulations. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Fluidized Bed Asbestos Sampler Design and Testing

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

Karen E. Wright; Barry H. O'Brien

A large number of samples are required to characterize a site contaminated with asbestos from previous mine or other industrial operations. Current methods, such as EPA Region 10’s glovebox method, or the Berman Elutriator method are time consuming and costly primarily because the equipment is difficult to decontaminate between samples. EPA desires a shorter and less costly method for characterizing soil samples for asbestos. The objective of this was to design and test a qualitative asbestos sampler that operates as a fluidized bed. The proposed sampler employs a conical spouted bed to vigorously mix the soil and separate fine particulatemore » including asbestos fibers on filters. The filters are then analyzed using transmission electron microscopy for presence of asbestos. During initial testing of a glass prototype using ASTM 20/30 sand and clay fines as asbestos surrogates, fine particulate adhered to the sides of the glass vessel and the tubing to the collection filter – presumably due to static charge on the fine particulate. This limited the fines recovery to ~5% of the amount added to the sand surrogate. A second prototype was constructed of stainless steel, which improved fines recovery to about 10%. Fines recovery was increased to 15% by either humidifying the inlet air or introducing a voltage probe in the air space above the sample. Since this was not a substantial improvement, testing using the steel prototype proceeded without using these techniques. Final testing of the second prototype using asbestos suggests that the fluidized bed is considerably more sensitive than the Berman elutriator method. Using a sand/tremolite mixture with 0.005% tremolite, the Berman elutriator did not segregate any asbestos structures while the fluidized bed segregated an average of 11.7. The fluidized bed was also able to segregate structures in samples containing asbestos at a 0.0001% concentration, while the Berman elutriator method did not detect any fibers at this concentration. Opportunities for improvement with the fluidized bed include improving reproducibility among replicates, increasing mass recovery, improving the lid gasket seal.« less

Musical Sound Quality in Cochlear Implant Users: A Comparison in Bass Frequency Perception Between Fine Structure Processing and High-Definition Continuous Interleaved Sampling Strategies.

PubMed

Roy, Alexis T; Carver, Courtney; Jiradejvong, Patpong; Limb, Charles J

2015-01-01

Med-El cochlear implant (CI) patients are typically programmed with either the fine structure processing (FSP) or high-definition continuous interleaved sampling (HDCIS) strategy. FSP is the newer-generation strategy and aims to provide more direct encoding of fine structure information compared with HDCIS. Since fine structure information is extremely important in music listening, FSP may offer improvements in musical sound quality for CI users. Despite widespread clinical use of both strategies, few studies have assessed the possible benefits in music perception for the FSP strategy. The objective of this study is to measure the differences in musical sound quality discrimination between the FSP and HDCIS strategies. Musical sound quality discrimination was measured using a previously designed evaluation, called Cochlear Implant-MUltiple Stimulus with Hidden Reference and Anchor (CI-MUSHRA). In this evaluation, participants were required to detect sound quality differences between an unaltered real-world musical stimulus and versions of the stimulus in which various amount of bass (low) frequency information was removed via a high-pass filer. Eight CI users, currently using the FSP strategy, were enrolled in this study. In the first session, participants completed the CI-MUSHRA evaluation with their FSP strategy. Patients were then programmed with the clinical-default HDCIS strategy, which they used for 2 months to allow for acclimatization. After acclimatization, each participant returned for the second session, during which they were retested with HDCIS, and then switched back to their original FSP strategy and tested acutely. Sixteen normal-hearing (NH) controls completed a CI-MUSHRA evaluation for comparison, in which NH controls listened to music samples under normal acoustic conditions, without CI stimulation. Sensitivity to high-pass filtering more closely resembled that of NH controls when CI users were programmed with the clinical-default FSP strategy compared with performance when programmed with HDCIS (mixed-design analysis of variance, p < 0.05). The clinical-default FSP strategy offers improvements in musical sound quality discrimination for CI users with respect to bass frequency perception. This improved bass frequency discrimination may in turn support enhanced musical sound quality. This is the first study that has demonstrated objective improvements in musical sound quality discrimination with the newer-generation FSP strategy. These positive results may help guide the selection of processing strategies for Med-El CI patients. In addition, CI-MUSHRA may also provide a novel method for assessing the benefits of newer processing strategies in the future.

78 FR 52601 - Culturally Significant Object Imported for Exhibition; Determinations: “Visiting Masterpiece...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-23

... Treasure, Stolen and Recovered'' at the Museum of Fine Arts and the exhibition ``Piero della Francesca: Intimate Encounters'' at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, imported from abroad for temporary exhibition... exhibit object at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, from on or about September 13, 2013, until on or...

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.

Hybrid-coded 3D structured illumination imaging with Bayesian estimation (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsi-Hsun; Luo, Yuan; Singh, Vijay R.

2016-03-01

Light induced fluorescent microscopy has long been developed to observe and understand the object at microscale, such as cellular sample. However, the transfer function of lense-based imaging system limits the resolution so that the fine and detailed structure of sample cannot be identified clearly. The techniques of resolution enhancement are fascinated to break the limit of resolution for objective given. In the past decades, the resolution enhancement imaging has been investigated through variety of strategies, including photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM), stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM), stimulated emission depletion (STED), and structure illuminated microscopy (SIM). In those methods, only SIM can intrinsically improve the resolution limit for a system without taking the structure properties of object into account. In this paper, we develop a SIM associated with Bayesian estimation, furthermore, with optical sectioning capability rendered from HiLo processing, resulting the high resolution through 3D volume. This 3D SIM can provide the optical sectioning and resolution enhancement performance, and be robust to noise owing to the Data driven Bayesian estimation reconstruction proposed. For validating the 3D SIM, we show our simulation result of algorithm, and the experimental result demonstrating the 3D resolution enhancement.

Development of new test procedures for measuring fine and coarse aggregates specific gravity.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

The objective of the research is to develop and evaluate new test methods at determining the specific gravity and absorption of both fine and coarse aggregates. Current methods at determining the specific gravity and absorption of fine and coarse agg...

FOULING OF FINE PORE DIFFUSED AERATORS: AN INTER- PLANT COMPARISON

EPA Science Inventory

There has been increasing interest in fine pore aeration systems, along with concerned about diffuser fouling and the subsequent loss of aeration efficiency. The objective of this study was to assess the relative fouling tendency of fine bubble diffusers t nine activated sludge ...

Statistical Fine Structure in the Inhomogeneously Broadened Electronic Origin of Pentacene in p-Terphenyl.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-29

Electronic Origin of Pentacene in p-Terphenyl by T. P. Carter, M. Manavi, and W. E. Moerner Prepared for Publication inDTIC Journal of Chemical Physics...Classification) Statistical Fine Structure in the Inhomogeneously Broadened Electronic Origin of Pentacene in p-Terphenyl 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) T. P...of pentacene in p-terphenyl using laser FM spectroscopy. Statistical fine structure is time-independent structure on the inhomogeneous line caused by

Statistical Fine Structure of Inhomogeneously Broadened Absorption Lines.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-31

inhomogeneously broadened optical absorption of pentacene n p-terphenyl at liquid helium temperatures... SFS is the actual frequency- ependent, time...statistical fine structure (SFS) in the inhomogeneously broadened optical absorption of pentacene in p-terphenyl at liquid helium temperatures. SFS is the...quite difficult . -2- We have observed for the first time statistical fine structure in the inhomogeneously broadened optical absorption of pentacene

Determination of the fine structure constant using helium fine structure.

PubMed

Smiciklas, Marc; Shiner, David

2010-09-17

We measure 31,908,131.25(30) kHz for the 2(3)}P J=0 to 2 fine structure interval in helium. The difference between this and theory to order mα7 (20 Hz numerical uncertainty) implies 0.22(30) kHz for uncalculated terms. The measurement is performed by using atomic beam and electro-optic laser techniques. Various checks include a 3He 2{3}S hyperfine measurement. We can obtain an independent value for the fine structure constant α with a 5 ppb experimental uncertainty. However, dominant mα8 terms (potentially 1.2 kHz) limit the overall uncertainty to a less competitive 20 ppb in α.

g-Factor of heavy ions: a new access to the fine structure constant.

PubMed

Shabaev, V M; Glazov, D A; Oreshkina, N S; Volotka, A V; Plunien, G; Kluge, H-J; Quint, W

2006-06-30

A possibility for a determination of the fine structure constant in experiments on the bound-electron g-factor is examined. It is found that studying a specific difference of the g-factors of B- and H-like ions of the same spinless isotope in the Pb region to the currently accessible experimental accuracy of 7 x 10(-10) would lead to a determination of the fine structure constant to an accuracy which is better than that of the currently accepted value. Further improvements of the experimental and theoretical accuracy could provide a value of the fine structure constant which is several times more precise than the currently accepted one.

XAFS SPECTROSCOPY ANALYSIS OF SELECTED HAP ELEMENTS IN FINE PM DERIVED FROM COAL COMBUSTION

EPA Science Inventory

X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy has been used to investigate the valence states and molecular structures of sulfur (S), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), and zinc (Zn) in fine particulate matter (PM) separated from coal flyash produced in a realistic combustion sys...

Ultrafast exciton fine structure relaxation dynamics in lead chalcogenide nanocrystals.

PubMed

Johnson, Justin C; Gerth, Kathrine A; Song, Qing; Murphy, James E; Nozik, Arthur J; Scholes, Gregory D

2008-05-01

The rates of fine structure relaxation in PbS, PbSe, and PbTe nanocrystals were measured on a femtosecond time scale as a function of temperature with no applied magnetic field by cross-polarized transient grating spectroscopy (CPTG) and circularly polarized pump-probe spectroscopy. The relaxation rates among exciton fine structure states follow trends with nanocrystal composition and size that are consistent with the expected influence of material dependent spin-orbit coupling, confinement enhanced electron-hole exchange interaction, and splitting between L valleys that are degenerate in the bulk. The size dependence of the fine structure relaxation rate is considerably different from what is observed for small CdSe nanocrystals, which appears to result from the unique material properties of the highly confined lead chalcogenide quantum dots. Modeling and qualitative considerations lead to conclusions about the fine structure of the lowest exciton absorption band, which has a potentially significant bearing on photophysical processes that make these materials attractive for practical purposes.

Polygamy and an absence of fine-scale structure in Dendroctonus ponderosae (Hopk.) (Coleoptera: Curcilionidae) confirmed using molecular markers

PubMed Central

Janes, J K; Roe, A D; Rice, A V; Gorrell, J C; Coltman, D W; Langor, D W; Sperling, F A H

2016-01-01

An understanding of mating systems and fine-scale spatial genetic structure is required to effectively manage forest pest species such as Dendroctonus ponderosae (mountain pine beetle). Here we used genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms to assess the fine-scale genetic structure and mating system of D. ponderosae collected from a single stand in Alberta, Canada. Fine-scale spatial genetic structure was absent within the stand and the majority of genetic variation was best explained at the individual level. Relatedness estimates support previous reports of pre-emergence mating. Parentage assignment tests indicate that a polygamous mating system better explains the relationships among individuals within a gallery than the previously reported female monogamous/male polygynous system. Furthermore, there is some evidence to suggest that females may exploit the galleries of other females, at least under epidemic conditions. Our results suggest that current management models are likely to be effective across large geographic areas based on the absence of fine-scale genetic structure. PMID:26286666

Some surface characteristics and gas interactions of Apollo 14 fines and rock fragments.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cadenhead, D. A.; Wagner, N. J.; Jones, B. R.; Stetter, J. R.

1972-01-01

Comprehensive survey of the physical surface characteristics of Apollo 14 fines, two fragments of a breccia (14321), and a crystalline rock (14310). The survey was carried out with optical and both scanning and transmission electron microscopy and by studying the adsorption of a variety of gases including nitrogen, hydrogen, and water vapor. Our objective in the optical microscope study was to relate the visible geological and petrological features to the surface properties. Electron microscopy particularly helped relate surface roughness and particle fusion to gas adsorption and pore structure. The fine sample (14163,111) had a surface area of 0.210 sq m/g and a helium density of 2.9 g/cc. Similar values have been observed with breccia fragments. Other observations include physical adsorption of molecular hydrogen at low temperatures and of water vapor at ambient temperatures. It is concluded that these particular lunar materials, while capable of adsorbing water vapor, do not retain it for any significant time at low pressures, nor, under lunar conditions, is there any indication of absorption or penetration.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Coal Bottom Ash (CBA) from Tanjung Bin Power Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izzati Raihan Ramzi, Nurul; Shahidan, Shahiron; Zulkhairi Maarof, Mohamad; Ali, Noorwirdawati

2016-11-01

The objective of this study is to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of Coal Bottom Ash (CBA) obtained from Tanjung Bin Power Plant Station and compare them with the characteristics of natural river sand (as a replacement of fine aggregates). Bottom ash is the by-product of coal combustion during the electricity generating process. However, excess bottom ash production due to the high production of electricity in Malaysia has caused several environmental problems. Therefore, several tests have been conducted in order to determine the physical and chemical properties of bottom ash such as specific gravity, density, particle size distribution, Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) and X- Ray Fluorescence (XRF) in the attempt to produce sustainable material from waste. The results indicated that the natural fine aggregate and coal bottom ash have very different physical and chemical properties. Bottom ash was classified as Class C ash. The porous structure, angular and rough texture of bottom ash affected its specific gravity and particle density. From the tests, it was found that bottom ash is recommended to be used in concrete as a replacement for fine aggregates.

Nanoclusters of α-Fe naturally formed in twinned martensite after martensitic transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X.; Ping, D. H.; Xiang, H. P.; Lu, X.; Shen, J.

2018-05-01

Various Fe-C binary alloys with the carbon content from 0.05 to 2.0 (wt. %) have been prepared and water-quenched at austenitizing temperatures. The fine structure of the twinned martensite in the quenched samples has been investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to understand the initial products during the formation of the martensite structure. In the twinned structure (body-centered-cubic {112}⟨111⟩-type twin), TEM dark field observations have revealed that both matrix and twinned crystal regions are fully composed of ultra-fine particles (α-Fe nano-crystallites). The particles tend to have the same preferred direction (or texture) in the twinned martensite and the size is almost the same (1-2 nm). The ultra-fine particle structure has been commonly observed regardless of the carbon content; however, such a fine particle structure has been observed only in the martensite with the twinning structure. After in-situ TEM heating, recrystallization occurred and the fine particles merged into larger α-Fe grains; at the same time, the twinned relationship also disappeared.

Fine-structure excitation of Fe II and Fe III due to collisions with electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Yier; Qi, Yueying; Favreau, Connor; Loch, Stuart; Stancil, P.; Ballance, Connor; McLaughlin, Brendan

2018-06-01

Atomic data of iron peak elements are of great importance in astronomical observations. Among all the ionization stages of iron, Fe II and Fe III are of particular importance because of the high cosmic abundance, relatively low ionization potential and complex open d-shell atomic structure. Fe II and Fe III emission are observed from nearly all classes of astronomical objects over a wide spectral range from the infrared to the ultraviolet. To meaningfully interpret these spectra, astronomers have to employ highly complex modeling codes with reliable collision data to simulate the astrophysical observations. The major aim of this work is to provide reliable atomic data for diagnostics. We present new collision strengths and effective collisions for electron impact excitation of Fe II and Fe III for the forbidden transitions among the fine-structure levels of the ground terms. A very fine energy mesh is used for the collision strengths and the effective collision strengths are calculated over a wide range of electron temperatures of astrophysical importance (10-2000 K). The configuration interaction state wave functions are generated with a scaled Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-Amaldi (TFDA) potential, while the R-matrix plus intermediate coupling frame transformation (ICFT), Breit-Pauli R-matrix and Dirac R-matrix packages are used to obtain collision strengths. Influences of the different methods and configuration expansions on the collisional data are discussed. Comparison is made with earlier theoretical work and differences are found to occur at the low temperatures considered here.This work was funded by NASA grant NNX15AE47G.

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.

Structure of deformed silicon and implications for low cost solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mardesich, N.; Leipold, M. H.; Turner, G. B.; Digges, T. G., Jr.

1978-01-01

The microstructure and minority carrier lifetime of silicon were investigated in uniaxially compressed silicon samples. The objective of the investigation was to determine if it is feasible to produce silicon solar cells from sheet formed by high temperature rolling. The initial structure of the silicon samples ranged from single crystal to fine-grained polycrystals. The samples had been deformed at strain rates of 0.1 to 8.5/sec and temperatures of 1270-1380 C with subsequent annealing at 1270-1380 C. The results suggest that high temperature rolling of silicon to produce sheet for cells of high efficiency is not practical.

Atomistic Model of Physical Ageing in Se-rich As-Se Glasses

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

Golovchak,R.; Shpotyuk, O.; Kozdras, A.

2007-01-01

Thermal, optical, X-ray excited and magnetic methods were used to develop a microstructural model of physical ageing in Se-rich glasses. The glass composition As10Se90, possessing a typical cross-linked chain structure, was chosen as a model object for the investigations. The effect of physical ageing in this glass was revealed by differential scanning calorimetry, whereas the corresponding changes in its atomic arrangement were studied by extended X-ray absorption fine structure, Raman and solid-state 77Se nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Straightening-shrinkage processes are shown to be responsible for the physical ageing in this Se-rich As-Se glass.

InAs Band-Edge Exciton Fine Structure

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-29

Chapter 1 InAs Band-Edge Exciton Fine Structure 1.1 Contributions This work was carried out in collaboration with Oscar Sandoval, a summer student at...diffusion,1,2 charg- ing,2,3 and excitonic fine structure.1,3–9 While spectral diffusion and charging are most likely photoinduced effects and thus can be...unavoidable. A complete understanding of the excitonic 1 Distribution A: Public Release energy landscape enables us to determine dephasing rates

Atomic sulfur: Frequency measurement of the J = 0 left arrow 1 fine-structure transition at 56.3 microns by laser magnetic resonance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, John M.; Evenson, Kenneth M.; Zink, Lyndon R.

1994-01-01

The J = 0 left arrow 1 fine-structure transition in atomic sulfur (S I) in its ground (3)P state has been detected in the laboratory by far-infrared laser magnetic resonance. The fine-structure interval has been measured accurately as 5,322,492.9 +/- 2.8 MHz which corresponds to a wavelength of 56.325572 +/- 0.000030 micrometers.

Phenomenological model of maize starches expansion by extrusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristiawan, M.; Della Valle, G.; Kansou, K.; Ndiaye, A.; Vergnes, B.

2016-10-01

During extrusion of starchy products, the molten material is forced through a die so that the sudden abrupt pressure drop causes part of the water to vaporize giving an expanded, cellular structure. The objective of this work was to elaborate a phenomenological model of expansion and couple it with Ludovic® mechanistic model of twin screw extrusion process. From experimental results that cover a wide range of thermomechanical conditions, a concept map of influence relationships between input and output variables was built. It took into account the phenomena of bubbles nucleation, growth, coalescence, shrinkage and setting, in a viscoelastic medium. The input variables were the moisture content MC, melt temperature T, specific mechanical energy SME, shear viscosity η at the die exit, computed by Ludovic®, and the melt storage moduli E'(at T > Tg). The outputs of the model were the macrostructure (volumetric expansion index VEI, anisotropy) and cellular structure (fineness F) of solid foams. Then a general model was established: VEI = α (η/η0)n in which α and n depend on T, MC, SME and E' and the link between anisotropy and fineness was established.

Measurement of the noise components in the medical x-ray intensity pattern due to overlaying nonrecognizable structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tischenko, Oleg; Hoeschen, Christoph; Effenberger, Olaf; Reissberg, Steffen; Buhr, Egbert; Doehring, Wilfried

2003-06-01

There are many aspects that influence and deteriorate the detection of pathologies in X-ray images. Some of those are due to effects taking place in the stage of forming the X-ray intensity pattern in front of the x-ray detector. These can be described as motion blurring, depth blurring, anatomical background, scatter noise and structural noise. Structural noise results from an overlapping of fine irrelevant anatomical structures. A method for measuring the combined effect of structural noise and scatter noise was developed and will be presented in this paper. This method is based on the consideration that within a pair of projections created after rotation of the object with a small angle (which is within the typical uncertainty in positioning the patient) both images would show the same relevant structures whereas the projection of the fine overlapping structures will appear quite differently in the two images. To demonstrate the method two X-ray radiographs of a lung phantom were produced. The second radiograph was achieved after rotating the lung by an angle of about 3. Dyadic wavelet representations of both images were regarded. For each value of the wavelet scale parameter the corresponding pair of approximations was matched using the cross correlation matching technique. The homologous regions of approximations were extracted. The image containing only those structures that appear in both images simultaneously was then reconstructed from the wavelet coefficients corresponding to the homologous regions. The difference between one of the original images and the noise-reduced image contains the structural noise and the scatter noise.

Fine Arts, Grades 3, 6, 8, 10, 12. State Goals for Learning and Sample Learning Objectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Board of Education, Springfield. Dept. of School Improvement Services.

This document, developed by the Illinois State Boaord of Education, identifies five state goals for learning in the fine arts, and provides sample learning objectives for grades, 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, which are consistent with the goals. The state goals for learning are broadly stated expressions of what the Illinois State Board of Education expects…

Hubble Space Telescope images and follow-up spectroscopy of the Orion nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Dell, C. R.; Wen, Zheng; Hester, J. J.

1991-01-01

Recently published HST images of the Orion nebula reveal elephant-trunk structures, an apparent jet of material, and fine-scale structure in the Herbig-Haro object HH2, which is located at the base of an elephant trunk. High-resolution spectroscopy shows that the apparent jet is actually an ionization front seen edge-on. HH2 shows a complex structure in the several stages of ionization observed. There seem to be two velocity systems characterized by a bright central region and an accompanying shell-like emission. These two systems are most likely to be the result of a bow shock and corresponding Mach disk formed from the interaction of a collimated jet and the ambient gas of the nebula.

Tapered whiskers are required for active tactile sensation.

PubMed

Hires, Samuel Andrew; Pammer, Lorenz; Svoboda, Karel; Golomb, David

2013-11-19

Many mammals forage and burrow in dark constrained spaces. Touch through facial whiskers is important during these activities, but the close quarters makes whisker deployment challenging. The diverse shapes of facial whiskers reflect distinct ecological niches. Rodent whiskers are conical, often with a remarkably linear taper. Here we use theoretical and experimental methods to analyze interactions of mouse whiskers with objects. When pushed into objects, conical whiskers suddenly slip at a critical angle. In contrast, cylindrical whiskers do not slip for biologically plausible movements. Conical whiskers sweep across objects and textures in characteristic sequences of brief sticks and slips, which provide information about the tactile world. In contrast, cylindrical whiskers stick and remain stuck, even when sweeping across fine textures. Thus the conical whisker structure is adaptive for sensor mobility in constrained environments and in feature extraction during active haptic exploration of objects and surfaces. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01350.001.

355 nm UV laser patterning and post-processing of FR4 PCB for fine pitch components integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupont, F.; Stoukatch, S.; Laurent, P.; Dricot, S.; Kraft, M.

2018-01-01

Laser direct patterning of fine pitch features on standard PCB (Printed Circuit Board) was investigated. As a feasibility study, eight parameter sets were selected and the smallest achievable grooves and tracks were determined. Three regular FR4 (Flame Resistant 4) PCB substrates have been experimented with. The first two have respectively 18 μm and 35 μm bare copper conductive layer without finish while the third one has a 18 μm copper layer with ENIG (Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold) finish. Laser patterning of PCB conductive structure is a single step, maskless and purely dry operation expected to allow reaching fine pitch features, even on thick copper layers (≥ 18 μm) for which the traditional chemical wet processes encounter underetch problems. Aside PCB complete structuring, a second objective is to evaluate laser post-processing of standard patterned PCB as an economically viable technique to integrate a few fine pitch components on low cost PCBs. This process is suitable for prototyping and for small and medium series. The widths of the smallest grooves and tracks that we achieved were measured about 11 μm and 19 μm on 18 μm thick cooper layer, 13 μm and 39 μm on 35 μm thick cooper layer, and 11 μm and 38 μm on 18 μm cooper layer with ENIG finish. These values are well below what can be achieved with a wet process. Etching results are presented at high magnification both from the top and from a cross-sectioning perspective. The latter allows observation of the TAZ (Thermal Affected Zone) in the conductive layer and the damages in the FR4.

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.

Tactile Imaging of an Imbedded Palpable Structure for Breast Cancer Screening

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Apart from texture, the human finger can sense palpation. The detection of an imbedded structure is a fine balance between the relative stiffness of the matrix, the object, and the device. If the device is too soft, its high responsiveness will limit the depth to which the imbedded structure can be detected. The sensation of palpation is an effective procedure for a physician to examine irregularities. In a clinical breast examination (CBE), by pressing over 1 cm2 area, at a contact pressure in the 70–90 kPa range, the physician feels cancerous lumps that are 8- to 18-fold stiffer than surrounding tissue. Early detection of a lump in the 5–10 mm range leads to an excellent prognosis. We describe a thin-film tactile device that emulates human touch to quantify CBE by imaging the size and shape of 5–10 mm objects at 20 mm depth in a breast model using ∼80 kPa pressure. The linear response of the device allows quantification where the greyscale corresponds to the relative local stiffness. The (background) signal from <2.5-fold stiffer objects at a size below 2 mm is minimal. PMID:25148477

Fine-structure-resolution for Rovibrational Excitation of CN Due to H2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrd, Nat; Yang, Benhui H.; Stancil, Phillip C.

2018-06-01

Diatomic molecules can be readily excited in interstellar environments exposed to intense UV radiation, such as the inner rim of a protoplanetary disk. Non-thermal populations of excited rovibrational levels can result, for example, following decay from electronically excited states to the electronic ground state. Competition between radiative decay and collisional processes, mostly due to H2, determine the resulting rovibrational emission spectrum. For CN, and other open-shell molecules, the resulting spectrum will be complicated due to fine-structure splitting of the rotational levels. In some cases, fine-structure resolution has been previously computed for rotational transitions in atom- or diatom-diatom collisional processes. Here we present the first fine-structure resolution for vibrational deexcitation for CN colliding with H2. The collisional cross sections were computed using a 6D potential energy surface with a full close-coupling approach. Fine-structure resolution is obtained by adopting an angular momentum recoupling scheme to transform the scattering matrices to a recoupled basis. Here we present low-energy calculations for the v=1 to 0 transition.This work was supported by NASA Grant NNX16AF09G.

The impact of cochlear fine structure on hearing thresholds and DPOAE levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jungmee; Long, Glenis; Talmadge, Carrick L.

2004-05-01

Although otoacoustic emissions (OAE) are used as clinical and research tools, the correlation between OAE behavioral estimates of hearing status is not large. In normal-hearing individuals, the level of OAEs can vary as much as 30 dB when the frequency is changed less than 5%. These pseudoperiodic variations of OAE level with frequency are known as fine structure. Hearing thresholds measured with high-frequency resolution reveals a similar (up to 15 dB) fine structure. We examine the impact of OAE and threshold fine structures on the prediction of auditory thresholds from OAE levels. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured with sweeping primary tones. Psychoacoustic detection thresholds were measured using pure tones, sweep tones, FM tones, and narrow-band noise. Sweep DPOAE and narrow-band threshold estimates provide estimates that are less influenced by cochlear fine structure and should lead to a higher correlation between OAE levels and psychoacoustic thresholds. [Research supported by PSC CUNY, NIDCD, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research in U.S. Department of Education, and The Ministry of Education in Korea.

Fine root dynamics across a chronosequence of upland temperate deciduous forests

Treesearch

Travis W. Idol; Phillip E. Pope; Felix Jr. Ponder

2000-01-01

Following a major disturbance event in forests that removes most of the standing vegetation, patterns of fine root growth, mortality, and decomposition may be altered from the pre-disturbance conditions. The objective of this study was to describe the changes in the seasonal and spatial dynamics of fine root growth, mortality, and decomposition that occur following...

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) detects fine roots of agricultural crops in the field

Treesearch

Xiuwei Liu; Xuejun Dong; Qingwu Xue; Daniel I. Leskovar; John Jifon; John R. Butnor; Thomas Marek

2018-01-01

Aim Ground penetrating radar (GPR) as a non-invasive technique is widely used in coarse root detection. However, the applicability of the technique to detect fine roots of agricultural crops is unknown. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of utilizing GPR to detect fine roots in the field.

Artefacts for optical surface measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robson, Stuart; Beraldin, J.-Angelo; Brownhill, Andrew; MacDonald, Lindsay

2011-07-01

Flexible manufacturing technologies are supporting the routine production of components with freeform surfaces in a wide variety of materials and surface finishes. Such surfaces may be exploited for both aesthetic and performance criteria for a wide range of industries, for example automotive, aircraft, small consumer goods and medial components. In order to ensure conformance between manufactured part and digital design it is necessary to understand, validate and promote best practice of the available measurement technologies. Similar, but currently less quantifiable, measurement requirements also exist in heritage, museum and fine art recording where objects can be individually hand crafted to extremely fine levels of detail. Optical 3D measurement systems designed for close range applications are typified by one or more illumination sources projecting a spot, line or structured light pattern onto a surface or surfaces of interest. Reflections from the projected light are detected in one or more imaging devices and measurements made concerning the location, intensity and optionally colour of the image. Coordinates of locations on the surface may be computed either directly from an understanding of the illumination and imaging geometry or indirectly through analysis of the spatial frequencies of the projected pattern. Regardless of sensing configuration some independent means is necessary to ensure that measurement capability will meet the requirements of a given level of object recording and is consistent for variations in surface properties and structure. As technologies mature, guidelines for best practice are emerging, most prominent at the current time being the German VDI/VDE 2634 and ISO/DIS 10360-8 guidelines. This considers state of the art capabilities for independent validation of optical non-contact measurement systems suited to the close range measurement of table top sized manufactured or crafted objects.

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

Spectral structure and stability studies on microstructure-fiber continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Xun; Kimmel, Mark; Zeek, Erik; Shreenath, Aparna P.; Trebino, Rick P.; Windeler, Robert S.

2003-07-01

Although previous direct measurements of the microstructure-fiber continuum have all showed a smooth and stable spectrum, our cross-correlation frequency-resolved optical gating (XFROG) full-intensity-and-phase characterization of the continuum pulse, utilizing sum-frequency-generation with a pre-characterized reference pulse and the angle-dithered-crystal technique, indicates that fine-scale spectral structure exists on a single-shot basis, contrary to previous observations. In particular, deep and fine oscillations are found in the retrieved spectrum, and the retrieved trace contains a "measles" pattern, whereas the measured trace and the independently-measured spectrum are rather smooth. The discrepancy is shown to be the result of unstable single-shot spectral structure. Although the XFROG measurement is not able to directly measure the single-shot fine structure in the trace, the redundancy of information in FROG traces enables the retrieval algorithm to correctly recognize the existence of the spectral fine structure, and restore the structure in the retrieved trace and spectrum. Numerical simulations have supported our hypothesis, and we directly observed the fine spectral structure in single-shot measurements of the continuum spectrum and the structure was seen to be highly unstable, the continuum spectrum appearing smooth only when many shots are averaged. Despite the structure and instability in the continuum spectrum, coherence experiments also reveal that the spectral phase is rather stable, being able to produce well-defined spectral fringes across the entire continuum bandwidth.

Fine structural dependence of ultraviolet reflections in the King Penguin beak horn.

PubMed

Dresp, Birgitta; Langley, Keith

2006-03-01

The visual perception of many birds extends into the near-ultraviolet (UV) spectrum and ultraviolet is used by some to communicate. The beak horn of the King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) intensely reflects in the ultraviolet and this appears to be implicated in partner choice. In a preliminary study, we recently demonstrated that this ultraviolet reflectance has a structural basis, resulting from crystal-like photonic structures, capable of reflecting in the near-UV. The present study attempted to define the origin of the photonic elements that produce the UV reflectance and to better understand how the UV signal is optimized by their fine structure. Using light and electron microscopic analysis combined with new spectrophotometric data, we describe here in detail the fine structure of the entire King Penguin beak horn in addition to that of its photonic crystals. The data obtained reveal a one-dimensional structural periodicity within this tissue and demonstrate a direct relationship between its fine structure and its function. In addition, they suggest how the photonic structures are produced and how they are stabilized. The measured lattice dimensions of the photonic crystals, together with morphological data on its composition, permit predictions of the wavelength of reflected light. These correlate well with experimentally observed values. The way the UV signal is optimized by the fine structure of the beak tissue is discussed with regard to its putative biological role.

Complexity VIII. Ontology of closure in complex systems: The C* hypothesis and the O° notation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandler, Jerry LR

1999-03-01

Closure is a common characteristic of mathematical, natural and socio-cultural systems. Whether one is describing a graph, a molecule, a cell, a human, or a nation state, closure is implicitly understood. An objective of this paper is to continue a construction of a systematic framework for closure which is sufficient for future quantitative transdisciplinary investigations. A further objective is to extend the Birkhoff-von Neumann criterion for quantum systems to complex natural objects. The C* hypothesis is being constructed to be consistent with algebraic category theory (Ehresmann and Vanbremeersch, 1987, 1997, Chandler, 1990, 1991, Chandler, Ehresmann and Vanbremeersch, 1996). Five aspects of closure will be used to construct a framework for categories of complex systems: 1. Truth functions in mathematics and the natural sciences 2. Systematic descriptions in the mks and O° notations 3. Organizational structures in hierarchical scientific languages 4. Transitive organizational pathways in the causal structures of complex behaviors 5. Composing additive, multiplicative and exponential operations in complex systems Truth functions can be formal or objective or subjective, depending on the complexity of the system and on our capability to represent the fine structure of the system symbolically, observationally or descriptively. "Complete" material representations of the fine structure of a system may allow truth functions to be created over sets of one to one correspondences. Less complete descriptions can support less stringent truth functions based on coherence or subjective judgments. The role of human values in creating and perpetuating truth functions can be placed in context of the degree of fine structure in the system's description. The organization of complex systems are hypothesized to be categorizable into degrees relative to one another, thereby creating an ordering relationship. This ordering relationship is denoted by the symbols: O°1, O°2,O°3... For example, for material systems, an ordering relation such as particles, atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organs, individuals and social groups might be assigned to classify observations for medical purposes. The C* hypothesis asserts that any complex system can be described in terms of four enumerable concepts: closure, conformation, concatenation and cyclicity. Mappings between objects are constructed within a notation for organization. Causality is organized within C* as pathways of relationships in time. The notation of organizational degrees is used to distinguish a directionality for causality: 1. bottom-up (energy flows) 2. top-down (control processes or dominating variables), 3. outside — inward (ecoment on organism) and 4. inside — outward (organism on ecoment). Closures are asserted to emerge from evolutionary cooperation. It is asserted that truth functions emerged from the necessity of an organism to identify ecoments where life can prosper. For example, basic truth functions of mathematics (operations of addition, multiplication and exponentiation) are made operationally consistent within the biochemical operations of sustaining exponential cellular growth. These fundamental mathematical functions can provide a logical basis (in conjunction with conservation rules) for a construction of complex material categories at higher degrees of organization. It is remarked that these simple functions suggests a biochemical origin for the intuitionistic philosophy of mathematics. The emergence and success of mathematics is conjectured to result from the need to acquire a consistent basis for communication among individuals seeking to cooperate socially. This suggests a cultural closure over a collection of individual closures.

Selective Convolutional Descriptor Aggregation for Fine-Grained Image Retrieval.

PubMed

Wei, Xiu-Shen; Luo, Jian-Hao; Wu, Jianxin; Zhou, Zhi-Hua

2017-06-01

Deep convolutional neural network models pre-trained for the ImageNet classification task have been successfully adopted to tasks in other domains, such as texture description and object proposal generation, but these tasks require annotations for images in the new domain. In this paper, we focus on a novel and challenging task in the pure unsupervised setting: fine-grained image retrieval. Even with image labels, fine-grained images are difficult to classify, letting alone the unsupervised retrieval task. We propose the selective convolutional descriptor aggregation (SCDA) method. The SCDA first localizes the main object in fine-grained images, a step that discards the noisy background and keeps useful deep descriptors. The selected descriptors are then aggregated and the dimensionality is reduced into a short feature vector using the best practices we found. The SCDA is unsupervised, using no image label or bounding box annotation. Experiments on six fine-grained data sets confirm the effectiveness of the SCDA for fine-grained image retrieval. Besides, visualization of the SCDA features shows that they correspond to visual attributes (even subtle ones), which might explain SCDA's high-mean average precision in fine-grained retrieval. Moreover, on general image retrieval data sets, the SCDA achieves comparable retrieval results with the state-of-the-art general image retrieval approaches.

Spin fine structure of optically excited quantum dot molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheibner, M.; Doty, M. F.; Ponomarev, I. V.; Bracker, A. S.; Stinaff, E. A.; Korenev, V. L.; Reinecke, T. L.; Gammon, D.

2007-06-01

The interaction between spins in coupled quantum dots is revealed in distinct fine structure patterns in the measured optical spectra of InAs/GaAs double quantum dot molecules containing zero, one, or two excess holes. The fine structure is explained well in terms of a uniquely molecular interplay of spin-exchange interactions, Pauli exclusion, and orbital tunneling. This knowledge is critical for converting quantum dot molecule tunneling into a means of optically coupling not just orbitals but also spins.

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

A coarse-to-fine kernel matching approach for mean-shift based visual tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liangfu, L.; Zuren, F.; Weidong, C.; Ming, J.

2009-03-01

Mean shift is an efficient pattern match algorithm. It is widely used in visual tracking fields since it need not perform whole search in the image space. It employs gradient optimization method to reduce the time of feature matching and realize rapid object localization, and uses Bhattacharyya coefficient as the similarity measure between object template and candidate template. This thesis presents a mean shift algorithm based on coarse-to-fine search for the best kernel matching. This paper researches for object tracking with large motion area based on mean shift. To realize efficient tracking of such an object, we present a kernel matching method from coarseness to fine. If the motion areas of the object between two frames are very large and they are not overlapped in image space, then the traditional mean shift method can only obtain local optimal value by iterative computing in the old object window area, so the real tracking position cannot be obtained and the object tracking will be disabled. Our proposed algorithm can efficiently use a similarity measure function to realize the rough location of motion object, then use mean shift method to obtain the accurate local optimal value by iterative computing, which successfully realizes object tracking with large motion. Experimental results show its good performance in accuracy and speed when compared with background-weighted histogram algorithm in the literature.

Effects of Art/Design Education on Meta-Esthetics Consciousness of Fine Arts Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tataroglu, Eylem

2015-01-01

The objectives of the present study were to determine the consciousness and sensitivity levels of Fine Arts students about the meta-esthetics as a consumer and producer and to determine the effects of the courses they took on their meta-esthetic consciousness. The research universe was composed of fine art faculties of the foundation universities…

Research on the Boost of Development on Young Children's Fine Motor by Folk Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Xia

2016-01-01

As Chinese traditional folk culture, folk games have unique educational value which can boost the development of young children's fine motor. Based on previous investigation of fine motor skill of children in Nanchong, Sichuan Province, the researcher chose a middle class in public city kindergarten A with lower survey score as the study object.…

Visiting two objects in the field of the ring galaxy HRG 2302

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faúndez-Abans, M.; Reshetnikov, V. P.; de Oliveira-Abans, M.; Krabbe, A. C.; da Rocha-Poppe, P. C.; Fernandes-Martin, V. A.; Amôres, E. B.; Freitas-Lemes, P.

2015-02-01

Aims: We investigate the nature of two galaxies that are located in the field of the ring galaxy HRG 2302. Methods: This study is based on direct BVRI imaging and long-slit spectrophotometric data in the range of 4000-9500 Å obtained with the 1.6 m telescope of the Observatório do Pico dos Dias, Brazil. The spectra were used to determine the radial velocity. Results: The primary objective of the retrieval of the photometric data was to identify the fine structures of objects H and I. In addition, we performed image processing and made a photometric analysis to obtain the integrated standard BVRI magnitudes. The contour maps show evidence of material connecting both galaxies, suggesting that they might be interacting close companions. We estimated redshifts of z = 0.0689 and z = 0.0692. The spectra of the two galaxies resemble those of an early-type galaxy. The fact that the objects have a small radial-velocity difference and the structures around object I suggest an ongoing tidal interaction between the two galaxies. Conclusions: The H-I system seems to be composed of two early-type spiral galaxies (S0/Sa). Galaxy I shows evidence of tidal perturbation: an off-centered bulge, some material extending along the NE direction, and structures that have been enhanced by image filtering procedures. There are some dwarf objects around it. Neither object shows evidence of nuclear activity. Based on observations carried out at the Observatório do Pico dos Dias (OPD), which is operated by LNA/MCTI, and public data from the LNA database.

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.

[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.

The Human Brainnetome Atlas: A New Brain Atlas Based on Connectional Architecture.

PubMed

Fan, Lingzhong; Li, Hai; Zhuo, Junjie; Zhang, Yu; Wang, Jiaojian; Chen, Liangfu; Yang, Zhengyi; Chu, Congying; Xie, Sangma; Laird, Angela R; Fox, Peter T; Eickhoff, Simon B; Yu, Chunshui; Jiang, Tianzi

2016-08-01

The human brain atlases that allow correlating brain anatomy with psychological and cognitive functions are in transition from ex vivo histology-based printed atlases to digital brain maps providing multimodal in vivo information. Many current human brain atlases cover only specific structures, lack fine-grained parcellations, and fail to provide functionally important connectivity information. Using noninvasive multimodal neuroimaging techniques, we designed a connectivity-based parcellation framework that identifies the subdivisions of the entire human brain, revealing the in vivo connectivity architecture. The resulting human Brainnetome Atlas, with 210 cortical and 36 subcortical subregions, provides a fine-grained, cross-validated atlas and contains information on both anatomical and functional connections. Additionally, we further mapped the delineated structures to mental processes by reference to the BrainMap database. It thus provides an objective and stable starting point from which to explore the complex relationships between structure, connectivity, and function, and eventually improves understanding of how the human brain works. The human Brainnetome Atlas will be made freely available for download at http://atlas.brainnetome.org, so that whole brain parcellations, connections, and functional data will be readily available for researchers to use in their investigations into healthy and pathological states. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Laser marking on soda-lime glass by laser-induced backside wet etching with two-beam interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakazumi, Tomoka; Sato, Tadatake; Narazaki, Aiko; Niino, Hiroyuki

2016-09-01

For crack-free marking of glass materials, a beam-scanning laser-induced backside wet etching (LIBWE) process by a beam spot with a fine periodic structure was examined. The fine periodic structure was produced within a beam spot by means of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer incorporated to the optical setup for the beam-scanning LIBWE. A fine structure with a period of 9 µm was observed within the microstructures with a diameter of ca. 40 µm fabricated by a laser shot under double-beam irradiation, and they could be homogeneously fabricated within an area of 800  ×  800 µm. The area filled with the microstructures, including fine periodic structures, could be observed in high contrast under a diffuse, on-axis illumination that was used in commercial QR code readers.

3D WHOLE-PROMINENCE FINE STRUCTURE MODELING

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

Gunár, Stanislav; Mackay, Duncan H.

2015-04-20

We present the first 3D whole-prominence fine structure model. The model combines a 3D magnetic field configuration of an entire prominence obtained from nonlinear force-free field simulations, with a detailed description of the prominence plasma. The plasma is located in magnetic dips in hydrostatic equilibrium and is distributed along multiple fine structures within the 3D magnetic model. Through the use of a novel radiative transfer visualization technique for the Hα line such plasma-loaded magnetic field model produces synthetic images of the modeled prominence comparable with high-resolution observations. This allows us for the first time to use a single technique tomore » consistently study, in both emission on the limb and absorption against the solar disk, the fine structures of prominences/filaments produced by a magnetic field model.« less

[Ultraviolet spectroscopic study on the fine structures in the solar polar hole].

PubMed

Zhang, Min; Wang, Dong; Liu, Guo-Hong

2014-07-01

Fine structures in the south solar polar coronal hole were observed by N IV line of SOHO/SUMER spectrograph. The scales of the fine structures range spatially range from 1 arcsec to several arcsecs, temporally from 1 min to several minutes, and parts of them are in strip shape along the slit direction. The line-of-sight velocity of them is up to tens of km x s(-1) with red and blue shift intercrossed occasionally, which appear periodically as long as 100 minutes in some regions. Part of the fine structures can be clearly observed at the Ne V III line with higher formation temperature in the same spectral window. The time and location of some fine structures with high velocity in the Ne V III spectrum are almost the same as that in N IV spectrum, but they are extended and diffused in the Ne V III spectrum. Some fine structures have non-Gaussian profiles with the line-of-sight Doppler velocities up to 150 km x s(-1) in the N IV blue/red wings, which is similar with the explosive events in the transition region. In the past, explosive events are small-scale dynamic phenomena often observed in the quiet-sun (QS) region, while their properties in coronal holes (CHs) remain unclear. Here, we find the EE-like events with strong dynamics in the south solar polar coronal hole by N IV line of SOHO/SUMER spectrograph.

Learning Category-Specific Dictionary and Shared Dictionary for Fine-Grained Image Categorization.

PubMed

Gao, Shenghua; Tsang, Ivor Wai-Hung; Ma, Yi

2014-02-01

This paper targets fine-grained image categorization by learning a category-specific dictionary for each category and a shared dictionary for all the categories. Such category-specific dictionaries encode subtle visual differences among different categories, while the shared dictionary encodes common visual patterns among all the categories. To this end, we impose incoherence constraints among the different dictionaries in the objective of feature coding. In addition, to make the learnt dictionary stable, we also impose the constraint that each dictionary should be self-incoherent. Our proposed dictionary learning formulation not only applies to fine-grained classification, but also improves conventional basic-level object categorization and other tasks such as event recognition. Experimental results on five data sets show that our method can outperform the state-of-the-art fine-grained image categorization frameworks as well as sparse coding based dictionary learning frameworks. All these results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.

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.

Fine Structure of Anomalously Intense Pulses of PSR J0814+7429 Radio Emission in the Decameter Range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skoryk, A. O.; Ulyanov, O. M.; Zakharenko, V. V.; Shevtsova, A. I.; Vasylieva, I. Y.; Plakhov, M. S.; Kravtsov, I. M.

2017-06-01

Purpose: The fine structure of the anomalously intense pulses of PSR J0814+7429 (B0809+74) has been studied. The pulsar radio emission fine structure is investigated to determine its parameters in the lowest part of spectrum available for groundbased observations. Design/methodology/approach: The scattering measure in the interstellar plasma have been estimated using the spectral and correlation analyses of pulsar data recorded by the UTR-2 radio telescope. Results: Two characteristic time scales of the anomalously intense pulses fine structure of the PSR J0814+7429 radio emission have been found. The strongest pulses of this pulsar in the decameter range can have a duration of about t 2÷3 ms. These pulses are emitted in short series. In some cases, they are emitted over the low-intensity plateau consisting of the “long” subpulse component. Conclusions: The narrowest correlation scale of pulsar J0814+7429 radio emission corresponds to the doubled scattering time constant of the interstellar medium impulse response. Broader scale of the fine structure of its radio emission can be explained by the radiation of a short series of narrow pulses or relatively broad pulses inside this pulsar magnetosphere.

Chimaeric sounds reveal dichotomies in auditory perception

PubMed Central

Smith, Zachary M.; Delgutte, Bertrand; Oxenham, Andrew J.

2008-01-01

By Fourier's theorem1, signals can be decomposed into a sum of sinusoids of different frequencies. This is especially relevant for hearing, because the inner ear performs a form of mechanical Fourier transform by mapping frequencies along the length of the cochlear partition. An alternative signal decomposition, originated by Hilbert2, is to factor a signal into the product of a slowly varying envelope and a rapidly varying fine time structure. Neurons in the auditory brainstem3–6 sensitive to these features have been found in mammalian physiological studies. To investigate the relative perceptual importance of envelope and fine structure, we synthesized stimuli that we call ‘auditory chimaeras’, which have the envelope of one sound and the fine structure of another. Here we show that the envelope is most important for speech reception, and the fine structure is most important for pitch perception and sound localization. When the two features are in conflict, the sound of speech is heard at a location determined by the fine structure, but the words are identified according to the envelope. This finding reveals a possible acoustic basis for the hypothesized ‘what’ and ‘where’ pathways in the auditory cortex7–10. PMID:11882898

The Effect of Quantum-Mechanical Interference on Precise Measurements of the n = 2 Triplet P Fine Structure of Helium

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

Marsman, A.; Horbatsch, M.; Hessels, E. A., E-mail: hessels@yorku.ca

2015-09-15

For many decades, improvements in both theory and experiment of the fine structure of the n = 2 triplet P levels of helium have allowed for an increasingly precise determination of the fine-structure constant. Recently, it has been observed that quantum-mechanical interference between neighboring resonances can cause significant shifts, even if such neighboring resonances are separated by thousands of natural widths. The shifts depend in detail on the experimental method used for the measurement, as well as the specific experimental parameters employed. Here, we review how these shifts apply for the most precise measurements of the helium 2{sup 3}P fine-structuremore » intervals.« less

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

Coupling fine-scale root and canopy structure using ground-based remote sensing

Treesearch

Brady Hardiman; Christopher Gough; John Butnor; Gil Bohrer; Matteo Detto; Peter Curtis

2017-01-01

Ecosystem physical structure, defined by the quantity and spatial distribution of biomass, influences a range of ecosystem functions. Remote sensing tools permit the non-destructive characterization of canopy and root features, potentially providing opportunities to link above- and belowground structure at fine spatial resolution in...

Formation of fine {gamma} grain structure through fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellar structure in Ti-rich TiAl alloy

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

Kumagai, T.; Abe, E.; Nakamura, M.

1997-12-31

Microstructural development of an extremely fine {alpha}{sub 2}-Ti{sub 32}Al/{gamma}-TiAl lamellar structure, which was formed by ice water quenching after solution-treatment in a high-temperature {alpha}-Ti phase field for a long period of time, was examined during isothermal treatment. In an as-quenched Ti-48at.%Al alloy, the massively transformed {gamma} ({gamma}{sub m}) and untransformed (meaning massively untransformed) fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellar regions were observed. Fine {gamma} grains, which were similar to {gamma}{sub m}, were generated both within the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellae and at the boundary area between the {gamma}{sub m} and the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellar regions by aging at low-temperature (1,173 K)more » for a short time (180s). Further aging (1.8ks) caused the coarsening of these newly generated fine {gamma} grains. On the other hand, the coarsening of the {gamma} grains occurred by a high-temperature (1,323 K) aging treatment even for 180s. Fine {alpha}{sub 2} plates and particles, which were aligned to a particular direction, were observed in the {gamma} grain interiors, indicating that the newly generated {gamma} grains grew at the expense of the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellae. It can be considered that the {gamma} grain formation through the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellae is closely related to the {alpha}{sub 2}{yields}{gamma} reaction of the {alpha}{sub 2} plates sandwiched by the {gamma} plates, and needs the fast heating rate enough to overcome the {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma}{yields}{gamma}/{gamma} lamellae reaction.« less

Modeling selected emulsions and double emulsions as memristive systems.

PubMed

Spasic, Aleksandar M; Jovanovic, Jovan M; Jovanovic, Mica

2012-06-15

The recent development in basic and applied science and engineering of finely dispersed systems is presented in general, but more attention has been paid to the liquid-liquid finely dispersed systems or to the particular emulsions and double emulsions. The selected systems for theoretical and experimental research were emulsions and double emulsions that appeared in the pilot plant for extraction of uranium from wet phosphoric acid. The objective of this research was to try to provide a new or different approach to elaborate the complex phenomena that occur at developed liquid-liquid interfaces. New concepts were introduced, the first is a concept of an entity, and the corresponding classification of finely dispersed systems and the second concept consider the introduction of an almost forgotten basic electrodynamics element memristor, and the corresponding memristive systems. Based on these concepts a theory of electroviscoelasticity was proposed and experimentally corroborated using the selected representative liquid-liquid system. Also, it is shown that the droplet, and/or droplet-film structure, that is, selected emulsion and/or double emulsion may be considered as the particular example of memristive systems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fine Structure of Trious and Excitons in Single GaAs Quantum Dots

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-08-30

RAPID COMMUNICATIONS PHYSICAL REVIEW B 66, 081310~R! ~2002!Fine structure of trions and excitons in single GaAs quantum dots J. G. Tischler, A. S ...fine structure of single localized excitons and trions. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.66.081310 PACS number~ s !: 78.67.Hc, 73.21.2b, 71.35.2yAlthough the...AUTHOR( S ) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval Research Laboratory

Monte Carlo Simulations of Electron Energy-Loss Spectra with the Addition of Fine Structure from Density Functional Theory Calculations.

PubMed

Attarian Shandiz, Mohammad; Guinel, Maxime J-F; Ahmadi, Majid; Gauvin, Raynald

2016-02-01

A new approach is presented to introduce the fine structure of core-loss excitations into the electron energy-loss spectra of ionization edges by Monte Carlo simulations based on an optical oscillator model. The optical oscillator strength is refined using the calculated electron energy-loss near-edge structure by density functional theory calculations. This approach can predict the effects of multiple scattering and thickness on the fine structure of ionization edges. In addition, effects of the fitting range for background removal and the integration range under the ionization edge on signal-to-noise ratio are investigated.

Object-Part Attention Model for Fine-Grained Image Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Yuxin; He, Xiangteng; Zhao, Junjie

2018-03-01

Fine-grained image classification is to recognize hundreds of subcategories belonging to the same basic-level category, such as 200 subcategories belonging to the bird, which is highly challenging due to large variance in the same subcategory and small variance among different subcategories. Existing methods generally first locate the objects or parts and then discriminate which subcategory the image belongs to. However, they mainly have two limitations: (1) Relying on object or part annotations which are heavily labor consuming. (2) Ignoring the spatial relationships between the object and its parts as well as among these parts, both of which are significantly helpful for finding discriminative parts. Therefore, this paper proposes the object-part attention model (OPAM) for weakly supervised fine-grained image classification, and the main novelties are: (1) Object-part attention model integrates two level attentions: object-level attention localizes objects of images, and part-level attention selects discriminative parts of object. Both are jointly employed to learn multi-view and multi-scale features to enhance their mutual promotions. (2) Object-part spatial constraint model combines two spatial constraints: object spatial constraint ensures selected parts highly representative, and part spatial constraint eliminates redundancy and enhances discrimination of selected parts. Both are jointly employed to exploit the subtle and local differences for distinguishing the subcategories. Importantly, neither object nor part annotations are used in our proposed approach, which avoids the heavy labor consumption of labeling. Comparing with more than 10 state-of-the-art methods on 4 widely-used datasets, our OPAM approach achieves the best performance.

A simulation for gravity fine structure recovery from high-low GRAVSAT SST data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estes, R. H.; Lancaster, E. R.

1976-01-01

Covariance error analysis techniques were applied to investigate estimation strategies for the high-low SST mission for accurate local recovery of gravitational fine structure, considering the aliasing effects of unsolved for parameters. Surface density blocks of 5 deg x 5 deg and 2 1/2 deg x 2 1/2 deg resolution were utilized to represent the high order geopotential with the drag-free GRAVSAT configured in a nearly circular polar orbit at 250 km. altitude. GEOPAUSE and geosynchronous satellites were considered as high relay spacecraft. It is demonstrated that knowledge of gravitational fine structure can be significantly improved at 5 deg x 5 deg resolution using SST data from a high-low configuration with reasonably accurate orbits for the low GRAVSAT. The gravity fine structure recoverability of the high-low SST mission is compared with the low-low configuration and shown to be superior.

Revisiting place and temporal theories of pitch

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The nature of pitch and its neural coding have been studied for over a century. A popular debate has revolved around the question of whether pitch is coded via “place” cues in the cochlea, or via timing cues in the auditory nerve. In the most recent incarnation of this debate, the role of temporal fine structure has been emphasized in conveying important pitch and speech information, particularly because the lack of temporal fine structure coding in cochlear implants might explain some of the difficulties faced by cochlear implant users in perceiving music and pitch contours in speech. In addition, some studies have postulated that hearing-impaired listeners may have a specific deficit related to processing temporal fine structure. This article reviews some of the recent literature surrounding the debate, and argues that much of the recent evidence suggesting the importance of temporal fine structure processing can also be accounted for using spectral (place) or temporal-envelope cues. PMID:25364292

Microradiography with Semiconductor Pixel Detectors

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

Jakubek, Jan; Cejnarova, Andrea; Dammer, Jiri

High resolution radiography (with X-rays, neutrons, heavy charged particles, ...) often exploited also in tomographic mode to provide 3D images stands as a powerful imaging technique for instant and nondestructive visualization of fine internal structure of objects. Novel types of semiconductor single particle counting pixel detectors offer many advantages for radiation imaging: high detection efficiency, energy discrimination or direct energy measurement, noiseless digital integration (counting), high frame rate and virtually unlimited dynamic range. This article shows the application and potential of pixel detectors (such as Medipix2 or TimePix) in different fields of radiation imaging.

Usage of Crushed Concrete Fines in Decorative Concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilipenko, Anton; Bazhenova, Sofia

2017-10-01

The article is devoted to the questions of usage of crushed concrete fines from concrete scrap for the production of high-quality decorative composite materials based on mixed binder. The main problem in the application of crushed concrete in the manufacture of decorative concrete products is extremely low decorative properties of crushed concrete fines itself, as well as concrete products based on them. However, crushed concrete fines could have a positive impact on the structure of the concrete matrix and could improve the environmental and economic characteristics of the concrete products. Dust fraction of crushed concrete fines contains non-hydrated cement grains, which can be opened in screening process due to the low strength of the contact zone between the hydrated and non-hydrated cement. In addition, the screening process could increase activity of the crushed concrete fines, so it can be used as a fine aggregate and filler for concrete mixes. Previous studies have shown that the effect of the usage of the crushed concrete fines is small and does not allow to obtain concrete products with high strength. However, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the crushed concrete fines as a filler due to the complex of measures prior to mixing. Such measures may include a preliminary mechanochemical activation of the binder (cement binder, iron oxide pigment, silica fume and crushed concrete fines), as well as the usage of polycarboxylate superplasticizers. The development of specific surface area of activated crushed concrete fines ensures strong adhesion between grains of binder and filler during the formation of cement stone matrix. The particle size distribution of the crushed concrete fines could achieve the densest structure of cement stone matrix and improve its resistance to environmental effects. The authors examined the mechanisms of structure of concrete products with crushed concrete fines as a filler. The results of studies of the properties of the crushed concrete fines were provided. It is shown that the admixture of the crushed concrete fines has little effect on the colour characteristics of the decorative concrete products. The preferred options to improve the surfaces of decorative concrete are also proposed.

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.

Lack of sex-biased dispersal promotes fine-scale genetic structure in alpine ungulates

Treesearch

Gretchen H. Roffler; Sandra L. Talbot; Gordon Luikart; George K. Sage; Kristy L. Pilgrim; Layne G. Adams; Michael K. Schwartz

2014-01-01

Identifying patterns of fine-scale genetic structure in natural populations can advance understanding of critical ecological processes such as dispersal and gene flow across heterogeneous landscapes. Alpine ungulates generally exhibit high levels of genetic structure due to female philopatry and patchy configuration of mountain habitats. We assessed the spatial scale...

Energy, fine structure, hyperfine structure, and radiative transition rates of the high-lying multi-excited states for B-like neon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chun Mei; Chen, Chao; Sun, Yan; Gou, Bing Cong; Shao, Bin

2015-04-01

The Rayleigh-Ritz variational method with multiconfiguration interaction wave functions is used to obtain the energies of high-lying multi-excited quartet states 1 s 22 s2 pnl and 1 s 22 p 2 nl 4Pe,o ( n ≥ 2) in B-like neon, including the mass polarization and relativistic corrections. The fine structure and hyperfine structure of the excited quartet states for this system are investigated. Configuration structures of the high-lying multi-excited series are further identified by relativistic corrections and fine structure splittings. The transition rates and wavelengths are also calculated. Calculated wavelengths include the quantum electrodynamic effects. The results are compared with other theoretical and experimental data in the literature.

Iridium profile for 10 million years across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary at Gubbio (Italy)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alvarez, Walter; Asaro, Frank; Montanari, Alessandro

1990-01-01

The iridium anomaly at the Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) boundary was discovered in the pelagic limestone sequence at Gubbio on the basis of 12 samples analyzed by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and was interpreted as indicating impact of a large extraterrestrial object at exactly the time of the KT mass extinction. Continuing controversy over the shape of the Ir profile at the Gubbio KT boundary and its interpretation called for a more detailed follow-up study. Analysis of a 57-meter-thick, 10-million-year-old part of the Gubbio sequence using improved NAA techniques revealed that there is only one Ir anomaly at the KT boundary, but this anomaly shows an intricate fine structure, the origin of which cannot yet be entirely explained. The KT Ir anomaly peaks in a 1-centimeter-thick clay layer, where the average Ir concentration is 3000 parts per trillion (ppt); this peak is flanked by tails with Ir concentrations of 20 to 80 ppt that rise above a background of 12 to 13 ppt. The fine structure of the tails is probably due in part to lateral reworking, diffusion, burrowing, and perhaps Milankovitch cyclicity.

Development and Validation of a Fine-Motor Assessment Tool for Use with Young Children in a Chinese Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siu, Andrew M. H.; Lai, Cynthia Y. Y.; Chiu, Amy S. M.; Yip, Calvin C. K.

2011-01-01

Objectives: Most of the fine-motor assessment tools used in Hong Kong have been designed in Western countries, so there is a need to develop a standardized assessment which is relevant to the culture and daily living tasks of the local (that is, Chinese) population. This study aimed to (1) develop a fine-motor assessment tool (the Hong Kong…

Anomalous Abundances in Gaseous Nebulae From Recombination and Collisional Lines: Improved Photoionization and Recombination Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradhan, Anil Kumar; Nahar, S. N.; Eissner, W. B.; Montenegro, M.

2011-01-01

A perplexing anomaly arises in the determination of abundances of common elements in gaseous nebulae, as derived from collisionally excited lines (CEL) as opposed to those from Recombination Lines (RCL). The "abundance discrepancy factors" can range from a factor of 2 to an order of magnitude or more. That has led to quite different interpretation of the physical structure and processes in gaseous nebulae, such as temperature fluctuations across the object, or metal-rich concentrations leading to a dual-abundnace scenario. We show that the problem may lie in inaccuracies in photoionization and recombination models neglecting low-energy resonance phenomena due to fine structure. Whereas the atomic physics of electron impact excitation of forbidden lines is well understood, and accurate collision strengths have long been available, that is not generally the case for electron-ion recombination cross sections. A major problem is the inclusion of relativisitic effects as it pertains to the existence of very low-energy fine structure resonances in photoionization cross sections. We carry out new relativistic calculations for photoionization and recombination cross sections using a recently extended version of the Breit-Pauli R-matrix codes, and the unified electron-ion recombination method that subsumes both the radiative and the dielectronic recombination (RR and DR) processes in an ab initio and self-consistent manner. We find that near-thresold resonances manifest themselves within fine structure levels of the ground state of ions, enhancing low-temperature recombination rate coefficients at 1000-10,000 K. The resulting enahncement in level-specific and total recombination rate coefficients should therefore lead to reduced abundances derived from RCL, and in accordance with those from CEL. We present results for photoionization of O II into, and recombination from, O III. Theoretical cross sections are benchmarked against high-resolution measurements from synchrotron based light sources. Work on other atomic species is in progress.

Medium-range, objective predictions of thunderstorm location and severity for aviation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, G. S.; Turner, R. E.

1981-01-01

This paper presents a computerized technique for medium-range (12-48h) prediction of both the location and severity of thunderstorms utilizing atmospheric predictions from the National Meteorological Center's limited-area fine-mesh model (LFM). A regional-scale analysis scheme is first used to examine the spatial and temporal distributions of forecasted variables associated with the structure and dynamics of mesoscale systems over an area of approximately 10 to the 6th sq km. The final prediction of thunderstorm location and severity is based upon an objective combination of these regionally analyzed variables. Medium-range thunderstorm predictions are presented for the late afternoon period of April 10, 1979, the day of the Wichita Falls, Texas tornado. Conventional medium-range thunderstorm forecasts, made from observed data, are presented with the case study to demonstrate the possible application of this objective technique in improving 12-48 h thunderstorm forecasts for aviation.

The Close-Up Imager Onboard the ESA ExoMars Rover: Objectives, Description, Operations, and Science Validation Activities.

PubMed

Josset, Jean-Luc; Westall, Frances; Hofmann, Beda A; Spray, John; Cockell, Charles; Kempe, Stephan; Griffiths, Andrew D; De Sanctis, Maria Cristina; Colangeli, Luigi; Koschny, Detlef; Föllmi, Karl; Verrecchia, Eric; Diamond, Larryn; Josset, Marie; Javaux, Emmanuelle J; Esposito, Francesca; Gunn, Matthew; Souchon-Leitner, Audrey L; Bontognali, Tomaso R R; Korablev, Oleg; Erkman, Suren; Paar, Gerhard; Ulamec, Stephan; Foucher, Frédéric; Martin, Philippe; Verhaeghe, Antoine; Tanevski, Mitko; Vago, Jorge L

The Close-Up Imager (CLUPI) onboard the ESA ExoMars Rover is a powerful high-resolution color camera specifically designed for close-up observations. Its accommodation on the movable drill allows multiple positioning. The science objectives of the instrument are geological characterization of rocks in terms of texture, structure, and color and the search for potential morphological biosignatures. We present the CLUPI science objectives, performance, and technical description, followed by a description of the instrument's planned operations strategy during the mission on Mars. CLUPI will contribute to the rover mission by surveying the geological environment, acquiring close-up images of outcrops, observing the drilling area, inspecting the top portion of the drill borehole (and deposited fines), monitoring drilling operations, and imaging samples collected by the drill. A status of the current development and planned science validation activities is also given. Key Words: Mars-Biosignatures-Planetary Instrumentation. Astrobiology 17, 595-611.

Precision measurement of the three 2(3)P(J) helium fine structure intervals.

PubMed

Zelevinsky, T; Farkas, D; Gabrielse, G

2005-11-11

The three 2(3)P fine structure intervals of 4H are measured at an improved accuracy that is sufficient to test two-electron QED theory and to determine the fine structure constant alpha to 14 parts in 10(9). The more accurate determination of alpha, to a precision higher than attained with the quantum Hall and Josephson effects, awaits the reconciliation of two inconsistent theoretical calculations now being compared term by term. A low pressure helium discharge presents experimental uncertainties quite different than for earlier measurements and allows direct measurements of light pressure shifts.

Collisional excitation of CH2 rotational/fine-structure levels by helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dagdigian, P. J.; Lique, F.

2018-02-01

Accurate determination of the abundance of CH2 in interstellar media relies on both radiative and collisional rate coefficients. We investigate here the rotational/fine-structure excitation of CH2 induced by collisions with He. We employ a recoupling technique to generate fine-structure-resolved cross-sections and rate coefficients from close coupling spin-free scattering calculations. The calculations are based on a recent, high-accuracy CH2-He potential energy surface computed at the coupled clusters level of theory. The collisional cross-section calculations are performed for all fine-structure transitions among the first 22 and 24 energy levels of ortho- and para-CH2, respectively, and for temperatures up to 300 K. As a first application, we simulate the excitation of CH2 in typical molecular clouds. The excitation temperatures of the CH2 lines are found to be small at typical densities of molecular clouds, showing that the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium approach has to be used to analyse interstellar spectra. We also found that the fine-structure lines connected with the 404 - 313 and 505 - 414 rotational transitions show possible maser emissions so that they can be easily seen in emission. These calculations show that CH2 may have to be detected mainly through absorption spectra.

OPTIMIZING MINIRHIZOTRON SAMPLE FREQUENCY FOR AN EVERGREEN AND DECIDIOUS TREE SPECIES

EPA Science Inventory

Increasingly minirhizotrons are being used in natural ecosystems to determine fine root production and turnover, as they provide a nondestructive, in situ method for studying fine root dynamics. Our objective is to determine how image collection frequency influences estimates of ...

Fine structure in plasma waves and radiation near the plasma frequency in Earth's foreshock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cairns, Iver H.

1994-01-01

Novel observations are presented of intrunsic fine structure in the frequency spectrum of electomagnetic (EM) radiation and plasma waves near the electron plasma frequency f(sub p) during a period of unusually high interplanetary magnetic field strength. Measured using the wideband receiver on the International Sun-Earth Explorer (ISEE) 1 spacecraft, fine-structured emissions are observed both in the solar wind and the foreshock, The fine structure is shown to correspond to emissions spaced above f(sub p) near half harmonies of the electon cyclotron frequency f(sub ce), i.e., near f(sub p) + nf(sub ce)/2. These appear to be the first space physics observations of emissions spaced by f(sub ce)/2. Indirect but strong arguments are used to discriminate between EM and electrostatic (ES) signals, to identify whether ISEE 1 is in the solar wind or the foreshock, and to determine the relative frequencies of the emissions and the local f(sub p). The data are consistent with generation of the ES and EM emissions in the foreshock, with subsequent propagation of the EM emissions into the solar wind. It remains possible that some emissions currently identified as ES have significant EM character. The ES and EM emisions often merge into one another with minimal changes in frequency, arguing that their source regions and generation mechanisms are related and imposing significant constraints on theories. The f(sub ce)/2 ES and EM fine structures observed may be intrinsic to the emission mechanisms or to superposition of two series of signals with f(sub ce) spacing that differ in starting frequency by f(sub ce)/2. Present theories for nonlinear wave coupling processes, cyclotron maser emission, and other linear instability processes are all unable to explain multiple EM and/or ES components spaced by approximately f(sub ce)/2 above f(sub p) for f(sub p)/f(sub ce) much greater than 1 and typical for shock beams parameters. Suitable avenues for further theoretical research are identified. Empirically, the observed fine structures appear very similar to those in split bnad and multiple-lane type II solar radio bursts; interpretation of both these type II fine structures in terms of f(sub ce)/2 splitting is suggested, thereby supporting and generalizing a suggestion by Wild (1950). A possible application to continuum radiation is mentioned. The ubiquity of these fine structures in the Earth's f(sub p) radiation and foreshock waves remains unknown. Only the ISEE 1 wideband receiver has sufficient frequency resolution (approximately less than or equal to 100 Hz) to perform a dedicated search. Further study of the ubiquity of these fine structures, of how reliably the splitting corresponds to f(sub ce)/2, and of the other interpretations above is necessary.

Fine-Scale Structure Design for 3D Printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panetta, Francis Julian

Modern additive fabrication technologies can manufacture shapes whose geometric complexities far exceed what existing computational design tools can analyze or optimize. At the same time, falling costs have placed these fabrication technologies within the average consumer's reach. Especially for inexpert designers, new software tools are needed to take full advantage of 3D printing technology. This thesis develops such tools and demonstrates the exciting possibilities enabled by fine-tuning objects at the small scales achievable by 3D printing. The thesis applies two high-level ideas to invent these tools: two-scale design and worst-case analysis. The two-scale design approach addresses the problem that accurately simulating--let alone optimizing--the full-resolution geometry sent to the printer requires orders of magnitude more computational power than currently available. However, we can decompose the design problem into a small-scale problem (designing tileable structures achieving a particular deformation behavior) and a macro-scale problem (deciding where to place these structures in the larger object). This separation is particularly effective, since structures for every useful behavior can be designed once, stored in a database, then reused for many different macroscale problems. Worst-case analysis refers to determining how likely an object is to fracture by studying the worst possible scenario: the forces most efficiently breaking it. This analysis is needed when the designer has insufficient knowledge or experience to predict what forces an object will undergo, or when the design is intended for use in many different scenarios unknown a priori. The thesis begins by summarizing the physics and mathematics necessary to rigorously approach these design and analysis problems. Specifically, the second chapter introduces linear elasticity and periodic homogenization. The third chapter presents a pipeline to design microstructures achieving a wide range of effective isotropic elastic material properties on a single-material 3D printer. It also proposes a macroscale optimization algorithm placing these microstructures to achieve deformation goals under prescribed loads. The thesis then turns to worst-case analysis, first considering the macroscale problem: given a user's design, the fourth chapter aims to determine the distribution of pressures over the surface creating the highest stress at any point in the shape. Solving this problem exactly is difficult, so we introduce two heuristics: one to focus our efforts on only regions likely to concentrate stresses and another converting the pressure optimization into an efficient linear program. Finally, the fifth chapter introduces worst-case analysis at the microscopic scale, leveraging the insight that the structure of periodic homogenization enables us to solve the problem exactly and efficiently. Then we use this worst-case analysis to guide a shape optimization, designing structures with prescribed deformation behavior that experience minimal stresses in generic use.

Spatial Statistics of Deep-Water Ambient Noise; Dispersion Relations for Sound Waves and Shear Waves

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

marine sediments. New focus is on very fine- grained sediments (silt and clay ). OBJECTIVES 1) The scientific objective of the deep-water ambient...density, grain size and overburden pressure. A new focus is on the inter-particle cohesive forces in silts and clays and their role in controlling wave...algebraic expressions. The GS theory is the basis for new research on very fine-grained sediments (silts and clays ), in which inter-granular cohesion is

High Resolutions Studies of the Structure of the Solar Atmosphere

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-30

Pairs in the Solar Wind", submitted to J. Geophys. Res., July 20, 1992. M. Karovska , F. Blundell and S. R. Habbal, "Fine Scale Structure of Active...Regions", manuscript in preparation. M. Karovska , F. Blundell and S. R. Habbal, "Fine Scale Structure of the Solar Limb in a Coronal Hole", manuscript in

Fine-scale genetic structure of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) associations with watershed and growth form

Treesearch

Deborah L. Rogers; Constance I. Millar; Robert D. Westfall

1999-01-01

The fine-scale genetic structure of a subalpine conifer, whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.), was studied at nested geographic levels from watershed to adjacent stems in the eastern Sierra Nevada Range of California. A combination of several characteristics contributed to unpredicted genetic structure in this species. This includes being one of...

Fine- and hyperfine-structure effects in molecular photoionization. I. General theory and direct photoionization.

PubMed

Germann, Matthias; Willitsch, Stefan

2016-07-28

We develop a model for predicting fine- and hyperfine intensities in the direct photoionization of molecules based on the separability of electron and nuclear spin states from vibrational-electronic states. Using spherical tensor algebra, we derive highly symmetrized forms of the squared photoionization dipole matrix elements from which we derive the salient selection and propensity rules for fine- and hyperfine resolved photoionizing transitions. Our theoretical results are validated by the analysis of the fine-structure resolved photoelectron spectrum of O2 reported by Palm and Merkt [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 1385 (1998)] and are used for predicting hyperfine populations of molecular ions produced by photoionization.

Spatial resolution in visual memory.

PubMed

Ben-Shalom, Asaf; Ganel, Tzvi

2015-04-01

Representations in visual short-term memory are considered to contain relatively elaborated information on object structure. Conversely, representations in earlier stages of the visual hierarchy are thought to be dominated by a sensory-based, feed-forward buildup of information. In four experiments, we compared the spatial resolution of different object properties between two points in time along the processing hierarchy in visual short-term memory. Subjects were asked either to estimate the distance between objects or to estimate the size of one of the objects' features under two experimental conditions, of either a short or a long delay period between the presentation of the target stimulus and the probe. When different objects were referred to, similar spatial resolution was found for the two delay periods, suggesting that initial processing stages are sensitive to object-based properties. Conversely, superior resolution was found for the short, as compared with the long, delay when features were referred to. These findings suggest that initial representations in visual memory are hybrid in that they allow fine-grained resolution for object features alongside normal visual sensitivity to the segregation between objects. The findings are also discussed in reference to the distinction made in earlier studies between visual short-term memory and iconic memory.

Artificial intelligence applied to the automatic analysis of absorption spectra. Objective measurement of the fine structure constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bainbridge, Matthew B.; Webb, John K.

2017-06-01

A new and automated method is presented for the analysis of high-resolution absorption spectra. Three established numerical methods are unified into one `artificial intelligence' process: a genetic algorithm (Genetic Voigt Profile FIT, gvpfit); non-linear least-squares with parameter constraints (vpfit); and Bayesian model averaging (BMA). The method has broad application but here we apply it specifically to the problem of measuring the fine structure constant at high redshift. For this we need objectivity and reproducibility. gvpfit is also motivated by the importance of obtaining a large statistical sample of measurements of Δα/α. Interactive analyses are both time consuming and complex and automation makes obtaining a large sample feasible. In contrast to previous methodologies, we use BMA to derive results using a large set of models and show that this procedure is more robust than a human picking a single preferred model since BMA avoids the systematic uncertainties associated with model choice. Numerical simulations provide stringent tests of the whole process and we show using both real and simulated spectra that the unified automated fitting procedure out-performs a human interactive analysis. The method should be invaluable in the context of future instrumentation like ESPRESSO on the VLT and indeed future ELTs. We apply the method to the zabs = 1.8389 absorber towards the zem = 2.145 quasar J110325-264515. The derived constraint of Δα/α = 3.3 ± 2.9 × 10-6 is consistent with no variation and also consistent with the tentative spatial variation reported in Webb et al. and King et al.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Rotating Service Structure has been retracted at KSC's Launch Pad 39A. Discovery, the orbiter for the STS-82 mission, is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) that will be installed, Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1), and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to be installed. The STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes in duration. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope, and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-02-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Rotating Service Structure has been retracted at KSC's Launch Pad 39A. Discovery, the orbiter for the STS-82 mission, is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) that will be installed, Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1), and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to be installed. The STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes in duration. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope, and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.

The contribution of visual information to the perception of speech in noise with and without informative temporal fine structure

PubMed Central

Stacey, Paula C.; Kitterick, Pádraig T.; Morris, Saffron D.; Sumner, Christian J.

2017-01-01

Understanding what is said in demanding listening situations is assisted greatly by looking at the face of a talker. Previous studies have observed that normal-hearing listeners can benefit from this visual information when a talker's voice is presented in background noise. These benefits have also been observed in quiet listening conditions in cochlear-implant users, whose device does not convey the informative temporal fine structure cues in speech, and when normal-hearing individuals listen to speech processed to remove these informative temporal fine structure cues. The current study (1) characterised the benefits of visual information when listening in background noise; and (2) used sine-wave vocoding to compare the size of the visual benefit when speech is presented with or without informative temporal fine structure. The accuracy with which normal-hearing individuals reported words in spoken sentences was assessed across three experiments. The availability of visual information and informative temporal fine structure cues was varied within and across the experiments. The results showed that visual benefit was observed using open- and closed-set tests of speech perception. The size of the benefit increased when informative temporal fine structure cues were removed. This finding suggests that visual information may play an important role in the ability of cochlear-implant users to understand speech in many everyday situations. Models of audio-visual integration were able to account for the additional benefit of visual information when speech was degraded and suggested that auditory and visual information was being integrated in a similar way in all conditions. The modelling results were consistent with the notion that audio-visual benefit is derived from the optimal combination of auditory and visual sensory cues. PMID:27085797

Influence of Fine Motor Skill on Accuracy of Measurements Using a Handheld Sliding Caliper at Adolescents Group Aged 19-20

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brychta, Petr; Hojk, Vladimír; Hrubý, Jiří; Pilc, Jozef

2017-10-01

This innovate ve interdisciplinary study deals with influence of fine motor skill level (finger dexterity) of individual on his measurement results in metrology practice. The main objective of this study was determinate fine motor skill level of individuals using a motor test. Further determinate the potential effect of different fine motor skill levels on accuracy of measuring using a mechanical handheld sliding caliper. Fine motor skill test and metrological test were implemented. Pursuant the results of fine motor skill test were probands divided into 2 groups. The groups are significantly different on accuracy of measurement (p=0,006). Pearson coefficient shows a significant correlation r = - 0.66 between the Purdue Pegboard test and a measurement error. Results confirmed that the fine motor skill of the upper limbs (especially finger coordination) significantly influence accuracy of measurement using a mechanical handheld sliding caliper.

Ultrasound criteria and guided fine-needle aspiration diagnostic yields in small animal peritoneal, mesenteric and omental disease.

PubMed

Feeney, Daniel A; Ober, Christopher P; Snyder, Laura A; Hill, Sara A; Jessen, Carl R

2013-01-01

Peritoneal, mesenteric, and omental diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality in humans and animals, although information in the veterinary literature is limited. The purposes of this retrospective study were to determine whether objectively applied ultrasound interpretive criteria are statistically useful in differentiating among cytologically defined normal, inflammatory, and neoplastic peritoneal conditions in dogs and cats. A second goal was to determine the cytologically interpretable yield on ultrasound-guided, fine-needle sampling of peritoneal, mesenteric, or omental structures. Sonographic criteria agreed upon by the authors were retrospectively and independently applied by two radiologists to the available ultrasound images without knowledge of the cytologic diagnosis and statistically compared to the ultrasound-guided, fine-needle aspiration cytologic interpretations. A total of 72 dogs and 49 cats with abdominal peritoneal, mesenteric, or omental (peritoneal) surface or effusive disease and 17 dogs and 3 cats with no cytologic evidence of inflammation or neoplasia were included. The optimized, ultrasound criteria-based statistical model created independently for each radiologist yielded an equation-based diagnostic category placement accuracy of 63.2-69.9% across the two involved radiologists. Regional organ-associated masses or nodules as well as aggregated bowel and peritoneal thickening were more associated with peritoneal neoplasia whereas localized, severely complex fluid collections were more associated with inflammatory peritoneal disease. The cytologically interpretable yield for ultrasound-guided fine-needle sampling was 72.3% with no difference between species, making this a worthwhile clinical procedure. © 2013 Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound.

A comparative study of new and current methods for dental micro-CT image denoising

PubMed Central

Lashgari, Mojtaba; Qin, Jie; Swain, Michael

2016-01-01

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the application of two advanced noise-reduction algorithms for dental micro-CT images and to implement a comparative analysis of the performance of new and current denoising algorithms. Methods: Denoising was performed using gaussian and median filters as the current filtering approaches and the block-matching and three-dimensional (BM3D) method and total variation method as the proposed new filtering techniques. The performance of the denoising methods was evaluated quantitatively using contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), edge preserving index (EPI) and blurring indexes, as well as qualitatively using the double-stimulus continuous quality scale procedure. Results: The BM3D method had the best performance with regard to preservation of fine textural features (CNREdge), non-blurring of the whole image (blurring index), the clinical visual score in images with very fine features and the overall visual score for all types of images. On the other hand, the total variation method provided the best results with regard to smoothing of images in texture-free areas (CNRTex-free) and in preserving the edges and borders of image features (EPI). Conclusions: The BM3D method is the most reliable technique for denoising dental micro-CT images with very fine textural details, such as shallow enamel lesions, in which the preservation of the texture and fine features is of the greatest importance. On the other hand, the total variation method is the technique of choice for denoising images without very fine textural details in which the clinician or researcher is interested mainly in anatomical features and structural measurements. PMID:26764583

Fine Structure in Helium-like Fluorine by Fast-Beam Laser Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, E. G.; Thompson, J. K.; Silver, J. D.

1998-05-01

With the aim of providing an additional precise test of higher-order corrections to high precision calculations of fine structure in helium and helium-like ions(T. Zhang, Z.-C. Yan and G.W.F. Drake, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77), 1715 (1996)., a measurement of the 2^3P_2,F - 2^3P_1,F' fine structure in ^19F^7+ is in progress. The method involves doppler-tuned laser spectroscopy using a CO2 laser on a foil-stripped fluorine ion beam. We aim to achieve a higher precision, compared to an earlier measurement(E.G. Myers, P. Kuske, H.J. Andrae, I.A. Armour, H.A. Klein, J.D. Silver, and E. Traebert, Phys. Rev. Lett. 47), 87 (1981)., by using laser beams parallel and anti-parallel to the ion beam, to obtain partial cancellation of the doppler shift(J.K. Thompson, D.J.H. Howie and E.G. Myers, Phys. Rev. A 57), 180 (1998).. A calculation of the hyperfine structure, allowing for relativistic, QED and nuclear size effects, will be required to obtain the ``hyperfine-free'' fine structure interval from the measurements.

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].

Hearing impairment, cognition and speech understanding: exploratory factor analyses of a comprehensive test battery for a group of hearing aid users, the n200 study

PubMed Central

Rönnberg, Jerker; Lunner, Thomas; Ng, Elaine Hoi Ning; Lidestam, Björn; Zekveld, Adriana Agatha; Sörqvist, Patrik; Lyxell, Björn; Träff, Ulf; Yumba, Wycliffe; Classon, Elisabet; Hällgren, Mathias; Larsby, Birgitta; Signoret, Carine; Pichora-Fuller, M. Kathleen; Rudner, Mary; Danielsson, Henrik; Stenfelt, Stefan

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective: The aims of the current n200 study were to assess the structural relations between three classes of test variables (i.e. HEARING, COGNITION and aided speech-in-noise OUTCOMES) and to describe the theoretical implications of these relations for the Ease of Language Understanding (ELU) model. Study sample: Participants were 200 hard-of-hearing hearing-aid users, with a mean age of 60.8 years. Forty-three percent were females and the mean hearing threshold in the better ear was 37.4 dB HL. Design: LEVEL1 factor analyses extracted one factor per test and/or cognitive function based on a priori conceptualizations. The more abstract LEVEL 2 factor analyses were performed separately for the three classes of test variables. Results: The HEARING test variables resulted in two LEVEL 2 factors, which we labelled SENSITIVITY and TEMPORAL FINE STRUCTURE; the COGNITIVE variables in one COGNITION factor only, and OUTCOMES in two factors, NO CONTEXT and CONTEXT. COGNITION predicted the NO CONTEXT factor to a stronger extent than the CONTEXT outcome factor. TEMPORAL FINE STRUCTURE and SENSITIVITY were associated with COGNITION and all three contributed significantly and independently to especially the NO CONTEXT outcome scores (R2 = 0.40). Conclusions: All LEVEL 2 factors are important theoretically as well as for clinical assessment. PMID:27589015

Coarse-to-fine construction for high-resolution representation in visual working memory.

PubMed

Gao, Zaifeng; Ding, Xiaowei; Yang, Tong; Liang, Junying; Shui, Rende

2013-01-01

This study explored whether the high-resolution representations created by visual working memory (VWM) are constructed in a coarse-to-fine or all-or-none manner. The coarse-to-fine hypothesis suggests that coarse information precedes detailed information in entering VWM and that its resolution increases along with the processing time of the memory array, whereas the all-or-none hypothesis claims that either both enter into VWM simultaneously, or neither does. We tested the two hypotheses by asking participants to remember two or four complex objects. An ERP component, contralateral delay activity (CDA), was used as the neural marker. CDA is higher for four objects than for two objects when coarse information is primarily extracted; yet, this CDA difference vanishes when detailed information is encoded. Experiment 1 manipulated the comparison difficulty of the task under a 500-ms exposure time to determine a condition in which the detailed information was maintained. No CDA difference was found between two and four objects, even in an easy-comparison condition. Thus, Experiment 2 manipulated the memory array's exposure time under the easy-comparison condition and found a significant CDA difference at 100 ms while replicating Experiment 1's results at 500 ms. In Experiment 3, the 500-ms memory array was blurred to block the detailed information; this manipulation reestablished a significant CDA difference. These findings suggest that the creation of high-resolution representations in VWM is a coarse-to-fine process.

Preference evaluation of ground beef by untrained subjects with three levels of finely textured beef

PubMed Central

Depue, Sandra Molly; Neilson, Morgan Marie

2018-01-01

After receiving bad publicity in 2012 and being removed from many ground beef products, finely textured beef (referred to as ‘pink slime’ by some) is making a comeback. Some of its proponents argue that consumers prefer ground beef containing finely textured beef, but no objective scientific party has tested this claim—that is the purpose of the present study. Over 200 untrained subjects participated in a sensory analysis in which they tasted one ground beef sample with no finely textured beef, another with 15% finely textured beef (by weight), and another with more than 15%. Beef with 15% finely textured beef has an improved juiciness (p < 0.01) and tenderness (p < 0.01) quality. However, subjects rate the flavor-liking and overall likeability the same regardless of the finely textured beef content. Moreover, when the three beef types are consumed as part of a slider (small hamburger), subjects are indifferent to the level of finely textured beef. PMID:29342174

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, ...

Dumbing down Art in America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanger, David

1993-01-01

Argues that art education does not meet its objective of creativity and instead is replicative rather than original. Contends educational journals such as "Instructor" and "Good Apple" reduce fine art to its antithesis, popular art. Concludes that art educators must work diligently to protect fine art from becoming "dumb…

Mathematical skills in 3- and 5-year-olds with spina bifida and their typically developing peers: a longitudinal approach.

PubMed

Barnes, Marcia A; Stubbs, Allison; Raghubar, Kimberly P; Agostino, Alba; Taylor, Heather; Landry, Susan; Fletcher, Jack M; Smith-Chant, Brenda

2011-05-01

Preschoolers with spina bifida (SB) were compared to typically developing (TD) children on tasks tapping mathematical knowledge at 36 months (n = 102) and 60 months of age (n = 98). The group with SB had difficulty compared to TD peers on all mathematical tasks except for transformation on quantities in the subitizable range. At 36 months, vocabulary knowledge, visual-spatial, and fine motor abilities predicted achievement on a measure of informal math knowledge in both groups. At 60 months of age, phonological awareness, visual-spatial ability, and fine motor skill were uniquely and differentially related to counting knowledge, oral counting, object-based arithmetic skills, and quantitative concepts. Importantly, the patterns of association between these predictors and mathematical performance were similar across the groups. A novel finding is that fine motor skill uniquely predicted object-based arithmetic abilities in both groups, suggesting developmental continuity in the neurocognitive correlates of early object-based and later symbolic arithmetic problem solving. Models combining 36-month mathematical ability and these language-based, visual-spatial, and fine motor abilities at 60 months accounted for considerable variance on 60-month informal mathematical outcomes. Results are discussed with reference to models of mathematical development and early identification of risk in preschoolers with neurodevelopmental disorder.

Mathematical Skills in 3- and 5-Year-Olds with Spina Bifida and Their Typically Developing Peers: A Longitudinal Approach

PubMed Central

Barnes, Marcia A.; Stubbs, Allison; Raghubar, Kimberly P.; Agostino, Alba; Taylor, Heather; Landry, Susan; Fletcher, Jack M.; Smith-Chant, Brenda

2011-01-01

Preschoolers with spina bifida (SB) were compared to typically developing (TD) children on tasks tapping mathematical knowledge at 36 months (n = 102) and 60 months of age (n = 98). The group with SB had difficulty compared to TD peers on all mathematical tasks except for transformation on quantities in the subitizable range. At 36 months, vocabulary knowledge, visual–spatial, and fine motor abilities predicted achievement on a measure of informal math knowledge in both groups. At 60 months of age, phonological awareness, visual–spatial ability, and fine motor skill were uniquely and differentially related to counting knowledge, oral counting, object-based arithmetic skills, and quantitative concepts. Importantly, the patterns of association between these predictors and mathematical performance were similar across the groups. A novel finding is that fine motor skill uniquely predicted object-based arithmetic abilities in both groups, suggesting developmental continuity in the neurocognitive correlates of early object-based and later symbolic arithmetic problem solving. Models combining 36-month mathematical ability and these language-based, visual–spatial, and fine motor abilities at 60 months accounted for considerable variance on 60-month informal mathematical outcomes. Results are discussed with reference to models of mathematical development and early identification of risk in preschoolers with neurodevelopmental disorder. PMID:21418718

In vitro and in vivo studies of biodegradable fine grained AZ31 magnesium alloy produced by equal channel angular pressing.

PubMed

Ratna Sunil, B; Sampath Kumar, T S; Chakkingal, Uday; Nandakumar, V; Doble, Mukesh; Devi Prasad, V; Raghunath, M

2016-02-01

The objective of the present work is to investigate the role of different grain sizes produced by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) on the degradation behavior of magnesium alloy using in vitro and in vivo studies. Commercially available AZ31 magnesium alloy was selected and processed by ECAP at 300°C for up to four passes using route Bc. Grain refinement from a starting size of 46μm to a grain size distribution of 1-5μm was successfully achieved after the 4th pass. Wettability of ECAPed samples assessed by contact angle measurements was found to increase due to the fine grain structure. In vitro degradation and bioactivity of the samples studied by immersing in super saturated simulated body fluid (SBF 5×) showed rapid mineralization within 24h due to the increased wettability in fine grained AZ31 Mg alloy. Corrosion behavior of the samples assessed by weight loss and electrochemical tests conducted in SBF 5× clearly showed the prominent role of enhanced mineral deposition on ECAPed AZ31 Mg in controlling the abnormal degradation. Cytotoxicity studies by MTT colorimetric assay showed that all the samples are viable. Additionally, cell adhesion was excellent for ECAPed samples particularly for the 3rd and 4th pass samples. In vivo experiments conducted using New Zealand White rabbits clearly showed lower degradation rate for ECAPed sample compared with annealed AZ31 Mg alloy and all the samples showed biocompatibility and no health abnormalities were noticed in the animals after 60days of in vivo studies. These results suggest that the grain size plays an important role in degradation management of magnesium alloys and ECAP technique can be adopted to achieve fine grain structures for developing degradable magnesium alloys for biomedical applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (LITMS) Investigation for Future Planetary Surface Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brinckerhoff, W.; Danell, R.; Van Ameron, F.; Pinnick, V.; Li, X.; Arevalo, R.; Glavin, D.; Getty, S.; Mahaffy, P.; Chu, P.;

Applications of x ray absorption fine structure to the in situ study of the effect of cobalt in nickel hydrous oxide electrodes for fuel cells and rechargeable batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Sunghyun; Tryk, Donald A.; Scherson, Daniel A.; Antonio, Mark R.

1993-01-01

Electronic and structural aspects of composite nickel-cobalt hydrous oxides have been examined in alkaline solutions using in situ X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). The results obtained have indicated that cobalt in this material is present as cobaltic ions regardless of the oxidation state of nickel in the lattice. Furthermore, careful analysis of the Co K-edge Extended X-ray absorption fine structure data reveals that the co-electrodeposition procedure generates a single phase, mixed metal hydrous oxide, in which cobaltic ions occupy nickel sites in the NiO2 sheet-like layers and not two intermixed phases each consisting of a single metal hydrous oxide.

Variations in the fine-structure constant constraining gravity theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bezerra, V. B.; Cunha, M. S.; Muniz, C. R.; Tahim, M. O.; Vieira, H. S.

2016-08-01

In this paper, we investigate how the fine-structure constant, α, locally varies in the presence of a static and spherically symmetric gravitational source. The procedure consists in calculating the solution and the energy eigenvalues of a massive scalar field around that source, considering the weak-field regime. From this result, we obtain expressions for a spatially variable fine-structure constant by considering suitable modifications in the involved parameters admitting some scenarios of semi-classical and quantum gravities. Constraints on free parameters of the approached theories are calculated from astrophysical observations of the emission spectra of a white dwarf. Such constraints are finally compared with those obtained in the literature.

Fine Structure of Diffuse Scattering Rings in Al-Li-Cu Quasicrystal: A Comparative X-ray and Electron Diffraction Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnadieu, P.; Dénoyer, F.

1996-11-01

A comparative X-ray and electron diffraction study has been performed on Al-Li-Cu icosahedral quasicrystal in order to investigate the diffuse scattering rings revealed by a previous work. Electron diffraction confirms the existence of rings but shows that the rings have a fine structure. The diffuse aspect on the X-ray diffraction patterns is then due to an averaging effect. Recent simulations based on the model of canonical cells related to the icosahedral packing give diffractions patterns in agreement with this fine structure effect. Nous comparons les diagrammes de diffraction des rayon-X et des électrons obtenus sur les mêmes échantillons du quasicristal icosaèdrique Al-Li-Cu. Notre but est d'étudier les anneaux de diffusion diffuse mis en évidence par un travail précédent. Les diagrammes de diffraction électronique confirment la présence des anneaux mais ils montrent aussi que ces anneaux possèdent une structure fine. L'aspect diffus des anneaux révélés par la diffraction des rayons X est dû à un effet de moyenne. Des simulations récentes basées sur la décomposition en cellules canoniques de l'empilement icosaédrique produisent des diagrammes de diffraction en accord avec ces effects de structure fine.

Local Fine Structural Insight into Mechanism of Electrochemical Passivation of Titanium.

PubMed

Wang, Lu; Yu, Hongying; Wang, Ke; Xu, Haisong; Wang, Shaoyang; Sun, Dongbai

2016-07-20

Electrochemically formed passive film on titanium in 1.0 M H2SO4 solution and its thickness, composition, chemical state, and local fine structure are examined by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray absorption fine structure. AES analysis reveals that the thickness and composition of oxide film are proportional to the reciprocal of current density in potentiodynamic polarization. XPS depth profiles of the chemical states of titanium exhibit the coexistence of various valences cations in the surface. Quantitative X-ray absorption near edge structure analysis of the local electronic structure of the topmost surface (∼5.0 nm) shows that the ratio of [TiO2]/[Ti2O3] is consistent with that of passivation/dissolution of electrochemical activity. Theoretical calculation and analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectra at Ti K-edge indicate that both the structures of passivation and dissolution are distorted caused by the appearance of two different sites of Ti-O and Ti-Ti. And the bound water in the topmost surface plays a vital role in structural disorder confirmed by XPS. Overall, the increase of average Ti-O coordination causes the electrochemical passivation, and the dissolution is due to the decrease of average Ti-Ti coordination. The structural variations of passivation in coordination number and interatomic distance are in good agreement with the prediction of point defect model.

Fine- and hyperfine-structure effects in molecular photoionization. I. General theory and direct photoionization

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

Germann, Matthias; Willitsch, Stefan, E-mail: stefan.willitsch@unibas.ch

2016-07-28

We develop a model for predicting fine- and hyperfine intensities in the direct photoionization of molecules based on the separability of electron and nuclear spin states from vibrational-electronic states. Using spherical tensor algebra, we derive highly symmetrized forms of the squared photoionization dipole matrix elements from which we derive the salient selection and propensity rules for fine- and hyperfine resolved photoionizing transitions. Our theoretical results are validated by the analysis of the fine-structure resolved photoelectron spectrum of O{sub 2} reported by Palm and Merkt [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 1385 (1998)] and are used for predicting hyperfine populations of molecular ionsmore » produced by photoionization.« less

Webly-Supervised Fine-Grained Visual Categorization via Deep Domain Adaptation.

PubMed

Xu, Zhe; Huang, Shaoli; Zhang, Ya; Tao, Dacheng

2018-05-01

Learning visual representations from web data has recently attracted attention for object recognition. Previous studies have mainly focused on overcoming label noise and data bias and have shown promising results by learning directly from web data. However, we argue that it might be better to transfer knowledge from existing human labeling resources to improve performance at nearly no additional cost. In this paper, we propose a new semi-supervised method for learning via web data. Our method has the unique design of exploiting strong supervision, i.e., in addition to standard image-level labels, our method also utilizes detailed annotations including object bounding boxes and part landmarks. By transferring as much knowledge as possible from existing strongly supervised datasets to weakly supervised web images, our method can benefit from sophisticated object recognition algorithms and overcome several typical problems found in webly-supervised learning. We consider the problem of fine-grained visual categorization, in which existing training resources are scarce, as our main research objective. Comprehensive experimentation and extensive analysis demonstrate encouraging performance of the proposed approach, which, at the same time, delivers a new pipeline for fine-grained visual categorization that is likely to be highly effective for real-world applications.

Progressive 3D shape abstraction via hierarchical CSG tree

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xingyou; Tang, Jin; Li, Chenglong

2017-06-01

A constructive solid geometry(CSG) tree model is proposed to progressively abstract 3D geometric shape of general object from 2D image. Unlike conventional ones, our method applies to general object without the need for massive CAD models, and represents the object shapes in a coarse-to-fine manner that allows users to view temporal shape representations at any time. It stands in a transitional position between 2D image feature and CAD model, benefits from state-of-the-art object detection approaches and better initializes CAD model for finer fitting, estimates 3D shape and pose parameters of object at different levels according to visual perception objective, in a coarse-to-fine manner. Two main contributions are the application of CSG building up procedure into visual perception, and the ability of extending object estimation result into a more flexible and expressive model than 2D/3D primitive shapes. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Beyond Solar-B: MTRAP, the Magnetic Transition Region Probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, John M.; Moore, Ronald L.; Hathaway, David H.

2003-01-01

The next generation of solar missions will reveal and measure fine-scale solar magnetic fields and their effects in the solar atmosphere at heights, small scales, sensitivities, and fields of view well beyond the reach of Solar-B. The necessity for, and potential of, such observations for understanding solar magnetic fields, their generation in and below the photosphere, and their control of the solar atmosphere and heliosphere, were the focus of a science definition workshop, 'High-Resolution Solar Magnetography from Space: Beyond Solar-B,' held in Huntsville Alabama in April 2001. Forty internationally prominent scientists active in solar research involving fine-scale solar magnetism participated in this Workshop and reached consensus that the key science objective to be pursued beyond Solar-B is a physical understanding of the fine-scale magnetic structure and activity in the magnetic transition region, defined as the region between the photosphere and corona where neither the plasma nor the magnetic field strongly dominates the other. The observational objective requires high cadence (less than 10s) vector magnetic field maps, and spatially resolved spectra from the IR, visible, vacuum UV, to the EUV at high resolution (less than 50km) over a large FOV (approximately 140,000 km). A polarimetric resolution of one part in ten thousand is required to measure transverse magnetic fields of less than 30G. The latest SEC Roadmap includes a mission identified as MTRAP to meet these requirements. Enabling technology development requirements include large, lightweight, reflecting optics, large format sensors (16K x 16K pixels) with high QE at 150 nm, and extendable spacecraft structures. The Science Organizing Committee of the Beyond Solar-B Workshop recommends that: (1) Science and Technology Definition Teams should be established in FY04 to finalize the science requirements and to define technology development efforts needed to ensure the practicality of MTRAP's observational goals; (2) The necessary technology development funding should be included in Code S budgets for FY06 and beyond to prepare MTRAP for a new start no later than the nominal end of the Solar-B mission, around 2010.

Beyond Solar-B: MTRAP, the Magnetic TRAnsition Region Probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, J. M.; Moore, R. L.; Hathaway, D. H.; Science Definition CommitteeHigh-Resolution Solar Magnetography Beyond Solar-B Team

2003-05-01

The next generation of solar missions will reveal and measure fine-scale solar magnetic fields and their effects in the solar atmosphere at heights, small scales, sensitivities, and fields of view well beyond the reach of Solar-B. The necessity for, and potential of, such observations for understanding solar magnetic fields, their generation in and below the photosphere, and their control of the solar atmosphere and heliosphere, were the focus of a science definition workshop, "High-Resolution Solar Magnetography from Space: Beyond Solar-B," held in Huntsville Alabama in April 2001. Forty internationally prominent scientists active in solar research involving fine-scale solar magnetism participated in this Workshop and reached consensus that the key science objective to be pursued beyond Solar-B is a physical understanding of the fine-scale magnetic structure and activity in the magnetic transition region, defined as the region between the photosphere and corona where neither the plasma nor the magnetic field strongly dominates the other. The observational objective requires high cadence (< 10s) vector magnetic field maps, and spatially resolved spectra from the IR, visible, vacuum UV, to the EUV at high resolution (< 50km) over a large FOV ( 140,000 km). A polarimetric resolution of one part in ten thousand is required to measure transverse magnetic fields of < 30G. The latest SEC Roadmap includes a mission identified as MTRAP to meet these requirements. Enabling technology development requirements include large, lightweight, reflecting optics, large format sensors (16K x 16K pixels) with high QE at 150 nm, and extendable spacecraft structures. The Science Organizing Committee of the Beyond Solar-B Workshop recommends that: 1. Science and Technology Definition Teams should be established in FY04 to finalize the science requirements and to define technology development efforts needed to ensure the practicality of MTRAP's observational goals. 2. The necessary technology development funding should be included in Code S budgets for FY06 and beyond to prepare MTRAP for a new start no later than the nominal end of the Solar-B mission, around 2010.

a Measurement of the Fine Structure Constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hensley, Joel M.; Wicht, Andreas; Sarajlic, Edina; Chu, Steven

2002-06-01

Using an atom interferometer method, we measure the recoil velocity of cesium due to the coherent scattering of a photon. This measurement is used to obtain a preliminary value of ħ/MCs and the fine structure constant, α, with an uncertainty Δα/α = 7.3 × 10-9.

A comparison of effects from prescribed fires and wildfires managed for resource objectives in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nesmith, C.B.; Caprio, Anthony C.; Pfaff, Anne H.; McGinnis, Thomas W.; Keeley, Jon E.

2011-01-01

Current goals for prescription burning are focused on measures of fuel consumption and changes in forest density. These benchmarks, however, do not address the extent to which prescription burning meets perceived ecosystem needs of heterogeneity in burning, both for overstory trees and understory herbs and shrubs. There are still questions about how closely prescribed fires mimic these patterns compared to natural wildfires. This study compared burn patterns of prescribed fires and managed unplanned wildfires to understand how the differing burning regimes affect ecosystem properties. Measures of forest structure and fire severity were sampled in three recent prescribed fires and three wildfires managed for resource objectives in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Fine scale patterns of fire severity and heterogeneity were compared between fire types using ground-based measures of fire effects on fuels and overstory and understory vegetation. Prescribed fires and wildfires managed for resource objectives displayed similar patterns of overstory and understory fire severity, heterogeneity, and seedling and sapling survival. Variation among plots within the same fire was always greater than between fire types. Prescribed fires can provide burned landscapes that approximate natural fires in many ways. It is recognized that constraints placed on when wildfires managed for resource objectives are allowed to burn freely may bias the range of conditions that might have been experienced under more natural conditions. Therefore they may not exactly mimic natural wildfires. Overall, the similarity in fire effects that we observed between prescribed fires and managed wildfires indicate that despite the restrictions that are often placed on prescribed fires, they appear to be creating post-fire conditions that approximate natural fires when assessed on a fine spatial scale.

The Concert system - Compiler and runtime technology for efficient concurrent object-oriented programming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chien, Andrew A.; Karamcheti, Vijay; Plevyak, John; Sahrawat, Deepak

1993-01-01

Concurrent object-oriented languages, particularly fine-grained approaches, reduce the difficulty of large scale concurrent programming by providing modularity through encapsulation while exposing large degrees of concurrency. Despite these programmability advantages, such languages have historically suffered from poor efficiency. This paper describes the Concert project whose goal is to develop portable, efficient implementations of fine-grained concurrent object-oriented languages. Our approach incorporates aggressive program analysis and program transformation with careful information management at every stage from the compiler to the runtime system. The paper discusses the basic elements of the Concert approach along with a description of the potential payoffs. Initial performance results and specific plans for system development are also detailed.

NASAL FILTERING OF FINE PARTICLES IN CHILDREN VS. ADULTS

EPA Science Inventory

Nasal efficiency for removing fine particles may be affected by developmental changes in nasal structure associated with age. In healthy Caucasian children (age 6-13, n=17) and adults (age 18-28, n=11) we measured the fractional deposition (DF) of fine particles (1 and 2um MMAD)...

Fine Structure of Dark Energy and New Physics

DOE PAGES

Jejjala, Vishnu; Kavic, Michael; Minic, Djordje

2007-01-01

Following our recent work on the cosmological constant problem, in this letter we make a specific proposal regarding the fine structure (i.e., the spectrum) of dark energy. The proposal is motivated by a deep analogy between the blackbody radiation problem, which led to the development of quantum theory, and the cosmological constant problem, for which we have recently argued calls for a conceptual extension of the quantum theory. We argue that the fine structure of dark energy is governed by a Wien distribution, indicating its dual quantum and classical nature. We discuss observational consequences of such a picture of darkmore » energy and constrain the distribution function.« less

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.

Excitonic fine-structure splitting in telecom-wavelength InAs/GaAs quantum dots: Statistical distribution and height-dependence

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

Goldmann, Elias, E-mail: goldmann@itp.uni-bremen.de; Barthel, Stefan; Florian, Matthias

The variation of the excitonic fine-structure splitting is studied for semiconductor quantum dots under the influence of a strain-reducing layer, utilized to shift the emission wavelength of the excitonic transition into the telecom-wavelength regime of 1.3–1.5 μm. By means of a sp{sup 3}s{sup *}-tight-binding model and configuration interaction, we calculate wavelength shifts and fine-structure splittings for various quantum dot geometries. We find the splittings remaining small and even decreasing with strain-reducing layer composition for quantum dots with large height. Combined with an observed increased emission efficiency, the applicability for generation of entanglement photons is persistent.

A Flexile and High Precision Calibration Method for Binocular Structured Light Scanning System

PubMed Central

Yuan, Jianying; Wang, Qiong; Li, Bailin

2014-01-01

3D (three-dimensional) structured light scanning system is widely used in the field of reverse engineering, quality inspection, and so forth. Camera calibration is the key for scanning precision. Currently, 2D (two-dimensional) or 3D fine processed calibration reference object is usually applied for high calibration precision, which is difficult to operate and the cost is high. In this paper, a novel calibration method is proposed with a scale bar and some artificial coded targets placed randomly in the measuring volume. The principle of the proposed method is based on hierarchical self-calibration and bundle adjustment. We get initial intrinsic parameters from images. Initial extrinsic parameters in projective space are estimated with the method of factorization and then upgraded to Euclidean space with orthogonality of rotation matrix and rank 3 of the absolute quadric as constraint. Last, all camera parameters are refined through bundle adjustment. Real experiments show that the proposed method is robust, and has the same precision level as the result using delicate artificial reference object, but the hardware cost is very low compared with the current calibration method used in 3D structured light scanning system. PMID:25202736

Macronuclear Cytology of Synchronized Tetrahymena pyriformis

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

Cameron, I. L.; Padilla, G. M.; Miller, Jr., O. L.

1966-05-01

Elliott, Kennedy and Bak ('62) and Elliott ('63) followed fine structural changes in macronuclei of Tetrahymena pyriformis which were synchronized by the heat shock method of Scherbaum and Zeuthen ('54). Using Elliott's morphological descriptions as a basis, we designed our investigations with two main objectives: First, to again study the. morphological changes which occur in the macronucleus of Tetrahymena synchronized by the heat shock method. The second objective was to compare these observations with Tetrahymena synchronized by an alternate method recently reported by Padilla and Cameron ('64). Therefore, we were able to compare the results from two different synchronization methodsmore » and to contrast these findings with the macronuclear cytology of Tetrahymena taken from a logarithmically growing culture. Comparison of cells treated in these three different ways enables us to evaluate the two different synchronization methods and to gain more information on the structural changes taking place in the macronucleus of Tetrahymena as a function of the cell cycle. Our observations were confined primarily to nucleolar morphology. The results indicate that cells synchronized by the Padilla and Cameron method more closely resemble logarithmically growing Tetrahymena in the macronuclear structure than do cells obtained by the Scherbaum and·Zeuthen synchronization method. .« less

A tale of two pectins: Diverse fine structures can result from identical processive PME treatments on similar high DM subtrates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effects of a processive pectin-methylesterase treatment on two different pectins, both possessing a high degree of methylesterification, were investigated. While the starting samples were purportedly very similar in fine structure, and even though the sample-averaged degree of methylesterificati...

Temporal Fine Structure and Applications to Cochlear Implants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Xing

2013-01-01

Complex broadband sounds are decomposed by the auditory filters into a series of relatively narrowband signals, each of which conveys information about the sound by time-varying features. The slow changes in the overall amplitude constitute envelope, while the more rapid events, such as zero crossings, constitute temporal fine structure (TFS).…

Enhanced renal image contrast by ethanol fixation in phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography.

PubMed

Shirai, Ryota; Kunii, Takuya; Yoneyama, Akio; Ooizumi, Takahito; Maruyama, Hiroko; Lwin, Thet Thet; Hyodo, Kazuyuki; Takeda, Tohoru

2014-07-01

Phase-contrast X-ray imaging using a crystal X-ray interferometer can depict the fine structures of biological objects without the use of a contrast agent. To obtain higher image contrast, fixation techniques have been examined with 100% ethanol and the commonly used 10% formalin, since ethanol causes increased density differences against background due to its physical properties and greater dehydration of soft tissue. Histological comparison was also performed. A phase-contrast X-ray system was used, fitted with a two-crystal X-ray interferometer at 35 keV X-ray energy. Fine structures, including cortex, tubules in the medulla, and the vessels of ethanol-fixed kidney could be visualized more clearly than that of formalin-fixed tissues. In the optical microscopic images, shrinkage of soft tissue and decreased luminal space were observed in ethanol-fixed kidney; and this change was significantly shown in the cortex and outer stripe of the outer medulla. The ethanol fixation technique enhances image contrast by approximately 2.7-3.2 times in the cortex and the outer stripe of the outer medulla; the effect of shrinkage and the physical effect of ethanol cause an increment of approximately 78% and 22%, respectively. Thus, the ethanol-fixation technique enables the image contrast to be enhanced in phase-contrast X-ray imaging.

Carbon-14 analyses reveal fine structure of the urban carbon dioxide dome in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehleringer, J. R.; Hopkins, F. M.; Xu, X.; Barnette, J.; Randerson, J. T.; Bush, S.; Lai, C.

2013-12-01

Carbon-14 analyses of mature deciduous tree leaves (aspen and cottonwood) were used to measure the increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide within the expansive urbanizing Salt Lake Valley, Utah, USA associated with fossil fuel combustion. Our objectives were twofold: to understand the fine scale spatial structure of elevated carbon dioxide levels in this urban environment and to relate these observations to actual carbon dioxide observations collected using both long-term monitoring sites and a mobile measurement vehicle. Paired observations of aspen and cottonwood at sites across the valley showed that there was no significant difference in carbon-14 values, allowing spatial pattern evaluations at sites where one but not the other species was present. Statistically significant patterns were observed over a two-year measurement period, with elevated carbon dioxide levels associated with carbon-14 depleted leaves, particularly in regions with higher vehicle travel. Carbon-14 content of leaves was significantly lower on 4-lane roads than on nearby 2-lane roads in both residential and commercial zones, consistent with atmospheric carbon dioxide observations. The analysis of spatial patterns in the carbon-14 in leaves was then used to evaluate how well these observations compared to instantaneous and long-term observations of carbon dioxide using traditional infrared gas analyzer approaches.

Use of 3D vision for fine robot motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lokshin, Anatole; Litwin, Todd

1989-01-01

An integration of 3-D vision systems with robot manipulators will allow robots to operate in a poorly structured environment by visually locating targets and obstacles. However, by using computer vision for objects acquisition makes the problem of overall system calibration even more difficult. Indeed, in a CAD based manipulation a control architecture has to find an accurate mapping between the 3-D Euclidean work space and a robot configuration space (joint angles). If a stereo vision is involved, then one needs to map a pair of 2-D video images directly into the robot configuration space. Neural Network approach aside, a common solution to this problem is to calibrate vision and manipulator independently, and then tie them via common mapping into the task space. In other words, both vision and robot refer to some common Absolute Euclidean Coordinate Frame via their individual mappings. This approach has two major difficulties. First a vision system has to be calibrated over the total work space. And second, the absolute frame, which is usually quite arbitrary, has to be the same with a high degree of precision for both robot and vision subsystem calibrations. The use of computer vision to allow robust fine motion manipulation in a poorly structured world which is currently in progress is described along with the preliminary results and encountered problems.

The Orion Nebula in the Far-Infrared: high-J CO and fine-structure lines mapped by FIFI-LS/SOFIA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Randolf; Looney, Leslie; Cox, Erin; Fischer, Christian; Iserlohe, Christof; Krabbe, Alfred

2015-08-01

The Orion Nebula is the closest massive star forming region allowing us to study the physical conditions in such a region with high spatial resolution. We used the far infrared integral-field spectrometer, FIFI-LS, on-board the airborne observatory SOFIA to study the atomic and molecular gas in the Orion Nebula at medium spectral resolution.The large maps obtained with FIFI-LS cover the nebula from the BN/KL-object to the bar in several fine structure lines. These spectral maps are the largest and highest spatially resolved to date. They allow us to study the conditions of the photon-dominated region and the interface to the molecular cloud with unprecedented detail.Another investigation targeted the molecular gas in the BN/KL region of the Orion Nebula, which is stirred up by a violent explosion about 500 years ago. The explosion drives a wide angled molecular outflow. We present maps of several high-J CO observations (J in the range of 10 to 30), allowing us to analyse of the heated molecular gas.The observations were taken during the commissioning of FIFI-LS last year and as recent as this March. The results are still preliminary as the data reduction and calibration is still under development.

Laser Spectroscopy of the Fine-Structure Splitting in the 2^{3}P_{J} Levels of ^{4}He.

PubMed

Zheng, X; Sun, Y R; Chen, J-J; Jiang, W; Pachucki, K; Hu, S-M

2017-02-10

The fine-structure splitting in the 2^{3}P_{J} (J=0, 1, 2) levels of ^{4}He is of great interest for tests of quantum electrodynamics and for the determination of the fine-structure constant α. The 2^{3}P_{0}-2^{3}P_{2} and 2^{3}P_{1}-2^{3}P_{2} intervals are measured by laser spectroscopy of the ^{3}P_{J}-2^{3}S_{1} transitions at 1083 nm in an atomic beam, and are determined to be 31 908 130.98±0.13  kHz and 2 291 177.56±0.19  kHz, respectively. Compared with calculations, which include terms up to α^{5}Ry, the deviation for the α-sensitive interval 2^{3}P_{0}-2^{3}P_{2} is only 0.22 kHz. It opens the window for further improvement of theoretical predictions and an independent determination of the fine-structure constant α with a precision of 2×10^{-9}.

QUIESCENT PROMINENCES IN THE ERA OF ALMA: SIMULATED OBSERVATIONS USING THE 3D WHOLE-PROMINENCE FINE STRUCTURE MODEL

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

Gunár, Stanislav; Heinzel, Petr; Mackay, Duncan H.

2016-12-20

We use the detailed 3D whole-prominence fine structure model to produce the first simulated high-resolution ALMA observations of a modeled quiescent solar prominence. The maps of synthetic brightness temperature and optical thickness shown in the present paper are produced using a visualization method for synthesis of the submillimeter/millimeter radio continua. We have obtained the simulated observations of both the prominence at the limb and the filament on the disk at wavelengths covering a broad range that encompasses the full potential of ALMA. We demonstrate here extent to which the small-scale and large-scale prominence and filament structures will be visible inmore » the ALMA observations spanning both the optically thin and thick regimes. We analyze the relationship between the brightness and kinetic temperature of the prominence plasma. We also illustrate the opportunities ALMA will provide for studying the thermal structure of the prominence plasma from the cores of the cool prominence fine structure to the prominence–corona transition region. In addition, we show that detailed 3D modeling of entire prominences with their numerous fine structures will be important for the correct interpretation of future ALMA observations of prominences.« less

The development and test of a deformable diffraction grating for a stigmatic EUV spectroheliometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Timothy, J. Gethyn; Walker, A. B. C., Jr.; Morgan, J. S.; Huber, M. C. E.; Tondello, G.

1992-01-01

The objectives were to address currently unanswered fundamental questions concerning the fine scale structure of the chromosphere, transition region, and corona. The unique characteristics of the spectroheliometer was used in combination with plasma diagnostic techniques to study the temperature, density, and velocity structures of specific features in the solar outer atmosphere. A unified understanding was sought of the interplay between the time dependent geometry of the magnetic field structure and the associated flows of mass and energy, the key to which lies in the smallest spatial scales that are unobservable with current EUV instruments. Toroidal diffraction gratings were fabricated and tested by a new technique using an elastically deformable substrate. The toroidal diffraction gratings was procured and tested to be used for the evaluation of the Multi-Anode Microchannel Array (MAMA) detector systems for the Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation (SUMER) and UV Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) instruments on the SOHO mission.

Aging and the segmentation of narrative film.

PubMed

Kurby, Christopher A; Asiala, Lillian K E; Mills, Steven R

2014-01-01

The perception of event structure in continuous activity is important for everyday comprehension. Although the segmentation of experience into events is a normal concomitant of perceptual processing, previous research has shown age differences in the ability to perceive structure in naturalistic activity, such as a movie of someone washing a car. However, past research has also shown that older adults have a preserved ability to comprehend events in narrative text, which suggests that narrative may improve the event processing of older adults. This study tested whether there are age differences in event segmentation at the intersection of continuous activity and narrative: narrative film. Younger and older adults watched and segmented a narrative film, The Red Balloon, into coarse and fine events. Changes in situational features, such as changes in characters, goals, and objects predicted segmentation. Analyses revealed little age-difference in segmentation behavior. This suggests the possibility that narrative structure supports event understanding for older adults.

EFFECTS OF ELEVATED CO2 ON FINE ROOT DYNAMICS IN A MOJAVE DESERT COMMUNITY: A FACE STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

Fine roots ('1 mm diameter) are critical in plant water and nutrient absorption, and it is important to understand how rising atmospheric CO2 will affect them as part of terrestrial ecosystem responses to global change. This study's objective was to determine the effects of elev...

Strategies to increase seat belt use : an analysis of levels of fines and the type of law.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-11-01

The main objectives of this study were to determine the relationships between seat belt use in the States and (1) the : type of seat belt law enforcement (primary versus secondary), and (2) seat belt fine levels. : The study examined law type and lev...

CONTINUOUS MONITORING OF ULTRAFINE, FINE, AND COARSE PARTICLES IN A RESIDENCE FOR 18 MONTHS IN 1999-2000

EPA Science Inventory

Continuous monitors were employed for 18 months in an occupied townhouse to measure ultrafine, fine, and coarse particles; air change rates; wind speed and direction; temperature; and relative humidity (RH). A main objective was to document short-term and long-term variation in...

Differences in Blood Pressure and Vascular Responses Associated with Ambient Fine Particulate Matter Exposures Measured at the Personal Versus Community Level

EPA Science Inventory

Background Higher ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) levels can be associated with increased blood pressure and vascular dysfunction. Objectives To determine the differential effects on blood pressure and vascular function of daily changes in community ambient-...

Exploration of the Rapid Effects of Personal Fine Particulate Matter Exposure on Hemodynamics and Vascular Function during the Same Day

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Levels of fine particulate matter [≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM_2.5)] are associated with alterations in arterial hemodynamics and vascular function. However, the characteristics of the same-day exposure–response relationships remain unclear. Object...

Demonstrating the Uneven Importance of Fine-Scale Forest Structure on Snow Distributions using High Resolution Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broxton, P. D.; Harpold, A. A.; van Leeuwen, W.; Biederman, J. A.

2016-12-01

Quantifying the amount of snow in forested mountainous environments, as well as how it may change due to warming and forest disturbance, is critical given its importance for water supply and ecosystem health. Forest canopies affect snow accumulation and ablation in ways that are difficult to observe and model. Furthermore, fine-scale forest structure can accentuate or diminish the effects of forest-snow interactions. Despite decades of research demonstrating the importance of fine-scale forest structure (e.g. canopy edges and gaps) on snow, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of where and when forest structure has the largest impact on snowpack mass and energy budgets. Here, we use a hyper-resolution (1 meter spatial resolution) mass and energy balance snow model called the Snow Physics and Laser Mapping (SnowPALM) model along with LIDAR-derived forest structure to determine where spatial variability of fine-scale forest structure has the largest influence on large scale mass and energy budgets. SnowPALM was set up and calibrated at sites representing diverse climates in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Then, we compared simulations at different model resolutions (i.e. 1, 10, and 100 m) to elucidate the effects of including versus not including information about fine scale canopy structure. These experiments were repeated for different prescribed topographies (i.e. flat, 30% slope north, and south-facing) at each site. Higher resolution simulations had more snow at lower canopy cover, with the opposite being true at high canopy cover. Furthermore, there is considerable scatter, indicating that different canopy arrangements can lead to different amounts of snow, even when the overall canopy coverage is the same. This modeling is contributing to the development of a high resolution machine learning algorithm called the Snow Water Artificial Network (SWANN) model to generate predictions of snow distributions over much larger domains, which has implications for improving land surface models that do not currently resolve or parameterize fine-scale canopy structure. In addition, these findings have implications for understanding the potential of different forest management strategies (i.e. thinning) based on local topography and climate to maximize the amount and retention of snow.

Relaxation of the structure of simple metal ion complexes in aqueous solutions at up to supercritical conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mayanovic, Robert A.; Jayanetti, Sumedha; Anderson, Alan J.; Bassett, William A.; Chou, I.-Ming

2003-01-01

Recently x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) studies of various ions in aqueous solutions showed a variation of cation-ligand bond lengths, often coupled with other structure changes, with increasing temperatures. Thus, the variations of the structure of several metal ion complexes with temperature based on observations from the X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) studies in the hope that it will stimulate the development of either first- principles theory or molecular dynamics simulations that might adequately describes these results are discussed.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The White Room is seen at the upper left where the astronauts enter the Space Shuttle for flight. The Rotating Service Structure has been retracted at KSC's Launch Pad 39A. Discovery, the orbiter for the STS-82 mission, is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) that will be installed, Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1), and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to be installed. The STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes in duration. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope, and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-02-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The White Room is seen at the upper left where the astronauts enter the Space Shuttle for flight. The Rotating Service Structure has been retracted at KSC's Launch Pad 39A. Discovery, the orbiter for the STS-82 mission, is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) that will be installed, Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1), and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to be installed. The STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes in duration. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope, and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.

Effects of Plinian Eruptions of Somma-vesuvius On People, Animals, Structures and Objects: Inferences From Avellino (3760 Yr B.p.) and Pompei (79 A.d.) Events.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mastrolorenzo, G.; Petrone, P. P.; Geraci, G.; Guarino, F.; Incoronato, A.

An interdisciplinary approach to the archaeological sites affected by Avellino (3750 yr. B.P.) and Pompei (79 A.D.) plinian eruptions of Somma-Vesuvius provides new data relative to the depositional mechanisms. Large scale stratigraphy and local evi- dences provide new informations about the physical conditions at the emplacement of PDCs and their effects on structures, people and environment. Field evidences indicate that fine grained pyroclastic deposits related to the column collapses propagate up to a distance of about 15 km from the crater and emplaced with conspicuous thickness. In both Avellino and Pompei eruptions, direct evidences from archaeological sites in- dicate that the emplacement in intermediate and distal areas was relatively quite (low mechanical energy). The recognition of thin, continuous, fine grained surge deposits up to a distance of ca. 15 km from the crater suggests that turbulence was important and the PDCs advanced as a relatively thick dilute current, very poorly controlled by the topography. Furthermore, due to the very small sizes, the particles were always transported in suspension, even at very low current velocity, thus avoiding vertical grading to occur. However, due to the very high depositional mass rate, the emplace- ment was very rapid causing buildings and hut, objects, animals and people to be engulfed within the ash deposits thus preserving their original position, as seen at Herculaneum, Oplontis, Pompeii (79 AD) and Nola (3760 bp). The skeletons of hu- man as well animal victims show high temperature effects. In particular, microscopic bones texture of the victims in the sites affected by the 79 A.D are consistent with very high temperatures, which are anomalous in pyroclastic surge clouds.

Micro-Mirrors for Nanoscale Three-Dimensional Microscopy

PubMed Central

Seale, Kevin; Janetopoulos, Chris; Wikswo, John

2013-01-01

A research-grade optical microscope is capable of resolving fine structures in two-dimensional images. However, three-dimensional resolution, or the ability of the microscope to distinguish between objects lying above or below the focal plane from in-focus objects, is not nearly as good as in-plane resolution. In this issue of ACS Nano, McMahon et al. report the use of mirrored pyramidal wells with a conventional microscope for rapid, 3D localization and tracking of nanoparticles. Mirrors have been used in microscopy before, but recent work with MPWs is unique because it enables the rapid determination of the x-, y-, and z-position of freely diffusing nanoparticles and cellular nanostructures with unprecedented speed and spatial accuracy. As inexpensive tools for 3D visualization, mirrored pyramidal wells may prove to be invaluable aids in nanotechnology and engineering of nanomaterials. PMID:19309167

Simple preparation of magnetic field-responsive structural colored Janus particles.

PubMed

Teshima, Midori; Seki, Takahiro; Takeoka, Yukikazu

2018-03-08

We established a simple method for preparing Janus particles displaying different structural colors using submicron-sized fine silica particles and magnetic nanoparticles composed of Fe 3 O 4 . A w/o emulsion is prepared by vortex-stirring a mixed aqueous solution of suspended fine silica particles and magnetic nanoparticles and of hexadecane containing an emulsifier. Subsequent drying of the emulsion on a hot plate using a magnetic stirrer provides a polydisperse particle aggregate displaying two different structural colors according to the ratio of the amount of fine silica particles to the amount of magnetic nanoparticles. This polydisperse particle aggregate can be converted into monodisperse particles simply by using a sieve made of stainless steel. In the presence of a magnet, the monodisperse Janus particles can change their orientation and can switch between two different structural colors.

The fine-structure intervals of (N-14)+ by far-infrared laser magnetic resonance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, John M.; Varberg, Thomas D.; Evenson, Kenneth M.; Cooksy, Andrew L.

1994-01-01

The far-infrared laser magnetic resonance spectra associated with both fine-structure transitions in (N-14)+ in its ground P-3 state have been recorded. This is the first laboratory observation of the J = 1 left arrow 0 transition and its frequency has been determined two orders of magnitude more accurately than previously. The remeasurement of the J = 2 left arrow 1 spectrum revealed a small error in the previous laboratory measurements. The fine-structure splittings (free of hyperfine interactions) determined in this work are (delta)E(sub 10) = 1461.13190 (61) GHz, (delta)E(sub 21) = 2459.38006 (37) GHz. Zero-field transition frequencies which include the effects of hyperfine structure have also been calculated. Refined values for the hyperfine constants and the g(sub J) factors have been obtained.

Dynamical Study of Femtosecond-Laser-Ablated Liquid-Aluminum Nanoparticles Using Spatiotemporally Resolved X-Ray-Absorption Fine-Structure Spectroscopy

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

Oguri, Katsuya; Okano, Yasuaki; Nishikawa, Tadashi

2007-10-19

We study the temperature evolution of aluminum nanoparticles generated by femtosecond laser ablation with spatiotemporally resolved x-ray-absorption fine-structure spectroscopy. We successfully identify the nanoparticles based on the L-edge absorption fine structure of the ablation plume in combination with the dependence of the edge structure on the irradiation intensity and the expansion velocity of the plume. In particular, we show that the lattice temperature of the nanoparticles is estimated from the L-edge slope, and that its spatial dependence reflects the cooling of the nanoparticles during plume expansion. The results reveal that the emitted nanoparticles travel in a vacuum as a condensedmore » liquid phase with a lattice temperature of about 2500 to 4200 K in the early stage of plume expansion.« less

Adaptive root foraging strategies along a boreal-temperate forest gradient.

PubMed

Ostonen, Ivika; Truu, Marika; Helmisaari, Heljä-Sisko; Lukac, Martin; Borken, Werner; Vanguelova, Elena; Godbold, Douglas L; Lõhmus, Krista; Zang, Ulrich; Tedersoo, Leho; Preem, Jens-Konrad; Rosenvald, Katrin; Aosaar, Jürgen; Armolaitis, Kęstutis; Frey, Jane; Kabral, Naima; Kukumägi, Mai; Leppälammi-Kujansuu, Jaana; Lindroos, Antti-Jussi; Merilä, Päivi; Napa, Ülle; Nöjd, Pekka; Parts, Kaarin; Uri, Veiko; Varik, Mats; Truu, Jaak

2017-08-01

The tree root-mycorhizosphere plays a key role in resource uptake, but also in the adaptation of forests to changing environments. The adaptive foraging mechanisms of ectomycorrhizal (EcM) and fine roots of Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris and Betula pendula were evaluated along a gradient from temperate to subarctic boreal forest (38 sites between latitudes 48°N and 69°N) in Europe. Variables describing tree resource uptake structures and processes (absorptive fine root biomass and morphology, nitrogen (N) concentration in absorptive roots, extramatrical mycelium (EMM) biomass, community structure of root-associated EcM fungi, soil and rhizosphere bacteria) were used to analyse relationships between root system functional traits and climate, soil and stand characteristics. Absorptive fine root biomass per stand basal area increased significantly from temperate to boreal forests, coinciding with longer and thinner root tips with higher tissue density, smaller EMM biomass per root length and a shift in soil microbial community structure. The soil carbon (C) : N ratio was found to explain most of the variability in absorptive fine root and EMM biomass, root tissue density, N concentration and rhizosphere bacterial community structure. We suggest a concept of absorptive fine root foraging strategies involving both qualitative and quantitative changes in the root-mycorrhiza-bacteria continuum along climate and soil C : N gradients. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

A preliminary investigation of projectile shape effects in hypervelocity impact of a double-sheet structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, R. H.

1972-01-01

Impact tests of a sphere and several cylinders of various masses and fineness ratios, all of aluminum, fired into an aluminum double-sheet structure at velocities near 7 km/sec, show that a cylinder, impacting in the direction of its axis, is considerably more effective as a penetrator than a sphere. Impacts of three cylinders of equal mass, but different fineness ratios, produced holes through the structures' rear sheet, whereas impact of a sphere of the same mass did not. Moreover, it was found that to prevent rear-sheet penetration, the mass of the 1/2-fineness-ratio cylinder had to be reduced by a factor greater than three. Further tests wherein the cylinder diameter was held constant while the cylinder length was systematically reduced showed that a cylinder with a fineness ratio of 0.07 and a mass of only 1/7 that of the sphere was still capable of producing a hole in the rear sheet.

Clonal growth and fine-scale genetic structure in tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus: Fagaceae)

Treesearch

Richard S. Dodd; Wasima Mayer; Alejandro Nettel; Zara Afzal-Rafii

2013-01-01

The combination of sprouting and reproduction by seed can have important consequences on fine-scale spatial distribution of genetic structure (SGS). SGS is an important consideration for species’ restoration because it determines the minimum distance among seed trees to maximize genetic diversity while not prejudicing locally adapted genotypes. Local environmental...

Cation distribution in NiZn-ferrite films via extended x-ray absorption fine structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, V. G.; Koon, N. C.; Williams, C. M.; Zhang, Q.; Abe, M.; Kirkland, J. P.

1996-04-01

We have applied extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy to study the cation distribution in a series of spin-sprayed NiZn-ferrite films. A least-squares fitting of experimental EXAFS data with theoretical, multiple-scattering, EXAFS data allowed the quantitative determination of site distributions for all transition metal cations.

Precision microwave measurement of the 2(3)P(1)-2(3)P(0) interval in atomic helium: a determination of the fine-structure constant.

PubMed

George, M C; Lombardi, L D; Hessels, E A

2001-10-22

The 2(3)P(1)-to- 2(3)P(0) interval in atomic helium is measured using a thermal beam of metastable helium atoms excited to the 2(3)P state using a 1.08-microm diode laser. The 2(3)P(1)-to- 2(3)P(0) transition is driven by 29.6-GHz microwaves in a rectangular waveguide cavity. Our result of 29,616,950.9+/-0.9 kHz is the most precise measurement of helium 2(3)P fine structure. When compared to precise theory for this interval, this measurement leads to a determination of the fine-structure constant of 1/137.0359864(31).

Fine Structure of Reovirus Type 2

PubMed Central

Loh, Philip C.; Hohl, H. R.; Soergel, M.

1965-01-01

Loh, Philip C. (University of Hawaii, Honolulu), H. R. Hohl, and M. Soergel. Fine structure of reovirus type 2. J. Bacteriol. 89:1140–1144. 1965.—The fine structure reovirus type 2 was studied by electron microscopy with the negative-staining method. The virus has a mean diameter of 772 A and shows evidence of icosahedral shape and 5:3:2 symmetry. The particle is composed of a core, an inner layer, and a capsid composed of 92 elongated hollow capsomeres. These capsomeres have mean dimensions of 116 A × 110 A and a central hole 48 A in diameter. In size and architecture, reovirus type 2 is very similar to the other members (reoviruses types 1 and 3) of this group of animal viruses. Images PMID:14276109

On the original igneous source of Martian fines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baird, A. K.; Clark, B. C.

1981-01-01

The composition of the silicate portion of Martian regolith fines indicates derivation of the fines from mafic to ultramafic rocks, probably rich in pyroxene. Rock types similar in chemical and mineralogical composition include terrestrial Archean basalts and certain achondrite meteorites. If these igneous rocks weathered nearly isochemically, the nontronitic clays proposed earlier as an analog to Martian fines could be formed. Flood basalts of pyroxenitic lavas may be widespread and characteristic of early volcanism on Mars, analogous to maria flood basalts on the moon and early Precambrian basaltic komatiites on earth. Compositional differences between lunar, terrestrial, and Martian flood basalts may be related to differences in planetary sizes and mantle compositions of the respective planetary objects.

Nine Years of Irrigation Cause Vegetation and Fine Root Shifts in a Water-Limited Pine Forest

PubMed Central

Herzog, Claude; Steffen, Jan; Graf Pannatier, Elisabeth; Hajdas, Irka; Brunner, Ivano

2014-01-01

Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) in the inner-Alpine dry valleys of Switzerland have suffered from increased mortality during the past decades, which has been caused by longer and more frequent dry periods. In addition, a proceeding replacement of Scots pines by pubescent oaks (Quercus pubescens Willd.) has been observed. In 2003, an irrigation experiment was performed to track changes by reducing drought pressure on the natural pine forest. After nine years of irrigation, we observed major adaptations in the vegetation and shifts in Scots pine fine root abundance and structure. Irrigation permitted new plant species to assemble and promote canopy closure with a subsequent loss of herb and moss coverage. Fine root dry weight increased under irrigation and fine roots had a tendency to elongate. Structural composition of fine roots remained unaffected by irrigation, expressing preserved proportions of cellulose, lignin and phenolic substances. A shift to a more negative δ13C signal in the fine root C indicates an increased photosynthetic activity in irrigated pine trees. Using radiocarbon (14C) measurement, a reduced mean age of the fine roots in irrigated plots was revealed. The reason for this is either an increase in newly produced fine roots, supported by the increase in fine root biomass, or a reduced lifespan of fine roots which corresponds to an enhanced turnover rate. Overall, the responses belowground to irrigation are less conspicuous than the more rapid adaptations aboveground. Lagged and conservative adaptations of tree roots with decadal lifespans are challenging to detect, hence demanding for long-term surveys. Investigations concerning fine root turnover rate and degradation processes under a changing climate are crucial for a complete understanding of C cycling. PMID:24802642

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

Oldham, D.W.

Commercial quantities of gas have been produced from shallow sandstone reservoirs of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene) in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. The two largest accumulations discovered to date, Oedekoven and Chan pools, were drilled on prospects which invoked differential compaction as a mechanism for gas entrapment and prospect delineation. Gas is believed to have accumulated in localized structural highs early in the burial history of lenticular sands. Structural relief is due to the compaction contrast between sand and stratigraphically-equivalent fine-grained sediments. A shallow Fort Union gas play was based on reports of shallow gas shows, the occurrencemore » of thick coals which could have served as sources for bacterial gas, and the presence of lenticular sandstones which may have promoted the development of compaction structures early in the burial process, to which bacterial gas migrated. Five geologic elements related to compactional trap development were used to rank prospects. Drilling of the Oedekoven prospect, which possessed all prospect elements, led to the discovery of the Oedekoven Fort Union gas pool at a depth of 340 ft (104 m). The uncemented, very fine grained, well-sorted {open_quotes}Canyon sand{close_quotes} pay has extremely high intergranular porosity. Low drilling and completion costs associated with shallow, high-permeability reservoirs, an abundance of subsurface control with which to delineate prospects, and existing gas-gathering systems make Fort Union sandstones attractive primary targets in shallow exploration efforts as well as secondary objectives in deeper drilling programs.« less

X-ray coherent scattering tomography of textured material (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Zheyuan; Pang, Shuo

2017-05-01

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measures the signature of angular-dependent coherently scattered X-rays, which contains richer information in material composition and structure compared to conventional absorption-based computed tomography. SAXS image reconstruction method of a 2 or 3 dimensional object based on computed tomography, termed as coherent scattering computed tomography (CSCT), enables the detection of spatially-resolved, material-specific isotropic scattering signature inside an extended object, and provides improved contrast for medical diagnosis, security screening, and material characterization applications. However, traditional CSCT methods assumes materials are fine powders or amorphous, and possess isotropic scattering profiles, which is not generally true for all materials. Anisotropic scatters cannot be captured using conventional CSCT method and result in reconstruction errors. To obtain correct information from the sample, we designed new imaging strategy which incorporates extra degree of detector motion into X-ray scattering tomography for the detection of anisotropic scattered photons from a series of two-dimensional intensity measurements. Using a table-top, narrow-band X-ray source and a panel detector, we demonstrate the anisotropic scattering profile captured from an extended object and the reconstruction of a three-dimensional object. For materials possessing a well-organized crystalline structure with certain symmetry, the scatter texture is more predictable. We will also discuss the compressive schemes and implementation of data acquisition to improve the collection efficiency and accelerate the imaging process.

Demonstrations of the Action and Reaction Law and the Energy Conservation Law Using Fine Spherical Plastic Beads

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khumaeni, A.; Tanaka, S.; Kobayashi, A.; Lee, Y. I.; Kurniawan, K. H.; Ishii, K.; Kagawa, K.

2008-01-01

Equipment for demonstrating Newton's third law and the energy conservation law in mechanics have successfully been constructed utilizing fine spherical plastic beads in place of metal ball bearings. To demonstrate Newton's third law, special magnetized Petri dishes were employed as objects, while to examine the energy conservation law, a…

Soluble Ions with ICP-MS are Superior to Total Elements with XRF in Assessing Component-specific Cardiovascular Effects of Fine Particulate Matter

EPA Science Inventory

Background: We previously reported that total fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was associated with flow-mediated dilation (FMD), interleukin-6 (lL-6) and tumor-necrosisfactor-alpha (TNFa) in 22 individuals with type 2 diabetes. Objectives: We now compare two laboratory methods of ...

76 FR 27973 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; State of Delaware; Regional Haze...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-13

... Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and the 1997 and 2006 fine particulate matter (PM 2... particle precursors react in the atmosphere to form fine particulate matter, which impairs visibility by... distance, in kilometers or miles, at which a dark object can be viewed against the sky. B. Background...

Development of the Correspondence between Real and Imagined Fine and Gross Motor Actions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sachet, Alison B.; Frey, Scott H.; Jacobs, Stéphane; Taylor, Marjorie

2016-01-01

The development of the correspondence between real and imagined motor actions was investigated in 2 experiments. Experiment 1 evaluated whether children imagine body position judgments of fine motor actions in the same way as they perform them. Thirty-two 8-year-old children completed a task in which an object was presented in different…

Fine structure transitions in Fe XIV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nahar, Sultana N.

2013-07-01

Results are reported for Fe XIV energy levels and transitions obtained from the ab initio relativistic Breit-Pauli R-matrix (BPRM) method. BPRM method developed under the Iron Project is capable of calculating very large number of fine structure energy levels and corresponding transitions. However, unlike in the atomic structure calculations, where levels are identified spectroscopically based on the leading percentage contributions of configurations, BPRM is incapable of such identification of the levels and hence the transitions. The main reason for it is that the percentage contributions can not be determined exactly from the large number of channels in the R-matrix space. The present report describes an identification method that uses considerations of quantum defects of channels, contributions of channel from outer regions, Hund's rule, and angular momenta algebra for addition and completeness of fine structure components. The present calculations are carried out using a close coupling wave function expansion that included 26 core excitations from configurations 2s22p63s2, 2s22p63s3p,2s22p63p2,2s22p63s3d, and 2s22p63p3d. A total of 1002 fine structure levels with n ⩽ 10, l⩽9, and 0.5 ⩽J⩽ 9.5 with even and odd parities and the corresponding 130,520 electric dipole allowed (E1) fine structure transitions, a most complete set for astrophysical modelings of spectral analysis and opacities, is presented. Large number of new energy levels are found and identified. The energies agree very well, mostly in less than 1% with the highest being 1.9%, with the 68 observed fine structure levels. While the high lying levels may have some uncertainty, an overall accuracy of energy levels should be within 10%. BPRM transitions have been benchmarked with the existing most accurate calculated transition probabilities with very good agreement for most cases. Based on the accuracy of the method and comparisons, most of the transitions can be rated with A (⩽10%) to C (⩽30%).

Size structure of marine soft-bottom macrobenthic communities across natural habitat gradients: implications for productivity and ecosystem function.

PubMed

Macdonald, Tara A; Burd, Brenda J; van Roodselaar, Albert

2012-01-01

Size distributions of biotic assemblages are important modifiers of productivity and function in marine sediments. We investigated the distribution of proportional organic biomass among logarithmic size classes (2(-6)J to 2(16)J) in the soft-bottom macrofaunal communities of the Strait of Georgia, Salish Sea on the west coast of Canada. The study examines how size structure is influenced by 3 fundamental habitat descriptors: depth, sediment percent fines, and organic flux (modified by quality). These habitat variables are uncorrelated in this hydrographically diverse area, thus we examine their effects in combination and separately. Cluster analyses and cumulative biomass size spectra reveal clear and significant responses to each separate habitat variable. When combined, habitat factors result in three distinct assemblages: (1) communities with a high proportion of biomass in small organisms, typical of shallow areas (<10 m) with coarse sediments (<10% fines) and low accumulation of organic material (<3.0 gC/m(2)/yr/δ(15)N); (2) communities with high proportion of biomass in the largest organisms found in the Strait, typical of deep, fine sediments with high modified organic flux (>3 g C/m(2)/yr/δ(15)N) from the Fraser River; and (3) communities with biomass dominated by moderately large organisms, but lacking the smallest and largest size classes, typical of deep, fine sediments experiencing low modified organic flux (<3.0 gC/m(2)/yr/δ(15)N). The remaining assemblages had intermediate habitat types and size structures. Sediment percent fines and flux appear to elicit threshold responses in size structure, whereas depth has the most linear influence on community size structure. The ecological implications of size structure in the Strait of Georgia relative to environmental conditions, secondary production and sediment bioturbation are discussed.

Size Structure of Marine Soft-Bottom Macrobenthic Communities across Natural Habitat Gradients: Implications for Productivity and Ecosystem Function

PubMed Central

Macdonald, Tara A.; Burd, Brenda J.; van Roodselaar, Albert

2012-01-01

Size distributions of biotic assemblages are important modifiers of productivity and function in marine sediments. We investigated the distribution of proportional organic biomass among logarithmic size classes (2−6J to 216J) in the soft-bottom macrofaunal communities of the Strait of Georgia, Salish Sea on the west coast of Canada. The study examines how size structure is influenced by 3 fundamental habitat descriptors: depth, sediment percent fines, and organic flux (modified by quality). These habitat variables are uncorrelated in this hydrographically diverse area, thus we examine their effects in combination and separately. Cluster analyses and cumulative biomass size spectra reveal clear and significant responses to each separate habitat variable. When combined, habitat factors result in three distinct assemblages: (1) communities with a high proportion of biomass in small organisms, typical of shallow areas (<10 m) with coarse sediments (<10% fines) and low accumulation of organic material (<3.0 gC/m2/yr/δ15N); (2) communities with high proportion of biomass in the largest organisms found in the Strait, typical of deep, fine sediments with high modified organic flux (>3 g C/m2/yr/δ15N) from the Fraser River; and (3) communities with biomass dominated by moderately large organisms, but lacking the smallest and largest size classes, typical of deep, fine sediments experiencing low modified organic flux (<3.0 gC/m2/yr/δ15N). The remaining assemblages had intermediate habitat types and size structures. Sediment percent fines and flux appear to elicit threshold responses in size structure, whereas depth has the most linear influence on community size structure. The ecological implications of size structure in the Strait of Georgia relative to environmental conditions, secondary production and sediment bioturbation are discussed. PMID:22911694

XFAS SPECTROSCOPY ANALYSIS OF SELECTED HAP ELEMENTS IN FINE PM DERIVED FROM COAL COMBUSTION: JOURNAL ARTICLE

EPA Science Inventory

NRMRL-RTP-P-646 Shoji, T., Huggins, F.E., Huffman, G.P., Linak*, W.P., and Miller*, C.A. XFAS Spectroscopy Analysis of Selected HAP Elements in Fine PM Derived from Coal Combustion. Energy and Fuels 16 (2): (2002). 11/30/2001 X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscop...

Effect of diurnal photosynthetic activity on the fine structure of amylopectin from normal and waxy barley starch.

PubMed

Goldstein, Avi; Annor, George; Blennow, Andreas; Bertoft, Eric

2017-09-01

The impact of diurnal photosynthetic activity on the fine structure of the amylopectin fraction of starch synthesized by normal barley (NBS) and waxy barley (WBS), the latter completely devoid of amylose biosynthesis, was determined following the cultivation under normal diurnal or constant light growing conditions. The amylopectin fine structures were analysed by characterizing its unit chain length profiles after enzymatic debranching as well as its φ,β-limit dextrins and its clusters and building blocks after their partial and complete hydrolysis with α-amylase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, respectively. Regardless of lighting conditions, no structural effects were found when comparing both the amylopectin side-chain distribution and the internal chain fragments of these amylopectins. However, the diurnally grown NBS and WBS both showed larger amylopectin clusters and these had lower branching density and longer average chain lengths than clusters derived from plants grown under constant light conditions. Amylopectin clusters from diurnally grown plants also consisted of a greater number of building blocks, and shorter inter-block chain lengths compared to clusters derived from plants grown under constant light. Our data demonstrate that the diurnal light regime influences the fine structure of the amylopectin component both in amylose and non-amylose starch granules. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Q: How do Microscopes Work?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimov, Sarah

2004-01-01

Microscopes allow scientists to examine everyday objects in extraordinary ways. They provide high-resolution images that show objects in fine detail. This brief article describes the many types of microscopes and how they are used in different scientific venues.

Opposable spines facilitate fine and gross object manipulation in fire ants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassill, Deby; Greco, Anthony; Silwal, Rajesh; Wang, Xuefeng

2007-04-01

Ants inhabit diverse terrestrial biomes from the Sahara Desert to the Arctic tundra. One factor contributing to the ants’ successful colonization of diverse geographical regions is their ability to manipulate objects when excavating nests, capturing, transporting and rendering prey or grooming, feeding and transporting helpless brood. This paper is the first to report the form and function of opposable spines on the foretarsi of queens and workers used during fine motor and gross motor object manipulation in the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. In conjunction with their mandibles, queens and workers used their foretarsi to grasp and rotate eggs, push or pull thread-like objects out of their way or push excavated soil pellets behind them for disposal by other workers. Opposable spines were found on the foretarsi of workers from seven of eight other ant species suggesting that they might be a common feature in the Formicidae.

Studies on the wintertime current structure and T-S fine-structure in the Taiwan Strait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Jianyu; Fu, Zilang; Wu, Lianxing

1990-12-01

A cruise through the western sea area of the Taiwan Strait was carried out by the R/V Dong Fang Hong in December, 1987. Eight anchored and 10 not anchored stations were set up. Over 25 time-series current observations were made at each station and CTD (Conductivity-temperature-depth) measurements were made at 5 anchored and 10 not anchored stations. Based on the measured data. fine-structures and step-like vertical structures of temperature and salinity were analysed and a tentative wintertime current structure in the Taiwan Strait was described.

Effects of a suppressor tone on distortion product otoacoustic emissions fine structure: why a universal suppressor level is not a practical solution to obtaining single-generator DP-grams.

PubMed

Dhar, Sumitrajit; Shaffer, Lauren A

2004-12-01

The use of a suppressor tone has been proposed as the method of choice in obtaining single-generator distortion product (DP) grams, the speculation being that such DP grams will be more predictive of hearing thresholds. Current distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) theory points to the ear canal DPOAE signal being a complex interaction between multiple components. The effectiveness of a suppressor tone is predicted to be dependent entirely on the relative levels of these components. We examine the validity of using a suppressor tone through a detailed examination of the effects of a suppressor on DPOAE fine structure in individual ears. DPOAE fine structure, recorded in 10 normal-hearing individuals with a suppressor tone at 45, 55, and 65 dB SPL, was compared with recordings without a suppressor. Behavioral hearing thresholds were also measured in the same subjects, using 2-dB steps. The effect of the suppressor tone on DPOAE fine structure varied between ears and was dependent on frequency within ears. Correlation between hearing thresholds and DPOAE level measured without a suppressor was similar to previous reports. The effects of the suppressor are explained in the theoretical framework of a model involving multiple DPOAE components. Our results suggest that a suppressor tone can have highly variable effects on fine structure across individuals or even across frequency within one ear, thereby making the use of a suppressor less viable as a clinical tool for obtaining single-generator DP grams.

Microwave spectroscopy of the 1 s n p P3J fine structure of high Rydberg states in 4He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deller, A.; Hogan, S. D.

2018-01-01

The 1 s n p P3J fine structure of high Rydberg states in helium has been measured by microwave spectroscopy of single-photon transitions from 1 s n s S31 levels in pulsed supersonic beams. For states with principal quantum numbers in the range from n =34 to 36, the J =0 →2 and J =1 →2 fine structure intervals were both observed. For values of n between 45 and 51 only the larger J =0 →2 interval was resolved. The experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Detailed characterization of residual uncanceled electric and magnetic fields in the experimental apparatus and calculations of the Stark and Zeeman structures of the Rydberg states in weak fields were used to quantify systematic contributions to the uncertainties in the measurements.

Gravity Wave Interactions with Fine Structures in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mixa, Tyler; Fritts, David; Bossert, Katrina; Laughman, Brian; Wang, Ling; Lund, Thomas; Kantha, Lakshmi

2017-04-01

An anelastic numerical model is used to probe the influences of fine layering structures on gravity wave propagation in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT). Recent lidar observations confirm the presence of persistent layered structures in the MLT that have sharp stratification and vertical scales below 1km. Gravity waves propagating through finely layered environments can excite and modulate the evolution of small scale instabilities that redefine the layering structure in these regions. Such layers in turn filter the outgoing wave spectra, promote ducting or reflection, hasten the onset of self-acceleration dynamics, and encourage wave/mean-flow interactions via energy and momentum transport. Using high resolution simulations of a localized gravity wave packet in a deep atmosphere, we identify the relative impacts of various wave and mean flow parameters to improve our understanding of these dynamics and complement recent state-of-the-art observations.

Strained spiral vortex model for turbulent fine structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lundgren, T. S.

1982-01-01

A model for the intermittent fine structure of high Reynolds number turbulence is proposed. The model consists of slender axially strained spiral vortex solutions of the Navier-Stokes equation. The tightening of the spiral turns by the differential rotation of the induced swirling velocity produces a cascade of velocity fluctuations to smaller scale. The Kolmogorov energy spectrum is a result of this model.

Photoionization modeling of the LWS fine-structure lines in IR bright galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Satyapal, S.; Luhman, M. L.; Fischer, J.; Greenhouse, M. A.; Wolfire, M. G.

1997-01-01

The long wavelength spectrometer (LWS) fine structure line spectra from infrared luminous galaxies were modeled using stellar evolutionary synthesis models combined with photoionization and photodissociation region models. The calculations were carried out by using the computational code CLOUDY. Starburst and active galactic nuclei models are presented. The effects of dust in the ionized region are examined.

Study of the Role of Vortex Annihilation in the Mechanism of Neutron and X-Ray Production in the Plasma Focus.

DTIC Science & Technology

This paper shows that an understanding of the nature of the x-ray and neutron producing processes in the plasma focus requires a study of the ’fine...structure’ of the plasma focus and that this fine structure study requires diagnostic techniques with spacial resolution down to 50 micrometers and

A hybrid MLP-CNN classifier for very fine resolution remotely sensed image classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ce; Pan, Xin; Li, Huapeng; Gardiner, Andy; Sargent, Isabel; Hare, Jonathon; Atkinson, Peter M.

2018-06-01

The contextual-based convolutional neural network (CNN) with deep architecture and pixel-based multilayer perceptron (MLP) with shallow structure are well-recognized neural network algorithms, representing the state-of-the-art deep learning method and the classical non-parametric machine learning approach, respectively. The two algorithms, which have very different behaviours, were integrated in a concise and effective way using a rule-based decision fusion approach for the classification of very fine spatial resolution (VFSR) remotely sensed imagery. The decision fusion rules, designed primarily based on the classification confidence of the CNN, reflect the generally complementary patterns of the individual classifiers. In consequence, the proposed ensemble classifier MLP-CNN harvests the complementary results acquired from the CNN based on deep spatial feature representation and from the MLP based on spectral discrimination. Meanwhile, limitations of the CNN due to the adoption of convolutional filters such as the uncertainty in object boundary partition and loss of useful fine spatial resolution detail were compensated. The effectiveness of the ensemble MLP-CNN classifier was tested in both urban and rural areas using aerial photography together with an additional satellite sensor dataset. The MLP-CNN classifier achieved promising performance, consistently outperforming the pixel-based MLP, spectral and textural-based MLP, and the contextual-based CNN in terms of classification accuracy. This research paves the way to effectively address the complicated problem of VFSR image classification.

Titanium dioxide fine structures by RF magnetron sputter method deposited on an electron-beam resist mask

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashiba, Hideomi; Miyazaki, Yuta; Matsushita, Sachiko

2013-09-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been draw attention for wide range of applications from photonic crystals for visible light range by its catalytic characteristics to tera-hertz range by its high refractive index. We present an experimental study of fabrication of fine structures of TiO2 with a ZEP electron beam resist mask followed by Ti sputter deposition techniques. A TiO2 thin layer of 150 nm thick was grown on an FTO glass substrate with a fine patterned ZEP resist mask by a conventional RF magnetron sputter method with Ti target. The deposition was carried out with argon-oxygen gases at a pressure of 5.0 x 10 -1 Pa in a chamber. During the deposition, ratio of Ar-O2 gas was kept to the ratio of 2:1 and the deposition ratio was around 0.5 Å/s to ensure enough oxygen to form TiO2 and low temperature to avoid deformation of fine pattern of the ZPU resist mask. Deposited TiO2 layers are white-transparent, amorphous, and those roughnesses are around 7 nm. Fabricated TiO2 PCs have wider TiO2 slabs of 112 nm width leaving periodic 410 x 410 nm2 air gaps. We also studied transformation of TiO2 layers and TiO2 fine structures by baking at 500 °C. XRD measurement for TiO2 shows that the amorphous TiO2 transforms to rutile and anatase forms by the baking while keeping the same profile of the fine structures. Our fabrication method can be one of a promising technique to optic devices on researches and industrial area.

Effective Collision Strengths for Fine-structure Transitions in Si VII

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sossah, A. M.; Tayal, S. S.

2014-05-01

The effective collision strengths for electron-impact excitation of fine-structure transitions in Si VII are calculated as a function of electron temperature in the range 5000-2,000,000 K. The B-spline Breit-Pauli R-matrix method has been used to calculate collision strengths by electron impact. The target wave functions have been obtained using the multi-configuration Hartree-Fock method with term-dependent non-orthogonal orbitals. The 92 fine-structure levels belonging to the 46 LS states of 2s 22p 4, 2s2p 5, 2p 6, 2s 22p 33s, 2s 22p 33p, 2s 22p 33d, and 2s2p 43s configurations are included in our calculations of oscillator strengths and collision strengths. There are 4186 possible fine-structure allowed and forbidden transitions among the 92 levels. The present excitation energies, oscillator strengths, and collision strengths have been compared with previous theoretical results and available experimental data. Generally, a good agreement is found with the 6 LS-state close-coupling approximation results of Butler & Zeippen and the 44 LS-state distorted wave calculation of Bhatia & Landi.

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.

Con-Text: Text Detection for Fine-grained Object Classification.

PubMed

Karaoglu, Sezer; Tao, Ran; van Gemert, Jan C; Gevers, Theo

2017-05-24

This work focuses on fine-grained object classification using recognized scene text in natural images. While the state-of-the-art relies on visual cues only, this paper is the first work which proposes to combine textual and visual cues. Another novelty is the textual cue extraction. Unlike the state-of-the-art text detection methods, we focus more on the background instead of text regions. Once text regions are detected, they are further processed by two methods to perform text recognition i.e. ABBYY commercial OCR engine and a state-of-the-art character recognition algorithm. Then, to perform textual cue encoding, bi- and trigrams are formed between the recognized characters by considering the proposed spatial pairwise constraints. Finally, extracted visual and textual cues are combined for fine-grained classification. The proposed method is validated on four publicly available datasets: ICDAR03, ICDAR13, Con-Text and Flickr-logo. We improve the state-of-the-art end-to-end character recognition by a large margin of 15% on ICDAR03. We show that textual cues are useful in addition to visual cues for fine-grained classification. We show that textual cues are also useful for logo retrieval. Adding textual cues outperforms visual- and textual-only in fine-grained classification (70.7% to 60.3%) and logo retrieval (57.4% to 54.8%).

Structural Coloration of a Colloidal Amorphous Array is Intensified by Carbon Nanolayers.

PubMed

Takeoka, Yukikazu; Iwata, Masanori; Seki, Takahiro; Nueangnoraj, Khanin; Nishihara, Hirotomo; Yoshioka, Shinya

2018-04-10

In this study, we introduce the possibility of applying a colloidal amorphous array composed of fine silica particles as a structural-color material to invisible information technology. The appearance of a thick filmlike colloidal amorphous array formed from fine silica particles is considerably influenced by incoherent light scattering across the entire visible region. Therefore, regardless of the diameter of the fine silica particles, the thick colloidal amorphous array exhibits a white color to the naked eye. When carbon is uniformly deposited in the colloidal amorphous array by a pressure-pulsed chemical vapor deposition method, incoherent light scattering in the colloidal amorphous array is suppressed. As a result, coherent light scattering due to the short-range order in the colloidal amorphous array becomes conspicuous and the array exhibits a vivid structural color. As structures, such as letters and pictures, can be drawn using this technology, the colloidal amorphous array as a structural-colored material may also be applicable for invisible information technology.

Human brain detects short-time nonlinear predictability in the temporal fine structure of deterministic chaotic sounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itoh, Kosuke; Nakada, Tsutomu

2013-04-01

Deterministic nonlinear dynamical processes are ubiquitous in nature. Chaotic sounds generated by such processes may appear irregular and random in waveform, but these sounds are mathematically distinguished from random stochastic sounds in that they contain deterministic short-time predictability in their temporal fine structures. We show that the human brain distinguishes deterministic chaotic sounds from spectrally matched stochastic sounds in neural processing and perception. Deterministic chaotic sounds, even without being attended to, elicited greater cerebral cortical responses than the surrogate control sounds after about 150 ms in latency after sound onset. Listeners also clearly discriminated these sounds in perception. The results support the hypothesis that the human auditory system is sensitive to the subtle short-time predictability embedded in the temporal fine structure of sounds.

The fine structure of human germ layers in vivo: clues to the early differentiation of embryonic stem cells in vitro.

PubMed

Sathananthan, Henry; Selvaraj, Kamala; Clark, Joan

2011-08-01

The fine structure of the three germ layers in human ectopic embryos (stage 7) have been documented by digital light and electron microscopy. The formation of ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm and notochordal cells, and also the extraembryonic membranes, amnion and yolk sac, are imaged. The germ layers give rise to all the cells and tissues of the human body. Possible clues to the early differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESC) in vitro were obtained, since these events are more or less mimicked in cultures of ESC derived from the inner cell mass of human blastocysts. The findings are discussed with reference to previous studies on the fine structure of ESC using the same technique. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

21-cm radiation: a new probe of variation in the fine-structure constant.

PubMed

Khatri, Rishi; Wandelt, Benjamin D

2007-03-16

We investigate the effect of variation in the value of the fine-structure constant (alpha) at high redshifts (recombination > z > 30) on the absorption of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at 21 cm hyperfine transition of the neutral atomic hydrogen. We find that the 21 cm signal is very sensitive to the variations in alpha and it is so far the only probe of the fine-structure constant in this redshift range. A change in the value of alpha by 1% changes the mean brightness temperature decrement of the CMB due to 21 cm absorption by >5% over the redshift range z < 50. There is an effect of similar magnitude on the amplitude of the fluctuations in the brightness temperature. The redshift of maximum absorption also changes by approximately 5%.

Measuring the fine structure constant with Bragg diffraction and Bloch oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Richard; Yu, Chenghui; Zhong, Weicheng; Estey, Brian; Müller, Holger

2017-04-01

We have demonstrated a new scheme for atom interferometry based on large-momentum-transfer Bragg beam splitters and Bloch oscillations. In this new scheme, we have achieved a resolution of δÎ+/-/Î+/-=0.25ppb in the fine structure constant measurement, which gives over 10 million radians of phase difference between freely evolving matter waves. We have suppressed many systematic effects known in most atom interferometers with Raman beam splitters such as light shift, Zeeman effect shift as well as vibration. We have also simulated multi-atom Bragg diffraction to understand sub-ppb systematic effects, and implemented spatial filtering to further suppress systematic effects. We present our recent progress toward a measurement of the fine structure constant, which will provide a stringent test of the standard model of particle physics.

The short-term association of selected components of fine particulate matter and mortality in the Denver Aerosol Sources and Health (DASH) study

EPA Science Inventory

Associations of short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with daily mortality may be due to specific PM2.5 chemical components. Objectives: Daily concentrations of PM2.5 chemical species were measured over five consecutive years in Denver, CO to investigate whethe...

SCDC Spanish Curricula Units. Fine Arts Strand, Unit 8, Grade 3, Teacher's Guide--Multi-Ethnic Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spanish Curricula Development Center, Miami Beach, FL.

One of 10 basic instructional units developed for Spanish-speaking children at the primary level, this bilingual fine arts unit, consisting of kits 29-32, has as its theme "the extended community". Learning and assessment activities support the spiraling question of how change occurs. Focus, objective, and materials for each of the activities is…

Elastic membranes in confinement.

PubMed

Bostwick, J B; Miksis, M J; Davis, S H

2016-07-01

An elastic membrane stretched between two walls takes a shape defined by its length and the volume of fluid it encloses. Many biological structures, such as cells, mitochondria and coiled DNA, have fine internal structure in which a membrane (or elastic member) is geometrically 'confined' by another object. Here, the two-dimensional shape of an elastic membrane in a 'confining' box is studied by introducing a repulsive confinement pressure that prevents the membrane from intersecting the wall. The stage is set by contrasting confined and unconfined solutions. Continuation methods are then used to compute response diagrams, from which we identify the particular membrane mechanics that generate mitochondria-like shapes. Large confinement pressures yield complex response diagrams with secondary bifurcations and multiple turning points where modal identities may change. Regions in parameter space where such behaviour occurs are then mapped. © 2016 The Author(s).

Altering the orientation of a fused protein to the RNA-binding ribosomal protein L7Ae and its derivatives through circular permutation.

PubMed

Ohuchi, Shoji J; Sagawa, Fumihiko; Sakamoto, Taiichi; Inoue, Tan

2015-10-23

RNA-protein complexes (RNPs) are useful for constructing functional nano-objects because a variety of functional proteins can be displayed on a designed RNA scaffold. Here, we report circular permutations of an RNA-binding protein L7Ae based on the three-dimensional structure information to alter the orientation of the displayed proteins on the RNA scaffold. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis revealed that most of the designed circular permutants formed an RNP nano-object. Moreover, the alteration of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) orientation was confirmed with AFM by employing EGFP on the L7Ae permutant on the RNA. The results demonstrate that targeted fine-tuning of the stereo-specific fixation of a protein on a protein-binding RNA is feasible by using the circular permutation technique. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Altering the orientation of a fused protein to the RNA-binding ribosomal protein L7Ae and its derivatives through circular permutation

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

Ohuchi, Shoji J.; Sagawa, Fumihiko; Sakamoto, Taiichi

RNA-protein complexes (RNPs) are useful for constructing functional nano-objects because a variety of functional proteins can be displayed on a designed RNA scaffold. Here, we report circular permutations of an RNA-binding protein L7Ae based on the three-dimensional structure information to alter the orientation of the displayed proteins on the RNA scaffold. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis revealed that most of the designed circular permutants formed an RNP nano-object. Moreover, the alteration of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) orientation was confirmed with AFM by employing EGFP on the L7Ae permutant on the RNA. Themore » results demonstrate that targeted fine-tuning of the stereo-specific fixation of a protein on a protein-binding RNA is feasible by using the circular permutation technique.« less

Using object-based image analysis to guide the selection of field sample locations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

One of the most challenging tasks for resource management and research is designing field sampling schemes to achieve unbiased estimates of ecosystem parameters as efficiently as possible. This study focused on the potential of fine-scale image objects from object-based image analysis (OBIA) to be u...

Face and Object Discrimination in Autism, and Relationship to IQ and Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pallett, Pamela M.; Cohen, Shereen J.; Dobkins, Karen R.

2014-01-01

The current study tested fine discrimination of upright and inverted faces and objects in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as compared to age- and IQ-matched controls. Discrimination sensitivity was tested using morphed faces and morphed objects, and all stimuli were equated in low-level visual characteristics (luminance, contrast,…

Factors associated with inadequate fine motor skills in Brazilian students of different socioeconomic status.

PubMed

Bobbio, Tatiana Godoy; Morcillo, André Moreno; Barros Filho, Antonio de Azevedo; Concalves, Vanda Maria Gimenes

2007-12-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the motor coordination of Brazilian schoolchildren of different socioeconomic status in their first year of primary education. Factors associated with inadequate fine motor skills were identified. A total of 238 schoolchildren, 118 from a public school and 120 from a private school, were evaluated on fine motor skills using the Evolutional Neurological Examination. Statistical analysis was performed using univariate logistic regression followed by multivariate analysis. Children attending public school had a 5.5-fold greater risk of having inadequate fine motor skills for their age compared to children attending private school, while children who started school after four years of age had a 2.8-fold greater risk of having inadequate motor coordination compared to children who began school earlier. Data for this sample suggest socioeconomic factors and later entry of children to school may be associated with their fine motor skills.

X-ray fluorescence - a non-destructive tool in investigation of Czech fine and applied art objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trojek, T.; Musílek, L.

2017-08-01

A brief review of application of X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRFA) to fine and applied arts related to Czech cultural heritage is presented. The Department of Dosimetry and Application of Ionising Radiation of CTU-FNSPE has used XRFA in collaboration with various Czech institutions dealing with cultural history for many kinds of artefacts, (e.g., Roman and medieval brass, gemstones and noble metals from the sceptre of one of the faculties of the Charles University in Prague, millefiori beads, etc.). In some cases, a combination of various other techniques alongside XRFA was used for enhancing our knowledge of a measured object.

The use of C-near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy for the elaboration of chemistry in lignocellulosics

Treesearch

Lucian A. Lucia; Hiroki Nanko; Alan W. Rudie; Doug G. Mancosky; Sue Wirick

2006-01-01

The research presented elucidates the oxidation chemistry occurring in hydrogen peroxide bleached kraft pulp fibers by employing carbon near edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (C-NEXAFS). C-NEXAFS is a soft x-ray technique that selectively interrogates atomic moieties using photoelectrons (Xrays) of variable energies. The X1A beam line at the National...

A New Multibeam Sonar Technique for Evaluating Fine-Scale Fish Behavior Near Hydroelectric Dam Guidance Structures

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

Johnson, Robert L.; Simmons, Mary Ann; Simmons, Carver S.

2002-03-07

This book chapter describes a Dual-Head Multibeam Sonar (DHMS) system developed by Battelle and deployed at two dam sites on the Snake and Columbia rivers in Washington State to evaluate the fine-scale (

Simple Model with Time-Varying Fine-Structure ``Constant''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berman, M. S.

2009-10-01

Extending the original version written in colaboration with L.A. Trevisan, we study the generalisation of Dirac's LNH, so that time-variation of the fine-structure constant, due to varying electrical and magnetic permittivities is included along with other variations (cosmological and gravitational ``constants''), etc. We consider the present Universe, and also an inflationary scenario. Rotation of the Universe is a given possibility in this model.

Accuracy of mapping the Earth's gravity field fine structure with a spaceborne gravity gradiometer mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahn, W. D.

1984-01-01

The spaceborne gravity gradiometer is a potential sensor for mapping the fine structure of the Earth's gravity field. Error analyses were performed to investigate the accuracy of the determination of the Earth's gravity field from a gravity field satellite mission. The orbital height of the spacecraft is the dominating parameter as far as gravity field resolution and accuracies are concerned.

New approaches in renal microscopy: volumetric imaging and superresolution microscopy.

PubMed

Kim, Alfred H J; Suleiman, Hani; Shaw, Andrey S

2016-05-01

Histologic and electron microscopic analysis of the kidney has provided tremendous insight into structures such as the glomerulus and nephron. Recent advances in imaging, such as deep volumetric approaches and superresolution microscopy, have the capacity to dramatically enhance our current understanding of the structure and function of the kidney. Volumetric imaging can generate images millimeters below the surface of the intact kidney. Superresolution microscopy breaks the diffraction barrier inherent in traditional light microscopy, enabling the visualization of fine structures. Here, we describe new approaches to deep volumetric and superresolution microscopy of the kidney. Rapid advances in lasers, microscopic objectives, and tissue preparation have transformed our ability to deep volumetric image the kidney. Innovations in sample preparation have allowed for superresolution imaging with electron microscopy correlation, providing unprecedented insight into the structures within the glomerulus. Technological advances in imaging have revolutionized our capacity to image both large volumes of tissue and the finest structural details of a cell. These new advances have the potential to provide additional profound observations into the normal and pathologic functions of the kidney.

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

Mars 2020 Science Rover: Science Goals and Mission Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustard, John F.; Beaty, D.; Bass, D.

2013-10-01

The Mars 2020 Science Definition Team (SDT), chartered in January 2013 by NASA, formulated a spacecraft mission concept for a science-focused, highly mobile rover to explore and investigate in detail a site on Mars that likely was once habitable. The mission, based on the Mars Science Laboratory landing and rover systems, would address, within a cost- and time-constrained framework, four objectives: (A) Explore an astrobiologically relevant ancient environment on Mars to decipher its geological processes and history, including the assessment of past habitability; (B) Assess the biosignature preservation potential within the selected geological environment and search for potential biosignatures; (C) Demonstrate significant technical progress towards the future return of scientifically selected, well-documented samples to Earth; and (D) provide an opportunity for contributed instruments from Human Exploration or Space Technology Programs. The SDT addressed the four mission objectives and six additional charter-specified tasks independently while specifically looking for synergy among them. Objectives A and B are each ends unto themselves, while Objective A is also the means by which samples are selected for objective B, and together they motivate and inform Objective C. The SDT also found that Objective D goals are well aligned with A through C. Critically, Objectives A, B, and C as an ensemble brought the SDT to the conclusion that exploration oriented toward both astrobiology and the preparation of a returnable cache of scientifically selected, well documented surface samples is the only acceptable mission concept. Importantly the SDT concluded that the measurements needed to attain these objectives were essentially identical, consisting of six types of field measurements: 1) context imaging 2) context mineralogy, 3) fine-scale imaging, 4) fine-scale mineralogy, 5) fine-scale elemental chemistry, and 6) organic matter detection. The mission concept fully addresses the requirements specified by NASA in the SDT charter while also ensuring alignment with the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey for Planetary Exploration (Visions and Voyages, 2011).

The impact of mating systems and dispersal on fine-scale genetic structure at maternally, paternally and biparentally inherited markers.

PubMed

Shaw, Robyn E; Banks, Sam C; Peakall, Rod

2018-01-01

For decades, studies have focused on how dispersal and mating systems influence genetic structure across populations or social groups. However, we still lack a thorough understanding of how these processes and their interaction shape spatial genetic patterns over a finer scale (tens-hundreds of metres). Using uniparentally inherited markers may help answer these questions, yet their potential has not been fully explored. Here, we use individual-level simulations to investigate the effects of dispersal and mating system on fine-scale genetic structure at autosomal, mitochondrial and Y chromosome markers. Using genetic spatial autocorrelation analysis, we found that dispersal was the major driver of fine-scale genetic structure across maternally, paternally and biparentally inherited markers. However, when dispersal was restricted (mean distance = 100 m), variation in mating behaviour created strong differences in the comparative level of structure detected at maternally and paternally inherited markers. Promiscuity reduced spatial genetic structure at Y chromosome loci (relative to monogamy), whereas structure increased under polygyny. In contrast, mitochondrial and autosomal markers were robust to differences in the specific mating system, although genetic structure increased across all markers when reproductive success was skewed towards fewer individuals. Comparing males and females at Y chromosome vs. mitochondrial markers, respectively, revealed that some mating systems can generate similar patterns to those expected under sex-biased dispersal. This demonstrates the need for caution when inferring ecological and behavioural processes from genetic results. Comparing patterns between the sexes, across a range of marker types, may help us tease apart the processes shaping fine-scale genetic structure. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Joint the active source and passive source seismic to research the fine crustal structure of the Lushan area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Q.; Yu, C.

2017-12-01

On April 20, 2013, Ms7.0 strong earthquake (Lushan earthquake) occurred in Lanshan County Ya'an City, Sichuan Province. It is another earthquake that occurred in the Longmenshan fault zone after the Wenchuan earthquake. However, there is still no conclusive conclusion in relationship between the fine structure of the Lushan area and triggering seismic fault . In this study, the crustal structure, the shallow structure and the hidden faults and the focal mechanism of the Lushan earthquake were analyzed by using the deep seismic reflection profile and the broadband seismic array data. Combined with the surface geological information, the structure and fracture cause of the Lishan earthquake were discussed.We have synthetic analyzed the seismic precursors, fine locating, focal mechanism analysis and time-tomographic imaging of the broadband seismic data before and after the earthquake in Lushan earthquake, and obtained the seismic distribution, the focal mechanism and the crustal fine structure in the Lushan area. And we use these results to detailed interpreted the deep reflection seismic section of the Lushan earthquake zone.The results show that the crust of the Lushan area is characterized by a distinct structure of upper crust with thickness about 14.75km. The nature of the faults is inferred to be thrusting in the region due to the pushing of the crustal material of the Tibetan plateau into the southeast part of the rigid Sichuan basin. The shuangshi-Dachuan fault stretches from the surface to the deep crust at a low angle, and is dominated by thrusting in a form of imbricate structure with small-scale faults nearby. Whereas the Guangyuan-Dayi fault is a positive flower structure with a listric shape, consisting of six branches. Its movement is dominated by thrusting with gentle horizontal slip.

Photoionization of ground and excited levels of P II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nahar, Sultana N.

2017-01-01

Photoionization cross section (σPI) of P II, (hν + P II → P III + e), from ground and a large number of excited levels are presented. The study includes the resonant structures and the characteristics of the background in photoionization cross sections. The present calculations were carried out in the Breit-Pauli R-matrix (BPRM) method that includes relativistic effects. The autoionizing resonances are delineated with a fine energy mesh to observe the fine structure effects. A singular resonance, formed by the coupling of channels in fine structure but not allowed in LS coupling, is seen at the ionization threshold of photoionization for the ground and many excited levels. The background cross section is seen enhanced compared to smooth decay for the excited levels. Examples are presented to illustrate the enhanced background cross sections at the energies of the core levels, 4P3/2 and 2D3/2, that are allowed for electric dipole transitions by the core ground level 2 P1/2o. In addition strong Seaton or photo-excitation-of-core (PEC) resonances are found in the photoionization of single valence electron excited levels. Calculations used a close coupling wave function expansion that included 18 fine structure levels of core P III from configurations 3s23p, 3s3p2, 3s23d, 3s24s, 3s24p and 3p3. Photoionization cross sections are presented for all 475 fine structure levels of P II found with n ≤ 10 and l ≤ 9. The present results will provide high precision parameters of various applications involving this less studied ion.

Counting individual sulfur atoms in a protein by ultrahighresolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry: Experimental resolution of isotopic fine structure in proteins

PubMed Central

Shi, Stone D.-H.; Hendrickson, Christopher L.; Marshall, Alan G.

1998-01-01

A typical molecular ion mass spectrum consists of a sum of signals from species of various possible isotopic compositions. Only the monoisotopic peak (e.g., all carbons are 12C; all nitrogens are 14N, etc.) has a unique elemental composition. Every other isotope peak at approximately integer multiples of ∼1 Da higher in nominal mass represents a sum of contributions from isotope combinations differing by a few mDa (e.g., two 13C vs. two 15N vs. one 13C and one 15N vs. 34S, vs. 18O, etc., at ∼2 Da higher in mass than the monoisotopic mass). At sufficiently high mass resolving power, each of these nominal-mass peaks resolves into its isotopic fine structure. Here, we report resolution of the isotopic fine structure of proteins up to 15.8 kDa (isotopic 13C,15N doubly depleted tumor suppressor protein, p16), made possible by electrospray ionization followed by ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass analysis at 9.4 tesla. Further, a resolving power of m/Δm50% ≈8,000,000 has been achieved on bovine ubiquitin (8.6 kDa). These results represent a 10-fold increase in the highest mass at which isotopic fine structure previously had been observed. Finally, because isotopic fine structure reveals elemental composition directly, it can be used to confirm or determine molecular formula. For p16, for example, we were able to determine (5.1 ± 0.3) the correct number (five) of sulfur atoms solely from the abundance ratio of the resolved 34S peak to the monoisotopic peak. PMID:9751700

Determinants of fish assemblage structure in Northwestern Great Plains streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mullen, J.A.; Bramblett, R.G.; Guy, C.S.; Zale, A.V.; Roberts, D.W.

2011-01-01

Prairie streams are known for their harsh and stochastic physical conditions, and the fish assemblages therein have been shown to be temporally variable. We assessed the spatial and temporal variation in fish assemblage structure in five intermittent, adventitious northwestern Great Plains streams representing a gradient of watershed areas. Fish assemblages and abiotic conditions varied more spatially than temporally. The most important variables explaining fish assemblage structure were longitudinal position and the proportion of fine substrates. The proportion of fine substrates increased proceeding upstream, approaching 100% in all five streams, and species richness declined upstream with increasing fine substrates. High levels of fine substrate in the upper reaches appeared to limit the distribution of obligate lithophilic fish species to reaches further downstream. Species richness and substrates were similar among all five streams at the lowermost and uppermost sites. However, in the middle reaches, species richness increased, the amount of fine substrate decreased, and connectivity increased as watershed area increased. Season and some dimensions of habitat (including thalweg depth, absolute distance to the main-stem river, and watershed size) were not essential in explaining the variation in fish assemblages. Fish species richness varied more temporally than overall fish assemblage structure did because common species were consistently abundant across seasons, whereas rare species were sometimes absent or perhaps not detected by sampling. The similarity in our results among five streams varying in watershed size and those from other studies supports the generalization that spatial variation exceeds temporal variation in the fish assemblages of prairie and warmwater streams. Furthermore, given longitudinal position, substrate, and stream size, general predictions regarding fish assemblage structure and function in prairie streams are possible. ?? American Fisheries Society 2011.

A patch-based convolutional neural network for remote sensing image classification.

PubMed

Sharma, Atharva; Liu, Xiuwen; Yang, Xiaojun; Shi, Di

2017-11-01

Availability of accurate land cover information over large areas is essential to the global environment sustainability; digital classification using medium-resolution remote sensing data would provide an effective method to generate the required land cover information. However, low accuracy of existing per-pixel based classification methods for medium-resolution data is a fundamental limiting factor. While convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with deep layers have achieved unprecedented improvements in object recognition applications that rely on fine image structures, they cannot be applied directly to medium-resolution data due to lack of such fine structures. In this paper, considering the spatial relation of a pixel to its neighborhood, we propose a new deep patch-based CNN system tailored for medium-resolution remote sensing data. The system is designed by incorporating distinctive characteristics of medium-resolution data; in particular, the system computes patch-based samples from multidimensional top of atmosphere reflectance data. With a test site from the Florida Everglades area (with a size of 771 square kilometers), the proposed new system has outperformed pixel-based neural network, pixel-based CNN and patch-based neural network by 24.36%, 24.23% and 11.52%, respectively, in overall classification accuracy. By combining the proposed deep CNN and the huge collection of medium-resolution remote sensing data, we believe that much more accurate land cover datasets can be produced over large areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure of Co-Doped Alq3 thin films investigated by grazing incidence X-ray absorption fine structure and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Lin, Liang; Pang, Zhiyong; Fang, Shaojie; Wang, Fenggong; Song, Shumei; Huang, Yuying; Wei, Xiangjun; Yu, Haisheng; Han, Shenghao

2011-02-10

The structural properties of Co-doped tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq(3)) have been studied by grazing incidence X-ray absorption fine structure (GIXAFS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). GIXAFS analysis suggests that there are multivalent Co-Alq(3) complexes and the doped Co atoms tend to locate at the attraction center with respect to N and O atoms and bond with them. The FTIR spectra indicate that the Co atoms interact with the meridional (mer) isomer of Alq(3) rather than forming inorganic compounds.

Data, data everywhere: detecting spatial patterns in fine-scale ecological information collected across a continent

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Frank H. Koch; Christopher M. Oswalt; Basil V. Iannone

2016-01-01

Context Fine-scale ecological data collected across broad regions are becoming increasingly available. Appropriate geographic analyses of these data can help identify locations of ecological concern. Objectives We present one such approach, spatial association of scalable hexagons (SASH), whichidentifies locations where ecological phenomena occur at greater...

Subordinate Categorization Enhances the Neural Selectivity in Human Object-Selective Cortex for Fine Shape Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillebert, Celine R.; Op de Beeck, Hans P.; Panis, Sven; Wagemans, Johan

2009-01-01

There is substantial evidence that object representations in adults are dynamically updated by learning. However, it is not clear to what extent these effects are induced by active processing of visual objects in a particular task context on top of the effects of mere exposure to the same objects. Here we show that the task does matter. We…

Spin interactions in InAs quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doty, M. F.; Ware, M. E.; Stinaff, E. A.; Scheibner, M.; Bracker, A. S.; Gammon, D.; Ponomarev, I. V.; Reinecke, T. L.; Korenev, V. L.

2006-03-01

Fine structure splittings in optical spectra of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) generally arise from spin interactions between particles confined in the dots. We present experimental studies of the fine structure that arises from multiple charges confined in a single dot [1] or in molecular orbitals of coupled pairs of dots. To probe the underlying spin interactions we inject particles with a known spin orientation (by using polarized light to perform photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy experiments) or use a magnetic field to orient and/or mix the spin states. We develop a model of the spin interactions that aids in the development of quantum information processing applications based on controllable interactions between spins confined to QDs. [1] Polarized Fine Structure in the Photoluminescence Excitation Spectrum of a Negatively Charged Quantum Dot, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 177403 (2005)

Measuring h /mCs and the Fine Structure Constant with Bragg Diffraction and Bloch Oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Richard

2016-05-01

We have demonstrated a new scheme for atom interferometry based on large-momentum-transfer Bragg beam splitters and Bloch oscillations. In this new scheme, we have achieved a resolution of δα / α =0.25ppb in the fine structure constant measurement, which gives up to 4.4 million radians of phase difference between freely evolving matter waves. We suppress many systematic effects, e.g., Zeeman shifts and effects from Earth's gravity and vibrations, use Bloch oscillations to increase the signal and reduce the diffraction phase, simulate multi-atom Bragg diffraction to understand sub-ppb systematic effects, and implement spatial filtering to further suppress systematic effects. We present our recent progress toward a measurement of the fine structure constant, which will provide a stringent test of the standard model of particle physics.

Porous-electrode preparation method

DOEpatents

Arons, R.M.; Dusek, J.T.

1981-09-17

A porous sintered plaque is provided with a bimodal porosity that is especially well suited for use as an electrode within a molten carbonate fuel cell. The coarse porosity is sufficient for admitting gases into contact with the reaction surfaces while the fine porosity is wetted with and retains molten electrolyte on the reaction sites. The electrode structure is prepared by providing a very fine powder such as nickel oxide and blending the powder with a suitable decomposable binder to form a solid mass. The mass is comminuted into agglomerate size particles substantially larger than the fine oxide particles and formed into a cohesive compact for subsequent sintering. Sintering is carried out at sufficient conditions to bind the agglomerates together into a porous structure having both coarse and fine porosity. Where lithiated nickel oxide cathodes are prepared, the sintering conditions can be moderate enough to retain substantial quantities of lithium within the electrode for adequate conductivity.

Porous electrode preparation method

DOEpatents

Arons, Richard M.; Dusek, Joseph T.

1983-01-01

A porous sintered plaque is provided with a bimodal porosity that is especially well suited for use as an electrode within a molten carbonate fuel cell. The coarse porosity is sufficient for admitting gases into contact with the reaction surfaces while the fine porosity is wetted with and retains molten electrolyte on the reaction sites. The electrode structure is prepared by providing a very fine powder of such as nickel oxide and blending the powder with a suitable decomposable binder to form a solid mass. The mass is comminuted into agglomerate size particles substantially larger than the fine oxide particles and formed into a cohesive compact for subsequent sintering. Sintering is carried out at sufficient conditions to bind the agglomerates together into a porous structure having both coarse and fine porosity. Where lithiated nickel oxide cathodes are prepared, the sintering conditions can be moderate enough to retain substantial quantities of lithium within the electrode for adequate conductivity.

Porous electrode preparation method

DOEpatents

Arons, R.M.; Dusek, J.T.

1983-10-18

A porous sintered plaque is provided with a bimodal porosity that is especially well suited for use as an electrode within a molten carbonate fuel cell. The coarse porosity is sufficient for admitting gases into contact with the reaction surfaces while the fine porosity is wetted with and retains molten electrolyte on the reaction sites. The electrode structure is prepared by providing a very fine powder of such as nickel oxide and blending the powder with a suitable decomposable binder to form a solid mass. The mass is comminuted into agglomerate size particles substantially larger than the fine oxide particles and formed into a cohesive compact for subsequent sintering. Sintering is carried out at sufficient conditions to bind the agglomerates together into a porous structure having both coarse and fine porosity. Where lithiated nickel oxide cathodes are prepared, the sintering conditions can be moderate enough to retain substantial quantities of lithium within the electrode for adequate conductivity. 2 figs.

Optimal Design of Experiments by Combining Coarse and Fine Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Alpha A.; Brenner, Michael P.; Colwell, Lucy J.

2017-11-01

In many contexts, it is extremely costly to perform enough high-quality experimental measurements to accurately parametrize a predictive quantitative model. However, it is often much easier to carry out large numbers of experiments that indicate whether each sample is above or below a given threshold. Can many such categorical or "coarse" measurements be combined with a much smaller number of high-resolution or "fine" measurements to yield accurate models? Here, we demonstrate an intuitive strategy, inspired by statistical physics, wherein the coarse measurements are used to identify the salient features of the data, while the fine measurements determine the relative importance of these features. A linear model is inferred from the fine measurements, augmented by a quadratic term that captures the correlation structure of the coarse data. We illustrate our strategy by considering the problems of predicting the antimalarial potency and aqueous solubility of small organic molecules from their 2D molecular structure.

75 FR 21384 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Birth of Impressionism...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-23

... Visual Arts, Nashville, TN, from on or about October 15, 2010, until January 23, 2011, and at possible... that the exhibition or display of the exhibit objects at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San...

High-performance Chinese multiclass traffic sign detection via coarse-to-fine cascade and parallel support vector machine detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Faliang; Liu, Chunsheng

2017-09-01

The high variability of sign colors and shapes in uncontrolled environments has made the detection of traffic signs a challenging problem in computer vision. We propose a traffic sign detection (TSD) method based on coarse-to-fine cascade and parallel support vector machine (SVM) detectors to detect Chinese warning and danger traffic signs. First, a region of interest (ROI) extraction method is proposed to extract ROIs using color contrast features in local regions. The ROI extraction can reduce scanning regions and save detection time. For multiclass TSD, we propose a structure that combines a coarse-to-fine cascaded tree with a parallel structure of histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) + SVM detectors. The cascaded tree is designed to detect different types of traffic signs in a coarse-to-fine process. The parallel HOG + SVM detectors are designed to do fine detection of different types of traffic signs. The experiments demonstrate the proposed TSD method can rapidly detect multiclass traffic signs with different colors and shapes in high accuracy.

Limited Effects of Variable-Retention Harvesting on Fungal Communities Decomposing Fine Roots in Coastal Temperate Rainforests.

PubMed

Philpott, Timothy J; Barker, Jason S; Prescott, Cindy E; Grayston, Sue J

2018-02-01

Fine root litter is the principal source of carbon stored in forest soils and a dominant source of carbon for fungal decomposers. Differences in decomposer capacity between fungal species may be important determinants of fine-root decomposition rates. Variable-retention harvesting (VRH) provides refuge for ectomycorrhizal fungi, but its influence on fine-root decomposers is unknown, as are the effects of functional shifts in these fungal communities on carbon cycling. We compared fungal communities decomposing fine roots (in litter bags) under VRH, clear-cut, and uncut stands at two sites (6 and 13 years postharvest) and two decay stages (43 days and 1 year after burial) in Douglas fir forests in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Fungal species and guilds were identified from decomposed fine roots using high-throughput sequencing. Variable retention had short-term effects on β-diversity; harvest treatment modified the fungal community composition at the 6-year-postharvest site, but not at the 13-year-postharvest site. Ericoid and ectomycorrhizal guilds were not more abundant under VRH, but stand age significantly structured species composition. Guild composition varied by decay stage, with ruderal species later replaced by saprotrophs and ectomycorrhizae. Ectomycorrhizal abundance on decomposing fine roots may partially explain why fine roots typically decompose more slowly than surface litter. Our results indicate that stand age structures fine-root decomposers but that decay stage is more important in structuring the fungal community than shifts caused by harvesting. The rapid postharvest recovery of fungal communities decomposing fine roots suggests resiliency within this community, at least in these young regenerating stands in coastal British Columbia. IMPORTANCE Globally, fine roots are a dominant source of carbon in forest soils, yet the fungi that decompose this material and that drive the sequestration or respiration of this carbon remain largely uncharacterized. Fungi vary in their capacity to decompose plant litter, suggesting that fungal community composition is an important determinant of decomposition rates. Variable-retention harvesting is a forestry practice that modifies fungal communities by providing refuge for ectomycorrhizal fungi. We evaluated the effects of variable retention and clear-cut harvesting on fungal communities decomposing fine roots at two sites (6 and 13 years postharvest), at two decay stages (43 days and 1 year), and in uncut stands in temperate rainforests. Harvesting impacts on fungal community composition were detected only after 6 years after harvest. We suggest that fungal community composition may be an important factor that reduces fine-root decomposition rates relative to those of above-ground plant litter, which has important consequences for forest carbon cycling. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Atomic oxygen fine-structure splittings with tunable far-infrared spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zink, Lyndon R.; Evenson, Kenneth M.; Matsushima, Fusakazu; Nelis, Thomas; Robinson, Ruth L.

1991-01-01

Fine-structure splittings of atomic oxygen (O-16) in the ground state have been accurately measured using a tunable far-infrared spectrometer. The 3P0-3pl splitting is 2,060,069.09 (10) MHz, and the 3Pl-3P2 splitting is 4,744,777.49 (16) MHz. These frequencies are important for measuring atomic oxygen concentration in earth's atmosphere and the interstellar medium.

Novel visualization studies of lignocellulosic oxidation chemistry by application of C-near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

Treesearch

Douglas G. Mancosky; Lucian A. Lucia; Hiroki Nanko; Sue Wirick; Alan W. Rudie; Robert Braun

2005-01-01

The research presented herein is the first attempt to probe the chemical nature of lignocellulosic samples by the application of carbon near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (C-NEXAFS). C-NEXAFS is a soft X-ray technique that principally provides selective interrogation of discrete atomic moieties using photoelectrons of variable energies. The X1A beam...

Visual Object Detection, Categorization, and Identification Tasks Are Associated with Different Time Courses and Sensitivities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de la Rosa, Stephan; Choudhery, Rabia N.; Chatziastros, Astros

2011-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that the recognition of an object's presence and its explicit recognition are temporally closely related. Here we re-examined the time course (using a fine and a coarse temporal resolution) and the sensitivity of three possible component processes of visual object recognition. In particular, participants saw briefly…

A correlational method to concurrently measure envelope and temporal fine structure weights: effects of age, cochlear pathology, and spectral shaping.

PubMed

Fogerty, Daniel; Humes, Larry E

2012-09-01

The speech signal may be divided into spectral frequency-bands, each band containing temporal properties of the envelope and fine structure. This study measured the perceptual weights for the envelope and fine structure in each of three frequency bands for sentence materials in young normal-hearing listeners, older normal-hearing listeners, aided older hearing-impaired listeners, and spectrally matched young normal-hearing listeners. The availability of each acoustic property was independently varied through noisy signal extraction. Thus, the full speech stimulus was presented with noise used to mask six different auditory channels. Perceptual weights were determined by correlating a listener's performance with the signal-to-noise ratio of each acoustic property on a trial-by-trial basis. Results demonstrate that temporal fine structure perceptual weights remain stable across the four listener groups. However, a different weighting typography was observed across the listener groups for envelope cues. Results suggest that spectral shaping used to preserve the audibility of the speech stimulus may alter the allocation of perceptual resources. The relative perceptual weighting of envelope cues may also change with age. Concurrent testing of sentences repeated once on a previous day demonstrated that weighting strategies for all listener groups can change, suggesting an initial stabilization period or susceptibility to auditory training.

THE HERSCHEL COMPREHENSIVE (U)LIRG EMISSION SURVEY (HERCULES): CO LADDERS, FINE STRUCTURE LINES, AND NEUTRAL GAS COOLING

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

Rosenberg, M. J. F.; Van der Werf, P. P.; Israel, F. P.

2015-03-10

(Ultra) luminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs) are objects characterized by their extreme infrared (8-1000 μm) luminosities (L {sub LIRG} > 10{sup 11} L {sub ☉} and L {sub ULIRG} > 10{sup 12} L {sub ☉}). The Herschel Comprehensive ULIRG Emission Survey (PI: van der Werf) presents a representative flux-limited sample of 29 (U)LIRGs that spans the full luminosity range of these objects (10{sup 11} L {sub ☉} ≤ L {sub IR} ≤ 10{sup 13} L {sub ☉}). With the Herschel Space Observatory, we observe [C II] 157 μm, [O I] 63 μm, and [O I] 145 μm line emission with Photodetector Array Cameramore » and Spectrometer, CO J = 4-3 through J = 13-12, [C I] 370 μm, and [C I] 609 μm with SPIRE, and low-J CO transitions with ground-based telescopes. The CO ladders of the sample are separated into three classes based on their excitation level. In 13 of the galaxies, the [O I] 63 μm emission line is self absorbed. Comparing the CO excitation to the InfraRed Astronomical Satellite 60/100 μm ratio and to far infrared luminosity, we find that the CO excitation is more correlated to the far infrared colors. We present cooling budgets for the galaxies and find fine-structure line flux deficits in the [C II], [Si II], [O I], and [C I] lines in the objects with the highest far IR fluxes, but do not observe this for CO 4 ≤ J {sub upp} ≤ 13. In order to study the heating of the molecular gas, we present a combination of three diagnostic quantities to help determine the dominant heating source. Using the CO excitation, the CO J = 1-0 linewidth, and the active galactic nucleus (AGN) contribution, we conclude that galaxies with large CO linewidths always have high-excitation CO ladders, and often low AGN contributions, suggesting that mechanical heating is important.« less

System and method for the detection of anomalies in an image

DOEpatents

Prasad, Lakshman; Swaminarayan, Sriram

2013-09-03

Preferred aspects of the present invention can include receiving a digital image at a processor; segmenting the digital image into a hierarchy of feature layers comprising one or more fine-scale features defining a foreground object embedded in one or more coarser-scale features defining a background to the one or more fine-scale features in the segmentation hierarchy; detecting a first fine-scale foreground feature as an anomaly with respect to a first background feature within which it is embedded; and constructing an anomalous feature layer by synthesizing spatially contiguous anomalous fine-scale features. Additional preferred aspects of the present invention can include detecting non-pervasive changes between sets of images in response at least in part to one or more difference images between the sets of images.

Multiscale 3D manufacturing: combining thermal extrusion printing with additive and subtractive direct laser writing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malinauskas, Mangirdas; Lukoševičius, Laurynas; MackevičiÅ«tÄ--, DovilÄ--; BalčiÅ«nas, Evaldas; RekštytÄ--, Sima; Paipulas, Domas

2014-05-01

A novel approach for efficient manufacturing of three-dimensional (3D) microstructured scaffolds designed for cell studies and tissue engineering applications is presented. A thermal extrusion (fused filament fabrication) 3D printer is employed as a simple and low-cost tabletop device enabling rapid materialization of CAD models out of biocompatible and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA). Here it was used to produce cm- scale microporous (pore size varying from 100 to 400 µm) scaffolds. The fabricated objects were further laser processed in a direct laser writing (DLW) subtractive (ablation) and additive (lithography) manners. The first approach enables precise surface modification by creating micro-craters, holes and grooves thus increasing the surface roughness. An alternative way is to immerse the 3D PLA scaffold in a monomer solution and use the same DLW setup to refine its inner structure by fabricating dots, lines or a fine mesh on top as well as inside the pores of previously produced scaffolds. The DLW technique is empowered by ultrafast lasers - it allows 3D structuring with high spatial resolution in a great variety of photosensitive materials. Structure geometry on macro- to micro- scales could be finely tuned by combining these two fabrication techniques. Such artificial 3D substrates could be used for cell growth or as biocompatible-biodegradable implants. This combination of distinct material processing techniques enables rapid fabrication of diverse functional micro- featured and integrated devices. Hopefully, the proposed approach will find numerous applications in the field of ms, microfluidics, microoptics and many others.

Robust visual object tracking with interleaved segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abel, Peter; Kieritz, Hilke; Becker, Stefan; Arens, Michael

2017-10-01

In this paper we present a new approach for tracking non-rigid, deformable objects by means of merging an on-line boosting-based tracker and a fast foreground background segmentation. We extend an on-line boosting- based tracker, which uses axes-aligned bounding boxes with fixed aspect-ratio as tracking states. By constructing a confidence map from the on-line boosting-based tracker and unifying this map with a confidence map, which is obtained from a foreground background segmentation algorithm, we build a superior confidence map. For constructing a rough confidence map of a new frame based on on-line boosting, we employ the responses of the strong classifier as well as the single weak classifier responses that were built before during the updating step. This confidence map provides a rough estimation of the object's position and dimension. In order to refine this confidence map, we build a fine, pixel-wisely segmented confidence map and merge both maps together. Our segmentation method is color-histogram-based and provides a fine and fast image segmentation. By means of back-projection and the Bayes' rule, we obtain a confidence value for every pixel. The rough and the fine confidence maps are merged together by building an adaptively weighted sum of both maps. The weights are obtained by utilizing the variances of both confidence maps. Further, we apply morphological operators in the merged confidence map in order to reduce the noise. In the resulting map we estimate the object localization and dimension via continuous adaptive mean shift. Our approach provides a rotated rectangle as tracking states, which enables a more precise description of non-rigid, deformable objects than axes-aligned bounding boxes. We evaluate our tracker on the visual object tracking (VOT) benchmark dataset 2016.

High-resolution observations of active region moss and its dynamics

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

Morton, R. J.; McLaughlin, J. A., E-mail: richard.morton@northumbria.ac.uk

2014-07-10

The High Resolution Coronal Imager has provided the sharpest view of the EUV corona to date. In this paper, we exploit its impressive resolving power to provide the first analysis of the fine-scale structure of moss in an active region. The data reveal that the moss is made up of a collection of fine threads that have widths with a mean and standard deviation of 440 ± 190 km (FWHM). The brightest moss emission is located at the visible head of the fine-scale structure and the fine structure appears to extend into the lower solar atmosphere. The emission decreases alongmore » the features, implying that the lower sections are most likely dominated by cooler transition region plasma. These threads appear to be the cool, lower legs of the hot loops. In addition, the increased resolution allows for the first direct observation of physical displacements of the moss fine structure in a direction transverse to its central axis. Some of these transverse displacements demonstrate periodic behavior, which we interpret as a signature of kink (Alfvénic) waves. Measurements of the properties of the transverse motions are made and the wave motions have means and standard deviations of 55 ± 37 km for the transverse displacement amplitude, 77 ± 33 s for the period, and 4.7 ± 2.5 km s{sup –1} for the velocity amplitude. The presence of waves in the transition region of hot loops could have important implications for the heating of active regions.« less

Detection of fibrils associated with Rickettsia rickettsii.

PubMed

Todd, W J; Burgdorfer, W; Wray, G P

1983-09-01

The ultrastructural appearance of the "halozone" formed at the interface between the spotted fever agent Rickettsia rickettsii and the cytoplasm of persistently infected cultured vole cells (Microtus pennsylvanicus) was studied by transmission electron microscopy. In sections of epoxy-embedded specimens stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, the halozone appeared clear and devoid of ultrastructural features. However, when unembedded preparations of whole infected cells were examined at 1,000 kV, fine structural features were observed within the halozone. These features, associated with the rickettsial outer membrane, were more clearly detectable when the infected cells were extracted with the detergent Triton X-100 before fixation. Under such conditions, long extensions of the rickettsial outer membrane, microfilament-like structures attached to that membrane, and extensive attachments between adjacent rickettsiae were seen. The fine structural features within the rickettsial halozone were also seen at 75 kV when unembedded sections were prepared from polyethylene glycol-embedded specimens. Thus, epoxy-embedding medium obscures the fine structural features within the halozone surrounding the rickettsiae in infected cells.

Detection of fibrils associated with Rickettsia rickettsii.

PubMed Central

Todd, W J; Burgdorfer, W; Wray, G P

1983-01-01

The ultrastructural appearance of the "halozone" formed at the interface between the spotted fever agent Rickettsia rickettsii and the cytoplasm of persistently infected cultured vole cells (Microtus pennsylvanicus) was studied by transmission electron microscopy. In sections of epoxy-embedded specimens stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, the halozone appeared clear and devoid of ultrastructural features. However, when unembedded preparations of whole infected cells were examined at 1,000 kV, fine structural features were observed within the halozone. These features, associated with the rickettsial outer membrane, were more clearly detectable when the infected cells were extracted with the detergent Triton X-100 before fixation. Under such conditions, long extensions of the rickettsial outer membrane, microfilament-like structures attached to that membrane, and extensive attachments between adjacent rickettsiae were seen. The fine structural features within the rickettsial halozone were also seen at 75 kV when unembedded sections were prepared from polyethylene glycol-embedded specimens. Thus, epoxy-embedding medium obscures the fine structural features within the halozone surrounding the rickettsiae in infected cells. Images PMID:6411620

Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize Talk: Measuring the Electron Magnetic Moment and the Fine Structure Constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabrielse, Gerald

2011-05-01

The electron magnetic moment in Bohr magnetons has been measured to a precision of 3 parts in 1013. This measurement, with quantum electrodynamics (AED) theory, provides the most precise value of the fine structure constant. This measurement, with a value of the fine structure from other measurements, also tests QED and sets a limit on the internal structure of the electron. A one-electron quantum cyclotron is at the heart of the measurement -- an electron suspended in a magnetic field and cooled enough that its lowest cyclotron and spin quantum states can be deduced with quantum nondemolition (QND) measurements. A cylindrical Penning trap cavity inhibits spontaneous emission and feedback methods make the electron excite and sustain its own motion for detection. A new apparatus is being commissioned in pursuit of more precise measurements. Adapted methods are promising for observing a proton spin flip, which should make it possible to compare the antiproton and proton magnetic moments a million times more accurately than is currently possible.

New determination of the fine structure constant from the electron value and QED.

PubMed

Gabrielse, G; Hanneke, D; Kinoshita, T; Nio, M; Odom, B

2006-07-21

Quantum electrodynamics (QED) predicts a relationship between the dimensionless magnetic moment of the electron (g) and the fine structure constant (alpha). A new measurement of g using a one-electron quantum cyclotron, together with a QED calculation involving 891 eighth-order Feynman diagrams, determine alpha(-1)=137.035 999 710 (96) [0.70 ppb]. The uncertainties are 10 times smaller than those of nearest rival methods that include atom-recoil measurements. Comparisons of measured and calculated g test QED most stringently, and set a limit on internal electron structure.

The Effectiveness of a Computer Game-Based Rehabilitation Platform for Children With Cerebral Palsy: Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Parmar, Sanjay; Gandhi, Dorcas BC; Rempel, Gina Ruth; Restall, Gayle; Sharma, Monika; Narayan, Amitesh; Pandian, Jeyaraj; Naik, Nilashri; Savadatti, Ravi R; Kamate, Mahesh Appasaheb

2017-01-01

Background It is difficult to engage young children with cerebral palsy (CP) in repetitive, tedious therapy. As such, there is a need for innovative approaches and tools to motivate these children. We developed the low-cost, computer game-based rehabilitation platform CGR that combines fine manipulation and gross movement exercises with attention and planning game activities appropriate for young children with CP. Objective The objective of this study is to provide evidence of the therapeutic value of CGR to improve upper extremity (UE) motor function for children with CP. Methods This randomized controlled, single-blind, clinical trial with an active control arm will be conducted at 4 sites. Children diagnosed with CP between the ages of 4 and 10 years old with moderate UE impairments and fine motor control abnormalities will be recruited. Results We will test the difference between experimental and control groups using the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST) and Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Second Edition (PDMS-2) outcome measures. The parents of the children and the therapist experiences with the interventions and tools will be explored using semi-structured interviews using the qualitative description approach. Conclusions This research protocol, if effective, will provide evidence for the therapeutic value and feasibility of CGR in the pediatric rehabilitation of UE function. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02728375; http:https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02728375 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6qDjvszvh) PMID:28526673

Laboratory-size three-dimensional x-ray microscope with Wolter type I mirror optics and an electron-impact water window x-ray source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohsuka, Shinji; Ohba, Akira; Onoda, Shinobu; Nakamoto, Katsuhiro; Nakano, Tomoyasu; Miyoshi, Motosuke; Soda, Keita; Hamakubo, Takao

2014-09-01

We constructed a laboratory-size three-dimensional water window x-ray microscope that combines wide-field transmission x-ray microscopy with tomographic reconstruction techniques, and observed bio-medical samples to evaluate its applicability to life science research fields. It consists of a condenser and an objective grazing incidence Wolter type I mirror, an electron-impact type oxygen Kα x-ray source, and a back-illuminated CCD for x-ray imaging. A spatial resolution limit of around 1.0 line pairs per micrometer was obtained for two-dimensional transmission images, and 1-μm scale three-dimensional fine structures were resolved.

Laboratory-size three-dimensional x-ray microscope with Wolter type I mirror optics and an electron-impact water window x-ray source.

PubMed

Ohsuka, Shinji; Ohba, Akira; Onoda, Shinobu; Nakamoto, Katsuhiro; Nakano, Tomoyasu; Miyoshi, Motosuke; Soda, Keita; Hamakubo, Takao

2014-09-01

We constructed a laboratory-size three-dimensional water window x-ray microscope that combines wide-field transmission x-ray microscopy with tomographic reconstruction techniques, and observed bio-medical samples to evaluate its applicability to life science research fields. It consists of a condenser and an objective grazing incidence Wolter type I mirror, an electron-impact type oxygen Kα x-ray source, and a back-illuminated CCD for x-ray imaging. A spatial resolution limit of around 1.0 line pairs per micrometer was obtained for two-dimensional transmission images, and 1-μm scale three-dimensional fine structures were resolved.

Evolvable social agents for bacterial systems modeling.

PubMed

Paton, Ray; Gregory, Richard; Vlachos, Costas; Saunders, Jon; Wu, Henry

2004-09-01

We present two approaches to the individual-based modeling (IbM) of bacterial ecologies and evolution using computational tools. The IbM approach is introduced, and its important complementary role to biosystems modeling is discussed. A fine-grained model of bacterial evolution is then presented that is based on networks of interactivity between computational objects representing genes and proteins. This is followed by a coarser grained agent-based model, which is designed to explore the evolvability of adaptive behavioral strategies in artificial bacteria represented by learning classifier systems. The structure and implementation of the two proposed individual-based bacterial models are discussed, and some results from simulation experiments are presented, illustrating their adaptive properties.

Structural and electrical properties of In-implanted Ge

DOE PAGES

Feng, R.; Kremer, F.; Sprouster, D. J.; ...

2015-10-22

Here, we report on the effects of dopant concentration on the structural and electrical properties of In-implanted Ge. For In concentrations of ≤ 0.2 at. %, extended x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements demonstrate that all In atoms occupy a substitutional lattice site while metallic In precipitates are apparent in transmission electron micrographs for In concentrations ≥0.6 at. %. Evidence of the formation of In-vacancy complexes deduced from extended x-ray absorption fine structure measurements is complimented by density functional theory simulations. Hall effect measurements of the conductivity, carrier density, and carrier mobility are then correlated withmore » the substitutional In fraction.« less

Estimating the quadratic mean diameters of fine woody debris in forests of the United States

Treesearch

Christopher W. Woodall; Vicente J. Monleon

2010-01-01

Most fine woody debris (FWD) line-intersect sampling protocols and associated estimators require an approximation of the quadratic mean diameter (QMD) of each individual FWD size class. There is a lack of empirically derived QMDs by FWD size class and species/forest type across the U.S. The objective of this study is to evaluate a technique known as the graphical...

25 CFR 584.3 - How do I appeal a notice of violation, proposed civil fine assessment, order of temporary closure...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How do I appeal a notice of violation, proposed civil fine assessment, order of temporary closure, the Chair's decision to void or modify a management contract, the Commission's proposal to remove a certificate of self-regulation, the Chair's decision to approve or object to a tribal gaming regulatory...

25 CFR 585.3 - How do I appeal a notice of violation, proposed civil fine assessment, order of temporary closure...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How do I appeal a notice of violation, proposed civil fine assessment, order of temporary closure, the Chair's decision to void or modify a management contract, the Commission's proposal to remove a certificate of self regulation, the Chair's decision to approve or object to a tribal gaming regulatory...

Evaluation of high-density, multi-contact nerve cuffs for activation of grasp muscles in monkeys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brill, N. A.; Naufel, S. N.; Polasek, K.; Ethier, C.; Cheesborough, J.; Agnew, S.; Miller, L. E.; Tyler, D. J.

2018-06-01

Objective. The objective of this work was to evaluate whether nerve cuffs can selectively activate hand muscles for functional electrical stimulation (FES). FES typically involves identifying and implanting electrodes in many individual muscles, but nerve cuffs only require implantation at a single site around the nerve. This method is surgically more attractive. Nerve cuffs may also more effectively stimulate intrinsic hand muscles, which are difficult to implant and stimulate without spillover to adjacent muscles. Approach. To evaluate its ability to selectively activate muscles, we implanted and tested the flat interface nerve electrode (FINE), which is designed to selectively stimulate peripheral nerves that innervate multiple muscles (Tyler and Durand 2002 IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng. 10 294-303). We implanted FINEs on the nerves and bipolar intramuscular wires for recording compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) from up to 20 muscles in each arm of six monkeys. We then collected recruitment curves while the animals were anesthetized. Main result. A single FINE implanted on an upper extremity nerve in the monkey can selectively activate muscles or small groups of muscles to produce multiple, independent hand functions. Significance. FINE cuffs can serve as a viable supplement to intramuscular electrodes in FES systems, where they can better activate intrinsic and extrinsic muscles with lower currents and less extensive surgery.

Coarse-to-fine deep neural network for fast pedestrian detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yaobin; Yang, Xinmei; Cao, Lijun

2017-11-01

Pedestrian detection belongs to a category of object detection is a key issue in the field of video surveillance and automatic driving. Although recent object detection methods, such as Fast/Faster RCNN, have achieved excellent performance, it is difficult to meet real-time requirements and limits the application in real scenarios. A coarse-to-fine deep neural network for fast pedestrian detection is proposed in this paper. Two-stage approach is presented to realize fine trade-off between accuracy and speed. In the coarse stage, we train a fast deep convolution neural network to generate most pedestrian candidates at the cost of a number of false positives. The detector can cover the majority of scales, sizes, and occlusions of pedestrians. After that, a classification network is introduced to refine the pedestrian candidates generated from the previous stage. Refining through classification network, most of false detections will be excluded easily and the final pedestrian predictions with bounding box and confidence score are produced. Competitive results have been achieved on INRIA dataset in terms of accuracy, especially the method can achieve real-time detection that is faster than the previous leading methods. The effectiveness of coarse-to-fine approach to detect pedestrians is verified, and the accuracy and stability are also improved.

Rocket observations of electron-density irregularities in the equatorial ionosphere below 200 km

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klaus, D. E.; Smith, L. G.

1978-01-01

Nike Apache rockets carring instrumentation to measure electron density and its fine structure in the equatorial ionosphere were launched from Chilca, Peru in May and June 1975. The fine structure experiment and the data reduction system are described. Results obtained from this system are presented and compared with those obtained by VHF radar and from other rocket studies. A description of the equatorial ionosphere and its features is also presented.

Effective collision strengths for the electron impact excitation of Mg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, C. E.; Ramsbottom, C. A.; Norrington, P. H.; Scott, M. P.

2008-05-01

Electron impact excitation collision strengths for fine structure transitions of Mg,have been determined by a Breit-Pauli R-matrix calculation. The target states are represented by configuration interaction wavefunctions and consist of the 19 lowest LS states, having configurations 2s^22p^4, 2s2p^5, 2p^6, 2s^22p^33s and 2s^22p^33p. These target states give rise to 37 fine structure levels and 666 possible transitions. The effective collision strengths are calculated by averaging the electron collision strengths over a Maxwellian distribution of electron velocities. Effective collision strengths for transitions between the fine structure levels are given for electron temperatures in the range 10Te(K) = 3.0 - 7.0. Results are compared with the previous R-matrix calculation of Butler & Zeippen (AASS, 1994) and the recent Distorted Wave evaluations of Bhatia, Landi & Eissner (ADNDT, 2006).

Origin of fine structure of the giant dipole resonance in s d -shell nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fearick, R. W.; Erler, B.; Matsubara, H.; von Neumann-Cosel, P.; Richter, A.; Roth, R.; Tamii, A.

2018-04-01

A set of high-resolution zero-degree inelastic proton scattering data on 24Mg, 28Si, 32S, and 40Ca provides new insight into the long-standing puzzle of the origin of fragmentation of the giant dipole resonance (GDR) in s d -shell nuclei. Understanding is achieved by comparison with random phase approximation calculations for deformed nuclei using for the first time a realistic nucleon-nucleon interaction derived from the Argonne V18 potential with the unitary correlation operator method and supplemented by a phenomenological three-nucleon contact interaction. A wavelet analysis allows one to extract significant scales both in the data and calculations characterizing the fine structure of the GDR. The fair agreement for scales in the range of a few hundred keV supports the surmise that the fine structure arises from ground-state deformation driven by α clustering.

Annealing induced atomic rearrangements on (Ga,In) (N,As) probed by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure.

PubMed

Ishikawa, Fumitaro; Higashi, Kotaro; Fuyuno, Satoshi; Morifuji, Masato; Kondow, Masahiko; Trampert, Achim

2018-04-13

We study the effects of annealing on (Ga 0.64 ,In 0.36 ) (N 0.045 ,As 0.955 ) using hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure measurements. We observed surface oxidation and termination of the N-As bond defects caused by the annealing process. Specifically, we observed a characteristic chemical shift towards lower binding energies in the photoelectron spectra related to In. This phenomenon appears to be caused by the atomic arrangement, which produces increased In-N bond configurations within the matrix, as indicated by the X-ray absorption fine structure measurements. The reduction in the binding energies of group-III In, which occurs concomitantly with the atomic rearrangements of the matrix, causes the differences in the electronic properties of the system before and after annealing.

Dynamic Jahn-Teller effect: Calculation of fine structure spectrum, isotope shift and Zeeman behavior at deep center Ni2+ in CdS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoepp, Juergen

The internal transition of the deep center Ni2+ in II to IV semiconductor cadmium sulfide is examined with reference to crystal field theory. An algorithm was developed for calculation, in a basis fitted to trigonal symmetry, of fine structure operator matrix which is made of the sum of operators from spin trajectory coupling, trigonal field and electron phonon coupling. The dependence of energy level on the mass was calculated in order to examine the isotropy effect at Ni2+ transition. The mass dependence of phonon energy was estimated in an atomic cluster by using a valence force model from Keating for elastic energy. The Zeeman behavior of Ni2+ transition was examined for magnetic fields; the Zeeman operator was added to the fine structure operator and the resulting matrix was diagonalized. It is noticed that calculations are quantitatively and qualitatively in agreement with experiments.

Fine structure constant and quantized optical transparency of plasmonic nanoarrays.

PubMed

Kravets, V G; Schedin, F; Grigorenko, A N

2012-01-24

Optics is renowned for displaying quantum phenomena. Indeed, studies of emission and absorption lines, the photoelectric effect and blackbody radiation helped to build the foundations of quantum mechanics. Nevertheless, it came as a surprise that the visible transparency of suspended graphene is determined solely by the fine structure constant, as this kind of universality had been previously reserved only for quantized resistance and flux quanta in superconductors. Here we describe a plasmonic system in which relative optical transparency is determined solely by the fine structure constant. The system consists of a regular array of gold nanoparticles fabricated on a thin metallic sublayer. We show that its relative transparency can be quantized in the near-infrared, which we attribute to the quantized contact resistance between the nanoparticles and the metallic sublayer. Our results open new possibilities in the exploration of universal dynamic conductance in plasmonic nanooptics.

Fine Structure of Beta Decay Strength Function and Anisotropy of Isovector Nuclear Dencity Component Oscillations in Deformed Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izosimov, I. N.; Solnyshkin, A. A.; Khushvaktov, J. H.; Vaganov, Yu. A.

2018-05-01

The experimental measurement data on the fine structure of beta-decay strength function S β( E) in spherical, transitional, and deformed nuclei are analyzed. Modern high-resolution nuclear spectroscopy methods made it possible to identify the splitting of peaks in S β( E) for deformed nuclei. By analogy with splitting of the peak of E1 giant dipole resonance (GDR) in deformed nuclei, the peaks in S β( E) are split into two components from the axial nuclear deformation. In this report, the fine structure of S β( E) is discussed. Splitting of the peaks connected with the oscillations of neutrons against protons (E1GDR), of proton holes against neutrons (peaks in S β( E) of β+/ EC-decay), and of protons against neutron holes (peaks in S β( E) of β--decay) is discussed.

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.

Construction of Fine Particles Source Spectrum Bank in Typical Region and Empirical Research of Matching Diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xing; Sun, Wenliang; Guo, Min; Li, Minjiao; Li, Wan

2018-01-01

The research object of this paper is fine particles in typical region. The construction of component spectrum bank is based on the technology of online source apportionment, then the result of the apportionment is utilized to verify the effectiveness of fine particles component spectrum bank and which also act as the matching basis of online source apportionment receptor sample. On the next, the particle source of air pollution is carried through the matching diagnosis empirical research by utilizing online source apportionment technology, to provide technical support for the cause analysis and treatment of heavy pollution weather.

Segmentation of kidney using C-V model and anatomy priors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Jinghua; Chen, Jie; Zhang, Juan; Yang, Wenjia

2007-12-01

This paper presents an approach for kidney segmentation on abdominal CT images as the first step of a virtual reality surgery system. Segmentation for medical images is often challenging because of the objects' complicated anatomical structures, various gray levels, and unclear edges. A coarse to fine approach has been applied in the kidney segmentation using Chan-Vese model (C-V model) and anatomy prior knowledge. In pre-processing stage, the candidate kidney regions are located. Then C-V model formulated by level set method is applied in these smaller ROI, which can reduce the calculation complexity to a certain extent. At last, after some mathematical morphology procedures, the specified kidney structures have been extracted interactively with prior knowledge. The satisfying results on abdominal CT series show that the proposed approach keeps all the advantages of C-V model and overcome its disadvantages.

Reconstruction of vessel structures from serial whole slide sections of murine liver samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwier, Michael; Hahn, Horst K.; Dahmen, Uta; Dirsch, Olaf

2013-03-01

Image-based analysis of the vascular structures of murine liver samples is an important tool for scientists to understand liver physiology and morphology. Typical assessment methods are MicroCT, which allows for acquiring images of the whole organ while lacking resolution for fine details, and confocal laser scanning microscopy, which allows detailed insights into fine structures while lacking the broader context. Imaging of histological serial whole slide sections is a recent technology able to fill this gap, since it provides a fine resolution up to the cellular level, but on a whole organ scale. However, whole slide imaging is a modality providing only 2D images. Therefore the challenge is to use stacks of serial sections from which to reconstruct the 3D vessel structures. In this paper we present a semi-automatic procedure to achieve this goal. We employ an automatic method that detects vessel structures based on continuity and shape characteristics. Furthermore it supports the user to perform manual corrections where required. With our methods we were able to successfully extract and reconstruct vessel structures from a stack of 100 and a stack of 397 serial sections of a mouse liver lobe, thus proving the potential of our approach.

Fine-scale genetic structure in populations of the Chagas' disease vector Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera, Reduvidae).

PubMed

Pérez de Rosas, Alicia R; Segura, Elsa L; Fusco, Octavio; Guiñazú, Adolfo L Bareiro; García, Beatriz A

2013-03-01

Fine scale patterns of genetic structure and dispersal in Triatoma infestans populations from Argentina was analysed. A total of 314 insects from 22 domestic and peridomestic sites from the locality of San Martín (Capayán department, Catamarca province) were typed for 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci. The results confirm subdivision of T. infestans populations with restricted dispersal among sampling sites and suggest inbreeding and/or stratification within the different domestic and peridomestic structures. Spatial correlation analysis showed that the scale of structuring is approximately of 400 m, indicating that active dispersal would occur within this distance range. It was detected difference in scale of structuring among sexes, with females dispersing over greater distances than males. This study suggests that insecticide treatment and surveillance should be extended within a radius of 400 m around the infested area, which would help to reduce the probability of reinfestation by covering an area of active dispersal. The inferences made from fine-scale spatial genetic structure analyses of T. infestans populations has demonstrated to be important for community-wide control programs, providing a complementary approach to help improve vector control strategies.

From Laser Scanning to Finite Element Analysis of Complex Buildings by Using a Semi-Automatic Procedure.

PubMed

Castellazzi, Giovanni; D'Altri, Antonio Maria; Bitelli, Gabriele; Selvaggi, Ilenia; Lambertini, Alessandro

2015-07-28

In this paper, a new semi-automatic procedure to transform three-dimensional point clouds of complex objects to three-dimensional finite element models is presented and validated. The procedure conceives of the point cloud as a stacking of point sections. The complexity of the clouds is arbitrary, since the procedure is designed for terrestrial laser scanner surveys applied to buildings with irregular geometry, such as historical buildings. The procedure aims at solving the problems connected to the generation of finite element models of these complex structures by constructing a fine discretized geometry with a reduced amount of time and ready to be used with structural analysis. If the starting clouds represent the inner and outer surfaces of the structure, the resulting finite element model will accurately capture the whole three-dimensional structure, producing a complex solid made by voxel elements. A comparison analysis with a CAD-based model is carried out on a historical building damaged by a seismic event. The results indicate that the proposed procedure is effective and obtains comparable models in a shorter time, with an increased level of automation.

Advances in Ultra High Temperature Ceramics for Hot Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scatteia, Luigi; Monteverde, Federico; Alfano, Davide; Cantoni, Stefania

The objective of this paper is to describe the current state of the art of the research on Ultra High Temperature Ceramic materials with particular reference to their space applications, and also to report on the activities performed on UHTC in the past decade by the Italian Aerospace Research Centre in the specific technological field of structural thermal protection systems. Within several internal research project, various UHTC composition, mainly based upon Zirconium Diboride and Hafnium Diboride with added secondary phases and sintering aid were examined characterized in their mechanical properties and oxidation resistance. Two main composition were selected as the most promising for hot structure manufacturing: these materials were extensively characterized in order to obtain a comprehensive database of properties to feed the thermomechanical design of prototype hot structures. Technological demonstrators were manufactured by hot pressing followed by further fine machining with Electrical Discharge methods, and then tested at high temperature for long times in a plasma torch facility. The main outstanding results obtained are discussed in this paper. Future outlooks related to the UHTC technology and its further development are also provided.

New Window on the Universe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Ronald F.

1984-01-01

Describes the basic components of a space telescope that will be launched during a 1986 space shuttle mission. These components include a wide field/planetary camera, faint object spectroscope, high-resolution spectrograph, high-speed photometer, faint object camera, and fine guidance sensors. Data to be collected from these instruments are…

A review of hybrid implicit explicit finite difference time domain method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Juan

2018-06-01

The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method has been extensively used to simulate varieties of electromagnetic interaction problems. However, because of its Courant-Friedrich-Levy (CFL) condition, the maximum time step size of this method is limited by the minimum size of cell used in the computational domain. So the FDTD method is inefficient to simulate the electromagnetic problems which have very fine structures. To deal with this problem, the Hybrid Implicit Explicit (HIE)-FDTD method is developed. The HIE-FDTD method uses the hybrid implicit explicit difference in the direction with fine structures to avoid the confinement of the fine spatial mesh on the time step size. So this method has much higher computational efficiency than the FDTD method, and is extremely useful for the problems which have fine structures in one direction. In this paper, the basic formulations, time stability condition and dispersion error of the HIE-FDTD method are presented. The implementations of several boundary conditions, including the connect boundary, absorbing boundary and periodic boundary are described, then some applications and important developments of this method are provided. The goal of this paper is to provide an historical overview and future prospects of the HIE-FDTD method.

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.

(1,3;1,4)-β-Glucan Biosynthesis by the CSLF6 Enzyme: Position and Flexibility of Catalytic Residues Influence Product Fine Structure.

PubMed

Dimitroff, George; Little, Alan; Lahnstein, Jelle; Schwerdt, Julian G; Srivastava, Vaibhav; Bulone, Vincent; Burton, Rachel A; Fincher, Geoffrey B

2016-04-05

Cellulose synthase-like F6 (CslF6) genes encode polysaccharide synthases responsible for (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan biosynthesis in cereal grains. However, it is not clear how both (1,3)- and (1,4)-linkages are incorporated into a single polysaccharide chain and how the frequency and arrangement of the two linkage types that define the fine structure of the polysaccharide are controlled. Through transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, two CSLF6 orthologs from different cereal species were shown to mediate the synthesis of (1,3;1,4)-β-glucans with very different fine structures. Chimeric cDNA constructs with interchanged sections of the barley and sorghum CslF6 genes were developed to identify regions of the synthase enzyme responsible for these differences. A single amino acid residue upstream of the TED motif in the catalytic region was shown to dramatically change the fine structure of the polysaccharide produced. The structural basis of this effect can be rationalized by reference to a homology model of the enzyme and appears to be related to the position and flexibility of the TED motif in the active site of the enzyme. The region and amino acid residue identified provide opportunities to manipulate the solubility of (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan in grains and vegetative tissues of the grasses and, in particular, to enhance the solubility of dietary fibers that are beneficial to human health.

Association of fine particles with respiratory disease mortality: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Chang, Xuhong; Zhou, Liangjia; Tang, Meng; Wang, Bei

2015-01-01

Short-time exposure to high levels of fine particles (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter≤2.5 μm; PM2.5) may trigger respiratory disease, but this association has not been determined. The objective of this study was to evaluate and quantify the short-time exposure to fine particles on respiratory disease mortality. Published articles were obtained from electronic databases and a validity assessment was used. The meta-analysis was conducted with the incorporation of good-quality studies. After applying the inclusion criteria, 9 articles were included in the study. The methodological qualities of the published studies were good, and every study achieved a score of 3. Fine particles were significantly associated with an increase in respiratory mortality risk (for every 10 μg/m3 increment, rate difference [RD]=1.32%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95%-1.68%; p=.000). These findings indicate that short-time exposure to fine particles could increase the risk of respiratory disease mortality.

Eye movements during spoken word recognition in Russian children.

PubMed

Sekerina, Irina A; Brooks, Patricia J

2007-09-01

This study explores incremental processing in spoken word recognition in Russian 5- and 6-year-olds and adults using free-viewing eye-tracking. Participants viewed scenes containing pictures of four familiar objects and clicked on a target embedded in a spoken instruction. In the cohort condition, two object names shared identical three-phoneme onsets. In the noncohort condition, all object names had unique onsets. Coarse-grain analyses of eye movements indicated that adults produced looks to the competitor on significantly more cohort trials than on noncohort trials, whereas children surprisingly failed to demonstrate cohort competition due to widespread exploratory eye movements across conditions. Fine-grain analyses, in contrast, showed a similar time course of eye movements across children and adults, but with cohort competition lingering more than 1s longer in children. The dissociation between coarse-grain and fine-grain eye movements indicates a need to consider multiple behavioral measures in making developmental comparisons in language processing.

Inbreeding Avoidance Drives Consistent Variation of Fine-Scale Genetic Structure Caused by Dispersal in the Seasonal Mating System of Brandt’s Voles

PubMed Central

Liu, Xiao Hui; Yue, Ling Fen; Wang, Da Wei; Li, Ning; Cong, Lin

2013-01-01

Inbreeding depression is a major evolutionary and ecological force influencing population dynamics and the evolution of inbreeding-avoidance traits such as mating systems and dispersal. Mating systems and dispersal are fundamental determinants of population genetic structure. Resolving the relationships among genetic structure, seasonal breeding-related mating systems and dispersal will facilitate our understanding of the evolution of inbreeding avoidance. The goals of this study were as follows: (i) to determine whether females actively avoided mating with relatives in a group-living rodent species, Brandt’s voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii), by combined analysis of their mating system, dispersal and genetic structure; and (ii) to analyze the relationships among the variation in fine-genetic structure, inbreeding avoidance, season-dependent mating strategies and individual dispersal. Using both individual- and population-level analyses, we found that the majority of Brandt’s vole groups consisted of close relatives. However, both group-specific FISs, an inbreeding coefficient that expresses the expected percentage rate of homozygosity arising from a given breeding system, and relatedness of mates showed no sign of inbreeding. Using group pedigrees and paternity analysis, we show that the mating system of Brandt’s voles consists of a type of polygyny for males and extra-group polyandry for females, which may decrease inbreeding by increasing the frequency of mating among distantly-related individuals. The consistent variation in within-group relatedness, among-group relatedness and fine-scale genetic structures was mostly due to dispersal, which primarily occurred during the breeding season. Biologically relevant variation in the fine-scale genetic structure suggests that dispersal during the mating season may be a strategy to avoid inbreeding and drive the polygynous and extra-group polyandrous mating system of this species. PMID:23516435

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

Redefining fine roots improves understanding of belowground contributions to terrestrial biosphere processes

DOE PAGES

McCormack, M. Luke; Dickie, Ian A.; Eissenstat, David M.; ...

2015-03-10

Fine roots acquire essential soil resources and mediate biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Estimates of carbon and nutrient allocation to build and maintain these structures remain uncertain due to challenges in consistent measurement and interpretation of fine-root systems. We define fine roots as all roots less than or equal to 2 mm in diameter, yet it is now recognized that this approach fails to capture the diversity of form and function observed among fine-root orders. We demonstrate how order-based and functional classification frameworks improve our understanding of dynamic root processes in ecosystems dominated by perennial plants. In these frameworks, finemore » roots are separated into either individual root orders or functionally defined into a shorter-lived absorptive pool and a longer-lived transport fine root pool. Furthermore, using these frameworks, we estimate that fine-root production and turnover represent 22% of terrestrial net primary production globally a ca. 30% reduction from previous estimates assuming a single fine-root pool. In the future we hope to develop tools to rapidly differentiate functional fine-root classes, explicit incorporation of mycorrhizal fungi in fine-root studies, and wider adoption of a two-pool approach to model fine roots provide opportunities to better understand belowground processes in the terrestrial biosphere.« less

Compact cell-centered discretization stencils at fine-coarse block structured grid interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pletzer, Alexander; Jamroz, Ben; Crockett, Robert; Sides, Scott

2014-03-01

Different strategies for coupling fine-coarse grid patches are explored in the context of the adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) method. We show that applying linear interpolation to fill in the fine grid ghost values can produce a finite volume stencil of comparable accuracy to quadratic interpolation provided the cell volumes are adjusted. The volume of fine cells expands whereas the volume of neighboring coarse cells contracts. The amount by which the cells contract/expand depends on whether the interface is a face, an edge, or a corner. It is shown that quadratic or better interpolation is required when the conductivity is spatially varying, anisotropic, the refinement ratio is other than two, or when the fine-coarse interface is concave.

Fine structure of the epicytoplasmic eimerid coccidium Acroeimeria pintoi Lainson & Paperna, 1999, a gut parasite of the lizard Ameiva ameiva in north Brazil.

PubMed

Paperna, L; Lainson, R

1999-12-01

An account is given of the fine structure of Acroeimerio pintoi, an epicytoplasmic coccidium infecting the small intestine of the teiid lizard Ameiva ameiva in north Brazil. The merozoile becomes encircled by outgrowths of the host-cell wall which then merge to form a parasitophorous sack in which the parasite continues to develop when this bulges out above the epithelium surface. The account includes a description of merozoites, young meronts and young and mature macrogamonts. The parasitophorous vacuole has a complex tubular system connected to its junction with the host-cell. The parasites are coated with a droplet-like glycocalyx and covered by a fine filamentous layer.

Quark mass variations of nuclear forces, BBN, and all that

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meissner, Ulf-G.

2014-03-01

In this talk, I discuss the modifications of the nuclear forces due to variations of the light quark masses and of the fine structure constant. This is based on the chiral nuclear effective field theory, that successfully describes a large body of data. The generation of the light elements in the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis provides important constraints on these modifications. In addition, I discuss the role of the anthropic principle in the triple-alpha process that underlies carbon and oxygen generation in hot stars. It appears that a fine-tuning of the quark masses and the fine structure constant within 2 to 3 per cent is required to make life on Earth viable. Supported in part by DFG, HGF and the BMBF.

Rare variation facilitates inferences of fine-scale population structure in humans.

PubMed

O'Connor, Timothy D; Fu, Wenqing; Mychaleckyj, Josyf C; Logsdon, Benjamin; Auer, Paul; Carlson, Christopher S; Leal, Suzanne M; Smith, Joshua D; Rieder, Mark J; Bamshad, Michael J; Nickerson, Deborah A; Akey, Joshua M

2015-03-01

Understanding the genetic structure of human populations has important implications for the design and interpretation of disease mapping studies and reconstructing human evolutionary history. To date, inferences of human population structure have primarily been made with common variants. However, recent large-scale resequencing studies have shown an abundance of rare variation in humans, which may be particularly useful for making inferences of fine-scale population structure. To this end, we used an information theory framework and extensive coalescent simulations to rigorously quantify the informativeness of rare and common variation to detect signatures of fine-scale population structure. We show that rare variation affords unique insights into patterns of recent population structure. Furthermore, to empirically assess our theoretical findings, we analyzed high-coverage exome sequences in 6,515 European and African American individuals. As predicted, rare variants are more informative than common polymorphisms in revealing a distinct cluster of European-American individuals, and subsequent analyses demonstrate that these individuals are likely of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. Our results provide new insights into the population structure using rare variation, which will be an important factor to account for in rare variant association studies. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Rocket experiments for spectral estimation of electron density fine structure in the auroral and equatorial ionosphere and preliminary results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tomei, B. A.; Smith, L. G.

1986-01-01

Sounding rockets equipped to monitor electron density and its fine structure were launched into the auroral and equatorial ionosphere in 1980 and 1983, respectively. The measurement electronics are based on the Langmuir probe and are described in detail. An approach to the spectral analysis of the density irregularities is addressed and a software algorithm implementing the approach is given. Preliminary results of the analysis are presented.

A correlational method to concurrently measure envelope and temporal fine structure weights: Effects of age, cochlear pathology, and spectral shaping1

PubMed Central

Fogerty, Daniel; Humes, Larry E.

2012-01-01

The speech signal may be divided into spectral frequency-bands, each band containing temporal properties of the envelope and fine structure. This study measured the perceptual weights for the envelope and fine structure in each of three frequency bands for sentence materials in young normal-hearing listeners, older normal-hearing listeners, aided older hearing-impaired listeners, and spectrally matched young normal-hearing listeners. The availability of each acoustic property was independently varied through noisy signal extraction. Thus, the full speech stimulus was presented with noise used to mask six different auditory channels. Perceptual weights were determined by correlating a listener’s performance with the signal-to-noise ratio of each acoustic property on a trial-by-trial basis. Results demonstrate that temporal fine structure perceptual weights remain stable across the four listener groups. However, a different weighting typography was observed across the listener groups for envelope cues. Results suggest that spectral shaping used to preserve the audibility of the speech stimulus may alter the allocation of perceptual resources. The relative perceptual weighting of envelope cues may also change with age. Concurrent testing of sentences repeated once on a previous day demonstrated that weighting strategies for all listener groups can change, suggesting an initial stabilization period or susceptibility to auditory training. PMID:22978896

Helium induced fine structure in the electronic spectra of anthracene derivatives doped into superfluid helium nanodroplets

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

Pentlehner, D.; Slenczka, A., E-mail: alkwin.slenczka@chemie.uni-regensburg.de

2015-01-07

Electronic spectra of organic molecules doped into superfluid helium nanodroplets show characteristic features induced by the helium environment. Besides a solvent induced shift of the electronic transition frequency, in many cases, a spectral fine structure can be resolved for electronic and vibronic transitions which goes beyond the expected feature of a zero phonon line accompanied by a phonon wing as known from matrix isolation spectroscopy. The spectral shape of the zero phonon line and the helium induced phonon wing depends strongly on the dopant species. Phonon wings, for example, are reported ranging from single or multiple sharp transitions to broadmore » (Δν > 100 cm{sup −1}) diffuse signals. Despite the large number of example spectra in the literature, a quantitative understanding of the helium induced fine structure of the zero phonon line and the phonon wing is missing. Our approach is a systematic investigation of related molecular compounds, which may help to shed light on this key feature of microsolvation in superfluid helium droplets. This paper is part of a comparative study of the helium induced fine structure observed in electronic spectra of anthracene derivatives with particular emphasis on a spectrally sharp multiplet splitting at the electronic origin. In addition to previously discussed species, 9-cyanoanthracene and 9-chloroanthracene will be presented in this study for the first time.« less

Fine-scale human genetic structure in Western France.

PubMed

Karakachoff, Matilde; Duforet-Frebourg, Nicolas; Simonet, Floriane; Le Scouarnec, Solena; Pellen, Nadine; Lecointe, Simon; Charpentier, Eric; Gros, Françoise; Cauchi, Stéphane; Froguel, Philippe; Copin, Nane; Le Tourneau, Thierry; Probst, Vincent; Le Marec, Hervé; Molinaro, Sabrina; Balkau, Beverley; Redon, Richard; Schott, Jean-Jacques; Blum, Michael Gb; Dina, Christian

2015-06-01

The difficulties arising from association analysis with rare variants underline the importance of suitable reference population cohorts, which integrate detailed spatial information. We analyzed a sample of 1684 individuals from Western France, who were genotyped at genome-wide level, from two cohorts D.E.S.I.R and CavsGen. We found that fine-scale population structure occurs at the scale of Western France, with distinct admixture proportions for individuals originating from the Brittany Region and the Vendée Department. Genetic differentiation increases with distance at a high rate in these two parts of Northwestern France and linkage disequilibrium is higher in Brittany suggesting a lower effective population size. When looking for genomic regions informative about Breton origin, we found two prominent associated regions that include the lactase region and the HLA complex. For both the lactase and the HLA regions, there is a low differentiation between Bretons and Irish, and this is also found at the genome-wide level. At a more refined scale, and within the Pays de la Loire Region, we also found evidence of fine-scale population structure, although principal component analysis showed that individuals from different departments cannot be confidently discriminated. Because of the evidence for fine-scale genetic structure in Western France, we anticipate that rare and geographically localized variants will be identified in future full-sequence analyses.

Estimate of fine root production including the impact of decomposed roots in a Bornean tropical rainforest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katayama, Ayumi; Khoon Koh, Lip; Kume, Tomonori; Makita, Naoki; Matsumoto, Kazuho; Ohashi, Mizue

2016-04-01

Considerable carbon is allocated belowground and used for respiration and production of roots. It is reported that approximately 40 % of GPP is allocated belowground in a Bornean tropical rainforest, which is much higher than those in Neotropical rainforests. This may be caused by high root production in this forest. Ingrowth core is a popular method for estimating fine root production, but recent study by Osawa et al. (2012) showed potential underestimates of this method because of the lack of consideration of the impact of decomposed roots. It is important to estimate fine root production with consideration for the decomposed roots, especially in tropics where decomposition rate is higher than other regions. Therefore, objective of this study is to estimate fine root production with consideration of decomposed roots using ingrowth cores and root litter-bag in the tropical rainforest. The study was conducted in Lambir Hills National Park in Borneo. Ingrowth cores and litter bags for fine roots were buried in March 2013. Eighteen ingrowth cores and 27 litter bags were collected in May, September 2013, March 2014 and March 2015, respectively. Fine root production was comparable to aboveground biomass increment and litterfall amount, and accounted only 10% of GPP in this study site, suggesting most of the carbon allocated to belowground might be used for other purposes. Fine root production was comparable to those in Neotropics. Decomposed roots accounted for 18% of fine root production. This result suggests that no consideration of decomposed fine roots may cause underestimate of fine root production.

Divergence of fine and gross motor skills in prelingually deaf children: implications for cochlear implantation.

PubMed

Horn, David L; Pisoni, David B; Miyamoto, Richard T

2006-08-01

The objective of this study was to assess relations between fine and gross motor development and spoken language processing skills in pediatric cochlear implant users. The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of longitudinal data. Prelingually deaf children who received a cochlear implant before age 5 and had no known developmental delay or cognitive impairment were included in the study. Fine and gross motor development were assessed before implantation using the Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scales, a standardized parental report of adaptive behavior. Fine and gross motor scores reflected a given child's motor functioning with respect to a normative sample of typically developing, normal-hearing children. Relations between these preimplant scores and postimplant spoken language outcomes were assessed. In general, gross motor scores were found to be positively related to chronologic age, whereas the opposite trend was observed for fine motor scores. Fine motor scores were more strongly correlated with postimplant expressive and receptive language scores than gross motor scores. Our findings suggest a disassociation between fine and gross motor development in prelingually deaf children: fine motor skills, in contrast to gross motor skills, tend to be delayed as the prelingually deaf children get older. These findings provide new knowledge about the links between motor and spoken language development and suggest that auditory deprivation may lead to atypical development of certain motor and language skills that share common cortical processing resources.

Position Accuracy of Gold Nanoparticles on DNA Origami Structures Studied with Small-Angle X-ray Scattering.

PubMed

Hartl, Caroline; Frank, Kilian; Amenitsch, Heinz; Fischer, Stefan; Liedl, Tim; Nickel, Bert

2018-04-11

DNA origami objects allow for accurate positioning of guest molecules in three dimensions. Validation and understanding of design strategies for particle attachment as well as analysis of specific particle arrangements are desirable. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is suited to probe distances of nano-objects with subnanometer resolution at physiologically relevant conditions including pH and salt and at varying temperatures. Here, we show that the pair density distribution function (PDDF) obtained from an indirect Fourier transform of SAXS intensities in a model-free way allows to investigate prototypical DNA origami-mediated gold nanoparticle (AuNP) assemblies. We analyze the structure of three AuNP-dimers on a DNA origami block, an AuNP trimer constituted by those dimers, and a helical arrangement of nine AuNPs on a DNA origami cylinder. For the dimers, we compare the model-free PDDF and explicit modeling of the SAXS intensity data by superposition of scattering intensities of the scattering objects. The PDDF of the trimer is verified to be a superposition of its dimeric contributions, that is, here AuNP-DNA origami assemblies were used as test boards underlining the validity of the PDDF analysis beyond pairs of AuNPs. We obtain information about AuNP distances with an uncertainty margin of 1.2 nm. This readout accuracy in turn can be used for high precision placement of AuNP by careful design of the AuNP attachment sites on the DNA-structure and by fine-tuning of the connector types.

Oil and Floating Objects. Science in Your Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowens, John

2005-01-01

Despite density differences, oil and water get along just fine when it comes to these experiments. This article explores the relationship between oil and water and provides brief experiments (including materials needed; procedure instructions; and evaluative questions) relating to: making layers with liquids; dropping a few objects in a tall glass…

Learning Activities for the Young Handicapped Child.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Don; And Others

Presented is a collection of learning activities for the young handicapped child covering 295 individual learning objectives in six areas of development: gross motor skills, fine motor skills, social skills, self help skills, cognitive skills, and language skills. Provided for each learning activity are the teaching objective, teaching procedures,…

Fine structures of azimuthal correlations of two gluons in the glasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hengying; Zhang, Donghai; Zhao, Yeyin; Xu, Mingmei; Pan, Xue; Wu, Yuanfang

2018-02-01

We investigate the azimuthal correlations of the glasma in p-p collisions at √{sNN}=7 TeV by using the color glass condensate (CGC) formalism. As expected, the azimuthal correlations show two peaks at Δ ϕ =0 and π , which represent collimation production in the CGC. Beyond that, azimuthal correlations show fine structures, i.e., bumps or shoulders between the two peaks, when at least one gluon has small x . The structures are demonstrated to be associated with saturation momentum and likely appear at transverse momentum around 2 Qsp=1.8 GeV /c .

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.

Biosonar resolving power: echo-acoustic perception of surface structures in the submillimeter range.

PubMed

Simon, Ralph; Knörnschild, Mirjam; Tschapka, Marco; Schneider, Annkathrin; Passauer, Nadine; Kalko, Elisabeth K V; von Helversen, Otto

2014-01-01

The minimum distance for which two points still can be separated from each other defines the resolving power of a visual system. In an echo-acoustic context, the resolving power is usually measured as the smallest perceivable distance of two reflecting surfaces on the range axis and is found to be around half a millimeter for bats employing frequency modulated (FM) echolocation calls. Only few studies measured such thresholds with physical objects, most often bats were trained on virtual echoes i.e., echoes generated and played back by a computer; moreover, bats were sitting while they received the stimuli. In these studies differences in structure depth between 200 and 340 μm were found. However, these low thresholds were never verified for free-flying bats and real physical objects. Here, we show behavioral evidence that the echo-acoustic resolving power for surface structures in fact can be as low as measured for computer generated echoes and even lower, sometimes below 100 μm. We found this exceptional fine discrimination ability only when one of the targets showed spectral interferences in the frequency range of the bats' echolocation call while the other target did not. This result indicates that surface structure is likely to be perceived as a spectral quality rather than being perceived strictly in the time domain. Further, it points out that sonar resolving power directly depends on the highest frequency/shortest wavelength of the signal employed.

Biosonar resolving power: echo-acoustic perception of surface structures in the submillimeter range

PubMed Central

Simon, Ralph; Knörnschild, Mirjam; Tschapka, Marco; Schneider, Annkathrin; Passauer, Nadine; Kalko, Elisabeth K. V.; von Helversen, Otto

2014-01-01

The minimum distance for which two points still can be separated from each other defines the resolving power of a visual system. In an echo-acoustic context, the resolving power is usually measured as the smallest perceivable distance of two reflecting surfaces on the range axis and is found to be around half a millimeter for bats employing frequency modulated (FM) echolocation calls. Only few studies measured such thresholds with physical objects, most often bats were trained on virtual echoes i.e., echoes generated and played back by a computer; moreover, bats were sitting while they received the stimuli. In these studies differences in structure depth between 200 and 340 μm were found. However, these low thresholds were never verified for free-flying bats and real physical objects. Here, we show behavioral evidence that the echo-acoustic resolving power for surface structures in fact can be as low as measured for computer generated echoes and even lower, sometimes below 100 μm. We found this exceptional fine discrimination ability only when one of the targets showed spectral interferences in the frequency range of the bats′ echolocation call while the other target did not. This result indicates that surface structure is likely to be perceived as a spectral quality rather than being perceived strictly in the time domain. Further, it points out that sonar resolving power directly depends on the highest frequency/shortest wavelength of the signal employed. PMID:24616703

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.

Structural Ceramics Database

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 30 NIST Structural Ceramics Database (Web, free access)   The NIST Structural Ceramics Database (WebSCD) provides evaluated materials property data for a wide range of advanced ceramics known variously as structural ceramics, engineering ceramics, and fine ceramics.

Obesity and motor skills among 4 to 6-year-old children in the United States: nationally-representative surveys.

PubMed

Castetbon, Katia; Andreyeva, Tatiana

2012-03-15

Few population-based studies have assessed relationships between body weight and motor skills in young children. Our objective was to estimate the association between obesity and motor skills at 4 years and 5-6 years of age in the United States. We used repeated cross-sectional assessments of the national sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) of preschool 4-year-old children (2005-2006; n = 5 100) and 5-6-year-old kindergarteners (2006-2007; n = 4 700). Height, weight, and fine and gross motor skills were assessed objectively via direct standardized procedures. We used categorical and continuous measures of body weight status, including obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 95th percentile) and BMI z-scores. Multivariate logistic and linear models estimated the association between obesity and gross and fine motor skills in very young children adjusting for individual, social, and economic characteristics and parental involvement. The prevalence of obesity was about 15%. The relationship between motor skills and obesity varied across types of skills. For hopping, obese boys and girls had significantly lower scores, 20% lower in obese preschoolers and 10% lower in obese kindergarteners than normal weight counterparts, p < 0.01. Obese girls could jump 1.6-1.7 inches shorter than normal weight peers (p < 0.01). Other gross motor skills and fine motor skills of young children were not consistently related to BMI z-scores and obesity. Based on objective assessment of children's motor skills and body weight and a full adjustment for confounding covariates, we find no reduction in overall coordination and fine motor skills in obese young children. Motor skills are adversely associated with childhood obesity only for skills most directly related to body weight.

Obesity and motor skills among 4 to 6-year-old children in the united states: nationally-representative surveys

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Few population-based studies have assessed relationships between body weight and motor skills in young children. Our objective was to estimate the association between obesity and motor skills at 4 years and 5-6 years of age in the United States. We used repeated cross-sectional assessments of the national sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) of preschool 4-year-old children (2005-2006; n = 5 100) and 5-6-year-old kindergarteners (2006-2007; n = 4 700). Height, weight, and fine and gross motor skills were assessed objectively via direct standardized procedures. We used categorical and continuous measures of body weight status, including obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 95th percentile) and BMI z-scores. Multivariate logistic and linear models estimated the association between obesity and gross and fine motor skills in very young children adjusting for individual, social, and economic characteristics and parental involvement. Results The prevalence of obesity was about 15%. The relationship between motor skills and obesity varied across types of skills. For hopping, obese boys and girls had significantly lower scores, 20% lower in obese preschoolers and 10% lower in obese kindergarteners than normal weight counterparts, p < 0.01. Obese girls could jump 1.6-1.7 inches shorter than normal weight peers (p < 0.01). Other gross motor skills and fine motor skills of young children were not consistently related to BMI z-scores and obesity. Conclusions Based on objective assessment of children's motor skills and body weight and a full adjustment for confounding covariates, we find no reduction in overall coordination and fine motor skills in obese young children. Motor skills are adversely associated with childhood obesity only for skills most directly related to body weight. PMID:22420636

Motor Skills and Exercise Capacity Are Associated with Objective Measures of Cognitive Functions and Academic Performance in Preadolescent Children

PubMed Central

Thomas, Richard; Larsen, Malte Nejst; Dahn, Ida Marie; Andersen, Josefine Needham; Krause-Jensen, Matilde; Korup, Vibeke; Nielsen, Claus Malta; Wienecke, Jacob; Ritz, Christian; Krustrup, Peter; Lundbye-Jensen, Jesper

2016-01-01

Objective To investigate associations between motor skills, exercise capacity and cognitive functions, and evaluate how they correlate to academic performance in mathematics and reading comprehension using standardised, objective tests. Methods This cross-sectional study included 423 Danish children (age: 9.29±0.35 years, 209 girls). Fine and gross motor skills were evaluated in a visuomotor accuracy-tracking task, and a whole-body coordination task, respectively. Exercise capacity was estimated from the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 children's test (YYIR1C). Selected tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) were used to assess different domains of cognitive functions, including sustained attention, spatial working memory, episodic and semantic memory, and processing speed. Linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate associations between these measures and the relationship with standard tests of academic performance in mathematics and reading comprehension. Results Both fine and gross motor skills were associated with better performance in all five tested cognitive domains (all P<0.001), whereas exercise capacity was only associated with better sustained attention (P<0.046) and spatial working memory (P<0.038). Fine and gross motor skills (all P<0.001), exercise capacity and cognitive functions such as working memory, episodic memory, sustained attention and processing speed were all associated with better performance in mathematics and reading comprehension. Conclusions The data demonstrate that fine and gross motor skills are positively correlated with several aspects of cognitive functions and with academic performance in both mathematics and reading comprehension. Moreover, exercise capacity was associated with academic performance and performance in some cognitive domains. Future interventions should investigate associations between changes in motor skills, exercise capacity, cognitive functions, and academic performance to elucidate the causality of these associations. PMID:27560512

The NaK 1 1,3delta states: theoretical and experimental studies of fine and hyperfine structure of rovibrational levels near the dissociation limit.

PubMed

Wilkins, A D; Morgus, L; Hernandez-Guzman, J; Huennekens, J; Hickman, A P

2005-09-22

Earlier high-resolution spectroscopic studies of the fine and hyperfine structure of rovibrational levels of the 1 3delta state of NaK have been extended to include high lying rovibrational levels with v < or = 59, of which the highest levels lie within approximately 4 cm(-1) of the dissociation limit. A potential curve is determined using the inverted perturbation approximation method that reproduces these levels to an accuracy of approximately 0.026 cm(-1). For the largest values of v, the outer turning points occur near R approximately 12.7 angstroms, which is sufficiently large to permit the estimation of the C6 coefficient for this state. The fine and hyperfine structure of the 1 3delta rovibrational levels has been fit using the matrix diagonalization method that has been applied to other states of NaK, leading to values of the spin-orbit coupling constant A(v) and the Fermi contact constant b(F). New values determined for v < or = 33 are consistent with values determined by a simpler method and reported earlier. The measured fine and hyperfine structure for v in the range 44 < or = v < or = 49 exhibits anomalous behavior whose origin is believed to be the mixing between the 1 3delta and 1 1delta states. The matrix diagonalization method has been extended to treat this interaction, and the results provide an accurate representation of the complicated patterns that arise. The analysis leads to accurate values for A(v) and b(F) for all values of v < or = 49. For higher v (50 < or = v < or = 59), several rovibrational levels have been assigned, but the pattern of fine and hyperfine structure is difficult to interpret. Some of the observed features may arise from effects not included in the current model.

Carbon cycling in fine roots of several mature forests: results using either locally-derived or bomb-derived radiocarbon enrichment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaudinski, J. B.; Riley, W. J.; Torn, M. S.; Dawson, T. E.; Trumbore, S. E.; Joslin, J. D.; Majdi, H.; Hanson, P. J.; Swanston, C.

2008-12-01

This work seeks to improve our ability to quantify C cycling rates in fine roots of trees in mature deciduous and coniferous forests. We use two different types of atmospheric 14CO2 enrichment to trace the time elapsed since C in plant tissues was fixed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis. The first uses a local enrichment of 14CO2 which occurred in early summer 1999, at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee. The second, employed at three different sites, uses the global enrichment in background atmospheric 14CO2 caused by thermonuclear weapons testing (bomb-14C). In both cases we employ a new model (Radix1.0) to track C and 14C fluxes through fine root populations. Radix simulates two live-root populations (the longer-lived one having structural and non-structural C components), two dead-root pools, non-normally distributed root mortality turnover times, a stored C pool, seasonal growth and respiration patterns, a best-fit to measurements approach to estimate model parameters, and Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis. Our results show that: (1) New fine-root growth contains a lot of stored C (~55%) but it is young in age (0.7 y). (2) The effect of stored reserves on estimated ages of fine roots is unlikely to be large in most natural abundance isotope studies. However, models should take stored reserves into account, particularly for pulse labeling studies and fast-cycling roots (< 1 y). (3) Radiocarbon values show a stronger correlation with position on the root branch system than they do with diameter or depth in the soil profile. (4) Live fine root dynamics are well described by a short-lived and a long-lived population, with mean turnover times <1 y and ~12 y, respectively. (5) Dead root decomposition is best modeled with (at least) two pools, with moderate (~2 y) and slow (~10 y) decomposition turnover times. (6) Root respiration has a large effect on fine root biomass and isotopic composition, and should be included in ecosystem C and isotope models. (7) It is important to distinguish structural from non-structural components in the long-lived root pool. Otherwise the 14C signature of root respiration is significantly different than atmospheric. We conclude that realistic quantification of C flows through fine roots requires a model with a level of complexity similar to Radix. Moreover, future root research efforts should seek to sample and sort roots by position on the root branch system rather than by diameter size class and improve estimates of root respiration within fine root populations.

Thermal expansion behavior study of Co nanowire array with in situ x-ray diffraction and x-ray absorption fine structure techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, Guang; Cai, Quan; Jiang, Longsheng; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Kunhao; Cheng, Weidong; Xing, Xueqing; Chen, Zhongjun; Wu, Zhonghua

2008-10-01

In situ x-ray diffraction and x-ray absorption fine structure techniques were used to study the structural change of ordered Co nanowire array with temperature. The results show that the Co nanowires are polycrystalline with hexagonal close packed structure without phase change up until 700 °C. A nonlinear thermal expansion behavior has been found and can be well described by a quadratic equation with the first-order thermal expansion coefficient of 4.3×10-6/°C and the second-order thermal expansion coefficient of 5.9×10-9/°C. The mechanism of this nonlinear thermal expansion behavior is discussed.

Dense clumps of ionized gas near Pi Scorpii, as revealed by the fine-structure excitation of N II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bertoldi, Frank; Jenkins, Edward B.

1992-01-01

The column density and the emission of the ionized gas along the line of sight toward the B1 V + B2 V binary star Pi Sco are measured on the basis of the fine-structure absorption lines of the ground state N II. It is found that the bulk of this ionized gas must be clumped on a length scale of 0.025 pc, which is far smaller than the observed size of the diffuse H II region surrounding Pi Sco of about 6 pc. The observed column density of S III toward Pi Sco yields an upper limit on the distance of the absorbing, clumped gas from the star of less than about 0.02 pc, assuming that both the N II and S III absorption arise from the same gas. The possibility that the ionized gas originates from a photoevaporating circumstellar disk directly surrounding Pi Sco is excluded, since such a disk would have an unusual size of order 0.025 pc and would have had to survive for the estimated age of Pi Sco of 5-8 Myr. The derived mean density of the clumped gas is of order 40/cu cm, so that the gas is at a pressure that far exceeds the mean pressure in the H II region. It is concluded that the ionized gas could originate from evaporation flows off a cluster of compact neutral objects that evaporate due to the ionizing radiation of Pi Sco.

Image segmentation by hierarchial agglomeration of polygons using ecological statistics

DOEpatents

Prasad, Lakshman; Swaminarayan, Sriram

2013-04-23

A method for rapid hierarchical image segmentation based on perceptually driven contour completion and scene statistics is disclosed. The method begins with an initial fine-scale segmentation of an image, such as obtained by perceptual completion of partial contours into polygonal regions using region-contour correspondences established by Delaunay triangulation of edge pixels as implemented in VISTA. The resulting polygons are analyzed with respect to their size and color/intensity distributions and the structural properties of their boundaries. Statistical estimates of granularity of size, similarity of color, texture, and saliency of intervening boundaries are computed and formulated into logical (Boolean) predicates. The combined satisfiability of these Boolean predicates by a pair of adjacent polygons at a given segmentation level qualifies them for merging into a larger polygon representing a coarser, larger-scale feature of the pixel image and collectively obtains the next level of polygonal segments in a hierarchy of fine-to-coarse segmentations. The iterative application of this process precipitates textured regions as polygons with highly convolved boundaries and helps distinguish them from objects which typically have more regular boundaries. The method yields a multiscale decomposition of an image into constituent features that enjoy a hierarchical relationship with features at finer and coarser scales. This provides a traversable graph structure from which feature content and context in terms of other features can be derived, aiding in automated image understanding tasks. The method disclosed is highly efficient and can be used to decompose and analyze large images.

Characterization of pentavalent and hexavalent americium complexes in nitric acid using X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and first-principles modeling

DOE PAGES

Riddle, Catherine; Czerwinski, Kenneth; Kim, Eunja; ...

2016-01-18

We studied the speciation of pentavalent and hexavalent americium (Am) complexes in nitric acidicby X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS), UV-visible spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT). Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) results were consistent with the presence of a mixture of AmO 2 + and AmO 2 2+ with only a small amount AmO 2 present. The resulting average bond distances we found were 1.71 Å for Am=O and 2.44 Å for Am-O. All-electron scalar relativistic calculations were also carried out using DFT to predict the equilibrium geometries and properties ofmore » the AmO 2 + and AmO 2 2+ aquo complexes. Calculated bond distances for the Am(VI) complex are in reasonable agreement with EXAFS data and the computed energy gaps between frontier molecular orbitals suggest a slightly higher kinetic stability and chemical hardness of Am(VI) compared to Am(V).« less

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.

Sedimentation Investigation at Masirah Island, Oman.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

source of fine-graine"’ rJ-.e.i _. BAt Is .iA Anchorage t-e botton is gravel and coarse sand. C’. rrents are so swift there, fine meterial will not settle...stable and with the proposed pier (a gravity structure to -3 m MLW) and the new intake groin, it will likely remain stable in the future. The volume of...US-BUILT SALTWATER INTAKE GROIN. This shore-normal gravity structure, which affects adjacent shores in .alythe same manner a groin would, was completed

The 16th International Conference on X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS16)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grunwaldt, J.-D.; Hagelstein, M.; Rothe, J.

2016-05-01

This preface of the proceedings volume of the 16th International Conference on X- ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS16) gives a glance on the five days of cutting-edge X-ray science which were held in Karlsruhe, Germany, August 23 - 28, 2015. In addition, several satellite meetings took place in Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart, a Sino-German workshop, three data analysis tutorials as well as special symposia on industrial catalysis and XFELs were held at the conference venue.

Physics based calculation of the fine structure constant

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

Lestone, John Paul

2009-01-01

We assume that the coupling between particles and photons is defined by a surface area and a temperature, and that the square of the temperature is the inverse of the surface area ({Dirac_h}=c= 1). By making assumptions regarding stimulated emission and effects associated with the finite length of a string that forms the particle surface, the fine structure constant is calculated to be {approx}1/137.04. The corresponding calculated fundamental unit of charge is 1.6021 x 10{sup -19} C.

Fine-scale genetic population structure in a mobile marine mammal: inshore bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay, Australia.

PubMed

Ansmann, Ina C; Parra, Guido J; Lanyon, Janet M; Seddon, Jennifer M

2012-09-01

Highly mobile marine species in areas with no obvious geographic barriers are expected to show low levels of genetic differentiation. However, small-scale variation in habitat may lead to resource polymorphisms and drive local differentiation by adaptive divergence. Using nuclear microsatellite genotyping at 20 loci, and mitochondrial control region sequencing, we investigated fine-scale population structuring of inshore bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) inhabiting a range of habitats in and around Moreton Bay, Australia. Bayesian structure analysis identified two genetic clusters within Moreton Bay, with evidence of admixture between them (F(ST) = 0.05, P = 0.001). There was only weak isolation by distance but one cluster of dolphins was more likely to be found in shallow southern areas and the other in the deeper waters of the central northern bay. In further analysis removing admixed individuals, southern dolphins appeared genetically restricted with lower levels of variation (AR = 3.252, π = 0.003) and high mean relatedness (r = 0.239) between individuals. In contrast, northern dolphins were more diverse (AR = 4.850, π = 0.009) and were mixing with a group of dolphins outside the bay (microsatellite-based STRUCTURE analysis), which appears to have historically been distinct from the bay dolphins (mtDNA Φ(ST) = 0.272, P < 0.001). This study demonstrates the ability of genetic techniques to expose fine-scale patterns of population structure and explore their origins and mechanisms. A complex variety of inter-related factors including local habitat variation, differential resource use, social behaviour and learning, and anthropogenic disturbances are likely to have played a role in driving fine-scale population structure among bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Dispersal, mating events and fine-scale genetic structure in the lesser flat-headed bats.

PubMed

Hua, Panyu; Zhang, Libiao; Guo, Tingting; Flanders, Jon; Zhang, Shuyi

2013-01-01

Population genetic structure has important consequences in evolutionary processes and conservation genetics in animals. Fine-scale population genetic structure depends on the pattern of landscape, the permanent movement of individuals, and the dispersal of their genes during temporary mating events. The lesser flat-headed bat (Tylonycteris pachypus) is a nonmigratory Asian bat species that roosts in small groups within the internodes of bamboo stems and the habitats are fragmented. Our previous parentage analyses revealed considerable extra-group mating in this species. To assess the spatial limits and sex-biased nature of gene flow in the same population, we used 20 microsatellite loci and mtDNA sequencing of the ND2 gene to quantify genetic structure among 54 groups of adult flat-headed bats, at nine localities in South China. AMOVA and F(ST) estimates revealed significant genetic differentiation among localities. Alternatively, the pairwise F(ST) values among roosting groups appeared to be related to the incidence of associated extra-group breeding, suggesting the impact of mating events on fine-scale genetic structure. Global spatial autocorrelation analyses showed positive genetic correlation for up to 3 km, indicating the role of fragmented habitat and the specialized social organization as a barrier in the movement of individuals among bamboo forests. The male-biased dispersal pattern resulted in weaker spatial genetic structure between localities among males than among females, and fine-scale analyses supported that relatedness levels within internodes were higher among females than among males. Finally, only females were more related to their same sex roost mates than to individuals from neighbouring roosts, suggestive of natal philopatry in females.

The final word. OSHA's final ruling offers firm deadlines for infection control.

PubMed

West, K

1992-03-01

Departments that have put off program development while waiting for the final ruling to be published have a lot of work to do. Many departments have been cited and fined by OSHA in the past year for failure to begin infection-control programs or provide hepatitis-B vaccines to personnel. Under the new budget, OSHA was granted permission to up its fine structure sevenfold--thus, a small fine is $7,000, and the highest fine for a single violation is $70,000. Fines can have a greater impact on a department's budget than implementation of the program over time. A key point to remember is that a strong infection-control program will reduce exposure follow-up costs and worker-compensation claims. Infection control is a win-win situation.

Space telescope optical telescope assembly/scientific instruments. Phase B: Preliminary design and program definition study. Volume 2A(3): Astrometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Wide field measurements, namely, measurements of relative angular separations between stars over a relatively wide field for parallax and proper motion determinations, were made with the third fine guidance sensor. Narrow field measurements, i.e., double star measurements, are accomplished primarily with the area photometer or faint object camera at f/96. The wavelength range required can be met by the fine guidance sensor which has a spectral coverage from 3000 to 7500 A. The field of view of the fine guidance sensor also exceeds that required for the wide field astrometric instrument. Requirements require a filter wheel for the wide field astrometer, and so one was incorporated into the design of the fine guidance sensor. The filter wheel probably would contain two neutral density filters to extend the dynamic range of the sensor and three spectral filters for narrowing effective double star magnitude difference.

The interplay between tissue plasminogen activator domains and fibrin structures in the regulation of fibrinolysis: kinetic and microscopic studies

PubMed Central

Thelwell, Craig; Williams, Stella C.; Silva, Marta M. C. G.; Szabó, László; Kolev, Krasimir

2011-01-01

Regulation of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) depends on fibrin binding and fibrin structure. tPA structure/function relationships were investigated in fibrin formed by high or low thrombin concentrations to produce a fine mesh and small pores, or thick fibers and coarse structure, respectively. Kinetics studies were performed to investigate plasminogen activation and fibrinolysis in the 2 types of fibrin, using wild-type tPA (F-G-K1-K2-P, F and K2 binding), K1K1-tPA (F-G-K1-K1-P, F binding), and delF-tPA (G-K1-K2-P, K2 binding). There was a trend of enzyme potency of tPA > K1K1-tPA > delF-tPA, highlighting the importance of the finger domain in regulating activity, but the differences were less apparent in fine fibrin. Fine fibrin was a better surface for plasminogen activation but more resistant to lysis. Scanning electron and confocal microscopy using orange fluorescent fibrin with green fluorescent protein-labeled tPA variants showed that tPA was strongly associated with agglomerates in coarse but not in fine fibrin. In later lytic stages, delF-tPA-green fluorescent protein diffused more rapidly through fibrin in contrast to full-length tPA, highlighting the importance of finger domain-agglomerate interactions. Thus, the regulation of fibrinolysis depends on the starting nature of fibrin fibers and complex dynamic interaction between tPA and fibrin structures that vary over time. PMID:20966169

Assessing polar bear (Ursus maritimus) population structure in the Hudson Bay region using SNPs.

PubMed

Viengkone, Michelle; Derocher, Andrew Edward; Richardson, Evan Shaun; Malenfant, René Michael; Miller, Joshua Moses; Obbard, Martyn E; Dyck, Markus G; Lunn, Nick J; Sahanatien, Vicki; Davis, Corey S

2016-12-01

Defining subpopulations using genetics has traditionally used data from microsatellite markers to investigate population structure; however, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have emerged as a tool for detection of fine-scale structure. In Hudson Bay, Canada, three polar bear ( Ursus maritimus ) subpopulations (Foxe Basin (FB), Southern Hudson Bay (SH), and Western Hudson Bay (WH)) have been delineated based on mark-recapture studies, radiotelemetry and satellite telemetry, return of marked animals in the subsistence harvest, and population genetics using microsatellites. We used SNPs to detect fine-scale population structure in polar bears from the Hudson Bay region and compared our results to the current designations using 414 individuals genotyped at 2,603 SNPs. Analyses based on discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) and STRUCTURE support the presence of four genetic clusters: (i) Western-including individuals sampled in WH, SH (excluding Akimiski Island in James Bay), and southern FB (south of Southampton Island); (ii) Northern-individuals sampled in northern FB (Baffin Island) and Davis Strait (DS) (Labrador coast); (iii) Southeast-individuals from SH (Akimiski Island in James Bay); and (iv) Northeast-individuals from DS (Baffin Island). Population structure differed from microsatellite studies and current management designations demonstrating the value of using SNPs for fine-scale population delineation in polar bears.

Development of a sub-cm high resolution ion Doppler tomography diagnostics for fine structure measurement of guide field reconnection in TS-U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanabe, Hiroshi; Koike, Hideya; Hatano, Hironori; Hayashi, Takumi; Cao, Qinghong; Himeno, Shunichi; Kaneda, Taishi; Akimitsu, Moe; Sawada, Asuka; Ono, Yasushi

2017-10-01

A new type of high-throughput/high-resolution 96CH ion Doppler tomography diagnostics has been developed using ``multi-slit'' spectroscopy technique for detailed investigation of fine structure formation during high guide field magnetic reconnection. In the last three years, high field merging experiment in MAST pioneered new frontiers of reconnection heating: formation of highly peaked structure around X-point in high guide field condition (Bt > 0.3 T), outflow dissipation under the influence of better plasma confinement to form high temperature ring structure which aligns with closed flux surface of toroidal plasma, and interaction between ion and electron temperature profile during transport/confinement phase to form triple peak structure (τeiE 4 ms). To investigate more detailed mechanism with in-situ magnetic measurement, the university of Tokyo starts the upgrade of plasma parameters and spatial resolution of optical diagnostics as in MAST. Now, a new type of high-throughput/high-resolution 96CH ion Doppler tomography diagnostics system construction has been completed and it successfully resolved fine structure of ion heating downstream, aligned with closed flux surface formed by reconnected field. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 15H05750, 15K14279 and 17H04863.

Can a virtual reality assessment of fine motor skill predict successful central line insertion?

PubMed

Mohamadipanah, Hossein; Parthiban, Chembian; Nathwani, Jay; Rutherford, Drew; DiMarco, Shannon; Pugh, Carla

2016-10-01

Due to the increased use of peripherally inserted central catheter lines, central lines are not performed as frequently. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a virtual reality (VR)-based assessment of fine motor skills can be used as a valid and objective assessment of central line skills. Surgical residents (N = 43) from 7 general surgery programs performed a subclavian central line in a simulated setting. Then, they participated in a force discrimination task in a VR environment. Hand movements from the subclavian central line simulation were tracked by electromagnetic sensors. Gross movements as monitored by the electromagnetic sensors were compared with the fine motor metrics calculated from the force discrimination tasks in the VR environment. Long periods of inactivity (idle time) during needle insertion and lack of smooth movements, as detected by the electromagnetic sensors, showed a significant correlation with poor force discrimination in the VR environment. Also, long periods of needle insertion time correlated to the poor performance in force discrimination in the VR environment. This study shows that force discrimination in a defined VR environment correlates to needle insertion time, idle time, and hand smoothness when performing subclavian central line placement. Fine motor force discrimination may serve as a valid and objective assessment of the skills required for successful needle insertion when placing central lines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Undecalcified temporal bone morphology: a methodology useful for gross to fine observation and three-dimensional reconstruction.

PubMed

Fujiyoshi, T; Mogi, G; Watanabe, T; Matsushita, F

1992-01-01

Using a novel method of cutting undecalcified temporal bone specimens, quantitative structural analysis in the human and the Japanese monkey was undertaken. One millimeter thick serial slices made from unembedded temporal bones retained fine structure. Therefore, gross to fine observation could be performed systematically at the macroscopic, light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopic levels. The entire temporal bone three-dimensional reconstruction was completed from embedded sections; consequently, the volume of the tubotympanum and air cell system could be calculated. Available methods by embedding, tungsten carbide sectioning, grinding, and microwave irradiation for decalcification were also examined. These morphologic studies suggest that these novel methods offer timesaving advantages over any presently available techniques, and allow for elucidation of temporal bone morphology with only a few specimens.

Tomographic image reconstruction using x-ray phase information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Momose, Atsushi; Takeda, Tohoru; Itai, Yuji; Hirano, Keiichi

1996-04-01

We have been developing phase-contrast x-ray computed tomography (CT) to make possible the observation of biological soft tissues without contrast enhancement. Phase-contrast x-ray CT requires for its input data the x-ray phase-shift distributions or phase-mapping images caused by an object. These were measured with newly developed fringe-scanning x-ray interferometry. Phase-mapping images at different projection directions were obtained by rotating the object in an x-ray interferometer, and were processed with a standard CT algorithm. A phase-contrast x-ray CT image of a nonstained cancerous tissue was obtained using 17.7 keV synchrotron x rays with 12 micrometer voxel size, although the size of the observation area was at most 5 mm. The cancerous lesions were readily distinguishable from normal tissues. Moreover, fine structures corresponding to cancerous degeneration and fibrous tissues were clearly depicted. It is estimated that the present system is sensitive down to a density deviation of 4 mg/cm3.

A unified framework for penalized statistical muon tomography reconstruction with edge preservation priors of lp norm type

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Baihui; Zhao, Ziran; Wang, Xuewu; Wu, Dufan; Zeng, Zhi; Zeng, Ming; Wang, Yi; Cheng, Jianping

2016-01-01

The Tsinghua University MUon Tomography facilitY (TUMUTY) has been built up and it is utilized to reconstruct the special objects with complex structure. Since fine image is required, the conventional Maximum likelihood Scattering and Displacement (MLSD) algorithm is employed. However, due to the statistical characteristics of muon tomography and the data incompleteness, the reconstruction is always instable and accompanied with severe noise. In this paper, we proposed a Maximum a Posterior (MAP) algorithm for muon tomography regularization, where an edge-preserving prior on the scattering density image is introduced to the object function. The prior takes the lp norm (p>0) of the image gradient magnitude, where p=1 and p=2 are the well-known total-variation (TV) and Gaussian prior respectively. The optimization transfer principle is utilized to minimize the object function in a unified framework. At each iteration the problem is transferred to solving a cubic equation through paraboloidal surrogating. To validate the method, the French Test Object (FTO) is imaged by both numerical simulation and TUMUTY. The proposed algorithm is used for the reconstruction where different norms are detailedly studied, including l2, l1, l0.5, and an l2-0.5 mixture norm. Compared with MLSD method, MAP achieves better image quality in both structure preservation and noise reduction. Furthermore, compared with the previous work where one dimensional image was acquired, we achieve the relatively clear three dimensional images of FTO, where the inner air hole and the tungsten shell is visible.

76 FR 10880 - Initiation of Administrative Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on Wooden Bedroom Furniture...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-28

..., including, but not limited to, changes to corporate structure, acquisitions of new companies or facilities... Furniture Co., (PTE) Ltd.* Ever Spring Furniture Company Ltd. Evershine Enterprise Co. Fine Furniture (Shanghai) Ltd.* Fleetwood Fine Furniture LP. Foshan Guanqiu Furniture Co., Ltd.* Fujian Putian Jinggong...

77 FR 12235 - Wooden Bedroom Furniture From the People's Republic of China: Initiation of Administrative Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-29

... have subsequently made changes, including, but not limited to, changes to corporate structure...., (Pte) Ltd.* Ever Spring Furniture Co., Ltd. Evershine Enterprise Co. Fairmont Designs Fine Furniture (Shanghai) Ltd.* Fleetwood Fine Furniture Lp. Foliot Furniture Inc. Foliot Furniture Corporation Foliot...

CFD MODELING OF FINE SCALE FLOW AND TRANSPORT IN THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA, TEXAS

EPA Science Inventory

Fine scale modeling of flows and air quality in Houston, Texas is being performed; the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling is being applied to investigate the influence of morphologic structures on the within-grid transport and dispersion of sources in grid models ...

Interstitial Spaces: Visual Culture, Domesticity, and Metaphor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, James H., III; Buenger, Allison

2010-01-01

Allison Buenger graduated from the Ohio State University with a bachelor of fine arts degree in ceramics in December 2009. Her works morph domestic objects into vessels of meaning, sculptures displayed in larger installations of textiles and found objects. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Allison resides in Columbus, Ohio, and works at Open Door…

Sacred Circles: 2000 Years of North American Indian Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of American Indian Education, 1977

1977-01-01

"Sacred Circles" opened April 16, 1977 at the Nelson Gallery of Art-Atkins Museum of Fine Arts in Kansas City for its only showing in the Americas; the 850 objects on loan from 90 museums and private collectors included the "Adena Pipe" (considered the most important archaeological object found in the eastern US). (JC)

Discovery with RSS retracted

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The Rotating Service Structure has been retracted at Pad 39A. Discovery, the Space Shuttle for STS-82 Mission is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) Which will be installed, the Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1) and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) which will be installed. STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. February 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.

Heavy precipitation episodes in the Western Mediterranean : Use of a semi-Lagrangian advection model for the fine-scale description of upper-level troughs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauthier, N.; Claud, C.; Funatsu, B. M.; Chaboureau, J.-P.; Argence, S.; Lambert, D.; Richard, E.; Hauchecorne, A.; Arbogast, P.; Maynard, K.

2009-09-01

Heavy precipitation events over the Mediterranean Sea are generally associated with upper-level troughs. The mesoscale structures of such troughs are however not well reproduced by the atmospheric analyses due to inappropriate spatial resolution. We propose here to use a semi-Lagrangian advection model called MIMOSA (Modélisation Isentrope du transport Méso-échelle de l'Ozone Stratosphérique par Advection) initially developed to describe stratospheric filaments, to calculate fine-scale Potential Vorticity (PV) fields on isentropic surfaces near the tropopause. After a description of MIMOSA, we will focus on the model-generated PV fields for several high impact weather cases that occurred over the Western Mediterreanean Sea. We will demonstrate the ability of MIMOSA to resolve fine scale structures of upper-level troughs considering the Algiers' flash flood, which occurred on November 2001, and then a heavy precipitation event over southeast France on the 5-6 September 2005. Finally, with a PV inversion method, we will show the impact of the fine scales PV structures as depicted by MIMOSA to improve the numerical simulation of a « hurricane » that hit Italy in September 2006, both in terms of surface pressure and precipitation forecasts.

Unprecedented Fine Structure of a Solar Flare Revealed by the 1.6 m New Solar Telescope

PubMed Central

Jing, Ju; Xu, Yan; Cao, Wenda; Liu, Chang; Gary, Dale; Wang, Haimin

2016-01-01

Solar flares signify the sudden release of magnetic energy and are sources of so called space weather. The fine structures (below 500 km) of flares are rarely observed and are accessible to only a few instruments world-wide. Here we present observation of a solar flare using exceptionally high resolution images from the 1.6 m New Solar Telescope (NST) equipped with high order adaptive optics at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO). The observation reveals the process of the flare in unprecedented detail, including the flare ribbon propagating across the sunspots, coronal rain (made of condensing plasma) streaming down along the post-flare loops, and the chromosphere’s response to the impact of coronal rain, showing fine-scale brightenings at the footpoints of the falling plasma. Taking advantage of the resolving power of the NST, we measure the cross-sectional widths of flare ribbons, post-flare loops and footpoint brighenings, which generally lie in the range of 80–200 km, well below the resolution of most current instruments used for flare studies. Confining the scale of such fine structure provides an essential piece of information in modeling the energy transport mechanism of flares, which is an important issue in solar and plasma physics. PMID:27071459

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

Solar Cycle Fine Structure and Surface Rotation from Ca II K-Line Time Series Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scargle, Jeff; Keil, Steve; Worden, Pete

2011-01-01

Analysis of three and a half decades of data from the NSO/AFRL/Sac Peak K-line monitoring program yields evidence for four components to the variation: (a) the solar cycle, with considerable fine structure and a quasi-periodicity of 122.4 days; (b) a stochastic process, faster than (a) and largely independent of it, (c) a quasi-periodic signal due to rotational modulation, and of course (d) observational errors (shown to be quite small). Correlation and power spectrum analyses elucidate periodic and aperiodic variation of these chromospheric parameters. Time-frequency analysis is especially useful for extracting information about differential rotation, and in particular elucidates the connection between its behavior and fine structure of the solar cycle on approximately one-year time scales. These results further suggest that similar analyses will be useful at detecting and characterizing differential rotation in stars from stellar light-curves such as those being produced at NASA's Kepler observatory.

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.

Describing a Robot's Workspace Using a Sequence of Views from a Moving Camera.

PubMed

Hong, T H; Shneier, M O

1985-06-01

This correspondence describes a method of building and maintaining a spatial respresentation for the workspace of a robot, using a sensor that moves about in the world. From the known camera position at which an image is obtained, and two-dimensional silhouettes of the image, a series of cones is projected to describe the possible positions of the objects in the space. When an object is seen from several viewpoints, the intersections of the cones constrain the position and size of the object. After several views have been processed, the representation of the object begins to resemble its true shape. At all times, the spatial representation contains the best guess at the true situation in the world with uncertainties in position and shape explicitly represented. An octree is used as the data structure for the representation. It not only provides a relatively compact representation, but also allows fast access to information and enables large parts of the workspace to be ignored. The purpose of constructing this representation is not so much to recognize objects as to describe the volumes in the workspace that are occupied and those that are empty. This enables trajectory planning to be carried out, and also provides a means of spatially indexing objects without needing to represent the objects at an extremely fine resolution. The spatial representation is one part of a more complex representation of the workspace used by the sensory system of a robot manipulator in understanding its environment.

Development of XAFS Into a Structure Determination Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, E. A.

After the detection of diffraction of x-rays by M. Laue in 1912, the technique was soon applied to structure determination by Bragg within a year. On the other hand, although the edge steps in X-Ray absorption were discovered even earlier by Barkla and both the near edge (XANES) and extended X-Ray fine structure (EXAFS) past the edge were detected by 1929, it still took over 40 years to realize the structure information contained in this X-Ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). To understand this delay a brief historical review of the development of the scientific ideas that transformed XAFS into the premiere technique for local structure determination is given. The development includes both advances in theoretical understanding and calculational capabilities, and in experimental facilities, especially synchrotron radiation sources. The present state of the XAFS technique and its capabilities are summarized.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy study on SiC-side interface structure of SiO2–SiC formed by thermal oxidation in dry oxygen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isomura, Noritake; Kosaka, Satoru; Kataoka, Keita; Watanabe, Yukihiko; Kimoto, Yasuji

2018-06-01

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy is demonstrated to measure the fine atomic structure of SiO2–SiC interfaces. The SiC-side of the interface can be measured by fabricating thin SiO2 films and using SiC-selective EXAFS measurements. Fourier transforms of the oscillations of the EXAFS spectra correspond to radial-structure functions and reveal a new peak of the first nearest neighbor of Si for m-face SiC, which does not appear in measurements of the Si-face. This finding suggests that the m-face interface could include a structure with shorter Si–C distances. Numerical calculations provide additional support for this finding.

Spatial downscaling of soil prediction models based on weighted generalized additive models in smallholder farm settings.

PubMed

Xu, Yiming; Smith, Scot E; Grunwald, Sabine; Abd-Elrahman, Amr; Wani, Suhas P; Nair, Vimala D

2017-09-11

Digital soil mapping (DSM) is gaining momentum as a technique to help smallholder farmers secure soil security and food security in developing regions. However, communications of the digital soil mapping information between diverse audiences become problematic due to the inconsistent scale of DSM information. Spatial downscaling can make use of accessible soil information at relatively coarse spatial resolution to provide valuable soil information at relatively fine spatial resolution. The objective of this research was to disaggregate the coarse spatial resolution soil exchangeable potassium (K ex ) and soil total nitrogen (TN) base map into fine spatial resolution soil downscaled map using weighted generalized additive models (GAMs) in two smallholder villages in South India. By incorporating fine spatial resolution spectral indices in the downscaling process, the soil downscaled maps not only conserve the spatial information of coarse spatial resolution soil maps but also depict the spatial details of soil properties at fine spatial resolution. The results of this study demonstrated difference between the fine spatial resolution downscaled maps and fine spatial resolution base maps is smaller than the difference between coarse spatial resolution base maps and fine spatial resolution base maps. The appropriate and economical strategy to promote the DSM technique in smallholder farms is to develop the relatively coarse spatial resolution soil prediction maps or utilize available coarse spatial resolution soil maps at the regional scale and to disaggregate these maps to the fine spatial resolution downscaled soil maps at farm scale.

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.

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.

Mechanical Properties of a Superalloy Disk with a Dual Grain Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gayda, John; Gabb, Timothy; Kantzos, Peter

2003-01-01

Mechanical properties from an advanced, nickel-base superalloy disk, with a dual grain structure consisting of a fine grain bore and coarse grain rim, were evaluated. The dual grain structure was produced using NASA's low cost Dual Microstructure Heat Treatment (DMHT) process. The results showed the DMHT disk to have a high strength, fatigue resistant bore comparable to a subsolvus (fine grain) heat treated disk, and a creep resistant rim comparable to a supersolvus (coarse grain) heat treated disk. Additional work on subsolvus solutioning before or after the DMHT conversion appears to be a viable avenue for further improvement in disk properties.

Rocket measurements of mesospheric ionization irregularities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoltzfus, R. B.; Bowhill, S. A.

1985-01-01

The Langmuir probe technique for measurement of electron concentration in the mesosphere is capable of excellent altitude resolution, of order 1 m. Measurements from nine daytime rocket flights carrying an electron density fine structure experiment frequently show small scale ionization structures in the altitude region 70 to 90 km. The irregularities are believed to be the result of turbulent advection of ions and electrons. The fine structure experiment flown by the University of Illinois is described and methods of analyzing the collected data is presented. Theories of homogeneous, isotropic turbulence are reviewed. Power spectra of the measured irregularities are calculated and compared to spectra predicted by turbulence theories.

Fine structure of 25 extragalactic radio sources. [interferometric observations of quasars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wittels, J. J.; Knight, C. A.; Shapiro, I. I.; Hinteregger, H. F.; Rogers, A. E. E.; Whitney, A. R.; Clark, T. A.; Hutton, L. K.; Marandino, G. E.; Niell, A. E.

1975-01-01

Interferometric observations taken at 7.8 GHz (gamma approximately = 3.8 cm) with five pairings of antennae of 25 extragalactic radio sources between April, 1972 and May, 1973 are reported. These sources exhibit a broad variety of fine structure from very simple to complex. The total flux and the correlated flux of some of the sources underwent large changes in a few weeks, while the structure and total power of others remained constant during the entire period of observation. Some aspects of the data processing and a discussion of errors are presented. Numerous figures are provided and explained. The individual radio sources are described in detail.

The ZINGRS Radio Survey: Probing metallicities at high-z with far-IR fine-structure lines and the radio continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferkinhoff, Carl; Higdon, Sarah; Higdon, James L.; Tidwell, Hannah; Rangel, Miguel; Vishwas, Amit; Nikola, Thomas; Stacey, Gordon J.; Brisbin, Drew

2017-01-01

The present day Universe is rich in metals that enable efficient cooling of gas in the ISM in order to form stars, create planets and make the building blocks of life as we know it. The Universe did not start in this state - we know that metals had to build up over time with successive generations of stars. Revealing the details of this evolution, however, is challenging and requires probes of metallicity that are not susceptible to dust extinction nor exhibit the degeneracies common to tracers in the visible regime. One possible indicator combines the far-IR fine structure lines with the radio continuum. Recently we have undertaken a multi-band radio continuum survey with the JVLA of high-z galaxies from ZINGRS. These observations will constrain the galaxies’ thermal and nonthermal radio emissions and demonstrate the use of far-IR lines together with radio continuum as a metallicity indicator. ZINGRS, the ZEUS 1 and 2 INvestigated Galaxy Reference Sample, includes ~30 galaxies from z ~ 1 - 4.5 for which the far-IR fine-structure lines (e.g. [CII] 158, [NII] 122, [OIII] 88) have been observed with the ZEUS-1 and 2 instruments. This is the largest collection of far-IR fine-structure line detections at high-z and is ideal for demonstrating the use of this new indicator. Here we describe the theory behind the new indicator, give an overview of ZINGRS, and report on the status of our radio survey.

Distinct roles of a tyrosine-associated hydrogen-bond network in fine-tuning the structure and function of heme proteins: two cases designed for myoglobin.

PubMed

Liao, Fei; Yuan, Hong; Du, Ke-Jie; You, Yong; Gao, Shu-Qin; Wen, Ge-Bo; Lin, Ying-Wu; Tan, Xiangshi

2016-10-20

A hydrogen-bond (H-bond) network, specifically a Tyr-associated H-bond network, plays key roles in regulating the structure and function of proteins, as exemplified by abundant heme proteins in nature. To explore an approach for fine-tuning the structure and function of artificial heme proteins, we herein used myoglobin (Mb) as a model protein and introduced a Tyr residue in the secondary sphere of the heme active site at two different positions (107 and 138). We performed X-ray crystallography, UV-Vis spectroscopy, stopped-flow kinetics, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies for the two single mutants, I107Y Mb and F138Y Mb, and compared to that of wild-type Mb under the same conditions. The results showed that both Tyr107 and Tyr138 form a distinct H-bond network involving water molecules and neighboring residues, which fine-tunes ligand binding to the heme iron and enhances the protein stability, respectively. Moreover, the Tyr107-associated H-bond network was shown to fine-tune both H2O2 binding and activation. With two cases demonstrated for Mb, this study suggests that the Tyr-associated H-bond network has distinct roles in regulating the protein structure, properties and functions, depending on its location in the protein scaffold. Therefore, it is possible to design a Tyr-associated H-bond network in general to create other artificial heme proteins with improved properties and functions.

CO-DARK Star Formation and Black Hole Activity in 3C 368 at Z = 1.131: Coeval Growth of Stellar and Supermassive Black Hole Masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamarche, C.; Stacey, G.; Brisbin, D.; Ferkinhoff, C.; Hailey-Dunsheath, S.; Nikola, T.; Riechers, D.; Sharon, C. E.; Spoon, H.; Vishwas, A.

2017-02-01

We present the detection of four far-infrared fine-structure oxygen lines, as well as strong upper limits for the CO(2-1) and [N II] 205 μm lines, in 3C 368, a well-studied radio-loud galaxy at z = 1.131. These new oxygen lines, taken in conjunction with previously observed neon and carbon fine-structure lines, suggest a powerful active galactic nucleus (AGN), accompanied by vigorous and extended star formation. A starburst dominated by O8 stars, with an age of ˜6.5 Myr, provides a good fit to the fine-structure line data. This estimated age of the starburst makes it nearly concurrent with the latest episode of AGN activity, suggesting a link between the growth of the supermassive black hole and stellar population in this source. We do not detect the CO(2-1) line, down to a level twelve times lower than the expected value for star-forming galaxies. This lack of CO line emission is consistent with recent star formation activity if the star-forming molecular gas has low metallicity, is highly fractionated (such that CO is photodissociated throughout much of the clouds), or is chemically very young (such that CO has not yet had time to form). It is also possible, although we argue it is unlikely, that the ensemble of fine-structure lines is emitted from the region heated by the AGN.

Atomistic theory of excitonic fine structure in InAs/InP nanowire quantum dot molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Świderski, M.; Zieliński, M.

2017-03-01

Nanowire quantum dots have peculiar electronic and optical properties. In this work we use atomistic tight binding to study excitonic spectra of artificial molecules formed by a double nanowire quantum dot. We demonstrate a key role of atomistic symmetry and nanowire substrate orientation rather than cylindrical shape symmetry of a nanowire and a molecule. In particular for [001 ] nanowire orientation we observe a nonvanishing bright exciton splitting for a quasimolecule formed by two cylindrical quantum dots of different heights. This effect is due to interdot coupling that effectively reduces the overall symmetry, whereas single uncoupled [001 ] quantum dots have zero fine structure splitting. We found that the same double quantum dot system grown on [111 ] nanowire reveals no excitonic fine structure for all considered quantum dot distances and individual quantum dot heights. Further we demonstrate a pronounced, by several orders of magnitude, increase of the dark exciton optical activity in a quantum dot molecule as compared to a single quantum dot. For [111 ] systems we also show spontaneous localization of single particle states in one of nominally identical quantum dots forming a molecule, which is mediated by strain and origins from the lack of the vertical inversion symmetry in [111 ] nanostructures of overall C3 v symmetry. Finally, we study lowering of symmetry due to alloy randomness that triggers nonzero excitonic fine structure and the dark exciton optical activity in realistic nanowire quantum dot molecules of intermixed composition.

[Fine motor and self-development assessment of preschool children with epilepsy].

PubMed

Lendraĭtene, E B; Petrushiavichene, D P; Andronavichiute, Iu P; Vapzhaĭtite, L A; Krishchiunas, A I

Objective. To assess fine motor and self-care skills in preschool children with epilepsy. Material and methods. The study included 22 children, 12 girls (54.5%) and 10 boys (45.5%), mean age 41.5±19.9 months. Children were tested with DISC and Munchen tests. Results and conclusion. Among preschool children with epilepsy, 50% have impaired and 22.7% - delayed development of fine motor skills. The mean coefficient of fine motor skills was 59.0±28.1. Among preschool children with epilepsy, 36.4% have impaired and 45.5% - delayed development of self-development skills. The coefficient of self-care skills was 57.8±26.1. DISC and Munchen tests for evaluation of small motor and self-care skills are equivalent for assessment in children with epilepsy (p<0.001). Self-care skills were more often disturbed (p<0.05) among children older than 3 years and among boys. Children with psychiatric and movement disorders (72.7%) more frequently have both impaired self-care and fine motor skills (p<0.05).

Electronic and atomic structures of Ti{sub 1-x}Al{sub x}N thin films related to their damage behavior

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

Tuilier, M.-H.; Pac, M.-J.; Girleanu, M.

2008-04-15

Ti and Al K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy is used to investigate the electronic structure of Ti{sub 1-x}Al{sub x}N thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. The experimental near edge spectra of TiN and AlN are interpreted in the light of unoccupied density of state band structure calculations. The comparison of the structural parameters derived from x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray diffraction reveals segregation between Al-rich and Ti-rich domains within the Ti{sub 1-x}Al{sub x}N films. Whereas x-ray diffraction probes only the crystallized domains, the structural information derived from extended x-ray absorption fine structure analysis turns on both crystalline and grainmore » boundaries. The results are discussed by considering the damage behavior of the films depending on the composition.« less

Fine root dynamics in moso bamboo and Japanese cedar forest by scanner method in central Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhi-Wei; Lin, Po-Hsuan; Kume, Tomonori

2017-04-01

Phyllostachys pubescens is one of the most important economic plant in the world. Phyllostachys pubescens originates from China and it had been introduced to neighbor countries about three hundred ago due to its economic value. But substantial bamboo forests were abandoned due to declines in demand. These unmanaged bamboo forests have been expanding to adjacent original forests in northern Taiwan. This vegetation alternation may not only decrease the local biodiversity but also affect the carbon cycle. Fine roots are responsible for water and nutrients acquisition and forming the most active part of the whole root system. The characteristics of fine roots are non-woody, small diameter and short lifespan. When roots keep producing new roots and replacing old roots, carbon and nutrients was transported into soil. Consequently, fine root production is one of the important component to understand the below-ground carbon cycle. However, there is few studies about fine root production in moso bamboo forests. We still lack effective method to obtain quantitative and objective data in Taiwan. It severely limits us to understand the below-ground carbon dynamics there. Minirhizotrons method has been used to investigate fine root dynamics by inserting transparent tubes into soil and by comparing changes in root length in images taken by micro-camera. But this method has some shortcomings; i.e. Most of image analysis are conducted manually and time-consuming. And it is difficult to estimate the stand level fine root production from small observation view. A new method "scanner method", which collect A4-size image (bigger than minirhizotrons) can overcome some parts of the shortcoming of minirhizotrons. The transparent acrylic box with A4-box view is inserted into soil and the interface between soil and box is scanned by commercial scanner. We can monitor the total projected root area, growth and decomposition separately by series of images. The primary objective of this study is to characterize the temporal and spatial variation of fine root dynamics in moso bamboo forests in central Taiwan by using scanner method with 6 acrylic boxes. Other the other hand, this study compared the result with those of adjacent Japanese cedar forests with 8 acrylic boxes. Consequently, we found the fine root production rate and decomposition rate of the bamboo forest are higher than cedar forest. Also, the timing of first observation of new roots was earlier in bamboo forest than cedar forest. This study also examined differences of temporal patterns among measurement locations based on long-term data after box installation.

Prospective associations between measures of gross and fine motor coordination in infants and objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior in childhood

PubMed Central

Sánchez, Guillermo F López; Williams, Genevieve; Aggio, Daniel; Vicinanza, Domenico; Stubbs, Brendon; Kerr, Catherine; Johnstone, James; Roberts, Justine; Smith, Lee

2017-01-01

Abstract One important determinant of childhood physical activity and sedentary behavior may be that of motor development in infancy. The present analyses aimed to investigate whether gross and fine motor delays in infants were associated with objective and self-reported activity in childhood. Data were from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, a prospective cohort study, involving UK children born on or around the millennium (September 2000 and January 2002). When children were 9 months old, parents reported children's fine and gross motor-coordination, and at 7 years, sports club attendance and daily TV viewing time. Children's physical activity was measured using accelerometers at 7 years. Adjusted regression models were used to examine associations between delayed motor development and accelerometry measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behavior, and parent-reported sport club attendance and TV viewing time. In this sample (n = 13,021), gross motor delay in infancy was associated with less time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (B −5.0 95% confidence interval [CI] −6.8, −3.2) and more time sedentary (B 13.5 95% CI 9.3, 17.8) in childhood. Gross and fine motor delays during infancy were associated with a reduced risk of having high attendance at sports clubs in childhood (both relative risk [RR] 0.7, 95% CI 0.6, 0.9). Fine motor delays, but not gross delays, were also associated with an increased risk of having high TV viewing time (RR 1.3 95% CI 1.0, 1.6). Findings from the present study suggest that delays in motor development in infancy are associated with physical activity and sedentary time in childhood. PMID:29145249

Prospective associations between measures of gross and fine motor coordination in infants and objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior in childhood.

PubMed

Sánchez, Guillermo F López; Williams, Genevieve; Aggio, Daniel; Vicinanza, Domenico; Stubbs, Brendon; Kerr, Catherine; Johnstone, James; Roberts, Justin; Smith, Lee

2017-11-01

One important determinant of childhood physical activity and sedentary behavior may be that of motor development in infancy. The present analyses aimed to investigate whether gross and fine motor delays in infants were associated with objective and self-reported activity in childhood. Data were from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, a prospective cohort study, involving UK children born on or around the millennium (September 2000 and January 2002). When children were 9 months old, parents reported children's fine and gross motor-coordination, and at 7 years, sports club attendance and daily TV viewing time. Children's physical activity was measured using accelerometers at 7 years. Adjusted regression models were used to examine associations between delayed motor development and accelerometry measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behavior, and parent-reported sport club attendance and TV viewing time. In this sample (n = 13,021), gross motor delay in infancy was associated with less time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (B -5.0 95% confidence interval [CI] -6.8, -3.2) and more time sedentary (B 13.5 95% CI 9.3, 17.8) in childhood. Gross and fine motor delays during infancy were associated with a reduced risk of having high attendance at sports clubs in childhood (both relative risk [RR] 0.7, 95% CI 0.6, 0.9). Fine motor delays, but not gross delays, were also associated with an increased risk of having high TV viewing time (RR 1.3 95% CI 1.0, 1.6). Findings from the present study suggest that delays in motor development in infancy are associated with physical activity and sedentary time in childhood.

Quantifying stream thermal regimes at management-pertinent scales: combining thermal infrared and stationary stream temperature data in a novel modeling framework.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vatland, Shane J.; Gresswell, Robert E.; Poole, Geoffrey C.

2015-01-01

Accurately quantifying stream thermal regimes can be challenging because stream temperatures are often spatially and temporally heterogeneous. In this study, we present a novel modeling framework that combines stream temperature data sets that are continuous in either space or time. Specifically, we merged the fine spatial resolution of thermal infrared (TIR) imagery with hourly data from 10 stationary temperature loggers in a 100 km portion of the Big Hole River, MT, USA. This combination allowed us to estimate summer thermal conditions at a relatively fine spatial resolution (every 100 m of stream length) over a large extent of stream (100 km of stream) during during the warmest part of the summer. Rigorous evaluation, including internal validation, external validation with spatially continuous instream temperature measurements collected from a Langrangian frame of reference, and sensitivity analyses, suggests the model was capable of accurately estimating longitudinal patterns in summer stream temperatures for this system Results revealed considerable spatial and temporal heterogeneity in summer stream temperatures and highlighted the value of assessing thermal regimes at relatively fine spatial and temporal scales. Preserving spatial and temporal variability and structure in abiotic stream data provides a critical foundation for understanding the dynamic, multiscale habitat needs of mobile stream organisms. Similarly, enhanced understanding of spatial and temporal variation in dynamic water quality attributes, including temporal sequence and spatial arrangement, can guide strategic placement of monitoring equipment that will subsequently capture variation in environmental conditions directly pertinent to research and management objectives.

Kuiper Belt Objects of different sizes and average densities: thermal evolution scenarios and modern structure of matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shchuko, O. B.; Shchuko, S. D.; Kartashov, D.; Orosei, R.

2012-04-01

Thermal evolution of accretion-formed Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) with modern sizes from 200 to 2000 km and average densities from 1100 to 3200 kg/m3 has been studied by mathematical simulation methods. The values range of physical parameters of the accretion material and ultimate radionuclide content, securing KBO existence at present, have been found. The solid dust material of protosolar cloud fringe regions and fine-fractured H2O condensate in the form of amorphous ice are considered to have been the building matter for these objects. This material was represented by small dust particles of different chemical and mineralogical composition, embedded with radionuclides 238U, 235U, 232Th, 40K providing the sources of radiogenic heat. H2O condensate secured the presence of amorphous ice in the forming body's matter. Radiogenic heat leads to H2O phase transitions which define a body's interior matter differentiation. The radionuclide content at the initial time of the body formation determined the dynamically changing degree of the interior matter differentiation at different KBO depths for the whole period from the initial up to the present time. For the models of the celestial objects considered, the dynamically changing boundaries of spherically symmetric regions with different degree of matter differentiation have been determined.

Fine Motor Function Skills in Patients with Parkinson Disease with and without Mild Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Dahdal, Philippe; Meyer, Antonia; Chaturvedi, Menorca; Nowak, Karolina; Roesch, Anne D; Fuhr, Peter; Gschwandtner, Ute

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the relation between impaired fine motor skills in Parkinson disease (PD) patients and their cognitive status, and to determine whether fine motor skills are more impaired in PD patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) than in non-MCI patients. Twenty PD MCI and 31 PD non-MCI patients (mean age 66.7 years, range 50-84, 36 males/15 females), all right-handed, took part in a motor performance test battery. Steadiness, precision, dexterity, velocity of arm-hand movements, and velocity of wrist-finger movements were measured and compared across groups and analyzed for confounders (age, sex, education, severity of motor symptoms, and disease duration). Statistical analysis included t tests corrected for multiple testing, and a linear regression with stepwise elimination procedure was used to select significant predictors for fine motor function. PD MCI patients performed significantly worse in precision (p < 0.05), dexterity (p < 0.05), and velocity (arm-hand movements; p < 0.05) compared to PD non-MCI patients. The fine motor function skills were confounded by age. Fine motor skills in PD MCI patients are impaired compared to PD non-MCI patients. Investigating the relation between the fine motor performance and MCI in PD might be a relevant subject for future research. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

METHOD FOR PRODUCING CEMENTED CARBIDE ARTICLES

DOEpatents

Onstott, E.I.; Cremer, G.D.

1959-07-14

A method is described for making molded materials of intricate shape where the materials consist of mixtures of one or more hard metal carbides or oxides and matrix metals or binder metals thereof. In one embodiment of the invention 90% of finely comminuted tungsten carbide powder together with finely comminuted cobalt bonding agent is incorporated at 60 deg C into a slurry with methyl alcohol containing 1.5% paraffin, 3% camphor, 3.5% naphthalene, and 1.8% toluene. The compact is formed by the steps of placing the slurry in a mold at least one surface of which is porous to the fluid organic system, compacting the slurry, removing a portion of the mold from contact with the formed object and heating the formed object to remove the remaining organic matter and to sinter the compact.

Finalizing the Dtag: implementation and testing of design improvements for reliability and availability

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-14

ABSTRACT DTAGs have proven to be a valuable tool for the study of marine mammal acoustics and fine scale motion. The success of the DTAG has resulted in...Underwater Acoustics , Digital Communications 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF a. REPORT b. ABSTRACT c. THIS PAGE ABSTRACT u u u...continuously monitor and improve the tag design.\\ OBJECTIVES Dtags have proven to be a valuable tool for the study of marine mammal acoustics and fine

Fine woody fuel particle diameters for improved planar intersect fuel loading estimates in Southern Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine forests

Treesearch

Emma Vakili; Chad M. Hoffman; Robert E. Keane

2016-01-01

Fuel loading estimates from planar intersect sampling protocols for fine dead down woody surface fuels require an approximation of the mean squared diameter (d2) of 1-h (0-0.63 cm), 10-h (0.63-2.54 cm), and 100-h (2.54-7.62 cm) timelag size classes. The objective of this study is to determine d2 in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests of New Mexico and Colorado,...

Granular media in the context of small bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tancredi, G.

2014-07-01

Granular materials of different particle sizes are present on the surface and the interior of several atmosphereless Solar System bodies. The presence of very fine particles on the surface of the Moon, the so-called regolith, was confirmed by the Apollo astronauts. From the polarimetric observations and phase angle curves, it is possible to indirectly infer the presence of fine particles on the surfaces of asteroids and planetary satellites. More recently, the visit of spacecraft to several asteroids and comets has provided us with close pictures of the surface, where particles of a wide size range from cm to hundreds of meters have been directly observed. The presence of even finer particles on the visited bodies can also be inferred from image analysis. Solar System bodies smaller than a few hundred km may have a variety of internal structures: monolithic single bodies, objects with internal fractures, rubble piles maintained as a single object by self-gravity, etc. After the visit of the small asteroid Itokawa, it has been speculated that ''some small asteroids appear to be clumps of gravel glued by a very weak gravity field'' (Asphaug 2007). We still do not know the internal structure of these rubble piles and the size distribution of the interior constituents, but these clumps could have several million meter-sized boulders inside. There are several pieces of evidence that many asteroids are agglomerates of small components, like: - Rotation periods for small asteroids - Tidal disruption of asteroids and comets when they enter the Roche's limit of a massive object - The existence of crater chains like the ones observed in Ganymede - Low density estimates (< 2 gr/cm^3) for many asteroids like Mathilde It has been proposed that several typical processes of granular materials (such as: the size segregation of boulders on Itokawa, the displacement of boulders on Eros, the ejection of dust clouds after impacts) can explain some features observed on these bodies. We review the numerical and experimental studies on granular materials with relevance to the understanding of the physical processes on the interior and the surfaces of minor bodies of the Solar System. In particular, we compare the different codes in use to perform numerical simulations of the physical evolution of these objects. We highlight results of these simulations. Some groups have been involved in laboratory experiments on granular material trying to reproduce the conditions in space: vacuum and low gravity. We describe the experimental set-ups and some results of these experiments. Some open problems and future line of work in this field will be presented.

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

Differential responses of grapevine rootstocks to water stress are associated with adjustments in fine root hydraulic physiology and suberization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water deficits are known to alter fine root structure and function, but little is known about how these responses contribute to differences in drought resistance across grapevine rootstocks. We studied how water deficit affects root anatomical and physiological characteristics in two grapevine root...

75 FR 9869 - Initiation of Administrative Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on Wooden Bedroom Furniture...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-04

... proceeding that have subsequently made changes, including, but not limited to, changes to corporate structure...) * Evershine Enterprise Co. Fine Furniture (Shanghai) Ltd.* Fleetwood Fine Furniture LP Fortune Glory... of Yangchun * Yeh Brothers World Trade Inc.* Yuexing Group Co., Ltd. Zhang Zhou Sanlong Wood Product...

Water Uptake along the Length of Grapevine Fine Roots: Developmental anatomy, tissue specific aquaporin expression, and pathways of water transport

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To better understand water uptake patterns in root systems of woody perennial crops, we detailed the developmental anatomy and hydraulic physiology along the length of grapevine fine roots- from the tip to secondary growth zones. Our characterization included localization of suberized structures an...

Application of pinch-and-swell structure rheology gauge to determine rock paleo-rheological parameters in Taili, western Liaoning, NE China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhengquan; Zeng, Zuoxun; Wu, Linbo; Xu, Shaopeng; Yang, Shuang; Chen, Deli; Wang, Jianxiu

2017-05-01

New results, in combination with previously published ones, reveal that when the Stress Exponent of the Competent layer (SEC) ranges from 1 to 10 (1 < n < 10), Pinch-and-Swell structure Rheology Gauge (PSRG) can only be available under the condition that the Viscosity ratio between the Competent layer and its corresponding Matrix layer (VCM) is larger than 10. Therefore, we made the attempt to calculate the viscosity ratio of pinch-and-swell structure of competent layer to the related matrix and stress exponent. Based on this knowledge, we applied this gauge to calculate SECs and VCMs of eight types of pinch-and-swell structures, which are widely developed in the Taili area of the west Liaoning Province in China. Statistical analysis of the SEC resulted in intervals of four types of competent layers, that is, Medium-scale Granitic coarse-to-pegmatitic Veins, Small-scale Augen Granite aplite Veins, Small-scale Granite aplite Veins, and Small-scale Augen Quartz-K-feldspar veins, with intervals of [3.50, 4.63], [2.64, 4.29], [2.70, 3.51], and [2.50, 3.36] respectively. The preferred intervals of VCM of the five types of pinch-and-swell structures, Small-scale Augen Granite aplite Veins + Fine-grained Biotite-Hornblende-plagioclase Gneiss, Medium-scale Granitic coarse-to-pegmatitic Veins + Fine-grained Biotite-Hornblende-plagioclase Gneiss, Small-scale Augen Granite aplite Veins + medium-to-fine-grained granitic gneiss, Medium-scale Granitic coarse-to-pegmatitic Veins + medium-to-fine-grained granitic gneiss, and Small-scale Augen Granite aplite Veins + fine-grained biotite-plagioclase gneiss, are [19.98, 62.51], [15.90, 61.17], [26.72, 93.27], [22.21, 107.26], and [76.33, 309.39] respectively. The similarities between these calculated SEC statistical preferred intervals and the physical experimental results verify the validity of the PSRG. The competent layers of the pinch-and-swell structures were presented in this study as power-law flow with SEC values that increased with the thickness of the layer. Grain-size plays an important role in the rheology of pinch-and-swell structures. The results offer a case for the application of PSRG and determine the key rock rheological parameters of North China Craton for future related studies.

Variation Principles and Applications in the Study of Cell Structure and Aging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Economos, Angelos C.; Miquel, Jaime; Ballard, Ralph C.; Johnson, John E., Jr.

1981-01-01

In this report we have attempted to show that "some reality lies concealed in biological variation". This "reality" has its principles, laws, mechanisms, and rules, only a few of which we have sketched. A related idea we pursued was that important information may be lost in the process of ignoring frequency distributions of physiological variables (as is customary in experimental physiology and gerontology). We suggested that it may be advantageous to expand one's "statistical field of vision" beyond simple averages +/- standard deviations. Indeed, frequency distribution analysis may make visible some hidden information not evident from a simple qualitative analysis, particularly when the effect of some external factor or condition (e.g., aging, dietary chemicals) is being investigated. This was clearly illustrated by the application of distribution analysis in the study of variation in mouse liver cellular and fine structure, and may be true of fine structural studies in general. In living systems, structure and function interact in a dynamic way; they are "inseparable," unlike in technological systems or machines. Changes in fine structure therefore reflect changes in function. If such changes do not exceed a certain physiologic range, a quantitative analysis of structure will provide valuable information on quantitative changes in function that may not be possible or easy to measure directly. Because there is a large inherent variation in fine structure of cells in a given organ of an individual and among individuals, changes in fine structure can be analyzed only by studying frequency distribution curves of various structural characteristics (dimensions). Simple averages +/- S.D. do not in general reveal all information on the effect of a certain factor, because often this effect is not uniform; on the contrary, this will be apparent from distribution analysis because the form of the curves will be affected. We have also attempted to show in this chapter that similar general statistical principles and mechanisms may be operative in biological and technological systems. Despite the common belief that most biological and technological characteristics of interest have a symmetric bell-shaped (normal or Gaussian) distribution, we have shown that more often than not, distributions tend to be asymmetric and often resemble a so-called log-normal distribution. We saw that at least three general mechanisms may be operative, i.e., nonadditivity of influencing factors, competition among individuals for a common resource, and existence of an "optimum" value for a studied characteristic; more such mechanisms could exist.

In situ synthesis of ultra-fine, porous, tin oxide-carbon nanocomposites via a molten salt method for lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Bin; Guo, Zai Ping; Du, Guodong; Nuli, Yanna; Hassan, Mohd Faiz; Jia, Dianzeng

Ultra-fine, porous, tin oxide-carbon (SnO 2/C) nanocomposites are fabricated by a molten salt method at 300 °C, and malic acid is decomposed as the carbon source. In situ synthesis is favourable for the combination of carbon and SnO 2. The structure and morphology are confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis, specific surface-area measurements, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Examination of TEM images reveals that the SnO 2 nanoparticles are embedded in the carbon matrix, with sizes between 2 and 5 nm. The electrochemical measurements show that the nanocomposite delivers a high capacity with good capacity retention as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, due to the combination of the ultra-fine porous structure and the carbon component.

Vortex Filaments in Grids for Scalable, Fine Smoke Simulation.

PubMed

Meng, Zhang; Weixin, Si; Yinling, Qian; Hanqiu, Sun; Jing, Qin; Heng, Pheng-Ann

2015-01-01

Vortex modeling can produce attractive visual effects of dynamic fluids, which are widely applicable for dynamic media, computer games, special effects, and virtual reality systems. However, it is challenging to effectively simulate intensive and fine detailed fluids such as smoke with fast increasing vortex filaments and smoke particles. The authors propose a novel vortex filaments in grids scheme in which the uniform grids dynamically bridge the vortex filaments and smoke particles for scalable, fine smoke simulation with macroscopic vortex structures. Using the vortex model, their approach supports the trade-off between simulation speed and scale of details. After computing the whole velocity, external control can be easily exerted on the embedded grid to guide the vortex-based smoke motion. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of using the proposed scheme for a visually plausible smoke simulation with macroscopic vortex structures.

Motor skills in kindergarten: Internal structure, cognitive correlates and relationships to background variables.

PubMed

Oberer, Nicole; Gashaj, Venera; Roebers, Claudia M

2017-04-01

The present study aimed to contribute to the discussion about the relation between motor coordination and executive functions in preschool children. Specifically, the relation between gross and fine motor skills and executive functions as well as the relation to possible background variables (SES, physical activity) were investigated. Based on the data of N=156 kindergarten children the internal structure of motor skills was investigated and confirmed the theoretically assumed subdivision of gross and fine motor skills. Both, gross and fine motor skills correlated significantly with executive functions, whereas the background variables seemed to have no significant impact on the executive functions and motor skills. Higher order control processes are discussed as an explanation of the relation between executive functions and motor skills. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Microstructure and Gamma Prime Distributions in Inertia Friction Welded Joint of P/M Superalloy FGH96

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chi; Shen, Wenfei; Zhang, Liwen; Xia, Yingnan; Li, Ruiqin

2017-04-01

A gamma prime ( γ') precipitation ( 35% in volume)-hardened powder metallurgy (P/M) superalloy FGH96 was welded using inertia friction welding (IFW). The microstructure and γ' distributions in the joints in two conditions, hot isostatic pressed state and solution-treated and aged state, were characterized. The recrystallization of grains, the dissolution and re-precipitation of γ' in the joints were discussed in terms of the temperature evolutions which were calculated by finite element model analysis. Regardless of the initial states, fully recrystallized fine grain structure formed at welded zone. Meanwhile, very fine γ' precipitations were re-precipitated at the welded zone. These recrystallized grain structure and fine re-precipitated γ' resulted in increasing hardness of IFW joint while making the hardness dependent on the microstructure and γ' precipitation.

Dreaming as a primordial state of the mind: the clinical relevance of structural faults in the body ego as revealed in dreaming.

PubMed

Andrade, Victor Manoel

2007-02-01

The therapeutic action of psychoanalysis, attributed for many years to the interpretation of the repressed libido, has shifted its focus to object relationships. Some modern analysts maintain that the primary factor of psychic change is the new model of object relationship provided by analysis, and do not consider significant the knowledge of episodes comprising implicit memories, whose irrecoverable nature is demonstrated by neuroscience. Nevertheless, the author proposes that the knowledge of specific archaic events, useless as their interpretation may be, offers a glimpse of the make-up of the mind, contributing to the improvement of the empathy indispensable for inducing changes in the patient. Episodes linked to absolute narcissism, in the beginnings of the body ego, which do not appear either in associations or in transference, emerge in dreams. Neuroscience has made possible the understanding of aspects of dreaming capable of providing a glimpse of the genesis of the ego, whose development from the bodily phase of absolute narcissism to the psychic object phase can thus be traced. The unearthing of the genesis of primary structural faults in dreaming furnishes the analyst with an estimate of the possibilities for development of the ego, and this knowledge provides fine tuning capable of guiding the analyst's conduct. A clinical case illustrates how these phenomena occur, showing the intersubjective relationship as the silent primary generator of psychic changes, consolidated and developed secondarily by means of the analytical dialogue.

Biological effects of long term fine limestone tailings discharge in a fjord ecosystem.

PubMed

Brooks, Lucy; Melsom, Fredrik; Glette, Tormod

2015-07-15

Benthic infaunal data collected from 1993 to 2010 were analysed to examine the effect of long term discharge of fine limestone tailings on macrofaunal species assemblages in a fjord. Relative distance from the outfall and proportion of fine tailings in the sediment were correlated with benthic community structure. Diversity decreased with increasing proportion of fine tailings. Biological Traits Analysis (BTA) was used to explore the temporal and spatial effects of the tailings gradient on macrofaunal functional attributes. BTA revealed that all stations along a pressure gradient of fine limestone tailings were dominated by free-living species. As the proportion of fine tailings in the sediment increased, there was an increase in fauna that were smaller, highly mobile, living on or nearer the surface sediment, with shorter lifespans. There was a decrease in permanent tube dwellers, those fauna with low or no mobility, that live deeper in the sediment and have longer lifespans (>5 yrs). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 32980 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Olmec: Masterworks of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-10

... included in the exhibition ``Olmec: Masterworks of Ancient Mexico,'' imported from abroad for temporary... of the exhibit objects at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA, from on or about September 26, 2010, until on or about January 1, 2011; the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco...

Urban, Forest, and Agricultural AIS Data: Fine Spectral Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanderbilt, V. C.

1985-01-01

Spectra acquired by the Airborne Imaging Spectrometer (AIS) near Lafayette, IN, Ely, MN, and over the Stanford University campus, CA were analyzed for fine spectral structure using two techniques: the ratio of radiance of a ground target to the radiance of a standard and also the correlation coefficient of radiances at adjacent wavelengths. The results show ramp like features in the ratios. These features are due to the biochemical composition of the leaf and to the optical scattering properties of its cuticle. The size and shape of the ramps vary with ground cover.

Polarized fine structure in the photoluminescence excitation spectrum of a negatively charged quantum dot.

PubMed

Ware, M E; Stinaff, E A; Gammon, D; Doty, M F; Bracker, A S; Gershoni, D; Korenev, V L; Bădescu, S C; Lyanda-Geller, Y; Reinecke, T L

2005-10-21

We report polarized photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of the negative trion in single charge-tunable quantum dots. The spectrum exhibits a p-shell resonance with polarized fine structure arising from the direct excitation of the electron spin triplet states. The energy splitting arises from the axially symmetric electron-hole exchange interaction. The magnitude and sign of the polarization are understood from the spin character of the triplet states and a small amount of quantum dot asymmetry, which mixes the wave functions through asymmetric e-e and e-h exchange interactions.

g Factor of Light Ions for an Improved Determination of the Fine-Structure Constant.

PubMed

Yerokhin, V A; Berseneva, E; Harman, Z; Tupitsyn, I I; Keitel, C H

2016-03-11

A weighted difference of the g factors of the H- and Li-like ions of the same element is theoretically studied and optimized in order to maximize the cancellation of nuclear effects between the two charge states. We show that this weighted difference and its combination for two different elements can be used to extract a value for the fine-structure constant from near-future bound-electron g factor experiments with an accuracy competitive with or better than the present literature value.

Enhanced laboratory sensitivity to variation of the fine-structure constant using highly charged ions.

PubMed

Berengut, J C; Dzuba, V A; Flambaum, V V

2010-09-17

We study atomic systems that are in the frequency range of optical atomic clocks and have enhanced sensitivity to potential time variation of the fine-structure constant α. The high sensitivity is due to coherent contributions from three factors: high nuclear charge Z, high ionization degree, and significant differences in the configuration composition of the states involved. Configuration crossing keeps the frequencies in the optical range despite the large ionization energies. We discuss a few promising examples that have the largest α sensitivities seen in atomic systems.

Fine structure of transient waves in a random medium: The correlation and spectral density functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wenzel, Alan R.

1994-01-01

This is essentially a progress report on a theoretical investigation of the propagation of transient waves in a random medium. The emphasis in this study is on applications to sonic-boom propagation, particularly as regards the effect of atmospheric turbulence on the sonic-boom waveform. The analysis is general, however, and is applicable to other types of waves besides sonic-boom waves. The phenomenon of primary concern in this investigation is the fine structure of the wave. A figure is used to illustrate what is meant by finestructure.

New Tests for Variations of the Fine Structure Constant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prestage, John D.

1995-01-01

We describe a new test for possible variations of the fine structure constant, by comparisons of rates between clocks based on hyperfine transitions in alkali atomos with different atomic number Z. H- maser, Cs and Hg+ clocks have a different dependence on ia relativistic contributions of order (Z. Recent H-maser vs Hg+ clock comparison data improves laboratory limits on a time variation by 100-fold to giveFuture laser cooled clocks (Be+, Rb, Cs, Hg+, etc.), when compared, will yield the most senstive of all tests for.

R-matrix calculations for electron-impact excitation of C(+), N(2+), and O(3+) including fine structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luo, D.; Pradhan, A. K.

1990-01-01

The new R-matrix package for comprehensive close-coupling calculations for electron scattering with the first three ions in the boron isoelectronic sequence, the astrophysically significant C(+), N(2+), and O(3+), is presented. The collision strengths are calculated in the LS coupling approximation, as well as in pair-coupling scheme, for the transitions among the fine-structure sublevels. Calculations are carried out at a large number of energies in order to study the detailed effects of autoionizing resonances.

R-Matrix Analysis of Structures in Economic Indices: from Nuclear Reactions to High-Frequency Trading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firk, Frank W. K.

2014-03-01

It is shown that the R-matrix theory of nuclear reactions is a viable mathematical theory for the description of the fine, intermediate and gross structure observed in the time-dependence of economic indices in general, and the daily Dow Jones Industrial Average in particular. A Lorentzian approximation to R-matrix theory is used to analyze the complex structures observed in the Dow Jones Industrial Average on a typical trading day. Resonant structures in excited nuclei are characterized by the values of their fundamental strength function, (average total width of the states)/(average spacing between adjacent states). Here, values of the ratios (average lifetime of individual states of a given component of the daily Dow Jones Industrial Average)/(average interval between the adjacent states) are determined. The ratios for the observed fine and intermediate structure of the index are found to be essentially constant throughout the trading day. These quantitative findings are characteristic of the highly statistical nature of many-body, strongly interacting systems, typified by daily trading. It is therefore proposed that the values of these ratios, determined in the first hour-or-so of trading, be used to provide valuable information concerning the likely performance of the fine and intermediate components of the index for the remainder of the trading day.

Fine-scale population genetic structure and sex-biased dispersal in the smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) in southern England.

PubMed

Pernetta, A P; Allen, J A; Beebee, T J C; Reading, C J

2011-09-01

Human-induced alteration of natural habitats has the potential to impact on the genetic structuring of remnant populations at multiple spatial scales. Species from higher trophic levels, such as snakes, are expected to be particularly susceptible to land-use changes. We examined fine-scale population structure and looked for evidence of sex-biased dispersal in smooth snakes (Coronella austriaca), sampled from 10 heathland localities situated within a managed coniferous forest in Dorset, United Kingdom. Despite the limited distances between heathland areas (maximum <6 km), there was a small but significant structuring of populations based on eight microsatellite loci. This followed an isolation-by-distance model using both straight line and 'biological' distances between sampling sites, suggesting C. austriaca's low vagility as the causal factor, rather than closed canopy conifer forest exerting an effect as a barrier to dispersal. Within population comparisons of male and female snakes showed evidence for sex-biased dispersal, with three of four analyses finding significantly higher dispersal in males than in females. We suggest that the fine-scale spatial genetic structuring and sex-biased dispersal have important implications for the conservation of C. austriaca, and highlight the value of heathland areas within commercial conifer plantations with regards to their future management.

Fast Nonlinear Generalized Inversion of Gravity Data with Application to the Three-Dimensional Crustal Density Structure of Sichuan Basin, Southwest China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jun; Meng, Xiaohong; Li, Fang

2017-11-01

Generalized inversion is one of the important steps in the quantitative interpretation of gravity data. With appropriate algorithm and parameters, it gives a view of the subsurface which characterizes different geological bodies. However, generalized inversion of gravity data is time consuming due to the large amount of data points and model cells adopted. Incorporating of various prior information as constraints deteriorates the above situation. In the work discussed in this paper, a method for fast nonlinear generalized inversion of gravity data is proposed. The fast multipole method is employed for forward modelling. The inversion objective function is established with weighted data misfit function along with model objective function. The total objective function is solved by a dataspace algorithm. Moreover, depth weighing factor is used to improve depth resolution of the result, and bound constraint is incorporated by a transfer function to limit the model parameters in a reliable range. The matrix inversion is accomplished by a preconditioned conjugate gradient method. With the above algorithm, equivalent density vectors can be obtained, and interpolation is performed to get the finally density model on the fine mesh in the model domain. Testing on synthetic gravity data demonstrated that the proposed method is faster than conventional generalized inversion algorithm to produce an acceptable solution for gravity inversion problem. The new developed inversion method was also applied for inversion of the gravity data collected over Sichuan basin, southwest China. The established density structure in this study helps understanding the crustal structure of Sichuan basin and provides reference for further oil and gas exploration in this area.

Mapping the spatio-temporal structure of motor cortical LFP and spiking activities during reach-to-grasp movements

PubMed Central

Riehle, Alexa; Wirtssohn, Sarah; Grün, Sonja; Brochier, Thomas

2013-01-01

Grasping an object involves shaping the hand and fingers in relation to the object’s physical properties. Following object contact, it also requires a fine adjustment of grasp forces for secure manipulation. Earlier studies suggest that the control of hand shaping and grasp force involve partially segregated motor cortical networks. However, it is still unclear how information originating from these networks is processed and integrated. We addressed this issue by analyzing massively parallel signals from population measures (local field potentials, LFPs) and single neuron spiking activities recorded simultaneously during a delayed reach-to-grasp task, by using a 100-electrode array chronically implanted in monkey motor cortex. Motor cortical LFPs exhibit a large multi-component movement-related potential (MRP) around movement onset. Here, we show that the peak amplitude of each MRP component and its latency with respect to movement onset vary along the cortical surface covered by the array. Using a comparative mapping approach, we suggest that the spatio-temporal structure of the MRP reflects the complex physical properties of the reach-to-grasp movement. In addition, we explored how the spatio-temporal structure of the MRP relates to two other measures of neuronal activity: the temporal profile of single neuron spiking activity at each electrode site and the somatosensory receptive field properties of single neuron activities. We observe that the spatial representations of LFP and spiking activities overlap extensively and relate to the spatial distribution of proximal and distal representations of the upper limb. Altogether, these data show that, in motor cortex, a precise spatio-temporal pattern of activation is involved for the control of reach-to-grasp movements and provide some new insight about the functional organization of motor cortex during reaching and object manipulation. PMID:23543888

Object Classification With Joint Projection and Low-Rank Dictionary Learning.

PubMed

Foroughi, Homa; Ray, Nilanjan; Hong Zhang

2018-02-01

For an object classification system, the most critical obstacles toward real-world applications are often caused by large intra-class variability, arising from different lightings, occlusion, and corruption, in limited sample sets. Most methods in the literature would fail when the training samples are heavily occluded, corrupted or have significant illumination or viewpoint variations. Besides, most of the existing methods and especially deep learning-based methods, need large training sets to achieve a satisfactory recognition performance. Although using the pre-trained network on a generic large-scale data set and fine-tune it to the small-sized target data set is a widely used technique, this would not help when the content of base and target data sets are very different. To address these issues simultaneously, we propose a joint projection and low-rank dictionary learning method using dual graph constraints. Specifically, a structured class-specific dictionary is learned in the low-dimensional space, and the discrimination is further improved by imposing a graph constraint on the coding coefficients, that maximizes the intra-class compactness and inter-class separability. We enforce structural incoherence and low-rank constraints on sub-dictionaries to reduce the redundancy among them, and also make them robust to variations and outliers. To preserve the intrinsic structure of data, we introduce a supervised neighborhood graph into the framework to make the proposed method robust to small-sized and high-dimensional data sets. Experimental results on several benchmark data sets verify the superior performance of our method for object classification of small-sized data sets, which include a considerable amount of different kinds of variation, and may have high-dimensional feature vectors.

Impact of wine manufacturing practice on the occurrence of fining agents with allergenic potential.

PubMed

Deckwart, Marina; Carstens, Carsten; Webber-Witt, Manuella; Schäfer, Volker; Eichhorn, Lisa; Schröter, Franziska; Fischer, Markus; Brockow, Knut; Christmann, Monika; Paschke-Kratzin, Angelika

2014-01-01

Proteinogenic wine fining agents are hidden allergens and could present a risk for consumers with allergies. Therefore, the European Parliament adopted Directive 2003/89/EC amending Directive 2000/13/EC to declare ingredients, contaminations and processing aids that are known to trigger allergic reactions. The Amendment Regulation (EU) 1266/2010 excluded the labelling of wines which are processed with hen's egg and products thereof until 30 June 2012 to get more scientific findings. After 1 July 2012 wine fining agents have to be declared if above 0.25 mg l(-1) (Regulation (EU) 579/2012 in conjunction with article 120 g of Regulation (EU) 1234/2007). The Organisation International de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV) advises this limit of detection (LOD) for potential allergenic residues of proteins. Wine fining agents are processing aids and according to the wine producer's knowledge will be removed after coagulation by filtration or other production steps. Due to lack of scientific data, residues of fining agents in the final product could not be excluded. In this risk assessment, highly sensitive ELISA methods for ovalbumin of known origin for wine have been developed. The objective was to investigate the presence of allergen residues in wine after certain technological treatments were applied to remove the wine fining agents. For all developed ELISA methods the LODs are in the low µg l(-1) range between 5 and 10 µg l(-1) fining agent, whereas the LOQ varies between 5 and 80 µg l(-1) fining agent. The results of the investigation of well-known wines and fining agents demonstrate that white wines fined with white or ovalbumin from hen's egg could retain allergens. The use of certain technological procedures during wine processing leads to different results. In white wine, bentonite or sheet filtration followed by sterile filtration lead to wines containing no detectable amounts of ovalbumin. In red wine, especially the final sterile filtration removes the fining agents.

From Laser Scanning to Finite Element Analysis of Complex Buildings by Using a Semi-Automatic Procedure

PubMed Central

Castellazzi, Giovanni; D’Altri, Antonio Maria; Bitelli, Gabriele; Selvaggi, Ilenia; Lambertini, Alessandro

2015-01-01

In this paper, a new semi-automatic procedure to transform three-dimensional point clouds of complex objects to three-dimensional finite element models is presented and validated. The procedure conceives of the point cloud as a stacking of point sections. The complexity of the clouds is arbitrary, since the procedure is designed for terrestrial laser scanner surveys applied to buildings with irregular geometry, such as historical buildings. The procedure aims at solving the problems connected to the generation of finite element models of these complex structures by constructing a fine discretized geometry with a reduced amount of time and ready to be used with structural analysis. If the starting clouds represent the inner and outer surfaces of the structure, the resulting finite element model will accurately capture the whole three-dimensional structure, producing a complex solid made by voxel elements. A comparison analysis with a CAD-based model is carried out on a historical building damaged by a seismic event. The results indicate that the proposed procedure is effective and obtains comparable models in a shorter time, with an increased level of automation. PMID:26225978

Improvement of storage, handling, and transportability of fine coal. Quarterly technical progress report number 8, October 1--December 31, 1995

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

NONE

The Mulled Coal process was developed as a means of overcoming the adverse handling characteristics of wet fine coal without thermal drying. The process involves the addition of a low cost, harmless reagent to wet fine coal using off-the-shelf mixing equipment. Based on laboratory- and bench-scale testing, Mulled coal can be stored, shipped, and burned without causing any of the plugging, pasting, carryback and freezing problems normally associated with wet coal. On the other hand, Mulled Coal does not cause the fugitive and airborne dust problems normally associated with thermally dried coal. The objectives of this project are to demonstratemore » that: the Mulled Coal process, which has been proved to work on a wide range of wet fine coals at bench scale, will work equally well on a continuous basis, producing consistent quality, and at a convincing rate of production in a commercial coal preparation plant; the wet product from a fine coal cleaning circuit can be converted to a solid fuel form for ease of handling and cost savings in storage and rail car transportation; and a wet fine coal product thus converted to a solid fuel form, can be stored, shipped, and burned with conventional fuel handling, transportation, and combustion systems.« less

Molecular Eigensolution Symmetry Analysis and Fine Structure

PubMed Central

Harter, William G.; Mitchell, Justin C.

2013-01-01

Spectra of high-symmetry molecules contain fine and superfine level cluster structure related to J-tunneling between hills and valleys on rovibronic energy surfaces (RES). Such graphic visualizations help disentangle multi-level dynamics, selection rules, and state mixing effects including widespread violation of nuclear spin symmetry species. A review of RES analysis compares it to that of potential energy surfaces (PES) used in Born–Oppenheimer approximations. Both take advantage of adiabatic coupling in order to visualize Hamiltonian eigensolutions. RES of symmetric and D2 asymmetric top rank-2-tensor Hamiltonians are compared with Oh spherical top rank-4-tensor fine-structure clusters of 6-fold and 8-fold tunneling multiplets. Then extreme 12-fold and 24-fold multiplets are analyzed by RES plots of higher rank tensor Hamiltonians. Such extreme clustering is rare in fundamental bands but prevalent in hot bands, and analysis of its superfine structure requires more efficient labeling and a more powerful group theory. This is introduced using elementary examples involving two groups of order-6 (C6 and D3~C3v), then applied to families of Oh clusters in SF6 spectra and to extreme clusters. PMID:23344041

Origin of the biomechanical properties of wood related to the fine structure of the multi-layered cell wall.

PubMed

Yamamoto, H; Kojima, Y; Okuyama, T; Abasolo, W P; Gril, J

2002-08-01

In this study, a basic model is introduced to describe the biomechanical properties of the wood from the viewpoint of the composite structure of its cell wall. First, the mechanical interaction between the cellulose microfibril (CMF) as a bundle framework and the lignin-hemicellulose as a matrix (MT) skeleton in the secondary wall is formulated based on "the two phase approximation." Thereafter, the origins of (1) tree growth stress, (2) shrinkage or swelling anisotropy of the wood, and (3) moisture dependency of the Young's modulus of wood along the grain were simulated using the newly introduced model. Through the model formulation; (1) the behavior of the cellulose microfibril (CMF) and the matrix substance (MT) during cell wall maturation was estimated; (2) the moisture reactivity of each cell wall constituent was investigated; and (3) a realistic model of the fine composite structure of the matured cell wall was proposed. Thus, it is expected that the fine structure and internal property of each cell wall constituent can be estimated through the analyses of the macroscopic behaviors of wood based on the two phase approximation.

Fine Structure and Host-Virus Relationship of a Marine Bacterium and Its Bacteriophage

PubMed Central

Valentine, Artrice F.; Chapman, George B.

1966-01-01

Valentine, Artrice F. (Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.), and George B. Chapman. Fine structure and host-virus relationship of a marine bacterium and its bacteriophage. J. Bacteriol. 92:1535–1554. 1966.—The fine structure of a gram-negative marine bacterium, Cytophaga marinoflava sp. n., has been revealed by ultrathin sectioning and electron microscopy. Stages in the morphogenesis of the bacterial virus NCMB 385, which has been shown to be highly specific for this organism, were also demonstrated in bacterial cells fixed according to the Kellenberger technique. The bacterium possessed a cell wall, cytoplasmic membrane, and nuclear and cytoplasmic regions typical of bacterial cells. Both the cell wall and the cytoplasmic membrane showed a tripartite structure, i.e., each was composed of two dense layers separated by a low-density zone. Intracytoplasmic membrane systems were also observed, especially in dividing cells and in cells in which new viruses were being formed. As many as 18 hexagonally shaped, empty phage heads (membranes only) were observed in untreated, infected bacterial cells. Phage heads, intermediate in density to empty heads and fully condensed ones, possibly representing stages in the morphological development of the virus, were also seen. Images PMID:5924277

Xyloglucan-cellulose interaction depends on the sidechains and molecular weight of xyloglucan.

PubMed

Lima, Denis U; Loh, Watson; Buckeridge, Marcos S

2004-05-01

Recent papers have brought evidence against the hypothesis that the fucosyl branching of primary wall xyloglucans (Xg) are responsible for their higher capacity of binding to cellulose. Reinforcement of this questioning has been obtained in this work where we show that the binding capacity was improved when the molecular weight (MW) of the Xg polymers is decreased by enzymatic hydrolysis. Moreover, the enthalpy changes associated with the adsorption process between Xg and cellulose is similar for Xgs with similar MW (but differing in the fine structure such as the presence/absence of fucose). On the basis of these results, we suggest that the fine structure and MW of Xg determines the energy and amount of binding to cellulose, respectively. Thus, the occurrence of different fine structural domains of Xg (e.g. the presence of fucose and the distribution of galactoses) might have several different functions in the wall. Besides the structural function in primary wall, these results might have impact on the packing features of storage Xg in seed cotyledons, since the MW and absence of fucose could also be associated with the self-association capacity. Copyright 2004 Elsevier SAS

Exploring the fine structure at the limb in coronal holes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karovska, Magarita; Blundell, Solon F.; Habbal, Shadia Rifai

1994-01-01

The fine structure of the solar limb in coronal holes is explored at temperatures ranging from 10(exp 4) to 10(exp 6) K. An image enhancement algorithm orignally developed for solar eclipse observations is applied to a number of simultaneous multiwavelength observations made with the Harvard Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer experiment on Skylab. The enhanced images reveal the presence of filamentary structures above the limb with a characteristic separation of approximately 10 to 15 sec . Some of the structures extend from the solar limb into the corona to at least 4 min above the solar limb. The brightness of these structures changes as a function of height above the limb. The brightest emission is associated with spiculelike structures in the proximity of the limb. The emission characteristic of high-temperature plasma is not cospatial with the emission at lower temperatures, indicating the presence of different temperature plasmas in the field of view.

Synchrotron FTIR micro-spectroscopy for structural analysis of Lewy bodies in the brain of Parkinson’s disease patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araki, Katsuya; Yagi, Naoto; Ikemoto, Yuka; Yagi, Hisashi; Choong, Chi-Jing; Hayakawa, Hideki; Beck, Goichi; Sumi, Hisae; Fujimura, Harutoshi; Moriwaki, Taro; Nagai, Yoshitaka; Goto, Yuji; Mochizuki, Hideki

2015-12-01

Lewy bodies (LBs), which mainly consist of α-synuclein (α-syn), are neuropathological hallmarks of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The fine structure of LBs is unknown, and LBs cannot be made artificially. Nevertheless, many studies have described fibrillisation using recombinant α-syn purified from E. coli. An extremely fundamental problem is whether the structure of LBs is the same as that of recombinant amyloid fibrils. Thus, we used synchrotron Fourier transform infrared micro-spectroscopy (FTIRM) to analyse the fine structure of LBs in the brain of PD patients. Our results showed a shift in the infrared spectrum that indicates abundance of a β-sheet-rich structure in LBs. Also, 2D infrared mapping of LBs revealed that the content of the β-sheet structure is higher in the halo than in the core, and the core contains a large amount of proteins and lipids.

Structural analysis of strontium in human teeth treated with surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer filler eluate by using extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis.

PubMed

Uo, Motohiro; Wada, Takahiro; Asakura, Kiyotaka

2017-03-31

The bioactive effects of strontium released from surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer (S-PRG) fillers may aid in caries prevention. In this study, the local structure of strontium taken up by teeth was estimated by extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis. Immersing teeth into S-PRG filler eluate increased the strontium content in enamel and dentin by more than 100 times. The local structure of strontium in enamel and dentin stored in distilled water was the same as that in synthetic strontium-containing hydroxyapatite (SrHAP). Moreover, the local structure of strontium in enamel and dentin after immersion in the S-PRG filler eluate was also similar to that of SrHAP. After immersion in the S-PRG filler eluate, strontium was suggested to be incorporated into the hydroxyapatite (HAP) of enamel and dentin at the calcium site in HAP.

A multiple-point spatially weighted k-NN method for object-based classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Yunwei; Jing, Linhai; Li, Hui; Atkinson, Peter M.

2016-10-01

Object-based classification, commonly referred to as object-based image analysis (OBIA), is now commonly regarded as able to produce more appealing classification maps, often of greater accuracy, than pixel-based classification and its application is now widespread. Therefore, improvement of OBIA using spatial techniques is of great interest. In this paper, multiple-point statistics (MPS) is proposed for object-based classification enhancement in the form of a new multiple-point k-nearest neighbour (k-NN) classification method (MPk-NN). The proposed method first utilises a training image derived from a pre-classified map to characterise the spatial correlation between multiple points of land cover classes. The MPS borrows spatial structures from other parts of the training image, and then incorporates this spatial information, in the form of multiple-point probabilities, into the k-NN classifier. Two satellite sensor images with a fine spatial resolution were selected to evaluate the new method. One is an IKONOS image of the Beijing urban area and the other is a WorldView-2 image of the Wolong mountainous area, in China. The images were object-based classified using the MPk-NN method and several alternatives, including the k-NN, the geostatistically weighted k-NN, the Bayesian method, the decision tree classifier (DTC), and the support vector machine classifier (SVM). It was demonstrated that the new spatial weighting based on MPS can achieve greater classification accuracy relative to the alternatives and it is, thus, recommended as appropriate for object-based classification.

Fine Structure in the Secondary Electron Emission Peak for Diamond Crystal with (100) Negative Electron Affinity Surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asnin, V. M.; Krainsky, I. L.

1998-01-01

A fine structure was discovered in the low-energy peak of the secondary electron emission spectra of the diamond surface with negative electron affinity. We studied this structure for the (100) surface of the natural type-IIb diamond crystal. We have found that the low-energy peak consists of a total of four maxima. The relative energy positions of three of them could be related to the electron energy minima near the bottom of the conduction band. The fourth peak, having the lowest energy, was attributed to the breakup of the bulk exciton at the surface during the process of secondary electron emission.

The Fine Transverse Structure of a Vortex Flow Beyond the Edge of a Disc Rotating in a Stratified Fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chashechkin, Yu. D.; Bardakov, R. N.

2018-02-01

By the methods of schlieren visualization, the evolution of elements of the fine structure of transverse vortex loops formed in the circular vortex behind the edge of a disk rotating in a continuously stratified fluid is traced for the first time. An inhomogeneous distribution of the density of a table-salt solution in a basin was formed by the continuous-squeezing method. The development of periodic perturbations at the outer boundary of the circular vortex and their transformation at the vortex-loop vertex are traced. A slow change in the angular size of the structural elements in the supercritical-flow mode is noted.

Fine line structures of ceramic films formed by patterning of metalorganic precursors using photolithography and ion beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, L. S.; Zheng, L. R.

1992-05-01

Fine line structures of ceramic thin films were fabricated by patterning of metalorganic precursors using photolithography and ion beams. A trilevel structure was developed with an outer resist layer to transfer patterns, a silver delineated layer as an implantation mask, and a planar resist layer protecting the precursor film from chemical attacking and sputtering. Ion irradiation through the Ag stencil rendered metal carboxylates insoluble in 2-ethylhexanoic acid, permitting patterning of the precursor film with patterning features on micron scales. The potential of this technique was demonstrated in patterning of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+x) and Pb(Zr(0.53)Ti(0.47) thin films.

Effect of physicochemical factors on transport and retention of graphene oxide in saturated media.

PubMed

Chen, Chong; Shang, Jianying; Zheng, Xiaoli; Zhao, Kang; Yan, Chaorui; Sharma, Prabhakar; Liu, Kesi

2018-05-01

Fate and transport of graphene oxide (GO) have received much attention recently with the increase of GO applications. This study investigated the effect of salt concentration on the transport and retention behavior of GO particles in heterogeneous saturated porous media. Transport experiments were conducted in NaCl solutions with three concentrations (1, 20, and 50 mM) using six structurally packed columns (two homogeneous and four heterogeneous) which were made of fine and coarse grains. The results showed that GO particles had high mobility in all the homogeneous and heterogeneous columns when solution ionic strength (IS) was low. When IS was high, GO particles showed distinct transport ability in six structurally heterogeneous porous media. In homogeneous columns, decreasing ionic strength and increasing grain size increased the mobility of GO. For the column containing coarse-grained channel, the preferential flow path resulted in an early breakthrough of GO, and further larger contact area between coarse and fine grains caused a lower breakthrough peak and a stronger tailing at different IS. In the layered column, there was significant GO retention at coarse-fine grain interface where water flowed from coarse grain to fine grain. Our results indicated that the fate and transport of GO particles in the natural heterogeneous porous media was highly related to the coupled effect of medium structure and salt solution concentration. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A review of rapid prototyping techniques for tissue engineering purposes.

PubMed

Peltola, Sanna M; Melchels, Ferry P W; Grijpma, Dirk W; Kellomäki, Minna

2008-01-01

Rapid prototyping (RP) is a common name for several techniques, which read in data from computer-aided design (CAD) drawings and manufacture automatically three-dimensional objects layer-by-layer according to the virtual design. The utilization of RP in tissue engineering enables the production of three-dimensional scaffolds with complex geometries and very fine structures. Adding micro- and nanometer details into the scaffolds improves the mechanical properties of the scaffold and ensures better cell adhesion to the scaffold surface. Thus, tissue engineering constructs can be customized according to the data acquired from the medical scans to match the each patient's individual needs. In addition RP enables the control of the scaffold porosity making it possible to fabricate applications with desired structural integrity. Unfortunately, every RP process has its own unique disadvantages in building tissue engineering scaffolds. Hence, the future research should be focused on the development of RP machines designed specifically for fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds, although RP methods already can serve as a link between tissue and engineering.

Evolving cell models for systems and synthetic biology.

PubMed

Cao, Hongqing; Romero-Campero, Francisco J; Heeb, Stephan; Cámara, Miguel; Krasnogor, Natalio

2010-03-01

This paper proposes a new methodology for the automated design of cell models for systems and synthetic biology. Our modelling framework is based on P systems, a discrete, stochastic and modular formal modelling language. The automated design of biological models comprising the optimization of the model structure and its stochastic kinetic constants is performed using an evolutionary algorithm. The evolutionary algorithm evolves model structures by combining different modules taken from a predefined module library and then it fine-tunes the associated stochastic kinetic constants. We investigate four alternative objective functions for the fitness calculation within the evolutionary algorithm: (1) equally weighted sum method, (2) normalization method, (3) randomly weighted sum method, and (4) equally weighted product method. The effectiveness of the methodology is tested on four case studies of increasing complexity including negative and positive autoregulation as well as two gene networks implementing a pulse generator and a bandwidth detector. We provide a systematic analysis of the evolutionary algorithm's results as well as of the resulting evolved cell models.

A coarse-grained model for DNA origami.

PubMed

Reshetnikov, Roman V; Stolyarova, Anastasia V; Zalevsky, Arthur O; Panteleev, Dmitry Y; Pavlova, Galina V; Klinov, Dmitry V; Golovin, Andrey V; Protopopova, Anna D

2018-02-16

Modeling tools provide a valuable support for DNA origami design. However, current solutions have limited application for conformational analysis of the designs. In this work we present a tool for a thorough study of DNA origami structure and dynamics. The tool is based on a novel coarse-grained model dedicated to geometry optimization and conformational analysis of DNA origami. We explored the ability of the model to predict dynamic behavior, global shapes, and fine details of two single-layer systems designed in hexagonal and square lattices using atomic force microscopy, Förster resonance energy transfer spectroscopy, and all-atom molecular dynamic simulations for validation of the results. We also examined the performance of the model for multilayer systems by simulation of DNA origami with published cryo-electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy structures. A good agreement between the simulated and experimental data makes the model suitable for conformational analysis of DNA origami objects. The tool is available at http://vsb.fbb.msu.ru/cosm as a web-service and as a standalone version.

A coarse-grained model for DNA origami

PubMed Central

Stolyarova, Anastasia V; Zalevsky, Arthur O; Panteleev, Dmitry Y; Pavlova, Galina V; Klinov, Dmitry V; Golovin, Andrey V; Protopopova, Anna D

2018-01-01

Abstract Modeling tools provide a valuable support for DNA origami design. However, current solutions have limited application for conformational analysis of the designs. In this work we present a tool for a thorough study of DNA origami structure and dynamics. The tool is based on a novel coarse-grained model dedicated to geometry optimization and conformational analysis of DNA origami. We explored the ability of the model to predict dynamic behavior, global shapes, and fine details of two single-layer systems designed in hexagonal and square lattices using atomic force microscopy, Förster resonance energy transfer spectroscopy, and all-atom molecular dynamic simulations for validation of the results. We also examined the performance of the model for multilayer systems by simulation of DNA origami with published cryo-electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy structures. A good agreement between the simulated and experimental data makes the model suitable for conformational analysis of DNA origami objects. The tool is available at http://vsb.fbb.msu.ru/cosm as a web-service and as a standalone version. PMID:29267876

Development of solar flares and features of the fine structure of solar radio emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chernov, G. P.; Fomichev, V. V.; Yan, Y.; Tan, B.; Tan, Ch.; Fu, Q.

2017-11-01

The reason for the occurrence of different elements of the fine structure of solar radio bursts in the decimeter and centimeter wavelength ranges has been determined based on all available data from terrestrial and satellite observations. In some phenomena, fast pulsations, a zebra structre, fiber bursts, and spikes have been observed almost simultaneously. Two phenomena have been selected to show that the pulsations of radio emission are caused by particles accelerated in the magnetic reconnection region and that the zebra structure is excited in a source, such as a magnetic trap for fast particles. The complex combination of unusual fiber bursts, zebra structure, and spikes in the phenomenon on December 1, 2004, is associated with a single source, a magnetic island formed after a coronal mass ejection.

Fine scale population genetic structure and within tree distribution of mating types of Venturia effusa, cause of pecan scab in the USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Scab (caused by Venturia effusa) is the major disease of pecan in the southeastern USA. There is no information available on the fine scale population genetic diversity. Four cv. Wichita trees (populations) were sampled hierarchically. Within each tree canopy, 4 approximately evenly spaced terminals...

3D WHOLE-PROMINENCE FINE STRUCTURE MODELING. II. PROMINENCE EVOLUTION

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

Gunár, Stanislav; Mackay, Duncan H.

2015-10-20

We use the new three-dimensional (3D) whole-prominence fine structure model to study the evolution of prominences and their fine structures in response to changes in the underlying photospheric magnetic flux distribution. The applied model combines a detailed 3D prominence magnetic field configuration with a realistic description of the prominence plasma distributed along multiple fine structures. In addition, we utilize an approximate Hα visualization technique to study the evolution of the visible cool prominence plasma both in emission (prominence) and absorption (filament). We show that the initial magnetic field configuration of the modeled prominence is significantly disturbed by the changing positionmore » of a single polarity of a magnetic bipole as the bipole is advected toward the main body of the filament. This leads to the creation of a barb, which becomes the dominant feature visible in the synthetic Hα images of both the prominence and filament views. The evolution of the bipole also creates conditions that lead to the disappearance and reappearance of large portions of the main body. We also show that an arch-like region containing a dark void (a bubble) can be naturally produced in the synthetic prominence Hα images. While not visible in terms of the magnetic field lines, it is due to a lack of Hα emission from low-pressure, low-density plasma located in shallow magnetic dips lying along the lines of sight intersecting the dark void. In addition, a quasi-vertical small-scale feature consisting of short and deep dips, piled one above the other, is produced.« less

CO-Dark Star Formation and Black Hole Activity in 3C 368 at z = 1.131: Coeval Growth of Stellar and Supermassive Black Hole Masses

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

Lamarche, C.; Stacey, G.; Riechers, D.

We present the detection of four far-infrared fine-structure oxygen lines, as well as strong upper limits for the CO(2–1) and [N ii] 205 μ m lines, in 3C 368, a well-studied radio-loud galaxy at z = 1.131. These new oxygen lines, taken in conjunction with previously observed neon and carbon fine-structure lines, suggest a powerful active galactic nucleus (AGN), accompanied by vigorous and extended star formation. A starburst dominated by O8 stars, with an age of ∼6.5 Myr, provides a good fit to the fine-structure line data. This estimated age of the starburst makes it nearly concurrent with the latestmore » episode of AGN activity, suggesting a link between the growth of the supermassive black hole and stellar population in this source. We do not detect the CO(2–1) line, down to a level twelve times lower than the expected value for star-forming galaxies. This lack of CO line emission is consistent with recent star formation activity if the star-forming molecular gas has low metallicity, is highly fractionated (such that CO is photodissociated throughout much of the clouds), or is chemically very young (such that CO has not yet had time to form). It is also possible, although we argue it is unlikely, that the ensemble of fine-structure lines is emitted from the region heated by the AGN.« less

Fine-scale spatial genetic structure of common and declining bumble bees across an agricultural landscape.

PubMed

Dreier, Stephanie; Redhead, John W; Warren, Ian A; Bourke, Andrew F G; Heard, Matthew S; Jordan, William C; Sumner, Seirian; Wang, Jinliang; Carvell, Claire

2014-07-01

Land-use changes have threatened populations of many insect pollinators, including bumble bees. Patterns of dispersal and gene flow are key determinants of species' ability to respond to land-use change, but have been little investigated at a fine scale (<10 km) in bumble bees. Using microsatellite markers, we determined the fine-scale spatial genetic structure of populations of four common Bombus species (B. terrestris, B. lapidarius, B. pascuorum and B. hortorum) and one declining species (B. ruderatus) in an agricultural landscape in Southern England, UK. The study landscape contained sown flower patches representing agri-environment options for pollinators. We found that, as expected, the B. ruderatus population was characterized by relatively low heterozygosity, number of alleles and colony density. Across all species, inbreeding was absent or present but weak (FIS  = 0.01-0.02). Using queen genotypes reconstructed from worker sibships and colony locations estimated from the positions of workers within these sibships, we found that significant isolation by distance was absent in B. lapidarius, B. hortorum and B. ruderatus. In B. terrestris and B. pascuorum, it was present but weak; for example, in these two species, expected relatedness of queens founding colonies 1 m apart was 0.02. These results show that bumble bee populations exhibit low levels of spatial genetic structure at fine spatial scales, most likely because of ongoing gene flow via widespread queen dispersal. In addition, the results demonstrate the potential for agri-environment scheme conservation measures to facilitate fine-scale gene flow by creating a more even distribution of suitable habitats across landscapes. © 2014 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Species Associations in a Species-Rich Subtropical Forest Were Not Well-Explained by Stochastic Geometry of Biodiversity

PubMed Central

Wang, Qinggang; Bao, Dachuan; Guo, Yili; Lu, Junmeng; Lu, Zhijun; Xu, Yaozhan; Zhang, Kuihan; Liu, Haibo; Meng, Hongjie; Jiang, Mingxi; Qiao, Xiujuan; Huang, Handong

2014-01-01

The stochastic dilution hypothesis has been proposed to explain species coexistence in species-rich communities. The relative importance of the stochastic dilution effects with respect to other effects such as competition and habitat filtering required to be tested. In this study, using data from a 25-ha species-rich subtropical forest plot with a strong topographic structure at Badagongshan in central China, we analyzed overall species associations and fine-scale species interactions between 2,550 species pairs. The result showed that: (1) the proportion of segregation in overall species association analysis at 2 m neighborhood in this plot followed the prediction of the stochastic dilution hypothesis that segregations should decrease with species richness but that at 10 m neighborhood was higher than the prediction. (2) The proportion of no association type was lower than the expectation of stochastic dilution hypothesis. (3) Fine-scale species interaction analyses using Heterogeneous Poisson processes as null models revealed a high proportion (47%) of significant species effects. However, the assumption of separation of scale of this method was not fully met in this plot with a strong fine-scale topographic structure. We also found that for species within the same families, fine-scale positive species interactions occurred more frequently and negative ones occurred less frequently than expected by chance. These results suggested effects of environmental filtering other than species interaction in this forest. (4) We also found that arbor species showed a much higher proportion of significant fine-scale species interactions (66%) than shrub species (18%). We concluded that the stochastic dilution hypothesis only be partly supported and environmental filtering left discernible spatial signals in the spatial associations between species in this species-rich subtropical forest with a strong topographic structure. PMID:24824996

Species associations in a species-rich subtropical forest were not well-explained by stochastic geometry of biodiversity.

PubMed

Wang, Qinggang; Bao, Dachuan; Guo, Yili; Lu, Junmeng; Lu, Zhijun; Xu, Yaozhan; Zhang, Kuihan; Liu, Haibo; Meng, Hongjie; Jiang, Mingxi; Qiao, Xiujuan; Huang, Handong

2014-01-01

The stochastic dilution hypothesis has been proposed to explain species coexistence in species-rich communities. The relative importance of the stochastic dilution effects with respect to other effects such as competition and habitat filtering required to be tested. In this study, using data from a 25-ha species-rich subtropical forest plot with a strong topographic structure at Badagongshan in central China, we analyzed overall species associations and fine-scale species interactions between 2,550 species pairs. The result showed that: (1) the proportion of segregation in overall species association analysis at 2 m neighborhood in this plot followed the prediction of the stochastic dilution hypothesis that segregations should decrease with species richness but that at 10 m neighborhood was higher than the prediction. (2) The proportion of no association type was lower than the expectation of stochastic dilution hypothesis. (3) Fine-scale species interaction analyses using Heterogeneous Poisson processes as null models revealed a high proportion (47%) of significant species effects. However, the assumption of separation of scale of this method was not fully met in this plot with a strong fine-scale topographic structure. We also found that for species within the same families, fine-scale positive species interactions occurred more frequently and negative ones occurred less frequently than expected by chance. These results suggested effects of environmental filtering other than species interaction in this forest. (4) We also found that arbor species showed a much higher proportion of significant fine-scale species interactions (66%) than shrub species (18%). We concluded that the stochastic dilution hypothesis only be partly supported and environmental filtering left discernible spatial signals in the spatial associations between species in this species-rich subtropical forest with a strong topographic structure.

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.

The Influence of Motor Skills on Measurement Accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brychta, Petr; Sadílek, Marek; Brychta, Josef

2016-10-01

This innovative study trying to do interdisciplinary interface at first view different ways fields: kinantropology and mechanical engineering. A motor skill is described as an action which involves the movement of muscles in a body. Gross motor skills permit functions as a running, jumping, walking, punching, lifting and throwing a ball, maintaining a body balance, coordinating etc. Fine motor skills captures smaller neuromuscular actions, such as holding an object between the thumb and a finger. In mechanical inspection, the accuracy of measurement is most important aspect. The accuracy of measurement to some extent is also dependent upon the sense of sight or sense of touch associated with fine motor skills. It is therefore clear that the level of motor skills will affect the precision and accuracy of measurement in metrology. Aim of this study is literature review to find out fine motor skills level of individuals and determine the potential effect of different fine motor skill performance on precision and accuracy of mechanical engineering measuring.

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

Extremely high-definition full-parallax computer-generated hologram created by the polygon-based method.

PubMed

Matsushima, Kyoji; Nakahara, Sumio

2009-12-01

A large-scale full-parallax computer-generated hologram (CGH) with four billion (2(16) x 2(16)) pixels is created to reconstruct a fine true 3D image of a scene, with occlusions. The polygon-based method numerically generates the object field of a surface object, whose shape is provided by a set of vertex data of polygonal facets, while the silhouette method makes it possible to reconstruct the occluded scene. A novel technique using the segmented frame buffer is presented for handling and propagating large wave fields even in the case where the whole wave field cannot be stored in memory. We demonstrate that the full-parallax CGH, calculated by the proposed method and fabricated by a laser lithography system, reconstructs a fine 3D image accompanied by a strong sensation of depth.

Low-temperature adsorption of H2S on Ni(001) studied by near-edge- and surface-extended-x-ray-absorption fine structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGrath, R.; MacDowell, A. A.; Hashizume, T.; Sette, F.; Citrin, P. H.

1989-11-01

The adsorption of H2S on Ni(001) has been studied with surface-extended x-ray-absorption fine structure and near-edge x-ray-absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) using the AT&T Bell Laboratories X15B beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source. At 95 K and full saturation coverage, ~0.45 monolayer (ML) of S atoms in fourfold-hollow sites are produced, characteristic of room-temperature adsorption, accompanied by ~0.05 ML of oriented molecular H2S. Both these atomic and molecular chemisorbed species are buried under ~0.9 ML of disordered physisorbed H2S. No evidence for HS is found. Above 190 K the two molecular H2S phases desorb, leaving only dissociated S. These findings differ from previously reported interpretations of data obtained with high-resolution electron-energy-loss spectroscopy. They also exemplify the utility of NEXAFS for identifying and quantifying atomic and molecular surface species even when their difference involves only H and the two species coexist.

THE FINE STRUCTURE OF THE NUCLEOLUS DURING MITOSIS IN THE GRASSHOPPER NEUROBLAST CELL

PubMed Central

Stevens, Barbara J.

1965-01-01

The behavior of the nucleolus during mitosis was studied by electron microscopy in neuroblast cells of the grasshopper embryo, Chortophaga viridifasciata. Living neuroblast cells were observed in the light microscope, and their mitotic stages were identified and recorded. The cells were fixed and embedded; alternate thick and thin sections were made for light and electron microscopy. The interphase nucleolus consists of two fine structural components arranged in separate zones. Concentrations of 150 A granules form a dense peripheral zone, while the central regions are composed of a homogeneous background substance. Observations show that nucleolar dissolution in prophase occurs in two steps with a preliminary loss of the background substance followed by a dispersal of the granules. Nucleolar material reappears at anaphase as small clumps or layers at the chromosome surfaces. These later form into definite bodies, which disappear as the nucleolus grows in telophase. Evidence suggests both a collecting and a synthesizing role for the nucleolus-associated chromatin. The final, mature nucleolar form is produced by a rearrangement of the fine structural components and an increase in their mass. PMID:14326121

Measurement of the fine-structure constant as a test of the Standard Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Richard H.; Yu, Chenghui; Zhong, Weicheng; Estey, Brian; Müller, Holger

2018-04-01

Measurements of the fine-structure constant α require methods from across subfields and are thus powerful tests of the consistency of theory and experiment in physics. Using the recoil frequency of cesium-133 atoms in a matter-wave interferometer, we recorded the most accurate measurement of the fine-structure constant to date: α = 1/137.035999046(27) at 2.0 × 10‑10 accuracy. Using multiphoton interactions (Bragg diffraction and Bloch oscillations), we demonstrate the largest phase (12 million radians) of any Ramsey-Bordé interferometer and control systematic effects at a level of 0.12 part per billion. Comparison with Penning trap measurements of the electron gyromagnetic anomaly ge ‑ 2 via the Standard Model of particle physics is now limited by the uncertainty in ge ‑ 2; a 2.5σ tension rejects dark photons as the reason for the unexplained part of the muon’s magnetic moment at a 99% confidence level. Implications for dark-sector candidates and electron substructure may be a sign of physics beyond the Standard Model that warrants further investigation.

The Effect of Experimental Geometry and Initial Conditions on the Shape of Coherent Population Trapping Resonances on the Fine Structure Levels of Thallium Atoms

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

Karagodova, T.Ya.

2005-06-15

Specific features of the coherent population trapping effect are considered in the generalized {lambda} system whose lower levels are the magnetic sublevels of the fine structure levels of the thallium atom. Numerical experiments were performed aimed at examination of the coherent population trapping for the case of nontrivial, but feasible, initial populations of the upper metastable fine structure level. Such populations may be obtained, for example, due to the photodissociation of TlBr molecules. The possibility of reducing the number of resonances of the coherent population trapping in a multilevel system, which may be useful for high-resolution spectroscopy, is demonstrated. Itmore » is shown that the magnitude and shape of the resonances can be controlled by varying the orientation of the polarization vectors of the light field components with respect to each other and to a magnetic field. In addition, studying the shape of the coherent population trapping resonances for the atoms obtained by photodissociation of molecules may provide information about these molecules.« less

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

Improvement of the Mair scoring system using structural equations modeling for classifying the diagnostic adequacy of cytology material from thyroid lesions.

PubMed

Kulkarni, H R; Kamal, M M; Arjune, D G

1999-12-01

The scoring system developed by Mair et al. (Acta Cytol 1989;33:809-813) is frequently used to grade the quality of cytology smears. Using a one-factor analytic structural equations model, we demonstrate that the errors in measurement of the parameters used in the Mair scoring system are highly and significantly correlated. We recommend the use of either a multiplicative scoring system, using linear scores, or an additive scoring system, using exponential scores, to correct for the correlated errors. We suggest that the 0, 1, and 2 points used in the Mair scoring system be replaced by 1, 2, and 4, respectively. Using data on fine-needle biopsies of 200 thyroid lesions by both fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and fine-needle capillary sampling (FNC), we demonstrate that our modification of the Mair scoring system is more sensitive and more consistent with the structural equations model. Therefore, we recommend that the modified Mair scoring system be used for classifying the diagnostic adequacy of cytology smears. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1999;21:387-393. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Microstructural effects on the room and elevated temperature low cycle fatigue behavior of Waspaloy. M.S. Thesis Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lerch, B. A.

1982-01-01

Longitudinal specimens of Waspaloy containing either coarse grains with small gamma or fine grains with large gamma were tested in air at a frequency of 0.33 Hz or 0.50 Hz. The coarse grained structures exhibited planar slip on (III) planes and precipitate shearing at all temperatures. Cracks initiated by a Stage 1 mechanism and propagated by a striation forming mechanism. At 700 C and 800 C, cleavage and intergranular cracking were observed. Testing at 500 C, 700 C, and 800 C caused precipitation of grain boundary carbides. At 700 C, carbides precipitated on slip bands. The fine grained structures exhibited planar slip on (111) planes. Dislocations looped the large gamma precipitates. This structure led to stress saturation and propagation was observed. Increasing temperatures resulted in increased specimen oxidation for both heat treatments. Slip band and grain boundary oxidation were observed. At 800 C, oxidized grain boundaries were cracked by intersecting slip bands which resulted in intergranular failure. The fine specimens had crack initiation later in the fatigue life, but with more rapid propagation crack propagation.

Constraining possible variations of the fine structure constant in strong gravitational fields with the Kα iron line

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

Bambi, Cosimo, E-mail: bambi@fudan.edu.cn

2014-03-01

In extensions of general relativity and in theories aiming at unifying gravity with the forces of the Standard Model, the value of the ''fundamental constants'' is often determined by the vacuum expectation value of new fields, which may thus change in different backgrounds. Variations of fundamental constants with respect to the values measured today in laboratories on Earth are expected to be more evident on cosmological timescales and/or in strong gravitational fields. In this paper, I show that the analysis of the Kα iron line observed in the X-ray spectrum of black holes can potentially be used to probe themore » fine structure constant α in gravitational potentials relative to Earth of Δφ ≈ 0.1. At present, systematic effects not fully under control prevent to get robust and stringent bounds on possible variations of the value of α with this technique, but the fact that current data can be fitted with models based on standard physics already rules out variations of the fine structure constant larger than some percent.« less

QED Based Calculation of the Fine Structure Constant

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

Lestone, John Paul

2016-10-13

Quantum electrodynamics is complex and its associated mathematics can appear overwhelming for those not trained in this field. Here, semi-classical approaches are used to obtain a more intuitive feel for what causes electrostatics, and the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron. These intuitive arguments lead to a possible answer to the question of the nature of charge. Virtual photons, with a reduced wavelength of λ, are assumed to interact with isolated electrons with a cross section of πλ 2. This interaction is assumed to generate time-reversed virtual photons that are capable of seeking out and interacting with other electrons. Thismore » exchange of virtual photons between particles is assumed to generate and define the strength of electromagnetism. With the inclusion of near-field effects the model presented here gives a fine structure constant of ~1/137 and an anomalous magnetic moment of the electron of ~0.00116. These calculations support the possibility that near-field corrections are the key to understanding the numerical value of the dimensionless fine structure constant.« less

Detection of Propagating Fast Sausage Waves through Detailed Analysis of a Zebra-pattern Fine Structure in a Solar Radio Burst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneda, K.; Misawa, H.; Iwai, K.; Masuda, S.; Tsuchiya, F.; Katoh, Y.; Obara, T.

2018-03-01

Various magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves have recently been detected in the solar corona and investigated intensively in the context of coronal heating and coronal seismology. In this Letter, we report the first detection of short-period propagating fast sausage mode waves in a metric radio spectral fine structure observed with the Assembly of Metric-band Aperture Telescope and Real-time Analysis System. Analysis of Zebra patterns (ZPs) in a type-IV burst revealed a quasi-periodic modulation in the frequency separation between the adjacent stripes of the ZPs (Δf ). The observed quasi-periodic modulation had a period of 1–2 s and exhibited a characteristic negative frequency drift with a rate of 3–8 MHz s‑1. Based on the double plasma resonance model, the most accepted generation model of ZPs, the observed quasi-periodic modulation of the ZP can be interpreted in terms of fast sausage mode waves propagating upward at phase speeds of 3000–8000 km s‑1. These results provide us with new insights for probing the fine structure of coronal loops.

Effect of flour minor components on bubble growth in bread dough during proofing assessed by magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Rouillé, J; Bonny, J-M; Della Valle, G; Devaux, M F; Renou, J P

2005-05-18

Fermentation of dough made from standard flour for French breadmaking was followed by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging at 9.4 T. The growth of bubbles (size > 117 microm) was observed for dough density between 0.8 and 0.22 g cm(-3). Cellular structure was assessed by digital image analysis, leading to the definition of fineness and rate of bubble growth. Influence of composition was studied through fractionation by extraction of soluble fractions (6% db), by defatting (< 1% db) and by puroindolines (Pin) addition (< or = 0.1%). Addition of the soluble fraction increased the dough specific volume and bubble growth rate but decreased fineness, whereas defatting and Pin addition only increased fineness. The role of molecular components of each fraction could be related to dough elongational properties. A final comparison with baking results confirmed that the crumb cellular structure was largely defined after fermentation.

Nano Polymeric Carrier Fabrication Technologies for Advanced Antitumor Therapy

PubMed Central

Li, Wei; Zhao, Mengxin; Ke, Changhong; Zhang, Ge; Zhang, Li; Li, Huafei; Zhang, Fulei; Sun, Yun; Dai, Jianxin; Wang, Hao; Guo, Yajun

2013-01-01

Comparing with the traditional therapeutic methods, newly developed cancer therapy based on the nanoparticulates attracted extensively interest due to its unique advantages. However, there are still some drawbacks such as the unfavorable in vivo performance for nanomedicine and undesirable tumor escape from the immunotherapy. While as we know that the in vivo performance strongly depended on the nanocarrier structural properties, thus, the big gap between in vitro and in vivo can be overcome by nanocarrier's structural tailoring by fine chemical design and microstructural tuning. In addition, this fine nanocarrier's engineering can also provide practical solution to solve the problems in traditional cancer immunotherapy. In this paper, we review the latest development in nanomedicine, cancer therapy, and nanoimmunotherapy. We then give an explanation why fine nanocanrrie's engineering with special focus on the unique pathology of tumor microenvironments and properties of immunocells can obviously promote the in vivo performance and improve the therapeutic index of nanoimmunotherapy. PMID:24369011

Nano polymeric carrier fabrication technologies for advanced antitumor therapy.

PubMed

Li, Wei; Zhao, Mengxin; Ke, Changhong; Zhang, Ge; Zhang, Li; Li, Huafei; Zhang, Fulei; Sun, Yun; Dai, Jianxin; Wang, Hao; Guo, Yajun

2013-01-01

Comparing with the traditional therapeutic methods, newly developed cancer therapy based on the nanoparticulates attracted extensively interest due to its unique advantages. However, there are still some drawbacks such as the unfavorable in vivo performance for nanomedicine and undesirable tumor escape from the immunotherapy. While as we know that the in vivo performance strongly depended on the nanocarrier structural properties, thus, the big gap between in vitro and in vivo can be overcome by nanocarrier's structural tailoring by fine chemical design and microstructural tuning. In addition, this fine nanocarrier's engineering can also provide practical solution to solve the problems in traditional cancer immunotherapy. In this paper, we review the latest development in nanomedicine, cancer therapy, and nanoimmunotherapy. We then give an explanation why fine nanocanrrie's engineering with special focus on the unique pathology of tumor microenvironments and properties of immunocells can obviously promote the in vivo performance and improve the therapeutic index of nanoimmunotherapy.

Compressive strength and resistance to chloride ion penetration and carbonation of recycled aggregate concrete with varying amount of fly ash and fine recycled aggregate.

PubMed

Sim, Jongsung; Park, Cheolwoo

2011-11-01

Construction and demolition waste has been dramatically increased in the last decade, and social and environmental concerns on the recycling have consequently been increased. Recent technology has greatly improved the recycling process for waste concrete. This study investigates the fundamental characteristics of concrete using recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) for its application to structural concrete members. The specimens used 100% coarse RCA, various replacement levels of natural aggregate with fine RCA, and several levels of fly ash addition. Compressive strength of mortar and concrete which used RCA gradually decreased as the amount of the recycled materials increased. Regardless of curing conditions and fly ash addition, the 28 days strength of the recycled aggregate concrete was greater than the design strength, 40 MPa, with a complete replacement of coarse aggregate and a replacement level of natural fine aggregate by fine RCA up to 60%. The recycled aggregate concrete achieved sufficient resistance to the chloride ion penetration. The measured carbonation depth did not indicate a clear relationship to the fine RCA replacement ratio but the recycled aggregate concrete could also attain adequate carbonation resistance. Based on the results from the experimental investigations, it is believed that the recycled aggregate concrete can be successfully applied to structural concrete members. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring the Universe with the Hubble Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

A general overview is given of the operations, engineering challenges, and components of the Hubble Space Telescope. Deployment, checkout and servicing in space are discussed. The optical telescope assembly, focal plane scientific instruments, wide field/planetary camera, faint object spectrograph, faint object camera, Goddard high resolution spectrograph, high speed photometer, fine guidance sensors, second generation technology, and support systems and services are reviewed.

77 FR 53959 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Roads of Arabia...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-04

... Determinations: ``Roads of Arabia: Archaeology and the History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia'' SUMMARY: Notice... objects to be included in the exhibition ``Roads of Arabia: Archaeology and the History of the Kingdom of..., 2013; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in Houston, Texas from on or about November 15, 2013 until on or...

76 FR 58076 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Maharaja: The Splendor of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-19

... exhibition ``Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts,'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition... exhibit objects at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA, from on or about October 21, 2011, until on or about April 8, 2012; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA, from on or about May 19, 2012...

Advanced glossmeters for industrial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuivalainen, Kalle; Oksman, Antti; Juuti, Mikko; Myller, Kari; Peiponen, Kai-Erik

2010-05-01

In this paper, we present three new types of diffractive-optical-element (DOE)-based glossmeters (DOGs) that have been developed for both laboratory and online local specular gloss measurements of objects in industrial processes. The three are denoted as the handheld wireless glossmeter, µDOG two-dimensional (2D) and µDOG one-dimensional (1D), respectively. These glossmeters are designed to operate under conditions where gloss measurement with conventional glossmeters is impossible or difficult, or when fine structures of the gloss over a surface are an issue. Here, we show the applicability of the handheld glossmeter and µDOG 2D in the inspection of gloss from rough stainless steel plates finished by different machining methods. We also briefly introduce the concept of online gauge µDOG 1D for gloss assessment in industrial measurement environments.

Limited Fine Motor and Grasping Skills in Six-month-old Infants at High Risk for Autism

PubMed Central

Libertus, Klaus; Sheperd, Kelly A.; Ross, Samuel W.; Landa, Rebecca J.

2014-01-01

Atypical motor behaviors are common among children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, little is known about onset and functional implications of differences in early motor development among infants later diagnosed with ASD. Two prospective experiments were conducted to investigate motor skills among six-month-olds at increased risk (high-risk) for ASD (N1 = 129; N2 = 46). Infants were assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and during toy play. Across both experiments, high-risk infants exhibited less mature object manipulation in a highly structured (MSEL) context and reduced grasping activity in an unstructured (free play) context than infants with no family history of ASD. Longitudinal assessments suggest that between six and ten months, grasping activity increases in high-risk infants. PMID:24978128

DNA Nanostructures as Models for Evaluating the Role of Enthalpy and Entropy in Polyvalent Binding

PubMed Central

Nangreave, Jeanette; Yan, Hao; Liu, Yan

2011-01-01

DNA nanotechnology allows the design and construction of nano-scale objects that have finely tuned dimensions, orientation, and structure with remarkable ease and convenience. Synthetic DNA nanostructures can be precisely engineered to model a variety of molecules and systems, providing the opportunity to probe very subtle biophysical phenomena. In this study, several such synthetic DNA nanostructures were designed to serve as models to study the binding behavior of polyvalent molecules and gain insight into how small changes to the ligand/receptor scaffolds, intended to vary their conformational flexibility, will affect their association equilibrium. This approach has yielded a quantitative identification of the roles of enthalpy and entropy in the affinity of polyvalent DNA nanostructure interactions, which exhibit an intriguing compensating effect. PMID:21381740

The Quest for Organic Carbon on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eigenbrode, Jennifer

2011-01-01

We are entering an era of Mars exploration in which organic carbon detection, characterization, and structural identification will be key to addressing some of the outstanding science objectives of the Mars Exploration Program. Success of these missions will depend on technical, scientific, and strategic elements--all of which are strongly determined based on terrestrial experience and knowledge of organic matter formation, concentration, and preservation. Analog studies including Precambrian sediments, modern endolithic communities, and experiments help us fine-tune these approaches, but we also need to expect the unexpected. This presentation will provide perspective on the challenges of detecting organic carbon on Mars, how we may achieve such detections with the in situ instruments, such as the SAM (Science Analysis at Mars) instrument suite onboard Curiosity, the rover for the 2011 Mars Science Laboratory mission.

Valorization of unauthorized sea disposal dredged sediments as a road foundation material.

PubMed

Achour, Raouf; Abriak, Nor-Edine; Zentar, Rachid; Rivard, Patrice; Gregoire, Pascal

2014-08-01

The main objective of this study is to show the ability of fine dredged material (mainly silty material) to be used in road construction project. This paper is divided into three parts. In the first part, the physical, the mineralogical and the mechanical characteristics of the used fine dredged sediments, as well as their chemical composition and environmental impacts are presented. In the second part, the methodology developed to design the road made from dredged fine sediment is developed. The third part of the paper focuses on the presentation of the road construction and the interpretation of analyses made on cores drilled samples from the road and measurements of the deflection of the road. The environmental assessment, based on leaching tests, is also performed at different issues.

Development and initial evaluation of the SCI-FI/AT

PubMed Central

Jette, Alan M.; Slavin, Mary D.; Ni, Pengsheng; Kisala, Pamela A.; Tulsky, David S.; Heinemann, Allen W.; Charlifue, Susie; Tate, Denise G.; Fyffe, Denise; Morse, Leslie; Marino, Ralph; Smith, Ian; Williams, Steve

2015-01-01

Objectives To describe the domain structure and calibration of the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Index for samples using Assistive Technology (SCI-FI/AT) and report the initial psychometric properties of each domain. Design Cross sectional survey followed by computerized adaptive test (CAT) simulations. Setting Inpatient and community settings. Participants A sample of 460 adults with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) stratified by level of injury, completeness of injury, and time since injury. Interventions None Main outcome measure SCI-FI/AT Results Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Item response theory (IRT) analyses identified 4 unidimensional SCI-FI/AT domains: Basic Mobility (41 items) Self-care (71 items), Fine Motor Function (35 items), and Ambulation (29 items). High correlations of full item banks with 10-item simulated CATs indicated high accuracy of each CAT in estimating a person's function, and there was high measurement reliability for the simulated CAT scales compared with the full item bank. SCI-FI/AT item difficulties in the domains of Self-care, Fine Motor Function, and Ambulation were less difficult than the same items in the original SCI-FI item banks. Conclusion With the development of the SCI-FI/AT, clinicians and investigators have available multidimensional assessment scales that evaluate function for users of AT to complement the scales available in the original SCI-FI. PMID:26010975

Effect of different stages of deformation on the microstructure evolution of Ti-rich NiTi shape memory alloy

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

Tadayyon, Ghazal, E-mail: Ghazal.tadayyon@gmail.co

The main objective of this work was to investigate the thermomechanical behavior and microstructural changes of a Ti-rich NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA). The microstructural and texture evolution of aged NiTi alloy at different degrees of deformation were elicited by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). An effort was made to correlate results obtained from the tensile test with results from microstructure studies. The undeformed sample reveals a self-accommodated morphology with straight and well defined twin boundaries. At different stages of deformation, diverse mechanisms were involved. These mechanisms include marstraining, detwinning accompanied by dislocation movement, and finally, severe plastic deformation, subdivision andmore » amorphization of the matrix. Under increasing strains, high density lattice defects were generated and the morphology of B19’ became disordered. - Graphical abstract: The summary of microstructure changes of the martensite twins during tensile deformation in polycrystalline NiTi SMAs. - Highlights: • Initial elastic response, dislocation avalanche and deformation bands were studied. • < 011 > Type II twin accompanied by detwinned area after 2% cold work was observed. • Visible parallel fine stacking faults showed plastic flow of the material. • At higher strains, subgrains changed to recrystallized, finely amorphous structure.« less

A Preliminary Experimental Investigation of Wet Fine Erosion in Two-Phase Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ya, H. H.; Luthfi, Haziq; Ngo, Nguyet-Tran; Hassan, Suhaimi; Pao, William

2018-03-01

Solid particles below 62 μm is classified as fine. In oil producing operation, the most commonly used downhole sand screen can only capture solid particles of 140 μm and above. Most predictive erosion model is limited to particle size of 100 μm with single phase flow assumption because it is commonly believed that erosion due to particles below 100 μm is insignificant and typically ignored by oil and gas consultants when proposing facilities design. The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of fines particle on mild steel plate in two-phase flow at different collision angles. A two phase flow loop was set up. The average size of fine particle was 60 μm, mixed with water with sand to water ratio at 1:65 wt/wt. The mild steel plates were oriented at three different impact angles which are -30°, 30° and 90°, with respect to the horizon. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), surface roughness and Vickers micro hardness techniques were used to quantify the effects of fine particle on the exposed surface.

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.

Imaging of Fine Shallow Structure Beneath the Longmenshan Fault Zone from Ambient Noise Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, P.; Campillo, M.; Chen, J.; Liu, Q.

2016-12-01

Short period seismic ambient noise group velocity dispersion curve, obtained from cross correlation of vertical component of 57 stations around the Longmenshan fault zone deployed after the Wenchuan earthquake and continuously observed for 1 year, is used to inverse the S wave velocity structure of the top 25 km of the central to northern part of Longmenshan fault zone. A iterative correction method based on 3-D simulation is proposed to reduce the influence of elevation. After 7 times of correction, a fine shllow S-wave velocity structure comes out. The results show that (1) Velocity structure above 10 km keeps good consistency with the surface fault system around Longmenshan, and controls the deep extension features of most major faults. Below the depth of 15 km, the velocity structure presents cross tectonic frame work along both Longmenshan and Minshan. The complex structure may have affected the rupture process of the Wenchuan earthquake. (2) The depth velocity structure profiles give good constraint for the deep geometry of main faults. The characteristics of the high angle, listric, reverse structure of the Longmenshan faults is further confirmed by our results.(3) At southern part of the study area, low-velocity structure is found at about 20km depth beneath the Pengguan massif, which is related to the low velocity layer in the middle crust of Songpan-Ganzi block. This may be an evidence for the existence of brittle-ductile transition zone in southern part of the rupture zone of the Wenchuan earthquake at the depth around 22km. Our results show the great potential of short period ambient noise tomography with data from densepassive seismic array in the study of fine velocity structure and fault zone imaging.

Excitation energies, oscillator strengths and lifetimes in Mg-like vanadium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, G. P.; Msezane, A. Z.

2013-08-01

Excitation energies from the ground state for 86 fine-structure levels as well as oscillator strengths and radiative decay rates for all fine-structure transitions among the levels of the terms (1s22s22p6)3s2(1S), 3s3p(1,3Po), 3s3d(1,3D), 3s4s(1,3S), 3s4p(1,3Po), 3s4d(1,3D), 3s4f(1,3Fo), 3p2(1S, 3P, 1D), 3p3d(1,3Po, 1,3Do, 1,3Fo), 3p4s(1,3Po), 3p4p(1,3S, 1,3P, 1,3D), 3p4d(1,3Po, 1,3Do, 1,3Fo), 3p4f(1,3D, 1,3F, 1,3G) and 3d2(1S, 3P, 1D,3F,1G) of V XII are calculated using extensive configuration-interaction wave functions obtained with the configuration-interaction version 3 computer code of Hibbert. The important relativistic effects in intermediate coupling are included through the Breit-Pauli approximation. In order to keep our calculated energy splittings as close as possible to the corresponding experimental values, we have made small adjustments to the diagonal elements of the Hamiltonian matrices. The mixing among several fine-structure levels is found to be very strong. Our fine-tuned excitation energies, including their ordering, are in excellent agreement (better than 0.25%) with the available experimental results. From our calculated radiative decay rates, we have also calculated the radiative lifetimes of fine-structure levels. Generally, our calculated data for the excitation energies and radiative decay rates are found to agree reasonably well with other available calculations. However, significant differences between our calculated lifetimes and those from the calculation of Froese Fischer et al (2006 At. Data Nucl. Data Tables 92 607) for a few fine-structure levels, mainly those belonging to the 3p4d configuration, are noted and discussed. Also, our calculated lifetime for the longer-lived level 3s3p(3P1) is found to be in excellent agreement with the corresponding value of Curtis (1991 Phys. Scr. 43 137). ) for all 1108 transitions in V XII are available with the first author ().

Flight software operation of the Hubble Space Telescope fine guidance sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodden, J. J.; Dougherty, H. J.; Cormier, D. J.

1988-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is to carry five major scientific instruments to collect imagery, spectrographic, and photometric astronomical data. The Pointing Control System is designed to achieve pointing accuracies and line of sight jitter levels an order of magnitude less than can be achieved with ground mounted telescopes. This paper describes the operation of the pointing control system flight software in targeting a celestial object in a science instrument aperture and in performing the coordinate transformations necessary for commanding the fine guidance sensor and determining the attitude-error corrections.

Atomically-thick two-dimensional crystals: electronic structure regulation and energy device construction.

PubMed

Sun, Yongfu; Gao, Shan; Xie, Yi

2014-01-21

Atomically-thick two-dimensional crystals can provide promising opportunities to satisfy people's requirement of next-generation flexible and transparent nanodevices. However, the characterization of these low-dimensional structures and the understanding of their clear structure-property relationship encounter many great difficulties, owing to the lack of long-range order in the third dimensionality. In this review, we survey the recent progress in fine structure characterization by X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and also overview electronic structure modulation by density-functional calculations in the ultrathin two-dimensional crystals. In addition, we highlight their structure-property relationship, transparent and flexible device construction as well as wide applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting, photodetectors, thermoelectric conversion, touchless moisture sensing, supercapacitors and lithium ion batteries. Finally, we outline the major challenges and opportunities that face the atomically-thick two-dimensional crystals. It is anticipated that the present review will deepen people's understanding of this field and hence contribute to guide the future design of high-efficiency energy-related devices.

Fine refinement of solid state structure of racemic form of phospho-tyrosine employing NMR Crystallography approach.

PubMed

Paluch, Piotr; Pawlak, Tomasz; Oszajca, Marcin; Lasocha, Wieslaw; Potrzebowski, Marek J

2015-02-01

We present step by step facets important in NMR Crystallography strategy employing O-phospho-dl-tyrosine as model sample. The significance of three major techniques being components of this approach: solid state NMR (SS NMR), X-ray diffraction of powdered sample (PXRD) and theoretical calculations (Gauge Invariant Projector Augmented Wave; GIPAW) is discussed. Each experimental technique provides different set of structural constraints. From the PXRD measurement the size of the unit cell, space group and roughly refined molecular structure are established. SS NMR provides information about content of crystallographic asymmetric unit, local geometry, molecular motion in the crystal lattice and hydrogen bonding pattern. GIPAW calculations are employed for validation of quality of elucidation and fine refinement of structure. Crystal and molecular structure of O-phospho-dl-tyrosine solved by NMR Crystallography is deposited at Cambridge Crystallographic Data Center under number CCDC 1005924. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CS and IOS approximations for fine structure transitions in Na(/sup 2/P)--He(/sup 1/S) collisions

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

Fitz, D.E.; Kouri, D.J.

1980-11-15

The l-average CS and IOS approximations are extended to treat fine structure transitions in /sup 2/P atom--/sup 1/S atom scattering. Calculations of degeneracy averaged probabilities and differential cross sections for Na(/sup 2/P)+He(/sup 1/S) collisions in the CS and IOS methods agree well with the CC results. The present nonunitarized form of the CS approximation fails to properly predict all of the jm..-->..j'm' sections and in particular leads to a selection rule forbidding jm..-->..j--m transitions for j=half-odd integer values.

Use of LiDAR to define habitat thresholds for forest bird conservation

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

Garabedian, James E.; Moorman, Christopher E.; Nils Peterson, M.

Quantifying species-habitat relationships provides guidance for establishment of recovery standards for endangered species, but research on forest bird habitat has been limited by availability of fine-grained forest structure data across broad extents. New tools for collection of data on forest bird response to fine-grained forest structure provide opportunities to evaluate habitat thresholds for forest birds. We used LiDAR-derived estimates of habitat attributes and resource selection to evaluate foraging habitat thresholds for recovery of the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis; RCW) on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina.

Fine structure of the giant M1 resonance in 90Zr.

PubMed

Rusev, G; Tsoneva, N; Dönau, F; Frauendorf, S; Schwengner, R; Tonchev, A P; Adekola, A S; Hammond, S L; Kelley, J H; Kwan, E; Lenske, H; Tornow, W; Wagner, A

2013-01-11

The M1 excitations in the nuclide 90Zr have been studied in a photon-scattering experiment with monoenergetic and linearly polarized beams from 7 to 11 MeV. More than 40 J(π)=1+ states have been identified from observed ground-state transitions, revealing the fine structure of the giant M1 resonance with a centroid energy of 9 MeV and a sum strength of 4.17(56) μ(N)(2). The result for the total M1 strength and its fragmentation are discussed in the framework of the three-phonon quasiparticle-phonon model.

Structural basis for pulmonary functional imaging.

PubMed

Itoh, H; Nakatsu, M; Yoxtheimer, L M; Uematsu, H; Ohno, Y; Hatabu, H

2001-03-01

An understanding of fine normal lung morphology is important for effective pulmonary functional imaging. The lung specimens must be inflated. These include (a) unfixed, inflated lung specimen, (b) formaldehyde fixed lung specimen, (c) fixed, inflated dry lung specimen, and (d) histology specimen. Photography, magnified view, radiograph, computed tomography, and histology of these specimens are demonstrated. From a standpoint of diagnostic imaging, the main normal lung structures consist of airways (bronchi and bronchioles), alveoli, pulmonary vessels, secondary pulmonary lobules, and subpleural pulmonary lymphatic channels. This review summarizes fine radiologic normal lung morphology as an aid to effective pulmonary functional imaging.

Measuring the Electron’s Charge and the Fine-Structure Constant by Counting Electrons on a Capacitor

PubMed Central

Williams, E. R.; Ghosh, Ruby N.; Martinis, John M.

1992-01-01

The charge of the electron can be determined by simply placing a known number of electrons on one electrode of a capacitor and measuring the voltage, Vs, across the capacitor. If Vs is measured in terms of the Josephson volt and the capacitor is measured in SI units then the fine-structure constant is the quantity determined. Recent developments involving single electron tunneling, SET, have shown bow to count the electrons as well as how to make an electrometer with sufficient sensitivity to measure the charge. PMID:28053434

Polarized Fine Structure in the Photoluminescence Excitation Spectrum of a Negatively Charged Quantum Dot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ware, M. E.; Stinaff, E. A.; Gammon, D.; Doty, M. F.; Bracker, A. S.; Gershoni, D.; Korenev, V. L.; Bădescu, Ş. C.; Lyanda-Geller, Y.; Reinecke, T. L.

2005-10-01

We report polarized photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of the negative trion in single charge-tunable InAs/GaAs quantum dots. The spectrum exhibits a p-shell resonance with polarized fine structure arising from the direct excitation of the electron spin triplet states. The energy splitting arises from the axially symmetric electron-hole exchange interaction. The magnitude and sign of the polarization are understood from the spin character of the triplet states and a small amount of quantum dot asymmetry, which mixes the wave functions through asymmetric e-e and e-h exchange interactions.

Fine structure and optical pumping of spins in individual semiconductor quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bracker, Allan S.; Gammon, Daniel; Korenev, Vladimir L.

2008-11-01

We review spin properties of semiconductor quantum dots and their effect on optical spectra. Photoluminescence and other types of spectroscopy are used to probe neutral and charged excitons in individual quantum dots with high spectral and spatial resolution. Spectral fine structure and polarization reveal how quantum dot spins interact with each other and with their environment. By taking advantage of the selectivity of optical selection rules and spin relaxation, optical spin pumping of the ground state electron and nuclear spins is achieved. Through such mechanisms, light can be used to process spins for use as a carrier of information.

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION Accurate estimate of α variation and isotope shift parameters in Na and Mg+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, B. K.

2010-12-01

We present accurate calculations of fine-structure constant variation coefficients and isotope shifts in Na and Mg+ using the relativistic coupled-cluster method. In our approach, we are able to discover the roles of various correlation effects explicitly to all orders in these calculations. Most of the results, especially for the excited states, are reported for the first time. It is possible to ascertain suitable anchor and probe lines for the studies of possible variation in the fine-structure constant by using the above results in the considered systems.

Metallurgical Examination of a Cast Turret Manufactured by the American Steel Foundries

DTIC Science & Technology

1945-03-28

ferrite and a structure stmlar to tempered bainite tnd fine carb ides. 4. The results of this investigatio l inCicate that the American Steel Foundries...1hirrot No 11Mufac t~redj~ t!Le American~ Steel Poidcries J.J Wil jr;I 4?1 ’JJ No. B171; 11000 Picral Structure simuilar to temnpered bainite Lavsociated wita fine carbides and ferrite patcha.. FIGM I ...examination has been conducted on two samples of the. cast turret to. 3171 for the Hedium Tank II4, maiufactured by the i.meriaan Steel Foundries, which

Cavity-assisted emission of polarization-entangled photons from biexcitons in quantum dots with fine-structure splitting.

PubMed

Schumacher, Stefan; Förstner, Jens; Zrenner, Artur; Florian, Matthias; Gies, Christopher; Gartner, Paul; Jahnke, Frank

2012-02-27

We study the quantum properties and statistics of photons emitted by a quantum-dot biexciton inside a cavity. In the biexciton-exciton cascade, fine-structure splitting between exciton levels degrades polarization-entanglement for the emitted pair of photons. However, here we show that the polarization-entanglement can be preserved in such a system through simultaneous emission of two degenerate photons into cavity modes tuned to half the biexciton energy. Based on detailed theoretical calculations for realistic quantum-dot and cavity parameters, we quantify the degree of achievable entanglement.

Nondestructive Imaging of Internal Structures of Frog (Xenopus laevis) Embryos by Shadow-Projection X-Ray Microtomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Sadao; Yoneda, Ikuo; Nagai, Takeharu; Ueno, Naoto; Murakami, Kazuo

1994-04-01

Nondestructive high-resolution imaging of frog ( Xenopus laevis) embryos has been developed by X-ray microtomography. Shadow-projection X-ray microtomography with a brilliant fine focus laboratory X-ray source could image fine structures of Xenopus embryos which were embedded in paraffin wax. The imaging system enabled us to not only distinguish endoderm from ectoderm at the gastrula stage, but also to obtain a cross-section view of the tail bud embryo showing muscle, notochord and neural tube without staining. Furthermore, the distribution of myosin was also imaged in combination with whole-mount immunohistochemistry.