Experimental Testing and Numerical Modeling of Spray Cooling Under Terrestrial Gravity Conditions

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

running safely. Mudawar (2000) identifies two heat flux ranges relative to the amount of heat dissipation. The high-flux range includes heat fluxes on...inferior to those of water ( Mudawar , 2000). Phase change cooling can exist in several forms, or cooling schemes. Pool boiling may be used in...addition to reducing the significant effects of flow orientation ( Mudawar , 2000). It is not fully known how low gravity affects flow boiling, as

Bis-urea-based supramolecular polymer: the first self-assembled drag reducer for hydrocarbon solvents.

PubMed

Sabadini, Edvaldo; Francisco, Kelly R; Bouteiller, Laurent

2010-02-02

The hydrodynamic drag reduction phenomenon, also termed the Toms effect, is an unusual case involving macromolecules in solution in which the resistance to flow is reduced comparatively to that of the pure solvent. Although the effect is relatively well characterized, it is still unclear from the molecular viewpoint. The presence of some amount of a polymer with high molecular weight can produce large levels of drag reduction in turbulent flow as a result of the interactions of the long structures with the small vortices developed during the flow. For this reason, the effect is very attractive in the pumping process because a significant amount of energy can be saved. In aqueous systems, giant micelles can be spontaneously formed, driven by the hydrophobic effect, and are effective drag reducers. Giant micelles are interesting in promoting drag reduction because the noncovalent and reversible aggregation of the surfactant molecules avoids mechanical degradation, which typically occurs with classical polymers, due to irreversible scission of the backbone. In this letter, we present the first hydrodynamic drag reducer for hydrocarbons based on a self-assembled polymer formed from the reversible aggregation of bis-urea monomers. This system forms two competitive polymeric structures--the tube (T) and the filament (F) forms--which are in equilibrium with each other. Our rheology results in octane and toluene are fully consistent with calorimetry data and show that only the longest form, T, is able to promote the drag reduction effect.

Cyclohexane Rings Reduce Membrane Permeability to Small Ions in Archaea-Inspired Tetraether Lipids.

PubMed

Koyanagi, Takaoki; Leriche, Geoffray; Onofrei, David; Holland, Gregory P; Mayer, Michael; Yang, Jerry

2016-01-26

Extremophile archaeal organisms overcome problems of membrane permeability by producing lipids with structural elements that putatively improve membrane integrity compared to lipids from other life forms. Herein, we describe a series of lipids that mimic some key structural features of archaeal lipids, such as: 1) single tethering of lipid tails to create fully transmembrane tetraether lipids and 2) the incorporation of small rings into these tethered segments. We found that membranes formed from pure tetraether lipids leaked small ions at a rate that was about two orders of magnitude slower than common bilayer-forming lipids. Incorporation of cyclopentane rings into the tetraether lipids did not affect membrane leakage, whereas a cyclohexane ring reduced leakage by an additional 40 %. These results show that mimicking certain structural features of natural archaeal lipids results in improved membrane integrity, which may help overcome limitations of many current lipid-based technologies. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

2D He+ Pickup Ion Velocity Distribution Functions: STEREO PLASTIC Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drews, C.; Berger, L.; Peleikis, T.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

2014-12-01

He+ pickup ions are either born from the ionization of interstellar neutral helium atoms inside our heliosphere, the so called interstellar pickup ions, or through the interaction of solar wind ions with small dust particles close to the Sun, the so called inner-source of pickup ions. Until now, most observations of He+ pickup ions were limited to reduced 1D velocity spectra, which are insufficient to study certain characteristics of the He+ Velocity Distribution Function (VDF). It is generally assumed that rapid pitch-angle scattering of freshly created pickup ions quickly leads to a fully isotropic He+ VDF. In the light of recent observations, this assumption has found to be oversimplified and needs to be re-investigated. Using He+ pickup ion data from the PLASTIC instrument on board the STEREO A spacecraft we reconstruct a reduced form of the He+ VDF in 2 dimensions (see figure). The reduced form of the He+ VDF allows us to study the pitch-angle distribution and anisotropy of the He+ VDF as a function of the solar magnetic field, B. Our observations show clear signs of a significant anisotropy of the He+ VDF and even indicates that, at least for certain configurations of B, it is not even fully gyrotropic. Our results further suggest, that the observed velocity and pitch-angle of He+ depends strongly on the solar magnetic field vector, B, the ecliptic longitude, λ, the solar wind speed, vsw, and the history of B. Consequently, we argue that reduced 1D velocity spectra of He+ are insufficient to study quantities like the pitch-angle scattering rate, τ, or the adiabatic cooling index γ.

Aerodynamic Improvements of an Empty Timber Truck can Have the Potential of Significantly Reducing Fuel Consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersson, Magnus; Marashi, Seyedeh Sepideh; Karlsson, Matts

2012-11-01

In the present study, aerodynamic drag (AD) has been estimated for an empty and a fully loaded conceptual timber truck (TT) using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The increasing fuel prices have challenged heavy duty vehicle (HDV) manufactures to strive for better fuel economy, by e.g. utilizing drag reducing external devices. Despite this knowledge, the TT fleets seem to be left in the dark. Like HDV aerodynamics, similarities can be observed as a large low pressure wake is formed behind the tractor (unloaded) and downstream of the trailer (full load) thus generating AD. As TTs travel half the time without any cargo, focus on drag reduction is important. The full scaled TTs where simulated using the realizable k-epsilon model with grid adaption techniques for mesh independence. Our results indicate that a loaded TT reduces the AD significantly as both wake size and turbulence kinetic energy are lowered. In contrast to HDV the unloaded TTs have a much larger design space available for possible drag reducing devices, e.g. plastic wrapping and/or flaps. This conceptual CFD study has given an indication of the large AD difference between the unloaded and fully loaded TT, showing the potential for significant AD improvements.

Ethylene Glycol Adsorption and Reaction over CeOX(111) Thin Films

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

Mullins, David R; Chen, Tsung-Liang

2011-01-01

This study reports the interaction of ethylene glycol with well-ordered CeO{sub x}(111) thin film surfaces. Ethylene glycol initially adsorbs on fully oxidized CeO{sub 2}(111) and reduced CeO{sub 2-x}(111) through the formation of one C-O-Ce bond and then forms a second alkoxy bond after annealing. On fully oxidized CeO{sub 2}(111) both recombination of ethylene glycol and water desorption occur at low temperature leaving stable -OCH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}O- (ethylenedioxy) intermediates and oxygen vacancies on the surface. This ethylenedioxy intermediate goes through C-C bond scission to produce formate species which then react to produce CO and CO{sub 2}. The formation of water resultsmore » in the reduction of the ceria. On a reduced CeO{sub 2-x}(111) surface the reaction selectivity shifts toward a dehydration process. The ethylenedioxy intermediate decomposes by breaking a C-O bond and converts into an enolate species. Similar to the reaction of acetaldehyde on reduced CeO{sub 2-x}(111), the enolate reacts to produce acetaldehyde, acetylene, and ethylene. The loss of O from ethylene glycol leads to a small amount of oxidation of the reduced ceria.« less

Ethylene Glycol Adsorption and Reaction over CeOX(111) Thin Films

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

T Chen; D Mullins

2011-12-31

This study reports the interaction of ethylene glycol with well-ordered CeO{sub x}(111) thin film surfaces. Ethylene glycol initially adsorbs on fully oxidized CeO{sub 2}(111) and reduced CeO{sub 2-x}(111) through the formation of one C-O-Ce bond and then forms a second alkoxy bond after annealing. On fully oxidized CeO{sub 2}(111) both recombination of ethylene glycol and water desorption occur at low temperature leaving stable -OCH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}O- (ethylenedioxy) intermediates and oxygen vacancies on the surface. This ethylenedioxy intermediate goes through C-C bond scission to produce formate species which then react to produce CO and CO{sub 2}. The formation of water resultsmore » in the reduction of the ceria. On a reduced CeO{sub 2-x}(111) surface the reaction selectivity shifts toward a dehydration process. The ethylenedioxy intermediate decomposes by breaking a C-O bond and converts into an enolate species. Similar to the reaction of acetaldehyde on reduced CeO{sub 2-x}(111), the enolate reacts to produce acetaldehyde, acetylene, and ethylene. The loss of O from ethylene glycol leads to a small amount of oxidation of the reduced ceria.« less

Reduction of leakage current at the gate edge of SDB SOI NMOS transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Sung-Weon; Lyu, Jong-Son; Kang, Jin-Young; Kang, Sang-Won; Lee, Jin-Hyo

1995-06-01

Leakage current through the parasitic channel formed at the sidewall of the SOI active region has been investigated by measuring the subthreshold I-V characteristics. Partially depleted (PD, approximately 2500 Angstrom) and fully depleted (FD, approximately 800 Angstrom) SOI NMOS transistors of enhancement mode have been fabricated using the silicon direct bonding (SDB) technology. Isolation processes for the SOI devices were LOCOS, LOCOS with channel stop ion implantation or fully recessed trench (FRT). The electron concentration of the parasitic channel is calculated by the PISCES Ilb simulation. As a result, leakage current of the FD mode SOI device with FRT isolation at the front and back gate biases of 0 V was reduced to approximately pA and no hump was seen on the drain current curve.

Fully Solution-Processed Flexible Organic Thin Film Transistor Arrays with High Mobility and Exceptional Uniformity

PubMed Central

Fukuda, Kenjiro; Takeda, Yasunori; Mizukami, Makoto; Kumaki, Daisuke; Tokito, Shizuo

2014-01-01

Printing fully solution-processed organic electronic devices may potentially revolutionize production of flexible electronics for various applications. However, difficulties in forming thin, flat, uniform films through printing techniques have been responsible for poor device performance and low yields. Here, we report on fully solution-processed organic thin-film transistor (TFT) arrays with greatly improved performance and yields, achieved by layering solution-processable materials such as silver nanoparticle inks, organic semiconductors, and insulating polymers on thin plastic films. A treatment layer improves carrier injection between the source/drain electrodes and the semiconducting layer and dramatically reduces contact resistance. Furthermore, an organic semiconductor with large-crystal grains results in TFT devices with shorter channel lengths and higher field-effect mobilities. We obtained mobilities of over 1.2 cm2 V−1 s−1 in TFT devices with channel lengths shorter than 20 μm. By combining these fabrication techniques, we built highly uniform organic TFT arrays with average mobility levels as high as 0.80 cm2 V−1 s−1 and ideal threshold voltages of 0 V. These results represent major progress in the fabrication of fully solution-processed organic TFT device arrays. PMID:24492785

Kinetic and spectroscopic characterization of tungsten-substituted DMSO reductase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

PubMed

Pacheco, Josué; Niks, Dimitri; Hille, Russ

2018-03-01

We have examined the kinetic and spectroscopic properties of a tungsten-substituted form of DMSO reductase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, an enzyme that normally possesses molybdenum. Partial reduction with sodium dithionite yields a well-resolved W(V) EPR signal of the so-called "high-g split" type that exhibits markedly greater g-anisotropy than the corresponding Mo(V) signal of the native form of the enzyme, with the g values shifted to higher magnetic field by as much as Δg ave  = 0.056. Deuteration of the enzyme confirms that the coupled proton is solvent-exchangeable, allowing us to accurately simulate the tungsten hyperfine coupling. Global curve-fitting analysis of UV/vis absorption spectra observed in the course of the reaction of the tungsten-substituted enzyme with sodium dithionite affords a well-defined absorption spectrum for the W(V) species. Surprisingly, the absorption spectrum for this species exhibits significantly larger molar extinction coefficients than either the reduced or the oxidized spectrum. This spectrum, in conjunction with those for fully oxidized W(VI) and fully reduced W(IV) enzyme, has been used to deconvolute the absorption spectra seen in the course of turnover, in the which enzyme is reacted with sodium dithionite and DMSO, demonstrating that the W(V) is an authentic catalytic intermediate that accumulates to approximately 50% of the total enzyme in the steady state.

Analytical skin friction and heat transfer formula for compressible internal flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dechant, Lawrence J.; Tattar, Marc J.

1994-01-01

An analytic, closed-form friction formula for turbulent, internal, compressible, fully developed flow was derived by extending the incompressible law-of-the-wall relation to compressible cases. The model is capable of analyzing heat transfer as a function of constant surface temperatures and surface roughness as well as analyzing adiabatic conditions. The formula reduces to Prandtl's law of friction for adiabatic, smooth, axisymmetric flow. In addition, the formula reduces to the Colebrook equation for incompressible, adiabatic, axisymmetric flow with various roughnesses. Comparisons with available experiments show that the model averages roughly 12.5 percent error for adiabatic flow and 18.5 percent error for flow involving heat transfer.

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

5 CFR 831.632 - Post-retirement election of fully reduced annuity or partially reduced annuity to provide a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... annuity or partially reduced annuity to provide a former spouse annuity. 831.632 Section 831.632...) RETIREMENT Survivor Annuities Post-Retirement Elections § 831.632 Post-retirement election of fully reduced annuity or partially reduced annuity to provide a former spouse annuity. (a)(1) Except as provided in...

Study of The Effect of Draw-bead Geometry on Stretch Flange Formability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlov, O. S.; Winkler, S. L.; Worswick, M. J.; Lloyd, D. J.; Finn, M. J.

2004-06-01

A fully instrumented stretch flange press equipped with a back-up punch and draw-beads near the specimen cutout area is simulated. The utilization of different draw-bead geometries is examined numerically to determine the restraining forces, strains and amount of damage generated in stretch flanges during forming. Simulations of the forming process are conducted for 1mm AA5182 sheets with circular cutouts. The damage evolution with the deformed specimens is investigated using the explicit dynamic finite element code, LS-DYNA, with a modified Gurson-based material model. It was found that double draw-beads can provide the same amount of restraining force as single draw-beads, but at reduced levels of damage.

Density of Spray-Formed Materials

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

Kevin M. McHugh; Volker Uhlenwinkel; Nils Ellendr

2008-06-01

Spray Forming is an advanced materials processing technology that transforms molten metal into a near-net-shape solid by depositing atomized droplets onto a substrate. Depending on the application, the spray-formed material may be used in the as-deposited condition or it may undergo post-deposition processing. Regardless, the density of the as-deposited material is an important issue. Porosity is detrimental because it can significantly reduce strength, toughness, hardness and other properties. While it is not feasible to achieve fully-dense material in the as-deposited state, density greater than 99% of theoretical density is possible if the atomization and impact conditions are optimized. Thermal conditionsmore » at the deposit surface and droplet impact angle are key processing parameters that influence the density of the material. This paper examines the factors that contribute to porosity formation during spray forming and illustrates that very high as-deposited density is achieved by optimizing processing parameters.« less

Normalization in Lie algebras via mould calculus and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, Thierry; Sauzin, David

2017-11-01

We establish Écalle's mould calculus in an abstract Lie-theoretic setting and use it to solve a normalization problem, which covers several formal normal form problems in the theory of dynamical systems. The mould formalism allows us to reduce the Lie-theoretic problem to a mould equation, the solutions of which are remarkably explicit and can be fully described by means of a gauge transformation group. The dynamical applications include the construction of Poincaré-Dulac formal normal forms for a vector field around an equilibrium point, a formal infinite-order multiphase averaging procedure for vector fields with fast angular variables (Hamiltonian or not), or the construction of Birkhoff normal forms both in classical and quantum situations. As a by-product we obtain, in the case of harmonic oscillators, the convergence of the quantum Birkhoff form to the classical one, without any Diophantine hypothesis on the frequencies of the unperturbed Hamiltonians.

5 CFR 842.611 - Post-retirement election of a fully reduced annuity or one-half reduced annuity to provide a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... reduced annuity or one-half reduced annuity to provide a former spouse annuity. 842.611 Section 842.611... EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM-BASIC ANNUITY Survivor Elections § 842.611 Post-retirement election of a fully reduced annuity or one-half reduced annuity to provide a former spouse annuity. (a) Except as provided in...

Method for reducing sulfate formation during regeneration of hot-gas desulfurization sorbents

DOEpatents

Bissett, Larry A.; Strickland, Larry D.; Rockey, John M.

1994-01-01

The regeneration of sulfur sorbents having sulfate forming tendencies and used for desulfurizing hot product gas streams such as provided by coal gasification is provided by employing a two-stage regeneration method. Air containing a sub-stoichiometric quantity of oxygen is used in the first stage for substantially fully regenerating the sorbent without sulfate formation and then regeneration of the resulting partially regenerated sorbent is completed in the second stage with air containing a quantity of oxygen slightly greater than the stoichiometric amount adequate to essentially fully regenerate the sorbent. Sulfate formation occurs in only the second stage with the extent of sulfate formation being limited only to the portion of the sulfur species contained by the sorbent after substantially all of the sulfur species have been removed therefrom in the first stage.

5 CFR 831.631 - Post-retirement election of fully reduced annuity or partially reduced annuity to provide a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., within 1 year after a post-retirement marriage, a fully reduced annuity or a partially reduced annuity to... partially reduced annuity at the time of retirement may elect, within 1 year after a postretirement marriage... month beginning 1 year after the date of the post-retirement marriage. (b) Except as provided in...

5 CFR 831.611 - Election at time of retirement of fully reduced annuity to provide a current spouse annuity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Election at time of retirement of fully... OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) RETIREMENT Survivor Annuities Elections at the Time of Retirement § 831.611 Election at time of retirement of fully reduced...

76 FR 35086 - Proposed Information Collection (Fully Developed Claim (Fully Developed Claims-Applications for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-15

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0747] Proposed Information Collection (Fully Developed Claim (Fully Developed Claims--Applications for Compensation, Pension, DIC, Death Pension, and/or... Claims--Applications for Compensation, Pension, DIC, Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits, VA Forms 21...

Disruption of Giant Molecular Clouds by Massive Star Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harper-Clark, Elizabeth

The lifetime of a Giant Molecular Cloud (GMC) and the total mass of stars that form within it are crucial to the understanding of star formation rates across a whole galaxy. In particular, the stars within a GMC may dictate its disruption and the quenching of further star formation. Indeed, observations show that the Milky Way contains GMCs with extensive expanding bubbles while the most massive stars are still alive. Simulating entire GMCs is challenging, due to the large variety of physics that needs to be included, and the computational power required to accurately simulate a GMC over tens of millions of years. Using the radiative-magneto-hydrodynamic code Enzo, I have run many simulations of GMCs. I obtain robust results for the fraction of gas converted into stars and the lifetimes of the GMCs: (A) In simulations with no stellar outputs (or "feedback''), clusters form at a rate of 30% of GMC mass per free fall time; the GMCs were not disrupted but contained forming stars. (B) Including ionization gas pressure or radiation pressure into the simulations, both separately and together, the star formation was quenched at between 5% and 21% of the original GMC mass. The clouds were fully disrupted within two dynamical times after the first cluster formed. The radiation pressure contributed the most to the disruption of the GMC and fully quenched star formation even without ionization. (C) Simulations that included supernovae showed that they are not dynamically important to GMC disruption and have only minor effects on subsequent star formation. (D) The inclusion of a few micro Gauss magnetic field across the cloud slightly reduced the star formation rate but accelerated GMC disruption by reducing bubble shell disruption and leaking. These simulations show that new born stars quench further star formation and completely disrupt the parent GMC. The low star formation rate and the short lifetimes of GMCs shown here can explain the low star formation rate across the whole galaxy.

New approach for optimal electricity planning and dispatching with hourly time-scale air quality and health considerations.

PubMed

Kerl, Paul Y; Zhang, Wenxian; Moreno-Cruz, Juan B; Nenes, Athanasios; Realff, Matthew J; Russell, Armistead G; Sokol, Joel; Thomas, Valerie M

2015-09-01

Integrating accurate air quality modeling with decision making is hampered by complex atmospheric physics and chemistry and its coupling with atmospheric transport. Existing approaches to model the physics and chemistry accurately lead to significant computational burdens in computing the response of atmospheric concentrations to changes in emissions profiles. By integrating a reduced form of a fully coupled atmospheric model within a unit commitment optimization model, we allow, for the first time to our knowledge, a fully dynamical approach toward electricity planning that accurately and rapidly minimizes both cost and health impacts. The reduced-form model captures the response of spatially resolved air pollutant concentrations to changes in electricity-generating plant emissions on an hourly basis with accuracy comparable to a comprehensive air quality model. The integrated model allows for the inclusion of human health impacts into cost-based decisions for power plant operation. We use the new capability in a case study of the state of Georgia over the years of 2004-2011, and show that a shift in utilization among existing power plants during selected hourly periods could have provided a health cost savings of $175.9 million dollars for an additional electricity generation cost of $83.6 million in 2007 US dollars (USD2007). The case study illustrates how air pollutant health impacts can be cost-effectively minimized by intelligently modulating power plant operations over multihour periods, without implementing additional emissions control technologies.

New approach for optimal electricity planning and dispatching with hourly time-scale air quality and health considerations

PubMed Central

Kerl, Paul Y.; Zhang, Wenxian; Moreno-Cruz, Juan B.; Nenes, Athanasios; Realff, Matthew J.; Russell, Armistead G.; Sokol, Joel; Thomas, Valerie M.

2015-01-01

Integrating accurate air quality modeling with decision making is hampered by complex atmospheric physics and chemistry and its coupling with atmospheric transport. Existing approaches to model the physics and chemistry accurately lead to significant computational burdens in computing the response of atmospheric concentrations to changes in emissions profiles. By integrating a reduced form of a fully coupled atmospheric model within a unit commitment optimization model, we allow, for the first time to our knowledge, a fully dynamical approach toward electricity planning that accurately and rapidly minimizes both cost and health impacts. The reduced-form model captures the response of spatially resolved air pollutant concentrations to changes in electricity-generating plant emissions on an hourly basis with accuracy comparable to a comprehensive air quality model. The integrated model allows for the inclusion of human health impacts into cost-based decisions for power plant operation. We use the new capability in a case study of the state of Georgia over the years of 2004–2011, and show that a shift in utilization among existing power plants during selected hourly periods could have provided a health cost savings of $175.9 million dollars for an additional electricity generation cost of $83.6 million in 2007 US dollars (USD2007). The case study illustrates how air pollutant health impacts can be cost-effectively minimized by intelligently modulating power plant operations over multihour periods, without implementing additional emissions control technologies. PMID:26283358

Predator perception and the interrelation between different forms of protective coloration

PubMed Central

Stevens, Martin

2007-01-01

Animals possess a range of defensive markings to reduce the risk of predation, including warning colours, camouflage, eyespots and mimicry. These different strategies are frequently considered independently, and with little regard towards predator vision, even though they may be linked in various ways and can be fully understood only in terms of predator perception. For example, camouflage and warning coloration need not be mutually exclusive, and may frequently exploit similar features of visual perception. This paper outlines how different forms of protective markings can be understood from predator perception and illustrates how this is fundamental in determining the mechanisms underlying, and the interrelation between, different strategies. Suggestions are made for future work, and potential mechanisms discussed in relation to various forms of defensive coloration, including disruptive coloration, eyespots, dazzle markings, motion camouflage, aposematism and mimicry. PMID:17426012

Planetesimal formation during protoplanetary disk buildup

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drążkowska, J.; Dullemond, C. P.

2018-06-01

Context. Models of dust coagulation and subsequent planetesimal formation are usually computed on the backdrop of an already fully formed protoplanetary disk model. At the same time, observational studies suggest that planetesimal formation should start early, possibly even before the protoplanetary disk is fully formed. Aims: In this paper we investigate under which conditions planetesimals already form during the disk buildup stage, in which gas and dust fall onto the disk from its parent molecular cloud. Methods: We couple our earlier planetesimal formation model at the water snow line to a simple model of disk formation and evolution. Results: We find that under most conditions planetesimals only form after the buildup stage, when the disk becomes less massive and less hot. However, there are parameters for which planetesimals already form during the disk buildup. This occurs when the viscosity driving the disk evolution is intermediate (αv 10-3-10-2) while the turbulent mixing of the dust is reduced compared to that (αt ≲ 10-4), and with the assumption that the water vapor is vertically well-mixed with the gas. Such a αt ≪ αv scenario could be expected for layered accretion, where the gas flow is mostly driven by the active surface layers, while the midplane layers, where most of the dust resides, are quiescent. Conclusions: In the standard picture where protoplanetary disk accretion is driven by global turbulence, we find that no planetesimals form during the disk buildup stage. Planetesimal formation during the buildup stage is only possible in scenarios in which pebbles reside in a quiescent midplane while the gas and water vapor are diffused at a higher rate.

Electrochromic properties of poly (1-(phenyl)-2,5-di(2-thienyl)-1H-pyrrole-co-3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene) and its application in electrochromic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarkuc, S.; Sahmetlioglu, E.; Tanyeli, C.; Akhmedov, I. M.; Toppare, L.

2008-06-01

Electrochemical copolymerization of 1-(phenyl)-2,5-di(2-thienyl)-1H-pyrrole (PTP) with 3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene (EDOT) was carried out in acetonitrile (AN)/NaClO4/LiClO4 (0.1 M) solvent-electrolyte couple via potentiodynamic electrolysis. Characterizations of the resulting copolymer were performed via cyclic voltammetry (CV), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and spectroelectrochemical analysis. Spectroelectrochemical analyses show that the copolymer of PTP with EDOT has an electronic band gap (due to π to π∗ transition) of 1.9 eV at 480 nm, with a claret red in the fully reduced form and a blue color in the fully oxidized form. Via kinetic studies, the optical contrast (ΔT %) was found to be 8% for P(PTP-co-EDOT). Results showed that the time required to reach 95% of the ultimate transmittance was 1.7 s for the copolymer. The P(PTP-co-EDOT) film was used to construct a dual type polymer electrochromic device (ECDs) with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene) (PEDOT). Spectroelectrochemistry, electrochromic switching and open circuit memory of the device were investigated.

Mechanism of acetaminophen inhibition of cyclooxygenase isoforms.

PubMed

Ouellet, M; Percival, M D

2001-03-15

Acetaminophen has similar analgesic and antipyretic properties to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which act via inhibition of cyclooxygenase enzymes. However, unlike NSAIDs, acetaminophen is at best weakly antiinflammatory. The mechanism by which acetaminophen exerts its therapeutic action has yet to be fully determined, as under most circumstances, acetaminophen is a very weak cyclooxygenase inhibitor. The potency of acetaminophen against both purified ovine cyclooxygenase-1 (oCOX-1) and human cyclooxygenase-2 (hCOX-2) was increased approximately 30-fold by the presence of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione to give IC50 values of 33 microM and 980 microM, respectively. Acetaminophen was found to be a good reducing agent of both oCOX-1 and hCOX-2. The results are consistent with a mechanism of inhibition of acetaminophen in which it acts to reduce the active oxidized form of COX to the resting form. Inhibition would therefore be more effective under conditions of low peroxide concentration, consistent with the known tissue selectivity of acetaminophen.

Influence of Nitrogen Source on NDMA Formation during Chlorination of Diuron

PubMed Central

Chen, Wei-Hsiang; Young, Thomas M.

2009-01-01

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is formed during chlorination of water containing the herbicide diuron (N′-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N, N-dimethylurea) but formation is greatly enhanced in the presence of ammonia (chloramination). Groundwater impacted by agricultural runoff may contain diuron and relatively high total nitrogen concentrations; this study examines the impact of the nitrogen form (ammonium, nitrite or nitrate) on NDMA formation during chlorination of such waters. NDMA formation during chlorination of diuron increased in the order nitrite < nitrate < ammonium for a given chlorine, nitrogen, and diuron dose. Formation of dichloramine seemed to fully explain enhanced NDMA formation in the presence of ammonium. Nitrate unexpectedly enhanced nitrosation of diuron derivatives to form NDMA compared to the cases of no added nitrogen or nitrite addition. Nitrite addition is less effective because it consumes more chlorine and produces intermediates that react rapidly with diuron and its aromatic byproducts. Differences between surface and groundwater in nitrogen forms and concentrations and disinfection approaches, suggest strategies to reduce NDMA formation should vary with drinking water source. PMID:19457535

Influence of nitrogen source on NDMA formation during chlorination of diuron.

PubMed

Chen, Wei-Hsiang; Young, Thomas M

2009-07-01

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is formed during chlorination of water containing the herbicide diuron (N'-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N,N-dimethylurea) but formation is greatly enhanced in the presence of ammonia (chloramination). Groundwater impacted by agricultural runoff may contain diuron and relatively high total nitrogen concentrations; this study examines the impact of the nitrogen form (ammonium, nitrite or nitrate) on NDMA formation during chlorination of such waters. NDMA formation during chlorination of diuron increased in the order nitrite

Differential compaction behaviour of roller compacted granules of clopidogrel bisulphate polymorphs.

PubMed

Khomane, Kailas S; Bansal, Arvind K

2014-09-10

In the present work, in-die and out-of-die compaction behaviour of dry-granulated powders of clopidogrel bisulphate (CLP) polymorphs, form I and form II, was investigated using a fully instrumented rotary tablet press. Each polymorph was compacted at three different roller pressures [70.3 (S1), 105.5 (S2) and 140.6 (S3)kgf/cm(2)], and obtained granules were characterized for their physico-mechanical properties. Compaction data were analyzed for out-of-die compressibility, tabletability and compactibility profiles, and in-die Heckel, Kawakita and Walker analysis. The roller compacted granules of both forms showed markedly different tabletting behaviour. Roller pressure exhibited a trend on compaction behaviour of form I granules, whereas, in case of form II, the effect was insignificant. Tabletability of the six granule batches follows the order; I_S1>I_S2>I_S3>II_S1≈II_S2≈II_S3. In case of form I, the reduced tabletability of the granules compacted at higher roller pressure was attributed to the decreased compressibility and plastic deformation. This was confirmed by compressibility plot and various mathematical parameters derived from Heckel (Py), Kawakita (1/b) and Walker (W) equations. The reduced tabletability of form I granules was due to 'granule hardening' during roller compaction. On the other hand, insignificant effect of roller compaction on tabletting behaviour of form II granules was attributed to brittle fragmentation. The extensive fragmentation of granules offered new 'clean' surfaces and higher contact points that negated the effect of granule hardening. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electron transfer between cytochrome. alpha. and copper A in cytochrome c oxidase: A perturbed equilibrium study

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

Morgan, J.E.; Li, P.M.; Jang, D.J.

1989-08-22

Intramolecular electron transfer in partially reduced cytochrome c oxidase has been studied by the perturbed equilibrium method. The authors have prepared a three-electron-reduced, CO-inhibited form of the enzyme in which cytochrome a and copper A are partially reduced and in an intramolecular redox equilibrium. When these samples were irradiated with a nitrogen laser to photodissociate the bound CO, changes in absorbance at 598 and 830 nm were observed which were consistent with a fast electron transfer from cytochrome a to copper A. The absorbance changes at 598 nm gave an apparent rate of 17,000 {plus minus} 2,000 s{sup {minus}1} (1more » {sigma}), at pH 7.0 and 25.5{degree}C. These changes were not observed in either the CO mixed-valence or the CO-inhibited fully reduced forms of the enzyme. The rate was fastest at about pH 8.0, falling off toward both lower and higher pHs. There was a small but clear temperature dependence. The process was also observed in the cytochrome c-cytochrome c oxidase high-affinity complex. The electron equilibration measured between cytochrome {alpha} and copper A is far faster than any rate measured or inferred previously for this process.« less

Fully porous GaN p-n junction diodes fabricated by chemical vapor deposition.

PubMed

Bilousov, Oleksandr V; Carvajal, Joan J; Geaney, Hugh; Zubialevich, Vitaly Z; Parbrook, Peter J; Martínez, Oscar; Jiménez, Juan; Díaz, Francesc; Aguiló, Magdalena; O'Dwyer, Colm

2014-10-22

Porous GaN based LEDs produced by corrosion etching techniques demonstrated enhanced light extraction efficiency in the past. However, these fabrication techniques require further postgrown processing steps, which increases the price of the final system. Also, the penetration depth of these etching techniques is limited, and affects not only the semiconductor but also the other elements constituting the LED when applied to the final device. In this paper, we present the fabrication of fully porous GaN p-n junctions directly during growth, using a sequential chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process to produce the different layers that form the p-n junction. We characterized their diode behavior from room temperature to 673 K and demonstrated their ability as current rectifiers, thus proving the potential of these fully porous p-n junctions for diode and LEDs applications. The electrical and luminescence characterization confirm that high electronic quality porous structures can be obtained by this method, and we believe this investigation can be extended to other III-N materials for the development of white light LEDs, or to reduce reflection losses and narrowing the output light cone for improved LED external quantum efficiencies.

On the self-stigma of mental illness: stages, disclosure, and strategies for change.

PubMed

Corrigan, Patrick W; Rao, Deepa

2012-08-01

People with mental illness have long experienced prejudice and discrimination. Researchers have been able to study this phenomenon as stigma and have begun to examine ways of reducing this stigma. Public stigma is the most prominent form observed and studied, as it represents the prejudice and discrimination directed at a group by the larger population. Self-stigma occurs when people internalize these public attitudes and suffer numerous negative consequences as a result. In our article, we more fully define the concept of self-stigma and describe the negative consequences of self-stigma for people with mental illness. We also examine the advantages and disadvantages of disclosure in reducing the impact of stigma. In addition, we argue that a key to challenging self-stigma is to promote personal empowerment. Lastly, we discuss individual- and societal-level methods for reducing self-stigma, programs led by peers as well as those led by social service providers.

Registered report: tumour vascularization via endothelial differentiation of glioblastoma stem-like cells.

PubMed

Chroscinski, Denise; Sampey, Darryl; Maherali, Nimet

2015-02-25

The Nature in 2010 (Ricci-Vitiani et al., 2010). The experiments that will be replicated are those reported in Figure 4B and Supplementary Figure 10B (Ricci-Vitiani et al., 2010), which demonstrate that glioblastoma stem-like cells can derive into endothelial cells, and can be selectively ablated to reduce tumor progression in vivo, and Supplementary Figures S10C and S10D (Ricci-Vitiani et al., 2010), which demonstrate that fully differentiated glioblastoma cells cannot form functionally relevant endothelium. The Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology is a collaboration between the eLife.

Jupyter and Galaxy: Easing entry barriers into complex data analyses for biomedical researchers.

PubMed

Grüning, Björn A; Rasche, Eric; Rebolledo-Jaramillo, Boris; Eberhard, Carl; Houwaart, Torsten; Chilton, John; Coraor, Nate; Backofen, Rolf; Taylor, James; Nekrutenko, Anton

2017-05-01

What does it take to convert a heap of sequencing data into a publishable result? First, common tools are employed to reduce primary data (sequencing reads) to a form suitable for further analyses (i.e., the list of variable sites). The subsequent exploratory stage is much more ad hoc and requires the development of custom scripts and pipelines, making it problematic for biomedical researchers. Here, we describe a hybrid platform combining common analysis pathways with the ability to explore data interactively. It aims to fully encompass and simplify the "raw data-to-publication" pathway and make it reproducible.

Magnetic and microstructural investigation of high-coercivity net-shape Nd-Fe-B-type magnets produced from spark-plasma-sintered melt-spun ribbons blended with DyF3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Žagar, Kristina; Kocjan, Andraž; Kobe, Spomenka

2016-04-01

Nanostructured Nd-Fe-B-type materials produced by melt-spinning (MS) are used in a variety of applications in the electronics, automotive, and sensor industries. The very rapid MS process leads to flake-like powders with metastable, nanoscale, Nd2Fe14B grains. These powders are then formed into net-shaped, isotropic, polymer-bonded magnets, or they are hot formed into fully dense, metallic magnets that are isotropic and anisotropic. These fully dense magnets are usually produced with a conventional hot press without the inclusion of additives prior to the hot pressing. As a result, their properties, particularly the coercivity (Hci), are insufficient at automotive-relevant temperatures of 100-150 °C since the material Hci has a large temperature coefficient. In this study, we instead add a thin layer of DyF3 to the melt-spun ribbons prior to their hot consolidation in order to enhance the coercivity through a diffusion-based, partial substitution of the Nd by Dy. This is accomplished by applying extremely rapid, spark-plasma sintering to minimize any growth of the nanoscale Nd2Fe14B grains during consolidation. The result is a very high-coercivity magnet with drastically reduced amounts of heavy rare earths that is suitable for high-temperature applications. This work clearly demonstrates how rapidly formed, metastable states can provide us with properties that are unobtainable with conventional techniques.

Frozen, Fully-Cooked Products and Botulism--Food Safety Advisory

MedlinePlus

... Administrative Forms Standard Forms Skip Navigation Z7_0Q0619C0JGR010IFST1G5B10H1 Web Content Viewer (JSR 286) Actions ${title} Loading... / Topics / ... Frozen Fully-cooked Products and Botulism Z7_0Q0619C0JGR010IFST1G5B10H3 Web Content Viewer (JSR 286) Actions ${title} Loading... Z7_ ...

Uncoordinated MAC for Adaptive Multi Beam Directional Networks: Analysis and Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-01

control (MAC) policies for emerging systems that are equipped with fully digital antenna arrays which are capable of adaptive multi-beam directional...Adaptive Beam- forming, Multibeam, Directional Networking, Random Access, Smart Antennas I. INTRODUCTION Fully digital beamforming antenna arrays that...are capable of adaptive multi-beam communications are quickly becoming a reality. These antenna arrays allow users to form multiple simultaneous

An Experiment Investigation of Fully-Modulated, Turbulent Diffusion Flames in Reduced Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hermanson, J. C.; Johari, H.; Usowicz, J. E.; Stocker, D. P.; Nagashima, T.; Obata, S.

1999-01-01

Pulsed combustion appears to have the potential to provide for rapid fuel/air mixing, compact and economical combustors, and reduced exhaust emissions. The ultimate objective of this program is to increase the fundamental understanding of the fuel/air mixing and combustion behavior of pulsed, turbulent diffusion flames by conducting experiments in microgravity. In this research the fuel jet is fully-modulated (i.e., completely shut off between pulses) by an externally controlled valve system. This can give rise to drastic modification of the combustion and flow characteristics of flames, leading to enhanced fuel/air mixing mechanisms not operative for the case of acoustically excited or partially-modulated jets. In addition, the fully-modulated injection approach avoids the strong acoustic forcing present in pulsed combustion devices, significantly simplifying the mixing and combustion processes. Relatively little is known of the behavior of turbulent flames in reduced-gravity conditions, even in the absence of pulsing. The goal of this Flight-Definition experiment (PUFF, for PUlsed-Fully Flames) is to establish the behavior of fully-modulated, turbulent diffusion flames under microgravity conditions. Fundamental issues to be addressed in this experiment include the mechanisms responsible for the flame length decrease for fully-modulated, turbulent diffusion flames compared with steady flames, the impact of buoyancy on the mixing and combustion characteristics of these flames, and the characteristics of turbulent flame puffs under fully momentum-dominated conditions.

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).

Substrate-Triggered Addition of Dioxygen to the Diferrous Cofactor of Aldehyde-Deformylating Oxygenase to form a Diferric-Peroxide Intermediate†

PubMed Central

Nørgaard, Hanne; Warui, Douglas M.; Rajakovich, Lauren J.; Chang, Wei-chen; Booker, Squire J.; Krebs, Carsten; Bollinger, J. Martin

2013-01-01

Cyanobacterial aldehyde-deformylating oxygenases (ADOs) belong to the ferritin-like diiron-carboxylate superfamily of dioxygen-activating proteins. They catalyze conversion of saturated or mono-unsaturated Cn fatty aldehydes to formate and the corresponding Cn-1 alkanes or alkenes, respectively. This unusual, apparently redox-neutral transformation actually requires four electrons per turnover to reduce the O2 co-substrate to the oxidation state of water and incorporates one O-atom from O2 into the formate co-product. We show here that the complex of the diiron(II/II) form of ADO from Nostoc punctiforme (Np) with an aldehyde substrate reacts with O2 to form a colored intermediate with spectroscopic properties suggestive of a Fe2III/III complex with a bound peroxide. Its Mössbauer spectra reveal that the intermediate possesses an antiferromagnetically (AF) coupled Fe2III/III center with resolved sub-sites. The intermediate is long-lived in the absence of a reducing system, decaying slowly (t1/2 ~ 400 s at 5 °C) to produce a very modest yield of formate (< 0.15 enzyme equivalents), but reacts rapidly with the fully reduced form of 1-methoxy-5-methylphenazine (MeOPMS) to yield product, albeit at only ~ 50% of the maximum theoretical yield (owing to competition from one or more unproductive pathway). The results represent the most definitive evidence to date that ADO can use a diiron cofactor (rather than a homo- or hetero-dinuclear cluster involving another transition metal) and provide support for a mechanism involving attack on the carbonyl of the bound substrate by the reduced O2 moiety to form a Fe2III/III-peroxyhemiacetal complex, which undergoes reductive O-O-bond cleavage, leading to C1–C2 radical fragmentation and formation of the alk(a/e)ne and formate products. PMID:23987523

Substrate-triggered addition of dioxygen to the diferrous cofactor of aldehyde-deformylating oxygenase to form a diferric-peroxide intermediate.

PubMed

Pandelia, Maria E; Li, Ning; Nørgaard, Hanne; Warui, Douglas M; Rajakovich, Lauren J; Chang, Wei-Chen; Booker, Squire J; Krebs, Carsten; Bollinger, J Martin

2013-10-23

Cyanobacterial aldehyde-deformylating oxygenases (ADOs) belong to the ferritin-like diiron-carboxylate superfamily of dioxygen-activating proteins. They catalyze conversion of saturated or monounsaturated C(n) fatty aldehydes to formate and the corresponding C(n-1) alkanes or alkenes, respectively. This unusual, apparently redox-neutral transformation actually requires four electrons per turnover to reduce the O2 cosubstrate to the oxidation state of water and incorporates one O-atom from O2 into the formate coproduct. We show here that the complex of the diiron(II/II) form of ADO from Nostoc punctiforme (Np) with an aldehyde substrate reacts with O2 to form a colored intermediate with spectroscopic properties suggestive of a Fe2(III/III) complex with a bound peroxide. Its Mössbauer spectra reveal that the intermediate possesses an antiferromagnetically (AF) coupled Fe2(III/III) center with resolved subsites. The intermediate is long-lived in the absence of a reducing system, decaying slowly (t(1/2) ~ 400 s at 5 °C) to produce a very modest yield of formate (<0.15 enzyme equivalents), but reacts rapidly with the fully reduced form of 1-methoxy-5-methylphenazinium methylsulfate ((MeO)PMS) to yield product, albeit at only ~50% of the maximum theoretical yield (owing to competition from one or more unproductive pathway). The results represent the most definitive evidence to date that ADO can use a diiron cofactor (rather than a homo- or heterodinuclear cluster involving another transition metal) and provide support for a mechanism involving attack on the carbonyl of the bound substrate by the reduced O2 moiety to form a Fe2(III/III)-peroxyhemiacetal complex, which undergoes reductive O-O-bond cleavage, leading to C1-C2 radical fragmentation and formation of the alk(a/e)ne and formate products.

Direct determination of resonance energy transfer in photolyase: structural alignment for the functional state.

PubMed

Tan, Chuang; Guo, Lijun; Ai, Yuejie; Li, Jiang; Wang, Lijuan; Sancar, Aziz; Luo, Yi; Zhong, Dongping

2014-11-13

Photoantenna is essential to energy transduction in photoinduced biological machinery. A photoenzyme, photolyase, has a light-harvesting pigment of methenyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF) that transfers its excitation energy to the catalytic flavin cofactor FADH¯ to enhance DNA-repair efficiency. Here we report our systematic characterization and direct determination of the ultrafast dynamics of resonance energy transfer from excited MTHF to three flavin redox states in E. coli photolyase by capturing the intermediates formed through the energy transfer and thus excluding the electron-transfer quenching pathway. We observed 170 ps for excitation energy transferring to the fully reduced hydroquinone FADH¯, 20 ps to the fully oxidized FAD, and 18 ps to the neutral semiquinone FADH(•), and the corresponding orientation factors (κ(2)) were determined to be 2.84, 1.53 and 1.26, respectively, perfectly matching with our calculated theoretical values. Thus, under physiological conditions and over the course of evolution, photolyase has adopted the optimized orientation of its photopigment to efficiently convert solar energy for repair of damaged DNA.

Biodegradable Polymeric Materials in Degradable Electronic Devices

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Biodegradable electronics have great potential to reduce the environmental footprint of devices and enable advanced health monitoring and therapeutic technologies. Complex biodegradable electronics require biodegradable substrates, insulators, conductors, and semiconductors, all of which comprise the fundamental building blocks of devices. This review will survey recent trends in the strategies used to fabricate biodegradable forms of each of these components. Polymers that can disintegrate without full chemical breakdown (type I), as well as those that can be recycled into monomeric and oligomeric building blocks (type II), will be discussed. Type I degradation is typically achieved with engineering and material science based strategies, whereas type II degradation often requires deliberate synthetic approaches. Notably, unconventional degradable linkages capable of maintaining long-range conjugation have been relatively unexplored, yet may enable fully biodegradable conductors and semiconductors with uncompromised electrical properties. While substantial progress has been made in developing degradable device components, the electrical and mechanical properties of these materials must be improved before fully degradable complex electronics can be realized. PMID:29632879

Fully correcting the meteor speed distribution for radar observing biases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moorhead, Althea V.; Brown, Peter G.; Campbell-Brown, Margaret D.; Heynen, Denis; Cooke, William J.

2017-09-01

Meteor radars such as the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar (CMOR) have the ability to detect millions of meteors, making it possible to study the meteoroid environment in great detail. However, meteor radars also suffer from a number of detection biases; these biases must be fully corrected for in order to derive an accurate description of the meteoroid population. We present a bias correction method for patrol radars that accounts for the full form of ionization efficiency and mass distribution. This is an improvement over previous methods such as that of Taylor (1995), which requires power-law distributions for ionization efficiency and a single mass index. We apply this method to the meteor speed distribution observed by CMOR and find a significant enhancement of slow meteors compared to earlier treatments. However, when the data set is severely restricted to include only meteors with very small uncertainties in speed, the fraction of slow meteors is substantially reduced, indicating that speed uncertainties must be carefully handled.

Improvement of Superplasticity in High-Mg Aluminum Alloys by Sacrifice of Some Room Temperature Formability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, H.; Amirkhiz, B. Shalchi; Lloyd, D. J.

2018-03-01

The mechanical properties of fully annealed Al-4.6 wt pct Mg alloys with different levels of Mn and Fe have been characterized at room and superplastic forming (SPF) temperatures. The effects of Mn and Fe on the intermetallic phase, grain structure, and cavitation were investigated and correlated to the formability at different temperatures. Although both Mn and Fe contribute to the formation of Al6(Mn,Fe) phase, which refines the grain structure by particle-stimulated nucleation and Zener pinning, their effects are different. An increasing Mn reduces the room temperature formability due to the increasing number of intermetallic particles, but significantly improves the superplasticity by fine grain size-induced grain boundary sliding. Meanwhile, the Fe makes the constituent particles very coarse, resulting in reduced formability at all temperatures due to extensive cavitation. A combination of high Mn and low Fe is therefore beneficial to SPF, while low levels of both elements are good for cold forming. Consequently, the superplasticity of high-Mg aluminum alloys can be significantly improved by modifying the chemical composition with sacrifice of some room temperature formability.

Surface application of soybean peroxidase and calcium peroxide for reducing odorous VOC emissions from swine manure slurry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate and compare topical and fully mixed treatments of soybean peroxidase and calcium peroxide (SBP/CaO2) for reducing odorous volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from swine manure slurry. The five treatments consisted of a control, the fully mixed ...

Exact Solutions for Stokes' Flow of a Non-Newtonian Nanofluid Model: A Lie Similarity Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziz, Taha; Aziz, A.; Khalique, C. M.

2016-07-01

The fully developed time-dependent flow of an incompressible, thermodynamically compatible non-Newtonian third-grade nanofluid is investigated. The classical Stokes model is considered in which the flow is generated due to the motion of the plate in its own plane with an impulsive velocity. The Lie symmetry approach is utilised to convert the governing nonlinear partial differential equation into different linear and nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The reduced ordinary differential equations are then solved by using the compatibility and generalised group method. Exact solutions for the model equation are deduced in the form of closed-form exponential functions which are not available in the literature before. In addition, we also derived the conservation laws associated with the governing model. Finally, the physical features of the pertinent parameters are discussed in detail through several graphs.

From Glass Formation to Icosahedral Ordering by Curving Three-Dimensional Space.

PubMed

Turci, Francesco; Tarjus, Gilles; Royall, C Patrick

2017-05-26

Geometric frustration describes the inability of a local molecular arrangement, such as icosahedra found in metallic glasses and in model atomic glass formers, to tile space. Local icosahedral order, however, is strongly frustrated in Euclidean space, which obscures any causal relationship with the observed dynamical slowdown. Here we relieve frustration in a model glass-forming liquid by curving three-dimensional space onto the surface of a 4-dimensional hypersphere. For sufficient curvature, frustration vanishes and the liquid "freezes" in a fully icosahedral structure via a sharp "transition." Frustration increases upon reducing the curvature, and the transition to the icosahedral state smoothens while glassy dynamics emerge. Decreasing the curvature leads to decoupling between dynamical and structural length scales and the decrease of kinetic fragility. This sheds light on the observed glass-forming behavior in Euclidean space.

Cosolvent effects on the drug release and depot swelling in injectable in situ depot-forming systems.

PubMed

Liu, Hui; Venkatraman, Subbu S

2012-05-01

Although injectable depot-forming solutions have been commercialized, the factors that influence the overall release kinetics from such systems are still not fully understood. In this work, we address the effect of cosolvent on the issue of excessive burst release of potent bioactives from injectable depot-forming solutions. Specifically, we have evaluated the influence of addition of a relatively hydrophobic cosolvent (triacetin) to more hydrophilic biocompatible solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) on the burst release. Drug release and solvent release results demonstrate that high burst release that occurred when only hydrophilic solvent was used as solvent was significantly reduced by adding triacetin as a cosolvent. The profiles of drug release were in good agreement with the profiles of the hydrophilic solvent DMSO or NMP release, and the suppression of the burst by triacetin addition is due to the suppression of the solvent release. Surprisingly, the swelling of the depot increased with triacetin amount and the depot morphology became more porous compared with the absence of triacetin. Usage of hydrophobic solvent as a cosolvent to reduce the burst release was shown to be more effective on the hydrophobic PdlLA depot and less effective on the relatively hydrophilic RG502 depot. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A fast, time-accurate unsteady full potential scheme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shankar, V.; Ide, H.; Gorski, J.; Osher, S.

1985-01-01

The unsteady form of the full potential equation is solved in conservation form by an implicit method based on approximate factorization. At each time level, internal Newton iterations are performed to achieve time accuracy and computational efficiency. A local time linearization procedure is introduced to provide a good initial guess for the Newton iteration. A novel flux-biasing technique is applied to generate proper forms of the artificial viscosity to treat hyperbolic regions with shocks and sonic lines present. The wake is properly modeled by accounting not only for jumps in phi, but also for jumps in higher derivatives of phi, obtained by imposing the density to be continuous across the wake. The far field is modeled using the Riemann invariants to simulate nonreflecting boundary conditions. The resulting unsteady method performs well which, even at low reduced frequency levels of 0.1 or less, requires fewer than 100 time steps per cycle at transonic Mach numbers. The code is fully vectorized for the CRAY-XMP and the VPS-32 computers.

How do light harvesting proteins support long lived quantum coherences

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-31

the structural basis for these two forms, our aim is to generate hybrid proteins via synthetic biology approaches. We have shown that we can fully...SUBJECT TERMS quantum biology , light harvesting, photosynthesis, AOARD 16.  SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17.  LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT SAR 18.  NUMBER OF...these two forms, our aim is to generate hybrid proteins via synthetic biology approaches. We have shown that we can fully unfold and separate the

Method for forming pyrrone molding powders and products of said method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, C. T.; Mchenry, R. J. (Inventor)

1972-01-01

The formation of pyrrone resins of the ladder or semiladder structure is described. The technique involves initial formation of fully cyclized prepolymers having an average degree of polymerization of about 1.5, one with acidic terminal groups, another with amine terminal groups. Thereafter the prepolymers are intimately admixed on a 1:1 stoichiometric basis. The resulting powder mixture is molded at elevated pressures and temperatures to form a fully cyclized resin.

Evidence of dithionite contribution to the low-frequency resonance Raman spectrum of reduced and mixed-valence cytochrome c oxidase.

PubMed

Centeno, J A

1992-02-01

The resonance Raman spectra of deoxygenated solutions of mixed-valence cyanide-bound and fully reduced cytochrome oxidase derivatives that have been reduced in the presence of aqueous or solid sodium dithionite exhibit two new low-frequency lines centered at 474 and 590 cm-1. These lines were not observed when the reductant system was changed to a solution containing ascorbate and N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD). Under enzyme turnover conditions, the addition of dithionite to the reoxidized protein (the 428-nm or "oxygenated" form) increases the intensity of these lines, while reoxidation and rereduction of the enzyme in the presence of ascorbate/TMPD resulted in the absence of both lines. Our data suggest that both lines must have contributions from species formed from aqueous dithionite, presumably the SO2 species, since these two lines are also observed in the Raman spectrum of a solution of aqueous dithionite, but not in the spectrum of an ascorbate/TMPD solution. Since heme metal-ligand stretch vibrations are expected to appear in the low-frequency region from 215 to 670 cm-1, our results indicate that special care should be exercised during the interpretation of the cytochrome a3 resonance Raman spectrum.

Electrohydraulic Forming of Near-Net Shape Automotive Panels

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

Golovaschenko, Sergey F.

2013-09-26

The objective of this project was to develop the electrohydraulic forming (EHF) process as a near-net shape automotive panel manufacturing technology that simultaneously reduces the energy embedded in vehicles and the energy consumed while producing automotive structures. Pulsed pressure is created via a shockwave generated by the discharge of high voltage capacitors through a pair of electrodes in a liquid-filled chamber. The shockwave in the liquid initiated by the expansion of the plasma channel formed between two electrodes propagates towards the blank and causes the blank to be deformed into a one-sided die cavity. The numerical model of the EHFmore » process was validated experimentally and was successfully applied to the design of the electrode system and to a multi-electrode EHF chamber for full scale validation of the process. The numerical model was able to predict stresses in the dies during pulsed forming and was validated by the experimental study of the die insert failure mode for corner filling operations. The electrohydraulic forming process and its major subsystems, including durable electrodes, an EHF chamber, a water/air management system, a pulse generator and integrated process controls, were validated to be capable to operate in a fully automated, computer controlled mode for forming of a portion of a full-scale sheet metal component in laboratory conditions. Additionally, the novel processes of electrohydraulic trimming and electrohydraulic calibration were demonstrated at a reduced-scale component level. Furthermore, a hybrid process combining conventional stamping with EHF was demonstrated as a laboratory process for a full-scale automotive panel formed out of AHSS material. The economic feasibility of the developed EHF processes was defined by developing a cost model of the EHF process in comparison to the conventional stamping process.« less

An Investigation of Fully Modulated, Turbulent Diffusion Flames in Reduced Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hermanson, J. C.; Johari, H.; Usowicz, J. E.; Sangras, R.; Stocker, D. P.; Hegde, U. G.; Nagashima, T.; Obata, S.

2001-01-01

Pulsed combustion appears to have the potential to provide for rapid fuel/air mixing, compact and economical combustors, and reduced exhaust emissions. The objective of this Flight-Definition experiment (PuFF, for Pulsed-Fully Flames) is to increase the fundamental understanding of the fuel/air mixing and combustion behavior of pulsed, turbulent diffusion flames by conducting experiments in microgravity. In this research the fuel jet is fully modulated (i.e., completely shut off between pulses) by an externally controlled valve system. This gives rise to drastic modification of the combustion and flow characteristics of flames, leading to enhanced fuel/air mixing mechanisms not operative for the case of acoustically excited or partially-modulated jets. The fully-modulated injection approach also simplifies the combustion process by avoiding the acoustic forcing generally present in pulsed combustors. Relatively little is known about the behavior of turbulent flames in reduced-gravity conditions, even in the absence of pulsing. Fundamental issues addressed in this experiment include the impact of buoyancy on the fuel/air mixing and combustion characteristics of fully-modulated flames. It is also important for the planned space experiments to establish the effects of confinement and oxidizer co-flow on these flames.

[Prevention of cardiovascular diseases].

PubMed

Prochaska, J H; Arnold, N; Jünger, C; Münzel, T; Wild, P S

2018-02-01

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases can be reduced by the early detection and targeted treatment of risk factors and subclinical forms of the disease. Primary prevention provides several opportunities for successful interventions. In addition to a drug-based therapy, especially life style-modifying measures, such as physical activity, normalization of body weight, consistent nicotine abstinence and the consideration of psychosocial aspects represent core components of prevention programs. Healthcare data indicate that risk factors still often remain undetected and that the full potential of risk factor management has not yet been fully exploited at a population level. Especially motivation of patients and adherence to therapy represent key elements of successful prevention efforts.

Metal Additive Manufacturing: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frazier, William E.

2014-06-01

This paper reviews the state-of-the-art of an important, rapidly emerging, manufacturing technology that is alternatively called additive manufacturing (AM), direct digital manufacturing, free form fabrication, or 3D printing, etc. A broad contextual overview of metallic AM is provided. AM has the potential to revolutionize the global parts manufacturing and logistics landscape. It enables distributed manufacturing and the productions of parts-on-demand while offering the potential to reduce cost, energy consumption, and carbon footprint. This paper explores the material science, processes, and business consideration associated with achieving these performance gains. It is concluded that a paradigm shift is required in order to fully exploit AM potential.

Corrosion resistant positive electrode for high-temperature, secondary electrochemical cell

DOEpatents

Otto, Neil C.; Warner, Barry T.; Smaga, John A.; Battles, James E.

1983-01-01

The corrosion rate of low carbon steel within a positive electrode of a high-temperature, secondary electrochemical cell that includes FeS as active material is substantially reduced by incorporating therein finely divided iron powder in stoichiometric excess to the amount required to form FeS in the fully charged electrode. The cell typically includes an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal as negative electrode active material and a molten metal halide salt as electrolyte. The excess iron permits use of inexpensive carbon steel alloys that are substantially free of the costly corrosion resistant elements chromium, nickel and molybdenum while avoiding shorten cell life resulting from high corrosion rates.

Corrosion resistant positive electrode for high-temperature, secondary electrochemical cell

DOEpatents

Otto, N.C.; Warner, B.T.; Smaga, J.A.; Battles, J.E.

1982-07-07

The corrosion rate of low carbon steel within a positive electrode of a high-temperature, secondary electrochemical cell that includes FeS as active material is substantially reduced by incorporating therein finely divided iron powder in stoichiometric excess to the amount required to form FeS in the fully charged electrode. The cell typically includes an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal as negative electrode active material and a molten metal halide salt as electrolyte. The excess iron permits use of inexpensive carbon steel alloys that are substantially free of the costly corrosion resistant elements chromium, nickel and molybdenum while avoiding shorten cell life resulting from high corrosion rates.

Stability of human interferon-beta 1: oligomeric human interferon-beta 1 is inactive but is reactivated by monomerization.

PubMed

Utsumi, J; Yamazaki, S; Kawaguchi, K; Kimura, S; Shimizu, H

1989-10-05

Human interferon-beta 1 is extremely stable is a low ionic strength solution of pH 2 such as 10 mM HCl at 37 degrees C. However, the presence of 0.15 M NaCl led to a remarkable loss of antiviral activity. The molecular-sieve high-performance liquid chromatography revealed that, whereas completely active human interferon-beta 1 eluted as a 25 kDa species (monomeric form), the inactivated preparation eluted primarily as a 90 kDa species (oligomeric form). The specific activity (units per mg protein) of the oligomeric form was approx. 10% of that of the monomeric form. This observation shows that oligomeric human interferon-beta 1 is apparently in an inactive form. When the oligomeric eluate was resolved by polyacrylamide gel containing sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), it appeared to be monomeric under non-reducing conditions. Monomerization of the oligomeric human interferon-beta 1 by treatment with 1% SDS, fully regenerated its antiviral activity. These results suggest that the inactivation of the human interferon-beta 1 preparation was caused by its oligomerization via hydrophobic interactions without the formation of intermolecular disulphide bonds. These oligomers can be dissociated by SDS to restore biological activity.

5 CFR 831.612 - Election at time of retirement of a fully reduced annuity or a partially reduced annuity to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Election at time of retirement of a fully... Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) RETIREMENT Survivor Annuities Elections at the Time of Retirement § 831.612 Election at time of retirement of...

Functional characterization of Mia40p, the central component of the disulfide relay system of the mitochondrial intermembrane space.

PubMed

Grumbt, Barbara; Stroobant, Vincent; Terziyska, Nadia; Israel, Lars; Hell, Kai

2007-12-28

Mia40p and Erv1p are components of a translocation pathway for the import of cysteine-rich proteins into the intermembrane space of mitochondria. We have characterized the redox behavior of Mia40p and reconstituted the disulfide transfer system of Mia40p by using recombinant functional C-terminal fragment of Mia40p, Mia40C, and Erv1p. Oxidized Mia40p contains three intramolecular disulfide bonds. One disulfide bond connects the first two cysteine residues in the CPC motif. The second and the third bonds belong to the twin CX(9)C motif and bridge the cysteine residues of two CX(9)C segments. In contrast to the stabilizing disulfide bonds of the twin CX(9)C motif, the first disulfide bond was easily accessible to reducing agents. Partially reduced Mia40C generated by opening of this bond as well as fully reduced Mia40C were oxidized by Erv1p in vitro. In the course of this reaction, mixed disulfides of Mia40C and Erv1p were formed. Reoxidation of fully reduced Mia40C required the presence of the first two cysteine residues in Mia40C. However, efficient reoxidation of a Mia40C variant containing only the cysteine residues of the twin CX(9)C motif was observed when in addition to Erv1p low amounts of wild type Mia40C were present. In the reconstituted system the thiol oxidase Erv1p was sufficient to transfer disulfide bonds to Mia40C, which then could oxidize the variant of Mia40C. In summary, we reconstituted a disulfide relay system consisting of Mia40C and Erv1p.

On the Self-Stigma of Mental Illness: Stages, Disclosure, and Strategies for Change

PubMed Central

Corrigan, Patrick W.; Rao, Deepa

2012-01-01

People with mental illness have long experienced prejudice and discrimination. Researchers have been able to study this phenomenon as stigma and have begun to examine ways of reducing this stigma. Public stigma is the most prominent form observed and studied, as it represents the prejudice and discrimination directed at a group by the larger population. Self-stigma occurs when people internalize these public attitudes and suffer numerous negative consequences as a result. In this article, we more fully define the concept of self-stigma and describe the negative consequences of self-stigma for people with mental illness. We also examine the advantages and disadvantages of disclosure in reducing the impact of stigma. In addition, we argue that a key to challenging self-stigma is to promote personal empowerment. Lastly, we discuss individual and societal level methods for reducing self-stigma, programs led by peers as well as those led by social service providers. PMID:22854028

Influence of Heat Treatment on Mercury Cavitation Resistance of Surface Hardened 316LN Stainless Steel

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

Pawel, Steven J; Hsu, Julia

2010-11-01

The cavitation-erosion resistance of carburized 316LN stainless steel was significantly degraded but not destroyed by heat treatment in the temperature range 500-800 C. The heat treatments caused rejection of some carbon from the carburized layer into an amorphous film that formed on each specimen surface. Further, the heat treatments encouraged carbide precipitation and reduced hardness within the carburized layer, but the overall change did not reduce surface hardness fully to the level of untreated material. Heat treatments as short as 10 min at 650 C substantially reduced cavitation-erosion resistance in mercury, while heat treatments at 500 and 800 C weremore » found to be somewhat less detrimental. Overall, the results suggest that modest thermal excursions perhaps the result of a weld made at some distance to the carburized material or a brief stress relief treatment will not render the hardened layer completely ineffective but should be avoided to the greatest extent possible.« less

Near-infrared fundus autofluorescence in subclinical best vitelliform macular dystrophy.

PubMed

Parodi, Maurizio Battaglia; Iacono, Pierluigi; Del Turco, Claudia; Bandello, Francesco

2014-12-01

To describe fundus autofluorescence (FAF) on short-wavelength FAF and near-infrared FAF in the subclinical form of Best vitelliform macular dystrophy. Cross-sectional prospective study. Patients affected by the subclinical form of Best vitelliform macular dystrophy (positive testing for BEST1 gene mutation, fully preserved best-corrected visual acuity, normal fundus appearance) were recruited. Each patient underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, including electro-oculogram (EOG), short-wavelength FAF, near-infrared FAF, spectral-domain OCT (SD OCT), and microperimetry. Main outcome measure was the identification of abnormal FAF patterns. Forty-six patients showing mutations in the BEST1 gene were examined. Forty patients presented a bilateral Best vitelliform macular dystrophy, 2 patients showed a unilateral Best vitelliform macular dystrophy, and 4 patients had a bilateral subclinical form. Patients with the unilateral form (2 eyes) and patients with the subclinical form (8 eyes) were analyzed. Three BEST1 sequence variants were identified: c.73C>T (p.Arg25Trp), c.28G>A (p.Ala10Thr), and c.652C>G (p.Arg218Gly). Short-wavelength FAF was normal in all eyes. Near-infrared FAF detected a pattern consisting of a central hypo-autofluorescence surrounded by a round area of hyper-autofluorescence. A bilateral reduced EOG response was detected in 1 patient. SD OCT revealed a thicker, well-defined, and more reflective interdigitation zone in 2 patients (4 eyes, 40%). Microperimetry of the central 10 degrees revealed a slight, diffuse reduction of retinal sensitivity. Mean retinal sensitivity within the central 2 and 4 degrees was lower and matched the hypo-autofluorescent area detected on near-infrared FAF. Additional relative scotomata were detected within the 10-degree area. No change in clinical, functional, or FAF pattern was found over the follow-up. Subclinical Best vitelliform macular dystrophy is characterized by the absence of biomicroscopic fundus abnormality and fully preserved visual acuity, but shows an abnormal near-infrared FAF pattern, with central hypo-autofluorescence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Urnaloricus gadi nov. gen. et nov. sp. (Loricifera, Urnaloricidae nov. fam.), an aberrant Loricifera with a viviparous pedogenetic life cycle.

PubMed

Heiner, Iben; Kristensen, Reinhardt Møbjerg

2009-02-01

A new species of Loricifera, Urnaloricus gadi nov. gen. et nov. sp., is described from the Faroe Bank, located Southwest of the Faroe Islands, North Atlantic. The new species does not fit into any known families of Loricifera and therefore it is grouped into a new family Urnaloricidae nov. fam. The new species is characterized by having a very complicated life cycle that involves a large cyst-like mega-larva, two reduced larval instars and the Higgins-larvae eating their maternal stage from within. An adult stage is missing. This form of reproduction is called viviparous pedogenesis and normally is found only in nematodes and insects. In the life cycle of Urnaloricidae nov. fam., there are two types of free-living larval stages: a Higgins-larva and a mega-larva. The latter is found in two different forms, a pre- and a cyst-forming mega-larva. Additionally, there are two reduced life history stages, the reduced larval stage (probably a postlarva) and the ghost-larval stage inside the cyst-forming mega-larva. The external morphology of the two forms of mega-larvae is much reduced, e.g., the introvert has only a few rows of scalids when compared with the Higgins-larva. The pre mega-larva is free-living and can sometimes be covered with coccoliths. Internally, a large ovary with a few oocytes, a digestive system, and an internal armature with retracted scalids are present. The pre mega-larva presumably molts into a cyst-forming mega-larva and thereby the ovary is now seen inside the cyst-forming mega-larva. The cyst-forming mega-larva has the same structures as in the pre mega-larva though here the scalids are protruded and there is a gonopore. Inside the cyst-forming mega-larva the ovary produces more oocytes and begins to fill out the entire lumen. At this stage the cyst-forming mega-larva molts first to the presumed postlarval stage, and then this stage molts to a ghost-larva. Hence, the ovary now matures inside the ghost-larva, which is surrounded by both the cuticle of the reduced postlarval stage and the cuticle of the cyst-forming mega-larva. The oocytes mature into eggs, and then into embryos and finally into Higgins-larvae while reabsorbing all the tissue of their maternal stage, the ghost-larva. During this maturation the cuticle of the cyst-forming mega-larva starts to harden and become cyst-like. The fully developed Higgins-larvae emerge through the gonopore of the cyst-forming mega-larva by penetrating the thin cuticles of the ghost-larva and the postlarva. The embryos have holoblastic radial cleavage and later a fluid-filled blastocoel is formed. The eggshells are extremely elastic; hence, they can become very elongated as the embryos mature into Higgins-larvae. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Selenium-containing organic nanoparticles as silent precursors for ultra-sensitive thiol-responsive transmembrane anion transport.

PubMed

Lang, Chao; Zhang, Xin; Dong, Zeyuan; Luo, Quan; Qiao, Shanpeng; Huang, Zupeng; Fan, Xiaotong; Xu, Jiayun; Liu, Junqiu

2016-02-07

An anion transporter with a selenoxide group was able to form nanoparticles in water, whose activity was fully turned off due to the aggregation effect. The formed nanoparticles have a uniform size and can be readily dispersed in water at high concentrations. Turn-on of the nanoparticles by reducing molecules is proposed to be a combined process, including the reduction of selenoxide to selenide, disassembly of the nanoparticles and location of the transporter to the lipid membrane. Accordingly, a special acceleration phase can be observed in the turn-on kinetic curves. Since turn-on of the nanoparticles is quantitatively related to the amount of reductant, the nanoparticles can be activated in a step-by-step manner. Due to the sensibility of this system to thiols, cysteine can be detected at low nanomolar concentrations. This ultra-sensitive thiol-responsive transmembrane anion transport system is quite promising in biological applications.

DEVELOP NEW TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON/SPECIFIC UV ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The purpose of this project is to provide a total organic carbon (TOC)/specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) method that will be used by the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW) to support monitoring requirements of the Stage 2 Disinfectant/Disinfection By-products (D/DBP) Rule. The Stage 2 Rule requires that enhanced water treatment be used if the source water is high in aquatic organic matter prior to the application of a disinfectant. Disinfectants (chlorine, ozone, etc.) are used in the production of drinking water in order to reduce the risk of microbial disease. These disinfectants react with the organic material that is naturally present in the source water to form disinfection by-products (DBPs). Exposure to some of these by-products may pose a long term health risk. The number and nature of DBPs make it impossible to fully characterize all of the by-products formed during the treatment of drinking water and it is more cost effective to reduce formation of DBPs than to remove them from the water after they are formed. Two measurements (TOC and SUVA) are believed to be predictive of the amount of by-products that can be formed during the disinfection of drinking water and are considered to be surrogates for DBP precursors. SUVA is calculated as the ultraviolet absorption at 254nm (UV254) in cm-1 divided by the mg/L dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration (measured after filtration of the water through a 0.45um pore-diameter filte

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.

Time-resolved single-turnover of caa(3) oxidase from Thermus thermophilus. Fifth electron of the fully reduced enzyme converts O(H) into E(H) state.

PubMed

Siletsky, Sergey A; Belevich, Ilya; Belevich, Nikolai P; Soulimane, Tewfik; Verkhovsky, Michael I

2011-09-01

The oxidative part of the catalytic cycle of the caa(3)-type cytochrome c oxidase from Thermus thermophilus was followed by time-resolved optical spectroscopy. Rate constants, chemical nature and the spectral properties of the catalytic cycle intermediates (Compounds A, P, F) reproduce generally the features typical for the aa(3)-type oxidases with some distinctive peculiarities caused by the presence of an additional 5-th redox-center-a heme center of the covalently bound cytochrome c. Compound A was formed with significantly smaller yield compared to aa(3) oxidases in general and to ba(3) oxidase from the same organism. Two electrons, equilibrated between three input redox-centers: heme a, Cu(A) and heme c are transferred in a single transition to the binuclear center during reduction of the compound F, converting the binuclear center through the highly reactive O(H) state into the final product of the reaction-E(H) (one-electron reduced) state of the catalytic site. In contrast to previous works on the caa(3)-type enzymes, we concluded that the finally produced E(H) state of caa(3) oxidase is characterized by the localization of the fifth electron in the binuclear center, similar to the O(H)→E(H) transition of the aa(3)-type oxidases. So, the fully-reduced caa(3) oxidase is competent in rapid electron transfer from the input redox-centers into the catalytic heme-copper site. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear study of the parallel velocity/tearing instability using an implicit, nonlinear resistive MHD solver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chacon, L.; Finn, J. M.; Knoll, D. A.

2000-10-01

Recently, a new parallel velocity instability has been found.(J. M. Finn, Phys. Plasmas), 2, 12 (1995) This mode is a tearing mode driven unstable by curvature effects and sound wave coupling in the presence of parallel velocity shear. Under such conditions, linear theory predicts that tearing instabilities will grow even in situations in which the classical tearing mode is stable. This could then be a viable seed mechanism for the neoclassical tearing mode, and hence a non-linear study is of interest. Here, the linear and non-linear stages of this instability are explored using a fully implicit, fully nonlinear 2D reduced resistive MHD code,(L. Chacon et al), ``Implicit, Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov 2D reduced resistive MHD nonlinear solver,'' submitted to J. Comput. Phys. (2000) including viscosity and particle transport effects. The nonlinear implicit time integration is performed using the Newton-Raphson iterative algorithm. Krylov iterative techniques are employed for the required algebraic matrix inversions, implemented Jacobian-free (i.e., without ever forming and storing the Jacobian matrix), and preconditioned with a ``physics-based'' preconditioner. Nonlinear results indicate that, for large total plasma beta and large parallel velocity shear, the instability results in the generation of large poloidal shear flows and large magnetic islands even in regimes when the classical tearing mode is absolutely stable. For small viscosity, the time asymptotic state can be turbulent.

Hexagonal undersampling for faster MRI near metallic implants.

PubMed

Sveinsson, Bragi; Worters, Pauline W; Gold, Garry E; Hargreaves, Brian A

2015-02-01

Slice encoding for metal artifact correction acquires a three-dimensional image of each excited slice with view-angle tilting to reduce slice and readout direction artifacts respectively, but requires additional imaging time. The purpose of this study was to provide a technique for faster imaging around metallic implants by undersampling k-space. Assuming that areas of slice distortion are localized, hexagonal sampling can reduce imaging time by 50% compared with conventional scans. This work demonstrates this technique by comparisons of fully sampled images with undersampled images, either from simulations from fully acquired data or from data actually undersampled during acquisition, in patients and phantoms. Hexagonal sampling is also shown to be compatible with parallel imaging and partial Fourier acquisitions. Image quality was evaluated using a structural similarity (SSIM) index. Images acquired with hexagonal undersampling had no visible difference in artifact suppression from fully sampled images. The SSIM index indicated high similarity to fully sampled images in all cases. The study demonstrates the ability to reduce scan time by undersampling without compromising image quality. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Soil sampling device with latch assembly having a variable circumferential shape

DOEpatents

Meyer, R.D.

1996-12-24

The invention relates to an improved sampler which can be operated in any orientation. The design features a positive gripping of the operating rod in a manner to reduce point loads so as to reduce any possibility of jamming of the rod on a retraction stroke until such time as it is positively retained in the fully withdrawn position. In the preferred embodiment, a pair of mating cylindrical latch pieces, held together by a circumferential spring, are used for positive actuation. The inner rod has an angular cut-out which provides the base for the latch when aligned with the latch. A release fixture can be used to free the latch from the cone rod after actuation. The latches are formed in such a manner as they may support themselves within the housing of the sampler until they engage the operating rod. 11 figs.

Soil sampling device with latch assembly having a variable circumferential shape

DOEpatents

Meyer, Robert D.

1996-01-01

The invention relates to an improved sampler which can be operated in any orientation. The design features a positive gripping of the operating rod in a manner to reduce point loads so as to reduce any possibility of jamming of the rod on a retraction stroke until such time as it is positively retained in the fully withdrawn position. In the preferred embodiment, a pair of mating cylindrical latch pieces, held together by a circumferential spring, are used for positive actuation. The inner rod has an angular cut-out which provides the base for the latch when aligned with the latch. A release fixture can be used to free the latch from the cone rod after actuation. The latches are formed in such a manner as they may support themselves within the housing of the sampler until they engage the operating rod.

RecQL5 promotes genome stabilization through two parallel mechanisms--interacting with RNA polymerase II and acting as a helicase.

PubMed

Islam, M Nurul; Fox, David; Guo, Rong; Enomoto, Takemi; Wang, Weidong

2010-05-01

The RecQL5 helicase is essential for maintaining genome stability and reducing cancer risk. To elucidate its mechanism of action, we purified a RecQL5-associated complex and identified its major component as RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Bioinformatics and structural modeling-guided mutagenesis revealed two conserved regions in RecQL5 as KIX and SRI domains, already known in transcriptional regulators for Pol II. The RecQL5-KIX domain binds both initiation (Pol IIa) and elongation (Pol IIo) forms of the polymerase, whereas the RecQL5-SRI domain interacts only with the elongation form. Fully functional RecQL5 requires both helicase activity and associations with the initiation polymerase, because mutants lacking either activity are partially defective in the suppression of sister chromatid exchange and resistance to camptothecin-induced DNA damage, and mutants lacking both activities are completely defective. We propose that RecQL5 promotes genome stabilization through two parallel mechanisms: by participation in homologous recombination-dependent DNA repair as a RecQ helicase and by regulating the initiation of Pol II to reduce transcription-associated replication impairment and recombination.

Uremic Toxicity of Advanced Glycation End Products in CKD

PubMed Central

Stinghen, Andréa E.M.; Massy, Ziad A.; Vlassara, Helen; Striker, Gary E.

2016-01-01

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), a heterogeneous group of compounds formed by nonenzymatic glycation reactions between reducing sugars and amino acids, lipids, or DNA, are formed not only in the presence of hyperglycemia, but also in diseases associated with high levels of oxidative stress, such as CKD. In chronic renal failure, higher circulating AGE levels result from increased formation and decreased renal clearance. Interactions between AGEs and their receptors, including advanced glycation end product–specific receptor (RAGE), trigger various intracellular events, such as oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to cardiovascular complications. Although patients with CKD have a higher burden of cardiovascular disease, the relationship between AGEs and cardiovascular disease in patients with CKD is not fully characterized. In this paper, we review the various deleterious effects of AGEs in CKD that lead to cardiovascular complications and the role of these AGEs in diabetic nephropathy. We also discuss potential pharmacologic approaches to circumvent these deleterious effects by reducing exogenous and endogenous sources of AGEs, increasing the breakdown of existing AGEs, or inhibiting AGE-induced inflammation. Finally, we speculate on preventive and therapeutic strategies that focus on the AGE-RAGE axis to prevent vascular complications in patients with CKD. PMID:26311460

Absence of residual structure in the intrinsically disordered regulatory protein CP12 in its reduced state

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

Launay, Hélène; Barré, Patrick; Puppo, Carine

2016-08-12

The redox switch protein CP12 is a key player of the regulation of the Benson–Calvin cycle. Its oxidation state is controlled by the formation/dissociation of two intramolecular disulphide bridges during the day/night cycle. CP12 was known to be globally intrinsically disordered on a large scale in its reduced state, while being partly ordered in the oxidised state. By combining Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Small Angle X-ray Scattering experiments, we showed that, contrary to secondary structure or disorder predictions, reduced CP12 is fully disordered, with no transient or local residual structure likely to be precursor of the structures identified in themore » oxidised active state and/or in the bound state with GAPDH or PRK. These results highlight the diversity of the mechanisms of regulation of conditionally disordered redox switches, and question the stability of oxidised CP12 scaffold. - Highlights: • CP12 is predicted to form two helices in its N-terminal sequence. • Reduced CP12 is disordered as a random coil according to SAXS. • Limited or no transient structures are observed in reduced CP12 by NMR.« less

A new design concept of fully grouted rock bolts in underground construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phich Nguyen, Quang; Nguyen, Van Manh; Tuong Nguyen, Ke

2018-04-01

The main problem after excavating an underground excavation is to maintain the stability of the excavation for a certain period of time. Failure in meeting this demand is a threat to safety of men and equipment. Support and reinforcement are different instruments with different mechanisms. Among the common support systems in tunnelling and mining, rock bolts have been widely used to reinforce rock mass and also to reduce geological hazards. Furthermore rock bolts can be applied under varying different geological conditions with cost-effectiveness. Although different methods are developed for grouted rock bolts design until now, the interaction mechanism of the rock bolts and rock mass is still very complicated issue. The paper addresses an analytical model for the analysis and design of fully grouted rock bolts based on the reinforcement principle. According to this concept the jointed rock mass reinforced by grouted rock bolts is considered as composite material which includes rock mass, the grout material and the bolt shank. The mechanical properties of this composite material depend on the ratio of the components. The closed-form solution was developed based on the assumption that the rock mass arround a circular tunnel remained elastic after installing fully grouted rock bolts. The main parameters of the rock-bolt system (the diameter and length of bolt shank, the space between the bolts) are then easily estimated from the obtained solution.

A mass, momentum, and energy conserving, fully implicit, scalable algorithm for the multi-dimensional, multi-species Rosenbluth-Fokker-Planck equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taitano, W. T.; Chacón, L.; Simakov, A. N.; Molvig, K.

2015-09-01

In this study, we demonstrate a fully implicit algorithm for the multi-species, multidimensional Rosenbluth-Fokker-Planck equation which is exactly mass-, momentum-, and energy-conserving, and which preserves positivity. Unlike most earlier studies, we base our development on the Rosenbluth (rather than Landau) form of the Fokker-Planck collision operator, which reduces complexity while allowing for an optimal fully implicit treatment. Our discrete conservation strategy employs nonlinear constraints that force the continuum symmetries of the collision operator to be satisfied upon discretization. We converge the resulting nonlinear system iteratively using Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov methods, effectively preconditioned with multigrid methods for efficiency. Single- and multi-species numerical examples demonstrate the advertised accuracy properties of the scheme, and the superior algorithmic performance of our approach. In particular, the discretization approach is numerically shown to be second-order accurate in time and velocity space and to exhibit manifestly positive entropy production. That is, H-theorem behavior is indicated for all the examples we have tested. The solution approach is demonstrated to scale optimally with respect to grid refinement (with CPU time growing linearly with the number of mesh points), and timestep (showing very weak dependence of CPU time with time-step size). As a result, the proposed algorithm delivers several orders-of-magnitude speedup vs. explicit algorithms.

Exact closed-form solutions of a fully nonlinear asymptotic two-fluid model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheviakov, Alexei F.

2018-05-01

A fully nonlinear model of Choi and Camassa (1999) describing one-dimensional incompressible dynamics of two non-mixing fluids in a horizontal channel, under a shallow water approximation, is considered. An equivalence transformation is presented, leading to a special dimensionless form of the system, involving a single dimensionless constant physical parameter, as opposed to five parameters present in the original model. A first-order dimensionless ordinary differential equation describing traveling wave solutions is analyzed. Several multi-parameter families of physically meaningful exact closed-form solutions of the two-fluid model are derived, corresponding to periodic, solitary, and kink-type bidirectional traveling waves; specific examples are given, and properties of the exact solutions are analyzed.

CRIRES-POP: a library of high resolution spectra in the near-infrared. II. Data reduction and the spectrum of the K giant 10 Leonis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicholls, C. P.; Lebzelter, T.; Smette, A.; Wolff, B.; Hartman, H.; Käufl, H.-U.; Przybilla, N.; Ramsay, S.; Uttenthaler, S.; Wahlgren, G. M.; Bagnulo, S.; Hussain, G. A. J.; Nieva, M.-F.; Seemann, U.; Seifahrt, A.

2017-02-01

Context. High resolution stellar spectral atlases are valuable resources to astronomy. They are rare in the 1-5 μm region for historical reasons, but once available, high resolution atlases in this part of the spectrum will aid the study of a wide range of astrophysical phenomena. Aims: The aim of the CRIRES-POP project is to produce a high resolution near-infrared spectral library of stars across the H-R diagram. The aim of this paper is to present the fully reduced spectrum of the K giant 10 Leo that will form the basis of the first atlas within the CRIRES-POP library, to provide a full description of the data reduction processes involved, and to provide an update on the CRIRES-POP project. Methods: All CRIRES-POP targets were observed with almost 200 different observational settings of CRIRES on the ESO Very Large Telescope, resulting in a basically complete coverage of its spectral range as accessible from the ground. We reduced the spectra of 10 Leo with the CRIRES pipeline, corrected the wavelength solution and removed telluric absorption with Molecfit, then resampled the spectra to a common wavelength scale, shifted them to rest wavelengths, flux normalised, and median combined them into one final data product. Results: We present the fully reduced, high resolution, near-infrared spectrum of 10 Leo. This is also the first complete spectrum from the CRIRES instrument. The spectrum is available online. Conclusions: The first CRIRES-POP spectrum has exceeded our quality expectations and will form the centre of a state-of-the-art stellar atlas. This first CRIRES-POP atlas will soon be available, and further atlases will follow. All CRIRES-POP data products will be freely and publicly available online. The spectrum is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/598/A79

A coupled analytical model for hydrostatic response of 1-3 piezocomposites.

PubMed

Rajapakse, Nimal; Chen, Yue

2008-08-01

This study presents a fully coupled analysis of a unit cell of a 1-3 piezocomposite under hydrostatic loading. The governing equations for coupled axisymmetric electroelastic field of a transversely isotropic piezoelectric medium and a transversely isotropic elastic medium are used. A reduced form of the analytical general solutions expressed in terms of series of modified Bessel functions of the first and second kind are used. The solution of the boundary-value problem corresponding to a unit cell is presented. The effective properties of a 1-3 piezocomposite are obtained for different fiber volume fractions, polymer and piezoceramic properties, and fiber aspect ratios. Comparisons with previously reported simplified and uncoupled models are made.

Friction, Wear, and Surface Damage of Metals as Affected by Solid Surface Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bisson, Edmond E; Johnson, Robert L; Swikert, Max A; Godfrey, Douglas

1956-01-01

As predicted by friction theory, experiments showed that friction and surface damage of metals can be reduced by solid surface films. The ability of materials to form surface films that prevent welding was a very important factor in wear of dry and boundary lubricated surfaces. Films of graphitic carbon on cast irons, nio on nickel alloys, and feo and fe sub 3 o sub 4 on ferrous materials were found to be beneficial. Abrasive films such as fe sub 2 o sub 3 or moo sub 3 were definitely detrimental. It appears that the importance of oxide films to friction and wear processes has not been fully appreciated.

Forecasting carbon dioxide emissions.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiaobing; Du, Ding

2015-09-01

This study extends the literature on forecasting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by applying the reduced-form econometrics approach of Schmalensee et al. (1998) to a more recent sample period, the post-1997 period. Using the post-1997 period is motivated by the observation that the strengthening pace of global climate policy may have been accelerated since 1997. Based on our parameter estimates, we project 25% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 according to an economic and population growth scenario that is more consistent with recent global trends. Our forecasts are conservative due to that we do not have sufficient data to fully take into account recent developments in the global economy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Redox-controlled dinitrosyl formation at the diiron-oxo center of NorA.

PubMed

Cramm, Rainer; Strube, Katja

2008-01-01

In the denitrifying bacterium Ralstonia eutropha H16, the NorA protein is coproduced with the respiratory nitric oxide (NO) reductase. NorA contains a diiron-oxo center, which can form stable adducts with dioxygen and NO. In contrast to other diiron proteins, the formation of NorA-NO requires both fully reduced protein and additional electrons. A minor fraction of in vitro NorA-NO represents a paramagnetic dinitrosyl iron complex (DNIC), while the major fraction is attributed to a DNIC of the structure {Fe(NO)(2)}, which shows no electron paramagnetic resonance. The NorA-DNIC may be formed either upon direct reaction of the protein with NO or upon incubation with nitrite due to an intrinsic nitrite reduction activity of NorA that liberates NO. NorA can be purified rapidly as a six histidine-tagged derivative from overproducing cells of Escherichia coli. This chapter describes procedures for the preparation of different redox forms of NorA for the formation of NorA adducts with NO, dioxygen, and azide, as well as for the quantification of NorA-bound NO.

78 FR 6181 - Agency Information Collection (Fully Developed Claims) (Applications for Compensation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-29

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0747] Agency Information Collection (Fully Developed Claims) (Applications for Compensation; Applications for Pension; Applications for DIC, Death..., Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits, VA Form 21-534EZ. OMB Control Number: 2900-0747. Type of Review...

77 FR 64389 - Proposed Information Collection (Fully Developed Claims) (Applications for Compensation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-19

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-0747] Proposed Information Collection (Fully Developed Claims) (Applications for Compensation; Applications for Pension; Applications for DIC, Death..., Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits, VA Form 21-534EZ. OMB Control Number: 2900-0747. Type of Review...

Numerical investigation of cylinder wake flow with a rear stagnation jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, J. D.; Duke, M. R., Jr.

1994-05-01

Upon visualization of the flow past a cylinder with a rear stagnation jet (RSJ), the flow appears fully attached as conventional inviscid flow does. Therefore, at first glance, it would be suspected that the form drag on the cylinder has been reduced to zero as predicted by inviscid flow theory. However, a detailed numerical simulation reveals that the form drag coefficient increases as the jet velocity increases. The mechanics of the increasing form drag are addressed. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) flow behind a cylinder can be effectively influenced by a RSJ; (2) the unsymmetric wake flow becomes symmetric when the RSI is in operation with a velocity ratio as low as 1; the size of the symmetric recirculation region becomes smaller as the jet speed increases; (3) a RSJ forces a symmetrical wake flow pattern, thus eliminating the lateral force; (4) the pressure on the cylinder surface decreases over the entire surface, but significantly more on the downstream side of the cylinder, as the jet velocity increases, causing an increase in form drag as jet velocity ratio increases; and (5) the RSJ to significantly increase form drag on a bluff body has direct applications in aerodynamic controls of reentry or fligths at high angles of attack.

Fully convolutional neural networks for polyp segmentation in colonoscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandao, Patrick; Mazomenos, Evangelos; Ciuti, Gastone; Caliò, Renato; Bianchi, Federico; Menciassi, Arianna; Dario, Paolo; Koulaouzidis, Anastasios; Arezzo, Alberto; Stoyanov, Danail

2017-03-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and deadliest forms of cancer, accounting for nearly 10% of all forms of cancer in the world. Even though colonoscopy is considered the most effective method for screening and diagnosis, the success of the procedure is highly dependent on the operator skills and level of hand-eye coordination. In this work, we propose to adapt fully convolution neural networks (FCN), to identify and segment polyps in colonoscopy images. We converted three established networks into a fully convolution architecture and fine-tuned their learned representations to the polyp segmentation task. We validate our framework on the 2015 MICCAI polyp detection challenge dataset, surpassing the state-of-the-art in automated polyp detection. Our method obtained high segmentation accuracy and a detection precision and recall of 73.61% and 86.31%, respectively.

Age-related macular degeneration.

PubMed

Cheung, Lily K; Eaton, Angie

2013-08-01

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, and the prevalence of the disease increases exponentially with every decade after age 50 years. It is a multifactorial disease involving a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, metabolic, and functional factors. Besides smoking, hypertension, obesity, and certain dietary habits, a growing body of evidence indicates that inflammation and the immune system may play a key role in the development of the disease. AMD may progress from the early form to the intermediate form and then to the advanced form, where two subtypes exist: the nonneovascular (dry) type and the neovascular (wet) type. The results from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study have shown that for the nonneovascular type of AMD, supplementation with high-dose antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, and β-carotene) and zinc is recommended for those with the intermediate form of AMD in one or both eyes or with advanced AMD or vision loss due to AMD in one eye. As for the neovascular type of the advanced AMD, the current standard of therapy is intravitreal injections of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors. In addition, lifestyle and dietary modifications including improved physical activity, reduced daily sodium intake, and reduced intake of solid fats, added sugars, cholesterol, and refined grain foods are recommended. To date, no study has demonstrated that AMD can be cured or effectively prevented. Clearly, more research is needed to fully understand the pathophysiology as well as to develop prevention and treatment strategies for this devastating disease. © 2013 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

Candidate for a fully frustrated square lattice in a verdazyl-based salt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, H.; Tamekuni, Y.; Iwasaki, Y.; Hosokoshi, Y.

2018-05-01

We present an experimental realization of an S =1 /2 fully frustrated square lattice (FFSL) composed of a verdazyl-based salt (p -MePy-V) (TCNQ ) .(CH3)2CO . Ab initio molecular orbital calculations indicate that there are four types of competing ferro- and antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor interactions present in the system, which combine to form an S =1 /2 FFSL. Below room temperature, the magnetic susceptibility of the material can be considered to arise from the S =1 /2 FFSL formed by the p -MePy-V and indicates that the system forms a quantum valence-bond solid state whose excitation energy is gapped. Furthermore, we also observe semiconducting behavior arising from the one-dimensional chain structure of the TCNQ molecules.

Method of forming and assembly of metal and ceramic parts

DOEpatents

Ripley, Edward B

2014-04-22

A method of forming and assembling at least two parts together that may be metal, ceramic, or a combination of metal and ceramic parts. Such parts may have different CTE. Individual parts that are formed and sintered from particles leave a network of interconnecting porosity in each sintered part. The separate parts are assembled together and then a fill material is infiltrated into the assembled parts using a method such as capillary action, gravity, and/or pressure. The assembly is then cured to yield a bonded and fully or near-fully dense part that has the desired physical and mechanical properties for the part's intended purpose. Structural strength may be added to the parts by the inclusion of fibrous materials.

Method of forming and assembly of metal parts and ceramic parts

DOEpatents

Ripley, Edward B [Knoxville, TN

2011-11-22

A method of forming and assembling at least two parts together that may be metal, ceramic, or a combination of metal and ceramic parts. Such parts may have different CTE. Individual parts that are formed and sintered from particles leave a network of interconnecting porosity in each sintered part. The separate parts are assembled together and then a fill material is infiltrated into the assembled parts using a method such as capillary action, gravity, and/or pressure. The assembly is then cured to yield a bonded and fully or near-fully dense part that has the desired physical and mechanical properties for the part's intended purpose. Structural strength may be added to the parts by the inclusion of fibrous materials.

Synchronous Distance Education: Using Web-Conferencing in an MBA Accounting Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellingson, Dee Ann; Notbohm, Matthew

2012-01-01

Online distance education can take many forms, from a correspondence course with materials online to fully synchronous, live instruction. This paper describes a fully synchronous, live format using web-conferencing. Some useful features of web-conferencing and the way they are employed in this course are described. Instructor observations and…

The oxidoreductase ERp57 efficiently reduces partially folded in preference to fully folded MHC class I molecules

PubMed Central

Antoniou, Antony N.; Ford, Stuart; Alphey, Magnus; Osborne, Andrew; Elliott, Tim; Powis, Simon J.

2002-01-01

The oxidoreductase ERp57 is an integral component of the peptide loading complex of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules, formed during their chaperone-assisted assembly in the endoplasmic reticulum. Misfolded MHC class I molecules or those denied suitable peptides are retrotranslocated and degraded in the cytosol. The presence of ERp57 during class I assembly suggests it may be involved in the reduction of intrachain disulfides prior to retrotranslocation. We have studied the ability of ERp57 to reduce MHC class I molecules in vitro. Recombinant ERp57 specifically reduced partially folded MHC class I molecules, whereas it had little or no effect on folded and peptide-loaded MHC class I molecules. Reductase activity was associated with cysteines at positions 56 and 405 of ERp57, the N-terminal residues of the active CXXC motifs. Our data suggest that the reductase activity of ERp57 may be involved during the unfolding of MHC class I molecules, leading to targeting for degradation. PMID:12032078

Integrating Test-Form Formatting into Automated Test Assembly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diao, Qi; van der Linden, Wim J.

2013-01-01

Automated test assembly uses the methodology of mixed integer programming to select an optimal set of items from an item bank. Automated test-form generation uses the same methodology to optimally order the items and format the test form. From an optimization point of view, production of fully formatted test forms directly from the item pool using…

Reactions of electron-transfer flavoprotein and electron-transfer flavoprotein: ubiquinone oxidoreductase.

PubMed Central

Ramsay, R R; Steenkamp, D J; Husain, M

1987-01-01

Electron-transfer flavoprotein:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (ETF-Q oxidoreductase) catalyses the re-oxidation of reduced electron-transfer flavoprotein (ETF) with ubiquinone-1 (Q-1) as the electron acceptor. A kinetic assay for the enzyme was devised in which glutaryl-CoA in the presence of glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase was used to reduce ETFox. and the reduction of Q-1 was monitored at 275 nm. The partial reactions involved in the overall assay system were examined. Glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase catalyses the rapid reduction of ETFox. to the anionic semiquinone (ETF.-), but reduces ETF.- to the fully reduced form (ETFhq) at a rate that is about 6-fold lower. ETF.-, but not ETFhq, is directly re-oxidized by Q-1 at a rate that, depending on the steady-state concentration of ETF.-, may contribute significantly to the overall reaction. ETF-Q oxidoreductase catalyses rapid disproportionation of ETF.- with an equilibrium constant of about 1.0 at pH 7.8. In the presence of Q-1 it also catalyses the re-oxidation of ETFhq at a rate that is faster than that of the overall reaction. Rapid-scan experiments indicated the formation of ETF.-, but its fractional concentration in the early stages of the re-oxidation of ETFhq is low. The data indicate that the re-oxidation of ETFhq proceeds at a rate that is adequate to account for the overall rate of electron transfer from glutaryl-CoA to Q-1. An unusual property of ETF-Q oxidoreductase seems to be that it not only catalyses the re-oxidation of the reduced forms of ETF but also facilitates the complete reduction of ETFox. to ETFhq by disproportionation of the radical. PMID:3593226

Metallurgy and properties of plasma spray formed materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckechnie, T. N.; Liaw, Y. K.; Zimmerman, F. R.; Poorman, R. M.

1992-01-01

Understanding the fundamental metallurgy of vacuum plasma spray formed materials is the key to enhancing and developing full material properties. Investigations have shown that the microstructure of plasma sprayed materials must evolve from a powder splat morphology to a recrystallized grain structure to assure high strength and ductility. A fully, or near fully, dense material that exhibits a powder splat morphology will perform as a brittle material compared to a recrystallized grain structure for the same amount of porosity. Metallurgy and material properties of nickel, iron, and copper base alloys will be presented and correlated to microstructure.

Structural and electronic snapshots during the transition from a Cu(II) to Cu(I) metal center of a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase by X-ray photoreduction.

PubMed

Gudmundsson, Mikael; Kim, Seonah; Wu, Miao; Ishida, Takuya; Momeni, Majid Hadadd; Vaaje-Kolstad, Gustav; Lundberg, Daniel; Royant, Antoine; Ståhlberg, Jerry; Eijsink, Vincent G H; Beckham, Gregg T; Sandgren, Mats

2014-07-04

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are a recently discovered class of enzymes that employ a copper-mediated, oxidative mechanism to cleave glycosidic bonds. The LPMO catalytic mechanism likely requires that molecular oxygen first binds to Cu(I), but the oxidation state in many reported LPMO structures is ambiguous, and the changes in the LPMO active site required to accommodate both oxidation states of copper have not been fully elucidated. Here, a diffraction data collection strategy minimizing the deposited x-ray dose was used to solve the crystal structure of a chitin-specific LPMO from Enterococcus faecalis (EfaCBM33A) in the Cu(II)-bound form. Subsequently, the crystalline protein was photoreduced in the x-ray beam, which revealed structural changes associated with the conversion from the initial Cu(II)-oxidized form with two coordinated water molecules, which adopts a trigonal bipyramidal geometry, to a reduced Cu(I) form in a T-shaped geometry with no coordinated water molecules. A comprehensive survey of Cu(II) and Cu(I) structures in the Cambridge Structural Database unambiguously shows that the geometries observed in the least and most reduced structures reflect binding of Cu(II) and Cu(I), respectively. Quantum mechanical calculations of the oxidized and reduced active sites reveal little change in the electronic structure of the active site measured by the active site partial charges. Together with a previous theoretical investigation of a fungal LPMO, this suggests significant functional plasticity in LPMO active sites. Overall, this study provides molecular snapshots along the reduction process to activate the LPMO catalytic machinery and provides a general method for solving LPMO structures in both copper oxidation states. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Influence of interface inhomogeneities in thin-film Schottky diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Joshua; Zhang, Jiawei; Li, Yunpeng; Wang, Yiming; Xin, Qian; Song, Aimin

2017-11-01

The scalability of thin-film transistors has been well documented, but there have been very few investigations into the effects of device scalability in Schottky diodes. Indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) Schottky diodes were fabricated with IGZO thicknesses of 50, 150, and 250 nm. Despite the same IGZO-Pt interface and Schottky barrier being formed in all devices, reducing the IGZO thickness caused a dramatic deterioration of the current-voltage characteristics, most notably increasing the reverse current by nearly five orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the forward characteristics display an increase in the ideality factor and a reduction in the barrier height. The origins of this phenomenon have been elucidated using device simulations. First, when the semiconductor layer is fully depleted, the electric field increases with the reducing thickness, leading to an increased diffusion current. However, the effects of diffusion only offer a small contribution to the huge variations in reverse current seen in the experiments. To fully explain this effect, the role of inhomogeneities in the Schottky barrier height has been considered. Contributions from lower barrier regions (LBRs) are found to dominate the reverse current. The conduction band minimum below these LBRs is strongly dependent upon thickness and bias, leading to reverse current variations as large as several orders of magnitude. Finally, it is demonstrated that the thickness dependence of the reverse current is exacerbated as the magnitude of the inhomogeneities is increased and alleviated in the limit where the LBRs are large enough not to be influenced by the adjacent higher barrier regions.

Structural studies on Desulfovibrio gigas cytochrome c3 by two-dimensional 1H-nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy.

PubMed Central

Piçarra-Pereira, M A; Turner, D L; LeGall, J; Xavier, A V

1993-01-01

Several aromatic amino acid residues and haem resonances in the fully reduced form of Desulfovibrio gigas cytochrome c3 are assigned, using two-dimensional 1H n.m.r., on the basis of the interactions between the protons of the aromatic amino acids and the haem protons as well as the intrahaem distances known from the X-ray structure [Kissinger (1989) Ph.D. Thesis, Washington State University]. The interhaem interactions observed in the n.m.r. spectra are in full agreement with the D. gigas X-ray structure and also with the n.m.r. data from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) [Turner, Salgueiro, LeGall and Xavier (1992) Eur. J. Biochem. 210, 931-936]. The good correlation between the calculated ring-current shifts and the observed chemical shifts strongly supports the present assignments. Observation of the two-dimensional nuclear-Overhauser-enhancement spectra of the protein in the reduced, intermediate and fully oxidized stages led to the ordering of the haems in terms of their midpoint redox potentials and their identification in the X-ray structure. The first haem to oxidize is haem I, followed by haems II, III and IV, numbered according to the Cys ligand positions in the amino acid sequences [Mathews (1985) Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol. 54, 1-56]. Although the haem core architecture is the same for the different Desulfovibrio cytochromes c3, the order of redox potentials is different. PMID:8397514

Behaviour of estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals in permeable carbonate sands.

PubMed

Shepherd, Benjamin O; Erler, Dirk V; Tait, Douglas R; van Zwieten, Lukas; Kimber, Stephen; Eyre, Bradley D

2015-08-01

The remediation of four estrogenic endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), ethinylestradiol (EE2) and estriol (E3), was measured in saturated and unsaturated carbonate sand-filled columns dosed with wastewater from a sewage treatment plant. The estrogen equivalency (EEQ) of inlet wastewater was 1.2 ng L(-1) and was remediated to an EEQ of 0.5 ng L(-1) through the unsaturated carbonate sand-filled columns. The high surface area of carbonate sand and associated high microbial activity may have assisted the degradation of these estrogens. The fully saturated sand columns showed an increase in total estrogenic potency with an EEQ of 2.4 ng L(-1), which was double that of the inlet wastewater. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in total estrogenic potency between aerobic and anaerobic columns. The breakdown of conjugated estrogens to estrogenic EDCs formed under long residence time and reducing conditions may have been responsible for the increase in the fully saturated columns. This may also be explained by the desorption of previously sorbed estrogenic EDCs. The effect of additional filter materials, such as basalt sediment and coconut fibre, on estrogenic EDC reduction was also tested. None of these amendments provided improvements in estrogen remediation relative to the unamended unsaturated carbonate sand columns. Aerobic carbonate sand filters have good potential to be used as on-site wastewater treatment systems for the reduction of estrogenic EDCs. However, the use of fully saturated sand filters, which are used to promote denitrification, and the loss of nitrogen as N2 were shown to cause an increase in EEQ. The potential for the accumulation of estrogenic EDCs under anaerobic conditions needs to be considered when designing on-site sand filtration systems required to reduce nitrogen. Furthermore, the accumulation of estrogens under anaerobic conditions such as under soil absorption systems or leachate fields has the potential to contaminate groundwater especially when the water table levels fluctuate.

Fully depleted back illuminated CCD

DOEpatents

Holland, Stephen Edward

2001-01-01

A backside illuminated charge coupled device (CCD) is formed of a relatively thick high resistivity photon sensitive silicon substrate, with frontside electronic circuitry, and an optically transparent backside ohmic contact for applying a backside voltage which is at least sufficient to substantially fully deplete the substrate. A greater bias voltage which overdepletes the substrate may also be applied. One way of applying the bias voltage to the substrate is by physically connecting the voltage source to the ohmic contact. An alternate way of applying the bias voltage to the substrate is to physically connect the voltage source to the frontside of the substrate, at a point outside the depletion region. Thus both frontside and backside contacts can be used for backside biasing to fully deplete the substrate. Also, high resistivity gaps around the CCD channels and electrically floating channel stop regions can be provided in the CCD array around the CCD channels. The CCD array forms an imaging sensor useful in astronomy.

Distinct Fcγ receptors mediate the effect of Serum Amyloid P on neutrophil adhesion and fibrocyte differentiation

PubMed Central

Cox, Nehemiah; Pilling, Darrell; Gomer, Richard H.

2014-01-01

The plasma protein Serum Amyloid P (SAP) reduces neutrophil adhesion, inhibits the differentiation of monocytes into fibroblast-like cells called fibrocytes, and promotes phagocytosis of cell debris by macrophages. Together, these effects of SAP reduce key aspects of inflammation and fibrosis, and SAP injections improve lung function in pulmonary fibrosis patients. SAP functions are mediated in part by Fcγ receptors, but the contribution of each Fcγ receptor is not fully understood. We found that amino acids Q55 and E126 in human SAP affect human fibrocyte differentiation and SAP binding to FcγRI. E126, K130 and Q128 affect neutrophil adhesion and SAP affinity for FcγRIIa. Q128 also affects phagocytosis by macrophages and SAP affinity for FcγRI. All the identified functionally significant amino acids in SAP form a binding site that is distinct from the previously described SAP-FcγRIIa binding site. Blocking FcγRI with an IgG blocking antibody reduces the SAP effect on fibrocyte differentiation, and ligating FcγRIIa with antibodies reduces neutrophil adhesion. Together, these results suggest that SAP binds to FcγRI on monocytes to inhibit fibrocyte differentiation, and binds to FcγRIIa on neutrophils to reduce neutrophil adhesion. PMID:25024390

New Species of Fire Discovered: Fingering Flamelets Form a Dynamic Population

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, Sandra L.; Miller, Fletcher J.; Wichman, Indrek S.

2005-01-01

Poets and artists have long used fire as a metaphor for life. At the NASA Glenn Research Center, recent experiments in a subcritical Rayleigh number flow channel demonstrated that this analogy holds up surprisingly well when tools developed to characterize a biological population are applied to a class of fire that occurs in near-extinction, weakly convective environments (such as microgravity) or in vertically confined spaces (such as our apparatus). Under these conditions, the flame breaks into numerous 'flamelets" that form a Turing-type reaction-diffusion fingering pattern as they spread across the fuel. It is standard practice on U.S. spacecraft for the astronaut crew to turn off the ventilation to help extinguish a fire, both to eliminate the fresh oxygen supply and to reduce the distribution of the smoke. When crew members think that the fire is fully extinguished, they reactivate the ventilation system to clear the smoke. However, some flamelets can survive, and our experiments have demonstrated that flamelets quickly grow into a large fire when ventilation increases.

A Fast Radio Burst Search Method for VLBI Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lei; Tong, Fengxian; Zheng, Weimin; Zhang, Juan; Tong, Li

2018-02-01

We introduce the cross-spectrum-based fast radio burst (FRB) search method for Very Long Baseline Interferometer (VLBI) observation. This method optimizes the fringe fitting scheme in geodetic VLBI data post-processing, which fully utilizes the cross-spectrum fringe phase information and therefore maximizes the power of single-pulse signals. Working with cross-spectrum greatly reduces the effect of radio frequency interference compared with using auto-power spectrum. Single-pulse detection confidence increases by cross-identifying detections from multiple baselines. By combining the power of multiple baselines, we may improve the detection sensitivity. Our method is similar to that of coherent beam forming, but without the computational expense to form a great number of beams to cover the whole field of view of our telescopes. The data processing pipeline designed for this method is easy to implement and parallelize, which can be deployed in various kinds of VLBI observations. In particular, we point out that VGOS observations are very suitable for FRB search.

Coalescence of a Drop inside another Drop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mugundhan, Vivek; Jian, Zhen; Yang, Fan; Li, Erqiang; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur

2016-11-01

Coalescence dynamics of a pendent drop sitting inside another drop, has been studied experimentally and in numerical simulations. Using an in-house fabricated composite micro-nozzle, a smaller salt-water drop is introduced inside a larger oil drop which is pendent in a tank containing the same liquid as the inner drop. On touching the surface of outer drop, the inner drop coalesces with the surrounding liquid forming a vortex ring, which grows in time to form a mushroom-like structure. The initial dynamics at the first bridge opening up is quantified using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), while matching the refractive index of the two liquids. The phenomenon is also numerically simulated using the open-source code Gerris. The problem is fully governed by two non-dimensional parameters: the Ohnesorge number and the diameter ratios of the two drops. The validated numerical model is used to better understand the dynamics of the phenomenon. In some cases a coalescence cascade is observed with liquid draining intermittently and the inner drop reducing in size.

Intake of Hydrolyzed Casein is Associated with Reduced Body Fat Accretion and Enhanced Phase II Metabolism in Obesity Prone C57BL/6J Mice

PubMed Central

Clausen, Morten Rahr; Zhang, Xumin; Yde, Christian C.; Ditlev, Ditte B.; Lillefosse, Haldis H.; Madsen, Lise; Kristiansen, Karsten; Liaset, Bjørn; Bertram, Hanne C.

2015-01-01

The amount and form of dietary casein have been shown to affect energy metabolism and lipid accumulation in mice, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We investigated 48 hrs urinary metabolome, hepatic lipid composition and gene expression in male C57BL/6J mice fed Western diets with 16 or 32 energy% protein in the form of extensively hydrolyzed or intact casein. LC-MS based metabolomics revealed a very strong impact of casein form on the urinary metabolome. Evaluation of the discriminatory metabolites using tandem mass spectrometry indicated that intake of extensively hydrolyzed casein modulated Phase II metabolism associated with an elevated urinary excretion of glucuronic acid- and sulphate conjugated molecules, whereas glycine conjugated molecules were more abundant in urine from mice fed the intact casein diets. Despite the differences in the urinary metabolome, we observed no differences in hepatic expression of genes involved in Phase II metabolism, but it was observed that expression of Abcc3 encoding ATP binding cassette c3 (transporter of glucuronic acid conjugates) was increased in livers of mice fed hydrolyzed casein. As glucuronic acid is derived from glucose and sulphate is derived from cysteine, our metabolomic data provided evidence for changes in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism and we propose that this modulation of metabolism was associated with the reduced glucose and lipid levels observed in mice fed the extensively hydrolyzed casein diets. PMID:25738501

Characterization of violaxanthin de-epoxidase purified in the presence of Tween 20: effects of dithiothreitol and pepstatin A.

PubMed

Kuwabara, T; Hasegawa, M; Kawano, M; Takaichi, S

1999-11-01

Violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) was purified from thylakoid membranes of spinach by conventional column chromatography in the presence of Tween 20. The neutral detergent was necessary to prevent non-specific interaction of VDE with column resins. In anion-exchange chromatography on Mono Q, VDE appeared in two peaks. Both peaks exhibited a polypeptide of 41 kDa when fully reduced with 5 mM dithiothreitol. Re-chromatography of either peak gave rise to both peaks, suggesting that the two forms of VDE are interconvertible. VDE characteristically changed its electrophoretic mobility depending on the concentration of dithiothreitol with which the protein was treated. When non-reduced, it showed two polypeptides of 43 and 42 kDa. These polypeptides moved down to the position of 40 kDa, and then up to the position of 41 kDa, along with the increase in the dithiothreitol concentration from 0 to 2 mM. These findings suggest that VDE has more than one disulfide bond and takes multiple forms depending on the extent of the reduction. Studies with various types of protein-modifying reagent revealed that VDE is sensitive to pepstatin A, a specific inhibitor of aspartic protease. This finding suggests that the reaction center of VDE contains a reactive aspartic acid residue(s).

Electrically conducting ternary amorphous fully oxidized materials and their application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giauque, Pierre (Inventor); Nicolet, Marc (Inventor); Gasser, Stefan M. (Inventor); Kolawa, Elzbieta A. (Inventor); Cherry, Hillary (Inventor)

2004-01-01

Electrically active devices are formed using a special conducting material of the form Tm--Ox mixed with SiO2 where the materials are immiscible. The immiscible materials are forced together by using high energy process to form an amorphous phase of the two materials. The amorphous combination of the two materials is electrically conducting but forms an effective barrier.

A Fully Implantable, NFC Enabled, Continuous Interstitial Glucose Monitor

PubMed Central

Anabtawi, Nijad; Freeman, Sabrina; Ferzli, Rony

2017-01-01

This work presents an integrated system-on-chip (SoC) that forms the core of a long-term, fully implantable, battery assisted, passive continuous glucose monitor. It integrates an amperometric glucose sensor interface, a near field communication (NFC) wireless front-end and a fully digital switched mode power management unit for supply regulation and on board battery charging. It uses 13.56 MHz (ISM) band to harvest energy and backscatter data to an NFC reader. System was implemented in 14nm CMOS technology and validated with post layout simulations. PMID:28702512

A Fully Implantable, NFC Enabled, Continuous Interstitial Glucose Monitor.

PubMed

Anabtawi, Nijad; Freeman, Sabrina; Ferzli, Rony

2016-02-01

This work presents an integrated system-on-chip (SoC) that forms the core of a long-term, fully implantable, battery assisted, passive continuous glucose monitor. It integrates an amperometric glucose sensor interface, a near field communication (NFC) wireless front-end and a fully digital switched mode power management unit for supply regulation and on board battery charging. It uses 13.56 MHz (ISM) band to harvest energy and backscatter data to an NFC reader. System was implemented in 14nm CMOS technology and validated with post layout simulations.

Virulence evolution in response to anti-infection resistance: toxic food plants can select for virulent parasites of monarch butterflies.

PubMed

de Roode, J C; de Castillejo, C Lopez Fernandez; Faits, T; Alizon, S

2011-04-01

Host resistance to parasites can come in two main forms: hosts may either reduce the probability of parasite infection (anti-infection resistance) or reduce parasite growth after infection has occurred (anti-growth resistance). Both resistance mechanisms are often imperfect, meaning that they do not fully prevent or clear infections. Theoretical work has suggested that imperfect anti-growth resistance can select for higher parasite virulence by favouring faster-growing and more virulent parasites that overcome this resistance. In contrast, imperfect anti-infection resistance is thought not to select for increased parasite virulence, because it is assumed that it reduces the number of hosts that become infected, but not the fitness of parasites in successfully infected hosts. Here, we develop a theoretical model to show that anti-infection resistance can in fact select for higher virulence when such resistance reduces the effective parasite dose that enters a host. Our model is based on a monarch butterfly-parasite system in which larval food plants confer resistance to the monarch host. We carried out an experiment and showed that this environmental resistance is most likely a form of anti-infection resistance, through which toxic food plants reduce the effective dose of parasites that initiates an infection. We used these results to build a mathematical model to investigate the evolutionary consequences of food plant-induced resistance. Our model shows that when the effective infectious dose is reduced, parasites can compensate by evolving a higher per-parasite growth rate, and consequently a higher intrinsic virulence. Our results are relevant to many insect host-parasite systems, in which larval food plants often confer imperfect anti-infection resistance. Our results also suggest that - for parasites where the infectious dose affects the within-host dynamics - vaccines that reduce the effective infectious dose can select for increased parasite virulence. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2011 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Application of Artificial Intelligence to Improve Aircraft Survivability.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-01

may be as smooth and effective as possible. 3. Fully Automatic Digital Engine Control ( FADEC ) Under development at the Naval Weapons Center, a major...goal of the FADEC program is to significantly reduce engine vulnerability by fully automating the regulation of engine controls. Given a thrust

Biomechanics and energetics in aquatic and semiaquatic mammals: platypus to whale.

PubMed

Fish, F E

2000-01-01

A variety of mammalian lineages have secondarily invaded the water. To locomote and thermoregulate in the aqueous medium, mammals developed a range of morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations. A distinct difference in the suite of adaptations, which affects energetics, is apparent between semiaquatic and fully aquatic mammals. Semiaquatic mammals swim by paddling, which is inefficient compared to the use of oscillating hydrofoils of aquatic mammals. Semiaquatic mammals swim at the water surface and experience a greater resistive force augmented by wave drag than submerged aquatic mammals. A dense, nonwettable fur insulates semiaquatic mammals, whereas aquatic mammals use a layer of blubber. The fur, while providing insulation and positive buoyancy, incurs a high energy demand for maintenance and limits diving depth. Blubber contours the body to reduce drag, is an energy reserve, and suffers no loss in buoyancy with depth. Despite the high energetic costs of a semiaquatic existence, these animals represent modern analogs of evolutionary intermediates between ancestral terrestrial mammals and their fully aquatic descendants. It is these intermediate animals that indicate which potential selection factors and mechanical constraints may have directed the evolution of more derived aquatic forms.

Effect of Roller Profile on Cylindrical Roller Bearing Life Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poplawski, Joseph V.; Zaretsky, Erwin V.; Peters, Steven M.

2000-01-01

Four roller profiles used in cylindrical roller bearing design and manufacture were analyzed using both a closed form solution and finite element analysis (FEA) for stress and life. The roller profiles analyzed were flat, tapered end, aerospace, and fully crowned loaded against a flat raceway. Four rolling-element bearing life models were chosen for this analysis and compared. These were those of Weibull, Lundberg and Palmgren, Ioannides and Harris, and Zaretsky. The flat roller profile without edge loading has the longest predicted life. However, edge loading can reduce life by as much as 98 percent. The end tapered profile produced the highest lives but not significantly different than the aerospace profile. The fully crowned profile produces the lowest lives. The resultant predicted life at each stress condition not only depends on the life equation used but also on the Weibull slope assumed. For Weibull slopes of 1.5 and 2, both Lundberg-Palmgren and Iaonnides-Harris equations predict lower lives than the ANSI/ABMAJISO standards. Based upon the Hertz stresses for line contact, the accepted load-life exponent of 10/3 results in a maximum Hertz stress-life exponent equal to 6.6. This value is inconsistent with that experienced in the field.

Impact of female-oriented cigarette packaging in the United States.

PubMed

Hammond, David; Doxey, Juliana; Daniel, Samantha; Bansal-Travers, Maansi

2011-07-01

Cigarette packaging is among the most prominent forms of tobacco marketing. This study examined the impact of cigarette pack design among young women in the United States. A national sample of 18- to 19-year-old females in the United States completed an online survey in February 2010. Participants were randomized to view eight cigarette packs designed according to one of four experimental conditions: fully branded female packs, same packs without descriptors (e.g., "slims"), same packs without brand imagery or descriptors ("plain" packs), and branded non-female brands. Participants rated packs on measures of appeal and health risk and completed a behavioral pack selection task. Fully branded female packs were rated significantly more appealing than the same packs without descriptors, "plain" packs, and non-female-branded packs. Female-branded packs were associated with a greater number of positive attributes including glamour, slimness, and attractiveness and were more likely to be perceived as less harmful. Approximately 40% of smokers and nonsmokers requested a pack at the end of the study; female-branded packs were 3 times more likely to be selected than plain packs. Plain packaging and removing descriptors such as "slims" from cigarette packs may reduce smoking susceptibility among young women.

A Large-Scale Design Integration Approach Developed in Conjunction with the Ares Launch Vehicle Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redmon, John W.; Shirley, Michael C.; Kinard, Paul S.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a method for performing large-scale design integration, taking a classical 2D drawing envelope and interface approach and applying it to modern three dimensional computer aided design (3D CAD) systems. Today, the paradigm often used when performing design integration with 3D models involves a digital mockup of an overall vehicle, in the form of a massive, fully detailed, CAD assembly; therefore, adding unnecessary burden and overhead to design and product data management processes. While fully detailed data may yield a broad depth of design detail, pertinent integration features are often obscured under the excessive amounts of information, making them difficult to discern. In contrast, the envelope and interface method results in a reduction in both the amount and complexity of information necessary for design integration while yielding significant savings in time and effort when applied to today's complex design integration projects. This approach, combining classical and modern methods, proved advantageous during the complex design integration activities of the Ares I vehicle. Downstream processes, benefiting from this approach by reducing development and design cycle time, include: Creation of analysis models for the Aerodynamic discipline; Vehicle to ground interface development; Documentation development for the vehicle assembly.

Singlet oxygen generation as a major cause for parasitic reactions during cycling of aprotic lithium-oxygen batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahne, Nika; Schafzahl, Bettina; Leypold, Christian; Leypold, Mario; Grumm, Sandra; Leitgeb, Anita; Strohmeier, Gernot A.; Wilkening, Martin; Fontaine, Olivier; Kramer, Denis; Slugovc, Christian; Borisov, Sergey M.; Freunberger, Stefan A.

2017-03-01

Non-aqueous metal-oxygen batteries depend critically on the reversible formation/decomposition of metal oxides on cycling. Irreversible parasitic reactions cause poor rechargeability, efficiency, and cycle life, and have predominantly been ascribed to the reactivity of reduced oxygen species with cell components. These species, however, cannot fully explain the side reactions. Here we show that singlet oxygen forms at the cathode of a lithium-oxygen cell during discharge and from the onset of charge, and accounts for the majority of parasitic reaction products. The amount increases during discharge, early stages of charge, and charging at higher voltages, and is enhanced by the presence of trace water. Superoxide and peroxide appear to be involved in singlet oxygen generation. Singlet oxygen traps and quenchers can reduce parasitic reactions effectively. Awareness of the highly reactive singlet oxygen in non-aqueous metal-oxygen batteries gives a rationale for future research towards achieving highly reversible cell operation.

The relative cost of bent-hip bent-knee walking is reduced in water.

PubMed

Kuliukas, Algis V; Milne, Nick; Fournier, Paul

2009-01-01

The debate about how early hominids walked may be characterised as two competing hypotheses: They moved with a fully upright (FU) gait, like modern humans, or with a bent-hip, bent-knee (BK) gait, like apes. Both have assumed that this bipedalism was almost exclusively on land, in trees or a combination of the two. Recent findings favoured the FU hypothesis by showing that the BK gait is 50-60% more energetically costly than a FU human gait on land. We confirm these findings but show that in water this cost differential is markedly reduced, especially in deeper water, at slower speeds and with greater knee flexion. These data suggest that the controversy about australopithecine locomotion may be eased if it is assumed that wading was a component of their locomotor repertoire and supports the idea that shallow water might have been an environment favourable to the evolution of early forms of "non-optimal" hominid bipedalism.

The activation of the [NiFe]-hydrogenase from Allochromatium vinosum. An infrared spectro-electrochemical study.

PubMed

Bleijlevens, Boris; van Broekhuizen, Fleur A; De Lacey, Antonio L; Roseboom, Winfried; Fernandez, Victor M; Albracht, Simon P J

2004-09-01

The membrane-bound [NiFe]-hydrogenase from Allochromatium vinosum can occur in several inactive or active states. This study presents the first systematic infrared characterisation of the A. vinosum enzyme, with emphasis on the spectro-electrochemical properties of the inactive/active transition. This transition involves an energy barrier, which can be overcome at elevated temperatures. The reduced Ready enzyme can exist in two different inactive states, which are in an apparent acid-base equilibrium. It is proposed that a hydroxyl ligand in a bridging position in the Ni-Fe site is protonated and that the formed water molecule is subsequently removed. This enables the active site to bind hydrogen in a bridging position, allowing the formation of the fully active state of the enzyme. It is further shown that the active site in enzyme reduced by 1 bar H(2) can occur in three different electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)-silent states with a different degree of protonation.

Does viscosity or structure govern the rate at which starch granules are digested?

PubMed

Hardacre, Allan K; Lentle, Roger G; Yap, Sia-Yen; Monro, John A

2016-01-20

The rates of in vitro digestion of incompletely or fully gelatinised potato and corn starch were measured at 37 °C over 20 min in a rheometer fitted with cup and vane geometry at shear rates of 0.1, 1 and 10 s(-1). Shear rate did not influence the rate of starch digestion provided it was close to physiological levels. However, rates of digestion were significantly reduced when shear rates were below the physiological range (0.1 s(-1)) or when gelatinisation was incomplete. At physiological shear rates the relationship between starch digestion and viscosity was sigmoid in form and following a short initial slow phase a rapid decline in viscosity occurred as starch was digested and the structural integrity of the granules was lost. Conversely, when shear rate was reduced below physiological levels or gelatinisation was incomplete, digestion was hindered, granule integrity was maintained and the relationship between starch and viscosity became linear. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fabrication Of Carbon-Boron Reinforced Dry Polymer Matrix Composite Tape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belvin, Harry L.; Cano, Roberto J.; Treasure, Monte; Shahood, Thomas W.

1999-01-01

Future generation aerospace vehicles will require specialized hybrid material forms for component structure fabrication. For this reason, high temperature composite prepregs in both dry and wet forms are being developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). In an attempt to improve compressive properties of carbon fiber reinforced composites, a hybrid carbon-boron tape was developed and used to fabricate composite laminates which were subsequently cut into flexural and compression specimens and tested. The hybrid material, given the designation HYCARB, was fabricated by modifying a previously developed process for the manufacture of dry polymer matrix composite (PMC) tape at LaRC. In this work, boron fibers were processed with IM7/LaRC(TradeMark)IAX poly(amide acid) solution-coated prepreg to form a dry hybrid tape for Automated Tow Placement (ATP). Boron fibers were encapsulated between two (2) layers of reduced volatile, low fiber areal weight poly(amide acid) solution-coated prepreg. The hybrid prepreg was then fully imidized and consolidated into a dry tape suitable for ATP. The fabrication of a hybrid boron material form for tow placement aids in the reduction of the overall manufacturing cost of boron reinforced composites, while realizing the improved compression strengths. Composite specimens were press-molded from the hybrid material and exhibited excellent mechanical properties.

Fully porous 3D printed titanium femoral stem to reduce stress-shielding following total hip arthroplasty.

PubMed

Arabnejad, Sajad; Johnston, Burnett; Tanzer, Michael; Pasini, Damiano

2017-08-01

Current hip replacement femoral implants are made of fully solid materials which all have stiffness considerably higher than that of bone. This mechanical mismatch can cause significant bone resorption secondary to stress shielding, which can lead to serious complications such as peri-prosthetic fracture during or after revision surgery. In this work, a high strength fully porous material with tunable mechanical properties is introduced for use in hip replacement design. The implant macro geometry is based off of a short stem taper-wedge implant compatible with minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. The implant micro-architecture is fine-tuned to locally mimic bone tissue properties which results in minimum bone resorption secondary to stress shielding. We present a systematic approach for the design of a 3D printed fully porous hip implant that encompasses the whole activity spectrum of implant development, from concept generation, multiscale mechanics of porous materials, material architecture tailoring, to additive manufacturing, and performance assessment via in vitro experiments in composite femurs. We show that the fully porous implant with an optimized material micro-structure can reduce the amount of bone loss secondary to stress shielding by 75% compared to a fully solid implant. This result also agrees with those of the in vitro quasi-physiological experimental model and the corresponding finite element model for both the optimized fully porous and fully solid implant. These studies demonstrate the merit and the potential of tuning material architecture to achieve a substantial reduction of bone resorption secondary to stress shielding. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:1774-1783, 2017. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Zirconia-molybdenum disilicide composites

DOEpatents

Petrovic, John J.; Honnell, Richard E.

1991-01-01

Compositions of matter comprised of molybdenum disilicide and zirconium oxide in one of three forms: pure, partially stabilized, or fully stabilized and methods of making the compositions. The stabilized zirconia is crystallographically stabilized by mixing it with yttrium oxide, calcium oxide, cerium oxide, or magnesium oxide and it may be partially stabilized or fully stabilized depending on the amount of stabilizing agent in the mixture.

Fine-grained linings of leveed channels facilitate runout of granular flows

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kokelaar, B.P.; Graham, R. L.; Gray, J.M.N.T.; Vallance, James W.

2014-01-01

Catastrophic dense granular flows, such as occur in rock avalanches, debris flows and pyroclastic flows, move as fully shearing mixtures that have approximately 60 vol.% solids and tend to segregate to form coarse-grained fronts and leveed channels. Levees restrict spreading of unconfined flows and form as coarse particles that become concentrated in the top of the flow are transported to the front and then advect to the sides in the flow head. Channels from which most material has drained away down slope are commonly lined with fine-grained deposit, widely thought to remain from the tail of the waning flow. We show how segregation in experimental dense flows of carborundum or sand (300–425 μm) mixed with spherical fine ballotini (150–250 μm), on rough slopes of 27–29°, produces fine-grained channel linings that are deposited with the levees, into which they grade laterally. Maximum runout distance is attained with mixtures containing 30–40% sand, just sufficient to segregate and form levees that are adequately robust to restrict the spreading attributable to the low-friction fines. Resin impregnation and serial sectioning of deliberately arrested experimental flows shows how fines-lined levees form from the flow head; the flows create their own stable ‘conduit’ entirely from the front, which in a geophysical context can play an important mechanistic role in facilitating runout. The flow self-organization ensures that low-friction fines at the base of the segregated channel flow shear over fine-grained substrate in the channel, thus reducing frictional energy losses. We propose that in pyroclastic flows and debris flows, which have considerable mobility attributable to pore-fluid pressures, such fine-grained flow-contact zones form similarly and not only reduce frictional energy losses but also reduce flow–substrate permeability so as to enhance pore-fluid pressure retention. Thus the granular flow self-organization that produces fine-grained channel linings can be an important factor in facilitating long runout of catastrophic geophysical flows on the low slopes (few degrees) of depositional fans and aprons around mountains and volcanoes.

Fine-grained linings of leveed channels facilitate runout of granular flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kokelaar, B. P.; Graham, R. L.; Gray, J. M. N. T.; Vallance, J. W.

2014-01-01

Catastrophic dense granular flows, such as occur in rock avalanches, debris flows and pyroclastic flows, move as fully shearing mixtures that have approximately 60 vol.% solids and tend to segregate to form coarse-grained fronts and leveed channels. Levees restrict spreading of unconfined flows and form as coarse particles that become concentrated in the top of the flow are transported to the front and then advect to the sides in the flow head. Channels from which most material has drained away down slope are commonly lined with fine-grained deposit, widely thought to remain from the tail of the waning flow. We show how segregation in experimental dense flows of carborundum or sand (300-425 μm) mixed with spherical fine ballotini (150-250 μm), on rough slopes of 27-29°, produces fine-grained channel linings that are deposited with the levees, into which they grade laterally. Maximum runout distance is attained with mixtures containing 30-40% sand, just sufficient to segregate and form levees that are adequately robust to restrict the spreading attributable to the low-friction fines. Resin impregnation and serial sectioning of deliberately arrested experimental flows shows how fines-lined levees form from the flow head; the flows create their own stable ‘conduit’ entirely from the front, which in a geophysical context can play an important mechanistic role in facilitating runout. The flow self-organization ensures that low-friction fines at the base of the segregated channel flow shear over fine-grained substrate in the channel, thus reducing frictional energy losses. We propose that in pyroclastic flows and debris flows, which have considerable mobility attributable to pore-fluid pressures, such fine-grained flow-contact zones form similarly and not only reduce frictional energy losses but also reduce flow-substrate permeability so as to enhance pore-fluid pressure retention. Thus the granular flow self-organization that produces fine-grained channel linings can be an important factor in facilitating long runout of catastrophic geophysical flows on the low slopes (few degrees) of depositional fans and aprons around mountains and volcanoes.

Does bacteriology laboratory automation reduce time to results and increase quality management?

PubMed

Dauwalder, O; Landrieve, L; Laurent, F; de Montclos, M; Vandenesch, F; Lina, G

2016-03-01

Due to reductions in financial and human resources, many microbiological laboratories have merged to build very large clinical microbiology laboratories, which allow the use of fully automated laboratory instruments. For clinical chemistry and haematology, automation has reduced the time to results and improved the management of laboratory quality. The aim of this review was to examine whether fully automated laboratory instruments for microbiology can reduce time to results and impact quality management. This study focused on solutions that are currently available, including the BD Kiestra™ Work Cell Automation and Total Lab Automation and the Copan WASPLab(®). Copyright © 2015 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of molybdenum, vanadium, boron on mechanical properties of high chromium white cast iron in as-cast condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurjaman, F.; Sumardi, S.; Shofi, A.; Aryati, M.; Suharno, B.

2016-02-01

In this experiment, the effect of the addition carbide forming elements on high chromium white cast iron, such as molybdenum, vanadium and boron on its mechanical properties and microstructure was investigated. The high chromium white cast iron was produced by casting process and formed in 50 mm size of grinding balls with several compositions. Characterization of these grinding balls was conducted by using some testing methods, such as: chemical and microstructure analysis, hardness, and impact test. From the results, the addition of molybdenum, vanadium, and boron on high chromium white cast iron provided a significant improvement on its hardness, but reduced its toughness. Molybdenum induced fully austenitic matrix and Mo2C formation among eutectic M7C3 carbide. Vanadium was dissolved in the matrix and carbide. While boron was played a role to form fine eutectic carbide. Grinding balls with 1.89 C-13.1 Cr-1.32 Mo-1.36 V-0.00051 B in as-cast condition had the highest hardness, which was caused by finer structure of eutectic carbide, needle like structure (upper bainite) matrix, and martensite on its carbide boundary.

Increased enzyme production under liquid culture conditions in the industrial fungus Aspergillus oryzae by disruption of the genes encoding cell wall α-1,3-glucan synthase.

PubMed

Miyazawa, Ken; Yoshimi, Akira; Zhang, Silai; Sano, Motoaki; Nakayama, Mayumi; Gomi, Katsuya; Abe, Keietsu

2016-09-01

Under liquid culture conditions, the hyphae of filamentous fungi aggregate to form pellets, which reduces cell density and fermentation productivity. Previously, we found that loss of α-1,3-glucan in the cell wall of the fungus Aspergillus nidulans increased hyphal dispersion. Therefore, here we constructed a mutant of the industrial fungus A. oryzae in which the three genes encoding α-1,3-glucan synthase were disrupted (tripleΔ). Although the hyphae of the tripleΔ mutant were not fully dispersed, the mutant strain did form smaller pellets than the wild-type strain. We next examined enzyme productivity under liquid culture conditions by transforming the cutinase-encoding gene cutL1 into A. oryzae wild-type and the tripleΔ mutant (i.e. wild-type-cutL1, tripleΔ-cutL1). A. oryzae tripleΔ-cutL1 formed smaller hyphal pellets and showed both greater biomass and increased CutL1 productivity compared with wild-type-cutL1, which might be attributable to a decrease in the number of tripleΔ-cutL1 cells under anaerobic conditions.

A spontaneous change in the oxidation states of Pd/WO3 toward an active phase during catalytic cycles of CO oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeon, Byungwook; Kim, Ansoon; Lee, Young-Ahn; Seo, Hyungtak; Kim, Yu Kwon

2017-11-01

CO oxidation over Pd/WO3 films prepared on a glass substrate has been examined at the substrate temperature of 150 - 250 °C and pressures less than 1 Torr with a stoichiometric mixture of CO and O2. Under the given reaction condition, the chemical states of the Pd/WO3 film gradually change into the most catalytically active form with the highest saturation reaction rate regardless of the initial oxidation states. The measured CO oxidation rate over the Pd/WO3 is strongly dependent on the chemical states of Pd and W. Either metallic Pd or fully oxidized PdO phase is not as catalytically active as the active form with mixed metallic Pd and thin PdO layers supported on WO3 with partially reduced W5+ state which is spontaneously obtained during the catalytic reaction cycles. Our results indicate that the facile oxygen transfer between Pd and WO3 layers not only facilitate the spontaneous changes into the active form, but also act as a promotional role in CO oxidation over the Pd layer.

The Emergence of Grammar: Early Verbs and beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armon-Lotem, Sharon; Berman, Ruth A.

2003-01-01

The paper examines the first twenty verb-forms recorded for six Hebrew-speaking children aged between 1;2 and 2;1, and how they evolve into fully inflected verbs for three of these children. Discussion focuses first on what word-forms children initially select for the verbs they produce, what role these forms play in children's emergent grammar,…

Blast Overpressure Studies.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-05-01

Ribera U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (205) 255-6913 By signing this form I hereby acknowledge I have fully read and understand the...Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (334) 255-6821 MAJ John Ribera U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (334) 255-6823 By signing this form I

Fully relativistic form factor for Thomson scattering.

PubMed

Palastro, J P; Ross, J S; Pollock, B; Divol, L; Froula, D H; Glenzer, S H

2010-03-01

We derive a fully relativistic form factor for Thomson scattering in unmagnetized plasmas valid to all orders in the normalized electron velocity, beta[over ]=v[over ]/c. The form factor is compared to a previously derived expression where the lowest order electron velocity, beta[over], corrections are included [J. Sheffield, (Academic Press, New York, 1975)]. The beta[over ] expansion approach is sufficient for electrostatic waves with small phase velocities such as ion-acoustic waves, but for electron-plasma waves the phase velocities can be near luminal. At high phase velocities, the electron motion acquires relativistic corrections including effective electron mass, relative motion of the electrons and electromagnetic wave, and polarization rotation. These relativistic corrections alter the scattered emission of thermal plasma waves, which manifest as changes in both the peak power and width of the observed Thomson-scattered spectra.

Aggregation and Stability of Reduced Graphene Oxide: Complex Roles of Divalent Cations, pH, and Natural Organic Matter

EPA Science Inventory

The aggregation and stability of graphene oxide (GO) and three successively reduced GO (rGO) nanomaterials were investigated. Reduced GO species were partially reduced GO (rGO-1h), intermediately reduced GO (rGO-2h), and fully reduced GO (rGO-5h). Specifically, influence of pH, i...

Redox properties of vanadium ions in SBA-15-supported vanadium oxide: an FTIR spectroscopic study.

PubMed

Venkov, Tzvetomir V; Hess, Christian; Jentoft, Friederike C

2007-02-13

The state of vanadium ions in VxOy/SBA-15 (2.7 wt % V) was studied with FTIR spectroscopy using CO and NO as probe molecules. Neither CO (at 85 K) nor NO (at RT) adsorb on the oxidized sample because of the coordinative saturation of V5+ ions and the covalent character of the V5+=O bond. After treatment of the sample in 50 kPa H2 at 673 K, the V5+ ions are reduced to two different types of V3+ sites, as manifested by carbonyl bands at 2189 and 2177 cm-1. In the presence of O2 at 85 K, thus formed V3+ ions are partly oxidized to V4+ sites showing carbonylic bands at 2202 and 2190 cm-1. When the reduced sample is exposed to O2 at room temperature, the V3+ ions are fully oxidized to V5+. The adsorption of NO on the reduced VxOy/SBA-15 shows that the V3+ and V4+ ions possess two effective coordinative vacancies and as a result can adsorb two NO molecules forming the respective V3+(NO)2 and V4+(NO)2 dinitrosyls. The introduction of O2 to the VxOy/SBA-15-NO system leads to reoxidation of the V3+ and V4+ ions to V5+ and formation of bridged (1639 cm-1) and bidentate (1573 cm-1) surface nitrates. After coadsorption of CO and NO on the reduced sample the formation of surface mixed carbonyl-nitrosyls (2108 and 1723 cm-1) was observed for the first time.

Hybrid Environmental Control System Integrated Modeling Trade Study Analysis for Commercial Aviation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parrilla, Javier

Current industry trends demonstrate aircraft electrification will be part of future platforms in order to achieve higher levels of efficiency in various vehicle level sub-systems. However electrification requires a substantial change in aircraft design that is not suitable for re-winged or re-engined applications as some aircraft manufacturers are opting for today. Thermal limits arise as engine cores progressively get smaller and hotter to improve overall engine efficiency, while legacy systems still demand a substantial amount of pneumatic, hydraulic and electric power extraction. The environmental control system (ECS) provides pressurization, ventilation and air conditioning in commercial aircraft, making it the main heat sink for all aircraft loads with exception of the engine. To mitigate the architecture thermal limits in an efficient manner, the form in which the ECS interacts with the engine will have to be enhanced as to reduce the overall energy consumed and achieve an energy optimized solution. This study examines a tradeoff analysis of an electric ECS by use of a fully integrated Numerical Propulsion Simulation System (NPSS) model that is capable of studying the interaction between the ECS and the engine cycle deck. It was found that a peak solution lays in a hybrid ECS where it utilizes the correct balance between a traditional pneumatic and a fully electric system. This intermediate architecture offers a substantial improvement in aircraft fuel consumptions due to a reduced amount of waste heat and customer bleed in exchange for partial electrification of the air-conditions pack which is a viable option for re-winged applications.

Sweep and Compressibility Effects on Active Separation Control at High Reynolds Numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seifert, Avi; Pack, LaTunia G.

2000-01-01

This paper explores the effects of compressibility, sweep and excitation location on active separation control at high Reynolds numbers. The model, which was tested in a cryogenic pressurized wind tunnel, simulates the upper surface of a 20% thick GlauertGoldschmied type airfoil at zero angle of attack. The flow is fully turbulent since the tunnel sidewall boundary layer flows over the model. Without control, the flow separates at the highly convex area and a large turbulent separation bubble is formed. Periodic excitation is applied to gradually eliminate the separation bubble. Two alternative blowing slot locations as well as the effect of compressibility, sweep and steady suction or blowing were studied. During the test the Reynolds numbers ranged from 2 to 40 million and Mach numbers ranged from 0.2 to 0.7. Sweep angles were 0 and 30 deg. It was found that excitation must be introduced slightly upstream of the separation region regardless of the sweep angle at low Mach number. Introduction of excitation upstream of the shock wave is more effective than at its foot. Compressibility reduces the ability of steady mass transfer and periodic excitation to control the separation bubble but excitation has an effect on the integral parameters, which is similar to that observed in low Mach numbers. The conventional swept flow scaling is valid for fully and even partially attached flow, but different scaling is required for the separated 3D flow. The effectiveness of the active control is not reduced by sweep. Detailed flow field dynamics are described in the accompanying paper.

Sweep and Compressibility Effects on Active Separation Control at High Reynolds Numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seifert, Avi; Pack, LaTunia G.

2000-01-01

This paper explores the effects of compressibility, sweep and excitation location on active separation control at high Reynolds numbers. The model, which was tested in a cryogenic pressurized wind tunnel, simulates the upper surface of a 20% thick Glauert Goldschmied type airfoil at zero angle of attack. The flow is fully turbulent since the tunnel sidewall boundary layer flows over the model. Without control, the flow separates at the highly convex area and a large turbulent separation bubble is formed. Periodic excitation is applied to gradually eliminate the separation bubble. Two alternative blowing slot locations as well as the effect of compressibility, sweep and steady suction or blowing were studied. During the test the Reynolds numbers ranged from 2 to 40 million and Mach numbers ranged from 0.2 to 0.7. Sweep angles were 0 and 30 deg. It was found that excitation must be introduced slightly upstream of the separation region regardless of the sweep angle at low Mach number. Introduction of excitation upstream of the shock wave is more effective than at its foot. Compressibility reduces the ability of steady mass transfer and periodic excitation to control the separation bubble but excitation has an effect on the integral parameters, which is similar to that observed in low Mach numbers. The conventional swept flow scaling is valid for fully and even partially attached flow, but different scaling is required for the separated 3D flow. The effectiveness of the active control is not reduced by sweep. Detailed flow field dynamics are described in the accompanying paper.

Easy on-demand single-pass self-assembly and modification to fabricate gold@graphene-based anti-inflammatory nanoplatforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byeon, Jeong Hoon; Park, Jae Hong

2016-10-01

Zwitterionic chitosan (ZC) was modified by fully (both for lateral dimension and thickness) nanodimensional gold-graphene oxide (Au@GO) flakes under visible light and the potential of the resulting materials as biomedical nanoplatforms was investigated. Fully nanodimensional GO flakes floating in nitrogen gas were incorporated with Au nanoparticles to form Au@GO nanoflakes, and the Au@GO was then incorporated with ZC droplets to form the Au@GO-ZC hybrid nanoparticles. The collected particles were exposed to visible light to induce the photocatalytic activity of the Au@GO nanoflakes towards the ZC derivatives. The visible-light-exposed particles show different chemical and surface properties from the unexposed particles, while there were no significant differences in cytotoxicity and macrophage inflammatory protein production. This work suggests that incorporating fully nanodimensional Au@GO flakes with ZC is a suitable technique for ambient photo-modification of the chitosans’ surface property without significant changes in size and shape and increases in cytotoxicity and inflammatory response.

Control of Multilayer Networks

PubMed Central

Menichetti, Giulia; Dall’Asta, Luca; Bianconi, Ginestra

2016-01-01

The controllability of a network is a theoretical problem of relevance in a variety of contexts ranging from financial markets to the brain. Until now, network controllability has been characterized only on isolated networks, while the vast majority of complex systems are formed by multilayer networks. Here we build a theoretical framework for the linear controllability of multilayer networks by mapping the problem into a combinatorial matching problem. We found that correlating the external signals in the different layers can significantly reduce the multiplex network robustness to node removal, as it can be seen in conjunction with a hybrid phase transition occurring in interacting Poisson networks. Moreover we observe that multilayer networks can stabilize the fully controllable multiplex network configuration that can be stable also when the full controllability of the single network is not stable. PMID:26869210

Hand-portable liquid chromatographic instrumentation.

PubMed

Sharma, Sonika; Tolley, Luke T; Tolley, H Dennis; Plistil, Alex; Stearns, Stanley D; Lee, Milton L

2015-11-20

Over the last four decades, liquid chromatography (LC) has experienced an evolution to smaller columns and particles, new stationary phases and low flow rate instrumentation. However, the development of person-portable LC has not followed, mainly due to difficulties encountered in miniaturizing pumps and detectors, and in reducing solvent consumption. The recent introduction of small, non-splitting pumping systems and UV-absorption detectors for use with capillary columns has finally provided miniaturized instrumentation suitable for high-performance hand-portable LC. Fully integrated microfabricated LC still remains a significant challenge. Ion chromatography (IC) has been successfully miniaturized and applied for field analysis; however, applications are mostly limited to inorganic and small organic ions. This review covers advancements that make possible more rapid expansion of portable forms of LC and IC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solution-Processed Cu2Se Nanocrystal Films with Bulk-Like Thermoelectric Performance.

PubMed

Forster, Jason D; Lynch, Jared J; Coates, Nelson E; Liu, Jun; Jang, Hyejin; Zaia, Edmond; Gordon, Madeleine P; Szybowski, Maxime; Sahu, Ayaskanta; Cahill, David G; Urban, Jeffrey J

2017-06-05

Thermoelectric power generation can play a key role in a sustainable energy future by converting waste heat from power plants and other industrial processes into usable electrical power. Current thermoelectric devices, however, require energy intensive manufacturing processes such as alloying and spark plasma sintering. Here, we describe the fabrication of a p-type thermoelectric material, copper selenide (Cu 2 Se), utilizing solution-processing and thermal annealing to produce a thin film that achieves a figure of merit, ZT, which is as high as its traditionally processed counterpart, a value of 0.14 at room temperature. This is the first report of a fully solution-processed nanomaterial achieving performance equivalent to its bulk form and represents a general strategy to reduce the energy required to manufacture advanced energy conversion and harvesting materials.

Core/shell structured Zn/ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by gaseous laser ablation with enhanced photocatalysis efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Lu; Wang, Yafei; Ma, Jing; Zhang, Qinghua; Shen, Zhijian

2018-06-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a competitive candidate in semiconductor photocatalysts, only if the efficiency could be fully optimized especially by tailored nanostructures. Here we report a kind of core/shell structured Zn/ZnO nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalysis efficiency, which were synthesized by a highly-productive gaseous laser ablation method. The nanodroplets generated by laser ablation would be reduced to zinc in the protective atmosphere, and further be oxidized at surface to form a specific core/shell structured Zn/ZnO nanoparticles within seconds. Thanks to the formation of this Zn-ZnO Schottky junction, the photocatalysis degradation efficiency of such core/shell Zn/ZnO nanostructure is significantly improved owing to the enhanced visible light absorption and inhibited carrier recombination by introducing the metallic zinc.

Preparation of ionic membranes for zinc/bromine storage batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assink, R. A.; Arnold, C., Jr.

Zinc/bromine flow batteries are being developed for vehicular and utility load leveling applications. During charge, an aqueous zinc bromide salt is electrolyzed to zinc metal and molecular bromine. During discharge, the zinc and bromine react to again form the zinc bromide salt. One serious disadvantage of the microporous separators presently used in the zinc/bromine battery is that modest amounts of bromine and negatively charged bromine moieties permeate through these materials and react with the zinc anode. This results in partial self-discharge of the battery and low coulombic efficiencies. Our approach to this problem is to impregnate the microporous separators with a soluble cationic polyelectrolyte. In laboratory screening tests a sulfonated polysulfone resin and fully fluorinated sulfonic acid polymer substantially reduced bromine permeation with only modest increases in the area resistance.

EFFECT OF THE LESION DUE TO INFLUENZA VIRUS ON THE RESISTANCE OF MICE TO INHALED PNEUMOCOCCI

PubMed Central

Harford, Carl G.; Leidler, Virginia; Hara, Mary

1949-01-01

1. The normal lung of the mouse possesses the power of reducing markedly its content of Type I pneumococci within 3 hours after inhalation of the organisms in the form of fine droplets. 2. Lungs with fully developed influenza viral pneumonia not only fail to reduce the pulmonary content of pneumococci administered in this manner but, on the contrary, support their growth. 3. After intrabronchial inoculation into mice, influenza virus multiplies rapidly in the lung within 24 hours. 4. Criteria have been established for distinction between true viral lesions of the lung and changes due to the inoculation of diluents as vehicles for the virus. 5. 24 hours after inoculation of virus, there are no macroscopic lesions in the lung and the microscopic changes are due to the diluent. 6. Presence and multiplication of the virus in the lung 24 hours after inoculation have no apparent effect on the power of the lung to reduce rapidly its content of inhaled pneumococci. 7. The effect of the virus in lowering resistance to secondary bacterial infection appears to be due to the presence of the lesion produced by the virus. PMID:18099165

Automated Processing of Plasma Samples for Lipoprotein Separation by Rate-Zonal Ultracentrifugation.

PubMed

Peters, Carl N; Evans, Iain E J

2016-12-01

Plasma lipoproteins are the primary means of lipid transport among tissues. Defining alterations in lipid metabolism is critical to our understanding of disease processes. However, lipoprotein measurement is limited to specialized centers. Preparation for ultracentrifugation involves the formation of complex density gradients that is both laborious and subject to handling errors. We created a fully automated device capable of forming the required gradient. The design has been made freely available for download by the authors. It is inexpensive relative to commercial density gradient formers, which generally create linear gradients unsuitable for rate-zonal ultracentrifugation. The design can easily be modified to suit user requirements and any potential future improvements. Evaluation of the device showed reliable peristaltic pump accuracy and precision for fluid delivery. We also demonstrate accurate fluid layering with reduced mixing at the gradient layers when compared to usual practice by experienced laboratory personnel. Reduction in layer mixing is of critical importance, as it is crucial for reliable lipoprotein separation. The automated device significantly reduces laboratory staff input and reduces the likelihood of error. Overall, this device creates a simple and effective solution to formation of complex density gradients. © 2015 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

Method of forming and assembly of parts

DOEpatents

Ripley, Edward B.

2010-12-28

A method of assembling two or more parts together that may be metal, ceramic, metal and ceramic parts, or parts that have different CTE. Individual parts are formed and sintered from particles that leave a network of interconnecting porosity in each sintered part. The separate parts are assembled together and then a fill material is infiltrated into the assembled, sintered parts using a method such as capillary action, gravity, and/or pressure. The assembly is then cured to yield a bonded and fully or near-fully dense part that has the desired physical and mechanical properties for the part's intended purpose. Structural strength may be added to the parts by the inclusion of fibrous materials.

Final waste forms project: Performance criteria for phase I treatability studies

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

Gilliam, T.M.; Hutchins, D.A.; Chodak, P. III

1994-06-01

This document defines the product performance criteria to be used in Phase I of the Final Waste Forms Project. In Phase I, treatability studies will be performed to provide {open_quotes}proof-of-principle{close_quotes} data to establish the viability of stabilization/solidification (S/S) technologies. This information is required by March 1995. In Phase II, further treatability studies, some at the pilot scale, will be performed to provide sufficient data to allow treatment alternatives identified in Phase I to be more fully developed and evaluated, as well as to reduce performance uncertainties for those methods chosen to treat a specific waste. Three main factors influence themore » development and selection of an optimum waste form formulation and hence affect selection of performance criteria. These factors are regulatory, process-specific, and site-specific waste form standards or requirements. Clearly, the optimum waste form formulation will require consideration of performance criteria constraints from each of the three categories. Phase I will focus only on the regulatory criteria. These criteria may be considered the minimum criteria for an acceptable waste form. In other words, a S/S technology is considered viable only if it meet applicable regulatory criteria. The criteria to be utilized in the Phase I treatability studies were primarily taken from Environmental Protection Agency regulations addressed in 40 CFR 260 through 265 and 268; and Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations addressed in 10 CFR 61. Thus the majority of the identified criteria are independent of waste form matrix composition (i.e., applicable to cement, glass, organic binders etc.).« less

Transformation & Metamorphosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lott, Debra

2009-01-01

The sculptures of Canadian artist Brian Jungen are a great inspiration for a lesson on creating new forms. Jungen transforms found objects into unique creations without fully concealing their original form or purpose. Frank Stella's sculpture series, including "K.132,2007" made of stainless steel and spray paint, is another great example of…

A Variational Reduction and the Existence of a Fully Localised Solitary Wave for the Three-Dimensional Water-Wave Problem with Weak Surface Tension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buffoni, Boris; Groves, Mark D.; Wahlén, Erik

2017-12-01

Fully localised solitary waves are travelling-wave solutions of the three- dimensional gravity-capillary water wave problem which decay to zero in every horizontal spatial direction. Their existence has been predicted on the basis of numerical simulations and model equations (in which context they are usually referred to as `lumps'), and a mathematically rigorous existence theory for strong surface tension (Bond number {β} greater than {1/3} ) has recently been given. In this article we present an existence theory for the physically more realistic case {0 < β < 1/3} . A classical variational principle for fully localised solitary waves is reduced to a locally equivalent variational principle featuring a perturbation of the functional associated with the Davey-Stewartson equation. A nontrivial critical point of the reduced functional is found by minimising it over its natural constraint set.

A Variational Reduction and the Existence of a Fully Localised Solitary Wave for the Three-Dimensional Water-Wave Problem with Weak Surface Tension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buffoni, Boris; Groves, Mark D.; Wahlén, Erik

2018-06-01

Fully localised solitary waves are travelling-wave solutions of the three- dimensional gravity-capillary water wave problem which decay to zero in every horizontal spatial direction. Their existence has been predicted on the basis of numerical simulations and model equations (in which context they are usually referred to as `lumps'), and a mathematically rigorous existence theory for strong surface tension (Bond number {β} greater than {1/3}) has recently been given. In this article we present an existence theory for the physically more realistic case {0 < β < 1/3}. A classical variational principle for fully localised solitary waves is reduced to a locally equivalent variational principle featuring a perturbation of the functional associated with the Davey-Stewartson equation. A nontrivial critical point of the reduced functional is found by minimising it over its natural constraint set.

Tandem mass spectrometric analysis of aspergillus niger pectin methylesterase: mode of action on fully methyl-esterified oligogalacturonates.

PubMed

Kester, H C; Benen, J A; Visser, J; Warren, M E; Orlando, R; Bergmann, C; Magaud, D; Anker, D; Doutheau, A

2000-03-01

The substrate specificity and the mode of action of Aspergillus niger pectin methylesterase (PME) was determined using both fully methyl-esterified oligogalacturonates with degrees of polymerization (DP) 2-6 and chemically synthesized monomethyl trigalacturonates. The enzymic activity on the different substrates and a preliminary characterization of the reaction products were performed by using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography at neutral pH. Electrospray ionization tandem MS (ESI-MS/MS) was used to localize the methyl esters on the (18)O-labelled reaction products during the course of the enzymic reaction. A. niger PME is able to hydrolyse the methyl esters of fully methyl-esterified oligogalacturonates with DP 2, and preferentially hydrolyses the methyl esters located on the internal galacturonate residues, followed by hydrolysis of the methyl esters towards the reducing end. This PME is unable to hydrolyse the methyl ester of the galacturonate moiety at the non-reducing end.

Modular assembly of chimeric phi29 packaging RNAs that support DNA packaging.

PubMed

Fang, Yun; Shu, Dan; Xiao, Feng; Guo, Peixuan; Qin, Peter Z

2008-08-08

The bacteriophage phi29 DNA packaging motor is a protein/RNA complex that can produce strong force to condense the linear-double-stranded DNA genome into a pre-formed protein capsid. The RNA component, called the packaging RNA (pRNA), utilizes magnesium-dependent inter-molecular base-pairing interactions to form ring-shaped complexes. The pRNA is a class of non-coding RNA, interacting with phi29 motor proteins to enable DNA packaging. Here, we report a two-piece chimeric pRNA construct that is fully competent in interacting with partner pRNA to form ring-shaped complexes, in packaging DNA via the motor, and in assembling infectious phi29 virions in vitro. This is the first example of a fully functional pRNA assembled using two non-covalently interacting fragments. The results support the notion of modular pRNA architecture in the phi29 packaging motor.

Modular assembly of chimeric phi29 packaging RNAs that support DNA packaging

PubMed Central

Fang, Yun; Shu, Dan; Xiao, Feng; Guo, Peixuan; Qin, Peter Z.

2008-01-01

The bacteriophage phi29 DNA packaging motor is a protein/RNA complex that can produce strong force to condense the linear-double stranded DNA genome into a pre-formed protein capsid. The RNA component, called the packaging RNA (pRNA), utilizes magnesium-dependent intermolecular base-pairing interactions to form ring-shaped complexes. The pRNA is a class of non-coding RNA, interacting with phi29 motor proteins to enable DNA packaging. Here, we report a 2-piece chimeric pRNA construct that is fully competent in interacting with partner pRNA to form ring-shaped complexes, in packaging DNA via the motor, and in assembling infectious phi29 virions in vitro. This is the first example of a fully functional pRNA assembled using two non-covalently interacting fragments. The results support the notion of modular pRNA architecture in the phi29 packaging motor. PMID:18514064

Geochemical Constraints on the Size of the Moon-Forming Giant Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piet, Hélène; Badro, James; Gillet, Philippe

2017-12-01

Recent models involving the Moon-forming giant impact hypothesis have managed to reproduce the striking isotopic similarity between the two bodies, albeit using two extreme models: one involves a high-energy small impactor that makes the Moon out of Earth's proto-mantle; the other supposes a gigantic collision between two half-Earths creating the Earth-Moon system from both bodies. Here we modeled the geochemical influence of the giant impact on Earth's mantle and found that impactors larger than 15% of Earth mass result in mantles always violating the present-day concentrations of four refractory moderately siderophile trace elements (Ni, Co, Cr, and V). In the aftermath of the impact, our models cannot further discriminate between a fully and a partially molten bulk silicate Earth. Then, the preservation of primordial geochemical reservoirs predating the Moon remains the sole argument against a fully molten mantle after the Moon-forming impact.

U.S. Movements of Crude Oil By Rail

EIA Publications

2017-01-01

U.S. Movements of Crude Oil By Rail includes new data on crude oil transported by railroad. This product will fully integrate EIA's petroleum supply and disposition data along with pipeline, tanker, and barge data. Fully incorporating crude-by-rail movements improves EIA's regional petroleum balances by reducing regional crude oil adjustments (unaccounted for crude oil).

Implicit Priors in Galaxy Cluster Mass and Scaling Relation Determinations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mantz, A.; Allen, S. W.

2011-01-01

Deriving the total masses of galaxy clusters from observations of the intracluster medium (ICM) generally requires some prior information, in addition to the assumptions of hydrostatic equilibrium and spherical symmetry. Often, this information takes the form of particular parametrized functions used to describe the cluster gas density and temperature profiles. In this paper, we investigate the implicit priors on hydrostatic masses that result from this fully parametric approach, and the implications of such priors for scaling relations formed from those masses. We show that the application of such fully parametric models of the ICM naturally imposes a prior on the slopes of the derived scaling relations, favoring the self-similar model, and argue that this prior may be influential in practice. In contrast, this bias does not exist for techniques which adopt an explicit prior on the form of the mass profile but describe the ICM non-parametrically. Constraints on the slope of the cluster mass-temperature relation in the literature show a separation based the approach employed, with the results from fully parametric ICM modeling clustering nearer the self-similar value. Given that a primary goal of scaling relation analyses is to test the self-similar model, the application of methods subject to strong, implicit priors should be avoided. Alternative methods and best practices are discussed.

Heat transfer in damaged material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruis, J.

2013-10-01

Fully coupled thermo-mechanical analysis of civil engineering problems is studied. The mechanical analysis is based on damage mechanics which is useful for modeling of behaviour of quasi-brittle materials, especially in tension. The damage is assumed to be isotropic. The heat transfer is assumed in the form of heat conduction governed by the Fourier law and heat radiation governed by the Stefan-Boltzmann law. Fully coupled thermo-mechanical problem is formulated.

A Flavin Binding Cryptochrome Photoreceptor Responds to Both Blue and Red Light in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii[W

PubMed Central

Beel, Benedikt; Prager, Katja; Spexard, Meike; Sasso, Severin; Weiss, Daniel; Müller, Nico; Heinnickel, Mark; Dewez, David; Ikoma, Danielle; Grossman, Arthur R.; Kottke, Tilman; Mittag, Maria

2012-01-01

Cryptochromes are flavoproteins that act as sensory blue light receptors in insects, plants, fungi, and bacteria. We have investigated a cryptochrome from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with sequence homology to animal cryptochromes and (6-4) photolyases. In response to blue and red light exposure, this animal-like cryptochrome (aCRY) alters the light-dependent expression of various genes encoding proteins involved in chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis, light-harvesting complexes, nitrogen metabolism, cell cycle control, and the circadian clock. Additionally, exposure to yellow but not far-red light leads to comparable increases in the expression of specific genes; this expression is significantly reduced in an acry insertional mutant. These in vivo effects are congruent with in vitro data showing that blue, yellow, and red light, but not far-red light, are absorbed by the neutral radical state of flavin in aCRY. The aCRY neutral radical is formed following blue light absorption of the oxidized flavin. Red illumination leads to conversion to the fully reduced state. Our data suggest that aCRY is a functionally important blue and red light–activated flavoprotein. The broad spectral response implies that the neutral radical state functions as a dark form in aCRY and expands the paradigm of flavoproteins and cryptochromes as blue light sensors to include other light qualities. PMID:22773746

The Bern Simple Climate Model (BernSCM) v1.0: an extensible and fully documented open-source re-implementation of the Bern reduced-form model for global carbon cycle-climate simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strassmann, Kuno M.; Joos, Fortunat

2018-05-01

The Bern Simple Climate Model (BernSCM) is a free open-source re-implementation of a reduced-form carbon cycle-climate model which has been used widely in previous scientific work and IPCC assessments. BernSCM represents the carbon cycle and climate system with a small set of equations for the heat and carbon budget, the parametrization of major nonlinearities, and the substitution of complex component systems with impulse response functions (IRFs). The IRF approach allows cost-efficient yet accurate substitution of detailed parent models of climate system components with near-linear behavior. Illustrative simulations of scenarios from previous multimodel studies show that BernSCM is broadly representative of the range of the climate-carbon cycle response simulated by more complex and detailed models. Model code (in Fortran) was written from scratch with transparency and extensibility in mind, and is provided open source. BernSCM makes scientifically sound carbon cycle-climate modeling available for many applications. Supporting up to decadal time steps with high accuracy, it is suitable for studies with high computational load and for coupling with integrated assessment models (IAMs), for example. Further applications include climate risk assessment in a business, public, or educational context and the estimation of CO2 and climate benefits of emission mitigation options.

Omeprazole, a specific inhibitor of gastric (H/sup +/-K/sup +/)-ATPase, is a H/sup +/-activated oxidizing agent of sulfhydryl groups

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

Im, W.B.; Sih, J.C.; Blakeman, D.P.

1985-04-25

Omeprazole (5-methoxy-2-(((4-methoxy-3,5- dimethylpyridinyl)methyl)sulfinyl)-1H-benzimidazole) appeared to inhibit gastric (H/sup +/-K/sup +/)-ATPase by oxidizing its essential sulfhydryl groups, since the gastric ATPase inactivated by the drug in vivo or in vitro recovered its K+-dependent ATP hydrolyzing activity upon incubation with mercaptoethanol. Biological reducing agents like cysteine or glutathione, however, were unable to reverse the inhibitory effect of omeprazole. Moreover, acidic environments enhanced the potency of omeprazole. The chemical reactivity of omeprazole with mercaptans is also consistent with the biological action of omeprazole. The N-sulfenylated compound reacted at neutral pH with another stoichiometric amount of ethyl mercaptan to produce omeprazole sulfide quantitatively. Themore » gastric polypeptides of 100 kilodaltons representing (H/sup +/-K/sup +/)-ATPase in the rat gastric mucosa or isolated hog gastric membranes were covalently labeled with (/sup 14/C)omeprazole. The radioactive label bound to the ATPase, however, could not be displaced by mercaptoethanol under the identical conditions where the ATPase activity was fully restored. These observations suggest that the essential sulfhydryl groups which reacted with omeprazole did not form a stable covalent bond with the drug, but rather that they further reacted with adjacent sulfhydryl groups to form disulfides which could be reduced by mercaptoethanol.« less

Comparison of frictional resistance of esthetic and semi-esthetic self-ligating brackets

PubMed Central

Kannan, M. S.; Murali, R. V.; Kishorekumar, S.; Gnanashanmugam, K.; Jayanth, V.

2015-01-01

Aim: The frictional resistance encountered during sliding mechanics has been well established in the orthodontic literature, and it consists of complex interactions between the bracket, archwire, and method of ligation the claim of reduced friction with self-ligating brackets is often cited as a primary advantage over conventional brackets. This study was done to compare and evaluate the frictional forces generated between fully esthetic brackets and semi-aesthetic self-ligating brackets, which are of passive form and SEM (scanning electron microscope) study of the Brackets after Frictional evaluation. Materials and Methods: Two types of self-ligating esthetic brackets, Damon clear (Ormco) made of fully ceramic and Opal (Ultradent Products, USA) and, Two types of self-ligating semi-esthetic brackets, Clarity SL (3M Unitek) and Damon 3 (Ormco) both of which are made of ceramic with metal slot. Arch wires with different dimensions and quality 17 × 25, 19 × 25 Titanium Molybdenum Alloy (TMA) and 17 × 25, 19 × 25 stainless steel that came from plain strands of wire were used for frictional comparison test. The brackets used in this study had 0.022 × 0.028 inch slot. Results: The statistical tests showed significantly smaller amount of kinetic frictional forces is generated by Damon 3 (semi-esthetic self-ligating brackets). For each wire used, Damon 3 displayed significantly lower frictional forces (P ≤ 0.05) than any of the self-ligating system, followed by Opal (fully esthetic self-ligating brackets) which generated smaller amount of frictional forces but relatively on the higher side when compared with Damon 3. Damon clear (fully esthetic self-ligating brackets) generated the maximum amount of kinetic forces with all types of wire dimensions and properties when compared to the other three types of self-ligating system. Clarity SL (semi-esthetic self-ligating brackets) generated smaller amount of frictional forces when compared with Damon clear and relatively higher amount of frictional forces when compared to Opal and Damon 3 PMID:26015687

Comparison of frictional resistance of esthetic and semi-esthetic self-ligating brackets.

PubMed

Kannan, M S; Murali, R V; Kishorekumar, S; Gnanashanmugam, K; Jayanth, V

2015-04-01

The frictional resistance encountered during sliding mechanics has been well established in the orthodontic literature, and it consists of complex interactions between the bracket, archwire, and method of ligation the claim of reduced friction with self-ligating brackets is often cited as a primary advantage over conventional brackets. This study was done to compare and evaluate the frictional forces generated between fully esthetic brackets and semi-aesthetic self-ligating brackets, which are of passive form and SEM (scanning electron microscope) study of the Brackets after Frictional evaluation. Two types of self-ligating esthetic brackets, Damon clear (Ormco) made of fully ceramic and Opal (Ultradent Products, USA) and, Two types of self-ligating semi-esthetic brackets, Clarity SL (3M Unitek) and Damon 3 (Ormco) both of which are made of ceramic with metal slot. Arch wires with different dimensions and quality 17 × 25, 19 × 25 Titanium Molybdenum Alloy (TMA) and 17 × 25, 19 × 25 stainless steel that came from plain strands of wire were used for frictional comparison test. The brackets used in this study had 0.022 × 0.028 inch slot. The statistical tests showed significantly smaller amount of kinetic frictional forces is generated by Damon 3 (semi-esthetic self-ligating brackets). For each wire used, Damon 3 displayed significantly lower frictional forces (P ≤ 0.05) than any of the self-ligating system, followed by Opal (fully esthetic self-ligating brackets) which generated smaller amount of frictional forces but relatively on the higher side when compared with Damon 3. Damon clear (fully esthetic self-ligating brackets) generated the maximum amount of kinetic forces with all types of wire dimensions and properties when compared to the other three types of self-ligating system. Clarity SL (semi-esthetic self-ligating brackets) generated smaller amount of frictional forces when compared with Damon clear and relatively higher amount of frictional forces when compared to Opal and Damon 3.

Mode of action of pectin lyase A of Aspergillus niger on differently C(6)-substituted oligogalacturonides.

PubMed

van Alebeek, Gert-Jan W M; Christensen, Tove M I E; Schols, Henk A; Mikkelsen, Jørn D; Voragen, Alphons G J

2002-07-19

A thorough investigation of the mode of action of Aspergillus niger (4M-147) pectin lyase A (PLA) on differently C(6)-substituted oligogalacturonides is described. PLA appeared to be very specific for fully methyl-esterified oligogalacturonides: removal of the methyl-ester or changing the type of ester (ethyl esterification) or transamidation resulted in (almost) complete loss of conversion. The PLA activity increased with increasing length of the substrate up to a degree of polymerization (DP) of 8 indicating the presence of at least eight subsites on the enzyme. Product analysis demonstrated the formation of several Delta 4,5 unsaturated products and their saturated counterparts. The Delta 4,5 unsaturated trimer was the main product up to DP 8. For DP 9 and 10 Delta 4,5 unsaturated tetramer was the major product. Based upon the bond cleavage frequencies, a provisional subsite map was calculated, which supports the presence of eight subsites. By limited alkaline de-esterification of fully methyl-esterified pentamer and hexamer two sets of partially methyl-esterified pentamers (x and y methyl groups) and hexamers (a and b methyl groups) were prepared. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis demonstrated that the methyl-ester distribution was fully random. Using these partially methyl-esterified oligogalacturonides as substrates for PLA a 10-fold decrease in reaction rate was recorded compared with the fully methyl-esterified counterparts. Analysis of the methyl-ester distribution of the products showed that PLA tolerates carboxyl groups in the substrate binding cleft. At either subsite +2, +4, or -1 to -4 a free carboxyl group could be tolerated, whereas methyl-esters were obligatory at subsite +1 and +3. So PLA is capable to cleave the bond between a methyl-esterified and a non-esterified galacturonic acid residue, where the newly formed Delta 4,5 unsaturated non-reducing end residue always contains a methyl-ester.

Compulsory "Foreign Language Activities" in Japanese Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hashimoto, Kayoko

2011-01-01

From 2011, the new curriculum for introducing English to Japanese primary schools will be fully implemented in the form of "foreign language activities". This innovation forms part of the government's plan to cultivate "Japanese with English abilities", a development based on the awareness, particularly in the business sector,…

Trinuclear ruthenium dioxolene complexes based on the bridging ligand hexahydroxytriphenylene: electrochemistry, spectroscopy, and near-infrared electrochromic behaviour associated with a reversible seven-membered redox chain.

PubMed

Grange, Christopher S; Meijer, Anthony J H M; Ward, Michael D

2010-01-07

The trinuclear complexes [{(R2bipy)2Ru}3(mu3-HHTP)](PF6)3 [1(PF6)3, R = H; 2(PF6)3, R = 4-tBu] contain three {Ru(R2bipy)2}2+ fragments connected to the triangular tris-chelating ligand hexahydroxytriphenylene (H6HHTP). This bridging ligand contains three dioxolene-type binding sites, each of which can reversibly convert between dianionic catecholate (cat), monoanionic semiquinone (sq) or neutral quinone (q) redox states. The bridging ligand as a whole can therefore exist in seven different redox states from fully reduced [cat,cat,cat]6- through to fully oxidised, neutral [q,q,q]. Cyclic voltammetry of 1(PF6)3 in MeCN reveals six redox processes of which the three at more positive potentials (the sq/q couples) are reversible but the three at more negative potentials (the sq/cat couples) are irreversible with distorted wave shapes due to the insolubility of the reduced forms of the complex. In contrast, the more soluble complex 2(PF6)3 displays six reversible one-electron redox processes making all components of a seven-membered redox chain accessible. UV/Vis/NIR spectro-electrochemical studies reveal rich spectroscopic behaviour, with--in particular--very intense transitions in the near-IR region in many of the oxidation states associated with Ru(II)-->(dioxolene) MLCT and bridging ligand centred pi-pi* transitions. TDDFT calculations were used to analyse the electronic spectra in all seven oxidation states; the calculated spectra generally show very good agreement with experiment, which has allowed a fairly complete assignment of the low-energy transitions. The strong electrochromism of the complexes in the near-IR region has formed the basis of an optical window in which a thin film of 1(PF6)3 or 2(PF6)3 on a conductive glass surface can be reversibly and rapidly switched between redox states that alternate between strongly absorbing or near-transparent at 1100 nm, with--for 2(PF6)3--the switching being stable and reversible in water over thousands of cycles.

Biochemical characterization of the purple form of Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus nitrous oxide reductase

PubMed Central

Dell'Acqua, Simone; Pauleta, Sofia R.; Moura, José J. G.; Moura, Isabel

2012-01-01

Nitrous oxide reductase (N2OR) catalyses the final step of the denitrification pathway—the reduction of nitrous oxide to nitrogen. The catalytic centre (CuZ) is a unique tetranuclear copper centre bridged by inorganic sulphur in a tetrahedron arrangement that can have different oxidation states. Previously, Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus N2OR was isolated with the CuZ centre as CuZ*, in the [1Cu2+ : 3Cu+] redox state, which is redox inert and requires prolonged incubation under reductive conditions to be activated. In this work, we report, for the first time, the isolation of N2OR from M. hydrocarbonoclasticus in the ‘purple’ form, in which the CuZ centre is in the oxidized [2Cu2+ : 2Cu+] redox state and is redox active. This form of the enzyme was isolated in the presence of oxygen from a microaerobic culture in the presence of nitrate and also from a strictly anaerobic culture. The purple form of the enzyme was biochemically characterized and was shown to be a redox active species, although it is still catalytically non-competent, as its specific activity is lower than that of the activated fully reduced enzyme and comparable with that of the enzyme with the CuZ centre in either the [1Cu2+ : 3Cu+] redox state or in the redox inactive CuZ* state. PMID:22451106

AII amacrine cells discriminate between heterocellular and homocellular locations when assembling connexin36-containing gap junctions

PubMed Central

Meyer, Arndt; Hilgen, Gerrit; Dorgau, Birthe; Sammler, Esther M.; Weiler, Reto; Monyer, Hannah; Dedek, Karin; Hormuzdi, Sheriar G.

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Electrical synapses (gap junctions) rapidly transmit signals between neurons and are composed of connexins. In neurons, connexin36 (Cx36) is the most abundant isoform; however, the mechanisms underlying formation of Cx36-containing electrical synapses are unknown. We focus on homocellular and heterocellular gap junctions formed by an AII amacrine cell, a key interneuron found in all mammalian retinas. In mice lacking native Cx36 but expressing a variant tagged with enhanced green fluorescent protein at the C-terminus (KO-Cx36-EGFP), heterocellular gap junctions formed between AII cells and ON cone bipolar cells are fully functional, whereas homocellular gap junctions between two AII cells are not formed. A tracer injected into an AII amacrine cell spreads into ON cone bipolar cells but is excluded from other AII cells. Reconstruction of Cx36–EGFP clusters on an AII cell in the KO-Cx36-EGFP genotype confirmed that the number, but not average size, of the clusters is reduced – as expected for AII cells lacking a subset of electrical synapses. Our studies indicate that some neurons exhibit at least two discriminatory mechanisms for assembling Cx36. We suggest that employing different gap-junction-forming mechanisms could provide the means for a cell to regulate its gap junctions in a target-cell-specific manner, even if these junctions contain the same connexin. PMID:24463820

Occludin as a functional marker of vascular endothelial cells on tube-forming activity.

PubMed

Kanayasu-Toyoda, Toshie; Ishii-Watabe, Akiko; Kikuchi, Yutaka; Kitagawa, Hiroko; Suzuki, Hiroko; Tamura, Hiroomi; Tada, Minoru; Suzuki, Takuo; Mizuguchi, Hiroyuki; Yamaguchi, Teruhide

2018-02-01

Cell therapy using endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) is a promising strategy for the treatment of ischemic diseases. Two types of EPCs have been identified: early EPCs and late EPCs. Late EPCs are able to form tube structure by themselves, and have a high proliferative ability. The functional marker(s) of late EPCs, which relate to their therapeutic potential, have not been fully elucidated. Here we compared the gene expression profiles of several human cord blood derived late EPC lines which exhibit different tube formation activity, and we observed that the expression of occludin (OCLN) in these lines correlated with the tube formation ability, suggesting that OCLN is a candidate functional marker of late EPCs. When OCLN was knocked down by transfecting siRNA, the tube formation on Matrigel, the S phase + G 2 /M phase in the cell cycle, and the spheroid-based sprouting of late EPCs were markedly reduced, suggesting the critical role of OCLN in tube formation, sprouting, and proliferation. These results indicated that OCLN plays a novel role in neovascularization and angiogenesis. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

GPU surface extraction using the closest point embedding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Mark; Hansen, Charles

2015-01-01

Isosurface extraction is a fundamental technique used for both surface reconstruction and mesh generation. One method to extract well-formed isosurfaces is a particle system; unfortunately, particle systems can be slow. In this paper, we introduce an enhanced parallel particle system that uses the closest point embedding as the surface representation to speedup the particle system for isosurface extraction. The closest point embedding is used in the Closest Point Method (CPM), a technique that uses a standard three dimensional numerical PDE solver on two dimensional embedded surfaces. To fully take advantage of the closest point embedding, it is coupled with a Barnes-Hut tree code on the GPU. This new technique produces well-formed, conformal unstructured triangular and tetrahedral meshes from labeled multi-material volume datasets. Further, this new parallel implementation of the particle system is faster than any known methods for conformal multi-material mesh extraction. The resulting speed-ups gained in this implementation can reduce the time from labeled data to mesh from hours to minutes and benefits users, such as bioengineers, who employ triangular and tetrahedral meshes

Thermodynamic and electron paramagnetic resonance characterization of flavin in succinate dehydrogenase.

PubMed

Ohnishi, T; King, T E; Salerno, J C; Blum, H; Bowyer, J R; Maida, T

1981-06-10

Thermodynamic parameters of succinate dehydrogenase flavin were determined potentiometrically from the analysis of free radical signal levels as a function of the oxidation-reduction potential. Midpoint redox potentials of consecutive 1-electron transfer steps are -127 and -31 mV at pH 7.0. This corresponds to a stability constant of intermediate stability, 2.5 x 10(-2), which suggests flavin itself may be a converter from n = 2 to n = 1 electron transfer steps. The pK values of the free radical (FlH . in equilibrium Fl . -) and the fully reduced form (FlH2 in equilibrium FlH-) were estimated as 8.0 +/- 0.2 and 7.7 +/- 0.2, respectively. Succinate dehydrogenase flavosemiquinone elicits an EPR spectrum at g = 2.00 with a peak to peak width of 1.2 mT even in the protonated form, suggesting the delocalization in the unpaired electron density. A close proximity of succinate dehydrogenase flavin and iron-sulfur cluster S-1 was demonstrated based on the enhancement of flavin spin relaxation by Center S-1.

A study of the switching mechanism and electrode material of fully CMOS compatible tungsten oxide ReRAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chien, W. C.; Chen, Y. C.; Lai, E. K.; Lee, F. M.; Lin, Y. Y.; Chuang, Alfred T. H.; Chang, K. P.; Yao, Y. D.; Chou, T. H.; Lin, H. M.; Lee, M. H.; Shih, Y. H.; Hsieh, K. Y.; Lu, Chih-Yuan

2011-03-01

Tungsten oxide (WO X ) resistive memory (ReRAM), a two-terminal CMOS compatible nonvolatile memory, has shown promise to surpass the existing flash memory in terms of scalability, switching speed, and potential for 3D stacking. The memory layer, WO X , can be easily fabricated by down-stream plasma oxidation (DSPO) or rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) of W plugs universally used in CMOS circuits. Results of conductive AFM (C-AFM) experiment suggest the switching mechanism is dominated by the REDOX (Reduction-oxidation) reaction—the creation of conducting filaments leads to a low resistance state and the rupturing of the filaments results in a high resistance state. Our experimental results show that the reactions happen at the TE/WO X interface. With this understanding in mind, we proposed two approaches to boost the memory performance: (i) using DSPO to treat the RTO WO X surface and (ii) using Pt TE, which forms a Schottky barrier with WO X . Both approaches, especially the latter, significantly reduce the forming current and enlarge the memory window.

A comparative study on top-gated and bottom-gated multilayer MoS2 transistors with gate stacked dielectric of Al2O3/HfO2.

PubMed

Zou, Xiao; Xu, Jingping; Huang, Hao; Zhu, Ziqang; Wang, Hongjiu; Li, Borui; Liao, Lei; Fang, Guojia

2018-06-15

Top-gated and bottom-gated transistors with multilayer MoS 2 channel fully encapsulated by stacked Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 (9 nm/6 nm) were fabricated and comparatively studied. Excellent electrical properties are demonstrated for the TG transistors with high on-off current ratio of 10 8 , high field-effect mobility of 10 2 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , and low subthreshold swing of 93 mV dec -1 . Also, enhanced reliability has been achieved for the TG transistors with threshold voltage shift of 10 -3 -10 -2 V MV -1 cm -1 after 6 MV cm -1 gate-biased stressing. All improvement for the TG device can be ascribed to the formed device structure and dielectric environment. Degradation of the performance for the BG transistors should be attributed to reduced gate capacitance density and deteriorated interface properties related to vdW gap with a thickness about 0.4 nm. So, the TG transistor with MoS 2 channel fully encapsulated by stacked Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 is a promising way to fabricate high-performance ML MoS 2 field-effect transistors for practical electron device applications.

A comparative study on top-gated and bottom-gated multilayer MoS2 transistors with gate stacked dielectric of Al2O3/HfO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Xiao; Xu, Jingping; Huang, Hao; Zhu, Ziqang; Wang, Hongjiu; Li, Borui; Liao, Lei; Fang, Guojia

2018-06-01

Top-gated and bottom-gated transistors with multilayer MoS2 channel fully encapsulated by stacked Al2O3/HfO2 (9 nm/6 nm) were fabricated and comparatively studied. Excellent electrical properties are demonstrated for the TG transistors with high on–off current ratio of 108, high field-effect mobility of 102 cm2 V‑1 s‑1, and low subthreshold swing of 93 mV dec–1. Also, enhanced reliability has been achieved for the TG transistors with threshold voltage shift of 10‑3–10‑2 V MV–1 cm–1 after 6 MV cm‑1 gate-biased stressing. All improvement for the TG device can be ascribed to the formed device structure and dielectric environment. Degradation of the performance for the BG transistors should be attributed to reduced gate capacitance density and deteriorated interface properties related to vdW gap with a thickness about 0.4 nm. So, the TG transistor with MoS2 channel fully encapsulated by stacked Al2O3/HfO2 is a promising way to fabricate high-performance ML MoS2 field-effect transistors for practical electron device applications.

Neutron star mass-radius relation with gravitational field shielding by a scalar field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bo-Jun; Zhang, Tian-Xi; Guggilla, Padmaja; Dokhanian, Mostafa

2013-05-01

The currently well-developed models for equations of state (EoSs) have been severely impacted by recent measurements of neutron stars with a small radius and/or large mass. To explain these measurements, the theory of gravitational field shielding by a scalar field is applied. This theory was recently developed in accordance with the five-dimensional (5D) fully covariant Kaluza-Klein (KK) theory that has successfully unified Einstein's general relativity and Maxwell's electromagnetic theory. It is shown that a massive, compact neutron star can generate a strong scalar field, which can significantly shield or reduce its gravitational field, thus making it more massive and more compact. The mass-radius relation developed under this type of modified gravity can be consistent with these recent measurements of neutron stars. In addition, the effect of gravitational field shielding helps explain why the supernova explosions of some very massive stars (e.g., 40 Msolar as measured recently) actually formed neutron stars rather than black holes as expected. The EoS models, ruled out by measurements of small radius and/or large mass neutron stars according to the theory of general relativity, can still work well in terms of the 5D fully covariant KK theory with a scalar field.

Impact of Female-Oriented Cigarette Packaging in the United States

PubMed Central

Doxey, Juliana; Daniel, Samantha; Bansal-Travers, Maansi

2011-01-01

Introduction: Cigarette packaging is among the most prominent forms of tobacco marketing. This study examined the impact of cigarette pack design among young women in the United States. Method: A national sample of 18- to 19-year-old females in the United States completed an online survey in February 2010. Participants were randomized to view eight cigarette packs designed according to one of four experimental conditions: fully branded female packs, same packs without descriptors (e.g., “slims”), same packs without brand imagery or descriptors (“plain” packs), and branded non-female brands. Participants rated packs on measures of appeal and health risk and completed a behavioral pack selection task. Results: Fully branded female packs were rated significantly more appealing than the same packs without descriptors, “plain” packs, and non–female-branded packs. Female-branded packs were associated with a greater number of positive attributes including glamour, slimness, and attractiveness and were more likely to be perceived as less harmful. Approximately 40% of smokers and nonsmokers requested a pack at the end of the study; female-branded packs were 3 times more likely to be selected than plain packs. Conclusion: Plain packaging and removing descriptors such as “slims” from cigarette packs may reduce smoking susceptibility among young women. PMID:21486994

Assessment of the reduction methods used to develop chemical schemes: building of a new chemical scheme for VOC oxidation suited to three-dimensional multiscale HOx-NOx-VOC chemistry simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szopa, S.; Aumont, B.; Madronich, S.

2005-09-01

The objective of this work was to develop and assess an automatic procedure to generate reduced chemical schemes for the atmospheric photooxidation of volatile organic carbon (VOC) compounds. The procedure is based on (i) the development of a tool for writing the fully explicit schemes for VOC oxidation (see companion paper Aumont et al., 2005), (ii) the application of several commonly used reduction methods to the fully explicit scheme, and (iii) the assessment of resulting errors based on direct comparison between the reduced and full schemes.

The reference scheme included seventy emitted VOCs chosen to be representative of both anthropogenic and biogenic emissions, and their atmospheric degradation chemistry required more than two million reactions among 350000 species. Three methods were applied to reduce the size of the reference chemical scheme: (i) use of operators, based on the redundancy of the reaction sequences involved in the VOC oxidation, (ii) grouping of primary species having similar reactivities into surrogate species and (iii) grouping of some secondary products into surrogate species. The number of species in the final reduced scheme is 147, this being small enough for practical inclusion in current three-dimensional models. Comparisons between the fully explicit and reduced schemes, carried out with a box model for several typical tropospheric conditions, showed that the reduced chemical scheme accurately predicts ozone concentrations and some other aspects of oxidant chemistry for both polluted and clean tropospheric conditions.

Close Companion Friends, Self-Expression, and Psychological Well-Being in Late Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krause, Neal

2010-01-01

This study has two central aims. Both are associated with self-expression, which is defined as the ability to fully utilize one's own talents and abilities. The first goal is to see if self-expression reduces depressive symptoms over time whereas the second aim is to see whether close companion friends help older people more fully utilize their…

Investigation of the required length for fully developed pipe flow with drag-reducing polymer solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farsiani, Yasaman; Elbing, Brian

2015-11-01

Adding trace amounts of long chain polymers into a liquid flow is known to reduce skin friction drag by up to 80%. While polymer drag reduction (PDR) has been successfully implemented in internal flows, diffusion and degradation have limited its external flow applications. A weakness in many previous PDR studies is that there was no characterization of the polymer being injected into the turbulent boundary layer, which can be accomplished by testing a sample in a pressure-drop tube. An implicit assumption in polymer characterization is that the flow is fully developed at the differential pressure measurement. While available data in the literature shows that the entry length to achieve fully developed flow increases with polymeric solutions, it is unclear how long is required to achieve fully developed flow for non-Newtonian turbulent flows. In the present study, the pressure-drop is measured across a 1.05 meter length section of a 1.04 cm inner diameter pipe. Differential pressure is measured with a pressure transducer for different entry lengths, flow and polymer solution properties. This presentation will present preliminary data on the required entrance length as well as characterization of polymer solution an estimate of the mean molecular weight.

A scalable, fully implicit algorithm for the reduced two-field low-β extended MHD model

DOE PAGES

Chacon, Luis; Stanier, Adam John

2016-12-01

Here, we demonstrate a scalable fully implicit algorithm for the two-field low-β extended MHD model. This reduced model describes plasma behavior in the presence of strong guide fields, and is of significant practical impact both in nature and in laboratory plasmas. The model displays strong hyperbolic behavior, as manifested by the presence of fast dispersive waves, which make a fully implicit treatment very challenging. In this study, we employ a Jacobian-free Newton–Krylov nonlinear solver, for which we propose a physics-based preconditioner that renders the linearized set of equations suitable for inversion with multigrid methods. As a result, the algorithm ismore » shown to scale both algorithmically (i.e., the iteration count is insensitive to grid refinement and timestep size) and in parallel in a weak-scaling sense, with the wall-clock time scaling weakly with the number of cores for up to 4096 cores. For a 4096 × 4096 mesh, we demonstrate a wall-clock-time speedup of ~6700 with respect to explicit algorithms. The model is validated linearly (against linear theory predictions) and nonlinearly (against fully kinetic simulations), demonstrating excellent agreement.« less

Fokker-Planck Equations of Stochastic Acceleration: A Study of Numerical Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Brian T.; Petrosian, Vahe

1996-03-01

Stochastic wave-particle acceleration may be responsible for producing suprathermal particles in many astrophysical situations. The process can be described as a diffusion process through the Fokker-Planck equation. If the acceleration region is homogeneous and the scattering mean free path is much smaller than both the energy change mean free path and the size of the acceleration region, then the Fokker-Planck equation reduces to a simple form involving only the time and energy variables. in an earlier paper (Park & Petrosian 1995, hereafter Paper 1), we studied the analytic properties of the Fokker-Planck equation and found analytic solutions for some simple cases. In this paper, we study the numerical methods which must be used to solve more general forms of the equation. Two classes of numerical methods are finite difference methods and Monte Carlo simulations. We examine six finite difference methods, three fully implicit and three semi-implicit, and a stochastic simulation method which uses the exact correspondence between the Fokker-Planck equation and the it5 stochastic differential equation. As discussed in Paper I, Fokker-Planck equations derived under the above approximations are singular, causing problems with boundary conditions and numerical overflow and underflow. We evaluate each method using three sample equations to test its stability, accuracy, efficiency, and robustness for both time-dependent and steady state solutions. We conclude that the most robust finite difference method is the fully implicit Chang-Cooper method, with minor extensions to account for the escape and injection terms. Other methods suffer from stability and accuracy problems when dealing with some Fokker-Planck equations. The stochastic simulation method, although simple to implement, is susceptible to Poisson noise when insufficient test particles are used and is computationally very expensive compared to the finite difference method.

Fully Enzymatic Membraneless Glucose|Oxygen Fuel Cell That Provides 0.275 mA cm(-2) in 5 mM Glucose, Operates in Human Physiological Solutions, and Powers Transmission of Sensing Data.

PubMed

Ó Conghaile, Peter; Falk, Magnus; MacAodha, Domhnall; Yakovleva, Maria E; Gonaus, Christoph; Peterbauer, Clemens K; Gorton, Lo; Shleev, Sergey; Leech, Dónal

2016-02-16

Coimmobilization of pyranose dehydrogenase as an enzyme catalyst, osmium redox polymers [Os(4,4'-dimethoxy-2,2'-bipyridine)2(poly(vinylimidazole))10Cl](+) or [Os(4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine)2(poly(vinylimidazole))10Cl](+) as mediators, and carbon nanotube conductive scaffolds in films on graphite electrodes provides enzyme electrodes for glucose oxidation. The recombinant enzyme and a deglycosylated form, both expressed in Pichia pastoris, are investigated and compared as biocatalysts for glucose oxidation using flow injection amperometry and voltammetry. In the presence of 5 mM glucose in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (50 mM phosphate buffer solution, pH 7.4, with 150 mM NaCl), higher glucose oxidation current densities, 0.41 mA cm(-2), are obtained from enzyme electrodes containing the deglycosylated form of the enzyme. The optimized glucose-oxidizing anode, prepared using deglycosylated enzyme coimmobilized with [Os(4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine)2(poly(vinylimidazole))10Cl](+) and carbon nanotubes, was coupled with an oxygen-reducing bilirubin oxidase on gold nanoparticle dispersed on gold electrode as a biocathode to provide a membraneless fully enzymatic fuel cell. A maximum power density of 275 μW cm(-2) is obtained in 5 mM glucose in PBS, the highest to date under these conditions, providing sufficient power to enable wireless transmission of a signal to a data logger. When tested in whole human blood and unstimulated human saliva maximum power densities of 73 and 6 μW cm(-2) are obtained for the same fuel cell configuration, respectively.

RCT Testing Bystander Effectiveness to Reduce Violence.

PubMed

Coker, Ann L; Bush, Heather M; Cook-Craig, Patricia G; DeGue, Sarah A; Clear, Emily R; Brancato, Candace J; Fisher, Bonnie S; Recktenwald, Eileen A

2017-05-01

Bystander-based programs have shown promise to reduce interpersonal violence at colleges, yet limited rigorous evaluations have addressed bystander intervention effectiveness in high schools. This study evaluated the Green Dot bystander intervention to reduce sexual violence and related forms of interpersonal violence in 26 high schools over 5 years. A cluster RCT was conducted. Kentucky high schools were randomized to intervention or control (wait list) conditions. Green Dot-trained educators conducted schoolwide presentations and recruited student popular opinion leaders to receive bystander training in intervention schools beginning in Year 1. The primary outcome was sexual violence perpetration, and related forms of interpersonal violence victimization and perpetration were also measured using anonymous student surveys collected at baseline and annually from 2010 to 2014. Because the school was the unit of analysis, violence measures were aggregated by school and year and school-level counts were provided. A total of 89,707 students completed surveys. The primary, as randomized, analyses conducted in 2014-2016 included linear mixed models and generalized estimating equations to examine the condition-time interaction on violence outcomes. Slopes of school-level totals of sexual violence perpetration (condition-time, p<0.001) and victimization (condition-time, p<0.001) were different over time. During Years 3-4, when Green Dot was fully implemented, the mean number of sexual violent events prevented by the intervention was 120 in Intervention Year 3 and 88 in Year 4. For Year 3, prevalence rate ratios for sexual violence perpetration in the intervention relative to control schools were 0.83 (95% CI=0.70, 0.99) in Year 3 and 0.79 (95% CI=0.67, 0.94) in Year 4. Similar patterns were observed for sexual violence victimization, sexual harassment, stalking, and dating violence perpetration and victimization. Implementation of Green Dot in Kentucky high schools significantly decreased not only sexual violence perpetration but also other forms of interpersonal violence perpetration and victimization. Copyright © 2017 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

RCT Testing Bystander Effectiveness to Reduce Violence

PubMed Central

Coker, Ann L.; Bush, Heather M.; Cook-Craig, Patricia G.; DeGue, Sarah A.; Clear, Emily R.; Brancato, Candace J.; Fisher, Bonnie S.; Recktenwald, Eileen A.

2017-01-01

Introduction Bystander-based programs have shown promise to reduce interpersonal violence at colleges, yet limited rigorous evaluations have addressed bystander intervention effectiveness in high schools. This study evaluated the Green Dot bystander intervention to reduce sexual violence and related forms of interpersonal violence in 26 high schools over 5 years. Design A cluster RCT was conducted. Setting/participants Kentucky high schools were randomized to intervention or control (wait list) conditions. Intervention Green Dot–trained educators conducted schoolwide presentations and recruited student popular opinion leaders to receive bystander training in intervention schools beginning in Year 1. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was sexual violence perpetration, and related forms of interpersonal violence victimization and perpetration were also measured using anonymous student surveys collected at baseline and annually from 2010 to 2014. Because the school was the unit of analysis, violence measures were aggregated by school and year and school-level counts were provided. Results A total of 89,707 students completed surveys. The primary, as randomized, analyses conducted in 2014–2016 included linear mixed models and generalized estimating equations to examine the condition–time interaction on violence outcomes. Slopes of school-level totals of sexual violence perpetration (condition–time, p<0.001) and victimization (condition time, p<0.001) were different over time. During Years 3–4, when Green Dot was fully implemented, the mean number of sexual violent events prevented by the intervention was 120 in Intervention Year 3 and 88 in Year 4. For Year 3, prevalence rate ratios for sexual violence perpetration in the intervention relative to control schools were 0.83 (95% CI=0.70, 0.99) in Year 3 and 0.79 (95% CI=0.67, 0.94) in Year 4. Similar patterns were observed for sexual violence victimization, sexual harassment, stalking, and dating violence perpetration and victimization. Conclusions Implementation of Green Dot in Kentucky high schools significantly decreased not only sexual violence perpetration but also other forms of interpersonal violence perpetration and victimization. PMID:28279546

Amorphization within the tablet: Using microwave irradiation to form a glass solution in situ.

PubMed

Doreth, Maria; Hussein, Murtadha Abdul; Priemel, Petra A; Grohganz, Holger; Holm, René; Lopez de Diego, Heidi; Rades, Thomas; Löbmann, Korbinian

2017-03-15

In situ amorphization is a concept that allows to amorphize a given drug in its final dosage form right before administration. Hence, this approach can potentially be used to circumvent recrystallization issues that other amorphous formulation approaches are facing during storage. In this study, the feasibility of microwave irradiation to prepare amorphous solid dispersions (glass solutions) in situ was investigated. Indomethacin (IND) and polyvinylpyrrolidone K12 (PVP) were tableted at a 1:2 (w/w) ratio. In order to study the influence of moisture content and energy input on the degree of amorphization, tablet formulations were stored at different relative humidity (32, 43 and 54% RH) and subsequently microwaved using nine different power-time combinations up to a maximum energy input of 90kJ. XRPD results showed that up to 80% (w/w) of IND could be amorphized within the tablet. mDSC measurements revealed that with increasing microwaving power and time, the fractions of crystalline IND and amorphous PVP reduced, whereas the amount of in situ formed IND-PVP glass solution increased. Intrinsic dissolution showed that the dissolution rate of the microwaved solid dispersion was similar to that of a quench cooled, fully amorphous glass solution even though the microwaved samples contained residual crystalline IND. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Caught in the act: the lifetime of synaptic intermediates during the search for homology on DNA

PubMed Central

Mani, Adam; Braslavsky, Ido; Arbel-Goren, Rinat; Stavans, Joel

2010-01-01

Homologous recombination plays pivotal roles in DNA repair and in the generation of genetic diversity. To locate homologous target sequences at which strand exchange can occur within a timescale that a cell’s biology demands, a single-stranded DNA-recombinase complex must search among a large number of sequences on a genome by forming synapses with chromosomal segments of DNA. A key element in the search is the time it takes for the two sequences of DNA to be compared, i.e. the synapse lifetime. Here, we visualize for the first time fluorescently tagged individual synapses formed by RecA, a prokaryotic recombinase, and measure their lifetime as a function of synapse length and differences in sequence between the participating DNAs. Surprisingly, lifetimes can be ∼10 s long when the DNAs are fully heterologous, and much longer for partial homology, consistently with ensemble FRET measurements. Synapse lifetime increases rapidly as the length of a region of full homology at either the 3′- or 5′-ends of the invading single-stranded DNA increases above 30 bases. A few mismatches can reduce dramatically the lifetime of synapses formed with nearly homologous DNAs. These results suggest the need for facilitated homology search mechanisms to locate homology successfully within the timescales observed in vivo. PMID:20044347

The Fleet Application for Scheduling and Tracking (FAST) Management Website

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marrero-Perez, Radames J.

2014-01-01

The FAST application was designed to replace the paper and pen method of checking out and checking in GSA Vehicles at KSC. By innovating from a paper and pen based checkout system to a fully digital one, not only the resources wasted by printing the checkout forms have been reduced, but it also reduces significantly the time that users and fleet managers need to interact with the system as well as improving the record accuracy for each vehicle. The vehicle information is pulled from a centralized database server in the SPSDL. In an attempt to add a new feature to the FAST application, the author of this report (alongside the FAST developers) has been designing and developing the FAST Management Website. The GSA fleet managers had to rely on the FAST developers in order to add new vehicles, edit vehicles and previous transactions, or for generating vehicles reports. By providing an easy-to-use FAST Management Website portal, the GSA fleet managers are now able to easily move vehicles, edit records, and print reports.

Can HMG Co-A reductase inhibitors (“statins”) slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration? The Age-Related Maculopathy Statin Study (ARMSS)

PubMed Central

Guymer, Robyn H; Dimitrov, Peter N; Varsamidis, Mary; Lim, Lyndell L; Baird, Paul N; Vingrys, Algis J; Robman, Luba

2008-01-01

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is responsible for the majority of visual impairment in the Western world. The role of cholesterol-lowering medications, HMG Co-A reductase inhibitors or statins, in reducing the risk of AMD or of delaying its progression has not been fully investigated. A 3-year prospective randomized controlled trial of 40 mg simvastatin per day compared to placebo in subjects at high risk of AMD progression is described. This paper outlines the primary aims of the Age-Related Maculopathy Statin Study (ARMSS), and the methodology involved. Standardized clinical grading of macular photographs and comparison of serial macular digital photographs, using the International grading scheme, form the basis for assessment of primary study outcomes. In addition, macular function is assessed at each visit with detailed psychophysical measurements of rod and cone function. Information collected in this study will assist in the assessment of the potential value of HMG Co-A reductase inhibitors (statins) in reducing the risk of AMD progression. PMID:18982929

GaAs VLSI for aerospace electronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larue, G.; Chan, P.

1990-01-01

Advanced aerospace electronics systems require high-speed, low-power, radiation-hard, digital components for signal processing, control, and communication applications. GaAs VLSI devices provide a number of advantages over silicon devices including higher carrier velocities, ability to integrate with high performance optical devices, and high-resistivity substrates that provide very short gate delays, good isolation, and tolerance to many forms of radiation. However, III-V technologies also have disadvantages, such as lower yield compared to silicon MOS technology. Achieving very large scale integration (VLSI) is particularly important for fast complex systems. At very short gate delays (less than 100 ps), chip-to-chip interconnects severely degrade circuit clock rates. Complex systems, therefore, benefit greatly when as many gates as possible are placed on a single chip. To fully exploit the advantages of GaAs circuits, attention must be focused on achieving high integration levels by reducing power dissipation, reducing the number of devices per logic function, and providing circuit designs that are more tolerant to process and environmental variations. In addition, adequate noise margin must be maintained to ensure a practical yield.

Ethical imperatives against item restriction in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

PubMed

Chrisinger, Benjamin W

2017-07-01

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) is the federal government's largest form of food assistance, and a frequent focus of political and scholarly debate. Previous discourse in the public health community and recent proposals in state legislatures have suggested limiting the use of SNAP benefits on unhealthy food items, such as sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). This paper identifies two possible underlying motivations for item restriction, health and morals, and analyzes the level of empirical support for claims about the current state of the program, as well as expectations about how item restriction would change participant outcomes. It also assesses how item restriction would reduce individual agency of low-income individuals, and identifies mechanisms by which this may adversely affect program participants. Finally, this paper offers alternative policies to promote healthier purchasing and eating among SNAP participants that can be pursued without reducing individual agency. Health advocates and officials must more fully weigh the attendant risks of implementing SNAP item restrictions, including the reduction of individual agency of a vulnerable population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On pseudo-spectral time discretizations in summation-by-parts form

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruggiu, Andrea A.; Nordström, Jan

2018-05-01

Fully-implicit discrete formulations in summation-by-parts form for initial-boundary value problems must be invertible in order to provide well functioning procedures. We prove that, under mild assumptions, pseudo-spectral collocation methods for the time derivative lead to invertible discrete systems when energy-stable spatial discretizations are used.

METHYLATED TRIVALENT ARSENICALS AS CANDIDATE ULTIMATE GENOTOXIC FORMS OF ARSENIC: INDUCTION OF CHROMOSOMAL MUTATIONS BUT NOT GENE MUTATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

ABSTRACT
Arsenic is a prevalent human carcinogen whose mutagenicity has not been characterized fully. Exposure to either form of inorganic arsenic, AsIII or AsV, can result in the formation of at least four organic metabolites: monomethylarsonic acid, monomethylarsonous aci...

Solution-Processed Cu 2Se Nanocrystal Films with Bulk-Like Thermoelectric Performance

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

Forster, Jason D.; Lynch, Jared J.; Coates, Nelson E.

Thermoelectric power generation can play a key role in a sustainable energy future by converting waste heat from power plants and other industrial processes into usable electrical power. Current thermoelectric devices, however, require energy intensive manufacturing processes such as alloying and spark plasma sintering. Here, we describe the fabrication of a p-type thermoelectric material, copper selenide (Cu 2 Se), utilizing solution-processing and thermal annealing to produce a thin film that achieves a figure of merit, ZT, which is as high as its traditionally processed counterpart, a value of 0.14 at room temperature. This is the first report of amore » fully solution-processed nanomaterial achieving performance equivalent to its bulk form and represents a general strategy to reduce the energy required to manufacture advanced energy conversion and harvesting materials.« less

Charge transport in electrically doped amorphous organic semiconductors.

PubMed

Yoo, Seung-Jun; Kim, Jang-Joo

2015-06-01

This article reviews recent progress on charge generation by doping and its influence on the carrier mobility in organic semiconductors (OSs). The doping induced charge generation efficiency is generally low in OSs which was explained by the integer charge transfer model and the hybrid charge transfer model. The ionized dopants formed by charge transfer between hosts and dopants can act as Coulomb traps for mobile charges, and the presence of Coulomb traps in OSs broadens the density of states (DOS) in doped organic films. The Coulomb traps strongly reduce the carrier hopping rate and thereby change the carrier mobility, which was confirmed by experiments in recent years. In order to fully understand the doping mechanism in OSs, further quantitative and systematic analyses of charge transport characteristics must be accomplished. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Solution-Processed Cu 2Se Nanocrystal Films with Bulk-Like Thermoelectric Performance

DOE PAGES

Forster, Jason D.; Lynch, Jared J.; Coates, Nelson E.; ...

2017-06-05

Thermoelectric power generation can play a key role in a sustainable energy future by converting waste heat from power plants and other industrial processes into usable electrical power. Current thermoelectric devices, however, require energy intensive manufacturing processes such as alloying and spark plasma sintering. Here, we describe the fabrication of a p-type thermoelectric material, copper selenide (Cu 2 Se), utilizing solution-processing and thermal annealing to produce a thin film that achieves a figure of merit, ZT, which is as high as its traditionally processed counterpart, a value of 0.14 at room temperature. This is the first report of amore » fully solution-processed nanomaterial achieving performance equivalent to its bulk form and represents a general strategy to reduce the energy required to manufacture advanced energy conversion and harvesting materials.« less

Prompt and easy activation by specific thioredoxins of calvin cycle enzymes of Arabidopsis thaliana associated in the GAPDH/CP12/PRK supramolecular complex.

PubMed

Marri, Lucia; Zaffagnini, Mirko; Collin, Valérie; Issakidis-Bourguet, Emmanuelle; Lemaire, Stéphane D; Pupillo, Paolo; Sparla, Francesca; Miginiac-Maslow, Myroslawa; Trost, Paolo

2009-03-01

The Calvin cycle enzymes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and phosphoribulokinase (PRK) can form under oxidizing conditions a supramolecular complex with the regulatory protein CP12. Both GAPDH and PRK activities are inhibited within the complex, but they can be fully restored by reduced thioredoxins (TRXs). We have investigated the interactions of eight different chloroplast thioredoxin isoforms (TRX f1, m1, m2, m3, m4, y1, y2, x) with GAPDH (A(4), B(4), and B(8) isoforms), PRK and CP12 (isoform 2), all from Arabidopsis thaliana. In the complex, both A(4)-GAPDH and PRK were promptly activated by TRX f1, or more slowly by TRXs m1 and m2, but all other TRXs were ineffective. Free PRK was regulated by TRX f1, m1, or m2, while B(4)- and B(8)-GAPDH were absolutely specific for TRX f1. Interestingly, reductive activation of PRK caged in the complex was much faster than reductive activation of free oxidized PRK, and activation of A(4)-GAPDH in the complex was much faster (and less demanding in terms of reducing potential) than activation of free oxidized B(4)- or B(8)-GAPDH. It is proposed that CP12-assembled supramolecular complex may represent a reservoir of inhibited enzymes ready to be released in fully active conformation following reduction and dissociation of the complex by TRXs upon the shift from dark to low light. On the contrary, autonomous redox-modulation of GAPDH (B-containing isoforms) would be more suited to conditions of very active photosynthesis.

Accurate electrostatic and van der Waals pull-in prediction for fully clamped nano/micro-beams using linear universal graphs of pull-in instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tahani, Masoud; Askari, Amir R.

2014-09-01

In spite of the fact that pull-in instability of electrically actuated nano/micro-beams has been investigated by many researchers to date, no explicit formula has been presented yet which can predict pull-in voltage based on a geometrically non-linear and distributed parameter model. The objective of present paper is to introduce a simple and accurate formula to predict this value for a fully clamped electrostatically actuated nano/micro-beam. To this end, a non-linear Euler-Bernoulli beam model is employed, which accounts for the axial residual stress, geometric non-linearity of mid-plane stretching, distributed electrostatic force and the van der Waals (vdW) attraction. The non-linear boundary value governing equation of equilibrium is non-dimensionalized and solved iteratively through single-term Galerkin based reduced order model (ROM). The solutions are validated thorough direct comparison with experimental and other existing results reported in previous studies. Pull-in instability under electrical and vdW loads are also investigated using universal graphs. Based on the results of these graphs, non-dimensional pull-in and vdW parameters, which are defined in the text, vary linearly versus the other dimensionless parameters of the problem. Using this fact, some linear equations are presented to predict pull-in voltage, the maximum allowable length, the so-called detachment length, and the minimum allowable gap for a nano/micro-system. These linear equations are also reduced to a couple of universal pull-in formulas for systems with small initial gap. The accuracy of the universal pull-in formulas are also validated by comparing its results with available experimental and some previous geometric linear and closed-form findings published in the literature.

Electron-transfer and acid-base properties of a two-electron oxidized form of quaterpyrrole that acts as both an electron donor and an acceptor.

PubMed

Zhang, Min; E, Wenbo; Ohkubo, Kei; Sanchez-Garcia, David; Yoon, Dae-Wi; Sessler, Jonathan L; Fukuzumi, Shunichi; Kadish, Karl M

2008-02-21

Electron-transfer interconversion between the four-electron oxidized form of a quaterpyrrole (abbreviated as P4 for four pyrroles) and the two-electron oxidized form (P4H2) as well as between P4H2 and its fully reduced form (P4H4) bearing analogous substituents in the alpha- and beta-pyrrolic positions was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry and UV-visible spectroelectrochemistry combined with ESR and laser flash photolysis measurements. The two-electron oxidized form, P4H2, acts as both an electron donor and an electron acceptor. The radical cation (P4H2*+) and radical anion (P4H2*-) are both produced by photoinduced electron transfer from dimeric 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide to P4H2, whereas the cation radical form of the compound is also produced by electron-transfer oxidation of P4H2 with [Ru(bpy)3]3+. The ESR spectra of P4H2*+ and P4H2*- were recorded at low temperature and exhibit spin delocalization over all four pyrrole units. Thus, the two-electron oxidized form of the quaterpyrrole (P4H2) displays redox and electronic features analogous to those seen in the case of porphyrins and may be considered as a simple, open-chain model of this well-studied tetrapyrrolic macrocycle. The dynamics of deprotonation from P4H2*+ and disproportionation of P4H2 were examined by laser flash photolysis measurements of photoinduced electron-transfer oxidation and reduction of P4H2, respectively.

Characterization of Two Distinct Amorphous Forms of Valsartan by Solid-State NMR.

PubMed

Skotnicki, Marcin; Apperley, David C; Aguilar, Juan A; Milanowski, Bartłomiej; Pyda, Marek; Hodgkinson, Paul

2016-01-04

Valsartan (VAL) is an antihypertensive drug marketed in an amorphous form. Amorphous materials can have different physicochemical properties depending on preparation method, thermal history, etc., but the nature of such materials is difficult to study by diffraction techniques. This study characterizes two different amorphous forms of valsartan (AR and AM) using solid-state NMR (SSNMR) as a primary investigation tool, supported by solution-state NMR, FT-IR, TMDSC, and dissolution tests. The two forms are found to be clearly distinct, with a significantly higher level of structural arrangement in the AR form, as observed in (13)C, (15)N, and (1)H SSNMR. (13)C and (15)N NMR indicates that the fully amorphous material (AM) contains an approximately equal ratio of cis-trans conformers about the amide bond, whereas the AR form exists mainly as one conformer, with minor conformational "defects". (1)H ultrafast MAS NMR shows significant differences in the hydrogen bonding involving the tetrazole and acid hydrogens between the two materials, while (15)N NMR shows that both forms exist as a 1,2,3,4-tetrazole tautomer. NMR relaxation times show subtle differences in local and bulk molecular mobility, which can be connected with the glass transition, the stability of the glassy material, and its response to aging. Counterintuitively the fully amorphous material is found to have a significantly lower dissolution rate than the apparently more ordered AR material.

Navy Collaborative Integrated Information Technology Initiative (NAVCIITI)

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-09-01

We investigated a new type of antenna array consisting of sub- elements that are excited together to form the primary element. All of the sub...elements of the array are excited for the highest operating band. Only the primary elements are excited for the low frequency band. This fractal geometry has...fully active array. The fully active input impedance is the input impedance of an element in an array when all elements are excited . It is a function

Intermediate filament structure in fully differentiated (oxidised) trichocyte keratin.

PubMed

Fraser, R D Bruce; Parry, David A D

2017-10-01

For the past 50years there has been considerable debate over the sub-structure of the fully differentiated (oxidised) trichocyte keratin intermediate filament. Depending on the staining and preparative procedures employed, IF observed in transverse section in the transmission electron microscope have varied in appearance between that of a "ring" and a "ring-core" structure, corresponding to the so-called (8+0) and (7+1) protofilament arrangements. In a new analysis of the fine structure of the 1nm equatorial region of the X-ray diffraction pattern of quill we show that the observed pattern is consistent with the (8+0) model and we are also able to assign values to the various parameters. In contrast, we show that the observed X-ray pattern is inconsistent with a (7+1) arrangement. Furthermore, in the (7+1) model steric hindrance would be encountered between the core protofilament and those constituting the ring. The appearance of a central "core" in transverse TEM sections, previously attributed to a central protofilament, is explained in terms of portions of the apolar, disulfide-bonded head and/or tail domains of the trichocyte keratin IF molecules, including the conserved H subdomains, lying along the axis of the IF, thereby decreasing the efficacy of the reducing agents used prior to staining. The H1 subdomain, previously shown to be important in the assembly of epidermal IF molecules at the two- to four-molecule level, is likely to have a similar role for the trichocyte keratins and may form part of a central scaffold on which the molecules assemble into fully functional IF. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Racial/Ethnic Inequities in Low Birth Weight and Preterm Birth: The Role of Multiple Forms of Stress.

PubMed

Almeida, Joanna; Bécares, Laia; Erbetta, Kristin; Bettegowda, Vani R; Ahluwalia, Indu B

2018-02-13

Introduction Racial/ethnic inequities in low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB) persist in the United States. Research has identified numerous risk factors for adverse birth outcomes; however, they do not fully explain the occurrence of, or inequalities in PTB/LBW. Stress has been proposed as one explanation for differences in LBW and PTB by race/ethnicity. Methods Using the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data from 2012 to 2013 for 21 states and one city (n = 15,915) we used Poisson regression to estimate the association between acute, financial and relationship stressors and LBW and PTB, and to examine the contribution of these stressors individually and simultaneously to racial/ethnic differences in LBW and PTB. Results Adjusting for age and race/ethnicity, acute (p < 0.001), financial (p < 0.001) and relationship (p < 0.05) stressors were associated with increased risk of LBW, but only acute (p < 0.05) and financial (p < 0.01) stress increased risk of PTB. Across all models, non-Hispanic blacks had higher risk of LBW and PTB relative to non-Hispanic whites (IRR 1.87, 95% CI 1.55, 2.27 and IRR 1.46, 95% CI 1.18, 1.79). Accounting for the effects of stressors attenuated the risk of LBW and PTB by 17 and 22% respectively, but did not fully explain the increased likelihood of LBW and PTB among non-Hispanic blacks. Discussion Results of this study demonstrate that stress may increase the risk of LBW and PTB. While stressors may contribute to racial/ethnic differences in LBW and PTB, they do not fully explain them. Mitigating stress during pregnancy may help promote healthier birth outcomes and reduce racial/ethnic inequities in LBW and PTB.

A large-scale examination of the effectiveness of anonymous marking in reducing group performance differences in higher education assessment.

PubMed

Hinton, Daniel P; Higson, Helen

2017-01-01

The present research aims to more fully explore the issues of performance differences in higher education assessment, particularly in the context of a common measure taken to address them. The rationale for the study is that, while performance differences in written examinations are relatively well researched, few studies have examined the efficacy of anonymous marking in reducing these performance differences, particularly in modern student populations. By examining a large archive (N = 30674) of assessment data spanning a twelve-year period, the relationship between assessment marks and factors such as ethnic group, gender and socio-environmental background was investigated. In particular, analysis focused on the impact that the implementation of anonymous marking for assessment of written examinations and coursework has had on the magnitude of mean score differences between demographic groups of students. While group differences were found to be pervasive in higher education assessment, these differences were observed to be relatively small in practical terms. Further, it appears that the introduction of anonymous marking has had a negligible effect in reducing them. The implications of these results are discussed, focusing on two issues, firstly a defence of examinations as a fair and legitimate form of assessment in Higher Education, and, secondly, a call for the re-examination of the efficacy of anonymous marking in reducing group performance differences.

A large-scale examination of the effectiveness of anonymous marking in reducing group performance differences in higher education assessment

PubMed Central

Higson, Helen

2017-01-01

The present research aims to more fully explore the issues of performance differences in higher education assessment, particularly in the context of a common measure taken to address them. The rationale for the study is that, while performance differences in written examinations are relatively well researched, few studies have examined the efficacy of anonymous marking in reducing these performance differences, particularly in modern student populations. By examining a large archive (N = 30674) of assessment data spanning a twelve-year period, the relationship between assessment marks and factors such as ethnic group, gender and socio-environmental background was investigated. In particular, analysis focused on the impact that the implementation of anonymous marking for assessment of written examinations and coursework has had on the magnitude of mean score differences between demographic groups of students. While group differences were found to be pervasive in higher education assessment, these differences were observed to be relatively small in practical terms. Further, it appears that the introduction of anonymous marking has had a negligible effect in reducing them. The implications of these results are discussed, focusing on two issues, firstly a defence of examinations as a fair and legitimate form of assessment in Higher Education, and, secondly, a call for the re-examination of the efficacy of anonymous marking in reducing group performance differences. PMID:28813457

Hemangiomas

MedlinePlus

... to 18 months, and then slowly shrink. Port wine stains and other true birthmarks are fully formed ... left alone, but as medicine has progressed the benefits to early treatment are outweighing the risks more ...

Fully probabilistic control design in an adaptive critic framework.

PubMed

Herzallah, Randa; Kárný, Miroslav

2011-12-01

Optimal stochastic controller pushes the closed-loop behavior as close as possible to the desired one. The fully probabilistic design (FPD) uses probabilistic description of the desired closed loop and minimizes Kullback-Leibler divergence of the closed-loop description to the desired one. Practical exploitation of the fully probabilistic design control theory continues to be hindered by the computational complexities involved in numerically solving the associated stochastic dynamic programming problem; in particular, very hard multivariate integration and an approximate interpolation of the involved multivariate functions. This paper proposes a new fully probabilistic control algorithm that uses the adaptive critic methods to circumvent the need for explicitly evaluating the optimal value function, thereby dramatically reducing computational requirements. This is a main contribution of this paper. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solving phase appearance/disappearance two-phase flow problems with high resolution staggered grid and fully implicit schemes by the Jacobian-free Newton–Krylov Method

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

Zou, Ling; Zhao, Haihua; Zhang, Hongbin

2016-04-01

The phase appearance/disappearance issue presents serious numerical challenges in two-phase flow simulations. Many existing reactor safety analysis codes use different kinds of treatments for the phase appearance/disappearance problem. However, to our best knowledge, there are no fully satisfactory solutions. Additionally, the majority of the existing reactor system analysis codes were developed using low-order numerical schemes in both space and time. In many situations, it is desirable to use high-resolution spatial discretization and fully implicit time integration schemes to reduce numerical errors. In this work, we adapted a high-resolution spatial discretization scheme on staggered grid mesh and fully implicit time integrationmore » methods (such as BDF1 and BDF2) to solve the two-phase flow problems. The discretized nonlinear system was solved by the Jacobian-free Newton Krylov (JFNK) method, which does not require the derivation and implementation of analytical Jacobian matrix. These methods were tested with a few two-phase flow problems with phase appearance/disappearance phenomena considered, such as a linear advection problem, an oscillating manometer problem, and a sedimentation problem. The JFNK method demonstrated extremely robust and stable behaviors in solving the two-phase flow problems with phase appearance/disappearance. No special treatments such as water level tracking or void fraction limiting were used. High-resolution spatial discretization and second- order fully implicit method also demonstrated their capabilities in significantly reducing numerical errors.« less

Electric and magnetic form factors of strange baryons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Cauteren, T.; Merten, D.; Corthals, T.; Janssen, S.; Metsch, B.; Petry, H.-R.; Ryckebusch, J.

. Predictions for the electromagnetic form factors of the Λ , Σ and Ξ hyperons are presented. The numerical calculations are performed within the framework of the fully relativistic constituent-quark model developed by the Bonn group. The computed magnetic moments compare favorably with the experimentally known values. Most magnetic form factors GM (Q2) can be parameterized in terms of a dipole with cutoff masses ranging from 0.79 to 1.14 GeV.

An Engineered Resupply System for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

Alejandro S. Hernandez Co-Advisor: Susan M. Sanchez Second Reader: Mary McDonald THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK i REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form ...Unclassified 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT Unclassified 20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT UU NSN 7540–01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2–89...time or place. Military doctrine for HADR operations is not yet fully formed ; deliverables of the mission, scope of operations, and coordination

Mobius Molecules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckert, J. M.

1973-01-01

Discusses formation of chemical molecules via Mobius strip intermediates, and concludes that many special physics-chemical properties of the fully closed circular form (1) of polyoma DNA are explainable by this topological feature. (CC)

Measurement of |V(cb)| and the form-factor slope in B --> Dl- nu(l) decays in events tagged by a fully reconstructed B meson.

PubMed

Aubert, B; Karyotakis, Y; Lees, J P; Poireau, V; Prencipe, E; Prudent, X; Tisserand, V; Garra Tico, J; Grauges, E; Martinelli, M; Palano, A; Pappagallo, M; Eigen, G; Stugu, B; Sun, L; Battaglia, M; Brown, D N; Kerth, L T; Kolomensky, Yu G; Lynch, G; Osipenkov, I L; Tackmann, K; Tanabe, T; Hawkes, C M; Soni, N; Watson, A T; Koch, H; Schroeder, T; Asgeirsson, D J; Fulsom, B G; Hearty, C; Mattison, T S; McKenna, J A; Barrett, M; Khan, A; Randle-Conde, A; Blinov, V E; Bukin, A D; Buzykaev, A R; Druzhinin, V P; Golubev, V B; Onuchin, A P; Serednyakov, S I; Skovpen, Yu I; Solodov, E P; Todyshev, K Yu; Bondioli, M; Curry, S; Eschrich, I; Kirkby, D; Lankford, A J; Lund, P; Mandelkern, M; Martin, E C; Stoker, D P; Atmacan, H; Gary, J W; Liu, F; Long, O; Vitug, G M; Yasin, Z; Zhang, L; Sharma, V; Campagnari, C; Hong, T M; Kovalskyi, D; Mazur, M A; Richman, J D; Beck, T W; Eisner, A M; Heusch, C A; Kroseberg, J; Lockman, W S; Martinez, A J; Schalk, T; Schumm, B A; Seiden, A; Wang, L; Winstrom, L O; Cheng, C H; Doll, D A; Echenard, B; Fang, F; Hitlin, D G; Narsky, I; Piatenko, T; Porter, F C; Andreassen, R; Mancinelli, G; Meadows, B T; Mishra, K; Sokoloff, M D; Bloom, P C; Ford, W T; Gaz, A; Hirschauer, J F; Nagel, M; Nauenberg, U; Smith, J G; Wagner, S R; Ayad, R; Toki, W H; Wilson, R J; Feltresi, E; Hauke, A; Jasper, H; Karbach, T M; Merkel, J; Petzold, A; Spaan, B; Wacker, K; Kobel, M J; Nogowski, R; Schubert, K R; Schwierz, R; Volk, A; Bernard, D; Latour, E; Verderi, M; Clark, P J; Playfer, S; Watson, J E; Andreotti, M; Bettoni, D; Bozzi, C; Calabrese, R; Cecchi, A; Cibinetto, G; Fioravanti, E; Franchini, P; Luppi, E; Munerato, M; Negrini, M; Petrella, A; Piemontese, L; Santoro, V; Baldini-Ferroli, R; Calcaterra, A; de Sangro, R; Finocchiaro, G; Pacetti, S; Patteri, P; Peruzzi, I M; Piccolo, M; Rama, M; Zallo, A; Contri, R; Guido, E; Lo Vetere, M; Monge, M R; Passaggio, S; Patrignani, C; Robutti, E; Tosi, S; Chaisanguanthum, K S; Morii, M; Adametz, A; Marks, J; Schenk, S; Uwer, U; Bernlochner, F U; Klose, V; Lacker, H M; Bard, D J; Dauncey, P D; Tibbetts, M; Behera, P K; Charles, M J; Mallik, U; Cochran, J; Crawley, H B; Dong, L; Eyges, V; Meyer, W T; Prell, S; Rosenberg, E I; Rubin, A E; Gao, Y Y; Gritsan, A V; Guo, Z J; Arnaud, N; Béquilleux, J; D'Orazio, A; Davier, M; Derkach, D; da Costa, J Firmino; Grosdidier, G; Le Diberder, F; Lepeltier, V; Lutz, A M; Malaescu, B; Pruvot, S; Roudeau, P; Schune, M H; Serrano, J; Sordini, V; Stocchi, A; Wormser, G; Lange, D J; Wright, D M; Bingham, I; Burke, J P; Chavez, C A; Fry, J R; Gabathuler, E; Gamet, R; Hutchcroft, D E; Payne, D J; Touramanis, C; Bevan, A J; Clarke, C K; Di Lodovico, F; Sacco, R; Sigamani, M; Cowan, G; Paramesvaran, S; Wren, A C; Brown, D N; Davis, C L; Denig, A G; Fritsch, M; Gradl, W; Hafner, A; Alwyn, K E; Bailey, D; Barlow, R J; Jackson, G; Lafferty, G D; West, T J; Yi, J I; Anderson, J; Chen, C; Jawahery, A; Roberts, D A; Simi, G; Tuggle, J M; Dallapiccola, C; Salvati, E; Saremi, S; Cowan, R; Dujmic, D; Fisher, P H; Henderson, S W; Sciolla, G; Spitznagel, M; Yamamoto, R K; Zhao, M; Patel, P M; Robertson, S H; Schram, M; Lazzaro, A; Lombardo, V; Palombo, F; Stracka, S; Bauer, J M; Cremaldi, L; Godang, R; Kroeger, R; Sonnek, P; Summers, D J; Zhao, H W; Simard, M; Taras, P; Nicholson, H; De Nardo, G; Lista, L; Monorchio, D; Onorato, G; Sciacca, C; Raven, G; Snoek, H L; Jessop, C P; Knoepfel, K J; LoSecco, J M; Wang, W F; Corwin, L A; Honscheid, K; Kagan, H; Kass, R; Morris, J P; Rahimi, A M; Regensburger, J J; Sekula, S J; Wong, Q K; Blount, N L; Brau, J; Frey, R; Igonkina, O; Kolb, J A; Lu, M; Rahmat, R; Sinev, N B; Strom, D; Strube, J; Torrence, E; Castelli, G; Gagliardi, N; Margoni, M; Morandin, M; Posocco, M; Rotondo, M; Simonetto, F; Stroili, R; Voci, C; Sanchez, P del Amo; Ben-Haim, E; Bonneaud, G R; Briand, H; Chauveau, J; Hamon, O; Leruste, Ph; Marchiori, G; Ocariz, J; Perez, A; Prendki, J; Sitt, S; Gladney, L; Biasini, M; Manoni, E; Angelini, C; Batignani, G; Bettarini, S; Calderini, G; Carpinelli, M; Cervelli, A; Forti, F; Giorgi, M A; Lusiani, A; Morganti, M; Neri, N; Paoloni, E; Rizzo, G; Walsh, J J; Pegna, D Lopes; Lu, C; Olsen, J; Smith, A J S; Telnov, A V; Anulli, F; Baracchini, E; Cavoto, G; Faccini, R; Ferrarotto, F; Ferroni, F; Gaspero, M; Jackson, P D; Gioi, L Li; Mazzoni, M A; Morganti, S; Piredda, G; Renga, F; Voena, C; Ebert, M; Hartmann, T; Schröder, H; Waldi, R; Adye, T; Franek, B; Olaiya, E O; Wilson, F F; Emery, S; Esteve, L; de Monchenault, G Hamel; Kozanecki, W; Vasseur, G; Yèche, Ch; Zito, M; Allen, M T; Aston, D; Bartoldus, R; Benitez, J F; Cenci, R; Coleman, J P; Convery, M R; Dingfelder, J C; Dorfan, J; Dubois-Felsmann, G P; Dunwoodie, W; Field, R C; Sevilla, M Franco; Gabareen, A M; Graham, M T; Grenier, P; Hast, C; Innes, W R; Kaminski, J; Kelsey, M H; Kim, H; Kim, P; Kocian, M L; Leith, D W G S; Li, S; Lindquist, B; Luitz, S; Luth, V; Lynch, H L; MacFarlane, D B; Marsiske, H; Messner, R; Muller, D R; Neal, H; Nelson, S; O'Grady, C P; Ofte, I; Perl, M; Ratcliff, B N; Roodman, A; Salnikov, A A; Schindler, R H; Schwiening, J; Snyder, A; Su, D; Sullivan, M K; Suzuki, K; Swain, S K; Thompson, J M; Va'vra, J; Wagner, A P; Weaver, M; West, C A; Wisniewski, W J; Wittgen, M; Wright, D H; Wulsin, H W; Yarritu, A K; Young, C C; Ziegler, V; Chen, X R; Liu, H; Park, W; Purohit, M V; White, R M; Wilson, J R; Burchat, P R; Edwards, A J; Miyashita, T S; Ahmed, S; Alam, M S; Ernst, J A; Pan, B; Saeed, M A; Zain, S B; Soffer, A; Spanier, S M; Wogsland, B J; Eckmann, R; Ritchie, J L; Ruland, A M; Schilling, C J; Schwitters, R F; Wray, B C; Drummond, B W; Izen, J M; Lou, X C; Bianchi, F; Gamba, D; Pelliccioni, M; Bomben, M; Bosisio, L; Cartaro, C; Della Ricca, G; Lanceri, L; Vitale, L; Azzolini, V; Lopez-March, N; Martinez-Vidal, F; Milanes, D A; Oyanguren, A; Albert, J; Banerjee, Sw; Bhuyan, B; Choi, H H F; Hamano, K; King, G J; Kowalewski, R; Lewczuk, M J; Nugent, I M; Roney, J M; Sobie, R J; Gershon, T J; Harrison, P F; Ilic, J; Latham, T E; Mohanty, G B; Puccio, E M T; Band, H R; Chen, X; Dasu, S; Flood, K T; Pan, Y; Prepost, R; Vuosalo, C O; Wu, S L

2010-01-08

We present a measurement of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element |V(cb)| and the form-factor slope rho2 in B --> Dl- nu(l) decays based on 460x10(6) BB events recorded at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector. B --> Dl- nu(l) decays are selected in events in which a hadronic decay of the second B meson is fully reconstructed. We measure B(B- --> D0 l- nu(l))/B(B- --> Xl- nu(l)) = (0.255+/-0.009+/-0.009) and B(B0 --> D+ l- nu(l))/B(B0 --> Xl- nu(l)) = (0.230+/-0.011+/-0.011), along with the differential decay distribution in B --> Dl- nu(l) decays. We then determine G(1)|V(cb)| = (42.3+/-1.9+/-1.4)x10(-3) and rho2 = 1.20+/-0.09+/-0.04, where G(1) is the hadronic form factor at the point of zero recoil.

Formation of W(3)A(1) electron-transferring flavoprotein (ETF) hydroquinone in the trimethylamine dehydrogenase x ETF protein complex.

PubMed

Jang, M H; Scrutton, N S; Hille, R

2000-04-28

The electron-transferring flavoprotein (ETF) from Methylophilus methylotrophus (sp. W(3)A(1)) exhibits unusual oxidation-reduction properties and can only be reduced to the level of the semiquinone under most circumstances (including turnover with its physiological reductant, trimethylamine dehydrogenase (TMADH), or reaction with strong reducing reagents such as sodium dithionite). In the present study, we demonstrate that ETF can be reduced fully to its hydroquinone form both enzymatically and chemically when it is in complex with TMADH. Quantitative titration of the TMADH x ETF protein complex with sodium dithionite shows that a total of five electrons are taken up by the system, indicating that full reduction of ETF occurs within the complex. The results indicate that the oxidation-reduction properties of ETF are perturbed upon binding to TMADH, a conclusion further supported by the observation of a spectral change upon formation of the TMADH x ETF complex that is due to a change in the environment of the FAD of ETF. The results are discussed in the context of ETF undergoing a conformational change during formation of the TMADH x ETF electron transfer complex, which modulates the spectral and oxidation-reduction properties of ETF such that full reduction of the protein can take place.

In vitro and in vivo efficacy of garlic compounds against Gyrodactylus turnbulli infecting the guppy (Poecilia reticulata).

PubMed

Schelkle, Bettina; Snellgrove, Donna; Cable, Joanne

2013-11-15

Traditional compounds used to treat fish diseases in aquaculture and the ornamental fish industry (such as formalin and malachite green) can be more toxic to the hosts than their parasites. With the reviviscence in the use of herbal products, various botanicals have been heralded as cures for particular pathogens, but the efficacy of these compounds for parasitic worms is questionable. Here, we tested a range of garlic (Allium sativum) products against a major aquarium pathogen, Gyrodactylus turnbulli, infecting the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). All garlic products significantly reduced parasite mean survival time in vitro, from 13 h to <1 h. In fully randomised trials, the number of parasites was also significantly reduced on infected fish exposed to garlic from different sources. Two garlic treatments (minced and granule forms) reduced worm burdens by 66% and 75% after three doses, whereas Chinese freeze-dried garlic and allyl disulphide were 95% effective after a single application. In fact, Chinese freeze dried garlic was equally effective as Levamisole, a licensed livestock dewormer that is highly effective against G. turnbulli but not routinely prescribed for use in fish; hence, garlic may be a potential alternative treatment for gyrodactylosis. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Structural evidence for the partially oxidized dipyrromethene and dipyrromethanone forms of the cofactor of porphobilinogen deaminase: structures of the Bacillus megaterium enzyme at near-atomic resolution

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

Azim, N.; Deery, E.; Warren, M. J.

The enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD; hydroxymethylbilane synthase; EC 2.5.1.61) catalyses a key early step in the biosynthesis of tetrapyrroles in which four molecules of the monopyrrole porphobilinogen are condensed to form a linear tetrapyrrole. Two near-atomic resolution structures of PBGD from B. megaterium are reported that demonstrate the time-dependent accumulation of partially oxidized forms of the cofactor, including one that possesses a tetrahedral C atom in the terminal pyrrole ring. The enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD; hydroxymethylbilane synthase; EC 2.5.1.61) catalyses an early step of the tetrapyrrole-biosynthesis pathway in which four molecules of the monopyrrole porphobilinogen are condensed to form amore » linear tetrapyrrole. The enzyme possesses a dipyrromethane cofactor, which is covalently linked by a thioether bridge to an invariant cysteine residue (Cys241 in the Bacillus megaterium enzyme). The cofactor is extended during the reaction by the sequential addition of the four substrate molecules, which are released as a linear tetrapyrrole product. Expression in Escherichia coli of a His-tagged form of B. megaterium PBGD has permitted the X-ray analysis of the enzyme from this species at high resolution, showing that the cofactor becomes progressively oxidized to the dipyrromethene and dipyrromethanone forms. In previously solved PBGD structures, the oxidized cofactor is in the dipyromethenone form, in which both pyrrole rings are approximately coplanar. In contrast, the oxidized cofactor in the B. megaterium enzyme appears to be in the dipyrromethanone form, in which the C atom at the bridging α-position of the outer pyrrole ring is very clearly in a tetrahedral configuration. It is suggested that the pink colour of the freshly purified protein is owing to the presence of the dipyrromethene form of the cofactor which, in the structure reported here, adopts the same conformation as the fully reduced dipyrromethane form.« less

Prospects for utilization of air liquefaction and enrichment system (ALES) propulsion in fully reusable launch vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bond, W. H.; Yi, A. C.

1993-01-01

A concept is shown for a fully reusable, earth to orbit launch vehicle with horizontal takeoff and landing, employing an air-turborocket for low speed and a rocket for high speed acceleration, both using LH2 fuel. The turborocket employs a modified liquid air cycle to supply the oxidizer. The rocket uses 90 percent pure LOX that is collected from the atmosphere, separated, and stored during operation of the turborocket from about Mach 2 to Mach 5 or 6. The takeoff weight and the thrust required at takeoff are markedly reduced by collecting the rocket oxidizer in-flight. The paper shows an approach and the corresponding technology needs for using ALES propulsion in a SSTO vehicle. Reducing the trajectory altitude at the end of collection reduces the wing area and increases payload. The use of state-of-the-art materials, such as graphite polyimide, is critical to meet the structure weight objective for SSTO. Configurations that utilize 'waverider' aerodynamics show great promise to reduce the vehicle weight.

Theoretical effects of fully ductile versus fully brittle behaviors of bone tissue on the strength of the human proximal femur and vertebral body.

PubMed

Nawathe, Shashank; Yang, Haisheng; Fields, Aaron J; Bouxsein, Mary L; Keaveny, Tony M

2015-05-01

The influence of the ductility of bone tissue on whole-bone strength represents a fundamental issue of multi-scale biomechanics. To gain insight, we performed a computational study of 16 human proximal femurs and 12 T9 vertebral bodies, comparing the whole-bone strength for the two hypothetical bounding cases of fully brittle versus fully ductile tissue-level failure behaviors, all other factors, including tissue-level elastic modulus and yield stress, held fixed. For each bone, a finite element model was generated (60-82 μm element size; up to 120 million elements) and was virtually loaded in habitual (stance for femur, compression for vertebra) and non-habitual (sideways fall, only for femur) loading modes. Using a geometrically and materially non-linear model, the tissue was assumed to be either fully brittle or fully ductile. We found that, under habitual loading, changing the tissue behavior from fully ductile to fully brittle reduced whole-bone strength by 38.3±2.4% (mean±SD) and 39.4±1.9% for the femur and vertebra, respectively (p=0.39 for site difference). These reductions were remarkably uniform across bones, but (for the femur) were greater for non-habitual (57.1±4.7%) than habitual loading (p<0.001). At overall structural failure, there was 5-10-fold less failed tissue for the fully brittle than fully ductile cases. These theoretical results suggest that the whole-bone strength of the proximal femur and vertebra can vary substantially between fully brittle and fully ductile tissue-level behaviors, an effect that is relatively insensitive to bone morphology but greater for non-habitual loading. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Charge Transport and Phase Behavior of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquid Crystals from Fully Atomistic Simulations.

PubMed

Quevillon, Michael J; Whitmer, Jonathan K

2018-01-02

Ionic liquid crystals occupy an intriguing middle ground between room-temperature ionic liquids and mesostructured liquid crystals. Here, we examine a non-polarizable, fully atomistic model of the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium nitrate family using molecular dynamics in the constant pressure-constant temperature ensemble. These materials exhibit a distinct "smectic" liquid phase, characterized by layers formed by the molecules, which separate the ionic and aliphatic moieties. In particular, we discuss the implications this layering may have for electrolyte applications.

Reduced Uranium Phases Produced from Anaerobic Reaction with Nanoscale Zerovalent Iron.

PubMed

Tsarev, Sergey; Collins, Richard N; Fahy, Adam; Waite, T David

2016-03-01

Nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) has shown potential to be an effective remediation agent for uranium-contaminated subsurface environments, however, the nature of the reaction products and their formation kinetics have not been fully elucidated over a range of environmentally relevant conditions. In this study, the oxygen-free reaction of U(VI) with varying quantities of nZVI was examined at pH 7 in the presence of both calcium and carbonate using a combination of X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. It was observed that the structure of the reduced U solid phases was time dependent and largely influenced by the ratio of nZVI to U in the system. At the highest U:Fe molar ratio examined (1:4), nanoscale uraninite (UO2) was predominantly formed within 1 day of reaction. At lower U:Fe molar ratios (1:21), evidence was obtained for the formation of sorbed U(IV) and U(V) surface complexes which slowly transformed to UO2 nanoparticles that were stable for up to 1 year of anaerobic incubation. After 8 days of reaction at the lowest U:Fe molar ratio examined (1:110), sorbed U(IV) was still the major form of U associated with the solid phase. Regardless of the U:Fe molar ratio, the anaerobic corrosion of nZVI resulted in the slow formation of micron-sized fibrous chukanovite (Fe2(OH)2CO3) particles.

Self-discharge of electrochemical capacitors based on soluble or grafted quinone.

PubMed

Shul, Galyna; Bélanger, Daniel

2016-07-28

The self-discharge of hybrid electrochemical capacitors based on the redox activity of electrolyte additives or grafted species to the electrode material is investigated simultaneously for the cell and each individual electrode. Electrochemical capacitors using a redox-active electrolyte consisting in hydroquinone added to the electrolyte solution and a redox-active electrode based on anthraquinone-grafted carbon as a negative electrode are investigated. The results are analyzed by using Conway kinetic models and compared to those of a common electrochemical double layer capacitor. The self-discharge investigation is complemented by charge/discharge cycling and it is shown that processes affecting galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling and the self-discharge rate occurring at each electrode of an electrochemical capacitor are different but related to each other. The electrochemical capacitor containing hydroquinone in the electrolyte exhibits a much quicker self-discharge rate than that using a negative electrode based on grafted anthraquinone with a 50% decay of the cell voltage of the fully charged device in 0.6 and 6 h, respectively. The fast self-discharge of the former is due to the diffusion of benzoquinone molecules (formed at the positive electrode during charging) to the negative electrode, where they are reduced, causing a quick depolarization. The grafting of anthraquinone molecules on the carbon material of the negative electrode led to a much slower self-discharge, which nonetheless occurred, by the reaction of the reduced form of the grafted species with electrolyte species.

Time-resolved in situ XAS study of the preparation of supported gold clusters.

PubMed

Bus, Eveline; Prins, Roel; van Bokhoven, Jeroen A

2007-07-07

Incipient-wetness impregnation of gamma-Al(2)O(3) with HAuCl(4) and subsequent removal of chlorine with NaOH, and deposition-precipitation of HAuCl(4) on TiO(2) at pH 7 resulted in supported Au(3+) species. Time-resolved in situ XAS at the Au L(3) edge showed that the Al(2)O(3)-supported oxidic or hydroxidic species were reduced in hydrogen at 440 K to yield small metallic gold clusters. The Au(3+) precursor decomposed to metallic gold in inert atmosphere at 573 K and in oxidizing atmosphere above 623 K. In all atmospheres, initially small clusters were formed that gradually grew with increasing temperature. The TiO(2)-supported species were considerably less stable. In hydrogen and carbon monoxide, Au(0) clusters of 1 to 1.5 nm were formed at room temperature, which was the lowest temperature studied. In inert and oxidizing atmosphere, the Au(3+) precursor decomposed fully to metallic gold at 530 K, as shown by XAS and temperature-programmed experiments. Large clusters were obtained already in the initial stage of reduction. Residual chlorine inhibited the reduction and led to sintering of the gold clusters. Exposure of the TiO(2)-supported catalyst precursor to light or the X-ray beam led to partial reduction, and STEM showed that storage of the reduced gold clusters under ambient conditions led to agglomeration and bimodal cluster-size distributions.

Selenite and tellurite form mixed seleno- and tellurotrisulfides with CstR from Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Luebke, Justin L; Arnold, Randy J; Giedroc, David P

2013-04-01

Staphylococcus aureus CstR (CsoR-like sulfur transferase repressor) is a member of the CsoR family of transition metal sensing metalloregulatory proteins. Unlike CsoR, CstR does not form a stable complex with transition metals but instead reacts with sulfite to form a mixture of di- and trisulfide species, CstR2(RS-SR') and CstR2(RS-S-SR')n)n=1 or 2, respectively. Here, we investigate if CstR performs similar chemistry with related chalcogen oxyanions selenite and tellurite. In this work we show by high resolution tandem mass spectrometry that CstR is readily modified by selenite (SeO3(2-)) or tellurite (TeO3(2-)) to form a mixture of intersubunit disulfides and selenotrisulfides or tellurotrisulfides, respectively, between Cys31 and Cys60'. Analogous studies with S. aureus CsoR reveals no reaction with selenite and minimal reaction with tellurite. All cross-linked forms of CstR exhibit reduced DNA binding affinity. We show that Cys31 initiates the reaction with sulfite through the formation of S-sulfocysteine (RS-SO3(2-)) and Cys60 is required to fully derivatize CstR to CstR2(RS-SR') and CstR2(RS-S-SR'). The modification of Cys31 also drives an allosteric switch that negatively regulates DNA binding while derivatization of Cys60 alone has no effect on DNA binding. These results highlight the differences between CstRs and CsoRs in chemical reactivity and metal ion selectivity and establish Cys31 as the functionally important cysteine residue in CstRs.

Structural and functional changes across the visual cortex of a patient with visual form agnosia.

PubMed

Bridge, Holly; Thomas, Owen M; Minini, Loredana; Cavina-Pratesi, Cristiana; Milner, A David; Parker, Andrew J

2013-07-31

Loss of shape recognition in visual-form agnosia occurs without equivalent losses in the use of vision to guide actions, providing support for the hypothesis of two visual systems (for "perception" and "action"). The human individual DF received a toxic exposure to carbon monoxide some years ago, which resulted in a persisting visual-form agnosia that has been extensively characterized at the behavioral level. We conducted a detailed high-resolution MRI study of DF's cortex, combining structural and functional measurements. We present the first accurate quantification of the changes in thickness across DF's occipital cortex, finding the most substantial loss in the lateral occipital cortex (LOC). There are reduced white matter connections between LOC and other areas. Functional measures show pockets of activity that survive within structurally damaged areas. The topographic mapping of visual areas showed that ordered retinotopic maps were evident for DF in the ventral portions of visual cortical areas V1, V2, V3, and hV4. Although V1 shows evidence of topographic order in its dorsal portion, such maps could not be found in the dorsal parts of V2 and V3. We conclude that it is not possible to understand fully the deficits in object perception in visual-form agnosia without the exploitation of both structural and functional measurements. Our results also highlight for DF the cortical routes through which visual information is able to pass to support her well-documented abilities to use visual information to guide actions.

Numerical study of multi-point forming of thick sheet using remeshing procedure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherouat, A.; Ma, X.; Borouchaki, H.; Zhang, Q.

2018-05-01

Multi-point forming MPF is an innovative technology of manufacturing complex thick sheet metal products without the need for solid tools. The central component of this system is a pair of the desired discrete matrices of punches, and die surface constructed by changing the positions of the tools though CAD and a control system. Because reconfigurable discrete tools are used, part-manufacturing costs are reduced and manufacturing time is shorten substantially. Firstly, in this work we develop constitutive equations which couples isotropic ductile damage into various flow stress based on the Continuum Damage Mechanic theory. The modified Johnson-Cook flow model fully coupled with an isotropic ductile damage is established using the quasi-unilateral damage evolution for considering both the open and the close of micro-cracks. During the forming processes severe mesh distortion of elements occur after a few incremental forming steps. Secondly, we introduce 3D adaptive remeshing procedure based on linear tetrahedral element and geometrical/physical errors estimation to optimize the element quality, to refine the mesh size in the whole model and to adapt the deformed mesh to the tools geometry. Simulation of the MPF process (see Fig. 1) and the unloading spring-back are carried out using adaptive remeshing scheme using the commercial finite element package ABAQUS and OPTIFORM mesher. Subsequently, influencing factors of MPF spring-back are researched to investigate the MPF spring-back tendency with the proposed remeshing procedure.

Crossword: A Fully Automated Algorithm for the Segmentation and Quality Control of Protein Microarray Images

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Biological assays formatted as microarrays have become a critical tool for the generation of the comprehensive data sets required for systems-level understanding of biological processes. Manual annotation of data extracted from images of microarrays, however, remains a significant bottleneck, particularly for protein microarrays due to the sensitivity of this technology to weak artifact signal. In order to automate the extraction and curation of data from protein microarrays, we describe an algorithm called Crossword that logically combines information from multiple approaches to fully automate microarray segmentation. Automated artifact removal is also accomplished by segregating structured pixels from the background noise using iterative clustering and pixel connectivity. Correlation of the location of structured pixels across image channels is used to identify and remove artifact pixels from the image prior to data extraction. This component improves the accuracy of data sets while reducing the requirement for time-consuming visual inspection of the data. Crossword enables a fully automated protocol that is robust to significant spatial and intensity aberrations. Overall, the average amount of user intervention is reduced by an order of magnitude and the data quality is increased through artifact removal and reduced user variability. The increase in throughput should aid the further implementation of microarray technologies in clinical studies. PMID:24417579

Improved toughness of silicon carbide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palm, J. A.

1976-01-01

Impact energy absorbing layers (EALs) comprised of partially densified silicon carbide were formed in situ on fully sinterable silicon carbide substrates. After final sintering, duplex silicon carbide structures resulted which were comprised of a fully sintered, high density silicon carbide substrate or core, overlayed with an EAL of partially sintered silicon carbide integrally bonded to its core member. Thermal cycling tests proved such structures to be moderately resistant to oxidation and highly resistant to thermal shock stresses. The strength of the developed structures in some cases exceeded but essentially it remained the same as the fully sintered silicon carbide without the EAL. Ballistic impact tests indicated that substantial improvements in the toughness of sintered silicon carbide were achieved by the use of the partially densified silicon carbide EALs.

A summary of lateral-stability derivatives calculated for wing plan forms in supersonic flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Arthur L; Alksne, Alberta

1951-01-01

A compilation of theoretical values of the lateral-stability derivatives for wings at supersonic speeds is presented in the form of design charts. The wing plan forms for which this compilation has been prepared include a rectangular, two trapezoidal, two triangular, a fully-tapered swept-back, a sweptback hexagonal, an unswept hexagonal, and a notched triangular plan form. A full set of results, that is, values for all nine of the lateral-stability derivatives for wings, was available for the first six of these plan forms only. The reasons for the incompleteness of the results available for other plan forms are discussed.

5 CFR 842.612 - Post-retirement election of a fully reduced annuity or one-half reduced annuity to provide a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... (2) If an election under this section causes the total of all current and former spouse annuities... to the current spouse ends, unless— (1) The retiree elects, within 2 years after a divorce terminates...

Solvepol: A Reduction Pipeline for Imaging Polarimetry Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramírez, Edgar A.; Magalhães, Antônio M.; Davidson, James W., Jr.; Pereyra, Antonio; Rubinho, Marcelo

2017-05-01

We present a newly, fully automated, data pipeline, Solvepol, designed to reduce and analyze polarimetric data. It has been optimized for imaging data from the Instituto de Astronomía, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG) of the University of São Paulo (USP), calcite Savart prism plate-based IAGPOL polarimeter. Solvepol is also the basis of a reduction pipeline for the wide-field optical polarimeter that will execute SOUTH POL, a survey of the polarized southern sky. Solvepol was written using the Interactive data language (IDL) and is based on the Image Reduction and Analysis Facility (IRAF) task PCCDPACK, developed by our polarimetry group. We present and discuss reduced data from standard stars and other fields and compare these results with those obtained in the IRAF environment. Our analysis shows that Solvepol, in addition to being a fully automated pipeline, produces results consistent with those reduced by PCCDPACK and reported in the literature.

Fast and fully-scalable synthesis of reduced graphene oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdolhosseinzadeh, Sina; Asgharzadeh, Hamed; Seop Kim, Hyoung

2015-05-01

Exfoliation of graphite is a promising approach for large-scale production of graphene. Oxidation of graphite effectively facilitates the exfoliation process, yet necessitates several lengthy washing and reduction processes to convert the exfoliated graphite oxide (graphene oxide, GO) to reduced graphene oxide (RGO). Although filtration, centrifugation and dialysis have been frequently used in the washing stage, none of them is favorable for large-scale production. Here, we report the synthesis of RGO by sonication-assisted oxidation of graphite in a solution of potassium permanganate and concentrated sulfuric acid followed by reduction with ascorbic acid prior to any washing processes. GO loses its hydrophilicity during the reduction stage which facilitates the washing step and reduces the time required for production of RGO. Furthermore, simultaneous oxidation and exfoliation significantly enhance the yield of few-layer GO. We hope this one-pot and fully-scalable protocol paves the road toward out of lab applications of graphene.

Reducing soil phosphorus fertility brings potential long-term environmental gains: A UK analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Withers, Paul J. A.; Hodgkinson, Robin A.; Rollett, Alison; Dyer, Chris; Dils, Rachael; Collins, Adrian L.; Bilsborrow, Paul E.; Bailey, Geoff; Sylvester-Bradley, Roger

2017-05-01

Soil phosphorus (P) fertility arising from historic P inputs is a major driver of P mobilisation in agricultural runoff and increases the risk of aquatic eutrophication. To determine the environmental benefit of lowering soil P fertility, a meta-analysis of the relationship between soil test P (measured as Olsen-P) and P concentrations in agricultural drainflow and surface runoff in mostly UK soils was undertaken in relation to current eutrophication control targets (30-35 µg P L-1). At agronomic-optimum Olsen P (16-25 mg kg-1), concentrations of soluble reactive P (SRP), total dissolved P (TDP), total P (TP) and sediment-P (SS-P) in runoff were predicted by linear regression analysis to vary between 24 and 183 µg L-1, 38 and 315 µg L-1, 0.2 and 9.6 mg L-1, and 0.31 and 3.2 g kg-1, respectively. Concentrations of SRP and TDP in runoff were much more sensitive to changes in Olsen-P than were TP and SS-P concentrations, which confirms that separate strategies are required for mitigating the mobilisation of dissolved and particulate P forms. As the main driver of eutrophication, SRP concentrations in runoff were reduced on average by 60 µg L-1 (71%) by lowering soil Olsen-P from optimum (25 mg kg-1) to 10 mg kg-1. At Olsen-P concentrations below 12 mg kg-1, dissolved hydrolysable P (largely organic) became the dominant form of soluble P transported. We concluded that maintaining agronomic-optimum Olsen-P could still pose a eutrophication risk, and that a greater research focus on reducing critical soil test P through innovative agro-engineering of soils, crops and fertilisers would give long-term benefits in reducing the endemic eutrophication risk arising from legacy soil P. Soil P testing should become compulsory in priority catchments suffering, or sensitive to, eutrophication to ensure soil P reserves are fully accounted for as part of good fertiliser and manure management.

32 CFR 644.87 - Preparation and execution of offers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Exhibits to be identified on page 1. (3) The word “none” should be inserted in the blank spaces following the first and third lines, respectively, on page 2 of the offer form when title is being acquired free... applicable or can be fully complied with without the use of an Offer to Sell. Pages 1 and 2 of ENG Form 2970...

Electron tomography of early melanosomes: Implications for melanogenesis and the generation of fibrillar amyloid sheets

PubMed Central

Hurbain, Ilse; Geerts, Willie J. C.; Boudier, Thomas; Marco, Sergio; Verkleij, Arie J.; Marks, Michael S.; Raposo, Graç

2008-01-01

Melanosomes are lysosome-related organelles (LROs) in which melanins are synthesized and stored. Early stage melanosomes are characterized morphologically by intralumenal fibrils upon which melanins are deposited in later stages. The integral membrane protein Pmel17 is a component of the fibrils, can nucleate fibril formation in the absence of other pigment cell-specific proteins, and forms amyloid-like fibrils in vitro. Before fibril formation Pmel17 traffics through multivesicular endosomal compartments, but how these compartments participate in downstream events leading to fibril formation is not fully known. By using high-pressure freezing of MNT-1 melanoma cells and freeze substitution to optimize ultrastructural preservation followed by double tilt 3D electron tomography, we show that the amyloid-like fibrils begin to form in multivesicular compartments, where they radiate from the luminal side of intralumenal membrane vesicles. The fibrils in fully formed stage II premelanosomes organize into sheet-like arrays and exclude the remaining intralumenal vesicles, which are smaller and often in continuity with the limiting membrane. These observations indicate that premelanosome fibrils form in association with intralumenal endosomal membranes. We suggest that similar processes regulate amyloid formation in pathological models. PMID:19033461

Electron tomography of early melanosomes: implications for melanogenesis and the generation of fibrillar amyloid sheets.

PubMed

Hurbain, Ilse; Geerts, Willie J C; Boudier, Thomas; Marco, Sergio; Verkleij, Arie J; Marks, Michael S; Raposo, Graç

2008-12-16

Melanosomes are lysosome-related organelles (LROs) in which melanins are synthesized and stored. Early stage melanosomes are characterized morphologically by intralumenal fibrils upon which melanins are deposited in later stages. The integral membrane protein Pmel17 is a component of the fibrils, can nucleate fibril formation in the absence of other pigment cell-specific proteins, and forms amyloid-like fibrils in vitro. Before fibril formation Pmel17 traffics through multivesicular endosomal compartments, but how these compartments participate in downstream events leading to fibril formation is not fully known. By using high-pressure freezing of MNT-1 melanoma cells and freeze substitution to optimize ultrastructural preservation followed by double tilt 3D electron tomography, we show that the amyloid-like fibrils begin to form in multivesicular compartments, where they radiate from the luminal side of intralumenal membrane vesicles. The fibrils in fully formed stage II premelanosomes organize into sheet-like arrays and exclude the remaining intralumenal vesicles, which are smaller and often in continuity with the limiting membrane. These observations indicate that premelanosome fibrils form in association with intralumenal endosomal membranes. We suggest that similar processes regulate amyloid formation in pathological models.

Cognitive simulation of incident risks in the structure of loading and transport enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shishkina, S. V.; Pristupa, Yu D.; Pavlova, L. D.; Fryanov, V. N.

2017-09-01

Organizational and technical system of a manufacturing enterprise was identified, which includes three subsystems: main production, industrial and social infrastructure. Based on the results of cognitive modeling, significant system concepts were identified that reduce the risks of incidents. The internal control influences formed in accordance with level of competence of heads of services, departments, sections, dispatchers, acting on the basis of regulations, job profiles. The second concept influencing the enterprise management system is personnel, which is assessed by the compliance of competencies of crane operators, loader operators, slingers, loaders, and acceptance/delivery agents to job responsibilities and labor functions. At a low level of professional competencies, the personnel does not fully comply with job duties and labor functions, the risk of an incident is maximal. The application of cognitive modeling allows us to identify the essential elements that ensure stable functioning of the system as a whole.

Very early reaction intermediates detected by microsecond time scale kinetics of cytochrome cd1-catalyzed reduction of nitrite.

PubMed

Sam, Katharine A; Strampraad, Marc J F; de Vries, Simon; Ferguson, Stuart J

2008-10-10

Paracoccus pantotrophus cytochrome cd(1) is a nitrite reductase found in the periplasm of many denitrifying bacteria. It catalyzes the reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide during the denitrification part of the biological nitrogen cycle. Previous studies of early millisecond intermediates in the nitrite reduction reaction have shown, by comparison with pH 7.0, that at the optimum pH, approximately pH 6, the earliest intermediates were lost in the dead time of the instrument. Access to early time points (approximately 100 micros) through use of an ultra-rapid mixing device has identified a spectroscopically novel intermediate, assigned as the Michaelis complex, formed from reaction of fully reduced enzyme with nitrite. Spectroscopic observation of the subsequent transformation of this species has provided data that demand reappraisal of the general belief that the two subunits of the enzyme function independently.

Dynamical systems theory for nonlinear evolution equations.

PubMed

Choudhuri, Amitava; Talukdar, B; Das, Umapada

2010-09-01

We observe that the fully nonlinear evolution equations of Rosenau and Hymann, often abbreviated as K(n,m) equations, can be reduced to Hamiltonian form only on a zero-energy hypersurface belonging to some potential function associated with the equations. We treat the resulting Hamiltonian equations by the dynamical systems theory and present a phase-space analysis of their stable points. The results of our study demonstrate that the equations can, in general, support both compacton and soliton solutions. For the K(2,2) and K(3,3) cases one type of solutions can be obtained from the other by continuously varying a parameter of the equations. This is not true for the K(3,2) equation for which the parameter can take only negative values. The K(2,3) equation does not have any stable point and, in the language of mechanics, represents a particle moving with constant acceleration.

Orbit on demand - Will cost determine best design?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macconochie, J. O.; Mackley, E. A.; Morris, S. J.; Phillips, W. P.; Breiner, C. A.; Scotti, S. J.

1985-01-01

Eleven design concepts for vertical (V) and horizontal (H) take-off launch-on-demand manned orbital vehicles are discussed. Attention is given to up to three stages, Mach numbers (sub-, 2, or 3), expendable boosters, drop tanks (DT), and storable (S) or cryogenic fuels. All the concepts feature lifting bodies with circular cross-section and most have a 7 ft diam, 15 ft long payload bay as well as a crew compartment. Expendable elements impose higher costs and in some cases reduce all-azimuth launch capabilities. Single-stage vehicles simplify the logistics whether in H or V configuration. A two-stage H vehicle offers launch offset for the desired orbital plane before firing the rocket engines after take-off and subsonic acceleration. A two-stage fully reusable V form has the second lowest weight of the vehicles studied and an all-azimuth launch capability. Better definition of the prospective mission requirements is needed before choosing among the alternatives.

[Dupuytren disease].

PubMed

Wagner, Pablo; Román, Javier A; Vergara, Jorge

2012-09-01

Dupuytren disease (DD) is a connective tissue disorder that consists in fibromatosis of the palmar and digital fascia (in form of nodules or flanges) that leads to the development of flexion contractures of the palm and fingers. The little and ring finger are particularly affected. The disease can limit hand function, reducing the quality of life. The disease can have a traumatic origin and is also associated with conditions such as diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, dyslipidemia, epilepsy and AIDS, among others. However, none of these conditions can fully explain the genesis of DD. A hereditary component is described in 40% of patients and is attributed to an autosomal dominant gene of variable penetrance, probably related to collagen synthesis. However there are also spontaneous and recessive inheritance cases. The diagnosis is clinical and based on physical examination. Treatment ranges from observation or use of injectable collagenase to the surgical option in cases with significant functional limitations.

Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids: Potential Health and Beauty Ingredients

PubMed Central

Chrapusta, Ewelina; Kaminski, Ariel; Duchnik, Kornelia; Bober, Beata; Adamski, Michal; Bialczyk, Jan

2017-01-01

Human skin is constantly exposed to damaging ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which induces a number of acute and chronic disorders. To reduce the risk of UV-induced skin injury, people apply an additional external protection in the form of cosmetic products containing sunscreens. Nowadays, because of the use of some chemical filters raises a lot of controversies, research focuses on exploring novel, fully safe and highly efficient natural UV-absorbing compounds that could be used as active ingredients in sun care products. A promising alternative is the application of multifunctional mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), which can effectively compete with commercially available filters. Here, we outline a complete characterization of these compounds and discuss their enormous biotechnological potential with special emphasis on their use as sunscreens, activators of cells proliferation, anti-cancer agents, anti-photoaging molecules, stimulators of skin renewal, and functional ingredients of UV-protective biomaterials. PMID:29065484

Lipid Osteoclastokines Regulate Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis

PubMed Central

Krzeszinski, Jing Y.; Schwaid, Adam G.; Cheng, Wing Yin; Jin, Zixue; Gallegos, Zachary R.; Saghatelian, Alan

2017-01-01

Bone metastasis is a deadly consequence of cancers, in which osteoclast forms a vicious cycle with tumor cells. Bone metastasis attenuation by clinical usage of osteoclast inhibitors and in our osteopetrotic mouse genetic models with β-catenin constitutive activation or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ deficiency fully support the important role of osteoclast in driving the bone metastatic niche. However, the mechanisms for this “partnership in crime” are underexplored. Here we show that osteoclasts reprogram their lipid secretion to support cancer cells. Metabolomic profiling reveals elevated prometastatic arachidonic acid (AA) but reduced antimetastatic lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs). This shift in lipid osteoclastokines synergistically stimulates tumor cell proliferation, migration, survival, and expression of prometastatic genes. Pharmacologically, combined treatment with LPCs and BW-755C, an inhibitor of AA signaling via blocking lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase, impedes breast cancer bone metastasis. Our findings elucidate key paracrine mechanisms for the osteoclast-cancer vicious cycle and uncover important therapeutic targets for bone metastasis. PMID:27967239

Unlocking the potential of smart grid technologies with behavioral science

PubMed Central

Sintov, Nicole D.; Schultz, P. Wesley

2015-01-01

Smart grid systems aim to provide a more stable and adaptable electricity infrastructure, and to maximize energy efficiency. Grid-linked technologies vary widely in form and function, but generally share common potentials: to reduce energy consumption via efficiency and/or curtailment, to shift use to off-peak times of day, and to enable distributed storage and generation options. Although end users are central players in these systems, they are sometimes not central considerations in technology or program design, and in some cases, their motivations for participating in such systems are not fully appreciated. Behavioral science can be instrumental in engaging end-users and maximizing the impact of smart grid technologies. In this paper, we present emerging technologies made possible by a smart grid infrastructure, and for each we highlight ways in which behavioral science can be applied to enhance their impact on energy savings. PMID:25914666

Transport Studies in Alcator C-Mod ITB Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiore, C. L.; Bonoli, P. T.; Ernst, D.; Greenwald, M. J.; Ince-Cushman, A.; Lin, L.; Marmar, E. S.; Porkolab, M.; Rice, J. E.; Wukitch, S.; Rowan, W.; Bespamyatnov, I.; Phillips, P.

2008-11-01

Internal transport barriers occur in C-Mod plasmas that have off-axis ICRF heating and also in Ohmic H-mode plasmas. These ITBs are marked by highly peaked density and pressure profiles, as they rely on a reduction of particle and thermal flux in the barrier region which allows the neoclassical pinch to peak the central density without reducing the central temperature. Enhancement of several core diagnostics has resulted in increased understanding of C-Mod ITBs. Ion temperature profile measurements have been obtained using an innovative design for x-ray crystal spectrometry and clearly show a barrier forming in the ion temperature profile. The phase contrast imaging (PCI) provides limited localization of the ITB related fluctuations that increase in strength as the central density increases. Simulation of triggering conditions, integrated simulations with fluctuation measurements, parametric studies, and transport implications of fully ionized boron impurity profiles in the plasma are under study. A summary of these results will be presented.

Method of making carbon-carbon composites

DOEpatents

Engle, Glen B.

1993-01-01

A process for making 2D and 3D carbon-carbon composites having a combined high crystallinity, high strength, high modulus and high thermal and electrical conductivity. High-modulus/high-strength mesophase derived carbon fibers are woven into a suitable cloth. Layers of this easily graphitizible woven cloth are infiltrated with carbon material to form green composites. The carbonized composite is then impregnated several times with pitch by covering the composite with hot pitch under pressure. The composites are given a heat treatment between each impregnant step to crack up the infiltrated carbon and allow additional pitch to enter the microstructure during the next impregnation cycle. The impregnated composites are then given a final heat treatment in the range 2500.degree. to 3100.degree. C. to fully graphitize the fibers and the matrix carbon. The composites are then infiltrated with pyrolytic carbon by chemical vapor deposition in the range 1000.degree. C. to 1300.degree. C. at a reduced. pressure.

Two Phase Flow Modeling: Summary of Flow Regimes and Pressure Drop Correlations in Reduced and Partial Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balasubramaniam, R.; Rame, E.; Kizito, J.; Kassemi, M.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of state-of-the-art predictions for two-phase flows relevant to Advanced Life Support. We strive to pick out the most used and accepted models for pressure drop and flow regime predictions. The main focus is to identify gaps in predictive capabilities in partial gravity for Lunar and Martian applications. Following a summary of flow regimes and pressure drop correlations for terrestrial and zero gravity, we analyze the fully developed annular gas-liquid flow in a straight cylindrical tube. This flow is amenable to analytical closed form solutions for the flow field and heat transfer. These solutions, valid for partial gravity as well, may be used as baselines and guides to compare experimental measurements. The flow regimes likely to be encountered in the water recovery equipment currently under consideration for space applications are provided in an appendix.

Impact of expression of EMP enzymes on glucose metabolism in Zymomonas mobilis.

PubMed

Chen, Rachel Ruizhen; Agrawal, Manoj; Mao, Zichao

2013-06-01

Zymomonas mobilis is the only known microorganism that utilizes the Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway anaerobically. In this work, we investigated whether the overexpression of a phosphofructokinase (PFK), the only missing Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway enzyme, could establish the pathway in this organism. Introduction of a pyrophosphate-dependent PFK, along with co-expression of homologous fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase and triosephosphate isomerase, did not result in an EMP flux to any appreciable level. However, the metabolism of glucose was impacted significantly. Eight percent of glucose was metabolized to form a new metabolite, dihydroxyacetone. Reducing flux through the ED pathway by as much as 40 % through antisense of a key enzyme, ED aldolase, did not result in a fully functional EMP pathway, suggesting that the ED pathway, especially the lower arm, downstream from glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, is very rigid, possibly due to redox balance.

Potential Interventions by Government and Industry to Minimize Violations of Temporary Flight Restrictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zuschlag, Michael

2005-01-01

This document enumerates interventions to reduce the frequency of restricted airspace violations, particularly those associated with temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) and air defense identification zones (ADIZs), by more effectively providing pilots with the information necessary to avoid such violations. Interventions are divided into both near term and far term groupings. Short term interventions, some variants of which are already in progress focus on improving the form and content of the textual Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) as well as the graphical depiction of TFRs. A long-term technical intervention is proposed which would provide pilots the following functionality: ground and airborne presentation of information on any restricted airspace, including display on an electronic moving map, fully mechanized execution from the cockpit of the procedures required for entry into restricted airspaces that allow for entry, and alerting of the potential for TFR violations both during flight planning and while the aircraft is moving.

NADPH Oxidase Activation Contributes to Heavy Ion Irradiation–Induced Cell Death

PubMed Central

Wang, Yupei; Liu, Qing; Zhao, Weiping; Zhou, Xin; Miao, Guoying; Sun, Chao

2017-01-01

Increased oxidative stress plays an important role in heavy ion radiation–induced cell death. The mechanism involved in the generation of elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) is not fully illustrated. Here we show that NADPH oxidase activation is closely related to heavy ion radiation–induced cell death via excessive ROS generation. Cell death and cellular ROS can be greatly reduced in irradiated cancer cells with the preincubation of diphenyleneiodium, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase. Most of the NADPH oxidase (NOX) family proteins (NOX1, NOX2, NOX3, NOX4, and NOX5) showed increased expression after heavy ion irradiation. Meanwhile, the cytoplasmic subunit p47phox was translocated to the cell membrane and localized with NOX2 to form reactive NADPH oxidase. Our data suggest for the first time that ROS generation, as mediated by NADPH oxidase activation, could be an important contributor to heavy ion irradiation–induced cell death. PMID:28473742

Unlocking the potential of smart grid technologies with behavioral science.

PubMed

Sintov, Nicole D; Schultz, P Wesley

2015-01-01

Smart grid systems aim to provide a more stable and adaptable electricity infrastructure, and to maximize energy efficiency. Grid-linked technologies vary widely in form and function, but generally share common potentials: to reduce energy consumption via efficiency and/or curtailment, to shift use to off-peak times of day, and to enable distributed storage and generation options. Although end users are central players in these systems, they are sometimes not central considerations in technology or program design, and in some cases, their motivations for participating in such systems are not fully appreciated. Behavioral science can be instrumental in engaging end-users and maximizing the impact of smart grid technologies. In this paper, we present emerging technologies made possible by a smart grid infrastructure, and for each we highlight ways in which behavioral science can be applied to enhance their impact on energy savings.

Unlocking the potential of smart grid technologies with behavioral science

DOE PAGES

Sintov, Nicole D.; Schultz, P. Wesley

2015-04-09

Smart grid systems aim to provide a more stable and adaptable electricity infrastructure, and to maximize energy efficiency. Grid-linked technologies vary widely in form and function, but generally share common potentials: to reduce energy consumption via efficiency and/or curtailment, to shift use to off-peak times of day, and to enable distributed storage and generation options. Although end users are central players in these systems, they are sometimes not central considerations in technology or program design, and in some cases, their motivations for participating in such systems are not fully appreciated. Behavioral science can be instrumental in engaging end-users and maximizingmore » the impact of smart grid technologies. In this study, we present emerging technologies made possible by a smart grid infrastructure, and for each we highlight ways in which behavioral science can be applied to enhance their impact on energy savings.« less

Unlocking the potential of smart grid technologies with behavioral science

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

Sintov, Nicole D.; Schultz, P. Wesley

Smart grid systems aim to provide a more stable and adaptable electricity infrastructure, and to maximize energy efficiency. Grid-linked technologies vary widely in form and function, but generally share common potentials: to reduce energy consumption via efficiency and/or curtailment, to shift use to off-peak times of day, and to enable distributed storage and generation options. Although end users are central players in these systems, they are sometimes not central considerations in technology or program design, and in some cases, their motivations for participating in such systems are not fully appreciated. Behavioral science can be instrumental in engaging end-users and maximizingmore » the impact of smart grid technologies. In this study, we present emerging technologies made possible by a smart grid infrastructure, and for each we highlight ways in which behavioral science can be applied to enhance their impact on energy savings.« less

The development of a three-dimensional partially elliptic flow computer program for combustor research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pan, Y. S.

1978-01-01

A three dimensional, partially elliptic, computer program was developed. Without requiring three dimensional computer storage locations for all flow variables, the partially elliptic program is capable of predicting three dimensional combustor flow fields with large downstream effects. The program requires only slight increase of computer storage over the parabolic flow program from which it was developed. A finite difference formulation for a three dimensional, fully elliptic, turbulent, reacting, flow field was derived. Because of the negligible diffusion effects in the main flow direction in a supersonic combustor, the set of finite-difference equations can be reduced to a partially elliptic form. Only the pressure field was governed by an elliptic equation and requires three dimensional storage; all other dependent variables are governed by parabolic equations. A numerical procedure which combines a marching integration scheme with an iterative scheme for solving the elliptic pressure was adopted.

Recovery Discontinuous Galerkin Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov Method for all-speed flows

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

HyeongKae Park; Robert Nourgaliev; Vincent Mousseau

2008-07-01

There is an increasing interest to develop the next generation simulation tools for the advanced nuclear energy systems. These tools will utilize the state-of-art numerical algorithms and computer science technology in order to maximize the predictive capability, support advanced reactor designs, reduce uncertainty and increase safety margins. In analyzing nuclear energy systems, we are interested in compressible low-Mach number, high heat flux flows with a wide range of Re, Ra, and Pr numbers. Under these conditions, the focus is placed on turbulent heat transfer, in contrast to other industries whose main interest is in capturing turbulent mixing. Our objective ismore » to develop singlepoint turbulence closure models for large-scale engineering CFD code, using Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) or Large Eddy Simulation (LES) tools, requireing very accurate and efficient numerical algorithms. The focus of this work is placed on fully-implicit, high-order spatiotemporal discretization based on the discontinuous Galerkin method solving the conservative form of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations. The method utilizes a local reconstruction procedure derived from weak formulation of the problem, which is inspired by the recovery diffusion flux algorithm of van Leer and Nomura [?] and by the piecewise parabolic reconstruction [?] in the finite volume method. The developed methodology is integrated into the Jacobianfree Newton-Krylov framework [?] to allow a fully-implicit solution of the problem.« less

Dysfunction of annexin A2 contributes to hyperglycaemia-induced loss of human endothelial cell surface fibrinolytic activity.

PubMed

Dai, Haibin; Yu, Zhanyang; Fan, Xiang; Liu, Ning; Yan, Min; Chen, Zhong; Lo, Eng H; Hajjar, Katherine A; Wang, Xiaoying

2013-06-01

Hyperglycaemia impairs fibrinolytic activity on the surface of endothelial cells, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that hyperglycaemia causes dysfunction of the endothelial membrane protein annexin A2, thereby leading to an overall reduction of fibrinolytic activity. Hyperglycaemia for 7 days significantly reduced cell surface fibrinolytic activity in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC). Hyperglycaemia also decreased tissue type plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen, and annexin A2 mRNA and protein expression, while increasing plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). No changes in p11 mRNA or protein expression were detected. Hyperglycaemia significantly increased AGE-modified forms of total cellular and membrane annexin A2. The hyperglycemia-associated reduction in fibrinolytic activity was fully restored upon incubation with recombinant annexin A2 (rA2), but not AGE-modified annexin A2 or exogenous t-PA. Hyperglycaemia decreased t-PA, upregulated PAI-1 and induced AGE-related disruption of annexin A2 function, all of which contributed to the overall reduction in endothelial cell surface fibrinolytic activity. Further investigations to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and pathophysiological implications of A2 derivatisation might ultimately lead to a better understanding of mechanisms of impaired vascular fibrinolysis, and to development of new interventional strategies for the thrombotic vascular complications in diabetes.

Dysfunction of annexin A2 contributes to hyperglycaemia-induced loss of human endothelial cell surface fibrinolytic activity

PubMed Central

Dai, Haibin; Yu, Zhanyang; Fan, Xiang; Liu, Ning; Yan, Min; Chen, Zhong; Lo, Eng H.; Hajjar, Katherine A.; Wang, Xiaoying

2014-01-01

Summary Hyperglycaemia impairs fibrinolytic activity on the surface of endothelial cells, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that hyperglycaemia causes dysfunction of the endothelial membrane protein annexin A2, thereby leading to an overall reduction of fibrinolytic activity. Hyperglycaemia for 7 days significantly reduced cell surface fibrinolytic activity in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC). Hyperglycaemia also decreased tissue type plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen, and annexin A2 mRNA and protein expression, while increasing plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). No changes in p11 mRNA or protein expression were detected. Hyperglycaemia significantly increased AGE-modified forms of total cellular and membrane annexin A2. The hyperglycemia-associated reduction in fibrinolytic activity was fully restored upon incubation with recombinant annexin A2 (rA2), but not AGE-modified annexin A2 or exogenous t-PA. Hyperglycaemia decreased t-PA, upregulated PAI-1 and induced AGE-related disruption of annexin A2 function, all of which contributed to the overall reduction in endothelial cell surface fibrinolytic activity. Further investigations to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and pathophysiological implications of A2 derivatisation might ultimately lead to a better understanding of mechanisms of impaired vascular fibrinolysis, and to development of new interventional strategies for the thrombotic vascular complications in diabetes. PMID:23572070

Electron hole tracking PIC simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Chuteng; Hutchinson, Ian

2016-10-01

An electron hole is a coherent BGK mode solitary wave. Electron holes are observed to travel at high velocities relative to bulk plasmas. The kinematics of a 1-D electron hole is studied using a novel Particle-In-Cell simulation code with fully kinetic ions. A hole tracking technique enables us to follow the trajectory of a fast-moving solitary hole and study quantitatively hole acceleration and coupling to ions. The electron hole signal is detected and the simulation domain moves by a carefully designed feedback control law to follow its propagation. This approach has the advantage that the length of the simulation domain can be significantly reduced to several times the hole width, which makes high resolution simulations tractable. We observe a transient at the initial stage of hole formation when the hole accelerates to several times the cold-ion sound speed. Artificially imposing slow ion speed changes on a fully formed hole causes its velocity to change even when the ion stream speed in the hole frame greatly exceeds the ion thermal speed, so there are no reflected ions. The behavior that we observe in numerical simulations agrees very well with our analytic theory of hole momentum conservation and energization effects we call ``jetting''. The work was partially supported by the NSF/DOE Basic Plasma Science Partnership under Grant DE-SC0010491. Computer simulations were carried out on the MIT PSFC parallel AMD Opteron/Infiniband cluster Loki.

Beamspace fast fully adaptive brain source localization for limited data sequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravan, Maryam

2017-05-01

In the electroencephalogram (EEG) or magnetoencephalogram (MEG) context, brain source localization methods that rely on estimating second order statistics often fail when the observations are taken over a short time interval, especially when the number of electrodes is large. To address this issue, in previous study, we developed a multistage adaptive processing called fast fully adaptive (FFA) approach that can significantly reduce the required sample support while still processing all available degrees of freedom (DOFs). This approach processes the observed data in stages through a decimation procedure. In this study, we introduce a new form of FFA approach called beamspace FFA. We first divide the brain into smaller regions and transform the measured data from the source space to the beamspace in each region. The FFA approach is then applied to the beamspaced data of each region. The goal of this modification is to benefit the correlation sensitivity reduction between sources in different brain regions. To demonstrate the performance of the beamspace FFA approach in the limited data scenario, simulation results with multiple deep and cortical sources as well as experimental results are compared with regular FFA and widely used FINE approaches. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the beamspace FFA method can localize different types of multiple correlated brain sources in low signal to noise ratios more accurately with limited data.

The pepATTRACT web server for blind, large-scale peptide-protein docking.

PubMed

de Vries, Sjoerd J; Rey, Julien; Schindler, Christina E M; Zacharias, Martin; Tuffery, Pierre

2017-07-03

Peptide-protein interactions are ubiquitous in the cell and form an important part of the interactome. Computational docking methods can complement experimental characterization of these complexes, but current protocols are not applicable on the proteome scale. pepATTRACT is a novel docking protocol that is fully blind, i.e. it does not require any information about the binding site. In various stages of its development, pepATTRACT has participated in CAPRI, making successful predictions for five out of seven protein-peptide targets. Its performance is similar or better than state-of-the-art local docking protocols that do require binding site information. Here we present a novel web server that carries out the rigid-body stage of pepATTRACT. On the peptiDB benchmark, the web server generates a correct model in the top 50 in 34% of the cases. Compared to the full pepATTRACT protocol, this leads to some loss of performance, but the computation time is reduced from ∼18 h to ∼10 min. Combined with the fact that it is fully blind, this makes the web server well-suited for large-scale in silico protein-peptide docking experiments. The rigid-body pepATTRACT server is freely available at http://bioserv.rpbs.univ-paris-diderot.fr/services/pepATTRACT. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Oxidation of the N-terminal domain of the wheat metallothionein Ec -1 leads to the formation of three distinct disulfide bridges.

PubMed

Tarasava, Katsiaryna; Chesnov, Serge; Freisinger, Eva

2016-05-01

Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight proteins, characterized by a high cysteine content and the ability to coordinate large amounts of d(10) metal ions, for example, Zn(II), Cd(II), and Cu(I), in form of metal-thiolate clusters. Depending on intracellular conditions such as redox potential or metal ion concentrations, MTs can occur in various states ranging from the fully metal-loaded holo- to the metal-free apo-form. The Cys thiolate groups in the apo-form can be either reduced or be involved in disulfide bridges. Although oxidation-mediated Zn(II) release might be a possible mechanism for the regulation of Zn(II) availability by MTs, no concise information regarding the associated pathways and the structure of oxidized apo-MT forms is available. Using the well-studied Zn2 γ-Ec -1 domain of the wheat Zn6 Ec -1 MT we attempt here to answer several question regarding the structure and biophysical properties of oxidized MT forms, such as: (1) does disulfide bond formation increase the stability against proteolysis, (2) is the overall peptide backbone fold similar for the holo- and the oxidized apo-MT form, and (3) are disulfide bridges specifically or randomly formed? Our investigations show that oxidation leads to three distinct disulfide bridges independently of the applied oxidation conditions and of the initial species used for oxidation, that is, the apo- or the holo-form. In addition, the oxidized apo-form is as stable against proteolysis as Zn2 γ-Ec -1, rendering the currently assumed degradation of oxidized MTs unlikely and suggesting a role of the oxidation process for the extension of protein lifetime in absence of sufficient amounts of metal ions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 106: 295-308, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

pH controlled gating of toxic protein pores by dendrimers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, Taraknath; Kanchi, Subbarao; Ayappa, K. G.; Maiti, Prabal K.

2016-06-01

Designing effective nanoscale blockers for membrane inserted pores formed by pore forming toxins, which are expressed by several virulent bacterial strains, on a target cell membrane is a challenging and active area of research. Here we demonstrate that PAMAM dendrimers can act as effective pH controlled gating devices once the pore has been formed. We have used fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to characterize the cytolysin A (ClyA) protein pores modified with fifth generation (G5) PAMAM dendrimers. Our results show that the PAMAM dendrimer, in either its protonated (P) or non-protonated (NP) states can spontaneously enter the protein lumen. Protonated dendrimers interact strongly with the negatively charged protein pore lumen. As a consequence, P dendrimers assume a more expanded configuration efficiently blocking the pore when compared with the more compact configuration adopted by the neutral NP dendrimers creating a greater void space for the passage of water and ions. To quantify the effective blockage of the protein pore, we have calculated the pore conductance as well as the residence times by applying a weak force on the ions/water. Ionic currents are reduced by 91% for the P dendrimers and 31% for the NP dendrimers. The preferential binding of Cl- counter ions to the P dendrimer creates a zone of high Cl- concentration in the vicinity of the internalized dendrimer and a high concentration of K+ ions in the transmembrane region of the pore lumen. In addition to steric effects, this induced charge segregation for the P dendrimer effectively blocks ionic transport through the pore. Our investigation shows that the bio-compatible PAMAM dendrimers can potentially be used to develop therapeutic protocols based on the pH sensitive gating of pores formed by pore forming toxins to mitigate bacterial infections.Designing effective nanoscale blockers for membrane inserted pores formed by pore forming toxins, which are expressed by several virulent bacterial strains, on a target cell membrane is a challenging and active area of research. Here we demonstrate that PAMAM dendrimers can act as effective pH controlled gating devices once the pore has been formed. We have used fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to characterize the cytolysin A (ClyA) protein pores modified with fifth generation (G5) PAMAM dendrimers. Our results show that the PAMAM dendrimer, in either its protonated (P) or non-protonated (NP) states can spontaneously enter the protein lumen. Protonated dendrimers interact strongly with the negatively charged protein pore lumen. As a consequence, P dendrimers assume a more expanded configuration efficiently blocking the pore when compared with the more compact configuration adopted by the neutral NP dendrimers creating a greater void space for the passage of water and ions. To quantify the effective blockage of the protein pore, we have calculated the pore conductance as well as the residence times by applying a weak force on the ions/water. Ionic currents are reduced by 91% for the P dendrimers and 31% for the NP dendrimers. The preferential binding of Cl- counter ions to the P dendrimer creates a zone of high Cl- concentration in the vicinity of the internalized dendrimer and a high concentration of K+ ions in the transmembrane region of the pore lumen. In addition to steric effects, this induced charge segregation for the P dendrimer effectively blocks ionic transport through the pore. Our investigation shows that the bio-compatible PAMAM dendrimers can potentially be used to develop therapeutic protocols based on the pH sensitive gating of pores formed by pore forming toxins to mitigate bacterial infections. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr02963a

An extraovarian aspartic protease accumulated in tick oocytes with vitellin-degradation activity.

PubMed

Pohl, Paula C; Sorgine, Marcos Henrique F; Leal, Alexandre T; Logullo, Carlos; Oliveira, Pedro L; Vaz, Itabajara da Silva; Masuda, Aoi

2008-12-01

An aspartic endopeptidase named THAP, from the eggs of the tick Riphicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, has been suggested to be involved in vitellin-degradation. Here we characterized this enzyme further, showing that THAP mRNA is present in the fat body, midgut and ovary of ticks, in two developmental stages (partially and fully engorged females). However, higher transcription levels were found in fully engorged vitellogenic females. The THAP protein was detected in the haemolymph, midgut and fat body and, in higher quantity, in the ovary of fully engorged females, and it was present throughout embryo development. The protein is synthesized as a higher molecular mass form and after the onset of embryogenesis THAP is converted into an active form by autocatalysis. We also produced a recombinant protein (rTHAP) in E. coli that was active in the fluorogenic peptide substrate and able to hydrolyze vitellin from 7-day-old eggs in a reaction that is heme-sensitive and inhibited by pepstatin A. However, rTHAP does not hydrolyze vitellin from 1 and 12-day-old eggs. As a result, we suggest a model for THAP synthesis, transport, storage and activation and for the role it plays in embryonic development by participating in vitellin processing.

The kinetics of the oxidation of cytochrome c by Paracoccus cytochrome c peroxidase.

PubMed

Gilmour, R; Goodhew, C F; Pettigrew, G W; Prazeres, S; Moura, J J; Moura, I

1994-06-15

In work that is complementary to our investigation of the spectroscopic features of the cytochrome c peroxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans [Gilmour, Goodhew, Pettigrew, Prazeres, Moura and Moura (1993) Biochem. J. 294, 745-752], we have studied the kinetics of oxidation of cytochrome c by this enzyme. The enzyme, as isolated, is in the fully oxidized form and is relatively inactive. Reduction of the high-potential haem at pH 6 with ascorbate results in partial activation of the enzyme. Full activation is achieved by addition of 1 mM CaCl2. Enzyme activation is associated with formation of a high-spin state at the oxidized low-potential haem. EGTA treatment of the oxidized enzyme prevents activation after reduction with ascorbate, while treatment with EGTA of the reduced, partially activated, form abolishes the activity. We conclude that the active enzyme is a mixed-valence form with the low-potential haem in a high-spin state that is stabilized by Ca2+. Dilution of the enzyme results in a progressive loss of activity, the extent of which depends on the degree of dilution. Most of the activity lost upon dilution can be recovered after reconcentration. The M(r) of the enzyme on molecular-exclusion chromatography is concentration-dependent, with a shift to lower values at lower concentrations. Values of M(r) obtained are intermediate between those of a monomer (39,565) and a dimer. We propose that the active form of the enzyme is a dimer which dissociates at high dilution to give inactive monomers. From the activity of the enzyme at different dilutions, a KD of 0.8 microM can be calculated for the monomerdimer equilibrium. The cytochrome c peroxidase oxidizes horse ferrocytochrome c with first-order kinetics, even at high ferrocytochrome c concentrations. The maximal catalytic-centre activity ('turnover number') under the assay conditions used is 62,000 min-1, with a half-saturating ferrocytochrome c concentration of 3.3 microM. The corresponding values for the Paracoccus cytochrome c-550 (presumed to be the physiological substrate) are 85,000 min-1 and 13 microM. However, in this case, the kinetics deviate from first-order progress curves at all ferrocytochrome c concentrations. Consideration of the periplasmic environment in Paracoccus denitrificans leads us to propose that the enzyme will be present as the fully active dimer supplied with saturating ferrocytochrome c-550.

Referring Physicians' Tendency to Collaborate With Radiologists in Managing Contrast Media-Related Risk Factors.

PubMed

İmamoğlu, Hakan; Doğan, Serap; Erdoğan, Nuri

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the tendency of referring physicians to collaborate with radiologists in managing contrast media (CM)-related risk factors. The study was conducted at a single academic hospital. Among 150 referring physicians from various specialties, 51 referring physicians (34%) responded to the invitation letter asking for an interview with a radiologist. During the interview, a modified form of the Control Preferences Scale was administered, in which there were five preferences (each displayed on a separate card) that ranged from the fully active to fully passive involvement of referring physicians in managing CM-related risk factors. A descriptive analysis was performed through categorization of the results depending on the respondents' two most preferred roles. Thirty-six referring physicians (70.5%) preferred a collaborative role, and 15 (29.4%) preferred a noncollaborative role (i.e., remained on either the fully active or fully passive side). Among the referring physicians who preferred a collaborative role, the most common response (n = 15 [29.4%]) was collaborative-active. Referring physicians at the authors' institution have basic cognitive and motivational-affective tone toward collaboration in future teamwork aimed at the management of CM-related risk factors. A modified form of the Control Preferences Scale, as in this study, can be used to investigate the tendency of referring physicians to collaborate with radiologists. The results are discussed from ethical and legal perspectives. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Functionally Graded Metal-Metal Composite Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brice, Craig A. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

Methods and devices are disclosed for creating a multiple alloy composite structure by forming a three-dimensional arrangement of a first alloy composition in which the three-dimensional arrangement has a substantially open and continuous porosity. The three-dimensional arrangement of the first alloy composition is infused with at least a second alloy composition, where the second alloy composition comprises a shape memory alloy. The three-dimensional arrangement is consolidated into a fully dense solid structure, and the original shape of the second alloy composition is set for reversible transformation. Strain is applied to the fully dense solid structure, which is treated with heat so that the shape memory alloy composition becomes memory activated to recover the original shape. An interwoven composite of the first alloy composition and the memory-activated second alloy composition is thereby formed in the multiple alloy composite structure.

NisT, the transporter of the lantibiotic nisin, can transport fully modified, dehydrated, and unmodified prenisin and fusions of the leader peptide with non-lantibiotic peptides.

PubMed

Kuipers, Anneke; de Boef, Esther; Rink, Rick; Fekken, Susan; Kluskens, Leon D; Driessen, Arnold J M; Leenhouts, Kees; Kuipers, Oscar P; Moll, Gert N

2004-05-21

Lantibiotics are lanthionine-containing peptide antibiotics. Nisin, encoded by nisA, is a pentacyclic lantibiotic produced by some Lactococcus lactis strains. Its thioether rings are posttranslationally introduced by a membrane-bound enzyme complex. This complex is composed of three enzymes: NisB, which dehydrates serines and threonines; NisC, which couples these dehydrated residues to cysteines, thus forming thioether rings; and the transporter NisT. We followed the activity of various combinations of the nisin enzymes by measuring export of secreted peptides using antibodies against the leader peptide and mass spectroscopy for detection. L. lactis expressing the nisABTC genes efficiently produced fully posttranslationally modified prenisin. Strikingly, L. lactis expressing the nisBT genes could produce dehydrated prenisin without thioether rings and a dehydrated form of a non-lantibiotic peptide. In the absence of the biosynthetic NisBC enzymes, the NisT transporter was capable of excreting unmodified prenisin and fusions of the leader peptide with non-lantibiotic peptides. Our data show that NisT specifies a broad spectrum (poly)peptide transporter that can function either in conjunction with or independently from the biosynthetic genes. NisT secretes both unmodified and partially or fully posttranslationally modified forms of prenisin and non-lantibiotic peptides. These results open the way for efficient production of a wide range of peptides with increased stability or novel bioactivities.

Subtotal Ablation of Parietal Epithelial Cells Induces Crescent Formation

PubMed Central

Sicking, Eva-Maria; Fuss, Astrid; Uhlig, Sandra; Jirak, Peggy; Dijkman, Henry; Wetzels, Jack; Engel, Daniel R.; Urzynicok, Torsten; Heidenreich, Stefan; Kriz, Wilhelm; Kurts, Christian; Ostendorf, Tammo; Floege, Jürgen; Smeets, Bart

2012-01-01

Parietal epithelial cells (PECs) of the renal glomerulus contribute to the formation of both cellular crescents in rapidly progressive GN and sclerotic lesions in FSGS. Subtotal transgenic ablation of podocytes induces FSGS but the effect of specific ablation of PECs is unknown. Here, we established an inducible transgenic mouse to allow subtotal ablation of PECs. Proteinuria developed during doxycycline-induced cellular ablation but fully reversed 26 days after termination of doxycycline administration. The ablation of PECs was focal, with only 30% of glomeruli exhibiting histologic changes; however, the number of PECs was reduced up to 90% within affected glomeruli. Ultrastructural analysis revealed disruption of PEC plasma membranes with cytoplasm shedding into Bowman’s space. Podocytes showed focal foot process effacement, which was the most likely cause for transient proteinuria. After >9 days of cellular ablation, the remaining PECs formed cellular extensions to cover the denuded Bowman’s capsule and expressed the activation marker CD44 de novo. The induced proliferation of PECs persisted throughout the observation period, resulting in the formation of typical cellular crescents with periglomerular infiltrate, albeit without accompanying proteinuria. In summary, subtotal ablation of PECs leads the remaining PECs to react with cellular activation and proliferation, which ultimately forms cellular crescents. PMID:22282596

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

Liu, Zongyuan; Duchoň, Tomáš; Wang, Huanru

We have studied the reaction of ethanol and water over Ni–CeO 2-x(111) model surfaces to elucidate the mechanistic steps associated with the ethanol steam reforming (ESR) reaction. Our results provide insights about the importance of hydroxyl groups to the ESR reaction over Ni-based catalysts. Systematically, we have investigated the reaction of ethanol on Ni–CeO 2-x(111) at varying Ce³⁺ concentrations (CeO 1.8–2.0) with absence/presence of water using a combination of soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (sXPS) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Consistent with previous reports, upon annealing, metallic Ni formed on reduced ceria while NiO was the main component on fully oxidized ceria.more » Ni⁰ is the active phase leading to both the C–C and C–H cleavage of ethanol but is also responsible for carbon accumulation or coking. We have identified a Ni₃C phase that formed prior to the formation of coke. At temperatures above 600K, the lattice oxygen from ceria and the hydroxyl groups from water interact cooperatively in the removal of coke, likely through a strong metal–support interaction between nickel and ceria that facilitates oxygen transfer.« less

Induced Förster resonance energy transfer by encapsulation of DNA-scaffold based probes inside a plant virus based protein cage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Ruiter, Mark V.; Overeem, Nico J.; Singhai, Gaurav; Cornelissen, Jeroen J. L. M.

2018-05-01

Insight into the assembly and disassembly of viruses can play a crucial role in developing cures for viral diseases. Specialized fluorescent probes can benefit the study of interactions within viruses, especially during cell studies. In this work, we developed a strategy based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to study the assembly of viruses without labeling the exterior of viruses. Instead, we exploit their encapsulation of nucleic cargo, using three different fluorescent ATTO dyes linked to single-stranded DNA oligomers, which are hybridised to a longer DNA strand. FRET is induced upon assembly of the cowpea chlorotic mottle virus, which forms monodisperse icosahedral particles of about 22 nm, thereby increasing the FRET efficiency by a factor of 8. Additionally, encapsulation of the dyes in virus-like particles induces a two-step FRET. When the formed constructs are disassembled, this FRET signal is fully reduced to the value before encapsulation. This reversible behavior makes the system a good probe for studying viral assembly and disassembly. It, furthermore, shows that multi-component supramolecular materials are stabilized in the confinement of a protein cage.

Disturbances to Air-Layer Skin-Friction Drag Reduction at High Reynolds Numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dowling, David; Elbing, Brian; Makiharju, Simo; Wiggins, Andrew; Perlin, Marc; Ceccio, Steven

2009-11-01

Skin friction drag on a flat surface may be reduced by more than 80% when a layer of air separates the surface from a flowing liquid compared to when such an air layer is absent. Past large-scale experiments utilizing the US Navy's Large Cavitation Channel and a flat-plate test model 3 m wide and 12.9 m long have demonstrated air layer drag reduction (ALDR) on both smooth and rough surfaces at water flow speeds sufficient to reach downstream-distance-based Reynolds numbers exceeding 100 million. For these experiments, the incoming flow conditions, surface orientation, air injection geometry, and buoyancy forces all favored air layer formation. The results presented here extend this prior work to include the effects that vortex generators and free stream flow unsteadiness have on ALDR to assess its robustness for application to ocean-going ships. Measurements include skin friction, static pressure, airflow rate, video of the flow field downstream of the injector, and profiles of the flowing air-water mixture when the injected air forms bubbles, when it is in transition to an air layer, and when the air layer is fully formed. From these, and the prior measurements, ALDR's viability for full-scale applications is assessed.

Semaphorin 3G Provides a Repulsive Guidance Cue to Lymphatic Endothelial Cells via Neuropilin-2/PlexinD1.

PubMed

Liu, Xinyi; Uemura, Akiyoshi; Fukushima, Yoko; Yoshida, Yutaka; Hirashima, Masanori

2016-11-22

The vertebrate circulatory system is composed of closely related blood and lymphatic vessels. It has been shown that lymphatic vascular patterning is regulated by blood vessels during development, but its molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Here, we show that the artery-derived ligand semaphorin 3G (Sema3G) and the endothelial cell receptor PlexinD1 play a role in lymphatic vascular patterning. In mouse embryonic back skin, genetic inactivation of Sema3G or PlexinD1 results in abnormal artery-lymph alignment and reduced lymphatic vascular branching. Conditional ablation in mice demonstrates that PlexinD1 is primarily required in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). In vitro analyses show that Sema3G binds to neuropilin-2 (Nrp2), which forms a receptor complex with PlexinD1. Sema3G induces cell collapse in an Nrp2/PlexinD1-dependent manner. Our findings shed light on a molecular mechanism by which LECs are distributed away from arteries and form a branching network during lymphatic vascular development. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quasi-Dynamic Versus Fully-Dynamic Simulations of Slip Accumulation on Faults with Enhanced Dynamic Weakening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapusta, N.; Thomas, M.; Noda, H.; Avouac, J.

2012-12-01

Long-term simulations that incorporate both seismic events and aseismic slip are quite important for studies of earthquake physics but challenging computationally. To study long deformation histories, most simulation methods do not incorporate full inertial effects (wave propagation) during simulated earthquakes, using quasi-dynamic approximations instead. Here we compare the results of quasi-dynamic simulations to the fully dynamic ones for a range of problems to determine the applicability of the quasi-dynamic approach. Intuitively, the quasi-dynamic approach should do relatively well in problems where wave-mediated effects are relatively simple but should have substantially different (and hence wrong) response when the wave-mediated stress transfers dominate the character of the seismic events. This is exactly what we observe in our simulations. We consider a 2D model of a rate-and-state fault with a seismogenic (steady-state velocity-weakening) zone surrounded by creeping (steady-state velocity-strengthening) areas. If the seismogenic zone is described by the standard Dieterich-Ruina rate-and-state friction, the resulting earthquake sequences consist of relatively simple crack-like ruptures, and the inclusion of true wave-propagation effects mostly serves to concentrate stress more efficiently at the rupture front. Hence, in such models, rupture speeds and slip rates are significantly (several times) lower in the quasi-dynamic simulations compared to the fully dynamic ones, but the total slip, the crack-like nature of seismic events, and the overall pattern of earthquake sequences is comparable, consistently with prior studies. Such behavior can be classified as qualitatively similar but quantitatively different, and it motivates the popularity of the quasi-dynamic methods in simulations. However, the comparison changes dramatically once we consider a model with enhanced dynamic weakening in the seismogenic zone in the form of flash heating. In this case, the fully dynamic simulations produce seismic ruptures in the form of short-duration slip pulses, where the pulses form due to a combination of enhanced weakening and wave effects. The quasi-dynamic simulations in the same model produce completely different results, with large crack-like ruptures, different total slips, different rupture patterns, and different prestress state before large, model-spanning events. Such qualitative differences between the quasi-dynamic and fully-dynamic simulation should result in any model where inertial effects lead to qualitative differences, such as cases with supershear transition or fault with different materials on the two sides. We will present results on our current work on how the quasi-dynamic and fully dynamic simulations compare for the cases with heterogeneous fault properties.

Mental health service use among high school students exposed to interpersonal violence

PubMed Central

Johnson, Renee M.; Dunn, Erin C.; Lindsey, Michael; Xuan, Ziming; Zaslavsky, Alan M.

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND Violence-exposed youth rarely receive mental health services, even though exposure increases risk for academic and psychosocial problems. This study examines the association between violence exposure and mental health service contact. The four forms of violence exposure were peer, family, sexual, and witnessing. METHODS Data are from 1,534 Boston public high school students who participated in a 2008 self-report survey of violence exposure and its correlates. Multivariate logistic regressions estimated associations between each form of violence with service contact, then examined whether associations persisted when controlling for suicidality and self-injurious behaviors. RESULTS In unadjusted models, violence-exposed students more often reported service contact than their peers. However, in multivariate models, only exposure to family (OR=1.69, CI=1.23–2.31) and sexual violence (OR=2.34, CI=1.29–4.20) were associated with service contact. Associations attenuated when controlling for suicidality and self-injurious behaviors, indicating they were largely explained by self-harm. Sexual violence alone remained associated with mental health service contact in fully adjusted models, but only for girls (OR=3.32, CI=1.30–8.45), suggesting gender-specific pathways. CONCLUSIONS Associations between adolescent violence exposure and mental health service contact vary by form of exposure. Outreach to a broader set of exposed youth may reduce the impact of violence and its consequences for vulnerable students. PMID:25099429

In search of cellular control: signal transduction in context

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingber, D.

1998-01-01

The field of molecular cell biology has experienced enormous advances over the last century by reducing the complexity of living cells into simpler molecular components and binding interactions that are amenable to rigorous biochemical analysis. However, as our tools become more powerful, there is a tendency to define mechanisms by what we can measure. The field is currently dominated by efforts to identify the key molecules and sequences that mediate the function of critical receptors, signal transducers, and molecular switches. Unfortunately, these conventional experimental approaches ignore the importance of supramolecular control mechanisms that play a critical role in cellular regulation. Thus, the significance of individual molecular constituents cannot be fully understood when studied in isolation because their function may vary depending on their context within the structural complexity of the living cell. These higher-order regulatory mechanisms are based on the cell's use of a form of solid-state biochemistry in which molecular components that mediate biochemical processing and signal transduction are immobilized on insoluble cytoskeletal scaffolds in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Key to the understanding of this form of cellular regulation is the realization that chemistry is structure and hence, recognition of the the importance of architecture and mechanics for signal integration and biochemical control. Recent work that has unified chemical and mechanical signaling pathways provides a glimpse of how this form of higher-order cellular control may function and where paths may lie in the future.

A molecular dynamics study of the pores formed by Escherichia coli OmpF porin in a fully hydrated palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer.

PubMed

Tieleman, D P; Berendsen, H J

1998-06-01

In this paper we study the properties of pores formed by OmpF porin from Escherichia coli, based on a molecular dynamics simulation of the OmpF trimer, 318 palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine lipids, 27 Na+ ions, and 12,992 water molecules. After equilibration and a nanosecond production run, the OmpF trimer exhibits a C-alpha root mean square deviation from the crystal structure of 0.23 nm and a stable secondary structure. No evidence is found for large-scale motions of the L3 loop. We investigate the pore dimensions, conductance, and the properties of water inside the pore. This water forms a complicated pattern, even when averaged over 1 ns of simulation time. Around the pore constriction zone the water dipoles are highly structured in the plane of the membrane, oriented by the strong transversal electric field. In addition, there is a net orientation along the pore axis pointing from the extracellular to the intracellular side of the bilayer. The diffusion coefficients of water inside the pore are greatly reduced compared to bulk. We compare our results to results from model pores (Breed et al., 1996. Biophys. J. 70:1 643-1 661; Sansom et al. 1997. Biophys. J. 73:2404-241 5) and discuss implications for further theoretical work.

42 CFR 416.50 - Condition for coverage-Patient rights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... to, mistreatment, neglect, verbal, mental, sexual, or physical abuse, must be fully documented. (iii.... (2) Receive care in a safe setting. (3) Be free from all forms of abuse or harassment. (d) Standard...

South Polar Surface

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-14

It is high summer as NASA 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft captures this image of the South Pole of Mars. The circular surface features may look like swiss cheese, but how they form, coalesce, and disappear is not fully understood.

Design of Fully Austenitic Medium Manganese Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luan, G.; Volkova, O.; Mola, J.

2018-06-01

Due to their higher ferrite potential compared to high Mn twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steels, medium Mn steels usually exhibit austenitic-ferritic microstructures, which makes them suitable for third-generation advanced high-strength steel applications. Nevertheless, the strain hardening characteristics of medium Mn steels are inferior to those of fully austenitic high Mn steels. The present work introduces alloy design strategies to obtain fully austenitic medium Mn steels capable of the TWIP effect. To achieve a fully austenitic microstructure, the martensite start temperature is reduced by raising the C concentration to above 1 mass-%, which in turn facilitates the formation of cementite. The formation of cementite during cooling from austenitization temperature is counteracted by alloying with Al. Microstructural examination of slowly-cooled Fe‑Mn‑Al‑C and Fe‑Mn‑C steels indicated that Al changes the morphology of intergranular cementite from plate-shaped to equiaxed.

Weighted interior penalty discretization of fully nonlinear and weakly dispersive free surface shallow water flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Pietro, Daniele A.; Marche, Fabien

2018-02-01

In this paper, we further investigate the use of a fully discontinuous Finite Element discrete formulation for the study of shallow water free surface flows in the fully nonlinear and weakly dispersive flow regime. We consider a decoupling strategy in which we approximate the solutions of the classical shallow water equations supplemented with a source term globally accounting for the non-hydrostatic effects. This source term can be computed through the resolution of elliptic second-order linear sub-problems, which only involve second order partial derivatives in space. We then introduce an associated Symmetric Weighted Internal Penalty discrete bilinear form, allowing to deal with the discontinuous nature of the elliptic problem's coefficients in a stable and consistent way. Similar discrete formulations are also introduced for several recent optimized fully nonlinear and weakly dispersive models. These formulations are validated again several benchmarks involving h-convergence, p-convergence and comparisons with experimental data, showing optimal convergence properties.

Are natural and unnatural appetites equally controllable? A response to Jensen's "Is continence enough?".

PubMed

Smith, Janet E

2004-01-01

This response challenges Jensen's analysis in no substantial way. Rather, it explains more fully some of the moral character categories that Aristotle provides. It argues that Aristotle understood there to be two forms of continence: the continence that enables us to control natural appetites and"some form"of continence directed towards unnatural appetites, generally engendered by some pathology or abuse.

Students' Accounts of Grammatical Forms of German That Are Difficult, Unattainable, and Irrelevant for Self-Expression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chavez, Monika

2016-01-01

This study examined the responses of 39 first-year, 63 second-year, 20 third-year, and 19 fourth-year US college learners of German when they were asked what forms of L2 grammar they, respectively, find particularly difficult; do not expect to ever acquire fully; and believe are not necessary for self-expression. Nominal morphology--particularly…

Charge Transport and Phase Behavior of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquid Crystals from Fully Atomistic Simulations

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Ionic liquid crystals occupy an intriguing middle ground between room-temperature ionic liquids and mesostructured liquid crystals. Here, we examine a non-polarizable, fully atomistic model of the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium nitrate family using molecular dynamics in the constant pressure–constant temperature ensemble. These materials exhibit a distinct “smectic” liquid phase, characterized by layers formed by the molecules, which separate the ionic and aliphatic moieties. In particular, we discuss the implications this layering may have for electrolyte applications. PMID:29301305

Asymptotic Normality of the Maximum Pseudolikelihood Estimator for Fully Visible Boltzmann Machines.

PubMed

Nguyen, Hien D; Wood, Ian A

2016-04-01

Boltzmann machines (BMs) are a class of binary neural networks for which there have been numerous proposed methods of estimation. Recently, it has been shown that in the fully visible case of the BM, the method of maximum pseudolikelihood estimation (MPLE) results in parameter estimates, which are consistent in the probabilistic sense. In this brief, we investigate the properties of MPLE for the fully visible BMs further, and prove that MPLE also yields an asymptotically normal parameter estimator. These results can be used to construct confidence intervals and to test statistical hypotheses. These constructions provide a closed-form alternative to the current methods that require Monte Carlo simulation or resampling. We support our theoretical results by showing that the estimator behaves as expected in simulation studies.

Time-Dependent Parabolic Finite Difference Formulation for Harmonic Sound Propagation in a Two-Dimensional Duct with Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kreider, Kevin L.; Baumeister, Kenneth J.

1996-01-01

An explicit finite difference real time iteration scheme is developed to study harmonic sound propagation in aircraft engine nacelles. To reduce storage requirements for future large 3D problems, the time dependent potential form of the acoustic wave equation is used. To insure that the finite difference scheme is both explicit and stable for a harmonic monochromatic sound field, a parabolic (in time) approximation is introduced to reduce the order of the governing equation. The analysis begins with a harmonic sound source radiating into a quiescent duct. This fully explicit iteration method then calculates stepwise in time to obtain the 'steady state' harmonic solutions of the acoustic field. For stability, applications of conventional impedance boundary conditions requires coupling to explicit hyperbolic difference equations at the boundary. The introduction of the time parameter eliminates the large matrix storage requirements normally associated with frequency domain solutions, and time marching attains the steady-state quickly enough to make the method favorable when compared to frequency domain methods. For validation, this transient-frequency domain method is applied to sound propagation in a 2D hard wall duct with plug flow.

PVD TBC experience on GE aircraft engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maricocchi, A.; Bartz, A.; Wortman, D.

1997-06-01

The higher performance levels of modern gas turbine engines present significant challenges in the reli-ability of materials in the turbine. The increased engine temperatures required to achieve the higher per-formance levels reduce the strength of the materials used in the turbine sections of the engine. Various forms of thermal barrier coatings have been used for many years to increase the reliability of gas turbine engine components. Recent experience with the physical vapor deposition process using ceramic material has demonstrated success in extending the service life of turbine blades and nozzles. Engine test results of turbine components with a 125 μm (0.005 in.) PVD TBC have demonstrated component operating tem-peratures of 56 to 83 °C (100 to 150 °F) lower than non-PVD TBC components. Engine testing has also revealed that TBCs are susceptible to high angle particle impact damage. Sand particles and other engine debris impact the TBC surface at the leading edge of airfoils and fracture the PVD columns. As the impacting continues, the TBC erodes in local areas. Analysis of the eroded areas has shown a slight increase in temperature over a fully coated area ; however, a significant temperature reduc-tion was realized over an airfoil without TBC.

ESAM: Endocrine inspired Sensor Activation Mechanism for multi-target tracking in WSNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adil Mahdi, Omar; Wahab, Ainuddin Wahid Abdul; Idris, Mohd Yamani Idna; Znaid, Ammar Abu; Khan, Suleman; Al-Mayouf, Yusor Rafid Bahar

2016-10-01

Target tracking is a significant application of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in which deployment of self-organizing and energy efficient algorithms is required. The tracking accuracy increases as more sensor nodes are activated around the target but more energy is consumed. Thus, in this study, we focus on limiting the number of sensors by forming an ad-hoc network that operates autonomously. This will reduce the energy consumption and prolong the sensor network lifetime. In this paper, we propose a fully distributed algorithm, an Endocrine inspired Sensor Activation Mechanism for multi target-tracking (ESAM) which reflecting the properties of real life sensor activation system based on the information circulating principle in the endocrine system of the human body. Sensor nodes in our network are secreting different hormones according to certain rules. The hormone level enables the nodes to regulate an efficient sleep and wake up cycle of nodes to reduce the energy consumption. It is evident from the simulation results that the proposed ESAM in autonomous sensor network exhibits a stable performance without the need of commands from a central controller. Moreover, the proposed ESAM generates more efficient and persistent results as compared to other algorithms for tracking an invading object.

How to form planetesimals from mm-sized chondrules and chondrule aggregates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrera, Daniel; Johansen, Anders; Davies, Melvyn B.

2015-07-01

The size distribution of asteroids and Kuiper belt objects in the solar system is difficult to reconcile with a bottom-up formation scenario due to the observed scarcity of objects smaller than ~100 km in size. Instead, planetesimals appear to form top-down, with large 100-1000 km bodies forming from the rapid gravitational collapse of dense clumps of small solid particles. In this paper we investigate the conditions under which solid particles can form dense clumps in a protoplanetary disk. We used a hydrodynamic code to model the interaction between solid particles and the gas inside a shearing box inside the disk, considering particle sizes from submillimeter-sized chondrules to meter-sized rocks. We found that particles down to millimeter sizes can form dense particle clouds through the run-away convergence of radial drift known as the streaming instability. We made a map of the range of conditions (strength of turbulence, particle mass-loading, disk mass, and distance to the star) that are prone to producing dense particle clumps. Finally, we estimate the distribution of collision speeds between mm-sized particles. We calculated the rate of sticking collisions and obtain a robust upper limit on the particle growth timescale of ~105 years. This means that mm-sized chondrule aggregates can grow on a timescale much smaller than the disk accretion timescale (~106-107 years). Our results suggest a pathway from the mm-sized grains found in primitive meteorites to fully formed asteroids. We speculate that asteroids may form from a positive feedback loop in which coagualation leads to particle clumping driven by the streaming instability. This clumping, in turn, reduces collision speeds and enhances coagulation. Future simulations should model coagulation and the streaming instability together to explore this feedback loop further. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Pharmacokinetics of the prototype and hydrolyzed carboxylic forms of ginkgolides A, B, and K administered as a ginkgo diterpene lactones meglumine injection in beagle dogs.

PubMed

Wang, Shu-Yao; A, Ji-Ye; Fei, Fei; Geng, Jian-Liang; Peng, Ying; Ouyang, Bing-Chen; Wang, Pei; Jin, Xiao-Liang; Zhao, Yu-Qing; Wang, Jian-Kun; Geng, Ting; Li, Yan-Jing; Huang, Wen-Zhe; Wang, Zhen-Zhong; Xiao, Wei; Wang, Guang-Ji

2017-10-01

Ginkgo diterpene lactones meglumine injection (GDLI) is a commercially available product used for neuroprotection. However, the pharmacokinetic properties of the prototypes and hydrolyzed carboxylic forms of the primary components in GDLI, i.e., ginkgolide A (GA), ginkgolide B (GB), and ginkgolide K (GK), have never been fully evaluated in beagle dogs. In this work, a simple, sensitive, and reliable method based on ultra-fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) was developed, and the prototypes and total amounts of GA, GB, and GK were determined in beagle dog plasma. The plasma concentrations of the hydrolyzed carboxylic forms were calculated by subtracting the prototype concentrations from the total lactone concentrations. For the first time, the pharmacokinetics of GA, GB, and GK were fully assessed in three forms, i.e., the prototypes, the hydrolyzed carboxylic forms, and the total amounts, after intravenous administration of GDLI in beagle dogs. It was shown that ginkgolides primarily existed in the hydrolyzed form in plasma, and the ratio of hydrolysates to prototype forms of GA and GB decreased gradually to a homeostatic ratio. All of the three forms of the three ginkgolides showed linear exposure of AUC to the dosages. GA, GB, and GK showed a constant half-life approximately 2.7, 3.4, and 1.2 h, respectively, which were consistent for the forms at three dose levels (0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg·kg -1 ) and after a consecutive injection of GDLI for 7 days (1.0 mg·kg -1 ). Copyright © 2017 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Haploinsufficiency of the ammonia transporter Rhcg predisposes to chronic acidosis: Rhcg is critical for apical and basolateral ammonia transport in the mouse collecting duct.

PubMed

Bourgeois, Soline; Bounoure, Lisa; Christensen, Erik I; Ramakrishnan, Suresh K; Houillier, Pascal; Devuyst, Olivier; Wagner, Carsten A

2013-02-22

Ammonia secretion by the collecting duct (CD) is critical for acid-base homeostasis and, when defective, causes distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA). The Rhesus protein RhCG mediates NH(3) transport as evident from cell-free and cellular models as well as from Rhcg-null mice. Here, we investigated in a Rhcg mouse model the metabolic effects of Rhcg haploinsufficiency, the role of Rhcg in basolateral NH(3) transport, and the mechanisms of adaptation to the lack of Rhcg. Both Rhcg(+/+) and Rhcg(+/-) mice were able to handle an acute acid load, whereas Rhcg(-/-) mice developed severe metabolic acidosis with reduced ammonuria and high mortality. However, chronic acid loading revealed that Rhcg(+/-) mice did not fully recover, showing lower blood HCO(3)(-) concentration and more alkaline urine. Microperfusion studies demonstrated that transepithelial NH(3) permeability was reduced by 80 and 40%, respectively, in CDs from Rhcg(-/-) and Rhcg(+/-) mice compared with controls. Basolateral membrane permeability to NH(3) was reduced in CDs from Rhcg(-/-) mice consistent with basolateral Rhcg localization. Rhcg(-/-) responded to acid loading with normal expression of enzymes and transporters involved in proximal tubular ammoniagenesis but reduced abundance of the NKCC2 transporter responsible for medullary accumulation of ammonium. Consequently, tissue ammonium content was decreased. These data demonstrate a role for apical and basolateral Rhcg in transepithelial NH(3) transport and uncover an incomplete dRTA phenotype in Rhcg(+/-) mice. Haploinsufficiency or reduced expression of RhCG may underlie human forms of (in)complete dRTA.

Glutathione and Glutaredoxin Act as a Backup of Human Thioredoxin Reductase 1 to Reduce Thioredoxin 1 Preventing Cell Death by Aurothioglucose*

PubMed Central

Du, Yatao; Zhang, Huihui; Lu, Jun; Holmgren, Arne

2012-01-01

Thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) in cytosol is the only known reductant of oxidized thioredoxin 1 (Trx1) in vivo so far. We and others found that aurothioglucose (ATG), a well known active-site inhibitor of TrxR1, inhibited TrxR1 activity in HeLa cell cytosol but had no effect on the viability of the cells. Using a redox Western blot analysis, no change was observed in redox state of Trx1, which was mainly fully reduced with five sulfhydryl groups. In contrast, auranofin killed cells and oxidized Trx1, also targeting mitochondrial TrxR2 and Trx2. Combining ATG with ebselen gave a strong synergistic effect, leading to Trx1 oxidation, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and cell death. We hypothesized that there should exist a backup system to reduce Trx1 when only TrxR1 activity was lost. Our results showed that physiological concentrations of glutathione, NADPH, and glutathione reductase reduced Trx1 in vitro and that the reaction was strongly stimulated by glutaredoxin1. Simultaneous depletion of TrxR activity by ATG and glutathione by buthionine sulfoximine led to overoxidation of Trx1 and loss of HeLa cell viability. In conclusion, the glutaredoxin system and glutathione have a backup role to keep Trx1 reduced in cells with loss of TrxR1 activity. Monitoring the redox state of Trx1 shows that cell death occurs when Trx1 is oxidized, followed by general protein oxidation catalyzed by the disulfide form of thioredoxin. PMID:22977247

Quantum formulation for nanoscale optical and material chirality: symmetry issues, space and time parity, and observables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, D. L.

2018-03-01

To properly represent the interplay and coupling of optical and material chirality at the photon-molecule or photon-nanoparticle level invites a recognition of quantum facets in the fundamental aspects and mechanisms of light-matter interaction. It is therefore appropriate to cast theory in a general quantum form, one that is applicable to both linear and nonlinear optics as well as various forms of chiroptical interaction including chiral optomechanics. Such a framework, fully accounting for both radiation and matter in quantum terms, facilitates the scrutiny and identification of key issues concerning spatial and temporal parity, scale, dissipation and measurement. Furthermore it fully provides for describing the interactions of structured or twisted light beams with a vortex character, and it leads to the complete identification of symmetry conditions for materials to provide for chiral discrimination. Quantum considerations also lend a distinctive perspective to the very different senses in which other aspects of chirality are recognized in metamaterials. Duly attending to the symmetry principles governing allowed or disallowed forms of chiral discrimination supports an objective appraisal of the experimental possibilities and developing applications.

Solar-type dynamo behaviour in fully convective stars without a tachocline.

PubMed

Wright, Nicholas J; Drake, Jeremy J

2016-07-28

In solar-type stars (with radiative cores and convective envelopes like our Sun), the magnetic field powers star spots, flares and other solar phenomena, as well as chromospheric and coronal emission at ultraviolet to X-ray wavelengths. The dynamo responsible for generating the field depends on the shearing of internal magnetic fields by differential rotation. The shearing has long been thought to take place in a boundary layer known as the tachocline between the radiative core and the convective envelope. Fully convective stars do not have a tachocline and their dynamo mechanism is expected to be very different, although its exact form and physical dependencies are not known. Here we report observations of four fully convective stars whose X-ray emission correlates with their rotation periods in the same way as in solar-type stars. As the X-ray activity-rotation relationship is a well-established proxy for the behaviour of the magnetic dynamo, these results imply that fully convective stars also operate a solar-type dynamo. The lack of a tachocline in fully convective stars therefore suggests that this is not a critical ingredient in the solar dynamo and supports models in which the dynamo originates throughout the convection zone.

Formation of a cytochrome c-nitrous oxide reductase complex is obligatory for N2O reduction by Paracoccus pantotrophus.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Tim; Brittain, Thomas; Berks, Ben C; Watmough, Nicholas J; Thomson, Andrew J

2005-11-07

Nitrous oxide reductase (N2OR) catalyses the final step of bacterial denitrification, the two-electron reduction of nitrous oxide (N2O) to dinitrogen (N2). N2OR contains two metal centers; a binuclear copper center, CuA, that serves to receive electrons from soluble donors, and a tetranuclear copper-sulfide center, CuZ, at the active site. Stopped flow experiments at low ionic strengths reveal rapid electron transfer (kobs=150 s-1) between reduced horse heart (HH) cytochrome c and the CuA center in fully oxidized N2OR. When fully reduced N2OR was mixed with oxidized cytochrome c, a similar rate of electron transfer was recorded for the reverse reaction, followed by a much slower internal electron transfer from CuZ to CuA(kobs=0.1-0.4 s-1). The internal electron transfer process is likely to represent the rate-determining step in the catalytic cycle. Remarkably, in the absence of cytochrome c, fully reduced N2OR is inert towards its substrate, even though sufficient electrons are stored to initiate a single turnover. However, in the presence of reduced cytochrome c and N2O, a single turnover occurs after a lag-phase. We propose that a conformational change in N2OR is induced by its specific interaction with cytochrome c that in turn either permits electron transfer between CuA and CuZ or controls the rate of N2O decomposition at the active site.

Aerodynamic Shutoff Valve

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horstman, Raymond H.

1992-01-01

Aerodynamic flow achieved by adding fixed fairings to butterfly valve. When valve fully open, fairings align with butterfly and reduce wake. Butterfly free to turn, so valve can be closed, while fairings remain fixed. Design reduces turbulence in flow of air in internal suction system. Valve aids in development of improved porous-surface boundary-layer control system to reduce aerodynamic drag. Applications primarily aerospace. System adapted to boundary-layer control on high-speed land vehicles.

Procesos cuasi-moleculares en enanas blancas frías

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohrmann, R. D.; Althaus, L. G.; Kepler, S. O.

We show that the radiation emitted by very cool white dwarf stars (Teff ~< 3000 K) with pure hydrogen atmospheres, is fully formed by radiative processes induced by atomic and molecular collisions. FULL TEXT IN SPANISH

46 CFR 166.05 - Course of study for deck students.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... equip the student fully with the theoretical knowledge required for the proper discharge of the duties... the sailing and management of a vessel insofar as such operations form a part of the duties of able...

46 CFR 166.05 - Course of study for deck students.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... equip the student fully with the theoretical knowledge required for the proper discharge of the duties... the sailing and management of a vessel insofar as such operations form a part of the duties of able...

46 CFR 166.05 - Course of study for deck students.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... equip the student fully with the theoretical knowledge required for the proper discharge of the duties... the sailing and management of a vessel insofar as such operations form a part of the duties of able...

46 CFR 166.05 - Course of study for deck students.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... equip the student fully with the theoretical knowledge required for the proper discharge of the duties... the sailing and management of a vessel insofar as such operations form a part of the duties of able...

46 CFR 166.05 - Course of study for deck students.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... equip the student fully with the theoretical knowledge required for the proper discharge of the duties... the sailing and management of a vessel insofar as such operations form a part of the duties of able...

Buoyancy Effects in Fully-Modulated, Turbulent Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hermanson, J. C.; Johari, H.; Ghaem-Maghami, E.; Stocker, D. P.; Hegde, U. G.; Page, K. L.

2003-01-01

Pulsed combustion appears to have the potential to provide for rapid fuel/air mixing, compact and economical combustors, and reduced exhaust emissions. The objective of this experiment (PuFF, for Pulsed-Fully Flames) is to increase the fundamental understanding of the fuel/air mixing and combustion behavior of pulsed, turbulent diffusion flames by conducting experiments in microgravity. In this research the fuel jet is fully-modulated (i.e., completely shut off between pulses) by an externally controlled valve system. This gives rise to drastic modification of the combustion and flow characteristics of flames, leading to enhanced fuel/air mixing compared to acoustically excited or partially-modulated jets. Normal-gravity experiments suggest that the fully-modulated technique also has the potential for producing turbulent jet flames significantly more compact than steady flames with no increase in exhaust emissions. The technique also simplifies the combustion process by avoiding the acoustic forcing generally present in pulsed combustors. Fundamental issues addressed in this experiment include the impact of buoyancy on the structure and flame length, temperatures, radiation, and emissions of fully-modulated flames.

Selenite and tellurite form mixed seleno- and tellurotrisulfides with CstR from Staphylococcus aureus

PubMed Central

Luebke, Justin L.; Arnold, Randy J.; Giedroc, David P.

2013-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus CstR (CsoR-like sulfur transferase repressor) is a member of the CsoR family of transition metal sensing metalloregulatory proteins. Unlike CsoR, CstR does not form a stable complex with transition metals but instead reacts with sulfite to form a mixture of di- and trisulfide species, CstR2(RS-SR′) and CstR2(RS-S-SR′)n, n = 1 or 2, respectively. Here, we investigate if CstR performs similar chemistry with related chalcogen oxyanions selenite and tellurite. In this work we show by high resolution tandem mass spectrometry that CstR is readily modified by selenite (SeO32−) or tellurite (TeO32−) to form a mixture of intersubunit disulfides and selenotrisulfides or tellurotrisulfides, respectively, between Cys31 and Cys60′. Analogous studies with S. aureus CsoR reveals no reaction with selenite and minimal reaction with tellurite. All cross-linked forms of CstR exhibit reduced DNA binding affinity. We show that Cys31 initiates the reaction with sulfite through the formation of S-sulfocysteine (RS-SO32−) and Cys60 is required to fully derivatize CstR to CstR2(RS-SR′) and CstR2(RS-S-SR′). The modification of Cys31 also drives an allosteric switch that negatively regulates DNA binding while derivatization of Cys60 alone has no effect on DNA binding. These results highlight the differences between CstRs and CsoRs in chemical reactivity and metal ion selectivity and establish Cys31 as the functionally important cysteine residue in CstRs. PMID:23385876

The oligomerization state determines regulatory properties and inhibitor sensitivity of type 4 cAMP-specific phosphodiesterases.

PubMed

Richter, Wito; Conti, Marco

2004-07-16

PDE4 splice variants are classified into long and short forms depending on the presence or absence of two unique N-terminal domains termed upstream conserved regions 1 and 2 (UCR1 and -2). We have shown previously that the UCR module mediates dimerization of PDE4 long forms, whereas short forms, which lack UCR1, behave as monomers. In the present study, we demonstrate that dimerization is an essential structural element that determines the regulatory properties and inhibitor sensitivities of PDE4 enzymes. Comparing the properties of the dimeric wild type PDE4D3 with several monomeric mutant PDE4D3 constructs revealed that disruption of dimerization ablates the activation of PDE4 long forms by either protein kinase A phosphorylation or phosphatidic acid binding. Moreover, the analysis of heterodimers consisting of a catalytically active and a catalytically inactive PDE4D3 subunit indicates that protein kinase A phosphorylation of both subunits is essential to fully activate PDE4 enzymes. In addition to affecting enzyme regulation, disruption of dimerization reduces the sensitivity of the enzymes toward the prototypical PDE4 inhibitor rolipram. Parallel binding assays indicated that this shift in rolipram sensitivity is likely mediated by a decrease in the number of inhibitor binding sites in the high affinity rolipram binding state. Thus, although dimerization is not a requirement for high affinity rolipram binding, it functions to stabilize PDE4 long forms in their high affinity rolipram binding conformation. Taken together, our data indicate that dimerization defines the properties of PDE4 enzymes and suggest a common structural and functional organization for all PDEs.

A Conformational Change of C Fragment of Tetanus Neurotoxin Reduces Its Ganglioside-Binding Activity but Does Not Destroy Its Immunogenicity ▿

PubMed Central

Yu, Rui; Yi, Shaoqiong; Yu, Changming; Fang, Ting; Liu, Shuling; Yu, Ting; Song, Xiaohong; Fu, Ling; Hou, Lihua; Chen, Wei

2011-01-01

The C fragment of tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT-Hc) with different conformations was observed due to the four cysteine residues within it which could form different intramolecular disulfide bonds. In this study, we prepared and compared three types of monomeric TeNT-Hc with different conformational components: free sulfhydryls (50 kDa), bound sulfhydryls (44 kDa), and a mixture of the two conformational proteins (half 50 kDa and half 44 kDa). TeNT-Hc with bound sulfhydryls reduced its binding activity to ganglioside GT1b and neuronal PC-12 cells compared to what was seen for TeNT-Hc with free sulfhydryls. However, there was no significant difference among their immunogenicities in mice, including induction of antitetanus toxoid IgG titers, antibody types, and protective capacities against tetanus neurotoxin challenge. Our results showed that the conformational changes of TeNT-Hc resulting from disulfide bond formation reduced its ganglioside-binding activity but did not destroy its immunogenicity, and the protein still retained continuous B cell and T cell epitopes; that is, the presence of the ganglioside-binding site within TeNT-Hc may be not essential for the induction of a fully protective antitetanus response. TeNT-Hc with bound sulfhydryls may be developed into an ideal human vaccine with a lower potential for side effects. PMID:21813664

Skyglow changes over Tucson, Arizona, resulting from a municipal LED street lighting conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barentine, John C.; Walker, Constance E.; Kocifaj, Miroslav; Kundracik, František; Juan, Amy; Kanemoto, John; Monrad, Christian K.

2018-06-01

The transition from earlier lighting technologies to white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is a significant change in the use of artificial light at night. LEDs emit considerably more short-wavelength light into the environment than earlier technologies on a per-lumen basis. Radiative transfer models predict increased skyglow over cities transitioning to LED unless the total lumen output of new lighting systems is reduced. The City of Tucson, Arizona (U.S.), recently converted its municipal street lighting system from a mixture of fully shielded high- and low-pressure sodium (HPS/LPS) luminaires to fully shielded 3000 K white LED luminaires. The lighting design intended to minimize increases to skyglow in order to protect the sites of nearby astronomical observatories without compromising public safety. This involved the migration of over 445 million fully shielded HPS/LPS lumens to roughly 142 million fully shielded 3000 K white LED lumens and an expected concomitant reduction in the amount of visual skyglow over Tucson. SkyGlow Simulator models predict skyglow decreases on the order of 10-20% depending on whether fully shielded or partly shielded lights are in use. We tested this prediction using visual night sky brightness estimates and luminance-calibrated, panchromatic all-sky imagery at 15 locations in and near the city. Data were obtained in 2014, before the LED conversion began, and in mid-2017 after approximately 95% of ∼ 18,000 luminaires was converted. Skyglow differed marginally, and in all cases with valid data changed by < ± 20%. Over the same period, the city's upward-directed optical radiance detected from Earth orbit decreased by approximately 7%. While these results are not conclusive, they suggest that LED conversions paired with dimming can reduce skyglow over cities.

A novel fully automatic scheme for fiducial marker-based alignment in electron tomography.

PubMed

Han, Renmin; Wang, Liansan; Liu, Zhiyong; Sun, Fei; Zhang, Fa

2015-12-01

Although the topic of fiducial marker-based alignment in electron tomography (ET) has been widely discussed for decades, alignment without human intervention remains a difficult problem. Specifically, the emergence of subtomogram averaging has increased the demand for batch processing during tomographic reconstruction; fully automatic fiducial marker-based alignment is the main technique in this process. However, the lack of an accurate method for detecting and tracking fiducial markers precludes fully automatic alignment. In this paper, we present a novel, fully automatic alignment scheme for ET. Our scheme has two main contributions: First, we present a series of algorithms to ensure a high recognition rate and precise localization during the detection of fiducial markers. Our proposed solution reduces fiducial marker detection to a sampling and classification problem and further introduces an algorithm to solve the parameter dependence of marker diameter and marker number. Second, we propose a novel algorithm to solve the tracking of fiducial markers by reducing the tracking problem to an incomplete point set registration problem. Because a global optimization of a point set registration occurs, the result of our tracking is independent of the initial image position in the tilt series, allowing for the robust tracking of fiducial markers without pre-alignment. The experimental results indicate that our method can achieve an accurate tracking, almost identical to the current best one in IMOD with half automatic scheme. Furthermore, our scheme is fully automatic, depends on fewer parameters (only requires a gross value of the marker diameter) and does not require any manual interaction, providing the possibility of automatic batch processing of electron tomographic reconstruction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Heat Transfer Due to Unsteady Effects as Investigated in a High-Speed, Full-Scale, Fully-Cooled Turbine Vane and Rotor Stage

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

the turbine stages of these engines have been established. The predominant method of cooling vane and rotor airfoils , having been used for over...INVESTIGATED IN A HIGH-SPEED, FULL-SCALE, FULLY-COOLED TURBINE VANE AND ROTOR STAGE THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Aeronautics and...reduce the effectiveness of film cooling in the vane and rotor stages of turbine engines . Even today, fairly little experimentation has been

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

Thurman, J.

Can operating companies cost-effectively manage environmental risks, meet compliance requirements and attain financial and market-oriented goals? Yes, if top management fully supports incorporating environmental-risk issues into the corporate management system. Using evaluation tools such as risk assessment and environmental audits, operators can fully define their environment condition and risk level. Working these results, HPI companies can take action to reduce the probability of environmental accidents and mitigate adverse event effects. Adopting this top-down, proactive outlook, organizations can evade environmental catastrophes, avoid negative public image and prevent ruined reputations.

Material forming apparatus using a directed droplet stream

DOEpatents

Holcomb, David E.; Viswanathan, Srinath; Blue, Craig A.; Wilgen, John B.

2000-01-01

Systems and methods are described for rapidly forming precision metallic and intermetallic alloy net shape parts directly from liquid metal droplets. A directed droplet deposition apparatus includes a crucible with an orifice for producing a jet of material, a jet destabilizer, a charging structure, a deflector system, and an impact zone. The systems and methods provide advantages in that fully dense, microstructurally controlled parts can be fabricated at moderate cost.

78 FR 76328 - Application for Renewal of Special Nuclear Material License SNM-2014 From Tennessee Valley...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-17

... SNM in the form of fully-assembled fuel assemblies that would later form the initial reactor core of WBN2. The SNM in the fuel assemblies is enriched up to 5% in the isotope U-235. The fresh fuel... received the initial core for WBN2. The NRC has not yet issued the OL for the Unit 2 reactor. The...

Advanced stages of embryonic development and cotylocidial morphogenesis in the intrauterine eggs of Aspidogaster limacoides Diesing, 1835 (Aspidogastrea), with comments on their phylogenetic implications.

PubMed

Świderski, Zdzisław; Poddubnaya, Larisa G; Gibson, David I; Młocicki, Daniel

2012-06-01

Ultrastructural aspects of the advanced embryonic development and cotylocidial morphogenesis of the aspidogastrean Aspidogaster limacoides are described. The posterior or distal regions of the uterus are filled with eggs containing larvae at advanced stages of morphogenesis and fully-formed cotylocidia. Various stages and organs of this larva are described in detail, including the aspects of the developing and fully-differentiated cotylocidium, the body wall (tegument and musculature), glandular regions and the protonephridial excretory system. Blastomere multiplication by means of mitotic divisions takes place simultaneously with the degeneration or apoptosis of some micromeres; this frequently observed characteristic is compared and discussed in relation to corresponding reports for other neodermatans. During the advanced stages of the embryonic development of A. limacoides, the vitelline syncytium disappears and the size of the embryo increases rapidly. Evident polarization of the differentiating larva was observed; towards one pole of the egg, cytodifferentiation of the mouth, surrounded by the oral sucker and cephalic glands, takes place, whereas, towards the opposite pole, differentiation of the posterior sucker (incipient ventral disc) occurs. The oral and posterior suckers are formed from numerous embryonic cells which have differentiated into myocytes. The central part of the oral sucker undergoes invagination and forms the future pharynx and intestine. Fully-developed cotylocidia of A. limacoides have a neodermatan type of tegument, flame cells and two types of glandular structures. These results suggest a sister relationship between the Aspidogastrea and the Digenea, although the systematic position of aspidogastreans in relation to other platyhelminth taxa remains somewhat equivocal.

Cooperative binding mitigates the high-dose hook effect.

PubMed

Roy, Ranjita Dutta; Rosenmund, Christian; Stefan, Melanie I

2017-08-14

The high-dose hook effect (also called prozone effect) refers to the observation that if a multivalent protein acts as a linker between two parts of a protein complex, then increasing the amount of linker protein in the mixture does not always increase the amount of fully formed complex. On the contrary, at a high enough concentration range the amount of fully formed complex actually decreases. It has been observed that allosterically regulated proteins seem less susceptible to this effect. The aim of this study was two-fold: First, to investigate the mathematical basis of how allostery mitigates the prozone effect. And second, to explore the consequences of allostery and the high-dose hook effect using the example of calmodulin, a calcium-sensing protein that regulates the switch between long-term potentiation and long-term depression in neurons. We use a combinatorial model of a "perfect linker protein" (with infinite binding affinity) to mathematically describe the hook effect and its behaviour under allosteric conditions. We show that allosteric regulation does indeed mitigate the high-dose hook effect. We then turn to calmodulin as a real-life example of an allosteric protein. Using kinetic simulations, we show that calmodulin is indeed subject to a hook effect. We also show that this effect is stronger in the presence of the allosteric activator Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII), because it reduces the overall cooperativity of the calcium-calmodulin system. It follows that, surprisingly, there are conditions where increased amounts of allosteric activator actually decrease the activity of a protein. We show that cooperative binding can indeed act as a protective mechanism against the hook effect. This will have implications in vivo where the extent of cooperativity of a protein can be modulated, for instance, by allosteric activators or inhibitors. This can result in counterintuitive effects of decreased activity with increased concentrations of both the allosteric protein itself and its allosteric activators.

Method for modeling the gradual physical degradation of a porous material

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

Flach, Greg

Cementitious and other engineered porous materials encountered in waste disposals may degrade over time due to one or more mechanisms. Physical degradation may take the form of cracking (fracturing) and/or altered (e.g. increased) porosity, depending on the material and underlying degradation mechanism. In most cases, the hydraulic properties of degrading materials are expected to evolve due to physical changes occurring over roughly the pore to decimeter scale, which is conducive to calculating equivalent or effective material properties. The exact morphology of a degrading material in its end-state may or may not be known. In the latter case, the fully-degraded conditionmore » can be assumed to be similar to a more-permeable material in the surrounding environment, such as backfill soil. Then the fully-degraded waste form or barrier material is hydraulically neutral with respect to its surroundings, constituting neither a barrier to nor conduit for moisture flow and solute transport. Unless the degradation mechanism is abrupt, a gradual transition between the intact initial and fully-degraded final states is desired. Linear interpolation through time is one method for smoothly blending hydraulic properties between those of an intact matrix and those of a soil or other surrogate for the end-state.« less

A Technique for Machine-Aided Indexing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klingbiel, Paul H.

1973-01-01

The technique for machine-aided indexing developed at the Defense Documentation Center (DDC) is illustrated on a randomly chosen abstract. Additional text is provided in coded form so that the reader can more fully explore this technique. (2 references) (Author)

National Center for Transit Research annual report : July 2001

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-07-01

The National Center for Transit Research is fully engaged in its mission of enhancing the performance and relevance of public transportation and alternative forms of transportation in urban areas. Research faculty at NCTR already have completed eight...

A continued fraction resummation form of bath relaxation effect in the spin-boson model

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

Gong, Zhihao; Tang, Zhoufei; Wu, Jianlan, E-mail: jianlanwu@zju.edu.cn

2015-02-28

In the spin-boson model, a continued fraction form is proposed to systematically resum high-order quantum kinetic expansion (QKE) rate kernels, accounting for the bath relaxation effect beyond the second-order perturbation. In particular, the analytical expression of the sixth-order QKE rate kernel is derived for resummation. With higher-order correction terms systematically extracted from higher-order rate kernels, the resummed quantum kinetic expansion approach in the continued fraction form extends the Pade approximation and can fully recover the exact quantum dynamics as the expansion order increases.

Developing management options for longleaf communities of the gulf coastal plain

Treesearch

Kenneth W. Outcalt

2003-01-01

Choosing treatments to reduce fuel loads and readjust structure and composition in longleaf communities of the Gulf Coastal Plains region is difficult because benefits and costs of possible treatment combinations are not fully known. The objective of this research project is to develop management options to reduce fuels and restore the ecosystem that are economically...

A FLUCTUATING SALINITY REGIME MITIGATES THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF REDUCED SALINITY ON THE ESTUARINE MACROALGA, ENTEROMORPHA INTESTINALIS (L.) LINK. (R827637)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

We tested the response of Enteromorpha intestinalis to fluctuating reduced salinity regimes which may occur in coastal estuaries due to both natural and anthropogenic influences. In a fully crossed two factor experiment, we subjected E. intestinalis<...