Identification of NVP-BKM120 as a Potent, Selective, Orally Bioavailable Class I PI3 Kinase Inhibitor for Treating Cancer

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Phosphoinositide-3-kinases (PI3Ks) are important oncology targets due to the deregulation of this signaling pathway in a wide variety of human cancers. Herein we describe the structure guided optimization of a series of 2-morpholino, 4-substituted, 6-heterocyclic pyrimidines where the pharmacokinetic properties were improved by modulating the electronics of the 6-position heterocycle, and the overall druglike properties were fine-tuned further by modification of the 4-position substituent. The resulting 2,4-bismorpholino 6-heterocyclic pyrimidines are potent class I PI3K inhibitors showing mechanism modulation in PI3K dependent cell lines and in vivo efficacy in tumor xenograft models with PI3K pathway deregulation (A2780 ovarian and U87MG glioma). These efforts culminated in the discovery of 15 (NVP-BKM120), currently in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of cancer. PMID:24900266

Effect of knots on stress waves in lumber

Treesearch

C.C. Gerhards

1982-01-01

An impact stress wave was induced in the end of 2 by 6 lumber containing knots. Rather than a normal, perpendicular-to-the-axis profile in transiting by a knot, the stress wave tended to Iead in zones of clear wood in the direction of the slope of grain or slope of the annual rings and to lag behind the knot. Of three methods evaluated to time the stress wave, the...

A new way of measuring wiggling pattern in SADP for 3D NAND technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mi, Jian; Chen, Ziqi; Tu, Li Ming; Mao, Xiaoming; Liu, Gong Cai; Kawada, Hiroki

2018-03-01

A new metrology method of quantitatively measuring wiggling patterns in a Self-Aligned Double Patterning (SADP) process for 2D NAND technology has been developed with a CD-SEM metrology program on images from a Review-SEM system. The metrology program provided accurate modeling of various wiggling patterns. The Review-SEM system provided a-few-micrometer-wide Field of View (FOV), which exceeds precision-guaranteed FOV of a conventional CD-SEM. The result has been effectively verified by visual inspection on vertically compressed images compared with Wiggling Index from this new method. A best-known method (BKM) system has been developed with connected HW and SW to automatically measure wiggling patterns.

Comparing the tensile strength of square and reversing half-hitch alternating post knots

PubMed Central

Wu, Vincent; Sykes, Edward A.; Mercer, Dale; Hopman, Wilma M.; Tang, Ephraim

2017-01-01

Background Square knots are the gold standard in hand-tie wound closure, but are difficult to reproduce in deep cavities, inadvertently resulting in slipknots. The reversing half-hitch alternating post (RHAP) knot has been suggested as an alternative owing to its nonslip nature and reproducibility in limited spaces. We explored whether the RHAP knot is noninferior to the square knot by assessing tensile strength. Methods We conducted 10 trials for each baseline and knot configuration, using 3–0 silk and 3–0 polyglactin 910 sutures. We compared tensile strength between knot configurations at the point of knot failure between slippage and breakage. Results Maximal failure strength (mean ± SD) in square knots was reached with 4-throw in both silk (30 ± 1.5 N) and polyglactin 910 (39 ± 12 N). For RHAP knots, maximal failure strength was reached at 5-throw for both silk (31 ± 1.5 N) and polyglactin 910 (41 ± 13 N). In both sutures, there were no strength differences between 3-throw square and 4-throw RHAP, between 4-throw square and 5-throw RHAP, or between 5-throw square and 6-throw RHAP knots. Polyglactin 910 sutures, in all knot configurations, were more prone to slippage than silk sutures (p < 0.001). Conclusion The difference in mean tensile strength could be attributed to the proportion of knot slippage versus breakage, which is material-dependent. Future studies can re-evaluate findings in monofilament sutures and objectively assess the reproducibility of square and RHAP knots in deep cavities. Our results indicate that RHAP knots composed of 1 extra throw provide equivalent strength to square knots and may be an alternative when performing hand-ties in limited cavities with either silk or polyglactin 910 sutures. PMID:28327276

3D visualization software to analyze topological outcomes of topoisomerase reactions

PubMed Central

Darcy, I. K.; Scharein, R. G.; Stasiak, A.

2008-01-01

The action of various DNA topoisomerases frequently results in characteristic changes in DNA topology. Important information for understanding mechanistic details of action of these topoisomerases can be provided by investigating the knot types resulting from topoisomerase action on circular DNA forming a particular knot type. Depending on the topological bias of a given topoisomerase reaction, one observes different subsets of knotted products. To establish the character of topological bias, one needs to be aware of all possible topological outcomes of intersegmental passages occurring within a given knot type. However, it is not trivial to systematically enumerate topological outcomes of strand passage from a given knot type. We present here a 3D visualization software (TopoICE-X in KnotPlot) that incorporates topological analysis methods in order to visualize, for example, knots that can be obtained from a given knot by one intersegmental passage. The software has several other options for the topological analysis of mechanisms of action of various topoisomerases. PMID:18440983

Phase Ib Study of BKM120 With Cisplatin and XRT in High Risk Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Cancer of Head and Neck

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-05-19

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell of Head and Neck; HPV Positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Hypopharyngeal Cancer; Early Invasive Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Carcinoma of Larynx; Cancer of Nasopharynx

Objective Assessment of Knot-Tying Proficiency With the Fundamentals of Arthroscopic Surgery Training Program Workstation and Knot Tester.

PubMed

Pedowitz, Robert A; Nicandri, Gregg T; Angelo, Richard L; Ryu, Richard K N; Gallagher, Anthony G

2015-10-01

To assess a new method for biomechanical assessment of arthroscopic knots and to establish proficiency benchmarks using the Fundamentals of Arthroscopic Surgery Training (FAST) Program workstation and knot tester. The first study group included 20 faculty at an Arthroscopy Association of North America resident arthroscopy course (19.9 ± 8.25 years in practice). The second group comprised 30 experienced surgeons attending an Arthroscopy Association of North America fall course (17.1 ± 19.3 years in practice). The training group included 44 postgraduate year 4 or 5 orthopaedic residents in a randomized, prospective study of proficiency-based training, with 3 subgroups: group A, standard training (n = 14); group B, workstation practice (n = 14); and group C, proficiency-based progression using the knot tester (n = 16). Each subject tied 5 arthroscopic knots backed up by 3 reversed hitches on alternating posts. Knots were tied under video control around a metal mandrel through a cannula within an opaque dome (FAST workstation). Each suture loop was stressed statically at 15 lb for 15 seconds. A calibrated sizer measured loop expansion. Knot failure was defined as 3 mm of loop expansion or greater. In the faculty group, 24% of knots "failed" under load. Performance was inconsistent: 12 faculty had all knots pass, whereas 2 had all knots fail. In the second group of practicing surgeons, 21% of the knots failed under load. Overall, 56 of 250 knots (22%) tied by experienced surgeons failed. For the postgraduate year 4 or 5 residents, the aggregate knot failure rate was 26% for the 220 knots tied. Group C residents had an 11% knot failure rate (half the overall faculty rate, P = .013). The FAST workstation and knot tester offer a simple and reproducible educational approach for enhancement of arthroscopic knot-tying skills. Our data suggest that there is significant room for improvement in the quality and consistency of these important arthroscopic skills, even for experienced arthroscopic surgeons. Level II, prospective comparative study. Copyright © 2015 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predicting internal lumber grade from log surface knots: actual and simulated results.

Treesearch

Christine Todoroki; Robert A. Monserud; Dean L. Parry

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was threefold: 1) compare actual with simulated lumber yields; 2) examine the effect of measurement errors associated with knot angles and morphology. on lumber grade; and 3) investigate methods for predicting lumber quality within unsawn logs from surface knots. Twenty-eight Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii(Mii irb.)...

Spline curve matching with sparse knot sets

Treesearch

Sang-Mook Lee; A. Lynn Abbott; Neil A. Clark; Philip A. Araman

2004-01-01

This paper presents a new curve matching method for deformable shapes using two-dimensional splines. In contrast to the residual error criterion, which is based on relative locations of corresponding knot points such that is reliable primarily for dense point sets, we use deformation energy of thin-plate-spline mapping between sparse knot points and normalized local...

Optical knots and contact geometry II. From Ranada dyons to transverse and cosmetic knots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kholodenko, Arkady L.

2016-08-01

Some time ago Ranada (1989) obtained new nontrivial solutions of the Maxwellian gauge fields without sources. These were reinterpreted in Kholodenko (2015) [10] (part I) as particle-like (monopoles, dyons, etc.). They were obtained by the method of Abelian reduction of the non-Abelian Yang-Mills functional. The developed method uses instanton-type calculations normally employed for the non-Abelian gauge fields. By invoking the electric-magnetic duality it then becomes possible to replace all known charges/masses by the particle-like solutions of the source-free Abelian gauge fields. To employ these results in high energy physics, it is essential to extend Ranada's results by carefully analyzing and classifying all dynamically generated knotted/linked structures in gauge fields, including those discovered by Ranada. This task is completed in this work. The study is facilitated by the recent progress made in solving the Moffatt conjecture. Its essence is stated as follows: in steady incompressible Euler-type fluids the streamlines could have knots/links of all types. By employing the correspondence between the ideal hydrodynamics and electrodynamics discussed in part I and by superimposing it with the already mentioned method of Abelian reduction, it is demonstrated that in the absence of boundaries only the iterated torus knots and links could be dynamically generated. Obtained results allow to develop further particle-knot/link correspondence studied in Kholodenko (2015) [13].

Optical knots and contact geometry II. From Ranada dyons to transverse and cosmetic knots

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

Kholodenko, Arkady L., E-mail: string@clemson.edu

2016-08-15

Some time ago Ranada (1989) obtained new nontrivial solutions of the Maxwellian gauge fields without sources. These were reinterpreted in Kholodenko (2015) [10] (part I) as particle-like (monopoles, dyons, etc.). They were obtained by the method of Abelian reduction of the non-Abelian Yang–Mills functional. The developed method uses instanton-type calculations normally employed for the non-Abelian gauge fields. By invoking the electric–magnetic duality it then becomes possible to replace all known charges/masses by the particle-like solutions of the source-free Abelian gauge fields. To employ these results in high energy physics, it is essential to extend Ranada’s results by carefully analyzing and classifying all dynamicallymore » generated knotted/linked structures in gauge fields, including those discovered by Ranada. This task is completed in this work. The study is facilitated by the recent progress made in solving the Moffatt conjecture. Its essence is stated as follows: in steady incompressible Euler-type fluids the streamlines could have knots/links of all types. By employing the correspondence between the ideal hydrodynamics and electrodynamics discussed in part I and by superimposing it with the already mentioned method of Abelian reduction, it is demonstrated that in the absence of boundaries only the iterated torus knots and links could be dynamically generated. Obtained results allow to develop further particle-knot/link correspondence studied in Kholodenko (2015) [13].« less

A direct method to solve optimal knots of B-spline curves: An application for non-uniform B-spline curves fitting.

PubMed

Dung, Van Than; Tjahjowidodo, Tegoeh

2017-01-01

B-spline functions are widely used in many industrial applications such as computer graphic representations, computer aided design, computer aided manufacturing, computer numerical control, etc. Recently, there exist some demands, e.g. in reverse engineering (RE) area, to employ B-spline curves for non-trivial cases that include curves with discontinuous points, cusps or turning points from the sampled data. The most challenging task in these cases is in the identification of the number of knots and their respective locations in non-uniform space in the most efficient computational cost. This paper presents a new strategy for fitting any forms of curve by B-spline functions via local algorithm. A new two-step method for fast knot calculation is proposed. In the first step, the data is split using a bisecting method with predetermined allowable error to obtain coarse knots. Secondly, the knots are optimized, for both locations and continuity levels, by employing a non-linear least squares technique. The B-spline function is, therefore, obtained by solving the ordinary least squares problem. The performance of the proposed method is validated by using various numerical experimental data, with and without simulated noise, which were generated by a B-spline function and deterministic parametric functions. This paper also discusses the benchmarking of the proposed method to the existing methods in literature. The proposed method is shown to be able to reconstruct B-spline functions from sampled data within acceptable tolerance. It is also shown that, the proposed method can be applied for fitting any types of curves ranging from smooth ones to discontinuous ones. In addition, the method does not require excessive computational cost, which allows it to be used in automatic reverse engineering applications.

Interplay between writhe and knotting for swollen and compact polymers.

PubMed

Baiesi, Marco; Orlandini, Enzo; Whittington, Stuart G

2009-10-21

The role of the topology and its relation with the geometry of biopolymers under different physical conditions is a nontrivial and interesting problem. Aiming at understanding this issue for a related simpler system, we use Monte Carlo methods to investigate the interplay between writhe and knotting of ring polymers in good and poor solvents. The model that we consider is interacting self-avoiding polygons on the simple cubic lattice. For polygons with fixed knot type, we find a writhe distribution whose average depends on the knot type but is insensitive to the length N of the polygon and to solvent conditions. This "topological contribution" to the writhe distribution has a value that is consistent with that of ideal knots. The standard deviation of the writhe increases approximately as square root(N) in both regimes, and this constitutes a geometrical contribution to the writhe. If the sum over all knot types is considered, the scaling of the standard deviation changes, for compact polygons, to approximately N(0.6). We argue that this difference between the two regimes can be ascribed to the topological contribution to the writhe that, for compact chains, overwhelms the geometrical one, thanks to the presence of a large population of complex knots at relatively small values of N. For polygons with fixed writhe, we find that the knot distribution depends on the chosen writhe, with the occurrence of achiral knots being considerably suppressed for large writhe. In general, the occurrence of a given knot thus depends on a nontrivial interplay between writhe, chain length, and solvent conditions.

Genomic organization of a cellulase gene family in Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Treesearch

Sarah F. Covert; Jennifer Bolduc; Daniel Cullen

1992-01-01

Southern blot and nucleotide sequence analysis of Phanerochaete chrysosporium BKM-F-1767 genomic clones indicate that this wood-degrading fungus contains at least six genes with significant homology to the Trichoderma reesei cellobiohydrolase I gene (cbh1). Using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to separate P. chrysosporium chromosomes, the six cellulase genes were...

Study of BKM120 & Rituximab in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Indolent B-Cell Lymphoma

ClinicalTrials.gov

2017-09-12

Extranodal Marginal Zone B-cell Lymphoma of Mucosa-associated Lymphoid Tissue; Nodal Marginal Zone B-cell Lymphoma; Recurrent Grade 1 Follicular Lymphoma; Recurrent Grade 2 Follicular Lymphoma; Recurrent Grade 3 Follicular Lymphoma; Recurrent Mantle Cell Lymphoma; Recurrent Marginal Zone Lymphoma; Splenic Marginal Zone Lymphoma; Waldenström Macroglobulinemia

Phase Ib, Dose Escalation Study of Oral LDE225 in Combination With BKM120 in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors

ClinicalTrials.gov

2016-02-18

Dose Escalation; Safety; Preliminary Efficacy; Advanced Solid Tumors; Metastatic Breast Cancer; Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma; Metastatic Colorectal Cancer; Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme; Gastric Cancer; Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer; Triple Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer; Hormone Receptor Positive (ER+/PR+, and Her2-) Metastatic Breast Cancer

A better way to teach knot tying: a randomized controlled trial comparing the kinesthetic and traditional methods.

PubMed

Huang, Emily; Chern, Hueylan; O'Sullivan, Patricia; Cook, Brian; McDonald, Erik; Palmer, Barnard; Liu, Terrence; Kim, Edward

2014-10-01

Knot tying is a fundamental and crucial surgical skill. We developed a kinesthetic pedagogical approach that increases precision and economy of motion by explicitly teaching suture-handling maneuvers and studied its effects on novice performance. Seventy-four first-year medical students were randomized to learn knot tying via either the traditional or the novel "kinesthetic" method. After 1 week of independent practice, students were videotaped performing 4 tying tasks. Three raters scored deidentified videos using a validated visual analog scale. The groups were compared using analysis of covariance with practice knots as a covariate and visual analog scale score (range, 0 to 100) as the dependent variable. Partial eta-square was calculated to indicate effect size. Overall rater reliability was .92. The kinesthetic group scored significantly higher than the traditional group for individual tasks and overall, controlling for practice (all P < .004). The kinesthetic overall mean was 64.15 (standard deviation = 16.72) vs traditional 46.31 (standard deviation = 16.20; P < .001; effect size = .28). For novices, emphasizing kinesthetic suture handling substantively improved performance on knot tying. We believe this effect can be extrapolated to more complex surgical skills. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the mean and variance of the writhe of random polygons.

PubMed

Portillo, J; Diao, Y; Scharein, R; Arsuaga, J; Vazquez, M

We here address two problems concerning the writhe of random polygons. First, we study the behavior of the mean writhe as a function length. Second, we study the variance of the writhe. Suppose that we are dealing with a set of random polygons with the same length and knot type, which could be the model of some circular DNA with the same topological property. In general, a simple way of detecting chirality of this knot type is to compute the mean writhe of the polygons; if the mean writhe is non-zero then the knot is chiral. How accurate is this method? For example, if for a specific knot type K the mean writhe decreased to zero as the length of the polygons increased, then this method would be limited in the case of long polygons. Furthermore, we conjecture that the sign of the mean writhe is a topological invariant of chiral knots. This sign appears to be the same as that of an "ideal" conformation of the knot. We provide numerical evidence to support these claims, and we propose a new nomenclature of knots based on the sign of their expected writhes. This nomenclature can be of particular interest to applied scientists. The second part of our study focuses on the variance of the writhe, a problem that has not received much attention in the past. In this case, we focused on the equilateral random polygons. We give numerical as well as analytical evidence to show that the variance of the writhe of equilateral random polygons (of length n ) behaves as a linear function of the length of the equilateral random polygon.

On the mean and variance of the writhe of random polygons

PubMed Central

Portillo, J.; Diao, Y.; Scharein, R.; Arsuaga, J.; Vazquez, M.

2013-01-01

We here address two problems concerning the writhe of random polygons. First, we study the behavior of the mean writhe as a function length. Second, we study the variance of the writhe. Suppose that we are dealing with a set of random polygons with the same length and knot type, which could be the model of some circular DNA with the same topological property. In general, a simple way of detecting chirality of this knot type is to compute the mean writhe of the polygons; if the mean writhe is non-zero then the knot is chiral. How accurate is this method? For example, if for a specific knot type K the mean writhe decreased to zero as the length of the polygons increased, then this method would be limited in the case of long polygons. Furthermore, we conjecture that the sign of the mean writhe is a topological invariant of chiral knots. This sign appears to be the same as that of an “ideal” conformation of the knot. We provide numerical evidence to support these claims, and we propose a new nomenclature of knots based on the sign of their expected writhes. This nomenclature can be of particular interest to applied scientists. The second part of our study focuses on the variance of the writhe, a problem that has not received much attention in the past. In this case, we focused on the equilateral random polygons. We give numerical as well as analytical evidence to show that the variance of the writhe of equilateral random polygons (of length n) behaves as a linear function of the length of the equilateral random polygon. PMID:25685182

Axial-spin technique of endoscopic intracorporeal knot tying: comparison with the conventional technique and objective assessment of knot security, learning curves, and performance efficiency across training levels.

PubMed

Gopaldas, Raja R; Rohatgi, Chand

2009-04-01

A major limitation of conventional laparoscopic surgery is the placement of an intracorporeal (IC) knot, which requires a significant amount of training and practice. An easier technique of IC knot tying using 90-degree grasper is compared with the conventional technique (CLT). The new axial-spin technique (AST) uses the spin of the instrument shaft to tie IC knots. Fourteen participants stratified into 3 training levels were instructed to tie 50 reef IC knots using each technique on trainers in 3 sessions. The final 5 knots tied using each technique were deemed to be representative of maximal performance efficiency (PE) and randomly subject to tensile strength measurements using a tensiometer at 50 mm/s distraction. Mean knot execution time (mKET) measured in seconds (s), normalized KE time (nET=group mean/mKET), knot holding capacity, relative knot security (RKS), and PE (PE=RKS/nET) of the knots tied were computed and analyzed using paired t and analysis of variance. Variables included knot-tying session, technique and the training level. On completion of the study, junior residents (JR) averaged 51.72 seconds more, senior residents (SR) averaged 26.22 seconds more and attendings (ATT) averaged 19.17 seconds less to tie using CLT compared with the AST (F=40.52, P=0.0001). Across all levels, the CLT technique was taking 83.26 seconds on average to execute an IC knot compared with 59.08 seconds with AST method (t=2.784, P=0.015). Learning curves revealed that JR significantly improved mean KE times with the AST technique (first session vs. final session: 473.8 s vs. 55.9 s) compared with CLT (672.5 s vs. 107.6 s) across the sessions as compared with those in advanced levels of training. The RKS of knots executed by AST was significantly stronger (AST: 13.1 vs. 5.44 N, t=4.9, P=0.0001). The PE of knots executed using the CLT increased geometrically across training levels (JR: 1.35% SR: 5.58% ATT: 11.22%) whereas those of AST showed a linear trend (17.09%; 17.11%, and 13.95%). The AST follows a linear pattern of learning across training levels compared with the steep exponential learning of the CLT. Inexperienced JRs were surprisingly 1.5 times more efficient with AST and 8 times less efficient with CLT compared with ATT using the CLT to execute the same knot. The AST is significantly easier to learn for JRs and could serve as a platform before acquiring more advanced knot-tying skills. Overall, with the AST, execution times are significantly shorter whereas the RKS and PE are significantly higher. JRs achieve a level of proficiency comparable with the senior level residents and ATT after participating in a reasonable training session consisting of at least 25 knots.

Emission-Line Galaxies from the PEARS Hubble Ultra Deep Field: A 2-D Detection Method and First Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, J. P.; Straughn, Amber N.; Meurer, Gerhardt R.; Pirzkal, Norbert; Cohen, Seth H.; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Rhoads, james; Windhorst, Rogier A.; Gardner, Jonathan P.; Hathi, Nimish P.;

Characterization of the inner knot of the crab: The site of the gamma-ray flares?

DOE PAGES

Rudy, Alexander; Horns, Dieter; DeLuca, Andrea; ...

2015-09-16

A particularly intriguing recent result from γ-ray astronomy missions is the detection of powerful flares from the Crab Nebula, which challenges the current understanding of pulsar wind nebulae and acceleration mechanisms. In order to search for the production site(s) of these flares, we conducted a multi-wavelength observing campaign using Keck, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and the Chandra X-ray Observatory. As the short timescales of the γ-ray flares (more » $$\\lesssim 1$$ day) suggest a small emitting region, the Crab's inner knot (about 0.6 arcsec from the pulsar) is a candidate site for such flaring. Our paper describes observations of the inner knot, seeking to understand its nature and possible relationship with γ-ray flares. Using singular-value decomposition, analysis of the HST images yielded results consistent with traditional methods while substantially reducing some uncertainties. These analyses show that the knot's intrinsic properties (especially size and brightness) are correlated with its (projected) separation from the pulsar. This characterization of the inner knot helps in constraining standard shock model parameters, under the assumption that the knot lies near the shocked surface. While the standard shock model gives good agreement in several respects, two puzzles persist: (a) the observed angular size of the knot relative to the pulsar–knot separation is much smaller than expected; and (b) the variable high degree of polarization (reported by others) is difficult to reconcile with a highly relativistic downstream flow. But, the IR–optical flux of the inner knot is marginally consistent with the shock accelerating most of the Nebula's optical-emitting particles.« less

Isolation and purification of pyranose 2-oxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and characterization of gene structure and regulation

Treesearch

Theodorus H. de Koker; Michael D. Mozuch; Daniel Cullen; Jill Gaskell; Philip J. Kersten

2004-01-01

Pyranose 2-oxidase (POX) was recovered from Phanerochaete chrysosporium BKM-F-1767 solid substrate culture using mild extraction conditions and was purified. 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed production of D- arabino -hexos-2-ulose (glucosone) from D-glucose with the oxidase. Peptide fingerprints generated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry of...

Growth and fermentation responses of Phanerochaete chrysosporium to O2 limitation

Treesearch

William R. Kenealy; Diane M. Dietrich

2004-01-01

Phanerochaete chrysosporium BKM-F-1767 produced small amounts of ethanol from glucose, mannose, cellobiose, maltose and sucrose when grown with a limited O2 supply in sealed bottles. Under O 2 -limited growth on glucose, low levels of acetate or oxalate were produced when nitrogen was in excess or limited, respectively. Alcohol dehydrogenase activity (15 nmol/min/mg...

Combination cancer chemotherapy with one compound: pluripotent bradykinin antagonists.

PubMed

Stewart, John M; Gera, Lajos; Chan, Daniel C; York, Eunice J; Simkeviciene, Vitalija; Bunn, Paul A; Taraseviciene-Stewart, Laimute

2005-08-01

Lung and prostate cancers are major health problems worldwide. Treatments with standard chemotherapy agents are relatively ineffective. Combination chemotherapy gives better treatment than a single agent because the drugs can inhibit the cancer in different pathways, but new therapeutic agents are needed for the treatment of both tumor types. Bradykinin (BK) antagonists offer advantages of combination therapy in one compound. These promising multitargeted anti-cancer compounds selectively stimulate apoptosis in cancers and also inhibit both angiogenesis and matrix metalloprotease (MMP) action in treated lung and prostate tumors in nude mice. The highly potent, metabolism-resistant bradykinin antagonist peptide dimer, B-9870 [SUIM-(DArg-Arg-Pro-Hyp-Gly-Igl-Ser-DIgl-Oic-Arg)2] (SUIM=suberimidyl; Hyp=4-hydroxyproline; Igl=alpha-(2-indanyl)glycine; Oic=octahydroindole-2-carboxylic acid) and its non-peptide mimetic, BKM-570 [2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorocinnamoyl-(o-2,6-dichlorobenzyl)-L-tyrosine-N-(4-amino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidyl)amide] are superior to the widely used but toxic chemotherapeutic drugs cisplatin and taxotere. In certain combinations, they act synergistically with standard anti-cancer drugs. Due to its structure and biological activity, BKM-570 is an attractive lead compound for derivatization and evaluation for lung and prostate cancer drugs.

Effects of Visual Force Feedback on Robot-Assisted Surgical Task Performance

PubMed Central

Reiley, Carol E.; Akinbiyi, Takintope; Burschka, Darius; Chang, David C.; Okamura, Allison M.; Yuh, David D.

2009-01-01

Background Direct haptic (force or tactile) feedback is negligible in current surgical robotic systems. The relevance of haptic feedback in robot-assisted performances of surgical tasks is controversial. We studied the effects of visual force feedback (VFF), a haptic feedback surrogate, on tying surgical knots with fine sutures similar to those used in cardiovascular surgery. Methods Using a modified da Vinci robotic system (Intuitive Surgical, Inc.) equipped with force-sensing instrument tips and real-time VFF overlays in the console image, ten surgeons each tied 10 knots with and 10 knots without VFF. Four surgeons had significant prior da Vinci experience while the remaining six surgeons did not. Performance parameters, including suture breakage and secure knots, peak and standard deviation of applied forces, and completion times using 5-0 silk sutures were recorded. Chi-square and Student’s t-test analyses determined differences between groups. Results Among surgeon subjects with robotic experience, no differences in measured performance parameters were found between robot-assisted knot ties executed with and without VFF. Among surgeons without robotic experience, however, VFF was associated with lower suture breakage rates, peak applied forces, and standard deviations of applied forces. VFF did not impart differences in knot completion times or loose knots for either surgeon group. Conclusions VFF resulted in reduced suture breakage, lower forces, and decreased force inconsistencies among novice robotic surgeons, although elapsed time and knot quality were unaffected. In contrast, VFF did not affect these metrics among experienced da Vinci surgeons. These results suggest that VFF primarily benefits novice robot-assisted surgeons, with diminishing benefits among experienced surgeons. PMID:18179942

Knotting fingerprints resolve knot complexity and knotting pathways in ideal knots.

PubMed

Hyde, David A B; Henrich, Joshua; Rawdon, Eric J; Millett, Kenneth C

2015-09-09

We use disk matrices to define knotting fingerprints that provide fine-grained insights into the local knotting structure of ideal knots. These knots have been found to have spatial properties that highly correlate with those of interesting macromolecules. From this fine structure and an analysis of the associated planar graph, one can define a measure of knot complexity using the number of independent unknotting pathways from the global knot type as the knot is trimmed progressively to a short arc unknot. A specialization of the Cheeger constant provides a measure of constraint on these independent unknotting pathways. Furthermore, the structure of the knotting fingerprint supports a comparison of the tight knot pathways to the unconstrained unknotting pathways of comparable length.

In Vitro Evaluation of the Size, Knot Holding Capacity, and Knot Security of the Forwarder Knot Compared to Square and Surgeon's Knots Using Large Gauge Suture.

PubMed

Gillen, Alex M; Munsterman, Amelia S; Hanson, R Reid

2016-11-01

To investigate the strength, size, and holding capacity of the self-locking forwarder knot compared to surgeon's and square knots using large gauge suture. In vitro mechanical study. Knotted suture. Forwarder, surgeon's, and square knots were tested on a universal testing machine under linear tension using 2 and 3 USP polyglactin 910 and 2 USP polydioxanone. Knot holding capacity (KHC) and mode of failure were recorded and relative knot security (RKS) was calculated as a percentage of KHC. Knot volume and weight were assessed by digital micrometer and balance, respectively. ANOVA and post hoc testing were used tocompare strength between number of throws, suture, suture size, and knot type. P<.05 was considered significant. Forwarder knots had a higher KHC and RKS than surgeon's or square knots for all suture types and number of throws. No forwarder knots unraveled, but a proportion of square and surgeon's knots with <6 throws did unravel. Forwarder knots had a smaller volume and weight than surgeon's and square knots with equal number of throws. The forwarder knot of 4 throws using 3 USP polyglactin 910 had the highest KHC, RKS, and the smallest size and weight. Forwarder knots may be an alternative for commencing continuous patterns in large gauge suture, without sacrificing knot integrity, but further in vivo and ex vivo testing is required to assess the effects of this sliding knot on tissue perfusion before clinical application. © Copyright 2016 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

KnotProt: a database of proteins with knots and slipknots

PubMed Central

Jamroz, Michal; Niemyska, Wanda; Rawdon, Eric J.; Stasiak, Andrzej; Millett, Kenneth C.; Sułkowski, Piotr; Sulkowska, Joanna I.

2015-01-01

The protein topology database KnotProt, http://knotprot.cent.uw.edu.pl/, collects information about protein structures with open polypeptide chains forming knots or slipknots. The knotting complexity of the cataloged proteins is presented in the form of a matrix diagram that shows users the knot type of the entire polypeptide chain and of each of its subchains. The pattern visible in the matrix gives the knotting fingerprint of a given protein and permits users to determine, for example, the minimal length of the knotted regions (knot's core size) or the depth of a knot, i.e. how many amino acids can be removed from either end of the cataloged protein structure before converting it from a knot to a different type of knot. In addition, the database presents extensive information about the biological functions, families and fold types of proteins with non-trivial knotting. As an additional feature, the KnotProt database enables users to submit protein or polymer chains and generate their knotting fingerprints. PMID:25361973

Thermodynamic heuristics with case-based reasoning: combined insights for RNA pseudoknot secondary structure.

PubMed

Al-Khatib, Ra'ed M; Rashid, Nur'Aini Abdul; Abdullah, Rosni

2011-08-01

The secondary structure of RNA pseudoknots has been extensively inferred and scrutinized by computational approaches. Experimental methods for determining RNA structure are time consuming and tedious; therefore, predictive computational approaches are required. Predicting the most accurate and energy-stable pseudoknot RNA secondary structure has been proven to be an NP-hard problem. In this paper, a new RNA folding approach, termed MSeeker, is presented; it includes KnotSeeker (a heuristic method) and Mfold (a thermodynamic algorithm). The global optimization of this thermodynamic heuristic approach was further enhanced by using a case-based reasoning technique as a local optimization method. MSeeker is a proposed algorithm for predicting RNA pseudoknot structure from individual sequences, especially long ones. This research demonstrates that MSeeker improves the sensitivity and specificity of existing RNA pseudoknot structure predictions. The performance and structural results from this proposed method were evaluated against seven other state-of-the-art pseudoknot prediction methods. The MSeeker method had better sensitivity than the DotKnot, FlexStem, HotKnots, pknotsRG, ILM, NUPACK and pknotsRE methods, with 79% of the predicted pseudoknot base-pairs being correct.

Comparison of volume, security, and biomechanical strength of square and Aberdeen termination knots tied with 4-0 polyglyconate and used for termination of intradermal closures in canine cadavers.

PubMed

Regier, Penny J; Smeak, Daniel D; Coleman, Kristin; McGilvray, Kirk C

2015-08-01

To compare volumes of square knots and Aberdeen knots in vitro and evaluate security of these knot types when used as buried terminal knots for continuous intradermal wound closures in canine cadavers. Experimental study. 24 surgically closed, full-thickness, 4-cm, epidermal wounds in 4 canine cadavers and 80 knots tied in vitro. Continuous intradermal closures were performed with 4-0 polyglyconate and completed with a buried knot technique. Surgeon (intern or experienced surgeon) and termination knot type (4-throw square knot or 2 + 1 Aberdeen knot; 12 each) were randomly assigned. Closed wounds were excised, and a servohydraulic machine applied tensile load perpendicular to the long axis of the suture line. A load-displacement curve was generated for each sample; maximum load, displacement, stiffness, and mode of construct failure were recorded. Volumes of 2 + 1 Aberdeen (n = 40) and 4-throw square knots (40) tied on a suture board were measured on the basis of a cylindrical model. Aberdeen knots had a mean smaller volume (0.00045 mm(3)) than did square knots (0.003838 mm(3)). Maximum load and displacement did not differ between construct types. Mean stiffness of Aberdeen knot constructs was greater than that of square knots. The 2 + 1 Aberdeen knot had a smaller volume than the 4-throw square knot and was as secure. Although both knots may be reliably used in a clinical setting as the termination knot at the end of a continuous intradermal line, the authors advocate use of the Aberdeen terminal knot on the basis of ease of burying the smaller knot.

KnotProt: a database of proteins with knots and slipknots.

PubMed

Jamroz, Michal; Niemyska, Wanda; Rawdon, Eric J; Stasiak, Andrzej; Millett, Kenneth C; Sułkowski, Piotr; Sulkowska, Joanna I

2015-01-01

The protein topology database KnotProt, http://knotprot.cent.uw.edu.pl/, collects information about protein structures with open polypeptide chains forming knots or slipknots. The knotting complexity of the cataloged proteins is presented in the form of a matrix diagram that shows users the knot type of the entire polypeptide chain and of each of its subchains. The pattern visible in the matrix gives the knotting fingerprint of a given protein and permits users to determine, for example, the minimal length of the knotted regions (knot's core size) or the depth of a knot, i.e. how many amino acids can be removed from either end of the cataloged protein structure before converting it from a knot to a different type of knot. In addition, the database presents extensive information about the biological functions, families and fold types of proteins with non-trivial knotting. As an additional feature, the KnotProt database enables users to submit protein or polymer chains and generate their knotting fingerprints. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

In vitro multifaceted activities of a specific group of novel phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors on hotspot mutant PIK3CA.

PubMed

Kong, Dexin; Yamori, Takao; Yamazaki, Kanami; Dan, Shingo

2014-12-01

As accumulating evidences suggest close involvement of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in cancer, novel PI3K inhibitors such as ZSTK474, GDC-0941, NVP-BEZ235 and BKM-120 have been developed for cancer therapy. A high frequency of hotspot mutations known as E542K, E545K and H1047R in the PIK3CA gene, which encodes the catalytic subunit of PI3Kα, has been found in various types of human cancers. The hotspot PIK3CA mutations also lead to resistance to therapeutics targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), further suggesting that inhibition of hotspot mutant PIK3CA be required for a PI3K inhibitor as anticancer drug candidate. To investigate the activity of the novel PI3K inhibitors on the hotspot mutant PIK3CA, we determined the inhibition against the respective recombinant mutant PI3Kαs by biochemical assay. We further examined the activity at cellular background by determining the effect on phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473), and that on the growth of cancer cells. In addition, apoptosis and autophagy in cells with or without hotspot PIK3CA mutation induced by the four inhibitors were investigated. Our results indicated that each inhibitor exhibit comparable activity on the hotspot mutant PI3Kα to that on the wild type, which was further demonstrated by the cell-based assays. No clear correlation was shown between the PIK3CA genetic status and the sensitivity for apoptosis or autophagy induction. Interestingly, among the 4 PI3K inhibitors, BKM-120 is the weakest in PI3K inhibitory potency, but induces most potent apoptosis, suggesting that BKM-120 might have a unique mode of action. Our result shows that the PI3K inhibitors exhibit potent activity on both hotspot mutant and wild type PI3Kα, suggesting they might be used to treat patients with or without PIK3CA mutation when approved.

Coastal Fishermen as Lifesavers While Sailing at High Speed: A Crossover Study

PubMed Central

Fungueiriño-Suárez, Ramón; Martínez-Isasi, Santiago; Fernández-Méndez, Felipe; González-Salvado, Violeta; Navarro-Patón, Rubén; Rodríguez-Núñez, Antonio

2018-01-01

Purpose Starting basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) early improves survival. Fishermen are the first bystanders while at work. Our objective was to test in a simulated scenario the CPR quality performed by fishermen while at port and while navigating at different speeds. Methods Twenty coastal fishermen were asked to perform 2 minutes of CPR (chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth ventilations) on a manikin, in three different scenarios: (A) at port on land, (B) on the boat floor sailing at 10 knots, and (C) sailing at 20 knots. Data was recorded using quality CPR software, adjusted to current CPR international guidelines. Results The quality of CPR (QCPR) was significantly higher at port (43% ± 10) than sailing at 10 knots (30% ± 15; p = 0.01) or at 20 knots (26% ± 12; p = 0.001). The percentage of ventilation that achieved some lung insufflation was also significantly higher when CPR was done at port (77% ± 14) than while sailing at 10 knots (59% ± 18) or 20 knots (57% ± 21) (p = 0.01). Conclusion In the event of drowning or cardiac arrest on a small boat, fishermen should immediately start basic CPR and navigate at a relatively high speed to the nearest port if the sea conditions are safe. PMID:29854735

Characterization of bacterial knot disease caused by Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi on pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) trees: a new host of the pathogen.

PubMed

Bozkurt, I A; Soylu, S; Mirik, M; Ulubas Serce, C; Baysal, Ö

2014-11-01

This study aimed to isolate and identify the causal organism causing hyperplastic outgrowths (knots) on stems and branches of pomegranate trees in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey. Bacterial colonies were isolated from young knots on plates containing selective nutrient media. Biochemical tests, fatty acid analysis and PCR were performed to identify possible causal disease agent. Representative isolates were identified as Pseudomonas.pv.savastanoi (Psv) using biochemical tests, fatty acid profiling and PCR. Following inoculation of pomegranate plants (cv. hicaz) with bacterial suspensions, 25 of 54 bacterial isolates caused typical knots at the site of inoculation. PCR analysis, using specific primer for Psv, generated a single amplicon from all isolates. The similarity of the sequence of Turkish pomegranate isolate was 99% similar to the corresponding gene sequences of Psv in the databases. Based on symptoms, biochemical, molecular, pathogenicity tests and sequence analyses, the disease agent of knots observed on the pomegranate trees is Psv. To the best of our knowledge, this research has revealed pomegranate as a natural host of Psv, which extends the list of host plant species affected by the pathogen in the world and Turkey. Pomegranate trees were affected by the disease with outgrowths (galls or knot) disease. Currently, there is no published study on disease agent(s) causing the galls or knots on pomegranate trees in worldwide. Bacterial colonies were isolated from young knots. The causal agent of the knot Pseudomonas savastanoi pv.savastanoi (Psv) was identified based on symptoms, biochemical, molecular methods, pathogenicity tests and sequence analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Psv on pomegranate as a natural host, which extends the growing list of plant species affected by this bacterium in the world and Turkey. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Synthesis of Ga 2O 3 chains with closely spaced knots connected by nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, L.; You, L. P.; Duan, X. F.; Lian, W. C.; Qin, G. G.

2004-07-01

Chains of closely spaced metal or semiconductor particles have potential applications in optoelectronics and single electron devices. We report, for the first time, the synthesis of Ga 2O 3 chains with closely spaced knots connected by nanowires using the thermal evaporation method with a specially designed quartz boat. The Ga 2O 3 chains grew only on the Si substrates where Au catalyst or Ga droplets were coated. The average diameter of the knots is about 450 nm and that of the nanowires is about 50 nm. The selected area electron diffraction of either a knot or a connecting nanowire includes two sets of overlapped single crystal electron diffraction patterns which belong to the [1 0 2] and [1 0 1¯] crystal zone axes of the monoclinic β-Ga 2O 3 phase, respectively. The knot and its neighbor nanowire have the common ( 2¯ 0 1) growth planes at their interface. A mechanism model for the Ga 2O 3 chains synthesis based on the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism is discussed.

Knotting probability of self-avoiding polygons under a topological constraint.

PubMed

Uehara, Erica; Deguchi, Tetsuo

2017-09-07

We define the knotting probability of a knot K by the probability for a random polygon or self-avoiding polygon (SAP) of N segments having the knot type K. We show fundamental and generic properties of the knotting probability particularly its dependence on the excluded volume. We investigate them for the SAP consisting of hard cylindrical segments of unit length and radius r ex . For various prime and composite knots, we numerically show that a compact formula describes the knotting probabilities for the cylindrical SAP as a function of segment number N and radius r ex . It connects the small-N to the large-N behavior and even to lattice knots in the case of large values of radius. As the excluded volume increases, the maximum of the knotting probability decreases for prime knots except for the trefoil knot. If it is large, the trefoil knot and its descendants are dominant among the nontrivial knots in the SAP. From the factorization property of the knotting probability, we derive a sum rule among the estimates of a fitting parameter for all prime knots, which suggests the local knot picture and the dominance of the trefoil knot in the case of large excluded volumes. Here we remark that the cylindrical SAP gives a model of circular DNA which is negatively charged and semiflexible, where radius r ex corresponds to the screening length.

Knotting probability of self-avoiding polygons under a topological constraint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uehara, Erica; Deguchi, Tetsuo

2017-09-01

We define the knotting probability of a knot K by the probability for a random polygon or self-avoiding polygon (SAP) of N segments having the knot type K. We show fundamental and generic properties of the knotting probability particularly its dependence on the excluded volume. We investigate them for the SAP consisting of hard cylindrical segments of unit length and radius rex. For various prime and composite knots, we numerically show that a compact formula describes the knotting probabilities for the cylindrical SAP as a function of segment number N and radius rex. It connects the small-N to the large-N behavior and even to lattice knots in the case of large values of radius. As the excluded volume increases, the maximum of the knotting probability decreases for prime knots except for the trefoil knot. If it is large, the trefoil knot and its descendants are dominant among the nontrivial knots in the SAP. From the factorization property of the knotting probability, we derive a sum rule among the estimates of a fitting parameter for all prime knots, which suggests the local knot picture and the dominance of the trefoil knot in the case of large excluded volumes. Here we remark that the cylindrical SAP gives a model of circular DNA which is negatively charged and semiflexible, where radius rex corresponds to the screening length.

The effect of an air knot on surgical knot integrity.

PubMed

Shatkin-Margolis, Abigail; Kow, Nathan; Patonai, Nicolas; Boin, Michael; Muffly, Tyler M

2015-01-01

Surgical trainees may tie air knots, which have a questionable tensile strength and rate of untying. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an air knot on knot integrity. The 5 suture materials tested were 0-0 gauge coated polyethylene, polyglyconate, glycolide/lactide, polypropylene, and silk. The suture was tied between 2 hex screws 50 mm on center. The strands were tied using 5 square throws, and the knot tails were cut at 3-mm length. To create a standardized air knot, a round common nail measuring 3 mm in diameter was inserted between throws before tying square throw #3. The suture loop was positioned around the upper and lower hooks of the tensiometer so the location of the knot was roughly equidistant from the hooks. Ultimately, either the loop broke or the knot slipped. At that time, the peak tensile force as well as the outcome of the knot were recorded. A total of 480 knots were tied. The presence of an air knot significantly lowered the tension at knot failure in the glycolide/lactide (P = 0.0003), polypropylene (P = 0.0005), and silk (P = 0.0001) knot configurations. Air knots had the same integrity as surgical knots when coated polyethylene and polyglyconate suture were used. Linear regression was performed and identified both suture material (P < 0.0001) and presence of an air knot (P < 0.0001) to be independently associated with a lower tension at failure. Under laboratory conditions, an air knot may contribute to a lower tensile strength at failure for certain suture materials.

Tensile strength of surgical knots in abdominal wound closure.

PubMed

Fong, Eva D M; Bartlett, Adam S R; Malak, Sharif; Anderson, Iain A

2008-03-01

Abdominal wound dehiscence is a surgical catastrophe that can be attributed to patients or technical factors. The technical properties of the monofilament sutures and knots that are commonly used in abdominal closure are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to compare the tensile strength of monofilament sutures tied with conventional knots. To do this, the knot-holding capacity of four types of knots (square, surgeons', Aberdeen and loop) were tested using three types of gauge 1 monofilament suture, namely nylon, polyglyconate and polydioxanone, using a tensiometer. We found that the knot-holding capacity of the loop knot was between twofold and threefold greater than all the other knots examined. In comparing suture types, polyglyconate had the highest knot-holding capacity for all the knots that were examined and there was no difference in the tensile strength of nylon and polyglyconate tied in a square, surgeons' or Aberdeen knot (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our findings suggest that closure of an abdominal wound would be best commenced with a loop knot, using gauge 1 polyglyconate and finished with either an Aberdeen square or surgeons' knot would be appropriate.

In vitro evaluation of square and surgeon's knots in large gauge suture.

PubMed

Gillen, Alex M; Munsterman, Amelia S; Farag, Ramsis; Coleridge, Matthew O D; Hanson, R Reid

2017-02-01

To investigate the strength and size of surgeon's and square knots for starting and ending continuous suture lines using large gauge suture. In vitro mechanical study. Knotted suture. Surgeon's and square knots were tested using 2 and 3 USP polyglactin 910 and 2 USP polydioxanone under linear tension on a universal testing machine. Failure mode and knot holding capacity (KHC) were recorded, and relative knot security (RKS) was calculated as a percentage of KHC. Comparisons were made between number of throws, suture size, suture type, and knot types. Knot volume and weight were assessed by a digital micrometer and balance, respectively. There were no significant differences in KHC (P = .295), RKS (P = .307), volume (P = .128), or weight (P = .310) between square and surgeon's knots at the start or end of suture lines with the same number of throws and suture type. A minimum of 6 throws were required for start knots and 7 throws at end knots to prevent unraveling. Knots tied with 3 polyglactin 910 were strongest (P < .001) and 2 polyglactin 910 produced knots with higher KHC and RKS than 2 polydioxanone (P < .001). No consistent differences were detected between knots types tied with the same suture material; however, number of throws affected KHC and RKS up to 6 throws in start or 7 throws in end knots. The configuration of square and surgeon's knots performed at the end of a continuous line alters their KHC, supporting the use of additional throws for knot security. © 2017 The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

The chula knot: a new sliding locking knot with a special property.

PubMed

Kuptniratsaikul, Somsak; Promsang, Trai; Kongrukgreatiyos, Kitiphong

2014-08-01

There are many types of sliding locking knots used in arthroscopic surgery. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages. This technical note describes a new sliding locking knot, the Chula knot. This knot has been used for arthroscopic shoulder surgery in more than 500 cases at our hospital. The Chula knot has a special property in that it can be unfastened and retightened in case of premature locking and unintended loop loosening. This retensioning ability cannot be found in other configurations of arthroscopic knots. The Chula knot also has other benefits: It has high ultimate tensile strength and is easy to tie.

In Search of Functional Advantages of Knots in Proteins.

PubMed

Dabrowski-Tumanski, Pawel; Stasiak, Andrzej; Sulkowska, Joanna I

2016-01-01

We analysed the structure of deeply knotted proteins representing three unrelated families of knotted proteins. We looked at the correlation between positions of knotted cores in these proteins and such local structural characteristics as the number of intra-chain contacts, structural stability and solvent accessibility. We observed that the knotted cores and especially their borders showed strong enrichment in the number of contacts. These regions showed also increased thermal stability, whereas their solvent accessibility was decreased. Interestingly, the active sites within these knotted proteins preferentially located in the regions with increased number of contacts that also have increased thermal stability and decreased solvent accessibility. Our results suggest that knotting of polypeptide chains provides a favourable environment for the active sites observed in knotted proteins. Some knotted proteins have homologues without a knot. Interestingly, these unknotted homologues form local entanglements that retain structural characteristics of the knotted cores.

Parity in knot theory

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

Manturov, Vassily O

2010-06-29

In this work we study knot theories with a parity property for crossings: every crossing is declared to be even or odd according to a certain preassigned rule. If this rule satisfies a set of simple axioms related to the Reidemeister moves, then certain simple invariants solving the minimality problem can be defined, and invariant maps on the set of knots can be constructed. The most important example of a knot theory with parity is the theory of virtual knots. Using the parity property arising from Gauss diagrams we show that even a gross simplification of the theory of virtualmore » knots, namely, the theory of free knots, admits simple and highly nontrivial invariants. This gives a solution to a problem of Turaev, who conjectured that all free knots are trivial. In this work we show that free knots are generally not invertible, and provide invariants which detect the invertibility of free knots. The passage to ordinary virtual knots allows us to strengthen known invariants (such as the Kauffman bracket) using parity considerations. We also discuss other examples of knot theories with parity. Bibliography: 27 items.« less

A knotted complex scalar field for any knot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bode, Benjamin; Dennis, Mark

Three-dimensional field configurations where a privileged defect line is knotted or linked have experienced an upsurge in interest, with examples including fluid mechanics, quantum wavefunctions, optics, liquid crystals and skyrmions. We describe a constructive algorithm to write down complex scalar functions of three-dimensional real space with knotted nodal lines, using trigonometric parametrizations of braids. The construction is most natural for the family of lemniscate knots which generalizes the torus knot and figure-8 knot, but generalizes to any knot or link. The specific forms of these functions allow various topological quantities associated with the field to be chosen, such as the helicity of a knotted flow field. We will describe some applications to physical systems such as those listed above. This work was supported by the Leverhulme Trust Programme Grant ''Scientific Properties of Complex Knots''.

Weaving Knotted Vector Fields with Tunable Helicity.

PubMed

Kedia, Hridesh; Foster, David; Dennis, Mark R; Irvine, William T M

2016-12-30

We present a general construction of divergence-free knotted vector fields from complex scalar fields, whose closed field lines encode many kinds of knots and links, including torus knots, their cables, the figure-8 knot, and its generalizations. As finite-energy physical fields, they represent initial states for fields such as the magnetic field in a plasma, or the vorticity field in a fluid. We give a systematic procedure for calculating the vector potential, starting from complex scalar functions with knotted zero filaments, thus enabling an explicit computation of the helicity of these knotted fields. The construction can be used to generate isolated knotted flux tubes, filled by knots encoded in the lines of the vector field. Lastly, we give examples of manifestly knotted vector fields with vanishing helicity. Our results provide building blocks for analytical models and simulations alike.

Sampling techniques and detection methods for developing risk assessments for root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) on lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) in the Mid-Atlantic region

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus, is a cornerstone crop in the Mid-Atlantic region and Meloidogyne incognita, the southern root knot nematode (RKN), causes significant yield loss. The RKN has become more pervasive as toxic nematicides have been removed from the market, and risk evaluation research is ne...

Spline curve matching with sparse knot sets: applications to deformable shape detection and recognition

Treesearch

Sang-Mook Lee; A. Lynn Abbott; Neil A. Clark; Philip A. Araman

2003-01-01

Splines can be used to approximate noisy data with a few control points. This paper presents a new curve matching method for deformable shapes using two-dimensional splines. In contrast to the residual error criterion, which is based on relative locations of corresponding knot points such that is reliable primarily for dense point sets, we use deformation energy of...

Validation of Different Combination of Three Reversing Half-Hitches Alternating Posts (RHAPs) Effects on Arthroscopic Knot Integrity.

PubMed

Chong, Alexander Cm; Prohaska, Daniel J; Bye, Brian P

2017-05-01

With arthroscopic techniques being used, the importance of knot tying has been examined. Previous literature has examined the use of reversing half-hitches on alternating posts (RHAPs) on knot security. Separately, there has been research regarding different suture materials commonly used in the operating room. The specific aim of this study was to validate the effect of different stacked half-hitch configuration and different braided suture materials on arthroscopic knot integrity. Three different suture materials tied with five different RHAPs in arthroscopic knots were compared. A single load-to-failure test was performed and the mean ultimate clinical failure load was obtained. Significant knot holding strength improvement was found when one half-hitch was reversed as compared to baseline knot. When two of the half-hitches were reversed, there was a greater improvement with all knots having a mean ultimate clinical failure load greater than 150 newtons (N). Comparison of the suture materials demonstrated a higher mean ultimate clinical failure load when Force Fiber ® was used and at least one half-hitch was reversed. Knots tied with either Force Fiber ® or Orthocord ® showed 0% chance of knot slippage while knots tied with FiberWire ® or braided fishing line had about 10 and 30% knot slippage chances, respectively. A significant effect was observed in regards to both stacked half-hitch configuration and suture materials used on knot loop and knot security. Caution should be used with tying three RHAPs in arthroscopic surgery, particularly with a standard knot pusher and arthroscopic cannulas. The findings of this study indicated the importance of three RHAPs in performing arthroscopic knot tying and provided evidence regarding discrepancies of maximum clinical failure loads observed between orthopaedic surgeons, thereby leading to better surgical outcomes in the future.

Comparing the tensile strength of square and reversing half-hitch alternating post knots.

PubMed

Wu, Vincent; Sykes, Edward A; Mercer, Dale; Hopman, Wilma M; Tang, Ephraim

2017-06-01

Square knots are the gold standard in hand-tie wound closure, but are difficult to reproduce in deep cavities, inadvertently resulting in slipknots. The reversing half-hitch alternating post (RHAP) knot has been suggested as an alternative owing to its nonslip nature and reproducibility in limited spaces. We explored whether the RHAP knot is noninferior to the square knot by assessing tensile strength. We conducted 10 trials for each baseline and knot configuration, using 3-0 silk and 3-0 polyglactin 910 sutures. We compared tensile strength between knot configurations at the point of knot failure between slippage and breakage. Maximal failure strength (mean ± SD) in square knots was reached with 4-throw in both silk (30 ± 1.5 N) and polyglactin 910 (39 ± 12 N). For RHAP knots, maximal failure strength was reached at 5-throw for both silk (31 ± 1.5 N) and polyglactin 910 (41 ± 13 N). In both sutures, there were no strength differences between 3-throw square and 4-throw RHAP, between 4-throw square and 5-throw RHAP, or between 5-throw square and 6-throw RHAP knots. Polyglactin 910 sutures, in all knot configurations, were more prone to slippage than silk sutures ( p < 0.001). The difference in mean tensile strength could be attributed to the proportion of knot slippage versus breakage, which is material-dependent. Future studies can re-evaluate findings in monofilament sutures and objectively assess the reproducibility of square and RHAP knots in deep cavities. Our results indicate that RHAP knots composed of 1 extra throw provide equivalent strength to square knots and may be an alternative when performing hand-ties in limited cavities with either silk or polyglactin 910 sutures.

Evaluation of 5 knots and 2 suture materials for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: very strong sutures can still slip.

PubMed

Abbi, Gaurav; Espinoza, Luis; Odell, Timothy; Mahar, Andrew; Pedowitz, Robert

2006-01-01

To compare a standard suture material with a newer material using multiple arthroscopic knot configurations and to evaluate the biomechanical performance of a new sliding-locking knot compared with 4 surgical standards. Controlled laboratory study. Five knots were evaluated (Weston, Tennessee, Duncan, SMC, and the new San Diego knot) using 2 suture materials, No. 2 Ethibond (Ethicon, Somerville, NJ) or No. 2 Fiberwire (Arthrex, Naples, FL). Eight samples were tested for each knot-suture configuration. Samples were pretensioned to 10 N and then loaded from 10 to 45 N for 1,000 cycles. Intact knots were loaded to failure. Fiberwire had significantly higher load-to-failure (276 +/- 24 N) compared with Ethibond (111 +/- 13 N) (P < .001), although there was no significant difference as a function of knot configuration. Of the 40 Fiberwire knots, 3 failed by early slippage during cyclic loading and 8 slipped at very low tension during load-to-failure. None of the Ethibond knots and none of the San Diego knots failed by early slippage. Surface characteristics and suture construction affect the tendency for knot slippage. Surgeons should understand the impact of handling characteristics, frictional properties, and ultimate failure load when selecting suture materials and knots for arthroscopic repair.

Optical vortex knots in tightly-focused light beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennis, Mark; Sugic, Danica

Optical vortices, that is, zero lines of complex amplitude in a propagating light field, can be knotted or linked in a controlled way. This was demonstrated previously in experiments where a computer-controlled hologram determined the amplitude of paraxial laser light, meaning the longitudinal extent of the knot was several orders of magnitude larger than its width. We describe what happens to these optical knots when the transverse width of the beam, and hence the knot, is reduced. Outside the paraxial regime, the field's polarization becomes highly inhomogeneous, and knotted structures occur in a variety of polarization singularities. We propose experiments realising these knotted polarization structures in tightly-focused beams, which should yield optical knots of unit aspect ratio, of several optical wavelengths in size, which could be suitable for embedding knotted defect structures in liquid crystals, Bose-Einstein condensates and photopolymers. This work was supported by the Leverhulme Trust Programme Grant ''Scientific Properties of Complex Knots''.

Characterization of the Inner Knot of the Crab: the Site of the Gamma-ray Flares?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisskopf, Martin C.

2015-01-01

One of the most intriguing recent discoveries has been the detection of powerful gamma-ray flares from the Crab Nebula. Such events, with a recurrence time of about once per year, can be so dramatic to make the system the brightest source in the gamma-ray sky as occurred, e.g. in April 2011. These flares challenge our understanding of how pulsar wind nebulae work and defy current astrophysical models for particle acceleration. We present here our study of the inner knot located within a fraction of an arcsecond from the pulsar with the aim of characterizing the feature and asking if this might be the site of the origin of the gamma-ray flares. We took data using Keck, HST, and Chandra obtained as part of our multi-wavelength campaign to identify the source of the enigmatic flares. We set an upper limit as to the gamma-ray flux from the knot. We also find that the dimensions, surface brightness, flux, etc. of the optical and infrared knot are all correlated with distance from the pulsar. This distance, in turn, varies with time. In addition to this most thorough characterization of the inner knot's properties, we examine the hypothesis that the knot may be the site of the flares by examining the knot separation versus the Fermi/LAT gamma-ray flux. Finally, as part of this research, we make use of a new approach employing singular value decomposition (SVD) for analyzing time series of images and compare the approach to more traditional methods. Our conclusions are only refined but not impacted by using the new approach.

Suturing training in Augmented Reality: gaining proficiency in suturing skills faster.

PubMed

Botden, S M B I; de Hingh, I H J T; Jakimowicz, J J

2009-09-01

Providing informative feedback and setting goals tends to motivate trainees to practice more extensively. Augmented Reality simulators retain the benefit of realistic haptic feedback and additionally generate objective assessment and informative feedback during the training. This study researched the performance curve of the adapted suturing module on the ProMIS Augmented Reality simulator. Eighteen novice participants were pretrained on the MIST-VR to become acquainted with laparoscopy. Subsequently, they practiced 16 knots on the suturing module, of which the assessment scores were recorded to evaluate the gain in laparoscopic suturing skills. The scoring of the assessment method was calculated from the "time spent in the correct area" during the knot tying and the quality of the knot. Both the baseline knot and the knot at the top of the performance curve were assessed by two independent objective observers, by means of a standardized evaluation form, to objectify the gain in suturing skills. There was a statistically significant difference between the scores of the second knot (mean 72.59, standard deviation (SD) 16.28) and the top of the performance curve (mean 95.82, SD 3.05; p < 0.001, paired t-test). The scoring of the objective observers also differed significantly (mean 11.83 and 22.11, respectively; SD 3.37 and 3.89, respectively; p < 0.001) (interobserver reliability Cronbach's alpha = 0.96). The median amount of repetitions to reach the top of the performance curve was eight, which also showed significant differences between both the assessment score (mean 88.14, SD 13.53, p < 0.001) and scoring of the objective observers of the second knot (mean 20.51, SD 4.14; p < 0.001). This adapted suturing module on the ProMIS Augmented Reality laparoscopic simulator is a potent tool for gaining laparoscopic suturing skills.

Spontaneous knotting of an agitated string.

PubMed

Raymer, Dorian M; Smith, Douglas E

2007-10-16

It is well known that a jostled string tends to become knotted; yet the factors governing the "spontaneous" formation of various knots are unclear. We performed experiments in which a string was tumbled inside a box and found that complex knots often form within seconds. We used mathematical knot theory to analyze the knots. Above a critical string length, the probability P of knotting at first increased sharply with length but then saturated below 100%. This behavior differs from that of mathematical self-avoiding random walks, where P has been proven to approach 100%. Finite agitation time and jamming of the string due to its stiffness result in lower probability, but P approaches 100% with long, flexible strings. We analyzed the knots by calculating their Jones polynomials via computer analysis of digital photos of the string. Remarkably, almost all were identified as prime knots: 120 different types, having minimum crossing numbers up to 11, were observed in 3,415 trials. All prime knots with up to seven crossings were observed. The relative probability of forming a knot decreased exponentially with minimum crossing number and Möbius energy, mathematical measures of knot complexity. Based on the observation that long, stiff strings tend to form a coiled structure when confined, we propose a simple model to describe the knot formation based on random "braid moves" of the string end. Our model can qualitatively account for the observed distribution of knots and dependence on agitation time and string length.

KymoKnot: A web server and software package to identify and locate knots in trajectories of linear or circular polymers.

PubMed

Tubiana, Luca; Polles, Guido; Orlandini, Enzo; Micheletti, Cristian

2018-06-07

The KymoKnot software package and web server identifies and locates physical knots or proper knots in a series of polymer conformations. It is mainly intended as an analysis tool for trajectories of linear or circular polymers, but it can be used on single instances too, e.g. protein structures in PDB format. A key element of the software package is the so-called minimally interfering chain closure algorithm that is used to detect physical knots in open chains and to locate the knotted region in both open and closed chains. The web server offers a user-friendly graphical interface that identifies the knot type and highlights the knotted region on each frame of the trajectory, which the user can visualize interactively from various viewpoints. The dynamical evolution of the knotted region along the chain contour is presented as a kymograph. All data can be downloaded in text format. The KymoKnot package is licensed under the BSD 3-Clause licence. The server is publicly available at http://kymoknot.sissa.it/kymoknot/interactive.php .

Where was the Iron Synthesized in Cassiopeia A?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hwang, Una; Laming, J. Martin

2003-01-01

We investigate the properties of Fe-rich knots on the east limb of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant observed with Chandra/AXAF CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS). Using analysis methods developed in a companion paper, we constrain the ejecta density profile and the Lagrangian mass coordinates of the knots from their fitted ionization age and electron temperature. Fe-rich knots which also have strong emission from Si, S, Ar, and Ca are clustered around mass coordinates q approx. equal to 0.35 - 0.4 in the shocked ejecta of 2 solar masses; this places them 0.7 - 0.8 solar masses out from the center (or 2 - 2.1 solar masses, allowing for the mass of a compact object). We also find an Fe clump that is evidently devoid of line emission from lower mass elements, as would be expected for a region that had undergone alpha-rich freeze out. This clump has a similar mass coordinate to the other Fe knots.

Knot probability of polygons subjected to a force: a Monte Carlo study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janse van Rensburg, E. J.; Orlandini, E.; Tesi, M. C.; Whittington, S. G.

2008-01-01

We use Monte Carlo methods to study the knot probability of lattice polygons on the cubic lattice in the presence of an external force f. The force is coupled to the span of the polygons along a lattice direction, say the z-direction. If the force is negative polygons are squeezed (the compressive regime), while positive forces tend to stretch the polygons along the z-direction (the tensile regime). For sufficiently large positive forces we verify that the Pincus scaling law in the force-extension curve holds. At a fixed number of edges n the knot probability is a decreasing function of the force. For a fixed force the knot probability approaches unity as 1 - exp(-α0(f)n + o(n)), where α0(f) is positive and a decreasing function of f. We also examine the average of the absolute value of the writhe and we verify the square root growth law (known for f = 0) for all values of f.

Evaluation of a novel technique for wound closure using a barbed suture.

PubMed

Murtha, Amy P; Kaplan, Andrew L; Paglia, Michael J; Mills, Benjie B; Feldstein, Michael L; Ruff, Gregory L

2006-05-01

Suture knots present several disadvantages in wound closure, because they are tedious to tie and place ischemic demands on tissue. Bulky knots may be a nidus for infection, and they may extrude through skin weeks after surgery. Needle manipulations during knot-tying predispose the surgeon to glove perforation. A barbed suture was developed that is self-anchoring, requiring no knots or slack management for wound closure. The elimination of knot tying may have advantages over conventional wound closure methods. This prospective, randomized, controlled trial was designed to show that the use of barbed suture in dermal closure of the Pfannenstiel incision during nonemergent cesarean delivery surgery produces scar cosmesis at 5 weeks that is no worse than that observed with conventional closure using 3-0 polydioxanone suture. Cosmesis was assessed by review of postoperative photographs by a blinded, independent plastic surgeon using the modified Hollander cosmesis score. Secondary endpoints included infection, dehiscence, pain, closure time, and other adverse events. The study enrolled 195 patients, of whom 188 were eligible for analysis. Cosmesis scores did not significantly differ between the barbed suture group and the control group. Rates of infection, dehiscence, and other adverse events did not significantly differ between the two groups. Closure time and pain scores were comparable between the groups. The barbed suture represents an innovative option for wound closure. With a cosmesis and safety profile that is similar to that of conventional suture technique, it avoids the drawbacks inherent to suture knots.

Evolution of heliospheric magnetized configurations via topological invariants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roth, Ilan

2013-07-01

The analogy between magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and knot theory is utilized in presenting a new method for an analysis of stability and evolution of complex magnetic heliospheric flux tubes. Planar projection of a three-dimensional magnetic configuration depicts the structure as a two-dimensional diagram with crossings, to which one may assign mathematical operations leading to robust topological invariants. These invariants enrich the topological information of magnetic configurations beyond helicity. It is conjectured that the field which emerges from the solar photosphere is structured as one of the simplest knots-unknot or prime knot-and these flux ropes are then stretched while carried by the solar wind into the interplanetary medium. Preservation of invariants for small diffusivity and large cross section of the emerging magnetic flux makes them impervious to large scale reconnection, allowing us to predict the observed structures at 1 AU as elongated prime knots. Similar structures may be observed in magnetic clouds which got disconnected from their footpoints and in ion drop-out configurations from a compact flare source in solar impulsive solar events. Observation of small scale magnetic features consistent with prime knots may indicate spatial intermittency and non-Gaussian statistics in the turbulent cascade process. For flux tubes with higher resistivity, magnetic energy decay rate should decrease with increased knot complexity as the invariants are then harder to be violated. These observations could be confirmed if adjacent satellites happen to measure distinctly oriented magnetic fields with directionally varying suprathermal particle fluxes.

LONG-TERM MONITORING OF THE DYNAMICS AND PARTICLE ACCELERATION OF KNOTS IN THE JET OF CENTAURUS A

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

Goodger, J. L.; Hardcastle, M. J.; Croston, J. H., E-mail: j.l.goodger@herts.ac.u, E-mail: m.j.hardcastle@herts.ac.u, E-mail: J.Croston@soton.ac.u

2010-01-01

We present new and archival multi-frequency radio and X-ray data for Centaurus A obtained over almost 20 years at the Very Large Array and with Chandra, with which we measure the X-ray and radio spectral indices of jet knots, flux density variations in the jet knots, polarization variations, and proper motions. We compare the observed properties with current knot formation models and particle acceleration mechanisms. We rule out impulsive particle acceleration as a formation mechanism for all of the knots as we detect the same population of knots in all of the observations, and we find no evidence of extrememore » variability in the X-ray knots. We find that the most likely mechanism for all the stationary knots is a collision resulting in a local shock followed by a steady state of prolonged, stable particle acceleration, and X-ray synchrotron emission. In this scenario, the X-ray-only knots have radio counterparts that are too faint to be detected, while the radio-only knots are due to weak shocks where no particles are accelerated to X-ray emitting energies. Although the base knots are prime candidates for reconfinement shocks, the presence of a moving knot in this vicinity and the fact that there are two base knots are hard to explain in this model. We detect apparent motion in three knots; however, their velocities and locations provide no conclusive evidence for or against a faster moving 'spine' within the jet. The radio-only knots, both stationary and moving, may be due to compression of the fluid.« less

Molecular Knots

PubMed Central

Fielden, Stephen D. P.; Woltering, Steffen L.

2017-01-01

Abstract The first synthetic molecular trefoil knot was prepared in the late 1980s. However, it is only in the last few years that more complex small‐molecule knot topologies have been realized through chemical synthesis. The steric restrictions imposed on molecular strands by knotting can impart significant physical and chemical properties, including chirality, strong and selective ion binding, and catalytic activity. As the number and complexity of accessible molecular knot topologies increases, it will become increasingly useful for chemists to adopt the knot terminology employed by other disciplines. Here we give an overview of synthetic strategies towards molecular knots and outline the principles of knot, braid, and tangle theory appropriate to chemistry and molecular structure. PMID:28477423

Cognitive-graphic method for constructing of hierarchical forms of basic functions of biquadratic finite element

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astionenko, I. O.; Litvinenko, O. I.; Osipova, N. V.; Tuluchenko, G. Ya.; Khomchenko, A. N.

2016-10-01

Recently the interpolation bases of the hierarchical type have been used for the problem solving of the approximation of multiple arguments functions (such as in the finite-element method). In this work the cognitive graphical method of constructing of the hierarchical form bases on the serendipity finite elements is suggested, which allowed to get the alternative bases on a biquadratic finite element from the serendipity family without internal knots' inclusion. The cognitive-graphic method allowed to improve the known interpolation procedure of Taylor and to get the modified elements with irregular arrangement of knots. The proposed procedures are universal and are spread in the area of finite-elements.

Variation in pin knot frequency in black walnut lumber cut from a small provenance/progeny test

Treesearch

Peter Y. S. Chen; Robert E. Bodkin; J. W. Van Sambeek

1995-01-01

This small study examined the frequency of knots (> 1 growth ring), pin knots (latent or suppressed buds), and pin knot clusters in 414 black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) lumber from 42 logs. 18 to 21 cm dbh, cut from a 14-year-old provenance/progeny test. Two boards from opposite sides of each log were analyzed for number of knots, pin knots, and...

In vitro and in situ characterization of arthroscopic loop security and knot security of braided polyblend sutures: a biomechanical study.

PubMed

Armstrong, Lucas C; Chong, Alexander; Livermore, Ryan W; Prohaska, Daniel J; Doyon, Amanda N; Wooley, Paul H

2015-04-01

We conducted a study to evaluate biomechanical performance during destructive testing of several different suture materials in various arthroscopic knot configurations under both in vitro and in situ conditions. Surgeons of different levels of experience tied the knots. Three different arthroscopic knots (static surgeon's, Weston, Tennessee slider) with 3 reverse half-hitches on alternating posts were tested using Fiberwire, ForceFiber, Orthocord, and Ultrabraid suture materials under both in vitro and in situ (blood plasma at 37°C) conditions. Three surgeons of different experience levels tied the knots on a post 30 mm in circumference. A single load-to-failure test was performed. There were no significant in vitro-in situ differences for Ultrabraid in the different knot configurations or with the different experience levels. Surgeon B (intermediate experience) showed no significant differences between test conditions for any knot configuration or suture material. With Tennessee slider knots, surgeon C (least experience) showed significantly lower clinical failure load under both test conditions and had a higher percentage of complete knot slippage. Surgeon B had no knot slippage with use of Fiberwire. Both the aqueous environment and the surgeon's familiarity with certain knots have an effect on knot security.

A sequential method for spline approximation with variable knots. [recursive piecewise polynomial signal processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mier Muth, A. M.; Willsky, A. S.

1978-01-01

In this paper we describe a method for approximating a waveform by a spline. The method is quite efficient, as the data are processed sequentially. The basis of the approach is to view the approximation problem as a question of estimation of a polynomial in noise, with the possibility of abrupt changes in the highest derivative. This allows us to bring several powerful statistical signal processing tools into play. We also present some initial results on the application of our technique to the processing of electrocardiograms, where the knot locations themselves may be some of the most important pieces of diagnostic information.

Quantum knots and the number of knot mosaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Seungsang; Hong, Kyungpyo; Lee, Ho; Lee, Hwa Jeong

2015-03-01

Lomonaco and Kauffman developed a knot mosaic system to introduce a precise and workable definition of a quantum knot system. This definition is intended to represent an actual physical quantum system. A knot -mosaic is an matrix of mosaic tiles ( through depicted in the introduction) representing a knot or a link by adjoining properly that is called suitably connected. is the total number of all knot -mosaics. This value indicates the dimension of the Hilbert space of these quantum knot system. is already found for by the authors. In this paper, we construct an algorithm producing the precise value of for that uses recurrence relations of state matrices that turn out to be remarkably efficient to count knot mosaics. where matrices and are defined by for , with matrices and . Here denotes the sum of all entries of a matrix . For , means the identity matrix of size.

Shape optimization of self-avoiding curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Shawn W.

2016-04-01

This paper presents a softened notion of proximity (or self-avoidance) for curves. We then derive a sensitivity result, based on shape differential calculus, for the proximity. This is combined with a gradient-based optimization approach to compute three-dimensional, parameterized curves that minimize the sum of an elastic (bending) energy and a proximity energy that maintains self-avoidance by a penalization technique. Minimizers are computed by a sequential-quadratic-programming (SQP) method where the bending energy and proximity energy are approximated by a finite element method. We then apply this method to two problems. First, we simulate adsorbed polymer strands that are constrained to be bound to a surface and be (locally) inextensible. This is a basic model of semi-flexible polymers adsorbed onto a surface (a current topic in material science). Several examples of minimizing curve shapes on a variety of surfaces are shown. An advantage of the method is that it can be much faster than using molecular dynamics for simulating polymer strands on surfaces. Second, we apply our proximity penalization to the computation of ideal knots. We present a heuristic scheme, utilizing the SQP method above, for minimizing rope-length and apply it in the case of the trefoil knot. Applications of this method could be for generating good initial guesses to a more accurate (but expensive) knot-tightening algorithm.

Knot Security of 5 Metric (USP 2) Sutures: Influence of Knotting Technique, Suture Material, and Incubation Time for 14 and 28 Days in Phosphate Buffered Saline and Inflamed Equine Peritoneal Fluid.

PubMed

Sanders, Ruth E; Kearney, Clodagh M; Buckley, Conor T; Jenner, Florien; Brama, Pieter A

2015-08-01

To evaluate knot security for 3 knot types created in 3 commonly used 5 metric suture materials incubated in physiological and pathological fluids. In vitro mechanical study. Knotted suture loops (n = 5/group). Loops of 3 different suture materials (glycolide/lactide copolymer; polyglactin 910; polydioxanone) were created around a 20 mm rod using 3 knot types (square [SQ], surgeon's [SK], and triple knot [TK]) and were tested to failure in distraction (6 mm/min) after tying (day 0) and after being incubated for 14 and 28 days in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or inflamed peritoneal fluid. Failure load (N) and mode were recorded and compared. For polydioxanone, significant differences in force to knot failure were found between SQ and SK/TK but not between SK and TK. The force required to break all constructs increased after incubation in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). With glycolide/lactide copolymer no differences in force to knot failure were observed. With polyglactin 910, a significant difference between SQ and TK was observed, which was not seen between the other knot types. Incubation in inflamed peritoneal fluid caused a larger and more rapid decrease in force required to cause knot failure than incubation in PBS. Mechanical properties of suture materials have significant effects on knot security. For polydioxanone, SQ is insufficient to create a secure knot. Additional wraps above a SK confer extra stability in some materials, but this increase may not be clinically relevant or justifiable. Glycolide/lactide copolymer had excellent knot security. © Copyright 2015 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

The Effect on Performance Time and Quality of the Knots after Mono or Bimanual Training of Laparoscopic Intracorporeal Knot Tying according to the Gladiator Rule Technique.

PubMed

Asencio, Fernanda de Almeida; Ribeiro, Helizabet Abdala Salomão Ayroza; Romeo, Armando; Wattiez, Arnauld; Ribeiro, Paulo Augusto Galvão Ayroza

2018-05-18

 To assess whether the monomanual or bimanual training of laparoscopic suture following the same technique may interfere with the knots' performance time and/or quality.  A prospective observational study involving 41 resident students of gynecology/obstetrics and general surgery who attended a laparoscopic suture training for 2 days. The participants were divided into two groups. Group A performed the training using exclusively their dominant hand, and group B performed the training using both hands to tie the intracorporeal knot. All participants followed the same technique, called Romeo Gladiator Rule. At the end of the course, the participants were asked to perform three exercises to assess the time it took them to tie the knots, as well as the quality of the knots.  A comparative analysis of the groups showed that there was no statistically significant difference ( p  = 0.334) between them regarding the length of time to tie one knot. However, when the time to tie 10 consecutive knots was compared, group A was faster than group B ( p  = 0.020). A comparison of the knot loosening average, in millimeters, revealed that the knots made by group B loosened less than those made by group A, but there was no statistically significant difference regarding the number of knots that became untied.  This study demonstrated that the knots from group B showed better quality than those from group A, with lower loosening measures and more strength necessary to untie the knots. The study also demonstrated that group A was faster than B when the time to tie ten consecutive knots was compared. Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

47 CFR 2.101 - Frequency and wavelength bands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Myriametric waves B.Mam 5 LF 30 to 300 kHz Kilometric waves B.km 6 MF 300 to 3 000 kHz Hectometric waves B.hm 7 HF 3 to 30 MHz Decametric waves B.dam 8 VHF 30 to 300 MHz Metric waves B.m 9 UHF 300 to 3 000 MHz Decimetric waves B.dm 10 SHF 3 to 30 GHz Centimetric waves B.cm 11 EHF 30 to 300 GHz Millimetric waves B.mm...

47 CFR 2.101 - Frequency and wavelength bands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Metric abbreviations for the bands 4 VLF 3 to 30 kHz Myriametric waves B.Mam 5 LF 30 to 300 kHz Kilometric waves B.km 6 MF 300 to 3 000 kHz Hectometric waves B.hm 7 HF 3 to 30 MHz Decametric waves B.dam 8 VHF 30 to 300 MHz Metric waves B.m 9 UHF 300 to 3 000 MHz Decimetric waves B.dm 10 SHF 3 to 30 GHz...

47 CFR 2.101 - Frequency and wavelength bands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... kHz Myriametric waves B.Mam 5 LF 30 to 300 kHz Kilometric waves B.km 6 MF 300 to 3 000 kHz Hectometric waves B.hm 7 HF 3 to 30 MHz Decametric waves B.dam 8 VHF 30 to 300 MHz Metric waves B.m 9 UHF 300 to 3 000 MHz Decimetric waves B.dm 10 SHF 3 to 30 GHz Centimetric waves B.cm 11 EHF 30 to 300 GHz...

47 CFR 2.101 - Frequency and wavelength bands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Myriametric waves B.Mam 5 LF 30 to 300 kHz Kilometric waves B.km 6 MF 300 to 3 000 kHz Hectometric waves B.hm 7 HF 3 to 30 MHz Decametric waves B.dam 8 VHF 30 to 300 MHz Metric waves B.m 9 UHF 300 to 3 000 MHz Decimetric waves B.dm 10 SHF 3 to 30 GHz Centimetric waves B.cm 11 EHF 30 to 300 GHz Millimetric waves B.mm...

47 CFR 2.101 - Frequency and wavelength bands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Myriametric waves B.Mam 5 LF 30 to 300 kHz Kilometric waves B.km 6 MF 300 to 3 000 kHz Hectometric waves B.hm 7 HF 3 to 30 MHz Decametric waves B.dam 8 VHF 30 to 300 MHz Metric waves B.m 9 UHF 300 to 3 000 MHz Decimetric waves B.dm 10 SHF 3 to 30 GHz Centimetric waves B.cm 11 EHF 30 to 300 GHz Millimetric waves B.mm...

3D Culture Represents Apoptosis Induced by Trastuzumab Better than 2D Monolayer Culture.

PubMed

Tatara, Takashi; Mukohara, Toru; Tanaka, Rina; Shimono, Yohei; Funakoshi, Yohei; Imamura, Yoshinori; Toyoda, Masanori; Kiyota, Naomi; Hirai, Midori; Kakeji, Yoshihiro; Minami, Hironobu

2018-05-01

Our hypothesis was that three-dimensional (3D) culture better represents differential in vivo responses to trastuzumab between PIK3CA-wild-type (wt) and mutant (mt) cell lines than does two-dimensional (2D) culture. Apoptosis and cell signaling proteins were evaluated in response to trastuzumab with and without BKM120, a pan-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, using western blot analysis of four breast cancer cell lines with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) amplification. Increased expression of cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) was observed only in 3D-cultured PIK3CA-wt lines in response to trastuzumab, but not in 2D-cultured PIK3CA-wt or PIK3CA-mt lines. Decrease in the ratio of phosphorylated (p-)AKT to AKT in response to trastuzumab was more profound in PIK3CA-wt cells than in PIK3CA-mt cells in 3D culture, while the difference between PIK3CA genotypes was less apparent in 2D culture. Treatment with BKM120 and trastuzumab resulted in a stronger increase in cleaved PARP than either treatment alone. 3D Culture appears to better represent trastuzumab-induced apoptosis and resistance to trastuzumab associated with PIK3CA mutation. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

How securely is the testicular artery occluded in the spermatic cord by using a ligature?

PubMed

Rijkenhuizen, A B M; Sommerauer, S; Fasching, M; Velde, K; Peham, C

2013-09-01

There are no studies on the ideal ligature technique for the spermatic cord. To compare the maximal resistance pressure in the testicular artery and the maximal tensile forces to produce failure of 2 different ligature techniques used for ligation of the equine spermatic cord. The capabilities of 2 types of ligatures, single knot loop and double knot loop, were assessed using a pressure-resistance test in testicular arteries and with an in vitro mechanical evaluation of the tensile strength by single cycle-to-failure testing. In the pressure-resistance test, the mean ± s.d. peak force at failure of the single knot loop was 354.4 ± 91.7 mmHg and for the double knot loop 303.2 ± 62.0 mmHg. There was no significant difference between the maximal load to failure of the single knot loop and double knot loop technique. The pressure needed for rupture was significantly higher (P = 0.001) than for leakage. The maximal tensile force at failure of the single knot loop was significantly higher than the double knot loop (P = 0.028). There was no significant difference in load elongation properties to failure between the single knot loop and double knot loop. Although no significant differences were obtained in the pressure-resistance test, the single knot loop sustained significantly greater load to failure than the double knot loop in single cycle-to-failure testing. Based on these findings, it would appear that the performance of the single knot loop should be superior to the double knot loop. Both ligature techniques are able to withstand the normal physiological intravascular pressure. The single knot loop has the greater breaking strength of the 2 ligatures tested and is less time consuming to perform and may therefore have advantages during equine castration. © 2012 EVJ Ltd.

Knotted fields and explicit fibrations for lemniscate knots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bode, B.; Dennis, M. R.; Foster, D.; King, R. P.

2017-06-01

We give an explicit construction of complex maps whose nodal lines have the form of lemniscate knots. We review the properties of lemniscate knots, defined as closures of braids where all strands follow the same transverse (1, ℓ) Lissajous figure, and are therefore a subfamily of spiral knots generalizing the torus knots. We then prove that such maps exist and are in fact fibrations with appropriate choices of parameters. We describe how this may be useful in physics for creating knotted fields, in quantum mechanics, optics and generalizing to rational maps with application to the Skyrme-Faddeev model. We also prove how this construction extends to maps with weakly isolated singularities.

Knotting probability of a shaken ball-chain.

PubMed

Hickford, J; Jones, R; du Pont, S Courrech; Eggers, J

2006-11-01

We study the formation of knots on a macroscopic ball chain, which is shaken on a horizontal plate at 12 times the acceleration of gravity. We find that above a certain critical length, the knotting probability is independent of chain length, while the time to shake out a knot increases rapidly with chain length. The probability of finding a knot after a certain time is the result of the balance of these two processes. In particular, the knotting probability tends to a constant for long chains.

Comparing the da Vinci Si Single Console and Dual Console in Teaching Novice Surgeons Suturing Techniques

PubMed Central

Jackson, Tiffany; Advincula, Arnold

2014-01-01

Background and Objectives: Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery is often taught with the surgical mentor at the surgeon console and the trainee at the patient's bedside. The da Vinci dual console (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, California) allows a surgical mentor to teach with both the mentor and the trainee working at a surgeon console simultaneously. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the dual console versus the single console for teaching medical students robotic tasks. Methods: Forty novice medical students were randomized to either the da Vinci single-console or dual-console group and were taught 4 knot-tying techniques by a surgical mentor. The students were timed while performing the tasks. Results: No statistically significant differences in mean task times were observed between the single- and dual-console groups: interrupted stitch with a 2-handed knot (300 seconds for single vs 294 seconds for dual, P = .59), interrupted stitch with a 1-handed knot (198 seconds for single vs 212 seconds for dual, P = .88), figure-of-8 stitch with a 2-handed knot (261 seconds for single vs 219 seconds for dual, P = .20), and figure-of-8 stitch with a 1-handed knot (200 seconds for single vs 199 seconds for dual, P = .53). Conclusion: No significant difference was observed in performance time when teaching knot-tying techniques to medical students using the da Vinci dual console compared with the single console. More research needs to be performed on the utility of the da Vinci dual console in surgical training. PMID:25392618

Clinical results of hamstring autografts in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a comparison of femoral knot/press-fit fixation and interference screw fixation.

PubMed

Ho, Wei-Pin; Lee, Chian-Her; Huang, Chang-Hung; Chen, Chih-Hwa; Chuang, Tai-Yuan

2014-07-01

To compare the clinical outcomes of femoral knot/press-fit anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with conventional techniques using femoral interference screws. Among patients who underwent arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with hamstring autografts, 73 were treated with either a femoral knot/press-fit technique (40 patients, group A) or femoral interference screw fixation (33 patients, group B). The clinical results of the 2 groups were retrospectively compared. The inclusion criteria were primary ACL reconstruction in active patients. The exclusion criteria were fractures, multiligamentous injuries, patients undergoing revision, or patients with contralateral ACL-deficient knees. In the femoral knot/press-fit technique, semitendinosus and gracilis tendons were prepared as 2 loops with knots. After passage through a bottleneck femoral tunnel, the grafts were fixed with a press-fit method (grafts' knots were stuck in the bottleneck of the femoral tunnel). A tie with Mersilene tape (Ethicon, Somerville, NJ) over a bone bridge for each tendon loop and an additional bioabsorbable interference screw were used for tibial fixation. The mean follow-up period was 38 months (range, 24 to 61 months). A significant improvement in knee function and symptoms was reported in most patients, as shown by improved Tegner scores, Lysholm knee scores, and International Knee Documentation Committee assessments (P < .01). The results of instrumented laxity testing, thigh muscle assessment, and radiologic assessment were clearly improved when compared with the preoperative status (P < .01). No statistically significant difference in outcomes could be observed between group A and group B (P = not significant). In this nonrandomized study, femoral knot/press-fit ACL reconstruction did not appear to provide increased anterior instability compared with that of conventional femoral interference screw ACL reconstruction. Favorable outcomes with regard to knee stability and patient satisfaction were achieved in most of our ACL-reconstructed patients using femoral knot/press-fit fixation with hamstring tendon autograft. Level IV, therapeutic case series. Copyright © 2014 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Arthroscopic Repair of Ankle Instability With All-Soft Knotless Anchors.

PubMed

Pereira, Hélder; Vuurberg, Gwen; Gomes, Nuno; Oliveira, Joaquim Miguel; Ripoll, Pedro L; Reis, Rui Luís; Espregueira-Mendes, João; Niek van Dijk, C

2016-02-01

In recent years, arthroscopic and arthroscopically assisted techniques have been increasingly used to reconstruct the lateral ligaments of the ankle. Besides permitting the treatment of several comorbidities, arthroscopic techniques are envisioned to lower the amount of surgical aggression and to improve the assessment of anatomic structures. We describe our surgical technique for arthroscopic, two-portal ankle ligament repair using an all-soft knotless anchor, which is made exclusively of suture material. This technique avoids the need for classic knot-tying methods. Thus it diminishes the chance of knot migration caused by pendulum movements. Moreover, it avoids some complications that have been related to the use of metallic anchors and some currently available biomaterials. It also prevents prominent knots, which have been described as a possible cause of secondary complaints.

Detecting wood surface defects with fusion algorithm of visual saliency and local threshold segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xuejuan; Wu, Shuhang; Liu, Yunpeng

2018-04-01

This paper presents a new method for wood defect detection. It can solve the over-segmentation problem existing in local threshold segmentation methods. This method effectively takes advantages of visual saliency and local threshold segmentation. Firstly, defect areas are coarsely located by using spectral residual method to calculate global visual saliency of them. Then, the threshold segmentation of maximum inter-class variance method is adopted for positioning and segmenting the wood surface defects precisely around the coarse located areas. Lastly, we use mathematical morphology to process the binary images after segmentation, which reduces the noise and small false objects. Experiments on test images of insect hole, dead knot and sound knot show that the method we proposed obtains ideal segmentation results and is superior to the existing segmentation methods based on edge detection, OSTU and threshold segmentation.

Extreme umbilical cord lengths, cord knot and entanglement: Risk factors and risk of adverse outcomes, a population-based study

PubMed Central

Kessler, Jörg

2018-01-01

Objectives To determine risk factors for short and long umbilical cord, entanglement and knot. Explore their associated risks of adverse maternal and perinatal outcome, including risk of recurrence in a subsequent pregnancy. To provide population based gestational age and sex and parity specific reference ranges for cord length. Design Population based registry study. Setting Medical Birth Registry of Norway 1999–2013. Population All singleton births (gestational age>22weeks<45 weeks) (n = 856 300). Methods Descriptive statistics and odds ratios of risk factors for extreme cord length and adverse outcomes based on logistic regression adjusted for confounders. Main outcome measures Short or long cord (<10th or >90th percentile), cord knot and entanglement, adverse pregnancy outcomes including perinatal and intrauterine death. Results Increasing parity, maternal height and body mass index, and diabetes were associated with increased risk of a long cord. Large placental and birth weight, and fetal male sex were factors for a long cord, which again was associated with a doubled risk of intrauterine and perinatal death, and increased risk of adverse neonatal outcome. Anomalous cord insertion, female sex, and a small placenta were associated with a short cord, which was associated with increased risk of fetal malformations, placental complications, caesarean delivery, non-cephalic presentation, perinatal and intrauterine death. At term, cord knot was associated with a quadrupled risk of perinatal death. The combination of a cord knot and entanglement had a more than additive effect to the association to perinatal death. There was a more than doubled risk of recurrence of a long or short cord, knot and entanglement in a subsequent pregnancy of the same woman. Conclusion Cord length is influenced both by maternal and fetal factors, and there is increased risk of recurrence. Extreme cord length, entanglement and cord knot are associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes including perinatal death. We provide population based reference ranges for umbilical cord length. PMID:29584790

Scaling behavior of knotted random polygons and self-avoiding polygons: Topological swelling with enhanced exponent.

PubMed

Uehara, Erica; Deguchi, Tetsuo

2017-12-07

We show that the average size of self-avoiding polygons (SAPs) with a fixed knot is much larger than that of no topological constraint if the excluded volume is small and the number of segments is large. We call it topological swelling. We argue an "enhancement" of the scaling exponent for random polygons with a fixed knot. We study them systematically through SAP consisting of hard cylindrical segments with various different values of the radius of segments. Here we mean by the average size the mean-square radius of gyration. Furthermore, we show numerically that the topological balance length of a composite knot is given by the sum of those of all constituent prime knots. Here we define the topological balance length of a knot by such a number of segments that topological entropic repulsions are balanced with the knot complexity in the average size. The additivity suggests the local knot picture.

Constructing a polynomial whose nodal set is the three-twist knot 52

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennis, Mark R.; Bode, Benjamin

2017-06-01

We describe a procedure that creates an explicit complex-valued polynomial function of three-dimensional space, whose nodal lines are the three-twist knot 52. The construction generalizes a similar approach for lemniscate knots: a braid representation is engineered from finite Fourier series and then considered as the nodal set of a certain complex polynomial which depends on an additional parameter. For sufficiently small values of this parameter, the nodal lines form the three-twist knot. Further mathematical properties of this map are explored, including the relationship of the phase critical points with the Morse-Novikov number, which is nonzero as this knot is not fibred. We also find analogous functions for other simple knots and links. The particular function we find, and the general procedure, should be useful for designing knotted fields of particular knot types in various physical systems.

Scaling behavior of knotted random polygons and self-avoiding polygons: Topological swelling with enhanced exponent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uehara, Erica; Deguchi, Tetsuo

2017-12-01

We show that the average size of self-avoiding polygons (SAPs) with a fixed knot is much larger than that of no topological constraint if the excluded volume is small and the number of segments is large. We call it topological swelling. We argue an "enhancement" of the scaling exponent for random polygons with a fixed knot. We study them systematically through SAP consisting of hard cylindrical segments with various different values of the radius of segments. Here we mean by the average size the mean-square radius of gyration. Furthermore, we show numerically that the topological balance length of a composite knot is given by the sum of those of all constituent prime knots. Here we define the topological balance length of a knot by such a number of segments that topological entropic repulsions are balanced with the knot complexity in the average size. The additivity suggests the local knot picture.

Motion of Knots in DNA Stretched by Elongational Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klotz, Alexander R.; Soh, Beatrice W.; Doyle, Patrick S.

2018-05-01

Knots in DNA occur in biological systems, serve as a model system for polymer entanglement, and affect the efficacy of modern genomics technologies. We study the motion of complex knots in DNA by stretching molecules with a divergent electric field that provides an elongational force. We demonstrate that the motion of knots is nonisotropic and driven towards the closest end of the molecule. We show for the first time experimentally that knots can go from a mobile to a jammed state by varying an applied strain rate, and that this jamming is reversible. We measure the mobility of knots as a function of strain rate, demonstrating the conditions under which knots can be driven towards the ends of the molecule and untied.

Escape of a knot from a DNA molecule in flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renner, Benjamin; Doyle, Patrick

2014-03-01

Macroscale knots are an everyday occurrence when trying to unravel an unorganized flexible string (e.g. an iPhone cord taken out of your pocket). In nature, knots are found in proteins and viral capsid DNA, and the properties imbued by their topologies are thought to have biological significance. Unlike their macroscale counterparts, thermal fluctuations greatly influence the dynamics of polymer knots. Here, we use Brownian Dynamics simulations to study knot diffusion along a linear polymer chain. The model is parameterized to dsDNA, a model polymer used in previous simulation and experimental studies of knot dynamics. We have used this model to study the process of knot escape and transport along a dsDNA strand extended by an elongational flow. For a range of knot topologies and flow strengths, we show scalings that result in collapse of the data onto a master curve. We show a topologically mediated mode of transport coincides with observed differences in rates of knot transport, and we provide a simple mechanistic explanation for its effect. We anticipate these results will build on the growing body of fundamental studies of knotted polymers and inform future experimental study. This work is supported by the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) and National Science Foundation (NSF) grant CBET-0852235.

Haro 11: Where is the Lyman Continuum Source?

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

Keenan, Ryan P.; Oey, M. S.; Jaskot, Anne E.

2017-10-10

Identifying the mechanism by which high-energy Lyman continuum (LyC) photons escaped from early galaxies is one of the most pressing questions in cosmic evolution. Haro 11 is the best known local LyC-leaking galaxy, providing an important opportunity to test our understanding of LyC escape. The observed LyC emission in this galaxy presumably originates from one of the three bright, photoionizing knots known as A, B, and C. It is known that Knot C has strong Ly α emission, and Knot B hosts an unusually bright ultraluminous X-ray source, which may be a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus. To clarify the LyCmore » source, we carry out ionization-parameter mapping (IPM) by obtaining narrow-band imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 and ACS cameras to construct spatially resolved ratio maps of [O iii]/[O ii] emission from the galaxy. IPM traces the ionization structure of the interstellar medium and allows us to identify optically thin regions. To optimize the continuum subtraction, we introduce a new method for determining the best continuum scale factor derived from the mode of the continuum-subtracted, image flux distribution. We find no conclusive evidence of LyC escape from Knots B or C, but instead we identify a high-ionization region extending over at least 1 kpc from Knot A. This knot shows evidence of an extremely young age (≲1 Myr), perhaps containing very massive stars (>100 M {sub ⊙}). It is weak in Ly α , so if it is confirmed as the LyC source, our results imply that LyC emission may be independent of Ly α emission.« less

Hangman's fracture: a historical and biomechanical perspective.

PubMed

Rayes, Mahmoud; Mittal, Monika; Rengachary, Setti S; Mittal, Sandeep

2011-02-01

The execution technique of hanging, introduced by the Angle, Saxon, and Jute Germanic tribes during their invasions of the Roman Empire and Britain in the 5th century, has remained largely unchanged over time. The earliest form of a gallows was a tree on which prisoners were hanged. Despite the introduction of several modifications such as a trap door, the main mechanism of death remained asphyxiation. This created the opportunity for attempted revival after the execution, and indeed several well-known cases of survival following judicial hanging have been reported. It was not until the introduction of the standard drop by Dr. Samuel Haughton in 1866, and the so-called long drop by William Marwood in 1872 that hanging became a standard, humane means to achieve instantaneous death. Hangmen, however, fearing knot slippage, started substituting the subaural knot for the traditional submental knot. Subaural knots were not as effective, and cases of decapitation were recorded. Standardization of the long drop was further propagated by John Berry, an executioner who used mathematical calculations to estimate the correct drop length for each individual to be hanged. A British committee on capital sentences, led by Lord Aberdare, studied the execution method, and advocated for the submental knot. However, it was not until Frederic Wood-Jones published his seminal work in 1913 that cervical fractures were identified as the main mechanism of death following hanging in which the long drop and a submental knot were used. Schneider introduced the term "hangman's fracture" in 1965, and reported on the biomechanics and other similarities of the cervical fractures seen following judicial hangings and those caused by motor vehicle accidents.

Asymptotics of knotted lattice polygons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlandini, E.; Tesi, M. C.; Janse van Rensburg, E. J.; Whittington, S. G.

1998-07-01

We use Monte Carlo methods to investigate the asymptotic behaviour of the number and mean-square radius of gyration of polygons in the simple cubic lattice with fixed knot type. Let 0305-4470/31/28/010/img7 be the number of n-edge polygons of a fixed knot type 0305-4470/31/28/010/img8 in the cubic lattice, and let 0305-4470/31/28/010/img9 be the mean square radius of gyration of all the polygons counted by 0305-4470/31/28/010/img7. If we assume that 0305-4470/31/28/010/img11, where 0305-4470/31/28/010/img12 is the growth constant of polygons of knot type 0305-4470/31/28/010/img8, and 0305-4470/31/28/010/img14 is the entropic exponent of polygons of knot type 0305-4470/31/28/010/img8, then our numerical data are consistent with the relation 0305-4470/31/28/010/img16, where 0305-4470/31/28/010/img17 is the unknot and 0305-4470/31/28/010/img18 is the number of prime factors of the knot 0305-4470/31/28/010/img8. If we assume that 0305-4470/31/28/010/img20, then our data are consistent with both 0305-4470/31/28/010/img21 and 0305-4470/31/28/010/img22 being independent of 0305-4470/31/28/010/img8. These results support the claims made in Janse van Rensburg and Whittington (1991a 24 3935) and Orlandini et al (1996 29 L299, 1998 Topology and Geometry in Polymer Science (IMA Volumes in Mathematics and its Applications) (Berlin: Springer)).

Curve fitting and modeling with splines using statistical variable selection techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, P. L.

1982-01-01

The successful application of statistical variable selection techniques to fit splines is demonstrated. Major emphasis is given to knot selection, but order determination is also discussed. Two FORTRAN backward elimination programs, using the B-spline basis, were developed. The program for knot elimination is compared in detail with two other spline-fitting methods and several statistical software packages. An example is also given for the two-variable case using a tensor product basis, with a theoretical discussion of the difficulties of their use.

Fitting multidimensional splines using statistical variable selection techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, P. L.

1982-01-01

This report demonstrates the successful application of statistical variable selection techniques to fit splines. Major emphasis is given to knot selection, but order determination is also discussed. Two FORTRAN backward elimination programs using the B-spline basis were developed, and the one for knot elimination is compared in detail with two other spline-fitting methods and several statistical software packages. An example is also given for the two-variable case using a tensor product basis, with a theoretical discussion of the difficulties of their use.

From nonlinear optimization to convex optimization through firefly algorithm and indirect approach with applications to CAD/CAM.

PubMed

Gálvez, Akemi; Iglesias, Andrés

2013-01-01

Fitting spline curves to data points is a very important issue in many applied fields. It is also challenging, because these curves typically depend on many continuous variables in a highly interrelated nonlinear way. In general, it is not possible to compute these parameters analytically, so the problem is formulated as a continuous nonlinear optimization problem, for which traditional optimization techniques usually fail. This paper presents a new bioinspired method to tackle this issue. In this method, optimization is performed through a combination of two techniques. Firstly, we apply the indirect approach to the knots, in which they are not initially the subject of optimization but precomputed with a coarse approximation scheme. Secondly, a powerful bioinspired metaheuristic technique, the firefly algorithm, is applied to optimization of data parameterization; then, the knot vector is refined by using De Boor's method, thus yielding a better approximation to the optimal knot vector. This scheme converts the original nonlinear continuous optimization problem into a convex optimization problem, solved by singular value decomposition. Our method is applied to some illustrative real-world examples from the CAD/CAM field. Our experimental results show that the proposed scheme can solve the original continuous nonlinear optimization problem very efficiently.

From Nonlinear Optimization to Convex Optimization through Firefly Algorithm and Indirect Approach with Applications to CAD/CAM

PubMed Central

Gálvez, Akemi; Iglesias, Andrés

2013-01-01

Fitting spline curves to data points is a very important issue in many applied fields. It is also challenging, because these curves typically depend on many continuous variables in a highly interrelated nonlinear way. In general, it is not possible to compute these parameters analytically, so the problem is formulated as a continuous nonlinear optimization problem, for which traditional optimization techniques usually fail. This paper presents a new bioinspired method to tackle this issue. In this method, optimization is performed through a combination of two techniques. Firstly, we apply the indirect approach to the knots, in which they are not initially the subject of optimization but precomputed with a coarse approximation scheme. Secondly, a powerful bioinspired metaheuristic technique, the firefly algorithm, is applied to optimization of data parameterization; then, the knot vector is refined by using De Boor's method, thus yielding a better approximation to the optimal knot vector. This scheme converts the original nonlinear continuous optimization problem into a convex optimization problem, solved by singular value decomposition. Our method is applied to some illustrative real-world examples from the CAD/CAM field. Our experimental results show that the proposed scheme can solve the original continuous nonlinear optimization problem very efficiently. PMID:24376380

The roles of impact and inertia in the failure of a shoelace knot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daily-Diamond, Christopher A.; Gregg, Christine E.; O'Reilly, Oliver M.

2017-04-01

The accidental untying of a shoelace while walking often occurs without warning. In this paper, we discuss the series of events that lead to a shoelace knot becoming untied. First, the repeated impact of the shoe on the floor during walking serves to loosen the knot. Then, the whipping motions of the free ends of the laces caused by the leg swing produce slipping of the laces. This leads to eventual runaway untangling of the knot. As demonstrated using slow-motion video footage and a series of experiments, the failure of the knot happens in a matter of seconds, often without warning, and is catastrophic. The controlled experiments showed that increasing inertial effects of the swinging laces leads to increased rate of knot untying, that the directions of the impact and swing influence the rate of failure, and that the knot structure has a profound influence on a knot's tendency to untie under cyclic impact loading.

Asymptotic laws for random knot diagrams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, Harrison

2017-06-01

We study random knotting by considering knot and link diagrams as decorated, (rooted) topological maps on spheres and pulling them uniformly from among sets of a given number of vertices n, as first established in recent work with Cantarella and Mastin. The knot diagram model is an exciting new model which captures both the random geometry of space curve models of knotting as well as the ease of computing invariants from diagrams. We prove that unknot diagrams are asymptotically exponentially rare, an analogue of Sumners and Whittington’s landmark result for self-avoiding polygons. Our proof uses the same key idea: we first show that knot diagrams obey a pattern theorem, which describes their fractal structure. We examine how quickly this behavior occurs in practice. As a consequence, almost all diagrams are asymmetric, simplifying sampling from this model. We conclude with experimental data on knotting in this model. This model of random knotting is similar to those studied by Diao et al, and Dunfield et al.

Filtration of the classical knot concordance group and Casson-Gordon invariants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Taehee

2004-09-01

It is known that if every prime power branched cyclic cover of a knot in S(3) is a homology sphere, then the knot has vanishing Casson-Gordon invariants. We construct infinitely many examples of (topologically) non-slice knots in S(3) whose prime power branched cyclic covers are homology spheres. We show that these knots generate an infinite rank subgroup of scrf_{(1.0)}/scrf_{(1.5)} for which Casson-Gordon invariants vanish in Cochran-Orr-Teichner's filtration of the classical knot concordance group. As a corollary, it follows that Casson-Gordon invariants are not a complete set of obstructions to a second layer of Whitney disks.

Knot theory in modern chemistry.

PubMed

Horner, Kate E; Miller, Mark A; Steed, Jonathan W; Sutcliffe, Paul M

2016-11-21

Knot theory is a branch of pure mathematics, but it is increasingly being applied in a variety of sciences. Knots appear in chemistry, not only in synthetic molecular design, but also in an array of materials and media, including some not traditionally associated with knots. Mathematics and chemistry can now be used synergistically to identify, characterise and create knots, as well as to understand and predict their physical properties. This tutorial review provides a brief introduction to the mathematics of knots and related topological concepts in the context of the chemical sciences. We then survey the broad range of applications of the theory to contemporary research in the field.

Statics and dynamics of DNA knotting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlandini, Enzo

2018-02-01

Knots and entanglement in polymers and biopolymers such as DNA and proteins constitute a timely topic that spans various scientific disciplines ranging from physics to chemistry, biology and mathematics. Although in the past many advancements have been made in understanding the equilibrium knotting probability and knot complexity of long polymer chains in solutions, many questions have been addressed in recent years by both experimental and theoretical means—for instance, how the knotting probability depends on the quality of the solvent, the elastic properties of the molecule and its degree of confinement. How knots form, evolve and eventually disappear in a fluctuating chain. Are the equilibrium and non-equilibrium properties of knotted molecules affected by the knot swelling/shrinking dynamics? Moreover, thanks to the great advance in nanotechnology and micromanipulation techniques, nowadays knots can be ‘manually’ tied in a single DNA molecule, followed during their motion along the chains, forced to pass through nanopores, or stretched by external forces or elongational flows. All these experimental approaches allow access to new information on the interplay of topology and polymer physics, and this has opened new perspectives in the field. Here, we provide an overview of the current knowledge of this topic, stressing the main results obtained, including the recent developments in experimental and computational approaches. Since almost all experiments on knotting involve DNA, the review will be mainly focused on the topological properties of this fascinating and biologically relevant molecule.

Knot probabilities in random diagrams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cantarella, Jason; Chapman, Harrison; Mastin, Matt

2016-10-01

We consider a natural model of random knotting—choose a knot diagram at random from the finite set of diagrams with n crossings. We tabulate diagrams with 10 and fewer crossings and classify the diagrams by knot type, allowing us to compute exact probabilities for knots in this model. As expected, most diagrams with 10 and fewer crossings are unknots (about 78% of the roughly 1.6 billion 10 crossing diagrams). For these crossing numbers, the unknot fraction is mostly explained by the prevalence of ‘tree-like’ diagrams which are unknots for any assignment of over/under information at crossings. The data shows a roughly linear relationship between the log of knot type probability and the log of the frequency rank of the knot type, analogous to Zipf’s law for word frequency. The complete tabulation and all knot frequencies are included as supplementary data.

[Mechanical behaviour of three types of surgical knots using 4/0 monofilament].

PubMed

Gil Santos, Luis; Más-Estellés, Jorge; Salmerón Sánchez, Manuel; Barrios, Carlos

2012-01-01

To experimentally study the behaviour of 4 types of monofilament with 3 knotting techniques, very often used in surgery, employing mechanical tests. Four 4/0 monofilaments were chosen, two of nylon, and the other two of polypropylene. Three types of knot designs were made with each thread. The first design (D-S-S) consisted of a double half-knot (D) followed by one single (S) in the opposite direction, a third S in turn in the opposite direction. The configuration of the second design was D-S-D, and the third, S-S-D. A mechanical fracture test was performed by stretching the thread at a rate of 4N/s, the force and deformation being recorded at intervals of 100 ms. There was a decrease in the force and deformation in the tests on threads with knots compared to threads without knots. In all cases the rupture of the thread occurred in the knot area, presumably due to damage caused to the thread during the knotting process. The D-S-D knot had the greatest resistance with polypropylene threads, and S-S-D provided the greatest resistance with nylon threads Polypropylene threads, with D-S-D knots, should be more indicated to suture tissues that have to support great forces and with little deformation of the suture (e.g., tendons). Nylon threads, with S-S-D knots, would be better indicated for tissues that have to support smaller forces and that require greater elasticity (e.g., skin). Copyright © 2011 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Bioinspired one-dimensional materials for directional liquid transport.

PubMed

Ju, Jie; Zheng, Yongmei; Jiang, Lei

2014-08-19

One-dimensional materials (1D) capable of transporting liquid droplets directionally, such as spider silks and cactus spines, have recently been gathering scientists' attention due to their potential applications in microfluidics, textile dyeing, filtration, and smog removal. This remarkable property comes from the arrangement of the micro- and nanostructures on these organisms' surfaces, which have inspired chemists to develop methods to prepare surfaces with similar directional liquid transport ability. In this Account, we report our recent progress in understanding how this directional transport works, as well our advances in the design and fabrication of bioinspired 1D materials capable of transporting liquid droplets directionally. To begin, we first discuss some basic theories on droplet directional movement. Then, we discuss the mechanism of directional transport of water droplets on natural spider silks. Upon contact with water droplets, the spider silk undergoes what is known as a wet-rebuilt, which forms periodic spindle-knots and joints. We found that the resulting gradient of Laplace pressure and surface free energy between the spindle-knots and joints account for the cooperative driving forces to transport water droplets directionally. Next, we discuss the directional transport of water droplets on desert cactus. The integration of multilevel structures of the cactus and the resulting integration of multiple functions together allow the cactus spine to transport water droplets continuously from tip to base. Based on our studies of natural spider silks and cactus spines, we have prepared a series of artificial spider silks (A-SSs) and artificial cactus spines (A-CSs) with various methods. By changing the surface roughness and chemical compositions of the artificial spider silks' spindle-knots, or by introducing stimulus-responsive molecules, such as thermal-responsive and photoresponsive molecules, onto the spindle-knots, we can reversibly manipulate the direction of water droplet's movement on the prepared A-SSs. In addition, the A-SSs with nonuniform spindle-knots, such as multilevel sized spindle-knots and gradient spindle-knots, further demonstrate integrated directional transport ability for water droplets. Through mimicking the main principle of cactus spines in transporting water droplets, we were able to fabricate both single and array A-CSs, which are able to transport liquid droplets directionally both in air and under water. Lastly, we demonstrated some applications of this directional liquid transport, from aspects of efficient fog collection to oil/water separation. In addition, we showed some potential applications in smart catalysis, tracer substance enrichment, smog removal, and drug delivery.

Influence of emergency physician's tying technique on knot security.

PubMed

Batra, E K; Franz, D A; Towler, M A; Rodeheaver, G T; Thacker, J G; Zimmer, C A; Edlich, R F

1992-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of emergency physician's tying technique on knot security using 2-0 and 4-0 monofilament and multifilament nylon sutures. Using an Instron Tensile Tester and a portable tensiometer, knot security was achieved with these sutures using four-throw square knots (1 = 1 = 1 = 1). After didactic and psychomotor skill training, medical students were taught to construct the four-throw square knot using either a two-hand tie or an instrument tie. Using the portable tensiometer, their knot tying techniques were judged to be superior to those used by emergency physicians. The emergency physician's faulty technique can easily be corrected by didactic information and psychomotor skill training.

Diversity of Knot Solitons in Liquid Crystals Manifested by Linking of Preimages in Torons and Hopfions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ackerman, Paul J.; Smalyukh, Ivan I.

2017-01-01

Topological solitons are knots in continuous physical fields classified by nonzero Hopf index values. Despite arising in theories that span many branches of physics, from elementary particles to condensed matter and cosmology, they remain experimentally elusive and poorly understood. We introduce a method of experimental and numerical analysis of such localized structures in liquid crystals that, similar to the mathematical Hopf maps, relates all points of the medium's order parameter space to their closed-loop preimages within the three-dimensional solitons. We uncover a surprisingly large diversity of naturally occurring and laser-generated topologically nontrivial solitons with differently knotted nematic fields, which previously have not been realized in theories and experiments alike. We discuss the implications of the liquid crystal's nonpolar nature on the knot soliton topology and how the medium's chirality, confinement, and elastic anisotropy help to overcome the constraints of the Hobart-Derrick theorem, yielding static three-dimensional solitons without or with additional defects. Our findings will establish chiral nematics as a model system for experimental exploration of topological solitons and may impinge on understanding of such nonsingular field configurations in other branches of physics, as well as may lead to technological applications.

Automated image analysis of placental villi and syncytial knots in histological sections.

PubMed

Kidron, Debora; Vainer, Ifat; Fisher, Yael; Sharony, Reuven

2017-05-01

Delayed villous maturation and accelerated villous maturation diagnosed in histologic sections are morphologic manifestations of pathophysiological conditions. The inter-observer agreement among pathologists in assessing these conditions is moderate at best. We investigated whether automated image analysis of placental villi and syncytial knots could improve standardization in diagnosing these conditions. Placentas of antepartum fetal death at or near term were diagnosed as normal, delayed or accelerated villous maturation. Histologic sections of 5 cases per group were photographed at ×10 magnification. Automated image analysis of villi and syncytial knots was performed, using ImageJ public domain software. Analysis of hundreds of histologic images was carried out within minutes on a personal computer, using macro commands. Compared to normal placentas, villi from delayed maturation were larger and fewer, with fewer and smaller syncytial knots. Villi from accelerated maturation were smaller. The data were further analyzed according to horizontal placental zones and groups of villous size. Normal placentas can be discriminated from placentas of delayed or accelerated villous maturation using automated image analysis. Automated image analysis of villi and syncytial knots is not equivalent to interpretation by the human eye. Each method has advantages and disadvantages in assessing the 2-dimensional histologic sections representing the complex, 3-dimensional villous tree. Image analysis of placentas provides quantitative data that might help in standardizing and grading of placentas for diagnostic and research purposes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploitation of intertidal feeding resources by the red knot Calidris canutus under megatidal conditions (Bay of Saint-Brieuc, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturbois, Anthony; Ponsero, Alain; Desroy, Nicolas; Le Mao, Patrick; Fournier, Jérôme

2015-02-01

The feeding ecology of the red knot has been widely studied across its wintering range. Red knots mainly select bivalves and gastropods, with differences between sites due to variation in prey availability. The shorebird's diet is also influenced or controlled by the tidal regime. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the adaptation of foraging red knots to the megatidal environment. The variation in their diet during tidal cycles was studied in the bay of Saint-Brieuc, a functional unit for this species. The method used combined macrofauna, distribution of foraging birds and diet data. Comparative spatial analyses of macrofauna and distribution of foraging red knots have shown that the bay's four benthic assemblages are exploited by birds. By analysing droppings, we highlighted that bivalve molluscs are the main component of their diet, as shown in most overwintering sites. Fifteen types of prey were identified and Donax vittatus was discovered to be a significant prey item. The relative proportion of each main prey item differs significantly depending on the benthic assemblage used to forage. All available benthic assemblages and all potential feeding resources can be used during a single tidal cycle, reflecting an adaptation to megatidal conditions. This approach develops accurate knowledge about the feeding ecology of birds which managers need in order to identify optimal areas for the conservation of waders based on the areas and resources actually used by the birds.

Characteristic length of the knotting probability revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uehara, Erica; Deguchi, Tetsuo

2015-09-01

We present a self-avoiding polygon (SAP) model for circular DNA in which the radius of impermeable cylindrical segments corresponds to the screening length of double-stranded DNA surrounded by counter ions. For the model we evaluate the probability for a generated SAP with N segments having a given knot K through simulation. We call it the knotting probability of a knot K with N segments for the SAP model. We show that when N is large the most significant factor in the knotting probability is given by the exponentially decaying part exp(-N/NK), where the estimates of parameter NK are consistent with the same value for all the different knots we investigated. We thus call it the characteristic length of the knotting probability. We give formulae expressing the characteristic length as a function of the cylindrical radius rex, i.e. the screening length of double-stranded DNA.

Torus Knots and the Topological Vertex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jockers, Hans; Klemm, Albrecht; Soroush, Masoud

2014-08-01

We propose a class of toric Lagrangian A-branes on the resolved conifold that is suitable to describe torus knots on S 3. The key role is played by the transformation, which generates a general torus knot from the unknot. Applying the topological vertex to the proposed A-branes, we rederive the colored HOMFLY polynomials for torus knots, in agreement with the Rosso and Jones formula. We show that our A-model construction is mirror symmetric to the B-model analysis of Brini, Eynard and Mariño. Compared to the recent proposal by Aganagic and Vafa for knots on S 3, we demonstrate that the disk amplitude of the A-brane associated with any knot is sufficient to reconstruct the entire B-model spectral curve. Finally, the construction of toric Lagrangian A-branes is generalized to other local toric Calabi-Yau geometries, which paves the road to study knots in other three-manifolds such as lens spaces.

Vortex knots in tangled quantum eigenfunctions

PubMed Central

Taylor, Alexander J.; Dennis, Mark R.

2016-01-01

Tangles of string typically become knotted, from macroscopic twine down to long-chain macromolecules such as DNA. Here, we demonstrate that knotting also occurs in quantum wavefunctions, where the tangled filaments are vortices (nodal lines/phase singularities). The probability that a vortex loop is knotted is found to increase with its length, and a wide gamut of knots from standard tabulations occur. The results follow from computer simulations of random superpositions of degenerate eigenstates of three simple quantum systems: a cube with periodic boundaries, the isotropic three-dimensional harmonic oscillator and the 3-sphere. In the latter two cases, vortex knots occur frequently, even in random eigenfunctions at relatively low energy, and are constrained by the spatial symmetries of the modes. The results suggest that knotted vortex structures are generic in complex three-dimensional wave systems, establishing a topological commonality between wave chaos, polymers and turbulent Bose–Einstein condensates. PMID:27468801

Effects of horseshoe crab harvest in delaware bay on red knots: Are harvest restrictions working?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Niles, L.J.; Bart, J.; Sitters, H.P.; Dey, A.D.; Clark, K.E.; Atkinson, P.W.; Baker, Allan J.; Bennett, K.A.; Kalasz, K.S.; Clark, N.A.; Clark, J.; Gillings, S.; Gates, A.S.; Gonzalez, P.M.; Hernandez, D.E.; Minton, C.D.T.; Morrison, R.I.G.; Porter, R.R.; Ross, R.K.; Veitch, C.R.

2009-01-01

Each May, red knots (Calidris canutus rufa) congregate in Delaware Bay during their northward migration to feed on horseshoe crab eggs (Limulus polyphemus) and refuel for breeding in the Arctic. During the 1990s, the Delaware Bay harvest of horseshoe crabs for bait increased 10-fold, leading to a more than 90% decline in the availability of their eggs for knots. The proportion of knots achieving weights of more than 180 grams by 26-28 May, their main departure period, dropped from 0.6-0.8 to 0.14-0.4 over 1997-2007. During the same period, the red knot population stopping in Delaware Bay declined by more than 75%, in part because the annual survival rate of adult knots wintering in Tierra del Fuego declined. Despite restrictions, the 2007 horseshoe crab harvest was still greater than the 1990 harvest, and no recovery of knots was detectable. We propose an adaptive management strategy with recovery goals and annual monitoring that, if adopted, will both allow red knot and horseshoe crab populations to recover and permit a sustainable harvest of horseshoe crabs.

Video and accelerometer-based motion analysis for automated surgical skills assessment.

PubMed

Zia, Aneeq; Sharma, Yachna; Bettadapura, Vinay; Sarin, Eric L; Essa, Irfan

2018-03-01

Basic surgical skills of suturing and knot tying are an essential part of medical training. Having an automated system for surgical skills assessment could help save experts time and improve training efficiency. There have been some recent attempts at automated surgical skills assessment using either video analysis or acceleration data. In this paper, we present a novel approach for automated assessment of OSATS-like surgical skills and provide an analysis of different features on multi-modal data (video and accelerometer data). We conduct a large study for basic surgical skill assessment on a dataset that contained video and accelerometer data for suturing and knot-tying tasks. We introduce "entropy-based" features-approximate entropy and cross-approximate entropy, which quantify the amount of predictability and regularity of fluctuations in time series data. The proposed features are compared to existing methods of Sequential Motion Texture, Discrete Cosine Transform and Discrete Fourier Transform, for surgical skills assessment. We report average performance of different features across all applicable OSATS-like criteria for suturing and knot-tying tasks. Our analysis shows that the proposed entropy-based features outperform previous state-of-the-art methods using video data, achieving average classification accuracies of 95.1 and 92.2% for suturing and knot tying, respectively. For accelerometer data, our method performs better for suturing achieving 86.8% average accuracy. We also show that fusion of video and acceleration features can improve overall performance for skill assessment. Automated surgical skills assessment can be achieved with high accuracy using the proposed entropy features. Such a system can significantly improve the efficiency of surgical training in medical schools and teaching hospitals.

Energy landscape of knotted protein folding

PubMed Central

Sułkowska, Joanna I.; Noel, Jeffrey K.; Onuchic, Jose N.

2012-01-01

Recent experiments have conclusively shown that proteins are able to fold from an unknotted, denatured polypeptide to the knotted, native state without the aid of chaperones. These experiments are consistent with a growing body of theoretical work showing that a funneled, minimally frustrated energy landscape is sufficient to fold small proteins with complex topologies. Here, we present a theoretical investigation of the folding of a knotted protein, 2ouf, engineered in the laboratory by a domain fusion that mimics an evolutionary pathway for knotted proteins. Unlike a previously studied knotted protein of similar length, we see reversible folding/knotting and a surprising lack of deep topological traps with a coarse-grained structure-based model. Our main interest is to investigate how evolution might further select the geometry and stiffness of the threading region of the newly fused protein. We compare the folding of the wild-type protein to several mutants. Similarly to the wild-type protein, all mutants show robust and reversible folding, and knotting coincides with the transition state ensemble. As observed experimentally, our simulations show that the knotted protein folds about ten times slower than an unknotted construct with an identical contact map. Simulated folding kinetics reflect the experimentally observed rollover in the folding limbs of chevron plots. Successful folding of the knotted protein is restricted to a narrow range of temperature as compared to the unknotted protein and fits of the kinetic folding data below folding temperature suggest slow, nondiffusive dynamics for the knotted protein. PMID:22891304

Pseudohaptic interaction with knot diagrams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weng, Jianguang; Zhang, Hui

2012-07-01

To make progress in understanding knot theory, we need to interact with the projected representations of mathematical knots, which are continuous in three dimensions (3-D) but significantly interrupted in the projective images. One way to achieve such a goal is to design an interactive system that allows us to sketch two-dimensional (2-D) knot diagrams by taking advantage of a collision-sensing controller and explore their underlying smooth structures through a continuous motion. Recent advances of interaction techniques have been made that allow progress in this direction. Pseudohaptics that simulate haptic effects using pure visual feedback can be used to develop such an interactive system. We outline one such pseudohaptic knot diagram interface. Our interface derives from the familiar pencil-and-paper process of drawing 2-D knot diagrams and provides haptic-like sensations to facilitate the creation and exploration of knot diagrams. A centerpiece of the interaction model simulates a physically reactive mouse cursor, which is exploited to resolve the apparent conflict between the continuous structure of the actual smooth knot and the visual discontinuities in the knot diagram representation. Another value in exploiting pseudohaptics is that an acceleration (or deceleration) of the mouse cursor (or surface locator) can be used to indicate the slope of the curve (or surface) of which the projective image is being explored. By exploiting these additional visual cues, we proceed to a full-featured extension to a pseudohaptic four-dimensional (4-D) visualization system that simulates the continuous navigation on 4-D objects and allows us to sense the bumps and holes in the fourth dimension. Preliminary tests of the software show that main features of the interface overcome some expected perceptual limitations in our interaction with 2-D knot diagrams of 3-D knots and 3-D projective images of 4-D mathematical objects.

A 'FIREWORK' OF H{sub 2} KNOTS IN THE PLANETARY NEBULA NGC 7293 (THE HELIX NEBULA)

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

Matsuura, M.; Speck, A. K.; McHunu, B. M.

2009-08-01

We present a deep and wide field-of-view (4' x 7') image of the planetary nebula (PN) NGC 7293 (the Helix Nebula) in the 2.12 {mu}m H{sub 2} v = 1 {yields} 0 S(1) line. The excellent seeing (0.''4) at the Subaru Telescope, allows the details of cometary knots to be examined. The knots are found at distances of 2.'2-6.'4 from the central star (CS). At the inner edge and in the inner ring (up to 4.'5 from the CS), the knot often show a 'tadpole' shape, an elliptical head with a bright crescent inside and a long tail opposite tomore » the CS. In detail, there are variations in the tadpole shapes, such as narrowing tails, widening tails, meandering tails, or multipeaks within a tail. In the outer ring (4.'5-6.'4 from the CS), the shapes are more fractured, and the tails do not collimate into a single direction. The transition in knot morphology from the inner edge to the outer ring is clearly seen. The number density of knots governs the H{sub 2} surface brightness in the inner ring: H{sub 2} exists only within the knots. Possible mechanisms which contribute to the shaping of the knots are discussed, including photoionization and streaming motions. A plausible interpretation of our images is that inner knots are being overrun by a faster wind, but that this has not (yet) reached the outer knots. Based on H{sub 2} formation and destruction rates, H{sub 2} gas can survive in knots from formation during the late asymptotic giant branch phase throughout the PN phase. These observations provide new constraints on the formation and evolution of knots, and on the physics of molecular gas embedded within ionized gas.« less

A "Firework" of H2 Knots in the Planetary Nebula NGC 7293 (The Helix Nebula)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuura, M.; Speck, A. K.; McHunu, B. M.; Tanaka, I.; Wright, N. J.; Smith, M. D.; Zijlstra, A. A.; Viti, S.; Wesson, R.

2009-08-01

We present a deep and wide field-of-view (4' × 7') image of the planetary nebula (PN) NGC 7293 (the Helix Nebula) in the 2.12 μm H2 v = 1 → 0 S(1) line. The excellent seeing (0farcs4) at the Subaru Telescope, allows the details of cometary knots to be examined. The knots are found at distances of 2farcm2-6farcm4 from the central star (CS). At the inner edge and in the inner ring (up to 4farcm5 from the CS), the knot often show a "tadpole" shape, an elliptical head with a bright crescent inside and a long tail opposite to the CS. In detail, there are variations in the tadpole shapes, such as narrowing tails, widening tails, meandering tails, or multipeaks within a tail. In the outer ring (4farcm5-6farcm4 from the CS), the shapes are more fractured, and the tails do not collimate into a single direction. The transition in knot morphology from the inner edge to the outer ring is clearly seen. The number density of knots governs the H2 surface brightness in the inner ring: H2 exists only within the knots. Possible mechanisms which contribute to the shaping of the knots are discussed, including photoionization and streaming motions. A plausible interpretation of our images is that inner knots are being overrun by a faster wind, but that this has not (yet) reached the outer knots. Based on H2 formation and destruction rates, H2 gas can survive in knots from formation during the late asymptotic giant branch phase throughout the PN phase. These observations provide new constraints on the formation and evolution of knots, and on the physics of molecular gas embedded within ionized gas. Based on data taken with the Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (proposal ID S07B-054).

Habitat use by Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa): Experiments with oyster racks and reefs on the beach and intertidal of Delaware Bay, New Jersey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burger, Joanna; Niles, Lawrence J.

2017-07-01

Sea level rise and increasing human activities have decreased intertidal habitat in many places in the world. The expansion of aquaculture in intertidal areas may impact birds and other organisms using these habitats, leading to questions of sustainability of both aquaculture and functioning estuarine ecosystems. Understanding the effect of oyster culture on shorebird activity, particularly on Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa), a species on the U.S. Threatened List, is important for adaptive management and the expansion of oyster culture. In May 2013 we experimentally compared Red Knot and shorebird use of a beach section with racks and a control, and in 2016 we compared the use of sections with artificial reefs, oyster racks, and control on Delaware Bay, New Jersey (USA). The data included only times when no workers or other people were present. Censuses, conducted every 30 min throughout the day (279 censuses in 2013, 231 censuses in 2016), included the number of Red Knots and other shorebirds in each treatment section. In 2013, the total number of shorebirds was significantly higher in the rack section than in the control section, except for Red Knots and Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) that occurred in higher numbers in the control than in the rack section. In 2016 Red Knot numbers were also significantly lower in the rack section. In 2013, the mean number of Red Knots/census was 13 for racks vs 59 for the control (P < 0.0002). In 2016, the mean number of Red Knots/census was 13 for racks and over 68 for other treatments (P < 0.0001). Treatment, date, and number of non-Knot shorebirds explained 60% (2013) and 69% (2016) of the variation in Red Knot numbers. Red Knots avoided the sections with racks while both foraging and roosting, suggesting that caution should be used before placing oyster racks in areas used for foraging by Red Knots.

Pierced Lasso Proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jennings, Patricia

Entanglement and knots are naturally occurring, where, in the microscopic world, knots in DNA and homopolymers are well characterized. The most complex knots are observed in proteins which are harder to investigate, as proteins are heteropolymers composed of a combination of 20 different amino acids with different individual biophysical properties. As new-knotted topologies and new proteins containing knots continue to be discovered and characterized, the investigation of knots in proteins has gained intense interest. Thus far, the principle focus has been on the evolutionary origin of tying a knot, with questions of how a protein chain `self-ties' into a knot, what the mechanism(s) are that contribute to threading, and the biological relevance and functional implication of a knotted topology in vivo gaining the most insight. Efforts to study the fully untied and unfolded chain indicate that the knot is highly stable, remaining intact in the unfolded state orders of magnitude longer than first anticipated. The persistence of ``stable'' knots in the unfolded state, together with the challenge of defining an unfolded and untied chain from an unfolded and knotted chain, complicates the study of fully untied protein in vitro. Our discovery of a new class of knotted proteins, the Pierced Lassos (PL) loop topology, simplifies the knotting approach. While PLs are not easily recognizable by the naked eye, they have now been identified in many proteins in the PDB through the use of computation tools. PL topologies are diverse proteins found in all kingdoms of life, performing a large variety of biological responses such as cell signaling, immune responses, transporters and inhibitors (http://lassoprot.cent.uw.edu.pl/). Many of these PL topologies are secreted proteins, extracellular proteins, as well as, redox sensors, enzymes and metal and co-factor binding proteins; all of which provide a favorable environment for the formation of the disulphide bridge. In the PL topologies, the threaded topology is formed by a covalent loop where part of the polypeptide chain is threaded through, forming what we term a PL. The advantage of a PL topology for fundamental studies, compared to other knotted proteins, is that the threaded topology can easily be manipulated to yield an unknotted state. Exploiting the oxidative state of the cysteines, the building blocks that form the disulphide bridge generating the covalent loop, through altering the chemical environment, and thereby controlling the formation of the covalent loop, easily generates unknotted protein. The biological advantage, we have found, is that the PL can exert allosteric control through this on/off mechanism in a target protein. Most significantly, as the disulphide bridge acts as an on/off switch in knotting, the biophysical investigation of PL topologies can provide a new tool to steer folding and function in proteins, as disulphide bridges are commonly used in protein engineering and therapeutics.

Ab-interno scleral suture loop fixation with cow-hitch knot in posterior chamber intraocular lens decentration

PubMed Central

Can, Ertuğrul; Koçak, Nurullah; Yücel, Özlem Eşki; Gül, Adem; Öztürk, Hilal Eser; Sayın, Osman

2016-01-01

Aim of Study: To describe a simplified ab-interno cow-hitch suture fixation technique for repositioning decentered posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL). Materials and Methods: Two cases are presented with the surgical correction of decentered and subluxated IOL. Ab-interno scleral suture fixation technique with hitch-cow knot in the eye was performed with a ciliary sulcus guide instrument and 1 year follow-up was completed. Results: Both of the patients had well centered lenses postoperatively. Corrected distant and near visual acuities of the patients were improved. There was no significant postoperative complication. In the follow-up period of 1 year, no evidence of suture erosion was found. Conclusions: Ab-interno scleral suture loop fixation with hitch-cow knot in the eye was effective in repositioning decentered or subluxated PC IOLs with excellent postoperative centered lenses and visual outcomes. PMID:27050346

Thermodynamics of the pseudo-knot in helix 18 of 16S ribosomal RNA.

PubMed

Wojciechowska, Monika; Dudek, Marta; Trylska, Joanna

2018-04-01

A fragment of E. coli 16S rRNA formed by nucleotides 500 to 545 is termed helix 18. Nucleotides 505-507 and 524-526 form a pseudo-knot and its distortion affects ribosome function. Helix 18 isolated from the ribosome context is thus an interesting fragment to investigate the structural properties and folding of RNA with pseudo-knots. With all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, spectroscopic and gel electrophoresis experiments, we investigated thermodynamics of helix 18, with a focus on its pseudo-knot. In solution studies at ambient conditions we observed dimerization of helix 18. We proposed that the loop, containing nucleotides forming the pseudo-knot, interacts with another monomer of helix 18. The native dimer is difficult to break but introducing mutations in the pseudo-knot indeed assured a monomeric form of helix 18. Molecular dynamics simulations at 310 K confirmed the stability of the pseudo-knot but at elevated temperatures this pseudo-knot was the first part of helix 18 to lose the hydrogen bond pattern. To further determine helix 18 stability, we analyzed the interactions of helix 18 with short oligomers complementary to a nucleotide stretch containing the pseudo-knot. The formation of higher-order structures by helix 18 impacts hybridization efficiency of peptide nucleic acid and 2'-O methyl RNA oligomers. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Whitefly Bemisia tabaci Knottin-1 Gene Is Implicated in Regulating the Quantity of Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus Ingested and Transmitted by the Insect

PubMed Central

Hariton Shalev, Aliza; Sobol, Iris; Ghanim, Murad; Liu, Shu-Sheng; Czosnek, Henryk

2016-01-01

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a major pest to agricultural crops. It transmits begomoviruses, such as Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), in a circular, persistent fashion. Transcriptome analyses revealed that B. tabaci knottin genes were responsive to various stresses. Upon ingestion of tomato begomoviruses, two of the four knottin genes were upregulated, knot-1 (with the highest expression) and knot-3. In this study, we examined the involvement of B. tabaci knottin genes in relation to TYLCV circulative transmission. Knottins were silenced by feeding whiteflies with knottin dsRNA via detached tomato leaves. Large amounts of knot-1 transcripts were present in the abdomen of whiteflies, an obligatory transit site of begomoviruses in their circulative transmission pathway; knot-1 silencing significantly depleted the abdomen from knot-1 transcripts. Knot-1 silencing led to an increase in the amounts of TYLCV ingested by the insects and transmitted to tomato test plants by several orders of magnitude. This effect was not observed following knot-3 silencing. Hence, knot-1 plays a role in restricting the quantity of virions an insect may acquire and transmit. We suggest that knot-1 protects B. tabaci against deleterious effects caused by TYLCV by limiting the amount of virus associated with the whitefly vector. PMID:27455309

46 CFR 174.055 - Calculation of wind heeling moment (Hm).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... for an exposed surface on the unit in foot-pounds (kilogram-meters); (2) k=0.00338 lb./(ft.2-knots2) (0.0623 (kg-sec2)/m4); (3) v=wind velocity of— (i) 70 knots (36 meters per second) for normal operating conditions. (ii) 100 knots (51.5 meters per second) for severe storm conditions. (iii) 50 knots...

Force feedback vessel ligation simulator in knot-tying proficiency training.

PubMed

Hsu, Justin L; Korndorffer, James R; Brown, Kimberly M

2016-02-01

Tying gentle secure knots is an important skill. We have developed a force feedback simulator that measures force exerted during knot tying. This pilot study examines the benefits of this simulator in a deliberate practice curriculum. The simulator consists of silastic tubing with a force sensor. Knot quality was assessed using digital caliper measurement. Participants performed 10 vessel ligations as a pretest, then were shown force readings and tied knots until reaching proficiency targets. Average peak forces precurriculum and postcurriculum were compared using Student t test. Participants exerted significantly less force after completing the curriculum (.61 N ± .22 vs 1.42 N ± .53, P < .001), and had fewer air knots (10% vs 27%). The curriculum was completed in an average of 19.4 ± 6.27 minutes and required an average of 11.7 ± 4.03 knots to reach proficiency. This study demonstrates the feasibility of real-time feedback in learning to tie delicate knots. The curriculum can be completed in a reasonable amount of time, and may also work as a warm-up exercise before a surgical case. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Total curvature and total torsion of knotted random polygons in confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diao, Yuanan; Ernst, Claus; Rawdon, Eric J.; Ziegler, Uta

2018-04-01

Knots in nature are typically confined spatially. The confinement affects the possible configurations, which in turn affects the spectrum of possible knot types as well as the geometry of the configurations within each knot type. The goal of this paper is to determine how confinement, length, and knotting affect the total curvature and total torsion of random polygons. Previously published papers have investigated these effects in the unconstrained case. In particular, we analyze how the total curvature and total torsion are affected by (1) varying the length of polygons within a fixed confinement radius and (2) varying the confinement radius of polygons with a fixed length. We also compare the total curvature and total torsion of groups of knots with similar complexity (measured as crossing number). While some of our results fall in line with what has been observed in the studies of the unconfined random polygons, a few surprising results emerge from our study, showing some properties that are unique due to the effect of knotting in confinement.

Methyl Transfer by Substrate Signaling from a Knotted Protein Fold

PubMed Central

Christian, Thomas; Sakaguchi, Reiko; Perlinska, Agata P.; Lahoud, Georges; Ito, Takuhiro; Taylor, Erika A.; Yokoyama, Shigeyuki; Sulkowska, Joanna I.; Hou, Ya-Ming

2017-01-01

Proteins with knotted configurations are restricted in conformational space relative to unknotted proteins. Little is known if knotted proteins have sufficient dynamics to communicate between spatially separated substrate-binding sites. In bacteria, TrmD is a methyl transferase that uses a knotted protein fold to catalyze methyl transfer from S-adenosyl methionine (AdoMet) to G37-tRNA. The product m1G37-tRNA is essential for life as a determinant to maintain protein synthesis reading-frame. Using an integrated approach of structure, kinetic, and computational analysis, we show here that the structurally constrained TrmD knot is required for its catalytic activity. Unexpectedly, the TrmD knot has complex internal movements that respond to AdoMet binding and signaling. Most of the signaling propagates the free energy of AdoMet binding to stabilize tRNA binding and to assemble the active site. This work demonstrates new principles of knots as an organized structure that captures the free energies of substrate binding to facilitate catalysis. PMID:27571175

Counterexamples to Moffatt's statements on vortex knots.

PubMed

Bogoyavlenskij, Oleg

2017-04-01

One of the well-known problems of hydrodynamics is studied: the problem of classification of vortex knots for ideal fluid flows. In the literature there are known Moffatt statements that all torus knots K_{m,n} for all rational numbers m/n (0

On the Construction and Dynamics of Knotted Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kedia, Hridesh

Representing a physical field in terms of its field lines has often enabled a deeper understanding of complex physical phenomena, from Faraday's law of magnetic induction, to the Helmholtz laws of vortex motion, to the free energy density of liquid crystals in terms of the distortions of the lines of the director field. At the same time, the application of ideas from topology--the study of properties that are invariant under continuous deformations--has led to robust insights into the nature of complex physical systems from defects in crystal structures, to the earth's magnetic field, to topological conservation laws. The study of knotted fields, physical fields in which the field lines encode knots, emerges naturally from the application of topological ideas to the investigation of the physical phenomena best understood in terms of the lines of a field. A knot--a closed loop tangled with itself which can not be untangled without cutting the loop--is the simplest topologically non-trivial object constructed from a line. Remarkably, knots in the vortex (magnetic field) lines of a dissipationless fluid (plasma), persist forever as they are transported by the flow, stretching and rotating as they evolve. Moreover, deeply entwined with the topology-preserving dynamics of dissipationless fluids and plasmas, is an additional conserved quantity--helicity, a measure of the average linking of the vortex (magnetic field) lines in a fluid (plasma)--which has had far-reaching consequences for fluids and plasmas. Inspired by the persistence of knots in dissipationless flows, and their far-reaching physical consequences, we seek to understand the interplay between the dynamics of a field and the topology of its field lines in a variety of systems. While it is easy to tie a knot in a shoelace, tying a knot in the the lines of a space-filling field requires contorting the lines everywhere to match the knotted region. The challenge of analytically constructing knotted field configurations has impeded a deeper understanding of the interplay between topology and dynamics in fluids and plasmas. We begin by analytically constructing knotted field configurations which encode a desired knot in the lines of the field, and show that their helicity can be tuned independently of the encoded knot. The nonlinear nature of the physical systems in which these knotted field configurations arise, makes their analytical study challenging. We ask if a linear theory such as electromagnetism can allow knotted field configurations to persist with time. We find analytical expressions for an infinite family of knotted solutions to Maxwell's equations in vacuum and elucidate their connections to dissipationless flows. We present a design rule for constructing such persistently knotted electromagnetic fields, which could possibly be used to transfer knottedness to matter such as quantum fluids and plasmas. An important consequence of the persistence of knots in classical dissipationless flows is the existence of an additional conserved quantity, helicity, which has had far-reaching implications. To understand the existence of analogous conserved quantities, we ask if superfluids, which flow without dissipation just like classical dissipationless flows, have an additional conserved quantity akin to helicity. We address this question using an analytical approach based on defining the particle relabeling symmetry--the symmetry underlying helicity conservation--in superfluids, and find that an analogous conserved quantity exists but vanishes identically owing to the intrinsic geometry of complex scalar fields. Furthermore, to address the question of a ``classical limit'' of superfluid vortices which recovers classical helicity conservation, we perform numerical simulations of \\emph{bundles} of superfluid vortices, and find behavior akin to classical viscous flows.

Knots in electromagnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrayás, M.; Bouwmeester, D.; Trueba, J. L.

2017-01-01

Maxwell equations in vacuum allow for solutions with a non-trivial topology in the electric and magnetic field line configurations at any given moment in time. One example is a space filling congruence of electric and magnetic field lines forming circles lying on the surfaces of nested tori. In this example the electric, magnetic and Poynting vector fields are orthogonal everywhere. As time evolves the electric and magnetic fields expand and deform without changing the topology and energy, while the Poynting vector structure remains unchanged while propagating with the speed of light. The topology is characterized by the concept of helicity of the field configuration. Helicity is an important fundamental concept and for massless fields it is a conserved quantity under conformal transformations. We will review several methods by which linked and knotted electromagnetic (spin-1) fields can be derived. A first method, introduced by A. Rañada, uses the formulation of the Maxwell equations in terms of differential forms combined with the Hopf map from the three-sphere S3 to the two-sphere S2. A second method is based on spinor and twistor theory developed by R. Penrose in which elementary twistor functions correspond to the family of electromagnetic torus knots. A third method uses the Bateman construction of generating null solutions from complex Euler potentials. And a fourth method uses special conformal transformations, in particular conformal inversion, to generate new linked and knotted field configurations from existing ones. This fourth method is often accompanied by shifting singularities in the field to complex space-time points. Of course the various methods must be closely related to one another although they have been developed largely independently and they suggest different directions in which to expand the study of topologically non-trivial field configurations. It will be shown how the twistor formulation allows for a direct extension to massless fields of other spin values, such as spin-2 fields satisfying the linearized Einstein vacuum equation, and how the formulation by A. Rañada can be extended to fields for which the electric and magnetic fields are not orthogonal everywhere. Underlying the various methods is the fact that electric and magnetic field lines can be described as the level curves of complex functions. Compactification of R3 naturally leads to finite energy solutions because the fields at infinity in all directions should all converge towards zero. An intriguing question that is raised by the finite energy is whether there is a connection to the quantization of the classical electromagnetic field. We will review some issues related to this question. Another interesting question is why the general formulation of topologically non-trivial solutions uses the electric and magnetic fields instead of the electromagnetic vector potentials. This leads to a discussion of the Clebsch representation of the electromagnetic field strength 2-form. Finally, a topic of great interest is the possibility of experimentally generating and investigating linked and knotted field configurations. Since the non-trivial topological field solutions exploit the special conformal symmetry of the underlying vacuum wave-equations it will only be possible to approximate the solutions in an experiment, which necessarily introduces material objects that will break the special conformal symmetry. We will review the research on plasma configurations in which the magnetic field-line configuration approximates plasma torus knots leading to the prediction of topological solitons in plasma.

Knot, heartwood, and sapwood extractives related to VOCs from drying southern pine lumber

Treesearch

Leonard L. Ingram; M. Curry Templeton; G. Wayne McGraw; Richard W. Hemingway

2000-01-01

The presence of knots or heartwood influences the amount and composition of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions associated with drying of southern pine lumber. Experimental kiln charges of lumber containing 0 to 5% of knot volume gave VOC emissions ranging from 2.86 to 4.25 lb of carbonldry ton of wood. Studies of emissions from sapwood and knots showed that...

A pseudo-haptic knot diagram interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hui; Weng, Jianguang; Hanson, Andrew J.

2011-01-01

To make progress in understanding knot theory, we will need to interact with the projected representations of mathematical knots which are of course continuous in 3D but significantly interrupted in the projective images. One way to achieve such a goal would be to design an interactive system that allows us to sketch 2D knot diagrams by taking advantage of a collision-sensing controller and explore their underlying smooth structures through a continuous motion. Recent advances of interaction techniques have been made that allow progress to be made in this direction. Pseudo-haptics that simulates haptic effects using pure visual feedback can be used to develop such an interactive system. This paper outlines one such pseudo-haptic knot diagram interface. Our interface derives from the familiar pencil-and-paper process of drawing 2D knot diagrams and provides haptic-like sensations to facilitate the creation and exploration of knot diagrams. A centerpiece of the interaction model simulates a "physically" reactive mouse cursor, which is exploited to resolve the apparent conflict between the continuous structure of the actual smooth knot and the visual discontinuities in the knot diagram representation. Another value in exploiting pseudo-haptics is that an acceleration (or deceleration) of the mouse cursor (or surface locator) can be used to indicate the slope of the curve (or surface) of whom the projective image is being explored. By exploiting these additional visual cues, we proceed to a full-featured extension to a pseudo-haptic 4D visualization system that simulates the continuous navigation on 4D objects and allows us to sense the bumps and holes in the fourth dimension. Preliminary tests of the software show that main features of the interface overcome some expected perceptual limitations in our interaction with 2D knot diagrams of 3D knots and 3D projective images of 4D mathematical objects.

Modified 16-Dot plication technique for correction of penile curvature: prevention of knot-related complications.

PubMed

Salem, Emad A

2018-05-08

Penile curvature is a common urological disease. Tunical plication for correction of penile curvature has been much popularized being simpler, adjustable to avoid overcorrection, less bleeding, and less postoperative erectile dysfunction. This study aims to assess the results of modified 16-dot plication technique for correction of congenital and acquired penile curvature and avoidance of knot-associated complications. Eighteen patients underwent correction of their penile curvature using the modified 16-dot plication technique between January 2014 and October 2015. Patients' pre and postoperative data were analyzed. The mean age of patients is 44 years old. Of the patients 15 who were available for follow-up, 8 patients had congenital penile curvature (CPC) and 7 had Peyronie's disease (PD). The angle of deviation ranged from 30° to 90°. Erectile function (EF) was assessed preoperative by IIEF score and duplex ultrasound. Postoperative follow-up at 3 and 6 months revealed straight erect penis in all patients. Longer follow-up at 1 to 2 years, 2 patients complained from slight recurrence of curve (<20°) and 2 patients complained of worsening of their erectile function. Penile shortening was noted by 6 patients. None of our patients stated any knot complication or bothersome, nor do hematomas, numbness, or painful erections. The modified 16-dot plication technique for correction if penile curvature is a safe and effective method. This modification allowed the knots to be tucked in the plicate tunical tissue avoiding knot-associated complications. More investigation on a large scale of patients or multicenter studies is recommended.

46 CFR 134.140 - Structural standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...”, assuming a steady wind speed of 100 knots for liftboats in unrestricted service, and 70 knots for liftboats in restricted service under normal operating conditions and 100 knots under severe storm conditions...

Dynamics of knotted flexible loops settling under a constant force in a viscous fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruziel, Magdalena; Thyagarajan, Krishnan; Dietler, Giovanni; Szymczak, Piotr; Ekiel-Jezewska, Maria

2017-11-01

Sedimenting chains of metal beads knotted to a topology of a torus knot tend to stabilize in the form of extended, flat, tightly interwound loops. In this configuration they perform an oscillatory motion of the loops swirling periodically around each other. Stokesian dynamics simulations of elastic fibers confirm the long-lasting character of the traveling wave-like swirling motion and show also the accompanying rotation of the system. Moreover, the periodic motion shows striking resemblance to the stable solutions for the evolution of vortices of torus knot topology. Using the results of the simulations we study the dependence of the frequencies and sedimentation velocities on the length of the fiber. We also notice the dependence of the knot dynamics on the bending stiffness of the fiber and the knot rank. NCN-2015/19/D/ST8/03199.

A biomechanical study of laparoscopic 4S-modified Roeder and Weston knot strength in 3-0 polyglactin 910 and 3-0 polydioxanone.

PubMed

Fugazzi, Russell W; Fransson, Boel A; Curran, Katie M; Davis, Howard M; Gay, John M

2013-02-01

To (1) evaluate biomechanical strength of 4 different laparoscopic knots using 2 suture types, and (2) evaluate carotid artery ligature bursting pressure of 2 knots using a single suture type. Biomechanical materials testing. Suture material (3-0 polydioxanone, 3-0 polyglactin 910). Four knot types were tested: 4S-modified Roeder (4SMR) Weston plus 3 square throws (W3S); Weston plus 3 granny throws (W3G); and a 4 square throw knot as a control (control); 24 specimens of each knot type were tied with 3-0 polyglactin 910 and 24 of 3 knot types (4SMR, W3S, control) were tied with 3-0 polydioxanone. Suture loop constructs were tested to 3 mm displacement failure and ultimate failure. Carotid artery ligation bursting pressure was tested using 10 samples each of 4SMR and W3S knots with 3-0 polyglactin 910. The W3S, W3G, and controls were similar. The 4SMR was similar to W3S using 3-0 PDS but the 4SMR had lower load to failure and greater elongation than the Weston using 3-0 polyglactin 910. The 4SMR had a higher slippage rate with 3-0 polyglactin 910. All ligatures withstood supraphysiologic pressures. Surgeons using 3-0 polyglactin 910 should consider using the Weston knot with added throws during laparoscopic procedures. © Copyright 2012 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Properties of knotted ring polymers. I. Equilibrium dimensions.

PubMed

Mansfield, Marc L; Douglas, Jack F

2010-07-28

We report calculations on three classes of knotted ring polymers: (1) simple-cubic lattice self-avoiding rings (SARs), (2) "true" theta-state rings, i.e., SARs generated on the simple-cubic lattice with an attractive nearest-neighbor contact potential (theta-SARs), and (3) ideal, Gaussian rings. Extrapolations to large polymerization index N imply knot localization in all three classes of chains. Extrapolations of our data are also consistent with conjectures found in the literature which state that (1) R(g)-->AN(nu) asymptotically for ensembles of random knots restricted to any particular knot state, including the unknot; (2) A is universal across knot types for any given class of flexible chains; and (3) nu is equal to the standard self-avoiding walk (SAW) exponent (congruent with 0.588) for all three classes of chains (SARs, theta-SARs, and ideal rings). However, current computer technology is inadequate to directly sample the asymptotic domain, so that we remain in a crossover scaling regime for all accessible values of N. We also observe that R(g) approximately p(-0.27), where p is the "rope length" of the maximally inflated knot. This scaling relation holds in the crossover regime, but we argue that it is unlikely to extend into the asymptotic scaling regime where knots become localized.

On universal knot polynomials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mironov, A.; Mkrtchyan, R.; Morozov, A.

2016-02-01

We present a universal knot polynomials for 2- and 3-strand torus knots in adjoint representation, by universalization of appropriate Rosso-Jones formula. According to universality, these polynomials coincide with adjoined colored HOMFLY and Kauffman polynomials at SL and SO/Sp lines on Vogel's plane, respectively and give their exceptional group's counterparts on exceptional line. We demonstrate that [m,n]=[n,m] topological invariance, when applicable, take place on the entire Vogel's plane. We also suggest the universal form of invariant of figure eight knot in adjoint representation, and suggest existence of such universalization for any knot in adjoint and its descendant representations. Properties of universal polynomials and applications of these results are discussed.

Explicit formulae for Chern-Simons invariants of the twist-knot orbifolds and edge polynomials of twist knots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ham, J.-Y.; Lee, J.

2016-09-01

We calculate the Chern-Simons invariants of twist-knot orbifolds using the Schläfli formula for the generalized Chern-Simons function on the family of twist knot cone-manifold structures. Following the general instruction of Hilden, Lozano, and Montesinos-Amilibia, we here present concrete formulae and calculations. We use the Pythagorean Theorem, which was used by Ham, Mednykh and Petrov, to relate the complex length of the longitude and the complex distance between the two axes fixed by two generators. As an application, we calculate the Chern-Simons invariants of cyclic coverings of the hyperbolic twist-knot orbifolds. We also derive some interesting results. The explicit formulae of the A-polynomials of twist knots are obtained from the complex distance polynomials. Hence the edge polynomials corresponding to the edges of the Newton polygons of the A-polynomials of twist knots can be obtained. In particular, the number of boundary components of every incompressible surface corresponding to slope -4n+2 turns out to be 2. Bibliography: 39 titles.

Universal Racah matrices and adjoint knot polynomials: Arborescent knots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mironov, A.; Morozov, A.

2016-04-01

By now it is well established that the quantum dimensions of descendants of the adjoint representation can be described in a universal form, independent of a particular family of simple Lie algebras. The Rosso-Jones formula then implies a universal description of the adjoint knot polynomials for torus knots, which in particular unifies the HOMFLY (SUN) and Kauffman (SON) polynomials. For E8 the adjoint representation is also fundamental. We suggest to extend the universality from the dimensions to the Racah matrices and this immediately produces a unified description of the adjoint knot polynomials for all arborescent (double-fat) knots, including twist, 2-bridge and pretzel. Technically we develop together the universality and the "eigenvalue conjecture", which expresses the Racah and mixing matrices through the eigenvalues of the quantum R-matrix, and for dealing with the adjoint polynomials one has to extend it to the previously unknown 6 × 6 case. The adjoint polynomials do not distinguish between mutants and therefore are not very efficient in knot theory, however, universal polynomials in higher representations can probably be better in this respect.

Topological semimetals carrying arbitrary Hopf numbers: Fermi surface topologies of a Hopf link, Solomon's knot, trefoil knot, and other linked nodal varieties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezawa, Motohiko

2017-07-01

We propose a type of Hopf semimetal indexed by a pair of numbers (p ,q ) , where the Hopf number is given by p q . The Fermi surface is given by a preimage of the Hopf map, which consists of loops nontrivially linked for a nonzero Hopf number. The Fermi surface forms a torus link, whose examples are a Hopf link indexed by (1 ,1 ) , Solomon's knot (2 ,1 ) , a double Hopf link (2 ,2 ) , and a double trefoil knot (3 ,2 ) . We may choose p or q to be a half integer, where the Fermi surface is a torus knot, such as a trefoil knot (3 /2 ,1 ) . It is even possible to make the Hopf number an arbitrary rational number, where a semimetal whose Fermi surface forms open strings is generated.

The Pendulum Weaves All Knots and Links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starrett, John

2003-08-01

From a topological point of view, periodic orbits of three dimensional dynamical systems are knots, that is, circles (S∧1) embedded in the three sphere (S∧3) or in R∧3. The ensemble of periodic orbits comprising the skeleton of a 3-D strange attractor form a link: a collection of (not necessarily linked) knots. Joan Birman and Robert Williams used a topological device known as the template, a branched two-manifold that results when the stable direction is collapsed out of an attractor, to analyze the knot and link types appearing in the geometric Lorenz attractor. More recently, Robert Ghrist has shown the existence of universal templates: templates that support all knot and link types. I show that the template constructed from the geometric attractor of a forced physical pendulum contains a universal template as a subtemplate, and therefore the orbit set of the pendulum contains every knot and link type.

Explicit formulae for Chern-Simons invariants of the hyperbolic orbifolds of the knot with Conway's notation C(2n, 3)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ham, Ji-Young; Lee, Joongul

2017-03-01

We calculate the Chern-Simons invariants of the hyperbolic orbifolds of the knot with Conway's notation C(2n, 3) using the Schläfli formula for the generalized Chern-Simons function on the family of C(2n, 3) cone-manifold structures. We present the concrete and explicit formula of them. We apply the general instructions of Hilden, Lozano, and Montesinos-Amilibia and extend the Ham and Lee's methods. As an application, we calculate the Chern-Simons invariants of cyclic coverings of the hyperbolic C(2n, 3) orbifolds.

Expression of HtKNOT1, a class I KNOX gene, overlaps cell layers and development compartments of differentiating cells in stems and flowers of Helianthus tuberosus.

PubMed

Michelotti, V; Giorgetti, L; Geri, C; Cionini, G; Pugliesi, C; Fambrini, M

2007-10-01

In plant, post-embryonic development relies on the activities of indeterminate cell populations termed meristems, spatially clustered cell lineages, wherein a subset divides indeterminately. For correct growth, the plant must maintain a constant flow of cells through the meristem, where the input of dividing pluripotent cells offsets the output of differentiating cells. KNOTTED1-like homeobox (KNOX) genes are expressed in specific patterns in the plant meristems and play important roles in maintaining meristematic cell identity. We have analyzed the expression pattern of HtKNOT1, a class I KNOX gene of Helianthus tuberosus, in stems, inflorescence meristems, floral meristems and floral organs. HtKNOT1 is expressed in cambial cells, phloem cells and xylematic parenchyma within apical stem internodes, while in basal internodes HtKNOT1 expression was restricted to the presumptive initials and recently derived phloem cells. In the reproductive phase, HtKNOT1 mRNAs were detected in both the inflorescence and floral meristems as well within lateral organ primordia (i.e. floral bracts, petals, stamens and carpels). In more differentiated flowers, the expression of HtKNOT1 was restricted to developing ovules and pollen mother cells. HtKNOT1 may play a dual role being required to maintain the meristem initials as well as initiating differentiation and/or conferring new cell identity. In particular, it is possible that HtKNOT1 cooperates at floral level with additional factors that more specifically control floral organs and pollen development in H. tuberosus.

Flexor Tendon Repair With Looped Suture: 1 Versus 2 Knots.

PubMed

Gil, Joseph A; Skjong, Christian; Katarincic, Julia A; Got, Christopher

2016-03-01

To assess the strength of flexor tendon repair with looped suture. We hypothesized that, after passing the intact looped suture in the desired repair configuration, splitting the loop and tying 2 independent knots would increase the strength of flexor tendon repair. Thirty-two flexor tendons were harvested and were sharply transected in zone II. The tendons were repaired with a 4-strand core suture repair using 3-0 looped nonabsorbable nylon suture. The harvested tendons were randomly assigned and repaired with either a 1- or a 2-knot construct. The repaired flexor tendons were fixed in a servohydraulic material testing system and were loaded to failure either with uniaxial tension or cyclically. The average force at failure was 43 N for the 1-knot repair and 28 N for the 2-knot repair. The mode of failure of 15 of the flexor tendon repairs that were cyclically loaded to failure was suture pull-out. The average number of cycles and force in cyclic testing that caused failure of flexor tendon repairs was 134 cycles and 31 N for tendons repaired with looped 3-0 suture tied with 1 knot and 94 cycles and 33 N for tendons repaired with looped 3-0 suture tied with 2 knots. Our hypothesis was disproved by the results of this study. This study suggests that, when using looped suture, tying 2 independent knots instead of tying a single knot does not increase the strength of the flexor tendon repair. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Untangling the mechanics versus topology of overhand knots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reis, Pedro; Jawed, Mohammad; Dieleman, Peter; Audoly, Basile

2015-03-01

We study the interplay between mechanics and topology of overhand knots in slender elastic rods. We perform precision desktop experiments of overhand knots with increasing values for the crossing number (our measure of topology) and characterize their mechanical response through tension-displacement tests. The tensile force required to tighten the knot is governed by an intricate balance between topology, bending, friction, and contact forces. Digital imaging is employed to characterize the configuration of the contact braid as a function of crossing number. A robust scaling law is found for the pulling force in terms of the geometric and topological parameters of the knot. A reduced theory is developed, which predictively rationalizes the process.

Course 10: Three Lectures on Biological Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magnasco, M. O.

1 Enzymatic networks. Proofreading knots: How DNA topoisomerases disentangle DNA 1.1 Length scales and energy scales 1.2 DNA topology 1.3 Topoisomerases 1.4 Knots and supercoils 1.5 Topological equilibrium 1.6 Can topoisomerases recognize topology? 1.7 Proposal: Kinetic proofreading 1.8 How to do it twice 1.9 The care and proofreading of knots 1.10 Suppression of supercoils 1.11 Problems and outlook 1.12 Disquisition 2 Gene expression networks. Methods for analysis of DNA chip experiments 2.1 The regulation of gene expression 2.2 Gene expression arrays 2.3 Analysis of array data 2.4 Some simplifying assumptions 2.5 Probeset analysis 2.6 Discussion 3 Neural and gene expression networks: Song-induced gene expression in the canary brain 3.1 The study of songbirds 3.2 Canary song 3.3 ZENK 3.4 The blush 3.5 Histological analysis 3.6 Natural vs. artificial 3.7 The Blush II: gAP 3.8 Meditation

Internal kinematic and physical properties in a BCD galaxy: Haro 15 in detail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firpo, V.; Bosch, G.; Hägele, G. F.; Díaz, A. I.; Morrell, N.

2011-11-01

We present a detailed study of the kinematic and physical properties of the ionized gas in multiple knots of the blue compact dwarf galaxy Haro 15. Using echelle and long slit spectroscopy data, obtained with different instruments at Las Campanas Observatory, we study the internal kinematic and physical conditions (electron density and temperature), ionic and total chemical abundances of several atoms, reddening and ionization structure. Applying direct and empirical methods for abundance determination, we perform a comparative analysis between these regions and in their different components. On the other hand, our echelle spectra show complex kinematics in several conspicuous knots within the galaxy. To perform an in-depth 2D spectroscopic study we complete this work with high spatial and spectral resolution spectroscopy using the Integral Field Unit mode on the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph instrument at the Gemini South telescope. With these data we are able to resolve the complex kinematical structure within star forming knots in Haro 15 galaxy.

Novel application of an established technique for removing a knotted ureteric stent.

PubMed

Tempest, Heidi; Turney, Ben; Kumar, Sunil

2011-04-13

This report describes a case whereby a ureteric stent became knotted during removal and lodged within the upper ureter. The authors describe a novel minimally invasive technique to remove the knotted ureteric stent using the holmium laser.

Stable isotope and pen feeding trial studies confirm the value of horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus eggs to spring migrant shorebirds in Delaware Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haramis, G.M.; Link, W.A.; Osenton, P.C.; Carter, Daniel B.; Weber, R.G.; Clark, N.A.; Teece, M.A.; Mizrahi, D.S.

2007-01-01

We used stable isotope (SI) methods in combination with pen feeding trials to determine the importance of eggs of the Atlantic horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus to migratory fattening of red knots Calidris canutus rufa and ruddy turnstones Arenaria interpres morinella during spring stopover in Delaware Bay. By manifesting measurable fractionation (ca +3?) and rapid turnover, blood plasma *15 nitrogen proved a functional marker for SI diet tracking during the short 3-week stopover. Blood samples from free-ranging knots (3 data sets) and turnstones (1 data set) produced similar convergence of plasma *15 N signatures with increasing body mass that indicated highly similar diets. Asymptotes deviated slightly (0.3? to 0.7?) from that of captive shorebirds fed a diet of only crab eggs during stopover, thus confirming a strong crab egg-shorebird linkage. The plasma *15N crab-egg diet asymptote was enriched ca +4.5? and therefore readily discriminated from that of either blue mussels Mytilus edulis or coquina clams Donax variabilis, the most likely alternative prey of knots in Delaware Bay. Crab eggs were highly palatable to captive knots and turnstones which achieved rates of mass gain (3?11 g/d) comparable to that of free-ranging birds. Peak consumption rates during hyperphagic events were 23,940 and 19,360 eggs/bird/d, respectively. The empirical conversions of eggs consumed to body mass gained (5,017 eggs/g for knots and 4,320 eggs/g for turnstones) indicate the large quantities of crab eggs required for the maintenance of these shorebird populations during stopover.

An option for delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A single-layer suturing technique for the stapler entry hole using knotless barbed sutures combined with the application of additional knotted sutures.

PubMed

Tokuhara, Takaya; Nakata, Eiji; Tenjo, Toshiyuki; Kawai, Isao; Kondo, Keisaku; Ueda, Hirofumi; Tomioka, Atsushi

2018-01-01

We report an option for delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) for gastric cancer. We detail a single-layer suturing technique for the endoscopic linear stapler entry hole using knotless barbed sutures combined with the application of additional knotted sutures. From June 2013 to February 2017, we performed TLDG with delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy in 20 patients with gastric cancer. The linear stapler was closed and fired to attach the posterior walls of the remnant stomach and the duodenum together. After creating a good view of the greater curvature side of the entry hole for the stapler by retracting the knotted suture on the lesser curvature side toward the ventral side, we performed single-layer entire-thickness continuous suturing of this hole using a 15-cm-long barbed suture running from the greater curvature side to the lesser curvature side. We placed the second and third stitches between the seromuscular layer of the remnant stomach and the entire-thickness layer of the duodenum while suturing the duodenal mucosa as minutely as possible. In addition, we routinely added one or two entire-thickness knotted sutures at the site near the greater curvature side. We placed similar additional knotted sutures at the site with a broad pitch. TLDG with this reconstruction technique was successfully performed in all patients with no occurrences of anastomotic leakage or intraabdominal abscess around the anastomosis. It is suggested that this method can be one option for delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy in TLDG due to its cost-effectiveness and feasibility.

An option for delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A single-layer suturing technique for the stapler entry hole using knotless barbed sutures combined with the application of additional knotted sutures

PubMed Central

Tokuhara, Takaya; Nakata, Eiji; Tenjo, Toshiyuki; Kawai, Isao; Kondo, Keisaku; Ueda, Hirofumi; Tomioka, Atsushi

2018-01-01

We report an option for delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) for gastric cancer. We detail a single-layer suturing technique for the endoscopic linear stapler entry hole using knotless barbed sutures combined with the application of additional knotted sutures. From June 2013 to February 2017, we performed TLDG with delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy in 20 patients with gastric cancer. The linear stapler was closed and fired to attach the posterior walls of the remnant stomach and the duodenum together. After creating a good view of the greater curvature side of the entry hole for the stapler by retracting the knotted suture on the lesser curvature side toward the ventral side, we performed single-layer entire-thickness continuous suturing of this hole using a 15-cm-long barbed suture running from the greater curvature side to the lesser curvature side. We placed the second and third stitches between the seromuscular layer of the remnant stomach and the entire-thickness layer of the duodenum while suturing the duodenal mucosa as minutely as possible. In addition, we routinely added one or two entire-thickness knotted sutures at the site near the greater curvature side. We placed similar additional knotted sutures at the site with a broad pitch. TLDG with this reconstruction technique was successfully performed in all patients with no occurrences of anastomotic leakage or intraabdominal abscess around the anastomosis. It is suggested that this method can be one option for delta-shaped gastroduodenostomy in TLDG due to its cost-effectiveness and feasibility. PMID:29375711

Topological and metric properties of linear and circular DNA chains in nano-slits and nano-channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlandini, Enzo; Micheletti, Cristian

2014-03-01

Motivated by recent advancements in single DNA molecule experiments, based on nanofluidic devices, we investigate numerically the metric and topological properties of a modelof open and circular DNA chains confined inside nano-slits and nano-channles. The results reveal an interesting characterization of the metric crossover behaviour in terms of the abundance, type and length of occuring knots. In particular we find that the knotting probability is nonmonotonic for increasing confinement and can be largely enhanced or suppressed, compared to the bulk case, by simply varying the slit or channel trasversal dimension. The observed knot population consists of knots that are far simpler than for DNA chains in spherical (i.e. cavities or capsids) confinement. These results suggest that nanoslits and nanochannels can be properly designed to produce open DNA chains hosting simple knots or to sieve DNA rings according to their knotted state. Finally we discuss the implications that the presence of knots may have on the dynamical properties of confined DNA chains such as chain elongation, injection/ejection processes and entanglement relaxation. We acknowledge financial support from the Italian ministry of education, grant PRIN 2010HXAW77.

Self-assembly of knots and links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlandini, Enzo; Polles, Guido; Marenduzzo, Davide; Micheletti, Cristian

2017-03-01

Guiding the self-assembly of identical building blocks towards complex three-dimensional structures with a set of desired properties is a major goal in material science, chemistry and physics. A particularly challenging problem, especially explored in synthetic chemistry, is that of self-assembling closed structures with a target topology starting by simple geometrical templates. Here we overview and revisit recent advancements, based on stochastic simulations, where the geometry of rigid helical templates with functionalised sticky ends has been designed for self-assembling efficiently and reproducibly into a wide range of three-dimensional closed structures. Notably, these include non trivial topologies of links and knots, including the 819 knot that we had predicted to be highly encodable and that has only recently been obtained experimentally. By appropriately tuning the parameters that define the template shape, we show that, for fixed concentration of templates, the assembly process can be directed towards the formation of specific knotted and linked structures such as the trefoils, pentafoil knots, Hopf and Solomon links. More exotic and unexpected knots and links are also found. Our results should be relevant to the design of new protocols that can both increase and broaden the population of synthetise molecular knots and catenanes.

The Energy Landscape, Folding Pathways and the Kinetics of a Knotted Protein

PubMed Central

Prentiss, Michael C.; Wales, David J.; Wolynes, Peter G.

2010-01-01

The folding pathway and rate coefficients of the folding of a knotted protein are calculated for a potential energy function with minimal energetic frustration. A kinetic transition network is constructed using the discrete path sampling approach, and the resulting potential energy surface is visualized by constructing disconnectivity graphs. Owing to topological constraints, the low-lying portion of the landscape consists of three distinct regions, corresponding to the native knotted state and to configurations where either the N or C terminus is not yet folded into the knot. The fastest folding pathways from denatured states exhibit early formation of the N terminus portion of the knot and a rate-determining step where the C terminus is incorporated. The low-lying minima with the N terminus knotted and the C terminus free therefore constitute an off-pathway intermediate for this model. The insertion of both the N and C termini into the knot occurs late in the folding process, creating large energy barriers that are the rate limiting steps in the folding process. When compared to other protein folding proteins of a similar length, this system folds over six orders of magnitude more slowly. PMID:20617197

Novel application of an established technique for removing a knotted ureteric stent

PubMed Central

Tempest, Heidi; Turney, Ben; Kumar, Sunil

2011-01-01

This report describes a case whereby a ureteric stent became knotted during removal and lodged within the upper ureter. The authors describe a novel minimally invasive technique to remove the knotted ureteric stent using the holmium laser. PMID:22701009

Fermi/LAT observations of lobe-dominant radio galaxy 3C 207 and possible radiation region of γ-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Sheng-Chu; Zhang, Hai-Ming; Zhang, Jin; Liang, En-Wei

2018-06-01

3C 207 is a lobe-dominant radio galaxy with a one sided jet and bright knots, spanning a kpc-Mpc scale, which have been resolved in the radio, optical and X-ray bands. This target was confirmed as a γ-ray emitter with Fermi/LAT, but it is uncertain whether the γ-ray emission region is the core or knots due to the low spatial resolution of Fermi/LAT. We present an analysis of its Fermi/LAT data acquired during the past 9 years. Different from the radio and optical emission from the core, it is found that the γ-ray emission is steady without detection of flux variation at over a 2σ confidence level. This likely implies that the γ-ray emission is from its knots. We collect the radio, optical and X-ray data of knot-A, the closest knot from the core at 1.4″, and compile its spectral energy distribution (SED). Although the single-zone synchrotron+SSC+IC/CMB model that assumes knot-A is at rest can reproduce the SED in the radio-optical-X-ray band, the predicted γ-ray flux is lower than the LAT observations and the derived magnetic field strength deviates from the equipartition condition by 3 orders of magnitude. Assuming that knot-A is moving relativistically, its SED from radio to γ-ray bands would be represented well with the single-zone synchrotron+SSC+IC/CMB model under the equipartition condition. These results likely suggest that the γ-ray emission may be from knot-A via the IC/CMB process and the knot should have relativistical motion. The jet power derived from our model parameters is also roughly consistent with the kinetic power estimated with radio data.

Tightening slip knots in raw and degummed silk to increase toughness without losing strength.

PubMed

Pantano, Maria F; Berardo, Alice; Pugno, Nicola M

2016-02-12

Knots are fascinating topological elements, which can be found in both natural and artificial systems. While in most of the cases, knots cannot be loosened without breaking the strand where they are tightened, herein, attention is focused on slip or running knots, which on the contrary can be unfastened without compromising the structural integrity of their hosting material. Two different topologies are considered, involving opposite unfastening mechanisms, and their influence on the mechanical properties of natural fibers, as silkworm silk raw and degummed single fibers, is investigated and quantified. Slip knots with optimized shape and size result in a significant enhancement of fibers energy dissipation capability, up to 300-400%, without affecting their load bearing capacity.

Tightening slip knots in raw and degummed silk to increase toughness without losing strength

PubMed Central

Pantano, Maria F.; Berardo, Alice; Pugno, Nicola M.

2016-01-01

Knots are fascinating topological elements, which can be found in both natural and artificial systems. While in most of the cases, knots cannot be loosened without breaking the strand where they are tightened, herein, attention is focused on slip or running knots, which on the contrary can be unfastened without compromising the structural integrity of their hosting material. Two different topologies are considered, involving opposite unfastening mechanisms, and their influence on the mechanical properties of natural fibers, as silkworm silk raw and degummed single fibers, is investigated and quantified. Slip knots with optimized shape and size result in a significant enhancement of fibers energy dissipation capability, up to 300–400%, without affecting their load bearing capacity. PMID:26868855

TOPICAL REVIEW: Knot theory and a physical state of quantum gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liko, Tomás; Kauffman, Louis H.

2006-02-01

We discuss the theory of knots, and describe how knot invariants arise naturally in gravitational physics. The focus of this review is to delineate the relationship between knot theory and the loop representation of non-perturbative canonical quantum general relativity (loop quantum gravity). This leads naturally to a discussion of the Kodama wavefunction, a state which is conjectured to be the ground state of the gravitational field with positive cosmological constant. This review can serve as a self-contained introduction to loop quantum gravity and related areas. Our intent is to make the paper accessible to a wider audience that may include topologists, knot theorists, and other persons innocent of the physical background to this approach to quantum gravity.

33 CFR 162.205 - Suisun Bay, San Joaquin River, Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... When going with the current, in slack water, or against a current of two knots or less, the maximum... knots. When going with the current, in slack water, or against a current of two knots or less, the...

Equations on knot polynomials and 3d/5d duality

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

Mironov, A.; Morozov, A.; ITEP, Moscow

2012-09-24

We briefly review the current situation with various relations between knot/braid polynomials (Chern-Simons correlation functions), ordinary and extended, considered as functions of the representation and of the knot topology. These include linear skein relations, quadratic Plucker relations, as well as 'differential' and (quantum) A-polynomial structures. We pay a special attention to identity between the A-polynomial equations for knots and Baxter equations for quantum relativistic integrable systems, related through Seiberg-Witten theory to 5d super-Yang-Mills models and through the AGT relation to the q-Virasoro algebra. This identity is an important ingredient of emerging a 3d- 5d generalization of the AGT relation. Themore » shape of the Baxter equation (including the values of coefficients) depend on the choice of the knot/braid. Thus, like the case of KP integrability, where (some, so far torus) knots parameterize particular points of the Universal Grassmannian, in this relation they parameterize particular points in the moduli space of many-body integrable systems of relativistic type.« less

Stability of knotted vortices in wave chaos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Alexander; Dennis, Mark

Large scale tangles of disordered filaments occur in many diverse physical systems, from turbulent superfluids to optical volume speckle to liquid crystal phases. They can exhibit particular large scale random statistics despite very different local physics. We have previously used the topological statistics of knotting and linking to characterise the large scale tangling, using the vortices of three-dimensional wave chaos as a universal model system whose physical lengthscales are set only by the wavelength. Unlike geometrical quantities, the statistics of knotting depend strongly on the physical system and boundary conditions. Although knotting patterns characterise different systems, the topology of vortices is highly unstable to perturbation, under which they may reconnect with one another. In systems of constructed knots, these reconnections generally rapidly destroy the knot, but for vortex tangles the topological statistics must be stable. Using large scale simulations of chaotic eigenfunctions, we numerically investigate the prevalence and impact of reconnection events, and their effect on the topology of the tangle.

Synthesizing a Trefoil Knotted Block Copolymer via Ring-Expansion Strategy

DOE PAGES

Cao, Pengfei; Rong, Li-Han; Mangadlao, Joey; ...

2017-02-07

We synthesized a synthetic trefoil knotted poly(e-caprolatone) block-poly(L-lactide) (TK-PLA-b-PCL) via a ring expansion strategy from a trefoil knotted tin (Sn) initiator. Ring closing reaction between the bis-copper(I) templated phenanthro line complex and dibutyldimethoxytin results in a templated trefoil knotted initiator. Furthermore, the bis-copper(I) templated trefoil knotted poly(L-lactide) (TK-PLA) can be synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide monomer, and decomplexation reaction of the templated TK-PLA will result in a geniune TK-PLA without constraint from the copper template. Subsequent insertion of e caprolactone in the bis-copper(I) templated TK-PLA forms the templated trefoil knotted block copolymer, i.e., TK-PLA-b-PCL, and the copper-free TK-PLA-b-PCL canmore » be obtained by decomplexation reaction. Finally, both TK-PLA and TK-PLA-b-PCL are analyzed by the 1 H NMR, FT-IR, UV-vis, DLS, and GPC.« less

Sedimentation of knotted polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piili, J.; Marenduzzo, D.; Kaski, K.; Linna, R. P.

2013-01-01

We investigate the sedimentation of knotted polymers by means of stochastic rotation dynamics, a molecular dynamics algorithm that takes hydrodynamics fully into account. We show that the sedimentation coefficient s, related to the terminal velocity of the knotted polymers, increases linearly with the average crossing number nc of the corresponding ideal knot. This provides direct computational confirmation of this relation, postulated on the basis of sedimentation experiments by Rybenkov [J. Mol. Biol.10.1006/jmbi.1996.0876 267, 299 (1997)]. Such a relation was previously shown to hold with simulations for knot electrophoresis. We also show that there is an accurate linear dependence of s on the inverse of the radius of gyration Rg-1, more specifically with the inverse of the Rg component that is perpendicular to the direction along which the polymer sediments. When the polymer sediments in a slab, the walls affect the results appreciably. However, Rg-1 remains to a good precision linearly dependent on nc. Therefore, Rg-1 is a good measure of a knot's complexity.

Crop-Specific Grafting Methods, Rootstocks and Scheduling-Tomato

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Grafting has gained popularity as a method to manage plant diseases previously controlled by soil fumigation with methyl bromide. Some of the most significant soilborne pest problems for which resistant rootstocks may be beneficial include root-knot nematodes, Verticillium wilt, and southern blight....

Reconstruction of a helical prominence in 3D from IRIS spectra and images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmieder, B.; Zapiór, M.; López Ariste, A.; Levens, P.; Labrosse, N.; Gravet, R.

2017-10-01

Context. Movies of prominences obtained by space instruments e.g. the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) aboard the Hinode satellite and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) with high temporal and spatial resolution revealed the tremendous dynamical nature of prominences. Knots of plasma belonging to prominences appear to travel along both vertical and horizontal thread-like loops, with highly dynamical nature. Aims: The aim of the paper is to reconstruct the 3D shape of a helical prominence observed over two and a half hours by IRIS. Methods: From the IRIS Mg II k spectra we compute Doppler shifts of the plasma inside the prominence and from the slit-jaw images (SJI) we derive the transverse field in the plane of the sky. Finally we obtain the velocity vector field of the knots in 3D. Results.We reconstruct the real trajectories of nine knots travelling along ellipses. Conclusions: The spiral-like structure of the prominence observed in the plane of the sky is mainly due to the projection effect of long arches of threads (up to 8 × 104 km). Knots run along more or less horizontal threads with velocities reaching 65 km s-1. The dominant driving force is the gas pressure. Movies associated to Figs. 1, 9, 10, and 13 are available at http://www.aanda.org

Crystallization of Spätzle, a cystine-knot protein involved in embryonic development and innate immunity in Drosophila melanogaster

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

Hoffmann, Anita; Neumann, Piotr; Schierhorn, Angelika

2008-08-01

Crystallization of the cystine-knot protein Spätzle occurred following serendipitous limited degradation of the pro-Spätzle propeptide during the crystallization experiment. The Spätzle protein is involved in both the definition of the dorsal–ventral axis during embryonic development and in the adult innate immune response. The disulfide-linked dimeric cystine-knot protein has been expressed as a proprotein in inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli and refolded in vitro by rapid dilution. Initial orthorhombic crystals that diffracted to 7 Å resolution were obtained after three months by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. Optimization of the crystallization conditions resulted in orthorhombic crystals (space group P2{sub 1}2{sub 1}2{sub 1},more » with unit-cell parameters a = 53.0, b = 59.2, c = 62.5 Å) that diffracted to 2.8 Å resolution in-house. The small volume of the asymmetric unit indicated that it was not possible for the crystals to contain the complete pro-Spätzle dimer. Mass spectrometry, N-terminal sequencing and Western-blot analysis revealed that the crystals contained the C-terminal disulfide-linked cystine-knot dimer. Comparison of various crystallization experiments indicated that degradation of the N-terminal prodomain was dependent on the buffer conditions.« less

A new method for the adjustment of neochordal length: the adjustable slip knot technique.

PubMed

Yano, Mitsuhiro; Sakaguchi, Syuuhei; Furukawa, Kohji; Nakamura, Eisaku

2015-08-01

The use of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) sutures for the correction of mitral valve prolapse has become a standardized procedure. Adjustment of neochordal length is crucial to the efficacy of this technique. Various methods have been described for this purpose; however, the fine adjustment of neochordal length is technically challenging. We describe a simple and effective technique for the implantation of neochordae, which we have termed the 'adjustable slip knot technique'. The first step of this technique is reinforcement of the papillary muscle by a Teflon pledget with or without polytetrafluoroethylene (CV-4) loops. The second step is the formation of a neochordal loop by introducing an ePTFE suture between the affected mitral leaflet and the papillary muscle or ePTFE loops. The third step is the adjustment of the length of neochordae. The formation of a slip knot in one arm of the ePTFE suture is the pivot of this technique. The neochordal loop can be constricted by the application of tension to one arm of the suture. We applied this technique in 5 patients with satisfactory results. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Validation of Computer Aided Operations Research Facility (CAORF).

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

favorable comparison is that of the slow- down effect in performing a turn. From Figure 2.4 it is estimated that ship’s speed was reduced from an...initial speed of 17 knots to 6.6 knots. The data shown in Figure 2.3 for the CAORF ship indicate a reduction from an initial speed of 15 knots to 5.1 knots...follows: The ship is on a steady course at full sea speed . (Exact sea speed is optional.) At time zero, the rudder is put over 20 0 right. This is

Sequence Determines Degree of Knottedness in a Coarse-Grained Protein Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wüst, Thomas; Reith, Daniel; Virnau, Peter

2015-01-01

Knots are abundant in globular homopolymers but rare in globular proteins. To shed new light on this long-standing conundrum, we study the influence of sequence on the formation of knots in proteins under native conditions within the framework of the hydrophobic-polar lattice protein model. By employing large-scale Wang-Landau simulations combined with suitable Monte Carlo trial moves we show that even though knots are still abundant on average, sequence introduces large variability in the degree of self-entanglements. Moreover, we are able to design sequences which are either almost always or almost never knotted. Our findings serve as proof of concept that the introduction of just one additional degree of freedom per monomer (in our case sequence) facilitates evolution towards a protein universe in which knots are rare.

Probe Knots and Hopf Insulators with Ultracold Atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Dong-Ling; Wang, Sheng-Tao; Sun, Kai; Duan, L.-M.

2018-01-01

Knots and links are fascinating and intricate topological objects. Their influence spans from DNA and molecular chemistry to vortices in superfluid helium, defects in liquid crystals and cosmic strings in the early universe. Here we find that knotted structures also exist in a peculiar class of three-dimensional topological insulators—the Hopf insulators. In particular, we demonstrate that the momentum-space spin textures of Hopf insulators are twisted in a nontrivial way, which implies the presence of various knot and link structures. We further illustrate that the knots and nontrivial spin textures can be probed via standard time-of-flight images in cold atoms as preimage contours of spin orientations in stereographic coordinates. The extracted Hopf invariants, knots, and links are validated to be robust to typical experimental imperfections. Our work establishes the existence of knotted structures in Hopf insulators, which may have potential applications in spintronics and quantum information processing. D.L.D., S.T.W. and L.M.D. are supported by the ARL, the IARPA LogiQ program, and the AFOSR MURI program, and supported by Tsinghua University for their visits. K.S. acknowledges the support from NSF under Grant No. PHY1402971. D.L.D. is also supported by JQI-NSF-PFC and LPS-MPO-CMTC at the final stage of this paper.

Combined MEK and PI3K inhibition in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer.

PubMed

Alagesan, Brinda; Contino, Gianmarco; Guimaraes, Alex R; Corcoran, Ryan B; Deshpande, Vikram; Wojtkiewicz, Gregory R; Hezel, Aram F; Wong, Kwok-Kin; Loda, Massimo; Weissleder, Ralph; Benes, Cyril H; Engelman, Jeffrey; Bardeesy, Nabeel

2015-01-15

Improved therapeutic approaches are needed for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). As dual MEK and PI3K inhibition is presently being used in clinical trials for patients with PDAC, we sought to test the efficacy of combined targeting of these pathways in PDAC using both in vitro drug screens and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM). We performed high-throughput screening of >500 human cancer cell lines (including 46 PDAC lines), for sensitivity to 50 clinically relevant compounds, including MEK and PI3K inhibitors. We tested the top hit in the screen, the MEK1/2 inhibitor, AZD6244, for efficacy alone or in combination with the PI3K inhibitors, BKM120 or GDC-0941, in a Kras(G12D)-driven GEMM that recapitulates the histopathogenesis of human PDAC. In vitro screens revealed that PDAC cell lines are relatively resistant to single-agent therapies. The response profile to the MEK1/2 inhibitor, AZD6244, was an outlier, showing the highest selective efficacy in PDAC. Although MEK inhibition alone was mainly cytostatic, apoptosis was induced when combined with PI3K inhibitors (BKM120 or GDC-0941). When tested in a PDAC GEMM and compared with the single agents or vehicle controls, the combination delayed tumor formation in the setting of prevention and extended survival when used to treat advanced tumors, although no durable responses were observed. Our studies point to important contributions of MEK and PI3K signaling to PDAC pathogenesis and suggest that dual targeting of these pathways may provide benefit in some patients with PDAC. Clin Cancer Res; 21(2); 396-404. ©2014 AACR. ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.

Bradykinin antagonists and thiazolidinone derivatives as new potential anti-cancer compounds.

PubMed

Avdieiev, Stanislav; Gera, Lajos; Havrylyuk, Dmytro; Hodges, Robert S; Lesyk, Roman; Ribrag, Vincent; Vassetzky, Yegor; Kavsan, Vadym

2014-08-01

Glioblastoma (GB), the most aggressive brain tumour, and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a rare but very aggressive type of lymphoma, are highly resistant to chemotherapy. GB and MCL chemotherapy gives very modest results, the vast majority of patients experience recurrent disease. To find out the new treatment modality for drug-resistant GB and MCL cells, combining of bradykinin (BK) antagonists with conventional temozolomide (TMZ) treatment, and screening of thiazolidinones derivatives were the main objectives of this work. As it was revealed here, BKM-570 was the lead compound among BK antagonists under investigation (IC50 was 3.3 μM) in human GB cells. It strongly suppressed extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) and protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation. BK antagonists did not decrease the viability of MCL cells, thus showing the cell-specific mode, while thiazolidinone derivatives, a novel group of promising anti-tumour compounds inhibited proliferation of MCL cells: IC₅₀ of ID 4526 and ID 4527 compounds were 0.27 μM and 0.16 μM, correspondingly. However, single agents are often not effective in clinic due to activation of collateral pathways in tumour cells. We demonstrated a strong synergistic effect after combinatorial treatment by BKM-570 together with TMZ that drastically increased cytotoxic action of this drug in rat and human glioma cells. Small proportion of cells was still viable after such treatment that could be explained by presence of TMZ-resistant cells in the population. It is possible to expect that the combined therapy aimed simultaneously at different elements of tumourigenesis will be more effective with lower drug concentrations than the first-line drug temozolomide used alone in clinics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oncogenic BRAF fusions in mucosal melanomas activate the MAPK pathway and are sensitive to MEK/PI3K inhibition or MEK/CDK4/6 inhibition.

PubMed

Kim, H S; Jung, M; Kang, H N; Kim, H; Park, C-W; Kim, S-M; Shin, S J; Kim, S H; Kim, S G; Kim, E K; Yun, M R; Zheng, Z; Chung, K Y; Greenbowe, J; Ali, S M; Kim, T-M; Cho, B C

2017-06-08

Despite remarkable progress in cutaneous melanoma genomic profiling, the mutational landscape of primary mucosal melanomas (PMM) remains unclear. Forty-six PMMs underwent targeted exome sequencing of 111 cancer-associated genes. Seventy-six somatic nonsynonymous mutations in 42 genes were observed, and recurrent mutations were noted on eight genes, including TP53 (13%), NRAS (13%), SNX31 (9%), NF1 (9%), KIT (7%) and APC (7%). Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK; 37%), cell cycle (20%) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-mTOR (15%) pathways were frequently mutated. We biologically characterized a novel ZNF767-BRAF fusion found in a vemurafenib-refractory respiratory tract PMM, from which cell line harboring ZNF767-BRAF fusion were established for further molecular analyses. In an independent data set, NFIC-BRAF fusion was identified in an oral PMM case and TMEM178B-BRAF fusion and DGKI-BRAF fusion were identified in two malignant melanomas with a low mutational burden (number of mutation per megabase, 0.8 and 4, respectively). Subsequent analyses revealed that the ZNF767-BRAF fusion protein promotes RAF dimerization and activation of the MAPK pathway. We next tested the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of vemurafenib, trametinib, BKM120 or LEE011 alone and in combination. Trametinib effectively inhibited tumor cell growth in vitro, but the combination of trametinib and BKM120 or LEE011 yielded more than additive anti-tumor effects both in vitro and in vivo in a melanoma cells harboring the BRAF fusion. In conclusion, BRAF fusions define a new molecular subset of PMM that can be targeted therapeutically by the combination of a MEK inhibitor with PI3K or cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors.

Combined MEK and PI3K inhibition in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer

PubMed Central

Guimaraes, Alex R.; Corcoran, Ryan B.; Deshpande, Vikram; Wojtkiewicz, Gregory R.; Hezel, Aram F.; Wong, Kwok-Kin; Loda, Massimo; Weissleder, Ralph; Benes, Cyril H.; Engelman, Jeffrey; Bardeesy, Nabeel

2015-01-01

Purpose Improved therapeutic approaches are needed for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). As dual MEK and PI3K inhibition is presently being employed in clinical trials for PDAC patients, we sought to test the efficacy of combined targeting of these pathways in PDAC using both in vitro drug screens and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs). Experimental Design We performed high-throughput screening of >500 human cancer cell lines (including 46 PDAC lines), for sensitivity to 50 clinically-relevant compounds, including MEK and PI3K inhibitors. We tested the top hit in the screen, the MEK1/2 inhibitor, AZD-6244, for efficacy alone or in combination with the PI3K inhibitors, BKM-120 or GDC-0941, in a KRASG12D-driven GEMM that recapitulates the histopathogenesis of human PDAC. Results In vitro screens revealed that PDAC cell lines are relatively resistant to single-agent therapies. The response profile to the MEK1/2 inhibitor, AZD-6244, was an outlier, showing the highest selective efficacy in PDAC. While MEK inhibition alone was mainly cytostatic, apoptosis was induced when combined with PI3K inhibitors (BKM-120 or GDC-0941). When tested in a PDAC GEMM and compared to the single agents or vehicle controls, the combination delayed tumor formation in the setting of prevention and extended survival when used to treat advanced tumors, although no durable responses were observed. Conclusions Our studies point to important contributions of MEK and PI3K signaling to PDAC pathogenesis and suggest that dual targeting of these pathways may provide benefit in some PDAC patients. PMID:25348516

360° virtual reality video for the acquisition of knot tying skills: A randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Yoganathan, S; Finch, D A; Parkin, E; Pollard, J

2018-06-01

360° virtual reality (VR) video is an exciting and evolving field. Current technology promotes a totally immersive, 3-dimensional (3D), 360° experience anywhere in the world using simply a smart phone and virtual reality headset. The potential for its application in the field of surgical education is enormous. The aim of this study was to determine knot tying skills taught with a 360-degree VR video compared to conventional 2D video teaching. This trial was a prospective, randomised controlled study. 40 foundation year doctors (first year postgraduate) were randomised to either the 360-degree VR video (n = 20) or 2D video teaching (n = 20). Participants were given 15 min to watch their allocated video. Ability to tie a single handed reef knot was then assessed against a marking criteria developed for the Royal College of Surgeons, England, (RCSeng) Basic Surgical Skills (BSS) course, by a blinded assessor competent in knot tying. Each candidate then underwent further teaching using Peyton's four step model. Knot tying technique was then re-assessed. Knot tying scores were significantly better in the VR video teaching arm when compared with conventional (median knot score 5.0 vs 4.0 p = 0.04). When used in combination with face to face skills teaching this difference persisted (median knot score 9.5 vs 9.0 p = 0.01). More people in the VR arm constructed a complete reef knot than in the 2D arm following face to face teaching (17/20 vs 12/20). No difference between the groups existed in the time taken to construct a reef knot following video and teaching (median time 31.0s vs 30.5s p = 0.89). This study shows there is significant merit in the application of 360-degree VR video technology in surgical training, both as an independent teaching aid and when used as an adjunct to traditional face to face teaching. Copyright © 2018 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative analysis of the folding dynamics and kinetics of an engineered knotted protein and its variants derived from HP0242 of Helicobacter pylori

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Liang-Wei; Liu, Yu-Nan; Lyu, Ping-Chiang; Jackson, Sophie E.; Hsu, Shang-Te Danny

2015-09-01

Understanding the mechanism by which a polypeptide chain thread itself spontaneously to attain a knotted conformation has been a major challenge in the field of protein folding. HP0242 is a homodimeric protein from Helicobacter pylori with intertwined helices to form a unique pseudo-knotted folding topology. A tandem HP0242 repeat has been constructed to become the first engineered trefoil-knotted protein. Its small size renders it a model system for computational analyses to examine its folding and knotting pathways. Here we report a multi-parametric study on the folding stability and kinetics of a library of HP0242 variants, including the trefoil-knotted tandem HP0242 repeat, using far-UV circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy. Equilibrium chemical denaturation of HP0242 variants shows the presence of highly populated dimeric and structurally heterogeneous folding intermediates. Such equilibrium folding intermediates retain significant amount of helical structures except those at the N- and C-terminal regions in the native structure. Stopped-flow fluorescence measurements of HP0242 variants show that spontaneous refolding into knotted structures can be achieved within seconds, which is several orders of magnitude faster than previously observed for other knotted proteins. Nevertheless, the complex chevron plots indicate that HP0242 variants are prone to misfold into kinetic traps, leading to severely rolled-over refolding arms. The experimental observations are in general agreement with the previously reported molecular dynamics simulations. Based on our results, kinetic folding pathways are proposed to qualitatively describe the complex folding processes of HP0242 variants.

Strength of surgical wire fixation. A laboratory study.

PubMed

Guadagni, J R; Drummond, D S

1986-08-01

Because of the frequent use of stainless steel wire in spinal surgery and to augment fracture fixation, several methods of securing wire fixation were tested in the laboratory to determine the relative strength of fixation. Any method of fixation stronger than the yield strength of the wire is sufficient. Square knots, knot twists, symmetric twists, and the AO loop-tuck techniques afforded acceptable resistance against tension loads, but the wire wrap and AO loop technique were unacceptable. The double symmetric twist, which is frequently used for tension banding, was barely acceptable. The symmetric twist technique was the most practical because it is strong enough, efficient in maintaining tension applied during fixation, and least likely to cause damage to the wire. To optimize the fixation strength of the symmetrical twist, at least two twists are required at a reasonably tight pitch.

Cotton Cultivar Response to Root-Knot Nematodes in Two Tillage Regimes, 2008

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Six cotton cultivars were evaluated for yield response to the root-knot nematode in a naturally infested field at E. V. Smith Research and Extension Center, near Shorter, Alabama. The field had a long history of root-knot nematode infestation, and the soil type was classified as a sandy loam. Plots ...

Knots in physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Y. M.; Oh, Seung Hun; Zhang, Pengming

2018-03-01

After Dirac introduced the monopole, topological objects have played increasingly important roles in physics. In this review we discuss the role of the knot, the most sophisticated topological object in physics, and related topological objects in various areas in physics. In particular, we discuss how the knots appear in Maxwell’s theory, Skyrme theory, and multicomponent condensed matter physics.

14 CFR 25.175 - Demonstration of static longitudinal stability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... resulting free return speed range, or 50 knots plus the resulting free return speed range, above and below... plus the resulting free return speed range, or 50 knots plus the resulting free return speed range... the trim speed plus the resulting free return speed range, or 50 knots plus the resulting free return...

14 CFR 25.175 - Demonstration of static longitudinal stability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... resulting free return speed range, or 50 knots plus the resulting free return speed range, above and below... plus the resulting free return speed range, or 50 knots plus the resulting free return speed range... the trim speed plus the resulting free return speed range, or 50 knots plus the resulting free return...

14 CFR 25.175 - Demonstration of static longitudinal stability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... resulting free return speed range, or 50 knots plus the resulting free return speed range, above and below... plus the resulting free return speed range, or 50 knots plus the resulting free return speed range... the trim speed plus the resulting free return speed range, or 50 knots plus the resulting free return...

Ethnomathematics in Arfak (West Papua-Indonesia): Hidden Mathematics on Knot of Rumah Kaki Seribu

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haryanto; Nusantara, Toto; Subanji; Abadyo

2016-01-01

This ethnomathematics article focused on the models of knot which is used in the frame of "Rumah Kaki Seribu." The knot model itself was studied mathematically. The results of this study revealed the way Arfak tribal communities think mathematically. This article uses exploration, documentation, interview, experiments and literature…

Cost-Benefit and Performance of Handmade Carpets Produced with Wool, Untreated and Chemical Treated Jute Pile Yarns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Shravan Kumar; Goswami, Kamal Kanti

2018-03-01

Jute is a natural fibre which is used to make different type of products due to low cost, easy availability and eco-friendliness. However, the stiffness and harshness of jute fibre affect the use of jute in many products like pile yarns in hand knotted carpets. In this research, a study has been done on the application of jute pile yarns in Persian hand knotted carpet. Three types of commercial yarns (wool, untreated jute and woollenized jute) as well as three types of chemical treated jute yarns (hydrogen peroxide bleached, softened bleached and woollenized yarns) have been applied as pile yarns in Persian hand knotted carpets. Cost-benefit analysis of hand knotted carpets shows that manufacturing cost of wool carpet is lower than others. The contribution of manpower charges is higher than material cost during carpet manufacturing. Hand knotted carpet shows the lowest pile abrasion loss and highest compression recovery when wool is used as pile. Wool hand knotted carpet shows higher compression than untreated and treated jute carpets.

Cost-Benefit and Performance of Handmade Carpets Produced with Wool, Untreated and Chemical Treated Jute Pile Yarns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Shravan Kumar; Goswami, Kamal Kanti

2018-06-01

Jute is a natural fibre which is used to make different type of products due to low cost, easy availability and eco-friendliness. However, the stiffness and harshness of jute fibre affect the use of jute in many products like pile yarns in hand knotted carpets. In this research, a study has been done on the application of jute pile yarns in Persian hand knotted carpet. Three types of commercial yarns (wool, untreated jute and woollenized jute) as well as three types of chemical treated jute yarns (hydrogen peroxide bleached, softened bleached and woollenized yarns) have been applied as pile yarns in Persian hand knotted carpets. Cost-benefit analysis of hand knotted carpets shows that manufacturing cost of wool carpet is lower than others. The contribution of manpower charges is higher than material cost during carpet manufacturing. Hand knotted carpet shows the lowest pile abrasion loss and highest compression recovery when wool is used as pile. Wool hand knotted carpet shows higher compression than untreated and treated jute carpets.

The Role of Non-Native Interactions in the Folding of Knotted Proteins: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

PubMed Central

Covino, Roberto; Škrbić, Tatjana; Beccara, Silvio a; Faccioli, Pietro; Micheletti, Cristian

2014-01-01

For several decades, the presence of knots in naturally-occurring proteins was largely ruled out a priori for its supposed incompatibility with the efficiency and robustness of folding processes. For this very same reason, the later discovery of several unrelated families of knotted proteins motivated researchers to look into the physico-chemical mechanisms governing the concerted sequence of folding steps leading to the consistent formation of the same knot type in the same protein location. Besides experiments, computational studies are providing considerable insight into these mechanisms. Here, we revisit a number of such recent investigations within a common conceptual and methodological framework. By considering studies employing protein models with different structural resolution (coarse-grained or atomistic) and various force fields (from pure native-centric to realistic atomistic ones), we focus on the role of native and non-native interactions. For various unrelated instances of knotted proteins, non-native interactions are shown to be very important for favoring the emergence of conformations primed for successful self-knotting events. PMID:24970203

Effect of Oryzalin and 1,1-Dimethylpiperidinium Chloride on Cotton and Tomato Roots Infected with the Root-knot Nematode, Meloidogyne incognita

PubMed Central

Orum, T. V.; Bartels, P. G.; McClure, M. A.

1979-01-01

Oryzalin (3,5-dinitro-N4,N4-dipropyl-sulfanilamide) and BAS 083 (l,l-dimethylpiperdinium chloride) reduced root-knot infection in tomato roots when respectively applied as a soil drench at 20 ppm and 10,000 ppm. Oryzalin reduced knot counts with various intervals between treatment and inoculation. BAS 083 reduced knot counts only when applied before inoculation. Oryzalin was shown not to be a contact nematicide, and BAS 083 was only a weak one. Neither compound reduced penetration by infective larvae. Postinfection reduction in knot counts by Oryzalin and BAS 083 resulted, in part, from activation of natural defense mechanisms of the host. Giant-cell development in cotton roots inoculated with nematodes was inhibited by Oryzalin. Lateral root development was inhibited by BAS 083. PMID:19305533

Topological effects on the mechanical properties of polymer knots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yani; Ferrari, Franco

2017-11-01

The mechanical properties of knotted polymer rings under stretching in a bad or good solvent are investigated by applying a force F to a point of the knot while keeping another point fixed. The Monte Carlo sampling of the polymer conformations is performed on a simple cubic lattice using the Wang-Landau algorithm. The specific energy, specific heat capacity, gyration radius and the force-elongation curves are computed for several knot topologies with lengths up to 120 lattice units. The common features of the mechanical and thermal behavior of stretched short polymer rings forming knots of a given topological type are analyzed as well as the differences arising due to topology and size effects. It is found that these systems admit three different phases depending on the values of the tensile force F and the temperature T. The transitions from one phase to the other are well characterized by the peaks of the specific heat capacity and by the data of the gyration radius and specific energy. At very low temperatures the force-elongation curves show that the stretching of a knot is a stepwise process, which becomes smooth at higher temperatures. Criteria for distinguishing topological and size effects are provided. It turns out from our study that the behavior of short polymer rings is strongly influenced by topological effects. In particular, the swelling and the swelling rate of knots are severely limited by the topological constraints. Several other properties that are affected by topology, like the decay of the specific energy at high tensile forces, are discussed. The fading out of the influences of topological origin with increasing knot lengths has been verified. Some anomalies detected in the plots of the specific heat capacity of very short and complex knots have been explained by the limitations in the number of accessible energy states due to the topological constraints.

Colored knot polynomials for arbitrary pretzel knots and links

DOE PAGES

Galakhov, D.; Melnikov, D.; Mironov, A.; ...

2015-04-01

A very simple expression is conjectured for arbitrary colored Jones and HOMFLY polynomials of a rich (g+1)-parametric family of pretzel knots and links. The answer for the Jones and HOMFLY is fully and explicitly expressed through the Racah matrix of Uq(SU N), and looks related to a modular transformation of toric conformal block. Knot polynomials are among the hottest topics in modern theory. They are supposed to summarize nicely representation theory of quantum algebras and modular properties of conformal blocks. The result reported in the present letter, provides a spectacular illustration and support to this general expectation.

Helicity conservation by flow across scales in reconnecting vortex links and knots

PubMed Central

Scheeler, Martin W.; Kleckner, Dustin; Kindlmann, Gordon L.; Irvine, William T. M.

2014-01-01

The conjecture that helicity (or knottedness) is a fundamental conserved quantity has a rich history in fluid mechanics, but the nature of this conservation in the presence of dissipation has proven difficult to resolve. Making use of recent advances, we create vortex knots and links in viscous fluids and simulated superfluids and track their geometry through topology-changing reconnections. We find that the reassociation of vortex lines through a reconnection enables the transfer of helicity from links and knots to helical coils. This process is remarkably efficient, owing to the antiparallel orientation spontaneously adopted by the reconnecting vortices. Using a new method for quantifying the spatial helicity spectrum, we find that the reconnection process can be viewed as transferring helicity between scales, rather than dissipating it. We also infer the presence of geometric deformations that convert helical coils into even smaller scale twist, where it may ultimately be dissipated. Our results suggest that helicity conservation plays an important role in fluids and related fields, even in the presence of dissipation. PMID:25326419

Confirming the nature of the knot near the pulsar B1951+32

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zyuzin, D. A.; Shibanov, Yu A.; Pavlov, G. G.; Danilenko, A. A.

2017-12-01

The energetic and fast-moving radio and γ-ray pulsar B1951+32 is associated with the supernova remnant CTB 80. It powers a complex pulsar wind nebula detected in the radio, Hα and X-rays (Moon et al 2004 ApJ 610 L33). A puzzling optical knot was detected about 0″.5 from the pulsar in the optical and near-IR (Moon et al 2004 ApJ 610 L33; Hester 2000 Bulletin of the AAS 32 1542). It is reminiscent of the unique “inner optical knot” located 0″.6 from the Crab pulsar. Until now there has been no evidence that B1951+32 knot is indeed associated with the pulsar. We observed the pulsar field with the Gemini-North telescope in 2016 to check the association. We performed first near-IR high spatial resolution imaging in the K s band using the NIRI+Altair instrument and deep optical imaging in the gr bands using the GMOS instrument. Our observations showed that the current knot position is shifted by ≈ 0″.6 from the position measured with the HST in 1997. This is consistent with the known pulsar proper motion and is direct evidence of the pulsar-knot connection. We compared the spectral energy distribution of the knot emission with that of the Crab knot. Possible implications of the results are discussed.

Knot positioning during McDonald cervical cerclage, does it make a difference? A cohort study.

PubMed

Atia, Hytham; Ellaithy, Mohamed; Altraigey, Ahmed; Ibrahim, Heba

2018-05-15

To study the effect of McDonald cerclage knot position on the different maternal and neonatal outcomes. This historical cohort study included women with singleton pregnancy who had a prophylactic McDonald cervical cerclage between 1 May 2010 and 31 September 2017. Maternal and neonatal outcome parameters were compared between the anterior and posterior knot cerclage procedures. The primary outcome measure was the rate of term birth. 550 Women had a prophylactic McDonald cervical cerclage, 306 with anterior knot (Group A) and 244 with posterior knot (Group B). There were no statistically significant differences regarding gestational age (GA) at delivery (36.3 ± 4.2 versus 35.8 ± 5.3 for groups A and B respectively), term birth rate, post-cerclage cervical length, symptomatic vaginitis, urinary tract infection, difficult cerclage removal and cervical lacerations. Similarly, there were no statistically significant differences as regards the studied neonatal outcomes including take home babies, neonatal intensive care admission, respiratory distress syndrome and neonatal sepsis. Survival analysis on GA at delivery demonstrated no statistically significant difference as regards the proportion of term deliveries in the anterior and posterior knot cerclage groups (log-rank test p-value = .478). Knot positioning during McDonald cervical cerclage, anteriorly or posteriorly, didn't significantly impact the studied maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Use of gadolinium chloride as a contrast agent for imaging spruce knots by magnetic resonance

Treesearch

Thomas L. Eberhardt; Chi-Leung So; Amy H. Herlihy; Po-Wah So

2006-01-01

Treatments of knot-containing spruce wood blocks with a paramagnetic salt, gadolinium (III) chloride, in combination with solvent pretreatments, were evaluated as strategies to enhance the visualization of wood features by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Initial experiments with clear wood and excised knot samples showed differences in moisture uptake after...

Expression of almond KNOTTED1 homologue (PdKn1) anticipates adventitious shoot initiation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background and Aims: The transcription factor encoded by the gene Knotted1 is a nuclear homeodomain protein, regulating meristematic cells at the shoot apical meristem. It has been proven that Knotted1 (KN1) has a role in the switch from an indeterminate to determinate cell fate and as such this gen...

Notice of Release of ‘Truhart-NR’, a Root-knot Nematode Resistant, Pimento-type Pepper

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The USDA has developed a high-yielding, pimento-type pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivar that is highly resistant to root-knot nematodes. The new cultivar, Truhart-NR, is homozygous for the dominant N gene that conditions a high level of resistance to the southern root-knot nematode [Meloidogyne i...

Five Uncommon but Useful Knots.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chisnall, Rob

1997-01-01

Describes five useful, little-known knots: mooring hitch for securing a line to a stump or post; highwayman's cutaway for securing canoe lines or horses' reins; taut-line hitch or midshipman's hitch for securing tent guys; and Hedden knot and C&F belay hitch, used by rock climbers and mountaineers, which combine in a simple rescue haul system.…

High finesse microfiber knot resonators made from double-ended tapered fibers.

PubMed

Xiao, Limin; Birks, T A

2011-04-01

We fabricated optical microfiber knot resonators from thin tapered fibers (diameter down to 1 μm) linked to untapered fiber at both ends. We demonstrated a finesse of about 100, over twice as high as previously reported for microfiber resonators. Low-loss encapsulation of microfiber knot resonators in hydrophobic silica aerogel was also investigated.

Knotted versus knotless suture bridge repair of the achilles tendon insertion: a biomechanical study.

PubMed

Cox, Joseph T; Shorten, Peter L; Gould, Gregory C; Markert, Ronald J; Barnett, Michael D; Laughlin, Richard T

2014-11-01

Surgical treatment of insertional Achilles tendinopathy often involves detachment and debridement of the Achilles tendon insertion. A recent study has shown that knotted suture bridge fixation of the Achilles to the calcaneus is biomechanically superior to single-row fixation, but there is an absence of literature on the use of different suture bridge constructs to repair the Achilles tendon. There will be no significant difference in the load to failure, mode of failure, tendon strain, tendon stiffness, repair site gapping, or footprint size when comparing knotted suture bridge repair to knotless suture bridge repair of the Achilles tendon after detachment for insertional Achilles tendinopathy. Controlled laboratory study. A single specimen from each pair of 10 cadaveric Achilles tendons was randomized to 1 of 2 Achilles insertion repair groups: knotted (n = 10) or knotless (n = 10) suture bridge repair. Repaired footprint size was measured, and then cyclic testing from 10 to 100 N for 2000 cycles was performed. This was followed by measurement of tendon strain, repair site displacement, load to failure, and tendon stiffness. The knotted suture bridge repair had a significantly higher load to failure compared with the knotless suture bridge (mean ± SD, 317.8 ± 93.6 N vs 196.1 ± 12.1 N, respectively; P = .001). All constructs failed at the tendon-suture interface. Tendon strain after cyclic testing was significantly greater in the knotless (1.20 ± 1.05) compared with the knotted (0.39 ± 0.4) suture repair groups (P = .011). There was no significant difference in footprint size between the knotted (230.3 ± 63.3 mm(2)) and knotless (248.5 ± 48.8 mm(2)) groups (P = .40). There was also no significant difference in stiffness (knotted = 76.4 ± 8.0 N/mm; knotless = 69.6 ± 10.9 N/mm; P = .17) and repair site displacement after cyclic testing (knotted = 2.8 ± 1.2 mm; knotless = 3.6 ± 1.1 mm; P = .17). During suture bridge repair of the Achilles tendon after detachment, knots at the proximal suture anchors significantly improve the biomechanical strength of the repair. This study demonstrated that the knotless suture bridge repair had a significantly lower load to failure than the knotted suture bridge. Surgeons should be aware of these biomechanical differences, as they influence the postoperative rehabilitation protocol and may lead to higher surgical complication rates. © 2014 The Author(s).

On geometric distance determination to the Cepheid RS Puppis from its light echoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bond, H. E.; Sparks, W. B.

2009-02-01

Context: The luminous Galactic Cepheid RS Puppis is unique in being surrounded by a dust nebula illuminated by the variable light of the Cepheid. In a recent paper in this journal, Kervella et al. (2008) report a very precise geometric distance to RS Pup, based on measured phase lags of the light variations of individual knots in the reflection nebula. Aims: In this commentary, we examine the validity of the distance measurement, as well as the reality of the spatial structure of the nebula determined by Feast (2008) based upon the phase lags of the knots. Methods: Kervella et al. assumed that the illuminated dust knots lie, on average, in the plane of the sky (otherwise it is not possible to derive a geometric distance from direct imaging of light echoes). We consider the biasing introduced by the high efficiency of forward scattering. Results: We conclude that most of the knots are in fact likely to lie in front of the plane of the sky, thus invalidating the Kervella et al. result. We also show that the flat equatorial disk structure determined by Feast is unlikely; instead, the morphology of the nebula is more probably bipolar, with a significant tilt of its axis with respect to the plane of the sky. Conclusions: Although the Kervella et al. distance result is invalidated, we show that high-resolution polarimetric imaging has the potential to yield a valid geometric distance to this important Cepheid.

SNP markers tightly linked to root knot nematode resistance in grapevine (Vitis cinerea) identified by a genotyping-by-sequencing approach followed by Sequenom MassARRAY validation

PubMed Central

Morales, Norma B.; Moskwa, Sam; Clingeleffer, Peter R.; Thomas, Mark R.

2018-01-01

Plant parasitic nematodes, including root knot nematode Meloidogyne species, cause extensive damage to agriculture and horticultural crops. As Vitis vinifera cultivars are susceptible to root knot nematode parasitism, rootstocks resistant to these soil pests provide a sustainable approach to maintain grapevine production. Currently, most of the commercially available root knot nematode resistant rootstocks are highly vigorous and take up excess potassium, which reduces wine quality. As a result, there is a pressing need to breed new root knot nematode resistant rootstocks, which have no impact on wine quality. To develop molecular markers that predict root knot nematode resistance for marker assisted breeding, a genetic approach was employed to identify a root knot nematode resistance locus in grapevine. To this end, a Meloidogyne javanica resistant Vitis cinerea accession was crossed to a susceptible Vitis vinifera cultivar Riesling and results from screening the F1 individuals support a model that root knot nematode resistance, is conferred by a single dominant allele, referred as MELOIDOGYNE JAVANICA RESISTANCE1 (MJR1). Further, MJR1 resistance appears to be mediated by a hypersensitive response that occurs in the root apical meristem. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified using genotyping-by-sequencing and results from association and genetic mapping identified the MJR1 locus, which is located on chromosome 18 in the Vitis cinerea accession. Validation of the SNPs linked to the MJR1 locus using a Sequenom MassARRAY platform found that only 50% could be validated. The validated SNPs that flank and co-segregate with the MJR1 locus can be used for marker-assisted selection for Meloidogyne javanica resistance in grapevine. PMID:29462210

SNP markers tightly linked to root knot nematode resistance in grapevine (Vitis cinerea) identified by a genotyping-by-sequencing approach followed by Sequenom MassARRAY validation.

PubMed

Smith, Harley M; Smith, Brady P; Morales, Norma B; Moskwa, Sam; Clingeleffer, Peter R; Thomas, Mark R

2018-01-01

Plant parasitic nematodes, including root knot nematode Meloidogyne species, cause extensive damage to agriculture and horticultural crops. As Vitis vinifera cultivars are susceptible to root knot nematode parasitism, rootstocks resistant to these soil pests provide a sustainable approach to maintain grapevine production. Currently, most of the commercially available root knot nematode resistant rootstocks are highly vigorous and take up excess potassium, which reduces wine quality. As a result, there is a pressing need to breed new root knot nematode resistant rootstocks, which have no impact on wine quality. To develop molecular markers that predict root knot nematode resistance for marker assisted breeding, a genetic approach was employed to identify a root knot nematode resistance locus in grapevine. To this end, a Meloidogyne javanica resistant Vitis cinerea accession was crossed to a susceptible Vitis vinifera cultivar Riesling and results from screening the F1 individuals support a model that root knot nematode resistance, is conferred by a single dominant allele, referred as MELOIDOGYNE JAVANICA RESISTANCE1 (MJR1). Further, MJR1 resistance appears to be mediated by a hypersensitive response that occurs in the root apical meristem. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified using genotyping-by-sequencing and results from association and genetic mapping identified the MJR1 locus, which is located on chromosome 18 in the Vitis cinerea accession. Validation of the SNPs linked to the MJR1 locus using a Sequenom MassARRAY platform found that only 50% could be validated. The validated SNPs that flank and co-segregate with the MJR1 locus can be used for marker-assisted selection for Meloidogyne javanica resistance in grapevine.

Comparing models of Red Knot population dynamics

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGowan, Conor P.

2015-01-01

Predictive population modeling contributes to our basic scientific understanding of population dynamics, but can also inform management decisions by evaluating alternative actions in virtual environments. Quantitative models mathematically reflect scientific hypotheses about how a system functions. In Delaware Bay, mid-Atlantic Coast, USA, to more effectively manage horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) harvests and protect Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa) populations, models are used to compare harvest actions and predict the impacts on crab and knot populations. Management has been chiefly driven by the core hypothesis that horseshoe crab egg abundance governs the survival and reproduction of migrating Red Knots that stopover in the Bay during spring migration. However, recently, hypotheses proposing that knot dynamics are governed by cyclical lemming dynamics garnered some support in data analyses. In this paper, I present alternative models of Red Knot population dynamics to reflect alternative hypotheses. Using 2 models with different lemming population cycle lengths and 2 models with different horseshoe crab effects, I project the knot population into the future under environmental stochasticity and parametric uncertainty with each model. I then compare each model's predictions to 10 yr of population monitoring from Delaware Bay. Using Bayes' theorem and model weight updating, models can accrue weight or support for one or another hypothesis of population dynamics. With 4 models of Red Knot population dynamics and only 10 yr of data, no hypothesis clearly predicted population count data better than another. The collapsed lemming cycle model performed best, accruing ~35% of the model weight, followed closely by the horseshoe crab egg abundance model, which accrued ~30% of the weight. The models that predicted no decline or stable populations (i.e. the 4-yr lemming cycle model and the weak horseshoe crab effect model) were the most weakly supported.

Potential Singularity for a Family of Models of the Axisymmetric Incompressible Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Thomas Y.; Jin, Tianling; Liu, Pengfei

2017-03-01

We study a family of 3D models for the incompressible axisymmetric Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. The models are derived by changing the strength of the convection terms in the equations written using a set of transformed variables. The models share several regularity results with the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations, including an energy identity, the conservation of a modified circulation quantity, the BKM criterion and the Prodi-Serrin criterion. The inviscid models with weak convection are numerically observed to develop stable self-similar singularity with the singular region traveling along the symmetric axis, and such singularity scenario does not seem to persist for strong convection.

A fast and robust iterative algorithm for prediction of RNA pseudoknotted secondary structures

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Improving accuracy and efficiency of computational methods that predict pseudoknotted RNA secondary structures is an ongoing challenge. Existing methods based on free energy minimization tend to be very slow and are limited in the types of pseudoknots that they can predict. Incorporating known structural information can improve prediction accuracy; however, there are not many methods for prediction of pseudoknotted structures that can incorporate structural information as input. There is even less understanding of the relative robustness of these methods with respect to partial information. Results We present a new method, Iterative HFold, for pseudoknotted RNA secondary structure prediction. Iterative HFold takes as input a pseudoknot-free structure, and produces a possibly pseudoknotted structure whose energy is at least as low as that of any (density-2) pseudoknotted structure containing the input structure. Iterative HFold leverages strengths of earlier methods, namely the fast running time of HFold, a method that is based on the hierarchical folding hypothesis, and the energy parameters of HotKnots V2.0. Our experimental evaluation on a large data set shows that Iterative HFold is robust with respect to partial information, with average accuracy on pseudoknotted structures steadily increasing from roughly 54% to 79% as the user provides up to 40% of the input structure. Iterative HFold is much faster than HotKnots V2.0, while having comparable accuracy. Iterative HFold also has significantly better accuracy than IPknot on our HK-PK and IP-pk168 data sets. Conclusions Iterative HFold is a robust method for prediction of pseudoknotted RNA secondary structures, whose accuracy with more than 5% information about true pseudoknot-free structures is better than that of IPknot, and with about 35% information about true pseudoknot-free structures compares well with that of HotKnots V2.0 while being significantly faster. Iterative HFold and all data used in this work are freely available at http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~hjabbari/software.php. PMID:24884954

Knotted optical vortices in exact solutions to Maxwell's equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Klerk, Albertus J. J. M.; van der Veen, Roland I.; Dalhuisen, Jan Willem; Bouwmeester, Dirk

2017-05-01

We construct a family of exact solutions to Maxwell's equations in which the points of zero intensity form knotted lines topologically equivalent to a given but arbitrary algebraic link. These lines of zero intensity, more commonly referred to as optical vortices, and their topology are preserved as time evolves and the fields have finite energy. To derive explicit expressions for these new electromagnetic fields that satisfy the nullness property, we make use of the Bateman variables for the Hopf field as well as complex polynomials in two variables whose zero sets give rise to algebraic links. The class of algebraic links includes not only all torus knots and links thereof, but also more intricate cable knots. While the unknot has been considered before, the solutions presented here show that more general knotted structures can also arise as optical vortices in exact solutions to Maxwell's equations.

Stable elastic knots with no self-contact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moulton, Derek E.; Grandgeorge, Paul; Neukirch, Sébastien

2018-07-01

We study an elastic rod bent into an open trefoil knot and clamped at both ends. The question we consider is whether there are stable configurations for which there are no points of self-contact. This idea can be fairly easily replicated with a thin strip of paper, but is more difficult or even impossible with a flexible wire. We search for such configurations within the space of three tuning parameters related to the degrees of freedom in a simple experiment. Mathematically, we show, both within standard Kirchhoff theory as well within an elastic strip theory, that stable and contact-free knotted configurations can be found, and we classify the corresponding parametric regions. Numerical results are complemented with an asymptotic analysis that demonstrates the presence of knots near the doubly-covered ring. In the case of the strip model, quantitative experiments of the region of good knots are also provided to validate the theory.

B-spline parameterization of the dielectric function and information criteria: the craft of non-overfitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Likhachev, Dmitriy V.

2017-06-01

Johs and Hale developed the Kramers-Kronig consistent B-spline formulation for the dielectric function modeling in spectroscopic ellipsometry data analysis. In this article we use popular Akaike, corrected Akaike and Bayesian Information Criteria (AIC, AICc and BIC, respectively) to determine an optimal number of knots for B-spline model. These criteria allow finding a compromise between under- and overfitting of experimental data since they penalize for increasing number of knots and select representation which achieves the best fit with minimal number of knots. Proposed approach provides objective and practical guidance, as opposite to empirically driven or "gut feeling" decisions, for selecting the right number of knots for B-spline models in spectroscopic ellipsometry. AIC, AICc and BIC selection criteria work remarkably well as we demonstrated in several real-data applications. This approach formalizes selection of the optimal knot number and may be useful in practical perspective of spectroscopic ellipsometry data analysis.

The Butterfly diagram leopard skin pattern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ternullo, Maurizio

2011-08-01

A time-latitude diagram where spotgroups are given proportional relevance to their area is presented. The diagram reveals that the spotted area distribution is higly dishomogeneous, most of it being concentrated in few, small portions (``knots'') of the Butterfly Diagram; because of this structure, the BD may be properly described as a cluster of knots. The description, assuming that spots scatter around the ``spot mean latitude'' steadily drifting equatorward, is challenged. Indeed, spots cluster around at as many latitudes as knots; a knot may appear at either lower or higher latitudes than previous ones, in a seemingly random way; accordingly, the spot mean latitude abruptly drifts equatorward or even poleward at any knot activation, in spite of any smoothing procedure. Preliminary analyses suggest that the activity splits, in any hemisphere, into two or more distinct ``activity waves'', drifting equatorward at a rate higher than the spot zone as a whole.

Harmonic field in knotted space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Xiuqing; Yao, Zhenwei

2018-04-01

Knotted fields enrich a variety of physical phenomena, ranging from fluid flows, electromagnetic fields, to textures of ordered media. Maxwell's electrostatic equations, whose vacuum solution is mathematically known as a harmonic field, provide an ideal setting to explore the role of domain topology in determining physical fields in confined space. In this work, we show the uniqueness of a harmonic field in knotted tubes, and reduce the construction of a harmonic field to a Neumann boundary value problem. By analyzing the harmonic field in typical knotted tubes, we identify the torsion driven transition from bipolar to vortex patterns. We also analogously extend our discussion to the organization of liquid crystal textures in knotted tubes. These results further our understanding about the general role of topology in shaping a physical field in confined space, and may find applications in the control of physical fields by manipulation of surface topology.

HOMFLYPT polynomial is the best quantifier for topological cascades of vortex knots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricca, Renzo L.; Liu, Xin

2018-02-01

In this paper we derive and compare numerical sequences obtained by adapted polynomials such as HOMFLYPT, Jones and Alexander-Conway for the topological cascade of vortex torus knots and links that progressively untie by a single reconnection event at a time. Two cases are considered: the alternate sequence of knots and co-oriented links (with positive crossings) and the sequence of two-component links with oppositely oriented components (negative crossings). New recurrence equations are derived and sequences of numerical values are computed. In all cases the adapted HOMFLYPT polynomial proves to be the best quantifier for the topological cascade of torus knots and links.

Full scale wind tunnel investigation of a bearingless main helicopter rotor. [Ames 40 by 80 foot wind tunnel test using the BO-105 helicopter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

A stability test program was conducted to determine the effects of airspeed, collective pitch, rotor speed and shaft angle on stability and loads at speeds beyond that attained in the BMR/BO-105 flight test program. Loads and performance data were gathered at forward speeds up to 165 knots. The effect of cyclic pitch perturbations on rotor response was investigated at simulated level flight conditions. Two configuration variations were tested for their effect on stability. One variable was the control system stiffness. An axially softer pitch link was installed in place of the standard BO-105 pitch link. The second variation was the addition of elastomeric damper strips to increase the structural damping. The BMR was stable at all conditions tested. At fixed collective pitch, shaft angle and rotor speed, damping generally increased between hover and 60 knots, remained relatively constant from 60 to 90 knots, then decreased above 90 knots. Analytical predictions are in good agreement with test data up to 90 knots, but the trend of decreasing damping above 90 knots is contrary to the theory.

Hurricane Darby off the Pacific Coast of Mexico

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-07-26

Hurricane Darby as observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder AIRS onboard NASA Aqua in July, 2004. This daylight image of Hurricane Darby on July 28 was made with the visible sensor in the AIRS instrument suite. After reaching sustained winds on July 27 of 100 knots (115 mph) with gusts to 120 knots (138 mph), the intensity of the storm is now lowered to 75 knots (86 mph). Located in the eastern north Pacific Ocean located about 1,165 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, the storm continues its west/northwest path at 14 knots (16mph). Figure 1 is a daylight snapshot from AIRS visible/near-infrared sensor before Darby became a tropical storm. Darby is in the upper right-hand corner. Circulation is not apparent because the storm was not organized sufficiently to allow the nascent eye to appear. At this time, winds were approximately 35 mph. Figure 2 is an AIRS infrared image. Darby falls on the edge of two AIRS data granules, which have been "stitched" together in this image. Storm intensity is lowered to 75 knots (86 mph), down from 100 knots (115 mph). http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00439

Freely Expanding Knots of X-Ray-emitting Ejecta in Kepler’s Supernova Remnant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Toshiki; Hughes, John P.

2017-08-01

We report measurements of proper motion, radial velocity, and elemental composition for 14 compact X-ray-bright knots in Kepler’s supernova remnant (SNR) using archival Chandra data. The knots with the highest speed show both large proper motions (μ ˜ 0.″11-0.″14 yr-1) and high radial velocities (v ˜ 8700-10,020 km s-1). For these knots the estimated space velocities (9100 km s-1 ≲ v 3D ≲ 10,400 km s-1) are similar to the typical Si velocity seen in supernovae (SNe) Ia near maximum light. High-speed ejecta knots appear only in specific locations and are morphologically and kinematically distinct from the rest of the ejecta. The proper motions of five knots extrapolate back over the age of Kepler’s SNR to a consistent central position. This new kinematic center agrees well with previous determinations, but is less subject to systematic errors and denotes a location about which several prominent structures in the remnant display a high degree of symmetry. These five knots are expanding at close to the free expansion rate (expansion indices of 0.75 ≲ m ≲ 1.0), which we argue indicates either that they were formed in the explosion with a high density contrast (more than 100 times the ambient density) or that they have propagated through regions of relatively low density (n H < 0.1 cm-3) in the ambient medium. X-ray spectral analysis shows that the undecelerated knots have high Si and S abundances, a lower Fe abundance, and very low O abundance, pointing to an origin in the partial Si-burning zone, which occurs in the outer layer of the exploding white dwarf for models of SNe Ia. Other knots show lower speeds and expansion indices consistent with decelerated ejecta knots or features in the ambient medium overrun by the forward shock. Our new accurate location for the explosion site has well-defined positional uncertainties, allowing for a great reduction in the area to be searched for faint surviving donor stars under non-traditional single-degenerate SNe Ia scenarios; because of the lack of bright stars in the search area the traditional scenario remains ruled out.

Freely Expanding Knots of X-Ray-emitting Ejecta in Kepler’s Supernova Remnant

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

Sato, Toshiki; Hughes, John P., E-mail: toshiki@astro.isas.jaxa.jp, E-mail: jph@physics.rutgers.edu

We report measurements of proper motion, radial velocity, and elemental composition for 14 compact X-ray-bright knots in Kepler’s supernova remnant (SNR) using archival Chandra data. The knots with the highest speed show both large proper motions ( μ ∼ 0.″11–0.″14 yr{sup −1}) and high radial velocities ( v ∼ 8700–10,020 km s{sup −1}). For these knots the estimated space velocities (9100 km s{sup −1} ≲ v {sub 3D} ≲ 10,400 km s{sup −1}) are similar to the typical Si velocity seen in supernovae (SNe) Ia near maximum light. High-speed ejecta knots appear only in specific locations and are morphologically andmore » kinematically distinct from the rest of the ejecta. The proper motions of five knots extrapolate back over the age of Kepler’s SNR to a consistent central position. This new kinematic center agrees well with previous determinations, but is less subject to systematic errors and denotes a location about which several prominent structures in the remnant display a high degree of symmetry. These five knots are expanding at close to the free expansion rate (expansion indices of 0.75 ≲ m ≲ 1.0), which we argue indicates either that they were formed in the explosion with a high density contrast (more than 100 times the ambient density) or that they have propagated through regions of relatively low density ( n {sub H} < 0.1 cm{sup −3}) in the ambient medium. X-ray spectral analysis shows that the undecelerated knots have high Si and S abundances, a lower Fe abundance, and very low O abundance, pointing to an origin in the partial Si-burning zone, which occurs in the outer layer of the exploding white dwarf for models of SNe Ia. Other knots show lower speeds and expansion indices consistent with decelerated ejecta knots or features in the ambient medium overrun by the forward shock. Our new accurate location for the explosion site has well-defined positional uncertainties, allowing for a great reduction in the area to be searched for faint surviving donor stars under non-traditional single-degenerate SNe Ia scenarios; because of the lack of bright stars in the search area the traditional scenario remains ruled out.« less

On the universality of knot probability ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janse van Rensburg, E. J.; Rechnitzer, A.

2011-04-01

Let pn denote the number of self-avoiding polygons of length n on a regular three-dimensional lattice, and let pn(K) be the number which have knot type K. The probability that a random polygon of length n has knot type K is pn(K)/pn and is known to decay exponentially with length (Sumners and Whittington 1988 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 21 1689-94, Pippenger 1989 Discrete Appl. Math. 25 273-8). Little is known rigorously about the asymptotics of pn(K), but there is substantial numerical evidence (Orlandini et al 1988 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 31 5953-67, Marcone et al 2007 Phys. Rev. E 75 41105, Rawdon et al 2008 Macromolecules 41 4444-51, Janse van Rensburg and Rechnitzer 2008 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 41 105002) that pn(K) grows as p_n(K) \\simeq C_K \\mu _\\emptyset ^n n^{\\alpha -3+N_K}, \\qquad as\\quad n \\rightarrow \\infty, where NK is the number of prime components of the knot type K. It is believed that the entropic exponent, α, is universal, while the exponential growth rate, μ∅, is independent of the knot type but varies with the lattice. The amplitude, CK, depends on both the lattice and the knot type. The above asymptotic form implies that the relative probability of a random polygon of length n having prime knot type K over prime knot type L is \\frac{p_n(K)/p_n}{p_n(L)/p_n} = \\frac{p_n(K)}{p_n(L)} \\simeq \\left[ \\frac{C_K}{C_L} \\right].\\\\[-8pt] In the thermodynamic limit this probability ratio becomes an amplitude ratio; it should be universal and depend only on the knot types K and L. In this communication we examine the universality of these probability ratios for polygons in the simple cubic, face-centred cubic and body-centred cubic lattices. Our results support the hypothesis that these are universal quantities. For example, we estimate that a long random polygon is approximately 28 times more likely to be a trefoil than be a figure-eight, independent of the underlying lattice, giving an estimate of the intrinsic entropy associated with knot types in closed curves.

A summary of modulus of elasticity and knot size surveys for laminating grades of lumber

Treesearch

R. W. Wolfe; R. C. Moody

1981-01-01

A summary of modulus of elasticity (MOE) and knot data is presented for grades of lumber commonly used to manufacture glued-laminated (glulam) timber by the laminating Industry. Tabulated values represent 30 different studies covering a time span of over 16 years. Statistical estimates of average and near-maximum knot sizes as well as mean and coefficient of variation...

33 CFR 165.510 - Delaware Bay and River, Salem River, Christina River and Schuylkill River-Regulated Navigation Area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... within the regulated navigation area and: (i) Sustained winds are greater than 25 knots but less than 40 knots, ensure the main engines are ready to provide full power in five minutes or less; and (ii) Sustained winds are 40 knots or over, ensure that the main engines are on line to immediately provide...

Using more of what trees provide - why not knots?

Treesearch

Matthew Bumgardner

2003-01-01

We are all familiar with furniture and paneling made from "knotty" pine. In fact, we expect pine to be knotty and such knots add a certain degree of warmness and authenticity. But have you ever wondered why there isn't more knotty oak furniture! Or knotty cherry cabinets? The fact is that most knot distortions and visual defects such as color streaks and...

Models of knot and stem development in black spruce trees indicate a shift in allocation priority to branches when growth is limited

PubMed Central

Duchateau, Emmanuel; Auty, David; Mothe, Frédéric; Longuetaud, Fleur; Ung, Chhun Huor

2015-01-01

The branch autonomy principle, which states that the growth of individual branches can be predicted from their morphology and position in the forest canopy irrespective of the characteristics of the tree, has been used to simplify models of branch growth in trees. However, observed changes in allocation priority within trees towards branches growing in light-favoured conditions, referred to as ‘Milton’s Law of resource availability and allocation,’ have raised questions about the applicability of the branch autonomy principle. We present models linking knot ontogeny to the secondary growth of the main stem in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.), which were used to assess the patterns of assimilate allocation over time, both within and between trees. Data describing the annual radial growth of 445 stem rings and the three-dimensional shape of 5,377 knots were extracted from optical scans and X-ray computed tomography images taken along the stems of 10 trees. Total knot to stem area increment ratios (KSR) were calculated for each year of growth, and statistical models were developed to describe the annual development of knot diameter and curvature as a function of stem radial increment, total tree height, stem diameter, and the position of knots along an annual growth unit. KSR varied as a function of tree age and of the height to diameter ratio of the stem, a variable indicative of the competitive status of the tree. Simulations of the development of an individual knot showed that an increase in the stem radial growth rate was associated with an increase in the initial growth of the knot, but also with a shorter lifespan. Our results provide support for ‘Milton’s Law,’ since they indicate that allocation priority is given to locations where the potential return is the highest. The developed models provided realistic simulations of knot morphology within trees, which could be integrated into a functional-structural model of tree growth and above-ground resource partitioning. PMID:25870769

Potential of Leguminous Cover Crops in Management of a Mixed Population of Root-knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.)

PubMed Central

Osei, Kingsley; Gowen, Simon R.; Pembroke, Barbara; Brandenburg, Rick L.; Jordan, David L.

2010-01-01

Root-knot nematode is an important pest in agricultural production worldwide. Crop rotation is the only management strategy in some production systems, especially for resource poor farmers in developing countries. A series of experiments was conducted in the laboratory with several leguminous cover crops to investigate their potential for managing a mixture of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne arenaria, M. incognita, M. javanica). The root-knot nematode mixture failed to multiply on Mucuna pruriens and Crotalaria spectabilis but on Dolichos lablab the population increased more than 2- fold when inoculated with 500 and 1,000 nematodes per plant. There was no root-galling on M. pruriens and C. spectabilis but the gall rating was noted on D. lablab. Greater mortality of juvenile root-knot nematodes occurred when exposed to eluants of roots and leaves of leguminous crops than those of tomato; 48.7% of juveniles died after 72 h exposure to root eluant of C. spectabilis. The leaf eluant of D. lablab was toxic to nematodes but the root eluant was not. Thus, different parts of a botanical contain different active ingredients or different concentrations of the same active ingredient. The numbers of root-knot nematode eggs that hatched in root exudates of M. pruriens and C. spectabilis were significantly lower (20% and 26%) than in distilled water, tomato and P. vulgaris root exudates (83%, 72% and 89%) respectively. Tomato lacks nematotoxic compounds found in M. pruriens and C. spectabilis. Three months after inoculating plants with 1,000 root-knot nematode juveniles the populations in pots with M. pruriens, C. spectabilis and C. retusa had been reduced by approximately 79%, 85% and 86% respectively; compared with an increase of 262% nematodes in pots with Phaseolus vulgaris. There was significant reduction of 90% nematodes in fallow pots with no growing plant. The results from this study demonstrate that some leguminous species contain compounds that either kill root-knot nematodes or interfere with hatching and affect their capacity to invade and develop within their roots. M. pruriens, C. spectabilis and C. retusa could be used with effect to decrease a mixed field populations of root-knot nematodes. PMID:22736854

Models of knot and stem development in black spruce trees indicate a shift in allocation priority to branches when growth is limited.

PubMed

Duchateau, Emmanuel; Auty, David; Mothe, Frédéric; Longuetaud, Fleur; Ung, Chhun Huor; Achim, Alexis

2015-01-01

The branch autonomy principle, which states that the growth of individual branches can be predicted from their morphology and position in the forest canopy irrespective of the characteristics of the tree, has been used to simplify models of branch growth in trees. However, observed changes in allocation priority within trees towards branches growing in light-favoured conditions, referred to as 'Milton's Law of resource availability and allocation,' have raised questions about the applicability of the branch autonomy principle. We present models linking knot ontogeny to the secondary growth of the main stem in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.), which were used to assess the patterns of assimilate allocation over time, both within and between trees. Data describing the annual radial growth of 445 stem rings and the three-dimensional shape of 5,377 knots were extracted from optical scans and X-ray computed tomography images taken along the stems of 10 trees. Total knot to stem area increment ratios (KSR) were calculated for each year of growth, and statistical models were developed to describe the annual development of knot diameter and curvature as a function of stem radial increment, total tree height, stem diameter, and the position of knots along an annual growth unit. KSR varied as a function of tree age and of the height to diameter ratio of the stem, a variable indicative of the competitive status of the tree. Simulations of the development of an individual knot showed that an increase in the stem radial growth rate was associated with an increase in the initial growth of the knot, but also with a shorter lifespan. Our results provide support for 'Milton's Law,' since they indicate that allocation priority is given to locations where the potential return is the highest. The developed models provided realistic simulations of knot morphology within trees, which could be integrated into a functional-structural model of tree growth and above-ground resource partitioning.

Efficacy of various application methods of fluensulfone for managing root-knot nematodes in vegetables

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fluensulfone is a new nematicide in the flouroalkenyl chemical group. A field experiment was conducted in 2012 and 2013 to evaluate the efficacy of various application methods of fluensulfone for control of Meloidogyne spp. in cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Treatments of fluensulfone (3.0 kg a.i./ha) ...

Pinus pinaster Knot: A Source of Polyphenols against Plasmopara viticola.

PubMed

Gabaston, Julien; Richard, Tristan; Cluzet, Stéphanie; Palos Pinto, Antonio; Dufour, Marie-Cécile; Corio-Costet, Marie-France; Mérillon, Jean-Michel

2017-10-11

Pine knot extract from Pinus pinaster byproducts was characterized by UHPLC-DAD-MS and NMR. Fourteen polyphenols divided into four classes were identified as follows: lignans (nortrachelogenin, pinoresinol, matairesinol, isolariciresinol, secoisolariciresinol), flavonoids (pinocembrin, pinobanksin, dihydrokaempferol, taxifolin), stilbenes (pinosylvin, pinosylvin monomethyl ether, pterostilbene), and phenolic acids (caffeic acid, ferulic acid). The antifungal potential of pine knot extract, as well as the main compounds, was tested in vitro against Plasmopara viticola. The ethanolic extract showed a strong antimildew activity. In addition, pinosylvins and pinocembrin demonstrated significant inhibition of zoospore mobility and mildew development. These findings strongly suggest that pine knot is a potential biomass that could be used as a natural antifungal product.

Rare complication of appendix: small bowel gangrene caused by the appendicular knot.

PubMed

Mohana, R T; Zainal, A A

2017-12-01

Intestinal knot formation was first described by Riverius in 16th century and later by Rokitansky in 1836. We report a very rare cause of small bowel gangrene caused by appendiceal knotting on to the ileum in a previously healthy mid aged lady. Patient underwent laparatomy and right hemicolectomy and primary anastomosis. The intra operative findings were the appendix was twisting (knotting) the small bowel about 40cm from the terminal ileum and causing gangrene to the segment of small bowel. Appendicitis is a common condition and management is usually straightforward. However we must be aware of rare complications which may arise that require a change from the standard treatment of acute appendicitis.

Universal properties of knotted polymer rings.

PubMed

Baiesi, M; Orlandini, E

2012-09-01

By performing Monte Carlo sampling of N-steps self-avoiding polygons embedded on different Bravais lattices we explore the robustness of universality in the entropic, metric, and geometrical properties of knotted polymer rings. In particular, by simulating polygons with N up to 10(5) we furnish a sharp estimate of the asymptotic values of the knot probability ratios and show their independence on the lattice type. This universal feature was previously suggested, although with different estimates of the asymptotic values. In addition, we show that the scaling behavior of the mean-squared radius of gyration of polygons depends on their knot type only through its correction to scaling. Finally, as a measure of the geometrical self-entanglement of the self-avoiding polygons we consider the standard deviation of the writhe distribution and estimate its power-law behavior in the large N limit. The estimates of the power exponent do depend neither on the lattice nor on the knot type, strongly supporting an extension of the universality property to some features of the geometrical entanglement.

Comparison of ultrasonic suture welding and traditional knot tying in a rabbit rotator cuff repair model.

PubMed

Nho, Shane J; Cole, Brian J; Mazzocca, Augustus D; Williams, James M; Romeo, Anthony A; Bush-Joseph, Charles A; Bach, Bernard R; Hallab, Nadim J

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate ultrasonic suture welding of monofilament suture in an animal model of rotator cuff repair with biomechanical and histologic analyses. We randomly assigned 46 shoulders in 23 rabbits to 1 of 3 treatment groups: sham-operated (n = 15), knotted (n = 15), and welded (n = 16). Supraspinatus defects were surgically created and acutely repaired with suture anchors loaded with either No. 2-0 Ethibond for knotted group or No. 2-0 nylon for welded shoulders. Eighteen weeks postoperatively, all animals were killed, and the shoulders underwent either biomechanical testing or histologic analysis. The maximum stress of the sham-operated group (20.6 N/mm2) was significantly greater than that of both the knotted (10.2 N/mm2) and welded (8.3 N/mm2) groups (P < .05), but no differences were observed between the knotted and welded groups. Although some histologic changes were noted, none was considered to be significant to distinguish either group.

The mutual attraction of magnetic knots. [solar hydromagnetic instability in sunspot regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, E. N.

1978-01-01

It is observed that the magnetic knots associated with active regions on the sun have an attraction for each other during the formative period of the active regions, when new magnetic flux is coming to the surface. The attraction disappears when new flux ceases to rise through the surface. Then the magnetic spots and knots tend to come apart, leading to disintegration of the sunspots previously formed. The dissolution of the fields is to be expected, as a consequence of the magnetic repulsion of knots of like polarity and as a consequence of the hydromagnetic exchange instability. The purpose of this paper is to show that the mutual attraction of knots during the formative stages of a sunspot region may be understood as the mutual hydrodynamic attraction of the rising flux tubes. Two rising tubes attract each other, as a consequence of the wake of the leading tube when one is moving behind the other, and as a consequence of the Bernoulli effect when rising side by side.

14 CFR Appendix G to Part 36 - Takeoff Noise Requirements for Propeller-Driven Small Airplane and Propeller-Driven, Commuter...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... aircraft noise when the wind speed is in excess of 5 knots (9 km/hr). Sec. G36.107Noise Measurement... OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT NOISE STANDARDS: AIRCRAFT TYPE AND AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION Pt. 36, App..., inclusively; (4) Wind speed may not exceed 10 knots (19 km/h) and cross wind may not exceed 5 knots (9 km/h...

14 CFR Appendix G to Part 36 - Takeoff Noise Requirements for Propeller-Driven Small Airplane and Propeller-Driven, Commuter...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... aircraft noise when the wind speed is in excess of 5 knots (9 km/hr). Sec. G36.107Noise Measurement... OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT NOISE STANDARDS: AIRCRAFT TYPE AND AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION Pt. 36, App..., inclusively; (4) Wind speed may not exceed 10 knots (19 km/h) and cross wind may not exceed 5 knots (9 km/h...

14 CFR 61.327 - How do I obtain privileges to operate a light-sport aircraft that has a VH greater than 87 knots...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... light-sport aircraft that has a VH greater than 87 knots CAS? 61.327 Section 61.327 Aeronautics and...: PILOTS, FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS, AND GROUND INSTRUCTORS Sport Pilots § 61.327 How do I obtain privileges to operate a light-sport aircraft that has a VH greater than 87 knots CAS? If you hold a sport pilot...

Tying a molecular knot with optical tweezers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, Yasuharu; Yasuda, Ryohei; Akashi, Ken-Ichirou; Harada, Yoshie; Miyata, Hidetake; Kinosita, Kazuhiko; Itoh, Hiroyasu

1999-06-01

Filamentous structures are abundant in cells. Relatively rigid filaments, such as microtubules and actin, serve as intracellular scaffolds that support movement and force, and their mechanical properties are crucial to their function in the cell. Some aspects of the behaviour of DNA, meanwhile, depend critically on its flexibility-for example, DNA-binding proteins can induce sharp bends in the helix. The mechanical characterization of such filaments has generally been conducted without controlling the filament shape, by the observation of thermal motions or of the response to external forces or flows. Controlled buckling of a microtubule has been reported, but the analysis of the buckled shape was complicated. Here we report the continuous control of the radius of curvature of a molecular strand by tying a knot in it, using optical tweezers to manipulate the strand's ends. We find that actin filaments break at the knot when the knot diameter falls below 0.4µm. The pulling force at breakage is around 1pN, two orders of magnitude smaller than the tensile stress of a straight filament. The flexural rigidity of the filament remained unchanged down to this diameter. We have also knotted a single DNA molecule, opening up the possibility of studying curvature-dependent interactions with associated proteins. We find that the knotted DNA is stronger than actin.

Multispecies modeling for adaptive management of horseshoe crabs and red knots in the Delaware Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGowan, Conor P.; Smith, David; Sweka, John A.; Martin, Julien; Nichols, James D.; Wong, Richard; Lyons, James E.; Niles, Lawrence J.; Kalasz, Kevin; Brust, Jeffrey; Klopfer, Michelle; Spear, Braddock

2011-01-01

Adaptive management requires that predictive models be explicit and transparent to improve decisions by comparing management actions, directing further research and monitoring, and facilitating learning. The rufa subspecies of red knots (Calidris canutus rufa), which has recently exhibited steep population declines, relies on horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) eggs as their primary food source during stopover in Delaware Bay during spring migration. We present a model with two different parameterizations for use in the adaptive management of horseshoe crab harvests in the Delaware Bay that links red knot mass gain, annual survival, and fecundity to horseshoe crab dynamics. The models reflect prevailing hypotheses regarding ecological links between these two species. When reported crab harvest from 1998 to 2008 was applied, projections corresponded to the observed red knot population abundances depending on strengths of the demographic relationship between these species. We compared different simulated horseshoe crab harvest strategies to evaluate whether, given this model, horseshoe crab harvest management can affect red knot conservation and found that restricting harvest can benefit red knot populations. Our model is the first to explicitly and quantitatively link these two species and will be used within an adaptive management framework to manage the Delaware Bay system and learn more about the specific nature of the linkage between the two species.

DYNAMICS OF VERTICAL THREADS AND DESCENDING KNOTS IN A HEDGEROW PROMINENCE

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

Chae, Jongchul

The existence and behavior of vertical fine structures of plasma-threads and knots-are a significant observational clue to understanding the magnetic structure and dynamics of quiescent prominences on the quiet Sun. Based on the equation of motion in ideal MHD, we reason that the non-hydrostatic support of plasma against gravity in general requires either the motion of plasma with a high value of downward acceleration (dynamical support) or the role of horizontal magnetic fields (magnetic support). By carefully tracking the motion of several bright threads seen in a hedgerow prominence observed by the Solar Optical Telescope aboard Hinode, we confirm thatmore » these threads are essentially static and stable, which negates the dynamic support. The application of the Kippenhahn-Schlueter solution suggests that they may be supported by sagged magnetic field lines with a sag angle of about 43{sup 0}. We also track several bright descending knots and find that their descending speeds range from 10 to 30 km s{sup -1}, with a mean value of 16 km s{sup -1}, and their vertical accelerations from -0.10 to 0.10 km s{sup -2}, with a mean of practically zero. This finding suggests that these knots are basically supported by horizontal magnetic fields against gravity even when they descend, and the complex variations of their descending speeds should be attributed to small imbalances between gravity and the force of magnetic tension. Furthermore, some knots are observed to impulsively get accelerated downward from time to time. We conjecture that these impulsive accelerations are a result of magnetic reconnection and the subsequent interchange of magnetic configuration between a knot and its surrounding structure. It is proposed that this process of reconnection and interchange not only initiates the descending motion of the knots, but also allows knots to keep falling long distance through the medium permeated by horizontal magnetic fields.« less

Phylogenetic analysis of Pasteuria penetrans by use of multiple genetic loci.

PubMed

Charles, Lauren; Carbone, Ignazio; Davies, Keith G; Bird, David; Burke, Mark; Kerry, Brian R; Opperman, Charles H

2005-08-01

Pasteuria penetrans is a gram-positive, endospore-forming eubacterium that apparently is a member of the Bacillus-Clostridium clade. It is an obligate parasite of root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) and preferentially grows on the developing ovaries, inhibiting reproduction. Root knot nematodes are devastating root pests of economically important crop plants and are difficult to control. Consequently, P. penetrans has long been recognized as a potential biocontrol agent for root knot nematodes, but the fastidious life cycle and the obligate nature of parasitism have inhibited progress on mass culture and deployment. We are currently sequencing the genome of the Pasteuria bacterium and have performed amino acid level analyses of 33 bacterial species (including P. penetrans) using concatenation of 40 housekeeping genes, with and without insertions/deletions (indels) removed, and using each gene individually. By application of maximum-likelihood, maximum-parsimony, and Bayesian methods to the resulting data sets, P. penetrans was found to cluster tightly, with a high level of confidence, in the Bacillus class of the gram-positive, low-G+C-content eubacteria. Strikingly, our analyses identified P. penetrans as ancestral to Bacillus spp. Additionally, all analyses revealed that P. penetrans is surprisingly more closely related to the saprophytic extremophile Bacillus haladurans and Bacillus subtilis than to the pathogenic species Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus. Collectively, these findings strongly imply that P. penetrans is an ancient member of the Bacillus group. We suggest that P. penetrans may have evolved from an ancient symbiotic bacterial associate of nematodes, possibly as the root knot nematode evolved to be a highly specialized parasite of plants.

Simulation of decelerating landing approaches on an externally blown flap STOL transport airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grantham, W. D.; Nguyen, L. T.; Deal, P. L.

1974-01-01

A fixed-base simulator program was conducted to define the problems and methods for solution associated with performing decelerating landing approaches on a representative STOL transport having a high wing and equipped with an external-flow jet flap in combination with four high-bypass-ratio fan-jet engines. Real-time digital simulation techniques were used. The computer was programed with equations of motion for six degrees of freedom and the aerodynamic inputs were based on measured wind-tunnel data. The pilot's task was to capture the localizer and the glide slope and to maintain them as closely as possible while decelerating from an initial airspeed of 140 knots to a final airspeed of 75 knots, while under IFR conditions.

BRST symmetry for a torus knot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Vipul Kumar; Prasad Mandal, Bhabani

2017-08-01

We develop BRST symmetry for the first time for a particle on the surface of a torus knot by analyzing the constraints of the system. The theory contains 2nd-class constraints and has been extended by introducing the Wess-Zumino term to convert it into a theory with first-class constraints. BFV analysis of the extended theory is performed to construct BRST/anti-BRST symmetries for the particle on a torus knot. The nilpotent BRST/anti-BRST charges which generate such symmetries are constructed explicitly. The states annihilated by these nilpotent charges consist of the physical Hilbert space. We indicate how various effective theories on the surface of the torus knot are related through the generalized version of the BRST transformation with finite-field-dependent parameters.

Tying Knots in DNA with Holographic Optical Tweezers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miles, Mervyn; Foster, David; Seddon, Annela; Phillips, David; Carberry, David; Padgett, Miles; Dennis, Mark

It has been demonstrated that holographic optical tweezers can be used to tie a trefoil knot in double-stranded DNA. We have developed an advanced holographic optical tweezers system with several types of intuitive control interfaces. It has been used in a range of research projects including the characterization and assembly of structures. Here the process of tying increasingly complex knots with holographic tweezers will be described. The DNA is of the order of 50 μ m in length and is fluorescently labeled, in order that it can be visualized in the optical microscope of the tweezers system. With a knot was tied, the effect of increasing the persistence length of the DNA by partial methylation of the DNA molecule was investigated. Leverhulme Trust.

Multimedia article. The keys to the new laparoscopic world Thumbs up! knot and Tornado knot.

PubMed

Uchida, K; Haruta, N; Okajima, M; Matsuda, M; Yamamoto, M

2005-06-01

Most laparoscopic surgeons feel some anxiety when performing intracorporeal knotting with conventional techniques [1, 2]. Two factors contribute to this anxiety. The first is the necessity of recognizing three dimensions on a two-dimensional monitor. The conventional intracorporeal knotting techniques make loops by twisting the thread with a second pair of forceps. This necessitates cooperative movement of both hands, with the added difficulties of depth perception. Regular touch confirmations reduce problems with depth perception. However, touch confirmation is more complicated in laparoscopic surgery than in laparotomy. The second problem is that tied loops can come loose and escape the instruments, especially with hard thread. This is not only stressful but also increases operation time.

The Three-Dimensional Expansion of the Ejecta from Tycho's Supernova Remnant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Brian J.; Coyle, Nina M.; Yamaguchi, Hiroya; Depasquale, Joseph; Seitenzahl, Ivo R.; Hewitt, John W.; Blondin, John M.; Borkowski, Kazimierz J.; Ghavamian, Parviz; Petre, Robert;

Bulk Comptonization of the Cosmic Microwave Background by Extragalactic Jets as a Probe of their Matter Content

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georganopoulos, Markos; Kazanas, Demosthenes; Perlman, Eric; Stecker, Floyd W.

2004-01-01

We propose a method for estimating the composition, i.e. the relative amounts of leptons and protons, of extragalactic jets which exhibit Chandra - detected knots in their kpc scale jets. The method relies on measuring, or setting upper limits on, the component of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation that is bulk-Comptonized by the cold electrons in the relativistically flowing jet. These measurements, along with modeling of the broadband knot emission that constrain the bulk Lorentz factor GAMMA of the jets, can yield estimates of the jet power carried by protons and leptons. We provide an explicit calculation of the spectrum of the bulk-Comptonized (BC) CMB component and apply these results to PKS 0637 - 752 and 3C 273, two superluminal quasars with Chandra - detected large scale jets. What makes these sources particularly suited for such a procedure is the absence of significant non-thermal jet emission in the 'bridge', the region between the core and the first bright jet knot, which guarantees that most of the electrons are cold there, leaving the BC scattered CMB radiation as the only significant source of photons in this region. At lambda = 3.6 - 8.0 microns, the most likely band to observe the BC scattered CMB emission, the Spitzer angular resolution (approximately 1" - 3") is considerably smaller than the the 'bridges' of these jets (approximately 10"), making it possible to both measure and resolve this emission.

The nearest X-ray emitting protostellar jet (HH 154) observed with Hubble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonito, R.; Fridlund, C. V. M.; Favata, F.; Micela, G.; Peres, G.; Djupvik, A. A.; Liseau, R.

2008-06-01

Context: The jet coming from the YSO binary L1551 IRS5 is the closest astrophysical jet known. It is therefore a unique laboratory for studies of outflow mechanisms and of the shocks occurring when expanding material hits the ambient medium as well as of how the related processes influence the star- (and planet-) forming process. Aims: The optical data are related to other data covering the spectrum from the optical band to X-rays with goal of understanding the energetics of low-mass star jets, in general, and of this jet in particular. We study the time evolution of the jet, by measuring the proper motions of knots as they progress outwards from the originating source. Methods: The nebulosities associated with the jet(s) from the protostellar binary L1551 IRS5 were imaged in a number of spectral bands using the Hubble Space Telescope. This allows the proper motion to be measured and permits a simple characterization of the physical conditions in different structures. To this end we developed a reproducible method of data analysis, which allows us to define the position and shape of each substructure observed within the protostellar jet. Using this approach, we derive the proper motion of the knots in the jet, as well as their flux variability and shock emission. Results: The time base over which HST observations were carried out is now about ten years. The sub-structures within the jet undergo significant morphological variations: some knots seem to disappear in a few years and collision between different knots, ejected at different epochs and maybe with different speed, may occur. The velocities along the jet vary between ~100 km s-1 and over 400 km s-1, with the highest speed corresponding to the knots at the base of the jet. Conclusions: There are indications that the HH 154 jet has been active relatively recently. Our results suggest the presence of a new shock front at the base of the jet identified with an internal working surface. From the analysis of the terminal and internal working surfaces within the jet, we find that the more likely scenario for the HH 154 jet is that of a jet traveling through a denser ambient medium (a “light jet”). These results are consistent with the Bonito et al. (2007) model predictions. Furthermore, there is strong evidence that the knots at the base of the northern jet correspond to the location where the highest velocity and the highest excitation component are measured along the jet. More important, this is the location where the X-ray source has been discovered. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with programs #6127, #6411 & #10351.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Study of Supernova Ejecta and Supernova Dust in Cassiopeia A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yong-Hyun; Koo, Bon-Chul; Moon, Dae-Sik; Lee, Jae-Joon; Burton, Michael G.

2016-06-01

We have carried out near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic observations of the Cassiopeia A supernova (SN) remnant. We obtained medium-resolution, JHK (0.95 - 2.46 µm) spectra around the main ejecta shell. Using a clump-finding algorithm, we identified 63 'knots' in the two-dimensional dispersed images, and derived their spectroscopic properties. We first present the result of spectral classification of the knots using Principal Component (PC) Analysis. We found that the NIR spectral characteristics of the knots can be mostly (85%) represented by three PCs composed of different sets of emission lines: (1) recombination lines of H and He together with [N I] lines, (2) forbidden lines of Si, P, and S lines, and (3) forbidden Fe lines. The distribution of the knots in the PC planes matches well with the above spectral groups, and we classified the knots into the three corresponding groups, i.e., He-rich, S-rich, and Fe-rich knots. The kinematic and chemical properties of the former two groups match well with those of Quasi-Stationary Flocculi and Fast-Moving Knots known from optical studies. The Fe-rich knots show intermediate characteristics between the former two groups, and we suggest that they are the SN ejecta material from the innermost layer of the progenitor. We also present the results of extinction measurements using the flux ratios between the two NIR [Fe II] lines at 1.257 and 1.644 µm. We have found a clear correlation between the NIR extinction and the radial velocity of ejecta knots, indicating the presence of a large amount of SN dust inside and around the main ejecta shell. In a southern part of the ejecta shell, by analyzing the NIR extinction together with far-infrared thermal dust emission, we show that there are warm (˜100 K) and cool (˜40 K) SN dust components and that the former needs to be silicate grains while the latter, which is responsible for the observed NIR extinction, could be either small (.0.01 µm) Fe or large (&0.1 µm) Si grains. We suggest that the warm and cool dust components represent grain species produced in diffuse SN ejecta and in dense ejecta clumps, respectively

Demographic consequences of migratory stopover: linking red knot survival to horseshoe crab spawning abundance

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGowan, Conor P.; Hines, James E.; Nichols, James D.; Lyons, James E.; Smith, David; Kalasz, Kevin S.; Niles, Lawrence J.; Dey, Amanda D.; Clark, Nigel A.; Atkinson, Philip W.; Minton, Clive D.T.; Kendall, William

2011-01-01

Understanding how events during one period of the annual cycle carry over to affect survival and other fitness components in other periods is essential to understanding migratory bird demography and conservation needs. Previous research has suggested that western Atlantic red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) populations are greatly affected by horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) egg availability at Delaware Bay stopover sites during their spring northward migration. We present a mass-based multistate, capturerecapture/resighting model linking (1) red knot stopover mass gain to horseshoe crab spawning abundance and (2) subsequent apparent annual survival to mass state at the time of departure from the Delaware Bay stopover area. The model and analysis use capture-recapture/resighting data with over 16,000 individual captures and 13,000 resightings collected in Delaware Bay over a 12 year period from 1997–2008, and the results are used to evaluate the central management hypothesis that red knot populations can be influenced by horseshoe crab harvest regulations as part of a larger adaptive management effort. Model selection statistics showed support for a positive relationship between horseshoe crab spawning abundance during the stopover and the probability of red knots gaining mass (parameter coefficient from the top model b = 1.71, SE = 0.46). Our analyses also supported the link between red knot mass and apparent annual survival, although average estimates for the two mass classes differed only slightly. The addition of arctic snow depth as a covariate influencing apparent survival improved the fit of the data to the models (parameter coefficient from the top model b = 0.50, SE = 0.08). Our results indicate that managing horseshoe crab resources in the Delaware Bay has the potential to improve red knot population status.

Biochemical and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometric Characterization of a Novel Native and Recombinant Cystine Knot Miniprotein from Solanum tuberosum subsp. andigenum cv. Churqueña

PubMed Central

Cotabarren, Juliana; Tellechea, Mariana Edith; Tanco, Sebastián Martín; Garcia-Pardo, Javier; Avilés, Francesc Xavier; Obregón, Walter David

2018-01-01

Cystine-knot miniproteins (CKMPs) are an intriguing group of cysteine-rich molecules that combine the characteristics of proteins and peptides. Typically, CKMPs are fewer than 50 residues in length and share a characteristic knotted scaffold characterized by the presence of three intramolecular disulfide bonds that form the singular knotted structure. The knot scaffold confers on these proteins remarkable chemical, thermal, and proteolytic stability. Recently, CKMPs have emerged as a novel class of natural molecules with interesting pharmacological properties. In the present work, a novel cystine-knot metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitor (chuPCI) was isolated from tubers of Solanum tuberosum, subsp. andigenum cv. Churqueña. Our results demonstrated that chuPCI is a member of the A/B-type family of metallocarboxypeptidases inhibitors. chuPCI was expressed and characterized by a combination of biochemical and mass spectrometric techniques. Direct comparison of the MALDI-TOF mass spectra for the native and recombinant molecules allowed us to confirm the presence of four different forms of chuPCI in the tubers. The majority of such forms have a molecular weight of 4309 Da and contain a cyclized Gln in the N-terminus. The other three forms are derived from N-terminal and/or C-terminal proteolytic cleavages. Taken together, our results contribute to increase the current repertoire of natural CKMPs. PMID:29495576

Knotty structures of the evolving heliospheric magnetic fields.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roth, Ilan

2013-04-01

The analogy between MHD and knot theory is utilized in an analysis of structure, stability and evolution of complex magnetic heliospheric flux tubes. Planar projection of a three-dimensional magnetic configuration depicts the structure as a two-dimensional diagram with crossings, to which one may assign mathematical operations leading to robust topological invariants. These invariants enrich the topological information of magnetic configurations beyond helicity. It is conjectured that the field which emerges from the solar photosphere is structured as one of simplest knot invariants - unknot or prime knot, and these flux ropes are then stretched while carried by the solar wind into the interplanetary medium. Preservation of invariants for small diffusivity and large cross section of the emerging magnetic flux makes them impervious to large scale reconnection, allowing us to predict the observed structures at 1AU as elongated prime knots. Similar structures may be observed in magnetic clouds which got disconnected from their foot-points and in ion drop-out configurations from a compact flare source in solar impulsive solar events. Observation of small scale magnetic features consistent with prime knot may indicate spatial intermittency and non-Gaussian statistics in the turbulent cascade process. For flux tubes with higher resistivity, magnetic energy decay rate should decrease with increased knot complexity as the invariants are then harder to be violated. Future measurements are suggested for distinctly oriented magnetic fields with directionally varying suprathermal particle fluxes.

RATIONAL SPLINE SUBROUTINES

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schiess, J. R.

1994-01-01

Scientific data often contains random errors that make plotting and curve-fitting difficult. The Rational-Spline Approximation with Automatic Tension Adjustment algorithm lead to a flexible, smooth representation of experimental data. The user sets the conditions for each consecutive pair of knots:(knots are user-defined divisions in the data set) to apply no tension; to apply fixed tension; or to determine tension with a tension adjustment algorithm. The user also selects the number of knots, the knot abscissas, and the allowed maximum deviations from line segments. The selection of these quantities depends on the actual data and on the requirements of a particular application. This program differs from the usual spline under tension in that it allows the user to specify different tension values between each adjacent pair of knots rather than a constant tension over the entire data range. The subroutines use an automatic adjustment scheme that varies the tension parameter for each interval until the maximum deviation of the spline from the line joining the knots is less than or equal to a user-specified amount. This procedure frees the user from the drudgery of adjusting individual tension parameters while still giving control over the local behavior of the spline The Rational Spline program was written completely in FORTRAN for implementation on a CYBER 850 operating under NOS. It has a central memory requirement of approximately 1500 words. The program was released in 1988.

Quiet eye training improves surgical knot tying more than traditional technical training: a randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Causer, Joe; Harvey, Adrian; Snelgrove, Ryan; Arsenault, Gina; Vickers, Joan N

2014-08-01

We examined the effectiveness of technical training (TT) and quiet eye training (QE) on the performance of one-handed square knot tying in surgical residents. Twenty surgical residents were randomly assigned to the 2 groups and completed pretest, training, retention, and transfer tests. Participants wore a mobile eye tracker that simultaneously recorded their gaze and hand movements. Dependent variables were knot tying performance (%), QE duration (%), number of fixations, total movement time (s), and hand movement phase time (s). The QE training group had significantly higher performance scores, a longer QE duration, fewer fixations, faster total knot tying times, and faster movement phase times compared with the TT group. The QE group maintained performance in the transfer test, whereas the TT group significantly decreased performance from retention to transfer. QE training significantly improved learning, retention, and transfer of surgical knot tying compared with a traditional technical approach. Both performance effectiveness (performance outcome) and movement efficiency (hand movement times) were improved using QE modeling, instruction, and feedback. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Finite-size and asymptotic behaviors of the gyration radius of knotted cylindrical self-avoiding polygons.

PubMed

Shimamura, Miyuki K; Deguchi, Tetsuo

2002-05-01

Several nontrivial properties are shown for the mean-square radius of gyration R2(K) of ring polymers with a fixed knot type K. Through computer simulation, we discuss both finite size and asymptotic behaviors of the gyration radius under the topological constraint for self-avoiding polygons consisting of N cylindrical segments with radius r. We find that the average size of ring polymers with the knot K can be much larger than that of no topological constraint. The effective expansion due to the topological constraint depends strongly on the parameter r that is related to the excluded volume. The topological expansion is particularly significant for the small r case, where the simulation result is associated with that of random polygons with the knot K.

X-Ray Variability in M87

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Daniel E.; Biretta, J. A.; Junor, W.

2000-01-01

We present the evidence for X-ray variability from the core and from knot A in the M87 jet based on data from two observations with the Einstein Observatory High Resolution Imager (HRI) and three observations with the ROSAT HRI. The core intensity showed a 16% increase in 17 months ('79-'80); a 12% increase in the 3 years '92 to '95; and a 17% drop in the last half of 1995. The intensity of knot A appears to have decreased by 16% between 92Jun and 95Dec. Although the core variability is consistent with general expectations for AGB nuclei, the changes in knot A provide constraints on the x-ray emission process and geometry. Thus we predict that the x-ray morphology of knot A will differ significantly from the radio and optical structure.

Are there p-adic knot invariants?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morozov, A. Yu.

2016-04-01

We suggest using the Hall-Littlewood version of the Rosso-Jones formula to define the germs of p-adic HOMFLY-PT polynomials for torus knots [ m, n] as coefficients of superpolynomials in a q-expansion. In this form, they have at least the [ m, n] ↔ [ n, m] topological invariance. This opens a new possibility to interpret superpolynomials as p-adic deformations of HOMFLY polynomials and poses a question of generalizing to other knot families, which is a substantial problem for several branches of modern theory.

Feasibility of Using Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) for Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR) Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

when travelling at sprint speed. To help overcome the shortcomings of the LCS in conducting HA/DR operations, the Irregular Warfare (IW) mission...high sprint speed, which allows the LCS to reach the disaster region faster than any other ships, especially if the IW mission package is adopted. The...high sprint speed in excess of 40 knots and a high sustained speed to enable it to run along a 30+ knots CSG or 20+ knots ESG. The high sprint

Percutaneous retrieval of centrally embolized fragments of central venous access devices or knotted Swan-Ganz catheters. Clinical report of 14 retrievals with detailed angiographic analysis and review of procedural aspects

PubMed Central

Chmielak, Zbigniew; Dębski, Artur; Kępka, Cezary; Rudziński, Piotr N.; Bujak, Sebastian; Skwarek, Mirosław; Kurowski, Andrzej; Dzielińska, Zofia; Demkow, Marcin

2016-01-01

Introduction Totally implantable venous access systems (TIVAS), Swan-Ganz (SG) and central venous catheters (CVC) allow easy and repetitive entry to the central cardiovascular system. Fragments of them may be released inadvertently into the cardiovascular system during their insertion or as a result of mechanical complications encountered during long-term utilization. Aim To present results of percutaneous retrieval of embolized fragments of central venous devices or knotted SG and review the procedural aspects with a series of detailed angiographies. Material and methods Between January 2003 and December 2012 there were 14 (~0.025%) successful retrievals in 13 patients (44 ±16 years, 15% females) of embolized fragments of TIVAS (n = 10) or CVC (n = 1) or of dislodged guide-wires (n = 2) or knotted SG (n = 1). Results Foreign bodies with the forward end located in the right ventricle (RV), as well as those found in the pulmonary artery (PA), often required repositioning with a pigtail catheter as compared to those catheter fragments which were located in the right atrium (RA) and/or great vein and possessed an accessible free end allowing their direct ensnarement with the loop snare (57.0% (4/7) vs. 66.7% (2/3) vs. 0.0% (0/3); p = 0.074 respectively). Procedure duration was 2–3 times longer among catheters retrieved from the PA than among those with the forward edge located in the RV or RA (30 (18–68) vs. 13.5 (11–37) vs. 8 min (8–13); p = 0.054 respectively). The SG catheter knotted in the vena cava superior (VCS) was encircled with the loop snare introduced transfemorally, subsequently cut at its skin entrance and then pulled down inside the 14 Fr vascular sheath. Conclusions By using the pigtail catheter and the loop snare, it is feasible to retrieve centrally embolized fragments or knotted central venous access devices. PMID:27279874

Exploitation of microbes for enhancing bacoside content and reduction of Meloidogyne incognita infestation in Bacopa monnieri L.

PubMed

Gupta, Rupali; Tiwari, Sudeep; Saikia, Shilpi K; Shukla, Virendra; Singh, Rashmi; Singh, S P; Kumar, P V Ajay; Pandey, Rakesh

2015-01-01

Despite the vast exploration of rhizospheric microbial wealth for crop yield enhancement, knowledge about the efficacy of microbial agents as biocontrol weapons against root-knot disease is scarce, especially in medicinal plants, viz., Bacopa monnieri. In the present investigation, rhizospheric microbes, viz., Bacillus megaterium, Glomus intraradices, Trichoderma harzianum ThU, and their combinations were evaluated for the management of Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood and bacoside content enhancement in B. monnieri var CIM-Jagriti. A novel validated method Fourier transform near infrared was used for rapid estimation of total bacoside content. A significant reduction (2.75-fold) in root-knot indices was observed in the combined treatment of B. megaterium and T. harzianum ThU in comparison to untreated control plants. The same treatment also showed significant enhancement (1.40-fold) in total bacoside contents (plant active molecule) content using Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) method that analyses samples rapidly in an hour without solvent usage and provides ample scope for natural product studies.

Suspension string: a new method of aortic valvuloplasty for aortic insufficiency and ventricular septal defect.

PubMed

Huang, Zhixiong

2006-09-01

In a 4-year-old boy with ventricular septal defect, severe aortic insufficiency, and mild infundibular stenosis, a new method was used to reconstruct the prolapsed aortic cusp. Two ends of a pledged stitch were passed through the aorta at each side of the right, noncoronary commissure and then through another pledget, and were then tied repeatedly in a row. The length of the row of knots was equal to that of the free edge of left coronary or noncoronary leaflet. The remainder of the stitch was passed through a pledget and then the aortic wall at each side of the left and right coronary commissure to the extraaortic wall pledget and were tied. A suspension string was formed by the row of knots and supported by a Teflon (Dupont Teflon, Wilmington, DE) felt pledget sandwich at each of two commissures. The free margin of the prolapsed cusp was attached to the suspension string by a continuous suture. The concomitant anomalies were corrected. The result was satisfactory.

Tightly-wound miniknot vectors for gene therapy: a potential improvement over supercoiled minicircle DNA.

PubMed

Tolmachov, Oleg E

2010-04-01

Minimized derivatives of bacterial plasmids with removed bacterial backbones are promising vectors for the efficient delivery and for the long-term expression of therapeutic genes. The absence of the bacterial plasmid backbone, a known inducer of innate immune response and a known silencer of transgene expression, provides a partial explanation for the high efficiency of gene transfer using minimized DNA vectors. Supercoiled minicircle DNA is a type of minimized DNA vector obtained via intra-plasmid recombination in bacteria. Minicircle vectors seem to get an additional advantage from their physical compactness, which reduces DNA damage due to the mechanical stress during gene delivery. An independent topological means for DNA compression is knotting, with some knotted DNA isoforms offering superior compactness. I propose that, firstly, knotted DNA can be a suitable compact DNA form for the efficient transfection of a range of human cells with therapeutic genes, and, secondly, that knotted minimized DNA vectors without bacterial backbones ("miniknot" vectors) can surpass supercoiled minicircle DNA vectors in the efficiency of therapeutic gene delivery. Crucially, while the introduction of a single nick to a supercoiled DNA molecule leads to the loss of the compact supercoiled status, the introduction of nicks to knotted DNA does not change knotting. Tight miniknot vectors can be readily produced by the direct action of highly concentrated type II DNA topoisomerase on minicircle DNA or, alternatively, by annealing of the 19-base cohesive ends of the minimized vectors confined within the capsids of Escherichia coli bacteriophage P2 or its satellite bacteriophage P4. After reaching the nucleoplasm of the target cell, the knotted DNA is expected to be unknotted through type II topoisomerase activity and thus to become available for transcription, chromosomal integration or episomal maintenance. The hypothesis can be tested by comparing the gene transfer efficiency achieved with the proposed miniknot vectors, the minicircle vectors described previously, knotted plasmid vectors and standard plasmid vectors. Tightly-wound miniknots can be particularly useful in the gene administration procedures involving considerable forces acting on vector DNA: aerosol inhalation, jet-injection, electroporation, particle bombardment and ultrasound DNA transfer. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Footprint Contact Area and Interface Pressure Comparison Between the Knotless and Knot-Tying Transosseous-Equivalent Technique for Rotator Cuff Repair.

PubMed

Kim, Sung-Jae; Kim, Sung-Hwan; Moon, Hyun-Soo; Chun, Yong-Min

2016-01-01

To quantify and compare the footprint contact area and interface pressure on the greater tuberosity between knotless and knot-tying transosseous-equivalent (TOE) repair using pressure-sensitive film. We used 11 pairs of fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders (22 specimens), in which rotator cuff tears were created before repair. Each pair was randomized to either conventional medial knot-tying TOE repair (group A) or medial knotless TOE repair using the modified Mason-Allen technique (group B). Pressure-sensitive film was used to quantify the pressurized contact area and interface pressure between the greater tuberosity and supraspinatus tendon. The mean pressurized contact area was 33.2 ± 2.5 mm(2) for group A and 28.4 ± 2.4 mm(2) for group B. There was a significant difference between groups (P = .005). Although the overall contact configuration of both groups was similar and showed an M shape, group A showed a greater pressurized configuration around the medial row. The mean interface pressure was 0.20 ± 0.02 MPa for group A and 0.17 ± 0.02 MPa for group B. There was a significant difference between groups (P = .001). Contrary to our hypothesis, in this time-zero study, medial knotless TOE repair using a modified Mason-Allen suture produced a significantly inferior footprint contact area and interface pressure compared with conventional medial knot-tying TOE repair. Even though we found a statistically significant difference between the 2 repair methods, it is still unknown if this statistical difference seen in our study has any clinical and radiologic significance. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Polymer Uncrossing and Knotting in Protein Folding, and Their Role in Minimal Folding Pathways

PubMed Central

Mohazab, Ali R.; Plotkin, Steven S.

2013-01-01

We introduce a method for calculating the extent to which chain non-crossing is important in the most efficient, optimal trajectories or pathways for a protein to fold. This involves recording all unphysical crossing events of a ghost chain, and calculating the minimal uncrossing cost that would have been required to avoid such events. A depth-first tree search algorithm is applied to find minimal transformations to fold , , , and knotted proteins. In all cases, the extra uncrossing/non-crossing distance is a small fraction of the total distance travelled by a ghost chain. Different structural classes may be distinguished by the amount of extra uncrossing distance, and the effectiveness of such discrimination is compared with other order parameters. It was seen that non-crossing distance over chain length provided the best discrimination between structural and kinetic classes. The scaling of non-crossing distance with chain length implies an inevitable crossover to entanglement-dominated folding mechanisms for sufficiently long chains. We further quantify the minimal folding pathways by collecting the sequence of uncrossing moves, which generally involve leg, loop, and elbow-like uncrossing moves, and rendering the collection of these moves over the unfolded ensemble as a multiple-transformation “alignment”. The consensus minimal pathway is constructed and shown schematically for representative cases of an , , and knotted protein. An overlap parameter is defined between pathways; we find that proteins have minimal overlap indicating diverse folding pathways, knotted proteins are highly constrained to follow a dominant pathway, and proteins are somewhere in between. Thus we have shown how topological chain constraints can induce dominant pathway mechanisms in protein folding. PMID:23365638

A Method for Isolation of Pasteuria penetrans Endospores for Bioassay and Genomic Studies

PubMed Central

Waterman, Jenora T.; Bird, David McK.; Opperman, Charles H.

2006-01-01

A rapid method for collection of Pasteuria penetrans endospores was developed. Roots containing P. penetrans-infected root-knot nematode females were softened by pectinase digestion, mechanically processed, and filtered to collect large numbers of viable endospores. This method obviates laborious handpicking of Pasteuria-infected females and yields endospores competent to attach to and infect nematodes. Endospores are suitable for morphology studies and DNA preparations. PMID:19259442

A Method for Isolation of Pasteuria penetrans Endospores for Bioassay and Genomic Studies.

PubMed

Waterman, Jenora T; Bird, David McK; Opperman, Charles H

2006-03-01

A rapid method for collection of Pasteuria penetrans endospores was developed. Roots containing P. penetrans-infected root-knot nematode females were softened by pectinase digestion, mechanically processed, and filtered to collect large numbers of viable endospores. This method obviates laborious handpicking of Pasteuria-infected females and yields endospores competent to attach to and infect nematodes. Endospores are suitable for morphology studies and DNA preparations.

EXPANSION OF HYDROGEN-POOR KNOTS IN THE BORN-AGAIN PLANETARY NEBULAE A30 AND A78

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

Fang, X.; Guerrero, M. A.; Marquez-Lugo, R. A.

2014-12-20

We analyze the expansion of hydrogen-poor knots and filaments in the born-again planetary nebulae A30 and A78 based on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images obtained almost 20 yr apart. The proper motion of these features generally increases with distance to the central star, but the fractional expansion decreases, i.e., the expansion is not homologous. As a result, there is not a unique expansion age, which is estimated to be 610-950 yr for A30 and 600-1140 yr for A78. The knots and filaments have experienced complex dynamical processes: the current fast stellar wind is mass loaded by the material ablated from the inner knots;more » the ablated material is then swept up until it shocks the inner edges of the outer, hydrogen-rich nebula. The angular expansion of the outer filaments shows a clear dependence on position angle, indicating that the interaction of the stellar wind with the innermost knots channels the wind along preferred directions. The apparent angular expansion of the innermost knots seems to be dominated by the rocket effect of evaporating gas and by the propagation of the ionization front inside them. Radiation-hydrodynamical simulations show that a single ejection of material followed by a rapid onset of the stellar wind and ionizing flux can reproduce the variety of clumps and filaments at different distances from the central star found in A30 and A78.« less

Particle on a torus knot: Constrained dynamics and semi-classical quantization in a magnetic field

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

Das, Praloy, E-mail: praloydasdurgapur@gmail.com; Pramanik, Souvik, E-mail: souvick.in@gmail.com; Ghosh, Subir, E-mail: subirghosh20@gmail.com

2016-11-15

Kinematics and dynamics of a particle moving on a torus knot poses an interesting problem as a constrained system. In the first part of the paper we have derived the modified symplectic structure or Dirac brackets of the above model in Dirac’s Hamiltonian framework, both in toroidal and Cartesian coordinate systems. This algebra has been used to study the dynamics, in particular small fluctuations in motion around a specific torus. The spatial symmetries of the system have also been studied. In the second part of the paper we have considered the quantum theory of a charge moving in a torusmore » knot in the presence of a uniform magnetic field along the axis of the torus in a semiclassical quantization framework. We exploit the Einstein–Brillouin–Keller (EBK) scheme of quantization that is appropriate for multidimensional systems. Embedding of the knot on a specific torus is inherently two dimensional that gives rise to two quantization conditions. This shows that although the system, after imposing the knot condition reduces to a one dimensional system, even then it has manifested non-planar features which shows up again in the study of fractional angular momentum. Finally we compare the results obtained from EBK (multi-dimensional) and Bohr–Sommerfeld (single dimensional) schemes. The energy levels and fractional spin depend on the torus knot parameters that specifies its non-planar features. Interestingly, we show that there can be non-planar corrections to the planar anyon-like fractional spin.« less

Zen and Behavior Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bass, Roger

2010-01-01

Zen's challenge for behavior analysis is to explain a repertoire that renders analysis itself meaningless--a result following not from scientific or philosophical arguments but rather from a unique verbal history generated by Zen's methods. Untying Zen's verbal knots suggests how meditation's and koans' effects on verbal behavior contribute to…

Resistance of upland-rice lines to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita.

PubMed

Souza, D C T; Botelho, F B S; Rodrigues, C S; Furtini, I V; Smiderle, E C; de Matos, D L; Bruzi, A T

2015-12-21

Despite the benefits of crop rotation, occurrence of nematodes is a common problem for almost all crops within the Cerrado biome, especially for rice. The use of resistant cultivars is one of the main methods for control of nematodes. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the reaction of 36 upland-rice lines, with desirable agronomic characteristics, according to their resistance to root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita). The experimental design was entirely randomized with four replications. Each plot of land consisted of two rice plants in a 3-L vase. The plants were inoculated with 1000 eggs and eventual juveniles of the respective nematodes. Fifty-five days after the inoculation, the roots and the aerial part of the plant were weighed and the egg mass (EM) as well as the reproduction factor (Rf) were estimated. It was determined that the isolated use of EM was not beneficial in selecting rice lines resistant to the root-knot nematode. This procedure must, therefore, take into account the egg counting and the Rf, in order to improve the reliability of the selection. In our study, 30 evaluated lines were observed to be resistant. Among the recommended cultivars, only BRS Monarca had its performance susceptible to the studied nematode species.

Mixtures of Olive Pomace with Different Nitrogen Sources for the Control of Meloidogyne spp. on Tomato

PubMed Central

Rodríguez-Kábana, R.; Estaún, V.; Pinochet, J.; Marfá, O.

1995-01-01

The efficacy of mixtures of dry olive (Olea europea) pomace with biuret, guanidine, and melamine for control of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) was studied in greenhouse experiments. Olive pomace (OP) applied pre-plant at 10 g/kg soil was phytotoxic. Mixtures of OP (10 g/kg soil) with biuret or guanidine at 200-300 mg/kg soil reduced or eliminated the phytotoxic effect, controlled root-knot nematodes, and increased soil esterase activity indicative of microbial activity. The addition of biuret or guanidine without OP to soil at rates <300 mg/kg soil did not control root-knot nematodes. Melamine applied at 100-400 mg/kg soil was phytotoxic as were mixtures of melamine with OP. Treatment of OP with anhydrous ammonia increased N content of the material. In another greenhouse experiment, NH₃-treated OP added to soil was not phytotoxic to tomato, suppressed root-knot nematodes, and increased soil esterase activity. Greenhouse and microplot experiments with OP plus chicken litter demonstrated the efficacy of these combination amendments to control root-knot nematodes and increase tomato yields in Meloidogyne-infested soil. PMID:19277325

50 CFR 660.702 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... the vessel. (3) Drift gillnet. A panel of netting, 14 inch (35.5 cm) stretched mesh or greater... between the inside of one knot to the inside of the opposing knot when the mesh is stretched, regardless...

50 CFR 660.702 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... the vessel. (3) Drift gillnet. A panel of netting, 14 inch (35.5 cm) stretched mesh or greater... between the inside of one knot to the inside of the opposing knot when the mesh is stretched, regardless...

50 CFR 660.702 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... the vessel. (3) Drift gillnet. A panel of netting, 14 inch (35.5 cm) stretched mesh or greater... between the inside of one knot to the inside of the opposing knot when the mesh is stretched, regardless...

The Three-dimensional Expansion of the Ejecta from Tycho's Supernova Remnant

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

Williams, Brian J.; Depasquale, Joseph; Coyle, Nina M.

2017-06-10

We present the first 3D measurements of the velocity of various ejecta knots in Tycho’s supernova remnant, known to result from a Type Ia explosion. Chandra X-ray observations over a 12 yr baseline from 2003 to 2015 allow us to measure the proper motion of nearly 60 “tufts” of Si-rich ejecta, giving us the velocity in the plane of the sky. For the line-of-sight velocity, we use two different methods: a nonequilibrium ionization model fit to the strong Si and S lines in the 1.2–2.8 keV regime, and a fit consisting of a series of Gaussian lines. These methods givemore » consistent results, allowing us to determine the redshift or blueshift of each of the knots. Assuming a distance of 3.5 kpc, we find total velocities that range from 2400 to 6600 km s{sup −1}, with a mean of 4430 km s{sup −1}. We find several regions where the ejecta knots have overtaken the forward shock. These regions have proper motions in excess of 6000 km s{sup −1}. Some SN Ia explosion models predict a velocity asymmetry in the ejecta. We find no such velocity asymmetries in Tycho, and we discuss our findings in light of various explosion models, favoring those delayed-detonation models with relatively vigorous and symmetrical deflagrations. Finally, we compare measurements with models of the remnant’s evolution that include both smooth and clumpy ejecta profiles, finding that both ejecta profiles can be accommodated by the observations.« less

Luminous clusters of Wolf-Rayet stars in the SBmIII galaxy NGC 4214

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sargent, Wallace L. W.; Filippenko, Alexei V.

1991-01-01

Observations are reported of strong broad emission lines attributed to WR stars in the spectra of several bright knots in the nearby Magellanic irregular galaxy NGC 4214 (classified as type SBmIII), in addition to the emission produced by the more prevalent WN stars). Data are presented on measurements of the line fluxes, the line equivalent widths, and continuum flux densities in the four observed knots, showing that the strongest WR lines generally appear in knots having the most luminous stellar continuum. The significance of this observation is discussed.

Calibration Tests of a German Log Rodmeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mottard, Elmo J.; Stillman, Everette R.

1949-01-01

A German log rodmeter of the pitot static type was calibrated in Langley tank no. 1 at speeds up to 34 knots and angles of yaw from 0 deg to plus or minus 10 3/4 degrees. The dynamic head approximated the theoretical head at 0 degrees yaw but decreased as the yaw was increased. The static head was negative and in general became more negative with increasing speed and yaw. Cavitation occurred at speeds above 31 knots at 0 deg yaw and 21 knots at 10 3/4 deg yaw.

An algorithm for surface smoothing with rational splines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schiess, James R.

1987-01-01

Discussed is an algorithm for smoothing surfaces with spline functions containing tension parameters. The bivariate spline functions used are tensor products of univariate rational-spline functions. A distinct tension parameter corresponds to each rectangular strip defined by a pair of consecutive spline knots along either axis. Equations are derived for writing the bivariate rational spline in terms of functions and derivatives at the knots. Estimates of these values are obtained via weighted least squares subject to continuity constraints at the knots. The algorithm is illustrated on a set of terrain elevation data.

Effect of Meloidogyne arenaria and Mulch Type on Okra in Microplot Experiments.

PubMed

Ritzinger, C H; McSorley, R; Gallaher, R N

1998-12-01

The effects of perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata) hay, an aged yard-waste compost (mainly woodchips), and a control treatment without amendment were determined on two population levels of root-knot (Melaidogyne arenaria) nematode over three consecutive years in field microplots. Okra (Hibiscus esculentus, susceptible to the root-knot nematode) and a rye (Secale cereale) cover crop (poor nematode host) were used in the summer and winter seasons, respectively. The organic amendment treatments affected plant growth parameters. In the first year, okra yields were greatest in peanut-amended plots. Yield differences with amendment treatment diminished in the second and third years. Okra plant height, total fruit weight, and fruit number were greater with the lower population level of the root-knot nematode. Residual levels of nutrients in soil were greater where root-knot nematode levels and damage were higher and plant growth was poor. Nutrient levels affected the growth of a subsequent rye cover crop.

Lattice stick number of knots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yuanfei; Yang, Weiling

2017-12-01

The minimal number of straight line segments required to construct a polygonal presentation of the knot K in the cubic lattice is called the lattice stick number of the knot K, denoted by S_L(K) . It is known that S_L(K)≥slant15 if the crossing number of K, C_r(K) , satisfies C_r(K)≥slant5 , and the main result of this paper is to improve this to S_L(K)≥slant16 if C_r(K)≥slant5 . Furthermore, we will show that S_L(K)=16 for K=51 and K=52 which implies that this lower bound cannot be improved except for knots with higher crossing numbers. Project supported by the NSFC grants 11531006, 11371367 and 11271290, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities 20720160038 and Fujian Province young and middle-aged teacher education research project JA15016.

Theoretical analysis of polarization-coupled mode splitting in a single microfiber knot-ring resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Weiqia; Zhou, Junjie; Yu, Jianhui; Xiao, Yi; Lu, Huihui; Guan, Heyuan; Zhong, Yongchun; Zhang, Jun; Chen, Zhe

2016-06-01

We established a theoretical model for a single knot-ring resonator and investigated the transmission spectrum by Jones matrix. The numerical results show that two orthogonal polarization modes of knot-ring, which are originally resonated at the same wavelength, will split into two resonant modes with different wavelengths. The mode splitting is due to the coupling between the two orthogonal polarization modes in the knot-ring when the twisted angle of the twist coupler is not exactly equal to 2mπ (m is an integer). It is also found that the separation of the mode splitting is linearly proportional to the deviation angle δθ with a high correlation coefficient of 99.6% and a slope of 3.17 nm/rad. Furthermore, a transparency phenomenon analogous to coupled-resonator-induced transparency was also predicted by the model. These findings may have potential applications in lasers and sensors.

Ferromagnetic Switching of Knotted Vector Fields in Liquid Crystal Colloids.

PubMed

Zhang, Qiaoxuan; Ackerman, Paul J; Liu, Qingkun; Smalyukh, Ivan I

2015-08-28

We experimentally realize polydomain and monodomain chiral ferromagnetic liquid crystal colloids that exhibit solitonic and knotted vector field configurations. Formed by dispersions of ferromagnetic nanoplatelets in chiral nematic liquid crystals, these colloidal ferromagnets exhibit spontaneous long-range alignment of magnetic dipole moments of individual platelets, giving rise to a continuum of the magnetization field M(r). Competing effects of surface confinement and chirality prompt spontaneous formation and enable the optical generation of localized twisted solitonic structures with double-twist tubes and torus knots of M(r), which exhibit a strong sensitivity to the direction of weak magnetic fields ∼1  mT. Numerical modeling, implemented through free energy minimization to arrive at a field-dependent three-dimensional M(r), shows a good agreement with experiments and provides insights into the torus knot topology of observed field configurations and the corresponding physical underpinnings.

Creating complex molecular topologies by configuring DNA four-way junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Di; Chen, Gang; Akhter, Usman; Cronin, Timothy M.; Weizmann, Yossi

2016-10-01

The realization of complex topologies at the molecular level represents a grand challenge in chemistry. This necessitates the manipulation of molecular interactions with high precision. Here we show that single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) knots and links can be created by utilizing the inherent topological properties that pertain to the DNA four-way junction, at which the two helical strands form a node and can be configured conveniently and connected for complex topological construction. Using this strategy, we produced series of ssDNA topoisomers with the same sequences. By finely designing the curvature and torsion, double-stranded DNA knots were accessed by hybridizing and ligating the complementary strands with the knotted ssDNA templates. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of a constructed ssDNA knot both to probe the topological conversion catalysed by DNA topoisomerase and to study the DNA replication under topological constraint.

Airstart performance of a digital electronic engine control system in an F-15 airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Licata, S. J.; Burcham, F. W., Jr.

1983-01-01

The airstart performance of the F100 engine equipped with a digital electronic engine control (DEEC) system was evaluated in an F-15 airplane. The DEEC system incorporates closed-loop airstart logic for improved capability. Spooldown and jet fuel starter-assisted airstarts were made over a range of airspeeds and altitudes. All jet fuel starter-assisted airstarts were successful, with airstart time varying from 35 to 60 sec. All spooldown airstarts at airspeeds of 200 knots and higher were successful; airstart times ranged from 45 sec at 250 knots to 135 sec at 200 knots. The effects of altitude on airstart success and time were small. The flight results agreed closely with previous altitude facility test results. The DEEC system provided successful airstarts at airspeeds at least 50 knots lower than the standard F100 engine control system.

Real-time inextensible surgical thread simulation.

PubMed

Xu, Lang; Liu, Qian

2018-03-27

This paper discusses a real-time simulation method of inextensible surgical thread based on the Cosserat rod theory using position-based dynamics (PBD). The method realizes stable twining and knotting of surgical thread while including inextensibility, bending, twisting and coupling effects. The Cosserat rod theory is used to model the nonlinear elastic behavior of surgical thread. The surgical thread model is solved with PBD to achieve a real-time, extremely stable simulation. Due to the one-dimensional linear structure of surgical thread, the direct solution of the distance constraint based on tridiagonal matrix algorithm is used to enhance stretching resistance in every constraint projection iteration. In addition, continuous collision detection and collision response guarantee a large time step and high performance. Furthermore, friction is integrated into the constraint projection process to stabilize the twining of multiple threads and complex contact situations. Through comparisons with existing methods, the surgical thread maintains constant length under large deformation after applying the direct distance constraint in our method. The twining and knotting of multiple threads correspond to stable solutions to contact and friction forces. A surgical suture scene is also modeled to demonstrate the practicality and simplicity of our method. Our method achieves stable and fast simulation of inextensible surgical thread. Benefiting from the unified particle framework, the rigid body, elastic rod, and soft body can be simultaneously simulated. The method is appropriate for applications in virtual surgery that require multiple dynamic bodies.

The Transcriptome of Nacobbus aberrans Reveals Insights into the Evolution of Sedentary Endoparasitism in Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

PubMed Central

Eves-van den Akker, Sebastian; Lilley, Catherine J.; Danchin, Etienne G. J.; Rancurel, Corinne; Cock, Peter J. A.; Urwin, Peter E.; Jones, John T.

2014-01-01

Within the phylum Nematoda, plant-parasitism is hypothesized to have arisen independently on at least four occasions. The most economically damaging plant-parasitic nematode species, and consequently the most widely studied, are those that feed as they migrate destructively through host roots causing necrotic lesions (migratory endoparasites) and those that modify host root tissue to create a nutrient sink from which they feed (sedentary endoparasites). The false root-knot nematode Nacobbus aberrans is the only known species to have both migratory endoparasitic and sedentary endoparasitic stages within its life cycle. Moreover, its sedentary stage appears to have characteristics of both the root-knot and the cyst nematodes. We present the first large-scale genetic resource of any false-root knot nematode species. We use RNAseq to describe relative abundance changes in all expressed genes across the life cycle to provide interesting insights into the biology of this nematode as it transitions between modes of parasitism. A multigene phylogenetic analysis of N. aberrans with respect to plant-parasitic nematodes of all groups confirms its proximity to both cyst and root-knot nematodes. We present a transcriptome-wide analysis of both lateral gene transfer events and the effector complement. Comparing parasitism genes of typical root-knot and cyst nematodes to those of N. aberrans has revealed interesting similarities. Importantly, genes that were believed to be either cyst nematode, or root-knot nematode, “specific” have both been identified in N. aberrans. Our results provide insights into the characteristics of a common ancestor and the evolution of sedentary endoparasitism of plants by nematodes. PMID:25123114

Comparing the da Vinci si single console and dual console in teaching novice surgeons suturing techniques.

PubMed

Crusco, Salvatore; Jackson, Tiffany; Advincula, Arnold

2014-01-01

Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery is often taught with the surgical mentor at the surgeon console and the trainee at the patient's bedside. The da Vinci dual console (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, California) allows a surgical mentor to teach with both the mentor and the trainee working at a surgeon console simultaneously. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the dual console versus the single console for teaching medical students robotic tasks. Forty novice medical students were randomized to either the da Vinci single-console or dual-console group and were taught 4 knot-tying techniques by a surgical mentor. The students were timed while performing the tasks. No statistically significant differences in mean task times were observed between the single- and dual-console groups: interrupted stitch with a 2-handed knot (300 seconds for single vs 294 seconds for dual, P=.59), interrupted stitch with a 1-handed knot (198 seconds for single vs 212 seconds for dual, P=.88), figure-of-8 stitch with a 2-handed knot (261 seconds for single vs 219 seconds for dual, P=.20), and figure-of-8 stitch with a 1-handed knot (200 seconds for single vs 199 seconds for dual, P=.53). No significant difference was observed in performance time when teaching knot-tying techniques to medical students using the da Vinci dual console compared with the single console. More research needs to be performed on the utility of the da Vinci dual console in surgical training.

33 CFR 156.320 - Maximum operating conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of the following conditions exist: (1) The wind velocity is 56 km/hr (30 knots) or more; or (2) The... shall be drained when— (1) The wind velocity exceeds 82 km/hr (44 knots); or (2) Wave heights exceed 5...

33 CFR 156.320 - Maximum operating conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... of the following conditions exist: (1) The wind velocity is 56 km/hr (30 knots) or more; or (2) The... shall be drained when— (1) The wind velocity exceeds 82 km/hr (44 knots); or (2) Wave heights exceed 5...

HST STIS Spectroscopy of the Bubble Nebula, NGC 7635

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckalew, B.; Dufour, R.; Ghavamian, P.; Hartigan, P.; Walter, D.; Hester, J.; Scowen, P.

1999-05-01

We report the results of longslit spectroscopy of the wind-blown bubble and photoevaporating knots around the O6.5iiif star BD+ 60(deg) 2522 made with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. The Of star is the primary ionizing source for the H ii region NGC 7635, located in the Perseus Arm. The spectra were taken through a 0.2'' x 52'' slit with low and medium resolution gratings covering the wavelength range 2900-6870 Angstroms. Observations with two slit orientations were made; one across the line of embedded knots to the west of the Of star and the second running from the Of star across the bubble to the NE. The 2D STIS spectra permit us to subtract the surrounding H ii region's diffuse emission from that of the knots and the bubble, and to study the spatial variations in various emission lines in these features to a resolution of ~ 0.1'', an order of magnitude improvement over the best ground-based spectra of this object in the literature. We present high spatial resolution emission line and line ratio profiles across the bubble and knots, and compare them with the predicted variations from photoionization, photoevaporation, and wind-shock models. We also present an analysis of temperatures, densities, and abundances in the features from higher S/N spectra extracted over selected lengths of the slit. From our analysis, we find that our measured abundances for nitrogen and oxygen are what we would expect for an H ii region at this galactocentric distance. However, the rim helium and carbon abundances show an enhancement which may be caused by contamination from the stellar wind. From our spatial scan studies of the knots and rim, we conclude that the knots are composed of photoevaporating knots surrounded by an ionization front, confirming the results of the imagery which indicate that the knots are like the EGGs of M16 seen face on. The rim appears to be the edge of a slightly supersonic shell of ionized gas that is being snowplowed through the surrounding H ii region by the star's supersonic wind. Acknowledgements. This research was supported in part by AURA/STScI grant GO-7515 and NASA-Ames grant NGT 2-52252.

Alignment of large image series using cubic B-splines tessellation: application to transmission electron microscopy data.

PubMed

Dauguet, Julien; Bock, Davi; Reid, R Clay; Warfield, Simon K

2007-01-01

3D reconstruction from serial 2D microscopy images depends on non-linear alignment of serial sections. For some structures, such as the neuronal circuitry of the brain, very large images at very high resolution are necessary to permit reconstruction. These very large images prevent the direct use of classical registration methods. We propose in this work a method to deal with the non-linear alignment of arbitrarily large 2D images using the finite support properties of cubic B-splines. After initial affine alignment, each large image is split into a grid of smaller overlapping sub-images, which are individually registered using cubic B-splines transformations. Inside the overlapping regions between neighboring sub-images, the coefficients of the knots controlling the B-splines deformations are blended, to create a virtual large grid of knots for the whole image. The sub-images are resampled individually, using the new coefficients, and assembled together into a final large aligned image. We evaluated the method on a series of large transmission electron microscopy images and our results indicate significant improvements compared to both manual and affine alignment.

Linear Legendrian curves in T(3)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghiggini, Paolo

2006-05-01

Using convex surfaces and Kanda's classification theorem, we classify Legendrian isotopy classes of Legendrian linear curves in all tight contact structures on T(3) . Some of the knot types considered in this paper provide new examples of non transversally simple knot types.

The geometry of periodic knots, polycatenanes and weaving from a chemical perspective: a library for reticular chemistry.

PubMed

Liu, Yuzhong; O'Keeffe, Michael; Treacy, Michael M J; Yaghi, Omar M

2018-05-04

The geometry of simple knots and catenanes is described using the concept of linear line segments (sticks) joined at corners. This is extended to include woven linear threads as members of the extended family of knots. The concept of transitivity that can be used as a measure of regularity is explained. Then a review is given of the simplest, most 'regular' 2- and 3-periodic patterns of polycatenanes and weavings. Occurrences in crystal structures are noted but most structures are believed to be new and ripe targets for designed synthesis.

Hurricane Bertha taken by the Expedition 17 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-07-09

ISS017-E-010711 (9 July 2008) --- Hurricane Bertha was traveling northward at 10 knots (11.5 miles per hour) across the eastern part of the central Atlantic Ocean when this image was taken on July 9 by one of the Expedition 17 crewmembers aboard the International Space Station from a vantage point of 220 statute miles above the Earth. The sustained winds were 85 knots (97.9 miles per hour) with gusts up to 105 knots (121.0 miles per hour) and predicted to intensify. Mature and developing Cumulonimbus-type clouds are seen scattered through the cloud bands of the hurricane's system.

Hurricane Bertha taken by the Expedition 17 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-07-09

ISS017-E-010706 (9 July 2008) --- Hurricane Bertha was traveling northward at 10 knots (11.5 miles per hour) across the eastern part of the central Atlantic Ocean when this image was taken on July 9 by one of the Expedition 17 crewmembers aboard the International Space Station from a vantage point of 220 statute miles above the Earth. The sustained winds were 85 knots (97.9 miles per hour) with gusts up to 105 knots (121.0 miles per hour) and predicted to intensify. Mature and developing Cumulonimbus-type clouds are seen scattered through the cloud bands of the hurricane's system.

Hurricane Bertha taken by the Expedition 17 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-07-09

ISS017-E-010715 (9 July 2008) --- Hurricane Bertha was traveling northward at 10 knots (11.5 miles per hour) across the eastern part of the central Atlantic Ocean when this image was taken on July 9 by one of the Expedition 17 crewmembers aboard the International Space Station from a vantage point of 220 statute miles above the Earth. The sustained winds were 85 knots (97.9 miles per hour) with gusts up to 105 knots (121.0 miles per hour) and predicted to intensify. Mature and developing Cumulonimbus-type clouds are seen scattered through the cloud bands of the hurricane's system.

Hurricane Bertha taken by the Expedition 17 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-07-09

ISS017-E-010709 (9 July 2008) --- Hurricane Bertha was traveling northward at 10 knots (11.5 miles per hour) across the eastern part of the central Atlantic Ocean when this image was taken on July 9 by one of the Expedition 17 crewmembers aboard the International Space Station from a vantage point of 220 statute miles above the Earth. The sustained winds were 85 knots (97.9 miles per hour) with gusts up to 105 knots (121.0 miles per hour) and predicted to intensify. Mature and developing Cumulonimbus-type clouds are seen scattered through the cloud bands of the hurricane's system.

Hurricane Bertha taken by the Expedition 17 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-07-09

ISS017-E-010708 (9 July 2008) --- Hurricane Bertha was traveling northward at 10 knots (11.5 miles per hour) across the eastern part of the central Atlantic Ocean when this image was taken on July 9 by one of the Expedition 17 crewmembers aboard the International Space Station from a vantage point of 220 statute miles above the Earth. The sustained winds were 85 knots (97.9 miles per hour) with gusts up to 105 knots (121.0 miles per hour) and predicted to intensify. Mature and developing Cumulonimbus-type clouds are seen scattered through the cloud bands of the hurricane's system.

NASA CloudSat Looks Hurricane Nichole in the Eye

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-14

NASA's CloudSat satellite completed an eye overpass of Hurricane Nicole on Oct. 12, 2016, at 10:55 a.m. PDT (17:55 UTC) as the storm was moving toward Bermuda. At the time the system had sustained winds of 109 miles per hour (95 knots), with a minimum pressure of 962 millibars. CloudSat viewed the system just as it was going through a period of intensification (from 98 miles per hour, or 85 knots, to 121 miles per hour (105 knots) during a 12-hour period. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21098

Tolerance of a Knotted Near-Infrared Fluorescent Protein to Random Circular Permutation.

PubMed

Pandey, Naresh; Kuypers, Brianna E; Nassif, Barbara; Thomas, Emily E; Alnahhas, Razan N; Segatori, Laura; Silberg, Jonathan J

2016-07-12

Bacteriophytochrome photoreceptors (BphP) are knotted proteins that have been developed as near-infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP) reporters of gene expression. To explore how rearrangements in the peptides that interlace into the knot within the BphP photosensory core affect folding, we subjected iRFPs to random circular permutation using an improved transposase mutagenesis strategy and screened for variants that fluoresce. We identified 27 circularly permuted iRFPs that display biliverdin-dependent fluorescence in Escherichia coli. The variants with the brightest whole cell fluorescence initiated translation at residues near the domain linker and knot tails, although fluorescent variants that initiated translation within the PAS and GAF domains were discovered. Circularly permuted iRFPs retained sufficient cofactor affinity to fluoresce in tissue culture without the addition of biliverdin, and one variant displayed enhanced fluorescence when expressed in bacteria and tissue culture. This variant displayed a quantum yield similar to that of iRFPs but exhibited increased resistance to chemical denaturation, suggesting that the observed increase in the magnitude of the signal arose from more efficient protein maturation. These results show how the contact order of a knotted BphP can be altered without disrupting chromophore binding and fluorescence, an important step toward the creation of near-infrared biosensors with expanded chemical sensing functions for in vivo imaging.

Tolerance of a knotted near infrared fluorescent protein to random circular permutation

PubMed Central

Pandey, Naresh; Kuypers, Brianna E.; Nassif, Barbara; Thomas, Emily E.; Alnahhas, Razan N.; Segatori, Laura; Silberg, Jonathan J.

2016-01-01

Bacteriophytochrome photoreceptors (BphP) are knotted proteins that have been developed as near-infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP) reporters of gene expression. To explore how rearrangements in the peptides that interlace into the knot within the BphP photosensory core affect folding, we subjected iRFP to random circular permutation using an improved transposase mutagenesis strategy and screened for variants that fluoresce. We identified twenty seven circularly permuted iRFP that display biliverdin-dependent fluorescence in Escherichia coli. The variants with the brightest whole cell fluorescence initiated translation at residues near the domain linker and knot tails, although fluorescent variants were discovered that initiated translation within the PAS and GAF domains. Circularly permuted iRFP retained sufficient cofactor affinity to fluoresce in tissue culture without the addition of biliverdin, and one variant displayed enhanced fluorescence when expressed in bacteria and tissue culture. This variant displayed a similar quantum yield as iRFP, but exhibited increased resistance to chemical denaturation, suggesting that the observed signal increase arose from more efficient protein maturation. These results show how the contact order of a knotted BphP can be altered without disrupting chromophore binding and fluorescence, an important step towards the creation of near-infrared biosensors with expanded chemical-sensing functions for in vivo imaging. PMID:27304983

High-speed knots in the hourglass-shaped planetary nebula Hubble 12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaytet, N.; Rushton, A. P.; Lloyd, M.; Lopez, J. A.; Meaburn, J.; O'Brien, T. J.; Mitchell, D. L.; Pollacco, D.

We present a detailed kinematical analysis of the young compact hourglass-shaped planetary nebula Hb 12. We performed optical imaging and longslit spectroscopy of Hb 12 using the Manchester echelle spectrometer with the 2.1-m San Pedro Martir telescope. We reveal, for the first time, the presence of end caps (or knots) aligned with the bipolar lobes of the planetary nebula shell in a deep [N ii] 6584 image of Hb 12. We measured from our spectroscopy radial velocities of about 120 km s-1 for these knots. We have derived the inclination angle of the hourglass shaped nebular shell to be 65° to the line of sight. It has been suggested that Hb 12's central star system is an eclipsing binary which would imply a binary inclination of at least 80°. However, if the central binary has been the major shaping influence on the nebula then both nebula and binary would be expected to share a common inclination angle. Finally, we report the discovery of high-velocity knots with Hubble-type velocities, close to the core of Hb 12, observed in HA and oriented in the same direction as the end caps. Very different velocities and kinematical ages were calculated for the outer and inner knots showing that they may originate from different outburst events.

Flight evaluation of the DEEC secondary control air-start capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J. B.; Nelson, J.

1983-01-01

The air-start capability of a secondary engine control (SEC) was tested for a DEEC-equipped F100 engine and installed in an F-15 airplane. Two air-start schedules were tested. The first was referred to as the group I schedule; the second or revised schedule was the group II start schedule. Using the group I start schedule, an airspeed of 300 knots was required to ensure successful 40- and 25-percent SEC-mode air starts. If N2 were less than 40 percent, a stall would occur when the start bleeds closed 40 sec after initiation of the air start. All JFS-assisted air starts were successful with the group start schedule. For the group II schedule, the time between pressurization and start-bleed closure ranged between 50 and 72 sec depending on altitude. All air starts were successful above 225 knots givin a 75-knot reduction in required airspeed for a successful air start. Spooldown air starts of 40 percent were successful at 200 knots at altitudes up to 10,650 m and at 175 knots at altitudes up to 6100 m. Idle rpm was lower than the desired 65 percent for air starts at higher altitudes and lower airspeeds. All JSF-assisted air starts were successful.

Mechanical properties of commercially available nylon sutures in the United States.

PubMed

Callahan, Travis L; Lear, William; Kruzic, Jamie J; Maughan, Cory B

2017-05-01

Surgeons can choose from a wide selection of commercially available suture brands, which come at a range of prices. There is currently limited evidence in the literature to guide this selection process. This investigation examined the breaking force, stress, and elongation of a variety of commercially available nylon sutures compared to their relative prices. Seven 5-0, nonabsorbable, nylon suture brands were tensile tested in straight, knotted and knot-security configurations according to the procedures outlined by the United States Pharmacopeia for the tensile testing of sutures. Covidien, the cheapest brand tested, had the highest failure load of straight and knot-security tests. Dafilon was found to have the highest breaking force and percent elongation of knot-pull tests. J&J Ethicon and Supramid had the highest percent elongation to failure for straight-pull and knot-security tests, respectively. This study was limited to specific in vitro tensile properties of nylon suture. Other factors affecting suture quality and price, such as needle properties, were not investigated. The data presented in the study provide information for guiding the selection and purchase of sutures according to tensile properties. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 815-819, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ALMA detection of a disk wind from HD 163296

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klaassen, Pamela; Juhasz, Attila; Mathews, Geoffrey; Mottram, Joseph; De Gregorio-Monsalvo, Itziar; van Dishoeck, Ewine; Takahashi, Satoko; Akiyama, Eiji; Chapillon, Edwige; Espada, Daniel; Hales, Antonio; Hogerheijde, Michiel; Rawlings, Mark; Schmalzl, Markus; Testi, Leonardo

2013-07-01

Disk winds have been postulated as a mechanism for angular momentum release in protostellar systems for decades. HD 163296 is a Herbig Ae star surrounded by a disk and has been shown to host a series of HH knots (HH 409) with bow shocks associated with the farthest knots. Here we present ALMA Science Verification data of CO J=2-1 and J=3-2 emission which are spatially coincident with the blue shifted jet of HH knots, and offset from the disk by -18.6 km/s. The emission has a double corkscrew morphology and extends more than 10'' from the disk with embedded emission clumps coincident with jet knots. We interpret this double corkscrew as emission from material in a molecular disk wind, and that the compact emission near the jet knots is being heated by the jet which is moving at much higher velocities. We show that the J=3-2 emission is likely heavily filtered by the interferometer, but the J=2-1 emission suffers less due to the larger beam and measurable angular scales. Excitation analysis suggests temperatures exceeding 900 K in these compact features. The high mass loss rate suggests that this star is dispersing the disk faster than it is funneling mass onto the star, signaling the end of the main accretion phase.

Post-breeding migration and connectivity of red knots in the Western Atlantic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyons, James E.; Winn, Bradford; Keyes, Timothy; Kalasz, Kevin S.

2018-01-01

Red knots (Calidris canutus rufa) have 3 distinct nonbreeding regions: 1 in the southeastern United States and Caribbean, another on the northeast coast of Brazil in the Maranhão region, and a third along the Patagonian coasts of Chile and Argentina. Effective conservation and recovery of this threatened long-distance migrant will require knowledge of population structure, migration ecology, and abundance and distribution throughout the annual cycle. We conducted a stopover population and biogeographic assessment of knots at the Altamaha River Delta, Georgia, an important stopover area in the southeastern United States. We estimated stopover population size and stopover duration during post-breeding migration in 2011 at the Altamaha study area using mark-resight data, and we inferred nonbreeding regions for this stopover population using stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in feathers, and observations (sightings and captures) during boreal winter from across the hemisphere. With an integrated Bayesian analysis of all these data, we also estimated the number of birds in the southeastern United States and northern Brazil during boreal winter. For mark-resight analyses in Georgia, we made observations of marked individuals during 14 weeks from early August to early November 2011 and detected 814 individually marked birds. We used the Jolly-Seber mark-recapture model and estimated the southbound passage population at approximately 23,400 red knots. In ongoing studies elsewhere, isotope samples were collected from 175 (21%) of the 814 birds detected in our study, and ≥1 sighting or capture record during boreal winter was located in data repositories for 659 birds (81%). Isotopic signatures and boreal winter records indicate that the majority (82–96%) of the birds that stopped at the Altamaha Delta spend the boreal winter in the northern part of the nonbreeding range (southeast USA, Caribbean, and northern Brazil). Knots migrating to the southeastern United States, Caribbean, or Brazil remained on the Altamaha Delta for 42 days, whereas birds migrating to Tierra del Fuego remained only 21 days. Combining our estimate of the Altamaha stopover population size (23,400 birds) and the estimated proportion in the northern nonbreeding region (82–96%), we derived a minimum estimate of the number of knots in the southeastern United States, Caribbean, and northern South America during the boreal winter: approximately 20,800 knots, of which approximately 10,400 knots occupy the southeastern United States and 5,400 occupy Brazil. Our results provide additional evidence that coastal Georgia is an important migration area for red knots, and provide information about population structure and migratory connectivity that will be valuable for conservation planning. 

Potential of Neoactinolaimus as a biological control agent of root-knot and reniform nematodes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The predatory nematode Neoactinolaimus spp. (family Actinolaimidae) was examined as a potential biological control agent against root-knot (Meloidogyne spp.) and reniform (Rotylenchulus reniformis) nematodes in laboratory conditions. Neoactinolaimus possesses a large odontostylet to puncture the cu...

It's a tight record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-02-01

How tight can you tie a knot? Researchers at the University of Manchester last year went some way to answering that question when they developed a way of braiding multiple molecular strands, which let them make tighter and more complex knots than ever before (Science 335 159).

[Material base on Chinese medical theory of 'Fei and Dachang being interior-exteriorly correlated'].

PubMed

Li, Jie; Cheng, Xin; Jia, Yu-Hua

2011-02-01

By reviewing pertinent literatures, we found that there existed some defects in studying material base on Chinese medical theory of "Fei and Dachang being interior-exteriorly related", such as the low efficacy of research methods; the neglect of intestinal and respiratory microhabitat and Chinese medical functional condition; and the unconformity of research design with evidence-based medicinal requirements. Thereby, the authors offered that the researches method of initiating merely from sole material or line linkage path should be rejected. The new research strategy should be established based on the feature of the lung and large intestine network connective structure, cutting-in from correlative changes in the two terminals (respiratory system and intestinal tissue), and the intermedial key knot of connection (blood serum), screen out in high throughput the relevant materials adopting microecological, proteomic and metabonomic techniques, and catch hold of the knots of network as much as possible. Based on these to perfect the researches on coordinating mechanism of the network, and to establish a new strategy for future researching.

Expansion of Hydrogen-poor Knots in the Born-again Planetary Nebulae A30 and A78

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, X.; Guerrero, M. A.; Marquez-Lugo, R. A.; Toalá, J. A.; Arthur, S. J.; Chu, Y.-H.; Blair, W. P.; Gruendl, R. A.; Hamann, W.-R.; Oskinova, L. M.; Todt, H.

2014-12-01

We analyze the expansion of hydrogen-poor knots and filaments in the born-again planetary nebulae A30 and A78 based on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images obtained almost 20 yr apart. The proper motion of these features generally increases with distance to the central star, but the fractional expansion decreases, i.e., the expansion is not homologous. As a result, there is not a unique expansion age, which is estimated to be 610-950 yr for A30 and 600-1140 yr for A78. The knots and filaments have experienced complex dynamical processes: the current fast stellar wind is mass loaded by the material ablated from the inner knots; the ablated material is then swept up until it shocks the inner edges of the outer, hydrogen-rich nebula. The angular expansion of the outer filaments shows a clear dependence on position angle, indicating that the interaction of the stellar wind with the innermost knots channels the wind along preferred directions. The apparent angular expansion of the innermost knots seems to be dominated by the rocket effect of evaporating gas and by the propagation of the ionization front inside them. Radiation-hydrodynamical simulations show that a single ejection of material followed by a rapid onset of the stellar wind and ionizing flux can reproduce the variety of clumps and filaments at different distances from the central star found in A30 and A78. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with program No. 12935.

Kinematics of Parsec-scale Jets of Gamma-Ray Blazars at 43 GHz within the VLBA-BU-BLAZAR Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jorstad, Svetlana G.; Marscher, Alan P.; Morozova, Daria A.; Troitsky, Ivan S.; Agudo, Iván; Casadio, Carolina; Foord, Adi; Gómez, José L.; MacDonald, Nicholas R.; Molina, Sol N.; Lähteenmäki, Anne; Tammi, Joni; Tornikoski, Merja

2017-09-01

We analyze the parsec-scale jet kinematics from 2007 June to 2013 January of a sample of γ-ray bright blazars monitored roughly monthly with the Very Long Baseline Array at 43 GHz. In a total of 1929 images, we measure apparent speeds of 252 emission knots in 21 quasars, 12 BL Lacertae objects (BLLacs), and 3 radio galaxies, ranging from 0.02c to 78c; 21% of the knots are quasi-stationary. Approximately one-third of the moving knots execute non-ballistic motions, with the quasars exhibiting acceleration along the jet within 5 pc (projected) of the core, and knots in BLLacs tending to decelerate near the core. Using the apparent speeds of the components and the timescales of variability from their light curves, we derive the physical parameters of 120 superluminal knots, including variability Doppler factors, Lorentz factors, and viewing angles. We estimate the half-opening angle of each jet based on the projected opening angle and scatter of intrinsic viewing angles of knots. We determine characteristic values of the physical parameters for each jet and active galactic nucleus class based on the range of values obtained for individual features. We calculate the intrinsic brightness temperatures of the cores, {T}{{b},{int}}{core}, at all epochs, finding that the radio galaxies usually maintain equipartition conditions in the cores, while ˜30% of {T}{{b},{int}}{core} measurements in the quasars and BLLacs deviate from equipartition values by a factor >10. This probably occurs during transient events connected with active states. In the Appendix, we briefly describe the behavior of each blazar during the period analyzed.

Molecular jet of IRAS 04166+2706

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

Wang, Liang-Yao; Shang, Hsien; Su, Yu-Nung

2014-01-01

The molecular outflow from IRAS 04166+2706 was mapped with the Submillimeter Array at a 350 GHz continuum and CO J = 3-2 at an angular resolution of ∼1''. The field of view covers the central arcminute, which contains the inner four pairs of knots of the molecular jet. On the channel map, conical structures are clearly present in the low-velocity range (|V – V {sub 0}| < 10 km s{sup –1}), and the highly collimated knots appear in the extremely high velocity range (50 >|V – V {sub 0}| > 30 km s{sup –1}). The higher angular resolution of ∼1''more » reveals the first blue-shifted knot (B1) that was missing in previous Plateau de Bure Interferometer observation of Santiago-García et al. at an offset of ∼6'' to the northeast of the central source. This identification completes the symmetric sequence of knots in both the blue- and red-shifted lobes of the outflow. The innermost knots R1 and B1 have the highest velocities within the sequence. Although the general features appear to be similar to previous CO J = 2-1 images in Santiago-García et al., the emission in CO J = 3-2 almost always peaks further away from the central source than that of CO J = 2-1 in the red-shifted lobe of the channel maps. This gives rise to a gradient in the line-ratio map of CO J = 3-2/J = 2-1 from head to tail within a knot. A large velocity gradient analysis suggests that the differences may reflect a higher gas kinetic temperature at the head. We also explore possible constraints imposed by the nondetection of SiO J = 8-7.« less

The transcriptome of Nacobbus aberrans reveals insights into the evolution of sedentary endoparasitism in plant-parasitic nematodes.

PubMed

Eves-van den Akker, Sebastian; Lilley, Catherine J; Danchin, Etienne G J; Rancurel, Corinne; Cock, Peter J A; Urwin, Peter E; Jones, John T

2014-08-13

Within the phylum Nematoda, plant-parasitism is hypothesized to have arisen independently on at least four occasions. The most economically damaging plant-parasitic nematode species, and consequently the most widely studied, are those that feed as they migrate destructively through host roots causing necrotic lesions (migratory endoparasites) and those that modify host root tissue to create a nutrient sink from which they feed (sedentary endoparasites). The false root-knot nematode Nacobbus aberrans is the only known species to have both migratory endoparasitic and sedentary endoparasitic stages within its life cycle. Moreover, its sedentary stage appears to have characteristics of both the root-knot and the cyst nematodes. We present the first large-scale genetic resource of any false-root knot nematode species. We use RNAseq to describe relative abundance changes in all expressed genes across the life cycle to provide interesting insights into the biology of this nematode as it transitions between modes of parasitism. A multigene phylogenetic analysis of N. aberrans with respect to plant-parasitic nematodes of all groups confirms its proximity to both cyst and root-knot nematodes. We present a transcriptome-wide analysis of both lateral gene transfer events and the effector complement. Comparing parasitism genes of typical root-knot and cyst nematodes to those of N. aberrans has revealed interesting similarities. Importantly, genes that were believed to be either cyst nematode, or root-knot nematode, "specific" have both been identified in N. aberrans. Our results provide insights into the characteristics of a common ancestor and the evolution of sedentary endoparasitism of plants by nematodes. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Shoulder abduction diminishes self-reinforcement in transosseous-equivalent rotator cuff repair in both knotted and knotless techniques.

PubMed

Smith, Geoffrey C S; Lam, Patrick H

2018-06-20

The self-reinforcement mechanism after double row suturebridge rotator cuff repair generates increasing compressive forces at the tendon footprint with increasing tendon load. Passive range of motion is usually allowed after rotator cuff repair. The mechanism of self-reinforcement could be adversely affected by shoulder abduction. Rotator cuff tears were created ex vivo in nine pairs of ovine shoulders. Two different repair techniques were used. One group was repaired using a double row 'suturebridge' construct with tied horizontal medial row mattress sutures (Knotted repair group). The other group was repaired identically except that medial row knots were not tied (Knotless repair group). Footprint compression was measured at varying amounts of abduction and under tendon loads of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60N. The rate of increase of contact pressure (degree of self-reinforcement) was calculated for each abduction angle. Abduction diminishes footprint contact pressure in both knotted and knotless double row suturebridge constructs. Progressive abduction from 0 to 40 abduction in the knotless group and 0-30 in the knotted group results in a decrease in self-reinforcement. Abduction beyond this does not cause a further decrease in self-reinforcement. There was no difference in the rate of increase of footprint contact pressure at each angle of abduction when comparing the knotted and knotless groups. In the post-operative period, high tendon load combined with minimal abduction would be expected to generate the greatest amount of footprint compression which may improve tendon healing. Therefore, to maximize footprint compression the use of abduction pillows should be avoided while early isometric strengthening should be used.

Disulfide bond rearrangement during formation of the chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit cystine knot in vivo.

PubMed

Wilken, Jason A; Bedows, Elliott

2004-05-04

The intracellular kinetic folding pathway of the human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit (hCG-beta) reveals the presence of a disulfide between Cys residues 38-57 that is not detected by X-ray analysis of secreted hCG-beta. This led us to propose that disulfide rearrangement is an essential feature of cystine knot formation during CG-beta folding. To test this, we used disulfide bond formation to monitor progression of intracellular folding intermediates of a previously uncharacterized protein, the CG-beta subunit of cynomolgous macaque (Macaca fascicularis). Like its human counterpart hCG-beta with which it shares 81% identity, macaque (m)CG-beta is a cystine knot-containing subunit that assembles with an alpha-subunit common to all glycoprotein hormone members of its species to form a biologically active heterodimer, mCG, which, like hCG, is required for pregnancy maintenance. An early mCG-beta folding intermediate, mpbeta1, contained two disulfide bonds, one between Cys34 and Cys88 and the other between Cys38 and Cys57. The subsequent folding intermediate, mpbeta2-early, was represented by an ensemble of folding forms that, in addition to the two disulfides mentioned above, included disulfide linkages between Cys9 and Cys57 and between Cys38 and Cys90. These latter two disulfides are those contained within the beta-subunit cystine knot and reveal that a disulfide exchange occurred during the mpbeta2-early folding step leading to formation of the mCG-beta knot. Thus, while defining the intracellular kinetic protein folding pathway of a monkey homologue of CG-beta, we detected the previously predicted disulfide exchange event crucial for CG-beta cystine knot formation and attainment of CG-beta assembly competence.

The Jet Heated X-Ray Filament in the Centaurus A Northern Middle Radio Lobe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraft, R. P.; Forman, W. R.; Hardcastle, M. J.; Birkinshaw, M.; Croston, J. H.; Jones, C.; Nulsen, P. E. J.; Worrall, D. M.; Murray, S. S.

2009-06-01

We present results from a 40 ks XMM-Newton observation of the X-ray filament coincident with the southeast edge of the Centaurus A Northern Middle Radio Lobe (NML). We find that the X-ray filament consists of five spatially resolved X-ray knots embedded in a continuous diffuse bridge. The spectrum of each knot is well fitted by a thermal model with temperatures ranging from 0.3 to 0.7 keV and subsolar elemental abundances. In four of the five knots, nonthermal models are a poor fit to the spectra, conclusively ruling out synchrotron or IC/CMB mechanisms for their emission. The internal pressures of the knots exceed that of the ambient interstellar medium or the equipartition pressure of the NML by more than an order of magnitude, demonstrating that they must be short lived (~3 × 106 yr). Based on energetic arguments, it is implausible that these knots have been ionized by the beamed flux from the active galactic nucleus of Cen A or that they have been shock heated by supersonic inflation of the NML. In our view, the most viable scenario for the origin of the X-ray knots is that they are the result of cold gas shock heated by a direct interaction with the jet. The most plausible model of the NML is that it is a bubble from a previous nuclear outburst that is being re-energized by the current outburst. The northeast inner lobe and the large-scale jet are lossless channels through which the jet material rapidly travels to the NML in this scenario. We also report the discovery of a large-scale (at least 35 kpc radius) gas halo around Cen A.

Decay of helical and nonhelical magnetic knots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Candelaresi, Simon; Brandenburg, Axel

2011-07-01

We present calculations of the relaxation of magnetic field structures that have the shape of particular knots and links. A set of helical magnetic flux configurations is considered, which we call n-foil knots of which the trefoil knot is the most primitive member. We also consider two nonhelical knots; namely, the Borromean rings as well as a single interlocked flux rope that also serves as the logo of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, India. The field decay characteristics of both configurations is investigated and compared with previous calculations of helical and nonhelical triple-ring configurations. Unlike earlier nonhelical configurations, the present ones cannot trivially be reduced via flux annihilation to a single ring. For the n-foil knots the decay is described by power laws that range form t-2/3 to t-1/3, which can be as slow as the t-1/3 behavior for helical triple-ring structures that were seen in earlier work. The two nonhelical configurations decay like t-1, which is somewhat slower than the previously obtained t-3/2 behavior in the decay of interlocked rings with zero magnetic helicity. We attribute the difference to the creation of local structures that contain magnetic helicity which inhibits the field decay due to the existence of a lower bound imposed by the realizability condition. We show that net magnetic helicity can be produced resistively as a result of a slight imbalance between mutually canceling helical pieces as they are being driven apart. We speculate that higher order topological invariants beyond magnetic helicity may also be responsible for slowing down the decay of the two more complicated nonhelical structures mentioned above.

Prior video game exposure does not enhance robotic surgical performance.

PubMed

Harper, Jonathan D; Kaiser, Stefan; Ebrahimi, Kamyar; Lamberton, Gregory R; Hadley, H Roger; Ruckle, Herbert C; Baldwin, D Duane

2007-10-01

Prior research has demonstrated that counterintuitive laparoscopic surgical skills are enhanced by experience with video games. A similar relation with robotic surgical skills has not been tested. The purpose of this study was to determine whether prior video-game experience enhances the acquisition of robotic surgical skills. A series of 242 preclinical medical students completed a self-reported video-game questionnaire detailing the frequency, duration, and peak playing time. The 10 students with the highest and lowest video-game exposure completed a follow-up questionnaire further quantifying video game, sports, musical instrument, and craft and hobby exposure. Each subject viewed a training video demonstrating the use of the da Vinci surgical robot in tying knots, followed by 3 minutes of proctored practice time. Subjects then tied knots for 5 minutes while an independent blinded observer recorded the number of knots tied, missed knots, frayed sutures, broken sutures, and mechanical errors. The mean playing time for the 10 game players was 15,136 total hours (range 5,840-30,000 hours). Video-game players tied fewer knots than nonplayers (5.8 v 9.0; P = 0.04). Subjects who had played sports for at least 4 years had fewer mechanical errors (P = 0.04), broke fewer sutures (P = 0.01), and committed fewer total errors (P = 0.01). Similarly, those playing musical instruments longer than 5 years missed fewer knots (P = 0.05). In the extremes of video-game experience tested in this study, game playing was inversely correlated with the ability to learn robotic suturing. This study suggests that advanced surgical skills such as robotic suturing may be learned more quickly by athletes and musicians. Prior extensive video-game exposure had a negative impact on robotic performance.

The temporal outcomes of open versus arthroscopic knotted and knotless rotator cuff repair over 5 years

PubMed Central

Lucena, Thomas R; Lam, Patrick H; Millar, Neal L

2015-01-01

Background The present study aimed to determine how repair technique influenced structural and clinical outcomes at 5 years post-surgery. Methods Three cohorts of patients had repair of a symptomatic rotator cuff tear using (i) an open double-row mattress repair technique (n = 25); (ii) arthroscopic single-row simple suture knotted technique (n = 25); or (iii) arthroscopic single-row inverted mattress knotless technique (n = 36) by one surgeon. Standardized patient- and examiner-determined outcomes were obtained pre-operatively and postoperatively with a validated protocol, ultrasound were also performed at the same time. Results Retear occurred more often after open repair (48%) at 5 years than after arthroscopic knotted (33%) and arthroscopic knotless (26%) repair. Retear was associated with increasing age, pre-operative tear size and weaker pre-operative and 5 years postoperative cuff strength. Between 2 years and 5 years, the open repair group experienced an increase in the frequency of pain during activity, as well as in the difficulty experienced and the severity of pain during overhead activities (p < 0.05) and, at 5 years, also experienced more difficulty with overhead activities, compared to the arthroscopic knotless repair group. Conclusions At 5-year follow-up, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair techniques resulted in fewer retears and better outcomes compared to an open double-row technique. PMID:27582985

Problems Involved in an Emergency Method of Guiding a Gliding Vehicle from High Altitudes to a High Key Position

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jewel, Joseph W., Jr.; Whitten, James B.

1960-01-01

An investigation has been conducted to determine the problems involved in an emergency method of guiding a gliding vehicle from high altitudes to a high key position (initial position) above a landing field. A jet airplane in a simulated flameout condition, conventional ground-tracking radar, and a scaled wire for guidance programming on the radar plotting board were used in the tests. Starting test altitudes varied from 30,000 feet to 46,500 feet, and starting positions ranged 8.4 to 67 nautical miles from the high key. Specified altitudes of the high key were 12,000, 10,000 or 4,000 feet. Lift-drag ratios of the aircraft of either 17, 16, or 6 were held constant during any given flight; however, for a few flights the lift-drag ratio was varied from 11 to 6. Indicated airspeeds were held constant at either 160 or 250 knots. Results from these tests indicate that a gliding vehicle having a lift-drag ratio of 16 and an indicated approach speed of 160 knots can be guided to within 800 feet vertically and 2,400 feet laterally of a high key position. When the lift-drag ratio of the vehicle is reduced to 6 and the indicated approach speed is raised to 250 knots, the radar controller was able to guide the vehicle to within 2,400 feet vertically and au feet laterally of the high key. It was also found that radar stations which give only azimuth-distance information could control the glide path of a gliding vehicle as well as stations that receive azimuth-distance-altitude information, provided that altitude information is supplied by the pilot.

New knotted solutions of Maxwell's equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoyos, Carlos; Sircar, Nilanjan; Sonnenschein, Jacob

2015-06-01

In this paper we have further developed the study of topologically non-trivial solutions of vacuum electrodynamics. We have discovered a novel method of generating such solutions by applying conformal transformations with complex parameters on known solutions expressed in terms of Bateman's variables. This has enabled us to obtain a wide class of solutions from the basic configuration, such as constant electromagnetic fields and plane-waves. We have introduced a covariant formulation of Bateman's construction and discussed the conserved charges associated with the conformal group as well as a set of four types of conserved helicities. We have also given a formulation in terms of quaternions. This led to a simple map between the electromagnetic knotted and linked solutions into flat connections of SU(2) gauge theory. We have computed the corresponding Chern-Simons charge in a class of solutions and the charge takes integer values.

Performance Assessment of Bi-Directional Knotless Tissue-Closure Devices in Juvenile Chinook Salmon Surgically Implanted with Acoustic Transmitters, 2009 - Final Report

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

Woodley, Christa M.; Wagner, Katie A.; Bryson, Amanda J.

2012-11-09

The purpose of this report is to assess the performance of bi-directional knotless tissue-closure devices for use in tagging juvenile salmon. This study is part of an ongoing effort at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to reduce unwanted effects of tags and tagging procedures on the survival and behavior of juvenile salmonids, by assessing and refining suturing techniques, suture materials, and tag burdens. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of the knotless (barbed) suture, using three different suture patterns (treatments: 6-point, Wide “N”, Wide “N” Knot), to the current method of suturing (MonocrylTM monofilament, discontinuous suturesmore » with a 2×2×2×2 knot) used in monitoring and research programs with a novel antiseptic barrier on the wound (“Second Skin”).« less

Perceptualization of geometry using intelligent haptic and visual sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weng, Jianguang; Zhang, Hui

2013-01-01

We present a set of paradigms for investigating geometric structures using haptic and visual sensing. Our principal test cases include smoothly embedded geometry shapes such as knotted curves embedded in 3D and knotted surfaces in 4D, that contain massive intersections when projected to one lower dimension. One can exploit a touch-responsive 3D interactive probe to haptically override this conflicting evidence in the rendered images, by forcing continuity in the haptic representation to emphasize the true topology. In our work, we exploited a predictive haptic guidance, a "computer-simulated hand" with supplementary force suggestion, to support intelligent exploration of geometry shapes that will smooth and maximize the probability of recognition. The cognitive load can be reduced further when enabling an attention-driven visual sensing during the haptic exploration. Our methods combine to reveal the full richness of the haptic exploration of geometric structures, and to overcome the limitations of traditional 4D visualization.

76 FR 36961 - Standards and Specifications for Timber Products Acceptable for Use by Rural Utilities Service...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-24

... limited to the equivalent displacement of a knot \\3/8\\ of an inch deep on one face and the maximum round.../2\\ the equivalent displacement of a round knot permitted at that location, provided that the depth...

Evaluation of edible ginger and turmeric cultivars for root-knot nematode resistance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Edible ginger and turmeric roots are important agricultural commodities for the State of Hawaii. Bacterial wilt, Ralstonia solanacearum, and root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp. are major factors hindering optimum production. An evaluation of tolerance and resistance to M. incognita was undertake...

Topologically knotted deubiquitinases exhibit unprecedented mechanostability to withstand the proteolysis by an AAA+ protease.

PubMed

Sriramoju, Manoj Kumar; Chen, Yen; Lee, Yun-Tzai Cloud; Hsu, Shang-Te Danny

2018-05-04

More than one thousand knotted protein structures have been identified so far, but the functional roles of these knots remain elusive. It has been postulated that backbone entanglement may provide additional mechanostability. Here, we employed a bacterial proteasome, ClpXP, to mechanically unfold 5 2 -knotted human ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (UCH) paralogs from their C-termini, followed by processive translocation into the proteolytic chamber for degradation. Our results revealed unprecedentedly slow kinetics of ClpXP-mediated proteolysis for the proteasome-associated UCHL5: ten thousand times slower than that of a green fluorescence protein (GFP), which has a comparable size to the UCH domain but much higher chemical and thermal stabilities. The ClpXP-dependent mechanostability positively correlates with the intrinsic unfolding rates of the substrates, spanning over several orders of magnitude for the UCHs. The broad range of mechanostability within the same protein family may be associated with the functional requirements for their differential malleabilities.

Microgravity effects on fine motor skills: tying surgical knots during parabolic flight.

PubMed

Rafiq, Azhar; Hummel, Russ; Lavrentyev, Vladimir; Derry, William; Williams, David; Merrell, Ronald C

2006-08-01

The health provider on a space exploration mission cannot evacuate a patient to Earth. Contingency plans for medical intervention must be designed for autonomy. This study measured the effect of microgravity on performance of fine motor skills such as basic surgical tasks. Eight subjects, six with medical and two with non-medical backgrounds, were evaluated during parabolic microgravity flights aboard NASA's KC-135. We evaluated their skill in tying surgical knots on simulated skin made of silicone using standard techniques for minimally invasive surgery. LabView software was developed to archive forces applied to the laparoscopic tool handles during knot-tying. Studies were controlled for medication (ScopeDex) and the aircraft environment. All participants completed the tests successfully. The data indicated that increased force was applied to the instruments and knot quality decreased during flight compared with ground control sessions. Specific metrics of surgical task performance are essential in developing education modules for providers of medical care during exploration-class missions.

Avian influenza virus antibodies in Pacific Coast Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, James A.; DeCicco, Lucas H.; Ruthrauff, Daniel R.; Krauss, Scott; Hall, Jeffrey S.

2014-01-01

Prevalence of avian influenza virus (AIV) antibodies in the western Atlantic subspecies of Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa) is among the highest for any shorebird. To assess whether the frequency of detection of AIV antibodies is high for the species in general or restricted only to C. c. rufa, we sampled the northeastern Pacific Coast subspecies of Red Knot (Calidris canutus roselaari) breeding in northwestern Alaska. Antibodies were detected in 90% of adults and none of the chicks sampled. Viral shedding was not detected in adults or chicks. These results suggest a predisposition of Red Knots to AIV infection. High antibody titers to subtypes H3 and H4 were detected, whereas low to intermediate antibody levels were found for subtypes H10 and H11. These four subtypes have previously been detected in shorebirds at Delaware Bay (at the border of New Jersey and Delaware) and in waterfowl along the Pacific Coast of North America.

Roots and decompositions of three-dimensional topological objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matveev, Sergei V.

2012-06-01

In 1942 M.H.A. Newman formulated and proved a simple lemma of great importance for various fields of mathematics, including algebra and the theory of Gröbner-Shirshov bases. Later it was called the Diamond Lemma, since its key construction was illustrated by a diamond-shaped diagram. In 2005 the author suggested a new version of this lemma suitable for topological applications. This paper gives a survey of results on the existence and uniqueness of prime decompositions of various topological objects: three-dimensional manifolds, knots in thickened surfaces, knotted graphs, three-dimensional orbifolds, and knotted theta-curves in three-dimensional manifolds. As it turned out, all these topological objects admit a prime decomposition, although it is not unique in some cases (for example, in the case of orbifolds). For theta-curves and knots of geometric degree 1 in a thickened torus, the algebraic structure of the corresponding semigroups can be completely described. In both cases the semigroups are quotients of free groups by explicit commutation relations. Bibliography: 33 titles.

Knot invariants and M-theory: Proofs and derivations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Errasti Díez, Verónica

2018-01-01

We construct two distinct yet related M-theory models that provide suitable frameworks for the study of knot invariants. We then focus on the four-dimensional gauge theory that follows from appropriately compactifying one of these M-theory models. We show that this theory has indeed all required properties to host knots. Our analysis provides a unifying picture of the various recent works that attempt an understanding of knot invariants using techniques of four-dimensional physics. This is a companion paper to K. Dasgupta, V. Errasti Díez, P. Ramadevi, and R. Tatar, Phys. Rev. D 95, 026010 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevD.95.026010, covering all but Sec. III C. It presents a detailed mathematical derivation of the main results there, as well as additional material. Among the new insights, those related to supersymmetry and the topological twist are highlighted. This paper offers an alternative, complementary formulation of the contents in the first paper, but is self-contained and can be read independently.

Are Khovanov-Rozansky polynomials consistent with evolution in the space of knots?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anokhina, A.; Morozov, A.

2018-04-01

R-coloured knot polynomials for m-strand torus knots Torus [ m, n] are described by the Rosso-Jones formula, which is an example of evolution in n with Lyapunov exponents, labelled by Young diagrams from R ⊗ m . This means that they satisfy a finite-difference equation (recursion) of finite degree. For the gauge group SL( N ) only diagrams with no more than N lines can contribute and the recursion degree is reduced. We claim that these properties (evolution/recursion and reduction) persist for Khovanov-Rozansky (KR) polynomials, obtained by additional factorization modulo 1 + t, which is not yet adequately described in quantum field theory. Also preserved is some weakened version of differential expansion, which is responsible at least for a simple relation between reduced and unreduced Khovanov polynomials. However, in the KR case evolution is incompatible with the mirror symmetry under the change n -→ - n, what can signal about an ambiguity in the KR factorization even for torus knots.

DYNAMICAL FRAGMENTATION OF THE T PYXIDIS NOVA SHELL DURING RECURRENT ERUPTIONS

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

Toraskar, Jayashree; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Shara, Michael M.

2013-05-01

Hubble Space Telescope images of the ejecta surrounding the nova T Pyxidis resolve the emission into more than 2000 bright knots. We simulate the dynamical evolution of the ejecta from T Pyxidis during its multiple eruptions over the last 150 years using the adaptive mesh refinement code Ramses. We demonstrate that the observed knots are the result of Richtmyer-Meshkov gas dynamical instabilities (the equivalent of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in an accelerated medium). These instabilities are caused by the overrunning of the ejecta from the classical nova of 1866 by fast-moving ejecta from the six subsequent recurrent nova outbursts. Magnetic fields maymore » play a role in determining knot scale and preventing their conductive evaporation. The model correctly predicts the observed expansion and dimming of the T Pyx ejecta as well as the knotty morphology. The model also predicts that deeper, high-resolution imagery will show filamentary structure connecting the knots. We show reprocessed Hubble Space Telescope imagery that shows the first hints of such a structure.« less

Analysis of the tractive force pattern on a knot by force measurement during laparoscopic knot tying.

PubMed

Takayasu, Kenta; Yoshida, Kenji; Kinoshita, Hidefumi; Yoshimoto, Syunsuke; Oshiro, Osamu; Matsuda, Tadashi

2017-07-19

Quantifying surgical skills assists novice surgeons when learning operative techniques. We measured the interaction force at a ligation point and clarified the features of the force pattern among surgeons with different skill levels during laparoscopic knot tying. Forty-four surgeons were divided into three groups based on experience: 13 novice (0-5 years), 16 intermediate (6-15 years), and 15 expert (16-30 years). To assess the tractive force direction and volume during knot tying, we used a sensor that measures six force-torque values (x-axis: Fx, y-axis: Fy, z-axis: Fz, and xy-axis: Fxy) attached to a slit Penrose drain. All participants completed one double knot and five single knot sequences. We recorded completion time, force volume (FV), maximum force (MF), time over 1.5 N, duration of non-zero force, and percentage time when vertical force exceeded horizontal force (PTz). There was a significant difference between groups for completion time (p = 0.007); FV (total: p = 0.002; Fx: p = 0.004, Fy: p = 0.007, Fxy: p = 0.004, Fz: p < 0.001, Fxy/Fz: p = 0.003), MF (total: p = 0.004; Fx: p = 0.015, Fy: p = 0.035, Fxy: p = 0.009, Fz: p = 0.001, Fxy/Fz: p = 0.041); time over 1.5 N (p = 0.002); duration of non-zero force (p = 0.029); and PTz (p < 0.001). PTz showed the only significant difference comparing intermediates with experts (intermediates: 13.7 ± 9.0, experts: 4.9 ± 3.2; p < 0.001). We clarified the characteristics of the force pattern at the ligation point during suturing by surgeons with three levels of experience using a force measurement system. We revealed that both force volume and force direction differed depending on surgeons' skill level during knot tying. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Untying a nanoscale knotted polymer structure to linear chains for efficient gene delivery in vitro and to the brain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newland, B.; Aied, A.; Pinoncely, A. V.; Zheng, Y.; Zhao, T.; Zhang, H.; Niemeier, R.; Dowd, E.; Pandit, A.; Wang, W.

2014-06-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a platform transfection technology, for applications in the brain, which could transfect astrocytes without requiring cell specific functionalization and without the common cause of toxicity through high charge density. Here we show that a simple and scalable preparation technique can be used to produce a ``knot'' structured cationic polymer, where single growing chains can crosslink together via disulphide intramolecular crosslinks (internal cyclizations). This well-defined knot structure can thus ``untie'' under reducing conditions, showing a more favorable transfection profile for astrocytes compared to 25 kDa-PEI (48-fold), SuperFect® (39-fold) and Lipofectamine®2000 (18-fold) whilst maintaining neural cell viability at over 80% after four days of culture. The high transfection/lack of toxicity of this knot structured polymer in vitro, combined with its ability to mediate luciferase transgene expression in the adult rat brain, demonstrates its use as a platform transfection technology which should be investigated further for neurodegenerative disease therapies.The purpose of this study was to develop a platform transfection technology, for applications in the brain, which could transfect astrocytes without requiring cell specific functionalization and without the common cause of toxicity through high charge density. Here we show that a simple and scalable preparation technique can be used to produce a ``knot'' structured cationic polymer, where single growing chains can crosslink together via disulphide intramolecular crosslinks (internal cyclizations). This well-defined knot structure can thus ``untie'' under reducing conditions, showing a more favorable transfection profile for astrocytes compared to 25 kDa-PEI (48-fold), SuperFect® (39-fold) and Lipofectamine®2000 (18-fold) whilst maintaining neural cell viability at over 80% after four days of culture. The high transfection/lack of toxicity of this knot structured polymer in vitro, combined with its ability to mediate luciferase transgene expression in the adult rat brain, demonstrates its use as a platform transfection technology which should be investigated further for neurodegenerative disease therapies. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: 1H NMR spectroscopy data and gel permeation chromatography data. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr06737h

Direct Detection of the Helical Magnetic Field Geometry from 3D Reconstruction of Prominence Knot Trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapiór, Maciej; Martínez-Gómez, David

2016-02-01

Based on the data collected by the Vacuum Tower Telescope located in the Teide Observatory in the Canary Islands, we analyzed the three-dimensional (3D) motion of so-called knots in a solar prominence of 2014 June 9. Trajectories of seven knots were reconstructed, giving information of the 3D geometry of the magnetic field. Helical motion was detected. From the equipartition principle, we estimated the lower limit of the magnetic field in the prominence to ≈1-3 G and from the Ampère’s law the lower limit of the electric current to ≈1.2 × 109 A.

Potential of tissue culture for breeding root-knot nematode resistance into vegetables.

PubMed

Fassuliotis, G; Bhatt, D P

1982-01-01

Plant protoplast technology is being investigated as a means of transferring root-knot nematode resistance factors from Solanum sisymbriifolium into the susceptible S. melongena. Solanum sisymbriifolium plants regenerated from callus lost resistance to Meloidogyne javanica but retained resistance to M. incognita. Tomato plants cloned from leaf discs of the root-knot nematode resistant 'Patriot' were completely susceptible to M. incognita, while sections of stems and leaves rooted in sand in the absence of growth hormones retained resistance. Changes in resistance persisted for three generations. It is postulated that the exogenous hormonal constituents of the culture medium are modifying the expression of genetic resistance.

Initial description of primate-specific cystine-knot Prometheus genes and differential gene expansions of D-dopachrome tautomerase genes

PubMed Central

Premzl, Marko

2015-01-01

Using eutherian comparative genomic analysis protocol and public genomic sequence data sets, the present work attempted to update and revise two gene data sets. The most comprehensive third party annotation gene data sets of eutherian adenohypophysis cystine-knot genes (128 complete coding sequences), and d-dopachrome tautomerases and macrophage migration inhibitory factor genes (30 complete coding sequences) were annotated. For example, the present study first described primate-specific cystine-knot Prometheus genes, as well as differential gene expansions of D-dopachrome tautomerase genes. Furthermore, new frameworks of future experiments of two eutherian gene data sets were proposed. PMID:25941635

Design considerations for attaining 250-knot test velocities at the aircraft landing dynamics facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gray, C. E., Jr.; Snyder, R. E.; Taylor, J. T.; Cires, A.; Fitzgerald, A. L.; Armistead, M. F.

1980-01-01

Preliminary design studies are presented which consider the important parameters in providing 250 knot test velocities at the Aircraft Landing Dynamics Facility. Four major components of this facility are: the hydraulic jet catapult, the test carriage structure, the reaction turning bucket, and the wheels. Using the hydraulic-jet catapult characteristics, a target design point was selected and a carriage structure was sized to meet the required strength requirements. The preliminary design results indicate that to attain 250 knot test velocities for a given hydraulic jet catapult system, a carriage mass of 25,424 kg (56,000 lbm.) cannot be exceeded.

Sclera-directed knot technique for securing an encircling band in retinal surgery.

PubMed

Bartov, E; Ginsburg, L H; Ashkenazi, I; Treister, G

1991-10-01

The protruding ends of sutures used to secure the ends of the silicone rubber band placed during many retinal surgical procedures may cause postsurgical irritation, since with presently used suturing techniques, the knot of the suture remains on top of the band, facing the conjunctiva. We describe a suturing technique which, by inverting the band when suturing its ends and then allowing the band to return to its original position, places the knot on the undersurface of the band, against the sclera. Thus, no protruding suture ends are left facing the conjunctiva and the irritation resulting from such a protrusion is averted.

Evaluation of nematicides for southern root-knot nematode management in lima bean

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Southern root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita; RKN) significantly reduce lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) yields. Chemical control options for RKN are limited. We evaluated the efficacy of new nematicidal products on RKN in lima bean experiments conducted in greenhouse (GH) and microplot (MP) set...

Field level risk assessment for root-knot nematodes in lima beans

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Southern Root-Knot Nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita, is a major yield limiting pest in lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus). RKN are not evenly distributed through fields and population dynamics are fluid making whole field management challenging. The objectives of this research were to characterize ...

Laparoscopic skills assessment: an additional modality for pediatric surgery fellowship selection.

PubMed

Hazboun, Rajaie; Rodriguez, Samuel; Thirumoorthi, Arul; Baerg, Joanne; Moores, Donald; Tagge, Edward P

2017-12-01

The Pediatric Surgery fellow selection is a multi-layered process which has not included assessment of surgical dexterity. Data was collected prospectively as part of the 2016 Pediatric Surgery Match interview process. Applicants completed a questionnaire to document laparoscopic experience and fine motor skills activities. Actual laparoscopic skills were assessed using a simulator. Time to complete an intracorporeal knot was tabulated. An initial rank list was formulated based only on the ERAS application and interview scores. The rank list was re-formulated following the laparoscopic assessment. Un-paired T-test and regression were utilized to analyze the data. Forty applicants were interviewed with 18 matched (45%). The mean knot tying time was 201.31s for matched and 202.35s for unmatched applicants. Playing a musical instrument correlated with faster knot tying (p=0.03). No correlation was identified between knot tying time and either video game experience (p=0.4) or passing the FLS exam (p=0.78). Laparoscopic skills assessment lead to significant reordering of rank list (p=0.01). Laparoscopic skills performance significantly impacted ranking. Playing a musical instrument correlated with faster knot tying. No correlation was identified between laparoscopic performance and passing the FLS exam or other activities traditionally believed to improve technical ability. Prospective study. Level II. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gene action analysis by inheritance and QTL mapping of resistance to root-knot nematodes in cotton.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Host-plant resistance is highly effective in controlling crop loss from nematode infection. In addition, molecular markers can be powerful tools for marker-assisted selection (MAS), where they reduce laborious greenhouse phenotype evaluation to identify root-knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne incognita...

Managing root-knot nematodes: A case for cover crops in establishing peach orchards

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are an important pathogen of peach in the United States. Several Meloidogyne spp. have been reported to cause damage to stone fruits, but M. incognita and M. javanica are the predominant species on peach. Preplant fumigant nematicides have traditionally been ...

Adapting the CROPGRO cotton model to simulate cotton biomass and yield under southern root-knot nematode parasitism

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield losses by southern root-knot nematode [Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood] (RKN) are usually estimated after significant damage has been caused. However, estimation of potential yield reduction before planting is possible by using crop simulation mod...

Azadirachtin powder for control of root-knot nematodes in tomato

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

USDA ARS Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, 64 Nowelo St., Hilo, HI 96720. Root-knot nematodes cause root galling and yield reductions in many vegetable crops, including tomato. Three organic treatments to improve root growth and reduce nematode infestation were eval...

Accomplishments of a 10-year initiative to develop host plant resistance to root-knot and reniform nematodes in cotton

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In 2003 Cotton Incorporated initiated a Beltwide research program to develop host plant resistance against root-knot (Meloidogyne incognita) and reniform (Rotylenchulus reniformis) nematodes. Objectives formulated at a coordinating meeting in 2003 that included participants from public institutions...

Does infection by southern root-knot nematode influence development of Phytophthora blight in pepper?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The southern root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, and Phytophthora capsici, the causal agent of Phytophthora blight, are both important pathogens of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) in the U.S. and worldwide. Although there is significant information in the literature about the responses of pepper...

Radar Detectability of Light Aircraft

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-04-01

a vestigial blind speed at 121 knots. Aircraft radial velocity compon- ents for the flights discussed here varied between zero and 125 knots. Typi.cal...the contributions of Mr. D.M. Selwyn who designed the digital recording equipment and organized the flight tests, and Dr. A.W.R. Gilchrist who edited

Nondestructive Methods for Detecting Defects in Softwood Logs

Treesearch

Kristin C. Schad; Daniel L. Schmoldt; Robert J. Ross

1996-01-01

Wood degradation and defects, such as voids and knots, affect the quality and processing time of lumber. The ability to detect internal defects in the log can save mills time and processing costs. In this study, we investigated three nondestructive evaluation techniques for detecting internal wood defects. Sound wave transmission, x-ray computed tomography, and impulse...

Parity and cobordism of free knots

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

Manturov, Vassily O

2012-02-28

A simple invariant is constructed which obstructs a free knot to be truncated. In particular, this invariant provides an obstruction to the truncatedness of curves immersed in two-dimensional surfaces. A curve on an oriented two-dimensional surface S{sub g} is referred to as truncated (null-cobordant) if there exists a three-dimensional manifold M with boundary S{sub g} and a smooth proper map of a two-disc to M such that the image of the boundary of the disc coincides with the curve. The problem of truncatedness for free knots is solved in this paper using the notion of parity recently introduced by themore » author. Bibliography: 12 titles.« less

Improving Large-Scale Testing Capability by Modifying the 40- by 80-ft Wind Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mort, Kenneth W.; Soderman, Paul T.; Eckert, William T.

1979-01-01

Interagency studies conducted during the last several years have indicated the need to Improve full-scale testing capabilities. The studies showed that the most effective trade between test capability and facility cost was provided by re-powering the existing Ames Research Center 40- by 80-ft Wind Tunnel to Increase the maximum speed from about 100 m/s (200 knots) lo about 150 m/s (300 knots) and by adding a new 24- by 37-m (80- by 120-ft) test section powered for about a 50-m/s (100-knot) maximum speed. This paper reviews the design of the facility, a few or its capabilities, and some of its unique features.

16D10 siRNAs inhibit root-knot nematode infection in transgenic grape hairy roots

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To develop a biotech-based solution for controlling Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) in grapes, we evaluated the efficacy of plant-derived RNA interference (RNAi) silencing of a conserved RKN effector gene, 16D10, for nematode resistance in transgenic grape hairy roots. Two hairpin-based silencing constru...

Effect of simultaneous drought stress and root-knot nematode infection on cotton yield and fiber quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Both drought stress and root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) infection can reduce cotton yield, and drought can affect fiber quality, but it not known what effect the nematodes have on fiber quality. To determine whether nematode parasitism affects fiber quality and whether the combined effec...

Rye residue levels affect suppression of the southern root-knot nematode in cotton

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the southeastern United States, rye (Secale cereale) is frequently planted as a winter cover crop in conservation tillage cotton. Although rye produces toxic benzoxazinoid compounds which may play a role in nematode suppression, it is also a host for the southern root-knot nematode Meloidogyne i...

NMR analysis reveals a wealth of metabolites in root-knot nematode resistant roots of Citrullus amarus watermelon plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Citrullus amarus (CA) (previously known as Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) accessions collected in southern Africa are known to have resistance to root-knot nematodes (RKN) and are suitable rootstocks for grafted watermelon. A comparative metabolomics study was performed to identify unique metabol...

Impact of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) varieties on reproduction of the northern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plant-parasitic nematodes are microscopic soil worms that attack the roots of grape plants and cause yield loss. One of the most commonly encountered plant-parasitic nematodes in eastern Washington Vitis vinifera vineyards is Meloidogyne hapla, the northern root-knot nematode. The selection of plant...

Resistant Citrullus lanatus var. citroides Rootstocks for Managing Root-knot Nematodes in Grafted Watermelon

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Southern root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita, is an important re-emerging pest of watermelon. Several factors have contributed to re-emergence of RKN including: 1) ban of methyl bromide for soil fumigation; 2) reduced land area for crop rotation; and 3) continuous cropping of cucurbits u...

Mustard seed meal for management of root-knot nematode and weeds in tomato production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Mustard seed meals of indian mustard [InM (Brassica juncea)] and yellow mustard [YeM (Sinapis alba)], alone and combined, were tested for effects on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants and for suppression of southern root-knot nematode [RKN (Meloidogyne incognita)] and weed populations. In the gree...

Development of a sweet cherry pepper line with resistance to the southern root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) is a major pathogen of pepper (Capsicum spp.), causing significant yield losses in heavily infected plants. The N-gene confers resistance to M. incognita, and has been successfully used to mitigate nematode damage in specific pepper varieties f...

Truhart-NR, A Root-knot Nematode Resistant, Pimento-type Pepper Cultivar

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Efforts to develop a high-yielding, pimento-type pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivar that is highly resistant to root-knot nematodes were completed with the official release of Truhart-NR on October 20, 2009. The new cultivar is homozygous for the dominant N gene that conditions a high level of re...

‘Truhart-NR’, A Root-knot Nematode Resistant, Pimento-type Pepper

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Efforts to develop a high-yielding, pimento-type pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivar that is highly resistant to root-knot nematodes were completed with the official release of Truhart-NR on October 20, 2009. The new cultivar is homozygous for the dominant N gene that conditions a high level of re...

An Analysis of the U.S. Army’s T-11 Advanced Tactical Parachute System and Potential Path Forward

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Oversight Council JRTC Joint Readiness Training Center JWG Joint Working Group kias Knots indicated air speed KPP Key Performance Parameter KSA Key...AGL +/- 125 feet altitude holding error) at 130 - 150 knots indicated airspeed ( KIAS ) with a parachutist weighing 332 pounds including equipment

Comparing root knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) effects on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and grapevine (Vitis spp.) metabolic profiles

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp., RKN) can negatively impact both herbaceous annual and woody perennial hosts. RKN infestations also may increase plant host susceptibility to other stresses such as those imposed by water deficits or various diseases. However, little is known about direct or ind...

33 CFR 164.35 - Equipment: All vessels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...: (i) Calm weather—wind 10 knots or less, calm sea; (ii) No current; (iii) Deep water conditions—water...: (1) Calm weather—wind 10 knots or less, calm sea; (2) No current; (3) Water depth twice the vessel's..., permanently displayed on the navigating bridge and in the steering gear compartment. (l) An indicator readable...

33 CFR 164.35 - Equipment: All vessels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...: (i) Calm weather—wind 10 knots or less, calm sea; (ii) No current; (iii) Deep water conditions—water...: (1) Calm weather—wind 10 knots or less, calm sea; (2) No current; (3) Water depth twice the vessel's..., permanently displayed on the navigating bridge and in the steering gear compartment. (l) An indicator readable...

33 CFR 164.35 - Equipment: All vessels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... to alter course 90 degrees with maximum rudder angle and constant power settings, for either full and...: (i) Calm weather—wind 10 knots or less, calm sea; (ii) No current; (iii) Deep water conditions—water...: (1) Calm weather—wind 10 knots or less, calm sea; (2) No current; (3) Water depth twice the vessel's...

46 CFR 35.20-40 - Maneuvering characteristics-T/OC.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... degrees with maximum rudder angle and constant power settings. (2) The time and distance to stop the... for the normal load and normal ballast condition for: (1) Calm weather—wind 10 knots or less, calm sea... conditions, upon which the maneuvering information is based, are varied: (1) Calm weather—wind 10 knots or...

33 CFR 164.35 - Equipment: All vessels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... to alter course 90 degrees with maximum rudder angle and constant power settings, for either full and...: (i) Calm weather—wind 10 knots or less, calm sea; (ii) No current; (iii) Deep water conditions—water...: (1) Calm weather—wind 10 knots or less, calm sea; (2) No current; (3) Water depth twice the vessel's...

The influence of professional expertise and task complexity upon the potency of the contextual interference effect.

PubMed

Ollis, Stewart; Button, Chris; Fairweather, Malcolm

2005-03-01

The contextual interference (CI) effect has been investigated through practice schedule manipulations within both basic and applied studies. Despite extensive research activity there is little conclusive evidence regarding the optimal practice structure of real world manipulative tasks in professional training settings. The present study therefore assessed the efficacy of practising simple and complex knot-tying skills in professional fire-fighters training. Forty-eight participants were quasi-randomly assigned to various practice schedules along the CI continuum. Twenty-four participants were students selected for their novice knot-tying capabilities and 24 were experienced fire-fighters who were more 'experienced knot-tiers'. They were assessed for skill acquisition, retention and transfer effects having practiced tying knots classified as simple or complex. Surprisingly, high levels of CI scheduling enhance learning for novices even when practising a complex task. The findings also revealed that CI benefits are most apparent as learners engage in tasks high in transfer distality. In conclusion, complexity and experience are mediating factors influencing the potency of the CI training effect in real-world settings.

Induction effects of torus knots and unknots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oberti, Chiara; Ricca, Renzo L.

2017-09-01

Geometric and topological aspects associated with induction effects of field lines in the shape of torus knots/unknots are examined and discussed in detail. Knots are assumed to lie on a mathematical torus of circular cross-section and are parametrized by standard equations. The induced field is computed by direct integration of the Biot-Savart law. Field line patterns of the induced field are obtained and several properties are examined for a large family of knots/unknots up to 51 crossings. The intensity of the induced field at the origin of the reference system (center of the torus) is found to depend linearly on the number of toroidal coils and reaches maximum values near the boundary of the mathematical torus. New analytical estimates and bounds on energy and helicity are established in terms of winding number and minimum crossing number. These results find useful applications in several contexts when the source field is either vorticity, electric current or magnetic field, from vortex dynamics to astrophysics and plasma physics, where highly braided magnetic fields and currents are present.

Preliminary flight evaluation of F100 engine model derivative airstart capability in an F-15 airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cho, T. K.; Burcham, F. W., Jr.

1984-01-01

A series of airstarts was conducted in an F-15 airplane with two prototype F100 engine model derivative (EMD) engines equipped with digital electronic engine control (DEEC) systems. The airstart envelope and time required for airstarts were defined. The success of an airstart is most heavily dependent on airspeed. Spooldown airstarts at 200 knots and higher were all successful. Spooldown airstart times ranged from 53 sec at 250 knots to 170 sec at 175 knots. Jet fuel starter (JFS) assisted airstarts were conducted at 175 knots at two altitudes, and airstart times were 50 and 60 sec, significantly faster than unassisted airstart. The effect of altitude on airstarts was small. In addition, the airstart characteristics of the two test engines were found to closely resemble each other. The F100 EMD airstart characteristics were very similar to the DEEC equipped F100 engine tested previously. Finally, the time required to spool down from intermediate power compressor rotor speed to a given compressor rotor speed was found to be a strong function of altitude and a weaker function of airspeed.

Prevention of suture knot exposure in posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation by 4-point scleral fixation technique.

PubMed

Baykara, Mehmet; Avci, Remzi

2004-01-01

The results and complications of posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) implantation by a 4-point scleral fixation technique are described. Fifty eyes of 47 patients who underwent scleral-fixated IOL implantation were retrospectively evaluated. Twenty-one (42%) eyes had a history of trauma and 29 (58%) eyes had previously undergone cataract surgery. In all cases, IOL implantation by 4-point scleral fixation was performed and the knots of fixation sutures were rotated and buried in the globe. The IOL position was adjusted by suture rotation for best centration. The mean follow-up time was 7 +/- 4 months. Four (8%) eyes had minimal corneal edema preoperatively. Cystoid macular edema was noted in 2 (6.8%) eyes in the cataract surgery group and 8 (38%) eyes in the posttraumatic group. Two (9.5%) eyes in the posttraumatic group had atrophic macular changes and 1 (4.7%) had corneal scarring, which impaired vision. No complications such as knot exposure, tilting of the IOL, decentralization, or endophthalmitis were noted postoperatively. Postoperative mean corrected visual acuity was 0.4 +/- 0.3 in the posttraumatic group and 0.4 +/- 0.2 in the cataract surgery group. The 4-point scleral fixation technique resulted in no serious postoperative complications such as suture exposure and endophthalmitis. Because the knot can be rotated and buried in the globe, knot exposure is less likely to occur. This procedure is more effective than other techniques regarding IOL centralization.

Wall-crossing invariants: from quantum mechanics to knots

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

Galakhov, D., E-mail: galakhov@itep.ru, E-mail: galakhov@physics.rutgers.edu; Mironov, A., E-mail: mironov@lpi.ru; Morozov, A., E-mail: morozov@itep.ru

2015-03-15

We offer a pedestrian-level review of the wall-crossing invariants. The story begins from the scattering theory in quantum mechanics where the spectrum reshuffling can be related to permutations of S-matrices. In nontrivial situations, starting from spin chains and matrix models, the S-matrices are operatorvalued and their algebra is described in terms of R- and mixing (Racah) U-matrices. Then the Kontsevich-Soibelman (KS) invariants are nothing but the standard knot invariants made out of these data within the Reshetikhin-Turaev-Witten approach. The R and Racah matrices acquire a relatively universal form in the semiclassical limit, where the basic reshufflings with the change ofmore » moduli are those of the Stokes line. Natural from this standpoint are matrices provided by the modular transformations of conformal blocks (with the usual identification R = T and U = S), and in the simplest case of the first degenerate field (2, 1), when the conformal blocks satisfy a second-order Shrödinger-like equation, the invariants coincide with the Jones (N = 2) invariants of the associated knots. Another possibility to construct knot invariants is to realize the cluster coordinates associated with reshufflings of the Stokes lines immediately in terms of check-operators acting on solutions of the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations. Then the R-matrices are realized as products of successive mutations in the cluster algebra and are manifestly described in terms of quantum dilogarithms, ultimately leading to the Hikami construction of knot invariants.« less

The folding pathways and thermodynamics of semiflexible polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jing; Cheng, Chenqian; Liu, Gaoyuan; Zhang, Ping; Chen, Tao

2018-05-01

Inspired by the protein folding and DNA packing, we have systematically studied the thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors of single semiflexible homopolymers by Langevin dynamics simulations. In line with experiments, a rich variety of folding products, such as rod-like bundles, hairpins, toroids, and a mixture of them, are observed in the complete diagram of states. Moreover, knotted structures with a significant population are found in a certain range of bending stiffness in thermal equilibrium. As the solvent quality becomes poorer, the population of the intermediate occurring in the folding process increases, which leads to a severe chevron rollover for the folding arm. However, the population of the intermediates in the unfolding process is very low, insufficient to induce unfolding arm rollover. The total types of folding pathways from the coil state to the toroidal state for a semiflexible polymer chain remain unchanged by varying the solvent quality or temperature, whereas the kinetic partitioning into different folding events can be tuned significantly. In the process of knotting, three types of mechanisms, namely, plugging, slipknotting, and sliding, are discovered. Along the folding evolution, a semiflexible homopolymer chain can knot at any stage of folding upon leaving the extended coil state, and the probability to find a knot increases with chain compactness. In addition, we find rich types of knotted topologies during the folding of a semiflexible homopolymer chain. This study should be helpful in gaining insight into the general principles of biopolymer folding.

Identification of a novel putative signaling center, the tertiary enamel knot in the postnatal mouse molar tooth.

PubMed

Luukko, Keijo; Løes, Sigbjørn; Furmanek, Tomasz; Fjeld, Karianne; Kvinnsland, Inger Hals; Kettunen, Paivi

2003-03-01

The final shape of the molar tooth crown is thought to be regulated by the transient epithelial signaling centers in the cusp tips, the secondary enamel knots (SEKs), which are believed to disappear after initiation of the cusp growth. We investigated the developmental fate of the signaling center using the recently characterized Slit1 enamel knot marker as a lineage tracer during morphogenesis of the first molar and crown calcification in the mouse. In situ hybridization analysis showed that after Fgf4 downregulation in the SEK, Slit1 expression persisted in the deep compartment of the knot. After the histological disappearance of the SEK, Slit1 expression was evident in a novel epithelial cell cluster, which we call the tertiary enamel knot (TEK) next to the enamel-free area (EFA)-epithelium at the cusp tips. In embryonic tooth, Slit1 was also observed in the stratum intermedium (SI) and stellate reticulum cells between the parallel SEKs correlating to the area where the inner enamel epithelium cells do not proliferate. After birth, the expression of Slit1 persisted in the SI cells of the transverse connecting lophs of the parallel cusps above the EFA-cells. These results demonstrate the presence of a novel putative signaling center, the TEK, in the calcifying tooth. Moreover, our results suggest that Slit1 signaling may be involved in the regulation of molar tooth shape by regulating epithelial cell proliferation and formation of EFA of the crown.

AN HST PROPER-MOTION STUDY OF THE LARGE-SCALE JET OF 3C273

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

Meyer, Eileen T.; Georganopoulos, Markos; Sparks, William B.

The radio galaxy 3C 273 hosts one of the nearest and best-studied powerful quasar jets. Having been imaged repeatedly by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) over the past twenty years, it was chosen for an HST program to measure proper motions in the kiloparsec-scale resolved jets of nearby radio-loud active galaxies. The jet in 3C 273 is highly relativistic on sub-parsec scales, with apparent proper motions up to 15c observed by very long baseline interferometry. In contrast, we find that the kiloparsec-scale knots are compatible with being stationary, with a mean speed of −0.2 ± 0.5c over the whole jet. Assuming themore » knots are packets of moving plasma, an upper limit of 1c implies a bulk Lorentz factor Γ < 2.9. This suggests that the jet has either decelerated significantly by the time it reaches the kiloparsec scale, or that the knots in the jet are standing shock features. The second scenario is incompatible with the inverse Compton off the Cosmic Microwave Background (IC/CMB) model for the X-ray emission of these knots, which requires the knots to be in motion, but IC/CMB is also disfavored in the first scenario due to energetic considerations, in agreement with the recent finding of Meyer and Georganopoulos which ruled out the IC/CMB model for the X-ray emission of 3C 273 via gamma-ray upper limits.« less

Hydrodynamic characteristics of knotted and knotless purse seine netting panels as determined in a flume tank

PubMed Central

Tang, Hao; Xu, Liuxiong; Hu, Fuxiang

2018-01-01

Nylon (PA) netting is widely used in purse seines and other fishing gears due to its high strength and good sinking performance. However, hydrodynamic properties of nylon netting of different characteristics are poorly understood. This study investigated hydrodynamic characteristics of nylon netting of different knot types and solidity ratios under different attack angles and flow velocities. It was found that the hydrodynamic coefficient of netting panels was related to Reynolds number, solidity ratio, attack angle, knot type and twine construction. The solidity ratio was found to positively correlate with drag coefficient when the netting was normal to the flow (CD90), but not the case when the netting was parallel to the flow (CD0). For netting panels inclined to the flow, the inclined drag coefficient had a negative relationship with the solidity ratio for attack angles between 0° and 50°, but a positive relationship for attack angles between 50° and 90°. The lift coefficient increased with the attack angle, reaching the culminating point at an attack angle of 50°, before subsequent decline. We found that the drag generated by knot accounted for 15–25% of total drag, and the knotted netting with higher solidity ratio exhibited a greater CD0, but it was not the case for the knotless netting. Compared to knotless polyethylene (PE) netting, the drag coefficients of knotless PA netting were dominant at higher Reynolds number (Re>2200). PMID:29420569

Hydrodynamic characteristics of knotted and knotless purse seine netting panels as determined in a flume tank.

PubMed

Tang, Hao; Xu, Liuxiong; Hu, Fuxiang

2018-01-01

Nylon (PA) netting is widely used in purse seines and other fishing gears due to its high strength and good sinking performance. However, hydrodynamic properties of nylon netting of different characteristics are poorly understood. This study investigated hydrodynamic characteristics of nylon netting of different knot types and solidity ratios under different attack angles and flow velocities. It was found that the hydrodynamic coefficient of netting panels was related to Reynolds number, solidity ratio, attack angle, knot type and twine construction. The solidity ratio was found to positively correlate with drag coefficient when the netting was normal to the flow (CD90), but not the case when the netting was parallel to the flow (CD0). For netting panels inclined to the flow, the inclined drag coefficient had a negative relationship with the solidity ratio for attack angles between 0° and 50°, but a positive relationship for attack angles between 50° and 90°. The lift coefficient increased with the attack angle, reaching the culminating point at an attack angle of 50°, before subsequent decline. We found that the drag generated by knot accounted for 15-25% of total drag, and the knotted netting with higher solidity ratio exhibited a greater CD0, but it was not the case for the knotless netting. Compared to knotless polyethylene (PE) netting, the drag coefficients of knotless PA netting were dominant at higher Reynolds number (Re>2200).

ALMA detection of the rotating molecular disk wind from the young star HD 163296

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klaassen, P. D.; Juhasz, A.; Mathews, G. S.; Mottram, J. C.; De Gregorio-Monsalvo, I.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Takahashi, S.; Akiyama, E.; Chapillon, E.; Espada, D.; Hales, A.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Rawlings, M.; Schmalzl, M.; Testi, L.

2013-07-01

Disk winds have been postulated as a mechanism for angular momentum release in protostellar systems for decades. HD 163296 is a Herbig Ae star surrounded by a disk and has been shown to host a series of HH knots (HH 409) with bow shocks associated with the farthest knots. Here we present ALMA science verification data of CO J = 2-1 and J = 3-2 emission, which are spatially coincident with the blue shifted jet of HH knots, and offset from the disk by -18.6 km s-1. The emission has a double corkscrew morphology and extends more than 10'' from the disk with embedded emission clumps coincident with jet knots. We interpret this double corkscrew as emission from material in a molecular disk wind, and that the compact emission near the jet knots is being heated by the jet that is moving at much higher velocities. We show that the J = 3-2 emission is likely heavily filtered by the interferometer, but the J = 2-1 emission suffers less due to the larger beam and sensitivity to larger scale structures. Excitation analysis suggests temperatures exceeding 900 K in these compact features, with the wind mass, momentum and energy being of order 10-5 M⊙, 10-4 M⊙ km s-1 and 1040 erg, respectively. The high mass loss rate suggests that this star is dispersing the disk faster than it is funneling mass onto the star.

Model of Tooth Morphogenesis Predicts Carabelli Cusp Expression, Size, and Symmetry in Humans

PubMed Central

Hunter, John P.; Guatelli-Steinberg, Debbie; Weston, Theresia C.; Durner, Ryan; Betsinger, Tracy K.

2010-01-01

Background The patterning cascade model of tooth morphogenesis accounts for shape development through the interaction of a small number of genes. In the model, gene expression both directs development and is controlled by the shape of developing teeth. Enamel knots (zones of nonproliferating epithelium) mark the future sites of cusps. In order to form, a new enamel knot must escape the inhibitory fields surrounding other enamel knots before crown components become spatially fixed as morphogenesis ceases. Because cusp location on a fully formed tooth reflects enamel knot placement and tooth size is limited by the cessation of morphogenesis, the model predicts that cusp expression varies with intercusp spacing relative to tooth size. Although previous studies in humans have supported the model's implications, here we directly test the model's predictions for the expression, size, and symmetry of Carabelli cusp, a variation present in many human populations. Methodology/Principal Findings In a dental cast sample of upper first molars (M1s) (187 rights, 189 lefts, and 185 antimeric pairs), we measured tooth area and intercusp distances with a Hirox digital microscope. We assessed Carabelli expression quantitatively as an area in a subsample and qualitatively using two typological schemes in the full sample. As predicted, low relative intercusp distance is associated with Carabelli expression in both right and left samples using either qualitative or quantitative measures. Furthermore, asymmetry in Carabelli area is associated with asymmetry in relative intercusp spacing. Conclusions/Significance These findings support the model's predictions for Carabelli cusp expression both across and within individuals. By comparing right-left pairs of the same individual, our data show that small variations in developmental timing or spacing of enamel knots can influence cusp pattern independently of genotype. Our findings suggest that during evolution new cusps may first appear as a result of small changes in the spacing of enamel knots relative to crown size. PMID:20689576

A remarkably easy knot-tying technique for single-incision laparoscopic surgery with the SILS port for gynecologic diseases.

PubMed

Endo, Toshiaki; Nagasawa, Kunihiko; Umemura, Kota; Baba, Tsuyoshi; Henmi, Hirofumi; Saito, Tsuyoshi

2011-01-01

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has been quickly accepted, especially for women, because the cosmetic benefits may be greater than with ordinary laparoscopic surgery. In gynecologic disease, SILS is appropriate for diagnostic laparoscopy, oophorectomy, and salpingectomy, among other conditions. In addition, the knot-tying process for intracorporeal suturing during SILS is a major rate-limiting step and a key determinant of the popularity of SILS. Although a roticulator instrument is useful for creating the needed operative angle, knot tying is still believed to be difficult. We have devised a remarkably simple knot-tying technique that can be applied during SILS with a SILS Port with a Roticulator and a straight-type needle driver. We determined that, after transfixing the needle, the long tail of the thread should be grasped at around 90 degrees relative to the long axis of tip of the Roticulator, which is articulated at 80 degrees. This automatically forms an ideal C-loop because of gravitation. The needle attached to the long tail should face the distal side from the tip of Roticulator (from the surgeon's perspective). The apex of the C-loop is then toward the proximal side from the tip of the Roticulator (from the perspective of the surgeon). This thread position is important during the knot-tying process. The upper arm of the C-loop should then be entwined by applying a series of axial spinning movements to the rod of the needle driver. At this time, the jaws of the needle driver should be kept open so the thread does not slip off of the rod. The benefit of this technique is that it does not require any special skills; any surgeon able to perform intracorporeal suturing should also be able to easily tie knots during SILS. Copyright © 2011 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Maximum load to failure and tensile displacement of an all-suture glenoid anchor compared with a screw-in glenoid anchor.

PubMed

Dwyer, Tim; Willett, Thomas L; Dold, Andrew P; Petrera, Massimo; Wasserstein, David; Whelan, Danny B; Theodoropoulos, John S

2016-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical behavior of an all-suture glenoid anchor in comparison with a more conventional screw-in glenoid anchor, with regard to maximum load to failure and tensile displacement. All mechanical testing was performed using an Instron ElectroPuls E1000 mechanical machine, with a 10 N pre-load and displacement rate of 10 mm/min. Force-displacement curves were generated, with calculation of maximum load, maximum displacement, displacement at 50 N and stiffness. Pretesting of handset Y-Knots in bone analog models revealed low force displacement below 60 N of force. Subsequently, three groups of anchors were tested for pull out strength in bovine bone and cadaver glenoid bone: a bioabsorbable screw-in anchor (Bio Mini-Revo, ConMed Linvatec), a handset all-suture anchor (Y-Knot, ConMed Linvatec) and a 60 N pre-tensioned all-suture anchor (Y-Knot). A total of 8 anchors from each group was tested in proximal tibia of bovine bone and human glenoids (age range 50-90). In bovine bone, the Bio Mini-Revo displayed greater maximum load to failure (206 ± 77 N) than both the handset (140 ± 51 N; P = 0.01) and the pre-tensioned Y-Knot (135 ± 46 N; P = 0.001); no significant difference was seen between the three anchor groups in glenoid bone. Compared to the screw-in anchors, the handset all-suture anchor displayed inferior fixation, early displacement and greater laxity in the bovine bone and cadaveric bone (P < 0.05). Pre-tensioning the all-suture anchor to 60 N eliminated this behavior in all bone models. Handset Y-Knots display low force anchor displacement, which is likely due to slippage in the pilot hole. Pre-tensioning the Y-Knot to 60 N eliminates this behavior. I.

The high-velocity outflow in the proto-planetary nebula Hen 3-1475

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riera, A.; García-Lario, P.; Manchado, A.; Bobrowsky, M.; Estalella, R.

2003-04-01

The proto-planetary nebula Hen 3-1475 shows a remarkable highly collimated optical jet with an S-shaped string of three pairs of knots and extremely high velocities. We present here a detailed analysis of the overall morphology, kinematic structure and the excitation conditions of these knots based on deep ground-based high dispersion spectroscopy complemented with high spatial resolution spectroscopy obtained with STIS onboard HST, and WFPC2 [N II] images. The spectra obtained show double-peaked, extremely wide emission line profiles, and a decrease of the radial velocities with distance to the source in a step-like fashion. We find that the emission line ratios observed in the intermediate knots are consistent with a spectrum arising from the recombination region of a shock wave with shock velocities ranging from 100 to 150 km s-1. We propose that the ejection velocity is varying as a function of time with a quasi-periodic variability (with timescale of the order of 100 years) and the direction of ejection is also varying with a precession period of the order of 1500 years. Some slowing down with distance along the axis of the Hen 3-1475 jet may be due to the entrainment process and/or to the enviromental drag. This scenario is supported by geometric and kinematic evidence: firstly, the decrease of the radial velocities along the Hen 3-1475 jet in a step like fashion; secondly, the kinematic structure observed in the knots; thirdly, the point-symmetric morphology together with the high proper motions shown by several knots; and finally the fact that the shock velocity predicted from the observed spectra of the shocked knots is much slower than the velocities at which these knots move outwards with respect to the central source. Based on observations made during service time with the 2.5 m Isaac Newton Telescope operated on La Palma by the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, and observations made with the Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the Data Archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

The comparison of two methods to manufacture fused biconical tapered optical fiber coupler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yue; Liu, Hairong

2009-08-01

Optical fiber coupler is a directional coupler which is crucial component for optical fiber communication systems. The fused biconical taper is the most important method in facture of optical fiber coupler, with many advantages of low excess loss, precise coupling ratio, good consistency and stability. In this paper we have introduced a new method to manufacture optical fiber coupler. And more over the new manufacture process has been compared with the traditional manufacture method. In the traditional crafts, two optical fibers are parallel placed, and then use the method of tie a knot of the two optical fibers. In the new process, a new program of fiber placement is introduced. Two optical fibers are parallel placed in the middle of the fixture, and then in order to make the bare part of the optical fiber close as much as possible, the new plan using high temperature resistant material bind the both end of the fiber which are not removing the cladding. After many contrast tests, we can see that adopt the improved method of fiber placement, during the process of fiber pulling, the variation of optical power in the directional arm and the coupler arm are more smooth and steady. But the excess loss (EL) generated in the process of pulling is a bit higher than the traditional method of tie a knot. The tests show that the new method of optical fiber placement is feasible in the actual projects for the manufacture of coupler with low coupling ratio, but for the control of the EL still need further studying.

The First Light on Butterfly Diagram Internal Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ternullo, M.

2008-09-01

Butterfly diagrams drawn as the prototype created by Maunder are used to constrain dynamo models of the solar cycle, despite the fact they register the mere presence of sunspot groups, disregarding the different physical relevance that groups should be given because of their extension and, accordingly, their magnetic flux. Using sunspot data obtained at INAF -- Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania in the cycles 20 through 23 (1964-2005), I have obtained a new version of butterfly diagram (BD) in the form of a numerical array, whose elements are the average spotted areas registered for any Carrington rotation at any latitude. A graphic representation of this array by a set of contour lines connecting equally spotted points will be shown. The outest contour lines reveal frequent interruptions of the spot zone equatorward drift, and even repeated episodes of poleward drift. Higher and higher-level contour lines are characterized by concave arcs which more and more deeply penetrate the ''butterfly wings'', and eventually split into close lines, embracing small portions of the time-latitude diagram, for time intervals not longer than one or two years. The BD reveals, therefore, a markedly discrete structure, since the solar activity splits into pulses of activity, involving different photospheric regions at different epochs, throughout the whole cycle. The BD is, therefore, but a cluster of ''knots'' and the ''spot zone'' is the latitude range inside which knots form. Spots are not scattered about one latitude continuously drifting equatorward (as the so-called ''spot average latitude'' is commonly believed to do), but about as many latitudes as the knots are, at as many epochs in the cycle. Each knot is a special population of spots, whose latitude remains unchanged during its short lifetime. Rarely two knots are simultaneously active in the same hemisphere. The cycle history is but the history of a sequence of knots activations and extinctions. As a knot forms, the role of the spot zone ''centroid'' passes from a latitude to another one, in a way which could be named a ''latitudinal flip-flop''. That accounts for the alternance of poleward/equatorward drifts of the spot zone, described by the present author for the cycles 20 through 22 (Ternullo; 1997, Solar Phys., 172, 37; 2007, Solar Phys., 240, 153 and 2007, Astron. Nachr., 328, 1023). Looking for some kind of regularity governing the knots activation throughout the cycle is the new challenge this work presents to the attention of the scientific comunity. Some hints for a connection with the oscillation detected in the tachocline rotation rate by Howe et al. (2001, IAU Symposium, 203, 41) are suggested.

Management of Root-knot Nematodes by Phenamiphos Applied through an Irrigation Simulator with Various Amounts of Water

PubMed Central

Johnson, A. W.; Young, J. R.; Wright, W. C.

1986-01-01

Phenamiphos (6.7 kg a.i./ha) was applied via an irrigation simulator to squash at planting (AP) and 2 weeks after planting (PP), and to corn AP and 1 week PP to manage root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita). The nematicide was applied with 0.25, 0.64, 1.27, and 1.91 cm surface water/ ha to a Lakeland sand in which the soil moisture was at or near field capacity. Based on efficacy and crop response, no additional benefits resulted when phenamiphos was applied in volumes of water greater than 0.25 crn/ha. The cost of applying each 0.25 cm of water over a hectare is approximately $1.08, or a 92% reduction in nematicide application cost over conventional methods ($13.50/ha). Low root-gall indices and high yields from squash and corn indicate more effective nematode management when phenamiphos was applied AP rather than PP. Results from this method of applying phenamiphos suggest that certain nematicides could be used as salvage alternatives when nematodes are detected in crops soon after planting. For multiple-pest management, nematicides, other compatible biocides, and fertilizers could be applied simultaneously with sprinkler irrigation. PMID:19294192

Evaluation of entomopathogenic nematodes and the supernatants of the in vitro culture medium of their mutualistic bacteria for the control of the root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne incognita and M. arenaria.

PubMed

Kepenekci, Ilker; Hazir, Selcuk; Lewis, Edwin E

2016-02-01

The suppressive effects of various formulations of four entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) species and the supernatants of their mutualistic bacteria on the root-knot nematodes (RKNs) Meloidogyne incognita and M. arenaria in tomato roots were evaluated. The EPNs Steinernema carpocapsae, S. feltiae, S. glaseri and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora were applied as either live infective juveniles (IJs) or infected insect cadavers. Spent medium from culturing the bacterial symbionts Xenorhabdus bovienii and Photorhabdus luminescens kayaii with the cells removed was also applied without their nematode partners. The aqueous suspensions of IJs, infected cadaver applications of EPNs and especially treatments of X. bovienii supernatant suppressed the negative impact of RKNs on tomatoes. Specific responses to treatment were reduced RKN egg masses, increased plant height and increased fresh and dry weights compared with the control where only RKNs were applied. Among the treatments tested, the plant-dipping method of X. bovienii into bacterial culture fluid may be the most practical and effective method for M. incognita and M. arenaria control. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Helicopter technology benefits and needs. Volume 1: Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zuk, J.; Adams, R. J.

1980-01-01

Present public service helicopter benefits and the potential benefits of an advanced public service rotorcraft (200 knots to 300 knots) are summarized. Past and future public service growth is quantified and assessed and needs, problem areas, and desired vehicle characteristics are defined. Research and technology recommendations are formulated and the costs and benefits of research options are assessed.

RKVL-318, a root-knot nematode resistant rootstock line for grafted watermelon

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agriculture Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, announces the release of ‘RKVL-318’, a novel germplasm line useful as a rootstock and as a genetic resource for enhancing resistance to root-knot nematodes (RKN) in watermelon cultivars. ‘RKVL-318’ is derived from the wild-type water...

46 CFR 42.30-1 - Basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... following criteria: (1) Summer: not more than 10 percent winds of force 8 Beaufort (34 knots) or more. (2) Tropical: not more than 1 percent winds of force 8 Beaufort (34 knots) or more. Not more than one tropical storm in 10 years in an area of 5° square in any 1 separate calendar month. (b) In certain special areas...

Surface Currents. Norwegian and Barents Seas.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-01-01

DIRECTION. 231 23 - 6 1 SECONDARY DIRECTION). 2 044 37- 10 06 f ’A, SPEEOS 1.0 KNOT PRIMARy DIRECTION. 0.6 KNOT1 I- t 043 SECONDARY DIRtTION). D I P 0 0...LONDON NWSED MAYPORT NWSED NAPLES NWSED PATUXENT RIVER NWSED ROOSEVELT ROADS NWSED SIGONELLA NWSED SOUDA BAY OTHER GOVT. NOAAINODC NOM ,/NCC SCCUMVVV

An ultrasonic technique for predicting tensile strength of southern pine lumber

Treesearch

D. Rajeshwar; D.A. Bender; D.E. Bray; K.A. McDonald

1997-01-01

The goal of this research was to develop nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technology to enhance mechanical stress rating of lumber. An ultrasonic NDE technique was developed that is sensitive to grain angle and edge knots in lumber - two primary determinants of lumber strength. The presence of edge knots increased the acoustic wave travel time and selectively...

Testing and analysis of internal hardwood log defect prediction models

Treesearch

R. Edward Thomas

2011-01-01

The severity and location of internal defects determine the quality and value of lumber sawn from hardwood logs. Models have been developed to predict the size and position of internal defects based on external defect indicator measurements. These models were shown to predict approximately 80% of all internal knots based on external knot indicators. However, the size...

14 CFR 23.175 - Demonstration of static longitudinal stability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... within a range that is the greater of 15 percent of the trim speed plus the resulting free return speed range, or 40 knots plus the resulting free return speed range, above and below the trim speed, except... curve must have a stable slope at all speeds within a range of 50 knots plus the resulting free return...

Ultrasonic detection of knots, cross grain and bark pockets in wooden pallet parts

Treesearch

Mohammed F. Kabir; Daniel L. Schmoldt; Mark E. Schafer

2000-01-01

This study investigates defect detection in wooden pallet parts using ultrasonic scanning. Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera, L.) deckboards were scanned using two rolling transducers in a pitch-catch arrangement to detect unsound and sound knots, bark pockets and cross grain. Data were collected, stored, and processed using LabView? software. Six ultrasonic...

Influence of root exudates and soil on attachment of Pasteuria penetrans to root-knot nematode Meloidogyne arenaria

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pasteuria penetrans is a parasite of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.). Spores of P. penetrans attach to the cuticle of second stage juvenile (J2) and sterilize infected female. This study looked at different factors that influence spore attachment of P. penetrans to M. arenaria. Incubating J2 ...

Relative humidity sensor based on a few-mode microfiber knot resonator by mitigating group index difference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anh Le, Duy Duong; Lee, Seungmin; Han, Young-Geun

2017-04-01

A few-mode microfiber knot resonator (FM-MKR) incorporating a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is investigated for measurement of relative humidity (RH). Two modes, such as HE11 and HE12, are excited and interfered in a nonadiabatically tapered structure of the single-mode fiber (SMF). After making a tie with the few-mode microfiber, the FM-MKR is fabricated. In the FM-MKR, two modes, such as HE11 and HE12, must be circulated within the optical knot and cross-coupled independently with a phase delay. By optimizing the diameter of the microfiber, the difference of group effective refractive indices between two modes is dramatically suppressed resulting in the improvement of RH sensitivity of the proposed FM-MKR.

Gordian Knots of Prevision: The lessons of history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleming, J. R.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric researchers have long attempted to untie the Gordian Knot of meteorology—that intractable and intertwined tangle of observational imprecision, theoretical uncertainties, and non-linear influences—that, if unraveled, would provide perfect prevision of the weather for ten days, of seasonal conditions for the year, and of climatic conditions for a decade, a century, a millennium, or longer. This presentation, based on Inventing Atmospheric Science (M.I.T. Press, 2016), examines the work of four interconnected generations of scientists (Vilhelm Bjerknes, C.-G. Rossby, Harry Wexler, Ed Lorenz) and the influence of four transformative technologies (radio, nuclear, computation, aerospace) from the dawn of applied fluid dynamics to the emergence of the interdisciplinary atmospheric sciences and the new Gordian Knot of chaos.

Lattice QCD with two dynamical flavors of domain wall fermions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Y.; Blum, T.; Christ, N.; Dawson, C.; Hashimoto, K.; Izubuchi, T.; Laiho, J. W.; Levkova, L.; Lin, M.; Mawhinney, R.; Noaki, J.; Ohta, S.; Orginos, K.; Soni, A.

2005-12-01

We present results from the first large-scale study of two-flavor QCD using domain wall fermions (DWF), a chirally symmetric fermion formulation which has been proven to be very effective in the quenched approximation. We work on lattices of size 163×32, with a lattice cutoff of a-1≈1.7GeV and dynamical (or sea) quark masses in the range mstrange/2≲msea≲mstrange. After discussing the algorithmic and implementation issues involved in simulating dynamical DWF, we report on the low-lying hadron spectrum, decay constants, static quark potential, and the important kaon weak matrix element describing indirect CP violation in the standard model, BK. In the latter case we include the effect of nondegenerate quark masses (ms≠mu=md), finding BKM Smacr (2GeV)=0.495(18).

Combination PI3K/MEK inhibition promotes tumor apoptosis and regression in PIK3CA wild-type, KRAS mutant colorectal cancer

PubMed Central

Roper, Jatin; Sinnamon, Mark J.; Coffee, Erin M.; Belmont, Peter; Keung, Lily; Georgeon-Richard, Larissa; Wang, Wei Vivian; Faber, Anthony C.; Yun, Jihye; Yilmaz, Omer H.; Bronson, Roderick T.; Martin, Eric S.; Tsichlis, Philip N.; Hung, Kenneth E.

2014-01-01

PI3K inhibition in combination with other agents has not been studied in the context of PIK3CA wild-type, KRAS mutant cancer. In a screen of phospho-kinases, PI3K inhibition of KRAS mutant colorectal cancer cells activated the MAPK pathway. Combination PI3K/MEK inhibition with NVP-BKM120 and PD-0325901 induced tumor regression in a mouse model of PIK3CA wild-type, KRAS mutant colorectal cancer, which was mediated by inhibition of mTORC1, inhibition of MCL-1, and activation of BIM. These findings implicate mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic mechanisms as determinants for the efficacy of PI3K/MEK inhibition in the treatment of PIK3CA wild-type, KRAS mutant cancer. PMID:24576621

New data on the level of contamination with tritium aerosol fallout in the nearest influence zone of the mining-chemical combine of the Rosatom State Corporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bondareva, L. G.; Rubailo, A. I.

2016-03-01

The influence of tritium aerosol transport on radioactive contamination on the territory of the Krasnoyarsk region influenced by the mining-chemical combine of the Rosatom State Corporation was studied. Snow cover, foliage, and needles collected at various distances from the mining-chemical combine were selected as the object of this study. A new methodology of liquid extraction from plant material (leaves and needles) was worked out. As a result, the maximal concentrations of tritium (15 kBk/m3 in snow, 11 and 15 Bk/m2 for leaves and pine-tree needles, respectively) were determined. However, the results obtained are not anomalous. Consequently, contamination with tritium may not be accounted for entirely due to the low concentrations.

Effect on head-wind profiles and mean head-wind velocity on landing capacity flying constant-airspeed and constant-groundspeed approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hastings, E. C., Jr.; Kelley, W. W.

1979-01-01

A study was conducted to determine the effect of head-wind profiles and mean head-wind velocities on runway landing capacity for airplanes flying constant-airspeed and constant-groundspeed approaches. It was determined that when the wind profiles were encountered with the currently used constant airspeed approach method, the landing capacity was reduced. The severity of these reductions increased as the mean head-wind value of the profile increased. When constant-groundspeed approaches were made in the same wind profiles, there were no losses in landing capacity. In an analysis of mean head winds, it was determined that in a mean head wind of 35 knots, the landing capacity using constant-airspeed approaches was 13% less than for the no wind condition. There were no reductions in landing capacity with constant-groundspeed approaches for mean head winds less than 35 knots. This same result was observed when the separation intervals between airplanes was reduced.

Transfer of training in the development of intracorporeal suturing skill in medical student novices: a prospective randomized trial.

PubMed

Muresan, Claude; Lee, Tommy H; Seagull, Jacob; Park, Adrian E

2010-10-01

To help optimize the use of limited resources in trainee education, we developed a prospective randomized trial to determine the most effective means of teaching laparoscopic suturing to novices. Forty-one medical students received rudimentary instruction in intracorporeal suturing, then were pretested on a pig enterotomy model. They then were posttested after completion of 1 of 4 training arms: laparoscopic suturing, laparoscopic drills, open suturing, and virtual reality (VR) drills. Tests were scored for speed, accuracy, knot quality, and mental workload (National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA] Task Load Index). Paired t tests were used. Task time was improved in all groups except the VR group. Knot quality improved only in the open or laparoscopic suturing groups. Mental workload improved only for those practicing on a physical laparoscopic trainer. For novice trainees, the efficacy of VR training is questionable. In contrast, the other training methods had benefits in terms of time, quality, and perceived workload. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bringing the skills laboratory home: an affordable webcam-based personal trainer for developing laparoscopic skills.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Sow Alfred; Jamshidi, Ramin; O'Sullivan, Patricia; Palmer, Barnard; Hirose, Shinjiro; Stewart, Lygia; Kim, Edward Hyung

2011-01-01

The purpose of this work was to develop a more flexible system of laparoscopic surgery training with demonstrated effectiveness and construct validity. A personal, portable, durable laparoscopic trainer can be designed at low cost. The evaluation of expert surgeons on this device will reveal technical superiority over novices. With practice, novice surgeons can improve their performance significantly as measured by scores derived from performing skills with this training device. Prospective trial with observation and intervention components. The first aspect was observational comparison of novice and expert performance. The second was a prospective static-group comparison with pretest/posttest single-sample design. Tertiary-care academic medical center with affiliated general surgery residency. A total of 21 junior surgical residents and 5 experienced operators. Performance was assessed by the 5 tasks in the McGill Inanimate System for Training and Evaluation of Laparoscopic Skills (MISTELS): pegboard transfer, pattern cutting, placement of ligating loop, extracorporeal knotting, and intracorporeal knotting. Each task was assessed for accuracy and speed. Expert surgeons scored significantly higher than novices on total score and 4 of the 5 MISTELS tasks (peg transfer, pattern cut, extracorporeal knot, and intracorporeal knot). After 4 months of home-based training, the novices improved in total score and 3 of the 5 tasks (peg transfer, pattern cut, and extracorporeal knot). A low-cost personal laparoscopic training device can be built by individual residents. With their use, residents can significantly improve performance in important surgical skills. Evaluation of the system supports its validity. Copyright © 2011 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chandra X-ray Observation of a Mature Cloud-Shock Interaction in the Bright Eastern Knot of Puppis A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hwang, Una; Flanagan, Kathryn A.; Petre, Robert

2005-01-01

We present Chandra X-ray images and spectra of the most prominent cloud-shock interaction region in the Puppis A supernova remnant. The Bright Eastern Knot (BEK) has two main morphological components: (1) a bright compact knot that lies directly behind the apex of an indentation in the eastern X-ray boundary and (2) lying 1 westward behind the shock, a curved vertical structure (bar) that is separated from a smaller bright cloud (cap) by faint diffuse emission. Based on hardness images and spectra, we identify the bar and cap as a single shocked interstellar cloud. Its morphology strongly resembles the "voided sphere" structures seen at late times in Klein et al. experimental simulat.ions of cloud-shock interactions, when the crushing of the cloud by shear instabilities is well underway. We infer an intera.ction time of roughly cloud-crushing timescales, which translates to 2000-4000 years, based on the X-ray temperature, physical size, and estimated expansion of the shocked cloud. This is the first X-ray identified example of a cloud-shock interaction in this advanced phase. Closer t o the shock front, the X-ray emission of the compact knot in the eastern part of the BEK region implies a recent interaction with relatively denser gas, some of which lies in front of the remnant. The complex spatial relationship of the X-ray emission of the compact knot to optical [O III] emission suggests that there are multiple cloud interactions occurring along the line of sight.

Molecular characteristics and efficacy of 16D10 siRNAs in inhibiting root-knot nematode infection in transgenic grape hairy roots

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) infect many annual and perennial crops and are the most devastating soil-born pests in vineyards. To develop a biotech-based solution for controlling RKNs in grapes, we evaluated the efficacy of plant-derived RNA interference (RNAi) silencing of a conserved RKN effector ge...

Knots as an incongruent product feature: a demonstration of the potential for character-marked hardwood furniture

Treesearch

M.S. Bumgardner; R.J. Bush; C.D. West; C.D. West

2001-01-01

Increased use of character-marks, or naturally occurring features of wood such as knots, in wood household furniture has received attention recently as a means for U.S. furniture manufacturers to make more efficient use of forest resources. However, little information exists concerning furniture retailers' perceptions of character-marked wood. Propositions that...

76 FR 15805 - Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A310 Series Airplanes, and Airbus Model A300 B4-600, B4...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-22

... greater than 100 knots and until landing gear retraction. * * * * * Uncommanded movement of the pilot and... until landing gear retraction. AD 2009-0084 required the deactivation of the electrical power of SOGERMA... takeoff phase when the speed of the aeroplane is greater than 100 knots and until landing gear retraction...

75 FR 7942 - Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A310-203, -221, -222 Airplanes; and Model A300 F4-605R and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-23

... gear retraction. * * * * * The unsafe condition is potential loss of control of the airplane during... when the speed of the aeroplane is greater than 100 knots and until landing gear retraction. To prevent... greater than 100 knots and until landing gear retraction. To prevent further incidents of inadvertent...

14 CFR 23.67 - Climb: One engine inoperative.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... knots must be able to maintain a steady climb gradient of at least 1.5 percent at a pressure altitude of... requirements prescribed in § 23.562(d), or that has a VSO of 61 knots or less, the steady gradient of climb or... acrobatic category— (1) The steady gradient of climb at an altitude of 400 feet above the takeoff must be...

A knotted1-like homeobox protein regulates abscission in tomato by modulating the auxin pathway

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

KD1, a gene encoding a KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX transcription factor is known to be involved, in tomato, in ontogeny of the compound leaf. KD1 is also highly expressed in both leaf and flower abscission zones. Reducing abundance of transcripts of this gene in tomato, using both virus induced gene sile...

A comparison of model-scale experimental measurements and computational predictions for a large transom-stern wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Shea, Thomas T.; Beale, Kristy L. C.; Brucker, Kyle A.; Wyatt, Donald C.; Drazen, David; Fullerton, Anne M.; Fu, Tom C.; Dommermuth, Douglas G.

2010-11-01

Numerical Flow Analysis (NFA) predictions of the flow around a transom-stern hull form are compared to laboratory measurements collected at NSWCCD. The simulations are two-phase, three-dimensional, and unsteady. Each required 1.15 billion grid cells and 200,000 CPU hours to accurately resolve the unsteady flow and obtain a sufficient statistical ensemble size. Two speeds, 7 and 8 knots, are compared. The 7 knots (Fr=Uo /√gLo=0.38) case is a partially wetted transom condition and the 8 knots (Fr=0.43) case is a dry transom condition. The results of a detailed comparison of the mean free surface elevation, surface roughness (RMS), and spectra of the breaking stern-waves, measured by Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) and Quantitative Visualization (QViz) sensors, are presented. All of the comparisons showed excellent agreement. The concept of height-function processing is introduced, and the application of this type of processing to the simulation data shows a k-5/3 power law behavior for both the 7 and 8 knot cases. The simulations also showed that a multiphase shear layer forms in the rooster-tail region and that its thickness depends on the Froude number.

Technology research for strapdown inertial experiment and digital flight control and guidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carestia, R. A.; Cottrell, D. E.

1985-01-01

A helicopter flight-test program to evaluate the performance of Honeywell's Tetrad - a strapdown, laser gyro, inertial navitation system is discussed. The results of 34 flights showed a mean final navigational velocity error of 5.06 knots, with a standard deviation of 3.84 knots; a corresponding mean final position error of 2.66 n.mi., with a standard deviation of 1.48 n.m.; and a modeled mean-position-error growth rate for the 34 tests of 1.96 knots, with a standard deviation of 1.09 knots. Tetrad's four-ring laser gyros provided reliable and accurate angular rate sensing during the test program and on sensor failures were detected during the evaluation. Criteria suitable for investigating cockpit systems in rotorcraft were developed. This criteria led to the development of two basic simulators. The first was a standard simulator which could be used to obtain baseline information for studying pilot workload and interactions. The second was an advanced simulator which integrated the RODAAS developed by Honeywell into this simulator. The second area also included surveying the aerospace industry to determine the level of use and impact of microcomputers and related components on avionics systems.

Flight test results of the strapdown ring laser gyro tetrad inertial navigation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carestia, R. A.; Hruby, R. J.; Bjorkman, W. S.

1983-01-01

A helicopter flight test program undertaken to evaluate the performance of Tetrad (a strap down, laser gyro, inertial navigation system) is described. The results of 34 flights show a mean final navigational velocity error of 5.06 knots, with a standard deviation of 3.84 knots; a corresponding mean final position error of 2.66 n. mi., with a standard deviation of 1.48 n. mi.; and a modeled mean position error growth rate for the 34 tests of 1.96 knots, with a standard deviation of 1.09 knots. No laser gyro or accelerometer failures were detected during the flight tests. Off line parity residual studies used simulated failures with the prerecorded flight test and laboratory test data. The airborne Tetrad system's failure--detection logic, exercised during the tests, successfully demonstrated the detection of simulated ""hard'' failures and the system's ability to continue successfully to navigate by removing the simulated faulted sensor from the computations. Tetrad's four ring laser gyros provided reliable and accurate angular rate sensing during the 4 yr of the test program, and no sensor failures were detected during the evaluation of free inertial navigation performance.

[Controlling effect of antagonist bioorganic fertilizer on tomato root-knot nematode].

PubMed

Zhu, Zhen; Chen, Fang; Xiao, Tong-jian; Wang, Xiao-hui; Ran, Wei; Yang, Xing-ming; Shen, Qi-rong

2011-04-01

Indoor in vitro culture experiment and greenhouse pot experiment were conducted to evaluate the capabilities of three bacterial strains XZ-173 (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens), SL-25 (B. gibsonii), and KS-62 (Paenibacillus polymyxa) that can hydrolyze collagen protein in controlling tomato root-knot nematode. In the in vitro culture experiment, suspensions of XZ-173, SL-25, and KS-62 induced a mortality rate of 75.9%, 66.7%, and 50.0% to the second-stage junior nematode within 24 h, and decreased the egg hatching rate to 17.8%, 28.9% and 37.6% after 7-day incubation, respectively, in contrast to the 17.4% mortality rate and 53.6% egg hatching rate in the control (sterilized water). In the greenhouse pot experiment, the bioorganic fertilizer mixed with equal parts of fermented XZ-173, SL-25, and KS-62 gained the best result, with the root-knot nematode population in rhizosphere soil decreased by 84.0% as compared with the control. The bioorganic fertilizer also decreased the numbers of galls and eggs on tomato roots significantly, and increased the underground and aboveground biomass of tomato. Therefore, antagonist bioorganic fertilizer has promising potential in controlling root-knot nematode.

Medial-row failure after arthroscopic double-row rotator cuff repair.

PubMed

Yamakado, Kotaro; Katsuo, Shin-ichi; Mizuno, Katsunori; Arakawa, Hitoshi; Hayashi, Seigaku

2010-03-01

We report 4 cases of medial-row failure after double-row arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) without arthroscopic subacromial decompression (ASAD), in which there was pullout of mattress sutures of the medial row and knots were caught between the cuff and the greater tuberosity. Between October 2006 and January 2008, 49 patients underwent double-row ARCR. During this period, ASAD was not performed with ARCR. Revision arthroscopy was performed in 8 patients because of ongoing symptoms after the index operation. In 4 of 8 patients the medial rotator cuff failed; the tendon appeared to be avulsed at the medial row, and there were exposed knots on the bony surface of the rotator cuff footprint. It appeared that the knots were caught between the cuff and the greater tuberosity. Three retear cuffs were revised with the arthroscopic transtendon technique, and one was revised with a single-row technique after completing the tear. ASAD was performed in all patients. Three of the four patients showed improvement of symptoms and returned to their preinjury occupation. Impingement of pullout knots may be a source of pain after double-row rotator cuff repair. Copyright 2010 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

BRENDA in 2013: integrated reactions, kinetic data, enzyme function data, improved disease classification: new options and contents in BRENDA.

PubMed

Schomburg, Ida; Chang, Antje; Placzek, Sandra; Söhngen, Carola; Rother, Michael; Lang, Maren; Munaretto, Cornelia; Ulas, Susanne; Stelzer, Michael; Grote, Andreas; Scheer, Maurice; Schomburg, Dietmar

2013-01-01

The BRENDA (BRaunschweig ENzyme DAtabase) enzyme portal (http://www.brenda-enzymes.org) is the main information system of functional biochemical and molecular enzyme data and provides access to seven interconnected databases. BRENDA contains 2.7 million manually annotated data on enzyme occurrence, function, kinetics and molecular properties. Each entry is connected to a reference and the source organism. Enzyme ligands are stored with their structures and can be accessed via their names, synonyms or via a structure search. FRENDA (Full Reference ENzyme DAta) and AMENDA (Automatic Mining of ENzyme DAta) are based on text mining methods and represent a complete survey of PubMed abstracts with information on enzymes in different organisms, tissues or organelles. The supplemental database DRENDA provides more than 910 000 new EC number-disease relations in more than 510 000 references from automatic search and a classification of enzyme-disease-related information. KENDA (Kinetic ENzyme DAta), a new amendment extracts and displays kinetic values from PubMed abstracts. The integration of the EnzymeDetector offers an automatic comparison, evaluation and prediction of enzyme function annotations for prokaryotic genomes. The biochemical reaction database BKM-react contains non-redundant enzyme-catalysed and spontaneous reactions and was developed to facilitate and accelerate the construction of biochemical models.

An RNA Topoisomerase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hui; di Gate, Russell J.; Seeman, Nadrian C.

1996-09-01

A synthetic strand of RNA has been designed so that it can adopt two different topological states (a circle and a trefoil knot) when ligated into a cyclic molecule. The RNA knot and circle have been characterized by their behavior in gel electrophoresis and sedimentation experiments. This system allows one to assay for the existence of an RNA topoisomerase, because the two RNA molecules can be interconverted only by a strand passage event. We find that the interconversion of these two species can be catalyzed by Escherichia coli DNA topoisomerase III, indicating that this enzyme can act as an RNA topoisomerase. The conversion of circles to knots is accompanied by a small amount of RNA catenane generation. These findings suggest that strand passage must be considered a potential component of the folding and modification of RNA structures.

Flamsteed's Supernova of 1680

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fesen, R. A.

2001-12-01

A recent proper motion study of 40 knots in the Cas A supernova remnant indicated a knot convergent date of A.D. 1671.3 +/-0.9 assuming no deceleration (Thorstensen, Fesen, & van den Bergh 2001, AJ, 122, 297). However, because these optical knots are made visible by their shock passage through the local ISM/CSM, some deceleration is expected. A deceleration of just ~ 1.6 km s-1 yr-1 over a 300 yr time span would yield an explosion date around A.D. 1680, consistent with a suspected sighting of the Cas A supernova by J. Flamsteed in August 1680 (Ashworth, 1980, J. Hist. Astron., 11, 1). We discuss Flamsteed's likely observations of SN 1680 in terms of their constrains on the light curve and peak brightness and possible implications regarding the Cas A SN subtype.

7 CFR 1728.201 - RUS Bulletin 1728H-701, RUS Specification for Wood Crossarms (Solid and Laminated), Transmission...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., Standard Method for Analysis of Treated Wood and Treating Solutions by X-Ray Spectroscopy. (viii) A11-83...) C1-91, All Timber Products—Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes. (x) C4-91, Poles... spaced. (x) Knots which have a maximum of 5/8 inch (1.59 cm) diameter may intersect pin holes in the...

7 CFR 1728.201 - RUS Bulletin 1728H-701, RUS Specification for Wood Crossarms (Solid and Laminated), Transmission...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., Standard Method for Analysis of Treated Wood and Treating Solutions by X-Ray Spectroscopy. (viii) A11-83...) C1-91, All Timber Products—Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes. (x) C4-91, Poles... spaced. (x) Knots which have a maximum of 5/8 inch (1.59 cm) diameter may intersect pin holes in the...

On the SLq(2) extension of the standard model and the concept of charge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkelstein, Robert J.

2017-01-01

Our SLq(2) extension of the standard model is constructed by replacing the elementary field operators, Ψ(x), of the standard model by Ψ̂mm‧j(x)D mm‧j where Dmm‧j is an element of the (2j + 1)-dimensional representation of the SLq(2) algebra, which is also the knot algebra. The allowed quantum states (j,m,m‧) are restricted by the topological conditions (j,m,m‧) = 1 2(N,w,r + o) postulated between the states of the quantum knot (j,m,m‧) and the corresponding classical knot (N,w,r + o) where the (N,w,r) are (the number of crossings, the writhe, the rotation) of the 2d projection of the corresponding oriented classical knot. Here, o is an odd number that is required by the difference in parity between w and r. There is also the empirical restriction on the allowed states (j,m,m‧) = 3(t,-t 3,-t0)L that holds at the j = 3 2 level, connecting quantum trefoils 3 2,m,m‧ with leptons and quarks 1 2,-t3,-t0L. The so-constructed knotted leptons and quarks turn out to be composed of three j = 1 2 particles which unexpectedly agree with the preon models of Harrari and Shupe. The j = 0 particles, being electroweak neutral, are dark and plausibly greatly outnumber the quarks and leptons. The SLq(2) or (j,m,m‧) measure of charge has a direct physical interpretation since 2j is the total number of preonic charges while 2m and 2m‧ are the numbers of writhe and rotation sources of preonic charge. The total SLq(2) charge of a particle, measured by writhe and rotation and composed of preons, sums the signs of the counterclockwise turns (+1) and clockwise turns (-1) that any energy-momentum current makes in going once around the knot. In this way, the handedness of the knot reduces charge to a geometric concept similar to the way that curvature of space-time encodes mass and energy. According to this model, the leptons and quarks are j = 3 2 particles, the preons are j = 1 2 particles, and the j = 0 particles are candidates for dark matter. It is possible to understand q as a simple deformation parameter or as the ratio e/g of the electroweak to the gluon coupling constants.

Economic design in a long-distance migrating molluscivore: how fast-fuelling red knots in Bohai Bay, China, get away with small gizzards.

PubMed

Yang, Hong-Yan; Chen, Bing; Ma, Zhi-Jun; Hua, Ning; van Gils, Jan A; Zhang, Zheng-Wang; Piersma, Theunis

2013-10-01

We carried out an observational and experimental study to decipher how resource characteristics, in interaction with the predator's phenotype, constrain a fitness-determining performance measure, i.e. refuelling in a migrant bird. Two subspecies of red knot (Calidris canutus rogersi and C. c. piersmai) use northern Bohai Bay, Yellow Sea, China, for the final prebreeding stopover, during their 10,000-15,000 km long migrations between wintering and breeding areas. Here, they feed on small bivalves, especially 2-7 mm long Potamocorbula laevis. With an average stay of 29 days, and the need to store 80 g of fat for the onward flights to high-Arctic breeding grounds, red knots need to refuel fast. Using existing knowledge, we expected them to achieve this on the basis of (1) prey with high flesh to shell mass ratios, (2) large gizzards to crush the ingested molluscs, or (3) a combination of the two. Rejecting all three predictions, we found that red knots staging in Bohai Bay had the smallest gizzards on record (4.9 ± 0.8 g, mean ± s.e.m., N = 27), and also found that prey quality of P. laevis is much lower than predicted for the measured gizzard size (i.e. 1.3 rather than the predicted 4.5 kJ g(-1) dry shell mass, DM(shell)). The estimated handling time of P. laevis (0.2 s) is much shorter than the observed time between two prey ingestions (0.7 s), indicating that prey handling time is no constraint. Based on field observations of dropping rates and on indoor digestion trails, the shell processing rate was estimated at 3.9 mg DM(shell) s(-1), i.e. three times higher the rate previously predicted for red knots eating as fast as they can with the measured gizzard size. This is explained by the small and easily crushed P. laevis enabling high processing rates. As P. laevis also occurred in high densities, the metabolizable energy intake rate of red knots with small gizzards at 5 J s(-1) was as high as at northward staging sites elsewhere in the world. Currently, therefore, food characteristics in Bohai Bay are such that red knots can refuel fast whilst economizing on the size of their gizzard. These time-stressed migrants thus provide an elegant example of symmorphosis.

A Phenotyping Method of Giant Cells from Root-Knot Nematode Feeding Sites by Confocal Microscopy Highlights a Role for CHITINASE-LIKE 1 in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Cabrera, Javier; Olmo, Rocio; Ruiz-Ferrer, Virginia; Hermans, Christian; Martinez-Argudo, Isabel; Escobar, Carolina

2018-01-01

Most effective nematicides for the control of root-knot nematodes are banned, which demands a better understanding of the plant-nematode interaction. Understanding how gene expression in the nematode-feeding sites relates to morphological features may assist a better characterization of the interaction. However, nematode-induced galls resulting from cell-proliferation and hypertrophy hinders such observation, which would require tissue sectioning or clearing. We demonstrate that a method based on the green auto-fluorescence produced by glutaraldehyde and the tissue-clearing properties of benzyl-alcohol/benzyl-benzoate preserves the structure of the nematode-feeding sites and the plant-nematode interface with unprecedented resolution quality. This allowed us to obtain detailed measurements of the giant cells’ area in an Arabidopsis line overexpressing CHITINASE-LIKE-1 (CTL1) from optical sections by confocal microscopy, assigning a role for CTL1 and adding essential data to the scarce information of the role of gene repression in giant cells. Furthermore, subcellular structures and features of the nematodes body and tissues from thick organs formed after different biotic interactions, i.e., galls, syncytia, and nodules, were clearly distinguished without embedding or sectioning in different plant species (Arabidopsis, cucumber or Medicago). The combination of this method with molecular studies will be valuable for a better understanding of the plant-biotic interactions. PMID:29389847

A Phenotyping Method of Giant Cells from Root-Knot Nematode Feeding Sites by Confocal Microscopy Highlights a Role for CHITINASE-LIKE 1 in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Cabrera, Javier; Olmo, Rocio; Ruiz-Ferrer, Virginia; Abreu, Isidro; Hermans, Christian; Martinez-Argudo, Isabel; Fenoll, Carmen; Escobar, Carolina

2018-02-01

Most effective nematicides for the control of root-knot nematodes are banned, which demands a better understanding of the plant-nematode interaction. Understanding how gene expression in the nematode-feeding sites relates to morphological features may assist a better characterization of the interaction. However, nematode-induced galls resulting from cell-proliferation and hypertrophy hinders such observation, which would require tissue sectioning or clearing. We demonstrate that a method based on the green auto-fluorescence produced by glutaraldehyde and the tissue-clearing properties of benzyl-alcohol/benzyl-benzoate preserves the structure of the nematode-feeding sites and the plant-nematode interface with unprecedented resolution quality. This allowed us to obtain detailed measurements of the giant cells' area in an Arabidopsis line overexpressing CHITINASE-LIKE-1 ( CTL1 ) from optical sections by confocal microscopy, assigning a role for CTL1 and adding essential data to the scarce information of the role of gene repression in giant cells. Furthermore, subcellular structures and features of the nematodes body and tissues from thick organs formed after different biotic interactions, i.e., galls, syncytia, and nodules, were clearly distinguished without embedding or sectioning in different plant species ( Arabidopsis , cucumber or Medicago ). The combination of this method with molecular studies will be valuable for a better understanding of the plant-biotic interactions.

Root-knot nematodes in golf course greens of the western United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A survey of 238 golf courses in ten of the Western U.S. found root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in 60 % of the putting greens sampled. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses of 18S rRNA, D2-D3 of 28S rRNA, ITS-rRNA and mtDNA gene sequences were used to identify specimens from 110 golf courses. The...

Tactical Radar Technology Study. Volume II.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

area around the component by air conditioning of some nature. The electronic components are solid state and densely packaged. The use of heat pipe ...capabilities. The heat pipe industry may be able to achieve considerable improvement. A tactical assessment of the threat resistance threshold required...Operating -60 to +1550 F (+ Solar Radiation) Temperature Nonoperating -70 to +155F Relative Humidity 100% Winds 45 knots - operation 45-60 knots

HOMFLY for twist knots and exclusive Racah matrices in representation [333

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morozov, A.

2018-03-01

Next step is reported in the program of Racah matrices extraction from the differential expansion of HOMFLY polynomials for twist knots: from the double-column rectangular representations R = [ rr ] to a triple-column and triple-hook R = [ 333 ]. The main new phenomenon is the deviation of the particular coefficient f[ 332 ][ 21 ] from the corresponding skew dimension, what opens a way to further generalizations.

Registration of six germplasm lines of cotton, Gosspyium hirsutum L. with resistance to root-knot and reniform nematodes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Six Upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., germplasm lines, M Rk-Rn 1, M Rk-Rn 2, M Rk-Rn 3, M Rk-Rn 4, M Rk-Rn 5, and M Rk-Rn 6, with resistance to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood, and reniform nematode, Rotylenchulus reniformis Linford and Oliveria, were jointl...

Arthroscopic repair of a type II SLAP lesion using a single corkscrew anchor.

PubMed

Kartus, Jüri; Perko, Mark

2002-03-01

The use of a double-looped 5-mm Corkscrew anchor (Arthrex, Naples, FL) enables the surgeon to use a single anchor to perform a secure fixation of both the anterior labrum as well as the biceps insertion in a type II SLAP lesion. The technique involves tying 1 knot through the anterior portal and a second knot through the posterior portal.

Some Characteristics of Current Star Formation in the 30 Doradus Nebula Revealed by HST/NICMOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walborn, Nolan R.; Barbá, Rodolfo H.; Brandner, Wolfgang; Rubio, Mónica; Grebel, Eva K.; Probst, Ronald G.

1999-01-01

The extensive ``second generation'' of star formation within the 30 Doradus Nebula, evidently triggered by the R136 central cluster around its periphery, has been imaged with the Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. Many new IR sources, including multiple systems, clusters, and nebular structures, are found in these images. Six of the NICMOS fields are described here, in comparison with the WFPC2 images of the same fields. Knots 1-3 of Walborn & Blades (early O stars embedded in dense nebular knots) are all found to be compact multiple systems. Knot 1 is shown to reside at the top of a massive dust pillar oriented directly toward R136, whose summit has just been removed, exposing the newborn stellar system. Knots 1 and 3 are also near the brightest IR sources in the region, while parsec-scale jet structures are discovered in association with Knots 2 and 3. The Knot 2 structures consist of detached, nonstellar IR sources aligned on either side of the stellar system, which are interpreted as impact points of a highly collimated, possibly rotating bipolar jet on the surrounding dark clouds; the H_2O maser found by Whiteoak et al. is also in this field. These outflows from young massive stars in 30 Dor are the first extragalactic examples of the phenomenon. In the field of the pillars south of R136, recently discussed in comparison with the M16 pillars by Scowen et al., a new luminous stellar IR source has been discovered. These results establish the 30 Doradus Nebula as a prime region in which to investigate the formation and very early evolution of massive stars and multiple systems. The theme of triggered formation within the heads of extensive dust pillars oriented toward R136 is strong. In addition, these results provide further insights into the global structure and evolution of 30 Doradus, which are significant in view of its status as the best resolved extragalactic starburst. This paper is dedicated to W. W. Morgan, who taught me the power of morphology to uncover new phenomena in astronomy.-N. R. W.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 infection in a long-distance migrant shorebird under migratory and non-migratory states.

PubMed

Reperant, Leslie A; van de Bildt, Marco W G; van Amerongen, Geert; Buehler, Debbie M; Osterhaus, Albert D M E; Jenni-Eiermann, Susi; Piersma, Theunis; Kuiken, Thijs

2011-01-01

Corticosterone regulates physiological changes preparing wild birds for migration. It also modulates the immune system and may lead to increased susceptibility to infection, with implications for the spread of pathogens, including highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1. The red knot (Calidris canutus islandica) displays migratory changes in captivity and was used as a model to assess the effect of high plasma concentration of corticosterone on HPAIV H5N1 infection. We inoculated knots during pre-migration (N = 6), fueling (N = 5), migration (N = 9) and post-migration periods (N = 6). Knots from all groups shed similar viral titers for up to 5 days post-inoculation (dpi), peaking at 1 to 3 dpi. Lesions of acute encephalitis, associated with virus replication in neurons, were seen in 1 to 2 knots per group, leading to neurological disease and death at 5 to 11 dpi. Therefore, the risk of HPAIV H5N1 infection in wild birds and of potential transmission between wild birds and poultry may be similar at different times of the year, irrespective of wild birds' migratory status. However, in knots inoculated during the migration period, viral shedding levels positively correlated with pre-inoculation plasma concentration of corticosterone. Of these, knots that did not become productively infected had lower plasma concentration of corticosterone. Conversely, elevated plasma concentration of corticosterone did not result in an increased probability to develop clinical disease. These results suggest that birds with elevated plasma concentration of corticosterone at the time of migration (ready to migrate) may be more susceptible to acquisition of infection and shed higher viral titers--before the onset of clinical disease--than birds with low concentration of corticosterone (not ready for take-off). Yet, they may not be more prone to the development of clinical disease. Therefore, assuming no effect of sub-clinical infection on the likelihood of migratory take-off, this may favor the spread of HPAIV H5N1 by migratory birds over long distances.

Teaching surgical skills using video internet communication in a resource-limited setting.

PubMed

Autry, Amy M; Knight, Sharon; Lester, Felicia; Dubowitz, Gerald; Byamugisha, Josaphat; Nsubuga, Yosam; Muyingo, Mark; Korn, Abner

2013-07-01

To study the feasibility and acceptability of using video Internet communication to teach and evaluate surgical skills in a low-resource setting. This case-controlled study used video Internet communication for surgical skills teaching and evaluation. We randomized intern physicians rotating in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Mulago Hospital at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, to the control arm (usual practice) or intervention arm (three video teaching sessions with University of California, San Francisco faculty). We made preintervention and postintervention videos of all interns tying knots using a small video camera and uploaded the files to a file hosting service that offers cloud storage. A blinded faculty member graded all of the videos. Both groups completed a survey at the end of the study. We randomized 18 interns with complete data for eight in the intervention group and seven in the control group. We found score improvement of 50% or more in six of eight (75%) interns in the intervention group compared with one of seven (14%) in the control group (P=.04). Scores declined in five of the seven (71%) controls but in none in the intervention group. Both intervention and control groups used attendings, colleagues, and the Internet as sources for learning about knot-tying. The control group was less likely to practice knot-tying than the intervention group. The trainees and the instructors felt this method of training was enjoyable and helpful. Remote teaching in low-resource settings, where faculty time is limited and access to visiting faculty is sporadic, is feasible, effective, and well-accepted by both learner and teacher. II.

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): halo formation times and halo assembly bias on the cosmic web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tojeiro, Rita; Eardley, Elizabeth; Peacock, John A.; Norberg, Peder; Alpaslan, Mehmet; Driver, Simon P.; Henriques, Bruno; Hopkins, Andrew M.; Kafle, Prajwal R.; Robotham, Aaron S. G.; Thomas, Peter; Tonini, Chiara; Wild, Vivienne

2017-09-01

We present evidence for halo assembly bias as a function of geometric environment (GE). By classifying Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) galaxy groups as residing in voids, sheets, filaments or knots using a tidal tensor method, we find that low-mass haloes that reside in knots are older than haloes of the same mass that reside in voids. This result provides direct support to theories that link strong halo tidal interactions with halo assembly times. The trend with GE is reversed at large halo mass, with haloes in knots being younger than haloes of the same mass in voids. We find a clear signal of halo downsizing - more massive haloes host galaxies that assembled their stars earlier. This overall trend holds independently of GE. We support our analysis with an in-depth exploration of the L-Galaxies semi-analytic model, used here to correlate several galaxy properties with three different definitions of halo formation time. We find a complex relationship between halo formation time and galaxy properties, with significant scatter. We confirm that stellar mass to halo mass ratio, specific star formation rate (SFR) and mass-weighed age are reasonable proxies of halo formation time, especially at low halo masses. Instantaneous SFR is a poor indicator at all halo masses. Using the same semi-analytic model, we create mock spectral observations using complex star formation and chemical enrichment histories, which approximately mimic GAMA's typical signal-to-noise ratio and wavelength range. We use these mocks to assert how well potential proxies of halo formation time may be recovered from GAMA-like spectroscopic data.

A circumcision method in an old surgical textbook (Cerrahiyyetul Haniyye): reminding of a forgotten procedure.

PubMed

Senayli, Atilla; Aksu, Murat; Atalar, Munir

2014-07-08

Circumcision is one of the historical surgical procedures. Some sources throughout the history contain various definitions about different circumcision methods. we described the details of the method, and aimed to remind the possibility of contemporary usage. We compared circumcision chapters of Sabuncuoglu and Zahrawi to explain the historical origin of Sabuncuoglu's favorite circumcision method. We found a method which might be summarized as "knotting with rope technique" in one of historical textbooks named as Cerrahiyyetul Haniyye (Imperial Surgery) written by Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu (1385-1468?) in 1465. This circumcision method is not used currently. In addition this method has not been defined in the history of medical literature yet.

Energy distribution of relativistic electrons in the kiloparsec scale jet of M 87 with Chandra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xiao-Na; Yang, Rui-Zhi; Rieger, Frank M.; Liu, Ruo-Yu; Aharonian, Felix

2018-05-01

The X-ray emission from the jets in active galactic nuclei (AGN) carries important information on the distributions of relativistic electrons and magnetic fields on large scales. We reanalysed archival Chandra observations on the jet of M 87 from 2000 to 2016 with a total exposure of 1460 kiloseconds to explore the X-ray emission characteristics along the jet. We investigated the variability behaviours of the nucleus and the inner jet component HST-1, and confirm indications for day-scale X-ray variability in the nucleus contemporaneous to the 2010 high TeV γ-ray state. HST-1 shows a general decline in X-ray flux over the last few years consistent with its synchrotron interpretation. We extracted the X-ray spectra for the nucleus and all knots in the jet, showing that they are compatible with a single power law within the X-ray band. There are indications that the resultant X-ray photon index exhibit a trend, with slight but significant index variations ranging from ≃ 2.2 (e.g. in knot D) to ≃ 2.4-2.6 (in the outer knots F, A, and B). When viewed in a multiwavelength context, a more complex situation can be seen. Fitting the radio to X-ray spectral energy distributions (SEDs) assuming a synchrotron origin, we show that a broken power-law electron spectrum with break energy Eb around 1 (300 μG/B)1/2 TeV allows a satisfactory description of the multiband SEDs for most of the knots. However, in the case of knots B, C, and D we find indications that an additional high-energy component is needed to adequately reproduce the broad-band SEDs. We discuss the implications and suggest that a stratified jet model may account for the differences.

Examining the High-energy Radiation Mechanisms of Knots and Hotspots in Active Galactic Nucleus Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jin; Du, Shen-shi; Guo, Sheng-Chu; Zhang, Hai-Ming; Chen, Liang; Liang, En-Wei; Zhang, Shuang-Nan

2018-05-01

We compile the radio–optical–X-ray spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 65 knots and 29 hotspots in 41 active galactic nucleus jets to examine their high-energy radiation mechanisms. Their SEDs can be fitted with the single-zone leptonic models, except for the hotspot of Pictor A and six knots of 3C 273. The X-ray emission of 1 hotspot and 22 knots is well explained as synchrotron radiation under the equipartition condition; they usually have lower X-ray and radio luminosities than the others, which may be due to a lower beaming factor. An inverse Compton (IC) process is involved for explaining the X-ray emission of the other SEDs. Without considering the equipartition condition, their X-ray emission can be attributed to the synchrotron-self-Compton process, but the derived jet powers (P jet) are not correlated with L k and most of them are larger than L k, with more than three orders of magnitude, where L k is the jet kinetic power estimated with their radio emission. Under the equipartition condition, the X-ray emission is well interpreted with the IC process for the cosmic microwave background photons (IC/CMB). In this scenario, the derived P jet of knots and hotspots are correlated with and comparable to L k. These results suggest that the IC/CMB model may be a promising interpretation of the X-ray emission. In addition, a tentative knot–hotspot sequence in the synchrotron peak-energy–peak-luminosity plane is observed, similar to the blazar sequence, which may be attributed to the different cooling mechanisms of electrons.

Knotless double-row SutureBridge rotator cuff repairs have improved self-reinforcement compared with double-row SutureBridge repairs with tied medial knots: a biomechanical study using an ovine model.

PubMed

Smith, Geoffrey C S; Bouwmeester, Theresia M; Lam, Patrick H

2017-12-01

In double-row SutureBridge (Arthrex, Naples, FL, USA) rotator cuff repairs, increasing tendon load may generate progressively greater compression forces at the repair footprint (self-reinforcement). SutureBridge rotator cuff repairs using tied horizontal mattress sutures medially may limit this effect compared with a knotless construct. Rotator cuff repairs were performed in 9 pairs of ovine shoulders. One group underwent repair with a double-row SutureBridge construct with tied horizontal medial-row mattress sutures. The other group underwent repair in an identical fashion except that medial-row knots were not tied. Footprint contact pressure was measured at 0° and 20° of abduction under loads of 0 to 60 N. Pull-to-failure tests were then performed. In both repair constructs, each 10-N increase in rotator cuff tensile load led to a significant increase in footprint contact pressure (P < .0001). The rate of increase in footprint contact pressure was greater in the knotless construct (P < .00022; ratio, 1.69). The yield point approached the ultimate load to failure more closely in the knotless model than in the knotted construct (P = .00094). There was no difference in stiffness, ultimate failure load, or total energy to failure between the knotless and knotted techniques. In rotator cuff repair with a double-row SutureBridge configuration, self-reinforcement is seen in repairs with and without medial-row knots. Self-reinforcement is greater with the knotless technique. Copyright © 2017 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Chromium and Selenium in Feathers of Shorebirds during Migrating through Delaware Bay, New Jersey: Comparing the 1990s and 2011/2012

PubMed Central

Burger, Joanna; Tsipoura, Nellie; Niles, Lawrence J.; Gochfeld, Michael; Dey, Amanda; Mizrahi, David

2015-01-01

Understanding temporal changes in contaminant levels in coastal environments requires comparing levels of contaminants from the same species from different time periods, particularly if species are declining. Several species of shorebirds migrating through Delaware Bay have declined from the 1980s to the present. To evaluate some contaminants as cause for the declines, we examine levels of mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and selenium in feathers of red knot (Calidris canutus, N = 46 individuals), semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla, N = 70) and sanderling (Calidris alba, N = 32) migrating through Delaware Bay, New Jersey, USA, from 1991 to 1992 (N = 40), 1995 (N = 28), and 2011–2012 (N = 80) to determine if levels have changed. We found: (1) arsenic, chromium, and lead increased in red knot and decreased in semipalmated sandpiper; (2) cadmium decreased in semipalmated sandpipers; (3) mercury decreased in red knot and sanderlings; (4) selenium decreased in red knot and increased in semipalmated sandpipers. In 2011/2012 there were significant interspecific differences for arsenic, mercury and selenium. Except for selenium, the element levels were well below levels reported for feathers of other species. The levels in feathers in red knots, sanderling, and semipalmated sandpipers from Delaware Bay in 2011/2012 were well below levels in feathers that are associated with effect levels, except for selenium. Selenium levels ranged from 3.0 µg·g−1 dry weight to 5.8 µg·g−1 (semipalmated sandpiper), within the range known to cause adverse effects, suggesting the need for further examination of selenium levels in birds. The levels of all elements were well below those reported for other marine species, except for selenium, which was near levels suggesting possible toxic effects. PMID:29056651

Rapid methods for jugular bleeding of dogs requiring one technician.

PubMed

Frisk, C S; Richardson, M R

1979-06-01

Two methods were used to collect blood from the jugular vein of dogs. In both techniques, only one technician was required. A rope with a slip knot was placed around the base of the neck to assist in restraint and act as a tourniquet for the vein. The technician used one hand to restrain the dog by the muzzle and position the head. The other hand was used for collecting the sample. One of the methods could be accomplished with the dog in its cage. The bleeding techniques were rapid, requiring approximately 1 minute per dog.

DNA Knots: Theory and Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumners, D. W.

Cellular DNA is a long, thread-like molecule with remarkably complex topology. Enzymes that manipulate the geometry and topology of cellular DNA perform many vital cellular processes (including segregation of daughter chromosomes, gene regulation, DNA repair, and generation of antibody diversity). Some enzymes pass DNA through itself via enzyme-bridged transient breaks in the DNA; other enzymes break the DNA apart and reconnect it to different ends. In the topological approach to enzymology, circular DNA is incubated with an enzyme, producing an enzyme signature in the form of DNA knots and links. By observing the changes in DNA geometry (supercoiling) and topology (knotting and linking) due to enzyme action, the enzyme binding and mechanism can often be characterized. This paper will discuss some personal research history, and the tangle model for the analysis of site-specific recombination experiments on circular DNA.

BPS counting for knots and combinatorics on words

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kucharski, Piotr; Sułkowski, Piotr

2016-11-01

We discuss relations between quantum BPS invariants defined in terms of a product decomposition of certain series, and difference equations (quantum A-polynomials) that annihilate such series. We construct combinatorial models whose structure is encoded in the form of such difference equations, and whose generating functions (Hilbert-Poincaré series) are solutions to those equations and reproduce generating series that encode BPS invariants. Furthermore, BPS invariants in question are expressed in terms of Lyndon words in an appropriate language, thereby relating counting of BPS states to the branch of mathematics referred to as combinatorics on words. We illustrate these results in the framework of colored extremal knot polynomials: among others we determine dual quantum extremal A-polynomials for various knots, present associated combinatorial models, find corresponding BPS invariants (extremal Labastida-Mariño-Ooguri-Vafa invariants) and discuss their integrality.

Dodging the crisis of folding proteins with knots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulkowska, Joanna

2009-03-01

Proteins with nontrivial topology, containing knots and slipknots, have the ability to fold to their native states without any additional external forces invoked. A mechanism is suggested for folding of these proteins, such as YibK and YbeA, which involves an intermediate configuration with a slipknot. It elucidates the role of topological barriers and backtracking during the folding event. It also illustrates that native contacts are sufficient to guarantee folding in around 1-2% of the simulations, and how slipknot intermediates are needed to reduce the topological bottlenecks. As expected, simulations of proteins with similar structure but with knot removed fold much more efficiently, clearly demonstrating the origin of these topological barriers. Although these studies are based on a simple coarse-grained model, they are already able to extract some of the underlying principles governing folding in such complex topologies.

Hanseniaspora nodinigri, a new yeast species found in black knots (Dibotryon morbosum) of Prunus virginiana.

PubMed

Lachance, M A

1981-07-01

The new yeast species Hanseniaspora nodinigri is described to accommodate members of the genus Hanseniaspora that are unable to assimilate glucono-sigma-lactone and isolated from stromatal tissue of black knots (Dobotryon morbosum) of chokecherry, Prunus virginiana. The newly described taxon shows much resemblance, by other criteria, to H. vineae van der Walt et Tscheuschner and H. osmophila (Niehaus) Phaff, Miller et Shifrine.

Sustained Swimming Speeds of Dolphins.

PubMed

Johannessen, C L; Harder, J A

1960-11-25

Observations of fout large groups of dolphins suggest that they are able to swim at a sustained speed of 14 to 18 knots. The blackfish are able to maintain speeds of about 22 knots, and one killer whale seemed able to swim somewhat faster. This implies that the apparent coefficient of surface friction remains approximately constant for dolphins from 6 to 22 ft long, as is the case for rigid bodies.

Transactions of The Army Conference on Applied Mathematics and Computing (5th) Held in West Point, New York on 15-18 June 1987

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

29 Statistical Machine Learning for the Cognitive Selection of Nonlinear Programming Algorithms in Engineering Design Optimization Toward...interpolation and Interpolation by Box Spline Surfaces Charles K. Chui, Harvey Diamond, Louise A. Raphael. 301 Knot Selection for Least Squares...West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia; and Louise Raphael, National Science Foundation, Washington, DC Knot Selection for Least

E-16211

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-12-22

The HL-10 Lifting Body completes its first research flight with a landing on Rogers Dry Lake. Due to control problems, pilot Bruce Peterson had to land at a higher speed than originally planned in order to keep the vehicle under control. The actual touchdown speed was about 280 knots. This was 30 knots above the speed called for in the flight plan. The HL-10's first flight had lasted 3 minutes and 9 seconds.

Automated knot detection with visual post-processing of Douglas-fir veneer images

Treesearch

C.L. Todoroki; Eini C. Lowell; Dennis Dykstra

2010-01-01

Knots on digital images of 51 full veneer sheets, obtained from nine peeler blocks crosscut from two 35-foot (10.7 m) long logs and one 18-foot (5.5 m) log from a single Douglas-fir tree, were detected using a two-phase algorithm. The algorithm was developed using one image, the Development Sheet, refined on five other images, the Training Sheets, and then applied to...

X-Ray Ejecta Kinematics of the Galactic Core-Collapse Supernova Remnant G292.0+1.8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhalerao, Jayant; Park, Sangwook; Dewey, Daniel; Hughes, John P.; Mori, Koji; Lee, Jae-Joon

2015-02-01

We report on the results from the analysis of our 114 ks Chandra High Energy Transmision Grating Spectrometer observation of the Galactic core-collapse supernova remnant G292.0+1.8. To probe the three-dimensional structure of the clumpy X-ray emitting ejecta material in this remnant, we measured Doppler shifts in emission lines from metal-rich ejecta knots projected at different radial distances from the expansion center. We estimate radial velocities of ejecta knots in the range of -2300 lsim vr lsim 1400 km s-1. The distribution of ejecta knots in velocity versus projected-radius space suggests an expanding ejecta shell with a projected angular thickness of ~90'' (corresponding to ~3 pc at d = 6 kpc). Based on this geometrical distribution of the ejecta knots, we estimate the location of the reverse shock approximately at the distance of ~4 pc from the center of the supernova remnant, putting it in close proximity to the outer boundary of the radio pulsar wind nebula. Based on our observed remnant dynamics and the standard explosion energy of 1051 erg, we estimate the total ejecta mass to be lsim8 M ⊙, and we propose an upper limit of lsim35 M ⊙ on the progenitor's mass.

Knoto-ID: a tool to study the entanglement of open protein chains using the concept of knotoids.

PubMed

Dorier, Julien; Goundaroulis, Dimos; Benedetti, Fabrizio; Stasiak, Andrzej

2018-05-02

The backbone of most proteins forms an open curve. To study their entanglement, a common strategy consists in searching for the presence of knots in their backbones using topological invariants. However, this approach requires to close the curve into a loop, which alters the geometry of curve. Knoto-ID allows evaluating the entanglement of open curves without the need to close them, using the recent concept of knotoids which is a generalization of the classical knot theory to open curves. Knoto-ID can analyse the global topology of the full chain as well as the local topology by exhaustively studying all subchains or only determining the knotted core. Knoto-ID permits to localize topologically non-trivial protein folds that are not detected by informatics tools detecting knotted protein folds. Knoto-ID is written in C ++ and includes R (www.R-project.org) scripts to generate plots of projections maps, fingerprint matrices and disk matrices. Knoto-ID is distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), version 2 or any later version and is available at https://github.com/sib-swiss/Knoto-ID. A binary distribution for Mac OS X, Linux and Windows with detailed user guide and examples can be obtained from https://www.vital-it.ch/software/Knoto-ID. julien.dorier@sib.swiss.

Specification Improvement Through Analysis of Proof Structure (SITAPS): High Assurance Software Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-01

proof in mathematics. For example, consider the proof of the Pythagorean Theorem illustrated at: http://www.cut-the-knot.org/ pythagoras / where 112...methods and tools have made significant progress in their ability to model software designs and prove correctness theorems about the systems modeled...assumption criticality” or “ theorem root set size” SITAPS detects potentially brittle verification cases. SITAPS provides tools and techniques that

Untangling the Gordian Knot The Socio-Cultural Challenge of Syria

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-30

declining legitimacy through construction of traditions suggesting his leadership of modern Islam. 12 Ironically, Hamid II used Islamist language and...Nasserist leadership , and Damascus took up this role. 20 Ba’athist regimes, such as Syria, remained strong until the 1991-2003 time period. 21 The...Legion- style standards) with the most modern ideas of the time (e.g. mass politics, video technology and scientific propaganda). 23 In this method

Hybrid Threat Center of Gravity Analysis: Cutting the Gordian Knot

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-04

water avoids the heights … so an army avoids strengths and strikes weakness … water has no constant form.”1 - Sun Tzu Hybrid warfare is a topic...1 Sun Tzu , The Art of War, (Oxford University Press, London, 1963), 101. 2 Alba Iulia...and Boyer, Matthew. Vulnerability Assessment Method Pocket Guide: A Tool for Center of Gravity Analysis. RAND, 2014. Tzu , Sun . The Art of War

RECONSTRUCTING THREE-DIMENSIONAL JET GEOMETRY FROM TWO-DIMENSIONAL IMAGES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avachat, Sayali; Perlman, Eric S.; Li, Kunyang; Kosak, Katie

2018-01-01

Relativistic jets in AGN are one of the most interesting and complex structures in the Universe. Some of the jets can be spread over hundreds of kilo parsecs from the central engine and display various bends, knots and hotspots. Observations of the jets can prove helpful in understanding the emission and particle acceleration processes from sub-arcsec to kilo parsec scales and the role of magnetic field in it. The M87 jet has many bright knots as well as regions of small and large bends. We attempt to model the jet geometry using the observed 2 dimensional structure. The radio and optical images of the jet show evidence of presence of helical magnetic field throughout. Using the observed structure in the sky frame, our goal is to gain an insight into the intrinsic 3 dimensional geometry in the jets frame. The structure of the bends in jet's frame may be quite different than what we see in the sky frame. The knowledge of the intrinsic structure will be helpful in understanding the appearance of the magnetic field and hence polarization morphology. To achieve this, we are using numerical methods to solve the non-linear equations based on the jet geometry. We are using the Log Likelihood method and algorithm based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations.

Profile-Based LC-MS Data Alignment—A Bayesian Approach

PubMed Central

Tsai, Tsung-Heng; Tadesse, Mahlet G.; Wang, Yue; Ressom, Habtom W.

2014-01-01

A Bayesian alignment model (BAM) is proposed for alignment of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) data. BAM belongs to the category of profile-based approaches, which are composed of two major components: a prototype function and a set of mapping functions. Appropriate estimation of these functions is crucial for good alignment results. BAM uses Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods to draw inference on the model parameters and improves on existing MCMC-based alignment methods through 1) the implementation of an efficient MCMC sampler and 2) an adaptive selection of knots. A block Metropolis-Hastings algorithm that mitigates the problem of the MCMC sampler getting stuck at local modes of the posterior distribution is used for the update of the mapping function coefficients. In addition, a stochastic search variable selection (SSVS) methodology is used to determine the number and positions of knots. We applied BAM to a simulated data set, an LC-MS proteomic data set, and two LC-MS metabolomic data sets, and compared its performance with the Bayesian hierarchical curve registration (BHCR) model, the dynamic time-warping (DTW) model, and the continuous profile model (CPM). The advantage of applying appropriate profile-based retention time correction prior to performing a feature-based approach is also demonstrated through the metabolomic data sets. PMID:23929872

Tank Tests on Water Rudders for Float Seaplanes

DTIC Science & Technology

1939-11-01

a Jr.l;.’ to inveeti -atj the technique of the method . Cone luol one At a speod oi 10 knots In the flrat set o. tout a the yawing moments...required for maintaining a atrni ht aourse in a slduulnd. The whirling arm method can lvo iwauuremunta ol tho turning sireles obtainable with dl.ferent...ore« aa« paala« aaaaata.1,1’ It »aa aaaiawd that taa air an« « atar roadero aora« thron-h -h» aaao angle. .1« balance of too lorceo aa

Zen and Behavior Analysis

PubMed Central

Bass, Roger

2010-01-01

Zen's challenge for behavior analysis is to explain a repertoire that renders analysis itself meaningless—a result following not from scientific or philosophical arguments but rather from a unique verbal history generated by Zen's methods. Untying Zen's verbal knots suggests how meditation's and koans' effects on verbal behavior contribute to Enlightenment and Samādhi. The concept of stimulus singularity is introduced to account for why, within Zen's frame of reference, its methods can be studied but its primary outcomes (e.g., Samādhi and Satori) cannot be described in any conventional sense. PMID:22479128

Disposition of Orange Herbicide by Incineration. Revised Draft Environmental Statement

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-04-01

a ship , the "Vulcanls," has beer equipped to carry certain hazardous liquid chemical cargoes ...dispersed. For this analyses the dispersion zone is based on a one knot wind speed , "crosswind" of the ship’s course, 10 knot speed for the ship during... shipping company; the wind speed and effective mixing height are very con- servative. For such a low wind speed , it is anticipated that the

Backwards Fading to Speed Task Learning

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

estimates.) Table 1 Finalized Task List Task Domain Task Name Knot Tying Hand Cuff Rappel First Aid Fracture Bleed Map Reading* Resection...materials used. Hand Cuff . There are 10 steps in this task. To complete this task, the learner must manipulate a short length of rope (e.g...Design for Experiment 1 – Step Fade Experiment 1 (Step Fade) Task Type: Knot Tying Task Type: First Aid Task Complexity: Low (1) Hand Cuff (10

The "wilderness knot"

Treesearch

Haydn G. Washington

2007-01-01

The word “wilderness” is beset by a tangle of meanings. This “knot” is made of five strands: philosophical, political, cultural, justice and exploitation. Wilderness has a unique philosophical position—being disliked by both Modernism and Postmodernism. Eight key criticisms of wilderness are identified, and two different meanings discussed—“wasteland” and “large...

14 CFR Appendix G to Part 36 - Takeoff Noise Requirements for Propeller-Driven Small Airplane and Propeller-Driven, Commuter...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... excessive sound absorption characteristics such as those caused by thick, matted, or tall grass, by shrubs..., inclusively; (4) Wind speed may not exceed 10 knots (19 km/h) and cross wind may not exceed 5 knots (9 km/h... level atmospheric pressure of 1013.25 mb (013.25 hPa); (2) Ambient air temperature of 59 °F (15 °C); (3...

14 CFR Appendix G to Part 36 - Takeoff Noise Requirements for Propeller-Driven Small Airplane and Propeller-Driven, Commuter...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... excessive sound absorption characteristics such as those caused by thick, matted, or tall grass, by shrubs..., inclusively; (4) Wind speed may not exceed 10 knots (19 km/h) and cross wind may not exceed 5 knots (9 km/h... level atmospheric pressure of 1013.25 mb (013.25 hPa); (2) Ambient air temperature of 59 °F (15 °C); (3...

Energy and helicity of magnetic torus knots and braids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oberti, Chiara; Ricca, Renzo L.

2018-02-01

By considering steady magnetic fields in the shape of torus knots and unknots in ideal magnetohydrodynamics, we compute some fundamental geometric and physical properties to provide estimates for magnetic energy and helicity. By making use of an appropriate parametrization, we show that knots with dominant toroidal coils that are a good model for solar coronal loops have negligible total torsion contribution to magnetic helicity while writhing number provides a good proxy. Hence, by the algebraic definition of writhe based on crossing numbers, we show that the estimated values of writhe based on image analysis provide reliable information for the exact values of helicity. We also show that magnetic energy is linearly related to helicity, and the effect of the confinement of magnetic field can be expressed in terms of geometric information. These results can find useful application in solar and plasma physics, where braided structures are often present.

Observations and Analysis of the GK Persei Nova Shell and its "Jet-like" Feature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, E.; Redman, M. P.; Boumis, P.; Akras, S.

2015-12-01

GK Persei (1901, the "Firework Nebula") is an old but bright nova remnant that offers a chance to probe the physics and kinematics of nova shells. The kinematics in new and archival longslit optical echelle spectra were analysed using the SHAPE software. New imaging from the Aristarchos telescope continues to track the proper motion, extinction and structural evolution of the knots, which have been observed intermittently over several decades. We present for the first time, kinematical constraints on a large faint "jet" feature, that was previously detected beyond the shell boundary. These observational constraints allow for the generation of models for individual knots, interactions within knot complexes, and the "jet" feature. Put together, and taking into account dwarf-nova accelerated winds emanating from the central source, these data and models give a deeper insight into the GK Per nova remnant as a whole.

Highly supersonic bipolar mass ejection from a red giant OH/IR source - OH 0739 - 14

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, M.; Dopita, M. A.; Schwartz, R. D.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.

1985-01-01

From long-slit spectrophotometry of the bipolar nebula associated with the unusual OH source, OH 0739 - 14, the presence of a blue companion to the M9 III central star was shown and a Herbig-Haro-like knot beyond each nebular lobe was discovered. From differential colors of the lobes and from radial velocities of these knots it was demonstrated that the system inclines its northern lobe in the forward direction. It was also shown that the nebulous knots are shocks being driven into an extensive circumstellar envelope, and that this material is very overabundant in nitrogen, suggesting that it is matter lost from a star of mass greater than 3 solar masses. A model of biconical ejection from a central binary is consistent with the OH observations, and a possible relation of OH 0739 - 14 to the symbiotic stars and to bipolar planetary nebulae is suggested.

Keeping Tabs on the Unique Jet in M87 During Cycle 19

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, C. Teddy

2017-09-01

We request two observations of M87 at 5 ks each. The first should be in Dec 2017 and the second in 2018 Mar. There are three reasons for this modest request: (1) If our companion M87 ToO proposal is triggered, we need to know the X-ray intensity of each component in the jet before the onset of TeV flaring. (2) Ascertain if the intensities of the known X-ray variable nucleus and knot HST-1, as well as knot D (known to be optically variable with superluminal sub-structures) have increased substantially since our most recent observation; if we were to find a substantial change, a DDT request would be instigated. (3) Extend the time baseline for evaluation of long term intensity decay of knots as expected for synchrotron losses of high energy electrons responsible for X-ray emission.

BFACF-style algorithms for polygons in the body-centered and face-centered cubic lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janse van Rensburg, E. J.; Rechnitzer, A.

2011-04-01

In this paper, the elementary moves of the BFACF-algorithm (Aragão de Carvalho and Caracciolo 1983 Phys. Rev. B 27 1635-45, Aragão de Carvalho and Caracciolo 1983 Nucl. Phys. B 215 209-48, Berg and Foester 1981 Phys. Lett. B 106 323-6) for lattice polygons are generalized to elementary moves of BFACF-style algorithms for lattice polygons in the body-centered (BCC) and face-centered (FCC) cubic lattices. We prove that the ergodicity classes of these new elementary moves coincide with the knot types of unrooted polygons in the BCC and FCC lattices and so expand a similar result for the cubic lattice (see Janse van Rensburg and Whittington (1991 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 24 5553-67)). Implementations of these algorithms for knotted polygons using the GAS algorithm produce estimates of the minimal length of knotted polygons in the BCC and FCC lattices.

Maximum entropy deconvolution of the optical jet of 3C 273

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, I. N.; Ford, H. C.; Hui, X.

1989-01-01

The technique of maximum entropy image restoration is applied to the problem of deconvolving the point spread function from a deep, high-quality V band image of the optical jet of 3C 273. The resulting maximum entropy image has an approximate spatial resolution of 0.6 arcsec and has been used to study the morphology of the optical jet. Four regularly-spaced optical knots are clearly evident in the data, together with an optical 'extension' at each end of the optical jet. The jet oscillates around its center of gravity, and the spatial scale of the oscillations is very similar to the spacing between the optical knots. The jet is marginally resolved in the transverse direction and has an asymmetric profile perpendicular to the jet axis. The distribution of V band flux along the length of the jet, and accurate astrometry of the optical knot positions are presented.

Toward {U}(N|M) knot invariant from ABJM theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eynard, Bertrand; Kimura, Taro

2017-06-01

We study {U}(N|M) character expectation value with the supermatrix Chern-Simons theory, known as the ABJM matrix model, with emphasis on its connection to the knot invariant. This average just gives the half-BPS circular Wilson loop expectation value in ABJM theory, which shall correspond to the unknot invariant. We derive the determinantal formula, which gives {U}(N|M) character expectation values in terms of {U}(1|1) averages for a particular type of character representations. This means that the {U}(1|1) character expectation value is a building block for the {U}(N|M) averages and also, by an appropriate limit, for the {U}(N) invariants. In addition to the original model, we introduce another supermatrix model obtained through the symplectic transform, which is motivated by the torus knot Chern-Simons matrix model. We obtain the Rosso-Jones-type formula and the spectral curve for this case.

RESPONSE OF GRANULATION TO SMALL-SCALE BRIGHT FEATURES IN THE QUIET SUN

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

Andic, A.; Chae, J.; Goode, P. R.

2011-04-10

We detected 2.8 bright points (BPs) per Mm{sup 2} in the quiet Sun with the New Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory, using the TiO 705.68 nm spectral line at an angular resolution {approx}0.''1 to obtain a 30 minute data sequence. Some BPs formed knots that were stable in time and influenced the properties of the granulation pattern around them. The observed granulation pattern within {approx}3'' of knots presents smaller granules than those observed in a normal granulation pattern, i.e., around the knots a suppressed convection is detected. Observed BPs covered {approx}5% of the solar surface and were notmore » homogeneously distributed. BPs had an average size of 0.''22, they were detectable for 4.28 minutes on average, and had an averaged contrast of 0.1% in the deep red TiO spectral line.« less

Preliminary study of the green algae chlorella (Chlorella vulgaris) for control on the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne arenaria) in tomato plants and ectoparasite Xiphinema indexin grape seedlings.

PubMed

Choleva, B; Bileva, T; Tzvetkov, Y; Barakov, P

2005-01-01

The alternative ecological methods require investigation of many organo-biological means for plant protection against dangerous root parasites such as root-knot nematode Meloidogyne arenaria and some ectoparasites (Xiphinema index). The Bulgarian organic product - dry extract of green alga Chlorella vulgaris ("The Golden Apple"-Plamen Barakov) is the latest product, which in comparative aspect gives the best results. Series of laboratory and pot experiments are carried out with tomato (cv. Bele and cv. Ideal) and grape seedlings (cv. Cabernet Sauvignon). Different dosages of Chlorella from 0.5 g to 2 g per plant/pot are investigated. The first results show that even low dosages had double effect - on the one hand they suppress the parasite development and on the other hand they strongly stimulate plant growing. The very important conclusion is that Chlorella vulgaris ignores the negative influence of M. arenaria and X. index. These results give us opportunity for future model and field investigations of Chlorella vulgaris with the aim of its practical application.

Robust Spatial Approximation of Laser Scanner Point Clouds by Means of Free-form Curve Approaches in Deformation Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bureick, Johannes; Alkhatib, Hamza; Neumann, Ingo

2016-03-01

In many geodetic engineering applications it is necessary to solve the problem of describing a measured data point cloud, measured, e. g. by laser scanner, by means of free-form curves or surfaces, e. g., with B-Splines as basis functions. The state of the art approaches to determine B-Splines yields results which are seriously manipulated by the occurrence of data gaps and outliers. Optimal and robust B-Spline fitting depend, however, on optimal selection of the knot vector. Hence we combine in our approach Monte-Carlo methods and the location and curvature of the measured data in order to determine the knot vector of the B-Spline in such a way that no oscillating effects at the edges of data gaps occur. We introduce an optimized approach based on computed weights by means of resampling techniques. In order to minimize the effect of outliers, we apply robust M-estimators for the estimation of control points. The above mentioned approach will be applied to a multi-sensor system based on kinematic terrestrial laserscanning in the field of rail track inspection.

Analysis of the Structure of Surgical Activity for a Suturing and Knot-Tying Task

PubMed Central

Vedula, S. Swaroop; Malpani, Anand O.; Tao, Lingling; Chen, George; Gao, Yixin; Poddar, Piyush; Ahmidi, Narges; Paxton, Christopher; Vidal, Rene; Khudanpur, Sanjeev; Hager, Gregory D.; Chen, Chi Chiung Grace

2016-01-01

Background Surgical tasks are performed in a sequence of steps, and technical skill evaluation includes assessing task flow efficiency. Our objective was to describe differences in task flow for expert and novice surgeons for a basic surgical task. Methods We used a hierarchical semantic vocabulary to decompose and annotate maneuvers and gestures for 135 instances of a surgeon’s knot performed by 18 surgeons. We compared counts of maneuvers and gestures, and analyzed task flow by skill level. Results Experts used fewer gestures to perform the task (26.29; 95% CI = 25.21 to 27.38 for experts vs. 31.30; 95% CI = 29.05 to 33.55 for novices) and made fewer errors in gestures than novices (1.00; 95% CI = 0.61 to 1.39 vs. 2.84; 95% CI = 2.3 to 3.37). Transitions among maneuvers, and among gestures within each maneuver for expert trials were more predictable than novice trials. Conclusions Activity segments and state flow transitions within a basic surgical task differ by surgical skill level, and can be used to provide targeted feedback to surgical trainees. PMID:26950551

Approaches for monitoring the release of Pochonia chlamydosporia var. catenulata, a biocontrol agent of root-knot nematodes.

PubMed

Atkins, Simon D; Hidalgo-Diaz, Leopoldo; Clark, Ian M; Morton, C Oliver; de Oca, Nivian Montes; Gray, Paul A; Kerry, Brian R

2003-02-01

Pochonia chlamydosporia var. catenulata is a potential biocontrol agent against root-knot nematodes. Diagnosis of isolates has relied on morphological identification, and is both time-consuming and difficult. beta-tubulin primers have been developed for the identification of this fungus that were specific enough to distinguish between varieties of the fungus within the same species. Separate primers have been developed for the specific detection of P. chlamydosporia var. catenulata based on ITS sequences, which were able to detect the fungus in soil from various sites in Cuba where the biocontrol agent had been added. When the PCR diagnosis was combined with serial dilution of soil samples on selective medium, colonies were rapidly identified. The fungus was still present, albeit at low densities, in soils inoculated five years previously. The development of a baiting method allowed quick in situ screening of the isolates' ability to infect nematode eggs, and when combined with PCR diagnosis both varieties of the fungus could be detected in infected eggs. RFLP analysis of ITS sequences from P. chlamydosporia provided an extra level of discrimination between isolates.

Performance assessment of bi-directional knotless tissue-closure devices in juvenile Chinook salmon surgically implanted with acoustic transmitters

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

Woodley, Christa M.; Wagner, Katie A.; Bryson, Amanda J.

Acoustic transmitters used in survival and telemetry studies are often surgically implanted in fish. While this is a well-established method, it has the potential to affect health, behavior, and survival, thus affecting study results. Much research has been done to try to minimize the harmful effects caused by the transmitter and tagging process. In 2009, we first investigated the use of a bi-directional knotless (barbed) suture material in juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). We found that it resulted in higher tag retention than the simple interrupted suture pattern; however, the occurrence of ulceration and redness increased. The objective of thismore » study was to refine the suturing patterns of the bi-directional knotless suture and retest suture performance in juvenile Chinook salmon. We tested the bi-directional suture using 3 different suture patterns and two needle types: 6-Point (12-mm needle circumference), Wide “N” (12-mm needle circumference), Wide “N” Knot 12 (12-mm needle circumference), and Wide “N” Knot 18 (18-mm needle circumference).« less

Securing the appendiceal stump with the Gea extracorporeal sliding knot during laparoscopic appendectomy is safe and economical.

PubMed

Arcovedo, R; Barrera, H; Reyes, H S

2007-10-01

Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has become very popular. One criticism of this approach is the high cost of the disposable equipment such as the linear stapler. An alternative would be suture ligation of the appendiceal base. To prove the safety of the Gea extracorporeal sliding knot (GESK) for closure of the stump after LA, a retrospective study was conducted. For this study, 63 LA procedures performed by one surgeon using the Gea knot (group A) were reviewed and compared with 63 LA procedures performed by two other surgeons (group B) using the linear stapler. The GESK is created with 0-prolene in the manner already described. The main variable was the presence or absence of blowout, leak, or fistula from the appendiceal stump. The secondary variables were abdominal abscess, wound infection, and need for readmission or reoperation. The results were analyzed using the appropriate statistical methods. Both groups were similar in terms of age, gender, and pathologic diagnosis. No patient in group A or B experienced a colonic fistula, stump blowout, or leak. In group A, one patient experienced interloop abscesses. There were two wound infections. In group B, one patient experienced a wound infection, and another patient had a wound dehiscence of the umbilical port, which required reoperation. No statistical differences were noted between the two groups. There are surgeons who routinely use sutures to secure the stump of the appendectomy. This study aimed to demonstrate that the GESK is as secure as the stapler for closure of the appendiceal stump. The GESK could be passed through a 5-mm trocar, potentially avoiding complications of a larger trocar site. The GESK seems to be an economic and safe alternative to the stapler.

Enhancement of surface definition and gridding in the EAGLE code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Joe F.

1991-01-01

Algorithms for smoothing of curves and surfaces for the EAGLE grid generation program are presented. The method uses an existing automated technique which detects undesirable geometric characteristics by using a local fairness criterion. The geometry entity is then smoothed by repeated removal and insertion of spline knots in the vicinity of the geometric irregularity. The smoothing algorithm is formulated for use with curves in Beta spline form and tensor product B-spline surfaces.

A new construction of rational electromagnetic knots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lechtenfeld, Olaf; Zhilin, Gleb

2018-06-01

We set up a correspondence between solutions of the Yang-Mills equations on R ×S3 and in Minkowski spacetime via de Sitter space. Some known Abelian and non-Abelian exact solutions are rederived. For the Maxwell case we present a straightforward algorithm to generate an infinite number of explicit solutions, with fields and potentials in Minkowski coordinates given by rational functions of increasing complexity. We illustrate our method with a nontrivial example.

IZw18 has a Dynamically Associated Companion Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dufour, R. J.; Castaneda, H. O.; Esteban, C.

1996-09-01

We present kinematical evidence that the irregular galaxy located 26'' northwest of IZw18 -the most metal-poor blue-compact-dwarf (BCD) galaxy known- is a dynamically associated companion system. Longslit CCD spectra were obtained in 1996 February using the 4.2m WHT+ISIS at La Palma, with the slit placed across the NW HII region of IZw18 and through an Hα knot in the center of the companion galaxy. Deep CCD spectra were acquired simultaneously in the blue and red spectral regions; with the blue covering Hβ and [OIII] 4959,5007 Angstroms, and the red covering Hα . The red spectra showed continuous Hα emission from the BCD main body of IZw18 to the Hα knot in the companion galaxy. The heliocentric radial velocity variation for the Hα line across a 50'' length of slit ( ~ 2.4 kpc for a distance of 10 Mpc for IZw18) shows a smooth double-sinusoidal variation ranging from +730 km/s just NW of the brightest star-forming region in IZw18 to +780 km/s in the SE extremity of the main body. The heliocentric velocity of the brightest Hα knot in the main body was measured as +741.0+/-0.1 km/s and that of the Hα knot in the companion was found to be +752+/-2 km/s (where the errors are the residuals of the gaussian fits; systematic errors are yet to be evaluated). In addition to the radial velocity information, we present an analysis of high velocity gas seen in the wings of Hα and other lines at several locations across IZw18 and in the Hα knot of the companion system (where we find the knot to be an expanding cloud, with vexp ~ 100 km/s). Previous HST WFPC2 imagery (Dufour et al. 1995, BAAS, 27, 86) indicated that the companion system (``C'') was a dwarf irregular galaxy of type Im that resolved into stars at the V~24.5 level. They also noted that it contained stars as young as ~ 40 Myr -if it were at the same distance as IZw18. Our new results prove that ``IZw18'' consists of a pair of dwarf irregulars, one currently undergoing a starburst (the BCD namesake) and another nearby ( ~ 1.5 kpc in the plane of the sky) Im system which has had an older star formation history.

[Application of blocking vessels in operative therapy of non-limb hemangioma].

PubMed

Zheng, Fanwei; Cen, Ying; Cui, Zhengjun

2005-04-01

To study the surgical method to reduce bleeding in treating hemangioma at non-limb sites. From November 1998 to November 2003, 49 cases of non-limb hemangioma were treated, aged 3 months to 63 years, including 21 males and 28 females. There were 14 cases of capillary hemangioma, 25 cases of cavernous hemangioma, 7 cases of arterial racemose angioma and 3 cases of mixture hemangioma. According to the position and type of hemangioma, the various methods of blocking blood vessels were adopted to assist resect tumors. After the pulsatile artery was felt in arterial racemose angioma of neck and face by palpation, we sutured and knotted it with 7-0 silk string to block the bleeding. We found out the common iliac artery or external iliac artery or femoral artery and blocked them temporarily to resect arterial racemose angioma in inguen and thigh. We sutured and knotted vessel with 7-0 silk string to block the bleeding in capillary hemangioma and cavernous hemangioma of neck and face and truncus. Intraoperative bleeding obviously decreased and the tumor size reduced to various extent. Of the 49 cases, 47 cases achieved complete success, 2 cases bled within two days after operation. A postoperative follow-up of 6 months to 4 years showed that the appearance and function were satisfactory. The preoperative method of blocking blood vessels obviously can reduce intraoperative bleeding and decrease operative difficulty, which makes it possible to eradicate hemangioma and lower recurrence rate.

Spring 1985 Leeway Experiment

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-10-01

conducted a leeway study for undrogued, canopied life rafts ( Scobie and Thompson, 1979). The current was measured by a buoy equipped with a 10-foot square...the Scobie and Thompson results. TABLE 6 LEEWAY SPEED FROM THE SUMMER 1983 R&DC EXPERIMENT Life Raft Leeway Speed Capacity Ballast System (Knots) 6-man...Both equations have the Switlik 4-man raft with slower leeway at wind speeds above 6 knots than the equation L = -0.12 + 0.05W given by Scobie and

78 FR 60023 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Threatened Status for the Rufa Red Knot...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-30

...We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list the rufa red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this species. The effect of this regulation will be to add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

Earth observations taken from Discovery during STS-85 mission - Typhoon Winnie

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-08-13

S85-E-5071 (13 August 1997) --- The STS-85 crew members aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery downlinked this oblique, Electronic Still Camera (ESC) view of the Super Typhoon Winnie about halfway between New Guinea and Japan in the Pacific Ocean late evening, August 13, 1997. Maximum sustained winds of 105 knots, gusts up to 130 knots. This photo was taken 14 1/2 hours after STS085-E-5069 was recorded with the same ESC.

Multichannel Doppler Processing for an Experimental Low-Angle Tracking System

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

estimation techniques at sea. Because of clutter and noise, it is necessary to use a number of different processing algorithms to extract the required...a number of different processing algorithms to extract the required information. Consequently, the ELAT radar system is composed of multiple...corresponding to RF frequencies, f, and f2. For mode 3, the ambiguities occur at vbi = 15.186 knots and vb2 = 16.96 knots. The sea clutter, with a spectrum

Damage-associated responses of the host contribute to defence against cyst nematodes but not root-knot nematodes.

PubMed

Shah, Syed Jehangir; Anjam, Muhammad Shahzad; Mendy, Badou; Anwer, Muhammad Arslan; Habash, Samer S; Lozano-Torres, Jose L; Grundler, Florian M W; Siddique, Shahid

2017-12-16

When nematodes invade and subsequently migrate within plant roots, they generate cell wall fragments (in the form of oligogalacturonides; OGs) that can act as damage-associated molecular patterns and activate host defence responses. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating damage responses in plant-nematode interactions remain unexplored. Here, we characterized the role of a group of cell wall receptor proteins in Arabidopsis, designated as polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIPs), during infection with the cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii and the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. PGIPs are encoded by a family of two genes in Arabidopsis, and are involved in the formation of active OG elicitors. Our results show that PGIP gene expression is strongly induced in response to cyst nematode invasion of roots. Analyses of loss-of-function mutants and overexpression lines revealed that PGIP1 expression attenuates infection of host roots by cyst nematodes, but not root-knot nematodes. The PGIP1-mediated attenuation of cyst nematode infection involves the activation of plant camalexin and indole-glucosinolate pathways. These combined results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying plant damage perception and response pathways during infection by cyst and root-knot nematodes, and establishes the function of PGIP in plant resistance to cyst nematodes. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.