Symphyseal fixation in open book injuries cannot fully compensate anterior SI joint injury-A biomechanical study in a two-leg alternating load model.

PubMed

Stuby, Fabian M; Lenz, Mark; Doebele, Stefan; Agarwal, Yash; Skulev, Hristo; Ochs, Björn G; Zwingmann, Jörn; Gueorguiev, Boyko

2017-01-01

In open book injuries type Tile B1.1 or B1.2 also classified as APC II (anteroposterior compression), it remains controversial, if a fixation of the anterior ring provides sufficient stability or a fixation of the posterior ring should be included. Therefore the relative motion at the sacroiliac joint was quantified in a two-leg alternating load biomechanical pelvis model in the intact, the injured and the restored pelvis. Fresh-frozen intact (I) pelvises (n = 6) were subjected to a non-destructive cyclic test under sinosuidal axial two-leg alternating load with progressively increasing amplitude. Afterwards an open book injury (J) including the anterior ligament complex of the left sacroiliac joint, the sacrospinal and sacrotuberal ligaments (Tile B1.1) was created and the specimens were retested. Finally, the symphysis was stabilized with a modular fixation system (1-, 2- or 4-rod configuration) (R) and specimens were cyclically retested. Relative motion at the sacroiliac joint was captured at both sacroiliac joints by motion tracking system at two load levels of 170 N and 340 N during all tests. Relative sacroiliac joint movements at both load levels were significantly higher in the J-state compared to the I-state, excluding superoinferior translational movement. With exception of the anteroposterior translational movement at 340N, the relative sacroiliac joint movements after each of the three reconstructions (1-, 2-, 4-rod fixation) were significantly smaller compared to the J-state and did not differ significantly to the I-state, but stayed above the values of the latter. Relative movements did not differ significantly in a direct comparison between the 1-rod, 2-rod and 4-rod fixations. Symphyseal locked plating significantly reduces relative movement of the sacroiliac joint in open book injuries type Tile B1.1 or B1.2 (APC II) but cannot fully restore the situation of the intact sacroiliac joint.

Symphyseal fixation in open book injuries cannot fully compensate anterior SI joint injury—A biomechanical study in a two-leg alternating load model

PubMed Central

Stuby, Fabian M.; Lenz, Mark; Agarwal, Yash; Skulev, Hristo; Ochs, Björn G.; Zwingmann, Jörn; Gueorguiev, Boyko

2017-01-01

Introduction In open book injuries type Tile B1.1 or B1.2 also classified as APC II (anteroposterior compression), it remains controversial, if a fixation of the anterior ring provides sufficient stability or a fixation of the posterior ring should be included. Therefore the relative motion at the sacroiliac joint was quantified in a two-leg alternating load biomechanical pelvis model in the intact, the injured and the restored pelvis. Methods Fresh-frozen intact (I) pelvises (n = 6) were subjected to a non-destructive cyclic test under sinosuidal axial two-leg alternating load with progressively increasing amplitude. Afterwards an open book injury (J) including the anterior ligament complex of the left sacroiliac joint, the sacrospinal and sacrotuberal ligaments (Tile B1.1) was created and the specimens were retested. Finally, the symphysis was stabilized with a modular fixation system (1-, 2- or 4-rod configuration) (R) and specimens were cyclically retested. Relative motion at the sacroiliac joint was captured at both sacroiliac joints by motion tracking system at two load levels of 170 N and 340 N during all tests. Results Relative sacroiliac joint movements at both load levels were significantly higher in the J-state compared to the I-state, excluding superoinferior translational movement. With exception of the anteroposterior translational movement at 340N, the relative sacroiliac joint movements after each of the three reconstructions (1-, 2-, 4-rod fixation) were significantly smaller compared to the J-state and did not differ significantly to the I-state, but stayed above the values of the latter. Relative movements did not differ significantly in a direct comparison between the 1-rod, 2-rod and 4-rod fixations. Conclusion Symphyseal locked plating significantly reduces relative movement of the sacroiliac joint in open book injuries type Tile B1.1 or B1.2 (APC II) but cannot fully restore the situation of the intact sacroiliac joint. PMID:29176772

Water inlet blowdown

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timar, T.

1981-09-01

A new blowdown system was developed for cleaning debris from the inlet grill of waterjet propulsion system on Boeing hydrofoil boats. A system was required to work with existing waterjet ducts which are open ended. The new blowdown system consists of an abrupt discharge of high pressure compressed air amidst the water inlet duct. It utilizes the open end of the propulsor discharge nozzle as a safety valve. Feasibility was proven by semi-steady state equations and was confirmed by full scale testing. A system was developed and installed and is now fully operational.

Small firm self-insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

PubMed

Buettgens, Matthew; Blumberg, Linda J

2012-11-01

The Affordable Care Act changes the small-group insurance market substan­tially beginning in 2014, but most changes do not apply to self-insured plans. This exemp­tion provides an opening for small employers with healthier workers to avoid broader sharing of health care risk, isolating higher-cost groups in the fully insured market. Private stop-loss or reinsurance plans can mediate the risk of self-insurance for small employ­ers, facilitating the decision to self-insure. We simulate small-employer coverage decisions under the law and find that low-risk stop-loss policies lead to higher premiums in the fully insured small-group market. Average single premiums would be up to 25 percent higher, if stop-loss insurance with no additional risk to employers than fully insuring is allowed--an option available in most states absent further government action. Regulation of stop-loss at the federal or state level can, however, prevent such adverse selection and increase stabil­ity in small-group insurance coverage.

78 FR 20315 - Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Request under Blanket Authorization

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-04

... Coco C Storage Fields in West Virginia. Columbia states that, as a result of storage field tests, the overall capacity of these fields can be increased. Columbia does not propose to expand the boundaries... fields, all as more fully set forth in the application, which is on file with the Commission and open to...

Fully gapped superconductivity in single crystals of noncentrosymmetric Re6Zr with broken time-reversal symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, G. M.; Nie, Z. Y.; Wang, A.; Singh, D.; Xie, W.; Jiang, W. B.; Chen, Y.; Singh, R. P.; Smidman, M.; Yuan, H. Q.

2018-06-01

The noncentrosymmetric superconductor Re6Zr has attracted much interest due to the observation of broken time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state. Here we report an investigation of the superconducting gap structure of Re6Zr single crystals by measuring the magnetic penetration depth shift Δ λ (T ) and electronic specific heat Ce(T ) . Δ λ (T ) exhibits an exponential temperature dependence behavior for T ≪Tc , which indicates a fully open superconducting gap. Our analysis shows that a single gap s -wave model is sufficient to describe both the superfluid density ρs(T ) and Ce(T ) results, with a fitted gap magnitude larger than the weak coupling BCS value, providing evidence for fully gapped superconductivity in Re6Zr with moderate coupling.

Handbook for Students, Teachers and Parents. BOCES/SCOPE Outdoor Learning Laboratory at Sunken Meadow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long Island State Park and Recreation Commission, NY.

Since 1971 a fully equipped learning laboratory building and the open fields, woodlands, salt water marshes, and beaches of Sunken Meadow State Park have been available for year round day use by students and educators in New York's Suffolk and Nassau counties. Funded by the New York Office of Parks and Recreation and local Boards of Cooperative…

Utilizing stretch-tunable thermochromic elastomeric opal films as novel reversible switchable photonic materials.

PubMed

Schäfer, Christian G; Lederle, Christina; Zentel, Kristina; Stühn, Bernd; Gallei, Markus

2014-11-01

In this work, the preparation of highly thermoresponsive and fully reversible stretch-tunable elastomeric opal films featuring switchable structural colors is reported. Novel particle architectures based on poly(diethylene glycol methylether methacrylate-co-ethyl acrylate) (PDEGMEMA-co-PEA) as shell polymer are synthesized via seeded and stepwise emulsion polymerization protocols. The use of DEGMEMA as comonomer and herein established synthetic strategies leads to monodisperse soft shell particles, which can be directly processed to opal films by using the feasible melt-shear organization technique. Subsequent UV crosslinking strategies open access to mechanically stable and homogeneous elastomeric opal films. The structural colors of the opal films feature mechano- and thermoresponsiveness, which is found to be fully reversible. Optical characterization shows that the combination of both stimuli provokes a photonic bandgap shift of more than 50 nm from 560 nm in the stretched state to 611 nm in the fully swollen state. In addition, versatile colorful patterns onto the colloidal crystal structure are produced by spatial UV-induced crosslinking by using a photomask. This facile approach enables the generation of spatially cross-linked switchable opal films with fascinating optical properties. Herein described strategies for the preparation of PDEGMEMA-containing colloidal architectures, application of the melt-shear ordering technique, and patterned crosslinking of the final opal films open access to novel stimuli-responsive colloidal crystal films, which are expected to be promising materials in the field of security and sensing applications. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Blue straggler stars: lessons from open clusters.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geller, Aaron M.

Open clusters enable a deep dive into blue straggler characteristics. Recent work shows that the binary properties (frequency, orbital elements and companion masses and evolutionary states) of the blue stragglers are the most important diagnostic for determining their origins. To date the multi-epoch radial-velocity observations necessary for characterizing these blue straggler binaries have only been carried out in open clusters. In this paper, I highlight recent results in the open clusters NGC 188, NGC 2682 (M67) and NGC 6819. The characteristics of many of the blue stragglers in these open clusters point directly to origins through mass transfer from an evolved donor star. Additionally, a handful of blue stragglers show clear signatures of past dynamical encounters. These comprehensive, diverse and detailed observations also reveal important challenges for blue straggler formation models (and particularly the mass-transfer channel), which we must overcome to fully understand the origins of blue straggler stars and other mass-transfer products.

Structures of closed and open states of a voltage-gated sodium channel

PubMed Central

Lenaeus, Michael J.; Gamal El-Din, Tamer M.; Ramanadane, Karthik; Pomès, Régis; Zheng, Ning; Catterall, William A.

2017-01-01

Bacterial voltage-gated sodium channels (BacNavs) serve as models of their vertebrate counterparts. BacNavs contain conserved voltage-sensing and pore-forming domains, but they are homotetramers of four identical subunits, rather than pseudotetramers of four homologous domains. Here, we present structures of two NaVAb mutants that capture tightly closed and open states at a resolution of 2.8–3.2 Å. Introduction of two humanizing mutations in the S6 segment (NaVAb/FY: T206F and V213Y) generates a persistently closed form of the activation gate in which the intracellular ends of the four S6 segments are drawn tightly together to block ion permeation completely. This construct also revealed the complete structure of the four-helix bundle that forms the C-terminal domain. In contrast, truncation of the C-terminal 40 residues in NavAb/1–226 captures the activation gate in an open conformation, revealing the open state of a BacNav with intact voltage sensors. Comparing these structures illustrates the full range of motion of the activation gate, from closed with its orifice fully occluded to open with an orifice of ∼10 Å. Molecular dynamics and free-energy simulations confirm designation of NaVAb/1–226 as an open state that allows permeation of hydrated Na+, and these results also support a hydrophobic gating mechanism for control of ion permeation. These two structures allow completion of a closed–open–inactivated conformational cycle in a single voltage-gated sodium channel and give insight into the structural basis for state-dependent binding of sodium channel-blocking drugs. PMID:28348242

Evaluating the Implementation of the Online Tutorial for the Universitas Terbuka Distance Learning Bachelor Degree Program in Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zubaidah, Ida

2013-01-01

Universitas Terbuka (UT), the Indonesia Open University and the 45th state university in the country, is the only one that uses distance learning as its sole mode of delivery and instruction. Although UT has operated for 28 years, unlike face-to-face classroom-based education, distance education has not been considered as a fully legitimate…

Conformational dynamics of the inner pore helix of voltage-gated potassium channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choe, Seungho; Grabe, Michael

2009-06-01

Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels control the electrical excitability of neurons and muscles. Despite this key role, how these channels open and close or gate is not fully understood. Gating is usually attributed to the bending and straightening of pore-lining helices at glycine and proline residues. In this work we focused on the role of proline in the Pro-Val-Pro (PVP) motif of the inner S6 helix in the Kv1.2 channel. We started by developing a simple hinged-rod model to fully explore the configurational space of bent helices and we related these configurations to the degree of pore opening. We then carried out fully atomistic simulations of the S6 helices and compared these simulations to the hinged-rod model. Both methods suggest that Kv1 channels are not tightly closed when the inner helices are straight, unlike what is seen in the non-PVP containing channels KcsA and KirBac. These results invite the possibility that the S6 helices may be kinked when Kv1 channels are closed. Our simulations indicate that the wild-type helix adopts multiple spatially distinct configurations, which is consistent with its role in adopting a closed state and an open state. The two most dominant configurational basins correspond to a 6 Å movement of the helix tail accompanied by the PVP region undergoing a local α-helix to 310-helix transition. We explored how single point mutations affect the propensity of the S6 helix to adopt particular configurations. Interestingly, mutating the first proline, P405 (P473 in Shaker), to alanine completely removed the bistable nature of the S6 helix possibly explaining why this mutation compromises the channel. Next, we considered four other mutations in the area known to affect channel gating and we saw similarly dramatic changes to the helix's dynamics and range of motion. Our results suggest a possible mechanism of helix pore closure and they suggest differences in the closed state of glycine-only channels, like KcsA, and PVP containing channels.

Molecular Simulation Uncovers the Conformational Space of the λ Cro Dimer in Solution

PubMed Central

Ahlstrom, Logan S.; Miyashita, Osamu

2011-01-01

The significant variation among solved structures of the λ Cro dimer suggests its flexibility. However, contacts in the crystal lattice could have stabilized a conformation which is unrepresentative of its dominant solution form. Here we report on the conformational space of the Cro dimer in solution using replica exchange molecular dynamics in explicit solvent. The simulated ensemble shows remarkable correlation with available x-ray structures. Network analysis and a free energy surface reveal the predominance of closed and semi-open dimers, with a modest barrier separating these two states. The fully open conformation lies higher in free energy, indicating that it requires stabilization by DNA or crystal contacts. Most NMR models are found to be unstable conformations in solution. Intersubunit salt bridging between Arg4 and Glu53 during simulation stabilizes closed conformations. Because a semi-open state is among the low-energy conformations sampled in simulation, we propose that Cro-DNA binding may not entail a large conformational change relative to the dominant dimer forms in solution. PMID:22098751

Single-Molecule Patch-Clamp FRET Anisotropy Microscopy Studies of NMDA Receptor Ion Channel Activation and Deactivation under Agonist Ligand Binding in Living Cells.

PubMed

Sasmal, Dibyendu Kumar; Yadav, Rajeev; Lu, H Peter

2016-07-20

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor ion channel is activated by the binding of two pairs of glycine and glutamate along with the application of action potential. Binding and unbinding of ligands changes its conformation that plays a critical role in the open-close activities of NMDA receptor. Conformation states and their dynamics due to ligand binding are extremely difficult to characterize either by conventional ensemble experiments or single-channel electrophysiology method. Here we report the development of a new correlated technical approach, single-molecule patch-clamp FRET anisotropy imaging and demonstrate by probing the dynamics of NMDA receptor ion channel and kinetics of glycine binding with its ligand binding domain. Experimentally determined kinetics of ligand binding with receptor is further verified by computational modeling. Single-channel patch-clamp and four-channel fluorescence measurement are recorded simultaneously to get correlation among electrical on and off states, optically determined conformational open and closed states by FRET, and binding-unbinding states of the glycine ligand by anisotropy measurement at the ligand binding domain of GluN1 subunit. This method has the ability to detect the intermediate states in addition to electrical on and off states. Based on our experimental results, we have proposed that NMDA receptor gating goes through at least one electrically intermediate off state, a desensitized state, when ligands remain bound at the ligand binding domain with the conformation similar to the fully open state.

Design and optimization of a portable LQCD Monte Carlo code using OpenACC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonati, Claudio; Coscetti, Simone; D'Elia, Massimo; Mesiti, Michele; Negro, Francesco; Calore, Enrico; Schifano, Sebastiano Fabio; Silvi, Giorgio; Tripiccione, Raffaele

The present panorama of HPC architectures is extremely heterogeneous, ranging from traditional multi-core CPU processors, supporting a wide class of applications but delivering moderate computing performance, to many-core Graphics Processor Units (GPUs), exploiting aggressive data-parallelism and delivering higher performances for streaming computing applications. In this scenario, code portability (and performance portability) become necessary for easy maintainability of applications; this is very relevant in scientific computing where code changes are very frequent, making it tedious and prone to error to keep different code versions aligned. In this work, we present the design and optimization of a state-of-the-art production-level LQCD Monte Carlo application, using the directive-based OpenACC programming model. OpenACC abstracts parallel programming to a descriptive level, relieving programmers from specifying how codes should be mapped onto the target architecture. We describe the implementation of a code fully written in OpenAcc, and show that we are able to target several different architectures, including state-of-the-art traditional CPUs and GPUs, with the same code. We also measure performance, evaluating the computing efficiency of our OpenACC code on several architectures, comparing with GPU-specific implementations and showing that a good level of performance-portability can be reached.

Magnetic field-temperature phase diagram of multiferroic [(CH3)2NH2] Mn (HCOO) 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clune, A. J.; Hughey, K. D.; Lee, C.; Abhyankar, N.; Ding, X.; Dalal, N. S.; Whangbo, M.-H.; Singleton, J.; Musfeldt, J. L.

2017-09-01

We combined pulsed field magnetization and first-principles spin-density calculations to reveal the magnetic field-temperature phase diagram and spin state character in multiferroic [(CH3)2NH2] Mn (HCOO) 3 . Despite similarities with the rare earth manganites, the phase diagram is analogous to other Mn-based quantum magnets with a 0.31 T spin flop, a 15.3 T transition to the fully polarized state, and short-range correlations that persist above the ordering temperature. The experimentally accessible saturation field opens the door to exploration of the high-field phase.

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.

PHENIX measurements of open and hidden heavy flavor in p+p, p+Al, and p/d/3He+Au collisions across a wide range of rapidity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Sanghoon; Phenix Collaboration

2017-11-01

Despite intense theoretical and experimental investigation, the physical mechanisms governing the suppression of bound quark-antiquark states in nuclear collisions are not yet fully understood. While color screening in a plasma phase is expected to play a role, there are numerous other possible suppression mechanisms that do not require deconfinement, as well as effects on the heavy quark initial state in the nucleus which can also play a role. To study these effects, the PHENIX collaboration has used the flexibility of the RHIC accelerator complex to observe the evolution of open heavy flavor and quarkonia dynamics as both the projectile and target nuclei size are varied. Open heavy flavor in small collision systems can serve as the baseline for interpreting quarkonia production in the nuclear environment, and comparisons of the ψ (2 S) with the ψ (1 S) show that in rapidity regions with relatively high hadron density, the larger 2S state is preferentially more suppressed than the more tightly bound ψ (1 S). This suggests that late-stage mechanisms may be at least partially responsible for quarkonia suppression in nuclear collisions. In this talk, we will present results on excited-state quarkonia in p+p, p+Al, and p/d/3He+Au collisions and open heavy flavor in small systems, and discuss how these measurements impact our understanding of heavy quark behavior in the quark-gluon plasma.

Facile fabrication of all-solid-state SnO2/NiCo2O4 biosensor for self-powered glucose detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Bin; Mao, Weiwei; Ye, Zhizhen; Huang, Jingyun

2016-09-01

With increasing attention on daily diabetes management, we develop an all-solid-state self-powered glucose biosensor, with simultaneous solar energy conversion, electrochemical energy storage and glucose sensing. The SnO2 nanosheet arrays are used to obtain photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and rhombus-shaped NiCo2O4 nanorod arrays are developed for solar energy storage. A stable open circuit voltage ~0.58 V is obtained after being fully charged, which is a suitable voltage for the oxidation of glucose. The biosensor can work under two different modes without any external bias voltage, and both show large linear range and excellent selectivity. Under the sunlight, photocurrent shows a sensitive decrease upon different glucose additions. Meanwhile, in the dark condition, the open circuit voltage of the charged biosensor also exhibits a corresponding response to glucose.

Amino-termini isoforms of the Slack K+ channel, regulated by alternative promoters, differentially modulate rhythmic firing and adaptation.

PubMed

Brown, Maile R; Kronengold, Jack; Gazula, Valeswara-Rao; Spilianakis, Charalampos G; Flavell, Richard A; von Hehn, Christian A A; Bhattacharjee, Arin; Kaczmarek, Leonard K

2008-11-01

The rates of activation and unitary properties of Na+-activated K+ (K(Na)) currents have been found to vary substantially in different types of neurones. One class of K(Na) channels is encoded by the Slack gene. We have now determined that alternative RNA splicing gives rise to at least five different transcripts for Slack, which produce Slack channels that differ in their predicted cytoplasmic amino-termini and in their kinetic properties. Two of these, termed Slack-A channels, contain an amino-terminus domain closely resembling that of another class of K(Na) channels encoded by the Slick gene. Neuronal expression of Slack-A channels and of the previously described Slack isoform, now called Slack-B, are driven by independent promoters. Slack-A mRNAs were enriched in the brainstem and olfactory bulb and detected at significant levels in four different brain regions. When expressed in CHO cells, Slack-A channels activate rapidly upon depolarization and, in single channel recordings in Xenopus oocytes, are characterized by multiple subconductance states with only brief transient openings to the fully open state. In contrast, Slack-B channels activate slowly over hundreds of milliseconds, with openings to the fully open state that are approximately 6-fold longer than those for Slack-A channels. In numerical simulations, neurones in which outward currents are dominated by a Slack-A-like conductance adapt very rapidly to repeated or maintained stimulation over a wide range of stimulus strengths. In contrast, Slack-B currents promote rhythmic firing during maintained stimulation, and allow adaptation rate to vary with stimulus strength. Using an antibody that recognizes all amino-termini isoforms of Slack, Slack immunoreactivity is present at locations that have no Slack-B-specific staining, including olfactory bulb glomeruli and the dendrites of hippocampal neurones, suggesting that Slack channels with alternate amino-termini such as Slack-A channels are present at these locations. Our data suggest that alternative promoters of the Slack gene differentially modulate the properties of neurones.

Signatures Of Coronal Heating Driven By Footpoint Shuffling: Closed and Open Structures.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velli, M. C. M.; Rappazzo, A. F.; Dahlburg, R. B.; Einaudi, G.; Ugarte-Urra, I.

2017-12-01

We have previously described the characteristic state of the confined coronal magnetic field as a special case of magnetically dominated magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, where the free energy in the transverse magnetic field is continuously cascaded to small scales, even though the overall kinetic energy is small. This coronal turbulence problem is defined by the photospheric boundary conditions: here we discuss recent numerical simulations of the fully compressible 3D MHD equations using the HYPERION code. Loops are forced at their footpoints by random photospheric motions, energizing the field to a state with continuous formation and dissipation of field-aligned current sheets: energy is deposited at small scales where heating occurs. Only a fraction of the coronal mass and volume gets heated at any time. Temperature and density are highly structured at scales that, in the solar corona, remain observationally unresolved: the plasma of simulated loops is multithermal, where highly dynamical hotter and cooler plasma strands are scattered throughout the loop at sub-observational scales. We will also compare Reduced MHD simulations with fully compressible simulations and photospheric forcings with different time-scales compared to the Alfv'en transit time. Finally, we will discuss the differences between the closed field and open field (solar wind) turbulence heating problem, leading to observational consequences that may be amenable to Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter.

Transcriptome profiling of fully open flowers in a frost-tolerant almond genotype in response to freezing stress.

PubMed

Hosseinpour, Batool; Sepahvand, Sadegh; Kamali Aliabad, Kazem; Bakhtiarizadeh, MohammadReza; Imani, Ali; Assareh, Reza; Salami, Seyed Alireza

2018-02-01

Spring frost is a major limiting abiotic stress for the cultivation of almonds [Prunus dulcis (Mill.)] in Mediterranean areas or the Middle East. Spring frost, in particular, damages almond fully open flowers, resulting to significant reduction in yield. Little is known about the genetic factors expressed after frost stress in Prunus spp. as well as in almond fully open flowers. Here, we provide the molecular signature of pistils of fully open flowers from a frost-tolerant almond genotype. The level of frost tolerance in this genotype was determined for all three flowering stages and was confirmed by comparing it to two other cultivars using several physiological analyses. Afterwards, comprehensive expression profiling of genes expressed in fully open flowers was performed after being exposed to frost temperatures (during post-thaw period). Clean reads, 27,104,070 and 32,730,772, were obtained for non-frost-treated and frost-treated (FT) libraries, respectively. A total of 62.24 Mb was assembled, generating 50,896 unigenes and 66,906 transcripts. Therefore, 863 upregulated genes and 555 downregulated genes were identified in the FT library. Functional annotation showed that most of the upregulated genes were related to various biological processes involved in responding to abiotic stress. For the first time, a highly expressed cold-shock protein was identified in the reproductive organ of fruit trees. The expression of six genes was validated by RT-PCR. As the first comprehensive analysis of open flowers in a frost-tolerant almond genotype, this study represents a key step toward the molecular breeding of fruit tree species for frost tolerance.

Bright high-order harmonic generation with controllable polarization from a relativistic plasma mirror

PubMed Central

Chen, Zi-Yu; Pukhov, Alexander

2016-01-01

Ultrafast extreme ultraviolet (XUV) sources with a controllable polarization state are powerful tools for investigating the structural and electronic as well as the magnetic properties of materials. However, such light sources are still limited to only a few free-electron laser facilities and, very recently, to high-order harmonic generation from noble gases. Here we propose and numerically demonstrate a laser–plasma scheme to generate bright XUV pulses with fully controlled polarization. In this scheme, an elliptically polarized laser pulse is obliquely incident on a plasma surface, and the reflected radiation contains pulse trains and isolated circularly or highly elliptically polarized attosecond XUV pulses. The harmonic polarization state is fully controlled by the laser–plasma parameters. The mechanism can be explained within the relativistically oscillating mirror model. This scheme opens a practical and promising route to generate bright attosecond XUV pulses with desirable ellipticities in a straightforward and efficient way for a number of applications. PMID:27531047

Numerical and experimental analysis of a ducted propeller designed by a fully automated optimization process under open water condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Long; Druckenbrod, Markus; Greve, Martin; Wang, Ke-qi; Abdel-Maksoud, Moustafa

2015-10-01

A fully automated optimization process is provided for the design of ducted propellers under open water conditions, including 3D geometry modeling, meshing, optimization algorithm and CFD analysis techniques. The developed process allows the direct integration of a RANSE solver in the design stage. A practical ducted propeller design case study is carried out for validation. Numerical simulations and open water tests are fulfilled and proved that the optimum ducted propeller improves hydrodynamic performance as predicted.

Turning a remotely controllable observatory into a fully autonomous system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swindell, Scott; Johnson, Chris; Gabor, Paul; Zareba, Grzegorz; Kubánek, Petr; Prouza, Michael

2014-08-01

We describe a complex process needed to turn an existing, old, operational observatory - The Steward Observatory's 61" Kuiper Telescope - into a fully autonomous system, which observers without an observer. For this purpose, we employed RTS2,1 an open sourced, Linux based observatory control system, together with other open sourced programs and tools (GNU compilers, Python language for scripting, JQuery UI for Web user interface). This presentation provides a guide with time estimates needed for a newcomers to the field to handle such challenging tasks, as fully autonomous observatory operations.

Assessment of preparation time with fully-liquid versus non-fully liquid paediatric hexavalent vaccines. A time and motion study.

PubMed

De Coster, Ilse; Fournie, Xavier; Faure, Céline; Ziani, Eddy; Nicolas, Laurence; Soubeyrand, Benoit; Van Damme, Pierre

2015-07-31

Simplified vaccine preparation steps would save time and reduce potential immunisation errors. The aim of the study was to assess vaccine preparation time with fully-liquid hexavalent vaccine (DTaP-IPV-HB-PRP-T, Sanofi Pasteur MSD) versus non-fully liquid hexavalent vaccine that needs reconstitution (DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals). Ninety-six Health Care Professionals (HCPs) participated in a randomised, cross-over, open-label, time and motion study in Belgium (2014). HCPs prepared each vaccine in a cross-over manner with a wash-out period of 3-5min. An independent nurse assessed preparation time and immunisation errors by systematic review of the videos. HCPs satisfaction and preference were evaluated by a self-administered questionnaire. Average preparation time was 36s for the fully-liquid vaccine and 70.5s for the non-fully liquid vaccine. The time saved using the fully-liquid vaccine was 34.5s (p≤0.001). On 192 preparations, 57 immunisation errors occurred: 47 in the non-fully liquid vaccine group (including one missing reconstitution of Hib component), 10 in the fully-liquid vaccine group. 71.9% of HCPs were very or somewhat satisfied with the ease of handling of both vaccines; 66.7% and 67.7% were very or somewhat satisfied with speed of preparation in the fully-liquid vaccine and the non-fully liquid vaccine groups, respectively. Almost all HCPs (97.6%) stated they would prefer the use of the fully-liquid vaccine in their daily practice. Preparation of a fully-liquid hexavalent vaccine can be completed in half the time necessary to prepare a non-fully liquid vaccine. The simplicity of the fully-liquid hexavalent vaccine preparation helps optimise reduction of immunisation errors. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The Pixhawk Open-Source Computer Vision Framework for Mavs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, L.; Tanskanen, P.; Fraundorfer, F.; Pollefeys, M.

2011-09-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and micro air vehicles (MAV) are already intensively used in geodetic applications. State of the art autonomous systems are however geared towards the application area in safe and obstacle-free altitudes greater than 30 meters. Applications at lower altitudes still require a human pilot. A new application field will be the reconstruction of structures and buildings, including the facades and roofs, with semi-autonomous MAVs. Ongoing research in the MAV robotics field is focusing on enabling this system class to operate at lower altitudes in proximity to nearby obstacles and humans. PIXHAWK is an open source and open hardware toolkit for this purpose. The quadrotor design is optimized for onboard computer vision and can connect up to four cameras to its onboard computer. The validity of the system design is shown with a fully autonomous capture flight along a building.

Efficient Sample Tracking With OpenLabFramework

PubMed Central

List, Markus; Schmidt, Steffen; Trojnar, Jakub; Thomas, Jochen; Thomassen, Mads; Kruse, Torben A.; Tan, Qihua; Baumbach, Jan; Mollenhauer, Jan

2014-01-01

The advance of new technologies in biomedical research has led to a dramatic growth in experimental throughput. Projects therefore steadily grow in size and involve a larger number of researchers. Spreadsheets traditionally used are thus no longer suitable for keeping track of the vast amounts of samples created and need to be replaced with state-of-the-art laboratory information management systems. Such systems have been developed in large numbers, but they are often limited to specific research domains and types of data. One domain so far neglected is the management of libraries of vector clones and genetically engineered cell lines. OpenLabFramework is a newly developed web-application for sample tracking, particularly laid out to fill this gap, but with an open architecture allowing it to be extended for other biological materials and functional data. Its sample tracking mechanism is fully customizable and aids productivity further through support for mobile devices and barcoded labels. PMID:24589879

Open Science CBS Neuroimaging Repository: Sharing ultra-high-field MR images of the brain.

PubMed

Tardif, Christine Lucas; Schäfer, Andreas; Trampel, Robert; Villringer, Arno; Turner, Robert; Bazin, Pierre-Louis

2016-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging at ultra high field opens the door to quantitative brain imaging at sub-millimeter isotropic resolutions. However, novel image processing tools to analyze these new rich datasets are lacking. In this article, we introduce the Open Science CBS Neuroimaging Repository: a unique repository of high-resolution and quantitative images acquired at 7 T. The motivation for this project is to increase interest for high-resolution and quantitative imaging and stimulate the development of image processing tools developed specifically for high-field data. Our growing repository currently includes datasets from MP2RAGE and multi-echo FLASH sequences from 28 and 20 healthy subjects respectively. These datasets represent the current state-of-the-art in in-vivo relaxometry at 7 T, and are now fully available to the entire neuroimaging community. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Observation of Entangled States of a Fully Controlled 20-Qubit System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friis, Nicolai; Marty, Oliver; Maier, Christine; Hempel, Cornelius; Holzäpfel, Milan; Jurcevic, Petar; Plenio, Martin B.; Huber, Marcus; Roos, Christian; Blatt, Rainer; Lanyon, Ben

2018-04-01

We generate and characterize entangled states of a register of 20 individually controlled qubits, where each qubit is encoded into the electronic state of a trapped atomic ion. Entanglement is generated amongst the qubits during the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of an Ising-type Hamiltonian, engineered via laser fields. Since the qubit-qubit interactions decay with distance, entanglement is generated at early times predominantly between neighboring groups of qubits. We characterize entanglement between these groups by designing and applying witnesses for genuine multipartite entanglement. Our results show that, during the dynamical evolution, all neighboring qubit pairs, triplets, most quadruplets, and some quintuplets simultaneously develop genuine multipartite entanglement. Witnessing genuine multipartite entanglement in larger groups of qubits in our system remains an open challenge.

Full-gap superconductivity in spin-polarised surface states of topological semimetal β-PdBi2.

PubMed

Iwaya, K; Kohsaka, Y; Okawa, K; Machida, T; Bahramy, M S; Hanaguri, T; Sasagawa, T

2017-10-17

A bulk superconductor possessing a topological surface state at the Fermi level is a promising system to realise long-sought topological superconductivity. Although several candidate materials have been proposed, experimental demonstrations concurrently exploring spin textures and superconductivity at the surface have remained elusive. Here we perform spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunnelling microscopy on the centrosymmetric superconductor β-PdBi 2 that hosts a topological surface state. By combining first-principles electronic-structure calculations and quasiparticle interference experiments, we determine the spin textures at the surface, and show not only the topological surface state but also all other surface bands exhibit spin polarisations parallel to the surface. We find that the superconducting gap fully opens in all the spin-polarised surface states. This behaviour is consistent with a possible spin-triplet order parameter expected for such in-plane spin textures, but the observed superconducting gap amplitude is comparable to that of the bulk, suggesting that the spin-singlet component is predominant in β-PdBi 2 .Although several materials have been proposed as topological superconductors, spin textures and superconductivity at the surface remain elusive. Here, Iwaya et al. determine the spin textures at the surface of a superconductor β-PdBi 2 and find the superconducting gap opening in all spin-polarised surface states.

Biochemical acclimation, stomatal limitation and precipitation patterns underlie decreases in photosynthetic stimulation of Soybean (Glycine max) at elevated [CO2] and temperatures under fully open air field conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The net effect of elevated [CO2] and temperature on photosynthetic acclimation and plant productivity is poorly resolved. We assessed the effects of canopy warming and fully open air [CO2] enrichment on 1) the acclimation of two biochemical parameters that frequently limit photosynthesis (A), the ma...

Large fully retractable telescope enclosures still closable in strong wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bettonvil, Felix C. M.; Hammerschlag, Robert H.; Jägers, Aswin P. L.; Sliepen, Guus

2008-07-01

Two prototypes of fully retractable enclosures with diameters of 7 and 9 m have been built for the high-resolution solar telescopes DOT (Dutch Open Telescope) and GREGOR, both located at the Canary Islands. These enclosures protect the instruments for bad weather and are fully open when the telescopes are in operation. The telescopes and enclosures also operate in hard wind. The prototypes are based on tensioned membrane between movable but stiff bows, which fold together to a ring when opened. The height of the ring is small. The prototypes already survived several storms, with often snow and ice, without any damage, including hurricane Delta with wind speeds up to 68 m/s. The enclosures can still be closed and opened with wind speeds of 20 m/s without any problems or restrictions. The DOT successfully demonstrated the open, wind-flushing concept for astronomical telescopes. It is now widely recognized that also large future telescopes benefit from wind-flushing and retractable enclosures. These telescopes require enclosures with diameters of 30 m until roughly 100 m, the largest sizes for the ELTs (Extreme Large Telescopes), which will be built in the near future. We discuss developments and required technology for the realization of these large sizes.

Characterization of a Ca(2+)-dependent anion channel from sheep tracheal epithelium incorporated into planar bilayers.

PubMed Central

Alton, E W; Manning, S D; Schlatter, P J; Geddes, D M; Williams, A J

1991-01-01

1. Anion-selective channels from the apical membrane of respiratory epithelia are involved in the secretion of chloride into the airway lumen. In cystic fibrosis (CF) there is an abnormality of phosphorylation-regulated chloride transport in this tissue, whilst a calcium-dependent pathway appears to function normally. 2. Using incorporation of apical membrane vesicles into planar phospholipid bilayers, we have characterized the most commonly seen anion-selective channel from sheep tracheal epithelium. 3. In symmetrical 200 mM-NaCl solutions the channel showed rectification, with a chord conductance at negative voltages of 107 pS and at positive voltages of 67 pS. The channel characteristically demonstrated subconductance states at 1/3 and 3/4 of the fully open level. Selectivity for chloride over sodium was approximately 6:1. 4. The channel required a minimum of approximately 100 microM-calcium on the presumed cytoplasmic surface (cis) for opening events to be observed. Open probability (Po) of the fully open state was markedly voltage dependent, but little effect of voltage was seen on the 1/3 subconductance state. 5. The relative permeabilities of monovalent anions monitored under bi-ionic conditions gave the following sequence: NO3- greater than I- greater than Cl- = Br- much much greater than F-. The order of conductances in symmetrical solutions was Cl- = NO3- greater than Br- greater than I- much much greater than F-. 6. The chloride channel blocker 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoate (NPPB) produced a dose-related reduction in Po with a flickering block at 10-50 microM and complete block at higher concentrations. 7. ATP produced a dose-related reduction in Po with effects at 1 microM and complete closing at 1 mM. These effects were only seen with addition to the cis chamber. 8. The catalytic subunit of protein kinase A, either when incubated with vesicles prior to incorporation into bilayers, or when added directly to either chamber, produced no effect. 9. Channels with very similar properties were seen from transfected human tracheo-bronchial cells. 10. Recent whole-cell patch-clamp studies have suggested a distinct calcium-activated chloride current in secretory epithelia. The described channel has properties in common with this current and may be a candidate for its single-channel basis. PMID:1726592

33 CFR 117.5 - When the drawbridge must open.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false When the drawbridge must open... BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS General Requirements § 117.5 When the drawbridge must open. Except as otherwise authorized or required by this part, drawbridges must open promptly and fully for the...

33 CFR 117.5 - When the drawbridge must open.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When the drawbridge must open... BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS General Requirements § 117.5 When the drawbridge must open. Except as otherwise authorized or required by this part, drawbridges must open promptly and fully for the...

33 CFR 117.5 - When the drawbridge must open.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When the drawbridge must open... BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS General Requirements § 117.5 When the drawbridge must open. Except as otherwise authorized or required by this part, drawbridges must open promptly and fully for the...

33 CFR 117.5 - When the drawbridge must open.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false When the drawbridge must open... BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS General Requirements § 117.5 When the drawbridge must open. Except as otherwise authorized or required by this part, drawbridges must open promptly and fully for the...

33 CFR 117.5 - When the drawbridge must open.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When the drawbridge must open... BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS General Requirements § 117.5 When the drawbridge must open. Except as otherwise authorized or required by this part, drawbridges must open promptly and fully for the...

Open source acceleration of wave optics simulations on energy efficient high-performance computing platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beck, Jeffrey; Bos, Jeremy P.

2017-05-01

We compare several modifications to the open-source wave optics package, WavePy, intended to improve execution time. Specifically, we compare the relative performance of the Intel MKL, a CPU based OpenCV distribution, and GPU-based version. Performance is compared between distributions both on the same compute platform and between a fully-featured computing workstation and the NVIDIA Jetson TX1 platform. Comparisons are drawn in terms of both execution time and power consumption. We have found that substituting the Fast Fourier Transform operation from OpenCV provides a marked improvement on all platforms. In addition, we show that embedded platforms offer some possibility for extensive improvement in terms of efficiency compared to a fully featured workstation.

Electrophoretic-like gating used to control metal-insulator transitions in electronically phase separated manganite wires.

PubMed

Guo, Hangwen; Noh, Joo H; Dong, Shuai; Rack, Philip D; Gai, Zheng; Xu, Xiaoshan; Dagotto, Elbio; Shen, Jian; Ward, T Zac

2013-08-14

Electronically phase separated manganite wires are found to exhibit controllable metal-insulator transitions under local electric fields. The switching characteristics are shown to be fully reversible, polarity independent, and highly resistant to thermal breakdown caused by repeated cycling. It is further demonstrated that multiple discrete resistive states can be accessed in a single wire. The results conform to a phenomenological model in which the inherent nanoscale insulating and metallic domains are rearranged through electrophoretic-like processes to open and close percolation channels.

Mixing-induced quantum non-Markovianity and information flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breuer, Heinz-Peter; Amato, Giulio; Vacchini, Bassano

2018-04-01

Mixing dynamical maps describing open quantum systems can lead from Markovian to non-Markovian processes. Being surprising and counter-intuitive, this result has been used as argument against characterization of non-Markovianity in terms of information exchange. Here, we demonstrate that, quite the contrary, mixing can be understood in a natural way which is fully consistent with existing theories of memory effects. In particular, we show how mixing-induced non-Markovianity can be interpreted in terms of the distinguishability of quantum states, system-environment correlations and the information flow between system and environment.

Towards fully analog hardware reservoir computing for speech recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smerieri, Anteo; Duport, François; Paquot, Yvan; Haelterman, Marc; Schrauwen, Benjamin; Massar, Serge

2012-09-01

Reservoir computing is a very recent, neural network inspired unconventional computation technique, where a recurrent nonlinear system is used in conjunction with a linear readout to perform complex calculations, leveraging its inherent internal dynamics. In this paper we show the operation of an optoelectronic reservoir computer in which both the nonlinear recurrent part and the readout layer are implemented in hardware for a speech recognition application. The performance obtained is close to the one of to state-of-the-art digital reservoirs, while the analog architecture opens the way to ultrafast computation.

Using Data Maturity Metrics to Help Insure Scientific Integrity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bates, J. J.

2016-12-01

In the past few years, the full and open sharing of data and other artifacts of research in the geophysics have become mandatory. These include commitments from scientific societies, calls from international organizations, and in the United States, Executive Orders and legislation for open data. Unfortunately, these calls for open data have had, at best, mixed results. Audits by publishers indicate most who do not comply with are unaware of the policies or simply ignore them. A recent high profile publication on global warming resulted in repeated demands of `all data' from Congress and a prolonged back and forth on what `all data' meant. The emerging field of Data Management Maturity is making substantial progress on quantifying the elements needed to fully document, and making open and accessible, geophysical data sets. The proposed metrics have been culled from best practices for observational data sets and these metrics have been applied to a number of geophysical disciplines. A case study applying this metric to climate change indicators will be presented. It is recommended that U.S. Agencies and scientific societies formally adopt data maturity metrics to help ensure a consistent approach to ensure open data and scientific integrity.

Connectome-harmonic decomposition of human brain activity reveals dynamical repertoire re-organization under LSD.

PubMed

Atasoy, Selen; Roseman, Leor; Kaelen, Mendel; Kringelbach, Morten L; Deco, Gustavo; Carhart-Harris, Robin L

2017-12-15

Recent studies have started to elucidate the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on the human brain but the underlying dynamics are not yet fully understood. Here we used 'connectome-harmonic decomposition', a novel method to investigate the dynamical changes in brain states. We found that LSD alters the energy and the power of individual harmonic brain states in a frequency-selective manner. Remarkably, this leads to an expansion of the repertoire of active brain states, suggestive of a general re-organization of brain dynamics given the non-random increase in co-activation across frequencies. Interestingly, the frequency distribution of the active repertoire of brain states under LSD closely follows power-laws indicating a re-organization of the dynamics at the edge of criticality. Beyond the present findings, these methods open up for a better understanding of the complex brain dynamics in health and disease.

Open source tools for fluorescent imaging.

PubMed

Hamilton, Nicholas A

2012-01-01

As microscopy becomes increasingly automated and imaging expands in the spatial and time dimensions, quantitative analysis tools for fluorescent imaging are becoming critical to remove both bottlenecks in throughput as well as fully extract and exploit the information contained in the imaging. In recent years there has been a flurry of activity in the development of bio-image analysis tools and methods with the result that there are now many high-quality, well-documented, and well-supported open source bio-image analysis projects with large user bases that cover essentially every aspect from image capture to publication. These open source solutions are now providing a viable alternative to commercial solutions. More importantly, they are forming an interoperable and interconnected network of tools that allow data and analysis methods to be shared between many of the major projects. Just as researchers build on, transmit, and verify knowledge through publication, open source analysis methods and software are creating a foundation that can be built upon, transmitted, and verified. Here we describe many of the major projects, their capabilities, and features. We also give an overview of the current state of open source software for fluorescent microscopy analysis and the many reasons to use and develop open source methods. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Boughezal, Radja; Campbell, John M.; Ellis, R. Keith

We present the implementation of several color-singlet final-state processes at Next-to-Next-to Leading Order (NNLO) accuracy in QCD to the publicly available parton-level Monte Carlo program MCFM. Specifically we discuss the processesmore » $$pp\\rightarrow H$$, $$pp\\rightarrow Z$$, $$pp\\rightarrow W$$, $$pp\\rightarrow HZ$$, $$pp\\rightarrow HW$$ and $$pp\\rightarrow\\gamma\\gamma$$. Decays of the unstable bosons are fully included, resulting in a flexible fully differential Monte Carlo code. The NNLO corrections have been calculated using the non-local $N$-jettiness subtraction approach. Special attention is given to the numerical aspects of running MCFM for these processes at this order. Here, we pay particular attention to the systematic uncertainties due to the power corrections induced by the $N$-jettiness regularization scheme and the evaluation time needed to run the hybrid openMP/MPI version of MCFM at NNLO on multi-processor systems.« less

Color-singlet production at NNLO in MCFM

DOE PAGES

Boughezal, Radja; Campbell, John M.; Ellis, R. Keith; ...

2016-12-30

We present the implementation of several color-singlet final-state processes at Next-to-Next-to Leading Order (NNLO) accuracy in QCD to the publicly available parton-level Monte Carlo program MCFM. Specifically we discuss the processesmore » $$pp\\rightarrow H$$, $$pp\\rightarrow Z$$, $$pp\\rightarrow W$$, $$pp\\rightarrow HZ$$, $$pp\\rightarrow HW$$ and $$pp\\rightarrow\\gamma\\gamma$$. Decays of the unstable bosons are fully included, resulting in a flexible fully differential Monte Carlo code. The NNLO corrections have been calculated using the non-local $N$-jettiness subtraction approach. Special attention is given to the numerical aspects of running MCFM for these processes at this order. Here, we pay particular attention to the systematic uncertainties due to the power corrections induced by the $N$-jettiness regularization scheme and the evaluation time needed to run the hybrid openMP/MPI version of MCFM at NNLO on multi-processor systems.« less

Asymmetric adiabatic couplers for fully-integrated broadband quantum-polarization state preparation.

PubMed

Chung, Hung-Pin; Huang, Kuang-Hsu; Wang, Kai; Yang, Sung-Lin; Yang, Shih-Yuan; Sung, Chun-I; Solntsev, Alexander S; Sukhorukov, Andrey A; Neshev, Dragomir N; Chen, Yen-Hung

2017-12-04

Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) is a widely used method to generate entangled photons, enabling a range of applications from secure communication to tests of quantum physics. Integrating SPDC on a chip provides interferometric stability, allows to reduce a physical footprint, and opens a pathway to true scalability. However, dealing with different photon polarizations and wavelengths on a chip presents a number of challenging problems. In this work, we demonstrate an on-chip polarization beam-splitter based on z-cut titanium-diffused lithium niobate asymmetric adiabatic couplers (AAC) designed for integration with a type-II SPDC source. Our experimental measurements reveal unique polarization beam-splitting regime with the ability to tune the splitting ratios based on wavelength. In particular, we measured a splitting ratio of 17 dB over broadband regions (>60 nm) for both H- and V-polarized lights and a specific 50%/50% splitting ratio for a cross-polarized photon pair from the AAC. The results show that such a system can be used for preparing different quantum polarization-path states that are controllable by changing the phase-matching conditions in the SPDC over a broad band. Furthermore, we propose a fully integrated electro-optically tunable type-II SPDC polarization-path-entangled state preparation circuit on a single lithium niobate photonic chip.

Packing interface energetics in different crystal forms of the λ Cro dimer.

PubMed

Ahlstrom, Logan S; Miyashita, Osamu

2014-07-01

Variation among crystal structures of the λ Cro dimer highlights conformational flexibility. The structures range from a wild type closed to a mutant fully open conformation, but it is unclear if each represents a stable solution state or if one may be the result of crystal packing. Here we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to investigate the energetics of crystal packing interfaces and the influence of site-directed mutagenesis on them in order to examine the effect of crystal packing on wild type and mutant Cro dimer conformation. Replica exchange MD of mutant Cro in solution shows that the observed conformational differences between the wild type and mutant protein are not the direct consequence of mutation. Instead, simulation of Cro in different crystal environments reveals that mutation affects the stability of crystal forms. Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area binding energy calculations reveal the detailed energetics of packing interfaces. Packing interfaces can have diverse properties in strength, energetic components, and some are stronger than the biological dimer interface. Further analysis shows that mutation can strengthen packing interfaces by as much as ∼5 kcal/mol in either crystal environment. Thus, in the case of Cro, mutation provides an additional energetic contribution during crystal formation that may stabilize a fully open higher energy state. Moreover, the effect of mutation in the lattice can extend to packing interfaces not involving mutation sites. Our results provide insight into possible models for the effect of crystallization on Cro conformational dynamics and emphasize careful consideration of protein crystal structures. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Packing Interface Energetics in Different Crystal Forms of the λ Cro Dimer

PubMed Central

Ahlstrom, Logan S.; Miyashita, Osamu

2014-01-01

Variation among crystal structures of the λ Cro dimer highlights conformational flexibility. The structures range from a wild type closed to a mutant fully open conformation, but it is unclear if each represents a stable solution state or if one may be the result of crystal packing. Here we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to investigate the energetics of crystal packing interfaces and the influence of site-directed mutagenesis on them, in order to examine the effect of crystal packing on wild type and mutant Cro dimer conformation. Replica exchange MD of mutant Cro in solution shows that the observed conformational differences between the wild type and mutant protein are not the direct consequence of mutation. Instead, simulation of Cro in different crystal environments reveals that mutation affects the stability of crystal forms. Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area binding energy calculations reveal the detailed energetics of packing interfaces. Packing interfaces can have diverse properties in strength, energetic components, and some are stronger than the biological dimer interface. Further analysis shows that mutation can strengthen packing interfaces by as much as ~5 kcal/mol in either crystal environment. Thus, in the case of Cro, mutation provides an additional energetic contribution during crystal formation that may stabilize a fully open higher energy state. Moreover, the effect of mutation in the lattice can extend to packing interfaces not involving mutation sites. Our results provide insight into possible models for the effect of crystallization on Cro conformational dynamics and emphasize careful consideration of protein crystal structures. PMID:24218107

Field-orientation dependence of low-energy quasiparticle excitations in the heavy-electron superconductor UBe(13).

PubMed

Shimizu, Yusei; Kittaka, Shunichiro; Sakakibara, Toshiro; Haga, Yoshinori; Yamamoto, Etsuji; Amitsuka, Hiroshi; Tsutsumi, Yasumasa; Machida, Kazushige

2015-04-10

Low-energy quasiparticle excitations in the superconducting (SC) state of UBe_{13} were studied by means of specific-heat (C) measurements in a rotating field. Quite unexpectedly, the magnetic-field dependence of C(H) is linear in H with no angular dependence at low fields in the SC state, implying that the gap is fully open over the Fermi surfaces, in stark contrast to previous expectations. In addition, a characteristic cubic anisotropy of C(H) was observed above 2 T with a maximum (minimum) for H∥[001] ([111]) within the (11[over ¯]0) plane, in the normal as well as in the SC states. This oscillation possibly originates from the anisotropic response of the heavy quasiparticle bands, and might be a key to understand the unusual properties of UBe_{13}.

A multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree-Fock method for excited electronic states. I. General formalism and application to open-shell states.

PubMed

Miranda, R P; Fisher, A J; Stella, L; Horsfield, A P

2011-06-28

The solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for systems of interacting electrons is generally a prohibitive task, for which approximate methods are necessary. Popular approaches, such as the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) approximation and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), are essentially single-configurational schemes. TDHF is by construction incapable of fully accounting for the excited character of the electronic states involved in many physical processes of interest; TDDFT, although exact in principle, is limited by the currently available exchange-correlation functionals. On the other hand, multiconfigurational methods, such as the multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree-Fock (MCTDHF) approach, provide an accurate description of the excited states and can be systematically improved. However, the computational cost becomes prohibitive as the number of degrees of freedom increases, and thus, at present, the MCTDHF method is only practical for few-electron systems. In this work, we propose an alternative approach which effectively establishes a compromise between efficiency and accuracy, by retaining the smallest possible number of configurations that catches the essential features of the electronic wavefunction. Based on a time-dependent variational principle, we derive the MCTDHF working equation for a multiconfigurational expansion with fixed coefficients and specialise to the case of general open-shell states, which are relevant for many physical processes of interest.

On the performance of a high head Francis turbine at design and off-design conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aakti, B.; Amstutz, O.; Casartelli, E.; Romanelli, G.; Mangani, L.

2015-01-01

In the present paper, fully 360 degrees transient and steady-state simulations of a Francis turbine were performed at three operating conditions, namely at part load (PL), best efficiency point (BEP), and high load (HL), using different numerical approaches for the pressure-velocity coupling. The simulation domain includes the spiral casing with stay and guide vanes, the runner and the draft tube. The main target of the investigations is the numerical prediction of the overall performance of the high head Francis turbine model as well as local and integral quantities of the complete machine in different operating conditions. All results were compared with experimental data published by the workshop organization. All CFD simulations were performed at model scale with a new in-house, 3D, unstructured, object-oriented finite volume code within the framework of the open source OpenFOAM library. The novel fully coupled pressure-based solver is designed to solve the incompressible RANS- Equations and is capable of handling multiple references of frame (MRF). The obtained results show that the overall performance is well captured by the simulations. Regarding the local flow distributions within the inlet section of the draft-tube, the axial velocity is better estimated than the circumferential component.

An open science approach to modeling and visualizing ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

It is expected that cyanobacteria blooms will increase in frequency, duration, and severity as inputs of nutrients increase and the impacts of climate change are realized. Partly in response to this, federal, state, and local entities have ramped up efforts to better understand blooms which has resulted in new life for old datasets, new monitoring programs, and novel uses for non-traditional sources of data. To fully benefit from these datasets, it is also imperative that the full body of work including data, code, and manuscripts be openly available (i.e., open science). This presentation will provide several examples of our work which occurs at the intersection of open science and research on cyanobacetria blooms in lakes and ponds. In particular we will discuss 1) why open science is particularly important for environmental human health issues; 2) the lakemorpho and elevatr R packages and how we use those to model lake morphometry; 3) Shiny server applications to visualize data collected as part of the Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative; and 4) distribution of our research and models via open access publications and as R packages on GitHub. Modelling and visualizing information on cyanobacteria blooms is important as it provides estimates of the extent of potential problems associated with these blooms. Furthermore, conducting this work in the open allows others to access our code, data, and results. In turn, this allows for a greater impact because the

Intricate but tight coupling of spiracular activity and abdominal ventilation during locust discontinuous gas exchange cycles.

PubMed

Talal, Stav; Gefen, Eran; Ayali, Amir

2018-03-15

Discontinuous gas exchange (DGE) is the best studied among insect gas exchange patterns. DGE cycles comprise three phases, which are defined by their spiracular state: closed, flutter and open. However, spiracle status has rarely been monitored directly; rather, it is often assumed based on CO 2 emission traces. In this study, we directly recorded electromyogram (EMG) signals from the closer muscle of the second thoracic spiracle and from abdominal ventilation muscles in a fully intact locust during DGE. Muscular activity was monitored simultaneously with CO 2 emission, under normoxia and under various experimental oxic conditions. Our findings indicate that locust DGE does not correspond well with the commonly described three-phase cycle. We describe unique DGE-related ventilation motor patterns, coupled to spiracular activity. During the open phase, when CO 2 emission rate is highest, the thoracic spiracles do not remain open; rather, they open and close rapidly. This fast spiracle activity coincides with in-phase abdominal ventilation, while alternating with the abdominal spiracle and thus facilitating a unidirectional air flow along the main trachea. A change in the frequency of rhythmic ventilation during the open phase suggests modulation by intra-tracheal CO 2 levels. A second, slow ventilatory movement pattern probably serves to facilitate gas diffusion during spiracle closure. Two flutter-like patterns are described in association with the different types of ventilatory activity. We offer a modified mechanistic model for DGE in actively ventilating insects, incorporating ventilatory behavior and changes in spiracle state. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Computer Simulation Studies of Ion Channel Gating: Characteristics of the M2 Channel of Influenza-A Virus in a Phospholipid Bilayer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schweighofer, Karl J.; Pohorille, Andrew; DeVincenzi, D. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

The 25 amino acids long, transmembrane fragment of the Influenza virus M2 protein forms a homotetrameric channel that transports protons across lipid bilayers. It has been postulated that high efficiency and selectivity of this process is due to gating by four histidine residues that occlude the channel lumen in the closed state. Two mechanisms of gating have been postulated. In one mechanism, the proton is "shuttled" through the gate by attaching to the delta nitrogen atom on the extracellular side of the imidazole ring, followed by the release of the proton attached to the epsilon nitrogen atom on the opposite side. In the second mechanism, the four histidines move away from each other due to electrostatic repulsion upon protonation, thus opening the gate sufficiently that a wire of water molecules can penetrate the gate. Then, protons are transported by "hopping" along the wire. In this paper, both mechanisms are evaluated in a series of molecular dynamics simulations by investigating stability of different protonation states of the channel that are involved in these mechanisms. For the shuttle mechanism, these are states with all epsilon protonated histidines, one biprotonated residue or one histidine protonated in the delta position. For the gate opening mechanism, this is the state in which all four histidines are biprotonated. In addition, a state with two biprotonated histidines is considered. For each system, composed of the protein channel embedded in phospholipid bilayer located between two water lamellae, a molecular dynamics trajectory of approximately 1.3 ns (after equilibration) was obtained. It is found that the states involved in the shuttle mechanism are stable during the simulations. Furthermore, the orientations and dynamics of water molecules near the gate are conducive to proton transfers involved in the shuttle. In contract, the fully biprotonated state, implicated in the gate opening mechanism, is not stable and the channel looses its structural integrity. If only two histidines are biprotonated the channel deforms but remains intact with the gate mostly closed. In summary, the results of this study lend support to the shuttle mechanism but not to the gate opening mechanism of proton gating in M2.

Role of ocean heat transport in climates of tidally locked exoplanets around M dwarf stars

PubMed Central

Hu, Yongyun; Yang, Jun

2014-01-01

The distinctive feature of tidally locked exoplanets is the very uneven heating by stellar radiation between the dayside and nightside. Previous work has focused on the role of atmospheric heat transport in preventing atmospheric collapse on the nightside for terrestrial exoplanets in the habitable zone around M dwarfs. In the present paper, we carry out simulations with a fully coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model to investigate the role of ocean heat transport in climate states of tidally locked habitable exoplanets around M dwarfs. Our simulation results demonstrate that ocean heat transport substantially extends the area of open water along the equator, showing a lobster-like spatial pattern of open water, instead of an “eyeball.” For sufficiently high-level greenhouse gases or strong stellar radiation, ocean heat transport can even lead to complete deglaciation of the nightside. Our simulations also suggest that ocean heat transport likely narrows the width of M dwarfs’ habitable zone. This study provides a demonstration of the importance of exooceanography in determining climate states and habitability of exoplanets. PMID:24379386

Role of ocean heat transport in climates of tidally locked exoplanets around M dwarf stars.

PubMed

Hu, Yongyun; Yang, Jun

2014-01-14

The distinctive feature of tidally locked exoplanets is the very uneven heating by stellar radiation between the dayside and nightside. Previous work has focused on the role of atmospheric heat transport in preventing atmospheric collapse on the nightside for terrestrial exoplanets in the habitable zone around M dwarfs. In the present paper, we carry out simulations with a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model to investigate the role of ocean heat transport in climate states of tidally locked habitable exoplanets around M dwarfs. Our simulation results demonstrate that ocean heat transport substantially extends the area of open water along the equator, showing a lobster-like spatial pattern of open water, instead of an "eyeball." For sufficiently high-level greenhouse gases or strong stellar radiation, ocean heat transport can even lead to complete deglaciation of the nightside. Our simulations also suggest that ocean heat transport likely narrows the width of M dwarfs' habitable zone. This study provides a demonstration of the importance of exooceanography in determining climate states and habitability of exoplanets.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Allosteric Regulation of eIF4A Protein from the Open to Closed State, Induced by ATP and RNA Substrates

PubMed Central

Meng, Hongqing; Li, Chaoqun; Wang, Yan; Chen, Guangju

2014-01-01

Background Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) plays a key role in the process of protein translation initiation by facilitating the melting of the 5′ proximal secondary structure of eukaryotic mRNA for ribosomal subunit attachment. It was experimentally postulated that the closed conformation of the eIF4A protein bound by the ATP and RNA substrates is coupled to RNA duplex unwinding to promote protein translation initiation, rather than an open conformation in the absence of ATP and RNA substrates. However, the allosteric process of eIF4A from the open to closed state induced by the ATP and RNA substrates are not yet fully understood. Methodology In the present work, we constructed a series of diplex and ternary models of the eIF4A protein bound by the ATP and RNA substrates to carry out molecular dynamics simulations, free energy calculations and conformation analysis and explore the allosteric properties of eIF4A. Results The results showed that the eIF4A protein completes the conformational transition from the open to closed state via two allosteric processes of ATP binding followed by RNA and vice versa. Based on cooperative allosteric network analysis, the ATP binding to the eIF4A protein mainly caused the relative rotation of two domains, while the RNA binding caused the proximity of two domains via the migration of RNA bases in the presence of ATP. The cooperative binding of ATP and RNA for the eIF4A protein plays a key role in the allosteric transition. PMID:24465900

Open-mouthed hybrid microcapsules with elevated enzyme loading and enhanced catalytic activity.

PubMed

Shi, Jiafu; Zhang, Shaohua; Wang, Xiaoli; Jiang, Zhongyi

2014-10-25

Open-mouthed hybrid microcapsules (HMCs) are synthesized through a hard-templating method. When utilized for enzyme immobilization and enzymatic catalysis, the open-mouthed HMCs show high enzyme loading capability, enhanced catalytic activity and desirable recycling stability, due to their fully exposed outer and inner surfaces.

TREATMENT WITH THIDIAZURON IMPROVES OPENING AND VASE LIFE OF IRIS FLOWERS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The marketability of Dutch iris (Iris × hollandica) cut flowers is limited by their short display life and frequent failure to open fully. We tested the ability of thidiazuron (TDZ), a phenyl urea compound with cytokinin-like activity, to improve iris flower opening and longevity. A postharvest pu...

49 CFR 1104.3 - Copies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... fully evaluate evidence, all spreadsheets must be fully accessible and manipulable. Electronic databases... Microsoft Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard. ODBC is a Windows technology that allows a database software package to import data from a database created using a different software package. We currently...

49 CFR 1104.3 - Copies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... fully evaluate evidence, all spreadsheets must be fully accessible and manipulable. Electronic databases... Microsoft Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard. ODBC is a Windows technology that allows a database software package to import data from a database created using a different software package. We currently...

49 CFR 1104.3 - Copies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... fully evaluate evidence, all spreadsheets must be fully accessible and manipulable. Electronic databases... Microsoft Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard. ODBC is a Windows technology that allows a database software package to import data from a database created using a different software package. We currently...

49 CFR 1104.3 - Copies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... fully evaluate evidence, all spreadsheets must be fully accessible and manipulable. Electronic databases... Microsoft Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard. ODBC is a Windows technology that allows a database software package to import data from a database created using a different software package. We currently...

Designing a fully automated multi-bioreactor plant for fast DoE optimization of pharmaceutical protein production.

PubMed

Fricke, Jens; Pohlmann, Kristof; Jonescheit, Nils A; Ellert, Andree; Joksch, Burkhard; Luttmann, Reiner

2013-06-01

The identification of optimal expression conditions for state-of-the-art production of pharmaceutical proteins is a very time-consuming and expensive process. In this report a method for rapid and reproducible optimization of protein expression in an in-house designed small-scale BIOSTAT® multi-bioreactor plant is described. A newly developed BioPAT® MFCS/win Design of Experiments (DoE) module (Sartorius Stedim Systems, Germany) connects the process control system MFCS/win and the DoE software MODDE® (Umetrics AB, Sweden) and enables therefore the implementation of fully automated optimization procedures. As a proof of concept, a commercial Pichia pastoris strain KM71H has been transformed for the expression of potential malaria vaccines. This approach has allowed a doubling of intact protein secretion productivity due to the DoE optimization procedure compared to initial cultivation results. In a next step, robustness regarding the sensitivity to process parameter variability has been proven around the determined optimum. Thereby, a pharmaceutical production process that is significantly improved within seven 24-hour cultivation cycles was established. Specifically, regarding the regulatory demands pointed out in the process analytical technology (PAT) initiative of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the combination of a highly instrumented, fully automated multi-bioreactor platform with proper cultivation strategies and extended DoE software solutions opens up promising benefits and opportunities for pharmaceutical protein production. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Are Soft Short Tests Good Indicators of Internal Li-ion Cell Defects?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeevarajan, J.; Chung, J.-S.; Jung, K.; Park, J.

2013-01-01

The self discharge test at full state of charge, may not be a good one to detect subtle defects since the li-ion chemistry has the highest self discharge at full state of charge. One should characterize self discharge versus storage time for each cell manufacturer/design to differentiate between normal self discharge and that due to a subtle manufacturing defect. The various soft short test methods indicate that if this test is carried out at full discharge (0% SOC) with all capacity removed (by lowering the current load in a stepwise manner to the same end of discharge voltage), then the cells need to be placed in storage for more than 72 hours to get a good analysis on the presence of subtle defects since it takes more than 72 hours to achieve voltage stabilization. If the cells are to be charged up even to a small percentage (ex. 1%), 72 hours are sufficient to determine issues. However, the pass/fail criteria should be based on a valid OCV decline. Less than 10 mV voltage decline is not a good method to detect subtle defects. As mentioned in the first bullet, self discharge is a competing reaction when a charge is introduced and hence a characterization of the self discharge versus storage time is required to fully correlate voltage decline to a failure due to a subtle defect. Soft short test method cannot be relied on for defect detection because cells with and without voltage decline seemed to have similar defects and characteristics. Screening methods such as internal resistance and capacity as well as a 3-sigma range for OCV, mass and dimensions should be used to screen out outliers. A very critical aspect in the understanding of subtle defects is to carry out destructive analysis of cells from every lot to confirm the quality of production and screen all cells and batteries in a stringent manner to have a high quality set of flight cells. Self Discharge Test: Fully charged cells shall be placed in Open circuit stand for 72 hours (OCV measurement twice a day); continue for total of 14 days with 1 reading per day 2. Soft Short Test 1: Fully charge; cells discharged to manufacturer's end of disch. Voltage (EODV) cutoff at C/5 rate; stand for 30 minutes; discharge with C/500 to the same EODV. stand for another 30 minutes; discharge the cells again using C/1000 current to the same EODV. OCV measurements twice a day for 72 hours and then for total of 14 days (data collection same as in 1.) 3. Soft Short Test 2: Fully charge; cells discharged to the manuf. EODV with a C/13 constant current; provide a 10 hour rest, discharge again to the same EODV with a current of C/250, provide a 10 hour rest, discharge again using a C/250 rate, provide a 24 hour rest, charge using C/250 to 3.15 V (for 12 hours). OCV measurements twice a day for at 72 hours. (data collection same as in 1.) 4. Soft Short Test 3: Fully charge; cells shall be discharged using C/10 current to manuf. EODV. Allow the cell to remain at Open circuit for 10 seconds. Discharge the cell at C/20 rate to the same EODV, hold open circuit for 24 hours. Discharge the cells at C/200 rate to the same end of voltage cutoff and hold open circuit for 24 hours. Discharge the cells one more time at C/200 rate to the same EODV and hold open circuit for 36 hours. Charge at C/200 rate to 3.15 V and hold for 3 days. Record OCV during the open circuit stand periods every 12 hours and at the beginning and end of the 3 day hold (include the 12 hour OCV recording during this time also). Capacity Cycling: Cells with declining voltages - one cell from each manufacturer chosen for cycling Destructive Physical Analysis (DPA): Cells with and without decline chosen from each lot for DPA.

Manipulating topological states by imprinting non-collinear spin textures

DOE PAGES

Streubel, Robert; Han, Luyang; Im, Mi -Young; ...

2015-03-05

Topological magnetic states, such as chiral skyrmions, are of great scientific interest and show huge potential for novel spintronics applications, provided their topological charges can be fully controlled. So far skyrmionic textures have been observed in noncentrosymmetric crystalline materials with low symmetry and at low temperatures. We propose theoretically and demonstrate experimentally the design of spin textures with topological charge densities that can be tailored at ambient temperatures. Tuning the interlayer coupling in vertically stacked nanopatterned magnetic heterostructures, such as a model system of a Co/Pd multilayer coupled to Permalloy, the in-plane non-collinear spin texture of one layer can bemore » imprinted into the out-of-plane magnetised material. We observe distinct spin textures, e.g. vortices, magnetic swirls with tunable opening angle, donut states and skyrmion core configurations. We show that applying a small magnetic field, a reliable switching between topologically distinct textures can be achieved at remanence« less

The OpenCalphad thermodynamic software interface.

PubMed

Sundman, Bo; Kattner, Ursula R; Sigli, Christophe; Stratmann, Matthias; Le Tellier, Romain; Palumbo, Mauro; Fries, Suzana G

2016-12-01

Thermodynamic data are needed for all kinds of simulations of materials processes. Thermodynamics determines the set of stable phases and also provides chemical potentials, compositions and driving forces for nucleation of new phases and phase transformations. Software to simulate materials properties needs accurate and consistent thermodynamic data to predict metastable states that occur during phase transformations. Due to long calculation times thermodynamic data are frequently pre-calculated into "lookup tables" to speed up calculations. This creates additional uncertainties as data must be interpolated or extrapolated and conditions may differ from those assumed for creating the lookup table. Speed and accuracy requires that thermodynamic software is fully parallelized and the Open-Calphad (OC) software is the first thermodynamic software supporting this feature. This paper gives a brief introduction to computational thermodynamics and introduces the basic features of the OC software and presents four different application examples to demonstrate its versatility.

The OpenCalphad thermodynamic software interface

PubMed Central

Sundman, Bo; Kattner, Ursula R; Sigli, Christophe; Stratmann, Matthias; Le Tellier, Romain; Palumbo, Mauro; Fries, Suzana G

2017-01-01

Thermodynamic data are needed for all kinds of simulations of materials processes. Thermodynamics determines the set of stable phases and also provides chemical potentials, compositions and driving forces for nucleation of new phases and phase transformations. Software to simulate materials properties needs accurate and consistent thermodynamic data to predict metastable states that occur during phase transformations. Due to long calculation times thermodynamic data are frequently pre-calculated into “lookup tables” to speed up calculations. This creates additional uncertainties as data must be interpolated or extrapolated and conditions may differ from those assumed for creating the lookup table. Speed and accuracy requires that thermodynamic software is fully parallelized and the Open-Calphad (OC) software is the first thermodynamic software supporting this feature. This paper gives a brief introduction to computational thermodynamics and introduces the basic features of the OC software and presents four different application examples to demonstrate its versatility. PMID:28260838

Experimental Investigation of a High Head Model Francis Turbine During Steady-State Operation at Off-Design Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergan, Carl; Goyal, Rahul; Cervantes, Michel J.; Dahlhaug, Ole G.

2016-11-01

Francis-99 is a set of workshops aiming to determine the state of the art of high head Francis turbine simulations (flow and structure) under steady and transient operating conditions as well as promote their development and knowledge dissemination openly. The first workshop (Trondheim, 2014) focused on steady state conditions. Some concerns were raised regarding uncertainty in the measurements, mainly that there was no clear vortex rope at the Part Load (PL) condition, and that the flow exhibited relatively large asymmetry. The present paper addresses these concerns in order to ensure the quality of the data presented in further workshops. To answer some of these questions, a new set of measurements were performed on the Francis- 99 model at Waterpower Laboratory at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). In addition to PL, two other operating conditions were considered, for further use in transient measurements, Best Efficiency (BEP) and High Load (HL). The experiments were carried out at a head of 12 m, with a runner rotational speed of 333 revolutions per minute (rpm). The guide vane opening angle were 6.72°, 9.84° and 12.43° for PL, BEP and HL, respectively. The part load condition has been changed from the first workshop, to ensure a fully developed Rotating Vortex Rope (RVR). The velocity and pressure measurements were carried out in the draft tube cone using 2D PIV and six pressure sensors, respectively. The new PL condition shows a fully developed rotating vortex rope (RVR) in both the frequency analysis and in the phase resolved data. In addition, the measurements confirm an asymmetric flow leaving the runner, as was a concern in the first Francis-99 workshop. This asymmetry was detected at both design and off-design conditions, with a stronger effect during off design.

Conformational dynamics of bacterial trigger factor in apo and ribosome-bound states.

PubMed

Can, Mehmet Tarik; Kurkcuoglu, Zeynep; Ezeroglu, Gokce; Uyar, Arzu; Kurkcuoglu, Ozge; Doruker, Pemra

2017-01-01

The chaperone trigger factor (TF) binds to the ribosome exit tunnel and helps cotranslational folding of nascent chains (NC) in bacterial cells and chloroplasts. In this study, we aim to investigate the functional dynamics of fully-atomistic apo TF and its complex with 50S. As TF accomodates a high percentage of charged residues on its surface, the effect of ionic strength on TF dynamics is assessed here by performing five independent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (total of 1.3 micro-second duration) at 29 mM and 150 mM ionic strengths. At both concentrations, TF exhibits high inter- and intra-domain flexibility related to its binding (BD), core (CD), and head (HD) domains. Even though large oscillations in gyration radius exist during each run, we do not detect the so-called 'fully collapsed' state with both HD and BD collapsed upon the core. In fact, the extended conformers with relatively open HD and BD are highly populated at the physiological concentration of 150 mM. More importantly, extended TF snapshots stand out in terms of favorable docking onto the 50S subunit. Elastic network modeling (ENM) indicates significant changes in TF's functional dynamics and domain decomposition depending on its conformation and positioning on the 50S. The most dominant slow motions are the lateral sweeping and vertical opening/closing of HD relative to 50S. Finally, our ENM-based efficient technique -ClustENM- is used to sample atomistic conformers starting with an extended TF-50S complex. Specifically, BD and CD motions are restricted near the tunnel exit, while HD is highly mobile. The atomistic conformers generated without an NC are in agreement with the cryo-EM maps available for TF-ribosome-NC complex.

Cooperation between Magnesium and Metabolite Controls Collapse of the SAM-I Riboswitch.

PubMed

Roy, Susmita; Onuchic, José N; Sanbonmatsu, Karissa Y

2017-07-25

The S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-I riboswitch is a noncoding RNA that regulates the transcription termination process in response to metabolite (SAM) binding. The aptamer portion of the riboswitch may adopt an open or closed state depending on the presence of metabolite. Although the transition between the open and closed states is critical for the switching process, its atomistic details are not well understood. Using atomistic simulations, we calculate the effect of SAM and magnesium ions on the folding free energy landscape of the SAM-I riboswitch. These molecular simulation results are consistent with our previous wetlab experiments and aid in interpreting the SHAPE probing measurements. Here, molecular dynamics simulations explicitly identify target RNA motifs sensitive to magnesium ions and SAM. In the simulations, we observe that, whereas the metabolite mostly stabilizes the P1 and P3 helices, magnesium serves an important role in stabilizing a pseudoknot interaction between the P2 and P4 helices, even at high metabolite concentrations. The pseudoknot stabilization by magnesium, in combination with P1 stabilization by SAM, explains the requirement of both SAM and magnesium to form the fully collapsed metabolite-bound closed state of the SAM-I riboswitch. In the absence of SAM, frequent open-to-closed conformational transitions of the pseudoknot occur, akin to breathing. These pseudoknot fluctuations disrupt the binding site by facilitating fluctuations in the 5'-end of helix P1. Magnesium biases the landscape toward a collapsed state (preorganization) by coordinating pseudoknot and 5'-P1 fluctuations. The cooperation between SAM and magnesium in stabilizing important tertiary interactions elucidates their functional significance in transcription regulation. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Unmanned Aerial Systems: Further Actions Needed to Fully Address Air Force and Army Pilot Workforce Challenges

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-16

UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS Further Actions Needed to Fully Address Air Force and Army Pilot Workforce Challenges...Armed Services, U.S. Senate March 16, 2016 UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS Further Actions Needed to Fully Address Air Force and Army Pilot Workforce ...High-performing organizations use complete and current data to inform their strategic human capital planning and remain open to reevaluating workforce

Analysis of Cisco Open Network Environment (ONE) OpenFlow Controller Implementation

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-01

Software - Defined Networking ( SDN ), when fully realized, offer many improvements over the current rigid and...functionalities like handshake, connection setup, switch management, and security. 15. SUBJECT TERMS OpenFlow, software - defined networking , Cisco ONE, SDN ...innovating packet-forwarding technologies. Network device roles are strictly defined with little or no flexibility. In Software - Defined Networks ( SDNs ),

RADARSAT-2 Polarimetry for Lake Ice Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Feng; Kang, Kyung-Kuk; Duguay, Claude

2016-04-01

Changes in the ice regime of lakes can be employed to assess long-term climate trends and variability in high latitude regions. Lake ice cover observations are not only useful for climate monitoring, but also for improving ice and weather forecasts using numerical prediction models. In recent years, satellite remote sensing has assumed a greater role in observing lake ice cover for both purposes. Radar remote sensing has become an essential tool for mapping lake ice at high latitudes where cloud cover and polar darkness severely limits ice observations from optical systems. In Canada, there is an emerging interest by government agencies to evaluate the potential of fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from RADARSAT-2 (C-band) for lake ice monitoring. In this study, we processed and analyzed the polarization states and scattering mechanisms of fully polarimetric RADARSAT-2 data obtained over Great Bear Lake, Canada, to identify open water and different ice types during the freeze-up and break-up periods. Polarimetric decompositions were employed to separate polarimetric measurements into basic scattering mechanisms. Entropy, anisotropy, and alpha angle were derived to characterize the scattering heterogeneity and mechanisms. Ice classes were then determined based on entropy and alpha angle using the unsupervised Wishart classifier and results evaluated against Landsat 8 imagery. Preliminary results suggest that the RADARSAT-2 polarimetric data offer a strong capability for identifying open water and different lake ice types.

Cooley building opens in Houston. Demonstrates value of fully integrated marketing communications.

PubMed

Rees, Tom

2002-01-01

The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal HospiTal in Houston dedicated its new 10-story Denton A. Cooley Building in January. The structure opened with a fanfare, thanks to a well-integrated marketing communications program.

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

Yu, T. P., E-mail: tongpu@nudt.edu.cn; Shao, F. Q.; Zou, D. B.

By using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we propose a scheme for strong coupling of a petawatt laser with an opening gold cone filled with near-critical-density plasmas. When relevant parameters are properly chosen, most laser energy can be fully deposited inside the cone with only 10% leaving the tip opening. Due to the asymmetric ponderomotive acceleration by the strongly decayed laser pulse, high-energy-density electrons with net laser energy gain are accumulated inside the cone, which then stream out of the tip opening continuously, like a jet. The jet electrons are fully relativistic, with speeds around 0.98−0.998 c and densities at 10{sup 20}/cm{sup 3}more » level. The jet can keep for a long time over 200 fs, which may have diverse applications in practice.« less

Curriculum Development: A Philosophical Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruening, William H.

Presenting models based on the philosophies of Carl Rogers, John Dewey, Erich Fromm, and Jean-Paul Sartre, this paper proposes a philosophical approach to education and concludes with pragmatic suggestions concerning teaching based on a fully-functioning-person model. The fully-functioning person is characterized as being open to experience,…

On the topology of flux transfer events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hesse, Michael; Birn, Joachim; Schindler, Karl

1990-01-01

A topological analysis is made of a simple model magnetic field of a perturbation at the magnetopause that shares magnetic properties with flux transfer events. The aim is to clarify a number of topological aspects that arise in the case of fully three-dimensional magnetic fields. It is shown that a localized perturbation at the magnetopause can in principle open a closed magnetosphere by establishing magnetic connections across the magnetopause by the formation of a ropelike magnetic field structure. For this purpose a global topological model of a closed magnetosphere is considered as the unperturbed state. The topological substructure of the model flux rope is discussed in detail.

Decreased electrophysiological activity represents the conscious state of emptiness in meditation

PubMed Central

Hinterberger, Thilo; Schmidt, Stephanie; Kamei, Tsutomu; Walach, Harald

2014-01-01

Many neuroscientific theories explain consciousness with higher order information processing corresponding to an activation of specific brain areas and processes. In contrast, most forms of meditation ask for a down-regulation of certain mental processing activities while remaining fully conscious. To identify the physiological properties of conscious states with decreased mental and cognitive processing, the electrical brain activity (64 channels of EEG) of 50 participants of various meditation proficiencies was measured during distinct and idiosyncratic meditative tasks. The tasks comprised a wakeful “thoughtless emptiness (TE),” a “focused attention,” and an “open monitoring” task asking for mindful presence in the moment and in the environment without attachment to distracting thoughts. Our analysis mainly focused on 30 highly experienced meditators with at least 5 years and 1000 h of meditation experience. Spectral EEG power comparisons of the TE state with the resting state or other forms of meditation showed decreased activities in specific frequency bands. In contrast to a focused attention task the TE task showed significant central and parietal gamma decreases (p < 0.05). Compared to open monitoring TE expressed decreased alpha and beta amplitudes, mainly in parietal areas (p < 0.01). TE presented significantly less delta (p < 0.001) and theta (p < 0.05) waves than a wakeful closed eyes resting condition. A group of participants with none or little meditation practice did not present those differences significantly. Our findings indicate that a conscious state of TE reached by experienced meditators is characterized by reduced high-frequency brain processing with simultaneous reduction of the low frequencies. This suggests that such a state of meditative conscious awareness might be different from higher cognitive and mentally focused states but also from states of sleep and drowsiness. PMID:24596562

An Assessment of Some Design Constraints on Heat Production of a 3D Conceptual EGS Model Using an Open-Source Geothermal Reservoir Simulation Code

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

Yidong Xia; Mitch Plummer; Robert Podgorney

2016-02-01

Performance of heat production process over a 30-year period is assessed in a conceptual EGS model with a geothermal gradient of 65K per km depth in the reservoir. Water is circulated through a pair of parallel wells connected by a set of single large wing fractures. The results indicate that the desirable output electric power rate and lifespan could be obtained under suitable material properties and system parameters. A sensitivity analysis on some design constraints and operation parameters indicates that 1) the fracture horizontal spacing has profound effect on the long-term performance of heat production, 2) the downward deviation anglemore » for the parallel doublet wells may help overcome the difficulty of vertical drilling to reach a favorable production temperature, and 3) the thermal energy production rate and lifespan has close dependence on water mass flow rate. The results also indicate that the heat production can be improved when the horizontal fracture spacing, well deviation angle, and production flow rate are under reasonable conditions. To conduct the reservoir modeling and simulations, an open-source, finite element based, fully implicit, fully coupled hydrothermal code, namely FALCON, has been developed and used in this work. Compared with most other existing codes that are either closed-source or commercially available in this area, this new open-source code has demonstrated a code development strategy that aims to provide an unparalleled easiness for user-customization and multi-physics coupling. Test results have shown that the FALCON code is able to complete the long-term tests efficiently and accurately, thanks to the state-of-the-art nonlinear and linear solver algorithms implemented in the code.« less

Cascading Effects of Canopy Opening and Debris Deposition from a Large-Scale Hurricane Experiment in a Tropical Rain Forest

Treesearch

Aaron B. Shiels; Grizelle Gonzalez; D. Jean Lodge; Michael R Willig; Jess K. Zimmerman

2015-01-01

Intense hurricanes disturb many tropical forests, but the key mechanisms driving post-hurricane forest changes are not fully understood. In Puerto Rico, we used a replicated factorial experiment to determine the mechanisms of forest change associated with canopy openness and organic matter (debris) addition. Cascading effects from canopy openness accounted for...

"I've Never Heard of It Before": Awareness of Open Access at a Small Liberal Arts University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kocken, Gregory J.; Wical, Stephanie H.

2013-01-01

Small colleges and universities, often late adopters of institutional repositories and open access initiatives, face challenges that have not fully been explored in the professional literature. In an effort to gauge the level of awareness of open access and institutional repositories at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC), the authors of…

Selectively Sized Graphene-Based Nanopores for in Situ Single Molecule Sensing

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The use of nanopore biosensors is set to be extremely important in developing precise single molecule detectors and providing highly sensitive advanced analysis of biological molecules. The precise tailoring of nanopore size is a significant step toward achieving this, as it would allow for a nanopore to be tuned to a corresponding analyte. The work presented here details a methodology for selectively opening nanopores in real-time. The tunable nanopores on a quartz nanopipette platform are fabricated using the electroetching of a graphene-based membrane constructed from individual graphene nanoflakes (ø ∼30 nm). The device design allows for in situ opening of the graphene membrane, from fully closed to fully opened (ø ∼25 nm), a feature that has yet to be reported in the literature. The translocation of DNA is studied as the pore size is varied, allowing for subfeatures of DNA to be detected with slower DNA translocations at smaller pore sizes, and the ability to observe trends as the pore is opened. This approach opens the door to creating a device that can be target to detect specific analytes. PMID:26204996

Experimental demonstration of a fully inseparable quantum state with nonlocalizable entanglement

PubMed Central

Mičuda, M.; Koutný, D.; Miková, M.; Straka, I.; Ježek, M.; Mišta, L.

2017-01-01

Localizability of entanglement in fully inseparable states is a key ingredient of assisted quantum information protocols as well as measurement-based models of quantum computing. We investigate the existence of fully inseparable states with nonlocalizable entanglement, that is, with entanglement which cannot be localized between any pair of subsystems by any measurement on the remaining part of the system. It is shown, that the nonlocalizable entanglement occurs already in suitable mixtures of a three-qubit GHZ state and white noise. Further, we generalize this set of states to a two-parametric family of fully inseparable three-qubit states with nonlocalizable entanglement. Finally, we demonstrate experimentally the existence of nonlocalizable entanglement by preparing and characterizing one state from the family using correlated single photons and linear optical circuit. PMID:28344336

Experimental demonstration of a fully inseparable quantum state with nonlocalizable entanglement.

PubMed

Mičuda, M; Koutný, D; Miková, M; Straka, I; Ježek, M; Mišta, L

2017-03-27

Localizability of entanglement in fully inseparable states is a key ingredient of assisted quantum information protocols as well as measurement-based models of quantum computing. We investigate the existence of fully inseparable states with nonlocalizable entanglement, that is, with entanglement which cannot be localized between any pair of subsystems by any measurement on the remaining part of the system. It is shown, that the nonlocalizable entanglement occurs already in suitable mixtures of a three-qubit GHZ state and white noise. Further, we generalize this set of states to a two-parametric family of fully inseparable three-qubit states with nonlocalizable entanglement. Finally, we demonstrate experimentally the existence of nonlocalizable entanglement by preparing and characterizing one state from the family using correlated single photons and linear optical circuit.

The Ω-loop lid domain of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase is essential for catalytic function

PubMed Central

Johnson, Troy A.; Holyoak, Todd

2012-01-01

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is an essential metabolic enzyme operating in the gluconeogenesis and glyceroneogenesis pathways. Recent studies have demonstrated that the enzyme contains a mobile active site lid domain that transitions between an open/disorded conformation to a closed/ordered conformation as the enzyme progresses through the catalytic cycle. The understanding of how this mobile domain functions in catalysis is incomplete. Previous studies show that the closure of the lid domain stabilizes the reaction intermediate and protects the reactive intermediate from spurious protonation and thus contributes to the fidelity of the enzyme. In order to more fully investigate the roles of the lid domain in PEPCK function we created three mutations that replaced the 11-residue lid domain with one, two or three glycine residues. Kinetic analysis of the mutant enzymes demonstrates that none of the enzyme constructs exhibit any measurable kinetic activity resulting in a decrease in the catalytic parameters by at least 106. Structural characterization of the mutants in complexes representing the catalytic cycle suggest that the inactivity is due to a role for the lid domain in the formation of the fully closed state of the enzyme that is required for catalytic function. In the absence of the lid domain, the enzyme is unable to achieve the fully closed state and is rendered inactive despite possessing all of the residues and substrates required for catalytic function. This work demonstrates how enzyme catalytic function can be abolished through the alteration of conformational equilibria despite all elements required for chemical conversion of substrates to products remaining intact. PMID:23127136

Independent saturation of three TrpRS subsites generates a partially assembled state similar to those observed in molecular simulations

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

Laowanapiban, Poramaet; Kapustina, Maryna; Vonrhein, Clemens

2009-03-05

Two new crystal structures of Bacillus stearothermophilus tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (TrpRS) afford evidence that a closed interdomain hinge angle requires a covalent bond between AMP and an occupant of either pyrophosphate or tryptophan subsite. They also are within experimental error of a cluster of structures observed in a nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulation showing partial active-site assembly. Further, the highest energy structure in a minimum action pathway computed by using elastic network models for Open and Pretransition state (PreTS) conformations for the fully liganded TrpRS monomer is intermediate between that simulated structure and a partially disassembled structure from a nonequilibrium molecular dynamicsmore » trajectory for the unliganded PreTS. These mutual consistencies provide unexpected validation of inferences drawn from molecular simulations.« less

Fatigue crack closure behavior at high stress ratios

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, C. Christopher; Carman, C. Davis; Hillberry, Ben M.

1988-01-01

Fatigue crack delay behavior at high stress ratio caused by single peak overloads was investigated in two thicknesses of 7475-T731 aluminum alloy. Closure measurements indicated no closure occurred before or throughout the overload plastic zones following the overload. This was further substantiated by comparing the specimen compliance following the overload with the compliance of a low R ratio test when the crack was fully open. Scanning electron microscope studies revealed that crack tunneling and possibly reinitiation of the crack occurred, most likely a result of crack-tip blunting. The number of delay cycles was greater for the thinner mixed mode stress state specimen than for the thicker plane strain stress state specimen, which is similar to low R ratio test results and may be due to a larger plastic zone for the mixed mode cased.

Closed-loop mechanical ventilation for lung injury: a novel physiological-feedback mode following the principles of the open lung concept.

PubMed

Schwaiberger, David; Pickerodt, Philipp A; Pomprapa, Anake; Tjarks, Onno; Kork, Felix; Boemke, Willehad; Francis, Roland C E; Leonhardt, Steffen; Lachmann, Burkhard

2018-06-01

Adherence to low tidal volume (V T ) ventilation and selected positive end-expiratory pressures are low during mechanical ventilation for treatment of the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Using a pig model of severe lung injury, we tested the feasibility and physiological responses to a novel fully closed-loop mechanical ventilation algorithm based on the "open lung" concept. Lung injury was induced by surfactant washout in pigs (n = 8). Animals were ventilated following the principles of the "open lung approach" (OLA) using a fully closed-loop physiological feedback algorithm for mechanical ventilation. Standard gas exchange, respiratory- and hemodynamic parameters were measured. Electrical impedance tomography was used to quantify regional ventilation distribution during mechanical ventilation. Automatized mechanical ventilation provided strict adherence to low V T -ventilation for 6 h in severely lung injured pigs. Using the "open lung" approach, tidal volume delivery required low lung distending pressures, increased recruitment and ventilation of dorsal lung regions and improved arterial blood oxygenation. Physiological feedback closed-loop mechanical ventilation according to the principles of the open lung concept is feasible and provides low tidal volume ventilation without human intervention. Of importance, the "open lung approach"-ventilation improved gas exchange and reduced lung driving pressures by opening atelectasis and shifting of ventilation to dorsal lung regions.

Copernicus Earth observation programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Žlebir, Silvo

European Earth observation program Copernicus is an EU-wide programme that integrates satellite data, in-situ data and modeling to provide user-focused information services to support policymakers, researchers, businesses and citizens. Land monitoring service and Emergency service are fully operational already, Atmosphere monitoring service and Marine environment monitoring service are preoperational and will become fully operational in the following year, while Climate change service and Security service are in an earlier development phase. New series of a number of dedicated satellite missions will be launched in the following years, operated by the European Space Agency and EUMETSAT, starting with Sentinel 1A satellite early this year. Ground based, air-borne and sea-borne in-situ data are provided by different international networks and organizations, EU member states networks etc. European Union is devoting a particular attention to secure a sustainable long-term operational provision of the services. Copernicus is also stated as a European Union’s most important contribution to Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The status and the recent development of the Copernicus programme will be presented, together with its future perspective. As Copernicus services have already demonstrated their usability and effectiveness, some interesting cases of their deployment will be presented. Copernicus free and open data policy, supported by a recently adopted EU legislative act, will also be presented.

A study of institutional spending on open access publication fees in Germany.

PubMed

Jahn, Najko; Tullney, Marco

2016-01-01

Publication fees as a revenue source for open access publishing hold a prominent place on the agendas of researchers, policy makers, and academic publishers. This study contributes to the evolving empirical basis for funding these charges and examines how much German universities and research organisations spent on open access publication fees. Using self-reported cost data from the Open APC initiative, the analysis focused on the amount that was being spent on publication fees, and compared these expenditure with data from related Austrian (FWF) and UK (Wellcome Trust, Jisc) initiatives, in terms of both size and the proportion of articles being published in fully and hybrid open access journals. We also investigated how thoroughly self-reported articles were indexed in Crossref, a DOI minting agency for scholarly literature, and analysed how the institutional spending was distributed across publishers and journal titles. According to self-reported data from 30 German universities and research organisations between 2005 and 2015, expenditures on open access publication fees increased over the years in Germany and amounted to € 9,627,537 for 7,417 open access journal articles. The average payment was € 1,298, and the median was € 1,231. A total of 94% of the total article volume included in the study was supported in accordance with the price cap of € 2,000, a limit imposed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) as part of its funding activities for open access funding at German universities. Expenditures varied considerably at the institutional level. There were also differences in how much the institutions spent per journal and publisher. These differences reflect, at least in part, the varying pricing schemes in place including discounted publication fees. With an indexing coverage of 99%, Crossref thoroughly indexed the open access journals articles included in the study. A comparison with the related openly available cost data from Austria and the UK revealed that German universities and research organisations primarily funded articles in fully open access journals. By contrast, articles in hybrid journal accounted for the largest share of spending according to the Austrian and UK data. Fees paid for hybrid journals were on average more expensive than those paid for fully open access journals.

A study of institutional spending on open access publication fees in Germany

PubMed Central

Tullney, Marco

2016-01-01

Publication fees as a revenue source for open access publishing hold a prominent place on the agendas of researchers, policy makers, and academic publishers. This study contributes to the evolving empirical basis for funding these charges and examines how much German universities and research organisations spent on open access publication fees. Using self-reported cost data from the Open APC initiative, the analysis focused on the amount that was being spent on publication fees, and compared these expenditure with data from related Austrian (FWF) and UK (Wellcome Trust, Jisc) initiatives, in terms of both size and the proportion of articles being published in fully and hybrid open access journals. We also investigated how thoroughly self-reported articles were indexed in Crossref, a DOI minting agency for scholarly literature, and analysed how the institutional spending was distributed across publishers and journal titles. According to self-reported data from 30 German universities and research organisations between 2005 and 2015, expenditures on open access publication fees increased over the years in Germany and amounted to € 9,627,537 for 7,417 open access journal articles. The average payment was € 1,298, and the median was € 1,231. A total of 94% of the total article volume included in the study was supported in accordance with the price cap of € 2,000, a limit imposed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) as part of its funding activities for open access funding at German universities. Expenditures varied considerably at the institutional level. There were also differences in how much the institutions spent per journal and publisher. These differences reflect, at least in part, the varying pricing schemes in place including discounted publication fees. With an indexing coverage of 99%, Crossref thoroughly indexed the open access journals articles included in the study. A comparison with the related openly available cost data from Austria and the UK revealed that German universities and research organisations primarily funded articles in fully open access journals. By contrast, articles in hybrid journal accounted for the largest share of spending according to the Austrian and UK data. Fees paid for hybrid journals were on average more expensive than those paid for fully open access journals. PMID:27602289

Innovative Technology in Automotive Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, John

2007-01-01

Automotive Technology combines hands-on training along with a fully integrated, interactive, computerized multistationed facility. Our program is a competency based, true open-entry/open-exit program that utilizes flexible self-paced course outlines. It is designed around an industry partnership that promotes community and economic development,…

The Shale Hills Sensorium for Embedded Sensors, Simulation, & Visualization: A Prototype for Land-Vegetation-Atmosphere Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duffy, C.

2008-12-01

The future of environmental observing systems will utilize embedded sensor networks with continuous real- time measurement of hydrologic, atmospheric, biogeochemical, and ecological variables across diverse terrestrial environments. Embedded environmental sensors, benefitting from advances in information sciences, networking technology, materials science, computing capacity, and data synthesis methods, are undergoing revolutionary change. It is now possible to field spatially-distributed, multi-node sensor networks that provide density and spatial coverage previously accessible only via numerical simulation. At the same time, computational tools are advancing rapidly to the point where it is now possible to simulate the physical processes controlling individual parcels of water and solutes through the complete terrestrial water cycle. Our goal for the Penn State Critical Zone Observatory is to apply environmental sensor arrays, integrated hydrologic models, and state-of-the-art visualization deployed and coordinated at a testbed within the Penn State Experimental Forest. The Shale Hills Hydro_Sensorium prototype proposed here is designed to observe land-atmosphere interactions in four-dimensional (space and time). The term Hydro_Sensorium implies the totality of physical sensors, models and visualization tools that allow us to perceive the detailed space and time complexities of the water and energy cycle for a watershed or river basin for all physical states and fluxes (groundwater, soil moisture, temperature, streamflow, latent heat, snowmelt, chemistry, isotopes etc.). This research will ultimately catalyze the study of complex interactions between the land surface, subsurface, biological and atmospheric systems over a broad range of scales. The sensor array would be real-time and fully controllable by remote users for "computational steering" and data fusion. Presently fully-coupled physical models are being developed that link the atmosphere-land-vegetation-subsurface system into a fully-coupled distributed system. During the last 5 years the Penn State Integrated Hydrologic Modeling System has been under development as an open-source community modeling project funded by NSF EAR/GEO and NSF CBET/ENG. PIHM represents a strategy for the formulation and solution of fully-coupled process equations at the watershed and river basin scales, and includes a tightly coupled GIS tool for data handling, domain decomposition, optimal unstructured grid generation, and model parameterization. The sensor and simulation system has the following elements: 1) extensive, spatially-distributed, non- invasive, smart sensor networks to gather massive geologic, hydrologic, and geochemical data; 2) stochastic information fusion methods; 3) spatially-explicit multiphysics models/solutions of the land-vegetation- atmosphere system; and 4) asynchronous, parallel/distributed, adaptive algorithms for rapidly simulating the states of a basin at high resolution, 5) signal processing tools for data mining and parameter estimation, and 6) visualization tools. The prototype proposed sensor array and simulation system proposed here will offer a coherent new approach to environmental predictions with a fully integrated observing system design. We expect that the Shale Hills Hydro_Sensorium may provide the needed synthesis of information and conceptualization necessary to advance predictive understanding in complex hydrologic systems.

Edaq530: A Transparent, Open-End and Open-Source Measurement Solution in Natural Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopasz, Katalin; Makra, Peter; Gingl, Zoltan

2011-01-01

We present Edaq530, a low-cost, compact and easy-to-use digital measurement solution consisting of a thumb-sized USB-to-sensor interface and measurement software. The solution is fully open-source, our aim being to provide a viable alternative to professional solutions. Our main focus in designing Edaq530 has been versatility and transparency. In…

Quantum steering of Gaussian states via non-Gaussian measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Se-Wan; Lee, Jaehak; Park, Jiyong; Nha, Hyunchul

2016-07-01

Quantum steering—a strong correlation to be verified even when one party or its measuring device is fully untrusted—not only provides a profound insight into quantum physics but also offers a crucial basis for practical applications. For continuous-variable (CV) systems, Gaussian states among others have been extensively studied, however, mostly confined to Gaussian measurements. While the fulfilment of Gaussian criterion is sufficient to detect CV steering, whether it is also necessary for Gaussian states is a question of fundamental importance in many contexts. This critically questions the validity of characterizations established only under Gaussian measurements like the quantification of steering and the monogamy relations. Here, we introduce a formalism based on local uncertainty relations of non-Gaussian measurements, which is shown to manifest quantum steering of some Gaussian states that Gaussian criterion fails to detect. To this aim, we look into Gaussian states of practical relevance, i.e. two-mode squeezed states under a lossy and an amplifying Gaussian channel. Our finding significantly modifies the characteristics of Gaussian-state steering so far established such as monogamy relations and one-way steering under Gaussian measurements, thus opening a new direction for critical studies beyond Gaussian regime.

Apertured averaged scintillation of fully and partially coherent Gaussian, annular Gaussian, flat toped and dark hollow beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eyyuboğlu, Halil T.

2015-03-01

Apertured averaged scintillation requires the evaluation of rather complicated irradiance covariance function. Here we develop a much simpler numerical method based on our earlier introduced semi-analytic approach. Using this method, we calculate aperture averaged scintillation of fully and partially coherent Gaussian, annular Gaussian flat topped and dark hollow beams. For comparison, the principles of equal source beam power and normalizing the aperture averaged scintillation with respect to received power are applied. Our results indicate that for fully coherent beams, upon adjusting the aperture sizes to capture 10 and 20% of the equal source power, Gaussian beam needs the largest aperture opening, yielding the lowest aperture average scintillation, whilst the opposite occurs for annular Gaussian and dark hollow beams. When assessed on the basis of received power normalized aperture averaged scintillation, fixed propagation distance and aperture size, annular Gaussian and dark hollow beams seem to have the lowest scintillation. Just like the case of point-like scintillation, partially coherent beams will offer less aperture averaged scintillation in comparison to fully coherent beams. But this performance improvement relies on larger aperture openings. Upon normalizing the aperture averaged scintillation with respect to received power, fully coherent beams become more advantageous than partially coherent ones.

Modelling the competition between photo-darkening and photo-bleaching effects in high-power ytterbium-doped fibre amplifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jolly, A.; Vinçont, C.; Pierre, Ch.; Boullet, J.

2017-08-01

We propose an innovative, fully space-time model to take into account the seed-dependent nature of ageing penalties in high-power ytterbium-doped fibre amplifiers. Ageing is shown to be based on the on-going competition between photo-darkening and photo-bleaching phenomena. Our approach is based on the natural interplay between the excited states of co-existing ytterbium pairs and colour centres in highly doped fibres, in the presence of thermal coupling between the closely spaced excited states. As initiated from IR photons, the excitation of colour centres up to the UV band is supposed to be governed by multi-photon absorption. The interactions of interest in the kinetics of photo-bleaching then take the form of highly efficient charge transfers, which imply the reduction of some fraction of the basically trivalent ions to their divalent state. Due to the activation of ytterbium pairs by means of energy transfer up-conversion, these interactions get more and more effective at elevated operating powers. Computational results using these principles actually help to fit our experimental data regarding seeding effects, as well as fully generic trends already evidenced in the literature. This gives a fine demonstration for the need to discriminate co-active pump and signal contributions. Our self-consistent, still simplified model then consists of a valuable tool to help for a deeper understanding of the ageing issues. Furthermore, considering higher-order ytterbium aggregates, this should open new routes towards more comprehensive models.

Thermal Hall conductivity in the spin-triplet superconductor with broken time-reversal symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imai, Yoshiki; Wakabayashi, Katsunori; Sigrist, Manfred

2017-01-01

Motivated by the spin-triplet superconductor Sr2RuO4 , the thermal Hall conductivity is investigated for several pairing symmetries with broken time-reversal symmetry. In the chiral p -wave phase with a fully opened quasiparticle excitation gap, the temperature dependence of the thermal Hall conductivity has a temperature linear term associated with the topological property directly and an exponential term, which shows a drastic change around the Lifshitz transition. Examining f -wave states as alternative candidates with d =Δ0z ̂(kx2-ky2) (kx±i ky) and Δ0z ̂kxky(kx±i ky) with gapless quasiparticle excitations, we study the temperature dependence of the thermal Hall conductivity, where for the former state the thermal Hall conductivity has a quadratic dependence on temperature, originating from the linear dispersions, in addition to linear and exponential behavior. The obtained result may enable us to distinguish between the chiral p -wave and f -wave states in Sr2RuO4 .

Parametric representation of open quantum systems and cross-over from quantum to classical environment.

PubMed

Calvani, Dario; Cuccoli, Alessandro; Gidopoulos, Nikitas I; Verrucchi, Paola

2013-04-23

The behavior of most physical systems is affected by their natural surroundings. A quantum system with an environment is referred to as open, and its study varies according to the classical or quantum description adopted for the environment. We propose an approach to open quantum systems that allows us to follow the cross-over from quantum to classical environments; to achieve this, we devise an exact parametric representation of the principal system, based on generalized coherent states for the environment. The method is applied to the s = 1/2 Heisenberg star with frustration, where the quantum character of the environment varies with the couplings entering the Hamiltonian H. We find that when the star is in an eigenstate of H, the central spin behaves as if it were in an effective magnetic field, pointing in the direction set by the environmental coherent-state angle variables (θ, ϕ), and broadened according to their quantum probability distribution. Such distribution is independent of ϕ, whereas as a function of θ is seen to get narrower as the quantum character of the environment is reduced, collapsing into a Dirac-δ function in the classical limit. In such limit, because ϕ is left undetermined, the Von Neumann entropy of the central spin remains finite; in fact, it is equal to the entanglement of the original fully quantum model, a result that establishes a relation between this latter quantity and the Berry phase characterizing the dynamics of the central spin in the effective magnetic field.

Outcomes of Chat and Discussion Board Use in Online Learning: A Research Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackmon, Stephanie J.

2012-01-01

Online discussion boards are often used in traditional courses, hybrid courses, and fully online courses. Online chats and discussions can be particularly useful in fully online courses, as these communication connections are often students' only means of connecting with each other and sharing ideas in an open forum. While traditional face-to-face…

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

Zanetti, F.M.; Vicentini, E.; Luz, M.G.E. da

It was proposed about a decade ago [M.G.E. da Luz, A.S. Lupu-Sax, E.J. Heller, Phys. Rev. E 56 (1997) 2496] a simple approach for obtaining scattering states for arbitrary disconnected open or closed boundaries C, with different boundary conditions. Since then, the so called boundary wall method has been successfully used to solve different open boundary problems. However, its applicability to closed shapes has not been fully explored. In this contribution we present a complete account of how to use the boundary wall to the case of billiard systems. We review the general ideas and particularize them to single connectedmore » closed shapes, assuming Dirichlet boundary conditions for the C's. We discuss the mathematical aspects that lead to both the inside and outside solutions. We also present a different way to calculate the exterior scattering S matrix. From it, we revisit the important inside-outside duality for billiards. Finally, we give some numerical examples, illustrating the efficiency and flexibility of the method to treat this type of problem.« less

Parameter-free driven Liouville-von Neumann approach for time-dependent electronic transport simulations in open quantum systems

DOE PAGES

Zelovich, Tamar; Hansen, Thorsten; Liu, Zhen-Fei; ...

2017-03-02

A parameter-free version of the recently developed driven Liouville-von Neumann equation [T. Zelovich et al., J. Chem. Theory Comput. 10(8), 2927-2941 (2014)] for electronic transport calculations in molecular junctions is presented. The single driving rate, appearing as a fitting parameter in the original methodology, is replaced by a set of state-dependent broadening factors applied to the different single-particle lead levels. These broadening factors are extracted explicitly from the self-energy of the corresponding electronic reservoir and are fully transferable to any junction incorporating the same lead model. Furthermore, the performance of the method is demonstrated via tight-binding and extended Hückel calculationsmore » of simple junction models. Our analytic considerations and numerical results indicate that the developed methodology constitutes a rigorous framework for the design of "black-box" algorithms to simulate electron dynamics in open quantum systems out of equilibrium.« less

Parameter-free driven Liouville-von Neumann approach for time-dependent electronic transport simulations in open quantum systems

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

Zelovich, Tamar; Hansen, Thorsten; Liu, Zhen-Fei

A parameter-free version of the recently developed driven Liouville-von Neumann equation [T. Zelovich et al., J. Chem. Theory Comput. 10(8), 2927-2941 (2014)] for electronic transport calculations in molecular junctions is presented. The single driving rate, appearing as a fitting parameter in the original methodology, is replaced by a set of state-dependent broadening factors applied to the different single-particle lead levels. These broadening factors are extracted explicitly from the self-energy of the corresponding electronic reservoir and are fully transferable to any junction incorporating the same lead model. Furthermore, the performance of the method is demonstrated via tight-binding and extended Hückel calculationsmore » of simple junction models. Our analytic considerations and numerical results indicate that the developed methodology constitutes a rigorous framework for the design of "black-box" algorithms to simulate electron dynamics in open quantum systems out of equilibrium.« less

The sPHENIX Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez Lara, Carlos E.

2018-02-01

Our understanding of QCD under extreme conditions has advanced tremendously in the last 20 years with the discovery of the Quark Gluon Plasma and its characterisation in heavy ion collisions at RHIC and LHC. The sPHENIX detector planned at RHIC is designed to further study the microscopic nature of the QGP through precision measurements of jet, upsilon and open heavy flavor probes over a broad pT range. The multi-year sPHENIX physics program will commence in early 2023, using state-of-the art detector technologies to fully exploit the highest RHIC luminosities. The experiment incorporates the 1.4 T former BaBar solenoid magnet, and will feature high precision tracking and vertexing capabilities, provided by a compact TPC, Si-strip intermediate tracker and MAPS vertex detector. This is complemented by highly granular electromagnetic and hadronic calorimetry with full azimuthal coverage. In this document I describe the sPHENIX detector design and physics program, with particular emphasis on the comprehensive open heavy flavour program enabled by the experiment's large coverage, high rate capability and precision vertexing.

Dynamic modeling and simulation of an integral bipropellant propulsion double-valve combined test system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yang; Wang, Huasheng; Xia, Jixia; Cai, Guobiao; Zhang, Zhenpeng

2017-04-01

For the pressure reducing regulator and check valve double-valve combined test system in an integral bipropellant propulsion system, a system model is established with modular models of various typical components. The simulation research is conducted on the whole working process of an experiment of 9 MPa working condition from startup to rated working condition and finally to shutdown. Comparison of simulation results with test data shows: five working conditions including standby, startup, rated pressurization, shutdown and halt and nine stages of the combined test system are comprehensively disclosed; valve-spool opening and closing details of the regulator and two check valves are accurately revealed; the simulation also clarifies two phenomena which test data are unable to clarify, one is the critical opening state in which the check valve spools slightly open and close alternately in their own fully closed positions, the other is the obvious effects of flow-field temperature drop and temperature rise in pipeline network with helium gas flowing. Moreover, simulation results with consideration of component wall heat transfer are closer to the test data than those under the adiabatic-wall condition, and more able to reveal the dynamic characteristics of the system in various working stages.

National Geothermal Data System: an Exemplar of Open Access to Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allison, M. L.; Richard, S. M.; Blackman, H.; Anderson, A.

2013-12-01

The National Geothermal Data System's (NGDS - www.geothermaldata.org) formal launch in 2014 will provide open access to millions of datasets, sharing technical geothermal-relevant data across the geosciences to propel geothermal development and production. With information from all of the Department of Energy's sponsored development and research projects and geologic data from all 50 states, this free, interactive tool is opening new exploration opportunities and shortening project development by making data easily discoverable and accessible. We continue to populate our prototype functional data system with multiple data nodes and nationwide data online and available to the public. Data from state geological surveys and partners includes more than 5 million records online, including 1.48 million well headers (oil and gas, water, geothermal), 732,000 well logs, and 314,000 borehole temperatures and is growing rapidly. There are over 250 Web services and another 138 WMS (Web Map Services) registered in the system as of August, 2013. Companion projects run by Boise State University, Southern Methodist University, and USGS are adding millions of additional data records. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is managing the Geothermal Data Repository which will serve as a system node and clearinghouse for data from hundreds of DOE-funded geothermal projects. NGDS is built on the US Geoscience Information Network data integration framework, which is a joint undertaking of the USGS and the Association of American State Geologists (AASG). NGDS is fully compliant with the White House Executive Order of May 2013, requiring all federal agencies to make their data holdings publicly accessible online in open source, interoperable formats with common core and extensible metadata. The National Geothermal Data System is being designed, built, deployed, and populated primarily with grants from the US Department of Energy, Geothermal Technologies Office. To keep this operational system sustainable after the original implementation will require four core elements: continued serving of data and applications by providers; maintenance of system operations; a governance structure; and an effective business model. Each of these presents a number of challenges currently under consideration.

Evolution equation for quantum entanglement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konrad, Thomas; de Melo, Fernando; Tiersch, Markus; Kasztelan, Christian; Aragão, Adriano; Buchleitner, Andreas

2008-02-01

Quantum information technology largely relies on a precious and fragile resource, quantum entanglement, a highly non-trivial manifestation of the coherent superposition of states of composite quantum systems. However, our knowledge of the time evolution of this resource under realistic conditions-that is, when corrupted by environment-induced decoherence-is so far limited, and general statements on entanglement dynamics in open systems are scarce. Here we prove a simple and general factorization law for quantum systems shared by two parties, which describes the time evolution of entanglement on passage of either component through an arbitrary noisy channel. The robustness of entanglement-based quantum information processing protocols is thus easily and fully characterized by a single quantity.

Relationship between population of the fibril-prone conformation in the monomeric state and oligomer formation times of peptides: Insights from all-atom simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nam, Hoang Bao; Kouza, Maksim; Zung, Hoang; Li, Mai Suan

2010-04-01

Despite much progress in understanding the aggregation process of biomolecules, the factors that govern its rates have not been fully understood. This problem is of particular importance since many conformational diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson, and type-II diabetes are associated with the protein oligomerization. Having performed all-atom simulations with explicit water and various force fields for two short peptides KFFE and NNQQ, we show that their oligomer formation times are strongly correlated with the population of the fibril-prone conformation in the monomeric state. The larger the population the faster the aggregation process. Our result not only suggests that this quantity plays a key role in the self-assembly of polypeptide chains but also opens a new way to understand the fibrillogenesis of biomolecules at the monomeric level. The nature of oligomer ordering of NNQQ is studied in detail.

Induced Polarization Influences the Fundamental Forces in DNA Base Flipping

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Base flipping in DNA is an important process involved in genomic repair and epigenetic control of gene expression. The driving forces for these processes are not fully understood, especially in the context of the underlying dynamics of the DNA and solvent effects. We studied double-stranded DNA oligomers that have been previously characterized by imino proton exchange NMR using both additive and polarizable force fields. Our results highlight the importance of induced polarization on the base flipping process, yielding near-quantitative agreement with experimental measurements of the equilibrium between the base-paired and flipped states. Further, these simulations allow us to quantify for the first time the energetic implications of polarization on the flipping pathway. Free energy barriers to base flipping are reduced by changes in dipole moments of both the flipped bases that favor solvation of the bases in the open state and water molecules adjacent to the flipping base. PMID:24976900

Automated Analysis of Stateflow Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bourbouh, Hamza; Garoche, Pierre-Loic; Garion, Christophe; Gurfinkel, Arie; Kahsaia, Temesghen; Thirioux, Xavier

2017-01-01

Stateflow is a widely used modeling framework for embedded and cyber physical systems where control software interacts with physical processes. In this work, we present a framework a fully automated safety verification technique for Stateflow models. Our approach is two-folded: (i) we faithfully compile Stateflow models into hierarchical state machines, and (ii) we use automated logic-based verification engine to decide the validity of safety properties. The starting point of our approach is a denotational semantics of State flow. We propose a compilation process using continuation-passing style (CPS) denotational semantics. Our compilation technique preserves the structural and modal behavior of the system. The overall approach is implemented as an open source toolbox that can be integrated into the existing Mathworks Simulink Stateflow modeling framework. We present preliminary experimental evaluations that illustrate the effectiveness of our approach in code generation and safety verification of industrial scale Stateflow models.

Medication and volume delivery by gravity-driven micro-drip intravenous infusion: potential variations during "wide-open" flow.

PubMed

Pierce, Eric T; Kumar, Vikram; Zheng, Hui; Peterfreund, Robert A

2013-03-01

Gravity-driven micro-drip infusion sets allow control of medication dose delivery by adjusting drops per minute. When the roller clamp is fully open, flow in the drip chamber can be a continuous fluid column rather than discrete, countable, drops. We hypothesized that during this "wide-open" state, drug delivery becomes dependent on factors extrinsic to the micro-drip set and is therefore difficult to predict. We conducted laboratory experiments to characterize volume delivery under various clinically relevant conditions of wide-open flow in an in vitro laboratory model. A micro-drip infusion set, plugged into a bag of normal saline, was connected to a high-flow stopcock at the distal end. Vertically oriented IV catheters (gauges 14-22) were connected to the stopcock. The fluid meniscus height in the bag was fixed (60-120 cm) above the outflow point. The roller clamp on the infusion set was in fully open position for all experiments resulting in a continuous column of fluid in the drip chamber. Fluid volume delivered in 1 minute was measured 4 times with each condition. To model resistive effects of carrier flow, volumetric infusion pumps were used to deliver various flow rates of normal saline through a carrier IV set into which a micro-drip infusion was "piggybacked." We also compared delivery by micro-drip infusion sets from 3 manufacturers. The volume of fluid delivered by gravity-driven infusion under wide-open conditions (continuous fluid column in drip chamber) varied 2.9-fold (95% confidence interval, 2.84-2.96) depending on catheter size and fluid column height. Total model resistance of the micro-drip with stopcock and catheter varied with flow rate. Volume delivered by the piggybacked micro-drip decreased up to 29.7% ± 0.8% (mean ± SE) as the carrier flow increased from 0 to 1998 mL/min. Delivery characteristics of the micro-drip infusion sets from 3 different manufacturers were similar. Laboratory simulation of clinical situations with gravity-driven micro-drip infusion sets under wide-open flow conditions revealed that infusion rate (drug and/or volume delivery) can vary widely depending on extrinsic factors including catheter size, fluid column height, and carrier flow. The variable resistance implies nonlaminar flow in the micro-drip model that cannot be easily predicted mathematically. These findings support the use of mechanical pumps instead of gravity-driven micro-drips to enhance the precision and safety of IV infusions, especially for vasoactive drugs.

Heterogeneous Silicon III-V Mode-Locked Lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davenport, Michael Loehrlein

Mode-locked lasers are useful for a variety of applications, such as sensing, telecommunication, and surgical instruments. This work focuses on integrated-circuit mode-locked lasers: those that combine multiple optical and electronic functions and are manufactured together on a single chip. While this allows production at high volume and lower cost, the true potential of integration is to open applications for mode-locked laser diodes where solid state lasers cannot fit, either due to size and power consumption constraints, or where small optical or electrical paths are needed for high bandwidth. Unfortunately, most high power and highly stable mode-locked laser diode demonstrations in scientific literature are based on the Fabry-Perot resonator design, with cleaved mirrors, and are unsuitable for use in integrated circuits because of the difficulty of producing integrated Fabry-Perot cavities. We use silicon photonics and heterogeneous integration with III-V gain material to produce the most powerful and lowest noise fully integrated mode-locked laser diode in the 20 GHz frequency range. If low noise and high peak power are required, it is arguably the best performing fully integrated mode-locked laser ever demonstrated. We present the design methodology and experimental pathway to realize a fully integrated mode-locked laser diode. The construction of the device, beginning with the selection of an integration platform, and proceeding through the fabrication process to final optimization, is presented in detail. The dependence of mode-locked laser performance on a wide variety of design parameters is presented. Applications for integrated circuit mode-locked lasers are also discussed, as well as proposed methods for using integration to improve mode-locking performance to beyond the current state of the art.

An Open-Source Automated Peptide Synthesizer Based on Arduino and Python.

PubMed

Gali, Hariprasad

2017-10-01

The development of the first open-source automated peptide synthesizer, PepSy, using Arduino UNO and readily available components is reported. PepSy was primarily designed to synthesize small peptides in a relatively small scale (<100 µmol). Scripts to operate PepSy in a fully automatic or manual mode were written in Python. Fully automatic script includes functions to carry out resin swelling, resin washing, single coupling, double coupling, Fmoc deprotection, ivDde deprotection, on-resin oxidation, end capping, and amino acid/reagent line cleaning. Several small peptides and peptide conjugates were successfully synthesized on PepSy with reasonably good yields and purity depending on the complexity of the peptide.

Comparative Analysis of Flower Volatiles from Nine Citrus at Three Blooming Stages

PubMed Central

Azam, Muhammad; Song, Min; Fan, Fangjuan; Zhang, Bo; Xu, Yaying; Xu, Changjie; Chen, Kunsong

2013-01-01

Volatiles from flowers at three blooming stages of nine citrus cultivars were analyzed by headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME)-GC-MS. Up to 110 volatiles were detected, with 42 tentatively identified from citrus flowers for the first time. Highest amounts of volatiles were present in fully opened flowers of most citrus, except for pomelos. All cultivars were characterized by a high percentage of either oxygenated monoterpenes or monoterpene hydrocarbons, and the presence of a high percentage of nitrogen containing compounds was also observed. Flower volatiles varied qualitatively and quantitatively among citrus types during blooming. Limonene was the most abundant flower volatile only in citrons; α-citral and β-citral ranked 2nd and 3rd only for Bergamot, and unopened flowers of Ponkan had a higher amount of linalool and β-pinene while much lower amount of γ-terpinene and p-cymene than Satsuma. Taking the average of all cultivars, linalool and limonene were the top two volatiles for all blooming stages; β-pinene ranked 3rd in unopened flowers, while indole ranked 3rd for half opened and fully opened flower volatiles. As flowers bloomed, methyl anthranilate increased while 2-hexenal and p-cymene decreased. In some cases, a volatile could be high in both unopened and fully opened flowers but low in half opened ones. Through multivariate analysis, the nine citrus cultivars were clustered into three groups, consistent with the three true citrus types. Furthermore, an influence of blooming stages on clustering was observed, especially with hybrids Satsuma and Huyou. Altogether, it was suggested that flower volatiles can be suitable markers for revealing the genetic relationships between citrus cultivars but the same blooming stage needs to be strictly controlled. PMID:24232454

Comparative analysis of flower volatiles from nine citrus at three blooming stages.

PubMed

Azam, Muhammad; Song, Min; Fan, Fangjuan; Zhang, Bo; Xu, Yaying; Xu, Changjie; Chen, Kunsong

2013-11-13

Volatiles from flowers at three blooming stages of nine citrus cultivars were analyzed by headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME)-GC-MS. Up to 110 volatiles were detected, with 42 tentatively identified from citrus flowers for the first time. Highest amounts of volatiles were present in fully opened flowers of most citrus, except for pomelos. All cultivars were characterized by a high percentage of either oxygenated monoterpenes or monoterpene hydrocarbons, and the presence of a high percentage of nitrogen containing compounds was also observed. Flower volatiles varied qualitatively and quantitatively among citrus types during blooming. Limonene was the most abundant flower volatile only in citrons; α-citral and β-citral ranked 2nd and 3rd only for Bergamot, and unopened flowers of Ponkan had a higher amount of linalool and β-pinene while much lower amount of γ-terpinene and p-cymene than Satsuma. Taking the average of all cultivars, linalool and limonene were the top two volatiles for all blooming stages; β-pinene ranked 3rd in unopened flowers, while indole ranked 3rd for half opened and fully opened flower volatiles. As flowers bloomed, methyl anthranilate increased while 2-hexenal and p-cymene decreased. In some cases, a volatile could be high in both unopened and fully opened flowers but low in half opened ones. Through multivariate analysis, the nine citrus cultivars were clustered into three groups, consistent with the three true citrus types. Furthermore, an influence of blooming stages on clustering was observed, especially with hybrids Satsuma and Huyou. Altogether, it was suggested that flower volatiles can be suitable markers for revealing the genetic relationships between citrus cultivars but the same blooming stage needs to be strictly controlled.

Open Source and Design Thinking at NASA: A Vision for Future Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trimble, Jay

2017-01-01

NASA Mission Control Software for the Visualization of data has historically been closed, accessible only to small groups of flight controllers, often bound to a specific mission discipline such as flight dynamics, health and status or mission planning. Open Mission Control Technologies (MCT) provides new capability for NASA mission controllers and, by being fully open source, opens up NASA software for the visualization of mission data to broader communities inside and outside of NASA. Open MCT is the product of a design thinking process within NASA, using participatory design and design sprints to build a product that serves users.

Experimental evaluation of wall Mach number distributions of the octagonal test section proposed for NASA Lewis Research Center's altitude wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrington, Douglas E.; Burley, Richard R.; Corban, Robert R.

1986-01-01

Wall Mach number distributions were determined over a range of test-section free-stream Mach numbers from 0.2 to 0.92. The test section was slotted and had a nominal porosity of 11 percent. Reentry flaps located at the test-section exit were varied from 0 (fully closed) to 9 (fully open) degrees. Flow was bled through the test-section slots by means of a plenum evacuation system (PES) and varied from 0 to 3 percent of tunnel flow. Variations in reentry flap angle or PES flow rate had little or no effect on the Mach number distributions in the first 70 percent of the test section. However, in the aft region of the test section, flap angle and PES flow rate had a major impact on the Mach number distributions. Optimum PES flow rates were nominally 2 to 2.5 percent wtih the flaps fully closed and less than 1 percent when the flaps were fully open. The standard deviation of the test-section wall Mach numbers at the optimum PES flow rates was 0.003 or less.

mLearning and Creative Practices: A Public Challenge?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antonczak, Laurent; Keegan, Helen; Cochrane, Thomas

2016-01-01

The ethos of open sharing of experiences and user generated content enabled by Mobile social media can be problematic in some cases (politics, gender, minorities), and it is not fully understood within the creative and academic sector. Creative people, students, and lecturers can misconceive the value and issues around open and public access to…

Active control of counter-rotating open rotor interior noise in a Dornier 728 experimental aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haase, Thomas; Unruh, Oliver; Algermissen, Stephan; Pohl, Martin

2016-08-01

The fuel consumption of future civil aircraft needs to be reduced because of the CO2 restrictions declared by the European Union. A consequent lightweight design and a new engine concept called counter-rotating open rotor are seen as key technologies in the attempt to reach this ambitious goals. Bearing in mind that counter-rotating open rotor engines emit very high sound pressures at low frequencies and that lightweight structures have a poor transmission loss in the lower frequency range, these key technologies raise new questions in regard to acoustic passenger comfort. One of the promising solutions for the reduction of sound pressure levels inside the aircraft cabin are active sound and vibration systems. So far, active concepts have rarely been investigated for a counter-rotating open rotor pressure excitation on complex airframe structures. Hence, the state of the art is augmented by the preliminary study presented in this paper. The study shows how an active vibration control system can influence the sound transmission of counter-rotating open rotor noise through a complex airframe structure into the cabin. Furthermore, open questions on the way towards the realisation of an active control system are addressed. In this phase, an active feedforward control system is investigated in a fully equipped Dornier 728 experimental prototype aircraft. In particular, the sound transmission through the airframe, the coupling of classical actuators (inertial and piezoelectric patch actuators) into the structure and the performance of the active vibration control system with different error sensors are investigated. It can be shown that the active control system achieves a reduction up to 5 dB at several counter-rotating open rotor frequencies but also that a better performance could be achieved through further optimisations.

Spectral-element Seismic Wave Propagation on CUDA/OpenCL Hardware Accelerators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, D. B.; Videau, B.; Pouget, K.; Komatitsch, D.

2015-12-01

Seismic wave propagation codes are essential tools to investigate a variety of wave phenomena in the Earth. Furthermore, they can now be used for seismic full-waveform inversions in regional- and global-scale adjoint tomography. Although these seismic wave propagation solvers are crucial ingredients to improve the resolution of tomographic images to answer important questions about the nature of Earth's internal processes and subsurface structure, their practical application is often limited due to high computational costs. They thus need high-performance computing (HPC) facilities to improving the current state of knowledge. At present, numerous large HPC systems embed many-core architectures such as graphics processing units (GPUs) to enhance numerical performance. Such hardware accelerators can be programmed using either the CUDA programming environment or the OpenCL language standard. CUDA software development targets NVIDIA graphic cards while OpenCL was adopted by additional hardware accelerators, like e.g. AMD graphic cards, ARM-based processors as well as Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors. For seismic wave propagation simulations using the open-source spectral-element code package SPECFEM3D_GLOBE, we incorporated an automatic source-to-source code generation tool (BOAST) which allows us to use meta-programming of all computational kernels for forward and adjoint runs. Using our BOAST kernels, we generate optimized source code for both CUDA and OpenCL languages within the source code package. Thus, seismic wave simulations are able now to fully utilize CUDA and OpenCL hardware accelerators. We show benchmarks of forward seismic wave propagation simulations using SPECFEM3D_GLOBE on CUDA/OpenCL GPUs, validating results and comparing performances for different simulations and hardware usages.

Bioclipse: an open source workbench for chemo- and bioinformatics.

PubMed

Spjuth, Ola; Helmus, Tobias; Willighagen, Egon L; Kuhn, Stefan; Eklund, Martin; Wagener, Johannes; Murray-Rust, Peter; Steinbeck, Christoph; Wikberg, Jarl E S

2007-02-22

There is a need for software applications that provide users with a complete and extensible toolkit for chemo- and bioinformatics accessible from a single workbench. Commercial packages are expensive and closed source, hence they do not allow end users to modify algorithms and add custom functionality. Existing open source projects are more focused on providing a framework for integrating existing, separately installed bioinformatics packages, rather than providing user-friendly interfaces. No open source chemoinformatics workbench has previously been published, and no successful attempts have been made to integrate chemo- and bioinformatics into a single framework. Bioclipse is an advanced workbench for resources in chemo- and bioinformatics, such as molecules, proteins, sequences, spectra, and scripts. It provides 2D-editing, 3D-visualization, file format conversion, calculation of chemical properties, and much more; all fully integrated into a user-friendly desktop application. Editing supports standard functions such as cut and paste, drag and drop, and undo/redo. Bioclipse is written in Java and based on the Eclipse Rich Client Platform with a state-of-the-art plugin architecture. This gives Bioclipse an advantage over other systems as it can easily be extended with functionality in any desired direction. Bioclipse is a powerful workbench for bio- and chemoinformatics as well as an advanced integration platform. The rich functionality, intuitive user interface, and powerful plugin architecture make Bioclipse the most advanced and user-friendly open source workbench for chemo- and bioinformatics. Bioclipse is released under Eclipse Public License (EPL), an open source license which sets no constraints on external plugin licensing; it is totally open for both open source plugins as well as commercial ones. Bioclipse is freely available at http://www.bioclipse.net.

A generic open-source software framework supporting scenario simulations in bioterrorist crises.

PubMed

Falenski, Alexander; Filter, Matthias; Thöns, Christian; Weiser, Armin A; Wigger, Jan-Frederik; Davis, Matthew; Douglas, Judith V; Edlund, Stefan; Hu, Kun; Kaufman, James H; Appel, Bernd; Käsbohrer, Annemarie

2013-09-01

Since the 2001 anthrax attack in the United States, awareness of threats originating from bioterrorism has grown. This led internationally to increased research efforts to improve knowledge of and approaches to protecting human and animal populations against the threat from such attacks. A collaborative effort in this context is the extension of the open-source Spatiotemporal Epidemiological Modeler (STEM) simulation and modeling software for agro- or bioterrorist crisis scenarios. STEM, originally designed to enable community-driven public health disease models and simulations, was extended with new features that enable integration of proprietary data as well as visualization of agent spread along supply and production chains. STEM now provides a fully developed open-source software infrastructure supporting critical modeling tasks such as ad hoc model generation, parameter estimation, simulation of scenario evolution, estimation of effects of mitigation or management measures, and documentation. This open-source software resource can be used free of charge. Additionally, STEM provides critical features like built-in worldwide data on administrative boundaries, transportation networks, or environmental conditions (eg, rainfall, temperature, elevation, vegetation). Users can easily combine their own confidential data with built-in public data to create customized models of desired resolution. STEM also supports collaborative and joint efforts in crisis situations by extended import and export functionalities. In this article we demonstrate specifically those new software features implemented to accomplish STEM application in agro- or bioterrorist crisis scenarios.

Flight Test of 31.2 Diameter Modified Ringsail Parachute Deployed at Mach 1.39, Dynamic Pressure 11 Pounds per Square Foot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Preisser, John S.; Eckstrom, Clinton V.; Murrow, Harold N.

1967-01-01

A 31.2-foot (9.51 meter) nominal diameter (reference area 764 ft(exp 2) (71.0 m(exp 2)) ringsail parachute modified to provide 15-percent geometric porosity was flight tested while attached to a 201-pound mass (91.2 kilogram) instrumented payload as part of the rocket launch portion of the NASA Planetary Entry Parachute Program (PEPP). The parachute deployment was initiated by the firing of a mortar at a Mach number of 1.39 and a dynamic pressure of 11.0 lb/ft(exp 2) (527 newtons/m(exp 2)) at an altitude of 122,500 feet (37.3 kilometers). The parachute deployed to suspension-line stretch (snatch force) in 0.35 second, and 0.12 second later the drag force increase associated with parachute inflation began. The parachute inflated in 0.24 second to the full-open condition for a total elapsed opening time of 0.71 second. The maximum opening load of 3970 pounds (17,700 newtons) came at the time the parachute was just fully opened. During the deceleration period, the parachute exhibited an average drag coefficient of 0.52 and oscillations of the parachute canopy were less than 5 degrees. During the steady-state terminal descent portion of the test period, the average effective drag coefficient (based on vertical descent velocity) was 0.52.

Mass Transport and Turbulence in Gravitationally Unstable Disk Galaxies. I. The Case of Pure Self-gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldbaum, Nathan J.; Krumholz, Mark R.; Forbes, John C.

2015-12-01

The role of gravitational instability-driven turbulence in determining the structure and evolution of disk galaxies, and the extent to which gravity rather than feedback can explain galaxy properties, remains an open question. To address it, we present high-resolution adaptive mesh refinement simulations of Milky Way-like isolated disk galaxies, including realistic heating and cooling rates and a physically motivated prescription for star formation, but no form of star formation feedback. After an initial transient, our galaxies reach a state of fully nonlinear gravitational instability. In this state, gravity drives turbulence and radial inflow. Despite the lack of feedback, the gas in our galaxy models shows substantial turbulent velocity dispersions, indicating that gravitational instability alone may be able to power the velocity dispersions observed in nearby disk galaxies on 100 pc scales. Moreover, the rate of mass transport produced by this turbulence approaches ˜ 1 {M}⊙ yr-1 for Milky Way-like conditions, sufficient to fully fuel star formation in the inner disks of galaxies. In a companion paper, we add feedback to our models, and use the comparison between the two cases to understand which galaxy properties depend sensitively on feedback and which can be understood as the product of gravity alone. All of the code, initial conditions, and simulation data for our model are publicly available.

Majorana bound states from exceptional points in non-topological superconductors

PubMed Central

San-Jose, Pablo; Cayao, Jorge; Prada, Elsa; Aguado, Ramón

2016-01-01

Recent experimental efforts towards the detection of Majorana bound states have focused on creating the conditions for topological superconductivity. Here we demonstrate an alternative route, which achieves fully localised zero-energy Majorana bound states when a topologically trivial superconductor is strongly coupled to a helical normal region. Such a junction can be experimentally realised by e.g. proximitizing a finite section of a nanowire with spin-orbit coupling, and combining electrostatic depletion and a Zeeman field to drive the non-proximitized (normal) portion into a helical phase. Majorana zero modes emerge in such an open system without fine-tuning as a result of charge-conjugation symmetry, and can be ultimately linked to the existence of ‘exceptional points’ (EPs) in parameter space, where two quasibound Andreev levels bifurcate into two quasibound Majorana zero modes. After the EP, one of the latter becomes non-decaying as the junction approaches perfect Andreev reflection, thus resulting in a Majorana dark state (MDS) localised at the NS junction. We show that MDSs exhibit the full range of properties associated to conventional closed-system Majorana bound states (zero-energy, self-conjugation, 4π-Josephson effect and non-Abelian braiding statistics), while not requiring topological superconductivity. PMID:26865011

Emergence of entanglement with temperature and time in factorization-surface states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chanda, Titas; Das, Tamoghna; Sadhukhan, Debasis; Pal, Amit Kumar; SenDe, Aditi; Sen, Ujjwal

2018-01-01

There exist zero-temperature states in quantum many-body systems that are fully factorized, thereby possessing vanishing entanglement, and hence being of no use as resource in quantum information processing tasks. Such states can become useful for quantum protocols when the temperature of the system is increased, and when the system is allowed to evolve under either the influence of an external environment, or a closed unitary evolution driven by its own Hamiltonian due to a sudden change in the system parameters. Using the one-dimensional anisotropic XY model in a uniform and an alternating transverse magnetic field, we show that entanglement of the thermal states, corresponding to the factorization points in the space of the system parameters, revives once or twice with increasing temperature. We also study the closed unitary evolution of the quantum spin chain driven out of equilibrium when the external magnetic fields are turned off, and show that considerable entanglement is generated during the dynamics, when the initial state has vanishing entanglement. Interestingly, we find that creation of entanglement for a pair of spins is possible when the system is made open to an external heat bath, interacting with the system through that spin-pair via a repetitive quantum interaction.

A Review of State Licensing Regulations to Determine Alignment with Best Practices to Prevent Human Norovirus Infections in Child-Care Centers

PubMed Central

Leone, Cortney M.; Jaykus, Lee-Ann; Cates, Sheryl M.

2016-01-01

Objectives Close, frequent contact between children and care providers in child-care centers presents many opportunities to spread human noroviruses. We compared state licensing regulations for child-care centers with national guidelines written to prevent human noroviruses. Methods We reviewed child-care licensing regulations for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia in effect in June 2015 to determine if these regulations fully, partially, or did not address 14 prevention practices in four topic areas: (1) hand hygiene, (2) exclusion of ill people, (3) environmental sanitation, and (4) diapering. Results Approximately two-thirds (8.9) of the 14 practices across all state regulations were partially or fully addressed, with few (2.6) fully addressed. Practices related to exclusion of ill people and diapering were fully addressed most often, while practices related to hand hygiene and environmental sanitation were fully addressed least often. Conclusion Regulations based on guidelines for best practices are one way to prevent the spread of human noroviruses in child-care facilities, if the regulations are enforced. Our findings show that, in mid-2015, many state child-care regulations did not fully address these guidelines, suggesting the need to review these regulations to be sure they are based on best practices PMID:27252565

A Review of State Licensing Regulations to Determine Alignment with Best Practices to Prevent Human Norovirus Infections in Child-Care Centers.

PubMed

Leone, Cortney M; Jaykus, Lee-Ann; Cates, Sheryl M; Fraser, Angela M

2016-01-01

Close, frequent contact between children and care providers in child-care centers presents many opportunities to spread human noroviruses. We compared state licensing regulations for child-care centers with national guidelines written to prevent human noroviruses. We reviewed child-care licensing regulations for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia in effect in June 2015 to determine if these regulations fully, partially, or did not address 14 prevention practices in four topic areas: (1) hand hygiene, (2) exclusion of ill people, (3) environmental sanitation, and (4) diapering. Approximately two-thirds (8.9) of the 14 practices across all state regulations were partially or fully addressed, with few (2.6) fully addressed. Practices related to exclusion of ill people and diapering were fully addressed most often, while practices related to hand hygiene and environmental sanitation were fully addressed least often. Regulations based on guidelines for best practices are one way to prevent the spread of human noroviruses in child-care facilities, if the regulations are enforced. Our findings show that, in mid-2015, many state child-care regulations did not fully address these guidelines, suggesting the need to review these regulations to be sure they are based on best practices.

Opening and Closing of Oxalis Leaves in Response to Light Stimuli

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakanishi, Fumi; Nakazawa, Masami; Katayama, Nobuyasu

2005-01-01

Fully opened leaves of potted plants of "Oxalis corymbosa" DC. closed completely by folding their leaflets downward after being kept in the dark for two hours. The folded leaflets, then moved upward gradually after exposure to light. We developed a simple method to measure the leaf movement. A paper protractor folded every 10[degrees] was devised…

Recommendations for open data science.

PubMed

Gymrek, Melissa; Farjoun, Yossi

2016-01-01

Life science research increasingly relies on large-scale computational analyses. However, the code and data used for these analyses are often lacking in publications. To maximize scientific impact, reproducibility, and reuse, it is crucial that these resources are made publicly available and are fully transparent. We provide recommendations for improving the openness of data-driven studies in life sciences.

"Caritas" in the Classroom: The Opening of the American Student's Heart.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawry, John D.

1990-01-01

The quality of the student-teacher relationship is critical in opening the heart and mind. The highest form of learning occurs when the teacher loves and accepts the student so fully that the student feels safe enough to go within to see himself/herself and emerge with new answers about his/her life. (MSE)

Learning and Open Educational Resources: A Psychological Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terras, Melody M.; Ramsay, Judith; Boyle, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

The provision of Open Educational Resources (OER) means that learning horizons are no longer restricted by time and space. However, if the learning potential of OER is to be fully realised, educators and students must have the media literacy skills to select, use and produce information in a judicious and useful way. A consideration of the…

Computer simulation of ion channel gating: the M(2) channel of influenza A virus in a lipid bilayer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schweighofer, K. J.; Pohorille, A.

2000-01-01

The transmembrane fragment of the influenza virus M(2) protein forms a homotetrameric channel that transports protons. In this paper, we use molecular dynamics simulations to help elucidate the mechanism of channel gating by four histidines that occlude the channel lumen in the closed state. We test two competing hypotheses. In the "shuttle" mechanism, the delta nitrogen atom on the extracellular side of one histidine is protonated by the incoming proton, and, subsequently, the proton on the epsilon nitrogen atom is released on the opposite side. In the "water-wire" mechanism, the gate opens because of electrostatic repulsion between four simultaneously biprotonated histidines. This allows for proton transport along the water wire that penetrates the gate. For each system, composed of the channel embedded in a hydrated phospholipid bilayer, a 1.3-ns trajectory was obtained. It is found that the states involved in the shuttle mechanism, which contain either single-protonated histidines or a mixture of single-protonated histidines plus one biprotonated residue, are stable during the simulations. Furthermore, the orientations and dynamics of water molecules near the gate are conducive to proton transfer. In contrast, the fully biprotonated state is not stable. Additional simulations show that if only two histidines are biprotonated, the channel deforms but the gate remains closed. These results support the shuttle mechanism but not the gate-opening mechanism of proton gating in M(2).

Energy and Raw Materials in the Selection of Technologies for Iron and Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortini, Otavio Macedo

2016-09-01

This paper discusses the selection of metal extraction technologies according to the regional availability of energy resources. The most important energy sources in iron and steel production are determined from a review of current technologies to inform possible future scenarios of capacity replacement or expansion according to geography. Alternative technologies are not discussed, considering that actual investment in capacity is most often dominated by high degrees of risk aversion. As such, only technologies proven at a reasonable scale are included in the selection matrix. Scenarios of capacity choice are defined in terms of actions from external agents, those which are not directly involved in the industry but have the capacity to regulate actions by metal producing players. Two extreme scenarios corresponding to closed and open economies are used to set bounds for future expectations. Among steelmaking processes under fully open trade conditions, it is found that EAF steelmaking with charge pre-heat should be the technology of choice in all regions of the world except for South America and Europe, where Integrated Steel Mills have a cost advantage. In fully closed exchange scenarios, Integrated Steel Mills would be the prevalent technology in South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and the former USSR, EAF with scrap pre-heating prevailing in all other regions. On the other hand, HYL-ZR would be the iron making technology of choice in all regions under full exchange scenarios. Under fully closed exchange conditions, Mini-Blast Furnaces, COREX, and HYL-ZR would find regional applications. Increases in raw materials and energy costs of 38 pct in steelmaking and 63 pct in ironmaking are found in going from fully open to fully closed exchange regimes. It is also found that Southeast Asia is the most suitable region for deploying new steelmaking capacity, while Australia and Russia are the best selection for new iron making capacity.

The Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory for Embedded Sensing and Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duffy, C.; Davis, K.; Kane, T.; Boyer, E.

2009-04-01

The future of environmental observing systems will utilize embedded sensor networks with continuous real-time measurement of hydrologic, atmospheric, biogeochemical, and ecological variables across diverse terrestrial environments. Embedded environmental sensors, benefitting from advances in information sciences, networking technology, materials science, computing capacity, and data synthesis methods, are undergoing revolutionary change. It is now possible to field spatially-distributed, multi-node sensor networks that provide density and spatial coverage previously accessible only via numerical simulation. At the same time, computational tools are advancing rapidly to the point where it is now possible to simulate the physical processes controlling individual parcels of water and solutes through the complete terrestrial water cycle. Our goal for the Penn State Critical Zone Observatory is to apply environmental sensor arrays, integrated hydrologic models deployed and coordinated at a testbed within the Penn State Experimental Forest. The NSF-funded CZO is designed to observe the detailed space and time complexities of the water and energy cycle for a watershed and ultimately the river basin for all physical states and fluxes (groundwater, soil moisture, temperature, streamflow, latent heat, snowmelt, chemistry, isotopes etc.). Presently fully-coupled physical models are being developed that link the atmosphere-land-vegetation-subsurface system into a fully-coupled distributed system. During the last 5 years the Penn State Integrated Hydrologic Modeling System has been under development as an open-source community modeling project funded by NSF EAR/GEO and NSF CBET/ENG. PIHM represents a strategy for the formulation and solution of fully-coupled process equations at the watershed and river basin scales, and includes a tightly coupled GIS tool for data handling, domain decomposition, optimal unstructured grid generation, and model parameterization. (PIHM; http://sourceforge.net/projects/pihmmodel/; http://sourceforge.net/projects/pihmgis/ ) The CZO sensor and simulation system is being developed to have the following elements: 1) extensive, spatially-distributed smart sensor networks to gather intensive soil, geologic, hydrologic, geochemical and isotopic data; 2) spatially-explicit multiphysics models/solutions of the land-subsurface-vegetation-atmosphere system; and 3) parallel/distributed, adaptive algorithms for rapidly simulating the states of the watershed at high resolution, and 4) signal processing tools for data mining and parameter estimation. The prototype proposed sensor array and simulation system proposed is demonstrated with preliminary results from our first year.

Must a Developed Democratic State Fully Resource Any Tertiary Education for Its Citizens?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholes, Vanessa

2014-01-01

This article takes a parsimonious conception of a developed State operating under a minimalist conception of democracy and asks whether such a State must fully resource any tertiary (post-compulsory) education for its citizens A key public policy barrier to arguing an absolute obligation for the State to resource any tertiary education is…

Temperature rise and Heat build up inside a parked Car

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coady, Rose; Maheswaranathan, Ponn

2001-11-01

We have studied the heat build up inside a parked car under the hot summer Sun. Inside and outside temperatures were monitored every ten seconds from 9 AM to about 4 PM for a 2000 Toyota Camry parked in a Winthrop University parking lot without any shades or trees. Two PASCO temperature sensors, one inside the car and the other outside the car, are used along with PASCO-750 interface to collect the data. Data were collected under the following conditions while keeping track of the outside weather: fully closed windows, slightly open windows, half way open windows, fully open windows, and with window shades inside and outside. Inside temperatures reached as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit on a sunny day with outside high temperature of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. These results will be presented along with results from car cover and window tint manufacturers and suggestions to keep your car cool next time you park it under the Sun.

SimVascular: An Open Source Pipeline for Cardiovascular Simulation.

PubMed

Updegrove, Adam; Wilson, Nathan M; Merkow, Jameson; Lan, Hongzhi; Marsden, Alison L; Shadden, Shawn C

2017-03-01

Patient-specific cardiovascular simulation has become a paradigm in cardiovascular research and is emerging as a powerful tool in basic, translational and clinical research. In this paper we discuss the recent development of a fully open-source SimVascular software package, which provides a complete pipeline from medical image data segmentation to patient-specific blood flow simulation and analysis. This package serves as a research tool for cardiovascular modeling and simulation, and has contributed to numerous advances in personalized medicine, surgical planning and medical device design. The SimVascular software has recently been refactored and expanded to enhance functionality, usability, efficiency and accuracy of image-based patient-specific modeling tools. Moreover, SimVascular previously required several licensed components that hindered new user adoption and code management and our recent developments have replaced these commercial components to create a fully open source pipeline. These developments foster advances in cardiovascular modeling research, increased collaboration, standardization of methods, and a growing developer community.

MetAMOS: a modular and open source metagenomic assembly and analysis pipeline

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

We describe MetAMOS, an open source and modular metagenomic assembly and analysis pipeline. MetAMOS represents an important step towards fully automated metagenomic analysis, starting with next-generation sequencing reads and producing genomic scaffolds, open-reading frames and taxonomic or functional annotations. MetAMOS can aid in reducing assembly errors, commonly encountered when assembling metagenomic samples, and improves taxonomic assignment accuracy while also reducing computational cost. MetAMOS can be downloaded from: https://github.com/treangen/MetAMOS. PMID:23320958

Crystallography Open Databases and Preservation: a World-wide Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chateigner, Daniel

In 2003, an international team of crystallographers proposed the Crystallography Open Database (COD), a fully-free collection of crystal structure data, in the aim of ensuring their preservation. With nearly 250000 entries, this database represents a large open set of data for crystallographers, academics and industrials, located at five different places world-wide, and included in Thomson-Reuters’ ISI. As a large step towards data preservation, raw data can now be uploaded along with «digested» structure files, and COD can be questioned by most of the crystallography-linked industrial software. The COD initiative work deserves several other open developments.

Cues to Opening Mechanisms From in Silico Electric Field Excitation of Cx26 Hemichannel and in Vitro Mutagenesis Studies in HeLa Transfectans

PubMed Central

Zonta, Francesco; Buratto, Damiano; Crispino, Giulia; Carrer, Andrea; Bruno, Francesca; Yang, Guang; Mammano, Fabio; Pantano, Sergio

2018-01-01

Connexin channels play numerous essential roles in virtually every organ by mediating solute exchange between adjacent cells, or between cytoplasm and extracellular milieu. Our understanding of the structure-function relationship of connexin channels relies on X-ray crystallographic data for human connexin 26 (hCx26) intercellular gap junction channels. Comparison of experimental data and molecular dynamics simulations suggests that the published structures represent neither fully-open nor closed configurations. To facilitate the search for alternative stable configurations, we developed a coarse grained (CG) molecular model of the hCx26 hemichannel and studied its responses to external electric fields. When challenged by a field of 0.06 V/nm, the hemichannel relaxed toward a novel configuration characterized by a widened pore and an increased bending of the second transmembrane helix (TM2) at the level of the conserved Pro87. A point mutation that inhibited such transition in our simulations impeded hemichannel opening in electrophysiology and dye uptake experiments conducted on HeLa tranfectants. These results suggest that the hCx26 hemichannel uses a global degree of freedom to transit between different configuration states, which may be shared among the whole connexin family. PMID:29904340

Can you say `N`? NIMBY, NWPA and nuclear Preemption

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

NONE

In Nevada v. Watkins, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of the 1987 NWPA amendments, which enabled the continued site characterization of Yucca Mountain and thwarted Nevada`s attempt to ban nuclear waste within its borders. The Watkins court ruled that Nevada`s statute, which banned nuclear waste, was preempted by NWPA. Nevada, like many states has passed laws that limit the storage, transportation or disposal of nuclear waste within its state boundaries. These statutes will meet the same fate as the one struck down in the Watkins decision - that is, until states rights in the area ofmore » nuclear energy are clarified. This note examines Watkins` application of the preemption doctrine, as well as general preemption principles, to determine what avenues may still be open to states seeking to regulate the disposal of nuclear waste. The Watkins decision neither discussed the fully authority of NWPA nor defined the extent of the federal government`s preemption of state regulation of nuclear waste disposal. However, Watkins seems to solidify the rationale of other recent court decisions holdings that Congress has occupied the nuclear-energy field. This interpretation could effectively eliminate any state regulatory power over the nuclear-energy field, including nuclear-waste disposal.« less

Political repression, civil society and the politics of responding to AIDS in the BRICS nations.

PubMed

Gómez, Eduardo J; Harris, Joseph

2016-02-01

The policy responses to human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) nations have played out amid radically different political environments that have shaped state-civil society relations in critical ways. In contrasting these different environments, this article offers the first comparison of the policy response to AIDS in the BRICS nations and seeks to understand the way in which political context matters for conditioning the response to a major epidemic. Using a comparative historical approach, we find that while collaborative state-civil society relations have produced an aggressive response and successful outcomes in Brazil, democratic openness and state-civil society engagement has not necessarily correlated with an aggressive response or better outcomes in the other cases. Response to the epidemic has been worst by far in democratic South Africa, followed by Russia, where in the former, denialism and antagonistic state-civil society relations fuelled a delayed response and proved extremely costly in terms of human lives. In Russia, a lack of civil societal opportunity for mobilization and non-governmental organization (NGO) growth, political centralization and the state's unwillingness to work with NGOs led to an ineffective government response. Top-down bureaucratic rule and a reluctance to fully engage civil society in democratic India substantially delayed the state's efforts to engage in a successful partnership with NGOs. Nevertheless, China has done surprisingly well, in spite of its repressive approach and narrow engagement with civil society. And in all cases, we find the relationship between state and civil society to be evolving over time in important ways. These findings suggest the need for more research on the links between democratic openness, political repression and policy responses to epidemics. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker in the Orbiter Processing Facility checks the open hatch of the airlock in Discovery’s payload bay. The airlock is normally located inside the middeck of the spacecraft’s pressurized crew cabin. The airlock is sized to accommodate two fully suited flight crew members simultaneously. Support functions include airlock depressurization and repressurization, extravehicular activity equipment recharge, liquid-cooled garment water cooling, EVA equipment checkout, donning and communications. The outer hatch isolates the airlock from the unpressurized payload bay when closed and permits the EVA crew members to exit from the airlock to the payload bay when open.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-01-22

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker in the Orbiter Processing Facility checks the open hatch of the airlock in Discovery’s payload bay. The airlock is normally located inside the middeck of the spacecraft’s pressurized crew cabin. The airlock is sized to accommodate two fully suited flight crew members simultaneously. Support functions include airlock depressurization and repressurization, extravehicular activity equipment recharge, liquid-cooled garment water cooling, EVA equipment checkout, donning and communications. The outer hatch isolates the airlock from the unpressurized payload bay when closed and permits the EVA crew members to exit from the airlock to the payload bay when open.

Understanding the EF-hand closing pathway using non-biased interatomic potentials.

PubMed

Dupuis, L; Mousseau, Normand

2012-01-21

The EF-hand superfamily of proteins is characterized by the presence of calcium binding helix-loop-helix structures. Many of these proteins undergo considerable motion responsible for a wide range of properties upon binding but the exact mechanism at the root of this motion is not fully understood. Here, we use an unbiased accelerated multiscale simulation scheme, coupled with two force fields - CHARMM-EEF1 and the extended OPEP - to explore in details the closing pathway, from the unbound holo state to the closed apo state, of two EF-hand proteins, the Calmodulin and Troponin C N-terminal nodules. Based on a number of closing simulations for these two sequences, we show that the EF-hand β-scaffold, identified as crucial by Grabarek for the EF-hand opening driven by calcium binding, is also important in closing the EF-hand. We also show the crucial importance of the phenylalanine situated at the end of first EF-hand helix, and identify an intermediate state modulating its behavior, providing a detailed picture of the closing mechanism for these two representatives of EF-hand proteins. © 2012 American Institute of Physics

Sirolimus

MedlinePlus

... the solution bottle. On first use, insert the plastic tube with stopper tightly into the bottle until ... fully pushed in, into the opening in the plastic tube. Draw up the amount of solution your ...

Machine Learning Technique to Find Quantum Many-Body Ground States of Bosons on a Lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Hiroki; Kato, Masaya

2018-01-01

We have developed a variational method to obtain many-body ground states of the Bose-Hubbard model using feedforward artificial neural networks. A fully connected network with a single hidden layer works better than a fully connected network with multiple hidden layers, and a multilayer convolutional network is more efficient than a fully connected network. AdaGrad and Adam are optimization methods that work well. Moreover, we show that many-body ground states with different numbers of particles can be generated by a single network.

Inclusive χbJ(nP) decays to D0X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briere, R. A.; Ferguson, T.; Tatishvili, G.; Vogel, H.; Watkins, M. E.; Rosner, J. L.; Alexander, J. P.; Cassel, D. G.; Duboscq, J. E.; Ehrlich, R.; Fields, L.; Galik, R. S.; Gibbons, L.; Gray, R.; Gray, S. W.; Hartill, D. L.; Heltsley, B. K.; Hertz, D.; Kandaswamy, J.; Kreinick, D. L.; Kuznetsov, V. E.; Mahlke-Krüger, H.; Mohapatra, D.; Onyisi, P. U. E.; Patterson, J. R.; Peterson, D.; Riley, D.; Ryd, A.; Sadoff, A. J.; Shi, X.; Stroiney, S.; Sun, W. M.; Wilksen, T.; Athar, S. B.; Patel, R.; Yelton, J.; Rubin, P.; Eisenstein, B. I.; Karliner, I.; Mehrabyan, S.; Lowrey, N.; Selen, M.; White, E. J.; Wiss, J.; Mitchell, R. E.; Shepherd, M. R.; Besson, D.; Pedlar, T. K.; Cronin-Hennessy, D.; Gao, K. Y.; Hietala, J.; Kubota, Y.; Klein, T.; Lang, B. W.; Poling, R.; Scott, A. W.; Zweber, P.; Dobbs, S.; Metreveli, Z.; Seth, K. K.; Tomaradze, A.; Libby, J.; Powell, A.; Wilkinson, G.; Ecklund, K. M.; Love, W.; Savinov, V.; Lopez, A.; Mendez, H.; Ramirez, J.; Ge, J. Y.; Miller, D. H.; Shipsey, I. P. J.; Xin, B.; Adams, G. S.; Anderson, M.; Cummings, J. P.; Danko, I.; Hu, D.; Moziak, B.; Napolitano, J.; He, Q.; Insler, J.; Muramatsu, H.; Park, C. S.; Thorndike, E. H.; Yang, F.; Artuso, M.; Blusk, S.; Khalil, S.; Li, J.; Mountain, R.; Nisar, S.; Randrianarivony, K.; Sultana, N.; Skwarnicki, T.; Stone, S.; Wang, J. C.; Zhang, L. M.; Bonvicini, G.; Cinabro, D.; Dubrovin, M.; Lincoln, A.; Naik, P.; Rademacker, J.; Asner, D. M.; Edwards, K. W.; Reed, J.

2008-11-01

Using Υ(2S) and Υ(3S) data collected with the CLEO III detector we have searched for decays of χbJ to final states with open charm. We fully reconstruct D0 mesons with pD0>2.5GeV/c in three decay modes (K-π+, K-π+π0, and K-π-π+π+) in coincidence with radiative transition photons that tag the production of one of the χbJ(nP) states. Significant signals are obtained for the two J=1 states. Recent nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) calculations of χbJ(nP)→c cmacr X depend on one nonperturbative parameter per χbJ triplet. The extrapolation from the observed D0X rate over a limited momentum range to a full c cmacr X rate also depends on these same parameters. Using our data to fit for these parameters, we extract results which agree well with NRQCD predictions, confirming the expectation that charm production is largest for the J=1 states. In particular, for J=1, our results are consistent with c cmacr g accounting for about one-quarter of all hadronic decays.

Molecular Chaperone Hsp70/Hsp90 Prepares the Mitochondrial Outer Membrane Translocon Receptor Tom71 for Preprotein Loading

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

Li, Jingzhi; Qian, Xinguo; Hu, Junbin

2010-11-03

The preproteins targeted to the mitochondria are transported through the translocase of the outer membrane complex. Tom70/Tom71 is a major surface receptor of the translocase of the outer membrane complex for mitochondrial preproteins. The preproteins are escorted to Tom70/Tom71 by molecular chaperones Hsp70 and Hsp90. Here we present the high resolution crystal structures of Tom71 and the protein complexes between Tom71 and the Hsp70/Hsp90 C terminus. The crystal structures indicate that Tom70/Tom71 may exhibit two distinct states. In the closed state, the N-terminal domain of Tom70/Tom71 partially blocks the preprotein-binding pocket. In the open state, the N-terminal domain moves away,more » and the preprotein-binding pocket is fully exposed. The complex formation between the C-terminal EEVD motif of Hsp70/Hsp90 and Tom71 could lock Tom71 in the open state where the preprotein-binding pocket of Tom71 is ready to receive preproteins. The interactions between Hsp70/Hsp90 and Tom71 N-terminal domain generate conformational changes that may increase the volume of the preprotein-binding pocket. The complex formation of Hsp70/Hsp90 and Tom71 also generates significant domain rearrangement within Tom71, which may position the preprotein-binding pocket closer to Hsp70/Hsp90 to facilitate the preprotein transfer from the molecular chaperone to Tom71. Therefore, molecular chaperone Hsp70/Hsp90 may function to prepare the mitochondrial outer membrane receptor Tom71 for preprotein loading.« less

Kinetics and mechanical stability of the fibril state control fibril formation time of polypeptide chains: A computational study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouza, Maksim; Co, Nguyen Truong; Li, Mai Suan; Kmiecik, Sebastian; Kolinski, Andrzej; Kloczkowski, Andrzej; Buhimschi, Irina Alexandra

2018-06-01

Fibril formation resulting from protein misfolding and aggregation is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Despite much progress in the understanding of the protein aggregation process, the factors governing fibril formation rates and fibril stability have not been fully understood. Using lattice models, we have shown that the fibril formation time is controlled by the kinetic stability of the fibril state but not by its energy. Having performed all-atom explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations with the GROMOS43a1 force field for full-length amyloid beta peptides Aβ40 and Aβ42 and truncated peptides, we demonstrated that kinetic stability can be accessed via mechanical stability in such a way that the higher the mechanical stability or the kinetic stability, the faster the fibril formation. This result opens up a new way for predicting fibril formation rates based on mechanical stability that may be easily estimated by steered molecular dynamics.

Evidence for a Field-Induced Quantum Spin Liquid in α -RuCl3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baek, S.-H.; Do, S.-H.; Choi, K.-Y.; Kwon, Y. S.; Wolter, A. U. B.; Nishimoto, S.; van den Brink, Jeroen; Büchner, B.

2017-07-01

We report a 35Cl nuclear magnetic resonance study in the honeycomb lattice α -RuCl3 , a material that has been suggested to potentially realize a Kitaev quantum spin liquid (QSL) ground state. Our results provide direct evidence that α -RuCl3 exhibits a magnetic-field-induced QSL. For fields larger than ˜10 T , a spin gap opens up while resonance lines remain sharp, evidencing that spins are quantum disordered and locally fluctuating. The spin gap increases linearly with an increasing magnetic field, reaching ˜50 K at 15 T, and is nearly isotropic with respect to the field direction. The unusual rapid increase of the spin gap with increasing field and its isotropic nature are incompatible with conventional magnetic ordering and, in particular, exclude that the ground state is a fully polarized ferromagnet. The presence of such a field-induced gapped QSL phase has indeed been predicted in the Kitaev model.

Core-protective half-metallicity in trilayer graphene nanoribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, Gi Wan; Lee, Kyu Won; Lee, Cheol Eui

2017-07-01

Half-metals, playing an important role in spintronics, can be described as materials that enable fully spin-polarized electrical current. Taking place in graphene-based materials, half-metallicity has been shown in zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) under an electric field. Localized electron states on the edge carbons are a key to enabling half-metallicity in ZGNRs. Thus, modification of the localized electron states is instrumental to the carbon-based spintronics. Our simple model shows that in a trilayer ZGNRs (triZGNRs) only the middle layer may become half-metallic leaving the outer layers insulating in an electric field, as confirmed by our density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Due to the different circumstances of the edge carbons, the electron energies at the edge carbons are different near the Fermi level, leading to a layer-selective half-metallicity. We believe that triZGNRs can be the tiniest electric cable (nanocable) form and can open a route to graphene-based spintronics applications.

Transport-related triplet states and hyperfine couplings in organic tandem solar cells probed by pulsed electrically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraffert, Felix; Bahro, Daniel; Meier, Christoph; Denne, Maximilian; Colsmann, Alexander; Behrends, Jan

2017-09-01

Tandem solar cells constitute the most successful organic photovoltaic devices with power conversion efficiencies comparable to thin-film silicon solar cells. Especially their high open-circuit voltage - only achievable by a well-adjusted layer stacking - leads to their high efficiencies. Nevertheless, the microscopic processes causing the lossless recombination of charge carriers within the recombination zone are not well understood yet. We show that advanced pulsed electrically detected magnetic resonance techniques such as electrically detected (ED)-Rabi nutation measurements and electrically detected hyperfine sublevel correlation (ED-HYSCORE) spectroscopy help to understand the role of triplet excitons in these microscopic processes. We investigate fully working miniaturised organic tandem solar cells and detect current-influencing doublet states in different layers as well as triplet excitons located on the fullerene-based acceptor. We apply ED-HYSCORE in order to study the nuclear spin environment of the relevant electron/hole spins and detect a significant amount of the low abundant 13C nuclei coupled to the observer spins.

Space Food Package - Gemini-Titan (GT)-4 Flight - MSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-05-01

Food packages of beef and gravy fully reconstituted and ready to eat. An astronaut would squeeze food through opening at right side of package. Water gun is used to reconstitute dehydrated food. Scissors are used to open packages. This is the type of space food which will be used on the Gemini-Titan 4 spaceflight. MSC, Houston, TX *S65-24895 thru S65-24899

Putting Teeth into Open Architectures: Infrastructure for Reducing the Need for Retesting

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-30

the test and evaluation team. This paper outlines new approaches to quality assurance and testing that are better suited for providing...reconfiguration. Testing of reusable subsystems is also subject to the above considerations and, similarly, requires new methods for effectively achieving...architectural model. Thus, fully realizing the open architecture vision requires a new paradigm for test and evaluation. We propose such a

Increasing Public Access to University Qualifications: Evolution of The University of the West Indies Open Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Michael L.; Soares, Judith

2009-01-01

This paper traces the evolution of The University of the West Indies' Open Campus (UWIOC), which is expected to expand service and increase access to the underserved communities of the Eastern Caribbean. At present, UWI, which caters to the needs of the 16 far flung countries of the Commonwealth Caribbean, has not been able to fully serve these…

Access to Education with Online Learning and Open Educational Resources: Can They Close the Gap?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geith, Christine; Vignare, Karen

2008-01-01

One of the key concepts in the right to education is access: access to the means to fully develop as human beings as well as access to the means to gain skills, knowledge and credentials. This is an important perspective through which to examine the solutions to access enabled by Open Educational Resources (OER) and online learning. The authors…

Trends and Patterns in Massive Open Online Courses: Review and Content Analysis of Research on MOOCs (2008-2015)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozkurt, Aras; Akgün-Özbek, Ela; Zawacki-Richter, Olaf

2017-01-01

To fully understand the phenomenon of massive open online courses (MOOCs), it is important to identify and map trends and patterns in research on MOOCs. This study does so by reviewing 362 empirical articles published in peer-reviewed journals from 2008 to 2015. For the purpose of this study, content analysis and discourse analysis were employed…

Influence of staged-air on airflow, combustion characteristics and NO(x) emissions of a down-fired pulverized-coal 300 MW(e) utility boiler with direct flow split burners.

PubMed

Li, Zhengqi; Kuang, Min; Zhang, Jia; Han, Yunfeng; Zhu, Qunyi; Yang, Lianjie; Kong, Weiguang

2010-02-01

Cold airflow experiments were conducted to investigate the aerodynamic field in a small-scale furnace of a down-fired pulverized-coal 300 MW(e) utility boiler arranged with direct flow split burners enriched by cyclones. By increasing the staged-air ratio, a deflected flow field appeared in the lower furnace; larger staged-air ratios produced larger deflections. Industrial-sized experiments on a full-scale boiler were also performed at different staged-air damper openings with measurements taken of gas temperatures in the burner region and near the right-side wall, wall heat fluxes, and gas components (O(2), CO, and NO(x)) in the near-wall region. Combustion was unstable at staged-air damper openings below 30%. For openings of 30% and 40%, late ignition of the pulverized coal developed and large differences arose in gas temperatures and heat fluxes between the regions near the front and rear walls. In conjunction, carbon content in the fly ash was high and boiler efficiency was low with high NO(x) emission above 1200 mg/m(3) (at 6% O(2) dry). For fully open dampers, differences in gas temperatures and heat fluxes, carbon in fly ash and NO(x) emission decreased yielding an increase in boiler efficiency. The optimal setting is fully open staged-air dampers.

Comprehensive mechanism and structure-sensitivity of ethanol oxidation on platinum: new transition-state searching method for resolving the complex reaction network.

PubMed

Wang, Hui-Fang; Liu, Zhi-Pan

2008-08-20

Ethanol oxidation on Pt is a typical multistep and multiselectivity heterogeneous catalytic process. A comprehensive understanding of this fundamental reaction would greatly benefit design of catalysts for use in direct ethanol fuel cells and the degradation of biomass-derived oxygenates. In this work, the reaction network of ethanol oxidation on different Pt surfaces, including close-packed Pt{111}, stepped Pt{211}, and open Pt{100}, is explored thoroughly with an efficient reaction path searching method, which integrates our new transition-state searching technique with periodic density functional theory calculations. Our new technique enables the location of the transition state and saddle points for most surface reactions simply and efficiently by optimization of local minima. We show that the selectivity of ethanol oxidation on Pt depends markedly on the surface structure, which can be attributed to the structure-sensitivity of two key reaction steps: (i) the initial dehydrogenation of ethanol and (ii) the oxidation of acetyl (CH3CO). On open surface sites, ethanol prefers C-C bond cleavage via strongly adsorbed intermediates (CH2CO or CHCO), which leads to complete oxidation to CO2. However, only partial oxidizations to CH3CHO and CH3COOH occur on Pt{111}. Our mechanism points out that the open surface Pt{100} is the best facet to fully oxidize ethanol at low coverages, which sheds light on the origin of the remarkable catalytic performance of Pt tetrahexahedra nanocrystals found recently. The physical origin of the structure-selectivity is rationalized in terms of both thermodynamics and kinetics. Two fundamental quantities that dictate the selectivity of ethanol oxidation are identified: (i) the ability of surface metal atoms to bond with unsaturated C-containing fragments and (ii) the relative stability of hydroxyl at surface atop sites with respect to other sites.

Feasibility of an ultra-low power digital signal processor platform as a basis for a fully implantable brain-computer interface system.

PubMed

Wang, Po T; Gandasetiawan, Keulanna; McCrimmon, Colin M; Karimi-Bidhendi, Alireza; Liu, Charles Y; Heydari, Payam; Nenadic, Zoran; Do, An H

2016-08-01

A fully implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) can be a practical tool to restore independence to those affected by spinal cord injury. We envision that such a BCI system will invasively acquire brain signals (e.g. electrocorticogram) and translate them into control commands for external prostheses. The feasibility of such a system was tested by implementing its benchtop analogue, centered around a commercial, ultra-low power (ULP) digital signal processor (DSP, TMS320C5517, Texas Instruments). A suite of signal processing and BCI algorithms, including (de)multiplexing, Fast Fourier Transform, power spectral density, principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, Bayes rule, and finite state machine was implemented and tested in the DSP. The system's signal acquisition fidelity was tested and characterized by acquiring harmonic signals from a function generator. In addition, the BCI decoding performance was tested, first with signals from a function generator, and subsequently using human electroencephalogram (EEG) during eyes opening and closing task. On average, the system spent 322 ms to process and analyze 2 s of data. Crosstalk (<;-65 dB) and harmonic distortion (~1%) were minimal. Timing jitter averaged 49 μs per 1000 ms. The online BCI decoding accuracies were 100% for both function generator and EEG data. These results show that a complex BCI algorithm can be executed on an ULP DSP without compromising performance. This suggests that the proposed hardware platform may be used as a basis for future, fully implantable BCI systems.

Nonlinear evolution of the coronal magnetic field under reconnective relaxation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfson, R.; Vekstein, G. E.; Priest, E. R.

1994-01-01

Recently, Vekstein et al. (Vekstein, Priest, & Steele 1993) have developed a model for coronal heating in which the corona responds to photospheric footpoint motions by small-scale reconnection events that bring about a relaxed state while conserving magnetic helicity but not field-line connectivity. Vekstein et al. consider a partially open field configuration in which magnetic helicity is ejected to infinity on open field lines but retained in the closed-field region. Under this scheme, they describe the evolution of an initially potential field, in response to helicity injection, in the linear regime. The present work uses numerical calculations to extend the model of Vekstein et al. into the fully nonlinear regime. The results show a rise and bulging of the field lines of the closed-field region with increasing magnetic helicity, to a point where further solutions are impossible. We interpret these solution-sequence endpoints as indicating a possible loss of equilibrium, in the sense that a relaxed equilibrium state may no longer be available to the corona when sufficient helicity has been injected. The rise and bulging behavior is reminiscent of what is observed in a helmet streamer just before the start of a coronal mass ejection (CME), and so our model suggests that a catastrophic loss of magnetic equilibrium might be the initiation mechanism for CMEs. We also find that some choices of boundary conditions can result in qualitative changes in the magnetic topology, with the appearance of magnetic islands. Whether or not this behavior occurs depends on the relative strengths of the fields in the closed- and open-field regions; in particular, island formation is most likely when the open field (which is potential) is strong and thus acts to confine the force-free closed field. Finally, we show that the energy released through reconnective relaxation can be a substantial fraction of the magnetic energy injected into the corona through footpoint motions and may be sufficient for heating the corona above active regions.

Ubiquitous equatorial accretion disc winds in black hole soft states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponti, G.; Fender, R. P.; Begelman, M. C.; Dunn, R. J. H.; Neilsen, J.; Coriat, M.

2012-05-01

High-resolution spectra of Galactic black holes (GBHs) reveal the presence of highly ionized absorbers. In one GBH, accreting close to the Eddington limit for more than a decade, a powerful accretion disc wind is observed to be present in softer X-ray states and it has been suggested that it can carry away enough mass and energy to quench the radio jet. Here we report that these winds, which may have mass outflow rates of the order of the inner accretion rate or higher, are a ubiquitous component of the jet-free soft states of all GBHs. We furthermore demonstrate that these winds have an equatorial geometry with opening angles of few tens of degrees, and so are only observed in sources in which the disc is inclined at a large angle to the line of sight. The decrease in Fe XXV/Fe XXVI line ratio with Compton temperature, observed in the soft state, suggests a link between higher wind ionization and harder spectral shapes. Although the physical interaction between the wind, accretion flow and jet is still not fully understood, the mass flux and power of these winds and their presence ubiquitously during the soft X-ray states suggest they are fundamental components of the accretion phenomenon.

Toward Mass Customization in the Age of Information: The Case for Open Engineering Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, Timothy W.; Lautenschlager, Uwe; Mistree, Farrokh

1997-01-01

In the Industrial Era, manufacturers used "dedicated" engineering systems to mass produce their products. In today's increasingly competitive markets, the trend is toward mass customization, something that becomes increasingly feasible when modern information technologies are used to create open engineering systems. Our focus is on how designers can provide enhanced product flexibility and variety (if not fully customized products) through the development of open engineering systems. After presenting several industrial examples, we anchor our new systems philosophy with two real engineering applications. We believe that manufacturers who adopt open systems will achieve competitive advantage in the Information Age.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Proper motions of PM2000 open clusters (Krone-Martins+, 2010)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krone-Martins, A.; Soubiran, C.; Ducourant, C.; Teixeira, R.; Le Campion, J. F.

2010-04-01

We present lists of proper-motions and kinematic membership probabilities in the region of 49 open clusters or possible open clusters. The stellar proper motions were taken from the Bordeaux PM2000 catalogue. The segregation between cluster and field stars and the assignment of membership probabilities was accomplished by applying a fully automated method based on parametrisations for the probability distribution functions and genetic algorithm optimisation heuristics associated with a derivative-based hill climbing algorithm for the likelihood optimization. (3 data files).

Measurements of Pressure Distributions and Force Coefficients in a Squeeze Film Damper. Part 1: Fully Open Ended Configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jung, S. Y.; Sanandres, Luis A.; Vance, J. M.

1991-01-01

Measurements of pressure distributions and force coefficients were carried out in two types of squeeze film dampers, executing a circular centered orbit, an open-ended configuration, and a partially sealed one, in order to investigate the effect of fluid inertia and cavitation on pressure distributions and force coefficients. Dynamic pressure measurements were carried out for two orbit radii, epsilon 0.5 and 0.8. It was found that the partially sealed configuration was less influenced by fluid inertia than the open ended configuration.

Pyvolve: A Flexible Python Module for Simulating Sequences along Phylogenies.

PubMed

Spielman, Stephanie J; Wilke, Claus O

2015-01-01

We introduce Pyvolve, a flexible Python module for simulating genetic data along a phylogeny using continuous-time Markov models of sequence evolution. Easily incorporated into Python bioinformatics pipelines, Pyvolve can simulate sequences according to most standard models of nucleotide, amino-acid, and codon sequence evolution. All model parameters are fully customizable. Users can additionally specify custom evolutionary models, with custom rate matrices and/or states to evolve. This flexibility makes Pyvolve a convenient framework not only for simulating sequences under a wide variety of conditions, but also for developing and testing new evolutionary models. Pyvolve is an open-source project under a FreeBSD license, and it is available for download, along with a detailed user-manual and example scripts, from http://github.com/sjspielman/pyvolve.

W -Boson Production in Association with a Jet at Next-to-Next-to-Leading Order in Perturbative QCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boughezal, Radja; Focke, Christfried; Liu, Xiaohui; Petriello, Frank

2015-08-01

We present the complete calculation of W -boson production in association with a jet in hadronic collisions through next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in perturbative QCD. To cancel infrared divergences, we discuss a new subtraction method that exploits the fact that the N -jettiness event-shape variable fully captures the singularity structure of QCD amplitudes with final-state partons. This method holds for processes with an arbitrary number of jets and is easily implemented into existing frameworks for higher-order calculations. We present initial phenomenological results for W +jet production at the LHC. The NNLO corrections are small and lead to a significantly reduced theoretical error, opening the door to precision measurements in the W +jet channel at the LHC.

Thermodynamics of viscoelastic rate-type fluids with stress diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Málek, Josef; Průša, Vít; Skřivan, Tomáš; Süli, Endre

2018-02-01

We propose thermodynamically consistent models for viscoelastic fluids with a stress diffusion term. In particular, we derive variants of compressible/incompressible Maxwell/Oldroyd-B models with a stress diffusion term in the evolution equation for the extra stress tensor. It is shown that the stress diffusion term can be interpreted either as a consequence of a nonlocal energy storage mechanism or as a consequence of a nonlocal entropy production mechanism, while different interpretations of the stress diffusion mechanism lead to different evolution equations for the temperature. The benefits of the knowledge of the thermodynamical background of the derived models are documented in the study of nonlinear stability of equilibrium rest states. The derived models open up the possibility to study fully coupled thermomechanical problems involving viscoelastic rate-type fluids with stress diffusion.

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

Zhang, Jingjing; Yang, Zheng; Shkrob, Ilya A.

1,4-Dimethoxybenzene derivatives are materials of choice for use as catholytes in nonaqueous redox flow batteries, as they exhibit high open-circuit potentials and excellent electrochemical reversibility. However, chemical stability of these materials in their oxidized form needs to be improved. Disubstitution in the arene ring is used to suppress parasitic reactions of their radical cations, but this does not fully prevent ring-addition reactions. By incorporating bicyclic substitutions and ether chains into the dialkoxybenzenes, a novel catholyte molecule, 9,10-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-1,4:5,8-dimethanenoanthracene (BODMA), is obtained and exhibits greater solubility and superior chemical stability in the charged state. As a result, a hybrid flow cell containingmore » BODMA is operated for 150 charge–discharge cycles with minimal loss of capacity.« less

Second derivatives for approximate spin projection methods

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

Thompson, Lee M.; Hratchian, Hrant P., E-mail: hhratchian@ucmerced.edu

2015-02-07

The use of broken-symmetry electronic structure methods is required in order to obtain correct behavior of electronically strained open-shell systems, such as transition states, biradicals, and transition metals. This approach often has issues with spin contamination, which can lead to significant errors in predicted energies, geometries, and properties. Approximate projection schemes are able to correct for spin contamination and can often yield improved results. To fully make use of these methods and to carry out exploration of the potential energy surface, it is desirable to develop an efficient second energy derivative theory. In this paper, we formulate the analytical secondmore » derivatives for the Yamaguchi approximate projection scheme, building on recent work that has yielded an efficient implementation of the analytical first derivatives.« less

Experimental analysis on the dynamic wake of an actuator disc undergoing transient loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, W.; Hong, V. W.; Ferreira, C.; van Kuik, G. A. M.

2017-10-01

The Blade Element Momentum model, which is based on the actuator disc theory, is still the model most used for the design of open rotors. Although derived from steady cases with a fully developed wake, this approach is also applied to unsteady cases, with additional engineering corrections. This work aims to study the impact of an unsteady loading on the wake of an actuator disc. The load and flow of an actuator disc are measured in the Open Jet Facility wind tunnel of Delft University of Technology, for steady and unsteady cases. The velocity and turbulence profiles are characterized in three regions: the inner wake region, the shear layer region and the region outside the wake. For unsteady load cases, the measured velocity field shows a hysteresis effect in relation to the loading, showing differences between the cases when loading is increased and loading is decreased. The flow field also shows a transient response to the step change in loading, with either an overshoot or undershoot of the velocity in relation to the steady-state velocity. In general, a smaller reduced ramp time results in a faster velocity transient, and in turn a larger amplitude of overshoot or undershoot. Time constants analysis shows that the flow reaches the new steady-state slower for load increase than for load decrease; the time constants outside the wake are generally larger than at other radial locations for a given downstream plane; the time constants of measured velocity in the wake show radial dependence.The data are relevant for the validation of numerical models for unsteady actuator discs and wind turbines, and are made available in an open source database (see Appendix).

Femtosecond electron diffraction and spectroscopic studies of a solid state organic chemical reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jean-Ruel, Hubert

Photochromic diarylethene molecules are excellent model systems for studying electrocyclic reactions, in addition to having important technological applications in optoelectronics. The photoinduced ring-closing reaction in a crystalline photochromic diarylethene derivative was fully resolved using the complementary techniques of transient absorption spectroscopy and femtosecond electron crystallography. These studies are detailed in this thesis, together with the associated technical developments which enabled them. Importantly, the time-resolved crystallographic investigation reported here represents a highly significant proof-of-principle experiment. It constitutes the first study directly probing the molecular structural changes associated with an organic chemical reaction with sub-picosecond temporal and atomic spatial resolution---to follow the primary motions directing chemistry. In terms of technological development, the most important advance reported is the implementation of a radio frequency rebunching system capable of producing femtosecond electron pulses of exceptional brightness. The temporal resolution of this newly developed electron source was fully characterized using laser ponderomotive scattering, confirming a 435 +/- 75 fs instrument response time with 0.20 pC bunches. The ultrafast spectroscopic and crystallographic measurements were both achieved by exploiting the photoreversibility of diarylethene. The transient absorption study was first performed, after developing a novel robust acquisition scheme for thermally irreversible reactions in the solid state. It revealed the formation of an open-ring excited state intermediate, following photoexcitation of the open-ring isomer with an ultraviolet laser pulse, with a time constant of approximately 200 fs. The actual ring closing was found to occur from this intermediate with a time constant of 5.3 +/- 0.3 ps. The femtosecond diffraction measurements were then performed using multiple crystal orientations and a large number of different samples. To analyse the results, an innovative method was developed in which the apparently complex ring-closing reaction is distilled down to a small number of basic rotations. Immediately following photoexcitation, sub-picosecond structural changes associated with the formation of the intermediate are observed. The rotation of the thiophene rings is identified as the key motion. Subsequently, on the few picosecond time scale, the time-resolved diffraction patterns are observed to converge towards those associated with the closed-ring photoproduct. The formation of the closed-ring molecule is thus unambiguously witnessed.

Toward the Geoscience Paper of the Future: Best practices for documenting and sharing research from data to software to provenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gil, Yolanda; David, Cédric H.; Demir, Ibrahim; Essawy, Bakinam T.; Fulweiler, Robinson W.; Goodall, Jonathan L.; Karlstrom, Leif; Lee, Huikyo; Mills, Heath J.; Oh, Ji-Hyun; Pierce, Suzanne A.; Pope, Allen; Tzeng, Mimi W.; Villamizar, Sandra R.; Yu, Xuan

2016-10-01

Geoscientists now live in a world rich with digital data and methods, and their computational research cannot be fully captured in traditional publications. The Geoscience Paper of the Future (GPF) presents an approach to fully document, share, and cite all their research products including data, software, and computational provenance. This article proposes best practices for GPF authors to make data, software, and methods openly accessible, citable, and well documented. The publication of digital objects empowers scientists to manage their research products as valuable scientific assets in an open and transparent way that enables broader access by other scientists, students, decision makers, and the public. Improving documentation and dissemination of research will accelerate the pace of scientific discovery by improving the ability of others to build upon published work.

PB-AM: An open-source, fully analytical linear poisson-boltzmann solver

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

Felberg, Lisa E.; Brookes, David H.; Yap, Eng-Hui

2016-11-02

We present the open source distributed software package Poisson-Boltzmann Analytical Method (PB-AM), a fully analytical solution to the linearized Poisson Boltzmann equation. The PB-AM software package includes the generation of outputs files appropriate for visualization using VMD, a Brownian dynamics scheme that uses periodic boundary conditions to simulate dynamics, the ability to specify docking criteria, and offers two different kinetics schemes to evaluate biomolecular association rate constants. Given that PB-AM defines mutual polarization completely and accurately, it can be refactored as a many-body expansion to explore 2- and 3-body polarization. Additionally, the software has been integrated into the Adaptive Poisson-Boltzmannmore » Solver (APBS) software package to make it more accessible to a larger group of scientists, educators and students that are more familiar with the APBS framework.« less

The Galileo high gain antenna deployment anomaly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Michael R.

1994-01-01

On April 11, 1991, the Galileo spacecraft executed a sequence that would open the spacecraft's High Gain Antenna. The Antenna's launch restraint had been released just after deployment sequence, the antenna, which opens like an umbrella, never reached the fully deployed position. The analyses and tests that followed allowed a conclusive determination of the likely failure mechanisms and pointed to some strategies to use for recovery of the high gain antenna.

Reanalysis of 24 Nearby Open Clusters using Gaia data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen, Steffi X.; Reffert, Sabine; Röser, Siegfried; Schilbach, Elena; Kharchenko, Nina V.; Piskunov, Anatoly E.

2018-04-01

We have developed a fully automated cluster characterization pipeline, which simultaneously determines cluster membership and fits the fundamental cluster parameters: distance, reddening, and age. We present results for 24 established clusters and compare them to literature values. Given the large amount of stellar data for clusters available from Gaia DR2 in 2018, this pipeline will be beneficial to analyzing the parameters of open clusters in our Galaxy.

Indoor birch pollen concentrations differ with ventilation scheme, room location, and meteorological factors.

PubMed

Menzel, A; Matiu, M; Michaelis, R; Jochner, S

2017-05-01

Indoor pollen concentrations are an underestimated human health issue. In this study, we measured hourly indoor birch pollen concentrations on 8 days in April 2015 with portable pollen traps in five rooms of a university building at Freising, Germany. These data were compared to the respective outdoor values right in front of the rooms and to background pollen data. The rooms were characterized by different aspects and window ventilation schemes. Meteorological data were equally measured directly in front of the windows. Outdoor concentration could be partly explained with phenological data of 56 birches in the surrounding showing concurrent high numbers of trees attaining flowering stages. Indoor pollen concentrations were lower than outdoor concentrations: mean indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratio was highest in a room with fully opened window and additional mechanical ventilation (.75), followed by rooms with fully opened windows (.35, .12) and lowest in neighboring rooms with tilted window (.19) or windows only opened for short ventilation (.07). Hourly I/O ratios depended on meteorology and increased with outside temperature and wind speed oriented perpendicular to the window opening. Indoor concentrations additionally depended on the previously measured concentrations, indicating accumulation of pollen inside the rooms even after the full flowering period. © 2016 The Authors. Indoor Air Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, a cameraman films part of Discovery’s payload bay for a special feature on the KSC Web. In the background is the open hatch of the airlock, located inside the middeck of the spacecraft’s pressurized crew cabin. The airlock is sized to accommodate two fully suited flight crew members simultaneously. Support functions include airlock depressurization and repressurization, extravehicular activity equipment recharge, liquid-cooled garment water cooling, EVA equipment checkout, donning and communications. The outer hatch isolates the airlock from the unpressurized payload bay when closed and permits the EVA crew members to exit from the airlock to the payload bay when open.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-01-22

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, a cameraman films part of Discovery’s payload bay for a special feature on the KSC Web. In the background is the open hatch of the airlock, located inside the middeck of the spacecraft’s pressurized crew cabin. The airlock is sized to accommodate two fully suited flight crew members simultaneously. Support functions include airlock depressurization and repressurization, extravehicular activity equipment recharge, liquid-cooled garment water cooling, EVA equipment checkout, donning and communications. The outer hatch isolates the airlock from the unpressurized payload bay when closed and permits the EVA crew members to exit from the airlock to the payload bay when open.

Emergence of fully gapped s++-wave and nodal d-wave states mediated by orbital and spin fluctuations in a ten-orbital model of KFe2Se2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Tetsuro; Onari, Seiichiro; Kontani, Hiroshi

2011-04-01

We study the superconducting state in recently discovered high-Tc superconductor KxFe2Se2 based on the ten-orbital Hubbard-Holstein model without hole pockets. When the Coulomb interaction is large, a spin-fluctuation-mediated d-wave state appears due to the nesting between electron pockets. Interestingly, the symmetry of the body-centered tetragonal structure in KxFe2Se2 requires the existence of nodes in the d-wave gap, although a fully gapped d-wave state is realized in the case of a simple tetragonal structure. In the presence of moderate electron-phonon interaction due to Fe-ion optical modes, however, orbital fluctuations give rise to the fully gapped s++-wave state without sign reversal. Therefore, both superconducting states are distinguishable by careful measurements of the gap structure or the impurity effect on Tc.

Memory effects in the afterglow: open questions on long-lived species and the role of surface processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrovic, Z. Lj; Markovic, V. Lj; Pejovic, M. M.; Gocic, S. R.

2001-06-01

The memory effect, the phenomenon that some active species survive very long afterglow periods and affect subsequent breakdown, was observed more than 40 years ago. The effects have been observed even over periods of several hours. Attempts to explain the memory effect in nitrogen were mostly based on hypothetical metastables and on the A3Σ state. However, such explanations had to neglect some quenching processes which are known to be very effective under the conditions of the experiments. The explanation based on atoms remaining from the previous discharge and recombining on the cathode to produce initial electrons was shown to be fully consistent with all the experimental data for nitrogen including a wide range of pressures and the addition of oxygen impurities. The memory effect was also shown to be sensitive to the work function of the cathode material. Thus, an attempt was made to use the memory effect as a diagnostic tool to establish the data on the dominant loss of nitrogen atoms from the discharge which is recombination on the walls of the tube. However, a possible role of higher vibrational levels has not been fully addressed, mainly due to the shortage of data. On the other hand, the memory effect which was observed for rare gases cannot be explained on the basis of the standard data unless the presence of molecular impurities is invoked. Another open issue would be the role of charges accumulated on the glass surfaces and whether those may be released to the gas phase. The aim of this paper is to summarize the achievements of the model based on atom recombination and to point out how the breakdown model associated with the memory effect may be completed and how it may be applied in practical discharges.

Nature of ground and electronic excited states of higher acenes

PubMed Central

Yang, Yang; Yang, Weitao

2016-01-01

Higher acenes have drawn much attention as promising organic semiconductors with versatile electronic properties. However, the nature of their ground state and electronic excited states is still not fully clear. Their unusual chemical reactivity and instability are the main obstacles for experimental studies, and the potentially prominent diradical character, which might require a multireference description in such large systems, hinders theoretical investigations. Here, we provide a detailed answer with the particle–particle random-phase approximation calculation. The 1Ag ground states of acenes up to decacene are on the closed-shell side of the diradical continuum, whereas the ground state of undecacene and dodecacene tilts more to the open-shell side with a growing polyradical character. The ground state of all acenes has covalent nature with respect to both short and long axes. The lowest triplet state 3B2u is always above the singlet ground state even though the energy gap could be vanishingly small in the polyacene limit. The bright singlet excited state 1B2u is a zwitterionic state to the short axis. The excited 1Ag state gradually switches from a double-excitation state to another zwitterionic state to the short axis, but always keeps its covalent nature to the long axis. An energy crossing between the 1B2u and excited 1Ag states happens between hexacene and heptacene. Further energetic consideration suggests that higher acenes are likely to undergo singlet fission with a low photovoltaic efficiency; however, the efficiency might be improved if a singlet fission into multiple triplets could be achieved. PMID:27528690

Experimental measurements of heat transfer coefficient in a partially/fully opened tilted cavity

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

Chakroun, W.; Elsayed, M.M.; Al-Fahed, S.F.

1997-11-01

An experimental investigation was carried out to determine the heat transfer coefficient from a rectangular tilted cavity to the ambient due to the buoyancy driven flow in the cavity. The cavity is partially or fully open from one side. All the walls of the cavity are adiabatic except the wall facing the cavity opening which is heated at a constant heat flux. Air was used as the cavity fluid and the experiments were carried out at a flux Grashof number of 5.5 {times} 10{sup 8}. The tilt angle of the cavity, measured from the vertical direction, was changed between {minus}90more » deg to +90 deg in 15 deg increments. Also, geometries of aspect ratio (height-to-width of cavity) of 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25 and of opening ratio (opening height to cavity height) of 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25 were considered in the study. The results are presented in terms of the average Nusselt number for different values of the above experimental parameters. Conclusions are derived for the effect of changing the tilt angle, the aspect ratio, or the opening ratio of the cavity on the average heat transfer coefficient between the cavity and the ambient air. Buoyancy-driven flow in rectangular cavities has been widely investigated by many researchers. This geometry is of special interest in many solar applications such as in solar passive heating, solar concentrators, and solar central receivers. The importance of the geometry extends to other engineering applications such as electronic equipment, fire research, and energy conservation in buildings.« less

Creating Open Textbooks: A Unique Partnership between Oregon State University Libraries and Press and Open Oregon State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadwell, Faye A.; Fisher, Dianna M.

2016-01-01

This article presents Oregon State University's experience launching an innovative Open Textbook initiative in spring 2014. The partners, Open Oregon State and the Oregon State University Libraries and Press, aimed to reduce the cost of course materials for students while ensuring the content created was peer-reviewed and employed multimedia…

Topological nodal superconducting phases and topological phase transition in the hyperhoneycomb lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouhon, Adrien; Schmidt, Johann; Black-Schaffer, Annica M.

2018-03-01

We establish the topology of the spin-singlet superconducting states in the bare hyperhoneycomb lattice, and we derive analytically the full phase diagram using only symmetry and topology in combination with simple energy arguments. The phase diagram is dominated by two states preserving time-reversal symmetry. We find a line-nodal state dominating at low doping levels that is topologically nontrivial and exhibits surface Majorana flatbands, which we show perfectly match the bulk-boundary correspondence using the Berry phase approach. At higher doping levels, we find a fully gapped state with trivial topology. By analytically calculating the topological invariant of the nodal lines, we derive the critical point between the line-nodal and fully gapped states as a function of both pairing parameters and doping. We find that the line-nodal state is favored not only at lower doping levels but also if symmetry-allowed deformations of the lattice are present. Adding simple energy arguments, we establish that a fully gapped state with broken time-reversal symmetry likely appears covering the actual phase transition. We find this fully gapped state to be topologically trivial, while we find an additional point-nodal state at very low doing levels that also break time-reversal symmetry and has nontrivial topology with associated Fermi surface arcs. We eventually address the robustness of the phase diagram to generalized models also including adiabatic spin-orbit coupling, and we show how all but the point-nodal state are reasonably stable.

Grand Views of Evolution.

PubMed

de Vladar, Harold P; Santos, Mauro; Szathmáry, Eörs

2017-05-01

Despite major advances in evolutionary theories, some aspects of evolution remain neglected: whether evolution: would come to a halt without abiotic change; is unbounded and open-ended; or is progressive and something beyond fitness is maximized. Here, we discuss some models of ecology and evolution and argue that ecological change, resulting in Red Queen dynamics, facilitates (but does not ensure) innovation. We distinguish three forms of open-endedness. In weak open-endedness, novel phenotypes can occur indefinitely. Strong open-endedness requires the continual appearance of evolutionary novelties and/or innovations. Ultimate open-endedness entails an indefinite increase in complexity, which requires unlimited heredity. Open-ended innovation needs exaptations that generate novel niches. This can result in new traits and new rules as the dynamics unfolds, suggesting that evolution is not fully algorithmic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Opening-assisted coherent transport in the semiclassical regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yang; Celardo, G. Luca; Borgonovi, Fausto; Kaplan, Lev

2017-02-01

We study quantum enhancement of transport in open systems in the presence of disorder and dephasing. Quantum coherence effects may significantly enhance transport in open systems even in the semiclassical regime (where the decoherence rate is greater than the intersite hopping amplitude), as long as the disorder is sufficiently strong. When the strengths of disorder and dephasing are fixed, there is an optimal opening strength at which the coherent transport enhancement is optimized. Analytic results are obtained in two simple paradigmatic tight-binding models of large systems: the linear chain and the fully connected network. The physical behavior is also reflected in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) photosynthetic complex, which may be viewed as intermediate between these paradigmatic models.

The Longhorn Array Database (LAD): An Open-Source, MIAME compliant implementation of the Stanford Microarray Database (SMD)

PubMed Central

Killion, Patrick J; Sherlock, Gavin; Iyer, Vishwanath R

2003-01-01

Background The power of microarray analysis can be realized only if data is systematically archived and linked to biological annotations as well as analysis algorithms. Description The Longhorn Array Database (LAD) is a MIAME compliant microarray database that operates on PostgreSQL and Linux. It is a fully open source version of the Stanford Microarray Database (SMD), one of the largest microarray databases. LAD is available at Conclusions Our development of LAD provides a simple, free, open, reliable and proven solution for storage and analysis of two-color microarray data. PMID:12930545

Domain-wall excitations in the two-dimensional Ising spin glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khoshbakht, Hamid; Weigel, Martin

2018-02-01

The Ising spin glass in two dimensions exhibits rich behavior with subtle differences in the scaling for different coupling distributions. We use recently developed mappings to graph-theoretic problems together with highly efficient implementations of combinatorial optimization algorithms to determine exact ground states for systems on square lattices with up to 10 000 ×10 000 spins. While these mappings only work for planar graphs, for example for systems with periodic boundary conditions in at most one direction, we suggest here an iterative windowing technique that allows one to determine ground states for fully periodic samples up to sizes similar to those for the open-periodic case. Based on these techniques, a large number of disorder samples are used together with a careful finite-size scaling analysis to determine the stiffness exponents and domain-wall fractal dimensions with unprecedented accuracy, our best estimates being θ =-0.2793 (3 ) and df=1.273 19 (9 ) for Gaussian couplings. For bimodal disorder, a new uniform sampling algorithm allows us to study the domain-wall fractal dimension, finding df=1.279 (2 ) . Additionally, we also investigate the distributions of ground-state energies, of domain-wall energies, and domain-wall lengths.

Probing microhydration effect on the electronic structure of the GFP chromophore anion. Photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical investigations

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

Bhaskaran-Nair, Kiran; Valiev, Marat; Deng, Shihu

2015-12-14

The photophysics of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) chromophore is critically dependent on its local structure and on its environment. Despite extensive experimental and computational studies, there remain many open questions regarding the key fundamental variables that govern this process. One outstanding problem is the role of autoionization as a possible relaxation pathway of the excited state under different environmental conditions. This issue is considered in our work through combined experimental and theoretical studies of microsolvated clusters of the deprotonated p-hydroxybenzylidene-2,3-dimethylimidazolinone anion (HBDI⁻), an analog of GFP chromophore. Through selective generation of microsolvated structures of predetermined size and subsequent analysis ofmore » experimental photoelectron spectra by high level ab-initio methods we are able to precisely identify the structure of the system, establish the accuracy of theoretical data, and provide reliable description of auto-ionization process as a function of hydrogen-bonding environment. Our study clearly illustrates the first few water molecules progressively stabilize the excited state of the chromophore anion against the autodetached neutral state, which should be an important trait for crystallographic water molecules in GFPs that has not been fully explored to date.« less

Probing microhydration effect on the electronic structure of the GFP chromophore anion: Photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical investigations

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

Bhaskaran-Nair, Kiran; Shelton, William A.; Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803

2015-12-14

The photophysics of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) chromophore is critically dependent on its local structure and on its environment. Despite extensive experimental and computational studies, there remain many open questions regarding the key fundamental variables that govern this process. One outstanding problem is the role of autoionization as a possible relaxation pathway of the excited state under different environmental conditions. This issue is considered in our work through combined experimental and theoretical studies of microsolvated clusters of the deprotonated p-hydroxybenzylidene-2,3-dimethylimidazolinone anion (HBDI{sup −}), an analog of the GFP chromophore. Through selective generation of microsolvated structures of predetermined size andmore » subsequent analysis of experimental photoelectron spectra by high level ab initio methods, we are able to precisely identify the structure of the system, establish the accuracy of theoretical data, and provide reliable description of auto-ionization process as a function of hydrogen-bonding environment. Our study clearly illustrates the first few water molecules progressively stabilize the excited state of the chromophore anion against the autodetached neutral state, which should be an important trait for crystallographic water molecules in GFPs that has not been fully explored to date.« less

Open peer review at four STEM journals: an observational overview.

PubMed

Ford, Emily

2015-01-01

Open peer review, peer review where authors' and reviewers' identities are disclosed to one another, is a growing trend in scholarly publishing. Through observation of four journals in STEM disciplines, PLOS One, Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics, PeerJ, and F1000Research, an observational overview is conducted. The overview relies on defined characteristics of open peer review. Results show that despite differing open peer review implementations, each journal retains editorial involvement in scholarly publishing. Further, the analysis shows that only one of these implementations is fully transparent in its peer review and decision making process. Finally, the overview contends that journals should clearly outline peer review and editorial processes in order to allow for open peer review to be better understood and adopted by authors, reviewers, editors, and readers of science communications.

Optimizing python-based ROOT I/O with PyPy's tracing just-in-time compiler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tlp Lavrijsen, Wim

2012-12-01

The Python programming language allows objects and classes to respond dynamically to the execution environment. Most of this, however, is made possible through language hooks which by definition can not be optimized and thus tend to be slow. The PyPy implementation of Python includes a tracing just in time compiler (JIT), which allows similar dynamic responses but at the interpreter-, rather than the application-level. Therefore, it is possible to fully remove the hooks, leaving only the dynamic response, in the optimization stage for hot loops, if the types of interest are opened up to the JIT. A general opening up of types to the JIT, based on reflection information, has already been developed (cppyy). The work described in this paper takes it one step further by customizing access to ROOT I/O to the JIT, allowing for fully automatic optimizations.

PB-AM: An open-source, fully analytical linear poisson-boltzmann solver.

PubMed

Felberg, Lisa E; Brookes, David H; Yap, Eng-Hui; Jurrus, Elizabeth; Baker, Nathan A; Head-Gordon, Teresa

2017-06-05

We present the open source distributed software package Poisson-Boltzmann Analytical Method (PB-AM), a fully analytical solution to the linearized PB equation, for molecules represented as non-overlapping spherical cavities. The PB-AM software package includes the generation of outputs files appropriate for visualization using visual molecular dynamics, a Brownian dynamics scheme that uses periodic boundary conditions to simulate dynamics, the ability to specify docking criteria, and offers two different kinetics schemes to evaluate biomolecular association rate constants. Given that PB-AM defines mutual polarization completely and accurately, it can be refactored as a many-body expansion to explore 2- and 3-body polarization. Additionally, the software has been integrated into the Adaptive Poisson-Boltzmann Solver (APBS) software package to make it more accessible to a larger group of scientists, educators, and students that are more familiar with the APBS framework. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A comparative approach to closed-loop computation.

PubMed

Roth, E; Sponberg, S; Cowan, N J

2014-04-01

Neural computation is inescapably closed-loop: the nervous system processes sensory signals to shape motor output, and motor output consequently shapes sensory input. Technological advances have enabled neuroscientists to close, open, and alter feedback loops in a wide range of experimental preparations. The experimental capability of manipulating the topology-that is, how information can flow between subsystems-provides new opportunities to understand the mechanisms and computations underlying behavior. These experiments encompass a spectrum of approaches from fully open-loop, restrained preparations to the fully closed-loop character of free behavior. Control theory and system identification provide a clear computational framework for relating these experimental approaches. We describe recent progress and new directions for translating experiments at one level in this spectrum to predictions at another level. Operating across this spectrum can reveal new understanding of how low-level neural mechanisms relate to high-level function during closed-loop behavior. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fully localized post-buckling states of cylindrical shells under axial compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreilos, Tobias; Schneider, Tobias M.

2017-09-01

We compute nonlinear force equilibrium solutions for a clamped thin cylindrical shell under axial compression. The equilibrium solutions are dynamically unstable and located on the stability boundary of the unbuckled state. A fully localized single dimple deformation is identified as the edge state-the attractor for the dynamics restricted to the stability boundary. Under variation of the axial load, the single dimple undergoes homoclinic snaking in the azimuthal direction, creating states with multiple dimples arranged around the central circumference. Once the circumference is completely filled with a ring of dimples, snaking in the axial direction leads to further growth of the dimple pattern. These fully nonlinear solutions embedded in the stability boundary of the unbuckled state constitute critical shape deformations. The solutions may thus be a step towards explaining when the buckling and subsequent collapse of an axially loaded cylinder shell is triggered.

A Survey of Flow Cytometry Data Analysis Methods

PubMed Central

Bashashati, Ali; Brinkman, Ryan R.

2009-01-01

Flow cytometry (FCM) is widely used in health research and in treatment for a variety of tasks, such as in the diagnosis and monitoring of leukemia and lymphoma patients, providing the counts of helper-T lymphocytes needed to monitor the course and treatment of HIV infection, the evaluation of peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell grafts, and many other diseases. In practice, FCM data analysis is performed manually, a process that requires an inordinate amount of time and is error-prone, nonreproducible, nonstandardized, and not open for re-evaluation, making it the most limiting aspect of this technology. This paper reviews state-of-the-art FCM data analysis approaches using a framework introduced to report each of the components in a data analysis pipeline. Current challenges and possible future directions in developing fully automated FCM data analysis tools are also outlined. PMID:20049163

Basic mechanisms in the laser control of non-Markovian dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puthumpally-Joseph, R.; Mangaud, E.; Chevet, V.; Desouter-Lecomte, M.; Sugny, D.; Atabek, O.

2018-03-01

Referring to a Fano-type model qualitative analogy we develop a comprehensive basic mechanism for the laser control of the non-Markovian bath response and fully implement it in a realistic control scheme, in strongly coupled open quantum systems. Converged hierarchical equations of motion are worked out to numerically solve the master equation of a spin-boson Hamiltonian to reach the reduced electronic density matrix of a heterojunction in the presence of strong terahertz laser pulses. Robust and efficient control is achieved increasing by a factor of 2 the non-Markovianity measured by the time evolution of the volume of accessible states. The consequences of such fields on the central system populations and coherence are examined, putting the emphasis on the relation between the increase of non-Markovianity and the slowing down of decoherence processes.

TYCHO: Simulating Exoplanets Within Stellar Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glaser, Joseph Paul; Thornton, Jonathan; Geller, Aaron M.; McMillan, Stephen

2018-01-01

Recent surveys exploring nearby open clusters have yielded noticeable differences in the planetary population from that seen in the Field. This is surprising, as the two should be indistinguishable given currently accepted theories on how a majority of stars form within the Galaxy. Currently, the existence of this apparent deficit is not fully understood. While detection bias in previous observational surveys certainly contributes to this issue, the dynamical effects of star-star scattering must also be taken into account. However, this effect can only be investigated via computational simulations and current solutions of the multi-scale N-body problem are limited and drastically simplified.To remedy this, we aim to create a physically complete computational solution to explore the role of stellar close encounters and interplanetary interactions in producing the observed exoplanet populations for both open cluster stars and Field stars. To achieve this, TYCHO employs a variety of different computational techniques, including: multiple n-body integration methods; close-encounter handling; Monte Carlo scattering experiments; and a variety of observationally-backed initial condition generators. Herein, we discuss the current state of the code's implantation within the AMUSE framework and its applications towards present exoplanet surveys.

Energy-water nexus for mass cultivation of algae.

PubMed

Murphy, Cynthia Folsom; Allen, David T

2011-07-01

Microalgae are currently considered a potential feedstock for the production of biofuels. This work addresses the energy needed to manage the water used in the mass cultivation of saline, eukaryotic algae grown in open pond systems. Estimates of both direct and upstream energy requirements for obtaining, containing, and circulating water within algae cultivation systems are developed. Potential productivities are calculated for each of the 48 states within the continental U.S. based on theoretical photosynthetic efficiencies, growing season, and total available land area. Energy output in the form of algal biodiesel and the total energy content of algal biomass are compared to energy inputs required for water management. The analysis indicates that, for current technologies, energy required for water management alone is approximately seven times greater than energy output in the form of biodiesel and more than double that contained within the entire algal biomass. While this analysis addresses only currently identified species grown in an open-pond system, the water management requirements of any algae system will be substantial; therefore, it is critical that an energy assessment of water management requirements be performed for any cultivation technology and algal type in order to fully understand the energy balance of algae-derived biofuels.

Present state of the telecommunications market in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zielinski, Andrzej

2003-10-01

This statement shortly describes the changes in the telecommunication market that have taken place in the last 12 years, during the socio-economical transformation in Poland. It concerns economical, legal and technical problems related to the development of the telecommunications in Poland based on the principles of the market economy. Especially it is related to the commercialization of this sector, what has been a result of the changes of the principal law ruling the national economy including changes ot the telecommunication law. Changes of the law enabled the creation of the commercial company Polish Telecom and opened the way to the privatization of this company. Due to the changed law the way to the step-by-step liberalization and de-monopolization process has been also opened in Poland. It has caused fully digital modernization of telecommunication network, introduction new services such as cellular communications and Internet services, as well as rapid development of the market, what has expressed in multiplication of number of subscribers of stationary telephony, creation of the big cellular market and new increasing Internet market. The statemnet also refers to present difficulties in development of this market and as well as to the prospects for the future developments.

Exploring Early Stages of the Chemical Unfolding of Proteins at the Proteome Scale

PubMed Central

Candotti, Michela; Pérez, Alberto; Ferrer-Costa, Carles; Rueda, Manuel; Meyer, Tim; Gelpí, Josep Lluís; Orozco, Modesto

2013-01-01

After decades of using urea as denaturant, the kinetic role of this molecule in the unfolding process is still undefined: does urea actively induce protein unfolding or passively stabilize the unfolded state? By analyzing a set of 30 proteins (representative of all native folds) through extensive molecular dynamics simulations in denaturant (using a range of force-fields), we derived robust rules for urea unfolding that are valid at the proteome level. Irrespective of the protein fold, presence or absence of disulphide bridges, and secondary structure composition, urea concentrates in the first solvation shell of quasi-native proteins, but with a density lower than that of the fully unfolded state. The presence of urea does not alter the spontaneous vibration pattern of proteins. In fact, it reduces the magnitude of such vibrations, leading to a counterintuitive slow down of the atomic-motions that opposes unfolding. Urea stickiness and slow diffusion is, however, crucial for unfolding. Long residence urea molecules placed around the hydrophobic core are crucial to stabilize partially open structures generated by thermal fluctuations. Our simulations indicate that although urea does not favor the formation of partially open microstates, it is not a mere spectator of unfolding that simply displaces to the right of the folded←→unfolded equilibrium. On the contrary, urea actively favors unfolding: it selects and stabilizes partially unfolded microstates, slowly driving the protein conformational ensemble far from the native one and also from the conformations sampled during thermal unfolding. PMID:24348236

76 FR 7189 - Trunkline Gas Company, LLC; Notice of Request Under Blanket Authorization

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-09

... Ship Shoal T-27 Platform and appurtenant facilities located in Ship Shoal 274, Offshore Louisiana... as more fully set forth in the application, which is open to the public for inspection. The filing...

78 FR 53133 - Meeting of the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-28

... availability of space, the meeting is open to the public. The building is fully handicap accessible. Several public parking facilities are nearby. Photography and videography is permitted, but must be previously...

78 FR 56219 - Meeting of the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-12

... availability of space, the meeting is open to the public. The building is fully handicap accessible. Several public parking facilities are nearby. Photography and videography is permitted, but must be previously...

A density functional theory study on the active center of Fe-only hydrogenase: characterization and electronic structure of the redox states.

PubMed

Liu, Zhi-Pan; Hu, P

2002-05-08

We have carried out extensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations for possible redox states of the active center in Fe-only hydrogenases. The active center is modeled by [(H(CH(3))S)(CO)(CN(-))Fe(p)(mu-DTN)(mu-CO)Fe(d)(CO)(CN(-))(L)](z)() (z is the net charge in the complex; Fe(p)= the proximal Fe, Fe(d) = the distal Fe, DTN = (-SCH(2)NHCH(2)S-), L is the ligand that bonds with the Fe(d) at the trans position to the bridging CO). Structures of possible redox states are optimized, and CO stretching frequencies are calculated. By a detailed comparison of all the calculated structures and the vibrational frequencies with the available experimental data, we find that (i) the fully oxidized, inactive state is an Fe(II)-Fe(II) state with a hydroxyl (OH(-)) group bonded at the Fe(d), (ii) the oxidized, active state is an Fe(II)-Fe(I) complex which is consistent with the assignment of Cao and Hall (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 3734), and (iii) the fully reduced state is a mixture with the major component being a protonated Fe(I)-Fe(I) complex and the other component being its self-arranged form, Fe(II)-Fe(II) hydride. Our calculations also show that the exogenous CO can strongly bond with the Fe(II)-Fe(I) species, but cannot bond with the Fe(I)-Fe(I) complex. This result is consistent with experiments that CO tends to inhibit the oxidized, active state, but not the fully reduced state. The electronic structures of all the redox states have been analyzed. It is found that a frontier orbital which is a mixing state between the e(g) of Fe and the 2 pi of the bridging CO plays a key role concerning the reactivity of Fe-only hydrogenases: (i) it is unoccupied in the fully oxidized, inactive state, half-occupied in the oxidized, active state, and fully occupied in the fully reduced state; (ii) the e(g)-2 pi orbital is a bonding state, and this is the key reason for stability of the low oxidation states, such as Fe(I)-Fe(I) complexes; and (iii) in the e(g)-2 pi orbital more charge accumulates between the bridging CO and the Fe(d) than between the bridging CO and the Fe(p), and the occupation increase in this orbital will enhance the bonding between the bridging CO and the Fe(d), leading to the bridging-CO shift toward the Fe(d).

openQ*D simulation code for QCD+QED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos, Isabel; Fritzsch, Patrick; Hansen, Martin; Krstić Marinković, Marina; Patella, Agostino; Ramos, Alberto; Tantalo, Nazario

2018-03-01

The openQ*D code for the simulation of QCD+QED with C* boundary conditions is presented. This code is based on openQCD-1.6, from which it inherits the core features that ensure its efficiency: the locally-deflated SAP-preconditioned GCR solver, the twisted-mass frequency splitting of the fermion action, the multilevel integrator, the 4th order OMF integrator, the SSE/AVX intrinsics, etc. The photon field is treated as fully dynamical and C* boundary conditions can be chosen in the spatial directions. We discuss the main features of openQ*D, and we show basic test results and performance analysis. An alpha version of this code is publicly available and can be downloaded from http://rcstar.web.cern.ch/.

An auditory brain-computer interface evoked by natural speech

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez-Gordo, M. A.; Fernandez, E.; Romero, S.; Pelayo, F.; Prieto, Alberto

2012-06-01

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are mainly intended for people unable to perform any muscular movement, such as patients in a complete locked-in state. The majority of BCIs interact visually with the user, either in the form of stimulation or biofeedback. However, visual BCIs challenge their ultimate use because they require the subjects to gaze, explore and shift eye-gaze using their muscles, thus excluding patients in a complete locked-in state or under the condition of the unresponsive wakefulness syndrome. In this study, we present a novel fully auditory EEG-BCI based on a dichotic listening paradigm using human voice for stimulation. This interface has been evaluated with healthy volunteers, achieving an average information transmission rate of 1.5 bits min-1 in full-length trials and 2.7 bits min-1 using the optimal length of trials, recorded with only one channel and without formal training. This novel technique opens the door to a more natural communication with users unable to use visual BCIs, with promising results in terms of performance, usability, training and cognitive effort.

All together now: Analogies between chimera state collapses and epileptic seizures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrzejak, Ralph G.; Rummel, Christian; Mormann, Florian; Schindler, Kaspar

2016-03-01

Conceptually and structurally simple mathematical models of coupled oscillator networks can show a rich variety of complex dynamics, providing fundamental insights into many real-world phenomena. A recent and not yet fully understood example is the collapse of coexisting synchronous and asynchronous oscillations into a globally synchronous motion found in networks of identical oscillators. Here we show that this sudden collapse is promoted by a further decrease of synchronization, rather than by critically high synchronization. This strikingly counterintuitive mechanism can be found also in nature, as we demonstrate on epileptic seizures in humans. Analyzing spatiotemporal correlation profiles derived from intracranial electroencephalographic recordings (EEG) of seizures in epilepsy patients, we found a pronounced decrease of correlation at the seizure onsets. Applying our findings in a closed-loop control scheme to models of coupled oscillators in chimera states, we succeed in both provoking and preventing outbreaks of global synchronization. Our findings not only advance the understanding of networks of coupled dynamics but can open new ways to control them, thus offering a vast range of potential new applications.

Superconducting symmetries and magnetic responses of uranium heavy-fermion systems UBe13 and UPd2Al3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, Yusei; Kittaka, Shunichiro; Sakakibara, Toshiro; Aoki, Dai

2018-05-01

Low-temperature thermodynamic investigation for UBe13 and UPd2Al3 were performed in order to gain insight into their unusual ground states of 5 f electrons. Our heat-capacity data for the cubic UBe13 strongly suggest that nodal quasiparticles are absent and its superconducting (SC) gap is fully open over the Fermi surface. Moreover, two unusual thermodynamic anomalies are also observed in UBe13 at ∼ 3 T and ∼ 9 T; the lower-field anomaly is seen only in the SC mixed state by dc magnetization M (H) as well as heat-capacity C (H) , while the higher-field anomaly appears for C (H) in the normal phase above the upper critical field. On the other hand, field-orientation dependence of the heat capacity in the hexagonal UPd2Al3 shows a significantly anisotropic behavior of C (H) ∝H 1 / 2 , reflecting the nodal gap structure of this system. Our result strongly suggests the presence of a horizontal line node on the Fermi surface with heavy effective mass in UPd2Al3.

Invited Article: Generation of one-million-mode continuous-variable cluster state by unlimited time-domain multiplexing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshikawa, Jun-ichi; Yokoyama, Shota; Kaji, Toshiyuki; Sornphiphatphong, Chanond; Shiozawa, Yu; Makino, Kenzo; Furusawa, Akira

2016-09-01

In recent quantum optical continuous-variable experiments, the number of fully inseparable light modes has drastically increased by introducing a multiplexing scheme either in the time domain or in the frequency domain. Here, modifying the time-domain multiplexing experiment reported in the work of Yokoyama et al. [Nat. Photonics 7, 982 (2013)], we demonstrate the successive generation of fully inseparable light modes for more than one million modes. The resulting multi-mode state is useful as a dual-rail continuous variable cluster state. We circumvent the previous problem of optical phase drifts, which has limited the number of fully inseparable light modes to around ten thousands, by continuous feedback control of the optical system.

78 FR 61342 - Meeting of the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-03

... availability of space, the meeting is open to the public. The building is fully handicap accessible. There is parking at the Westover Metropolitan Airport. More information about the hearing space can be found at...

Multidimensional Perfectionism and Rogerian Personality Constructs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashby, Jeffrey S.; Rahotep, Simone S.; Martin, James L.

2005-01-01

The Feelings, Reactions, and Beliefs Survey (FRBS) was administered to 141 undergraduate students to evaluate differences in Rogerian personality constructs among adaptive, maladaptive, and nonperfectionists. The groups differed significantly on 5 FRBS subscales: Fully Functioning Person, Struggling With Feelings of Inferiority, Openness to…

78 FR 12060 - Sunshine Act Meeting; Open Commission Meeting Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-21

... accelerate the growth and expansion of new Wi-Fi technology offering consumers faster speeds and less network congestion at Wi-Fi hot spots. The meeting site is fully accessible to people using wheelchairs or other...

KSC-03pd0771

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-03-20

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - The solar arrays on the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) are fully opened during a test in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.

Open-source tools for data mining.

PubMed

Zupan, Blaz; Demsar, Janez

2008-03-01

With a growing volume of biomedical databases and repositories, the need to develop a set of tools to address their analysis and support knowledge discovery is becoming acute. The data mining community has developed a substantial set of techniques for computational treatment of these data. In this article, we discuss the evolution of open-source toolboxes that data mining researchers and enthusiasts have developed over the span of a few decades and review several currently available open-source data mining suites. The approaches we review are diverse in data mining methods and user interfaces and also demonstrate that the field and its tools are ready to be fully exploited in biomedical research.

Impurity bound states in fully gapped d-wave superconductors with subdominant order parameters

PubMed Central

Mashkoori, Mahdi; Björnson, Kristofer; Black-Schaffer, Annica M.

2017-01-01

Impurities in superconductors and their induced bound states are important both for engineering novel states such as Majorana zero-energy modes and for probing bulk properties of the superconducting state. The high-temperature cuprates offer a clear advantage in a much larger superconducting order parameter, but the nodal energy spectrum of a pure d-wave superconductor only allows virtual bound states. Fully gapped d-wave superconducting states have, however, been proposed in several cuprate systems thanks to subdominant order parameters producing d + is- or d + id′-wave superconducting states. Here we study both magnetic and potential impurities in these fully gapped d-wave superconductors. Using analytical T-matrix and complementary numerical tight-binding lattice calculations, we show that magnetic and potential impurities behave fundamentally different in d + is- and d + id′-wave superconductors. In a d + is-wave superconductor, there are no bound states for potential impurities, while a magnetic impurity produces one pair of bound states, with a zero-energy level crossing at a finite scattering strength. On the other hand, a d + id′-wave symmetry always gives rise to two pairs of bound states and only produce a reachable zero-energy level crossing if the normal state has a strong particle-hole asymmetry. PMID:28281570

Dansgaard Oeschger Dynamics: Clearly Revealed in a Comprehensive Model of Glacial Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peltier, W. Richard; Vettoretti, Guido

2017-04-01

More than 30 years ago, Willi Dansgaard in Copenhagen and Hans Oeschger in Bern established the existence of millennium timescale oscillations in oxygen isotope stratigraphies from Greenland ice cores. This isotopic signal was interpreted as implying large amplitude variations in surface air temperature. Until the publication of Peltier and Vettoretti (2014, GRL) the prevalent view had been that this exclusively ice-age phenomenon, thought to be linked to variability in the strength of the Atlantic MOC, was considered to be forced by the episodic release of freshwater from the continental ice sheets, each oscillation requiring its own freshwater input. In Peltier and Vettoretti (2014) this phenomenon was recovered for the first time in a comprehensive model of glacial climate, specifically the CESM1 model of the NCAR laboratory. Attention was drawn to the fact that individual D-O oscillations, or Bond Cycle clusters of such oscillations, were inevitably preceded by individual Heinrich events. In Peltier and Vettoretti (2014) it was shown that, following the "spin-up" of CESM1 into the glacial state, with continental ice sheet volume held fixed, a sequence of nonlinear unforced and therefor "free" oscillations of the MOC occurred, following a sharp Heinrich event-like sharp suppression of MOC strength. All of the salient characteristics of the D-O process inferred on the basis of ice core evidence from both hemispheres were fully captured in these high (CMIP5) resolution simulations, namely: (i) the pulse shape of the individual oscillations characterized by an extremely rapid shift from cold stadial to warm interstadial conditions followed by a slow return to the stadial state, (ii) the peak-to-peak variations in Greenland surface air temperature of 10-15 degrees Centigrade during individual oscillations, (iii) the "bi-polar see saw" connection between this Northern Hemisphere process and that recorded in the EDML and WAIS Divide ice cores from Antarctica, (iv) the reduced amplitude of the oxygen isotopic swings in the Antarctic ice cores, by approximately a factor of 10, from those in Greenland cores. Because the coupled climate model fully captures the phenomenon, it has been possible to fully understand the dynamical mechanism involved. In Peltier and Vettoretti (2014) this was described as a "kicked" salt oscillator, in which individual D-O cycles involved an oscillatory out of phase relationship between the salinity of the North Atlantic sub-tropical gyre and the salinity of a North Atlantic halocline. As shown more recently by Vettoretti and Peltier (2016, GRL), transitions from cold stadial to warm interstadial conditions involve the opening of a massive "super polynya" north of the southern edge of the sea ice front which, under stadial conditions, extends as far south as the south coast of the Bay of Biscaye. This polynya is opened by the onset of a thermohaline convective instability of the water column beneath the sea ice, which is accompanied by a sharp re-invigoration of the intensity of the MOC, thereby initiating a sharp rise of air temperature over Greenland. Several further issues remain with this now fully articulated theory of the D-O process and these will be summarized.

12 CFR 561.54 - United States Treasury Time Deposit Open Account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false United States Treasury Time Deposit Open Account. 561.54 Section 561.54 Banks and Banking OFFICE OF THRIFT SUPERVISION, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY... Open Account. The term United States Treasury Time Deposit Open Account means a non-interest-bearing...

Developing a Knowledge Base for Detection of Powertrain Failures by Reversibly Seeding Engine Faults

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

output, in terms of torque, speed and heat losses, can be accurately performed. Our investigation has focused on creating faulty operating conditions...open loop case”, used to measure the engine output for a given driver demand, for instance, 100% pedal); in the other case (“ closed loop ”) engine...could be changed in nine steps ranging from completely open to fully closed . Another butterfly valve was placed at the end of the exhaust pipe before

Ligand induced change of β2 adrenergic receptor from active to inactive conformation and its implication for the closed/open state of the water channel: insight from molecular dynamics simulation, free energy calculation and Markov state model analysis.

PubMed

Bai, Qifeng; Pérez-Sánchez, Horacio; Zhang, Yang; Shao, Yonghua; Shi, Danfeng; Liu, Huanxiang; Yao, Xiaojun

2014-08-14

The reported crystal structures of β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) reveal that the open and closed states of the water channel are correlated with the inactive and active conformations of β2AR. However, more details about the process by which the water channel states are affected by the active to inactive conformational change of β2AR remain illusive. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study the dynamical inactive and active conformational change of β2AR induced by inverse agonist ICI 118,551. Markov state model analysis and free energy calculation are employed to explore the open and close states of the water channel. The simulation results show that inverse agonist ICI 118,551 can induce water channel opening during the conformational transition of β2AR. Markov state model (MSM) analysis proves that the energy contour can be divided into seven states. States S1, S2 and S5, which represent the active conformation of β2AR, show that the water channel is in the closed state, while states S4 and S6, which correspond to the intermediate state conformation of β2AR, indicate the water channel opens gradually. State S7, which represents the inactive structure of β2AR, corresponds to the full open state of the water channel. The opening mechanism of the water channel is involved in the ligand-induced conformational change of β2AR. These results can provide useful information for understanding the opening mechanism of the water channel and will be useful for the rational design of potent inverse agonists of β2AR.

Opening Health Data: What Do Researchers Want? Early Experiences With New York's Open Health Data Platform.

PubMed

Martin, Erika G; Helbig, Natalie; Birkhead, Guthrie S

2015-01-01

Governments are rapidly developing open data platforms to improve transparency and make information more accessible. New York is a leader, with currently the only state platform devoted to health. Although these platforms could build public health departments' capabilities to serve more researchers, agencies have little guidance on releasing meaningful and usable data. Structured focus groups with researchers and practitioners collected stakeholder feedback on potential uses of open health data and New York's open data strategy. Researchers and practitioners attended a 1-day November 2013 workshop on New York State's open health data resources. After learning about the state's open data platform and vision for open health data, participants were organized into 7 focus groups to discuss the essential elements of open data sets, practical challenges to obtaining and using health data, and potential uses of open data. Participants included 33 quantitative health researchers from State University of New York campuses and private partners and 10 practitioners from the New York State Department of Health. There was low awareness of open data, with 67% of researchers reporting never using open data portals prior to the workshop. Participants were interested in data sets that were geocoded, longitudinal, or aggregated to small area granularity and capabilities to link multiple data sets. Multiple environmental conditions and barriers hinder their capacity to use health data for research. Although open data platforms cannot address all barriers, they provide multiple opportunities for public health research and practice, and participants were overall positive about the state's efforts to release open data. Open data are not ideal for some researchers because they do not contain individually identifiable data, indicating a need for tiered data release strategies. However, they do provide important new opportunities to facilitate research and foster collaborations among agencies, researchers, and practitioners.

Phase 1 Validation Testing and Simulation for the WEC-Sim Open Source Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruehl, K.; Michelen, C.; Gunawan, B.; Bosma, B.; Simmons, A.; Lomonaco, P.

2015-12-01

WEC-Sim is an open source code to model wave energy converters performance in operational waves, developed by Sandia and NREL and funded by the US DOE. The code is a time-domain modeling tool developed in MATLAB/SIMULINK using the multibody dynamics solver SimMechanics, and solves the WEC's governing equations of motion using the Cummins time-domain impulse response formulation in 6 degrees of freedom. The WEC-Sim code has undergone verification through code-to-code comparisons; however validation of the code has been limited to publicly available experimental data sets. While these data sets provide preliminary code validation, the experimental tests were not explicitly designed for code validation, and as a result are limited in their ability to validate the full functionality of the WEC-Sim code. Therefore, dedicated physical model tests for WEC-Sim validation have been performed. This presentation provides an overview of the WEC-Sim validation experimental wave tank tests performed at the Oregon State University's Directional Wave Basin at Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory. Phase 1 of experimental testing was focused on device characterization and completed in Fall 2015. Phase 2 is focused on WEC performance and scheduled for Winter 2015/2016. These experimental tests were designed explicitly to validate the performance of WEC-Sim code, and its new feature additions. Upon completion, the WEC-Sim validation data set will be made publicly available to the wave energy community. For the physical model test, a controllable model of a floating wave energy converter has been designed and constructed. The instrumentation includes state-of-the-art devices to measure pressure fields, motions in 6 DOF, multi-axial load cells, torque transducers, position transducers, and encoders. The model also incorporates a fully programmable Power-Take-Off system which can be used to generate or absorb wave energy. Numerical simulations of the experiments using WEC-Sim will be presented. These simulations highlight the code features included in the latest release of WEC-Sim (v1.2), including: wave directionality, nonlinear hydrostatics and hydrodynamics, user-defined wave elevation time-series, state space radiation, and WEC-Sim compatibility with BEMIO (open source AQWA/WAMI/NEMOH coefficient parser).

Performance of office workers under various enclosure conditions in state-of-the-art open workplaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Heakyung Cecilia

The objective of this thesis is to more firmly establish the importance of physical attributes of workstations on the performance of workers undertaking a range of complex tasks while subjected to the visual and noise distractions prevalent in state-of-the-art North American office settings. This study investigates objective and subjective evaluations of noise and performance given a range of current physical work environments. The study provides criteria for architects, interior designers and managers, to select distraction-free office environments to deliver better performance. The concluding chapter helps to establish the importance of designing more acoustically responsible work settings in state-of-the-art office projects. With 102 subjects (23 native speakers of English per each of three workstation types), controlled experiments were completed over a six month testing period in three different work settings---four foot partitions on two sides, seated privacy with six foot partitions on three sides, and a closed office with eight foot partitions, a door and a ceiling, with two acoustic environments (office sounds with and without speech at a controlled 45 dBA level at the receiver), the experimental results were statistically significant. Another finding was the lack of a significant effect of background sound variations on simple or complex task performance. That implies the current acoustical evaluation tool, the Articulation Index, may not be an appropriate tool to adequately and conclusively assess the acoustic impact of open workplaces on individual performance. Concerning the impact of acoustic conditions on occupant performance from the experiments, Articulation Index values do not reflect the potential relation of workstation designs and subjects' performance and moods. However, NIC connected with speech privacy rating has the potential to be a better evaluation tool than AI for open workplaces. From the results of this thesis, it is predicted that fully enclosed workstations will improve the individual performance of knowledge workers whose main tasks are complex, as well as improve the moods of occupants towards collaborations with their co-workers.

Long-term monitoring of the HPC Charenton Canal Bridge.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-08-01

The report contains long-term monitoring data collection and analysis of the first fully high : performance concrete (HPC) bridge in Louisiana, the Charenton Canal Bridge. The design of this : bridge started in 1997, and it was built and opened to tr...

40 CFR 63.1292 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... water. Flexible polyurethane foams are open-celled, permit the passage of air through the foam, and... Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Flexible Polyurethane Foam Production § 63.1292 Definitions. All... for the purposes of this subpart. Cured foam means flexible polyurethane foam with fully developed...

40 CFR 63.1292 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... water. Flexible polyurethane foams are open-celled, permit the passage of air through the foam, and... Hazardous Air Pollutants for Flexible Polyurethane Foam Production § 63.1292 Definitions. All terms used in... purposes of this subpart. Cured foam means flexible polyurethane foam with fully developed physical...

40 CFR 63.1292 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... water. Flexible polyurethane foams are open-celled, permit the passage of air through the foam, and... Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Flexible Polyurethane Foam Production § 63.1292 Definitions. All... for the purposes of this subpart. Cured foam means flexible polyurethane foam with fully developed...

40 CFR 63.1292 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... water. Flexible polyurethane foams are open-celled, permit the passage of air through the foam, and... Hazardous Air Pollutants for Flexible Polyurethane Foam Production § 63.1292 Definitions. All terms used in... purposes of this subpart. Cured foam means flexible polyurethane foam with fully developed physical...

Phosphorylation of rat brain purified mitochondrial Voltage-Dependent Anion Channel by c-Jun N-terminal kinase-3 modifies open-channel noise.

PubMed

Gupta, Rajeev

2017-09-02

The drift kinetic energy of ionic flow through single ion channels cause vibrations of the pore walls which are observed as open-state current fluctuations (open-channel noise) during single-channel recordings. Vibration of the pore wall leads to transitions among different conformational sub-states of the channel protein in the open-state. Open-channel noise analysis can provide important information about the different conformational sub-state transitions and how biochemical modifications of ion channels would affect their transport properties. It has been shown that c-Jun N-terminal kinase-3 (JNK3) becomes activated by phosphorylation in various neurodegenerative diseases and phosphorylates outer mitochondrion associated proteins leading to neuronal apoptosis. In our earlier work, JNK3 has been reported to phosphorylate purified rat brain mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) in vitro and modify its conductance and opening probability. In this article we have compared the open-state noise profile of the native and the JNK3 phosphorylated VDAC using Power Spectral Density vs frequency plots. Power spectral density analysis of open-state noise indicated power law with average slope value α ≈1 for native VDAC at both positive and negative voltage whereas average α value < 0.5 for JNK3 phosphorylated VDAC at both positive and negative voltage. It is proposed that 1/f 1 power law in native VDAC open-state noise arises due to coupling of ionic transport and conformational sub-states transitions in open-state and this coupling is perturbed as a result of channel phosphorylation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Security of patient data when decommissioning ultrasound systems.

PubMed

Moggridge, James

2017-02-01

Although ultrasound systems generally archive to Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), their archiving workflow typically involves storage to an internal hard disk before data are transferred onwards. Deleting records from the local system will delete entries in the database and from the file allocation table or equivalent but, as with a PC, files can be recovered. Great care is taken with disposal of media from a healthcare organisation to prevent data breaches, but ultrasound systems are routinely returned to lease companies, sold on or donated to third parties without such controls. In this project, five methods of hard disk erasure were tested on nine ultrasound systems being decommissioned: the system's own delete function; full reinstallation of system software; the manufacturer's own disk wiping service; open source disk wiping software for full and just blank space erasure. Attempts were then made to recover data using open source recovery tools. All methods deleted patient data as viewable from the ultrasound system and from browsing the disk from a PC. However, patient identifiable data (PID) could be recovered following the system's own deletion and the reinstallation methods. No PID could be recovered after using the manufacturer's wiping service or the open source wiping software. The typical method of reinstalling an ultrasound system's software may not prevent PID from being recovered. When transferring ownership, care should be taken that an ultrasound system's hard disk has been wiped to a sufficient level, particularly if the scanner is to be returned with approved parts and in a fully working state.

Effect of modified atmosphere packaging on quality and shelf life of 'Robusta' banana (Musa sp.) stored at low temperature.

PubMed

Kudachikar, V B; Kulkarni, S G; Prakash, M N Keshava

2011-06-01

Banana (Musa sp var. 'Robusta') stored under active and passive modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) at 12 ± 1°C and 85-90% RH for 2 seasons were evaluated for fruit quality and shelf-life. A steady state of about 8.6 and 8.2% of CO2 and 2.8 and 2.6% of O2 in passive MAP and MAP+GK (Green Keeper) packages, respectively, were established after 3 weeks of storage. Passive MAP and MAP+GK treatments of banana resulted in reduction in physiological loss in weight (PLW) of 0.7 and 0.8% after 5 and 7 weeks of storage, respectively as against 5% PLW in openly kept green banana after 3 weeks. Both MAP and MAP+GK treatments delayed colour, texture, pulp to peel ratio and total soluble solids (TSS) content as compared to openly kept control banana. Results indicated that the shelf life of fruits packed under MAP and MAP+GK could be extended up to 5 and 7 weeks, respectively as compared to 3 weeks for openly kept control fruits. Sensory quality of fully ripe fruits of both passive MAP and MAP+GK treatments, 5 days after ethrel dip was very good. Thus, MAP+GK at 12 ± 1°C and 85-90% RH could be commercially used for long term storage and long distance transportation of banana with maximum shelf-life of 7 weeks.

The Role of Collaborations in Sustaining an Evidence-Based Intervention to Reduce Child Neglect

PubMed Central

Green, Amy E.; Trott, Elise; Willging, Cathleen E.; Finn, Natalie K.; Ehrhart, Mark G.; Aarons, Gregory A.

2016-01-01

Child neglect is the most prevalent form of child maltreatment and represents 79.5% of open child-welfare cases. A recent study found the evidence-based intervention (EBI) SafeCare® (SC) to significantly reduce child neglect recidivism rates. To fully capitalize on the effectiveness of such EBIs, service systems must engage in successful implementation and sustainment; however, little is known regarding what factors influence EBI sustainment. Collaborations among stakeholders are suggested as a means for facilitating EBI implementation and sustainment. This study combines descriptive quantitative survey data with qualitative interview and focus group findings to examine the role of collaboration within the context of public-private partnerships in 11 child welfare systems implementing SC. Participants included administrators of government child welfare systems and community-based organizations, as well as supervisors, coaches, and home visitors of the SC program. Sites were classified as fully-, partially-, and non-sustaining based on implementation fidelity. One-way analysis of variance was used to examine differences in stakeholder reported Effective Collaboration scores across fully-sustaining, partially-sustaining, and non-sustaining sites. Qualitative transcripts were analyzed via open and focused coding to identify the commonality, diversity, and complexity of collaborations involved in implementing and sustaining SC. Fully-sustaining sites reported significantly greater levels of effective collaboration than non-sustaining sites. Key themes described by SC stakeholders included shared vision, building on existing relationships, academic support, problem solving and resource sharing, and maintaining collaborations over time. Both quantitative and qualitative results converge in highlighting the importance of effective collaboration in EBI sustainment in child welfare service systems. PMID:26712422

A Low-mass Exoplanet Candidate Detected by K2 Transiting the Praesepe M Dwarf JS 183

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pepper, Joshua; Gillen, Ed; Parviainen, Hannu; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Cody, Ann Marie; Aigrain, Suzanne; Stauffer, John; Vrba, Frederick J.; David, Trevor; Lillo-Box, Jorge; Stassun, Keivan G.; Conroy, Kyle E.; Pope, Benjamin J. S.; Barrado, David

2017-04-01

We report the discovery of a repeating photometric signal from a low-mass member of the Praesepe open cluster that we interpret as a Neptune-sized transiting planet. The star is JS 183 (HSHJ 163, EPIC 211916756), with T eff = 3325 ± 100 K, M * = 0.44 ± 0.04 M ⊙, R * = 0.44 ± 0.03 R ⊙, and {log}{g}* = 4.82+/- 0.06. The planet has an orbital period of 10.134588 days and a radius of R P = 0.32 ± 0.02 R J. Since the star is faint at V = 16.5 and J = 13.3, we are unable to obtain a measured radial velocity orbit, but we can constrain the companion mass to below about 1.7 M J, and thus well below the planetary boundary. JS 183b (since designated as K2-95b) is the second transiting planet found with K2 that resides in a several-hundred-megayear open cluster; both planets orbit mid-M dwarf stars and are approximately Neptune sized. With a well-determined stellar density from the planetary transit, and with an independently known metallicity from its cluster membership, JS 183 provides a particularly valuable test of stellar models at the fully convective boundary. We find that JS 183 is the lowest-density transit host known at the fully convective boundary, and that its very low density is consistent with current models of stars just above the fully convective boundary but in tension with the models just below the fully convective boundary.

Numerical analysis of the chimera states in the multilayered network model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goremyko, Mikhail V.; Maksimenko, Vladimir A.; Makarov, Vladimir V.; Ghosh, Dibakar; Bera, Bidesh K.; Dana, Syamal K.; Hramov, Alexander E.

2017-03-01

We numerically study the interaction between the ensembles of the Hindmarsh-Rose (HR) neuron systems, arranged in the multilayer network model. We have shown that the fully identical layers, demonstrated individually different chimera due to the initial mismatch, come to the identical chimera state with the increase of inter-layer coupling. Within the multilayer model we also consider the case, when the one layer demonstrates chimera state, while another layer exhibits coherent or incoherent dynamics. It has been shown that the interactions chimera-coherent state and chimera-incoherent state leads to the both excitation of chimera as from the ensemble of fully coherent or incoherent oscillators, and suppression of initially stable chimera state

Open innovation at the Abbe School of Photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helgert, Christian; Geiss, Reinhard; Nolte, Stefan; Eilenberger, Falk; Zakoth, David; Mauroner, Oliver; Pertsch, Thomas

2017-08-01

The Abbe School of Photonics (ASP) provides and coordinates the optics and photonics education of graduate and doctoral students at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany. The internationalized Master's degree program is the key activity in training students in the optical sciences. The program is designed to provide them with the skills necessary to fill challenging positions in industry and academia. Here, an essential factor is ASP's close collaboration with more than 20 German photonics companies. To sustain these partners' future economic development, the availability of highly qualified employees is constantly required. Accordingly, these industrial partners, the European Union, the local state and the federal German government are strongly involved in the sustainable development of ASP's curriculum by both conceptual and financial engagements. The main goal is to promote the students' academic careers and job experience in the photonics industry as well as in academia. To open up the program to students from all over the world, all ASP lectures and courses are taught in English. ASP's qualification strategy is fully research-oriented and based on the principles of academic freedom, competitive research conditions and internationalization at all levels. The education program is complemented by a structured doctoral student support and a prestigious guest professorship program. Recently, ASP and partners have started a project to build an open photonics laboratory in order to foster innovative and co-creative processes. The idea follows well-established open innovation schemes e.g. in electronics. This Photon Garage (German: "Lichtwerkstatt") will bring together professionals and interested laymen from different backgrounds to approach pertinent challenges in photonics. Here, we will share our latest insights into the potentials and opportunities offered by this novel educative approach.

Wikidata as a semantic framework for the Gene Wiki initiative.

PubMed

Burgstaller-Muehlbacher, Sebastian; Waagmeester, Andra; Mitraka, Elvira; Turner, Julia; Putman, Tim; Leong, Justin; Naik, Chinmay; Pavlidis, Paul; Schriml, Lynn; Good, Benjamin M; Su, Andrew I

2016-01-01

Open biological data are distributed over many resources making them challenging to integrate, to update and to disseminate quickly. Wikidata is a growing, open community database which can serve this purpose and also provides tight integration with Wikipedia. In order to improve the state of biological data, facilitate data management and dissemination, we imported all human and mouse genes, and all human and mouse proteins into Wikidata. In total, 59,721 human genes and 73,355 mouse genes have been imported from NCBI and 27,306 human proteins and 16,728 mouse proteins have been imported from the Swissprot subset of UniProt. As Wikidata is open and can be edited by anybody, our corpus of imported data serves as the starting point for integration of further data by scientists, the Wikidata community and citizen scientists alike. The first use case for these data is to populate Wikipedia Gene Wiki infoboxes directly from Wikidata with the data integrated above. This enables immediate updates of the Gene Wiki infoboxes as soon as the data in Wikidata are modified. Although Gene Wiki pages are currently only on the English language version of Wikipedia, the multilingual nature of Wikidata allows for usage of the data we imported in all 280 different language Wikipedias. Apart from the Gene Wiki infobox use case, a SPARQL endpoint and exporting functionality to several standard formats (e.g. JSON, XML) enable use of the data by scientists. In summary, we created a fully open and extensible data resource for human and mouse molecular biology and biochemistry data. This resource enriches all the Wikipedias with structured information and serves as a new linking hub for the biological semantic web. Database URL: https://www.wikidata.org/. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma: role in 2014 and beyond

PubMed Central

Baker, Erin H.; Ross, Samuel W.; Seshadri, Ramanathan; Swan, Ryan Z.; Iannitti, David A.; Vrochides, Dionisios

2015-01-01

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma has found new avenues for performing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) procedures, a historically technically challenging operation. Multiple studies have found laparoscopic PD to be safe, with equivalent oncologic outcomes as compared to open PD. In addition, several series have described potential benefits to minimally invasive PD including fewer postoperative complications, shorter hospital length of stay, and decreased postoperative pain. Yet, despite these promising initial results, laparoscopic PDs have not become widely adopted by the surgical community. In fact, the vast majority of pancreatic resections performed in the United States are still performed in an open fashion, and there are only a handful of surgeons who actually perform purely laparoscopic PDs. On the other hand, robotic assisted surgery offers many technical advantages over laparoscopic surgery including high-definition, 3-D optics, enhanced suturing ability, and more degrees of freedom of movement by means of fully-wristed instruments. Similar to laparoscopic PD, there are now several case series that have demonstrated the feasibility and safety of robotic PD with seemingly equivalent short-term oncologic outcomes as compared to open technique. In addition, having the surgeon seated for the procedure with padded arm-rests, there is an ergonomic advantage of robotics over both open and laparoscopic approaches, where one has to stand up for prolonged periods of time. Future technologic innovations will likely focus on enhanced robotic capabilities to improve ease of use in the operating room. Last but not least, robotic assisted surgery training will continue to be a part of surgical education curriculum ensuring the increased use of this technology by future generations of surgeons. PMID:26261726

Massive stereo-based DTM production for Mars on cloud computers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Y.; Muller, J.-P.; Sidiropoulos, P.; Xiong, Si-Ting; Putri, A. R. D.; Walter, S. H. G.; Veitch-Michaelis, J.; Yershov, V.

2018-05-01

Digital Terrain Model (DTM) creation is essential to improving our understanding of the formation processes of the Martian surface. Although there have been previous demonstrations of open-source or commercial planetary 3D reconstruction software, planetary scientists are still struggling with creating good quality DTMs that meet their science needs, especially when there is a requirement to produce a large number of high quality DTMs using "free" software. In this paper, we describe a new open source system to overcome many of these obstacles by demonstrating results in the context of issues found from experience with several planetary DTM pipelines. We introduce a new fully automated multi-resolution DTM processing chain for NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Context Camera (CTX) and High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) stereo processing, called the Co-registration Ames Stereo Pipeline (ASP) Gotcha Optimised (CASP-GO), based on the open source NASA ASP. CASP-GO employs tie-point based multi-resolution image co-registration, and Gotcha sub-pixel refinement and densification. CASP-GO pipeline is used to produce planet-wide CTX and HiRISE DTMs that guarantee global geo-referencing compliance with respect to High Resolution Stereo Colour imaging (HRSC), and thence to the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA); providing refined stereo matching completeness and accuracy. All software and good quality products introduced in this paper are being made open-source to the planetary science community through collaboration with NASA Ames, United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Advanced Multi-Mission Operations System (AMMOS) Planetary Data System (PDS) Pipeline Service (APPS-PDS4), as well as browseable and visualisable through the iMars web based Geographic Information System (webGIS) system.

Toward an Open-Ended BCI: A User-Centered Coadaptive Design.

PubMed

Dhindsa, Kiret; Carcone, Dean; Becker, Suzanna

2017-10-01

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) allow users to control a device by interpreting their brain activity. For simplicity, these devices are designed to be operated by purposefully modulating specific predetermined neurophysiological signals, such as the sensorimotor rhythm. However, the ability to modulate a given neurophysiological signal is highly variable across individuals, contributing to the inconsistent performance of BCIs for different users. These differences suggest that individuals who experience poor BCI performance with one class of brain signals might have good results with another. In order to take advantage of individual abilities as they relate to BCI control, we need to move beyond the current approaches. In this letter, we explore a new BCI design aimed at a more individualized and user-focused experience, which we call open-ended BCI. Individual users were given the freedom to discover their own mental strategies as opposed to being trained to modulate a given brain signal. They then underwent multiple coadaptive training sessions with the BCI. Our first open-ended BCI performed similarly to comparable BCIs while accommodating a wider variety of mental strategies without a priori knowledge of the specific brain signals any individual might use. Post hoc analysis revealed individual differences in terms of which sensory modality yielded optimal performance. We found a large and significant effect of individual differences in background training and expertise, such as in musical training, on BCI performance. Future research should be focused on finding more generalized solutions to user training and brain state decoding methods to fully utilize the abilities of different individuals in an open-ended BCI. Accounting for each individual's areas of expertise could have important implications on BCI training and BCI application design.

Reduced-Order Model for Leakage Through an Open Wellbore from the Reservoir due to Carbon Dioxide Injection

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

Pan, Lehua; Oldenburg, Curtis M.

Potential CO 2 leakage through existing open wellbores is one of the most significant hazards that need to be addressed in geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) projects. In the framework of the National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) which requires fast computations for uncertainty analysis, rigorous simulation of the coupled wellbore-reservoir system is not practical. We have developed a 7,200-point look-up table reduced-order model (ROM) for estimating the potential leakage rate up open wellbores in response to CO 2 injection nearby. The ROM is based on coupled simulations using T2Well/ECO2H which was run repeatedly for representative conditions relevant to NRAP to createmore » a look-up table response-surface ROM. The ROM applies to a wellbore that fully penetrates a 20-m thick reservoir that is used for CO 2 storage. The radially symmetric reservoir is assumed to have initially uniform pressure, temperature, gas saturation, and brine salinity, and it is assumed these conditions are held constant at the far-field boundary (100 m away from the wellbore). In such a system, the leakage can quickly reach quasi-steady state. The ROM table can be used to estimate both the free-phase CO 2 and brine leakage rates through an open well as a function of wellbore and reservoir conditions. Results show that injection-induced pressure and reservoir gas saturation play important roles in controlling leakage. Caution must be used in the application of this ROM because well leakage is formally transient and the ROM lookup table was populated using quasi-steady simulation output after 1000 time steps which may correspond to different physical times for the various parameter combinations of the coupled wellbore-reservoir system.« less

[Dispensing prescriptions to persons affiliated with the Seguro Popular de Salud de México].

PubMed

Garrido-Latorre, Francisco; Hernández-Llamas, Héctor; Gómez-Dantés, Octavio

2008-01-01

Measure and compare the percentage of prescriptions fully dispensed to persons with and without Popular Health Insurance (SPS in Spanish) who use ambulatory and general hospital services associated with the Mexico State Health Services (SESA in Spanish), and taking into account insurance status. SESA user satisfaction was also measured with respect to access to medication. Information for the study was taken from four surveys of SESA ambulatory and hospital units that included probabilistic samples with state representativity. Samples of ambulatory units were selected by stratification according to level of care and association to the SPS service network. The findings indicate that the percentage of prescriptions fully dispensed in SESA ambulatory units has improved, reaching approximately 90%, especially among those units offering services to persons affiliated with SPS. Nevertheless, these percentages continue to be lower than those of ambulatory units associated with social security institutions. Percentages of prescriptions fully dispensed have also improved in SESA hospital units, but continue to be relatively low. In nearly all states, as the percentage of prescriptions fully dispensed has increased, user satisfaction with access to medication has also improved. In 2006 more than 50% of the states had high levels of fully dispensed prescriptions among persons with SPS (> or =90%). The more significant problem exists among hospitals, since only 44% of users who received a prescription in SESA hospitals in 2006 had their prescriptions fully dispensed. This finding requires a review of SPS medication policies, which have favored highly prescribed low-cost medications at ambulatory services at the expense of higher cost and more therapeutically effective medications for hospital care, the latter having a greater impact on household budgets.

New Evidence on the Price Effects of Cigarette Tax Competition.

PubMed

Carpenter, Christopher S; Mathes, Michael T

2016-05-01

Multiple studies have shown that cigarette taxes are more than fully passed through to cigarette prices and that access to a nearby state with a lower cigarette tax also reduces local cigarette prices. We study two other sources of tax competition: nearby Native American reservations and online sales. Using quarterly data on local cigarette prices from 1976-2003, we show that the opening of a Native American casino within 25 miles of a city center is associated with a $0.016-$0.027 lower per-pack price, while a 50 percentage point increase in internet penetration is associated with a $0.22-$0.25 per-pack price reduction. These effects are not observed for other local prices for which there is no potential tax savings. Our results further our understanding of how tax competition affects local cigarette prices and provide context to studies linking Native American reservations and internet penetration to cigarette smuggling.

Learned Compact Local Feature Descriptor for Tls-Based Geodetic Monitoring of Natural Outdoor Scenes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gojcic, Z.; Zhou, C.; Wieser, A.

2018-05-01

The advantages of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) for geodetic monitoring of man-made and natural objects are not yet fully exploited. Herein we address one of the open challenges by proposing feature-based methods for identification of corresponding points in point clouds of two or more epochs. We propose a learned compact feature descriptor tailored for point clouds of natural outdoor scenes obtained using TLS. We evaluate our method both on a benchmark data set and on a specially acquired outdoor dataset resembling a simplified monitoring scenario where we successfully estimate 3D displacement vectors of a rock that has been displaced between the scans. We show that the proposed descriptor has the capacity to generalize to unseen data and achieves state-of-the-art performance while being time efficient at the matching step due the low dimension.

Annulated Dialkoxybenzenes as Catholyte Materials for Non-aqueous Redox Flow Batteries: Achieving High Chemical Stability through Bicyclic Substitution

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Jingjing; Yang, Zheng; Shkrob, Ilya A.; ...

2017-07-21

1,4-Dimethoxybenzene derivatives are materials of choice for use as catholytes in nonaqueous redox flow batteries, as they exhibit high open-circuit potentials and excellent electrochemical reversibility. However, chemical stability of these materials in their oxidized form needs to be improved. Disubstitution in the arene ring is used to suppress parasitic reactions of their radical cations, but this does not fully prevent ring-addition reactions. By incorporating bicyclic substitutions and ether chains into the dialkoxybenzenes, a novel catholyte molecule, 9,10-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-1,4:5,8-dimethanenoanthracene (BODMA), is obtained and exhibits greater solubility and superior chemical stability in the charged state. As a result, a hybrid flow cell containingmore » BODMA is operated for 150 charge–discharge cycles with minimal loss of capacity.« less

New Evidence on the Price Effects of Cigarette Tax Competition

PubMed Central

Carpenter, Christopher S.; Mathes, Michael T.

2016-01-01

Multiple studies have shown that cigarette taxes are more than fully passed through to cigarette prices and that access to a nearby state with a lower cigarette tax also reduces local cigarette prices. We study two other sources of tax competition: nearby Native American reservations and online sales. Using quarterly data on local cigarette prices from 1976–2003, we show that the opening of a Native American casino within 25 miles of a city center is associated with a $0.016-$0.027 lower per-pack price, while a 50 percentage point increase in internet penetration is associated with a $0.22-$0.25 per-pack price reduction. These effects are not observed for other local prices for which there is no potential tax savings. Our results further our understanding of how tax competition affects local cigarette prices and provide context to studies linking Native American reservations and internet penetration to cigarette smuggling. PMID:27840571

Inelastic scattering in metal- H2 -metal junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristensen, I. S.; Paulsson, M.; Thygesen, K. S.; Jacobsen, K. W.

2009-06-01

We present first-principles calculations of the dI/dV characteristics of an H2 molecule sandwiched between Au and Pt electrodes in the presence of electron-phonon interactions. The conductance is found to decrease by a few percentages at threshold voltages corresponding to the excitation energy of longitudinal vibrations of the H2 molecule. In the case of Pt electrodes, the transverse vibrations can mediate transport through otherwise nontransmitting Ptd channels leading to an increase in the differential conductance even though the hydrogen junction is characterized predominately by a single almost fully open transport channel. In the case of Au, the transverse modes do not affect the dI/dV because the Aud states are too far below the Fermi level. A simple explanation of the first-principles results is given using scattering theory. Finally, we compare and discuss our results in relation to experimental data.

Role of the Bering Strait on the hysteresis of the ocean conveyor belt circulation and glacial climate stability.

PubMed

Hu, Aixue; Meehl, Gerald A; Han, Weiqing; Timmermann, Axel; Otto-Bliesner, Bette; Liu, Zhengyu; Washington, Warren M; Large, William; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Kimoto, Masahide; Lambeck, Kurt; Wu, Bingyi

2012-04-24

Abrupt climate transitions, known as Dansgaard-Oeschger and Heinrich events, occurred frequently during the last glacial period, specifically from 80-11 thousand years before present, but were nearly absent during interglacial periods and the early stages of glacial periods, when major ice-sheets were still forming. Here we show, with a fully coupled state-of-the-art climate model, that closing the Bering Strait and preventing its throughflow between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans during the glacial period can lead to the emergence of stronger hysteresis behavior of the ocean conveyor belt circulation to create conditions that are conducive to triggering abrupt climate transitions. Hence, it is argued that even for greenhouse warming, abrupt climate transitions similar to those in the last glacial time are unlikely to occur as the Bering Strait remains open.

Valley-Selective Exciton Bistability in a Suspended Monolayer Semiconductor.

PubMed

Xie, Hongchao; Jiang, Shengwei; Shan, Jie; Mak, Kin Fai

2018-05-09

We demonstrate robust optical bistability, the phenomenon of two well-discriminated stable states depending upon the history of the optical input, in fully suspended monolayers of WSe 2 at low temperatures near the exciton resonance. Optical bistability has been achieved under continuous-wave optical excitation that is red-detuned from the exciton resonance at an intensity level of 10 3 W/cm 2 . The observed bistability is originated from a photothermal mechanism, which provides both optical nonlinearity and passive feedback, two essential elements for optical bistability. The low thermal conductance of suspended samples is primarily responsible for the low excitation intensities required for optical bistability. Under a finite out-of-plane magnetic field, the exciton bistability becomes helicity dependent due to the exciton valley Zeeman effect, which enables repeatable switching of the sample reflectance by light polarization. Our study has opened up exciting opportunities in controlling light with light, including its wavelength, power, and polarization, using monolayer semiconductors.

Concept of a digital aerial platform for conducting observation flights under the open skies treaty. (Polish Title: Koncepcja cyfrowej platformy lotniczej do realizacji misji obserwacyjnych w ramach traktatu o otwartych przestworzach)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walczykowski, P.; Orych, A.

2013-12-01

The Treaty on Open Skies, to which Poland is a signatory from the very beginning, was signed in 1992 in Helsinki. The main principle of the Treaty is increasing the openness of military activities conducted by the States-Parties and control over respecting disarmament agreements. Responsibilities given by the Treaty are fulfilled by conducting and receiving a given number of observation flights over the territories of the Treaty signatories. Among the 34 countries currently actively taking part in this Treaty only some own certified airplanes and observation sensors. Poland is within the group of countries who do not own their own platform and therefore fulfills Treaty requirements using the Ukrainian An-30b. Primarily, the Treaty only enabled the use of analogue sensors for the acquisition of imagery data. Together with the development of digital techniques, a rise in the need for digital imagery products had been noted. Currently digital photography is being used in almost ass fields of studies and everyday life. This has lead to very rapid developments in digital sensor technologies, employing the newest and most innovative solutions. Digital imagery products have many advantages and have now almost fully replaced traditional film sensors. Digital technologies have given rise to a new era in Open Skies. The Open Skies Consultative Commission, having conducted many series of tests, signed a new Decision to the Treaty, which allows for digital aerial sensors to be used during observation flights. The main aim of this article is to design a concept of choosing digital sensors and selecting an airplane, therefore a digital aerial platform, which could be used by Poland for Open Skies purposes. A thorough analysis of airplanes currently used by the Polish Air force was conducted in terms of their specifications and the possibility of their employment for Open Skies Treaty missions. Next, an analysis was conducted of the latest aerial digital sensors offered by leading commercial manufacturers. The sensors were analyzed in terms of the accordance of their specifications with the technical requirements of the Treaty.

Helical unwinding and side-chain unlocking unravel the outward open conformation of the melibiose transporter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Li-Ying; Ravi, Vidhya M.; Leblanc, Gérard; Padrós, Esteve; Cladera, Josep; Perálvarez-Marín, Alex

2016-09-01

Molecular dynamics simulations have been used to study the alternate access mechanism of the melibiose transporter from Escherichia coli. Starting from the outward-facing partially occluded form, 2 out of 12 simulations produced an outward full open form and one partially open, whereas the rest yielded fully or partially occluded forms. The shape of the outward-open form resembles other outward-open conformations of secondary transporters. During the transporter opening, conformational changes in some loops are followed by changes in the periplasm region of transmembrane helix 7. Helical curvature relaxation and unlocking of hydrophobic and ionic locks promote the outward opening of the transporter making accessible the substrate binding site. In particular, FRET studies on mutants of conserved aromatic residues of extracellular loop 4 showed lack of substrate binding, emphasizing the importance of this loop for making crucial interactions that control the opening of the periplasmic side. This study indicates that the alternate access mechanism for the melibiose transporter fits better into a flexible gating mechanism rather than the archetypical helical rigid-body rocker-switch mechanism.

The onset of visual experience gates auditory cortex critical periods

PubMed Central

Mowery, Todd M.; Kotak, Vibhakar C.; Sanes, Dan H.

2016-01-01

Sensory systems influence one another during development and deprivation can lead to cross-modal plasticity. As auditory function begins before vision, we investigate the effect of manipulating visual experience during auditory cortex critical periods (CPs) by assessing the influence of early, normal and delayed eyelid opening on hearing loss-induced changes to membrane and inhibitory synaptic properties. Early eyelid opening closes the auditory cortex CPs precociously and dark rearing prevents this effect. In contrast, delayed eyelid opening extends the auditory cortex CPs by several additional days. The CP for recovery from hearing loss is also closed prematurely by early eyelid opening and extended by delayed eyelid opening. Furthermore, when coupled with transient hearing loss that animals normally fully recover from, very early visual experience leads to inhibitory deficits that persist into adulthood. Finally, we demonstrate a functional projection from the visual to auditory cortex that could mediate these effects. PMID:26786281

Flow energizers. Task A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ward, D.; Binford, R.; Vonlavante, E.; Paul, B.

1985-01-01

The effects of a propeller slipstream on the wing laminar boundary are being investigated. Hot-wire velocity sensor measurements have been performed in flight and in a wind tunnel. It is shown that the boundary layer cycles between a laminar state and a turbulent state at the propeller blade passage rate. The cyclic length of the turbulent state increases with decreasing laminar stability. Analyses of the time-varying velocity profiles show the turbulent state to lie in a transition region between fully laminar and fully turbulent. The observed cyclic boundary layer has characteristics similar to relaminarizing flow and laminar flow with external turbulence.

pyOpenMS: a Python-based interface to the OpenMS mass-spectrometry algorithm library.

PubMed

Röst, Hannes L; Schmitt, Uwe; Aebersold, Ruedi; Malmström, Lars

2014-01-01

pyOpenMS is an open-source, Python-based interface to the C++ OpenMS library, providing facile access to a feature-rich, open-source algorithm library for MS-based proteomics analysis. It contains Python bindings that allow raw access to the data structures and algorithms implemented in OpenMS, specifically those for file access (mzXML, mzML, TraML, mzIdentML among others), basic signal processing (smoothing, filtering, de-isotoping, and peak-picking) and complex data analysis (including label-free, SILAC, iTRAQ, and SWATH analysis tools). pyOpenMS thus allows fast prototyping and efficient workflow development in a fully interactive manner (using the interactive Python interpreter) and is also ideally suited for researchers not proficient in C++. In addition, our code to wrap a complex C++ library is completely open-source, allowing other projects to create similar bindings with ease. The pyOpenMS framework is freely available at https://pypi.python.org/pypi/pyopenms while the autowrap tool to create Cython code automatically is available at https://pypi.python.org/pypi/autowrap (both released under the 3-clause BSD licence). © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Revisiting the Fully Automated Double-Ring Infiltrometer Using Open-Source Electronics

EPA Science Inventory

The double-ring infiltrometer (DRI) is commonly used for measuring soil hydraulic conductivity. However, constant-head DRI tests typically involve the use of Mariotte tubes, which can be problematic to set-up, and time-consuming to maintain and monitor during infiltration tests....

Assessment and Accreditation for Languages: The Emerging Consensus?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubner, Anke, Ed.; Ibarz, Toni, Ed.; Laviosa, Sara, Ed.

Chapter titles include the following: "Language Teaching, Accreditation and the Social Purpose of Adult Education" (Liam Kane); "Student Attitudes to Learning, Assessment and Accreditation" (Fran Beaton); "Assessment on a Fully Accredited Open Language Programme: Achieving Beneficial Backwash in a Standardised Scheme" (Dounia Bissar); "Introducing…

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

Alderfer, R.R.; Futa, P.W.

This patent describes a fuel system for an engine having a filter through which fuel from a pump passes to a regulator in response to an operator input. The regulator controls the flow of fuel presented to a combustion chamber in the engine, the regulator having a feedback apparatus to provide an operator with a signal indicative of the fuel supplied to the combustion chamber. It comprises: bypass means having a housing with a chamber therein, the chamber having an entrance port connected to the pump and an exit port connected to the regulator; piston means located in the chambermore » for separating the entrance port from the exit port, the piston having a face with a projection extending therefrom; stop means located in the chamber; resilient means located is the chamber for urging the piston means toward the stop means to prevent the flow of fuel from the pump through the housing to the regulator; and indicator means having a body retained in the housing with a first end which extends through the housing into the from a full-open position at which the closed circuit is fully opened to a full-closed position at which the closed circuit is fully blocked; ratio detecting means which detects the speed reduction ratio to find if the speed reduction ratio becomes substantially 1; and valve position detecting means which detects position of the direct clutch valve to find if the direct clutch valve is moved to a slight-open position at which the closed circuit is slightly opened.« less

Valve

DOEpatents

Cho, Nakwon

1980-01-01

A positive acting valve suitable for operation in a corrosive environment is provided. The valve includes a hollow valve body defining an open-ended bore for receiving two, axially aligned, spaced-apart, cylindrical inserts. One insert, designated the seat insert, terminates inside the valve body in an annular face which lies within plane normal to the axis of the two inserts. An elastomeric O-ring seal is disposed in a groove extending about the annular face. The other insert, designated the wedge insert, terminates inside the valve body in at least two surfaces oppositely inclined with respect to each other and with respect to a plane normal to the axis of the two inserts. An elongated reciprocable gate, movable between the two inserts along a path normal to the axis of the two inserts, has a first flat face portion disposed adjacent and parallel to the annular face of the seat insert. The gate has a second face portion opposite to the first face portion provided with at least two oppositely inclined surfaces for mating with respective inclined surfaces of the wedge insert. An opening is provided through the gate which registers with a flow passage through the two inserts when the valve is open. Interaction of the respective inclined surfaces of the gate and wedge insert act to force the first flat face portion of the gate against the O-ring seal in the seat insert at the limits of gate displacement where it reaches its respective fully open and fully closed positions.

Quantum simulation of a quantum stochastic walk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Govia, Luke C. G.; Taketani, Bruno G.; Schuhmacher, Peter K.; Wilhelm, Frank K.

2017-03-01

The study of quantum walks has been shown to have a wide range of applications in areas such as artificial intelligence, the study of biological processes, and quantum transport. The quantum stochastic walk (QSW), which allows for incoherent movement of the walker, and therefore, directionality, is a generalization on the fully coherent quantum walk. While a QSW can always be described in Lindblad formalism, this does not mean that it can be microscopically derived in the standard weak-coupling limit under the Born-Markov approximation. This restricts the class of QSWs that can be experimentally realized in a simple manner. To circumvent this restriction, we introduce a technique to simulate open system evolution on a fully coherent quantum computer, using a quantum trajectories style approach. We apply this technique to a broad class of QSWs, and show that they can be simulated with minimal experimental resources. Our work opens the path towards the experimental realization of QSWs on large graphs with existing quantum technologies.

Fully On-line Introductory Physics with a Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schatz, Michael

We describe the development and implementation of a college-level introductory physics (mechanics) course and laboratory that is suited for both on-campus and on-line environments. The course emphasizes a ``Your World is Your Lab'' approach whereby students first examine and capture on video (using cellphones) motion in their immediate surroundings, and then use free, open-source software both to extract data from the video and to apply physics principles to build models that describe, predict, and visualize the observations. Each student reports findings by creating a video lab report and posting it online; these video lab reports are then distributed to the rest of the class for peer review. In this talk, we will discuss the student and instructor experiences in courses offered to three distinct audiences in different venues: (1) a Massively Open On-line Course (MOOC) for off-campus participants, (2) a flipped/blended course for on-campus students, and, most recently, (3) a fully-online course for off-campus students.

An evaluation of some strategies for vibration control of flexible rotors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burrows, C. R.

1992-01-01

There is evidence that the reliability of magnetic bearings has achieved an acceptable level in applications when high cost can be tolerated. This acceptability would be enhanced if the inherent capability of magnetic bearings as active control elements were fully used. The technological and commercial promise of magnetic bearings will be fulfilled only if attention is focussed on the control problems associated with their use. The open loop adaptive control algorithm provides an efficient method of controlling the vibration of rotors without the need of a prior knowledge of parameter values. It overcomes the disadvantages normally associated with open loop control while avoiding the problem of instability associated with closed loop control algorithms. The algorithm is conceptually satisfying because it uses the capability of magnetic bearings as fully active vibration control elements rather than limiting them to act as adjustable stiffness and damping elements, as is the case when they are used with local position and velocity feedback.

Fully solar-powered photoelectrochemical conversion for simultaneous energy storage and chemical sensing.

PubMed

Wang, Yongcheng; Tang, Jing; Peng, Zheng; Wang, Yuhang; Jia, Dingsi; Kong, Biao; Elzatahry, Ahmed A; Zhao, Dongyuan; Zheng, Gengfeng

2014-06-11

We report the development of a multifunctional, solar-powered photoelectrochemical (PEC)-pseudocapacitive-sensing material system for simultaneous solar energy conversion, electrochemical energy storage, and chemical detection. The TiO2 nanowire/NiO nanoflakes and the Si nanowire/Pt nanoparticle composites are used as photoanodes and photocathodes, respectively. A stable open-circuit voltage of ∼0.45 V and a high pseudocapacitance of up to ∼455 F g(-1) are obtained, which also exhibit a repeating charging-discharging capability. The PEC-pseudocapacitive device is fully solar powered, without the need of any external power supply. Moreover, this TiO2 nanowire/NiO nanoflake composite photoanode exhibits excellent glucose sensitivity and selectivity. Under the sun light illumination, the PEC photocurrent shows a sensitive increase upon different glucose additions. Meanwhile in the dark, the open-circuit voltage of the charged pseudocapacitor also exhibits a corresponding signal over glucose analyte, thus serving as a full solar-powered energy conversion-storage-utilization system.

Open Markov Processes and Reaction Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swistock Pollard, Blake Stephen

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Joint Intelligence Analysis Complex: DOD Needs to Fully Incorporate Best Practices into Future Cost Estimates

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-01

Report to Congressional Requesters November 2016 GAO-17-29 United States Government Accountability Office United States Government... Accountability Office Highlights of GAO-17-29, a report to congressional requesters November 2016 JOINT INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS COMPLEX DOD...of scope, according to DOD and Air Force officials. However, without fully accounting for life- cycle costs, management may have difficulty

Wave Energy Research, Testing and Demonstration Center

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

Batten, Belinda

2014-09-30

The purpose of this project was to build upon the research, development and testing experience of the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) to establish a non-grid connected open-ocean testing facility for wave energy converters (WECs) off the coast of Newport, Oregon. The test facility would serve as the first facility of its kind in the continental US with a fully energetic wave resource where WEC technologies could be proven for west coast US markets. The test facility would provide the opportunity for self-contained WEC testing or WEC testing connected via an umbilical cable to a mobile ocean testmore » berth (MOTB). The MOTB would act as a “grid surrogate” measuring energy produced by the WEC and the environmental conditions under which the energy was produced. In order to realize this vision, the ocean site would need to be identified through outreach to community stakeholders, and then regulatory and permitting processes would be undertaken. Part of those processes would require environmental baseline studies and site analysis, including benthic, acoustic and wave resource characterization. The MOTB and its myriad systems would need to be designed and constructed.The first WEC test at the facility with the MOTB was completed within this project with the WET-NZ device in summer 2012. In summer 2013, the MOTB was deployed with load cells on its mooring lines to characterize forces on mooring systems in a variety of sea states. Throughout both testing seasons, studies were done to analyze environmental effects during testing operations. Test protocols and best management practices for open ocean operations were developed. As a result of this project, the non-grid connected fully energetic WEC test facility is operational, and the MOTB system developed provides a portable concept for WEC testing. The permitting process used provides a model for other wave energy projects, especially those in the Pacific Northwest that have similar environmental considerations. While the non-grid connected testing facility provides an option for WEC developers to prove their technology in a fully-energetic wave environment, the absence of grid connection is somewhat of a limitation. To prove that their technology is commercially viable, developers seek a multi-year grid connected testing option. To address this need, NNMREC is developing a companion grid connected test facility in Newport, Oregon, where small arrays of WECs can be tested as well.« less

Fully Depleted Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr-O Nanotubes: Interfacial Charge Dynamics and Solar Hydrogen Production.

PubMed

Chiu, Yi-Hsuan; Lai, Ting-Hsuan; Chen, Chun-Yi; Hsieh, Ping-Yen; Ozasa, Kazunari; Niinomi, Mitsuo; Okada, Kiyoshi; Chang, Tso-Fu Mark; Matsushita, Nobuhiro; Sone, Masato; Hsu, Yung-Jung

2018-05-01

Poor kinetics of hole transportation at the electrode/electrolyte interface is regarded as a primary cause for the mediocre performance of n-type TiO 2 photoelectrodes. By adopting nanotubes as the electrode backbone, light absorption and carrier collection can be spatially decoupled, allowing n-type TiO 2 , with its short hole diffusion length, to maximize the use of the available photoexcited charge carriers during operation in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Here, we presented a delicate electrochemical anodization process for the preparation of quaternary Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr-O mixed-oxide (denoted as TNTZO) nanotube arrays and demonstrated their utility in PEC water splitting. The charge-transfer dynamics for the electrodes was investigated using time-resolved photoluminescence, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and the decay of open-circuit voltage analysis. Data reveal that the superior photoactivity of TNTZO over pristine TiO 2 originated from the introduction of Nd, Ta, and Zr elements, which enhanced the amount of accessible charge carriers, modified the electronic structure, and improved the hole injection kinetics for expediting water splitting. By modulating the water content of the electrolyte employed in the anodization process, the wall thickness of the grown TNTZO nanotubes can be reduced to a size smaller than that of the depletion layer thickness, realizing a fully depleted state for charge carriers to further advance the PEC performance. Hydrogen evolution tests demonstrate the practical efficacy of TNTZO for realizing solar hydrogen production. Furthermore, with the composition complexity and fully depleted band structure, the present TNTZO nanotube arrays may offer a feasible and universal platform for the loading of other semiconductors to construct a sophisticated heterostructure photoelectrode paradigm, in which the photoexcited charge carriers can be entirely utilized for efficient solar-to-fuel conversion.

Ergonomics and regulatory politics: the Washington State case.

PubMed

Silverstein, Michael

2007-05-01

Every year in the State of Washington more than 50,000 workers experience a work related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD), making up more than 30% of all worker compensation cases. In 2000, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) adopted a workplace ergonomics rule requiring employers to reduce worker exposure to hazards that cause or contribute to WMSDs. In 2003, the ergonomics rule was repealed by a margin of 53.5-46.5 in a statewide voter initiative. The official rulemaking record of approximately 100,000 pages, along with supplementary published and unpublished material, was reviewed. The relationship between scientific deliberation and the public policy process in adopting and repealing the ergonomics rule was assessed and described. The deliberative features of the regulatory, judicial, legislative, and ballot processes were compared. The ergonomics rule was successful in the regulatory and legal arenas where the process was most transparent and open to public involvement, differing views could be presented fully, and decision makers were expected to explain their decisions in light of the record. The rule fared most poorly in the legislature and at the ballot box when these features were lost and where considered deliberation was replaced by unconstrained political conflict. Additional checks and balances are needed.

Deterministic delivery of remote entanglement on a quantum network.

PubMed

Humphreys, Peter C; Kalb, Norbert; Morits, Jaco P J; Schouten, Raymond N; Vermeulen, Raymond F L; Twitchen, Daniel J; Markham, Matthew; Hanson, Ronald

2018-06-01

Large-scale quantum networks promise to enable secure communication, distributed quantum computing, enhanced sensing and fundamental tests of quantum mechanics through the distribution of entanglement across nodes 1-7 . Moving beyond current two-node networks 8-13 requires the rate of entanglement generation between nodes to exceed the decoherence (loss) rate of the entanglement. If this criterion is met, intrinsically probabilistic entangling protocols can be used to provide deterministic remote entanglement at pre-specified times. Here we demonstrate this using diamond spin qubit nodes separated by two metres. We realize a fully heralded single-photon entanglement protocol that achieves entangling rates of up to 39 hertz, three orders of magnitude higher than previously demonstrated two-photon protocols on this platform 14 . At the same time, we suppress the decoherence rate of remote-entangled states to five hertz through dynamical decoupling. By combining these results with efficient charge-state control and mitigation of spectral diffusion, we deterministically deliver a fresh remote state with an average entanglement fidelity of more than 0.5 at every clock cycle of about 100 milliseconds without any pre- or post-selection. These results demonstrate a key building block for extended quantum networks and open the door to entanglement distribution across multiple remote nodes.

Charge transfer mechanism in titanium-doped microporous silica for photocatalytic water-splitting applications

DOE PAGES

Sapp, Wendi; Koodali, Ranjit; Kilin, Dmitri

2016-02-29

Solar energy conversion into chemical form is possible using artificial means. One example of a highly-efficient fuel is solar energy used to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. Efficient photocatalytic water-splitting remains an open challenge for researchers across the globe. Despite significant progress, several aspects of the reaction, including the charge transfer mechanism, are not fully clear. Density functional theory combined with density matrix equations of motion were used to identify and characterize the charge transfer mechanism involved in the dissociation of water. A simulated porous silica substrate, using periodic boundary conditions, with Ti 4+ ions embedded on the innermore » pore wall was found to contain electron and hole trap states that could facilitate a chemical reaction. A trap state was located within the silica substrate that lengthened relaxation time, which may favor a chemical reaction. A chemical reaction would have to occur within the window of photoexcitation; therefore, the existence of a trapping state may encourage a chemical reaction. Furthermore, this provides evidence that the silica substrate plays an integral part in the electron/hole dynamics of the system, leading to the conclusion that both components (photoactive materials and support) of heterogeneous catalytic systems are important in optimization of catalytic efficiency.« less

The Operating Principle of a Fully Solid State Active Magnetic Regenerator

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

Abdelaziz, Omar

As an alternative refrigeration technology, magnetocaloric refrigeration has the potential to be safer, quieter, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly than the conventional vapor compression refrigeration technology. Most of the reported active magnetic regenerator (AMR) systems that operate based on the magnetocaloric effect use heat transfer fluid to exchange heat, which results in complicated mechanical subsystems and components such as rotating valves and hydraulic pumps. This paper presents an operating principle of a fully solid state AMR, in which an alternative mechanism for heat transfer between the AMR and the heat source/sink is proposed. The operating principle of the fullymore » solid state AMR is based on moving rods/sheets (e.g. copper, brass, iron or aluminum), which are employed to replace the heat transfer fluid. Such fully solid state AMR would provide a significantly higher heat transfer rate than a conventional AMR because the conductivity of moving solid rods/plates is high and it enables the increase in the machine operating frequency hence the cooling capacity. The details of operating principle are presented and discussed here. One of the key enabling features for this technology is the contact between the moving rods/sheets and magnetocaloric material, and heat exchange mechanism at the heat source/sink. This paper provides an overview of the design for a fully solid state magnetocaloric refrigeration system along with guidelines for their optimal design.« less

Urbanization, regime type and durability, and environmental degradation in Ghana.

PubMed

Adams, Samuel; Adom, Philip Kofi; Klobodu, Edem Kwame Mensah

2016-12-01

This study examines the effect of urbanization, income, trade openness, and institutional quality (i.e., regime type and durability) on environmental degradation in Ghana over the period 1965-2011. Using the bounds test approach to cointegration and the Fully Modified Phillip-Hansen (FMPH) technique, the findings show that urbanization, income, trade openness, and institutional quality have long-run cointegration with environmental degradation. Further, the results show that income, trade openness, and institutional quality are negatively associated with environmental degradation. This suggests that income, trade openness, and institutional quality enhance environmental performance. Urbanization, however, is positively related to environmental degradation. Additionally, long-run estimates conditioned on institutional quality reveal that the extent to which trade openness and urbanization enhance environmental performance is largely due to the presence of quality institutions (or democratic institutions). Finally, controlling for structural breaks, we find that trade openness, urbanization, and regime type (i.e., democracy) improve environmental performance significantly after the 1970s except for income.

Three-dimensional wax patterning of paper fluidic devices.

PubMed

Renault, Christophe; Koehne, Jessica; Ricco, Antonio J; Crooks, Richard M

2014-06-17

In this paper we describe a method for three-dimensional wax patterning of microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs). The method is rooted in the fundamental details of wax transport in paper and provides a simple way to fabricate complex channel architectures such as hemichannels and fully enclosed channels. We show that three-dimensional μPADs can be fabricated with half as much paper by using hemichannels rather than ordinary open channels. We also provide evidence that fully enclosed channels are efficiently isolated from the exterior environment, decreasing contamination risks, simplifying the handling of the device, and slowing evaporation of solvents.

Differences in self-reported outcomes of open prostatectomy patients and robotic prostatectomy patients in an international web-based survey.

PubMed

O'Shaughnessy, Peter Kevin; Laws, Thomas A; Pinnock, Carol; Moul, Judd W; Esterman, Adrian

2013-12-01

To compare patient reported outcomes between robotic assisted surgery and non-robotic assisted surgery. This was an international web-based survey based on a qualitative research and literature review, an internet-based questionnaire was developed with approximately 70 items. The questionnaire included both closed and open-ended questions. Responses were received from 193 men of whom 86 had received either open (OP) or robotic (RALP) surgery. A statistically significant (p=0.027), ranked analysis of covariance was found demonstrating higher recent distress in the robotic (RALP) surgery group. Although not statistically significant, there was a pattern of men having robotic (RALP) surgery reporting fewer urinary and bowel problems, but having a greater rate of sexual dysfunction. Men who opt for robotic surgery may have higher expectations for robotic (RALP) surgery, when these expectations are not fully met they may be less likely to accept the consequences of this major cancer surgery. Information regarding surgical choice needs to be tailored to ensure that men diagnosed with prostate cancer are fully informed of not only short term surgical and physical outcomes such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence, but also of potential issues with regards to masculinity, lifestyle and sexual health. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Open source database of images DEIMOS: extension for large-scale subjective image quality assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vítek, Stanislav

2014-09-01

DEIMOS (Database of Images: Open Source) is an open-source database of images and video sequences for testing, verification and comparison of various image and/or video processing techniques such as compression, reconstruction and enhancement. This paper deals with extension of the database allowing performing large-scale web-based subjective image quality assessment. Extension implements both administrative and client interface. The proposed system is aimed mainly at mobile communication devices, taking into account advantages of HTML5 technology; it means that participants don't need to install any application and assessment could be performed using web browser. The assessment campaign administrator can select images from the large database and then apply rules defined by various test procedure recommendations. The standard test procedures may be fully customized and saved as a template. Alternatively the administrator can define a custom test, using images from the pool and other components, such as evaluating forms and ongoing questionnaires. Image sequence is delivered to the online client, e.g. smartphone or tablet, as a fully automated assessment sequence or viewer can decide on timing of the assessment if required. Environmental data and viewing conditions (e.g. illumination, vibrations, GPS coordinates, etc.), may be collected and subsequently analyzed.

Application of the Institution of Exclusive Rights in the Field of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovlev, D.; Yushkov, E.; Zanardo, A.; Bogatyreova, M.

2017-01-01

The problem of legal protection of scientific research results is of growing interest nowadays. However, none of the three hitherto existing rights (the right for trade secrets, patent and copyright) is able to fully take into account the characteristics of scientific activities. In Russia, the problem of legal protection of scientific research results has been developed actively since the 50-ies of the last century, in connection with the introduction of the system of state registration of scientific discoveries. A further concept allowed for not only the registration of discoveries, but also the entire array of scientific results. However, theoretical applicability of exclusive rights institutions in the sphere of science remained unstudied. The article describes a new system, which is not fixed in legislation and remains unnoticed by the vast majority of researchers. That is the institution of scientific and positional rights, focused on the recognition procedure of authorship, priority, and other characteristics of intellectual scientific results value. In case of complex intellectual results, comprising scientific results, the recognition of result-oriented exclusive rights proves to be unsustainable. This circumstance urges us to foreground the institution of scientific and positional exclusive rights. Its scope is budget science where non-fee published scientific results are generated. Any exclusive right to use open scientific results is out of the question. The sphere of open (budget) science is dominated by scientific and positional exclusive rights, sanctioned both by the state (S-sanctioned), the bodies of the scientific community (BSC-sanctioned) and scientific community (SC-sanctioned) rights.

MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) Analogues as Tools to Characterize MDMA-Like Effects: An Approach to Understand Entactogen Pharmacology

PubMed Central

Sáez-Briones, P.; Hernández, A.

2013-01-01

Besides stimulants and hallucinogens, whose psychotropic effects are shared by many structurally related molecules exhibiting different efficacies and potencies in humans, the phenylisopropylamine MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, XTC, “Ecstasy”) is the prototypical representative of a separate class of psychotropic substance, able to elicit the so-called entactogenic syndrome in healthy humans. This reversible altered state of consciousness, usually described as an “open mind state”, may have relevant therapeutic applications, both in psychotherapy and as a pharmacological support in many neuropsychiatric disorders with a high rate of treatment failure. Nevertheless, a comprehensive and systematic exploration of the structure-activity relationships associated with entactogenic activity has remained incomplete and controversial, highlighting the possibility that MDMA might represent a pharmacological rarity in the field of psychotropics. As the latter is still an open question, the pharmacological characterization of MDMA analogues remains the logical strategy to attempt the elucidation of the structural requirements needed to elicit typical MDMA-like effects. Intriguingly, almost no experimental evidence supports the existence of actual MDMA analogues that truly resemble the whole pharmacological profile of MDMA, probably due to its complex (and partially not fully understood) mechanism of action that includes a disruption of monoaminergic neurotransmission. The present review presents a brief summary of the pharmacology of MDMA, followed by the evidence accumulated over the years regarding the characterization of classical structurally related MDMA analogues in different models and how this state of the art highlights the need to develop new and better MDMA analogues. PMID:24403876

Enhanced conformational sampling technique provides an energy landscape view of large-scale protein conformational transitions.

PubMed

Shao, Qiang

2016-10-26

Large-scale conformational changes in proteins are important for their functions. Tracking the conformational change in real time at the level of a single protein molecule, however, remains a great challenge. In this article, we present a novel in silico approach with the combination of normal mode analysis and integrated-tempering-sampling molecular simulation (NMA-ITS) to give quantitative data for exploring the conformational transition pathway in multi-dimensional energy landscapes starting only from the knowledge of the two endpoint structures of the protein. The open-to-closed transitions of three proteins, including nCaM, AdK, and HIV-1 PR, were investigated using NMA-ITS simulations. The three proteins have varied structural flexibilities and domain communications in their respective conformational changes. The transition state structure in the conformational change of nCaM and the associated free-energy barrier are in agreement with those measured in a standard explicit-solvent REMD simulation. The experimentally measured transition intermediate structures of the intrinsically flexible AdK are captured by the conformational transition pathway measured here. The dominant transition pathways between the closed and fully open states of HIV-1 PR are very similar to those observed in recent REMD simulations. Finally, the evaluated relaxation times of the conformational transitions of three proteins are roughly at the same level as reported experimental data. Therefore, the NMA-ITS method is applicable for a variety of cases, providing both qualitative and quantitative insights into the conformational changes associated with the real functions of proteins.

[Construction of dengue virus-specific full-length fully human antibody libraries by mammalian display technology].

PubMed

Wen, Yangming; Lan, Kaijian; Wang, Junjie; Yu, Jingyi; Qu, Yarong; Zhao, Wei; Zhang, Fuchun; Tan, Wanlong; Cao, Hong; Zhou, Chen

2013-06-01

To construct dengue virus-specific full-length fully human antibody libraries using mammalian cell surface display technique. Total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from convalescent patients with dengue fever. The reservoirs of the light chain and heavy chain variable regions (LCκ and VH) of the antibody genes were amplified by RT-PCR and inserted into the vector pDGB-HC-TM separately to construct the light chain and heavy chain libraries. The library DNAs were transfected into CHO cells and the expression of full-length fully human antibodies on the surface of CHO cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. Using 1.2 µg of the total RNA isolated from the PBMCs as the template, the LCκ and VH were amplified and the full-length fully human antibody mammalian display libraries were constructed. The kappa light chain gene library had a size of 1.45×10(4) and the heavy chain gene library had a size of 1.8×10(5). Sequence analysis showed that 8 out of the 10 light chain clones and 7 out of the 10 heavy chain clones randomly picked up from the constructed libraries contained correct open reading frames. FACS analysis demonstrated that all the 15 clones with correct open reading frames expressed full-length antibodies, which could be detected on CHO cell surfaces. After co-transfection of the heavy chain and light chain gene libraries into CHO cells, the expression of full-length antibodies on CHO cell surfaces could be detected by FACS analysis with an expressible diversity of the antibody library reaching 1.46×10(9) [(1.45×10(4)×80%)×(1.8×10(5)×70%)]. Using 1.2 µg of total RNA as template, the LCκ and VH full-length fully human antibody libraries against dengue virus have been successfully constructed with an expressible diversity of 10(9).

Construction of a Digital Learning Environment Based on Cloud Computing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ding, Jihong; Xiong, Caiping; Liu, Huazhong

2015-01-01

Constructing the digital learning environment for ubiquitous learning and asynchronous distributed learning has opened up immense amounts of concrete research. However, current digital learning environments do not fully fulfill the expectations on supporting interactive group learning, shared understanding and social construction of knowledge.…

Personalizing Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danielowich, Robert M.

2014-01-01

Science teachers are aware of many social issues that intersect with science. These socio-scientific issues (SSIs) are "open-ended problems without clear-cut solutions [that] can be informed by scientific principles, theories, and data, but…cannot be fully determined by [them]" (Sadler 2011, p. 4). This article describes the SSI lessons…

Toward elucidating the heat activation mechanism of the TRPV1 channel gating by molecular dynamics simulation

PubMed Central

Wen, Han; Qin, Feng; Zheng, Wenjun

2016-01-01

As a key cellular sensor, the TRPV1 cation channel undergoes a gating transition from a closed state to an open state in response to various physical and chemical stimuli including noxious heat. Despite years of study, the heat activation mechanism of TRPV1 gating remains enigmatic at the molecular level. Toward elucidating the structural and energetic basis of TRPV1 gating, we have performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (with cumulative simulation time of 3 μs), starting from the high-resolution closed and open structures of TRPV1 solved by cryo-electron microscopy. In the closed-state simulations at 30°C, we observed a stably closed channel constricted at the lower gate (near residue I679), while the upper gate (near residues G643 and M644) is dynamic and undergoes flickery opening/closing. In the open-state simulations at 60°C, we found higher conformational variation consistent with a large entropy increase required for the heat activation, and both the lower and upper gates are dynamic with transient opening/closing. Through ensemble-based structural analyses of the closed state vs. the open state, we revealed pronounced closed-to-open conformational changes involving the membrane proximal domain (MPD) linker, the outer pore, and the TRP helix, which are accompanied by breaking/forming of a network of closed/open-state specific hydrogen bonds. By comparing the closed-state simulations at 30°C and 60°C, we observed heat-activated conformational changes in the MPD linker, the outer pore, and the TRP helix that resemble the closed-to-open conformational changes, along with partial formation of the open-state specific hydrogen bonds. Some of the residues involved in the above key hydrogen bonds were validated by previous mutational studies. Taken together, our MD simulations have offered rich structural and dynamic details beyond the static structures of TRPV1, and promising targets for future mutagenesis and functional studies of the TRPV1 channel. PMID:27699868

Inward open characterization of EmrD transporter with molecular dynamics simulation

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

Tan, Xianwei; Wang, Boxiong, E-mail: boxiong_wang@yahoo.com

EmrD is a member of the multidrug resistance exporter family. Up to now, little is known about the structural dynamics that underline the function of the EmrD protein in inward-facing open state and how the EmrD transits from an occluded state to an inward open state. For the first time the article applied the AT simulation to investigate the membrane transporter protein EmrD, and described the dynamic features of the whole protein, the domain, the helices, and the amino acid residues during an inward-open process from its occluded state. The gradual inward-open process is different from the current model ofmore » rigid-body domain motion in alternating-access mechanism. Simulation results show that the EmrD inward-open conformational fluctuation propagates from a C-terminal domain to an N-terminal domain via the linker region during the transition from its occluded state. The conformational fluctuation of the C-terminal domain is larger than that of the N-terminal domain. In addition, it is observed that the helices exposed to the surrounding membrane show a higher level of flexibility than the other regions, and the protonated E227 plays a key role in the transition from the occluded to the open state. -- Highlights: •This study described the dynamic features of the whole EmrD protein, during an inward-open process from its occluded state. •The EmrD inward-open conformational fluctuation propagates from a C-terminal domain to an N-terminal domain via the linker region during the transition from its occluded state. •The conformational fluctuation of the C-terminal domain is larger than that of the N-terminal domain. •The protonated E227 plays a key role in the transition from the occluded to the open state.« less

How Much Energy Can Be Stored in Solar Active Region Magnetic Fields?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linker, J.; Downs, C.; Torok, T.; Titov, V. S.; Lionello, R.; Mikic, Z.; Riley, P.

2015-12-01

Major solar eruptions such as X-class flares and very fast coronal mass ejections usually originate in active regions on the Sun. The energy that powers these events is believed to be stored as free magnetic energy (energy above the potential field state) prior to eruption. While coronal magnetic fields are not in general force-free, active regions have very strong magnetic fields and at low coronal heights the plasma beta is therefore very small, making the field (in equilibrium) essentially force-free. The Aly-Sturrock theorem shows that the energy of a fully force-free field cannot exceed the energy of the so-called open field. If the theorem holds, this places an upper limit on the amount of free energy that can be stored: the maximum free energy (MFE) is the difference between the open field energy and the potential field energy of the active region. In thermodynamic MHD simulations of a major eruption (the July 14, 2000 'Bastille' day event) and a modest event (February 13, 2009, we have found that the MFE indeed bounds the energy stored prior to eruption. We compute the MFE for major eruptive events in cycles 23 and 24 to investigate the maximum amount of energy that can be stored in solar active regions.Research supported by AFOSR, NASA, and NSF.

Ligand-Induced Stabilization of a Duplex-like Architecture Is Crucial for the Switching Mechanism of the SAM-III Riboswitch.

PubMed

Suresh, Gorle; Srinivasan, Harini; Nanda, Shivani; Priyakumar, U Deva

2016-06-21

Riboswitches are structured RNA motifs that control gene expression by sensing the concentrations of specific metabolites and make up a promising new class of antibiotic targets. S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM)-III riboswitch, mainly found in lactic acid bacteria, is involved in regulating methionine and SAM biosynthetic pathways. SAM-III riboswitch regulates the gene expression by switching the translation process on and off with respect to the absence and presence of the SAM ligand, respectively. In this study, an attempt is made to understand the key conformational transitions involved in ligand binding using atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations performed in an explicit solvent environment. G26 is found to recognize the SAM ligand by forming hydrogen bonds, whereas the absence of the ligand leads to opening of the binding pocket. Consistent with experimental results, the absence of the SAM ligand weakens the base pairing interactions between the nucleobases that are part of the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) and anti-Shine-Dalgarno (aSD) sequences, which in turn facilitates recognition of the SD sequence by ribosomes. Detailed analysis reveals that a duplex-like structure formed by nucleotides from different parts of the RNA and the adenine base of the ligand is crucial for the stability of the completely folded state in the presence of the ligand. Previous experimental studies have shown that the SAM-III riboswitch exists in equilibrium between the unfolded and partially folded states in the absence of the ligand, which completely folds upon binding of the ligand. Comparison of the results presented here to the available experimental data indicates the structures obtained using the MD simulations resemble the partially folded state. Thus, this study provides a detailed understanding of the fully and partially folded structures of the SAM-III riboswitch in the presence and absence of the ligand, respectively. This study hypothesizes a dual role for the SAM ligand, which facilitates conformational switching between partially and fully folded states by forming a stable duplex-like structure and strengthening the interactions between SD and aSD nucleotides.

Application Characterization at Scale: Lessons learned from developing a distributed Open Community Runtime system for High Performance Computing

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

Landwehr, Joshua B.; Suetterlein, Joshua D.; Marquez, Andres

2016-05-16

Since 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy’s X-Stack program has been developing solutions including runtime systems, programming models, languages, compilers, and tools for the Exascale system software to address crucial performance and power requirements. Fine grain programming models and runtime systems show a great potential to efficiently utilize the underlying hardware. Thus, they are essential to many X-Stack efforts. An abundant amount of small tasks can better utilize the vast parallelism available on current and future machines. Moreover, finer tasks can recover faster and adapt better, due to a decrease in state and control. Nevertheless, current applications have been writtenmore » to exploit old paradigms (such as Communicating Sequential Processor and Bulk Synchronous Parallel processing). To fully utilize the advantages of these new systems, applications need to be adapted to these new paradigms. As part of the applications’ porting process, in-depth characterization studies, focused on both application characteristics and runtime features, need to take place to fully understand the application performance bottlenecks and how to resolve them. This paper presents a characterization study for a novel high performance runtime system, called the Open Community Runtime, using key HPC kernels as its vehicle. This study has the following contributions: one of the first high performance, fine grain, distributed memory runtime system implementing the OCR standard (version 0.99a); and a characterization study of key HPC kernels in terms of runtime primitives running on both intra and inter node environments. Running on a general purpose cluster, we have found up to 1635x relative speed-up for a parallel tiled Cholesky Kernels on 128 nodes with 16 cores each and a 1864x relative speed-up for a parallel tiled Smith-Waterman kernel on 128 nodes with 30 cores.« less

Role of the pH in state-dependent blockade of hERG currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yibo; Guo, Jiqing; Perissinotti, Laura L.; Lees-Miller, James; Teng, Guoqi; Durdagi, Serdar; Duff, Henry J.; Noskov, Sergei Yu.

2016-10-01

Mutations that reduce inactivation of the voltage-gated Kv11.1 potassium channel (hERG) reduce binding for a number of blockers. State specific block of the inactivated state of hERG block may increase risks of drug-induced Torsade de pointes. In this study, molecular simulations of dofetilide binding to the previously developed and experimentally validated models of the hERG channel in open and open-inactivated states were combined with voltage-clamp experiments to unravel the mechanism(s) of state-dependent blockade. The computations of the free energy profiles associated with the drug block to its binding pocket in the intra-cavitary site display startling differences in the open and open-inactivated states of the channel. It was also found that drug ionization may play a crucial role in preferential targeting to the open-inactivated state of the pore domain. pH-dependent hERG blockade by dofetilie was studied with patch-clamp recordings. The results show that low pH increases the extent and speed of drug-induced block. Both experimental and computational findings indicate that binding to the open-inactivated state is of key importance to our understanding of the dofetilide’s mode of action.

Superconducting topological surface states in the noncentrosymmetric bulk superconductor PbTaSe2.

PubMed

Guan, Syu-You; Chen, Peng-Jen; Chu, Ming-Wen; Sankar, Raman; Chou, Fangcheng; Jeng, Horng-Tay; Chang, Chia-Seng; Chuang, Tien-Ming

2016-11-01

The search for topological superconductors (TSCs) is one of the most urgent contemporary problems in condensed matter systems. TSCs are characterized by a full superconducting gap in the bulk and topologically protected gapless surface (or edge) states. Within each vortex core of TSCs, there exists the zero-energy Majorana bound states, which are predicted to exhibit non-Abelian statistics and to form the basis of the fault-tolerant quantum computation. To date, no stoichiometric bulk material exhibits the required topological surface states (TSSs) at the Fermi level ( E F ) combined with fully gapped bulk superconductivity. We report atomic-scale visualization of the TSSs of the noncentrosymmetric fully gapped superconductor PbTaSe 2 . Using quasi-particle scattering interference imaging, we find two TSSs with a Dirac point at E ≅ 1.0 eV, of which the inner TSS and the partial outer TSS cross E F , on the Pb-terminated surface of this fully gapped superconductor. This discovery reveals PbTaSe 2 as a promising candidate for TSC.

Development of an Assay for the Detection of PrPres in Blood and Urine Based on PMCA Assay and ELISA Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

conducted any work with Biotraces in this last period and no funding was drawn from the grant. The collaboration is still open but the work was put...on hold until a better and more sensitive assay platform is developed and fully tested by Biotraces . The company is expected to open a laboratory...at the University of Maryland at the Baltimore campus. When this happens we will be able to establish a more efficient collaboration with Biotraces

Jdpd: an open java simulation kernel for molecular fragment dissipative particle dynamics.

PubMed

van den Broek, Karina; Kuhn, Hubert; Zielesny, Achim

2018-05-21

Jdpd is an open Java simulation kernel for Molecular Fragment Dissipative Particle Dynamics with parallelizable force calculation, efficient caching options and fast property calculations. It is characterized by an interface and factory-pattern driven design for simple code changes and may help to avoid problems of polyglot programming. Detailed input/output communication, parallelization and process control as well as internal logging capabilities for debugging purposes are supported. The new kernel may be utilized in different simulation environments ranging from flexible scripting solutions up to fully integrated "all-in-one" simulation systems.

Automatic laser beam alignment using blob detection for an environment monitoring spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khidir, Jarjees; Chen, Youhua; Anderson, Gary

2013-05-01

This paper describes a fully automated system to align an infra-red laser beam with a small retro-reflector over a wide range of distances. The component development and test were especially used for an open-path spectrometer gas detection system. Using blob detection under OpenCV library, an automatic alignment algorithm was designed to achieve fast and accurate target detection in a complex background environment. Test results are presented to show that the proposed algorithm has been successfully applied to various target distances and environment conditions.

The effect of a defective BSF layer on solar cell open circuit voltage. [Back Surface Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, V. G.

1985-01-01

A straightforward analysis of special limiting cases has permitted the determination of the range of possible open circuit voltage losses due to a defective BSF (back surface field) layer. An important result of the analysis is the finding that it is possible to have a fully effective BSF region, regardless of the spatial distribution of the defective areas, as long as the total defective area is reduced below certain limits. Distributed defects were found to be much more harmful than lumped defects.

Quasicrystal structure and growth models: discussion of the status quo and the still open questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steurer, Walter

2017-02-01

Where are we now in quasicrystal (QC) research more than three decades after Dan Shechtman’s discovery? Do we fully understand the origin of quasiperiodicity, the formation, growth, thermodynamic stability, structure and properties of quasicrystals? First, I will shortly present the status quo, then I will address the still open questions, and identify potential focus areas for future research. Because of the limited space, I will focus on decagonal quasicrystals (DQCs); the status quo for research on icosahedral quasicrystals (IQCs) is comparable.

Reinterventions after open and endovascular AAA repair.

PubMed

Malina, M

2015-04-01

Reinterventions seem to occur more frequently after endovascular aneurysm repair than after open surgical repair and are encountered in about 20% versus 10% of the cases, respectively. However, reinterventions following endovascular repair are predominantly endoluminal and early reinterventions are more frequent after open repair. The indications for reintervention after EVAR have changed over time. The incidence and type of reintervention depends on the complexity of the primary procedure, irrespective of whether it was open or endovascular. The use of a device outside instructions for use is associated with a higher complication rate but it may nevertheless be fully justified. Advanced stent-grafts such as fenestrated and branched devices require secondary procedures more often than a standard stent-graft. Similarly, more complex open repair, e.g. a bifurcated bypass, reimplantation of visceral arteries or a redo procedure, is also associated with more reinterventions than a simple tube graft. This manuscript presents some of the most common complications of open and endovascular aortic aneurysm repair and the reinterventions they require. Many of the complications are similar with both open and endovascular techniques. Limb thrombosis, infections and endoleaks are the most frequent indications for reintervention.

State-of-the-Art in Open Courseware Initiatives Worldwide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vladoiu, Monica

2011-01-01

We survey here the state-of-the-art in open courseware initiatives worldwide. First, the MIT OpenCourseWare project is overviewed, as it has been the real starting point of the OCW movement. Usually, open courseware refers to a free and open digital publication of high quality university level educational materials that are organized as courses,…

The Open Cluster Chemical Abundances and Mapping (OCCAM) Survey: Optical Extension for Neutron Capture Elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melendez, Matthew; O'Connell, Julia; Frinchaboy, Peter M.; Donor, John; Cunha, Katia M. L.; Shetrone, Matthew D.; Majewski, Steven R.; Zasowski, Gail; Pinsonneault, Marc H.; Roman-Lopes, Alexandre; Stassun, Keivan G.; APOGEE Team

2017-01-01

The Open Cluster Chemical Abundance & Mapping (OCCAM) survey is a systematic survey of Galactic open clusters using data primarily from the SDSS-III/APOGEE-1 survey. However, neutron capture elements are very limited in the IR region covered by APOGEE. In an effort to fully study detailed Galactic chemical evolution, we are conducting a high resolution (R~60,000) spectroscopic abundance analysis of neutron capture elements for OCCAM clusters in the optical regime to complement the APOGEE results. As part of this effort, we present Ba II, La II, Ce II and Eu II results for a few open clusters without previous abundance measurements using data obtained at McDonald Observatory with the 2.1m Otto Struve telescope and Sandiford Echelle Spectrograph.This work is supported by an NSF AAG grant AST-1311835.

Bell nonlocality and fully entangled fraction measured in an entanglement-swapping device without quantum state tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartkiewicz, Karol; Lemr, Karel; Černoch, Antonín; Miranowicz, Adam

2017-03-01

We propose and experimentally implement an efficient procedure based on entanglement swapping to determine the Bell nonlocality measure of Horodecki et al. [Phys. Lett. A 200, 340 (1995), 10.1016/0375-9601(95)00214-N] and the fully entangled fraction of Bennett et al. [Phys. Rev. A 54, 3824 (1996), 10.1103/PhysRevA.54.3824] of an arbitrary two-qubit polarization-encoded state. The nonlocality measure corresponds to the amount of the violation of the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) optimized over all measurement settings. By using simultaneously two copies of a given state, we measure directly only six parameters. This is an experimental determination of these quantities without quantum state tomography or continuous monitoring of all measurement bases in the usual CHSH inequality tests. We analyze how well the measured degrees of Bell nonlocality and other entanglement witnesses (including the fully entangled fraction and a nonlinear entropic witness) of an arbitrary two-qubit state can estimate its entanglement. In particular, we measure these witnesses and estimate the negativity of various two-qubit Werner states. Our approach could especially be useful for quantum communication protocols based on entanglement swapping.

Florida creativity index scores, conservatism, and openness in 268 U.S. regions.

PubMed

McCann, Stewart J H

2011-02-01

This study assessed whether Florida's Creativity Index (2002) scores for 268 U.S. regions were related to levels of conservatism and openness in the states in which the regions were situated. State conservatism was measured as the percentage voting for Bush in 2000. State openness z scores were taken from a survey of 619,397 residents (Rentfrow, Gosling, & Potter, 2008). Creativity scores correlated negatively with conservatism (r = -.22) and positively with openness (r = .23). Regression showed that the two predictors accounted jointly (7%) and separately for significant variance in the Creativity Index. The findings contribute evidence for the construct validity of Florida's composite Creativity Index and some, albeit moderate to weak, support of the Rentfrow, et al. conclusion that state-aggregated openness reflects the unconventionality, tolerance, and creativity of a state.

Water-Soluble Chlorophyll Protein (WSCP) Stably Binds Two or Four Chlorophylls.

PubMed

Palm, Daniel M; Agostini, Alessandro; Tenzer, Stefan; Gloeckle, Barbara M; Werwie, Mara; Carbonera, Donatella; Paulsen, Harald

2017-03-28

Water-soluble chlorophyll proteins (WSCPs) of class IIa from Brassicaceae form tetrameric complexes containing one chlorophyll (Chl) per apoprotein but no carotenoids. The complexes are remarkably stable toward dissociation and protein denaturation even at 100 °C and extreme pH values, and the Chls are partially protected against photooxidation. There are several hypotheses that explain the biological role of WSCPs, one of them proposing that they function as a scavenger of Chls set free upon plant senescence or pathogen attack. The biochemical properties of WSCP described in this paper are consistent with the protein acting as an efficient and flexible Chl scavenger. At limiting Chl concentrations, the recombinant WSCP apoprotein binds substoichiometric amounts of Chl (two Chls per tetramer) to form complexes that are as stable toward thermal dissociation, denaturation, and photodamage as the fully pigmented ones. If more Chl is added, these two-Chl complexes can bind another two Chls to reach the fully pigmented state. The protection of WSCP Chls against photodamage has been attributed to the apoprotein serving as a diffusion barrier for oxygen, preventing its access to triplet excited Chls and, thus, the formation of singlet oxygen. By contrast, the sequential binding of Chls by WSCP suggests a partially open or at least flexible structure, raising the question of how WSCP photoprotects its Chls without the help of carotenoids.

Net Surface Flux Budget Over Tropical Oceans Estimated from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Tai-Fang

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Magneto - Optical Imaging of Superconducting MgB2 Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hummert, Stephanie Maria

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Boron Carbide Filled Neutron Shielding Textile Polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manzlak, Derrick Anthony

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Parallel Unstructured Grid Generation for Complex Real-World Aerodynamic Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zagaris, George

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Polymeric Radiation Shielding for Applications in Space: Polyimide Synthesis and Modeling of Multi-Layered Polymeric Shields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiavone, Clinton Cleveland

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Processing and Conversion of Algae to Bioethanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kampfe, Sara Katherine

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

The Development of the CALIPSO LiDAR Simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Kathleen A.

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Exploring a Novel Approach to Technical Nuclear Forensics Utilizing Atomic Force Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peeke, Richard Scot

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Modeling of Critically-Stratified Gravity Flows: Application to the Eel River Continental Shelf, Northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scully, Malcolm E.

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Production of Cyclohexylene-Containing Diamines in Pursuit of Novel Radiation Shielding Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bate, Norah G.

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Development of Boron-Containing Polyimide Materials and Poly(arylene Ether)s for Radiation Shielding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Brittani May

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Magnetization Dynamics and Anisotropy in Ferromagnetic/Antiferromagnetic Ni/NiO Bilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Andreas

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Effects of Catalytic Action and Ligand Binding on Conformational Ensembles of Adenylate Kinase.

PubMed

Onuk, Emre; Badger, John; Wang, Yu Jing; Bardhan, Jaydeep; Chishti, Yasmin; Akcakaya, Murat; Brooks, Dana H; Erdogmus, Deniz; Minh, David D L; Makowski, Lee

2017-08-29

Crystal structures of adenylate kinase (AdK) from Escherichia coli capture two states: an "open" conformation (apo) obtained in the absence of ligands and a "closed" conformation in which ligands are bound. Other AdK crystal structures suggest intermediate conformations that may lie on the transition pathway between these two states. To characterize the transition from open to closed states in solution, X-ray solution scattering data were collected from AdK in the apo form and with progressively increasing concentrations of five different ligands. Scattering data from apo AdK are consistent with scattering predicted from the crystal structure of AdK in the open conformation. In contrast, data from AdK samples saturated with Ap5A do not agree with that calculated from AdK in the closed conformation. Using cluster analysis of available structures, we selected representative structures in five conformational states: open, partially open, intermediate, partially closed, and closed. We used these structures to estimate the relative abundances of these states for each experimental condition. X-ray solution scattering data obtained from AdK with AMP are dominated by scattering from AdK in the open conformation. For AdK in the presence of high concentrations of ATP and ADP, the conformational ensemble shifts to a mixture of partially open and closed states. Even when AdK is saturated with Ap5A, a significant proportion of AdK remains in a partially open conformation. These results are consistent with an induced-fit model in which the transition of AdK from an open state to a closed state is initiated by ATP binding.

48 CFR 217.7502 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... production of the end item. (b) Shall provide for full and open competition when fully adequate drawings and any other needed data are available with the right to use for acquisition purposes (see part 227). However— (1) When data is not available for a competitive acquisition, use one of the procedures in PGI...

48 CFR 217.7502 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... production of the end item. (b) Shall provide for full and open competition when fully adequate drawings and any other needed data are available with the right to use for acquisition purposes (see part 227). However— (1) When data is not available for a competitive acquisition, use one of the procedures in PGI...

America's Open-Air Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, William H., III

1970-01-01

Discusses U.S. National Parks as natural laboratories for the study of ecology, geology, earth science, and botany. Suggests activities which will enable children to more fully appreciate the great age of the earth, its history, the complexity of its structure and composition, and the myriad plants and animals which inhabit it. (BR)

Distance Education for People with Visual Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liakou, Maria; Manousou, Evaggelia

2015-01-01

This paper studies the standards of higher Distance Education, focusing on the Hellenic Open University, for people who have visual impairments, so that it becomes fully accessible and thus helps reduce social exclusion. Specifically, it aims to study the operational context of Distance Education, the possibilities that modern technology provides…

48 CFR 217.7502 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... production of the end item. (b) Shall provide for full and open competition when fully adequate drawings and any other needed data are available with the right to use for acquisition purposes (see part 227). However— (1) When data is not available for a competitive acquisition, use one of the procedures in PGI...

48 CFR 217.7502 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... production of the end item. (b) Shall provide for full and open competition when fully adequate drawings and any other needed data are available with the right to use for acquisition purposes (see part 227). However— (1) When data is not available for a competitive acquisition, use one of the procedures in PGI...

48 CFR 217.7502 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... production of the end item. (b) Shall provide for full and open competition when fully adequate drawings and any other needed data are available with the right to use for acquisition purposes (see part 227). However— (1) When data is not available for a competitive acquisition, use one of the procedures in PGI...

Alternative Learning Environments in the Elementary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Eugene D.

This paper outlines a program utilized in the Countryside School which offers alternative learning environments in the elementary school. The program includes (1) semi-departmentalization; (2) team teaching; and (3) an open-alternatives program. Each of these areas is outlined and fully discussed in terms of student and parent needs. (YRJ)

29 CFR 1910.68 - Manlifts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... balance. (2) Open type. One which has a handgrip surface fully exposed and capable of being encircled by... not less than No. 18 U.S. gauge sheet steel or material of equivalent strength or stiffness. The lower... type controller contacts carrying the main motor current shall be copper to carbon or equal, except...

40 CFR Appendix B to Subpart E of... - Tables

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Variable-Speed Engines Test segment Mode number Engine speed 1 Observed torque 2 (percent of max. observed...'s specifications. Idle speed is specified by the manufacturer. 2 Torque (non-idle): Throttle fully open for 100 percent points. Other non-idle points: ± 2 percent of engine maximum value. Torque (idle...

78 FR 18579 - State Energy Advisory Board; Open Teleconference

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-27

...; Open Teleconference AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of Open Teleconference. SUMMARY: This notice announces a teleconference call of the State... work on agenda items and details for the June 2013 meeting. Public Participation: The meeting is open...

Electromechanically Actuated Valve for Controlling Flow Rate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, Paul

2007-01-01

A proposed valve for controlling the rate of flow of a fluid would include an electric-motor-driven ball-screw mechanism for adjusting the seating element of the valve to any position between fully closed and fully open. The motor would be of a type that can be electronically controlled to rotate to a specified angular position and to rotate at a specified rate, and the ball screw would enable accurate linear positioning of the seating element as a function of angular position of the motor. Hence, the proposed valve would enable fine electronic control of the rate of flow and the rate of change of flow. The uniqueness of this valve lies in a high degree of integration of the actuation mechanism with the flow-control components into a single, relatively compact unit. A notable feature of this integration is that in addition to being a major part of the actuation mechanism, the ball screw would also be a flow-control component: the ball screw would be hollow so as to contain part of the main flow passage, and one end of the ball screw would be the main seating valve element. The relationships among the components of the valve are best understood by reference to the figure, which presents meridional cross sections of the valve in the fully closed and fully open positions. The motor would be supported by a bracket bolted to the valve body. By means of gears or pulleys and a timing belt, motor drive would be transmitted to a sleeve that would rotate on bearings in the valve body. A ball nut inside the sleeve would be made to rotate with the sleeve by use of a key. The ball screw would pass through and engage the ball nut. A key would prevent rotation of the ball screw in the valve body while allowing the ball screw to translate axially when driven by the ball nut. The outer surface of the ball screw would be threaded only in a mid-length region: the end regions of the outer surface of the ball screw would be polished so that they could act as dynamic sealing surfaces. The inlet end (the right end as depicted in the figure) of the ball screw would be the main seating valve element: in the fully closed position, it would be pressed against the valve seat, as depicted in the upper part of the figure. A retainer would hold the valve seat in an inlet fitting. In addition, the retainer would be contoured to obtain a specified flow rate as a function of axial position of the ball screw. In the fully closed position, little force would be needed to press the ball screw against the seat because the push bore area upon which the upstream pressure would act would be small. The motor would position and hold the ball screw against the seat, providing the force necessary for sealing. To open the valve to a particular position, the motor would be commanded to rotate to a particular angular position (equivalently, a particular number of revolutions) at a particular rate of rotation within its torque limitations. Once the valve was open, fluid would flow through the inlet fitting and the chamber in the inlet housing, past the seat and its retainer, along the hollow core of the ball screw, and through the outlet housing and outlet fitting. The net force generated from fluid pressure in the open position would be small because the pressure exposed to the push bore areas at the inlet and outlet are nearly equal and the forces generated would be in opposing directions.

Quantum teleportation of multiple degrees of freedom of a single photon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xi-Lin; Cai, Xin-Dong; Su, Zu-En; Chen, Ming-Cheng; Wu, Dian; Li, Li; Liu, Nai-Le; Lu, Chao-Yang; Pan, Jian-Wei

2015-02-01

Quantum teleportation provides a `disembodied' way to transfer quantum states from one object to another at a distant location, assisted by previously shared entangled states and a classical communication channel. As well as being of fundamental interest, teleportation has been recognized as an important element in long-distance quantum communication, distributed quantum networks and measurement-based quantum computation. There have been numerous demonstrations of teleportation in different physical systems such as photons, atoms, ions, electrons and superconducting circuits. All the previous experiments were limited to the teleportation of one degree of freedom only. However, a single quantum particle can naturally possess various degrees of freedom--internal and external--and with coherent coupling among them. A fundamental open challenge is to teleport multiple degrees of freedom simultaneously, which is necessary to describe a quantum particle fully and, therefore, to teleport it intact. Here we demonstrate quantum teleportation of the composite quantum states of a single photon encoded in both spin and orbital angular momentum. We use photon pairs entangled in both degrees of freedom (that is, hyper-entangled) as the quantum channel for teleportation, and develop a method to project and discriminate hyper-entangled Bell states by exploiting probabilistic quantum non-demolition measurement, which can be extended to more degrees of freedom. We verify the teleportation for both spin-orbit product states and hybrid entangled states, and achieve a teleportation fidelity ranging from 0.57 to 0.68, above the classical limit. Our work is a step towards the teleportation of more complex quantum systems, and demonstrates an increase in our technical control of scalable quantum technologies.

Quantum teleportation of multiple degrees of freedom of a single photon.

PubMed

Wang, Xi-Lin; Cai, Xin-Dong; Su, Zu-En; Chen, Ming-Cheng; Wu, Dian; Li, Li; Liu, Nai-Le; Lu, Chao-Yang; Pan, Jian-Wei

2015-02-26

Quantum teleportation provides a 'disembodied' way to transfer quantum states from one object to another at a distant location, assisted by previously shared entangled states and a classical communication channel. As well as being of fundamental interest, teleportation has been recognized as an important element in long-distance quantum communication, distributed quantum networks and measurement-based quantum computation. There have been numerous demonstrations of teleportation in different physical systems such as photons, atoms, ions, electrons and superconducting circuits. All the previous experiments were limited to the teleportation of one degree of freedom only. However, a single quantum particle can naturally possess various degrees of freedom--internal and external--and with coherent coupling among them. A fundamental open challenge is to teleport multiple degrees of freedom simultaneously, which is necessary to describe a quantum particle fully and, therefore, to teleport it intact. Here we demonstrate quantum teleportation of the composite quantum states of a single photon encoded in both spin and orbital angular momentum. We use photon pairs entangled in both degrees of freedom (that is, hyper-entangled) as the quantum channel for teleportation, and develop a method to project and discriminate hyper-entangled Bell states by exploiting probabilistic quantum non-demolition measurement, which can be extended to more degrees of freedom. We verify the teleportation for both spin-orbit product states and hybrid entangled states, and achieve a teleportation fidelity ranging from 0.57 to 0.68, above the classical limit. Our work is a step towards the teleportation of more complex quantum systems, and demonstrates an increase in our technical control of scalable quantum technologies.

Conscious Augmentation of Creative State Enhances "Real" Creativity in Open-Ended Analogical Reasoning.

PubMed

Weinberger, Adam B; Iyer, Hari; Green, Adam E

2016-01-01

Humans have an impressive ability to augment their creative state (i.e., to consciously try and succeed at thinking more creatively). Though this "thinking cap" phenomenon is commonly experienced, the range of its potential has not been fully explored by creativity research, which has often focused instead on creativity as a trait. A key question concerns the extent to which conscious augmentation of state creativity can improve creative reasoning. Although artistic creativity is also of great interest, it is creative reasoning that frequently leads to innovative advances in science and industry. Here, we studied state creativity in analogical reasoning, a form of relational reasoning that spans the conceptual divide between intelligence and creativity and is a core mechanism for creative innovation. Participants performed a novel Analogy Finding Task paradigm in which they sought valid analogical connections in a matrix of word-pairs. An explicit creativity cue elicited formation of substantially more creative analogical connections (measured via latent semantic analysis). Critically, the increase in creative analogy formation was not due to a generally more liberal criterion for analogy formation (that is, it appeared to reflect "real" creativity rather than divergence at the expense of appropriateness). The use of an online sample provided evidence that state creativity augmentation can be successfully elicited by remote cuing in an online environment. Analysis of an intelligence measure provided preliminary indication that the influential "threshold hypothesis," which has been proposed to characterize the relationship between intelligence and trait creativity, may be extensible to the new domain of state creativity.

Conscious Augmentation of Creative State Enhances “Real” Creativity in Open-Ended Analogical Reasoning

PubMed Central

Weinberger, Adam B.; Iyer, Hari; Green, Adam E.

2016-01-01

Humans have an impressive ability to augment their creative state (i.e., to consciously try and succeed at thinking more creatively). Though this “thinking cap” phenomenon is commonly experienced, the range of its potential has not been fully explored by creativity research, which has often focused instead on creativity as a trait. A key question concerns the extent to which conscious augmentation of state creativity can improve creative reasoning. Although artistic creativity is also of great interest, it is creative reasoning that frequently leads to innovative advances in science and industry. Here, we studied state creativity in analogical reasoning, a form of relational reasoning that spans the conceptual divide between intelligence and creativity and is a core mechanism for creative innovation. Participants performed a novel Analogy Finding Task paradigm in which they sought valid analogical connections in a matrix of word-pairs. An explicit creativity cue elicited formation of substantially more creative analogical connections (measured via latent semantic analysis). Critically, the increase in creative analogy formation was not due to a generally more liberal criterion for analogy formation (that is, it appeared to reflect “real” creativity rather than divergence at the expense of appropriateness). The use of an online sample provided evidence that state creativity augmentation can be successfully elicited by remote cuing in an online environment. Analysis of an intelligence measure provided preliminary indication that the influential “threshold hypothesis,” which has been proposed to characterize the relationship between intelligence and trait creativity, may be extensible to the new domain of state creativity. PMID:26959821

20 CFR 404.111 - When we consider a person fully insured based on World War II active military or naval service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... on World War II active military or naval service. 404.111 Section 404.111 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL... Quarters of Coverage Fully Insured Status § 404.111 When we consider a person fully insured based on World... States during World War II; (b) The person died within three years after separation from service and...

Open Enrollment: Overview and 2016 Legislative Update. Policy Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wixom, Micah Ann

2017-01-01

Open-enrollment policies allow students to transfer from one public school to another of their choice. While open-enrollment policies involve students transferring to another school or district, the specifics of these policies vary significantly across states. States' open-enrollment policies may allow for voluntary or mandatory participation at…

Resilient Nodeless d -Wave Superconductivity in Monolayer FeSe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agterberg, D. F.; Shishidou, T.; O'Halloran, J.; Brydon, P. M. R.; Weinert, M.

2017-12-01

Monolayer FeSe exhibits the highest transition temperature among the iron based superconductors and appears to be fully gapped, seemingly consistent with s -wave superconductivity. Here, we develop a theory for the superconductivity based on coupling to fluctuations of checkerboard magnetic order (which has the same translation symmetry as the lattice). The electronic states are described by a symmetry based k .p -like theory and naturally account for the states observed by angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We show that a prediction of this theory is that the resultant superconducting state is a fully gapped, nodeless, d -wave state. This state, which would usually have nodes, stays nodeless because, as seen experimentally, the relevant spin-orbit coupling has an energy scale smaller than the superconducting gap.

Controllable 0–π Josephson junctions containing a ferromagnetic spin valve

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

Gingrich, E. C.; Niedzielski, Bethany M.; Glick, Joseph A.

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are antagonistic forms of order, and rarely coexist. Many interesting new phenomena occur, however, in hybrid superconducting/ferromagnetic systems. For example, a Josephson junction containing a ferromagnetic material can exhibit an intrinsic phase shift of π in its ground state for certain thicknesses of the material. Such ‘π-junctions’ were first realized experimentally in 2001, and have been proposed as circuit elements for both high-speed classical superconducting computing and for quantum computing. Here we demonstrate experimentally that the phase state of a Josephson junction containing two ferromagnetic layers can be toggled between 0 and pi by changing the relativemore » orientation of the two magnetizations. These controllable 0–π junctions have immediate applications in cryogenic memory, where they serve as a necessary component to an ultralow power superconducting computer. Such a fully superconducting computer is estimated to be orders of magnitude more energy-efficient than current semiconductor-based supercomputers. Here, phase-controllable junctions also open up new possibilities for superconducting circuit elements such as superconducting ‘programmable logic’, where they could function in superconducting analogues to field-programmable gate arrays.« less

Through-wafer optical probe characterization for microelectromechanical systems positional state monitoring and feedback control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Jeremy M.; Chen, Jingdong; Brown, Kolin S.; Famouri, Parviz F.; Hornak, Lawrence A.

2000-12-01

Implementation of closed-loop microelectromechanical system (MEMS) control enables mechanical microsystems to adapt to the demands of the environment that they are actuating, opening a broad range of new opportunities for future MEMS applications. Integrated optical microsystems have the potential to enable continuous in situ optical interrogation of MEMS microstructure position fully decoupled from the means of mechanical actuation that is necessary for realization of feedback control. We present the results of initial research evaluating through-wafer optical microprobes for surface micromachined MEMS integrated optical position monitoring. Results from the through-wafer free-space optical probe of a lateral comb resonator fabricated using the multiuser MEMS process service (MUMPS) indicate significant positional information content with an achievable return probe signal dynamic range of up to 80% arising from film transmission contrast. Static and dynamic deflection analysis and experimental results indicate a through-wafer probe positional signal sensitivity of 40 mV/micrometers for the present setup or 10% signal change per micrometer. A simulation of the application of nonlinear sliding control is presented illustrating position control of the lateral comb resonator structure given the availability of positional state information.

Strong Rashba effect in the localized impurity states of halogen-doped monolayer PtSe2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Absor, Moh. Adhib Ulil; Santoso, Iman; Harsojo, Abraha, Kamsul; Kotaka, Hiroki; Ishii, Fumiyuki; Saito, Mineo

2018-05-01

The recent epitaxial growth of the 1 T phase of the PtSe2 monolayer (ML) has opened the possibility for novel applications, in particular for a spintronics device. However, in contrast to the 2 H phase of transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), the absence of spin splitting in the PtSe2 ML may limit the functionality for spintronics application. Through fully relativistic density-functional theory calculations, we show that large spin splitting can be induced in the PtSe2 ML by introducing a substitutional halogen impurity. Depending on the atomic number Z of the halogen dopants, we observe an enhancement of the spin splitting in the localized impurity states (LIS), which is due to the increased contribution of the p -d orbital coupling. More importantly, we identify very large Rashba splitting in the LIS near the Fermi level around the Γ point characterized by hexagonal warping of the Fermi surface. We show that the Rashba splitting can be controlled by adjusting the doping concentration. Therefore, this work provides a possible way to induce significant Rashba splitting in the two-dimensional TMDs, which is useful for spintronic devices operating at room temperature.

Controllable 0–π Josephson junctions containing a ferromagnetic spin valve

DOE PAGES

Gingrich, E. C.; Niedzielski, Bethany M.; Glick, Joseph A.; ...

2016-03-14

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism are antagonistic forms of order, and rarely coexist. Many interesting new phenomena occur, however, in hybrid superconducting/ferromagnetic systems. For example, a Josephson junction containing a ferromagnetic material can exhibit an intrinsic phase shift of π in its ground state for certain thicknesses of the material. Such ‘π-junctions’ were first realized experimentally in 2001, and have been proposed as circuit elements for both high-speed classical superconducting computing and for quantum computing. Here we demonstrate experimentally that the phase state of a Josephson junction containing two ferromagnetic layers can be toggled between 0 and pi by changing the relativemore » orientation of the two magnetizations. These controllable 0–π junctions have immediate applications in cryogenic memory, where they serve as a necessary component to an ultralow power superconducting computer. Such a fully superconducting computer is estimated to be orders of magnitude more energy-efficient than current semiconductor-based supercomputers. Here, phase-controllable junctions also open up new possibilities for superconducting circuit elements such as superconducting ‘programmable logic’, where they could function in superconducting analogues to field-programmable gate arrays.« less

Quantum Optics with Near-Lifetime-Limited Quantum-Dot Transitions in a Nanophotonic Waveguide.

PubMed

Thyrrestrup, Henri; Kiršanskė, Gabija; Le Jeannic, Hanna; Pregnolato, Tommaso; Zhai, Liang; Raahauge, Laust; Midolo, Leonardo; Rotenberg, Nir; Javadi, Alisa; Schott, Rüdiger; Wieck, Andreas D; Ludwig, Arne; Löbl, Matthias C; Söllner, Immo; Warburton, Richard J; Lodahl, Peter

2018-03-14

Establishing a highly efficient photon-emitter interface where the intrinsic linewidth broadening is limited solely by spontaneous emission is a key step in quantum optics. It opens a pathway to coherent light-matter interaction for, e.g., the generation of highly indistinguishable photons, few-photon optical nonlinearities, and photon-emitter quantum gates. However, residual broadening mechanisms are ubiquitous and need to be combated. For solid-state emitters charge and nuclear spin noise are of importance, and the influence of photonic nanostructures on the broadening has not been clarified. We present near-lifetime-limited linewidths for quantum dots embedded in nanophotonic waveguides through a resonant transmission experiment. It is found that the scattering of single photons from the quantum dot can be obtained with an extinction of 66 ± 4%, which is limited by the coupling of the quantum dot to the nanostructure rather than the linewidth broadening. This is obtained by embedding the quantum dot in an electrically contacted nanophotonic membrane. A clear pathway to obtaining even larger single-photon extinction is laid out; i.e., the approach enables a fully deterministic and coherent photon-emitter interface in the solid state that is operated at optical frequencies.

Security of patient data when decommissioning ultrasound systems

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Although ultrasound systems generally archive to Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), their archiving workflow typically involves storage to an internal hard disk before data are transferred onwards. Deleting records from the local system will delete entries in the database and from the file allocation table or equivalent but, as with a PC, files can be recovered. Great care is taken with disposal of media from a healthcare organisation to prevent data breaches, but ultrasound systems are routinely returned to lease companies, sold on or donated to third parties without such controls. Methods In this project, five methods of hard disk erasure were tested on nine ultrasound systems being decommissioned: the system’s own delete function; full reinstallation of system software; the manufacturer’s own disk wiping service; open source disk wiping software for full and just blank space erasure. Attempts were then made to recover data using open source recovery tools. Results All methods deleted patient data as viewable from the ultrasound system and from browsing the disk from a PC. However, patient identifiable data (PID) could be recovered following the system’s own deletion and the reinstallation methods. No PID could be recovered after using the manufacturer’s wiping service or the open source wiping software. Conclusion The typical method of reinstalling an ultrasound system’s software may not prevent PID from being recovered. When transferring ownership, care should be taken that an ultrasound system’s hard disk has been wiped to a sufficient level, particularly if the scanner is to be returned with approved parts and in a fully working state. PMID:28228821

Flight Test of a 30-Foot Nominal-Diameter Disk-Gap-Band Parachute Deployed at Mach 1.56 and Dynamic Pressure of 11.4 Pounds per Square Foot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckstrom, Clinton V.; Preisser, John S.

1967-01-01

A 30-foot (9.1 meter) nominal-diameter disk-gap-band parachute (reference area 707 sq ft (65.7 m(exp 2)) was flight tested with a 200-pound (90.7 kg) instrumented payload as part of the NASA Planetary Entry Parachute Program. A deployment mortar ejected the test parachute when the payload was at a Mach number of 1.56 and a dynamic pressure of 11.4 lb/sq ft (546 newtons per m 2 ) at an altitude of 127,500 feet (38.86 km). The parachute reached suspension line stretch in 0.37 second resulting in a snatch force loading of 1270 pounds (5650 N). Canopy inflation began 0.10 second after line stretch. A delay in the opening process occurred and was apparently due to a momentary interference of the glass-fiber shroud used in packing the parachute bag in the mortar. Continuous canopy inflation began 0.73 second after initiation of deployment and 0.21 second later full inflation was attained for a total elapsed time from mortar fire of 0.94 second. The maximum opening load of 3915 pounds (17,400 newtons) occurred at the time the canopy was first fully opened. The parachute exhibited an average drag coefficient of 0.52 during the deceleration period and pitch-yaw oscillations of the canopy were less than 5 degrees. During the steady-state descent portion of the test period, the average effective drag coefficient was about 0.47 (based on vertical descent velocity and total system weight).

mdFoam+: Advanced molecular dynamics in OpenFOAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longshaw, S. M.; Borg, M. K.; Ramisetti, S. B.; Zhang, J.; Lockerby, D. A.; Emerson, D. R.; Reese, J. M.

2018-03-01

This paper introduces mdFoam+, which is an MPI parallelised molecular dynamics (MD) solver implemented entirely within the OpenFOAM software framework. It is open-source and released under the same GNU General Public License (GPL) as OpenFOAM. The source code is released as a publicly open software repository that includes detailed documentation and tutorial cases. Since mdFoam+ is designed entirely within the OpenFOAM C++ object-oriented framework, it inherits a number of key features. The code is designed for extensibility and flexibility, so it is aimed first and foremost as an MD research tool, in which new models and test cases can be developed and tested rapidly. Implementing mdFoam+ in OpenFOAM also enables easier development of hybrid methods that couple MD with continuum-based solvers. Setting up MD cases follows the standard OpenFOAM format, as mdFoam+ also relies upon the OpenFOAM dictionary-based directory structure. This ensures that useful pre- and post-processing capabilities provided by OpenFOAM remain available even though the fully Lagrangian nature of an MD simulation is not typical of most OpenFOAM applications. Results show that mdFoam+ compares well to another well-known MD code (e.g. LAMMPS) in terms of benchmark problems, although it also has additional functionality that does not exist in other open-source MD codes.

Frequency of open windows in motor vehicles under varying temperature conditions: a videotape survey in Central North Carolina during 2001.

PubMed

Long, Tom; Johnson, Ted; Ollison, Will

2004-07-01

Air pollution exposures in the motor vehicle cabin are significantly affected by air exchange rate, a function of vehicle speed, window position, vent status, fan speed, and air conditioning use. A pilot study conducted in Houston, Texas, during September 2000 demonstrated that useful information concerning the position of windows, sunroofs, and convertible tops as a function of temperature and vehicle speed could be obtained through the use of video recorders. To obtain similar data representing a wide range of temperature and traffic conditions, a follow-up study was conducted in and around Chapel Hill, North Carolina at five sites representing a central business district, an arterial road, a low-income commercial district, an interstate highway, and a rural road. Each site permitted an elevated view of vehicles as they proceeded through a turn, thereby exposing all windows to the stationary camcorder. A total of 32 videotaping sessions were conducted between February and October 2001, in which temperature varied from 41 degrees F to 93 degrees F and average vehicle speed varied from 21 to 77 mph. The resulting video tapes were processed to create a vehicle-specific database that included site location, date, time, vehicle type, vehicle color, vehicle age, window configuration, number of windows in each of three position categories (fully open, partially open, and closed), meteorological factors, and vehicle speed. Of the 4715 vehicles included in the database, 1905 (40.4%) were labeled as "open," indicating a window, sunroof, or convertible top was fully or partially open. Stepwise linear regression analyses indicated that "open" window status was affected by wind speed, relative humidity, vehicle speed, cloud cover, apparent temperature, day of week, time of day, vehicle type, vehicle age, vehicle color, number of windows, sunroofs, location, and air quality season. Open windows tended to occur less frequently when relative humidity was high, apparent temperature (a parameter incorporating wind chill and heat index) was below 50 degrees F, or the vehicle was relatively new. Although the effects of the identified parameters were relatively weak, they are statistically significant and should be considered by researchers attempting to model vehicle air exchange rates.

OpenSatKit Enables Quick Startup for CubeSat Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McComas, David; Melton, Ryan

2017-01-01

The software required to develop, integrate, and operate a spacecraft is substantial regardless of whether its a large or small satellite. Even getting started can be a monumental task. To solve this problem, NASAs Core Flight System (cFS), NASA's 42 spacecraft dynamics simulator, and Ball Aerospaces COSMOS ground system have been integrated together into a kit called OpenSatKit that provides a complete and open source software solution for starting a new satellite mission. Users can have a working system with flight software, dynamics simulation, and a ground command and control system up and running within hours.Every satellite mission requires three primary categories of software to function. The first is Flight Software (FSW) which provides the onboard control of the satellites and its payload(s). NASA's cFS provides a great platform for developing this software. Second, while developing a satellite on earth, it is necessary to simulate the satellites orbit, attitude, and actuators, to ensure that the systems that control these aspects will work correctly in the real environment. NASAs 42 simulator provides these functionalities. Finally, the ground has to be able to communicate with the satellite, monitor its performance and health, and display its data. Additionally, test scripts have to be written to verify the system on the ground. Ball Aerospace's COSMOS command and control system provides this functionality. Once the OpenSatKit is up and running, the next step is to customize the platform and get it running on the end target. Starting from a fully working system makes porting the cFS from Linux to a users platform much easier. An example Raspberry Pi target is included in the kit so users can gain experience working with a low cost hardware target. All users can benefit from OpenSatKit but the greatest impact and benefits will be to SmallSat missions with constrained budgets and small software teams. This paper describes OpenSatKits system design, the steps necessary to run the system to target the Raspberry Pi, and future plans. OpenSatKit is a free fully functional spacecraft software system that we hope will greatly benefit the SmallSat community.

Finite spaces and schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sancho de Salas, Fernando

2017-12-01

A ringed finite space is a ringed space whose underlying topological space is finite. The category of ringed finite spaces contains, fully faithfully, the category of finite topological spaces and the category of affine schemes. Any ringed space, endowed with a finite open covering, produces a ringed finite space. We introduce the notions of schematic finite space and schematic morphism, showing that they behave, with respect to quasi-coherence, like schemes and morphisms of schemes do. Finally, we construct a fully faithful and essentially surjective functor from a localization of a full subcategory of the category of schematic finite spaces and schematic morphisms to the category of quasi-compact and quasi-separated schemes.

Interleukin-17 inhibitors. A new era in treatment of psoriasis and other skin diseases.

PubMed

Wasilewska, Agnieszka; Winiarska, Marta; Olszewska, Małgorzata; Rudnicka, Lidia

2016-08-01

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease caused by the excessive secretion of inflammatory cytokines. Available therapeutic options include biologic drugs such as tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors and interleukin 12/23 (IL-12/23) inhibitors. The recent discovery of IL-17, which contributes to development of psoriasis, opened new possibilities for further treatment modalities. Currently, one anti-IL17 biological agent is approved for the treatment - a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets IL-17A (secukinumab). Further clinical trials, including a humanized IgG4 specific for IL-17 (ixekizumab) and a fully human antibody that targets the IL-17 receptor A (brodalumab).

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

Deffner, Sebastian; Zurek, Wojciech H.

Envariance—entanglement assisted invariance—is a recently discovered symmetry of composite quantum systems. Here, we show that thermodynamic equilibrium states are fully characterized by their envariance. In particular, the microcanonical equilibrium of a systemmore » $${ \\mathcal S }$$ with Hamiltonian $${H}_{{ \\mathcal S }}$$ is a fully energetically degenerate quantum state envariant under every unitary transformation. A representation of the canonical equilibrium then follows from simply counting degenerate energy states. Finally, our conceptually novel approach is free of mathematically ambiguous notions such as ensemble, randomness, etc., and, while it does not even rely on probability, it helps to understand its role in the quantum world.« less

Gated access to the pore of a P2X receptor: structural implications for closed-open transitions.

PubMed

Kracun, Sebastian; Chaptal, Vincent; Abramson, Jeff; Khakh, Baljit S

2010-03-26

P2X receptors are ligand-gated cation channels that transition from closed to open states upon binding ATP. The crystal structure of the closed zebrafish P2X4.1 receptor directly reveals that the ion-conducting pathway is formed by three transmembrane domain 2 (TM2) alpha-helices, each being provided by the three subunits of the trimer. However, the transitions in TM2 that accompany channel opening are incompletely understood and remain unresolved. In this study, we quantified gated access to Cd(2+) at substituted cysteines in TM2 of P2X2 receptors in the open and closed states. Our data for the closed state are consistent with the zebrafish P2X4.1 structure, with isoleucines and threonines (Ile-332 and Thr-336) positioned one helical turn apart lining the channel wall on approach to the gate. Our data for the open state reveal gated access to deeper parts of the pore (Thr-339, Val-343, Asp-349, and Leu-353), suggesting the closed channel gate is between Thr-336 and Thr-339. We also found unexpected interactions between native Cys-348 and D349C that result in tight Cd(2+) binding deep within the intracellular vestibule in the open state. Interpreted with a P2X2 receptor structural model of the closed state, our data suggest that the channel gate opens near Thr-336/Thr-339 and is accompanied by movement of the pore-lining regions, which narrow toward the cytosolic end of TM2 in the open state. Such transitions would relieve the barrier to ion flow and render the intracellular vestibule less splayed during channel opening in the presence of ATP.

Toward elucidating the heat activation mechanism of the TRPV1 channel gating by molecular dynamics simulation.

PubMed

Wen, Han; Qin, Feng; Zheng, Wenjun

2016-12-01

As a key cellular sensor, the TRPV1 cation channel undergoes a gating transition from a closed state to an open state in response to various physical and chemical stimuli including noxious heat. Despite years of study, the heat activation mechanism of TRPV1 gating remains enigmatic at the molecular level. Toward elucidating the structural and energetic basis of TRPV1 gating, we have performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (with cumulative simulation time of 3 μs), starting from the high-resolution closed and open structures of TRPV1 solved by cryo-electron microscopy. In the closed-state simulations at 30°C, we observed a stably closed channel constricted at the lower gate (near residue I679), while the upper gate (near residues G643 and M644) is dynamic and undergoes flickery opening/closing. In the open-state simulations at 60°C, we found higher conformational variation consistent with a large entropy increase required for the heat activation, and both the lower and upper gates are dynamic with transient opening/closing. Through ensemble-based structural analyses of the closed state versus the open state, we revealed pronounced closed-to-open conformational changes involving the membrane proximal domain (MPD) linker, the outer pore, and the TRP helix, which are accompanied by breaking/forming of a network of closed/open-state specific hydrogen bonds. By comparing the closed-state simulations at 30°C and 60°C, we observed heat-activated conformational changes in the MPD linker, the outer pore, and the TRP helix that resemble the closed-to-open conformational changes, along with partial formation of the open-state specific hydrogen bonds. Some of the residues involved in the above key hydrogen bonds were validated by previous mutational studies. Taken together, our MD simulations have offered rich structural and dynamic details beyond the static structures of TRPV1, and promising targets for future mutagenesis and functional studies of the TRPV1 channel. Proteins 2016; 84:1938-1949. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Two Salt Bridges Differentially Contribute to the Maintenance of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) Channel Function*

PubMed Central

Cui, Guiying; Freeman, Cody S.; Knotts, Taylor; Prince, Chengyu Z.; Kuang, Christopher; McCarty, Nael A.

2013-01-01

Previous studies have identified two salt bridges in human CFTR chloride ion channels, Arg352-Asp993 and Arg347-Asp924, that are required for normal channel function. In the present study, we determined how the two salt bridges cooperate to maintain the open pore architecture of CFTR. Our data suggest that Arg347 not only interacts with Asp924 but also interacts with Asp993. The tripartite interaction Arg347-Asp924-Asp993 mainly contributes to maintaining a stable s2 open subconductance state. The Arg352-Asp993 salt bridge, in contrast, is involved in stabilizing both the s2 and full (f) open conductance states, with the main contribution being to the f state. The s1 subconductance state does not require either salt bridge. In confirmation of the role of Arg352 and Asp993, channels bearing cysteines at these sites could be latched into a full open state using the bifunctional cross-linker 1,2-ethanediyl bismethanethiosulfonate, but only when applied in the open state. Channels remained latched open even after washout of ATP. The results suggest that these interacting residues contribute differently to stabilizing the open pore in different phases of the gating cycle. PMID:23709221

45° sign switching of effective exchange bias due to competing anisotropies in fully epitaxial Co3FeN/MnN bilayers.

PubMed

Hajiri, T; Yoshida, T; Filianina, M; Jaiswal, S; Borie, B; Asano, H; Zabel, H; Kläui, M

2017-12-05

We report an unusual angular-dependent exchange bias effect in ferromagnet/antiferromagnet bilayers, where both ferromagnet and antiferromagnet are epitaxially grown. Numerical model calculations predict an approximately 45° period for the sign switching of the exchange-bias field, depending on the ratio between magnetocrystalline anisotropy and exchange-coupling constant. The switching of the sign is indicative of a competition between a fourfold magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the ferromagnet and a unidirectional anisotropy field of the exchange coupling. This predicted unusual angular-dependent exchange bias and its magnetization switching process are confirmed by measurements on fully epitaxial Co 3 FeN/MnN bilayers by longitudinal and transverse magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry. These results provide a deeper understanding of the exchange coupling phenomena in fully epitaxial bilayers with tailored materials and open up a complex switching energy landscape engineering by anisotropies.

45° sign switching of effective exchange bias due to competing anisotropies in fully epitaxial Co3FeN/MnN bilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajiri, T.; Yoshida, T.; Filianina, M.; Jaiswal, S.; Borie, B.; Asano, H.; Zabel, H.; Kläui, M.

2018-01-01

We report an unusual angular-dependent exchange bias effect in ferromagnet/antiferromagnet bilayers, where both ferromagnet and antiferromagnet are epitaxially grown. Numerical model calculations predict an approximately 45° period for the sign switching of the exchange-bias field, depending on the ratio between magnetocrystalline anisotropy and exchange-coupling constant. The switching of the sign is indicative of a competition between a fourfold magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the ferromagnet and a unidirectional anisotropy field of the exchange coupling. This predicted unusual angular-dependent exchange bias and its magnetization switching process are confirmed by measurements on fully epitaxial Co3FeN/MnN bilayers by longitudinal and transverse magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry. These results provide a deeper understanding of the exchange coupling phenomena in fully epitaxial bilayers with tailored materials and open up a complex switching energy landscape engineering by anisotropies.

Open ISEmeter: An open hardware high-impedance interface for potentiometric detection.

PubMed

Salvador, C; Mesa, M S; Durán, E; Alvarez, J L; Carbajo, J; Mozo, J D

2016-05-01

In this work, a new open hardware interface based on Arduino to read electromotive force (emf) from potentiometric detectors is presented. The interface has been fully designed with the open code philosophy and all documentation will be accessible on web. The paper describes a comprehensive project including the electronic design, the firmware loaded on Arduino, and the Java-coded graphical user interface to load data in a computer (PC or Mac) for processing. The prototype was tested by measuring the calibration curve of a detector. As detection element, an active poly(vinyl chloride)-based membrane was used, doped with cetyltrimethylammonium dodecylsulphate (CTA(+)-DS(-)). The experimental measures of emf indicate Nernstian behaviour with the CTA(+) content of test solutions, as it was described in the literature, proving the validity of the developed prototype. A comparative analysis of performance was made by using the same chemical detector but changing the measurement instrumentation.

Deployable reconnaissance from a VTOL UAS in urban environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnett, Shane; Bird, John; Culhane, Andrew; Sharkasi, Adam; Reinholtz, Charles

2007-04-01

Reconnaissance collection in unknown or hostile environments can be a dangerous and life threatening task. To reduce this risk, the Unmanned Systems Group at Virginia Tech has produced a fully autonomous reconnaissance system able to provide live video reconnaissance from outside and inside unknown structures. This system consists of an autonomous helicopter which launches a small reconnaissance pod inside a building and an operator control unit (OCU) on a ground station. The helicopter is a modified Bergen Industrial Twin using a Rotomotion flight controller and can fly missions of up to one half hour. The mission planning OCU can control the helicopter remotely through teleoperation or fully autonomously by GPS waypoints. A forward facing camera and template matching aid in navigation by identifying the target building. Once the target structure is identified, vision algorithms will center the UAS adjacent to open windows or doorways. Tunable parameters in the vision algorithm account for varying launch distances and opening sizes. Launch of the reconnaissance pod may be initiated remotely through a human in the loop or autonomously. Compressed air propels the half pound stationary pod or the larger mobile pod into the open portals. Once inside the building, the reconnaissance pod will then transmit live video back to the helicopter. The helicopter acts as a repeater node for increased video range and simplification of communication back to the ground station.

77 FR 33619 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-07

..., and doing related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD adds an [[Page 33620... or service door to open fully in the event of an emergency evacuation, which could impede exit from... necessary. That NPRM also proposed to add an airplane to the applicability and also remove certain other...

Transgender Policy: What is Fair for All Students?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaiser, Matthew M.; Seitz, Keshia M.; Walters, Elizabeth A.

2014-01-01

Ritha Smith, assistant superintendent, and Seth Hanson, principal, are faced with a difficult decision. Taylor Harper is a transgender student who identifies as male and is openly attracted to females. Taylor's parents, Lane and Morgan Harper, are lesbians; they are fully supportive of their child's identification and are well versed in their…

Empowerment through Narrative: Considerations for Teaching, Learning and Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alter, Gloria

1993-01-01

Power based on self-assertion, openness, and human connection is the hallmark of empowered classrooms and schools. The process of more fully exercising power can be greatly enhanced by using narrative. Empowered individuals and groups reveal their strength in the nurturing of many voices and in the subsequent transformation of their lives. Sample…

75 FR 33289 - Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Application

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-11

... fields to develop further storage services, as more fully set forth in the application which is open to... certificate of public convenience and necessity, seeking authority to extend the test and evaluation period at Columbia's Lanham, Terra Alta, and Terra Alta South storage fields, all located in West Virginia.\\1...

76 FR 28967 - Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Application

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-19

... authority to continue to test and evaluate its Coco C storage field located in Kanawha County, West Virginia... field to develop further storage services, all as more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. Any questions regarding this application should...

40 CFR 86.884-7 - Dynamometer operation cycle for smoke emission tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 19 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Dynamometer operation cycle for smoke... Dynamometer operation cycle for smoke emission tests. (a) The following sequence of operations shall be... the preconditioning prior to the smoke cycle. (ii) With the throttle remaining in the fully open...

A Case of Problem Based Learning for Cross-Institutional Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nerantzi, Chrissi

2012-01-01

The idea of moving away from battery-type Academic Development Activities and silo modules and programmes towards open cross-institutional approaches in line with OEP are explored within this paper based on a recent small-scale, fully-online study. This brought together academics and other professionals who support learning, from different…

Think College! Postsecondary Education Options for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grigal, Meg; Hart, Debra

2010-01-01

As the Higher Education Opportunity Act opens the door to more options and supports, more and more students with intellectual disabilities are "thinking college." That means high schools, colleges, and universities must be fully prepared to meet the needs of students with disabilities--and this comprehensive resource is just what they…

Air Pollution Abatement Performances of Green Infrastructure in Open Road and Built-up Street Canyon Environments – A Review

EPA Science Inventory

Intensifying the proportion of urban green infrastructure has been considered as one of the remedies for air pollution levels in cities, yet the impact of numerous vegetation types deployed in different built environments has to be fully synthesised and quantified. This review ex...

78 FR 9681 - Dominion Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Application

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-11

... Transmission, Inc.; Notice of Application Take notice that on January 25, 2013, Dominion Transmission, Inc. (Dominion), 120 Tredegar Street, Richmond, VA 23219, filed an application in Docket No. CP13-59-000 pursuant... Midstream, LLC, all as more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open...

Peregrine Software Toolchains | High-Performance Computing | NREL

Science.gov Websites

toolchain is an open-source alternative against which many technical applications are natively developed and tested. The Portland Group compilers are not fully supported, but are available to the HPC community. Use Group (PGI) C/C++ and Fortran (partially supported) The PGI Accelerator compilers include NVIDIA GPU

Singing the Spaces: Artful Approaches to Navigating the Emotional Landscape in Environmental Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkhart, Jocelyn

2016-01-01

This paper briefly explores the gap in the environmental education literature on emotions, and then offers a rationale and potential directions for engaging the emotions more fully, through the arts. Using autoenthnographic and arts-based methods, and including original songs and invitational reflective questions to open spaces for further inquiry…

CO2 and chamber effects on epidermal development in field grown peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Peanut, (Arachis hypogaea L.) cvar. C76–16, was grown either in the field, or in open gas exchange chambers under elevated or ambient CO2 concentrations. Stomatal density and other selected epidermal parameters associated with leaf development and gas exchange were measured on recently fully expande...

Utilizing Online Exams: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Stacy M. P.; Ralph, David L.; Buskirk, Bruce

2009-01-01

Technology has opened a wide range of possibilities for the college classroom. Thus, the classroom has changed in a variety of ways. Some courses have been converted to fully online courses. Students and instructors do not have any face-to-face contact in these courses. Other courses have converted a portion of their courses to online. These…

High-Performance Nanocomposites Designed for Radiation Shielding in Space and an Application of GIS for Analyzing Nanopowder Dispersion in Polymer Matrixes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auslander, Joseph Simcha

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Time-Resolved Magneto-Optical Imaging of Superconducting YBCO Thin Films in the High-Frequency AC Current Regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frey, Alexander

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Use of Remote Sensing to Identify Essential Habitat for Aeschynomene virginica (L.) BSP, a Threatened Tidal Freshwater Wetland Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mountz, Elizabeth M.

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Silver-Polyimide Nanocomposite Films: Single-Stage Synthesis and Analysis of Metalized Partially-Fluorinated Polyimide BTDA/4-BDAF Prepared from Silver(I) Complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abelard, Joshua Erold Robert

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Multifunctional Polymer Synthesis and Incorporation of Gadolinium Compounds and Modified Tungsten Nanoparticles for Improvement of Radiation Shielding for use in Outer Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harbert, Emily Grace

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Dpf Analyses Yield Fully Analytic Potentials for the B ^1Πu ``BARRIER'' States of {Rb}_2 and {Li}_2 and AN Improved Ground-State Well Depth for {Rb}_2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slaughter, Kai; Dattani, Nikesh S.; Amiot, Claude S.; Ross, Amanda J.; Le Roy, Robert J.

2015-06-01

Determining full model potential energy functions for molecular states that have a `natural' rotationless barrier which protrudes above the potential asymptote, such as the B ^1Π_u states of alkali dimers, is a challenging problem. The present work extends our previous Direct-Potential-Fit (DPF) analysis of data for the B ^1Π_u state of Li_2 by introducing a more sophisticated model for the long-range tail of the fully analytic `Double Exponential Long-Range' (DELR) potential function form^a that takes account of the interstate coupling that occurs near the asymptotes of nS+nP alkali dimers. This type of analysis is then applied to data for the B ^1Π_u state of Rb_2, and a concurrent extension of the DPF analysis of Seto and Le Roy yields an improved fully analytic potential energy function for its ground X ^1σ_g^+ state. The effect of taking account of the long-range inter-state coupling on the shapes of the outer walls of the B ^1Π_u state potential functions for these two species will also be examined. Y. Huang and R.J. Le Roy, J. Chem. Phys., 119, 7398 (2003) M. Aubert-Frécon and G. Hadinger and S. Magnier and S. Rousseau, J. Mol. Spectosc., 288, 182 (1998). J.Y. Seto and R.J. Le Roy, J. Chem. Phys., 113, 3067 (2000).

Turbulent Supersonic/Hypersonic Heating Correlations for Open and Closed Cavities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Everhart, Joel L.; Greene, Francis A.

2009-01-01

Supersonic/hypersonic laminar heating correlations that were developed for damage assessment analysis of atmospheric re-entry vehicles have been modified and extended to cover fully-turbulent conditions over rectangular cavity geometries that are aligned with the local velocity. Turbulent boundary layer properties were computationally determined and used to develop the cavity geometry parametrics and to correlate experimental closed cavity heating data to yield new relationships for the floor-averaged and centerline endwall peak-heating augmentation. With the form of the closed-cavity correlations established, historical data were used to develop new correlations for turbulent open-cavity heating.

Turbulent Supersonic/Hypersonic Heating Correlations for Open and Closed Cavities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Everhart, Joel L.; Greene, Francis A.

2009-01-01

Supersonic/hypersonic laminar heating correlations that were developed for damage assessment analysis of atmospheric re-entry vehicles have been modified and extended to cover fully-turbulent conditions over rectangular cavity geometries that are aligned with the local velocity. Turbulent boundary layer properties were computationally determined and used to develop the cavity geometry parametrics and to correlate experimental closed cavity heating data to yield new relationships for the floor-averaged and centerline endwall peakheating augmentation. With the form of the closed-cavity correlations established, historical data were used to develop new correlations for turbulent open-cavity heating.

Initial correlations in open-systems dynamics: The Jaynes-Cummings model

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

Smirne, Andrea; Vacchini, Bassano; INFN, Sezione di Milano, Via Celoria 16, I-20133 Milano

2010-12-15

Employing the trace distance as a measure for the distinguishability of quantum states, we study the influence of initial correlations on the dynamics of open systems. We concentrate on the Jaynes-Cummings model for which the knowledge of the exact joint dynamics of system and reservoir allows the treatment of initial states with arbitrary correlations. As a measure for the correlations in the initial state we consider the trace distance between the system-environment state and the product of its marginal states. In particular, we examine the correlations contained in the thermal equilibrium state for the total system, analyze their dependence onmore » the temperature and on the coupling strength, and demonstrate their connection to the entanglement properties of the eigenstates of the Hamiltonian. A detailed study of the time dependence of the distinguishability of the open system states evolving from the thermal equilibrium state and its corresponding uncorrelated product state shows that the open system dynamically uncovers typical features of the initial correlations.« less

Exploration of Multi-State Conformational Dynamics and Underlying Global Functional Landscape of Maltose Binding Protein

PubMed Central

Wang, Yong; Tang, Chun; Wang, Erkang; Wang, Jin

2012-01-01

An increasing number of biological machines have been revealed to have more than two macroscopic states. Quantifying the underlying multiple-basin functional landscape is essential for understanding their functions. However, the present models seem to be insufficient to describe such multiple-state systems. To meet this challenge, we have developed a coarse grained triple-basin structure-based model with implicit ligand. Based on our model, the constructed functional landscape is sufficiently sampled by the brute-force molecular dynamics simulation. We explored maltose-binding protein (MBP) which undergoes large-scale domain motion between open, apo-closed (partially closed) and holo-closed (fully closed) states responding to ligand binding. We revealed an underlying mechanism whereby major induced fit and minor population shift pathways co-exist by quantitative flux analysis. We found that the hinge regions play an important role in the functional dynamics as well as that increases in its flexibility promote population shifts. This finding provides a theoretical explanation of the mechanistic discrepancies in PBP protein family. We also found a functional “backtracking” behavior that favors conformational change. We further explored the underlying folding landscape in response to ligand binding. Consistent with earlier experimental findings, the presence of ligand increases the cooperativity and stability of MBP. This work provides the first study to explore the folding dynamics and functional dynamics under the same theoretical framework using our triple-basin functional model. PMID:22532792

Multipartite quantum correlations and local recoverability

PubMed Central

Wilde, Mark M.

2015-01-01

Characterizing genuine multipartite quantum correlations in quantum physical systems has historically been a challenging problem in quantum information theory. More recently, however, the total correlation or multipartite information measure has been helpful in accomplishing this goal, especially with the multipartite symmetric quantum (MSQ) discord (Piani et al. 2008 Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 090502. (doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.090502)) and the conditional entanglement of multipartite information (CEMI) (Yang et al. 2008 Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 140501. (doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.140501)). Here, we apply a recent and significant improvement of strong subadditivity of quantum entropy (Fawzi & Renner 2014 (http://arxiv.org/abs/1410.0664)) in order to develop these quantities further. In particular, we prove that the MSQ discord is nearly equal to zero if and only if the multipartite state for which it is evaluated is approximately locally recoverable after performing measurements on each of its systems. Furthermore, we prove that the CEMI is a faithful entanglement measure, i.e. it vanishes if and only if the multipartite state for which it is evaluated is a fully separable state. Along the way, we provide an operational interpretation of the MSQ discord in terms of the partial state distribution protocol, which in turn, as a special case, gives an interpretation for the original discord quantity. Finally, we prove an inequality that could potentially improve upon the Fawzi–Renner inequality in the multipartite context, but it remains an open question to determine whether this is so. PMID:27547097

Equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method for ionised states with spin-orbit coupling using open-shell reference wavefunction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhifan; Wang, Fan

2018-04-01

The equation-of-motion coupled-cluster method for ionised states at the singles and doubles level (EOM-IP-CCSD) with spin-orbit coupling (SOC) included in post-Hartree-Fock (HF) steps is extended to spatially non-degenerate open-shell systems such as high spin states of s1, p3, σ1 or π2 configuration in this work. Pseudopotentials are employed to treat relativistic effects and spin-unrestricted scalar relativistic HF determinant is adopted as reference in calculations. Symmetry is not exploited in the implementation since both time-reversal and spatial symmetry is broken due to SOC. IPs with the EOM-IP-CCSD approach are those from the 3Σ1- states for high spin state of π2 configuration, while the ground state is the 3Σ0- state. When removing an electron from the high spin state of p3 configuration, only the 3P2 state can be reached. The open-shell EOM-IP-CCSD approach with SOC was employed in calculating IPs of some open-shell atoms with s1 configuration, diatomic molecules with π2 configuration and SOC splitting of the ionised π1 state, as well as IPs of VA atoms with p3 configuration. Our results demonstrate that this approach can be applied to ionised states of spatially non-degenerate open-shell states containing heavy elements with reasonable accuracy.

78 FR 19799 - United States Mint Kids' Baseball Coin Design Challenge

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-02

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY United States Mint United States Mint Kids' Baseball Coin Design Challenge ACTION: Notification of the Opening of the United States Mint Kids' Baseball Coin Design Challenge on April 11, 2013. SUMMARY: The United States Mint announces the opening of a national kids' baseball...

Bright perspectives for nuclear photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thirolf, P. G.; Habs, D.

2014-05-01

With the advent of new high-power, short-pulse laser facilities in combination with novel technologies for the production of highly brilliant, intense γ beams (like, e.g., Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) in Bucharest, MEGaRay in Livermore or a planned upgrade of the HIγS facility at Duke University), unprecedented perspectives will open up in the coming years for photonuclear physics both in basic sciences as in various fields of applications. Ultra-high sensitivity will be enabled by an envisaged increase of the γ-beam spectral density from the presently typical 102γ/eVs to about 104γ/eVs, thus enabling a new quality of nuclear photonics [1], assisted by new γ-optical elements [2]. Photonuclear reactions with highly brilliant γ beams will allow to produce radioisotopes for nuclear medicine with much higher specific activity and/or more economically than with conventional methods. This will open the door for completely new clinical applications of radioisotopes [3]. The isotopic, state-selective sensitivity of the well-established technique of nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) will be boosted by the drastically reduced energy bandwidth (<0.1%) of the novel γ beams. Together with a much higher intensity of these beams, this will pave the road towards a γ-beam based non-invasive tomography and microscopy, assisting the management of nuclear materials, such as radioactive waste management, the detection of nuclear fissile material in the recycling process or the detection of clandestine fissile materials. Moreover, also secondary sources like low-energy, pulsed, polarized neutron beams of high intensity and high brilliance [4] or a new type of positron source with significantly increased brilliance, for the first time fully polarized [5], can be realized and lead to new applications in solid state physics or material sciences.

A Remotely Operated Observatory for Minor Planet Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ditteon, Richard

2008-05-01

In October of 2007 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana began operating the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory (E09) located near Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia. The observatory houses a 0.5-m, f/8.4 Ritchey-Chretien telescope mounted on a Paramount ME, German equatorial mount. Attached to the telescope is an STL-1001E CCD camera which has 1024 by 1024, 24 µm pixels, a two-stage thermoelectric cooler, and built in color filter wheel with BVRI and clear filters. Image scale is 1.2 arcseconds per pixel. A cloud sensor is used to monitor sky conditions. The observatory has a roll-off roof with limit switches to detect when the roof is fully open and fully closed. In addition, a switch has been added to the mount to detect when the telescope is parked and that it is safe to open or close the roof. All of the hardware is controlled by a custom program which reads a simple text file containing the sequence of images and targets to be collected each night. The text file is loaded onto the control computer once each day, then the software waits until sunset to determine if the sky is clear. When conditions are favorable, power is turned on, the roof opens, twilight flats, dark and bias frames are recorded, and when it is fully dark data frames are recorded. Images are transferred via the Internet back to Rose-Hulman by another program running in the background. The observatory closes itself before dawn or if it gets cloudy. Currently we are using the observatory for photometry of minor planets. Students are responsible for selecting targets, processing the returned images, determining the period and light curve of each minor planet and writing a paper for publication. Recent results will be presented.

Solution for Direct Solar Impingement Problem on Landsat-7 ETM+ Cooler Door During Cooler Outgas in Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Michael K.

1999-01-01

There was a thermal anomaly of the Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) radiative cooler cold stage during the cooler outgas phase in flight. With the cooler door in the outgas position and the outgas heaters enabled, the cold stage temperature increased to a maximum of 323 K when the spacecraft was in the sunlight, which was warmer than the 316.3 K upper set point of the outgas heater controller on the cold stage. Also, the outgas heater cycled off when the cold stage was warming up to 323 K. A corrective action was taken before the attitude of the spacecraft was changed during the first week in flight. One orbit before the attitude was changed, the outgas heaters were disabled to cool off the cold stage. The cold stage temperature increase was strongly dependent on the spacecraft roll and yaw. It provided evidence that direct solar radiation entered the gap between the cooler door and cooler shroud. There was a concern that the direct solar radiation could cause polymerization of hydrocarbons, which could contaminate the cooler and lead to a thermal short. After outgas with the cooler door in the outgas position for seven days, the cooler door was changed to the fully open position. With the cooler door fully open, the maximum cold stage temperature was 316.3 K when the spacecraft was in the sunlight, and the duty cycle of the outgas heater in the eclipse was the same as that in the sunlight. It provided more evidence that direct solar radiation had entered the gap between the cooler door and cooler shroud. Cooler outgas continued for seven more days, with the cooler door fully open. The corrective actions had prevented overheating of the cold stage and cold focal plane array (CFPA), which could damage these two components. They also minimized the risk of contamination on the cold stage, which could lead to a thermal short.

Spatiotemporal assessment of water chemistry in intermittently open/closed coastal lakes of Southern Baltic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astel, Aleksander M.; Bigus, Katarzyna; Obolewski, Krystian; Glińska-Lewczuk, Katarzyna

2016-12-01

Ionic profile, pH, electrolytic conductivity, chemical oxygen demand and concentration of selected heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn) were determined in water of 11 intermittently closed and open lakes and lagoons (ICOLLs) located in Polish coastline. Multidimensional data set was explored by the use of the self-organizing map (SOM) technique to avoid supervised and predictable division for fully isolated, partially and fully connected lakes. Water quality assessment based on single parameter's mean value allowed classification of majority of lakes to first or second class of purity according to regulation presenting classification approach applicable to uniform parts of surface waters. The SOM-based grouping revealed seven clusters comprising water samples of similar physico-chemical profile. Fully connected lakes were characterized by the highest concentration of components characteristic for sea salts (NaCl, MgCl2, MgSO4, CaSO4, K2SO4 and MgBr2), however spring samples from Łebsko were shifted to another cluster suggesting that intensive surface run-off and fresh-water inflow through Łupawa river decreases an impact of sea water intrusions. Forecasted characteristic of water collected in Resko Przymorskie lake was disturbed by high contamination by nitrites indicating accidental and local contamination due to usage of sodium nitrite for the curing of meat. Some unexpected sources of contamination was discovered in intermittently open and closed lakes. Presumably Zn contamination is due to use of wood preservatives to protect small wooden playgrounds or camping places spread around one of the lake, while increased concentration of Ni could be connected with grass and vegetation burning. Waters of Jamno lake are under the strongest anthropogenic impact due to inefficient removal of phosphates by waste water treatment plant and contamination by Fe and Mn caused by backwashing of absorption filters. Generally, the quality of ICOLLs' water was diversified, while anthropogenic impact as well as sea water intrusions determine its quality in temporal and spatial scale.∖

The classical equation of state of fully ionized plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisa, Dalia Ahmed

2011-03-01

The aim of this paper is to calculate the analytical form of the equation of state until the third virial coefficient of a classical system interacting via an effective potential of fully Ionized Plasmas. The excess osmotic pressure is represented in the forms of a convergent series expansions in terms of the plasma Parameter μ _{ab} = {{{e_a e_b χ } over {DKT}}}, where χ2 is the square of the inverse Debye radius. We consider only the thermal equilibrium plasma.

A task-related and resting state realistic fMRI simulator for fMRI data validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, Jason E.; Liu, Xiangyu; Nutter, Brian; Mitra, Sunanda

2017-02-01

After more than 25 years of published functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, careful scrutiny reveals that most of the reported results lack fully decisive validation. The complex nature of fMRI data generation and acquisition results in unavoidable uncertainties in the true estimation and interpretation of both task-related activation maps and resting state functional connectivity networks, despite the use of various statistical data analysis methodologies. The goal of developing the proposed STANCE (Spontaneous and Task-related Activation of Neuronally Correlated Events) simulator is to generate realistic task-related and/or resting-state 4D blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signals, given the experimental paradigm and scan protocol, by using digital phantoms of twenty normal brains available from BrainWeb (http://brainweb.bic.mni.mcgill.ca/brainweb/). The proposed simulator will include estimated system and modelled physiological noise as well as motion to serve as a reference to measured brain activities. In its current form, STANCE is a MATLAB toolbox with command line functions serving as an open-source add-on to SPM8 (http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/spm/software/spm8/). The STANCE simulator has been designed in a modular framework so that the hemodynamic response (HR) and various noise models can be iteratively improved to include evolving knowledge about such models.

The Costs and Benefits of Openness: Sunshine Laws and Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braman, Sandra; Cleveland, Harlan

The way that "open meeting laws" are working in the governance of U.S. higher education is discussed, based on a study of sunshine laws of 50 states and a survey of case law and attorneys' opinions. In-depth interviews were also conducted with individuals from six states identified as representing a range of openness. From most open to…

Cultivating Textbook Alternatives from the Ground Up: One Public University's Sustainable Model for Open and Alternative Educational Resource Proliferation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lashley, Jonathan; Cummings-Sauls, Rebel; Bennett, Andrew B.; Lindshield, Brian L.

2017-01-01

This note from the field reviews the sustainability of an institution-wide program for adopting and adapting open and alternative educational resources (OAER) at Kansas State University (K-State). Developed in consult of open textbook initiatives at other institutions and modified around the needs and expectations of K-State students and faculty,…

Foundations of statistical mechanics from symmetries of entanglement

DOE PAGES

Deffner, Sebastian; Zurek, Wojciech H.

2016-06-09

Envariance—entanglement assisted invariance—is a recently discovered symmetry of composite quantum systems. Here, we show that thermodynamic equilibrium states are fully characterized by their envariance. In particular, the microcanonical equilibrium of a systemmore » $${ \\mathcal S }$$ with Hamiltonian $${H}_{{ \\mathcal S }}$$ is a fully energetically degenerate quantum state envariant under every unitary transformation. A representation of the canonical equilibrium then follows from simply counting degenerate energy states. Finally, our conceptually novel approach is free of mathematically ambiguous notions such as ensemble, randomness, etc., and, while it does not even rely on probability, it helps to understand its role in the quantum world.« less

A compositional framework for Markov processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baez, John C.; Fong, Brendan; Pollard, Blake S.

2016-03-01

We define the concept of an "open" Markov process, or more precisely, continuous-time Markov chain, which is one where probability can flow in or out of certain states called "inputs" and "outputs." One can build up a Markov process from smaller open pieces. This process is formalized by making open Markov processes into the morphisms of a dagger compact category. We show that the behavior of a detailed balanced open Markov process is determined by a principle of minimum dissipation, closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. Using this fact, we set up a functor mapping open detailed balanced Markov processes to open circuits made of linear resistors. We also describe how to "black box" an open Markov process, obtaining the linear relation between input and output data that holds in any steady state, including nonequilibrium steady states with a nonzero flow of probability through the system. We prove that black boxing gives a symmetric monoidal dagger functor sending open detailed balanced Markov processes to Lagrangian relations between symplectic vector spaces. This allows us to compute the steady state behavior of an open detailed balanced Markov process from the behaviors of smaller pieces from which it is built. We relate this black box functor to a previously constructed black box functor for circuits.

Characterization of different bubble formulations for blood-brain barrier opening using a focused ultrasound system with acoustic feedback control.

PubMed

Bing, Chenchen; Hong, Yu; Hernandez, Christopher; Rich, Megan; Cheng, Bingbing; Munaweera, Imalka; Szczepanski, Debra; Xi, Yin; Bolding, Mark; Exner, Agata; Chopra, Rajiv

2018-05-22

Focused ultrasound combined with bubble-based agents serves as a non-invasive way to open the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Passive acoustic detection was well studied recently to monitor the acoustic emissions induced by the bubbles under ultrasound energy, but the ability to perform reliable BBB opening with a real-time feedback control algorithm has not been fully evaluated. This study focuses on characterizing the acoustic emissions of different types of bubbles: Optison, Definity, and a custom-made nanobubble. Their performance on reliable BBB opening under real-time feedback control based on acoustic detection was evaluated both in-vitro and in-vivo. The experiments were conducted using a 0.5 MHz focused ultrasound transducer with in-vivo focal pressure ranges from 0.1-0.7 MPa. Successful feedback control was achieved with all three agents when combining with infusion injection. Localized opening was confirmed with Evans blue dye leakage. Microscopic images were acquired to review the opening effects. Under similar total gas volume, nanobubble showed a more reliable opening effect compared to Optison and Definity (p < 0.05). The conclusions obtained from this study confirm the possibilities of performing stable opening using a feedback control algorithm combined with infusion injection. It also opens another potential research area of BBB opening using sub-micron bubbles.

Mobile service for open data visualization on geo-based images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kiwon; Kim, Kwangseob; Kang, Sanggoo

2015-12-01

Since the early 2010s, governments in most countries have adopted and promoted open data policy and open data platform. Korea are in the same situation, and government and public organizations have operated the public-accessible open data portal systems since 2011. The number of open data and data type have been increasing every year. These trends are more expandable or extensible on mobile environments. The purpose of this study is to design and implement a mobile application service to visualize various typed or formatted public open data with geo-based images on the mobile web. Open data cover downloadable data sets or open-accessible data application programming interface API. Geo-based images mean multi-sensor satellite imageries which are referred in geo-coordinates and matched with digital map sets. System components for mobile service are fully based on open sources and open development environments without any commercialized tools: PostgreSQL for database management system, OTB for remote sensing image processing, GDAL for data conversion, GeoServer for application server, OpenLayers for mobile web mapping, R for data analysis and D3.js for web-based data graphic processing. Mobile application in client side was implemented by using HTML5 for cross browser and cross platform. The result shows many advantageous points such as linking open data and geo-based data, integrating open data and open source, and demonstrating mobile applications with open data. It is expected that this approach is cost effective and process efficient implementation strategy for intelligent earth observing data.

dsmcFoam+: An OpenFOAM based direct simulation Monte Carlo solver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, C.; Borg, M. K.; Scanlon, T. J.; Longshaw, S. M.; John, B.; Emerson, D. R.; Reese, J. M.

2018-03-01

dsmcFoam+ is a direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) solver for rarefied gas dynamics, implemented within the OpenFOAM software framework, and parallelised with MPI. It is open-source and released under the GNU General Public License in a publicly available software repository that includes detailed documentation and tutorial DSMC gas flow cases. This release of the code includes many features not found in standard dsmcFoam, such as molecular vibrational and electronic energy modes, chemical reactions, and subsonic pressure boundary conditions. Since dsmcFoam+ is designed entirely within OpenFOAM's C++ object-oriented framework, it benefits from a number of key features: the code emphasises extensibility and flexibility so it is aimed first and foremost as a research tool for DSMC, allowing new models and test cases to be developed and tested rapidly. All DSMC cases are as straightforward as setting up any standard OpenFOAM case, as dsmcFoam+ relies upon the standard OpenFOAM dictionary based directory structure. This ensures that useful pre- and post-processing capabilities provided by OpenFOAM remain available even though the fully Lagrangian nature of a DSMC simulation is not typical of most OpenFOAM applications. We show that dsmcFoam+ compares well to other well-known DSMC codes and to analytical solutions in terms of benchmark results.

Therapeutic communication in the interaction between health workers and hypertensive patients in the family health strategy.

PubMed

Torres, Geanne Maria Costa; Figueiredo, Inês Dolores Teles; Cândido, José Auricélio Bernardo; Pinto, Antonio Germane Alves; Morais, Ana Patrícia Pereira; Araújo, Maria Fátima Maciel; Almeida, Maria Irismar de

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE To analyze the therapeutic communication in the interaction between health professionals and hypertensive patients in the Family Health Strategy. METHODS Descriptive study with qualitative approach. The sample consisted of 14 hypertensive patients and two health professionals of the Family Health Strategy (ESF - "Estratégia Saúde Família") in a city of the state of Ceará, Brazil, in 2016. In the data collection, a checklist was used for non-participant systematic observation containing the strategies of therapeutic communication, namely: expression, clarity, validation, and a field diary, being these subjected to content analysis. RESULTS It was noted that ESF professionals do not adequately use therapeutic communication, indicating the need of investment in this device, which acts as a bridge for users, enhances care practices and opens paths that instrumentalize interpersonal relationships. CONCLUSIONS It was realized that health professionals are not fully exploring therapeutic communication strategies, therefore being necessary to develop skills to use these techniques correctly when caring for hypertensive patients.

NLO QCD predictions for Z+γ + jets production with Sherpa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krause, Johannes; Siegert, Frank

2018-02-01

We present precise predictions for prompt photon production in association with a Z boson and jets. They are obtained within the Sherpa framework as a consistently merged inclusive sample. Leptonic decays of the Z boson are fully included in the calculation with all off-shell effects. Virtual matrix elements are provided by OpenLoops and parton-shower effects are simulated with a dipole parton shower. Thanks to the NLO QCD corrections included not only for inclusive Zγ production but also for the Zγ + 1-jet process we find significantly reduced systematic uncertainties and very good agreement with experimental measurements at √{s}=8 TeV. Predictions at √{s}=13 TeV are displayed including a study of theoretical uncertainties. In view of an application of these simulations within LHC experiments, we discuss in detail the necessary combination with a simulation of the Z + jets final state. In addition to a corresponding prescription we introduce recommended cross checks to avoid common pitfalls during the overlap removal between the two samples.

PandaEPL: a library for programming spatial navigation experiments.

PubMed

Solway, Alec; Miller, Jonathan F; Kahana, Michael J

2013-12-01

Recent advances in neuroimaging and neural recording techniques have enabled researchers to make significant progress in understanding the neural mechanisms underlying human spatial navigation. Because these techniques generally require participants to remain stationary, computer-generated virtual environments are used. We introduce PandaEPL, a programming library for the Python language designed to simplify the creation of computer-controlled spatial-navigation experiments. PandaEPL is built on top of Panda3D, a modern open-source game engine. It allows users to construct three-dimensional environments that participants can navigate from a first-person perspective. Sound playback and recording and also joystick support are provided through the use of additional optional libraries. PandaEPL also handles many tasks common to all cognitive experiments, including managing configuration files, logging all internal and participant-generated events, and keeping track of the experiment state. We describe how PandaEPL compares with other software for building spatial-navigation experiments and walk the reader through the process of creating a fully functional experiment.

PandaEPL: A library for programming spatial navigation experiments

PubMed Central

Solway, Alec; Miller, Jonathan F.

2013-01-01

Recent advances in neuroimaging and neural recording techniques have enabled researchers to make significant progress in understanding the neural mechanisms underlying human spatial navigation. Because these techniques generally require participants to remain stationary, computer-generated virtual environments are used. We introduce PandaEPL, a programming library for the Python language designed to simplify the creation of computer-controlled spatial-navigation experiments. PandaEPL is built on top of Panda3D, a modern open-source game engine. It allows users to construct three-dimensional environments that participants can navigate from a first-person perspective. Sound playback and recording and also joystick support are provided through the use of additional optional libraries. PandaEPL also handles many tasks common to all cognitive experiments, including managing configuration files, logging all internal and participant-generated events, and keeping track of the experiment state. We describe how PandaEPL compares with other software for building spatial-navigation experiments and walk the reader through the process of creating a fully functional experiment. PMID:23549683

Distinct photoresponse in graphene induced by laser irradiation and interfacial gating.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wenhui; Guo, Xitao; Nan, Haiyan; Ni, Zhenhua; Spectroscopy; Optoelectronics Group Team

Graphene-based photodetectors have recently received much attention due to its unique optical and electronic properties. The photoresponse modulation plays a crucial role in the study of photocurrent generation mechanism and optoelectronic applications. Here, the tunable p-p +-p junctions of graphene were fabricated through simple laser irradiation process. Distinct photoresponse was observed at the graphene (G)-laser irradiation graphene (LIG) junction. Detailed investigation suggests that the photo-thermoelectric effect, instead of the photovoltaic effect, dominates the photocurrent generation at the G-LIG junction. On the other hand, the localized interface states, existing at the silicon dioxide/lightly doped Si interface, would induce an interfacial gating mechanism, which will enhance the photoresponsivity to 1000 A/W. More important, the photoresponse time of our device has been pushed to 400ns. The current device structure does not need a complicated fabrication process and is fully compatible with silicon technology. This work will open up a route to graphene-based high-performance optoelectronic devices. This work was supported by Southeast University.

An IBM PC-based math model for space station solar array simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emanuel, E. M.

1986-01-01

This report discusses and documents the design, development, and verification of a microcomputer-based solar cell math model for simulating the Space Station's solar array Initial Operational Capability (IOC) reference configuration. The array model is developed utilizing a linear solar cell dc math model requiring only five input parameters: short circuit current, open circuit voltage, maximum power voltage, maximum power current, and orbit inclination. The accuracy of this model is investigated using actual solar array on orbit electrical data derived from the Solar Array Flight Experiment/Dynamic Augmentation Experiment (SAFE/DAE), conducted during the STS-41D mission. This simulator provides real-time simulated performance data during the steady state portion of the Space Station orbit (i.e., array fully exposed to sunlight). Eclipse to sunlight transients and shadowing effects are not included in the analysis, but are discussed briefly. Integrating the Solar Array Simulator (SAS) into the Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) subsystem is also discussed.

Artificial two-dimensional polar metal at room temperature.

PubMed

Cao, Yanwei; Wang, Zhen; Park, Se Young; Yuan, Yakun; Liu, Xiaoran; Nikitin, Sergey M; Akamatsu, Hirofumi; Kareev, M; Middey, S; Meyers, D; Thompson, P; Ryan, P J; Shafer, Padraic; N'Diaye, A; Arenholz, E; Gopalan, Venkatraman; Zhu, Yimei; Rabe, Karin M; Chakhalian, J

2018-04-18

Polar metals, commonly defined by the coexistence of polar crystal structure and metallicity, are thought to be scarce because the long-range electrostatic fields favoring the polar structure are expected to be fully screened by the conduction electrons of a metal. Moreover, reducing from three to two dimensions, it remains an open question whether a polar metal can exist. Here we report on the realization of a room temperature two-dimensional polar metal of the B-site type in tri-color (tri-layer) superlattices BaTiO 3 /SrTiO 3 /LaTiO 3 . A combination of atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy with electron energy-loss spectroscopy, optical second harmonic generation, electrical transport, and first-principles calculations have revealed the microscopic mechanisms of periodic electric polarization, charge distribution, and orbital symmetry. Our results provide a route to creating all-oxide artificial non-centrosymmetric quasi-two-dimensional metals with exotic quantum states including coexisting ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, and superconducting phases.

Genetics and bioethics: the current state of affairs.

PubMed

Williams, Erin D

2002-01-01

The pursuit of genetic knowledge has such emotional, social, scientific, and financial importance that it has been compared to the divine quest for the Holy Grail, and to the calamity of opening Pandora's Box. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the recent announcement of a completed blueprint for the human genome has fueled calls for both increased research and increased precautions. This new era, which holds the potential promise of advances in medicine, agriculture and other areas, also requires the careful investigation of a myriad of issues. Those issues such as informed consent, patenting, privacy, and confidentiality, have been explored in at least some detail. Others, such as equity, mutual respect, empowering education, consensus building, and planning for long-term survival, have not been as fully examined, nor have they been as comprehensively integrated into mainstream thinking. To facilitate this, we need to implement an ethical approach that leads us to ask critical questions about the appropriate use of our new tools.

Marine microbes in 4D-using time series observation to assess the dynamics of the ocean microbiome and its links to ocean health.

PubMed

Buttigieg, Pier Luigi; Fadeev, Eduard; Bienhold, Christina; Hehemann, Laura; Offre, Pierre; Boetius, Antje

2018-02-21

Microbial observation is of high relevance in assessing marine phenomena of scientific and societal concern including ocean productivity, harmful algal blooms, and pathogen exposure. However, we have yet to realise its potential to coherently and comprehensively report on global ocean status. The ability of satellites to monitor the distribution of phytoplankton has transformed our appreciation of microbes as the foundation of key ecosystem services; however, more in-depth understanding of microbial dynamics is needed to fully assess natural and anthropogenically induced variation in ocean ecosystems. While this first synthesis shows that notable efforts exist, vast regions such as the ocean depths, the open ocean, the polar oceans, and most of the Southern Hemisphere lack consistent observation. To secure a coordinated future for a global microbial observing system, existing long-term efforts must be better networked to generate shared bioindicators of the Global Ocean's state and health. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Progress toward establishing a US national laboratory on the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uhran, Mark L.

2010-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) is rapidly approaching the long-awaited completion of assembly. All United States (US) core elements have been integrated and tested on-orbit and the principle elements of the European and Japanese laboratories were successfully deployed in 2008. The fully envisioned configuration is on schedule to be completed as planned by the end of US government fiscal year 2010. Section 507 of the NASA Authorization Act of 2005 designated the US segment of the ISS as a " national laboratory", thereby opening up its use to other US government agencies, US private firms and US non-profit institutions. This paper reports on progress toward identifying and entering into agreements with entities outside of NASA that plan to use the ISS in the post-assembly timeframe. The original 1984 vision of a robust, multi-mission space station serving as a platform for the advancement of US science, technology and industry will soon be achieved.

Recent progress in the assembly of nanodevices and van der Waals heterostructures by deterministic placement of 2D materials.

PubMed

Frisenda, Riccardo; Navarro-Moratalla, Efrén; Gant, Patricia; Pérez De Lara, David; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo; Gorbachev, Roman V; Castellanos-Gomez, Andres

2018-01-02

Designer heterostructures can now be assembled layer-by-layer with unmatched precision thanks to the recently developed deterministic placement methods to transfer two-dimensional (2D) materials. This possibility constitutes the birth of a very active research field on the so-called van der Waals heterostructures. Moreover, these deterministic placement methods also open the door to fabricate complex devices, which would be otherwise very difficult to achieve by conventional bottom-up nanofabrication approaches, and to fabricate fully-encapsulated devices with exquisite electronic properties. The integration of 2D materials with existing technologies such as photonic and superconducting waveguides and fiber optics is another exciting possibility. Here, we review the state-of-the-art of the deterministic placement methods, describing and comparing the different alternative methods available in the literature, and we illustrate their potential to fabricate van der Waals heterostructures, to integrate 2D materials into complex devices and to fabricate artificial bilayer structures where the layers present a user-defined rotational twisting angle.

Many-body expansion of the Fock matrix in the fragment molecular orbital method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorov, Dmitri G.; Kitaura, Kazuo

2017-09-01

A many-body expansion of the Fock matrix in the fragment molecular orbital method is derived up to three-body terms for restricted Hartree-Fock and density functional theory in the atomic orbital basis and compared to the expansion in the basis of fragment molecular orbitals (MOs). The physical nature of many-body corrections is revealed in terms of charge transfer terms. An improvement of the fragment MO expansion is proposed by adding exchange to the embedding. The accuracy of all developed methods is demonstrated in comparison to unfragmented results for polyalanines, a water cluster, Trp-cage (PDB: 1L2Y) and crambin (PDB: 1CRN) proteins, a zeolite cluster, a Si nano-wire, and a boron nitride ribbon. The physical nature of metallicity is discussed, and it is shown what kinds of metallic systems can be treated by fragment-based methods. The density of states is calculated for a fully closed and a partially open nano-ring of boron nitride with a diameter of 105 nm.

Is gastrointestinal microbiota relevant for endogenous mercury methylation in terrestrial animals?

PubMed

Martín-Doimeadios, R C Rodríguez; Mateo, R; Jiménez-Moreno, M

2017-01-01

The active role of gastrointestinal microbiota in mercury (Hg) methylation has been investigated in different terrestrial organisms from insects or annelids to rats and mammals, including the human beings. Some findings reveal the animal digestive tracts as new potential niches for Hg methylation especially in terrestrial invertebrates. However, contradictory results have been reported so far and there is still a long way to fully understand how important the MeHg production in this habitat could be, as well as its implications on the toxicity and biomagnification of MeHg within terrestrial food chains. It is important to know what has been studied in the past and discuss the previous results according to the new perspectives opened in this field. Therefore, the aim of this work is to review the present state of knowledge about the potential capability of gastrointestinal microbiota in Hg methylation with special emphasis in terrestrial animals and to propose new approaches profiting the new and powerful molecular and analytical tools. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statistics of resonances for a class of billiards on the Poincaré half-plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, P. J.; Mota-Furtado, F.; O'Mahony, P. F.; Uski, V.

2005-12-01

The lower boundary of Artin's billiard on the Poincaré half-plane is continuously deformed to generate a class of billiards with classical dynamics varying from fully integrable to completely chaotic. The quantum scattering problem in these open billiards is described and the statistics of both real and imaginary parts of the resonant momenta are investigated. The evolution of the resonance positions is followed as the boundary is varied which leads to large changes in their distribution. The transition to arithmetic chaos in Artin's billiard, which is responsible for the Poissonian level-spacing statistics of the bound states in the continuum (cusp forms) at the same time as the formation of a set of resonances all with width \\frac{1}{4} and real parts determined by the zeros of Riemann's zeta function, is closely examined. Regimes are found which obey the universal predictions of random matrix theory (RMT) as well as exhibiting non-universal long-range correlations. The Brody parameter is used to describe the transitions between different regimes.

Artificial two-dimensional polar metal at room temperature

DOE PAGES

Cao, Yanwei; Wang, Zhen; Park, Se Young; ...

2018-04-18

Polar metals, commonly defined by the coexistence of polar crystal structure and metallicity, are thought to be scarce because the long-range electrostatic fields favoring the polar structure are expected to be fully screened by the conduction electrons of a metal. Moreover, reducing from three to two dimensions, it remains an open question whether a polar metal can exist. Here we report on the realization of a room temperature two-dimensional polar metal of the B-site type in tri-color (tri-layer) superlattices BaTiO 3/SrTiO 3/LaTiO 3. A combination of atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy with electron energy-loss spectroscopy, optical second harmonic generation,more » electrical transport, and first-principles calculations have revealed the microscopic mechanisms of periodic electric polarization, charge distribution, and orbital symmetry. Lastly, our results provide a route to creating all-oxide artificial non-centrosymmetric quasi-two-dimensional metals with exotic quantum states including coexisting ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, and superconducting phases.« less

Explosive eruptions triggered by rockfalls at Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orr, Tim R.; Thelen, Weston A.; Patrick, Matthew R.; Swanson, Donald A.; Wilson, David C.

2012-01-01

Ongoing eruptive activity at Kīlauea volcano’s (Hawai‘i) summit has been controlled in part by the evolution of its vent from a 35-m-diameter opening into a collapse crater 150 m across. Geologic observations, in particular from a network of webcams, have provided an unprecedented look at collapse crater development, lava lake dynamics, and shallow outgassing processes. These observations show unequivocally that the hundreds of transient outgassing bursts and weak explosive eruptions that have punctuated the vent’s otherwise nearly steady-state behavior, and that are associated with composite seismic events, were triggered by rockfalls from the vent walls onto the top of the lava column. While the process by which rockfalls drive the explosive bursts is not fully understood, we believe that it is initiated by the generation of a rebound splash, or Worthington jet, which then undergoes fragmentation. The external triggering of low-energy outgassing events by rockfalls represents a new class of small transient explosive eruptions.

MarDRe: efficient MapReduce-based removal of duplicate DNA reads in the cloud.

PubMed

Expósito, Roberto R; Veiga, Jorge; González-Domínguez, Jorge; Touriño, Juan

2017-09-01

This article presents MarDRe, a de novo cloud-ready duplicate and near-duplicate removal tool that can process single- and paired-end reads from FASTQ/FASTA datasets. MarDRe takes advantage of the widely adopted MapReduce programming model to fully exploit Big Data technologies on cloud-based infrastructures. Written in Java to maximize cross-platform compatibility, MarDRe is built upon the open-source Apache Hadoop project, the most popular distributed computing framework for scalable Big Data processing. On a 16-node cluster deployed on the Amazon EC2 cloud platform, MarDRe is up to 8.52 times faster than a representative state-of-the-art tool. Source code in Java and Hadoop as well as a user's guide are freely available under the GNU GPLv3 license at http://mardre.des.udc.es . rreye@udc.es. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Artificial two-dimensional polar metal at room temperature

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

Cao, Yanwei; Wang, Zhen; Park, Se Young

Polar metals, commonly defined by the coexistence of polar crystal structure and metallicity, are thought to be scarce because the long-range electrostatic fields favoring the polar structure are expected to be fully screened by the conduction electrons of a metal. Moreover, reducing from three to two dimensions, it remains an open question whether a polar metal can exist. Here we report on the realization of a room temperature two-dimensional polar metal of the B-site type in tri-color (tri-layer) superlattices BaTiO 3/SrTiO 3/LaTiO 3. A combination of atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy with electron energy-loss spectroscopy, optical second harmonic generation,more » electrical transport, and first-principles calculations have revealed the microscopic mechanisms of periodic electric polarization, charge distribution, and orbital symmetry. Lastly, our results provide a route to creating all-oxide artificial non-centrosymmetric quasi-two-dimensional metals with exotic quantum states including coexisting ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, and superconducting phases.« less

New acoustic test facility at Georgia Tech

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biesel, Van; Cunefare, Kenneth

2002-11-01

Georgia Tech's Integrated Acoustics Laboratory (IAL) is a state of the art research facility dedicated to the study of acoustics and vibration. The centerpiece of the laboratory is a 24 ft x24 ft x20 ft full anechoic chamber, which has been in operation since 1998. The IAL is currently expanding to include a reverberation room and hemi-anechoic chamber, designed and built by Acoustic Systems. These two chambers will be joined by an 8 ft x8 ft transmission loss opening, allowing for a detailed measurement and analysis of complex barriers. Both chambers will accommodate vehicles and similarly large structures. The reverberation room will have adequate volume for standardized absorption measurements. Each chamber will be equipped with dedicated multichannel data acquisition systems and instrumentation for the support of simultaneous research in all areas of the laboratory. The new test chambers are funded by a grant from the Ford Motor Company and are planned to be completed and fully functional by 1 January 2003.

The Costs and Benefits of Openness: Sunshine Laws and Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cleveland, Harlan

1985-01-01

The costs and benefits of openness for governance of higher education are analyzed through a survey of state sunshine laws, relevant case law, state attorney generals' opinions, and interviews with a cross-section of individuals representing the range of openness. (MSE)

Open- and closed-state fast inactivation in sodium channels

PubMed Central

Lehmann-Horn, Frank; Holzherr, Boris D

2011-01-01

The role of sodium channel closed-state fast inactivation in membrane excitability is not well understood. We compared open- and closed-state fast inactivation, and the gating charge immobilized during these transitions, in skeletal muscle channel hNaV1.4. A significant fraction of total charge movement and its immobilization occurred in the absence of channel opening. Simulated action potentials in skeletal muscle fibers were attenuated when pre-conditioned by subthreshold depolarization. Anthopleurin A, a site-3 toxin that inhibits gating charge associated with the movement of DIVS4, was used to assess the role of this voltage sensor in closed-state fast inactivation. Anthopleurin elicited opposing effects on the gating mode, kinetics and charge immobilized during open- versus closed-state fast inactivation. This same toxin produced identical effects on recovery of channel availability and remobilization of gating charge, irrespective of route of entry into fast inactivation. Our findings suggest that depolarization promoting entry into fast inactivation from open versus closed states provides access to the IFMT receptor via different rate-limiting conformational translocations of DIVS4. PMID:21099342

23 CFR 650.307 - Bridge inspection organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... bridges located on public roads that are fully or partially located within the State's boundaries, except... inspected, all highway bridges located on public roads that are fully or partially located within the... preparation and maintenance of a bridge inventory. (2) Bridge inspections, reports, load ratings and other...

Searches for third-generation squark production in fully hadronic final states in proton-proton collisions at $$ \\sqrt{s} = 8$$ TeV

DOE PAGES

Khachatryan, Vardan

2015-06-17

We searched for third-generation squarks in fully hadronic final states and presented them using data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 19.4 or 19.7 fb -1, collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. Three mutually exclusive searches are presented, each optimized for a different decay topology. They include a multijet search requiring one fully reconstructed top quark, a dijet search requiring one or two jets originating from b quarks, and a monojet search. Furthermore, no excesses above the standard model expectations are seen, and limits are set on top and bottom squarkmore » production in the context of simplified models of supersymmetry.« less

Koopman Invariant Subspaces and Finite Linear Representations of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems for Control.

PubMed

Brunton, Steven L; Brunton, Bingni W; Proctor, Joshua L; Kutz, J Nathan

2016-01-01

In this wIn this work, we explore finite-dimensional linear representations of nonlinear dynamical systems by restricting the Koopman operator to an invariant subspace spanned by specially chosen observable functions. The Koopman operator is an infinite-dimensional linear operator that evolves functions of the state of a dynamical system. Dominant terms in the Koopman expansion are typically computed using dynamic mode decomposition (DMD). DMD uses linear measurements of the state variables, and it has recently been shown that this may be too restrictive for nonlinear systems. Choosing the right nonlinear observable functions to form an invariant subspace where it is possible to obtain linear reduced-order models, especially those that are useful for control, is an open challenge. Here, we investigate the choice of observable functions for Koopman analysis that enable the use of optimal linear control techniques on nonlinear problems. First, to include a cost on the state of the system, as in linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control, it is helpful to include these states in the observable subspace, as in DMD. However, we find that this is only possible when there is a single isolated fixed point, as systems with multiple fixed points or more complicated attractors are not globally topologically conjugate to a finite-dimensional linear system, and cannot be represented by a finite-dimensional linear Koopman subspace that includes the state. We then present a data-driven strategy to identify relevant observable functions for Koopman analysis by leveraging a new algorithm to determine relevant terms in a dynamical system by ℓ1-regularized regression of the data in a nonlinear function space; we also show how this algorithm is related to DMD. Finally, we demonstrate the usefulness of nonlinear observable subspaces in the design of Koopman operator optimal control laws for fully nonlinear systems using techniques from linear optimal control.ork, we explore finite-dimensional linear representations of nonlinear dynamical systems by restricting the Koopman operator to an invariant subspace spanned by specially chosen observable functions. The Koopman operator is an infinite-dimensional linear operator that evolves functions of the state of a dynamical system. Dominant terms in the Koopman expansion are typically computed using dynamic mode decomposition (DMD). DMD uses linear measurements of the state variables, and it has recently been shown that this may be too restrictive for nonlinear systems. Choosing the right nonlinear observable functions to form an invariant subspace where it is possible to obtain linear reduced-order models, especially those that are useful for control, is an open challenge. Here, we investigate the choice of observable functions for Koopman analysis that enable the use of optimal linear control techniques on nonlinear problems. First, to include a cost on the state of the system, as in linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control, it is helpful to include these states in the observable subspace, as in DMD. However, we find that this is only possible when there is a single isolated fixed point, as systems with multiple fixed points or more complicated attractors are not globally topologically conjugate to a finite-dimensional linear system, and cannot be represented by a finite-dimensional linear Koopman subspace that includes the state. We then present a data-driven strategy to identify relevant observable functions for Koopman analysis by leveraging a new algorithm to determine relevant terms in a dynamical system by ℓ1-regularized regression of the data in a nonlinear function space; we also show how this algorithm is related to DMD. Finally, we demonstrate the usefulness of nonlinear observable subspaces in the design of Koopman operator optimal control laws for fully nonlinear systems using techniques from linear optimal control.

Fully gapped spin-singlet superconductivity in noncentrosymmetric PbTaSe2: 207Pb nuclear magnetic resonance study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeda, S.; Matano, K.; Zheng, Guo-qing

2018-05-01

We report the 207Pb nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on polycrystalline sample of PbTaSe2 with noncentrosymmetric crystal structure and topological electronic band. The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate 1 /T1 shows a suppressed coherence peak below the superconducting transition temperature Tc=4.05 K and decreases as an exponential function of temperature. The penetration depth derived from the NMR spectrum is almost temperature independent below T =0.7 Tc. The Knight shift K decreases below Tc. These results suggest spin-singlet superconductivity with a fully opened gap 2 Δ =3.5 kBTc in PbTaSe2.

Using Fully Coupled Hydro-Geomechanical Numerical Test Bed to Study Reservoir Stimulation with Low Hydraulic Pressure

DOE Data Explorer

Fu, Pengcheng; Johnson, Scott M.; Carrigan, Charles R.

2012-01-31

This paper documents our effort to use a fully coupled hydro-geomechanical numerical test bed to study using low hydraulic pressure to stimulate geothermal reservoirs with existing fracture network. In this low pressure stimulation strategy, fluid pressure is lower than the minimum in situ compressive stress, so the fractures are not completely open but permeability improvement can be achieved through shear dilation. We found that in this low pressure regime, the coupling between the fluid phase and the rock solid phase becomes very simple, and the numerical model can achieve a low computational cost. Using this modified model, we study the behavior of a single fracture and a random fracture network.

How Secure Is Your Radiology Department? Mapping Digital Radiology Adoption and Security Worldwide.

PubMed

Stites, Mark; Pianykh, Oleg S

2016-04-01

Despite the long history of digital radiology, one of its most critical aspects--information security--still remains extremely underdeveloped and poorly standardized. To study the current state of radiology security, we explored the worldwide security of medical image archives. Using the DICOM data-transmitting standard, we implemented a highly parallel application to scan the entire World Wide Web of networked computers and devices, locating open and unprotected radiology servers. We used only legal and radiology-compliant tools. Our security-probing application initiated a standard DICOM handshake to remote computer or device addresses, and then assessed their security posture on the basis of handshake replies. The scan discovered a total of 2774 unprotected radiology or DICOM servers worldwide. Of those, 719 were fully open to patient data communications. Geolocation was used to analyze and rank our findings according to country utilization. As a result, we built maps and world ranking of clinical security, suggesting that even the most radiology-advanced countries have hospitals with serious security gaps. Despite more than two decades of active development and implementation, our radiology data still remains insecure. The results provided should be applied to raise awareness and begin an earnest dialogue toward elimination of the problem. The application we designed and the novel scanning approach we developed can be used to identify security breaches and to eliminate them before they are compromised.

AUGO II: a comprehensive subauroral zone observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schofield, I. S.; Connors, M. G.

2010-12-01

A new geophysical observatory dedicated to the study of the aurora borealis will be built 25 km southwest of the town of Athabasca, Alberta, Canada. It is anticipated to see first light in the winter of 2010/2011 and be fully operational in the fall of 2011. Based on the highly successful Athabasca University Geophysical Observatory (AUGO), opened in 2002 at the Athabasca University campus in Athabasca, Alberta, AUGO II will have expanded observational capacity featuring up to eight climate-controlled domed optical observation suites for instrumentation, on-site accommodation for up to six researchers, and most importantly, dark skies free of light pollution from urban development. AUGO II will share the same advantages as its predecessor, one being its location in central Alberta, allowing routine study of the subauroral zone, auroral oval studies during active times, and very rarely of the polar cap. Like the original AUGO, AUGO II will be in close proximity to major highways, be connected to a high bandwidth network, and be within two hour driving distance to the city of Edmonton and its international airport. Opportunities are open for guest researchers in space physics to conduct auroral studies at this new, state-of-the-art research facility through the installation of remotely controlled instruments and/or campaigns. An innovative program of instrument development will accompany the new observatory’s enhanced infrastructure with a focus on magnetics and H-beta meridian scanning photometry.

Mechanism of the G-protein mimetic nanobody binding to a muscarinic G-protein-coupled receptor.

PubMed

Miao, Yinglong; McCammon, J Andrew

2018-03-20

Protein-protein binding is key in cellular signaling processes. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of protein-protein binding, however, are challenging due to limited timescales. In particular, binding of the medically important G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with intracellular signaling proteins has not been simulated with MD to date. Here, we report a successful simulation of the binding of a G-protein mimetic nanobody to the M 2 muscarinic GPCR using the robust Gaussian accelerated MD (GaMD) method. Through long-timescale GaMD simulations over 4,500 ns, the nanobody was observed to bind the receptor intracellular G-protein-coupling site, with a minimum rmsd of 2.48 Å in the nanobody core domain compared with the X-ray structure. Binding of the nanobody allosterically closed the orthosteric ligand-binding pocket, being consistent with the recent experimental finding. In the absence of nanobody binding, the receptor orthosteric pocket sampled open and fully open conformations. The GaMD simulations revealed two low-energy intermediate states during nanobody binding to the M 2 receptor. The flexible receptor intracellular loops contribute remarkable electrostatic, polar, and hydrophobic residue interactions in recognition and binding of the nanobody. These simulations provided important insights into the mechanism of GPCR-nanobody binding and demonstrated the applicability of GaMD in modeling dynamic protein-protein interactions.

Translational control of Nrf2 within the open reading frame

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

Perez-Leal, Oscar, E-mail: operez@temple.edu; Barrero, Carlos A.; Merali, Salim, E-mail: smerali@temple.edu

2013-07-19

Highlights: •Identification of a novel Nrf2 translational repression mechanism. •The repressor is within the 3′ portion of the Nrf2 ORF. •The translation of Nrf2 or eGFP is reduced by the regulatory element. •The translational repression can be reversed with synonymous codon substitutions. •The molecular mechanism requires the mRNA sequence, but not the encoded amino acids. -- Abstract: Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that is essential for the regulation of an effective antioxidant and detoxifying response. The regulation of its activity can occur at transcription, translation and post-translational levels. Evidence suggests that under environmental stressmore » conditions, new synthesis of Nrf2 is required – a process that is regulated by translational control and is not fully understood. Here we described the identification of a novel molecular process that under basal conditions strongly represses the translation of Nrf2 within the open reading frame (ORF). This mechanism is dependent on the mRNA sequence within the 3′ portion of the ORF of Nrf2 but not in the encoded amino acid sequence. The Nrf2 translational repression can be reversed with the use of synonymous codon substitutions. This discovery suggests an additional layer of control to explain the reason for the low Nrf2 concentration under quiescent state.« less

Preventing Adolescent Social Anxiety and Depression and Reducing Peer Victimization: Intervention Development and Open Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

La Greca, Annette M.; Ehrenreich-May, Jill; Mufson, Laura; Chan, Sherilynn

2016-01-01

Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) and depression are common among adolescents, frequently comorbid, and resistant to change. Prevention programs for adolescent SAD are scant, and depression prevention programs do not fully address peer-risk factors. One critical peer-risk factor for SAD and depression is peer victimization. We describe the…

Compatibility between Text Mining and Qualitative Research in the Perspectives of Grounded Theory, Content Analysis, and Reliability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Chong Ho; Jannasch-Pennell, Angel; DiGangi, Samuel

2011-01-01

The objective of this article is to illustrate that text mining and qualitative research are epistemologically compatible. First, like many qualitative research approaches, such as grounded theory, text mining encourages open-mindedness and discourages preconceptions. Contrary to the popular belief that text mining is a linear and fully automated…

Biologist Postbaccalaureate Fellow | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

A fully funded post bac position is available to study tumor microenvironment at the National Cancer Institute on the NIH main campus in Bethesda, MD.  Specifically, this opening is for an ongoing project examining the role of tissue architecture and mechanotransduction in the establishment of metastatic lesions, using zebrafish as a model system.  

Biologist Postdoctoral Fellow | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

A fully funded postdoctoral position is available at the National Cancer Institute on the NIH main campus in Bethesda, MD.  Specifically, this opening is for an ongoing project examining the role of tissue architecture and mechanotransduction in the establishment of metastatic lesions, using zebrafish as a model system.  The NIH will provide funding and benefits, though

Biologist postbaccalaureate fellow | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

A fully funded post bac position is available to study tumor microenvironment at the National Cancer Institute on the NIH main campus in Bethesda, MD.  Specifically, this opening is for an ongoing project examining the role of tissue architecture and mechanotransduction in the establishment of metastatic lesions, using zebrafish as a model system.  

Wikipedia: How It Works and How It Can Work for You

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nix, Elizabeth M.

2010-01-01

Many history professors have been reluctant to authorize students to use Wikipedia in their classwork because they do not fully trust the open source encyclopedia. But as increasing numbers of scholars and teachers work with Wikipedia, its influence becomes undeniable. In this article, the author describes how Wikipedia works and how she made…

Species Profiles. Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico). American Oyster.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-07-01

valves when fully oyster (Butler 1954). Its range closed. extends to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and to Venezuela. Along the Shel. shape is... nutritional factors which affect report on the 1950 opening. Pubi. the growth and setting of the Inst. Mar. Sci. Univ. Texas. larvae of the oyster

Personal Learning Environments in the Workplace: An Exploratory Study into the Key Business Decision Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatterjee, Arunangsu; Law, Effie Lai-Chong; Mikroyannidis, Alexander; Owen, Glyn; Velasco, Karen

2013-01-01

Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) have emerged as a solution to the need of learners for open and easily customisable learning environments. PLEs essentially hand complete control over the learning process to the learner. However, this learning model is not fully compatible with learning in the workplace, which is influenced by certain…

Impacts of rising tropospheric ozone on photosynthesis and metabolite levels on field grown soybean

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The response of leaf photosynthesis and metabolite profiles to ozone (O3) exposure ranging from 37 to 116 nL L-1 was investigated in two soybean cultivars Dwight and IA3010 in the field under fully open-air conditions. Leaf photosynthesis, total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) and total free amin...

From Trace Evidence to Bioinformatics: Putting Bryophytes into Molecular Biology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuselier, Linda; Bougary, Azhar; Malott, Michelle

2011-01-01

Students benefit most from their science education when they participate fully in the process of science in the context of real-world problems. We describe a student-directed open-inquiry lab experience that has no predetermined outcomes and requires students to engage in all components of scientific inquiry from posing a question through…

40 CFR 86.884-7 - Dynamometer operation cycle for smoke emission tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... provide the speed and load necessary to comply with the heavy-duty “curb idle” definition per § 86.084-2..., and held in, the fully open position. The inertia of the engine and the dynamometer, or alternately a... mode, motoring assist may be used to offset excessive dynamometer inertia load when necessary. No...

40 CFR 86.884-7 - Dynamometer operation cycle for smoke emission tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... be set to provide the speed and load necessary to comply with the heavy-duty “curb idle” definition..., and held in, the fully open position. The inertia of the engine and the dynamometer, or alternately a... mode, motoring assist may be used to offset excessive dynamometer inertia load when necessary. No...

40 CFR 86.884-7 - Dynamometer operation cycle for smoke emission tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... be set to provide the speed and load necessary to comply with the heavy-duty “curb idle” definition..., and held in, the fully open position. The inertia of the engine and the dynamometer, or alternately a... mode, motoring assist may be used to offset excessive dynamometer inertia load when necessary. No...

40 CFR 86.884-7 - Dynamometer operation cycle for smoke emission tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... be set to provide the speed and load necessary to comply with the heavy-duty “curb idle” definition..., and held in, the fully open position. The inertia of the engine and the dynamometer, or alternately a... mode, motoring assist may be used to offset excessive dynamometer inertia load when necessary. No...

The Sponsor Program: Facilitating Anticipatory Socialization for Personnel being Transferred in the United States Coast Guard.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

acquisition." Following entry into the organization, a transitioner undergoes four areas of change to become fully integrated into the organization. First, the...that he/she has accepted the organization. Only when this psychological contract has been completed does the transitioner become a fully accepted...Questionnaire, respect- fully . Responses for each question are listed, followed by the number of times (frequency) each response was given and the percentage

Body-force-driven multiplicity and stability of combined free and forced convection in rotating curved ducts: Coriolis force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, T.; Wang, L.

A numerical study is made on the fully developed bifurcation structure and stability of forced convection in a rotating curved duct of square cross-section. Solution structure is determined as variation of a parameter that indicates the effect of rotation (Coriolis-force-driven multiplicity). Three solutions for the flows in a stationary curved duct obtained in the work of Yang and Wang [1] are used as initial solutions of continuation calculations to unfold the solution branches. Twenty-one solution branches are found comparing with five obtained by Selmi and Nandakumar [2]. Dynamic responses of the multiple solutions to finite random disturbances are examined by the direct transient computation. Results show that characteristics of physically realizable fully developed flows changes significantly with variation of effect of rotation. Fourteen sub-ranges are identified according to characteristics of physically realizable solutions. As rotation effect changes, possible physically realizable fully-developed flows can be stable steady 2-cell state, stable multi-cell state, temporal periodic oscillation between symmetric/asymmetric 2-cell/4-cell flows, temporal oscillation with intermittency, temporal chaotic oscillation and temporal oscillation with pseudo intermittency. Among these possible physically realizable fully developed flows, stable multi-cell state and stable steady 2-cell state exist as dual stable. And oscillation with pseudo intermittency is a new phenomenon. In addition to the temporal oscillation with intermittency, sudden shift from stationary stable solution to temporal chaotic oscillation is identified to be another way of onset of chaos.

Conformational heterogeneity in closed and open states of the KcsA potassium channel in lipid bicelles

PubMed Central

Kim, Dorothy M.; Dikiy, Igor; Upadhyay, Vikrant; Posson, David J.

2016-01-01

The process of ion channel gating—opening and closing—involves local and global structural changes in the channel in response to external stimuli. Conformational changes depend on the energetic landscape that underlies the transition between closed and open states, which plays a key role in ion channel gating. For the prokaryotic, pH-gated potassium channel KcsA, closed and open states have been extensively studied using structural and functional methods, but the dynamics within each of these functional states as well as the transition between them is not as well understood. In this study, we used solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to investigate the conformational transitions within specific functional states of KcsA. We incorporated KcsA channels into lipid bicelles and stabilized them into a closed state by using either phosphatidylcholine lipids, known to favor the closed channel, or mutations designed to trap the channel shut by disulfide cross-linking. A distinct state, consistent with an open channel, was uncovered by the addition of cardiolipin lipids. Using selective amino acid labeling at locations within the channel that are known to move during gating, we observed at least two different slowly interconverting conformational states for both closed and open channels. The pH dependence of these conformations and the predictable disruptions to this dependence observed in mutant channels with altered pH sensing highlight the importance of conformational heterogeneity for KcsA gating. PMID:27432996

Final Aperture Superposition Technique applied to fast calculation of electron output factors and depth dose curves

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

Faddegon, B.A.; Villarreal-Barajas, J.E.; Mt. Diablo Regional Cancer Center, 2450 East Street, Concord, California

2005-11-15

The Final Aperture Superposition Technique (FAST) is described and applied to accurate, near instantaneous calculation of the relative output factor (ROF) and central axis percentage depth dose curve (PDD) for clinical electron beams used in radiotherapy. FAST is based on precalculation of dose at select points for the two extreme situations of a fully open final aperture and a final aperture with no opening (fully shielded). This technique is different than conventional superposition of dose deposition kernels: The precalculated dose is differential in position of the electron or photon at the downstream surface of the insert. The calculation for amore » particular aperture (x-ray jaws or MLC, insert in electron applicator) is done with superposition of the precalculated dose data, using the open field data over the open part of the aperture and the fully shielded data over the remainder. The calculation takes explicit account of all interactions in the shielded region of the aperture except the collimator effect: Particles that pass from the open part into the shielded part, or visa versa. For the clinical demonstration, FAST was compared to full Monte Carlo simulation of 10x10,2.5x2.5, and 2x8 cm{sup 2} inserts. Dose was calculated to 0.5% precision in 0.4x0.4x0.2 cm{sup 3} voxels, spaced at 0.2 cm depth intervals along the central axis, using detailed Monte Carlo simulation of the treatment head of a commercial linear accelerator for six different electron beams with energies of 6-21 MeV. Each simulation took several hours on a personal computer with a 1.7 Mhz processor. The calculation for the individual inserts, done with superposition, was completed in under a second on the same PC. Since simulations for the pre calculation are only performed once, higher precision and resolution can be obtained without increasing the calculation time for individual inserts. Fully shielded contributions were largest for small fields and high beam energy, at the surface, reaching a maximum of 5.6% at 21 MeV. Contributions from the collimator effect were largest for the large field size, high beam energy, and shallow depths, reaching a maximum of 4.7% at 21 MeV. Both shielding contributions and the collimator effect need to be taken into account to achieve an accuracy of 2%. FAST takes explicit account of the shielding contributions. With the collimator effect set to that of the largest field in the FAST calculation, the difference in dose on the central axis (product of ROF and PDD) between FAST and full simulation was generally under 2%. The maximum difference of 2.5% exceeded the statistical precision of the calculation by four standard deviations. This occurred at 18 MeV for the 2.5x2.5 cm{sup 2} field. The differences are due to the method used to account for the collimator effect.« less

Pika: A snow science simulation tool built using the open-source framework MOOSE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slaughter, A.; Johnson, M.

2017-12-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) is currently investing millions of dollars annually into various modeling and simulation tools for all aspects of nuclear energy. An important part of this effort includes developing applications based on the open-source Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE; mooseframework.org) from Idaho National Laboratory (INL).Thanks to the efforts of the DOE and outside collaborators, MOOSE currently contains a large set of physics modules, including phase-field, level set, heat conduction, tensor mechanics, Navier-Stokes, fracture and crack propagation (via the extended finite-element method), flow in porous media, and others. The heat conduction, tensor mechanics, and phase-field modules, in particular, are well-suited for snow science problems. Pika--an open-source MOOSE-based application--is capable of simulating both 3D, coupled nonlinear continuum heat transfer and large-deformation mechanics applications (such as settlement) and phase-field based micro-structure applications. Additionally, these types of problems may be coupled tightly in a single solve or across length and time scales using a loosely coupled Picard iteration approach. In addition to the wide range of physics capabilities, MOOSE-based applications also inherit an extensible testing framework, graphical user interface, and documentation system; tools that allow MOOSE and other applications to adhere to nuclear software quality standards. The snow science community can learn from the nuclear industry and harness the existing effort to build simulation tools that are open, modular, and share a common framework. In particular, MOOSE-based multiphysics solvers are inherently parallel, dimension agnostic, adaptive in time and space, fully coupled, and capable of interacting with other applications. The snow science community should build on existing tools to enable collaboration between researchers and practitioners throughout the world, and advance the state-of-the-art in line with other scientific research efforts.

Gating kinetics of batrachotoxin-modified Na+ channels in the squid giant axon. Voltage and temperature effects.

PubMed Central

Correa, A M; Bezanilla, F; Latorre, R

1992-01-01

The gating kinetics of batrachotoxin-modified Na+ channels were studied in outside-out patches of axolemma from the squid giant axon by means of the cut-open axon technique. Single channel kinetics were characterized at different membrane voltages and temperatures. The probability of channel opening (Po) as a function of voltage was well described by a Boltzmann distribution with an equivalent number of gating particles of 3.58. The voltage at which the channel was open 50% of the time was a function of [Na+] and temperature. A decrease in the internal [Na+] induced a shift to the right of the Po vs. V curve, suggesting the presence of an integral negative fixed charge near the activation gate. An increase in temperature decreased Po, indicating a stabilization of the closed configuration of the channel and also a decrease in entropy upon channel opening. Probability density analysis of dwell times in the closed and open states of the channel at 0 degrees C revealed the presence of three closed and three open states. The slowest open kinetic component constituted only a small fraction of the total number of transitions and became negligible at voltages greater than -65 mV. Adjacent interval analysis showed that there is no correlation in the duration of successive open and closed events. Consistent with this analysis, maximum likelihood estimation of the rate constants for nine different single-channel models produced a preferred model (model 1) having a linear sequence of closed states and two open states emerging from the last closed state. The effect of temperature on the rate constants of model 1 was studied. An increase in temperature increased all rate constants; the shift in Po would be the result of an increase in the closing rates predominant over the change in the opening rates. The temperature study also provided the basis for building an energy diagram for the transitions between channel states. PMID:1318096

Hall coefficient measurement for residual stress assessment in precipitation hardened IN718 nickel-base superalloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velicheti, Dheeraj; Nagy, Peter B.; Hassan, Waled

2017-02-01

We investigated the feasibility of residual stress assessment based on Hall coefficient measurements in precipitation hardened IN718 nickel-base superalloy. As a first step, we studied the influence of microstructural variations on the galvanomagnetic properties of IN718 nickel-base superalloy. We found that the Hall coefficient of IN718 increases from ≈ 8.0×10-11 m3/C in its fully annealed state of 15 HRC Rockwell hardness to ≈ 9.4×10-11 m3/C in its fully hardened state of 45 HRC. We also studied the influence of cold work, i.e., plastic deformation, at room temperature and found that cold work had negligible effect on the Hall coefficient of fully annealed IN718, but significantly reduced it in hardened states of the material. For example, measurements conducted on fully hardened IN718 specimens showed that the Hall coefficient decreased more or less linearly with cold work from its peak value of ≈ 9.4×10-11 m3/C in its intact state to ≈ 9.0×10-11 m3/C in its most deformed state of 22% plastic strain. We also studied the influence of applied stress and found that elastic strain significantly increases the Hall coefficient of IN718 regardless of the state of hardening. The relative sensitivity of the Hall coefficient to elastic strain was measured as a unitless gauge factor K that is defined as the ratio of the relative change of the Hall coefficient ΔRH/RH divided by the axial strain ɛ = σ/E, where σ is the applied uniaxial stress and E is the Young's modulus of the material. We determined that the galvanomagnetic gauge factor of IN718 is κ ≈ 2.6 - 2.9 depending on the hardness level. Besides the fairly high value of the gauge factor, it is important that it is positive, which means that compressive stress in surface-treated components decreases the Hall coefficient in a similar way as plastic deformation does, therefore the unfortunate cancellation that occurs in fully hardened IN718 in the case of electric conductivity measurements will not happen in this case. Additionally, the temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient was measured at three different hardness levels and the influence of thermal exposure was studied in fully hardened IN718 up to 700 °C.

Drifting States and Synchronization Induced Chaos in Autonomous Networks of Excitable Neurons.

PubMed

Echeveste, Rodrigo; Gros, Claudius

2016-01-01

The study of balanced networks of excitatory and inhibitory neurons has led to several open questions. On the one hand it is yet unclear whether the asynchronous state observed in the brain is autonomously generated, or if it results from the interplay between external drivings and internal dynamics. It is also not known, which kind of network variabilities will lead to irregular spiking and which to synchronous firing states. Here we show how isolated networks of purely excitatory neurons generically show asynchronous firing whenever a minimal level of structural variability is present together with a refractory period. Our autonomous networks are composed of excitable units, in the form of leaky integrators spiking only in response to driving currents, remaining otherwise quiet. For a non-uniform network, composed exclusively of excitatory neurons, we find a rich repertoire of self-induced dynamical states. We show in particular that asynchronous drifting states may be stabilized in purely excitatory networks whenever a refractory period is present. Other states found are either fully synchronized or mixed, containing both drifting and synchronized components. The individual neurons considered are excitable and hence do not dispose of intrinsic natural firing frequencies. An effective network-wide distribution of natural frequencies is however generated autonomously through self-consistent feedback loops. The asynchronous drifting state is, additionally, amenable to an analytic solution. We find two types of asynchronous activity, with the individual neurons spiking regularly in the pure drifting state, albeit with a continuous distribution of firing frequencies. The activity of the drifting component, however, becomes irregular in the mixed state, due to the periodic driving of the synchronized component. We propose a new tool for the study of chaos in spiking neural networks, which consists of an analysis of the time series of pairs of consecutive interspike intervals. In this space, we show that a strange attractor with a fractal dimension of about 1.8 is formed in the mentioned mixed state.

Drifting States and Synchronization Induced Chaos in Autonomous Networks of Excitable Neurons

PubMed Central

Echeveste, Rodrigo; Gros, Claudius

2016-01-01

The study of balanced networks of excitatory and inhibitory neurons has led to several open questions. On the one hand it is yet unclear whether the asynchronous state observed in the brain is autonomously generated, or if it results from the interplay between external drivings and internal dynamics. It is also not known, which kind of network variabilities will lead to irregular spiking and which to synchronous firing states. Here we show how isolated networks of purely excitatory neurons generically show asynchronous firing whenever a minimal level of structural variability is present together with a refractory period. Our autonomous networks are composed of excitable units, in the form of leaky integrators spiking only in response to driving currents, remaining otherwise quiet. For a non-uniform network, composed exclusively of excitatory neurons, we find a rich repertoire of self-induced dynamical states. We show in particular that asynchronous drifting states may be stabilized in purely excitatory networks whenever a refractory period is present. Other states found are either fully synchronized or mixed, containing both drifting and synchronized components. The individual neurons considered are excitable and hence do not dispose of intrinsic natural firing frequencies. An effective network-wide distribution of natural frequencies is however generated autonomously through self-consistent feedback loops. The asynchronous drifting state is, additionally, amenable to an analytic solution. We find two types of asynchronous activity, with the individual neurons spiking regularly in the pure drifting state, albeit with a continuous distribution of firing frequencies. The activity of the drifting component, however, becomes irregular in the mixed state, due to the periodic driving of the synchronized component. We propose a new tool for the study of chaos in spiking neural networks, which consists of an analysis of the time series of pairs of consecutive interspike intervals. In this space, we show that a strange attractor with a fractal dimension of about 1.8 is formed in the mentioned mixed state. PMID:27708572

Strain actuated aeroelastic control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lazarus, Kenneth B.

1992-01-01

Viewgraphs on strain actuated aeroelastic control are presented. Topics covered include: structural and aerodynamic modeling; control law design methodology; system block diagram; adaptive wing test article; bench-top experiments; bench-top disturbance rejection: open and closed loop response; bench-top disturbance rejection: state cost versus control cost; wind tunnel experiments; wind tunnel gust alleviation: open and closed loop response at 60 mph; wind tunnel gust alleviation: state cost versus control cost at 60 mph; wind tunnel command following: open and closed loop error at 60 mph; wind tunnel flutter suppression: open loop flutter speed; and wind tunnel flutter suppression: closed loop state cost curves.

The Black Sea Monitoring and Forecasting Center (BS-MFC) in the framework of the Copernicus Marine Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palazov, Atanas; Coppini, Giovanni; Ciliberti, Stefania Angela; Gregoire, Marilaure; Staneva, Joanna; Peneva, Elisaveta; Özsoy, Emin; Vandenbulcke, Luc; Storto, Andrea; Lemieux-Dudon, Benedicte; Lovato, Tomas; Masina, Simona; Pinardi, Nadia; Palermo, Francesco; Creti, Sergio; Macchia, Francesca; Lecci, Rita; Behrens, Arno; Marinova, Veselka; Slabakova, Violeta

2017-04-01

The BS-MFC entered the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS, http://marine.copernicus.eu/) in October 2016, providing regular and systematic information about the ocean state in the Black Sea in operational mode. An expert team constitutes the BS-MFC Consortium: the Institute of Oceanology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IO-BAS, Bulgaria) coordinates the service and the management in collaboration with Fondazione Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC, Italy), Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht - Institute of Coastal Research (HZG, Germany), the University of Liege (ULG, Belgium), the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski (USOF, Bulgaria) and the Eurasia Earth Sciences Institute - Istanbul Technical University (ITU, Turkey). The system provides a complete data catalogue for the Black Sea ocean variables such as temperature, salinity, sea level, currents, biogeochemistry and waves through a technologically advanced and resilient service, which is fully interconnected with the other Centers in the Copernicus network. The high level BS-MFC architecture is based on 3 Production Units, for Physics, Biogeochemistry and Waves products respectively, a Dissemination/Archiving Unit for the delivery of the products and their archiving/accessibility, a Local Service Desk connected to the CMEMS Service Desk devoted to support all the operational activities, and backup units for all the main service components. Products consist of analysis/hindcast, 10-days forecast and reanalysis, describing the physical (currents, temperature, salinity, sea level, mixed layer depth and bottom temperature), the biogeochemical state and waves. To implement and improve the service, the BS-MFC has detailed an evolution plan, actually under implementation, devoted to establish, assess and improve the systems and their operational functionalities, providing some improvements from the scientific point of view concerning the modeling components (e.g., the fully aligned Physics, Biogeochemistry and Waves systems, the open boundary conditions at the Bosporus, the state-of-the-art core models and increased spatial resolution among the major actions) and high quality products, towards an optimal interface between the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. The contribution will present the main operational and research & development activities at the basis of the systems, given an overview on the future plans for improving the service for the delivery of new products.

Open Markov Processes and Reaction Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swistock Pollard, Blake Stephen

2017-01-01

We begin by defining the concept of "open" Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain "boundary" states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow…

Focused Ultrasound-Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Opening: Association with Mechanical Index and Cavitation Index Analyzed by Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic-Resonance Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Po-Chun; Chai, Wen-Yen; Tsai, Chih-Hung; Kang, Shih-Tsung; Yeh, Chih-Kuang; Liu, Hao-Li

2016-09-01

Focused ultrasound (FUS) with microbubbles can temporally open the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and the cavitation activities of microbubbles play a key role in the BBB-opening process. Previous attempts used contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) to correlate the mechanical index (MI) with the scale of BBB-opening, but MI only partially gauged acoustic activities, and CE-MRI did not fully explore correlations of pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic behaviors. Recently, the cavitation index (CI) has been derived to serve as an indicator of microbubble-ultrasound stable cavitation, and may also serve as a valid indicator to gauge the level of FUS-induced BBB opening. This study investigates the feasibility of gauging FUS-induced BBB opened level via the two indexes, MI and CI, through dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI analysis as well as passive cavitation detection (PCD) analysis. Pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic parameters derived from DCE-MRI were characterized to identify the scale of FUS-induced BBB opening. Our results demonstrated that DCE-MRI can successfully access pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic BBB-opened behavior, and was highly correlated both with MI and CI, implying the feasibility in using these two indices to gauge the scale of FUS-induced BBB opening. The proposed finding may facilitate the design toward using focused ultrasound as a safe and reliable noninvasive CNS drug delivery.

Stories from OpenAQ, a Global and Grassroots Open Air Quality Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasenkopf, C. A.; Flasher, J. C.; Veerman, O.; Scalamogna, A.; Silva, D.; Salmon, M.; Buuralda, D.; DeWitt, L. H.

2016-12-01

Air pollution, responsible for more deaths each year than HIV/AIDS and malaria, combined, is a global public health crisis. Yet many scientific questions, including those directly relevant for policy, remain unanswered when it comes to the impact of air pollution on health in highly polluted environments. Often, specific solutions to improving air quality are local and sustained through public engagement, policy and monitoring. Both the overarching science of air quality and health and local solutions rely on access to reliable, timely air quality data. Over the past year, the OpenAQ community has opened up existing disparate air quality data in 24 countries through an open source platform (openaq.org) so that communities around the world can use it to advance science, public engagement, and policy. We will share stories of communities, from Delhi to Ulaanbaatar and from scientists to journalists, using open air quality data from our platform to advance their fight against air inequality. We will share recent research we have conducted on best practices for engaging different communities and building tools that enable the public to fully unleash the power of open air quality data to fight air inequality. The subsequent open-source tools (github.com/openaq) we have developed from this research and our entire data-sharing platform may be of interest to other open data communities.

Focused Ultrasound-Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Opening: Association with Mechanical Index and Cavitation Index Analyzed by Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic-Resonance Imaging.

PubMed

Chu, Po-Chun; Chai, Wen-Yen; Tsai, Chih-Hung; Kang, Shih-Tsung; Yeh, Chih-Kuang; Liu, Hao-Li

2016-09-15

Focused ultrasound (FUS) with microbubbles can temporally open the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and the cavitation activities of microbubbles play a key role in the BBB-opening process. Previous attempts used contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) to correlate the mechanical index (MI) with the scale of BBB-opening, but MI only partially gauged acoustic activities, and CE-MRI did not fully explore correlations of pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic behaviors. Recently, the cavitation index (CI) has been derived to serve as an indicator of microbubble-ultrasound stable cavitation, and may also serve as a valid indicator to gauge the level of FUS-induced BBB opening. This study investigates the feasibility of gauging FUS-induced BBB opened level via the two indexes, MI and CI, through dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI analysis as well as passive cavitation detection (PCD) analysis. Pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic parameters derived from DCE-MRI were characterized to identify the scale of FUS-induced BBB opening. Our results demonstrated that DCE-MRI can successfully access pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic BBB-opened behavior, and was highly correlated both with MI and CI, implying the feasibility in using these two indices to gauge the scale of FUS-induced BBB opening. The proposed finding may facilitate the design toward using focused ultrasound as a safe and reliable noninvasive CNS drug delivery.

Geometric phase of mixed states for three-level open systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Yanyan; Ji, Y. H.; Xu, Hualan; Hu, Li-Yun; Wang, Z. S.; Chen, Z. Q.; Guo, L. P.

2010-12-01

Geometric phase of mixed state for three-level open system is defined by establishing in connecting density matrix with nonunit vector ray in a three-dimensional complex Hilbert space. Because the geometric phase depends only on the smooth curve on this space, it is formulated entirely in terms of geometric structures. Under the limiting of pure state, our approach is in agreement with the Berry phase, Pantcharatnam phase, and Aharonov and Anandan phase. We find that, furthermore, the Berry phase of mixed state correlated to population inversions of three-level open system.

Previous Open Rotor Research in the US

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanZante, Dale

2011-01-01

Previous Open Rotor noise experience in the United States, current Open Rotor noise research in the United States and current NASA prediction methods activities were presented at a European Union (EU) X-Noise seminar. The invited attendees from EU industries, research establishments and universities discussed prospects for reducing Open Rotor noise and reviewed all technology programs, past and present, dedicated to Open Rotor engine concepts. This workshop was particularly timely because the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) plans to involve Independent Experts in late 2011 in assessing the noise of future low-carbon technologies including the open rotor.

pyGIMLi: An open-source library for modelling and inversion in geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rücker, Carsten; Günther, Thomas; Wagner, Florian M.

2017-12-01

Many tasks in applied geosciences cannot be solved by single measurements, but require the integration of geophysical, geotechnical and hydrological methods. Numerical simulation techniques are essential both for planning and interpretation, as well as for the process understanding of modern geophysical methods. These trends encourage open, simple, and modern software architectures aiming at a uniform interface for interdisciplinary and flexible modelling and inversion approaches. We present pyGIMLi (Python Library for Inversion and Modelling in Geophysics), an open-source framework that provides tools for modelling and inversion of various geophysical but also hydrological methods. The modelling component supplies discretization management and the numerical basis for finite-element and finite-volume solvers in 1D, 2D and 3D on arbitrarily structured meshes. The generalized inversion framework solves the minimization problem with a Gauss-Newton algorithm for any physical forward operator and provides opportunities for uncertainty and resolution analyses. More general requirements, such as flexible regularization strategies, time-lapse processing and different sorts of coupling individual methods are provided independently of the actual methods used. The usage of pyGIMLi is first demonstrated by solving the steady-state heat equation, followed by a demonstration of more complex capabilities for the combination of different geophysical data sets. A fully coupled hydrogeophysical inversion of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data of a simulated tracer experiment is presented that allows to directly reconstruct the underlying hydraulic conductivity distribution of the aquifer. Another example demonstrates the improvement of jointly inverting ERT and ultrasonic data with respect to saturation by a new approach that incorporates petrophysical relations in the inversion. Potential applications of the presented framework are manifold and include time-lapse, constrained, joint, and coupled inversions of various geophysical and hydrological data sets.

Extracting Message Inter-Departure Time Distributions from the Human Electroencephalogram

PubMed Central

Mišić, Bratislav; Vakorin, Vasily A.; Kovačević, Nataša; Paus, Tomáš; McIntosh, Anthony R.

2011-01-01

The complex connectivity of the cerebral cortex is a topic of much study, yet the link between structure and function is still unclear. The processing capacity and throughput of information at individual brain regions remains an open question and one that could potentially bridge these two aspects of neural organization. The rate at which information is emitted from different nodes in the network and how this output process changes under different external conditions are general questions that are not unique to neuroscience, but are of interest in multiple classes of telecommunication networks. In the present study we show how some of these questions may be addressed using tools from telecommunications research. An important system statistic for modeling and performance evaluation of distributed communication systems is the time between successive departures of units of information at each node in the network. We describe a method to extract and fully characterize the distribution of such inter-departure times from the resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG). We show that inter-departure times are well fitted by the two-parameter Gamma distribution. Moreover, they are not spatially or neurophysiologically trivial and instead are regionally specific and sensitive to the presence of sensory input. In both the eyes-closed and eyes-open conditions, inter-departure time distributions were more dispersed over posterior parietal channels, close to regions which are known to have the most dense structural connectivity. The biggest differences between the two conditions were observed at occipital sites, where inter-departure times were significantly more variable in the eyes-open condition. Together, these results suggest that message departure times are indicative of network traffic and capture a novel facet of neural activity. PMID:21673866

ARPA-E Impacts: A Sampling of Project Outcomes, Volume II

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

Rohlfing, Eric

The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is demonstrating that a collaborative model has the power to deliver real value. The Agency’s first compilation booklet of impact sheets, published in 2016, began to tell the story of how ARPA-E has already made an impact in just seven years—funding a diverse and sophisticated research portfolio on advanced energy technologies that enable the United States to tackle our most pressing energy challenges. One year later our research investments continue to pay off, with a number of current and alumni project teams successfully commercializing their technologies and advancing the state of the art inmore » transformative areas of energy science and engineering. There is no single measure that can fully illustrate ARPA-E’s success to date, but several statistics viewed collectively begin to reveal the Agency’s impact. Since 2009, ARPA-E has provided more than $1.5 billion in funding for 36 focused programs and three open funding solicitations, totaling over 580 projects. Of those, 263 are now alumni projects. Many teams have successfully leveraged ARPA-E’s investment: 56 have formed new companies, 68 have partnered with other government agencies to continue their technology development, and 74 teams have together raised more than $1.8 billion in reported funding from the private sector to bring their technologies to market. However, even when viewed together, those measures do not capture ARPA-E’s full impact. To best understand the Agency’s success, the specific scientific and engineering challenges that ARPA-E project teams have overcome must be understood. This booklet provides concrete examples of those successes, ranging from innovations that will bear fruit in the future to ones that are beginning to penetrate the market as products today. Importantly, half of the projects highlighted in this volume stem from OPEN solicitations, which the agency has run in 2009, 2012, and 2015. ARPA-E’s OPEN programs are an extraordinary opportunity for the R&D community to challenge ARPA-E in areas of technology not covered by the agency’s focused technology programs.« less

Open Graded Asphalt Friction Course: State of the Practice

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1988-05-01

Open Graded Friction Course (OGFC) has been used since 1950 in the United States to improve the frictional resistance of asphalt pavements. However, experience of states with this kind of mix has been widely varied. While many transportation agencies...

Structural determinants of hydration, mechanics and fluid flow in freeze-dried collagen scaffolds.

PubMed

Offeddu, G S; Ashworth, J C; Cameron, R E; Oyen, M L

2016-09-01

Freeze-dried scaffolds provide regeneration templates for a wide range of tissues, due to their flexibility in physical and biological properties. Control of structure is crucial for tuning such properties, and therefore scaffold functionality. However, the common approach of modeling these scaffolds as open-cell foams does not fully account for their structural complexity. Here, the validity of the open-cell model is examined across a range of physical characteristics, rigorously linking morphology to hydration and mechanical properties. Collagen scaffolds with systematic changes in relative density were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography and spherical indentation analyzed in a time-dependent poroelastic framework. Morphologically, all scaffolds were mid-way between the open- and closed-cell models, approaching the closed-cell model as relative density increased. Although pore size remained constant, transport pathway diameter decreased. Larger collagen fractions also produced greater volume swelling on hydration, although the change in pore diameter was constant, and relatively small at ∼6%. Mechanically, the dry and hydrated scaffold moduli varied quadratically with relative density, as expected of open-cell materials. However, the increasing pore wall closure was found to determine the time-dependent nature of the hydrated scaffold response, with a decrease in permeability producing increasingly elastic rather than viscoelastic behavior. These results demonstrate that characterizing the deviation from the open-cell model is vital to gain a full understanding of scaffold biophysical properties, and provide a template for structural studies of other freeze-dried biomaterials. Freeze-dried collagen sponges are three-dimensional microporous scaffolds that have been used for a number of exploratory tissue engineering applications. The characterization of the structure-properties relationships of these scaffolds is necessary to understand their biophysical behavior in vivo. In this work, the relationship between morphology and physical properties in the dry and hydrated states was investigated across a range of solid concentrations in the scaffolds. The quantitative results provided can aid the design of scaffolds with a target trade-off between mechanical properties and structural features important for their biological activity. Copyright © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Segregation analysis of Alzheimer pedigrees: Rare Mendelian dominant mutation(s) explain a minority of early-onset cases

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

Martinez, M.; Campion, D.; Babron, M.C.

1996-02-16

Segregation analysis of Alzheimer disease (AD) in 92 families ascertained through early-onset ({le}age 60 years) AD (EOAD) probands has been carried out, allowing for a mixture in AD inheritance among probands. The goal was to quantify the proportion of probands that could be explained by autosomal inheritance of a rare disease allele {open_quotes}a{close_quotes} at a Mendelian dominant gene (MDG). Our data provide strong evidence for a mixture of two distributions; AD transmission is fully explained by MDG inheritance in <20% of probands. Male and female age-of-onset distributions are significantly different for {open_quotes}AA{close_quote} but not for {open_quotes}aA{close_quote} subjects. For {open_quotes}aA{close_quote} subjectsmore » the estimated penetrance value was close to 1 by age 60. For {open_quotes}AA{close_quotes} subjects, it reaches, by age 90, 10% (males) and 30% (females). We show a clear cutoff in the posterior probability of being an MDG case. 10 refs., 1 tab.« less

National Program for Inspection of Non-Federal Dams. Bearhole Reservoir (MA 00073), Westfield River Basin, West Springfield, Massachusetts. Phase I Inspection Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

SAutomatic . Manual I . Operative Yes I , No Co~ents: All controls operable per Water Departxent oersonnel. I Drawdown present Yes I , No Operative Yes_ , No... controls a 6-inch valve for dewatering the raw water wet well. One raw water supply gate was fully opened; the other opened 1-inch, and the 24-inch outlet...development). ,B- I B-2 w J---.-.z-- OtL ’S: OT7LET CONTROLS AND DRADMN Westerly end of dam - conc. overflow D.I. sluiceway No. Location and T7pe:I2

Two Methods of Automatic Evaluation of Speech Signal Enhancement Recorded in the Open-Air MRI Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Přibil, Jiří; Přibilová, Anna; Frollo, Ivan

2017-12-01

The paper focuses on two methods of evaluation of successfulness of speech signal enhancement recorded in the open-air magnetic resonance imager during phonation for the 3D human vocal tract modeling. The first approach enables to obtain a comparison based on statistical analysis by ANOVA and hypothesis tests. The second method is based on classification by Gaussian mixture models (GMM). The performed experiments have confirmed that the proposed ANOVA and GMM classifiers for automatic evaluation of the speech quality are functional and produce fully comparable results with the standard evaluation based on the listening test method.

High-torque open-end wrench

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giandomenico, A.; Dame, J. M.; Behimer, H. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

A wrench is described that is usable where limited access normally requires an open-end wrench, but which has substantially the high-torque capacity and small radial clearance characteristics of a closed-end wrench. The wrench includes a sleeve forming a nut-engageable socket with a gap in its side, and an adaptor forming a socket with a gap in its side, the adaptor closely surrounding the sleeve and extending across the gap in the sleeve. The sleeve and adaptor have surfaces that become fully engaged when a wrench handle is applied to the adaptor to turn it so as to tighten a nut engaged by the sleeve.

Scattering by a boundary with complex structure.

PubMed

Naplekov, D M; Tur, A V; Yanovsky, V V

2013-04-01

The distribution of escape times is usually studied in open billiards theory. In this work, we will concentrate on another important question: The distribution of outgoing rays by exit directions, which we refer to as billiard's indicatrix. It can be obtained analytically and consists of two parts: the symmetric diffuse part and the asymmetric directed part. The criterion for the separation of the indicatrix into these two parts is established. The asymmetry of the directed part of the indicatrix and the influence of the billiard's borders on it is investigated. We also propose a method of the creation of a matte surface model using open billiards with a fully diffuse indicatrix.

Development and Operation of the Microshutter Array System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jhabvala, M. D.; Franz, D.; King, T.; Kletetschka, G.; Kutyrev, A. S.; Li, M. J.

2008-01-01

The microshutter array (MSA) is a key component in the James Webb Space Telescope Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec) instrument. The James Webb Space Telescope is the next generation of a space-borne astronomy platform that is scheduled to be launched in 2013. However, in order to effectively operate the array and meet the severe operational requirements associated with a space flight mission has placed enormous constraints on the microshutter array subsystem. This paper will present an overview and description of the entire microshutter subsystem including the microshutter array, the hybridized array assembly, the integrated CMOS electronics, mechanical mounting module and the test methodology and performance of the fully assembled microshutter subsystem. The NIRSpec is a European Space Agency (ESA) instrument requiring four fully assembled microshutter arrays, or quads, which are independently addressed to allow for the imaging of selected celestial objects onto the two 4 mega pixel IR detectors. Each microshutter array must have no more than approx.8 shutters which are failed in the open mode (depending on how many are failed closed) out of the 62,415 (365x171) total number of shutters per array. The driving science requirement is to be able to select up to 100 objects at a time to be spectrally imaged at the focal plane. The spectrum is dispersed in the direction of the 171 shutters so if there is an unwanted open shutter in that row the light from an object passing through that failed open shutter will corrupt the spectrum from the intended object.

Theoretical investigations of open-shell systems: 1. Spectral simulation of the 2s(2)p(2) (2)D <- 2s(2)2p (2)P(o) valence transition in the boron diargon cluster, and 2. Quantum Monte Carlo calculations of boron in solid molecular hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krumrine, Jennifer Rebecca

This dissertation is concerned in part with the construction of accurate pairwise potentials, based on reliable ab initio potential energy surfaces (PES's), which are fully anisotropic in the sense that multiple PES's are accessible to systems with orientational electronic properties. We have carried out several investigations of B (2s 22p 2Po) with spherical ligands: (1)an investigation of the electronic spectrum of the BAr2 complex and (2)two related studies of the equilibrium properties and spectral simulation of B embedded in solid pH 2. Our investigations suggest that it cannot be assumed that nuclear motion in an open-shell system occurs on a single PES. The 2s2p2 2 D <-- 2s22p 2Po valence transition in the BAr 2 cluster is investigated. The electronic transition within BAr 2 is modeled theoretically; the excited potential energy surfaces of the five-fold degenerate B(2s2p2 2D) state within the ternary complex are computed using a pairwise-additive model. A collaborative path integral molecular dynamics investigation of the equilibrium properties of boron trapped in solid para-hydrogen (pH2) and a path integral Monte Carlo spectral simulation. Using fully anisotropic pair potentials, coupling of the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom is observed, and is found to be an essential feature in understanding the behavior and determining the energy of the impure solid, especially in highly anisotropic matrices. We employ the variational Monte Carlo method to further study the behavior of ground state B embedded in solid pH2. When a boron atom exists in a substitutional site in a lattice, the anisotropic distortion of the local lattice plays a minimal role in the energetics. However, when a nearest neighbor vacancy is present along with the boron impurity, two phenomena are found to influence the behavior of the impure quantum solid: (1)orientation of the 2p orbital to minimize the energy of the impurity and (2)distortion of the local lattice structure to promote an energetically favorable nuclear configuration. This research was supported by the Joint Program for Atomic, Molecular and Optical Science sponsored by the University of Maryland at College Park and the National Insititute of Standards and Technology, and by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Going fully digital: Perspective of a Dutch academic pathology lab

PubMed Central

Stathonikos, Nikolas; Veta, Mitko; Huisman, André; van Diest, Paul J.

2013-01-01

During the last years, whole slide imaging has become more affordable and widely accepted in pathology labs. Digital slides are increasingly being used for digital archiving of routinely produced clinical slides, remote consultation and tumor boards, and quantitative image analysis for research purposes and in education. However, the implementation of a fully digital Pathology Department requires an in depth look into the suitability of digital slides for routine clinical use (the image quality of the produced digital slides and the factors that affect it) and the required infrastructure to support such use (the storage requirements and integration with lab management and hospital information systems). Optimization of digital pathology workflow requires communication between several systems, which can be facilitated by the use of open standards for digital slide storage and scanner management. Consideration of these aspects along with appropriate validation of the use of digital slides for routine pathology can pave the way for pathology departments to go “fully digital.” In this paper, we summarize our experiences so far in the process of implementing a fully digital workflow at our Pathology Department and the steps that are needed to complete this process. PMID:23858390

Soft Ultrathin Electronics Innervated Adaptive Fully Soft Robots.

PubMed

Wang, Chengjun; Sim, Kyoseung; Chen, Jin; Kim, Hojin; Rao, Zhoulyu; Li, Yuhang; Chen, Weiqiu; Song, Jizhou; Verduzco, Rafael; Yu, Cunjiang

2018-03-01

Soft robots outperform the conventional hard robots on significantly enhanced safety, adaptability, and complex motions. The development of fully soft robots, especially fully from smart soft materials to mimic soft animals, is still nascent. In addition, to date, existing soft robots cannot adapt themselves to the surrounding environment, i.e., sensing and adaptive motion or response, like animals. Here, compliant ultrathin sensing and actuating electronics innervated fully soft robots that can sense the environment and perform soft bodied crawling adaptively, mimicking an inchworm, are reported. The soft robots are constructed with actuators of open-mesh shaped ultrathin deformable heaters, sensors of single-crystal Si optoelectronic photodetectors, and thermally responsive artificial muscle of carbon-black-doped liquid-crystal elastomer (LCE-CB) nanocomposite. The results demonstrate that adaptive crawling locomotion can be realized through the conjugation of sensing and actuation, where the sensors sense the environment and actuators respond correspondingly to control the locomotion autonomously through regulating the deformation of LCE-CB bimorphs and the locomotion of the robots. The strategy of innervating soft sensing and actuating electronics with artificial muscles paves the way for the development of smart autonomous soft robots. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Localized oscillatory states in magnetoconvection.

PubMed

Buckley, Matthew C; Bushby, Paul J

2013-02-01

Localized states are found in many pattern forming systems. The aim of this paper is to investigate the occurrence of oscillatory localized states in two-dimensional Boussinesq magnetoconvection. Initially considering an idealized model, in which the vertical structure of the system has been simplified by a projection onto a small number of Fourier modes, we find that these states are restricted to the low ζ regime (where ζ represents the ratio of the magnetic to thermal diffusivities). These states always exhibit bistability with another nontrivial solution branch; in other words, they show no evidence of subcritical behavior. This is due to the weak flux expulsion that is exhibited by these time-dependent solutions. Using the results of this parameter survey, we locate corresponding states in a fully resolved two-dimensional system, although the mode of oscillation is more complex in this case. This is the first time that a localized oscillatory state, of this kind, has been found in a fully resolved magnetoconvection simulation.

An open ecosystem engagement strategy through the lens of global food safety

PubMed Central

Stacey, Paul; Fons, Garin; Bernardo, Theresa M

2015-01-01

The Global Food Safety Partnership (GFSP) is a public/private partnership established through the World Bank to improve food safety systems through a globally coordinated and locally-driven approach. This concept paper aims to establish a framework to help GFSP fully leverage the potential of open models. In preparing this paper the authors spoke to many different GFSP stakeholders who asked questions about open models such as: what is it?what’s in it for me?why use an open rather than a proprietary model?how will open models generate equivalent or greater sustainable revenue streams compared to the current “traditional” approaches?  This last question came up many times with assertions that traditional service providers need to see opportunity for equivalent or greater revenue dollars before they will buy-in. This paper identifies open value propositions for GFSP stakeholders and proposes a framework for creating and structuring that value. Open Educational Resources (OER) were the primary open practice GFSP partners spoke to us about, as they provide a logical entry point for collaboration. Going forward, funders should consider requiring that educational resources and concomitant data resulting from their sponsorship should be open, as a public good. There are, however, many other forms of open practice that bring value to the GFSP. Nine different open strategies and tactics (Appendix A) are described, including: open content (including OER and open courseware), open data, open access (research), open government, open source software, open standards, open policy, open licensing and open hardware. It is recommended that all stakeholders proactively pursue "openness" as an operating principle. This paper presents an overall GFSP Open Ecosystem Engagement Strategy within which specific local case examples can be situated. Two different case examples, China and Colombia, are presented to show both project-based and crowd-sourced, direct-to-public paths through this ecosystem. PMID:26213614

76 FR 36103 - State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-21

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy State Energy Advisory Board... Open Teleconference. SUMMARY: This notice announces an open teleconference call of the State Energy... Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 1000 Independence Ave, SW., Washington DC, 20585 or telephone...

76 FR 54747 - State Energy Advisory Board

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-02

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy State Energy Advisory Board AGENCY: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of open meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces an open meeting of the State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB). The Federal Advisory...

Employing open/hidden administration in psychotherapy research: A randomized-controlled trial of expressive writing

PubMed Central

Tondorf, Theresa; Kaufmann, Lisa-Katrin; Degel, Alexander; Locher, Cosima; Birkhäuer, Johanna; Gerger, Heike; Ehlert, Ulrike

2017-01-01

Psychotherapy has been shown to be effective, but efforts to prove specific effects by placebo-controlled trials have been practically and conceptually hampered. We propose that adopting open/hidden designs from placebo research would offer a possible way to establish specificity in psychotherapy. Therefore, we tested the effects of providing opposing treatment rationales in an online expressive writing intervention on affect in healthy subjects. Results indicate that it was possible to conduct the expressive writing intervention both covertly and openly, but that participants in the hidden administration condition did not fully benefit from the otherwise effective expressive writing intervention in the long-run. Effect sizes between open and hidden administration groups were comparable to pre-post effect sizes of the intervention. While this finding is important for the understanding of psychotherapy's effects per se, it also proves that alternative research approaches to establish specificity are feasible and informative in psychotherapy research. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00009428 PMID:29176768

Open ISEmeter: An open hardware high-impedance interface for potentiometric detection

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

Salvador, C.; Carbajo, J.; Mozo, J. D., E-mail: jdaniel.mozo@diq.uhu.es

In this work, a new open hardware interface based on Arduino to read electromotive force (emf) from potentiometric detectors is presented. The interface has been fully designed with the open code philosophy and all documentation will be accessible on web. The paper describes a comprehensive project including the electronic design, the firmware loaded on Arduino, and the Java-coded graphical user interface to load data in a computer (PC or Mac) for processing. The prototype was tested by measuring the calibration curve of a detector. As detection element, an active poly(vinyl chloride)-based membrane was used, doped with cetyltrimethylammonium dodecylsulphate (CTA{sup +}-DS{supmore » −}). The experimental measures of emf indicate Nernstian behaviour with the CTA{sup +} content of test solutions, as it was described in the literature, proving the validity of the developed prototype. A comparative analysis of performance was made by using the same chemical detector but changing the measurement instrumentation.« less

Fluorescence detection of the movement of single KcsA subunits reveals cooperativity

PubMed Central

Blunck, Rikard; McGuire, Hugo; Hyde, H. Clark; Bezanilla, Francisco

2008-01-01

The prokaryotic KcsA channel is gated at the helical bundle crossing by intracellular protons and inactivates at the extracellular selectivity filter. The C-terminal transmembrane helix has to undergo a conformational change for potassium ions to access the central cavity. Whereas a partial opening of the tetrameric channel is suggested to be responsible for subconductance levels of ion channels, including KcsA, a cooperative opening of the 4 subunits is postulated as the final opening step. In this study, we used single-channel fluorescence spectroscopy of KcsA to directly observe the movement of each subunit and the temporal correlation between subunits. Purified KcsA channels labeled at the C terminus near the bundle crossing have been inserted into supported lipid bilayer, and the fluorescence traces analyzed by means of a cooperative or independent Markov model. The analysis revealed that the 4 subunits do not move fully independently but instead showed a certain degree of cooperativity. However, the 4 subunits do not simply open in 1 concerted step. PMID:19074286

76 FR 37198 - Open Meeting of the Area 3 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (Including the States of Alabama, Georgia...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-24

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Area 3 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (Including the States of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico) AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open...

76 FR 6187 - Open Meeting of the Area 3 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (Including the States of Alabama, Georgia...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-03

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Area 3 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (Including the States of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open...

76 FR 2195 - Open Meeting of the Area 3 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (Including the States of Alabama, Georgia...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-12

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Meeting of the Area 3 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (Including the States of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico. AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Treasury. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: An open...

76 FR 66775 - Defense Trade Advisory Group; Notice of Open Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-27

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice: 7666] Defense Trade Advisory Group; Notice of Open Meeting Summary: The Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG) will meet in open session from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 9, 2011, in the East Auditorium, U.S. Department of State, Harry S. Truman Building...