ANL site response for the DOE FY1994 information resources management long-range plan

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

Boxberger, L.M.

1992-03-01

Argonne National Laboratory's ANL Site Response for the DOE FY1994 Information Resources Management (IRM) Long-Range Plan (ANL/TM 500) is one of many contributions to the DOE information resources management long-range planning process and, as such, is an integral part of the DOE policy and program planning system. The Laboratory has constructed this response according to instructions in a Call issued in September 1991 by the DOE Office of IRM Policy, Plans and Oversight. As one of a continuing series, this Site Response is an update and extension of the Laboratory's previous submissions. The response contains both narrative and tabular material.more » It covers an eight-year period consisting of the base year (FY1991), the current year (FY1992), the budget year (FY1993), the plan year (FY1994), and the out years (FY1995-FY1998). This Site Response was compiled by Argonne National Laboratory's Computing and Telecommunications Division (CTD), which has the responsibility to provide leadership in optimizing computing and information services and disseminating computer-related technologies throughout the Laboratory. The Site Response consists of 5 parts: (1) a site overview, describes the ANL mission, overall organization structure, the strategic approach to meet information resource needs, the planning process, major issues and points of contact. (2) a software plan for DOE contractors, Part 2B, Software Plan FMS plan for DOE organizations, (3) computing resources telecommunications, (4) telecommunications, (5) printing and publishing.« less

Weak Long-Range Correlated Motions in a Surface Patch of Ubiquitin Involved in Molecular Recognition

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Long-range correlated motions in proteins are candidate mechanisms for processes that require information transfer across protein structures, such as allostery and signal transduction. However, the observation of backbone correlations between distant residues has remained elusive, and only local correlations have been revealed using residual dipolar couplings measured by NMR spectroscopy. In this work, we experimentally identified and characterized collective motions spanning four β-strands separated by up to 15 Å in ubiquitin. The observed correlations link molecular recognition sites and result from concerted conformational changes that are in part mediated by the hydrogen-bonding network. PMID:21634390

Long Range Plan for Information Systems from the State Board of Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Education Agency, Austin.

The Information Systems Long Range Plan specifically addresses Goal four of the Texas State Board of Education's (SBOE's) "Long-Range Plan for Public School Education" dealing with efficient management and organization of the educational system. To facilitate this goal, the SBOE in 1986 approved and directed the Texas Education Agency to…

Uncertainty quantification of environmental performance metrics in heterogeneous aquifers with long-range correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moslehi, Mahsa; de Barros, Felipe P. J.

2017-01-01

We investigate how the uncertainty stemming from disordered porous media that display long-range correlation in the hydraulic conductivity (K) field propagates to predictions of environmental performance metrics (EPMs). In this study, the EPMs are quantities that are of relevance to risk analysis and remediation, such as peak flux-averaged concentration, early and late arrival times among others. By using stochastic simulations, we quantify the uncertainty associated with the EPMs for a given disordered spatial structure of the K-field and identify the probability distribution function (PDF) model that best captures the statistics of the EPMs of interest. Results indicate that the probabilistic distribution of the EPMs considered in this study follows lognormal PDF. Finally, through the use of information theory, we reveal how the persistent/anti-persistent correlation structure of the K-field influences the EPMs and corresponding uncertainties.

Power-law regularities in human language

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehri, Ali; Lashkari, Sahar Mohammadpour

2016-11-01

Complex structure of human language enables us to exchange very complicated information. This communication system obeys some common nonlinear statistical regularities. We investigate four important long-range features of human language. We perform our calculations for adopted works of seven famous litterateurs. Zipf's law and Heaps' law, which imply well-known power-law behaviors, are established in human language, showing a qualitative inverse relation with each other. Furthermore, the informational content associated with the words ordering, is measured by using an entropic metric. We also calculate fractal dimension of words in the text by using box counting method. The fractal dimension of each word, that is a positive value less than or equal to one, exhibits its spatial distribution in the text. Generally, we can claim that the Human language follows the mentioned power-law regularities. Power-law relations imply the existence of long-range correlations between the word types, to convey an especial idea.

DNA viewed as an out-of-equilibrium structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Provata, A.; Nicolis, C.; Nicolis, G.

2014-05-01

The complexity of the primary structure of human DNA is explored using methods from nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, dynamical systems theory, and information theory. A collection of statistical analyses is performed on the DNA data and the results are compared with sequences derived from different stochastic processes. The use of χ2 tests shows that DNA can not be described as a low order Markov chain of order up to r =6. Although detailed balance seems to hold at the level of a binary alphabet, it fails when all four base pairs are considered, suggesting spatial asymmetry and irreversibility. Furthermore, the block entropy does not increase linearly with the block size, reflecting the long-range nature of the correlations in the human genomic sequences. To probe locally the spatial structure of the chain, we study the exit distances from a specific symbol, the distribution of recurrence distances, and the Hurst exponent, all of which show power law tails and long-range characteristics. These results suggest that human DNA can be viewed as a nonequilibrium structure maintained in its state through interactions with a constantly changing environment. Based solely on the exit distance distribution accounting for the nonequilibrium statistics and using the Monte Carlo rejection sampling method, we construct a model DNA sequence. This method allows us to keep both long- and short-range statistical characteristics of the native DNA data. The model sequence presents the same characteristic exponents as the natural DNA but fails to capture spatial correlations and point-to-point details.

DNA viewed as an out-of-equilibrium structure.

PubMed

Provata, A; Nicolis, C; Nicolis, G

2014-05-01

The complexity of the primary structure of human DNA is explored using methods from nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, dynamical systems theory, and information theory. A collection of statistical analyses is performed on the DNA data and the results are compared with sequences derived from different stochastic processes. The use of χ^{2} tests shows that DNA can not be described as a low order Markov chain of order up to r=6. Although detailed balance seems to hold at the level of a binary alphabet, it fails when all four base pairs are considered, suggesting spatial asymmetry and irreversibility. Furthermore, the block entropy does not increase linearly with the block size, reflecting the long-range nature of the correlations in the human genomic sequences. To probe locally the spatial structure of the chain, we study the exit distances from a specific symbol, the distribution of recurrence distances, and the Hurst exponent, all of which show power law tails and long-range characteristics. These results suggest that human DNA can be viewed as a nonequilibrium structure maintained in its state through interactions with a constantly changing environment. Based solely on the exit distance distribution accounting for the nonequilibrium statistics and using the Monte Carlo rejection sampling method, we construct a model DNA sequence. This method allows us to keep both long- and short-range statistical characteristics of the native DNA data. The model sequence presents the same characteristic exponents as the natural DNA but fails to capture spatial correlations and point-to-point details.

Amino acid alphabet reduction preserves fold information contained in contact interactions in proteins.

PubMed

Solis, Armando D

2015-12-01

To reduce complexity, understand generalized rules of protein folding, and facilitate de novo protein design, the 20-letter amino acid alphabet is commonly reduced to a smaller alphabet by clustering amino acids based on some measure of similarity. In this work, we seek the optimal alphabet that preserves as much of the structural information found in long-range (contact) interactions among amino acids in natively-folded proteins. We employ the Information Maximization Device, based on information theory, to partition the amino acids into well-defined clusters. Numbering from 2 to 19 groups, these optimal clusters of amino acids, while generated automatically, embody well-known properties of amino acids such as hydrophobicity/polarity, charge, size, and aromaticity, and are demonstrated to maintain the discriminative power of long-range interactions with minimal loss of mutual information. Our measurements suggest that reduced alphabets (of less than 10) are able to capture virtually all of the information residing in native contacts and may be sufficient for fold recognition, as demonstrated by extensive threading tests. In an expansive survey of the literature, we observe that alphabets derived from various approaches-including those derived from physicochemical intuition, local structure considerations, and sequence alignments of remote homologs-fare consistently well in preserving contact interaction information, highlighting a convergence in the various factors thought to be relevant to the folding code. Moreover, we find that alphabets commonly used in experimental protein design are nearly optimal and are largely coherent with observations that have arisen in this work. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Long-range 1H-1H NMR correlation: extending connectivities to remote bonds via an intermediate heterospin.

PubMed

Parella, Teodor; Espinosa, Juan Félix

2008-05-01

An out-and-stay 2D proton-proton NMR correlation experiment is proposed to detect long-range proton-proton connectivities up to six and seven bonds away. The magnetization flow pathway is based on a consecutive, dual-step J(CH)-transfer mechanism and it allows one to trace out (1)H-(1)H connectivities between protons belonging to different spin systems. This novel experimental scheme will be particularly useful in cases when carbon resonances overlap, providing connectivity information that could not be obtained in a HMBC experiment. The success of the experiment is demonstrated in the structural studies of a wide variety of chemical compounds. 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mutual information identifies spurious Hurst phenomena in resting state EEG and fMRI data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Wegner, Frederic; Laufs, Helmut; Tagliazucchi, Enzo

2018-02-01

Long-range memory in time series is often quantified by the Hurst exponent H , a measure of the signal's variance across several time scales. We analyze neurophysiological time series from electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) resting state experiments with two standard Hurst exponent estimators and with the time-lagged mutual information function applied to discretized versions of the signals. A confidence interval for the mutual information function is obtained from surrogate Markov processes with equilibrium distribution and transition matrix identical to the underlying signal. For EEG signals, we construct an additional mutual information confidence interval from a short-range correlated, tenth-order autoregressive model. We reproduce the previously described Hurst phenomenon (H >0.5 ) in the analytical amplitude of alpha frequency band oscillations, in EEG microstate sequences, and in fMRI signals, but we show that the Hurst phenomenon occurs without long-range memory in the information-theoretical sense. We find that the mutual information function of neurophysiological data behaves differently from fractional Gaussian noise (fGn), for which the Hurst phenomenon is a sufficient condition to prove long-range memory. Two other well-characterized, short-range correlated stochastic processes (Ornstein-Uhlenbeck, Cox-Ingersoll-Ross) also yield H >0.5 , whereas their mutual information functions lie within the Markovian confidence intervals, similar to neural signals. In these processes, which do not have long-range memory by construction, a spurious Hurst phenomenon occurs due to slow relaxation times and heteroscedasticity (time-varying conditional variance). In summary, we find that mutual information correctly distinguishes long-range from short-range dependence in the theoretical and experimental cases discussed. Our results also suggest that the stationary fGn process is not sufficient to describe neural data, which seem to belong to a more general class of stochastic processes, in which multiscale variance effects produce Hurst phenomena without long-range dependence. In our experimental data, the Hurst phenomenon and long-range memory appear as different system properties that should be estimated and interpreted independently.

The Nucleus Reuniens Controls Long-Range Hippocampo-Prefrontal Gamma Synchronization during Slow Oscillations.

PubMed

Ferraris, Maëva; Ghestem, Antoine; Vicente, Ana F; Nallet-Khosrofian, Lauriane; Bernard, Christophe; Quilichini, Pascale P

2018-03-21

Gamma oscillations are involved in long-range coupling of distant regions that support various cognitive operations. Here we show in adult male rats that synchronized bursts of gamma oscillations bind the hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during slow oscillations and slow-wave sleep, a brain state that is central for consolidation of memory traces. These gamma bursts entrained the firing of the local HPC and mPFC neuronal populations. Neurons of the nucleus reuniens (NR), which is a structural and functional hub between HPC and mPFC, demonstrated a specific increase in their firing before gamma burst onset, suggesting their involvement in HPC-mPFC binding. Chemical inactivation of NR disrupted the temporal pattern of gamma bursts and their synchronization, as well as mPFC neuronal firing. We propose that the NR drives long-range hippocampo-prefrontal coupling via gamma bursts providing temporal windows for information exchange between the HPC and mPFC during slow-wave sleep. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Long-range coupling between hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is believed to support numerous cognitive functions, including memory consolidation occurring during sleep. Gamma-band synchronization is a fundamental process in many neuronal operations and is instrumental in long-range coupling. Recent evidence highlights the role of nucleus reuniens (NR) in consolidation; however, how it influences hippocampo-prefrontal coupling is unknown. In this study, we show that HPC and mPFC are synchronized by gamma bursts during slow oscillations in anesthesia and natural sleep. By manipulating and recording the NR-HPC-mPFC network, we provide evidence that the NR actively promotes this long-range gamma coupling. This coupling provides the hippocampo-prefrontal circuit with a novel mechanism to exchange information during slow-wave sleep. Copyright © 2018 the authors 0270-6474/18/383026-13$15.00/0.

Local and average structures of BaTiO 3-Bi(Zn 1/2Ti 1/2)O 3

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

Usher, Tedi-Marie; Iamsasri, Thanakorn; Forrester, Jennifer S.

The complex crystallographic structures of (1-x)BaTiO 3-xBi(Zn 1/2Ti 1/2)O 3 (BT-xBZT) are examined using high resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and neutron pair distribution function (PDF) analyses. The short-range structures are characterized from the PDFs, and a combined analysis of the X-ray and neutron diffraction patterns is used to determine the long-range structures. Our results demonstrate that the structure appears different when averaged over different length scales. In all compositions, the local structures determined from the PDFs show local tetragonal distortions (i.e., c/a > 1). But, a box-car fitting analysis of the PDFs reveals variations at different length scales.more » For 0.80BT-0.20BZT and 0.90BT-0.10BZT, the tetragonal distortions decrease at longer atom-atom distances (e.g., 30 vs. 5 ). When the longest distances are evaluated (r > 40 ), the lattice parameters approach cubic. Neutron and X-ray diffraction yield further information about the long-range structure. Compositions 0.80BT-0.20BZT and 0.90BT-0.10BZT appear cubic by Bragg diffraction (no peak splitting), consistent with the PDFs at long distances. However, these patterns cannot be adequately fit using a cubic lattice model; modeling their structures with the P4mm space group allows for a better fit to the patterns because the space group allows for c-axis atomic displacements that occur at the local scale. Furthermore, for the compositions 0.92BT-0.08BZT and 0.94BT-0.06BZT, strong tetragonal distortions are observed at the local scale and a less-distorted tetragonal structure is observed at longer length scales. In Rietveld refinements, the latter is modeled using a tetragonal phase. Since the peak overlap in these two-phase compositions limits the ability to model the local-scale structures as tetragonal, it is approximated in the refinements as a cubic phase. These results demonstrate that alloying BT with BZT results in increased disorder and disrupts the long-range ferroelectric symmetry present in BT, while the large tetragonal distortion present in BZT persists at the local scale.« less

Local and average structures of BaTiO 3-Bi(Zn 1/2Ti 1/2)O 3

DOE PAGES

Usher, Tedi-Marie; Iamsasri, Thanakorn; Forrester, Jennifer S.; ...

2016-11-11

The complex crystallographic structures of (1-x)BaTiO 3-xBi(Zn 1/2Ti 1/2)O 3 (BT-xBZT) are examined using high resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and neutron pair distribution function (PDF) analyses. The short-range structures are characterized from the PDFs, and a combined analysis of the X-ray and neutron diffraction patterns is used to determine the long-range structures. Our results demonstrate that the structure appears different when averaged over different length scales. In all compositions, the local structures determined from the PDFs show local tetragonal distortions (i.e., c/a > 1). But, a box-car fitting analysis of the PDFs reveals variations at different length scales.more » For 0.80BT-0.20BZT and 0.90BT-0.10BZT, the tetragonal distortions decrease at longer atom-atom distances (e.g., 30 vs. 5 ). When the longest distances are evaluated (r > 40 ), the lattice parameters approach cubic. Neutron and X-ray diffraction yield further information about the long-range structure. Compositions 0.80BT-0.20BZT and 0.90BT-0.10BZT appear cubic by Bragg diffraction (no peak splitting), consistent with the PDFs at long distances. However, these patterns cannot be adequately fit using a cubic lattice model; modeling their structures with the P4mm space group allows for a better fit to the patterns because the space group allows for c-axis atomic displacements that occur at the local scale. Furthermore, for the compositions 0.92BT-0.08BZT and 0.94BT-0.06BZT, strong tetragonal distortions are observed at the local scale and a less-distorted tetragonal structure is observed at longer length scales. In Rietveld refinements, the latter is modeled using a tetragonal phase. Since the peak overlap in these two-phase compositions limits the ability to model the local-scale structures as tetragonal, it is approximated in the refinements as a cubic phase. These results demonstrate that alloying BT with BZT results in increased disorder and disrupts the long-range ferroelectric symmetry present in BT, while the large tetragonal distortion present in BZT persists at the local scale.« less

On the origin of long-range correlations in texts.

PubMed

Altmann, Eduardo G; Cristadoro, Giampaolo; Esposti, Mirko Degli

2012-07-17

The complexity of human interactions with social and natural phenomena is mirrored in the way we describe our experiences through natural language. In order to retain and convey such a high dimensional information, the statistical properties of our linguistic output has to be highly correlated in time. An example are the robust observations, still largely not understood, of correlations on arbitrary long scales in literary texts. In this paper we explain how long-range correlations flow from highly structured linguistic levels down to the building blocks of a text (words, letters, etc..). By combining calculations and data analysis we show that correlations take form of a bursty sequence of events once we approach the semantically relevant topics of the text. The mechanisms we identify are fairly general and can be equally applied to other hierarchical settings.

Modulation of Small-scale Turbulence Structure by Large-scale Motions in the Absence of Direct Energy Transfer.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasseur, James G.; Juneja, Anurag

1996-11-01

Previous DNS studies indicate that small-scale structure can be directly altered through ``distant'' dynamical interactions by energetic forcing of the large scales. To remove the possibility of stimulating energy transfer between the large- and small-scale motions in these long-range interactions, we here perturb the large scale structure without altering its energy content by suddenly altering only the phases of large-scale Fourier modes. Scale-dependent changes in turbulence structure appear as a non zero difference field between two simulations from identical initial conditions of isotropic decaying turbulence, one perturbed and one unperturbed. We find that the large-scale phase perturbations leave the evolution of the energy spectrum virtually unchanged relative to the unperturbed turbulence. The difference field, on the other hand, is strongly affected by the perturbation. Most importantly, the time scale τ characterizing the change in in turbulence structure at spatial scale r shortly after initiating a change in large-scale structure decreases with decreasing turbulence scale r. Thus, structural information is transferred directly from the large- to the smallest-scale motions in the absence of direct energy transfer---a long-range effect which cannot be explained by a linear mechanism such as rapid distortion theory. * Supported by ARO grant DAAL03-92-G-0117

Solid-State NMR Studies Reveal Native-like β-Sheet Structures in Transthyretin Amyloid

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

Lim, Kwang Hun; Dasari, Anvesh K. R.; Hung, Ivan

Structural characterization of amyloid rich in cross-β structures is crucial for unraveling the molecular basis of protein misfolding and amyloid formation associated with a wide range of human disorders. Elucidation of the β-sheet structure in noncrystalline amyloid has, however, remained an enormous challenge. Here we report structural analyses of the β-sheet structure in a full-length transthyretin amyloid using solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Magic-angle-spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR was employed to investigate native-like β-sheet structures in the amyloid state using selective labeling schemes for more efficient solid-state NMR studies. Analyses of extensive long-range 13 C- 13 C correlation MAS spectra obtained with selectivelymore » 13 CO- and 13 Cα-labeled TTR reveal that the two main β-structures in the native state, the CBEF and DAGH β-sheets, remain intact after amyloid formation. The tertiary structural information would be of great use for examining the quaternary structure of TTR amyloid.« less

Solid-State NMR Studies Reveal Native-like β-Sheet Structures in Transthyretin Amyloid

DOE PAGES

Lim, Kwang Hun; Dasari, Anvesh K. R.; Hung, Ivan; ...

2016-09-02

Structural characterization of amyloid rich in cross-β structures is crucial for unraveling the molecular basis of protein misfolding and amyloid formation associated with a wide range of human disorders. Elucidation of the β-sheet structure in noncrystalline amyloid has, however, remained an enormous challenge. Here we report structural analyses of the β-sheet structure in a full-length transthyretin amyloid using solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Magic-angle-spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR was employed to investigate native-like β-sheet structures in the amyloid state using selective labeling schemes for more efficient solid-state NMR studies. Analyses of extensive long-range 13 C- 13 C correlation MAS spectra obtained with selectivelymore » 13 CO- and 13 Cα-labeled TTR reveal that the two main β-structures in the native state, the CBEF and DAGH β-sheets, remain intact after amyloid formation. The tertiary structural information would be of great use for examining the quaternary structure of TTR amyloid.« less

Effect of film multi-scale structure on the water vapor permeability in hydroxypropyl starch (HPS)/Na-MMT nanocomposites.

PubMed

Liu, Siyuan; Cai, Panfu; Li, Xiaoxi; Chen, Ling; Li, Lin; Li, Bing

2016-12-10

To improve the water vapor resistance of starch-based films, Na-MMT (Na-montmorillonite) as nanofillers were fabricated into hydroxypropyl starch and the multi-scale structural changes (including intermolecular interaction, short-range conformation, long-range ordered structure and the aggregated structure of the film) were revealed. The elongation of the water vapor molecule pathway by tortuous path is generally recognized as the main reason for the improvement of water resistance. However this study observed the lowest water vapor permeability (WVP) was at the 3% Na-MMT/hydroxypropyl starch (HPS) ratio instead of 5% even nanofillers were partially exfoliated at both ratio. Except for the "tortuous path" caused by nanofillers, this observation proposed that the short-range conformation of HPS chains, long-range ordered structure and the aggregated structure likely influenced the water barrier property. The relationship between WVP and multi-scale structure of the film was investigated. The results suggested that a good balance of short-range conformationin the amorphous region, long-range ordered structure and the aggregated structure of the film was required for the improvement of water vapor barrier property. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantifying indices of short- and long-range white matter connectivity at each cortical vertex

PubMed Central

Scariati, Elisa; Mutlu, A. Kadir; Zöller, Daniela; Schneider, Maude; Eliez, Stephan

2017-01-01

Several neurodevelopmental diseases are characterized by impairments in cortical morphology along with altered white matter connectivity. However, the relationship between these two measures is not yet clear. In this study, we propose a novel methodology to compute and display metrics of white matter connectivity at each cortical point. After co-registering the extremities of the tractography streamlines with the cortical surface, we computed two measures of connectivity at each cortical vertex: the mean tracts’ length, and the proportion of short- and long-range connections. The proposed measures were tested in a clinical sample of 62 patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) and 57 typically developing individuals. Using these novel measures, we achieved a fine-grained visualization of the white matter connectivity patterns at each vertex of the cortical surface. We observed an intriguing pattern of both increased and decreased short- and long-range connectivity in 22q11DS, that provides novel information about the nature and topology of white matter alterations in the syndrome. We argue that the method presented in this study opens avenues for additional analyses of the relationship between cortical properties and patterns of underlying structural connectivity, which will help clarifying the intrinsic mechanisms that lead to altered brain structure in neurodevelopmental disorders. PMID:29141024

Quantifying indices of short- and long-range white matter connectivity at each cortical vertex.

PubMed

Padula, Maria Carmela; Schaer, Marie; Scariati, Elisa; Mutlu, A Kadir; Zöller, Daniela; Schneider, Maude; Eliez, Stephan

2017-01-01

Several neurodevelopmental diseases are characterized by impairments in cortical morphology along with altered white matter connectivity. However, the relationship between these two measures is not yet clear. In this study, we propose a novel methodology to compute and display metrics of white matter connectivity at each cortical point. After co-registering the extremities of the tractography streamlines with the cortical surface, we computed two measures of connectivity at each cortical vertex: the mean tracts' length, and the proportion of short- and long-range connections. The proposed measures were tested in a clinical sample of 62 patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) and 57 typically developing individuals. Using these novel measures, we achieved a fine-grained visualization of the white matter connectivity patterns at each vertex of the cortical surface. We observed an intriguing pattern of both increased and decreased short- and long-range connectivity in 22q11DS, that provides novel information about the nature and topology of white matter alterations in the syndrome. We argue that the method presented in this study opens avenues for additional analyses of the relationship between cortical properties and patterns of underlying structural connectivity, which will help clarifying the intrinsic mechanisms that lead to altered brain structure in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Evidence from a rare case study for Hebbian-like changes in structural connectivity induced by long-term deep brain stimulation.

PubMed

van Hartevelt, Tim J; Cabral, Joana; Møller, Arne; FitzGerald, James J; Green, Alexander L; Aziz, Tipu Z; Deco, Gustavo; Kringelbach, Morten L

2015-01-01

It is unclear whether Hebbian-like learning occurs at the level of long-range white matter connections in humans, i.e., where measurable changes in structural connectivity (SC) are correlated with changes in functional connectivity. However, the behavioral changes observed after deep brain stimulation (DBS) suggest the existence of such Hebbian-like mechanisms occurring at the structural level with functional consequences. In this rare case study, we obtained the full network of white matter connections of one patient with Parkinson's disease (PD) before and after long-term DBS and combined it with a computational model of ongoing activity to investigate the effects of DBS-induced long-term structural changes. The results show that the long-term effects of DBS on resting-state functional connectivity is best obtained in the computational model by changing the structural weights from the subthalamic nucleus (STN) to the putamen and the thalamus in a Hebbian-like manner. Moreover, long-term DBS also significantly changed the SC towards normality in terms of model-based measures of segregation and integration of information processing, two key concepts of brain organization. This novel approach using computational models to model the effects of Hebbian-like changes in SC allowed us to causally identify the possible underlying neural mechanisms of long-term DBS using rare case study data. In time, this could help predict the efficacy of individual DBS targeting and identify novel DBS targets.

Bonding structure in amorphous carbon nitride: A spectroscopic and nuclear magnetic resonance study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez-López, J. C.; Donnet, C.; Lefèbvre, F.; Fernández-Ramos, C.; Fernández, A.

2001-07-01

Since the prediction of Liu and Cohen [Science 245, 841 (1989)] of the potential extraordinary mechanical properties of crystalline β-C3N4, many authors have attempted its synthesis. However, in most cases, the obtained materials are amorphous phases with a complex bonding structure. Their characterization is complicated due to the absence of a reference compound, the lack of long-range order, and the poor knowledge about their bonding structure. In this article, we present 1H, 13C, and 15N solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements for the determination of the bonding types in amorphous CNx films. NMR measurements do not require long-range order and are able to clearly identify the signals from the sp2- and sp3-bonded phases. The analysis of the data obtained by other characterization techniques, such as infrared spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy on the same sample, based on the information acquired by NMR, enables the description of a structure model for the studied amorphous-CNx phase prepared by dc-magnetron sputtering and to revise the interpretation found in the literature.

Elman RNN based classification of proteins sequences on account of their mutual information.

PubMed

Mishra, Pooja; Nath Pandey, Paras

2012-10-21

In the present work we have employed the method of estimating residue correlation within the protein sequences, by using the mutual information (MI) of adjacent residues, based on structural and solvent accessibility properties of amino acids. The long range correlation between nonadjacent residues is improved by constructing a mutual information vector (MIV) for a single protein sequence, like this each protein sequence is associated with its corresponding MIVs. These MIVs are given to Elman RNN to obtain the classification of protein sequences. The modeling power of MIV was shown to be significantly better, giving a new approach towards alignment free classification of protein sequences. We also conclude that sequence structural and solvent accessible property based MIVs are better predictor. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting RNA 3D structure using a coarse-grain helix-centered model

PubMed Central

Kerpedjiev, Peter; Höner zu Siederdissen, Christian; Hofacker, Ivo L.

2015-01-01

A 3D model of RNA structure can provide information about its function and regulation that is not possible with just the sequence or secondary structure. Current models suffer from low accuracy and long running times and either neglect or presume knowledge of the long-range interactions which stabilize the tertiary structure. Our coarse-grained, helix-based, tertiary structure model operates with only a few degrees of freedom compared with all-atom models while preserving the ability to sample tertiary structures given a secondary structure. It strikes a balance between the precision of an all-atom tertiary structure model and the simplicity and effectiveness of a secondary structure representation. It provides a simplified tool for exploring global arrangements of helices and loops within RNA structures. We provide an example of a novel energy function relying only on the positions of stems and loops. We show that coupling our model to this energy function produces predictions as good as or better than the current state of the art tools. We propose that given the wide range of conformational space that needs to be explored, a coarse-grain approach can explore more conformations in less iterations than an all-atom model coupled to a fine-grain energy function. Finally, we emphasize the overarching theme of providing an ensemble of predicted structures, something which our tool excels at, rather than providing a handful of the lowest energy structures. PMID:25904133

Improving protein disorder prediction by deep bidirectional long short-term memory recurrent neural networks.

PubMed

Hanson, Jack; Yang, Yuedong; Paliwal, Kuldip; Zhou, Yaoqi

2017-03-01

Capturing long-range interactions between structural but not sequence neighbors of proteins is a long-standing challenging problem in bioinformatics. Recently, long short-term memory (LSTM) networks have significantly improved the accuracy of speech and image classification problems by remembering useful past information in long sequential events. Here, we have implemented deep bidirectional LSTM recurrent neural networks in the problem of protein intrinsic disorder prediction. The new method, named SPOT-Disorder, has steadily improved over a similar method using a traditional, window-based neural network (SPINE-D) in all datasets tested without separate training on short and long disordered regions. Independent tests on four other datasets including the datasets from critical assessment of structure prediction (CASP) techniques and >10 000 annotated proteins from MobiDB, confirmed SPOT-Disorder as one of the best methods in disorder prediction. Moreover, initial studies indicate that the method is more accurate in predicting functional sites in disordered regions. These results highlight the usefulness combining LSTM with deep bidirectional recurrent neural networks in capturing non-local, long-range interactions for bioinformatics applications. SPOT-disorder is available as a web server and as a standalone program at: http://sparks-lab.org/server/SPOT-disorder/index.php . j.hanson@griffith.edu.au or yuedong.yang@griffith.edu.au or yaoqi.zhou@griffith.edu.au. Supplementary data is available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Relative phase asynchrony and long-range correlation of long-term solar magnetic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Linhua

2017-07-01

Statistical signal processing is one of the most important tasks in a large amount of areas of scientific studies, such as astrophysics, geophysics, and space physics. Phase recurrence analysis and long-range persistence are the two dynamical structures of the underlying processes for the given natural phenomenon. Linear and nonlinear time series analysis approaches (cross-correlation analysis, cross-recurrence plot, wavelet coherent transform, and Hurst analysis) are combined to investigate the relative phase interconnection and long-range correlation between solar activity and geomagnetic activity for the time interval from 1932 January to 2017 January. The following prominent results are found: (1) geomagnetic activity lags behind sunspot numbers with a phase shift of 21 months, and they have a high level of asynchronous behavior; (2) their relative phase interconnections are in phase for the periodic scales during 8-16 years, but have a mixing behavior for the periodic belts below 8 years; (3) both sunspot numbers and geomagnetic activity can not be regarded as a stochastic phenomenon because their dynamical behaviors display a long-term correlation and a fractal nature. We believe that the presented conclusions could provide further information on understanding the dynamical coupling of solar dynamo process with geomagnetic activity variation, and the crucial role of solar and geomagnetic activity in the long-term climate change.

Monte Carlo study of the honeycomb structure of anthraquinone molecules on Cu(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kwangmoo; Einstein, T. L.

2011-06-01

Using Monte Carlo calculations of the two-dimensional (2D) triangular lattice gas model, we demonstrate a mechanism for the spontaneous formation of honeycomb structure of anthraquinone (AQ) molecules on a Cu(111) plane. In our model long-range attractions play an important role, in addition to the long-range repulsions and short-range attractions proposed by Pawin, Wong, Kwon, and Bartels [ScienceSCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.1129309 313, 961 (2006)]. We provide a global account of the possible combinations of long-range attractive coupling constants which lead to a honeycomb superstructure. We also provide the critical temperature of disruption of the honeycomb structure and compare the critical local coverage rate of AQ’s where the honeycomb structure starts to form with the experimental observations.

Population Genetic Patterns of Threatened European Mudminnow (Umbra krameri Walbaum, 1792) in a Fragmented Landscape: Implications for Conservation Management

PubMed Central

Takács, Péter; Erős, Tibor; Specziár, András; Sály, Péter; Vitál, Zoltán; Ferincz, Árpád; Molnár, Tamás; Szabolcsi, Zoltán; Bíró, Péter; Csoma, Eszter

2015-01-01

The European mudminnow (Umbra krameri) is a Middle Danubian endemic fish species, which is characterised by isolated populations living mainly in artificial habitats in the centre of its range, in the Carpathian Basin. For their long term preservation, reliable information is needed about the structure of stocks and the level of isolation. The recent distribution pattern, and the population genetic structure within and among regions were investigated to designate the Evolutionary Significant, Conservation and Management Units (ESUs, CUs, MUs) and to explore the conservation biological value of the shrinking populations. In total, eight microsatellite loci were studied in 404 specimens originating from eight regions. The results revealed a pronounced population structure, where strictly limited gene flow was detected among regions, as well as various strengths of connections within regions. Following the results of hierarchical structure analyses, two ESUs were supposed in the Carpathian Basin, corresponding to the Danube and Tisza catchments. Our results recommend designating the borders of CUs in an 80–90km range and 16 clusters should be set up as MUs for the 33 investigated populations. How these genetic findings can be used to better allocate conservation resources for the long term maintenance of the metapopulation structure of this threathened endemic fish is discussed. PMID:26393510

Role of long- and short-range hydrophobic, hydrophilic and charged residues contact network in protein’s structural organization

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The three-dimensional structure of a protein can be described as a graph where nodes represent residues and the strength of non-covalent interactions between them are edges. These protein contact networks can be separated into long and short-range interactions networks depending on the positions of amino acids in primary structure. Long-range interactions play a distinct role in determining the tertiary structure of a protein while short-range interactions could largely contribute to the secondary structure formations. In addition, physico chemical properties and the linear arrangement of amino acids of the primary structure of a protein determines its three dimensional structure. Here, we present an extensive analysis of protein contact subnetworks based on the London van der Waals interactions of amino acids at different length scales. We further subdivided those networks in hydrophobic, hydrophilic and charged residues networks and have tried to correlate their influence in the overall topology and organization of a protein. Results The largest connected component (LCC) of long (LRN)-, short (SRN)- and all-range (ARN) networks within proteins exhibit a transition behaviour when plotted against different interaction strengths of edges among amino acid nodes. While short-range networks having chain like structures exhibit highly cooperative transition; long- and all-range networks, which are more similar to each other, have non-chain like structures and show less cooperativity. Further, the hydrophobic residues subnetworks in long- and all-range networks have similar transition behaviours with all residues all-range networks, but the hydrophilic and charged residues networks don’t. While the nature of transitions of LCC’s sizes is same in SRNs for thermophiles and mesophiles, there exists a clear difference in LRNs. The presence of larger size of interconnected long-range interactions in thermophiles than mesophiles, even at higher interaction strength between amino acids, give extra stability to the tertiary structure of the thermophiles. All the subnetworks at different length scales (ARNs, LRNs and SRNs) show assortativity mixing property of their participating amino acids. While there exists a significant higher percentage of hydrophobic subclusters over others in ARNs and LRNs; we do not find the assortative mixing behaviour of any the subclusters in SRNs. The clustering coefficient of hydrophobic subclusters in long-range network is the highest among types of subnetworks. There exist highly cliquish hydrophobic nodes followed by charged nodes in LRNs and ARNs; on the other hand, we observe the highest dominance of charged residues cliques in short-range networks. Studies on the perimeter of the cliques also show higher occurrences of hydrophobic and charged residues’ cliques. Conclusions The simple framework of protein contact networks and their subnetworks based on London van der Waals force is able to capture several known properties of protein structure as well as can unravel several new features. The thermophiles do not only have the higher number of long-range interactions; they also have larger cluster of connected residues at higher interaction strengths among amino acids, than their mesophilic counterparts. It can reestablish the significant role of long-range hydrophobic clusters in protein folding and stabilization; at the same time, it shed light on the higher communication ability of hydrophobic subnetworks over the others. The results give an indication of the controlling role of hydrophobic subclusters in determining protein’s folding rate. The occurrences of higher perimeters of hydrophobic and charged cliques imply the role of charged residues as well as hydrophobic residues in stabilizing the distant part of primary structure of a protein through London van der Waals interaction. PMID:22720789

Structure and dynamics of mica-confined films of [C10C1Pyrr][NTf2] ionic liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freitas, Adilson Alves de; Shimizu, Karina; Smith, Alexander M.; Perkin, Susan; Canongia Lopes, José Nuno

2018-05-01

The structure of the ionic liquid 1-decyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis[(trifluoromethane)sulfonyl]imide, [C10C1Pyrr][NTf2], has been probed using Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. The simulations endeavour to model the behaviour of the ionic liquid in bulk isotropic conditions and also at interfaces and in confinement. The MD results have been confronted and validated with scattering and surface force experiments reported in the literature. The calculated structure factors, distribution functions, and density profiles were able to provide molecular and mechanistic insights into the properties of these long chain ionic liquids under different conditions, in particular those that lead to the formation of multi-layered ionic liquid films in confinement. Other properties inaccessible to experiment such as in-plane structures and relaxation rates within the films have also been analysed. Overall the work contributes structural and dynamic information relevant to many applications of ionic liquids with long alkyl chains, ranging from nanoparticle synthesis to lubrication.

Functional importance of short-range binding and long-range solvent interactions in helical antifreeze peptides.

PubMed

Ebbinghaus, Simon; Meister, Konrad; Prigozhin, Maxim B; Devries, Arthur L; Havenith, Martina; Dzubiella, Joachim; Gruebele, Martin

2012-07-18

Short-range ice binding and long-range solvent perturbation both have been implicated in the activity of antifreeze proteins and antifreeze glycoproteins. We study these two mechanisms for activity of winter flounder antifreeze peptide. Four mutants are characterized by freezing point hysteresis (activity), circular dichroism (secondary structure), Förster resonance energy transfer (end-to-end rigidity), molecular dynamics simulation (structure), and terahertz spectroscopy (long-range solvent perturbation). Our results show that the short-range model is sufficient to explain the activity of our mutants, but the long-range model provides a necessary condition for activity: the most active peptides in our data set all have an extended dynamical hydration shell. It appears that antifreeze proteins and antifreeze glycoproteins have reached different evolutionary solutions to the antifreeze problem, utilizing either a few precisely positioned OH groups or a large quantity of OH groups for ice binding, assisted by long-range solvent perturbation. Copyright © 2012 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genome Cyclization as Strategy for Flavivirus RNA Replication

PubMed Central

Villordo, Sergio M.; Gamarnik, Andrea V.

2017-01-01

Long-range and local RNA-RNA contacts in viral RNA genomes result in tertiary structures that modulate the function of enhancers, promoters, and silencers during translation, RNA replication, and encapsidation. In the case of flaviviruses, the presence of inverted complementary sequences at the 5′ and 3′ ends of the genome mediate long-range RNA interactions and RNA cyclization. The circular conformation of flavivirus genomes was demonstrated to be essential for RNA amplification. New ideas about the mechanisms by which circular genomes participate in flavivirus replication have emerged in the last few years. Here, we will describe the latest information about cis-acting elements involved in flavivirus genome cyclization, RNA promoter elements required for viral polymerase recognition, and how these elements together coordinate viral RNA synthesis. PMID:18703097

Active Control Technology at NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antcliff, Richard R.; McGowan, Anna-Marie R.

2000-01-01

NASA Langley has a long history of attacking important technical Opportunities from a broad base of supporting disciplines. The research and development at Langley in this subject area range from the test tube to the test flight, The information covered here will range from the development of innovative new materials, sensors and actuators, to the incorporation of smart sensors and actuators in practical devices, to the optimization of the location of these devices, to, finally, a wide variety of applications of these devices utilizing Langley's facilities and expertise. Advanced materials are being developed for sensors and actuators, as well as polymers for integrating smart devices into composite structures. Contributions reside in three key areas: computational materials; advanced piezoelectric materials; and integrated composite structures.

Reconstructing Past Admixture Processes from Local Genomic Ancestry Using Wavelet Transformation

PubMed Central

Sanderson, Jean; Sudoyo, Herawati; Karafet, Tatiana M.; Hammer, Michael F.; Cox, Murray P.

2015-01-01

Admixture between long-separated populations is a defining feature of the genomes of many species. The mosaic block structure of admixed genomes can provide information about past contact events, including the time and extent of admixture. Here, we describe an improved wavelet-based technique that better characterizes ancestry block structure from observed genomic patterns. principal components analysis is first applied to genomic data to identify the primary population structure, followed by wavelet decomposition to develop a new characterization of local ancestry information along the chromosomes. For testing purposes, this method is applied to human genome-wide genotype data from Indonesia, as well as virtual genetic data generated using genome-scale sequential coalescent simulations under a wide range of admixture scenarios. Time of admixture is inferred using an approximate Bayesian computation framework, providing robust estimates of both admixture times and their associated levels of uncertainty. Crucially, we demonstrate that this revised wavelet approach, which we have released as the R package adwave, provides improved statistical power over existing wavelet-based techniques and can be used to address a broad range of admixture questions. PMID:25852078

Unveiling the complex network of interactions in Ionic Liquids: a combined EXAFS and Molecular Dynamics approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serva, A.; Migliorati, V.; Lapi, A.; D'Angelo, P.

2016-05-01

The structural properties of geminal dicationic ionic liquids ([Cn (mim)2]Br2)/water mixtures have been investigated by means of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. This synergic approach allowed us to assess the reliability of the MD results and to provide accurate structural information about the first coordination shell of the Br- ion. We found that the local environment around the anion changes as a function of the water concentration, while it is the same independently from the length of the bridge-alkyl chain. Moreover, as regards the long-range structural organization, no tail-tail aggregation occurs with increasing alkyl chain length.

Magic Angle Spinning NMR of Viruses

PubMed Central

Quinn, Caitlin; Lu, Manman; Suiter, Christopher L.; Hou, Guangjin; Zhang, Huilan; Polenova, Tatyana

2015-01-01

Viruses, relatively simple pathogens, are able to replicate in many living organisms and to adapt to various environments. Conventional atomic-resolution structural biology techniques, X-ray crystallography and solution NMR spectroscopy provided abundant information on the structures of individual proteins and nucleic acids comprising viruses; however, viral assemblies are not amenable to analysis by these techniques because of their large size, insolubility, and inherent lack of long-range order. In this article, we review the recent advances in magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy that enabled atomic-resolution analysis of structure and dynamics of large viral systems and give examples of several exciting case studies. PMID:25919197

Contribution of Long-Range Interactions to the Secondary Structure of an Unfolded Globin

PubMed Central

Fedyukina, Daria V.; Rajagopalan, Senapathy; Sekhar, Ashok; Fulmer, Eric C.; Eun, Ye-Jin; Cavagnero, Silvia

2010-01-01

This work explores the effect of long-range tertiary contacts on the distribution of residual secondary structure in the unfolded state of an α-helical protein. N-terminal fragments of increasing length, in conjunction with multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance, were employed. A protein representative of the ubiquitous globin fold was chosen as the model system. We found that, while most of the detectable α-helical population in the unfolded ensemble does not depend on the presence of the C-terminal region (corresponding to the native G and H helices), specific N-to-C long-range contacts between the H and A-B-C regions enhance the helical secondary structure content of the N terminus (A-B-C regions). The simple approach introduced here, based on the evaluation of N-terminal polypeptide fragments of increasing length, is of general applicability to identify the influence of long-range interactions in unfolded proteins. PMID:20816043

Sixty-five years of the long march in protein secondary structure prediction: the final stretch?

PubMed Central

Yang, Yuedong; Gao, Jianzhao; Wang, Jihua; Heffernan, Rhys; Hanson, Jack; Paliwal, Kuldip; Zhou, Yaoqi

2018-01-01

Abstract Protein secondary structure prediction began in 1951 when Pauling and Corey predicted helical and sheet conformations for protein polypeptide backbone even before the first protein structure was determined. Sixty-five years later, powerful new methods breathe new life into this field. The highest three-state accuracy without relying on structure templates is now at 82–84%, a number unthinkable just a few years ago. These improvements came from increasingly larger databases of protein sequences and structures for training, the use of template secondary structure information and more powerful deep learning techniques. As we are approaching to the theoretical limit of three-state prediction (88–90%), alternative to secondary structure prediction (prediction of backbone torsion angles and Cα-atom-based angles and torsion angles) not only has more room for further improvement but also allows direct prediction of three-dimensional fragment structures with constantly improved accuracy. About 20% of all 40-residue fragments in a database of 1199 non-redundant proteins have <6 Å root-mean-squared distance from the native conformations by SPIDER2. More powerful deep learning methods with improved capability of capturing long-range interactions begin to emerge as the next generation of techniques for secondary structure prediction. The time has come to finish off the final stretch of the long march towards protein secondary structure prediction. PMID:28040746

Are Long-Range Structural Correlations Behind the Aggregration Phenomena of Polyglutamine Diseases?

PubMed Central

Moradi, Mahmoud; Babin, Volodymyr; Roland, Christopher; Sagui, Celeste

2012-01-01

We have characterized the conformational ensembles of polyglutamine peptides of various lengths (ranging from to ), both with and without the presence of a C-terminal polyproline hexapeptide. For this, we used state-of-the-art molecular dynamics simulations combined with a novel statistical analysis to characterize the various properties of the backbone dihedral angles and secondary structural motifs of the glutamine residues. For (i.e., just above the pathological length for Huntington's disease), the equilibrium conformations of the monomer consist primarily of disordered, compact structures with non-negligible -helical and turn content. We also observed a relatively small population of extended structures suitable for forming aggregates including - and -strands, and - and -hairpins. Most importantly, for we find that there exists a long-range correlation (ranging for at least residues) among the backbone dihedral angles of the Q residues. For polyglutamine peptides below the pathological length, the population of the extended strands and hairpins is considerably smaller, and the correlations are short-range (at most residues apart). Adding a C-terminal hexaproline to suppresses both the population of these rare motifs and the long-range correlation of the dihedral angles. We argue that the long-range correlation of the polyglutamine homopeptide, along with the presence of these rare motifs, could be responsible for its aggregation phenomena. PMID:22577357

Accurate Prediction of Protein Contact Maps by Coupling Residual Two-Dimensional Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory with Convolutional Neural Networks.

PubMed

Hanson, Jack; Paliwal, Kuldip; Litfin, Thomas; Yang, Yuedong; Zhou, Yaoqi

2018-06-19

Accurate prediction of a protein contact map depends greatly on capturing as much contextual information as possible from surrounding residues for a target residue pair. Recently, ultra-deep residual convolutional networks were found to be state-of-the-art in the latest Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction techniques (CASP12, (Schaarschmidt et al., 2018)) for protein contact map prediction by attempting to provide a protein-wide context at each residue pair. Recurrent neural networks have seen great success in recent protein residue classification problems due to their ability to propagate information through long protein sequences, especially Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) cells. Here we propose a novel protein contact map prediction method by stacking residual convolutional networks with two-dimensional residual bidirectional recurrent LSTM networks, and using both one-dimensional sequence-based and two-dimensional evolutionary coupling-based information. We show that the proposed method achieves a robust performance over validation and independent test sets with the Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curve (AUC)>0.95 in all tests. When compared to several state-of-the-art methods for independent testing of 228 proteins, the method yields an AUC value of 0.958, whereas the next-best method obtains an AUC of 0.909. More importantly, the improvement is over contacts at all sequence-position separations. Specifically, a 8.95%, 5.65% and 2.84% increase in precision were observed for the top L∕10 predictions over the next best for short, medium and long-range contacts, respectively. This confirms the usefulness of ResNets to congregate the short-range relations and 2D-BRLSTM to propagate the long-range dependencies throughout the entire protein contact map 'image'. SPOT-Contact server url: http://sparks-lab.org/jack/server/SPOT-Contact/. Supplementary data is available at Bioinformatics online.

Asymmetric multiscale multifractal analysis of wind speed signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaonei; Zeng, Ming; Meng, Qinghao

We develop a new method called asymmetric multiscale multifractal analysis (A-MMA) to explore the multifractality and asymmetric autocorrelations of the signals with a variable scale range. Three numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. Then, the proposed method is applied to investigate multifractality and asymmetric autocorrelations of difference sequences between wind speed fluctuations with uptrends or downtrends. The results show that these sequences appear to be far more complex and contain abundant fractal dynamics information. Through analyzing the Hurst surfaces of nine difference sequences, we found that all series exhibit multifractal properties and multiscale structures. Meanwhile, the asymmetric autocorrelations are observed in all variable scale ranges and the asymmetry results are of good consistency within a certain spatial range. The sources of multifractality and asymmetry in nine difference series are further discussed using the corresponding shuffled series and surrogate series. We conclude that the multifractality of these series is due to both long-range autocorrelation and broad probability density function, but the major source of multifractality is long-range autocorrelation, and the source of asymmetry is affected by the spatial distance.

Long Range Plan: 1992-1995.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania Coll. of Technology, Williamsport.

Intended to enhance strategic planning and enable staff to work as a team toward a shared vision and common goals, this report presents the 1992-95 long-range plan of the Pennsylvania College of Technology (PCT). Part I defines long-range planning; describes the structure and use of the plan at PCT; presents PCT's philosophy, mission, and vision…

Structure and development of old-growth, unmanaged second-growth, and extended rotation Pinus resinosa forests in Minnesota, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Silver, Emily J.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Fraver, Shawn; Palik, Brian J.; Bradford, John B.

2013-01-01

The structure and developmental dynamics of old-growth forests often serve as important baselines for restoration prescriptions aimed at promoting more complex structural conditions in managed forest landscapes. Nonetheless, long-term information on natural patterns of development is rare for many commercially important and ecologically widespread forest types. Moreover, the effectiveness of approaches recommended for restoring old-growth structural conditions to managed forests, such as the application of extended rotation forestry, has been little studied. This study uses several long-term datasets from old growth, extended rotation, and unmanaged second growth Pinus resinosa (red pine) forests in northern Minnesota, USA, to quantify the range of variation in structural conditions for this forest type and to evaluate the effectiveness of extended rotation forestry at promoting the development of late-successional structural conditions. Long-term tree population data from permanent plots for one of the old-growth stands and the extended rotation stands (87 and 61 years, respectively) also allowed for an examination of the long-term structural dynamics of these systems. Old-growth forests were more structurally complex than unmanaged second-growth and extended rotation red pine stands, due in large part to the significantly higher volumes of coarse woody debris (70.7 vs. 11.5 and 4.7 m3/ha, respectively) and higher snag basal area (6.9 vs. 2.9 and 0.5 m2/ha, respectively). In addition, old-growth forests, although red pine-dominated, contained a greater abundance of other species, including Pinus strobus, Abies balsamea, and Picea glauca relative to the other stand types examined. These differences between stand types largely reflect historic gap-scale disturbances within the old-growth systems and their corresponding structural and compositional legacies. Nonetheless, extended rotation thinning treatments, by accelerating advancement to larger tree diameter classes, generated diameter distributions more closely approximating those found in old growth within a shorter time frame than depicted in long-term examinations of old-growth structural development. These results suggest that extended rotation treatments may accelerate the development of old-growth structural characteristics, provided that coarse woody debris and snags are deliberately retained and created on site. These and other developmental characteristics of old-growth systems can inform forest management when objectives include the restoration of structural conditions found in late-successional forests.

Direct Duplex Detection: An Emerging Tool in the RNA Structure Analysis Toolbox.

PubMed

Weidmann, Chase A; Mustoe, Anthony M; Weeks, Kevin M

2016-09-01

While a variety of powerful tools exists for analyzing RNA structure, identifying long-range and intermolecular base-pairing interactions has remained challenging. Recently, three groups introduced a high-throughput strategy that uses psoralen-mediated crosslinking to directly identify RNA-RNA duplexes in cells. Initial application of these methods highlights the preponderance of long-range structures within and between RNA molecules and their widespread structural dynamics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-range correlation and market segmentation in bond market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhongxing; Yan, Yan; Chen, Xiaosong

2017-09-01

This paper investigates the long-range auto-correlations and cross-correlations in bond market. Based on Detrended Moving Average (DMA) method, empirical results present a clear evidence of long-range persistence that exists in one year scale. The degree of long-range correlation related to maturities has an upward tendency with a peak in short term. These findings confirm the expectations of fractal market hypothesis (FMH). Furthermore, we have developed a method based on a complex network to study the long-range cross-correlation structure and applied it to our data, and found a clear pattern of market segmentation in the long run. We also detected the nature of long-range correlation in the sub-period 2007-2012 and 2011-2016. The result from our research shows that long-range auto-correlations are decreasing in the recent years while long-range cross-correlations are strengthening.

Heart rate, multiple body temperature, long-range and long-life telemetry system for free-ranging animals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lund, G. F.; Westbrook, R. M.; Fryer, T. B.

1980-01-01

The design details and rationale for a versatile, long-range, long-life telemetry data acquisition system for heart rates and body temperatures at multiple locations from free-ranging animals are presented. The design comprises an implantable transmitter for short to medium range transmission, a receiver retransmitter collar to be worn for long-range transmission, and a signal conditioner interface circuit to assist in signal discrimination and demodulation of receiver or tape-recorded audio outputs. Implanted electrodes are used to obtain an ECG, from which R-wave characteristics are selected to trigger a short RF pulse. Pulses carrying heart rate information are interrupted periodically by a series of pulse interval modulated RF pulses conveying temperature information sensed at desired locations by thermistors. Pulse duration and pulse sequencing are used to discriminate between heart rate and temperature pulses as well as radio frequency interference. The implanted transmitter may be used alone for medium and short-range tracking, or with a receiver-transmitter collar that employs commercial tracking equipment for transmissions of up to 12 km. A system prototype has been tested on a dog.

Williamsport Area Community College Long Range Planning: The Long Range Plan, Update 1987.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamsport Area Community Coll., PA.

This update to Williamsport Area Community College's (WACC's) 1984-89 long-range plan offers a status report on each of the plan's 78 objectives, reassigns responsibility for specific objectives to make the plan responsive to the current organizational structure of the college, and offers 11 new objectives for the 1986-87 academic year. After…

Contribution of long-range interactions to the secondary structure of an unfolded globin.

PubMed

Fedyukina, Daria V; Rajagopalan, Senapathy; Sekhar, Ashok; Fulmer, Eric C; Eun, Ye-Jin; Cavagnero, Silvia

2010-09-08

This work explores the effect of long-range tertiary contacts on the distribution of residual secondary structure in the unfolded state of an alpha-helical protein. N-terminal fragments of increasing length, in conjunction with multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance, were employed. A protein representative of the ubiquitous globin fold was chosen as the model system. We found that, while most of the detectable alpha-helical population in the unfolded ensemble does not depend on the presence of the C-terminal region (corresponding to the native G and H helices), specific N-to-C long-range contacts between the H and A-B-C regions enhance the helical secondary structure content of the N terminus (A-B-C regions). The simple approach introduced here, based on the evaluation of N-terminal polypeptide fragments of increasing length, is of general applicability to identify the influence of long-range interactions in unfolded proteins. Copyright 2010 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prediction of protein long-range contacts using an ensemble of genetic algorithm classifiers with sequence profile centers.

PubMed

Chen, Peng; Li, Jinyan

2010-05-17

Prediction of long-range inter-residue contacts is an important topic in bioinformatics research. It is helpful for determining protein structures, understanding protein foldings, and therefore advancing the annotation of protein functions. In this paper, we propose a novel ensemble of genetic algorithm classifiers (GaCs) to address the long-range contact prediction problem. Our method is based on the key idea called sequence profile centers (SPCs). Each SPC is the average sequence profiles of residue pairs belonging to the same contact class or non-contact class. GaCs train on multiple but different pairs of long-range contact data (positive data) and long-range non-contact data (negative data). The negative data sets, having roughly the same sizes as the positive ones, are constructed by random sampling over the original imbalanced negative data. As a result, about 21.5% long-range contacts are correctly predicted. We also found that the ensemble of GaCs indeed makes an accuracy improvement by around 5.6% over the single GaC. Classifiers with the use of sequence profile centers may advance the long-range contact prediction. In line with this approach, key structural features in proteins would be determined with high efficiency and accuracy.

Local Atomic Structure Deviation from Average Structure of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3: Combined X-ray and Neutron Total Scattering Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-27

part of a new generation of ferroelectric materials used in a multitude of piezoelectric applications. This work examines the short and long range...2211 15. SUBJECT TERMS Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3, ferroelectric , structure, Rietveld, local structure Elena Aksel, Jennifer S. Forrester, Juan C. Nino, Katharine...a new generation of ferroelectric materials used in a multitude of piezoelectric applications. This work examines the short and long range structure

Laser vibration sensing at Fraunhofer IOSB: review and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutzmann, Peter; Göhler, Benjamin; Hill, Chris A.; van Putten, Frank

2017-03-01

Laser vibrometry based on coherent detection allows noncontact measurements of small-amplitude vibration characteristics of objects. This technique, commonly using the Doppler effect, offers high potential for short-range civil applications and for medium- or long-range applications in defense and security. Most commercially available laser Doppler vibrometers are for short ranges (up to a few tens of meters) and use a single beam from a low-power HeNe laser source (λ=633 nm). Medium- or long-range applications need higher laser output power, and thus, appropriate vibrometers typically operate at 1.5, 2, or 10.6 μm to meet the laser safety regulations. Spatially resolved vibrational information can be obtained from an object by using scanning laser vibrometers. To reduce measuring time and to measure transient object movements and vibrational mode structures of objects, several approaches to multibeam laser Doppler vibrometry have been developed, and some of them are already commercially available for short ranges. We focus on applications in the field of defense and security, such as target classification and identification, including camouflaged or partly concealed targets, and the detection of buried land mines. Examples of civil medium-range applications are also given.

Long-Range Interactions Restrict Water Transport in Pyrophyllite Interlayers

DOE PAGES

Zarzycki, Piotr; Gilbert, Benjamin

2016-04-27

Water diffusion within smectite clay interlayers is reduced by confinement and hence is highly determined by the interlayer spacings that are adopted during swelling. However, a molecular understanding of the short-and long-range forces governing interlayer water structure and dynamics is lacking. Using molecular dynamics simulations of water intercalated between pyrophyllite (smectite prototype) layers we provide a detailed picture of the variation of interlayered water mobility accompanying smectite expansion. Subtle changes in hydrogen bond network structure cause significant changes in water mobility that is greater for stable hydration states and reduced for intermediate separations. By studying pyrophyllite with and without externalmore » water we reveal that long-range electrostatic forces apply a restraining effect upon interlayer water mobility. Our findings are relevant for broad range of confining nanostructures with walls thin enough to permit long-range interactions that could affect the mobility of confined solvent molecules and solute species.« less

Long-Range Interactions Restrict Water Transport in Pyrophyllite Interlayers

PubMed Central

Zarzycki, Piotr; Gilbert, Benjamin

2016-01-01

Water diffusion within smectite clay interlayers is reduced by confinement and hence is highly determined by the interlayer spacings that are adopted during swelling. However, a molecular understanding of the short- and long-range forces governing interlayer water structure and dynamics is lacking. Using molecular dynamics simulations of water intercalated between pyrophyllite (smectite prototype) layers we provide a detailed picture of the variation of interlayered water mobility accompanying smectite expansion. Subtle changes in hydrogen bond network structure cause significant changes in water mobility that is greater for stable hydration states and reduced for intermediate separations. By studying pyrophyllite with and without external water we reveal that long-range electrostatic forces apply a restraining effect upon interlayer water mobility. Our findings are relevant for broad range of confining nanostructures with walls thin enough to permit long-range interactions that could affect the mobility of confined solvent molecules and solute species. PMID:27118164

Management and Research Applications of Long-range Surveillance Radar Data for Birds, Bats, and Flying Insects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruth, Janet M.; Buler, Jeffrey J.; Diehl, Robert H.; Sojda, Richard S.

2008-01-01

There is renewed interest in using long-range surveillance radar as a biological research tool due to substantial improvements in the network of radars within the United States. Technical improvements, the digital nature of the radar data, and the availability of computing power and geographic information systems, enable a broad range of biological applications. This publication provides a summary of long-range surveillance radar technology and applications of these data to questions about movement patterns of birds and other flying wildlife. The intended audience is potential radar-data end users, including natural-resource management and regulatory agencies, conservation organizations, and industry. This summary includes a definition of long-range surveillance radar, descriptions of its strengths and weaknesses, information on applications of the data, cost, methods of calibration, and what end users need to do, and some key references and resources.

Beam-Dynamics Analysis of Long-Range Wakefield Effects on the SCRF Cavities at the Fast Facility

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

Shin, Young-Min; Bishofberger, Kip; Carlsten, Bruce

Long-range wakefields in superconducting RF (SCRF) cavities create complicated effects on beam dynamics in SCRF-based FEL beamlines. The driving bunch excites effectively an infinite number of structure modes (including HOMs) which oscillate within the SCRF cavity. Couplers with loads are used to damp the HOMs. However, these HOMs can persist for long periods of time in superconducting structures, which leads to long-range wakefields. Clear understanding of the long-range wakefield effects is a critical element for risk mitigation of future SCRF accelerators such as XFEL at DESY, LCLS-II XFEL, and MaRIE XFEL. We are currently developing numerical tools for simulating long-rangemore » wakefields in SCRF accelerators and plan to experimentally verify the tools by measuring these wakefields at the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology (FAST) facility. This paper previews the experimental conditions at the FAST 50 MeV beamline based on the simulation results.« less

NMR structure of biosynthetic engineered human insulin monomer B31(Lys)-B32(Arg) in water/acetonitrile solution. Comparison with the solution structure of native human insulin monomer.

PubMed

Bocian, Wojciech; Borowicz, Piotr; Mikołajczyk, Jerzy; Sitkowski, Jerzy; Tarnowska, Anna; Bednarek, Elzbieta; Głabski, Tadeusz; Tejchman-Małecka, Bozena; Bogiel, Monika; Kozerski, Lech

2008-10-01

A solution NMR-derived structure of a new long -acting, B31(Lys)-B32(Arg) (LysArg), engineered human insulin monomer, in H(2)O/CD(3)CN, 65/35 vol %, pH 3.6, is presented and compared with the available X-ray structure of a monomer that forms part of a hexamer (Smith, et al., Acta Crystallogr D 2003, 59, 474) and with NMR structure of human insulin in the same solvent (Bocian, et al., J Biomol NMR 2008, 40, 55-64). Detailed analysis using PFGSE NMR (Pulsed Field Gradient Spin Echo NMR) in dilution experiments and CSI analysis prove that the structure is monomeric in the concentration range 0.1-3 mM. The presence of long-range interstrand NOEs in a studied structure, relevant to the distances found in the crystal structure of the monomer, provides the evidence for conservation of the tertiary structure. Therefore the results suggest that this solvent system is a suitable medium for studying the native conformation of the protein, especially in situations (as found for insulins) in which extensive aggregation renders structure elucidations in water difficult or impossible. Starting from the structures calculated by the program CYANA, two different molecular dynamics (MD) simulated annealing refinement protocols were applied, either using the program AMBER in vacuum (AMBER_VC), or including a generalized Born solvent model (AMBER_GB). Here we present another independent evidence to the one presented recently by us (Bocian et al., J Biomol NMR 2008, 40, 55-64), that in water/acetonitrile solvent detailed structural and dynamic information can be obtained for important proteins that are naturally present as oligomers under native conditions. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The ins and outs of lncRNA structure: How, why and what comes next?

PubMed

Blythe, Amanda J; Fox, Archa H; Bond, Charles S

2016-01-01

The field of structural biology has the unique advantage of being able to provide a comprehensive picture of biological mechanisms at the molecular and atomic level. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent the new frontier in the molecular biology of complex organisms yet remain the least characterised of all the classes of RNA. Thousands of new lncRNAs are being reported each year yet very little structural data exists for this rapidly expanding field. The length of lncRNAs ranges from 200 nt to over 100 kb in length and they generally exhibit low cellular abundance. Therefore, obtaining sufficient quantities of lncRNA to use for structural analysis is challenging. However, as technologies develop structures of lncRNAs are starting to emerge providing important information regarding their mechanism of action. Here we review the current methods used to determine the structure of lncRNA and lncRNA:protein complexes and describe the significant contribution structural biology has and will make to the field of lncRNA research. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Clues to long noncoding RNA taxonomy1, edited by Dr. Tetsuro Hirose and Dr. Shinichi Nakagawa. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A haptic-inspired audio approach for structural health monitoring decision-making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Zhu; Todd, Michael; Mascareñas, David

2015-03-01

Haptics is the field at the interface of human touch (tactile sensation) and classification, whereby tactile feedback is used to train and inform a decision-making process. In structural health monitoring (SHM) applications, haptic devices have been introduced and applied in a simplified laboratory scale scenario, in which nonlinearity, representing the presence of damage, was encoded into a vibratory manual interface. In this paper, the "spirit" of haptics is adopted, but here ultrasonic guided wave scattering information is transformed into audio (rather than tactile) range signals. After sufficient training, the structural damage condition, including occurrence and location, can be identified through the encoded audio waveforms. Different algorithms are employed in this paper to generate the transformed audio signals and the performance of each encoding algorithms is compared, and also compared with standard machine learning classifiers. In the long run, the haptic decision-making is aiming to detect and classify structural damages in a more rigorous environment, and approaching a baseline-free fashion with embedded temperature compensation.

SimRNA: a coarse-grained method for RNA folding simulations and 3D structure prediction.

PubMed

Boniecki, Michal J; Lach, Grzegorz; Dawson, Wayne K; Tomala, Konrad; Lukasz, Pawel; Soltysinski, Tomasz; Rother, Kristian M; Bujnicki, Janusz M

2016-04-20

RNA molecules play fundamental roles in cellular processes. Their function and interactions with other biomolecules are dependent on the ability to form complex three-dimensional (3D) structures. However, experimental determination of RNA 3D structures is laborious and challenging, and therefore, the majority of known RNAs remain structurally uncharacterized. Here, we present SimRNA: a new method for computational RNA 3D structure prediction, which uses a coarse-grained representation, relies on the Monte Carlo method for sampling the conformational space, and employs a statistical potential to approximate the energy and identify conformations that correspond to biologically relevant structures. SimRNA can fold RNA molecules using only sequence information, and, on established test sequences, it recapitulates secondary structure with high accuracy, including correct prediction of pseudoknots. For modeling of complex 3D structures, it can use additional restraints, derived from experimental or computational analyses, including information about secondary structure and/or long-range contacts. SimRNA also can be used to analyze conformational landscapes and identify potential alternative structures. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Economic and Social Factors in Designing Disease Control Strategies for Epidemics on Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleczkowski, A.; Dybiec, B.; Gilligan, C. A.

2006-11-01

Models for control of epidemics on local, global and small-world networks are considered, with only partial information accessible about the status of individuals and their connections. The main goal of an effective control measure is to stop the epidemic at a lowest possible cost, including treatment and cost necessary to track the disease spread. We show that delay in detection of infectious individuals and presence of long-range links are the most important factors determining the cost. However, the details of long-range links are usually the least-known element of the social interactions due to their occasional character and potentially short life-span. We show that under some conditions on the probability of disease spread, it is advisable to attempt to track those links, even if this involves additional costs. Thus, collecting some additional knowledge about the network structure might be beneficial to ensure a successful and cost-effective control.

Beam-based measurements of long-range transverse wakefields in the Compact Linear Collider main-linac accelerating structure

DOE PAGES

Zha, Hao; Latina, Andrea; Grudiev, Alexej; ...

2016-01-20

The baseline design of CLIC (Compact Linear Collider) uses X-band accelerating structures for its main linacs. In order to maintain beam stability in multibunch operation, long-range transverse wakefields must be suppressed by 2 orders of magnitude between successive bunches, which are separated in time by 0.5 ns. Such strong wakefield suppression is achieved by equipping every accelerating structure cell with four damping waveguides terminated with individual rf loads. A beam-based experiment to directly measure the effectiveness of this long-range transverse wakefield and benchmark simulations was made in the FACET test facility at SLAC using a prototype CLIC accelerating structure. Furthermore,more » the experiment showed good agreement with the simulations and a strong suppression of the wakefields with an unprecedented minimum resolution of 0.1 V/(pC mm m).« less

The nuclear contacts and short range correlations in nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, R.; Cruz-Torres, R.; Barnea, N.; Piasetzky, E.; Hen, O.

2018-05-01

Atomic nuclei are complex strongly interacting systems and their exact theoretical description is a long-standing challenge. An approximate description of nuclei can be achieved by separating its short and long range structure. This separation of scales stands at the heart of the nuclear shell model and effective field theories that describe the long-range structure of the nucleus using a mean-field approximation. We present here an effective description of the complementary short-range structure using contact terms and stylized two-body asymptotic wave functions. The possibility to extract the nuclear contacts from experimental data is presented. Regions in the two-body momentum distribution dominated by high-momentum, close-proximity, nucleon pairs are identified and compared to experimental data. The amount of short-range correlated (SRC) nucleon pairs is determined and compared to measurements. Non-combinatorial isospin symmetry for SRC pairs is identified. The obtained one-body momentum distributions indicate dominance of SRC pairs above the nuclear Fermi-momentum.

Long-range Coulomb effect in above-threshold ionization of Ne subject to few-cycle and multicycle laser fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, SongPo; Quan, Wei; Chen, YongJu; Xiao, ZhiLei; Wang, YanLan; Kang, HuiPeng; Hua, LinQiang; Gong, Cheng; Lai, XuanYang; Liu, XiaoJun; Hao, XiaoLei; Hu, ShiLin; Chen, Jing

2017-06-01

The long-range Coulomb effect (LRCE) is demonstrated experimentally and theoretically by investigating the pulse duration dependence of low-energy structure (LES) in above-threshold ionization of Ne. It is found experimentally that at 800 nm the LES shows itself as a double-hump structure (DHS) in momentum distribution of singly charged ion for Ne, and moreover, this structure is more prominent for multicycle laser fields than for few-cycle cases. This result can be reproduced and explained qualitatively with a semiclassical model and attributed to the paramount role of LRCE. That is to say, after the laser field vanishes, the electrons decelerate while flying away from the core by the long-range tail of Coulomb potential, which eventually makes DHS less notable.

Development of five digits is controlled by a bipartite long-range cis-regulator.

PubMed

Lettice, Laura A; Williamson, Iain; Devenney, Paul S; Kilanowski, Fiona; Dorin, Julia; Hill, Robert E

2014-04-01

Conservation within intergenic DNA often highlights regulatory elements that control gene expression from a long range. How conservation within a single element relates to regulatory information and how internal composition relates to function is unknown. Here, we examine the structural features of the highly conserved ZRS (also called MFCS1) cis-regulator responsible for the spatiotemporal control of Shh in the limb bud. By systematically dissecting the ZRS, both in transgenic assays and within in the endogenous locus, we show that the ZRS is, in effect, composed of two distinct domains of activity: one domain directs spatiotemporal activity but functions predominantly from a short range, whereas a second domain is required to promote long-range activity. We show further that these two domains encode activities that are highly integrated and that the second domain is crucial in promoting the chromosomal conformational changes correlated with gene activity. During limb bud development, these activities encoded by the ZRS are interpreted differently by the fore limbs and the hind limbs; in the absence of the second domain there is no Shh activity in the fore limb, and in the hind limb low levels of Shh lead to a variant digit pattern ranging from two to four digits. Hence, in the embryo, the second domain stabilises the developmental programme providing a buffer for SHH morphogen activity and this ensures that five digits form in both sets of limbs.

Structural synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus induced by spatial experience and its implications in information processing.

PubMed

Carasatorre, M; Ramírez-Amaya, V; Díaz Cintra, S

2016-10-01

Long-lasting memory formation requires that groups of neurons processing new information develop the ability to reproduce the patterns of neural activity acquired by experience. Changes in synaptic efficiency let neurons organise to form ensembles that repeat certain activity patterns again and again. Among other changes in synaptic plasticity, structural modifications tend to be long-lasting which suggests that they underlie long-term memory. There is a large body of evidence supporting that experience promotes changes in the synaptic structure, particularly in the hippocampus. Structural changes to the hippocampus may be functionally implicated in stabilising acquired memories and encoding new information. Copyright © 2012 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Quantum technologies with hybrid systems

PubMed Central

Kurizki, Gershon; Bertet, Patrice; Kubo, Yuimaru; Mølmer, Klaus; Petrosyan, David; Rabl, Peter; Schmiedmayer, Jörg

2015-01-01

An extensively pursued current direction of research in physics aims at the development of practical technologies that exploit the effects of quantum mechanics. As part of this ongoing effort, devices for quantum information processing, secure communication, and high-precision sensing are being implemented with diverse systems, ranging from photons, atoms, and spins to mesoscopic superconducting and nanomechanical structures. Their physical properties make some of these systems better suited than others for specific tasks; thus, photons are well suited for transmitting quantum information, weakly interacting spins can serve as long-lived quantum memories, and superconducting elements can rapidly process information encoded in their quantum states. A central goal of the envisaged quantum technologies is to develop devices that can simultaneously perform several of these tasks, namely, reliably store, process, and transmit quantum information. Hybrid quantum systems composed of different physical components with complementary functionalities may provide precisely such multitasking capabilities. This article reviews some of the driving theoretical ideas and first experimental realizations of hybrid quantum systems and the opportunities and challenges they present and offers a glance at the near- and long-term perspectives of this fascinating and rapidly expanding field. PMID:25737558

Quantum technologies with hybrid systems.

PubMed

Kurizki, Gershon; Bertet, Patrice; Kubo, Yuimaru; Mølmer, Klaus; Petrosyan, David; Rabl, Peter; Schmiedmayer, Jörg

2015-03-31

An extensively pursued current direction of research in physics aims at the development of practical technologies that exploit the effects of quantum mechanics. As part of this ongoing effort, devices for quantum information processing, secure communication, and high-precision sensing are being implemented with diverse systems, ranging from photons, atoms, and spins to mesoscopic superconducting and nanomechanical structures. Their physical properties make some of these systems better suited than others for specific tasks; thus, photons are well suited for transmitting quantum information, weakly interacting spins can serve as long-lived quantum memories, and superconducting elements can rapidly process information encoded in their quantum states. A central goal of the envisaged quantum technologies is to develop devices that can simultaneously perform several of these tasks, namely, reliably store, process, and transmit quantum information. Hybrid quantum systems composed of different physical components with complementary functionalities may provide precisely such multitasking capabilities. This article reviews some of the driving theoretical ideas and first experimental realizations of hybrid quantum systems and the opportunities and challenges they present and offers a glance at the near- and long-term perspectives of this fascinating and rapidly expanding field.

Quantum technologies with hybrid systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurizki, Gershon; Bertet, Patrice; Kubo, Yuimaru; Mølmer, Klaus; Petrosyan, David; Rabl, Peter; Schmiedmayer, Jörg

2015-03-01

An extensively pursued current direction of research in physics aims at the development of practical technologies that exploit the effects of quantum mechanics. As part of this ongoing effort, devices for quantum information processing, secure communication, and high-precision sensing are being implemented with diverse systems, ranging from photons, atoms, and spins to mesoscopic superconducting and nanomechanical structures. Their physical properties make some of these systems better suited than others for specific tasks; thus, photons are well suited for transmitting quantum information, weakly interacting spins can serve as long-lived quantum memories, and superconducting elements can rapidly process information encoded in their quantum states. A central goal of the envisaged quantum technologies is to develop devices that can simultaneously perform several of these tasks, namely, reliably store, process, and transmit quantum information. Hybrid quantum systems composed of different physical components with complementary functionalities may provide precisely such multitasking capabilities. This article reviews some of the driving theoretical ideas and first experimental realizations of hybrid quantum systems and the opportunities and challenges they present and offers a glance at the near- and long-term perspectives of this fascinating and rapidly expanding field.

Knowledge-Based Systems Approach to Wilderness Fire Management.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saveland, James M.

The 1988 and 1989 forest fire seasons in the Intermountain West highlight the shortcomings of current fire policy. To fully implement an optimization policy that minimizes the costs and net value change of resources affected by fire, long-range fire severity information is essential, yet lacking. This information is necessary for total mobility of suppression forces, implementing contain and confine suppression strategies, effectively dealing with multiple fire situations, scheduling summer prescribed burning, and wilderness fire management. A knowledge-based system, Delphi, was developed to help provide long-range information. Delphi provides: (1) a narrative of advice on where a fire might spread, if allowed to burn, (2) a summary of recent weather and fire danger information, and (3) a Bayesian analysis of long-range fire danger potential. Uncertainty is inherent in long-range information. Decision theory and judgment research can be used to help understand the heuristics experts use to make decisions under uncertainty, heuristics responsible both for expert performance and bias. Judgment heuristics and resulting bias are examined from a fire management perspective. Signal detection theory and receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis can be used to develop a long-range forecast to improve decisions. ROC analysis mimics some of the heuristics and compensates for some of the bias. Most importantly, ROC analysis displays a continuum of bias from which an optimum operating point can be selected. ROC analysis is especially appropriate for long-range forecasting since (1) the occurrence of possible future events is stated in terms of probability, (2) skill prediction is displayed, (3) inherent trade-offs are displayed, and (4) fire danger is explicitly defined. Statements on the probability of the energy release component of the National Fire Danger Rating System exceeding a critical value later in the fire season can be made early July in the Intermountain West. Delphi was evaluated formally and informally. Continual evaluation and feedback to update knowledge-based systems results in a repository for current knowledge, and a means to devise policy that will augment existing knowledge. Thus, knowledge-based systems can help implement adaptive resource management.

Long-range energy transfer in self-assembled quantum dot-DNA cascades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodman, Samuel M.; Siu, Albert; Singh, Vivek; Nagpal, Prashant

2015-11-01

The size-dependent energy bandgaps of semiconductor nanocrystals or quantum dots (QDs) can be utilized in converting broadband incident radiation efficiently into electric current by cascade energy transfer (ET) between layers of different sized quantum dots, followed by charge dissociation and transport in the bottom layer. Self-assembling such cascade structures with angstrom-scale spatial precision is important for building realistic devices, and DNA-based QD self-assembly can provide an important alternative. Here we show long-range Dexter energy transfer in QD-DNA self-assembled single constructs and ensemble devices. Using photoluminescence, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, current-sensing AFM measurements in single QD-DNA cascade constructs, and temperature-dependent ensemble devices using TiO2 nanotubes, we show that Dexter energy transfer, likely mediated by the exciton-shelves formed in these QD-DNA self-assembled structures, can be used for efficient transport of energy across QD-DNA thin films.The size-dependent energy bandgaps of semiconductor nanocrystals or quantum dots (QDs) can be utilized in converting broadband incident radiation efficiently into electric current by cascade energy transfer (ET) between layers of different sized quantum dots, followed by charge dissociation and transport in the bottom layer. Self-assembling such cascade structures with angstrom-scale spatial precision is important for building realistic devices, and DNA-based QD self-assembly can provide an important alternative. Here we show long-range Dexter energy transfer in QD-DNA self-assembled single constructs and ensemble devices. Using photoluminescence, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, current-sensing AFM measurements in single QD-DNA cascade constructs, and temperature-dependent ensemble devices using TiO2 nanotubes, we show that Dexter energy transfer, likely mediated by the exciton-shelves formed in these QD-DNA self-assembled structures, can be used for efficient transport of energy across QD-DNA thin films. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04778a

Patent information - towards simplicity or complexity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shenton, Written By Kathleen; Norton, Peter; Onodera, Translated By Natsuo

Since the advent of online services, the ability to search and find chemical patent information has improved immeasurably. Recently, integration of a multitude of files (through file merging as well as cross-file/simultaneous searches), 'intelligent' interfaces and optical technology for large amounts of data seem to achieve greater simplicity and convenience in the retrieval of patent information. In spite of these progresses, there is more essential problem which increases complexity. It is a tendency to expand indefinitely the range of claim for chemical substances by a ultra-generic description of structure (overuse of optional substituents, variable divalent groups, repeating groups, etc.) and long listing of prophetic examples. Not only does this tendency worry producers and searchers of patent databases but also prevents truly worthy inventions in future.

Elaborative rehearsal of nontemporal information interferes with temporal processing of durations in the range of seconds but not milliseconds.

PubMed

Rammsayer, Thomas; Ulrich, Rolf

2011-05-01

The distinct timing hypothesis suggests a sensory mechanism for processing of durations in the range of milliseconds and a cognitively controlled mechanism for processing of longer durations. To test this hypothesis, we employed a dual-task approach to investigate the effects of maintenance and elaborative rehearsal on temporal processing of brief and long durations. Unlike mere maintenance rehearsal, elaborative rehearsal as a secondary task involved transfer of information from working to long-term memory and elaboration of information to enhance storage in long-term memory. Duration discrimination of brief intervals was not affected by a secondary cognitive task that required either maintenance or elaborative rehearsal. Concurrent elaborative rehearsal, however, impaired discrimination of longer durations as compared to maintenance rehearsal and a control condition with no secondary task. These findings endorse the distinct timing hypothesis and are in line with the notion that executive functions, such as continuous memory updating and active transfer of information into long-term memory interfere with temporal processing of durations in the second, but not in the millisecond range. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Correlative nanoscale imaging of actin filaments and their complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Shivani; Zhu, Huanqi; Grintsevich, Elena E.; Reisler, Emil; Gimzewski, James K.

2013-06-01

Actin remodeling is an area of interest in biology in which correlative microscopy can bring a new way to analyze protein complexes at the nanoscale. Advances in EM, X-ray diffraction, fluorescence, and single molecule techniques have provided a wealth of information about the modulation of the F-actin structure and its regulation by actin binding proteins (ABPs). Yet, there are technological limitations of these approaches to achieving quantitative molecular level information on the structural and biophysical changes resulting from ABPs interaction with F-actin. Fundamental questions about the actin structure and dynamics and how these determine the function of ABPs remain unanswered. Specifically, how local and long-range structural and conformational changes result in ABPs induced remodeling of F-actin needs to be addressed at the single filament level. Advanced, sensitive and accurate experimental tools for detailed understanding of ABP-actin interactions are much needed. This article discusses the current understanding of nanoscale structural and mechanical modulation of F-actin by ABPs at the single filament level using several correlative microscopic techniques, focusing mainly on results obtained by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analysis of ABP-actin complexes.

Global Organization of a Positive-strand RNA Virus Genome

PubMed Central

Wu, Baodong; Grigull, Jörg; Ore, Moriam O.; Morin, Sylvie; White, K. Andrew

2013-01-01

The genomes of plus-strand RNA viruses contain many regulatory sequences and structures that direct different viral processes. The traditional view of these RNA elements are as local structures present in non-coding regions. However, this view is changing due to the discovery of regulatory elements in coding regions and functional long-range intra-genomic base pairing interactions. The ∼4.8 kb long RNA genome of the tombusvirus tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) contains these types of structural features, including six different functional long-distance interactions. We hypothesized that to achieve these multiple interactions this viral genome must utilize a large-scale organizational strategy and, accordingly, we sought to assess the global conformation of the entire TBSV genome. Atomic force micrographs of the genome indicated a mostly condensed structure composed of interconnected protrusions extending from a central hub. This configuration was consistent with the genomic secondary structure model generated using high-throughput selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analysed by primer extension (i.e. SHAPE), which predicted different sized RNA domains originating from a central region. Known RNA elements were identified in both domain and inter-domain regions, and novel structural features were predicted and functionally confirmed. Interestingly, only two of the six long-range interactions known to form were present in the structural model. However, for those interactions that did not form, complementary partner sequences were positioned relatively close to each other in the structure, suggesting that the secondary structure level of viral genome structure could provide a basic scaffold for the formation of different long-range interactions. The higher-order structural model for the TBSV RNA genome provides a snapshot of the complex framework that allows multiple functional components to operate in concert within a confined context. PMID:23717202

Structure of aqueous proline via parallel tempering molecular dynamics and neutron diffraction.

PubMed

Troitzsch, R Z; Martyna, G J; McLain, S E; Soper, A K; Crain, J

2007-07-19

The structure of aqueous L-proline amino acid has been the subject of much debate centering on the validity of various proposed models, differing widely in the extent to which local and long-range correlations are present. Here, aqueous proline is investigated by atomistic, replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations, and the results are compared to neutron diffraction and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) data, which have been reported recently (McLain, S.; Soper, A.; Terry, A.; Watts, A. J. Phys. Chem. B 2007, 111, 4568). Comparisons between neutron experiments and simulation are made via the static structure factor S(Q) which is measured and computed from several systems with different H/D isotopic compositions at a concentration of 1:20 molar ratio. Several different empirical water models (TIP3P, TIP4P, and SPC/E) in conjunction with the CHARMM22 force field are investigated. Agreement between experiment and simulation is reasonably good across the entire Q range although there are significant model-dependent variations in some cases. In general, agreement is improved slightly upon application of approximate quantum corrections obtained from gas-phase path integral simulations. Dimers and short oligomeric chains formed by hydrogen bonds (frequently bifurcated) coexist with apolar (hydrophobic) contacts. These emerge as the dominant local motifs in the mixture. Evidence for long-range association is more equivocal: No long-range structures form spontaneously in the MD simulations, and no obvious low-Q signature is seen in the SANS data. Moreover, associations introduced artificially to replicate a long-standing proposed mesoscale structure for proline correlations as an initial condition are annealed out by parallel tempering MD simulations. However, some small residual aggregates do remain, implying a greater degree of long-range order than is apparent in the SANS data.

Dataset of MIGRAME Project (Global Change, Altitudinal Range Shift and Colonization of Degraded Habitats in Mediterranean Mountains)

PubMed Central

Pérez-Luque, Antonio Jesús; Zamora, Regino; Bonet, Francisco Javier; Pérez-Pérez, Ramón

2015-01-01

Abstract In this data paper, we describe the dataset of the Global Change, Altitudinal Range Shift and Colonization of Degraded Habitats in Mediterranean Mountains (MIGRAME) project, which aims to assess the capacity of altitudinal migration and colonization of marginal habitats by Quercus pyrenaica Willd. forests in Sierra Nevada (southern Spain) considering two global-change drivers: temperature increase and land-use changes. The dataset includes information of the forest structure (diameter size, tree height, and abundance) of the Quercus pyrenaica ecosystem in Sierra Nevada obtained from 199 transects sampled at the treeline ecotone, mature forest, and marginal habitats (abandoned cropland and pine plantations). A total of 3839 occurrence records were collected and 5751 measurements recorded. The dataset is included in the Sierra Nevada Global-Change Observatory (OBSNEV), a long-term research project designed to compile socio-ecological information on the major ecosystem types in order to identify the impacts of global change in this mountain range. PMID:26491387

Magnetic structure in Mn1 -xCoxGe compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altynbaev, E.; Siegfried, S.-A.; Strauß, P.; Menzel, D.; Heinemann, A.; Fomicheva, L.; Tsvyashchenko, A.; Grigoriev, S.

2018-04-01

The magnetic system of the pseudobinary compound Mn1 -xCoxGe has been studied using small-angle neutron scattering and susceptibility measurements. It is found that Mn1 -xCoxGe orders magnetically at low temperatures in the whole concentration range of x ∈[0 /0.9 ] . Four different states of the magnetic structure have been found at low temperatures: the long-range-ordered (LRO) short-period helical magnetic structure at x

Structuring and coding in health care records: a qualitative analysis using diabetes as a case study.

PubMed

Robertson, Ann R R; Fernando, Bernard; Morrison, Zoe; Kalra, Dipak; Sheikh, Aziz

2015-03-27

Globally, diabetes mellitus presents a substantial and increasing burden to individuals, health care systems and society. Structuring and coding of information in the electronic health record underpin attempts to improve sharing and searching for information. Digital records for those with long-term conditions are expected to bring direct and secondary uses benefits, and potentially to support patient self-management. We sought to investigate if how and why records for adults with diabetes were structured and coded and to explore a range of UK stakeholders' perceptions of current practice in the National Health Service. We carried out a qualitative, theoretically informed case study of documenting health care information for diabetes in family practice and hospital settings in England, using semi-structured interviews, observations, systems demonstrations and documentary data. We conducted 22 interviews and four on-site observations. With respect to secondary uses - research, audit, public health and service planning - interviewees clearly articulated the benefits of highly structured and coded diabetes data and it was believed that benefits would expand through linkage to other datasets. Direct, more marginal, clinical benefits in terms of managing and monitoring diabetes and perhaps encouraging patient self-management were also reported. We observed marked differences in levels of record structuring and/or coding between family practices, where it was high, and the hospital. We found little evidence that structured and coded data were being exploited to improve information sharing between care settings. Using high levels of data structuring and coding in records for diabetes patients has the potential to be exploited more fully, and lessons might be learned from successful developments elsewhere in the UK. A first step would be for hospitals to attain levels of health information technology infrastructure and systems use commensurate with family practices.

RDC-enhanced structure calculation of a β-heptapeptide in methanol.

PubMed

Rigling, Carla; Ebert, Marc-Olivier

2017-07-01

Residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) are a rich source of structural information that goes beyond the range covered by the nuclear Overhauser effect or scalar coupling constants. They can only be measured in partially oriented samples. RDC studies of peptides in organic solvents have so far been focused on samples in chloroform or DMSO. Here, we show that stretched poly(vinyl acetate) can be used for the partial alignment of a linear β-peptide with proteinogenic side chains in methanol. 1 D CH , 1 D NH , and 2 D HH RDCs were collected with this sample and included as restraints in a simulated annealing calculation. Incorporation of RDCs in the structure calculation process improves the long-range definition in the backbone of the resulting 3 14 -helix and uncovers side-chain mobility. Experimental side-chain RDCs of the central leucine and valine residues are in good agreement with predicted values from a local three-state model. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

High-energy X-ray powder diffraction and atomic-pair distribution-function studies of charged/discharged structures in carbon-hybridized Li2MnSiO4 nanoparticles as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moriya, Maki; Miyahara, Masahiko; Hokazono, Mana; Sasaki, Hirokazu; Nemoto, Atsushi; Katayama, Shingo; Akimoto, Yuji; Hirano, Shin-ichi; Ren, Yang

2014-10-01

The stable cycling performance with a high discharge capacity of ∼190 mAh g-1 in a carbon-hybridized Li2MnSiO4 nanostructured powder has prompted an experimental investigation of the charged/discharged structures using synchrotron-based and laboratory-based X-rays and atomic-pair distribution-function (PDF) analyses. A novel method of in-situ spray pyrolysis of a precursor solution with glucose as a carbon source enabled the successful synthesis of the carbon-hybridized Li2MnSiO4 nanoparticles. The XRD patters of the discharged (lithiated) samples exhibit a long-range ordered structure characteristic of the (β) Li2MnSiO4 crystalline phase (space group Pmn21) which dissipates in the charged (delithiated) samples. However, upon discharging the long-range ordered structure recovers in each cycle. The disordered structure, according to the PDF analysis, is mainly due to local distortions of the MnO4 tetrahedra which show a mean Mn-O nearest neighbor distance shorter than that of the long-range ordered phase. These results corroborate the notion of the smaller Mn3+/Mn4+ ionic radii in the Li extracted phase versus the larger Mn2+ ionic radius in Li inserted phase. Thus Li extraction/insertion drives the fluctuation between the disordered and the long-range ordered structures.

Design of a high capacity long range cargo aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisshaar, Terrence A.

1994-01-01

This report examines the design of a long range cargo transport to attempt to reduce ton-mile shipping costs and to stimulate the air cargo market. This design effort involves the usual issues but must also include consideration of: airport terminal facilities; cargo loading and unloading; and defeating the 'square-cube' law to design large structures. This report reviews the long range transport design problem and several solutions developed by senior student design teams at Purdue University. The results show that it will be difficult to build large transports unless the infrastructure is changed and unless the basic form of the airplane changes so that aerodynamic and structural efficiencies are employed.

Aggregation of heteropolyanions in aqueous solutions exhibiting short-range attractions and long-range repulsions

DOE PAGES

Bera, Mrinal K.; Qiao, Baofu; Seifert, Soenke; ...

2015-12-15

Charged colloids and proteins in aqueous solutions interact via short-range attractions and long-range repulsions (SALR) and exhibit complex structural phases. These include homogeneously dispersed monomers, percolated monomers, clusters, and percolated clusters. We report the structural architectures of simple charged systems in the form of spherical, Keggin-type heteropolyanions (HPAs) by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Structure factors obtained from the SAXS measurements show that the HPAs interact via SALR. Concentration and temperature dependences of the structure factors for HPAs with –3e (e is the charge of an electron) charge are consistent with a mixture of nonassociated monomersmore » and associated randomly percolated monomers, whereas those for HPAs with –4e and –5e charges exhibit only nonassociated monomers in aqueous solutions. Our experiments show that the increase in magnitude of the charge of the HPAs increases their repulsive interactions and inhibits their aggregation in aqueous solutions. MD simulations were done to reveal the atomistic scale origins of SALR between HPAs. As a result, the short-range attractions result from water or proton-mediated hydrogen bonds between neighboring HPAs, whereas the long-range repulsions are due to the distributions of ions surrounding the HPAs.« less

Kinetics of Polydomain Ordering at Second-Order Phase Transitions (by the Example of the AuCu3 Alloy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feldman, E. P.; Stefanovich, L. I.; Gumennyk, K. V.

2008-08-01

Kinetics of polydomain spinodal ordering is studied in alloys of AuCu3 type. We introduce four non-conserved long-range order parameters whose sum, however, is conserved and, using the statistical approach, follow the temporal evolution of their random spatial distribution after a rapid temperature quench. A system of nonlinear differential equations for correlators of second and third order is derived. Asymptotical analysis of this system allows to investigate the scaling regime, which develops on the late stages of evolution and to extract additional information concerning the rate of decrease of the specific volume of disordered regions and the rate of decrease of the average thickness of antiphase boundaries. Comparison of these results to experimental data is given. The quench below the spinodal and the onset of long-range order may be separated by the incubation time, whose origin is different from that in first-order phase transitions. Numerical integration of equations for correlators shows also, that it is possible to prepare a sample in such a way that its further evolution will go with formation of transient kinetically slowed polydomain structures different from the final L12 structure.

Ferroelectrics under the Synchrotron Light: A Review.

PubMed

Fuentes-Cobas, Luis E; Montero-Cabrera, María E; Pardo, Lorena; Fuentes-Montero, Luis

2015-12-30

Currently, an intensive search for high-performance lead-free ferroelectric materials is taking place. ABO₃ perovskites (A = Ba, Bi, Ca, K and Na; B = Fe, Nb, Ti, and Zr) appear as promising candidates. Understanding the structure-function relationship is mandatory, and, in this field, the roles of long- and short-range crystal orders and interactions are decisive. In this review, recent advances in the global and local characterization of ferroelectric materials by synchrotron light diffraction, scattering and absorption are analyzed. Single- and poly-crystal synchrotron diffraction studies allow high-resolution investigations regarding the long-range average position of ions and subtle global symmetry break-downs. Ferroelectric materials, under the action of electric fields, undergo crystal symmetry, crystallite/domain orientation distribution and strain condition transformations. Methodological aspects of monitoring these processes are discussed. Two-dimensional diffraction clarify larger scale ordering: polycrystal texture is measured from the intensities distribution along the Debye rings. Local order is investigated by diffuse scattering (DS) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) experiments. DS provides information about thermal, chemical and displacive low-dimensional disorders. XAFS investigation of ferroelectrics reveals local B-cation off-centering and oxidation state. This technique has the advantage of being element-selective. Representative reports of the mentioned studies are described.

Development of a long-gauge vibration sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kung, Peter; Comanici, Maria I.; Li, Qian; Zhang, Yiwei

2014-11-01

Recently, we found that by terminating a long length of fiber of up to 1 km with an in-fiber cavity structure, the entire structure can detect vibrations over a frequency range from 5 Hz to 100 Hz. We want to determine whether the structure (including packaging) can be optimized to detect vibrations at even higher frequencies. The structure can be used as a distributed vibration sensor mounted on large motors and other rotating machines to capture the entire frequency spectrum of the associated vibration signals, and therefore, replace the many accelerometers, which add to the maintenance cost. Similarly, it will help detect in-slot vibrations which cause intermittent contact leading to sparking under high voltages inside air-cooled generators. However, that will require the sensor to detect frequencies associated with vibration sparking, ranging from 6 kHz to 15 kHz. Then, at even higher frequencies, the structure can be useful to detect acoustic vibrations (30 kHz to 150 kHz) associated with partial discharge (PD) in generators and transformers. Detecting lower frequencies in the range 2 Hz to 200 Hz makes the sensor suitable for seismic studies and falls well into the vibrations associated with rotating machines. Another application of interest is corrosion detection in large reenforced concrete structures by inserting the sensor along a long hole drilled around structures showing signs of corrosion. The frequency response for the proposed long-gauge vibration sensor depends on packaging.

On the use of big-bang method to generate low-energy structures of atomic clusters modeled with pair potentials of different ranges.

PubMed

Marques, J M C; Pais, A A C C; Abreu, P E

2012-02-05

The efficiency of the so-called big-bang method for the optimization of atomic clusters is analysed in detail for Morse pair potentials with different ranges; here, we have used Morse potentials with four different ranges, from long- ρ = 3) to short-ranged ρ = 14) interactions. Specifically, we study the efficacy of the method in discovering low-energy structures, including the putative global minimum, as a function of the potential range and the cluster size. A new global minimum structure for long-ranged ρ = 3) Morse potential at the cluster size of n= 240 is reported. The present results are useful to assess the maximum cluster size for each type of interaction where the global minimum can be discovered with a limited number of big-bang trials. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Combining short- and long-range fluorescence reporters with simulations to explore the intramolecular dynamics of an intrinsically disordered protein.

PubMed

Zosel, Franziska; Haenni, Dominik; Soranno, Andrea; Nettels, Daniel; Schuler, Benjamin

2017-10-21

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are increasingly recognized as a class of molecules that can exert essential biological functions even in the absence of a well-defined three-dimensional structure. Understanding the conformational distributions and dynamics of these highly flexible proteins is thus essential for explaining the molecular mechanisms underlying their function. Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a powerful tool for probing intramolecular distances and the rapid long-range distance dynamics in IDPs. To complement the information from FRET, we combine it with photoinduced electron transfer (PET) quenching to monitor local loop-closure kinetics at the same time and in the same molecule. Here we employed this combination to investigate the intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain of HIV-1 integrase. The results show that both long-range dynamics and loop closure kinetics on the sub-microsecond time scale can be obtained reliably from a single set of measurements by the analysis with a comprehensive model of the underlying photon statistics including both FRET and PET. A more detailed molecular interpretation of the results is enabled by direct comparison with a recent extensive atomistic molecular dynamics simulation of integrase. The simulations are in good agreement with experiment and can explain the deviation from simple models of chain dynamics by the formation of persistent local secondary structure. The results illustrate the power of a close combination of single-molecule spectroscopy and simulations for advancing our understanding of the dynamics and detailed mechanisms in unfolded and intrinsically disordered proteins.

Combining short- and long-range fluorescence reporters with simulations to explore the intramolecular dynamics of an intrinsically disordered protein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zosel, Franziska; Haenni, Dominik; Soranno, Andrea; Nettels, Daniel; Schuler, Benjamin

2017-10-01

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are increasingly recognized as a class of molecules that can exert essential biological functions even in the absence of a well-defined three-dimensional structure. Understanding the conformational distributions and dynamics of these highly flexible proteins is thus essential for explaining the molecular mechanisms underlying their function. Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a powerful tool for probing intramolecular distances and the rapid long-range distance dynamics in IDPs. To complement the information from FRET, we combine it with photoinduced electron transfer (PET) quenching to monitor local loop-closure kinetics at the same time and in the same molecule. Here we employed this combination to investigate the intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain of HIV-1 integrase. The results show that both long-range dynamics and loop closure kinetics on the sub-microsecond time scale can be obtained reliably from a single set of measurements by the analysis with a comprehensive model of the underlying photon statistics including both FRET and PET. A more detailed molecular interpretation of the results is enabled by direct comparison with a recent extensive atomistic molecular dynamics simulation of integrase. The simulations are in good agreement with experiment and can explain the deviation from simple models of chain dynamics by the formation of persistent local secondary structure. The results illustrate the power of a close combination of single-molecule spectroscopy and simulations for advancing our understanding of the dynamics and detailed mechanisms in unfolded and intrinsically disordered proteins.

Cellular self-organization by autocatalytic alignment feedback

PubMed Central

Junkin, Michael; Leung, Siu Ling; Whitman, Samantha; Gregorio, Carol C.; Wong, Pak Kin

2011-01-01

Myoblasts aggregate, differentiate and fuse to form skeletal muscle during both embryogenesis and tissue regeneration. For proper muscle function, long-range self-organization of myoblasts is required to create organized muscle architecture globally aligned to neighboring tissue. However, how the cells process geometric information over distances considerably longer than individual cells to self-organize into well-ordered, aligned and multinucleated myofibers remains a central question in developmental biology and regenerative medicine. Using plasma lithography micropatterning to create spatial cues for cell guidance, we show a physical mechanism by which orientation information can propagate for a long distance from a geometric boundary to guide development of muscle tissue. This long-range alignment occurs only in differentiating myoblasts, but not in non-fusing myoblasts perturbed by microfluidic disturbances or other non-fusing cell types. Computational cellular automata analysis of the spatiotemporal evolution of the self-organization process reveals that myogenic fusion in conjunction with rotational inertia functions in a self-reinforcing manner to enhance long-range propagation of alignment information. With this autocatalytic alignment feedback, well-ordered alignment of muscle could reinforce existing orientations and help promote proper arrangement with neighboring tissue and overall organization. Such physical self-enhancement might represent a fundamental mechanism for long-range pattern formation during tissue morphogenesis. PMID:22193956

Historical comparisons reveal multiple drivers of decadal change of an ecosystem engineer at the range edge

PubMed Central

Firth, Louise B; Mieszkowska, Nova; Grant, Lisa M; Bush, Laura E; Davies, Andrew J; Frost, Matthew T; Moschella, Paula S; Burrows, Michael T; Cunningham, Paul N; Dye, Stephen R; Hawkins, Stephen J

2015-01-01

Biogenic reefs are important for habitat provision and coastal protection. Long-term datasets on the distribution and abundance of Sabellaria alveolata (L.) are available from Britain. The aim of this study was to combine historical records and contemporary data to (1) describe spatiotemporal variation in winter temperatures, (2) document short-term and long-term changes in the distribution and abundance of S. alveolata and discuss these changes in relation to extreme weather events and recent warming, and (3) assess the potential for artificial coastal defense structures to function as habitat for S. alveolata. A semi-quantitative abundance scale (ACFOR) was used to compare broadscale, long-term and interannual abundance of S. alveolata near its range edge in NW Britain. S. alveolata disappeared from the North Wales and Wirral coastlines where it had been abundant prior to the cold winter of 1962/1963. Population declines were also observed following the recent cold winters of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. Extensive surveys in 2004 and 2012 revealed that S. alveolata had recolonized locations from which it had previously disappeared. Furthermore, it had increased in abundance at many locations, possibly in response to recent warming. S. alveolata was recorded on the majority of artificial coastal defense structures surveyed, suggesting that the proliferation of artificial coastal defense structures along this stretch of coastline may have enabled S. alveolata to spread across stretches of unsuitable natural habitat. Long-term and broadscale contextual monitoring is essential for monitoring responses of organisms to climate change. Historical data and gray literature can be invaluable sources of information. Our results support the theory that Lusitanian species are responding positively to climate warming but also that short-term extreme weather events can have potentially devastating widespread and lasting effects on organisms. Furthermore, the proliferation of coastal defense structures has implications for phylogeography, population genetics, and connectivity of coastal populations. PMID:26355379

Long-term irradiance observation and short-term flare prediction with LYRA on PROBA2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dammasch, Ingolf; Dominique, Marie; West, Matthew; Katsiyannis, Thanassis; Ryan, Daniel; Wauters, Laurence

The solar radiometer LYRA on board the ESA micro-satellite PROBA2 has observed the Sun continuously since January 2010 in various spectral band passes, and has gained a considerable data base. Two of the LYRA channels cover the irradiance between soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet. The variation of the sunspot number appears to show a strong similarity with the variation of these channels, when their long-range development is taken into account. The same holds for SXR levels observed by the GOES satellites. Due to LYRA's bandwidth and coverage of various active-region temperatures, its relatively smooth development may yield some information on the structure of the current solar cycle. On its websites, LYRA presents not only EUV and SXR time series in near real-time, but also information on flare parameters and long-term irradiance and sunspot levels. It will be demonstrated whether it is possible to aid space weather forecast with these statistical data, especially for the prediction of expected flare strength on a daily basis.

Fast-SG: an alignment-free algorithm for hybrid assembly.

PubMed

Di Genova, Alex; Ruz, Gonzalo A; Sagot, Marie-France; Maass, Alejandro

2018-05-01

Long-read sequencing technologies are the ultimate solution for genome repeats, allowing near reference-level reconstructions of large genomes. However, long-read de novo assembly pipelines are computationally intense and require a considerable amount of coverage, thereby hindering their broad application to the assembly of large genomes. Alternatively, hybrid assembly methods that combine short- and long-read sequencing technologies can reduce the time and cost required to produce de novo assemblies of large genomes. Here, we propose a new method, called Fast-SG, that uses a new ultrafast alignment-free algorithm specifically designed for constructing a scaffolding graph using light-weight data structures. Fast-SG can construct the graph from either short or long reads. This allows the reuse of efficient algorithms designed for short-read data and permits the definition of novel modular hybrid assembly pipelines. Using comprehensive standard datasets and benchmarks, we show how Fast-SG outperforms the state-of-the-art short-read aligners when building the scaffoldinggraph and can be used to extract linking information from either raw or error-corrected long reads. We also show how a hybrid assembly approach using Fast-SG with shallow long-read coverage (5X) and moderate computational resources can produce long-range and accurate reconstructions of the genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana (Ler-0) and human (NA12878). Fast-SG opens a door to achieve accurate hybrid long-range reconstructions of large genomes with low effort, high portability, and low cost.

Quantum measurement-induced antiferromagnetic order and density modulations in ultracold Fermi gases in optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzucchi, Gabriel; Caballero-Benitez, Santiago F.; Mekhov, Igor B.

2016-08-01

Ultracold atomic systems offer a unique tool for understanding behavior of matter in the quantum degenerate regime, promising studies of a vast range of phenomena covering many disciplines from condensed matter to quantum information and particle physics. Coupling these systems to quantized light fields opens further possibilities of observing delicate effects typical of quantum optics in the context of strongly correlated systems. Measurement backaction is one of the most funda- mental manifestations of quantum mechanics and it is at the core of many famous quantum optics experiments. Here we show that quantum backaction of weak measurement can be used for tailoring long-range correlations of ultracold fermions, realizing quantum states with spatial modulations of the density and magnetization, thus overcoming usual requirement for a strong interatomic interactions. We propose detection schemes for implementing antiferromagnetic states and density waves. We demonstrate that such long-range correlations cannot be realized with local addressing, and they are a consequence of the competition between global but spatially structured backaction of weak quantum measurement and unitary dynamics of fermions.

Computer Literacy in '84: Pepperdine Prepares.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Higher Education, 1982

1982-01-01

Pepperdine University's long-range plan to assure that its liberal arts graduates are computer literate includes faculty training, microcomputer availability to faculty and students, faculty committees addressing long- and short-range curriculum needs, and course development for information technology literacy. Available from California Higher…

Development of five digits is controlled by a bipartite long-range cis-regulator

PubMed Central

Lettice, Laura A.; Williamson, Iain; Devenney, Paul S.; Kilanowski, Fiona; Dorin, Julia; Hill, Robert E.

2014-01-01

Conservation within intergenic DNA often highlights regulatory elements that control gene expression from a long range. How conservation within a single element relates to regulatory information and how internal composition relates to function is unknown. Here, we examine the structural features of the highly conserved ZRS (also called MFCS1) cis-regulator responsible for the spatiotemporal control of Shh in the limb bud. By systematically dissecting the ZRS, both in transgenic assays and within in the endogenous locus, we show that the ZRS is, in effect, composed of two distinct domains of activity: one domain directs spatiotemporal activity but functions predominantly from a short range, whereas a second domain is required to promote long-range activity. We show further that these two domains encode activities that are highly integrated and that the second domain is crucial in promoting the chromosomal conformational changes correlated with gene activity. During limb bud development, these activities encoded by the ZRS are interpreted differently by the fore limbs and the hind limbs; in the absence of the second domain there is no Shh activity in the fore limb, and in the hind limb low levels of Shh lead to a variant digit pattern ranging from two to four digits. Hence, in the embryo, the second domain stabilises the developmental programme providing a buffer for SHH morphogen activity and this ensures that five digits form in both sets of limbs. PMID:24715461

Long-Range Correlations in Sentence Series from A Story of the Stone

PubMed Central

Yang, Tianguang; Gu, Changgui; Yang, Huijie

2016-01-01

A sentence is the natural unit of language. Patterns embedded in series of sentences can be used to model the formation and evolution of languages, and to solve practical problems such as evaluating linguistic ability. In this paper, we apply de-trended fluctuation analysis to detect long-range correlations embedded in sentence series from A Story of the Stone, one of the greatest masterpieces of Chinese literature. We identified a weak long-range correlation, with a Hurst exponent of 0.575±0.002 up to a scale of 104. We used the structural stability to confirm the behavior of the long-range correlation, and found that different parts of the series had almost identical Hurst exponents. We found that noisy records can lead to false results and conclusions, even if the noise covers a limited proportion of the total records (e.g., less than 1%). Thus, the structural stability test is an essential procedure for confirming the existence of long-range correlations, which has been widely neglected in previous studies. Furthermore, a combination of de-trended fluctuation analysis and diffusion entropy analysis demonstrated that the sentence series was generated by a fractional Brownian motion. PMID:27648941

Long-Range Correlations in Sentence Series from A Story of the Stone.

PubMed

Yang, Tianguang; Gu, Changgui; Yang, Huijie

2016-01-01

A sentence is the natural unit of language. Patterns embedded in series of sentences can be used to model the formation and evolution of languages, and to solve practical problems such as evaluating linguistic ability. In this paper, we apply de-trended fluctuation analysis to detect long-range correlations embedded in sentence series from A Story of the Stone, one of the greatest masterpieces of Chinese literature. We identified a weak long-range correlation, with a Hurst exponent of 0.575±0.002 up to a scale of 104. We used the structural stability to confirm the behavior of the long-range correlation, and found that different parts of the series had almost identical Hurst exponents. We found that noisy records can lead to false results and conclusions, even if the noise covers a limited proportion of the total records (e.g., less than 1%). Thus, the structural stability test is an essential procedure for confirming the existence of long-range correlations, which has been widely neglected in previous studies. Furthermore, a combination of de-trended fluctuation analysis and diffusion entropy analysis demonstrated that the sentence series was generated by a fractional Brownian motion.

Unsupervised learning in neural networks with short range synapses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunnet, L. G.; Agnes, E. J.; Mizusaki, B. E. P.; Erichsen, R., Jr.

2013-01-01

Different areas of the brain are involved in specific aspects of the information being processed both in learning and in memory formation. For example, the hippocampus is important in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, while emotional memory seems to be dealt by the amygdala. On the microscopic scale the underlying structures in these areas differ in the kind of neurons involved, in their connectivity, or in their clustering degree but, at this level, learning and memory are attributed to neuronal synapses mediated by longterm potentiation and long-term depression. In this work we explore the properties of a short range synaptic connection network, a nearest neighbor lattice composed mostly by excitatory neurons and a fraction of inhibitory ones. The mechanism of synaptic modification responsible for the emergence of memory is Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity (STDP), a Hebbian-like rule, where potentiation/depression is acquired when causal/non-causal spikes happen in a synapse involving two neurons. The system is intended to store and recognize memories associated to spatial external inputs presented as simple geometrical forms. The synaptic modifications are continuously applied to excitatory connections, including a homeostasis rule and STDP. In this work we explore the different scenarios under which a network with short range connections can accomplish the task of storing and recognizing simple connected patterns.

Pathways for best practice diffusion: the structure of informal relationships in Canada's long-term care sector.

PubMed

Dearing, James W; Beacom, Amanda M; Chamberlain, Stephanie A; Meng, Jingbo; Berta, Whitney B; Keefe, Janice M; Squires, Janet E; Doupe, Malcolm B; Taylor, Deanne; Reid, Robert Colin; Cook, Heather; Cummings, Greta G; Baumbusch, Jennifer L; Knopp-Sihota, Jennifer; Norton, Peter G; Estabrooks, Carole A

2017-02-03

Initiatives to accelerate the adoption and implementation of evidence-based practices benefit from an association with influential individuals and organizations. When opinion leaders advocate or adopt a best practice, others adopt too, resulting in diffusion. We sought to identify existing influence throughout Canada's long-term care sector and the extent to which informal advice-seeking relationships tie the sector together as a network. We conducted a sociometric survey of senior leaders in 958 long-term care facilities operating in 11 of Canada's 13 provinces and territories. We used an integrated knowledge translation approach to involve knowledge users in planning and administering the survey and in analyzing and interpreting the results. Responses from 482 senior leaders generated the names of 794 individuals and 587 organizations as sources of advice for improving resident care in long-term care facilities. A single advice-seeking network appears to span the nation. Proximity exhibits a strong effect on network structure, with provincial inter-organizational networks having more connections and thus a denser structure than interpersonal networks. We found credible individuals and organizations within groups (opinion leaders and opinion-leading organizations) and individuals and organizations that function as weak ties across groups (boundary spanners and bridges) for all studied provinces and territories. A good deal of influence in the Canadian long-term care sector rests with professionals such as provincial health administrators not employed in long-term care facilities. The Canadian long-term care sector is tied together through informal advice-seeking relationships that have given rise to an emergent network structure. Knowledge of this structure and engagement with its opinion leaders and boundary spanners may provide a route for stimulating the adoption and effective implementation of best practices, improving resident care and strengthening the long-term care advice network. We conclude that informal relational pathways hold promise for helping to transform the Canadian long-term care sector.

Structural characteristics and properties of the regenerated silk fibroin prepared from formic acid.

PubMed

Um, I C; Kweon, H Y; Park, Y H; Hudson, S

2001-08-20

Structural characteristics and thermal and solution properties of the regenerated silk fibroin (SF) prepared from formic acid (FU) were compared with those of SF from water (AU). According to the turbidity and shear viscosity measurement, SF formic acid solution was stable and transparent, no molecular aggregations occurred. The sample FU exhibited the beta-sheet structure, while AU random coil conformation using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry. The effects of methanol treatment on samples were also examined. According to the measurement of crystallinity (XRD) and crystallinity index (FTIR), the concept of long/short-range ordered structure formation was proposed. Long-range ordered crystallites are predominantly formed for methanol treated SF film while SF film cast from formic acid favors the formation of short-range ordered structure. The relaxation temperatures of SF films measured by dynamic thermomechanical analysis supported the above mechanism due to the sensitivity of relaxation temperature on the short-range order.

Mosaic organization of DNA nucleotides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peng, C. K.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Havlin, S.; Simons, M.; Stanley, H. E.; Goldberger, A. L.

1994-01-01

Long-range power-law correlations have been reported recently for DNA sequences containing noncoding regions. We address the question of whether such correlations may be a trivial consequence of the known mosaic structure ("patchiness") of DNA. We analyze two classes of controls consisting of patchy nucleotide sequences generated by different algorithms--one without and one with long-range power-law correlations. Although both types of sequences are highly heterogenous, they are quantitatively distinguishable by an alternative fluctuation analysis method that differentiates local patchiness from long-range correlations. Application of this analysis to selected DNA sequences demonstrates that patchiness is not sufficient to account for long-range correlation properties.

Long-range dependence and multifractality in the term structure of LIBOR interest rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cajueiro, Daniel O.; Tabak, Benjamin M.

2007-01-01

In this paper we present evidence of long-range dependence in LIBOR interest rates. We study a data set from 2000 to 2005, for six different currencies and various maturities. Empirical results suggest that the degree of long-range dependence decreases with maturity, with the exception of interest rates on Japanese Yen and on Indonesian Rupiah. Furthermore, interest rates have a multifractal nature and the degree of multifractality is much stronger for Indonesia (emerging market). These findings suggest that interest rates derivatives should take these features into account. Furthermore, fixed income risk and portfolio management should incorporate long-range dependence in the modeling of interest rates.

A two-dimensional polymer synthesized at the air/water interface.

PubMed

Schlüter, A Dieter; Müller, Vivian; Hinaut, Antoine; Moradi, Mina; Baljozovic, Milos; Jung, Thomas; Shahgaldian, Patrick; Möhwald, Helmuth; Hofer, Gregor; Kröger, Martin; King, Benjamin; Meyer, Ernst; Glatzel, Thilo

2018-06-11

A trifunctional, partially fluorinated anthracene-substituted triptycene monomer is spread at the air/water interface into a monolayer, which is transformed into a long-range ordered 2D polymer by irradiation with a standard ultraviolet lamp using 365 nm light. The polymer is analyzed by Brewster angle microscopy directly at this interface and by scanning tunneling microscopy measurements and non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM), both after transfer from below the interface onto highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and then into ultra-high vacuum. Both methods confirm a network structure, the lattice parameters of which are virtually identical to a structural model network based on X-ray diffractometry of a closely related 2D polymer unequivocally established in a single crystal. The nc-AFM images are obtained with unprecedentedly high resolution and prove long-range order over areas of at least 300 × 300 nm2. As required for a 2D polymer, the pore sizes are monodisperse, except for the regions, where the network is somewhat stretched because it spans over protrusions. Together with a previous report on the nature of the cross-links in this network, the structural information provided here leaves no doubt that a 2D polymer has been synthesized under ambient conditions at an air/water interface. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

HSQC-1,n-ADEQUATE: a new approach to long-range 13C-13C correlation by covariance processing.

PubMed

Martin, Gary E; Hilton, Bruce D; Willcott, M Robert; Blinov, Kirill A

2011-10-01

Long-range, two-dimensional heteronuclear shift correlation NMR methods play a pivotal role in the assembly of novel molecular structures. The well-established GHMBC method is a high-sensitivity mainstay technique, affording connectivity information via (n)J(CH) coupling pathways. Unfortunately, there is no simple way of determining the value of n and hence no way of differentiating two-bond from three- and occasionally four-bond correlations. Three-bond correlations, however, generally predominate. Recent work has shown that the unsymmetrical indirect covariance or generalized indirect covariance processing of multiplicity edited GHSQC and 1,1-ADEQUATE spectra provides high-sensitivity access to a (13)C-(13) C connectivity map in the form of an HSQC-1,1-ADEQUATE spectrum. Covariance processing of these data allows the 1,1-ADEQUATE connectivity information to be exploited with the inherent sensitivity of the GHSQC spectrum rather than the intrinsically lower sensitivity of the 1,1-ADEQUATE spectrum itself. Data acquisition times and/or sample size can be substantially reduced when covariance processing is to be employed. In an extension of that work, 1,n-ADEQUATE spectra can likewise be subjected to covariance processing to afford high-sensitivity access to the equivalent of (4)J(CH) GHMBC connectivity information. The method is illustrated using strychnine as a model compound. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Finer parcellation reveals detailed correlational structure of resting-state fMRI signals.

PubMed

Dornas, João V; Braun, Jochen

2018-01-15

Even in resting state, the human brain generates functional signals (fMRI) with complex correlational structure. To simplify this structure, it is common to parcellate a standard brain into coarse chunks. Finer parcellations are considered less reproducible and informative, due to anatomical and functional variability of individual brains. Grouping signals with similar local correlation profiles, restricted to each anatomical region (Tzourio-Mazoyer et al., 2002), we divide a standard brain into 758 'functional clusters' averaging 1.7cm 3 gray matter volume ('MD758' parcellation). We compare 758 'spatial clusters' of similar size ('S758'). 'Functional clusters' are spatially contiguous and cluster quality (integration and segregation of temporal variance) is far superior to 'spatial clusters', comparable to multi-modal parcellations of half the resolution (Craddock et al., 2012; Glasser et al., 2016). Moreover, 'functional clusters' capture many long-range functional correlations, with O(10 5 ) reproducibly correlated cluster pairs in different anatomical regions. The pattern of functional correlations closely mirrors long-range anatomical connectivity established by fibre tracking. MD758 is comparable to coarser parcellations (Craddock et al., 2012; Glasser et al., 2016) in terms of cluster quality, correlational structure (54% relative mutual entropy vs 60% and 61%), and sparseness (35% significant pairwise correlations vs 36% and 44%). We describe and evaluate a simple path to finer functional parcellations of the human brain. Detailed correlational structure is surprisingly consistent between individuals, opening new possibilities for comparing functional correlations between cognitive conditions, states of health, or pharmacological interventions. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a long-gauge vibration sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kung, Peter; Comanici, Maria I.

2014-06-01

Recently, we found that by terminating a long length of fiber of up to 2 km with an in-fiber cavity structure, the entire structure can detect vibrations over a frequency range from 5 Hz to 100 Hz. We want to determine whether the structure (including packaging) can be optimized to detect vibrations at even higher frequencies. The structure can be used as a distributed vibration sensor mounted on large motors and other rotating machines to capture the entire frequency spectrum of the associated vibration signals, and therefore, replace the many accelerometers, which add to the maintenance cost. Similarly, it will help detect in-slot vibrations which cause intermittent contact leading to sparking under high voltages inside air-cooled generators. However, that will require the sensor to detect frequencies associated with vibration sparking, ranging from 6 kHz to 15 kHz. Then, at even higher frequencies, the structure can be useful to detect acoustic vibrations (30 kHz to 150 kHz) associated with partial discharge (PD) in generators and transformers. Detecting lower frequencies in the range 2 Hz to 200 Hz makes the sensor suitable for seismic studies and falls well into the vibrations associated with rotating machines. Another application of interest is corrosion detection in large re-enforced concrete structures by inserting the sensor along a long hole drilled around structures showing signs of corrosion. The frequency response for the proposed long-gauge vibration sensor depends on packaging.

Improving the Lieb-Robinson Bound for Long-Range Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuta, Takuro; Koma, Tohru; Nakamura, Shu

2017-02-01

We improve the Lieb-Robinson bound for a wide class of quantum many-body systems with long-range interactions decaying by power law. As an application, we show that the group velocity of information propagation grows by power law in time for such systems, whereas systems with short-range interactions exhibit a finite group velocity as shown by Lieb and Robinson.

Monitoring long-range electron transfer pathways in proteins by stimulated attosecond broadband X-ray Raman spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Yu; Biggs, Jason D.; Govind, Niranjan; ...

2014-10-09

In this study, long-range electron transfer (ET) plays a key role in many biological energy conversion and synthesis processes. We show that nonlinear spectroscopy with attosecond X-ray pulses provides a real time movie of the evolving oxidation states and electron densities around atoms, and can probe these processes with high spatial and temporal resolution. This is demonstrated in a simulation study of the stimulated X-ray Raman (SXRS) signals in Re-modified azurin, which had long served as a benchmark for long-range ET in proteins. Nonlinear SXRS signals are sensitive to the local electronic structure and should offer a novel window formore » long-range ET.« less

PSYCHE CPMG-HSQMBC: An NMR Spectroscopic Method for Precise and Simple Measurement of Long-Range Heteronuclear Coupling Constants.

PubMed

Timári, István; Szilágyi, László; Kövér, Katalin E

2015-09-28

Among the NMR spectroscopic parameters, long-range heteronuclear coupling constants convey invaluable information on torsion angles relevant to glycosidic linkages of carbohydrates. A broadband homonuclear decoupled PSYCHE CPMG-HSQMBC method for the precise and direct measurement of multiple-bond heteronuclear couplings is presented. The PSYCHE scheme built into the pulse sequence efficiently eliminates unwanted proton-proton splittings from the heteronuclear multiplets so that the desired heteronuclear couplings can be determined simply by measuring frequency differences between peak maxima of pure antiphase doublets. Moreover, PSYCHE CPMG-HSQMBC can provide significant improvement in sensitivity as compared to an earlier Zangger-Sterk-based method. Applications of the proposed pulse sequence are demonstrated for the extraction of (n)J((1)H,(77)Se) and (n)J((1)H,(13)C) values, respectively, in carbohydrates; further extensions can be envisioned in any J-based structural and conformational studies. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Order-disorder effects in structure and color relation of photonic-crystal-type nanostructures in butterfly wing scales.

PubMed

Márk, Géza I; Vértesy, Zofia; Kertész, Krisztián; Bálint, Zsolt; Biró, László P

2009-11-01

In order to study local and global order in butterfly wing scales possessing structural colors, we have developed a direct space algorithm, based on averaging the local environment of the repetitive units building up the structure. The method provides the statistical distribution of the local environments, including the histogram of the nearest-neighbor distance and the number of nearest neighbors. We have analyzed how the different kinds of randomness present in the direct space structure influence the reciprocal space structure. It was found that the Fourier method is useful in the case of a structure randomly deviating from an ordered lattice. The direct space averaging method remains applicable even for structures lacking long-range order. Based on the first Born approximation, a link is established between the reciprocal space image and the optical reflectance spectrum. Results calculated within this framework agree well with measured reflectance spectra because of the small width and moderate refractive index contrast of butterfly scales. By the analysis of the wing scales of Cyanophrys remus and Albulina metallica butterflies, we tested the methods for structures having long-range order, medium-range order, and short-range order.

Order-disorder effects in structure and color relation of photonic-crystal-type nanostructures in butterfly wing scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Márk, Géza I.; Vértesy, Zofia; Kertész, Krisztián; Bálint, Zsolt; Biró, László P.

2009-11-01

In order to study local and global order in butterfly wing scales possessing structural colors, we have developed a direct space algorithm, based on averaging the local environment of the repetitive units building up the structure. The method provides the statistical distribution of the local environments, including the histogram of the nearest-neighbor distance and the number of nearest neighbors. We have analyzed how the different kinds of randomness present in the direct space structure influence the reciprocal space structure. It was found that the Fourier method is useful in the case of a structure randomly deviating from an ordered lattice. The direct space averaging method remains applicable even for structures lacking long-range order. Based on the first Born approximation, a link is established between the reciprocal space image and the optical reflectance spectrum. Results calculated within this framework agree well with measured reflectance spectra because of the small width and moderate refractive index contrast of butterfly scales. By the analysis of the wing scales of Cyanophrys remus and Albulina metallica butterflies, we tested the methods for structures having long-range order, medium-range order, and short-range order.

The public gets what the public wants: experiences of public reporting in long-term care in Europe.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Ricardo; Trigg, Lisa; Schmidt, Andrea E; Leichsenring, Kai

2014-05-01

Public reporting of quality in long-term care is advocated on the basis of allowing providers to improve their performance by benchmarking and supporting users to choose the best providers. Both mechanisms are intended to drive improvements in quality. However, there is relatively scarce comparative research on the experiences and impact of public reporting on quality in long-term care in Europe. Using information gathered from key informants by means of a structured questionnaire and country profiles, this paper discusses experiences with public reporting mechanisms in seven European countries and available information on their impact on quality in long-term care. Countries surveyed included a variety of public reporting schemes, ranging from pilot programmes to statutory mechanisms. Public reporting mechanisms more often focus on institutional care. Inspections carried out as part of a legal quality assurance framework are the main source of information gathering, supplemented by provider self-assessments in the context of internal quality management and user satisfaction surveys. Information on quality goes well beyond structural indicators to also include indicators on quality of life of users. Information is displayed using numerical scores (percentages), but also measures such as ratings (similar to school grades) and ticks and crosses. Only one country corrects for case-mix. The internet is the preferred medium of displaying information. There was little evidence to show whether public reporting has a significant impact on driving users' choices of provider. Studies reported low awareness of quality indicators among potential end users and information was not always displayed in a convenient format, e.g. through complicated numerical scores. There is scarce evidence of public reporting directly causing improved quality, although the relative youth and the pilot characteristics of some of the schemes covered here could also have contributed to downplay their impact. The establishment of public reporting mechanisms did however contribute to shaping the discussion on quality measurement in several of the countries surveyed. The findings presented in this paper highlight the need to consider some factors in the discussion of the impact of public reporting in long-term care, namely, the organisation of care markets, frequently characterised by limited competition; the circumstances under which user choice takes place, often made under conditions of duress; and the leadership conditions needed to bring about improvements in quality in different care settings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural disorder within sendai virus nucleoprotein and phosphoprotein: insight into the structural basis of molecular recognition.

PubMed

Jensen, Malene Ringkjøbing; Bernadó, Pau; Houben, Klaartje; Blanchard, Laurence; Marion, Dominque; Ruigrok, Rob W H; Blackledge, Martin

2010-08-01

Intrinsically disordered regions of significant length are present throughout eukaryotic genomes, and are particularly prevalent in viral proteins. Due to their inherent flexibility, these proteins inhabit a conformational landscape that is too complex to be described by classical structural biology. The elucidation of the role that conformational flexibility plays in molecular function will redefine our understanding of the molecular basis of biological function, and the development of appropriate technology to achieve this aim remains one of the major challenges for the future of structural biology. NMR is the technique of choice for studying intrinsically disordered proteins, providing information about structure, flexibility and interactions at atomic resolution even in completely disordered proteins. In particular residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) are sensitive and powerful tools for determining local and long-range structural behaviour in flexible proteins. Here we describe recent applications of the use of RDCs to quantitatively describe the level of local structure in intrinsically disordered proteins involved in replication and transcription in Sendai virus.

Field dependence of the magnetic correlations of the frustrated magnet SrDy 2 O 4

DOE PAGES

Gauthier, N.; Fennell, A.; Prévost, B.; ...

2017-05-30

Tmore » he frustrated magnet SrDy 2 O 4 exhibits a field-induced phase with a magnetization plateau at 1 / 3 of the saturation value for magnetic fields applied along the b axis. We report here a neutron scattering study of the nature and symmetry of the magnetic order in this field-induced phase. Below ≈ 0.5 K, there are strong hysteretic effects, and the order is short- or long-ranged for zero-field and field cooling, respectively. We find that the long-range ordered magnetic structure within the zigzag chains is identical to that expected for the one-dimensional axial next-nearest neighbor Ising (ANNNI) model in longitudinal fields. he long-range ordered structure in field contrasts with the short-range order found at zero field, and is most likely reached through enhanced quantum fluctuations with increasing fields.« less

Field dependence of the magnetic correlations of the frustrated magnet SrDy2O4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauthier, N.; Fennell, A.; Prévost, B.; Désilets-Benoit, A.; Dabkowska, H. A.; Zaharko, O.; Frontzek, M.; Sibille, R.; Bianchi, A. D.; Kenzelmann, M.

2017-05-01

The frustrated magnet SrDy2O4 exhibits a field-induced phase with a magnetization plateau at 1 /3 of the saturation value for magnetic fields applied along the b axis. We report here a neutron scattering study of the nature and symmetry of the magnetic order in this field-induced phase. Below T ≈0.5 K, there are strong hysteretic effects, and the order is short- or long-ranged for zero-field and field cooling, respectively. We find that the long-range ordered magnetic structure within the zigzag chains is identical to that expected for the one-dimensional axial next-nearest neighbor Ising (ANNNI) model in longitudinal fields. The long-range ordered structure in field contrasts with the short-range order found at zero field, and is probably reached through enhanced quantum fluctuations with increasing fields.

Vivid structural colors with low angle dependence from long-range ordered photonic crystal films.

PubMed

Su, Xin; Xia, Hongbo; Zhang, Shufen; Tang, Bingtao; Wu, Suli

2017-03-02

Structural colored materials have attracted increasing attention due to their vivid color effects and non-photobleaching characteristics. However, the angle dependence of these structural colors severely restricts their practical applications, for example, in display and sensing devices. Here, a new strategy for obtaining low angle dependent structural colors is demonstrated by fabricating long-range ordered photonic crystal films. By using spheres with high refractive indices as building blocks, the angle dependence of the obtained colors has been strongly suppressed. Green, golden yellow and red structural colored films with low angle dependence were obtained by using 145 nm, 165 nm and 187 nm Cu 2 O spheres as building blocks, respectively. SEM images confirmed the long-range highly ordered arrays of the Cu 2 O photonic crystal films. Reflectance spectra and digital photographs clearly demonstrate the low angle dependence of these structural colors, which is in sharp comparison with the case of polystyrene (PS) and SiO 2 photonic crystal films. Furthermore, these structural colors are vivid with high color saturation, not only under black background, but also under white background and natural light without adding any light-absorbing agents. These low angle dependent structural colors endow Cu 2 O photonic crystal films with great potential in practical applications. Our findings may broaden the strategies for the design and fabrication of angle independent structural colored materials.

Spatial genetic structure of Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis) among Alaskan, Canadian, and Russian breeding populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Robert E.; Gust, J R; Petersen, Margaret; Talbot, Sandra L.

2016-01-01

Arctic ecosystems are changing at an unprecedented rate. How Arctic species are able to respond to such environmental change is partially dependent on the connections between local and broadly distributed populations. For species like the Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis), we have limited telemetry and band-recovery information from which to infer population structure and migratory connectivity; however, genetic analyses can offer additional insights. To examine population structure in the Long-tailed Duck, we characterized variation at mtDNA control region and microsatellite loci among four breeding areas in Alaska, Canada, and Russia. We observed significant differences in the variance of mtDNA haplotype frequencies between the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) and the three Arctic locations (Arctic Coastal Plain in Alaska, eastern Siberia, and central Canadian Arctic). However, like most sea duck genetic assessments, our study found no evidence of population structure based on autosomal microsatellite loci. Long-tailed Ducks use multiple wintering areas where pair formation occurs with some populations using both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This situation provides a greater opportunity for admixture across breeding locales, which would likely homogenize the nuclear genome even in the presence of female philopatry. The observed mtDNA differentiation was largely due to the presence of two divergent clades: (A) a clade showing signs of admixture among all breeding locales and (B) a clade primarily composed of YKD samples. We hypothesize that the pattern of mtDNA differentiation reflects some degree of philopatry to the YKD and isolation of two refugial populations with subsequent expansion and admixture. We recommend additional genetic assessments throughout the circumpolar range of Long-tailed Ducks to further quantify aspects of genetic diversity and migratory connectivity in this species.

R2C: improving ab initio residue contact map prediction using dynamic fusion strategy and Gaussian noise filter.

PubMed

Yang, Jing; Jin, Qi-Yu; Zhang, Biao; Shen, Hong-Bin

2016-08-15

Inter-residue contacts in proteins dictate the topology of protein structures. They are crucial for protein folding and structural stability. Accurate prediction of residue contacts especially for long-range contacts is important to the quality of ab inito structure modeling since they can enforce strong restraints to structure assembly. In this paper, we present a new Residue-Residue Contact predictor called R2C that combines machine learning-based and correlated mutation analysis-based methods, together with a two-dimensional Gaussian noise filter to enhance the long-range residue contact prediction. Our results show that the outputs from the machine learning-based method are concentrated with better performance on short-range contacts; while for correlated mutation analysis-based approach, the predictions are widespread with higher accuracy on long-range contacts. An effective query-driven dynamic fusion strategy proposed here takes full advantages of the two different methods, resulting in an impressive overall accuracy improvement. We also show that the contact map directly from the prediction model contains the interesting Gaussian noise, which has not been discovered before. Different from recent studies that tried to further enhance the quality of contact map by removing its transitive noise, we designed a new two-dimensional Gaussian noise filter, which was especially helpful for reinforcing the long-range residue contact prediction. Tested on recent CASP10/11 datasets, the overall top L/5 accuracy of our final R2C predictor is 17.6%/15.5% higher than the pure machine learning-based method and 7.8%/8.3% higher than the correlated mutation analysis-based approach for the long-range residue contact prediction. http://www.csbio.sjtu.edu.cn/bioinf/R2C/Contact:hbshen@sjtu.edu.cn Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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

Wojcik, Roza; Webb, Ian K.; Deng, Liulin

Understanding the biological mechanisms related to lipids and glycolipids is challenging due to the vast number of possible isomers. Mass spectrometry (MS) measurements are currently the dominant approach for studying and providing detailed information on lipid and glycolipid structures. However, difficulties in distinguishing many structural isomers (e.g. distinct acyl chain positions, double bond locations, as well as glycan isomers) inhibit the understanding of their biological roles. Here we utilized ultra-high resolution ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) separations based upon the use of traveling waves in a serpentine long path length multi-pass Structures for Lossless Manipulations (SLIM) to enhance isomer resolution. Themore » multi-pass arrangement allowed separations ranging from ~16 m (1 pass) to ~470 m (32 passes) to be investigated for the distinction of lipids and glycolipids with extremely small structural differences. Lastly, these ultra-high resolution SLIM IMS-MS analyses provide a foundation for exploring and better understanding isomer specific biological and disease processes.« less

Probing long-range structural order in SnPc/Ag(111) by umklapp process assisted low-energy angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jauernik, Stephan; Hein, Petra; Gurgel, Max; Falke, Julian; Bauer, Michael

2018-03-01

Laser-based angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is performed on tin-phthalocyanine (SnPc) adsorbed on silver Ag(111). Upon adsorption of SnPc, strongly dispersing bands are observed which are identified as secondary Mahan cones formed by surface umklapp processes acting on photoelectrons from the silver substrate as they transit through the ordered adsorbate layer. We show that the photoemission data carry quantitative structural information on the adsorbate layer similar to what can be obtained from a conventional low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) study. More specifically, we compare photoemission data and LEED data probing an incommensurate-to-commensurate structural phase transition of the adsorbate layer. Based on our results we propose that Mahan-cone spectroscopy operated in a pump-probe configuration can be used in the future to probe structural dynamics at surfaces with a temporal resolution in the sub-100-fs regime.

Effect of long-range repulsive Coulomb interactions on packing structure of adhesive particles.

PubMed

Chen, Sheng; Li, Shuiqing; Liu, Wenwei; Makse, Hernán A

2016-02-14

The packing of charged micron-sized particles is investigated using discrete element simulations based on adhesive contact dynamic model. The formation process and the final obtained structures of ballistic packings are studied to show the effect of interparticle Coulomb force. It is found that increasing the charge on particles causes a remarkable decrease of the packing volume fraction ϕ and the average coordination number 〈Z〉, indicating a looser and chainlike structure. Force-scaling analysis shows that the long-range Coulomb interaction changes packing structures through its influence on particle inertia before they are bonded into the force networks. Once contact networks are formed, the expansion effect caused by repulsive Coulomb forces are dominated by short-range adhesion. Based on abundant results from simulations, a dimensionless adhesion parameter Ad*, which combines the effects of the particle inertia, the short-range adhesion and the long-range Coulomb interaction, is proposed and successfully scales the packing results for micron-sized particles within the latest derived adhesive loose packing (ALP) regime. The structural properties of our packings follow well the recent theoretical prediction which is described by an ensemble approach based on a coarse-grained volume function, indicating some kind of universality in the low packing density regime of the phase diagram regardless of adhesion or particle charge. Based on the comprehensive consideration of the complicated inter-particle interactions, our findings provide insight into the roles of short-range adhesion and repulsive Coulomb force during packing formation and should be useful for further design of packings.

Advanced materials for multilayer mirrors for extreme ultraviolet solar astronomy.

PubMed

Bogachev, S A; Chkhalo, N I; Kuzin, S V; Pariev, D E; Polkovnikov, V N; Salashchenko, N N; Shestov, S V; Zuev, S Y

2016-03-20

We provide an analysis of contemporary multilayer optics for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) solar astronomy in the wavelength ranges: λ=12.9-13.3  nm, λ=17-21  nm, λ=28-33  nm, and λ=58.4  nm. We found new material pairs, which will make new spaceborne experiments possible due to the high reflection efficiencies, spectral resolution, and long-term stabilities of the proposed multilayer coatings. In the spectral range λ=13  nm, Mo/Be multilayer mirrors were shown to demonstrate a better ratio of reflection efficiency and spectral resolution compared with the commonly used Mo/Si. In the spectral range λ=17-21  nm, a new multilayer structure Al/Si was proposed, which had higher spectral resolution along with comparable reflection efficiency compared with the commonly used Al/Zr multilayer structures. In the spectral range λ=30  nm, the Si/B₄C/Mg/Cr multilayer structure turned out to best obey reflection efficiency and long-term stability. The B₄C and Cr layers prevented mutual diffusion of the Si and Mg layers. For the spectral range λ=58  nm, a new multilayer Mo/Mg-based structure was developed; its reflection efficiency and long-term stability have been analyzed. We also investigated intrinsic stresses inherent for most of the multilayer structures and proposed possibilities for stress elimination.

Remembrance of ecohydrologic extremes past

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Band, L. E.; Hwang, T.

2013-12-01

Ecohydrological systems operate at time scales that span several orders of magnitude. Significant processes and feedbacks range from subdaily physiologic response to meteorological drivers, to soil forming and geomorphic processes ranging up through 10^3-10^4 years. While much attention in ecohydrology has focused on ecosystem optimization paradigms, these systems can show significant transience in structure and function, with apparent memory of hydroclimate extremes and regime shifts. While optimization feedbacks can be reconciled with system transience, a better understanding of the time scales and mechanisms of adjustment to increased hydroclimate variability and to specific events is required to understand and predict dynamics and vulnerability of ecosystems. Under certain circumstances of slowly varying hydroclimate, we hypothesize that ecosystems can remain adjusted to changing climate regimes, without displaying apparent system memory. Alternatively, rapid changes in hydroclimate and increased hydroclimate variability, amplified with well expressed non-linearity in the processes controlling feedbacks between water, carbon and nutrients, can move ecosystems far from adjusted states. The Coweeta Hydrological Laboratory is typical of humid, broadleaf forests in eastern North America, with a range of forest biomes from northern hardwoods at higher elevations, to oak-pine assemblages at lower elevations. The site provides almost 80 years of rainfall-runoff records for a set of watersheds under different management, along with multi-decadal forest plot structural information, soil moisture conditions and stream chemistry. An initial period of multi-decadal cooling, was followed by three decades of warming and increased hydroclimate variability. While mean temperature has risen over this time period, precipitation shows no long term trends in the mean, but has had a significant rise in variability with repeated extreme drought and wet periods. Over this latter period, intra and interannual shifts of canopy structure and phenology are discernable, along with long term canopy adjustment. We use a combination of field observations, long term remote sensing records and distributed ecohydrological modeling to investigate transient behavior, apparent memory and mechanisms of ecosystem adjustment to hydroclimate variability and change over the range of biomes in the watershed.

Requirements on paramagnetic relaxation enhancement data for membrane protein structure determination by NMR.

PubMed

Gottstein, Daniel; Reckel, Sina; Dötsch, Volker; Güntert, Peter

2012-06-06

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure calculations of the α-helical integral membrane proteins DsbB, GlpG, and halorhodopsin show that distance restraints from paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) can provide sufficient structural information to determine their structure with an accuracy of about 1.5 Å in the absence of other long-range conformational restraints. Our systematic study with simulated NMR data shows that about one spin label per transmembrane helix is necessary for obtaining enough PRE distance restraints to exclude wrong topologies, such as pseudo mirror images, if only limited other NMR restraints are available. Consequently, an experimentally realistic amount of PRE data enables α-helical membrane protein structure determinations that would not be feasible with the very limited amount of conventional NOESY data normally available for these systems. These findings are in line with our recent first de novo NMR structure determination of a heptahelical integral membrane protein, proteorhodopsin, that relied extensively on PRE data. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategic Long Range Planning for Universities. AIR Forum 1980 Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Michael E.

The use of strategic long-range planning at Carnegie-Mellon University (CMU) is discussed. A structure for strategic planning analysis that integrates existing techniques is presented, and examples of planning activities at CMU are included. The key concept in strategic planning is competitive advantage: if a university has a competitive…

Long Range Planning for Computer Use--A Task Force Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raucher, S. M.; Koehler, T. J.

A Management Operations Review and Evaluation (MORE) study of the Department of Management Information and Computer Services, which was completed in the fall of 1980, strongly recommended that the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) develop a long-range plan to meet the computer needs of schools and central offices. In response to this…

Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Shells as Enabling Material for Information-Rich Design and Architecture.

PubMed

Schwartz, Mathew; Lenzini, Gabriele; Geng, Yong; Rønne, Peter B; Ryan, Peter Y A; Lagerwall, Jan P F

2018-05-14

The responsive and dynamic character of liquid crystals (LCs), arising from their ability to self-organize into long-range ordered structures while maintaining fluidity, has given them a role as key enabling materials in the information technology that surrounds us today. Ongoing research hints at future LC-based technologies of entirely different types, for instance by taking advantage of the peculiar behavior of cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) subject to curvature. Spherical shells of CLC reflect light omnidirectionally with specific polarization and wavelength, tunable from the UV to the infrared (IR) range, with complex patterns arising when many of them are brought together. Here, these properties are analyzed and explained, and future application opportunities from an interdisciplinary standpoint are discussed. By incorporating arrangements of CLC shells in smart facades or vehicle coatings, or in objects of high value subject to counterfeiting, game-changing future uses might arise in fields spanning information security, design, and architecture. The focus here is on the challenges of a digitized and information-rich future society where humans increasingly rely on technology and share their space with autonomous vehicles, drones, and robots. © 2018 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Recovery of Stishovite-Structure at Ambient Conditions out of Shock-Generated Amorphous Silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, S. N.; Tschauner, O.; Asimow, P. D.; Ahrens, T. J.

2006-12-01

We show that bulk amorphous silica recovered from shock wave experiments on quartz to 56 GPa is not a true glass but rather keeps a large degree of long range structural information that can be recovered by static cold recompression to 13 GPa. At this pressure shock-retrieved silica assumes the structure of crystalline stishovite. This amorphous-crystal transition is characterized by long coherence length, resulting in formation of large crystallites. Therefore, the shock-recovered amorphous material studied here is a slightly disordered six-fold coordinated silica phase but not a glass, which possesses only medium range order [1]. It is therefore most likely that stishovite or a structurally closely related solid phase represent the state this material had assumed during shock, while post-shock heating to 500 -1000 K [2-4] induces the observed slight disorder. This probable memory-effect allows for physically more precise characterization of diaplectic silica `glass' and may be extended to other diaplectic `glasses' [1] O.Tschauner, S.N. Luo, P.D.Asimow, T.J. Ahrens, Am. Min. in print (2006) [2] J. Wackerle, Journal of Applied Physics, 33, 922 - 937 (1962) [3] M.B. Boslough, Journal of Geophysical Research, 93, 6477 - 9484 (1988) [4] S.N. Luo, T.J. Ahrens, P.D. Asimow, Journal of Geophysical Research, 108, 2421- 2434 (2003) Supported under the NNSA Cooperative Agreement DE-FC88-01NV14049 and under NASA PGG Grant NNG04G107G and Contribution # 9144, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology.

The USGS National Streamflow Information Program and the importance of preserving long-term streamgages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hodgkins, Glenn A.; Norris, J. Michael; Lent, Robert M.

2014-01-01

Long-term streamflow information is critical for use in several water-related areas that are important to humans and wildlife, including water management, computation of flood and drought flows for water infrastructure, and analysis of climate-related trends. Specific uses are many and diverse and range from informing water rights across state and international boundaries to designing dams and bridges.

Atomic resolution holography.

PubMed

Hayashi, Kouichi

2014-11-01

Atomic resolution holography, such as X-ray fluorescence holography (XFH)[1] and photoelectron holography (PH), has the attention of researcher as an informative local structure analysis, because it provides three dimensional atomic images around specific elements within a range of a few nanometers. It can determine atomic arrangements around a specific element without any prior knowledge of structures. It is considered that the atomic resolution holographic is a third method of structural analysis at the atomic level after X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). As known by many researchers, XRD and XAFS are established methods that are widespread use in various fields. XRD and XAFS provide information on long-range translational periodicities and very local environments, respectively, whereas the atomic resolution holography gives 3D information on the local order and can visualize surrounding atoms with a large range of coordination shells. We call this feature "3D medium-range local structure observation".In addition to this feature, the atomic resolution holography is very sensitive to the displacement of atoms from their ideal positions, and one can obtain quantitative information about local lattice distortions by analyzing reconstructed atomic images[2] When dopants with different atomic radii from the matrix elements are present, the lattices around the dopants are distorted. However, using the conventional methods of structural analysis, one cannot determine the extent to which the local lattice distortions are preserved from the dopants. XFH is a good tool for solving this problem.Figure 1 shows a recent achievement on a relaxor ferroelectric of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN) using XFH. The structural studies of relaxor ferroelectrics have been carried out by X-ray or neutron diffractions, which suggested rhombohedral distortions of their lattices. However, their true pictures have not been obtained, yet. The Nb Kα holograms showed four separate Pb images, as shown in Fig.1. Using these images, we could obtain acute and obtuse rhombohedral structures of the crystal unit cells. Moreover, the Pb-Pb correlated images reconstructed from Pb Lα holograms showed a local structure of body center-like 2a0 ×2a0 × 2a0 superlattice, proving a rigid 3D network structural model combining the two kinds of rhombohedrons. This superstructure are believed to play an important role in the relaxor behaviour of PMN at atomic level[3].jmicro;63/suppl_1/i13/DFU047F1F1DFU047F1Fig. 1.3D images of the nearest Pb and O atoms around Nb in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3. The cube represents 1/8 of the unit cell. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Transport of pollutants considered from the point of view of a short and medium range-material balance

Treesearch

Michel Benaire

1976-01-01

Episodical long-range transport is the quasi-instantaneous peak event. It does not express the total dosage of pollutant carried over from the source area to some distant place. The purpose of the present paper is to obtain an average material balance of a pollutant leaving a given area. Available information from the OECD "Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants...

Scaffolding of long read assemblies using long range contact information

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Long read technologies have made a revolution in de novo genome assembly by generating long contigs. Although the assembly contiguity has increased, it may not span a chromosome, resulting in an unfinished chromosome level assembly. To address this problem, we develop a scaffolding method that can b...

MetaPSICOV: combining coevolution methods for accurate prediction of contacts and long range hydrogen bonding in proteins.

PubMed

Jones, David T; Singh, Tanya; Kosciolek, Tomasz; Tetchner, Stuart

2015-04-01

Recent developments of statistical techniques to infer direct evolutionary couplings between residue pairs have rendered covariation-based contact prediction a viable means for accurate 3D modelling of proteins, with no information other than the sequence required. To extend the usefulness of contact prediction, we have designed a new meta-predictor (MetaPSICOV) which combines three distinct approaches for inferring covariation signals from multiple sequence alignments, considers a broad range of other sequence-derived features and, uniquely, a range of metrics which describe both the local and global quality of the input multiple sequence alignment. Finally, we use a two-stage predictor, where the second stage filters the output of the first stage. This two-stage predictor is additionally evaluated on its ability to accurately predict the long range network of hydrogen bonds, including correctly assigning the donor and acceptor residues. Using the original PSICOV benchmark set of 150 protein families, MetaPSICOV achieves a mean precision of 0.54 for top-L predicted long range contacts-around 60% higher than PSICOV, and around 40% better than CCMpred. In de novo protein structure prediction using FRAGFOLD, MetaPSICOV is able to improve the TM-scores of models by a median of 0.05 compared with PSICOV. Lastly, for predicting long range hydrogen bonding, MetaPSICOV-HB achieves a precision of 0.69 for the top-L/10 hydrogen bonds compared with just 0.26 for the baseline MetaPSICOV. MetaPSICOV is available as a freely available web server at http://bioinf.cs.ucl.ac.uk/MetaPSICOV. Raw data (predicted contact lists and 3D models) and source code can be downloaded from http://bioinf.cs.ucl.ac.uk/downloads/MetaPSICOV. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Revealing Long-Range Interconnected Hubs in Human Chromatin Interaction Data Using Graph Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulos, R. E.; Arneodo, A.; Jensen, P.; Audit, B.

2013-09-01

We use graph theory to analyze chromatin interaction (Hi-C) data in the human genome. We show that a key functional feature of the genome—“master” replication origins—corresponds to DNA loci of maximal network centrality. These loci form a set of interconnected hubs both within chromosomes and between different chromosomes. Our results open the way to a fruitful use of graph theory concepts to decipher DNA structural organization in relation to genome functions such as replication and transcription. This quantitative information should prove useful to discriminate between possible polymer models of nuclear organization.

Symplectic no-core shell-model approach to intermediate-mass nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobin, G. K.; Ferriss, M. C.; Launey, K. D.; Dytrych, T.; Draayer, J. P.; Dreyfuss, A. C.; Bahri, C.

2014-03-01

We present a microscopic description of nuclei in the intermediate-mass region, including the proximity to the proton drip line, based on a no-core shell model with a schematic many-nucleon long-range interaction with no parameter adjustments. The outcome confirms the essential role played by the symplectic symmetry to inform the interaction and the winnowing of shell-model spaces. We show that it is imperative that model spaces be expanded well beyond the current limits up through 15 major shells to accommodate particle excitations, which appear critical to highly deformed spatial structures and the convergence of associated observables.

Self organization of exotic oil-in-oil phases driven by tunable electrohydrodynamics

PubMed Central

Varshney, Atul; Ghosh, Shankar; Bhattacharya, S.; Yethiraj, Anand

2012-01-01

Self organization of large-scale structures in nature - either coherent structures like crystals, or incoherent dynamic structures like clouds - is governed by long-range interactions. In many problems, hydrodynamics and electrostatics are the source of such long-range interactions. The tuning of electrostatic interactions has helped to elucidate when coherent crystalline structures or incoherent amorphous structures form in colloidal systems. However, there is little understanding of self organization in situations where both electrostatic and hydrodynamic interactions are present. We present a minimal two-component oil-in-oil model system where we can control the strength and lengthscale of the electrohydrodynamic interactions by tuning the amplitude and frequency of the imposed electric field. As a function of the hydrodynamic lengthscale, we observe a rich phenomenology of exotic structure and dynamics, from incoherent cloud-like structures and chaotic droplet dynamics, to polyhedral droplet phases, to coherent droplet arrays. PMID:23071902

Policy Directions for U. S. Agriculture; Long-Range Choices in Farming and Rural Living.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clawson, Marion

A comprehensive view of agriculture is presented in this volume written to aid critical re-examination of long-range agricultural policy. Farm people, rural institutions and services, rural towns, the spatial organization of agriculture, and its capital structure, in addition to the usual subjects of agricultural output, demand, trade, price, and…

A viscous solvent enables information transfer from gene-length nucleic acids in a model prebiotic replication cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Christine; Gállego, Isaac; Laughlin, Brandon; Grover, Martha A.; Hud, Nicholas V.

2017-04-01

Many hypotheses concerning the nature of early life assume that genetic information was once transferred through the template-directed synthesis of RNA, before the emergence of coded enzymes. However, attempts to demonstrate enzyme-free, template-directed synthesis of nucleic acids have been limited by 'strand inhibition', whereby transferring information from a template strand in the presence of its complementary strand is inhibited by the stability of the template duplex. Here, we use solvent viscosity to circumvent strand inhibition, demonstrating information transfer from a gene-length template (>300 nt) within a longer (545 bp or 3 kb) duplex. These results suggest that viscous environments on the prebiotic Earth, generated periodically by water evaporation, could have facilitated nucleic acid replication—particularly of long, structured sequences such as ribozymes. Our approach works with DNA and RNA, suggesting that viscosity-mediated replication is possible for a range of genetic polymers, perhaps even for informational polymers that may have preceded RNA.

Fourth International Symposium on Long-Range Sound Propagation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willshire, William L., Jr. (Compiler)

1990-01-01

Long range sound propagation is an aspect of many acoustical problems ranging from en route aircraft noise to the acoustic detection of aircraft. Over the past decade, the University of Mississippi and the Open University of England, together with a third institution, have held a symposium approx. every 2 years so that experts in the field of long range propagation could exchange information on current research, identify areas needing additional work, and coordinate activities as much as possible. The Fourth International Symposium on Long Range Sound Propagation was jointly sponsored by the University of Mississippi, the Open University of England, and NASA. Papers were given in the following areas: ground effects on propagation; infrasound propagation; and meteorological effects on sound propagation. A compilation of the presentations made at the symposium is presented along with a list of attendees, and the agenda.

A new smoothing function to introduce long-range electrostatic effects in QM/MM calculations

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

Fang, Dong; Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706; Duke, Robert E.

2015-07-28

A new method to account for long range electrostatic contributions is proposed and implemented for quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics long range electrostatic correction (QM/MM-LREC) calculations. This method involves the use of the minimum image convention under periodic boundary conditions and a new smoothing function for energies and forces at the cutoff boundary for the Coulomb interactions. Compared to conventional QM/MM calculations without long-range electrostatic corrections, the new method effectively includes effects on the MM environment in the primary image from its replicas in the neighborhood. QM/MM-LREC offers three useful features including the avoidance of calculations in reciprocal space (k-space), with themore » concomitant avoidance of having to reproduce (analytically or approximately) the QM charge density in k-space, and the straightforward availability of analytical Hessians. The new method is tested and compared with results from smooth particle mesh Ewald (PME) for three systems including a box of neat water, a double proton transfer reaction, and the geometry optimization of the critical point structures for the rate limiting step of the DNA dealkylase AlkB. As with other smoothing or shifting functions, relatively large cutoffs are necessary to achieve comparable accuracy with PME. For the double-proton transfer reaction, the use of a 22 Å cutoff shows a close reaction energy profile and geometries of stationary structures with QM/MM-LREC compared to conventional QM/MM with no truncation. Geometry optimization of stationary structures for the hydrogen abstraction step by AlkB shows some differences between QM/MM-LREC and the conventional QM/MM. These differences underscore the necessity of the inclusion of the long-range electrostatic contribution.« less

Spectral statistics of random geometric graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dettmann, C. P.; Georgiou, O.; Knight, G.

2017-04-01

We use random matrix theory to study the spectrum of random geometric graphs, a fundamental model of spatial networks. Considering ensembles of random geometric graphs we look at short-range correlations in the level spacings of the spectrum via the nearest-neighbour and next-nearest-neighbour spacing distribution and long-range correlations via the spectral rigidity Δ3 statistic. These correlations in the level spacings give information about localisation of eigenvectors, level of community structure and the level of randomness within the networks. We find a parameter-dependent transition between Poisson and Gaussian orthogonal ensemble statistics. That is the spectral statistics of spatial random geometric graphs fits the universality of random matrix theory found in other models such as Erdős-Rényi, Barabási-Albert and Watts-Strogatz random graphs.

A data management proposal to connect in a hierarchical way nodes of the Spanish Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuentes, Daniel; Pérez-Luque, Antonio J.; Bonet García, Francisco J.; Moreno-LLorca, Ricardo A.; Sánchez-Cano, Francisco M.; Suárez-Muñoz, María

2017-04-01

The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) network aims to provide the scientific community, policy makers, and society with the knowledge and predictive understanding necessary to conserve, protect, and manage the ecosystems. LTER is organized into networks ranging from the global to national scale. In the top of network, the International Long Term Ecological Research (ILTER) Network coordinates among ecological researchers and LTER research networks at local, regional and global scales. In Spain, the Spanish Long Term Ecological Research (LTER-Spain) network was built to foster the collaboration and coordination between longest-lived ecological researchers and networks on a local scale. Currently composed by nine nodes, this network facilitates the data exchange, documentation and preservation encouraging the development of cross-disciplinary works. However, most nodes have no specific information systems, tools or qualified personnel to manage their data for continued conservation and there are no harmonized methodologies for long-term monitoring protocols. Hence, the main challenge is to place the nodes in its correct position in the network, providing the best tools that allow them to manage their data autonomously and make it easier for them to access information and knowledge in the network. This work proposes a connected structure composed by four LTER nodes located in southern Spain. The structure is built considering hierarchical approach: nodes that create information which is documented using metadata standards (such as Ecological Metadata Language, EML); and others nodes that gather metadata and information. We also take into account the capacity of each node to manage their own data and the premise that the data and metadata must be maintained where it is generated. The current state of the nodes is a follows: two of them have their own information management system (Sierra Nevada-Granada and Doñana Long-Term Socio-ecological Research Platform) and another has no infrastructure to maintain their data (The Arid Iberian South East LTSER Platform). The last one (Environmental Information Network of Andalusia-REDIAM) acts as the coordinator, providing physical and logical support to other nodes and also gathers and distributes the information "uphill" to the rest of the network (LTER Europe and ILTER). The development of the network has been divided in three stages. First, existing resources and data management requirements are identified in each node. Second, the necessary software tools and interoperable standards to manage and exchange the data have been selected, installed and configured in each participant. Finally, once the network has been set up completely, it is expected to expand it all over Spain with new nodes and its connection to others LTER and similar networks. This research has been funded by ADAPTAMED (Protection of key ecosystem services by adaptive management of Climate Change endangered Mediterranean socioecosystems) Life EU project, Sierra Nevada Global Change Observatory (LTER-site) and eLTER (Integrated European Long Term Ecosystem & Socio-Ecological Research Infrastructure).

Long-range airplane study: The consumer looks at SST travel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landes, K. H.; Matter, J. A.

1980-01-01

The attitudes of long-range air travelers toward several basic air travel decisions, were surveyed. Of interest were tradeoffs involving time versus comfort and time versus cost as they pertain to supersonic versus conventional wide-body aircraft on overseas routes. The market focused upon was the segment of air travelers most likely to make that type of tradeoff decision: those having flown overseas routes for business or personal reasons in the recent past. The information generated is intended to provide quantifiable insight into consumer demand for supersonic as compared to wide-body aircraft alternatives for long-range overseas air travel.

Role of Hydrophobic Clusters and Long-Range Contact Networks in the Folding of (α/β)8 Barrel Proteins

PubMed Central

Selvaraj, S.; Gromiha, M. Michael

2003-01-01

Analysis on the three dimensional structures of (α/β)8 barrel proteins provides ample light to understand the factors that are responsible for directing and maintaining their common fold. In this work, the hydrophobically enriched clusters are identified in 92% of the considered (α/β)8 barrel proteins. The residue segments with hydrophobic clusters have high thermal stability. Further, these clusters are formed and stabilized through long-range interactions. Specifically, a network of long-range contacts connects adjacent β-strands of the (α/β)8 barrel domain and the hydrophobic clusters. The implications of hydrophobic clusters and long-range networks in providing a feasible common mechanism for the folding of (α/β)8 barrel proteins are proposed. PMID:12609894

Spontaneous structural distortion of the metallic Shastry-Sutherland system Dy B4 by quadrupole-spin-lattice coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sim, Hasung; Lee, Seongsu; Hong, Kun-Pyo; Jeong, Jaehong; Zhang, J. R.; Kamiyama, T.; Adroja, D. T.; Murray, C. A.; Thompson, S. P.; Iga, F.; Ji, S.; Khomskii, D.; Park, Je-Geun

2016-11-01

Dy B4 has a two-dimensional Shastry-Sutherland (Sh-S) lattice with strong Ising character of the Dy ions. Despite the intrinsic frustrations, it undergoes two successive transitions: a magnetic ordering at TN=20 K and a quadrupole ordering at TQ=12.5 K . From high-resolution neutron and synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction studies, we have obtained full structural information on this material in all phases and demonstrate that structural modifications occurring at quadrupolar transition lead to the lifting of frustrations inherent in the Sh-S model. Our paper thus provides a complete experimental picture of how the intrinsic frustration of the Sh-S lattice can be lifted by the coupling to quadrupole moments. We show that two other factors, i.e., strong spin-orbit coupling and long-range Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction in metallic Dy B4 , play an important role in this behavior.

Universal structural parameter to quantitatively predict metallic glass properties

DOE PAGES

Ding, Jun; Cheng, Yong-Qiang; Sheng, Howard; ...

2016-12-12

Quantitatively correlating the amorphous structure in metallic glasses (MGs) with their physical properties has been a long-sought goal. Here we introduce flexibility volume' as a universal indicator, to bridge the structural state the MG is in with its properties, on both atomic and macroscopic levels. The flexibility volume combines static atomic volume with dynamics information via atomic vibrations that probe local configurational space and interaction between neighbouring atoms. We demonstrate that flexibility volume is a physically appropriate parameter that can quantitatively predict the shear modulus, which is at the heart of many key properties of MGs. Moreover, the new parametermore » correlates strongly with atomic packing topology, and also with the activation energy for thermally activated relaxation and the propensity for stress-driven shear transformations. These correlations are expected to be robust across a very wide range of MG compositions, processing conditions and length scales.« less

Starch nanoparticles resulting from combination of dry heating under mildly acidic conditions and homogenization.

PubMed

Kim, Jong Hun; Kim, Jiyeon; Park, Eun Young; Kim, Jong-Yea

2017-07-15

To modify starch granular structure, normal maize starch was subjected to dry heating with various amounts of 1.0M HCl (1.2, 1.4 or 1.6mL) and different treatment times (2, 4 or 8h). For all reaction conditions, at least 80% of the starch substance was recovered, and amylose and amylopectin B1 chains were preferentially cleaved. As acidic condition and/or treatment time increased, the treated granules were readily fragmented by homogenization. The treatment appeared to alter short-range crystalline structure (FT-IR), but long-range crystalline structure (XRD) remained intact. Homogenization for 60min fragmented the treated starch granules (subjected to reaction condition of 1.4mL/4h, 1.6mL/2h, and 1.6mL/4h) into nanoparticles consisting of individual platelet-like and spherical particles with diameters less than 100nm. However, the fragmentation caused obvious damage in the long-range crystalline structure of starch nanoparticles, while the short-range chain associations remained relatively intact. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring the impact of austerity-driven policy reforms on the quality of the long-term care provision for older people in Belgium and the Netherlands.

PubMed

Janssen, David; Jongen, Wesley; Schröder-Bäck, Peter

2016-08-01

In this case study, European quality benchmarks were used to explore the contemporary quality of the long-term care provision for older people in the Belgian region of Flanders and the Netherlands following recent policy reforms. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with various experts on the long-term care provision. The results show that in the wake of the economic crisis and the reforms that followed, certain vulnerable groups of older people in Belgium and the Netherlands are at risk of being deprived of long-term care that is available, affordable and person-centred. Various suggestions were provided on how to improve the quality of the long-term care provision. The main conclusion drawn in this study is that while national and regional governments set the stage through regulatory frameworks and financing mechanisms, it is subsequently up to long-term care organisations, local social networks and informal caregivers to give substance to a high quality long-term care provision. An increased reliance on social networks and informal caregivers is seen as vital to ensure the sustainability of the long-term care systems in Belgium and in the Netherlands, although this simultaneously introduces new predicaments and difficulties. Structural governmental measures have to be introduced to support and protect informal caregivers and informal care networks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tagmentation on Microbeads: Restore Long-Range DNA Sequence Information Using Next Generation Sequencing with Library Prepared by Surface-Immobilized Transposomes.

PubMed

Chen, He; Yao, Jiacheng; Fu, Yusi; Pang, Yuhong; Wang, Jianbin; Huang, Yanyi

2018-04-11

The next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have been rapidly evolved and applied to various research fields, but they often suffer from losing long-range information due to short library size and read length. Here, we develop a simple, cost-efficient, and versatile NGS library preparation method, called tagmentation on microbeads (TOM). This method is capable of recovering long-range information through tagmentation mediated by microbead-immobilized transposomes. Using transposomes with DNA barcodes to identically label adjacent sequences during tagmentation, we can restore inter-read connection of each fragment from original DNA molecule by fragment-barcode linkage after sequencing. In our proof-of-principle experiment, more than 4.5% of the reads are linked with their adjacent reads, and the longest linkage is over 1112 bp. We demonstrate TOM with eight barcodes, but the number of barcodes can be scaled up by an ultrahigh complexity construction. We also show this method has low amplification bias and effectively fits the applications to identify copy number variations.

Dendronization-induced phase-transfer, stabilization and self-assembly of large colloidal Au nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malassis, Ludivine; Jishkariani, Davit; Murray, Christopher B.; Donnio, Bertrand

2016-07-01

The phase-transfer of CTAB-coated aqueous, spherical gold nanoparticles, with metallic core diameters ranging from ca. 27 to 54 nm, into organic solvents by exchanging the primitive polar bilayer with lipophilic, disulfide dendritic ligands is reported. The presence of such a thick nonpolar organic shell around these large nanoparticles enhances their stabilization against aggregation, in addition to enabling their transfer into a variety of solvents such as chloroform, toluene or tetrahydrofuran. Upon the slow evaporation of a chloroform suspension deposited on a solid support, the dendronized hybrids were found to self-assemble into ring structures of various diameters. Moreover, their self-assembly at the liquid-air interface affords the formation of fairly long-range ordered monolayers, over large areas, that can then be entirely transferred onto solid substrates.The phase-transfer of CTAB-coated aqueous, spherical gold nanoparticles, with metallic core diameters ranging from ca. 27 to 54 nm, into organic solvents by exchanging the primitive polar bilayer with lipophilic, disulfide dendritic ligands is reported. The presence of such a thick nonpolar organic shell around these large nanoparticles enhances their stabilization against aggregation, in addition to enabling their transfer into a variety of solvents such as chloroform, toluene or tetrahydrofuran. Upon the slow evaporation of a chloroform suspension deposited on a solid support, the dendronized hybrids were found to self-assemble into ring structures of various diameters. Moreover, their self-assembly at the liquid-air interface affords the formation of fairly long-range ordered monolayers, over large areas, that can then be entirely transferred onto solid substrates. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: TEM microscope images. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr03404g

Forest management planning for timber production: a sequential approach

Treesearch

Krishna P. Rustagi

1978-01-01

Explicit forest management planning for timber production beyond the first few years at any time necessitates use of information which can best be described as suspect. The two-step approach outlined here concentrates on the planning strategy over the next few years without losing sight of the long-run productivity. Frequent updating of the long-range and short-range...

Modeling forest biomass and growth: Coupling long-term inventory and LiDAR data

Treesearch

Chad Babcock; Andrew O. Finley; Bruce D. Cook; Aaron Weiskittel; Christopher W. Woodall

2016-01-01

Combining spatially-explicit long-term forest inventory and remotely sensed information from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) datasets through statistical models can be a powerful tool for predicting and mapping above-ground biomass (AGB) at a range of geographic scales. We present and examine a novel modeling approach to improve prediction of AGB and estimate AGB...

Global biodiversity monitoring: from data sources to essential biodiversity variables

USGS Publications Warehouse

Proenca, Vania; Martin, Laura J.; Pereira, Henrique M.; Fernandez, Miguel; McRae, Louise; Belnap, Jayne; Böhm, Monika; Brummitt, Neil; Garcia-Moreno, Jaime; Gregory, Richard D.; Honrado, Joao P; Jürgens, Norbert; Opige, Michael; Schmeller, Dirk S.; Tiago, Patricia; van Sway, Chris A

2016-01-01

Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) consolidate information from varied biodiversity observation sources. Here we demonstrate the links between data sources, EBVs and indicators and discuss how different sources of biodiversity observations can be harnessed to inform EBVs. We classify sources of primary observations into four types: extensive and intensive monitoring schemes, ecological field studies and satellite remote sensing. We characterize their geographic, taxonomic and temporal coverage. Ecological field studies and intensive monitoring schemes inform a wide range of EBVs, but the former tend to deliver short-term data, while the geographic coverage of the latter is limited. In contrast, extensive monitoring schemes mostly inform the population abundance EBV, but deliver long-term data across an extensive network of sites. Satellite remote sensing is particularly suited to providing information on ecosystem function and structure EBVs. Biases behind data sources may affect the representativeness of global biodiversity datasets. To improve them, researchers must assess data sources and then develop strategies to compensate for identified gaps. We draw on the population abundance dataset informing the Living Planet Index (LPI) to illustrate the effects of data sources on EBV representativeness. We find that long-term monitoring schemes informing the LPI are still scarce outside of Europe and North America and that ecological field studies play a key role in covering that gap. Achieving representative EBV datasets will depend both on the ability to integrate available data, through data harmonization and modeling efforts, and on the establishment of new monitoring programs to address critical data gaps.

Surface Plasmon Polariton-Assisted Long-Range Exciton Transport in Monolayer Semiconductor Lateral Heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Jinwei; Lin, Meng-Hsien; Chen, Yi-Tong; Estakhri, Nasim Mohammadi; Tseng, Guo-Wei; Wang, Yanrong; Chen, Hung-Ying; Chen, Chun-An; Shih, Chih-Kang; Alã¹, Andrea; Li, Xiaoqin; Lee, Yi-Hsien; Gwo, Shangjr

Recently, two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor heterostructures, i.e., atomically thin lateral heterostructures (LHSs) based on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been demonstrated. In an optically excited LHS, exciton transport is typically limited to a rather short spatial range ( 1 micron). Furthermore, additional losses may occur at the lateral interfacial regions. Here, to overcome these challenges, we experimentally implement a planar metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structure by placing a monolayer of WS2/MoS2 LHS on top of an Al2O3 capped Ag single-crystalline plate. We found that the exciton transport range can be extended to tens of microns. The process of long-range exciton transport in the MOS structure is confirmed to be mediated by an exciton-surface plasmon polariton-exciton conversion mechanism, which allows a cascaded energy transfer process. Thus, the planar MOS structure provides a platform seamlessly combining 2D light-emitting materials with plasmonic planar waveguides, offering great potential for developing integrated photonic/plasmonic functionalities.

Information Resources Management Long Range Plan, FY 1995-1999

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Table of Contents: Introduction; Agency 5-Year IRM Investment Projections; Major IRM Program Accomplishments for FY 1993; Information Collection Budget; Summary of Computer Security Plans; Appendix: Acronym List.

Study of the application of hydrogen fuel to long-range subsonic transport aircraft. Volume 1: Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brewer, G. D.; Morris, R. E.; Lange, R. H.; Moore, J. W.

1975-01-01

The feasibility of using liquid hydrogen as fuel in advanced designs of long range, subsonic transport aircraft is assessed. Both passenger and cargo type aircraft are investigated. Comparisons of physical, performance, and economic parameters of the LH2 fueled designs with conventionally fueled aircraft are presented. Design studies are conducted to determine appropriate characteristics for the hydrogen related systems required on board the aircraft. These studies included consideration of material, structural, and thermodynamic requirements of the cryogenic fuel tanks and fuel systems with the structural support and thermal protection systems.

Capturing non-local interactions by long short-term memory bidirectional recurrent neural networks for improving prediction of protein secondary structure, backbone angles, contact numbers and solvent accessibility.

PubMed

Heffernan, Rhys; Yang, Yuedong; Paliwal, Kuldip; Zhou, Yaoqi

2017-09-15

The accuracy of predicting protein local and global structural properties such as secondary structure and solvent accessible surface area has been stagnant for many years because of the challenge of accounting for non-local interactions between amino acid residues that are close in three-dimensional structural space but far from each other in their sequence positions. All existing machine-learning techniques relied on a sliding window of 10-20 amino acid residues to capture some 'short to intermediate' non-local interactions. Here, we employed Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Bidirectional Recurrent Neural Networks (BRNNs) which are capable of capturing long range interactions without using a window. We showed that the application of LSTM-BRNN to the prediction of protein structural properties makes the most significant improvement for residues with the most long-range contacts (|i-j| >19) over a previous window-based, deep-learning method SPIDER2. Capturing long-range interactions allows the accuracy of three-state secondary structure prediction to reach 84% and the correlation coefficient between predicted and actual solvent accessible surface areas to reach 0.80, plus a reduction of 5%, 10%, 5% and 10% in the mean absolute error for backbone ϕ , ψ , θ and τ angles, respectively, from SPIDER2. More significantly, 27% of 182724 40-residue models directly constructed from predicted C α atom-based θ and τ have similar structures to their corresponding native structures (6Å RMSD or less), which is 3% better than models built by ϕ and ψ angles. We expect the method to be useful for assisting protein structure and function prediction. The method is available as a SPIDER3 server and standalone package at http://sparks-lab.org . yaoqi.zhou@griffith.edu.au or yuedong.yang@griffith.edu.au. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

A new capacitive long-range displacement nanometer sensor with differential sensing structure based on time-grating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Zhicheng; Peng, Kai; Liu, Xiaokang; Pu, Hongji; Chen, Ziran

2018-05-01

High-precision displacement sensors, which can measure large displacements with nanometer resolution, are key components in many ultra-precision fabrication machines. In this paper, a new capacitive nanometer displacement sensor with differential sensing structure is proposed for long-range linear displacement measurements based on an approach denoted time grating. Analytical models established using electric field coupling theory and an area integral method indicate that common-mode interference will result in a first-harmonic error in the measurement results. To reduce the common-mode interference, the proposed sensor design employs a differential sensing structure, which adopts a second group of induction electrodes spatially separated from the first group of induction electrodes by a half-pitch length. Experimental results based on a prototype sensor demonstrate that the measurement accuracy and the stability of the sensor are substantially improved after adopting the differential sensing structure. Finally, a prototype sensor achieves a measurement accuracy of  ±200 nm over the full 200 mm measurement range of the sensor.

On the structure of the disordered Bi 2Te 4O 11 phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masson, O.; Thomas, P.; Durand, O.; Hansen, T.; Champarnaud, J. C.; Mercurio, D.

2004-06-01

The structure of the disordered metastable Bi 2Te 4O 11 phase has been investigated using both neutron powder diffraction and reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) modelling. The average structure, of fluorite-type (space group Fm 3¯m ), is characterized by very high Debye-Waller parameters, especially for oxygen. Whereas the cations form a fairly well-defined FCC lattice, the oxygen sublattice is very disordered. It is shown that the local order is similar to that present in the stable monoclinic Bi 2Te 4O 11 phase. Clear differences are observed for the intermediate range order. The present phase is analogous to the "anti-glass" phases reported by Trömel in other tellurium-based mixed oxides. However, whereas Trömel defines anti-glass as having long range order but no short range order, it is shown here that this phase is best described as an intermediate state between the amorphous and crystalline states, i.e. having short and medium range order similar to that of tellurite glasses and a premise of long range order with the cations only.

Genetic evaluation of the breeding population of a valuable reforestation conifer Platycladus orientalis (Cupressaceae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Yuqing; Ma, Yongpeng; Wang, Shun; Hu, Xian-Ge; Huang, Li-Sha; Li, Yue; Wang, Xiao-Ru; Mao, Jian-Feng

2016-10-01

Platycladus orientalis, a widespread conifer with long lifespan and significant adaptability. It is much used in reforestation in north China and commonly planted in central Asia. With the increasing demand for plantation forest in central to north China, breeding programs are progressively established for this species. Efficient use of breeding resources requires good understanding of the genetic value of the founder breeding materials. This study investigated the distribution of genetic variation in 192 elite trees collected for the breeding program for the central range of the species. We developed first set of 27 polymorphic EST-derived SSR loci for the species from transcriptome/genome data. After examination of amplification quality, 10 loci were used to evaluate the genetic variation in the breeding population. We found moderate genetic diversity (average He = 0.348) and low population differentiation (Fst = 0.011). Extensive admixture and no significant geographic population structure characterized this set of collections. Our analyses of the diversity and population structure are important steps toward a long-term sustainable deployment of the species and provide valuable genetic information for conservation and breeding applications.

Orienting health care information systems toward quality: how Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound did it.

PubMed

Goverman, I L

1994-11-01

Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound (GHC), a large staff-model health maintenance organization based in Seattle, is redesigning its information systems to provide the systems and information needed to support its quality agenda. Long-range planning for GHC's information resources was done in three phases. In assessment, interviews, surveys, and a benchmarking effort identified strengths and weaknesses of the existing information systems. We concluded that we needed to improve clinical care and patient management systems and enhance health plan applications. In direction setting, we developed six objectives (for example, approach information systems in a way that is consistent with quality improvement principles). Detailed planning was used to define projects, timing, and resource allocations. Some of the most important efforts in the resulting five-year plan include the development of (1) a computerized patient record; (2) a provider-based clinical workstation for access to patient information, order entry, results reporting, guidelines, and reminders; (3) a comprehensive set of patient management and service quality systems; (4) reengineered structures, policies, and processes within the health plan, supported by a complete set of integrated information systems; (5) a standardized, high-capacity communications network to provide linkages both within GHC and among its business partners; and (6) a revised oversight structure for information services, which forms partnerships with users. A quality focus ensured that each project not only produced its own benefits but also supported the larger organizational goals associated with "total" quality.

Short, intermediate and long range order in amorphous ices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martelli, Fausto; Torquato, Salvatore; Giovanbattista, Nicolas; Car, Roberto

Water exhibits polyamorphism, i.e., it exists in more than one amorphous state. The most common forms of glassy water are the low-density amorphous (LDA) and the high-density amorphous (HDA) ices. LDA, the most abundant form of ice in the Universe, transforms into HDA upon isothermal compression. We model the transformation of LDA into HDA under isothermal compression with classical molecular dynamics simulations. We analyze the molecular structures with a recently introduced scalar order metric to measure short and intermediate range order. In addition, we rank the structures by their degree of hyperuniformity, i.e.,the extent to which long range density fluctuations are suppressed. F.M. and R.C. acknowledge support from the Department of Energy (DOE) under Grant No. DE-SC0008626.

Long-range, full-duplex, modulated-reflector cell phone for voice/data transmission

DOEpatents

Neagley, Daniel L.; Briles, Scott D.; Coates, Don M.; Freund, Samuel M.

2002-01-01

A long-range communications apparatus utilizing modulated-reflector technology is described. The apparatus includes an energy-transmitting base station and remote units that do not emit radiation in order to communicate with the base station since modulated-reflector technology is used whereby information is attached to an RF carrier wave originating from the base station which is reflected by the remote unit back to the base station. Since the remote unit does not emit radiation, only a low-power power source is required for its operation. Information from the base station is transmitted to the remote unit using a transmitter and receiver, respectively. The range of such a communications system is determined by the properties of a modulated-reflector half-duplex link.

Lipid and glycolipid isomer analyses using ultra-high resolution ion mobility spectrometry separations

DOE PAGES

Wojcik, Roza; Webb, Ian K.; Deng, Liulin; ...

2017-01-18

Understanding the biological mechanisms related to lipids and glycolipids is challenging due to the vast number of possible isomers. Mass spectrometry (MS) measurements are currently the dominant approach for studying and providing detailed information on lipid and glycolipid structures. However, difficulties in distinguishing many structural isomers (e.g. distinct acyl chain positions, double bond locations, as well as glycan isomers) inhibit the understanding of their biological roles. Here we utilized ultra-high resolution ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) separations based upon the use of traveling waves in a serpentine long path length multi-pass Structures for Lossless Manipulations (SLIM) to enhance isomer resolution. Themore » multi-pass arrangement allowed separations ranging from ~16 m (1 pass) to ~470 m (32 passes) to be investigated for the distinction of lipids and glycolipids with extremely small structural differences. Lastly, these ultra-high resolution SLIM IMS-MS analyses provide a foundation for exploring and better understanding isomer specific biological and disease processes.« less

Changing optical band structure with single photons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albrecht, Andreas; Caneva, Tommaso; Chang, Darrick E.

2017-11-01

Achieving strong interactions between individual photons enables a wide variety of exciting possibilities in quantum information science and many-body physics. Cold atoms interfaced with nanophotonic structures have emerged as a platform to realize novel forms of nonlinear interactions. In particular, when atoms are coupled to a photonic crystal waveguide, long-range atomic interactions can arise that are mediated by localized atom-photon bound states. We theoretically show that in such a system, the absorption of a single photon can change the band structure for a subsequent photon. This occurs because the first photon affects the atoms in the chain in an alternating fashion, thus leading to an effective period doubling of the system and a new optical band structure for the composite atom-nanophotonic system. We demonstrate how this mechanism can be engineered to realize a single-photon switch, where the first incoming photon switches the system from being highly transmissive to highly reflective, and analyze how signatures can be observed via non-classical correlations of the outgoing photon field.

Spin Qubits in Germanium Structures with Phononic Gap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smelyanskiy, V. N.; Vasko, F. T.; Hafiychuk, V. V.; Dykman, M. I.; Petukhov, A. G.

2014-01-01

We propose qubits based on shallow donor electron spins in germanium structures with phononic gap. We consider a phononic crystal formed by periodic holes in Ge plate or a rigid cover / Ge layer / rigid substrate structure with gaps approximately a few GHz. The spin relaxation is suppressed dramatically, if the Zeeman frequency omegaZ is in the phononic gap, but an effective coupling between the spins of remote donors via exchange of virtual phonons remains essential. If omegaZ approaches to a gap edge in these structures, a long-range (limited by detuning of omegaZ) resonant exchange interaction takes place. We estimate that ratio of the exchange integral to the longitudinal relaxation rate exceeds 10(exp 5) and lateral scale of resonant exchange 0.1 mm. The exchange contribution can be verified under microwave pumping through oscillations of spin echo signal or through the differential absorption measurements. Efficient manipulation of spins due to the Rabi oscillations opens a new way for quantum information applications.

AFM Imaging of Hybridization Chain Reaction Mediated Signal Transmission between Two DNA Origami Structures.

PubMed

Helmig, Sarah; Gothelf, Kurt Vesterager

2017-10-23

Signal transfer is central to the controlled exchange of information in biology and advanced technologies. Therefore, the development of reliable, long-range signal transfer systems for artificial nanoscale assemblies is of great scientific interest. We have designed such a system for the signal transfer between two connected DNA nanostructures, using the hybridization chain reaction (HCR). Two sets of metastable DNA hairpins, one of which is immobilized at specific points along tracks on DNA origami structures, are polymerized to form a continuous DNA duplex, which is visible using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Upon addition of a designed initiator, the initiation signal is efficiently transferred more than 200 nm from a specific location on one origami structure to an end point on another origami structure. The system shows no significant loss of signal when crossing from one nanostructure to another and, therefore, has the potential to be applied to larger multi-component DNA assemblies. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structural and molecular interrogation of intact biological systems

PubMed Central

Chung, Kwanghun; Wallace, Jenelle; Kim, Sung-Yon; Kalyanasundaram, Sandhiya; Andalman, Aaron S.; Davidson, Thomas J.; Mirzabekov, Julie J.; Zalocusky, Kelly A.; Mattis, Joanna; Denisin, Aleksandra K.; Pak, Sally; Bernstein, Hannah; Ramakrishnan, Charu; Grosenick, Logan; Gradinaru, Viviana; Deisseroth, Karl

2014-01-01

Obtaining high-resolution information from a complex system, while maintaining the global perspective needed to understand system function, represents a key challenge in biology. Here we address this challenge with a method (termed CLARITY) for the transformation of intact tissue into a nanoporous hydrogel-hybridized form (crosslinked to a three-dimensional network of hydrophilic polymers) that is fully assembled but optically transparent and macromolecule-permeable. Using mouse brains, we show intact-tissue imaging of long-range projections, local circuit wiring, cellular relationships, subcellular structures, protein complexes, nucleic acids and neurotransmitters. CLARITY also enables intact-tissue in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry with multiple rounds of staining and de-staining in non-sectioned tissue, and antibody labelling throughout the intact adult mouse brain. Finally, we show that CLARITY enables fine structural analysis of clinical samples, including non-sectioned human tissue from a neuropsychiatric-disease setting, establishing a path for the transmutation of human tissue into a stable, intact and accessible form suitable for probing structural and molecular underpinnings of physiological function and disease. PMID:23575631

Transition from disordered to long-range ordered nanoparticles on Al2O3/Ni3Al(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alyabyeva, N.; Ouvrard, A.; Zakaria, A.-M.; Charra, F.; Bourguignon, B.

2018-06-01

Application of preparation recipes of the literature failed to produce an ordered array of NPs on our particular Ni3Al sample. This has motivated a systematic survey of Pd NP nucleation as a function of experimental parameters. We have shown that the increase of oxidation temperature during the preparation of Al2O3 ultra-thin film on Ni3Al(111) leads to a transition from disordered to long-range ordered Pd nanoparticle (NP) nucleation. Alumina films were prepared at different temperatures ranging from 990 to 1140 K. Crystallinity, electronic structure of the alumina film and Pd nucleation and growth have been investigated using Low Energy Electron Diffraction and Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy. NP density and long-range order nucleation along the so-called "dot structure" of 4.2 nm periodicity, strongly increase for temperatures higher than a threshold value of 1070 ± 20 K. This transition relies on the alumina film improvement and suggests that the modulation of Pd adsorption energy at nucleation centres which is necessary to nucleate NPs at ordered sites, requires higher preparation temperature. Long-range ordered NPs with a high density were obtained 140 K above reported recipes in the literature. This optimized temperature has been tested on a fresh sample (issued from the same supplier) for which just a few cleanings were enough to obtain long-range ordered NPs. Presumably the variability of the optimal oxidation temperature for our samples with respect to the literature is related to fluctuations of the stoichiometry from sample to sample.

Crystals of Janus colloids at various interaction ranges

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

Preisler, Z.; Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht; Vissers, T.

We investigate the effect of interaction range on the phase behaviour of Janus particles with a Kern-Frenkel potential. Specifically, we study interaction ranges Δ = 0.1σ, 0.3σ, 0.4σ, 0.5σ with σ the particle diameter, and use variable box shape simulations to predict crystal structures. We found that changing the interaction range beyond 0.2σ drastically increases the variety of possible crystal structures. In addition to close-packed structures, we find body-centered tetragonal and AA-stacked hexagonal crystals, as well as several lamellar crystals. For long interaction ranges and low temperatures, we also observe an extremely large number of metastable structures which compete withmore » the thermodynamically stable ones. These competing structures hinder the detection of the lowest-energy crystal structures, and are also likely to interfere with the spontaneous formation of the ground-state structure. Finally, we determine the gas-liquid coexistence curves for several interaction ranges, and observe that these are metastable with respect to crystallization.« less

Physical-Chemical Properties of Articulated Rodlike Polymers

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-04-01

poly-lysine have shown an ’ordinary to extraordinary’ transition where long range forces are postulated to create a lattice -like structure between...concentrations, the scattering moieties are held in a pseudo- lattice order, As the concentration increases, the 57 effects of excluded volume become...were intermolecular since the chains were already fully extended. The long range nature of the electrostatic interactions created a pseudo- lattice

Clear Purpose...Complete Commitment. A Long-Range Program To Provide Louisianians with Library and Information Services Adequate to Their Needs, 1990/91-1995.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaques, Thomas F.

This long-range library program for the state of Louisiana identifies specific inadequacies in public library services, resources, facilities, and personnel. It identifies the people who are to be served, and reveals geographical, socioeconomic, and educational barriers to the expanded use of libraries. Finally, it presents specific goals and…

Clear Purpose...Complete Commitment: A Long-Range Program To Provide Louisianians with Library and Information Services Adequate to Their Needs, 1993-1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaques, Thomas F.

This long range plan, which was prepared in compliance with the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), begins with an overview of the library public and the state library agency in Louisiana. Identification of needs and action plans are presented in the following goal areas: (1) improving state library administration; (2) extending services…

The Distributed Air Wing

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

Cruise Missile LCS Littoral Combat Ship LEO Low Earth Orbit LER Loss-Exchange-Ration LHA Landing Helicopter Assault LIDAR Laser Imaging Detection and...Ranging LOC Lines of Communication LP Linear Programming LRASM Long Range Anti-Ship Missile LT Long Ton MANA Map-Aware Non-uniform Automata ME...enemy’s spy satellites. Based on open source information, China currently has 25 satellites operating in Low Earth Orbit ( LEO ), each operates at an

Laser-ranging long-baseline differential atom interferometers for space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiow, Sheng-wey; Williams, Jason; Yu, Nan

2015-12-01

High-sensitivity differential atom interferometers (AIs) are promising for precision measurements in science frontiers in space, including gravity-field mapping for Earth science studies and gravitational wave detection. Difficulties associated with implementing long-baseline differential AIs have previously included the need for a high optical power, large differential Doppler shifts, and narrow dynamic range. We propose a configuration of twin AIs connected by a laser-ranging interferometer (LRI-AI) to provide precise information of the displacements between the two AI reference mirrors and also to phase-lock the two independent interferometer lasers over long distances, thereby drastically improving the practical feasibility of long-baseline differential AI measurements. We show that a properly implemented LRI-AI can achieve equivalent functionality to the conventional differential AI measurement configuration.

Molecular- and nm-scale Investigation of the Structure and Compositional Heterogeneity of Naturally Occurring Ferrihydrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cismasu, C.; Michel, F. M.; Stebbins, J. F.; Tcaciuc, A. P.; Brown, G. E.

2008-12-01

Ferrihydrite is a hydrated Fe(III) nano-oxide that forms in vast quantities in contaminated acid mine drainage environments. As a result of its high surface area, ferrihydrite is an important environmental sorbent, and plays an essential role in the geochemical cycling of pollutant metal(loid)s in these settings. Despite its environmental relevance, this nanomineral remains one of the least understood environmental solids in terms of its structure (bulk and surface), compositional variations, and the factors affecting its reactivity. Under natural aqueous conditions, ferrihydrite often precipitates in the presence of several inorganic compounds such as aluminum, silica, arsenic, etc., or in the presence of organic matter. These impurities can affect the molecular-level structure of naturally occurring ferrihydrite, thus modifying fundamental properties that are directly correlated with solid-phase stability and surface reactivity. Currently there exists a significant gap in our understanding of the structure of synthetic vs. natural ferrihydrites, due to the inherent difficulties associated to the investigation of these poorly crystalline nanophases. In this study, we combined synchrotron- and laboratory-based techniques to characterize naturally occurring ferrihydrite from an acid mine drainage system situated at the New Idria mercury mine in California. We used high-energy X-ray total scattering and pair distribution function analysis to elucidate quantitative structural details of these samples. We have additionally used scanning transmission X-ray microscopy high resolution imaging (30 nm) to evaluate the spatial relationship of major elements Si, Al, and C within ferrihydrite. Al, Si and C K-edge near- edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to obtain short-range structural information. By combining these techniques we attain the highest level of resolution permitted by current analytical methods to study such naturally occurring nanomaterials, both at the molecular- and nm-scale. This work provides structural information at the short-, medium- and long- range, as well as evidence of compositional heterogeneity, and mineral/organic matter associations.

The influence of the long-range order on the vibrational spectra of structures based on sodalite cage.

PubMed

Mikuła, A; Król, M; Koleżyński, A

2015-06-05

Zeolites are a group of tecto-aluminosilicates with numerous practical applications, e.g. gas separators, molecular sieves and sorbents. The unique properties result from porous structure of channels and cages which are built from smaller units - the so-called Secondary Building Units (SBU), and sometimes also larger groups (Breck, 1974; Ciciszwili et al., 1974; Mozgawa, 2008; Čejka and van Bekkum, 2005). The aim of this study was the examination of the influence of long-range order on vibrational spectra of sodalite and zeolite A. Ab initio calculations (geometry optimizations and vibrational spectra calculations) of sodalite cage and selected SBU were carried out by means of Gaussian09 (Frisch et al., 2009) (in the case of isolated clusters) and Crystal09 (Dovesi et al., 2005, 2009) (for periodic structures). The obtained results were compared with the experimental spectra of sodalite and zeolite A crystal structures, synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. These results allowed analyzing of the long-range ordering influence on the vibrational spectra, as well as the identification of the characteristic vibrations in β cage based frameworks. It has been found, that based on small structural fragment (SBU) models a characteristic vibrations can be identify. However, full spectra analysis and especially the interpretation of far-infrared region of the spectra require using periodic models under the influence of translational crystal lattice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Capturing the crystalline phase of two-dimensional nanocrystal superlattices in action.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhang; Lin, Xiao-Min; Sprung, Michael; Narayanan, Suresh; Wang, Jin

2010-03-10

Critical photonic, electronic, and magnetic applications of two-dimensional nanocrystal superlattices often require nanostructures in perfect single-crystal phases with long-range order and limited defects. Here we discovered a crystalline phase with quasi-long-range positional order for two-dimensional nanocrystal superlattice domains self-assembled at the liquid-air interface during droplet evaporation, using in situ time-resolved X-ray scattering along with rigorous theories on two dimensional crystal structures. Surprisingly, it was observed that drying these superlattice domains preserved only an orientational order but not a long-range positional order, also supported by quantitative analysis of transmission electron microscopy images.

Long-range correlations and asymmetry in the Bitcoin market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez-Ramirez, J.; Rodriguez, E.; Ibarra-Valdez, C.

2018-02-01

This work studies long-range correlations and informational efficiency of the Bitcoin market for the period from June 30, 2013 to June 3rd, 2017. To this end, the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) was implemented over sliding windows to estimate long-range correlations for price returns. It was found that the Bitcoin market exhibits periods of efficiency alternating with periods where the price dynamics are driven by anti-persistence. The pattern is replicated by prices samples at day, hour and second frequencies. The Bitcoin market also presents asymmetric correlations with respect to increasing and decreasing price trending, with the former trend linked to anti-persistence of returns dynamics.

Text mining by Tsallis entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamaati, Maryam; Mehri, Ali

2018-01-01

Long-range correlations between the elements of natural languages enable them to convey very complex information. Complex structure of human language, as a manifestation of natural languages, motivates us to apply nonextensive statistical mechanics in text mining. Tsallis entropy appropriately ranks the terms' relevance to document subject, taking advantage of their spatial correlation length. We apply this statistical concept as a new powerful word ranking metric in order to extract keywords of a single document. We carry out an experimental evaluation, which shows capability of the presented method in keyword extraction. We find that, Tsallis entropy has reliable word ranking performance, at the same level of the best previous ranking methods.

Electrostatics, structure prediction, and the energy landscapes for protein folding and binding.

PubMed

Tsai, Min-Yeh; Zheng, Weihua; Balamurugan, D; Schafer, Nicholas P; Kim, Bobby L; Cheung, Margaret S; Wolynes, Peter G

2016-01-01

While being long in range and therefore weakly specific, electrostatic interactions are able to modulate the stability and folding landscapes of some proteins. The relevance of electrostatic forces for steering the docking of proteins to each other is widely acknowledged, however, the role of electrostatics in establishing specifically funneled landscapes and their relevance for protein structure prediction are still not clear. By introducing Debye-Hückel potentials that mimic long-range electrostatic forces into the Associative memory, Water mediated, Structure, and Energy Model (AWSEM), a transferable protein model capable of predicting tertiary structures, we assess the effects of electrostatics on the landscapes of thirteen monomeric proteins and four dimers. For the monomers, we find that adding electrostatic interactions does not improve structure prediction. Simulations of ribosomal protein S6 show, however, that folding stability depends monotonically on electrostatic strength. The trend in predicted melting temperatures of the S6 variants agrees with experimental observations. Electrostatic effects can play a range of roles in binding. The binding of the protein complex KIX-pKID is largely assisted by electrostatic interactions, which provide direct charge-charge stabilization of the native state and contribute to the funneling of the binding landscape. In contrast, for several other proteins, including the DNA-binding protein FIS, electrostatics causes frustration in the DNA-binding region, which favors its binding with DNA but not with its protein partner. This study highlights the importance of long-range electrostatics in functional responses to problems where proteins interact with their charged partners, such as DNA, RNA, as well as membranes. © 2015 The Protein Society.

Bilayer Metasurfaces for Dual- and Broadband Optical Antireflection

DOE PAGES

Huang, Li; Chang, Chun-Chieh; Zeng, Beibei; ...

2017-08-09

Optical antireflection has long been pursued for a wide range of applications, but existing approaches encounter issues in the performance, bandwidth, and structure complexity, particularly in the long-wavelength infrared regime. Here we present the demonstration of bilayer metasurfaces that accomplish dual- and broadband optical antireflection in the terahertz and mid-infrared spectral ranges. Furthermore, by simply tailoring the structural geometry and dimensions, here we show that subwavelength metal/dielectric structures enable dramatic reduction of Fresnel reflection and significant enhancement of transmission at a substrate surface, operating either at two discrete narrow bands or over a broad bandwidth up to 28%. We alsomore » use a semianalytical interference model to interpret the obtained results, in which we find that the dispersion of the constituent structures plays a critical role in achieving the observed broadband optical antireflection.« less

The influence of incommensurability on the long-range periodicity of the Pd(100)-(√{ 5 } ×√{ 5 })R27°-PdO(101)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shipilin, Mikhail; Stierle, Andreas; Merte, Lindsay R.; Gustafson, Johan; Hejral, Uta; Martin, Natalia M.; Zhang, Chu; Franz, Dirk; Kilic, Volkan; Lundgren, Edvin

2017-06-01

The structural model of the (√{ 5 } ×√{ 5 })R27°-PdO(101) surface oxide grown on Pd(100) has been proposed and refined by a number of authors over more than a decade. In the current contribution we discuss the long-range periodicity of this structure arising along one of the crystallographic directions due to its incommensurability with the substrate. Analyzing the results of surface sensitive diffraction studies, we determined a slight distortion of the previously reported perfect (√{ 5 } ×√{ 5 })R27° surface oxide unit cell. Considering it, we were able to achieve both qualitatively and quantitatively better fit to the experimental diffraction data than it was possible for the perfect structure. Further, taking into account the experimentally obtained scanning tunneling microscopy data and closely examining high-resolution patterns recorded by means of high-energy surface X-ray diffraction, we developed a qualitative structural model based on a larger non-orthogonal surface unit cell to shed more light on the long-range order of the PdO(101) surface oxide. The model comprises a shift of the atoms of the PdO perpendicularly to the direction of the incommensurability to correct for it. This structural model reproduces the fine details of the high-resolution diffraction patterns and qualitatively explains the periodic stripes of structural distortion observed in the images recorded by a scanning tunneling microscope.

Long-Term Predictive and Feedback Encoding of Motor Signals in the Simple Spike Discharge of Purkinje Cells

PubMed Central

Popa, Laurentiu S.; Streng, Martha L.

2017-01-01

Abstract Most hypotheses of cerebellar function emphasize a role in real-time control of movements. However, the cerebellum’s use of current information to adjust future movements and its involvement in sequencing, working memory, and attention argues for predicting and maintaining information over extended time windows. The present study examines the time course of Purkinje cell discharge modulation in the monkey (Macaca mulatta) during manual, pseudo-random tracking. Analysis of the simple spike firing from 183 Purkinje cells during tracking reveals modulation up to 2 s before and after kinematics and position error. Modulation significance was assessed against trial shuffled firing, which decoupled simple spike activity from behavior and abolished long-range encoding while preserving data statistics. Position, velocity, and position errors have the most frequent and strongest long-range feedforward and feedback modulations, with less common, weaker long-term correlations for speed and radial error. Position, velocity, and position errors can be decoded from the population simple spike firing with considerable accuracy for even the longest predictive (-2000 to -1500 ms) and feedback (1500 to 2000 ms) epochs. Separate analysis of the simple spike firing in the initial hold period preceding tracking shows similar long-range feedforward encoding of the upcoming movement and in the final hold period feedback encoding of the just completed movement, respectively. Complex spike analysis reveals little long-term modulation with behavior. We conclude that Purkinje cell simple spike discharge includes short- and long-range representations of both upcoming and preceding behavior that could underlie cerebellar involvement in error correction, working memory, and sequencing. PMID:28413823

Tuning the effective fine structure constant in graphene: opposing effects of dielectric screening on short- and long-range potential scattering.

PubMed

Jang, C; Adam, S; Chen, J-H; Williams, E D; Das Sarma, S; Fuhrer, M S

2008-10-03

We reduce the dimensionless interaction strength alpha in graphene by adding a water overlayer in ultrahigh vacuum, thereby increasing dielectric screening. The mobility limited by long-range impurity scattering is increased over 30%, due to the background dielectric constant enhancement leading to a reduced interaction of electrons with charged impurities. However, the carrier-density-independent conductivity due to short-range impurities is decreased by almost 40%, due to reduced screening of the impurity potential by conduction electrons. The minimum conductivity is nearly unchanged, due to canceling contributions from the electron-hole puddle density and long-range impurity mobility. Experimental data are compared with theoretical predictions with excellent agreement.

Universal DC Hall conductivity of Jain's state ν = N/2N +/- 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Dung; Son, Dam

We present the Fermi-liquid theory of the fractional quantum Hall effect to describe Jain's states with filling fraction ν =N/2 N +/- 1 , that are near half filling. We derive the DC Hall conductivity σH (t) in closed form within the validity of our model. The results show that, without long range interaction, DC Hall conductivity has the universal form which doesn't depend on the detail of short range Landau's parameters Fn. When long range interaction is included, DC Hall conductivity depends on both long range interaction and Landau's parameters. We also analyze the relation between DC Hall conductivity and static structure factor. This work was supported by the Chicago MRSEC, which is funded by NSF through Grant DMR-1420709.

Development of Coarse Grained Models for Long Chain Alkanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gyawali, Gaurav; Sternfield, Samuel; Hwang, In Chul; Rick, Steven; Kumar, Revati; Rick Group Team; Kumar Group Team

Modeling aggregation in aqueous solution is a challenge for molecular simulations as it involves long time scales, a range of length scales, and the correct balance of hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions. We have developed a coarse-grained model fast enough for the rapid testing of molecular structures for their aggregation properties. This model, using the Stillinger-Weber potential, achieves efficiency through a reduction in the number of interaction sites and the use of short-ranged interactions. The model can be two to three orders of magnitude more efficient than conventional all atom simulations, yet through a careful parameterization process and the use of many-body interactions can be remarkably accurate. We have developed models for long chain alkanes in water that reproduce the thermodynamics and structure of water-alkane and liquid alkane systems.

Impairment and Abuse of Elderly by Staff in Long-Term Care in Michigan: Evidence from Structural Equation Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conner, Tom; Prokhorov, Artem; Page, Connie; Fang, Yu; Xiao, Yimin; Post, Lori A.

2011-01-01

Elder abuse in long-term care has become a very important public health concern. Recent estimates of elder abuse prevalence are in the range of 2% to 10% (Lachs & Pillemer, 2004), and current changes in population structure indicate a potential for an upward trend in prevalence (Malley-Morrison, Nolido, & Chawla, 2006; Post et al., 2006).…

A proposal to conduct a Caribbean plate project involving the application of space technology to the study of Caribbean geology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wadge, G. (Editor)

1981-01-01

The Caribbean plate project is designed to improve current understanding of geological resources and geological hazards within the Caribbean region. Models of mineral occurrence and genesis (including energy resources) on a regional scale, which contribute to nonrenewable resource investigations. Models of lithospheric stress and strain on a regional scale, which contribute to forecasting geological hazards such as earthquakes and major volcanic eruptions are developed. Geological information is synthesize, and research tools provided by space technology the study of the Earth's crust are used. The project was organized in a thematic fashion, to focus on specific geological aspects of the Caribbean plate which are considered to be key factors in developing the types of models described. The project adopts a synoptic perspective in seeking to characterize the three dimensional structure, composition, state of stress, and evolution of the entire Caribbean plate. Geological information derived from analysis of space acquired data is combined with information provided by conventional methods to obtain insight into the structure, composition, and evolution of the Earth's crust. In addition, very long baseline interferometry and laser ranging techniques, which are also based upon the use of space technology, obtain information concerning crustal motion that, in turn, provides insight into the distribution and localization of crustal stress.

Recent results from PHOBOS on particle production at high p T

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alver, B.; Back, B. B.; Baker, M. D.; Ballintijn, M.; Barton, D. S.; Betts, R. R.; Bickley, A. A.; Bindel, R.; Busza, W.; Carroll, A.; Chai, Z.; Chetluru, V.; Decowski, M. P.; García, E.; Gburek, T.; George, N.; Gulbrandsen, K.; Halliwell, C.; Hamblen, J.; Harnarine, I.; Hauer, M.; Henderson, C.; Hofman, D. J.; Hollis, R. S.; Holyński, R.; Holzman, B.; Iordanova, A.; Johnson, E.; Kane, J. L.; Khan, N.; Kulinich, P.; Kuo, C. M.; Li, W.; Lin, W. T.; Loizides, C.; Manly, S.; Mignerey, A. C.; Nouicer, R.; Olszewski, A.; Pak, R.; Reed, C.; Richardson, E.; Roland, C.; Roland, G.; Sagerer, J.; Seals, H.; Sedykh, I.; Smith, C. E.; Stankiewicz, M. A.; Steinberg, P.; Stephans, G. S. F.; Sukhanov, A.; Szostak, A.; Tonjes, M. B.; Trzupek, A.; Vale, C.; van Nieuwenhuizen, G. J.; Vaurynovich, S. S.; Verdier, R.; Veres, G. I.; Walters, P.; Wenger, E.; Willhelm, D.; Wolfs, F. L. H.; Wosiek, B.; Woźniak, K.; Wyngaardt, S.; Wysłouch, B.

2009-06-01

A selection of experimental results from the PHOBOS Collaboration relevant for probing high-energy nuclear collisions with high transverse momentum particles is presented. The inclusive yields of charged particles and comparisons between nuclear and elementary collisions already reveal a large amount of parton energy loss in the hot and dense medium created in heavy ion collisions. Remarkable scaling and factorization features are observed, unifying the data taken at various collision energies, centralities and nuclear sizes. To further analyze the nature of the energy loss, a measurement of pseudorapidity (Δ η) and azimuthal angle (Δ φ) correlations between high transverse momentum charged hadrons ( p T >2.5 GeV/ c) and all associated charged particles is presented at both short-range (small Δ η) and long-range (large Δ η) over a continuous detector acceptance covering -4<Δ η<2. Various near- and away-side features of the correlation structure are discussed as a function of centrality in Au + Au collisions at sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV. The results provide new information about the longitudinal (Δ η) extent of the near-side ‘ridge’ structure, first observed by the STAR Collaboration over a narrower η range. In central Au + Au collisions the ridge structure extends to at least Δ η=4, and its strength completely diminishes as collisions become more peripheral.

Effect of simple solutes on the long range dipolar correlations in liquid water

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

Baul, Upayan, E-mail: upayanb@imsc.res.in; Anishetty, Ramesh, E-mail: ramesha@imsc.res.in; Vemparala, Satyavani, E-mail: vani@imsc.res.in

2016-03-14

Intermolecular correlations in liquid water at ambient conditions have generally been characterized through short range density fluctuations described through the atomic pair distribution functions. Recent numerical and experimental results have suggested that such a description of order or structure in liquid water is incomplete and there exist considerably longer ranged orientational correlations in water that can be studied through dipolar correlations. In this study, using large scale classical, atomistic molecular dynamics simulations using TIP4P-Ew and TIP3P models of water, we show that salts such as sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), caesium chloride (CsCl), and magnesium chloride (MgCl{sub 2}) havemore » a long range effect on the dipolar correlations, which cannot be explained by the notion of structure making and breaking by dissolved ions. Observed effects are explained through orientational stratification of water molecules around ions and their long range coupling to the global hydrogen bond network by virtue of the sum rule for water. The observations for single hydrophilic solutes are contrasted with the same for a single methane (CH{sub 4}) molecule. We observe that even a single small hydrophobe can result in enhancement of long range orientational correlations in liquid water, contrary to the case of dissolved ions, which have been observed to have a reducing effect. The observations from this study are discussed in the context of hydrophobic effect.« less

Sympatric Woodland Myotis Bats Form Tight-Knit Social Groups with Exclusive Roost Home Ranges

PubMed Central

August, Tom A.; Nunn, Miles A.; Fensome, Amy G.; Linton, Danielle M.; Mathews, Fiona

2014-01-01

Background The structuring of wild animal populations can influence population dynamics, disease spread, and information transfer. Social network analysis potentially offers insights into these processes but is rarely, if ever, used to investigate more than one species in a community. We therefore compared the social, temporal and spatial networks of sympatric Myotis bats (M. nattereri (Natterer's bats) and M. daubentonii (Daubenton's bats)), and asked: (1) are there long-lasting social associations within species? (2) do the ranges occupied by roosting social groups overlap within or between species? (3) are M. daubentonii bachelor colonies excluded from roosting in areas used by maternity groups? Results Using data on 490 ringed M. nattereri and 978 M. daubentonii from 379 colonies, we found that both species formed stable social groups encompassing multiple colonies. M. nattereri formed 11 mixed-sex social groups with few (4.3%) inter-group associations. Approximately half of all M. nattereri were associated with the same individuals when recaptured, with many associations being long-term (>100 days). In contrast, M. daubentonii were sexually segregated; only a quarter of pairs were associated at recapture after a few days, and inter-sex associations were not long-lasting. Social groups of M. nattereri and female M. daubentonii had small roost home ranges (mean 0.2 km2 in each case). Intra-specific overlap was low, but inter-specific overlap was high, suggesting territoriality within but not between species. M. daubentonii bachelor colonies did not appear to be excluded from roosting areas used by females. Conclusions Our data suggest marked species- and sex-specific patterns of disease and information transmission are likely between bats of the same genus despite sharing a common habitat. The clear partitioning of the woodland amongst social groups, and their apparent reliance on small patches of habitat for roosting, means that localised woodland management may be more important to bat conservation than previously recognised. PMID:25356770

Dynamic actuation of glassy polymersomes through isomerization of a single azobenzene unit at the block copolymer interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molla, Mijanur Rahaman; Rangadurai, Poornima; Antony, Lucas; Swaminathan, Subramani; de Pablo, Juan J.; Thayumanavan, S.

2018-06-01

Nature has engineered exquisitely responsive systems where molecular-scale information is transferred across an interface and propagated over long length scales. Such systems rely on multiple interacting, signalling and adaptable molecular and supramolecular networks that are built on dynamic, non-equilibrium structures. Comparable synthetic systems are still in their infancy. Here, we demonstrate that the light-induced actuation of a molecularly thin interfacial layer, assembled from a hydrophilic- azobenzene -hydrophobic diblock copolymer, can result in a reversible, long-lived perturbation of a robust glassy membrane across a range of over 500 chemical bonds. We show that the out-of-equilibrium actuation is caused by the photochemical trans-cis isomerization of the azo group, a single chemical functionality, in the middle of the interfacial layer. The principles proposed here are implemented in water-dispersed nanocapsules, and have implications for on-demand release of embedded cargo molecules.

Electron Transport in a Dioxygenase-Ferredoxin Complex: Long Range Charge Coupling between the Rieske and Non-Heme Iron Center

PubMed Central

Jono, Ryota; Shimizu, Kentaro

2016-01-01

Dioxygenase (dOx) utilizes stereospecific oxidation on aromatic molecules; consequently, dOx has potential applications in bioremediation and stereospecific oxidation synthesis. The reactive components of dOx comprise a Rieske structure Cys2[2Fe-2S]His2 and a non-heme reactive oxygen center (ROC). Between the Rieske structure and the ROC, a universally conserved Asp residue appears to bridge the two structures forming a Rieske-Asp-ROC triad, where the Asp is known to be essential for electron transfer processes. The Rieske and ROC share hydrogen bonds with Asp through their His ligands; suggesting an ideal network for electron transfer via the carboxyl side chain of Asp. Associated with the dOx is an itinerant charge carrying protein Ferredoxin (Fdx). Depending on the specific cognate, Fdx may also possess either the Rieske structure or a related structure known as 4-Cys-[2Fe-2S] (4-Cys). In this study, we extensively explore, at different levels of theory, the behavior of the individual components (Rieske and ROC) and their interaction together via the Asp using a variety of density function methods, basis sets, and a method known as Generalized Ionic Fragment Approach (GIFA) that permits setting up spin configurations manually. We also report results on the 4-Cys structure for comparison. The individual optimized structures are compared with observed spectroscopic data from the Rieske, 4-Cys and ROC structures (where information is available). The separate pieces are then combined together into a large Rieske-Asp-ROC (donor/bridge/acceptor) complex to estimate the overall coupling between individual components, based on changes to the partial charges. The results suggest that the partial charges are significantly altered when Asp bridges the Rieske and the ROC; hence, long range coupling through hydrogen bonding effects via the intercalated Asp bridge can drastically affect the partial charge distributions compared to the individual isolated structures. The results are consistent with a proton coupled electron transfer mechanism. PMID:27656882

Structural composite panel performance under long-term load

Treesearch

Theodore L. Laufenberg

1988-01-01

Information on the performance of wood-based structural composite panels under long-term load is currently needed to permit their use in engineered assemblies and systems. A broad assessment of the time-dependent properties of panels is critical for creating databases and models of the creep-rupture phenomenon that lead to reliability-based design procedures. This...

Endogenous BDNF Is Required for Long-Term Memory Formation in the Rat Parietal Cortex

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alonso, Mariana; Bekinschtein, Pedro, Cammarota, Martin; Vianna, Monica R. M.; Izquierdo, Ivan; Medina, Jorge H.

2005-01-01

Information storage in the brain is a temporally graded process involving different memory phases as well as different structures in the mammalian brain. Cortical plasticity seems to be essential to store stable long-term memories, although little information is available at the moment regarding molecular and cellular events supporting memory…

Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

PAC-3 MSE) 81 Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 2 83 Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) 85 Long Range Precision Fires...Unmanned Air System 05/2018 —- O  Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System Recapitalization 10/2017 —- O  Improved Turbine Engine Program TBD...Network-Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 2 83 1-page assessments Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) 85 Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) 86

Neurocomputation by Reaction Diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Ping

1995-08-01

This Letter demonstrates the possible role nonsynaptic diffusion neurotransmission may play in neurocomputation using an artificial neural network model. A reaction-diffusion neural network model with field-based information-processing mechanisms is proposed. The advantages of nonsynaptic field neurotransmission from a computational viewpoint demonstrated in this Letter include long-range inhibition using only local interaction, nonhardwired and changeable (target specific) long-range communication pathways, and multiple simultaneous spatiotemporal organization processes in the same medium.

33 CFR 169.200 - What is the purpose of this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Identification and Tracking Information § 169.200 What is the purpose of this subpart? This subpart implements... enables the Coast Guard to obtain long range identification and tracking (LRIT) information and thus...

Long-Range Reduced Predictive Information Transfers of Autistic Youths in EEG Sensor-Space During Face Processing.

PubMed

Khadem, Ali; Hossein-Zadeh, Gholam-Ali; Khorrami, Anahita

2016-03-01

The majority of previous functional/effective connectivity studies conducted on the autistic patients converged to the underconnectivity theory of ASD: "long-range underconnectivity and sometimes short-rang overconnectivity". However, to the best of our knowledge the total (linear and nonlinear) predictive information transfers (PITs) of autistic patients have not been investigated yet. Also, EEG data have rarely been used for exploring the information processing deficits in autistic subjects. This study is aimed at comparing the total (linear and nonlinear) PITs of autistic and typically developing healthy youths during human face processing by using EEG data. The ERPs of 12 autistic youths and 19 age-matched healthy control (HC) subjects were recorded while they were watching upright and inverted human face images. The PITs among EEG channels were quantified using two measures separately: transfer entropy with self-prediction optimality (TESPO), and modified transfer entropy with self-prediction optimality (MTESPO). Afterwards, the directed differential connectivity graphs (dDCGs) were constructed to characterize the significant changes in the estimated PITs of autistic subjects compared with HC ones. By using both TESPO and MTESPO, long-range reduction of PITs of ASD group during face processing was revealed (particularly from frontal channels to right temporal channels). Also, it seemed the orientation of face images (upright or upside down) did not modulate the binary pattern of PIT-based dDCGs, significantly. Moreover, compared with TESPO, the results of MTESPO were more compatible with the underconnectivity theory of ASD in the sense that MTESPO showed no long-range increase in PIT. It is also noteworthy that to the best of our knowledge it is the first time that a version of MTE is applied for patients (here ASD) and it is also its first use for EEG data analysis.

The Molecular Basis of Communication between Cells.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Solomon H.

1985-01-01

Chemical messengers mediate long-range hormonal communication and short-range neural communication between cells. Background information on peptides, steroids, neuropeptides, and specialized enzymes is given. Investigations reveal that the two systems have many common intercellular messenger molecules. (DH)

Artificial 3D hierarchical and isotropic porous polymeric materials

PubMed Central

Musteata, Valentina-Elena; Behzad, Ali Reza

2018-01-01

Hierarchical porous materials that replicate complex living structures are attractive for a wide variety of applications, ranging from storage and catalysis to biological and artificial systems. However, the preparation of structures with a high level of complexity and long-range order at the mesoscale and microscale is challenging. We report a simple, nonextractive, and nonreactive method used to prepare three-dimensional porous materials that mimic biological systems such as marine skeletons and honeycombs. This method exploits the concurrent occurrence of the self-assembly of block copolymers in solution and macrophase separation by nucleation and growth. We obtained a long-range order of micrometer-sized compartments. These compartments are interconnected by ordered cylindrical nanochannels. The new approach is demonstrated using polystyrene-b-poly(t-butyl acrylate), which can be further explored for a broad range of applications, such as air purification filters for viruses and pollution particle removal or growth of bioinspired materials for bone regeneration.

Artificial 3D hierarchical and isotropic porous polymeric materials.

PubMed

Chisca, Stefan; Musteata, Valentina-Elena; Sougrat, Rachid; Behzad, Ali Reza; Nunes, Suzana P

2018-05-01

Hierarchical porous materials that replicate complex living structures are attractive for a wide variety of applications, ranging from storage and catalysis to biological and artificial systems. However, the preparation of structures with a high level of complexity and long-range order at the mesoscale and microscale is challenging. We report a simple, nonextractive, and nonreactive method used to prepare three-dimensional porous materials that mimic biological systems such as marine skeletons and honeycombs. This method exploits the concurrent occurrence of the self-assembly of block copolymers in solution and macrophase separation by nucleation and growth. We obtained a long-range order of micrometer-sized compartments. These compartments are interconnected by ordered cylindrical nanochannels. The new approach is demonstrated using polystyrene- b -poly( t -butyl acrylate), which can be further explored for a broad range of applications, such as air purification filters for viruses and pollution particle removal or growth of bioinspired materials for bone regeneration.

Welcoming natural isotopic abundance in solid-state NMR: probing π-stacking and supramolecular structure of organic nanoassemblies using DNP† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6sc02709a Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Märker, Katharina; Paul, Subhradip; Fernández-de-Alba, Carlos; Lee, Daniel; Mouesca, Jean-Marie; Hediger, Sabine

2017-01-01

The self-assembly of small organic molecules is an intriguing phenomenon, which provides nanoscale structures for applications in numerous fields from medicine to molecular electronics. Detailed knowledge of their structure, in particular on the supramolecular level, is a prerequisite for the rational design of improved self-assembled systems. In this work, we prove the feasibility of a novel concept of NMR-based 3D structure determination of such assemblies in the solid state. The key point of this concept is the deliberate use of samples that contain 13C at its natural isotopic abundance (NA, 1.1%), while exploiting magic-angle spinning dynamic nuclear polarization (MAS-DNP) to compensate for the reduced sensitivity. Since dipolar truncation effects are suppressed to a large extent in NA samples, unique and highly informative spectra can be recorded which are impossible to obtain on an isotopically labeled system. On the self-assembled cyclic diphenylalanine peptide, we demonstrate the detection of long-range internuclear distances up to ∼7 Å, allowing us to observe π-stacking through 13C–13C correlation spectra, providing a powerful tool for the analysis of one of the most important non-covalent interactions. Furthermore, experimental polarization transfer curves are in remarkable agreement with numerical simulations based on the crystallographic structure, and can be fully rationalized as the superposition of intra- and intermolecular contributions. This new approach to NMR crystallography provides access to rich and precise structural information, opening up a new avenue to de novo crystal structure determination by NMR. PMID:28451235

Large-Scale Patterns in a Minimal Cognitive Flocking Model: Incidental Leaders, Nematic Patterns, and Aggregates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barberis, Lucas; Peruani, Fernando

2016-12-01

We study a minimal cognitive flocking model, which assumes that the moving entities navigate using the available instantaneous visual information exclusively. The model consists of active particles, with no memory, that interact by a short-ranged, position-based, attractive force, which acts inside a vision cone (VC), and lack velocity-velocity alignment. We show that this active system can exhibit—due to the VC that breaks Newton's third law—various complex, large-scale, self-organized patterns. Depending on parameter values, we observe the emergence of aggregates or millinglike patterns, the formation of moving—locally polar—files with particles at the front of these structures acting as effective leaders, and the self-organization of particles into macroscopic nematic structures leading to long-ranged nematic order. Combining simulations and nonlinear field equations, we show that position-based active models, as the one analyzed here, represent a new class of active systems fundamentally different from other active systems, including velocity-alignment-based flocking systems. The reported results are of prime importance in the study, interpretation, and modeling of collective motion patterns in living and nonliving active systems.

Large-Scale Patterns in a Minimal Cognitive Flocking Model: Incidental Leaders, Nematic Patterns, and Aggregates.

PubMed

Barberis, Lucas; Peruani, Fernando

2016-12-09

We study a minimal cognitive flocking model, which assumes that the moving entities navigate using the available instantaneous visual information exclusively. The model consists of active particles, with no memory, that interact by a short-ranged, position-based, attractive force, which acts inside a vision cone (VC), and lack velocity-velocity alignment. We show that this active system can exhibit-due to the VC that breaks Newton's third law-various complex, large-scale, self-organized patterns. Depending on parameter values, we observe the emergence of aggregates or millinglike patterns, the formation of moving-locally polar-files with particles at the front of these structures acting as effective leaders, and the self-organization of particles into macroscopic nematic structures leading to long-ranged nematic order. Combining simulations and nonlinear field equations, we show that position-based active models, as the one analyzed here, represent a new class of active systems fundamentally different from other active systems, including velocity-alignment-based flocking systems. The reported results are of prime importance in the study, interpretation, and modeling of collective motion patterns in living and nonliving active systems.

National Library of Medicine Disaster Information Management Research Center: Achieving the vision, 2010–2013

PubMed Central

Love, Cynthia B.; Arnesen, Stacey J.; Phillips, Steven J.; Windom, Robert E.

2016-01-01

From 2010 to 2013, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC) continued to build its programs and services on the foundation laid in its starting years, 2008–2010. Prior to 2008, NLM had a long history of providing health information, training, and tools in response to disasters. Aware of this legacy, the NLM long range plan (Charting a Course for the 21st Century: NLM’s Long Range Plan 2006–2016) called for creation of a center to show “a strong commitment to disaster remediation and to provide a platform for demonstrating how libraries and librarians can be part of the solution to this national problem”. NLM is continuing efforts to ensure that medical libraries have plans for the continuity of their operations, librarians are trained to understand their roles in preparedness and response, online disaster health information resources are available for many audiences and in multiple formats, and research is conducted on tools to enhance the exchange of critical information during and following disasters. This paper describes the 2010–2013 goals and activities of DIMRC and its future plans. PMID:27570333

Integrating climate forecasts and natural gas supply information into a natural gas purchasing decision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Changnon, David; Ritsche, Michael; Elyea, Karen; Shelton, Steve; Schramm, Kevin

2000-09-01

This paper illustrates a key lesson related to most uses of long-range climate forecast information, namely that effective weather-related decision-making requires understanding and integration of weather information with other, often complex factors. Northern Illinois University's heating plant manager and staff meteorologist, along with a group of meteorology students, worked together to assess different types of available information that could be used in an autumn natural gas purchasing decision. Weather information assessed included the impact of ENSO events on winters in northern Illinois and the Climate Prediction Center's (CPC) long-range climate outlooks. Non-weather factors, such as the cost and available supplies of natural gas prior to the heating season, contribute to the complexity of the natural gas purchase decision. A decision tree was developed and it incorporated three parts: (a) natural gas supply levels, (b) the CPC long-lead climate outlooks for the region, and (c) an ENSO model developed for DeKalb. The results were used to decide in autumn whether to lock in a price or ride the market each winter. The decision tree was tested for the period 1995-99, and returned a cost-effective decision in three of the four winters.

Local and long-range circuit elements for cerebellar function.

PubMed

Xiao, Le; Scheiffele, Peter

2018-02-01

The view of cerebellar functions has been extended from controlling sensorimotor processes to processing 'contextual' information and generating predictions for a diverse range of behaviors. These functions rely on the computation of the local cerebellar microcircuits and long-range connectivity that relays cerebellar output to various brain areas. In this review, we discuss recent work on two of the circuit elements, which are thought to be fundamental for a wide range of non-sensorimotor behaviors: The role for cerebellar granule cells in multimodal integration in the cerebellar cortex and the long-range connectivity between the deep cerebellar nuclei and the basal ganglia. Lastly, we discuss how studies on synapses and circuits of the cerebellum in rodent models of autism-spectrum disorders might contribute to our understanding of the pathophysiology of this class of neurodevelopmental disorders. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Quantum transport with long-range steps on Watts-Strogatz networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yan; Xu, Xin-Jian

2016-07-01

We study transport dynamics of quantum systems with long-range steps on the Watts-Strogatz network (WSN) which is generated by rewiring links of the regular ring. First, we probe physical systems modeled by the discrete nonlinear schrödinger (DNLS) equation. Using the localized initial condition, we compute the time-averaged occupation probability of the initial site, which is related to the nonlinearity, the long-range steps and rewiring links. Self-trapping transitions occur at large (small) nonlinear parameters for coupling ɛ=-1 (1), as long-range interactions are intensified. The structure disorder induced by random rewiring, however, has dual effects for ɛ=-1 and inhibits the self-trapping behavior for ɛ=1. Second, we investigate continuous-time quantum walks (CTQW) on the regular ring ruled by the discrete linear schrödinger (DLS) equation. It is found that only the presence of the long-range steps does not affect the efficiency of the coherent exciton transport, while only the allowance of random rewiring enhances the partial localization. If both factors are considered simultaneously, localization is greatly strengthened, and the transport becomes worse.

Modeling adsorption properties of structurally deformed metal–organic frameworks using structure–property map

PubMed Central

Lim, Dae-Woon; Kim, Sungjune; Harale, Aadesh; Yoon, Minyoung; Suh, Myunghyun Paik; Kim, Jihan

2017-01-01

Structural deformation and collapse in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can lead to loss of long-range order, making it a challenge to model these amorphous materials using conventional computational methods. In this work, we show that a structure–property map consisting of simulated data for crystalline MOFs can be used to indirectly obtain adsorption properties of structurally deformed MOFs. The structure–property map (with dimensions such as Henry coefficient, heat of adsorption, and pore volume) was constructed using a large data set of over 12000 crystalline MOFs from molecular simulations. By mapping the experimental data points of deformed SNU-200, MOF-5, and Ni-MOF-74 onto this structure–property map, we show that the experimentally deformed MOFs share similar adsorption properties with their nearest neighbor crystalline structures. Once the nearest neighbor crystalline MOFs for a deformed MOF are selected from a structure–property map at a specific condition, then the adsorption properties of these MOFs can be successfully transformed onto the degraded MOFs, leading to a new way to obtain properties of materials whose structural information is lost. PMID:28696307

Competition of information channels in the spreading of innovations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kocsis, Gergely; Kun, Ferenc

2011-08-01

We study the spreading of information on technological developments in socioeconomic systems where the social contacts of agents are represented by a network of connections. In the model, agents get informed about the existence and advantages of new innovations through advertising activities of producers, which are then followed by an interagent information transfer. Computer simulations revealed that varying the strength of external driving and of interagent coupling, furthermore, the topology of social contacts, the model presents a complex behavior with interesting novel features: On the macrolevel the system exhibits logistic behavior typical for the diffusion of innovations. The time evolution can be described analytically by an integral equation that captures the nucleation and growth of clusters of informed agents. On the microlevel, small clusters are found to be compact with a crossover to fractal structures with increasing size. The distribution of cluster sizes has a power-law behavior with a crossover to a higher exponent when long-range social contacts are present in the system. Based on computer simulations we construct an approximate phase diagram of the model on a regular square lattice of agents.

Using Full Genomic Information to Predict Disease: Breaking Down the Barriers Between Complex and Mendelian Diseases.

PubMed

Jordan, Daniel M; Do, Ron

2018-04-11

While sequence-based genetic tests have long been available for specific loci, especially for Mendelian disease, the rapidly falling costs of genome-wide genotyping arrays, whole-exome sequencing, and whole-genome sequencing are moving us toward a future where full genomic information might inform the prognosis and treatment of a variety of diseases, including complex disease. Similarly, the availability of large populations with full genomic information has enabled new insights about the etiology and genetic architecture of complex disease. Insights from the latest generation of genomic studies suggest that our categorization of diseases as complex may conceal a wide spectrum of genetic architectures and causal mechanisms that ranges from Mendelian forms of complex disease to complex regulatory structures underlying Mendelian disease. Here, we review these insights, along with advances in the prediction of disease risk and outcomes from full genomic information. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics Volume 19 is August 31, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Competition of information channels in the spreading of innovations.

PubMed

Kocsis, Gergely; Kun, Ferenc

2011-08-01

We study the spreading of information on technological developments in socioeconomic systems where the social contacts of agents are represented by a network of connections. In the model, agents get informed about the existence and advantages of new innovations through advertising activities of producers, which are then followed by an interagent information transfer. Computer simulations revealed that varying the strength of external driving and of interagent coupling, furthermore, the topology of social contacts, the model presents a complex behavior with interesting novel features: On the macrolevel the system exhibits logistic behavior typical for the diffusion of innovations. The time evolution can be described analytically by an integral equation that captures the nucleation and growth of clusters of informed agents. On the microlevel, small clusters are found to be compact with a crossover to fractal structures with increasing size. The distribution of cluster sizes has a power-law behavior with a crossover to a higher exponent when long-range social contacts are present in the system. Based on computer simulations we construct an approximate phase diagram of the model on a regular square lattice of agents.

What Climate Information Do Water Managers Need to Make Robust, Long-Term Plans?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duran, R.; Lempert, R.; Groves, D.

2008-12-01

What climate information do water managers need to respond to threat of climate change? Southern California's Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) completed a long-range water resource management plan in 2005 that addressed expected economic and population growth in their service region, but did not consider the potential impacts of climate change. Using a robust decision making (RDM) approach for policy under deep uncertainty, we recently worked with IEUA to conduct a climate-change vulnerability and response options analysis of the agency's long-range plans. This analysis suggests that IEUA is vulnerable to future climate change, but can significantly reduce this vulnerability by increasing their near-term conservation programs and careful monitoring and updating to adjust their plan in the years ahead. In addition to helping IEUA, this analysis provides important guidance on the types of climate and other information that can be most useful for water managers as they attempt to take robust, near-term actions to increaase their resilience to climate change.

Highly Conductive Thin Uniform Gold-Coated DNA Nanowires.

PubMed

Stern, Avigail; Eidelshtein, Gennady; Zhuravel, Roman; Livshits, Gideon I; Rotem, Dvir; Kotlyar, Alexander; Porath, Danny

2018-06-01

Over the past decades, DNA, the carrier of genetic information, has been used by researchers as a structural template material. Watson-Crick base pairing enables the formation of complex 2D and 3D structures from DNA through self-assembly. Various methods have been developed to functionalize these structures for numerous utilities. Metallization of DNA has attracted much attention as a means of forming conductive nanostructures. Nevertheless, most of the metallized DNA wires reported so far suffer from irregularity and lack of end-to-end electrical connectivity. An effective technique for formation of thin gold-coated DNA wires that overcomes these drawbacks is developed and presented here. A conductive atomic force microscopy setup, which is suitable for measuring tens to thousands of nanometer long molecules and wires, is used to characterize these DNA-based nanowires. The wires reported here are the narrowest gold-coated DNA wires that display long-range conductivity. The measurements presented show that the conductivity is limited by defects, and that thicker gold coating reduces the number of defects and increases the conductive length. This preparation method enables the formation of molecular wires with dimensions and uniformity that are much more suitable for DNA-based molecular electronics. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of mesoporous α-Fe2O3 and Cr2O3.

PubMed

Hill, Adrian H; Allieta, Mattia

2013-06-14

We have measured atomic pair distribution functions of novel mesoporous metal oxides, α-Fe2O3 and Cr2O3. These have an ordered pore mosaic as well as crystalline structure within the pore walls, making them an interesting class of materials to characterise. Comparison of "bulk" and mesoporous data sets has allowed an estimate of long range structural coherence to be derived; ≈125 Å and ≈290 Å for α-Fe2O3 and Cr2O3 respectively. Further "box-car" analysis has shown that above ≈40 Å both mesoporous samples deviate greatly from their bulk counterparts. This is attributed to the pores of the mesoporous structure creating voids in the pair-correlations, disrupting long range order.

Spread of Correlations in Long-Range Interacting Quantum Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauke, P.; Tagliacozzo, L.

2013-11-01

The nonequilibrium response of a quantum many-body system defines its fundamental transport properties and how initially localized quantum information spreads. However, for long-range-interacting quantum systems little is known. We address this issue by analyzing a local quantum quench in the long-range Ising model in a transverse field, where interactions decay as a variable power law with distance ∝r-α, α>0. Using complementary numerical and analytical techniques, we identify three dynamical regimes: short-range-like with an emerging light cone for α>2, weakly long range for 1<α<2 without a clear light cone but with a finite propagation speed of almost all excitations, and fully nonlocal for α<1 with instantaneous transmission of correlations. This last regime breaks generalized Lieb-Robinson bounds and thus locality. Numerical calculation of the entanglement spectrum demonstrates that the usual picture of propagating quasiparticles remains valid, allowing an intuitive interpretation of our findings via divergences of quasiparticle velocities. Our results may be tested in state-of-the-art trapped-ion experiments.

Investigation of Magnetotelluric Source Effect Based on Twenty Years of Telluric and Geomagnetic Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kis, A.; Lemperger, I.; Wesztergom, V.; Menvielle, M.; Szalai, S.; Novák, A.; Hada, T.; Matsukiyo, S.; Lethy, A. M.

2016-12-01

Magnetotelluric method is widely applied for investigation of subsurface structures by imaging the spatial distribution of electric conductivity. The method is based on the experimental determination of surface electromagnetic impedance tensor (Z) by surface geomagnetic and telluric registrations in two perpendicular orientation. In practical explorations the accurate estimation of Z necessitates the application of robust statistical methods for two reasons:1) the geomagnetic and telluric time series' are contaminated by man-made noise components and2) the non-homogeneous behavior of ionospheric current systems in the period range of interest (ELF-ULF and longer periods) results in systematic deviation of the impedance of individual time windows.Robust statistics manage both load of Z for the purpose of subsurface investigations. However, accurate analysis of the long term temporal variation of the first and second statistical moments of Z may provide valuable information about the characteristics of the ionospheric source current systems. Temporal variation of extent, spatial variability and orientation of the ionospheric source currents has specific effects on the surface impedance tensor. Twenty year long geomagnetic and telluric recordings of the Nagycenk Geophysical Observatory provides unique opportunity to reconstruct the so called magnetotelluric source effect and obtain information about the spatial and temporal behavior of ionospheric source currents at mid-latitudes. Detailed investigation of time series of surface electromagnetic impedance tensor has been carried out in different frequency classes of the ULF range. The presentation aims to provide a brief review of our results related to long term periodic modulations, up to solar cycle scale and about eventual deviations of the electromagnetic impedance and so the reconstructed equivalent ionospheric source effects.

Short-Time Glassy Dynamics in Viscous Protein Solutions with Competing Interactions

DOE PAGES

Godfrin, P. Douglas; Hudson, Steven; Hong, Kunlun; ...

2015-11-24

Although there have been numerous investigations of the glass transition for colloidal dispersions with only a short-ranged attraction, less is understood for systems interacting with a long-ranged repulsion in addition to this attraction, which is ubiquitous in aqueous protein solutions at low ionic strength. Highly puri ed concentrated lysozyme solutions are used as a model system and investigated over a large range of protein concentrations at very low ionic strength. Newtonian liquid behavior is observed at all concentrations, even up to 480 mg/mL, where the zero shear viscosity increases by more than three orders of magnitude with increasing concentration. Remarkably,more » despite this macroscopic liquid-like behavior, the measurements of the dynamics in the short-time limit shows features typical of glassy colloidal systems. Investigation of the inter-protein structure indicates that the reduced short-time mobility of the protein is caused by localized regions of high density within a heterogeneous density distribution. This structural heterogeneity occurs on intermediate range length scale, driven by the competing potential features, and is distinct from commonly studied colloidal gel systems in which a heterogeneous density distribution tends to extend to the whole system. The presence of long-ranged repulsion also allows for more mobility over large length and long time scales resulting in the macroscopic relaxation of the structure. The experimental results provide evidence for the need to explicitly include intermediate range order in theories for the macroscopic properties of protein solutions interacting via competing potential features.« less

Local and Average Structures in Ferroelectrics under Perturbing Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usher, Tedi-Marie

Ferroelectric and dielectric ceramics are used in a multitude of applications including sonar, micro-positioning, actuators, transducers, and capacitors. The most widely used compositions are lead (Pb)-based, however there is an ongoing effort to reduce lead-based materials in consumer applications. Many lead-free compositions are under investigation; some are already in production and others have been identified as suitable for certain applications. For any such material system, there is a need to thoroughly characterize the structure in order to develop robust structure-property relationships, particularly during in situ application of different stimuli (e.g. electric field and mechanical stress). This work investigates two lead-free material systems of interest, (1-x)Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3 - (x)BaTiO3 (NBT-xBT) and (1-x)BaTiO3 - (x)Bi(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3 (BT-xBZT), as well as the constituent compounds Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3 and BaTiO3. Both systems exhibit compositional boundaries between unique phases exhibiting different functional properties. Advanced scattering techniques are used to characterize the atomic structures and how they change during in situ application of different stimuli. The long-range, average structures are probed using high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and neutron diffraction (ND) and local scale structures are probed using X-ray or neutron total scattering, which are converted to pair distribution functions (PDFs). First, two in situ ND experiments which investigate structural changes to NBT-xBT in response to uniaxial stresses and electric fields are presented. In response to stresses, different crystallographic directions strain differently. The elastic anisotropy, (i.e., the orientation-dependence of elastic stiffness) for the studied compositions is characterized. A general inverse relationship between elastic anisotropy and piezoelectric anisotropy is demonstrated for three common ferroelectric point groups. In response to electric fields, different crystallographic directions respond by either domain reorientation or lattice strain, as governed by the material's symmetry. The composition at the phase boundary responds at a lower field and undergoes a phase transition. Next, the PDF method is described and then applied to a structural study of BT-xBZT in combination with HRXRD and ND studies. For BZT >9%, the structure is pseudocubic at the long-range with short-range tetragonal distortions. This structural length-scale dependence is characterized with a box-car fitting method and suggests that with sufficient BZT content, local tetragonal distortions are disrupted at length scales > 40 A. By combining long- and short-range studies, structural variations from the sub-nm to long-range are characterized and enhance the understanding of this and similar material systems. In the final chapters, the local-scale responses of ferroelectric and dielectric materials to electric fields are investigated by PDFs. The novel methodology of measuring X-ray total scattering during in situ application of electric fields is presented and results are shown for piezoelectric (BT), relaxor-ferroelectric (NBT), and dielectric materials (SrTiO3 and HfO2), as well as for NBT-xBT. Local-scale cation reorientation in NBT is evidenced and corresponds to an electric-field-induced phase transition. The ability to quantify local-scale atomic rearrangements during field application is unique to in situ PDF studies; it is not possible through in situ diffraction methods like those presented earlier. This method is extended to neutron-PDFs and ex situ results for NBT are shown. In order to interpret the local scale-changes observed in the in situ PDF studies, the local structures of a series of models with different real, physical effects (strains, polarization, changes in thermal motion, etc) are analyzed and characterized. Finally, the samples used are characterized in terms of grain size/appearance and piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties. In summary, this research demonstrates the use of detailed and in situ structural studies that contribute new knowledge to structure-property relationships for several ferroelectric and dielectric material systems. Additionally, the novel technique of in situ PDFs with electric fields is evidenced to provide unique information on atomic rearrangements caused by in situ stimuli.

Dark matter, long-range forces, and large-scale structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gradwohl, Ben-Ami; Frieman, Joshua A.

1992-01-01

If the dark matter in galaxies and clusters is nonbaryonic, it can interact with additional long-range fields that are invisible to experimental tests of the equivalence principle. We discuss the astrophysical and cosmological implications of a long-range force coupled only to the dark matter and find rather tight constraints on its strength. If the force is repulsive (attractive), the masses of galaxy groups and clusters (and the mean density of the universe inferred from them) have been systematically underestimated (overestimated). We explore the consequent effects on the two-point correlation function, large-scale velocity flows, and microwave background anisotropies, for models with initial scale-invariant adiabatic perturbations and cold dark matter.

A modulation wave approach to the order hidden in disorder

PubMed Central

Withers, Ray

2015-01-01

The usefulness of a modulation wave approach to understanding and interpreting the highly structured continuous diffuse intensity distributions characteristic of the reciprocal spaces of the very large family of inherently flexible materials which exhibit ordered ‘disorder’ is pointed out. It is shown that both longer range order and truly short-range order are simultaneously encoded in highly structured diffuse intensity distributions. The long-range ordered crystal chemical rules giving rise to such diffuse distributions are highlighted, along with the existence and usefulness of systematic extinction conditions in these types of structured diffuse distributions. PMID:25610629

The Design of an Ultra High Capacity Long Range Transport Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisshaar, Terrence A.; Bucci, Gregory; Hare, Angela; Szolwinski, Matthew

1993-01-01

This paper examines the design of a 650 passenger aircraft with 8000 nautical mile range to reduce seat mile cost and to reduce airport and airway congestion. This design effort involves the usual issues that require trades between technologies, but must also include consideration of: airport terminal facilities; passenger loading and unloading; and, defeating the 'square-cube' law to design large structures. This paper will review the long range ultra high capacity or megatransport design problem and the variety of solutions developed by senior student design teams at Purdue University.

The economic impact of longer range weather information on the production of peas in Wisconsin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, K. R.; Torkelson, A. W.

1972-01-01

The extent of benefits which will be realized in the pea industry as a result of improved long range weather forecasts are outlined. Particular attention was given to planting and harvesting operations.

National Library of Medicine Disaster Information Management Research Center: Establishment and growth, 2008–2010 1

PubMed Central

Love, Cynthia B.; Arnesen, Stacey J.; Phillips, Steven J.

2014-01-01

In 2008, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) established the Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC). Prior to 2008, NLM had a long history of involvement in providing health information for disaster management. Aware of this legacy and moved by the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the NLM long range plan (Charting a Course for the 21st Century: NLM’s Long Range Plan 2006–2016) called for creation of a center to show “a strong commitment to disaster remediation and to provide a platform for demonstrating how libraries and librarians can be part of the solution to this national problem”. NLM was urged to “ensure continuous access to health information and effective use of libraries and librarians when disasters occur”. In response to this charge, NLM has undertaken substantial efforts to ensure that medical libraries have plans for the continuity of their operations, librarians are trained to understand their roles in preparedness and response, online disaster health information resources are available for many audiences and in multiple formats, and research is conducted on tools to enhance the exchange of critical information during and following disasters. This paper documents the history, goals, initiatives, accomplishments and future plans of the Center. PMID:25324584

QSAR modeling based on structure-information for properties of interest in human health.

PubMed

Hall, L H; Hall, L M

2005-01-01

The development of QSAR models based on topological structure description is presented for problems in human health. These models are based on the structure-information approach to quantitative biological modeling and prediction, in contrast to the mechanism-based approach. The structure-information approach is outlined, starting with basic structure information developed from the chemical graph (connection table). Information explicit in the connection table (element identity and skeletal connections) leads to significant (implicit) structure information that is useful for establishing sound models of a wide range of properties of interest in drug design. Valence state definition leads to relationships for valence state electronegativity and atom/group molar volume. Based on these important aspects of molecules, together with skeletal branching patterns, both the electrotopological state (E-state) and molecular connectivity (chi indices) structure descriptors are developed and described. A summary of four QSAR models indicates the wide range of applicability of these structure descriptors and the predictive quality of QSAR models based on them: aqueous solubility (5535 chemically diverse compounds, 938 in external validation), percent oral absorption (%OA, 417 therapeutic drugs, 195 drugs in external validation testing), AMES mutagenicity (2963 compounds including 290 therapeutic drugs, 400 in external validation), fish toxicity (92 substituted phenols, anilines and substituted aromatics). These models are established independent of explicit three-dimensional (3-D) structure information and are directly interpretable in terms of the implicit structure information useful to the drug design process.

Conformational switching upon phosphorylation: a predictive framework based on energy landscape principles.

PubMed

Lätzer, Joachim; Shen, Tongye; Wolynes, Peter G

2008-02-19

We investigate how post-translational phosphorylation modifies the global conformation of a protein by changing its free energy landscape using two test proteins, cystatin and NtrC. We first examine the changes in a free energy landscape caused by phosphorylation using a model containing information about both structural forms. For cystatin the free energy cost is fairly large indicating a low probability of sampling the phosphorylated conformation in a perfectly funneled landscape. The predicted barrier for NtrC conformational transition is several times larger than the barrier for cystatin, indicating that the switch protein NtrC most probably follows a partial unfolding mechanism to move from one basin to the other. Principal component analysis and linear response theory show how the naturally occurring conformational changes in unmodified proteins are captured and stabilized by the change of interaction potential. We also develop a partially guided structure prediction Hamiltonian which is capable of predicting the global structure of a phosphorylated protein using only knowledge of the structure of the unphosphorylated protein or vice versa. This algorithm makes use of a generic transferable long-range residue contact potential along with details of structure short range in sequence. By comparing the results obtained with this guided transferable potential to those from the native-only, perfectly funneled Hamiltonians, we show that the transferable Hamiltonian correctly captures the nature of the global conformational changes induced by phosphorylation and can sample substantially correct structures for the modified protein with high probability.

Active Control Technology at NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antcliff, Richard R.; McGowan, Anna-Marie R.

2000-01-01

NASA Langley has a long history of attacking important technical opportunities from a broad base of supporting disciplines. The research and development at Langley in this subject area range from the test tube to the test flight. The information covered here will range from the development of innovative new materials, sensors and actuators, to the incorporation of smart sensors and actuators in practical devices, to the optimization of the location of these devices, to, finally, a wide variety of applications of these devices utilizing Langley's facilities and expertise. Advanced materials are being developed for sensors and actuators, as well as polymers for integrating smart devices into composite structures. Contributions reside in three key areas: computational materials; advanced piezoelectric materials; and integrated composite structures. The computational materials effort is focused on developing predictive tools for the efficient design of new materials with the appropriate combination of properties for next generation smart airframe systems. Research in the area of advanced piezoelectrics includes optimizing the efficiency, force output, use temperature, and energy transfer between the structure and device for both ceramic and polymeric materials. For structural health monitoring, advanced non-destructive techniques including fiber optics are being developed for detection of delaminations, cracks and environmental deterioration in aircraft structures. The computational materials effort is focused on developing predictive tools for the efficient design of new materials with the appropriate combination of properties for next generation smart airframe system. Innovative fabrication techniques processing structural composites with sensor and actuator integration are being developed.

Long-range correlations improve understanding of the influence of network structure on contact dynamics.

PubMed

Peyrard, N; Dieckmann, U; Franc, A

2008-05-01

Models of infectious diseases are characterized by a phase transition between extinction and persistence. A challenge in contemporary epidemiology is to understand how the geometry of a host's interaction network influences disease dynamics close to the critical point of such a transition. Here we address this challenge with the help of moment closures. Traditional moment closures, however, do not provide satisfactory predictions close to such critical points. We therefore introduce a new method for incorporating longer-range correlations into existing closures. Our method is technically simple, remains computationally tractable and significantly improves the approximation's performance. Our extended closures thus provide an innovative tool for quantifying the influence of interaction networks on spatially or socially structured disease dynamics. In particular, we examine the effects of a network's clustering coefficient, as well as of new geometrical measures, such as a network's square clustering coefficients. We compare the relative performance of different closures from the literature, with or without our long-range extension. In this way, we demonstrate that the normalized version of the Bethe approximation-extended to incorporate long-range correlations according to our method-is an especially good candidate for studying influences of network structure. Our numerical results highlight the importance of the clustering coefficient and the square clustering coefficient for predicting disease dynamics at low and intermediate values of transmission rate, and demonstrate the significance of path redundancy for disease persistence.

Development of Elementary School Students' Cognitive Structures and Information Processing Strategies under Long-Term Constructivist-Oriented Science Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Ying-Tien; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2005-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to explore the effects of long-term constructivist-oriented science instruction on elementary school students' process of constructing cognitive structures. Furthermore, such effects on different science achievers were also investigated. The subjects of this study were 69 fifth graders in Taiwan, while they were…

Magnetism in La₂O₃(Fe₁₋ xMn x)₂Se₂ tuned by Fe/Mn ratio

DOE PAGES

Lei, Hechang; Bozin, Emil S.; Llobet, A.; ...

2012-09-17

We report the evolution of structural and magnetic properties in La₂O₃(Fe₁₋ xMn x)₂Se₂. Heat capacity and bulk magnetization indicate an increased ferromagnetic component of the long-range magnetic order and possible increased degree of frustration. Atomic disorder on Fe(Mn) sites suppresses the temperature of the long-range order whereas intermediate alloys show a rich magnetic phase diagram.

De novo protein structure prediction by dynamic fragment assembly and conformational space annealing.

PubMed

Lee, Juyong; Lee, Jinhyuk; Sasaki, Takeshi N; Sasai, Masaki; Seok, Chaok; Lee, Jooyoung

2011-08-01

Ab initio protein structure prediction is a challenging problem that requires both an accurate energetic representation of a protein structure and an efficient conformational sampling method for successful protein modeling. In this article, we present an ab initio structure prediction method which combines a recently suggested novel way of fragment assembly, dynamic fragment assembly (DFA) and conformational space annealing (CSA) algorithm. In DFA, model structures are scored by continuous functions constructed based on short- and long-range structural restraint information from a fragment library. Here, DFA is represented by the full-atom model by CHARMM with the addition of the empirical potential of DFIRE. The relative contributions between various energy terms are optimized using linear programming. The conformational sampling was carried out with CSA algorithm, which can find low energy conformations more efficiently than simulated annealing used in the existing DFA study. The newly introduced DFA energy function and CSA sampling algorithm are implemented into CHARMM. Test results on 30 small single-domain proteins and 13 template-free modeling targets of the 8th Critical Assessment of protein Structure Prediction show that the current method provides comparable and complementary prediction results to existing top methods. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Real-time observation of fluctuations in a driven-dissipative quantum many-body system undergoing a phase transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donner, Tobias

2015-03-01

A Bose-Einstein condensate whose motional degrees of freedom are coupled to a high-finesse optical cavity via a transverse pump beam constitutes a dissipative quantum many-body system with long range interactions. These interactions can induce a structural phase transition from a flat to a density-modulated state. The transverse pump field simultaneously represents a probe of the atomic density via cavity- enhanced Bragg scattering. By spectrally analyzing the light field leaking out of the cavity, we measure non-destructively the dynamic structure factor of the fluctuating atomic density while the system undergoes the phase transition. An observed asymmetry in the dynamic structure factor is attributed to the coupling to dissipative baths. Critical exponents for both sides of the phase transition can be extracted from the data. We further discuss our progress in adding strong short-range interactions to this system, in order to explore Bose-Hubbard physics with cavity-mediated long-range interactions and self-organization in lower dimensions.

Development of a long-gauge vibration sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kung, Peter; Comanici, Maria I.; Li, Qian; Zhang, Yiwei

2015-03-01

We have recently found that a long length of fiber of up to 1 km terminated with an in-fiber cavity structure can detect vibrations over a frequency range from 5 Hz to 2 kHz. We want to determine whether the sensor (including packaging) can be optimized to detect vibrations at even higher frequencies. The structure can be used as a distributed vibration sensor mounted on large motors and other rotating machines to capture the entire frequency spectrum of the associated vibration signals, and therefore, replace the many accelerometers, which add to maintenance cost. The sensor may also help detect in-slot vibrations which cause intermittent contact leading to sparking under high voltages inside air-cooled generators. However, that requires the sensor to detect frequencies associated with vibration sparking, ranging from 6 kHz to 15 kHz. Acoustic vibration monitoring may need sensing at even higher frequencies (30 kHz to 150 kHz) associated with partial discharge (PD) in generators and transformers. Detecting lower frequencies in the range 2 Hz to 200 Hz makes the sensor suitable for seismic studies and falls well into the vibrations associated with rotating machines. Another application of interest is corrosion detection in large re-enforced concrete structures by inserting the sensor along a long hole drilled around structures showing signs of corrosion. The frequency response for the proposed longgauge vibration sensor depends on packaging.

Modeling spatial invasion of Ebola in West Africa.

PubMed

D'Silva, Jeremy P; Eisenberg, Marisa C

2017-09-07

The 2014-2016 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic in West Africa was the largest ever recorded, representing a fundamental shift in Ebola epidemiology with unprecedented spatiotemporal complexity. To understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of EVD in West Africa, we developed spatial transmission models using a gravity-model framework at both the national and district-level scales, which we used to compare effectiveness of local interventions (e.g. local quarantine) and long-range interventions (e.g. border-closures). The country-level gravity model captures the epidemic data, including multiple waves of initial epidemic growth observed in Guinea. We found that local-transmission reductions were most effective in Liberia, while long-range transmission was dominant in Sierra Leone. Both models illustrated that interventions in one region result in an amplified protective effect on other regions by preventing spatial transmission. In the district-level model, interventions in the strongest of these amplifying regions reduced total cases in all three countries by over 20%, in spite of the region itself generating only ∼0.1% of total cases. This model structure and associated intervention analysis provide information that can be used by public health policymakers to assist planning and response efforts for future epidemics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NASA Information Resources Management Long Range Plan, FY 1994-1998

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Table of Contents: Introduction; Agency 5-Year IRM Investment Projections; Program Specific IRM Activities by Program Office; Major IRM Program Accomplishments for FY 1992; Information Collection Budget; Summary of Computer Security Plans; and Appendix: Acronym List.

Bioinspired large-scale aligned porous materials assembled with dual temperature gradients

PubMed Central

Bai, Hao; Chen, Yuan; Delattre, Benjamin; Tomsia, Antoni P.; Ritchie, Robert O.

2015-01-01

Natural materials, such as bone, teeth, shells, and wood, exhibit outstanding properties despite being porous and made of weak constituents. Frequently, they represent a source of inspiration to design strong, tough, and lightweight materials. Although many techniques have been introduced to create such structures, a long-range order of the porosity as well as a precise control of the final architecture remain difficult to achieve. These limitations severely hinder the scale-up fabrication of layered structures aimed for larger applications. We report on a bidirectional freezing technique to successfully assemble ceramic particles into scaffolds with large-scale aligned, lamellar, porous, nacre-like structure and long-range order at the centimeter scale. This is achieved by modifying the cold finger with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) wedge to control the nucleation and growth of ice crystals under dual temperature gradients. Our approach could provide an effective way of manufacturing novel bioinspired structural materials, in particular advanced materials such as composites, where a higher level of control over the structure is required. PMID:26824062

The Long and the Short of Mate Attraction in a Psylloid: do Semiochemicals Mediate Mating in Aacanthocnema dobsoni Froggatt?

PubMed

Lubanga, Umar K; Drijfhout, Falko P; Farnier, Kevin; Steinbauer, Martin J

2016-02-01

Mating is preceded by a series of interdependent events that can be broadly categorized into searching and courtship. Long-range signals convey species- and sex-specific information during searching, while short-range signals provide information specific to individuals during courtship. Studies have shown that cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) can be used for mate recognition in addition to protecting insects from desiccation. In Psylloidea, four species rely on semiochemicals for long-range mate attraction. Psyllid mating research has focused on long-range mate attraction and has largely ignored the potential use of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) as mate recognition cues. This study investigated whether CHCs of Aacanthocnema dobsoni have semiochemical activity for long- and short-range communication prior to mating. Using a solid sampler for solvent-less injection of whole psyllids into coupled gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, we found quantitative, sex- and age-related differences in CHC profiles. Males had higher proportions of 2-MeC28, 11,15-diMeC29, and n-C33 alkanes, while females had higher proportions of 5-MeC27, 3-MeC27, 5,15-diMeC27, n-C29 and n-C30 alkanes. In males and females, 84 and 68 % of CHCs varied with age, respectively. Y-tube olfactometer bioassays provided no evidence that males or females responded to odors emanating from groups of conspecifics of the opposite sex. Tests of male and female psyllids for attraction to branchlets previously occupied by conspecifics showed no evidence of attraction to possible semiochemical residues. Our short-range chemoreception bioassay showed that males were as indifferent to freshly killed individuals of either sex with intact CHC profiles as to those treated with hexane (to remove CHCs). Aacanthocnema dobsoni utilizes substrate-borne vibrations (SBVs) for communication. Therefore, our results indicate that SBVs are probably more important than semiochemicals for long-range mate attraction. Furthermore, CHCs are unlikely to mediate short-range mate recognition or provide mate assessment cues.

ESRI applications of GIS technology: Mineral resource development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Derrenbacher, W.

1981-01-01

The application of geographic information systems technology to large scale regional assessment related to mineral resource development, identifying candidate sites for related industry, and evaluating sites for waste disposal is discussed. Efforts to develop data bases were conducted at scales ranging from 1:3,000,000 to 1:25,000. In several instances, broad screening was conducted for large areas at a very general scale with more detailed studies subsequently undertaken in promising areas windowed out of the generalized data base. Increasingly, the systems which are developed are structured as the spatial framework for the long-term collection, storage, referencing, and retrieval of vast amounts of data about large regions. Typically, the reconnaissance data base for a large region is structured at 1:250,000 scale, data bases for smaller areas being structured at 1:25,000, 1:50,000 or 1:63,360. An integrated data base for the coterminous US was implemented at a scale of 1:3,000,000 for two separate efforts.

Critical Need for Radiation Damage Tools for Space Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, Ram

2005-04-01

NASA has a new vision for space exploration in the 21st Century encompassing a broad range of human and robotic missions including missions to Moon, Mars and beyond. As a result, there is a focus on long duration space missions. NASA, as much as ever, is committed to the safety of the missions and the crew. Exposure from the hazards of severe space radiation in deep space long duration missions is `the show stopper.' Thus, protection from the hazards of severe space radiation is of paramount importance for the new vision. There is an overwhelming emphasis on the reliability issues for the mission and the habitat. Accurate risk assessments critically depend on the accuracy of the input information about the interaction of ions with materials, electronics and tissues. A huge amount of essential experimental information for all the ions in space, across the periodic table, for a wide range of energies of several (up to a Trillion) orders of magnitude are needed for the radiation protection engineering for space missions that is simply not available (due to the high costs) and probably never will be. Therefore, there is a compelling need to develop reliable accurate models of nuclear reactions and structures that form the basic input ingredients. State-of-the-art nuclear cross sections models have been developed at the NASA Langley Research Center, however a considerable number of tools need to be developed to alleviate the situation. The vital role and importance of nuclear physics for space missions will be discussed.

Long-range dipolar order and dispersion forces in polar liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Besford, Quinn Alexander; Christofferson, Andrew Joseph; Liu, Maoyuan; Yarovsky, Irene

2017-11-01

Complex solvation phenomena, such as specific ion effects, occur in polar liquids. Interpretation of these effects in terms of structure and dispersion forces will lead to a greater understanding of solvation. Herein, using molecular dynamics, we probe the structure of polar liquids through specific dipolar pair correlation functions that contribute to the potential of mean force that is "felt" between thermally rotating dipole moments. It is shown that unique dipolar order exists at separations at least up to 20 Å for all liquids studied. When the structural order is compared with a dipolar dispersion force that arises from local co-operative enhancement of dipole moments, a strong agreement is found. Lifshitz theory of dispersion forces was compared with the structural order, where the theory is validated for all liquids that do not have significant local dipole correlations. For liquids that do have significant local dipole correlations, specifically liquid water, Lifshitz theory underestimates the dispersion force by a factor of 5-10, demonstrating that the force that leads to the increased structure in liquid water is missed by Lifshitz theory of van der Waals forces. We apply similar correlation functions to an ionic aqueous system, where long-range order between water's dipole moment and a single chloride ion is found to exist at 20 Å of separation, revealing a long-range perturbation of water's structure by an ion. Furthermore, we found that waters within the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd solvation shells of a chloride ion exhibit significantly enhanced dipolar interactions, particularly with waters at larger distances of separation. Our results provide a link between structures, dispersion forces, and specific ion effects, which may lead to a more robust understanding of solvation.

Long-range spin-singlet proximity effect for a Josephson system with a single-crystal ferromagnet due to its band-structure features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avdeev, M. V.; Proshin, Yu. N.

2018-03-01

A possible explanation for the long-range proximity effect observed in single-crystalline cobalt nanowires sandwiched between two tungsten superconducting electrodes [Nat. Phys. 6, 389 (2010), 10.1038/nphys1621] is proposed. The theoretical model uses properties of a ferromagnet band structure. Specifically, to connect the exchange field with the momentum of quasiparticles the distinction between the effective masses in majority and minority spin subbands and the Fermi-surface anisotropy are considered. The derived Eilenberger-like equations allowed us to obtain a renormalized exchange interaction that is completely compensated for some crystallographic directions under certain conditions. The proposed theoretical model is compared with previous approaches.

An assessment of the government liquid hydrogen requirements for the 1995-2005 time frame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bain, Addison

1990-01-01

The results of government study of long range liquid hydrogen (LH2) requirements for the time period of 1995 through the year 2005 are presented. To assure an adequate supply of LH2 is available in support of various programs, it is imperative a long range projection of LH2 requirements be developed and maintained. This information is vital in planning for necessary procurement actions and assuring adequate industry lead time to acquiring the necessary production and distribution capabilities. The Advanced Launch System and High-Altitude Long-Endurance programs may represent the predominant government needs for LH2 in the long range. The assembled data clearly indicates a need for KSC (Kennedy Space Center) constant program/project surveillance. Also clear is the need for KSC to monitor industry's plans for LH2 plant production and distribution expansion.

Long-Term Information Preservation and Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Sang Chul

2010-01-01

An unprecedented amount of information encompassing almost every facet of human activities across the world is generated daily in the form of zeros and ones, and that is often the only form in which such information is recorded. A good fraction of this information needs to be preserved for periods of time ranging from a few years to centuries.…

Aeronautics Technology Possibilities for 2000: Report of a workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The potential of aeronautical research and technology (R&T) development, which could provide the basis for facility planning and long range guidance of R&T programs and could establish justification for support of aeronautical research and technology was studied. The projections served specific purposes: (1) to provide a base for research and future facilities needed to support the projected technologies, and development advanced vehicles; (2) to provide insight on the possible state of the art in aeronautical technology by the year 2000 for civil and military planners of air vehicles and systems. Topics discussed include: aerodynamics; propulsion; structures; materials; guidance, navigation and control; computer and information technology; human factors; and systems integration.

Ferruginous hawk

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, R.S.; Glinski, R.L.; Ellis, D.H.; Ramakka, J.M.; Base, D.L.; Glinski, Richard L.; Pendleton, Beth Giron; Moss, Mary Beth; LeFranc, Maurice N.=; Millsap, Brian A.; Hoffman, Stephen W.

1988-01-01

In the Southwest, the ferruginous hawk is a local and isolated breeder and an uncommon but consistent winter visitor. Apparently, the breeding range of this species in the Southwest was historically much greater than today. The ferruginous hawk is being considered for listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but remains unclassified by the individual states comprising the Southwest region. Habitat and diet information is summarized. Nest location and structure, breeding, and wintering biology are also discussed. Long-term and seasonal monitoring is conducted annually at several nest locations in New Mexico, while documented reproductive efforts in Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma are extremely rare and isolated. Research and management recommendations include population and habitat surveys, dietary and reproductive investigations, and habitat protection.

Electron trapping in evolving coronal structures during a large gradual hard X-ray/radio burst

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruggmann, G.; Vilmer, N.; Klein, K.-L.; Kane, S. R.

1994-01-01

Gradual hard X-ray/radio bursts are characterized by their long duration, smooth time profile, time delays between peaks at different hard X-ray energies and microwaves, and radiation from extended sources in the low and middle corona. Their characteristic properties have been ascribed to the dynamic evolution of the accelerated electrons in coronal magnetic traps or to the separate acceleration of high-energy electrons in a 'second step' process. The information available so far was drawn from quality considerations of time profiles or even only from the common occurrence of emissions in different spectral ranges. This paper presents model computations of the temporal evolution of hard X-ray and microwave spectra, together with a qualitative discussion of radio lightcurves over a wide spectral range, and metric imaging observations. The basis hypothesis investigated is that the peculiar 'gradual' features can be related to the dynamical evolution of electrons injected over an extended time interval in a coronal trap, with electrons up to relativistic energies being injected simultaneously. The analyzed event (26 April. 1981) is particularly challenging to this hypothesis because of the long time delays between peaks at different X-ray energies and microwave frequencies. The observations are shown to be consistent with the hypothesis, provided that the electrons lose their energy by Coulomb collisions and possibly betatron deceleration. The access of the electrons to different coronal structures varies in the course of the event. The evolution and likely destabilization of part of the coronal plasma-magnetic field configuration is of crucial influence in determining the access to these structures and possibly the dynamical evolution of the trapped electrons through betatron deceleration in the late phase of the event.

Secure and Privacy-Preserving Distributed Information Brokering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Fengjun

2010-01-01

As enormous structured, semi-structured and unstructured data are collected and archived by organizations in many realms ranging from business to health networks to government agencies, the needs for efficient yet secure inter-organization information sharing naturally arise. Unlike early information sharing approaches that only involve a small…

ITS logical architecture : traceability matrix.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-11-01

This document provides information to aid in understanding and using the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program pavement performance database. This document provides an introduction to the structure of the LTPP program, the relational structur...

[Short- and long-term effects of parent training programmes of children with developmental disabilities].

PubMed

Jascenoka, Julia; Petermann, Ulrike; Petermann, Franz; Rissling, Julia-Katharina; Springer, Stephan

2013-01-01

Due to the higher care needs of their children, parents of children with developmental disabilities are often burdened. An increased degree of stress correlates with dysfunctional parenting behaviour and a low sense of competence. Parent involvement in treatment implementation is essential so that parents can support the development of their children long-ranging and positively. Parenting training programmes are an appropriate method to reduce child behaviou problems. The effectiveness of two parenting training programmes is presented: Intervention A involves weekly training courses containing information about a normative child development. Furthermore all parents are given the possibility to take part in therapy sessions. Intervention B is modular and high structured. Parents are taught in small groups and receive information about the different areas of development and how to increase their parentin behaviour. The outcomes of a randomized clinical trial of the two intervention concepts are presented. 34 parents with children (between 54 and 77 months) with developmental dis abilities participated per group. Particularly, intervention B was associated with a reduction of dysfunctional parenting behaviour and fewer child behaviour problems; a decreased parental stress level was observed for both interventions similarly.

In situ Low-temperature Pair Distribution Function (PDF) Analysis of CH4 and CO2 Hydrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cladek, B.; Everett, M.; McDonnell, M.; Tucker, M.; Keffer, D.; Rawn, C.

2017-12-01

Gas hydrates occur in ocean floor and sub-surface permafrost deposits and are stable at moderate to high pressures and low temperatures. They are a clathrate structure composed of hydrogen bonded water cages that accommodate a wide variety of guest molecules. CO2 and CH4 hydrates both crystallize as the cubic sI hydrate and can form a solid solution. Natural gas hydrates are interesting as a potential methane source and for CO2 sequestration. Long-range diffraction studies on gas hydrates give valuable structural information but do not provide a detailed understanding of the disordered gas molecule interactions with the host lattice. In-situ low temperature total scattering experiments combined with pair distribution function (PDF) analysis are used to investigate the gas molecule motions and guest-cage interactions. CO2 and methane hydrates exhibit different decomposition behavior, and CO2 hydrate has a smaller lattice parameter despite it being a relatively larger molecule. Total scattering studies characterizing both the short- and long-range order simultaneously help to elucidate the structural source of these phenomena. Low temperature neutron total scattering data were collected using the Nanoscale Ordered MAterials Diffractometer (NOMAD) beamline at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) on CO2 and CH4 hydrates synthesized with D2O. Guest molecule motion within cages and interactions between gases and cages are investigated through the hydrate stability and decomposition regions. Data were collected from 2-80 K at a pressure of 55 mbar on CO2 and CH4 hydrates, and from 80-270 K at 25 bar on CH4 hydrate. The hydrate systems were modeled with classical molecular dynamic (MD) simulations to provide an analysis of the total energy into guest-guest, guest-host and host-host contributions. Combined Reitveld and Reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) structure refinement were used to fit models of the data. This combined modeling and simulation characterizes the effects of CO2 and CH4 as guest molecules on the structure and decomposition of gas hydrates. Structure and thermodynamic studies will provide a more comprehensive understanding of CO2-CH4 solid solutions, exchange kinetics, and implications on hydrate structure.

How Have Concepts of Informal Learning Developed over Time?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carliner, Saul

2013-01-01

Although the current interest in informal learning seems recent, performance improvement professionals have long had an interest in informal learning-the ways that people learn outside of formal structures. The earliest forms of learning for work were informal, including de facto and formal apprenticeship programs and the "school of…

Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog.

PubMed

Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin; Wade, Claire M; Mikkelsen, Tarjei S; Karlsson, Elinor K; Jaffe, David B; Kamal, Michael; Clamp, Michele; Chang, Jean L; Kulbokas, Edward J; Zody, Michael C; Mauceli, Evan; Xie, Xiaohui; Breen, Matthew; Wayne, Robert K; Ostrander, Elaine A; Ponting, Chris P; Galibert, Francis; Smith, Douglas R; DeJong, Pieter J; Kirkness, Ewen; Alvarez, Pablo; Biagi, Tara; Brockman, William; Butler, Jonathan; Chin, Chee-Wye; Cook, April; Cuff, James; Daly, Mark J; DeCaprio, David; Gnerre, Sante; Grabherr, Manfred; Kellis, Manolis; Kleber, Michael; Bardeleben, Carolyne; Goodstadt, Leo; Heger, Andreas; Hitte, Christophe; Kim, Lisa; Koepfli, Klaus-Peter; Parker, Heidi G; Pollinger, John P; Searle, Stephen M J; Sutter, Nathan B; Thomas, Rachael; Webber, Caleb; Baldwin, Jennifer; Abebe, Adal; Abouelleil, Amr; Aftuck, Lynne; Ait-Zahra, Mostafa; Aldredge, Tyler; Allen, Nicole; An, Peter; Anderson, Scott; Antoine, Claudel; Arachchi, Harindra; Aslam, Ali; Ayotte, Laura; Bachantsang, Pasang; Barry, Andrew; Bayul, Tashi; Benamara, Mostafa; Berlin, Aaron; Bessette, Daniel; Blitshteyn, Berta; Bloom, Toby; Blye, Jason; Boguslavskiy, Leonid; Bonnet, Claude; Boukhgalter, Boris; Brown, Adam; Cahill, Patrick; Calixte, Nadia; Camarata, Jody; Cheshatsang, Yama; Chu, Jeffrey; Citroen, Mieke; Collymore, Alville; Cooke, Patrick; Dawoe, Tenzin; Daza, Riza; Decktor, Karin; DeGray, Stuart; Dhargay, Norbu; Dooley, Kimberly; Dooley, Kathleen; Dorje, Passang; Dorjee, Kunsang; Dorris, Lester; Duffey, Noah; Dupes, Alan; Egbiremolen, Osebhajajeme; Elong, Richard; Falk, Jill; Farina, Abderrahim; Faro, Susan; Ferguson, Diallo; Ferreira, Patricia; Fisher, Sheila; FitzGerald, Mike; Foley, Karen; Foley, Chelsea; Franke, Alicia; Friedrich, Dennis; Gage, Diane; Garber, Manuel; Gearin, Gary; Giannoukos, Georgia; Goode, Tina; Goyette, Audra; Graham, Joseph; Grandbois, Edward; Gyaltsen, Kunsang; Hafez, Nabil; Hagopian, Daniel; Hagos, Birhane; Hall, Jennifer; Healy, Claire; Hegarty, Ryan; Honan, Tracey; Horn, Andrea; Houde, Nathan; Hughes, Leanne; Hunnicutt, Leigh; Husby, M; Jester, Benjamin; Jones, Charlien; Kamat, Asha; Kanga, Ben; Kells, Cristyn; Khazanovich, Dmitry; Kieu, Alix Chinh; Kisner, Peter; Kumar, Mayank; Lance, Krista; Landers, Thomas; Lara, Marcia; Lee, William; Leger, Jean-Pierre; Lennon, Niall; Leuper, Lisa; LeVine, Sarah; Liu, Jinlei; Liu, Xiaohong; Lokyitsang, Yeshi; Lokyitsang, Tashi; Lui, Annie; Macdonald, Jan; Major, John; Marabella, Richard; Maru, Kebede; Matthews, Charles; McDonough, Susan; Mehta, Teena; Meldrim, James; Melnikov, Alexandre; Meneus, Louis; Mihalev, Atanas; Mihova, Tanya; Miller, Karen; Mittelman, Rachel; Mlenga, Valentine; Mulrain, Leonidas; Munson, Glen; Navidi, Adam; Naylor, Jerome; Nguyen, Tuyen; Nguyen, Nga; Nguyen, Cindy; Nguyen, Thu; Nicol, Robert; Norbu, Nyima; Norbu, Choe; Novod, Nathaniel; Nyima, Tenchoe; Olandt, Peter; O'Neill, Barry; O'Neill, Keith; Osman, Sahal; Oyono, Lucien; Patti, Christopher; Perrin, Danielle; Phunkhang, Pema; Pierre, Fritz; Priest, Margaret; Rachupka, Anthony; Raghuraman, Sujaa; Rameau, Rayale; Ray, Verneda; Raymond, Christina; Rege, Filip; Rise, Cecil; Rogers, Julie; Rogov, Peter; Sahalie, Julie; Settipalli, Sampath; Sharpe, Theodore; Shea, Terrance; Sheehan, Mechele; Sherpa, Ngawang; Shi, Jianying; Shih, Diana; Sloan, Jessie; Smith, Cherylyn; Sparrow, Todd; Stalker, John; Stange-Thomann, Nicole; Stavropoulos, Sharon; Stone, Catherine; Stone, Sabrina; Sykes, Sean; Tchuinga, Pierre; Tenzing, Pema; Tesfaye, Senait; Thoulutsang, Dawa; Thoulutsang, Yama; Topham, Kerri; Topping, Ira; Tsamla, Tsamla; Vassiliev, Helen; Venkataraman, Vijay; Vo, Andy; Wangchuk, Tsering; Wangdi, Tsering; Weiand, Michael; Wilkinson, Jane; Wilson, Adam; Yadav, Shailendra; Yang, Shuli; Yang, Xiaoping; Young, Geneva; Yu, Qing; Zainoun, Joanne; Zembek, Lisa; Zimmer, Andrew; Lander, Eric S

2005-12-08

Here we report a high-quality draft genome sequence of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris), together with a dense map of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across breeds. The dog is of particular interest because it provides important evolutionary information and because existing breeds show great phenotypic diversity for morphological, physiological and behavioural traits. We use sequence comparison with the primate and rodent lineages to shed light on the structure and evolution of genomes and genes. Notably, the majority of the most highly conserved non-coding sequences in mammalian genomes are clustered near a small subset of genes with important roles in development. Analysis of SNPs reveals long-range haplotypes across the entire dog genome, and defines the nature of genetic diversity within and across breeds. The current SNP map now makes it possible for genome-wide association studies to identify genes responsible for diseases and traits, with important consequences for human and companion animal health.

Access to long-term optical memories using photon echoes retrieved from semiconductor spins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langer, L.; Poltavtsev, S. V.; Yugova, I. A.; Salewski, M.; Yakovlev, D. R.; Karczewski, G.; Wojtowicz, T.; Akimov, I. A.; Bayer, M.

2014-11-01

The ability to store optical information is important for both classical and quantum communication. Achieving this in a comprehensive manner (converting the optical field into material excitation, storing this excitation, and releasing it after a controllable time delay) is greatly complicated by the many, often conflicting, properties of the material. More specifically, optical resonances in semiconductor quantum structures with high oscillator strength are inevitably characterized by short excitation lifetimes (and, therefore, short optical memory). Here, we present a new experimental approach to stimulated photon echoes by transferring the information contained in the optical field into a spin system, where it is decoupled from the optical vacuum field and may persist much longer. We demonstrate this for an n-doped CdTe/(Cd,Mg)Te quantum well, the storage time of which could be increased by more than three orders of magnitude, from the picosecond range up to tens of nanoseconds.

Keywords and Co-Occurrence Patterns in the Voynich Manuscript: An Information-Theoretic Analysis

PubMed Central

Montemurro, Marcelo A.; Zanette, Damián H.

2013-01-01

The Voynich manuscript has remained so far as a mystery for linguists and cryptologists. While the text written on medieval parchment -using an unknown script system- shows basic statistical patterns that bear resemblance to those from real languages, there are features that suggested to some researches that the manuscript was a forgery intended as a hoax. Here we analyse the long-range structure of the manuscript using methods from information theory. We show that the Voynich manuscript presents a complex organization in the distribution of words that is compatible with those found in real language sequences. We are also able to extract some of the most significant semantic word-networks in the text. These results together with some previously known statistical features of the Voynich manuscript, give support to the presence of a genuine message inside the book. PMID:23805215

Untangling climate signals from autogenic changes in long-term peatland development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Paul J.; Baird, Andy J.; Young, Dylan M.; Swindles, Graeme T.

2015-12-01

Peatlands represent important archives of Holocene paleoclimatic information. However, autogenic processes may disconnect peatland hydrological behavior from climate and overwrite climatic signals in peat records. We use a simulation model of peatland development driven by a range of Holocene climate reconstructions to investigate climate signal preservation in peat records. Simulated water-table depths and peat decomposition profiles exhibit homeostatic recovery from prescribed changes in rainfall, whereas changes in temperature cause lasting alterations to peatland structure and function. Autogenic ecohydrological feedbacks provide both high- and low-pass filters for climatic information, particularly rainfall. Large-magnitude climatic changes of an intermediate temporal scale (i.e., multidecadal to centennial) are most readily preserved in our simulated peat records. Simulated decomposition signals are offset from the climatic changes that generate them due to a phenomenon known as secondary decomposition. Our study provides the mechanistic foundations for a framework to separate climatic and autogenic signals in peat records.

Litter and dead wood dynamics in ponderosa pine forests along a 160-year chronosequence.

PubMed

Hall, S A; Burke, I C; Hobbs, N T

2006-12-01

Disturbances such as fire play a key role in controlling ecosystem structure. In fire-prone forests, organic detritus comprises a large pool of carbon and can control the frequency and intensity of fire. The ponderosa pine forests of the Colorado Front Range, USA, where fire has been suppressed for a century, provide an ideal system for studying the long-term dynamics of detrital pools. Our objectives were (1) to quantify the long-term temporal dynamics of detrital pools; and (2) to determine to what extent present stand structure, topography, and soils constrain these dynamics. We collected data on downed dead wood, litter, duff (partially decomposed litter on the forest floor), stand structure, topographic position, and soils for 31 sites along a 160-year chronosequence. We developed a compartment model and parameterized it to describe the temporal trends in the detrital pools. We then developed four sets of statistical models, quantifying the hypothesized relationship between pool size and (1) stand structure, (2) topography, (3) soils variables, and (4) time since fire. We contrasted how much support each hypothesis had in the data using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC). Time since fire explained 39-80% of the variability in dead wood of different size classes. Pool size increased to a peak as material killed by the fire fell, then decomposed rapidly to a minimum (61-85 years after fire for the different pools). It then increased, presumably as new detritus was produced by the regenerating stand. Litter was most strongly related to canopy cover (r2 = 77%), suggesting that litter fall, rather than decomposition, controls its dynamics. The temporal dynamics of duff were the hardest to predict. Detrital pool sizes were more strongly related to time since fire than to environmental variables. Woody debris peak-to-minimum time was 46-67 years, overlapping the range of historical fire return intervals (1 to > 100 years). Fires may therefore have burned under a wide range of fuel conditions, supporting the hypothesis that this region's fire regime was mixed severity.

The role of long-range connectivity for the characterization of the functional-anatomical organization of the cortex.

PubMed

Knösche, Thomas R; Tittgemeyer, Marc

2011-01-01

This review focuses on the role of long-range connectivity as one element of brain structure that is of key importance for the functional-anatomical organization of the cortex. In this context, we discuss the putative guiding principles for mapping brain function and structure onto the cortical surface. Such mappings reveal a high degree of functional-anatomical segregation. Given that brain regions frequently maintain characteristic connectivity profiles and the functional repertoire of a cortical area is closely related to its anatomical connections, long-range connectivity may be used to define segregated cortical areas. This methodology is called connectivity-based parcellation. Within this framework, we investigate different techniques to estimate connectivity profiles with emphasis given to non-invasive methods based on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and diffusion tractography. Cortical parcellation is then defined based on similarity between diffusion tractograms, and different clustering approaches are discussed. We conclude that the use of non-invasively acquired connectivity estimates to characterize the functional-anatomical organization of the brain is a valid, relevant, and necessary endeavor. Current and future developments in dMRI technology, tractography algorithms, and models of the similarity structure hold great potential for a substantial improvement and enrichment of the results of the technique.

Long-Range Structural Effects of a Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease-Causing Mutation in Human Glycyl-TRNA Synthetase

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

Xie, W.; Nangle, L.A.; Zhang, W.

2009-06-04

Functional expansion of specific tRNA synthetases in higher organisms is well documented. These additional functions may explain why dominant mutations in glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) and tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, the most common heritable disease of the peripheral nervous system. At least 10 disease-causing mutant alleles of GlyRS have been annotated. These mutations scatter broadly across the primary sequence and have no apparent unifying connection. Here we report the structure of wild type and a CMT-causing mutant (G526R) of homodimeric human GlyRS. The mutation is at the site for synthesis of glycyl-adenylate, but the rest of the two structuresmore » are closely similar. Significantly, the mutant form diffracts to a higher resolution and has a greater dimer interface. The extra dimer interactions are located {approx}30 {angstrom} away from the G526R mutation. Direct experiments confirm the tighter dimer interaction of the G526R protein. The results suggest the possible importance of subtle, long-range structural effects of CMT-causing mutations at the dimer interface. From analysis of a third crystal, an appended motif, found in higher eukaryote GlyRSs, seems not to have a role in these long-range effects.« less

Influence of network topology on cooperative problem-solving systems.

PubMed

Fontanari, José F; Rodrigues, Francisco A

2016-09-01

The idea of a collective intelligence behind the complex natural structures built by organisms suggests that the organization of social networks is selected so as to optimize problem-solving competence at the group level. Here we study the influence of the social network topology on the performance of a group of agents whose task is to locate the global maxima of NK fitness landscapes. Agents cooperate by broadcasting messages informing on their fitness and use this information to imitate the fittest agent in their influence networks. In the case those messages convey accurate information on the proximity of the solution (i.e., for smooth fitness landscapes), we find that high connectivity as well as centralization boosts the group performance. For rugged landscapes, however, these characteristics are beneficial for small groups only. For large groups, it is advantageous to slow down the information transmission through the network to avoid local maximum traps. Long-range links and modularity have marginal effects on the performance of the group, except for a very narrow region of the model parameters.

DNA binding by FOXP3 domain-swapped dimer suggests mechanisms of long-range chromosomal interactions

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

Chen, Y.; Chen, C.; Zhang, Z.

2015-01-07

FOXP3 is a lineage-specific transcription factor that is required for regulatory T cell development and function. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of the FOXP3 forkhead domain bound to DNA. The structure reveals that FOXP3 can form a stable domain-swapped dimer to bridge DNA in the absence of cofactors, suggesting that FOXP3 may play a role in long-range gene interactions. To test this hypothesis, we used circular chromosome conformation capture coupled with high throughput sequencing (4C-seq) to analyze FOXP3-dependent genomic contacts around a known FOXP3-bound locus, Ptpn22. Our studies reveal that FOXP3 induces significant changes in the chromatinmore » contacts between the Ptpn22 locus and other Foxp3-regulated genes, reflecting a mechanism by which FOXP3 reorganizes the genome architecture to coordinate the expression of its target genes. Our results suggest that FOXP3 mediates long-range chromatin interactions as part of its mechanisms to regulate specific gene expression in regulatory T cells.« less

Developing a Management Information System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yost, Michael

This paper is based on the assumption that in shaping academic strategies for long-range planning purposes, educational institutions must be able to gather adequate information on which to base administrative decisions. Information on how the institution has operated in the past as well as how it is currently operating are critical items for valid…

Rapid cloning of genes in hexaploid wheat using cultivar-specific long-range chromosome assembly.

PubMed

Thind, Anupriya Kaur; Wicker, Thomas; Šimková, Hana; Fossati, Dario; Moullet, Odile; Brabant, Cécile; Vrána, Jan; Doležel, Jaroslav; Krattinger, Simon G

2017-08-01

Cereal crops such as wheat and maize have large repeat-rich genomes that make cloning of individual genes challenging. Moreover, gene order and gene sequences often differ substantially between cultivars of the same crop species. A major bottleneck for gene cloning in cereals is the generation of high-quality sequence information from a cultivar of interest. In order to accelerate gene cloning from any cropping line, we report 'targeted chromosome-based cloning via long-range assembly' (TACCA). TACCA combines lossless genome-complexity reduction via chromosome flow sorting with Chicago long-range linkage to assemble complex genomes. We applied TACCA to produce a high-quality (N50 of 9.76 Mb) de novo chromosome assembly of the wheat line CH Campala Lr22a in only 4 months. Using this assembly we cloned the broad-spectrum Lr22a leaf-rust resistance gene, using molecular marker information and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutants, and found that Lr22a encodes an intracellular immune receptor homologous to the Arabidopsis thaliana RPM1 protein.

Similar local order in disordered fluorite and aperiodic pyrochlore structures

DOE PAGES

Shamblin, Jacob; Tracy, Cameron; Palomares, Raul; ...

2017-10-01

A major challenge to understanding the response of materials to extreme environments (e.g., nuclear fuels/waste forms and fusion materials) is to unravel the processes by which a material can incorporate atomic-scale disorder, and at the same time, remain crystalline. While it has long been known that all condensed matter, even liquids and glasses, possess short-range order, the relation between fully-ordered, disordered, and aperiodic structures over multiple length scales is not well understood. For example, when defects are introduced (via pressure or irradiation) into materials adopting the pyrochlore structure, these complex oxides either disorder over specific crystallographic sites, remaining crystalline, ormore » become aperiodic. Here we present neutron total scattering results characterizing the irradiation response of two pyrochlores, one that is known to disorder (Er2Sn2O7) and the other to amorphize (Dy2Sn2O7) under ion irradiation. The results demonstrate that in both cases, the local pyrochlore structure is transformed into similar short range configurations that are best fit by the orthorhombic weberite structure, even though the two compositions have distinctly different structures, aperiodic vs. disordered-crystalline, at longer length scales. Thus, a material's resistance to amorphization may not depend primarily on local defect formation energies, but rather on the structure's compatibility with meso-scale modulations of the local order in a way that maintains long-range periodicity.« less

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PHYSICS AND RELATED AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Statistical interior properties of globular proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Zhou-Ting; Zhang, Lin-Xi; Sun, Ting-Ting; Wu, Tai-Quan

2009-10-01

The character of forming long-range contacts affects the three-dimensional structure of globular proteins deeply. As the different ability to form long-range contacts between 20 types of amino acids and 4 categories of globular proteins, the statistical properties are thoroughly discussed in this paper. Two parameters NC and ND are defined to confine the valid residues in detail. The relationship between hydrophobicity scales and valid residue percentage of each amino acid is given in the present work and the linear functions are shown in our statistical results. It is concluded that the hydrophobicity scale defined by chemical derivatives of the amino acids and nonpolar phase of large unilamellar vesicle membranes is the most effective technique to characterise the hydrophobic behavior of amino acid residues. Meanwhile, residue percentage Pi and sequential residue length Li of a certain protein i are calculated under different conditions. The statistical results show that the average value of Pi as well as Li of all-α proteins has a minimum among these 4 classes of globular proteins, indicating that all-α proteins are hardly capable of forming long-range contacts one by one along their linear amino acid sequences. All-β proteins have a higher tendency to construct long-range contacts along their primary sequences related to the secondary configurations, i.e. parallel and anti-parallel configurations of β sheets. The investigation of the interior properties of globular proteins give us the connection between the three-dimensional structure and its primary sequence data or secondary configurations, and help us to understand the structure of protein and its folding process well.

3D Structure of Iran and Surrounding Areas From The Simultaneous Inversion of Complementary Geophysical Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ammon, C. J.; Maceira, M.; Cleveland, M.

2010-12-01

We present a three-dimensional seismic-structure model of the Arabian-Eurasian collision zone obtained via simultaneous, joint inversion of surface-wave dispersion measurements, teleseismic P-wave receiver functions, and gravity observations. We use a simple, approximate relationship between density and seismic velocities so that the three data sets may be combined in a single inversion. The sensitivity of the different data sets are well known: surface waves provide information on the smooth variations in elastic properties, receiver functions provide information on abrupt velocity contrasts, and gravity measurements provide information on broad-wavenumber shallow density variations and long-wavenumber components of deeper density structures. The combination of the data provides improved resolution of shallow-structure variations, which in turn help produce the smooth features at depth with less contamination from the strong heterogeneity often observed in the upper crust. We also explore geologically based smoothness constraints to help resolve sharp features in the underlying shallow 3D structure. Our focus is on the region surrounding Iran from east Turkey and Iraq in the west, to Pakistan and Afghanistan in the east. We use Bouguer gravity anomalies derived from the global gravity model extracted from the GRACE satellite mission. Surface-wave dispersion velocities in the period range between 7 and 150 s are taken from previously published tomographic maps for the region. Preliminary results show expected strong variations in the Caspian region as well as the deep sediment regions of the Persian Gulf. Regions constrained with receiver-function information generally show sharper crust-mantle boundary structure than that obtained by inversion of the surface waves alone (with thin layers and smoothing constraints). Final results of the simultaneous inversion will help us to better understand one of the most prominent examples of continental collision. Such models also provide an important starting model for time-consuming and fully 3D inversions.

Negative mood and mind wandering increase long-range temporal correlations in attention fluctuations.

PubMed

Irrmischer, Mona; van der Wal, C Natalie; Mansvelder, Huibert D; Linkenkaer-Hansen, Klaus

2018-01-01

There is growing evidence that the intermittent nature of mind wandering episodes and mood have a pronounced influence on trial-to-trial variability in performance. Nevertheless, the temporal dynamics and significance of such lapses in attention remains inadequately understood. Here, we hypothesize that the dynamics of fluctuations in sustained attention between external and internal sources of information obey so-called critical-state dynamics, characterized by trial-to-trial dependencies with long-range temporal correlations. To test this, we performed behavioral investigations measuring reaction times in a visual sustained attention task and cued introspection in probe-caught reports of mind wandering. We show that trial-to-trial variability in reaction times exhibit long-range temporal correlations in agreement with the criticality hypothesis. Interestingly, we observed the fastest responses in subjects with the weakest long-range temporal correlations and show the vital effect of mind wandering and bad mood on this response variability. The implications of these results stress the importance of future research to increase focus on behavioral variability.

Asian Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project: Draft Field Work Plan for the Asian Long-Range Tracer Experiment

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

Allwine, K Jerry; Flaherty, Julia E.

2007-08-01

This report provides an experimental plan for a proposed Asian long-range tracer study as part of the international Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project. The TEAM partners are China, Japan, South Korea and the United States. Optimal times of year to conduct the study, meteorological measurements needed, proposed tracer release locations, proposed tracer sampling locations and the proposed durations of tracer releases and subsequent sampling are given. Also given are the activities necessary to prepare for the study and the schedule for completing the preparation activities leading to conducting the actual field operations. This report is intended to providemore » the TEAM members with the information necessary for planning and conducting the Asian long-range tracer study. The experimental plan is proposed, at this time, to describe the efforts necessary to conduct the Asian long-range tracer study, and the plan will undoubtedly be revised and refined as the planning goes forward over the next year.« less

Negative mood and mind wandering increase long-range temporal correlations in attention fluctuations

PubMed Central

van der Wal, C. Natalie; Mansvelder, Huibert D.; Linkenkaer-Hansen, Klaus

2018-01-01

There is growing evidence that the intermittent nature of mind wandering episodes and mood have a pronounced influence on trial-to-trial variability in performance. Nevertheless, the temporal dynamics and significance of such lapses in attention remains inadequately understood. Here, we hypothesize that the dynamics of fluctuations in sustained attention between external and internal sources of information obey so-called critical-state dynamics, characterized by trial-to-trial dependencies with long-range temporal correlations. To test this, we performed behavioral investigations measuring reaction times in a visual sustained attention task and cued introspection in probe-caught reports of mind wandering. We show that trial-to-trial variability in reaction times exhibit long-range temporal correlations in agreement with the criticality hypothesis. Interestingly, we observed the fastest responses in subjects with the weakest long-range temporal correlations and show the vital effect of mind wandering and bad mood on this response variability. The implications of these results stress the importance of future research to increase focus on behavioral variability. PMID:29746529

Perfect coupling of light to a periodic dielectric/metal/dielectric structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhengling; Li, Shiqiang; Chang, R. P. H.; Ketterson, John B.

2014-07-01

Using the finite difference time domain method, it is demonstrated that perfect coupling can be achieved between normally incident light and a periodic dielectric/metal/dielectric structure. The structure serves as a diffraction grating that excites modes related to the long range surface plasmon and short range surface plasmon modes that propagate on continuous metallic films. By optimizing the structural dimensions, perfect coupling is achieved between the incident light and these modes. A high Q of 697 and an accompanying ultrasharp linewidth of 0.8 nm are predicted for a 10 nm silver film for optimal conditions.

Density functional theory study of the conformational space of an infinitely long polypeptide chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ireta, Joel; Scheffler, Matthias

2009-08-01

The backbone conformational space of infinitely long polyalanine is investigated with density-functional theory and mapping the potential energy surface in terms of (L, θ) cylindrical coordinates. A comparison of the obtained (L, θ) Ramachandran-like plot with results from an extended set of protein structures shows excellent conformity, with the exception of the polyproline II region. It is demonstrated the usefulness of infinitely long polypeptide models for investigating the influence of hydrogen bonding and its cooperative effect on the backbone conformations. The results imply that hydrogen bonding together with long-range electrostatics is the main actuator for most of the structures assumed by protein residues.

Investigation of structural and mechanical properties of rare-earth bismuthide (RBi, R=Ce & Pr) with the NaCl structure at high pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaduvanshi, Namrata; Kapoor, Shilpa; Singh, Sadhna

2018-05-01

We have investigated the structural and mechanical properties of Cerium and Praseodymium Bismuthides under pressure by means of a three body interaction potential model which includes long range columbic interaction, three body interactions and short range overlap repulsive interaction operative up to second nearest neighbor. These compounds shows transition from NaCl structure to body-centered tetragonal (BCT) structure (distorted CsCl-type P4/mmm). The elastic constants and their properties are also reported. Our calculated results of phase transitions and volume collapses of these compounds show a good agreement with available theoretical and experimental results.

After the Honeymoon: Living with Reality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Robert O.; Temares, M. Lewis

1986-01-01

A seven-year long-range information systems plan at the University of Miami outlined 44 applications, most of which were to be installed in a database environment via prototyping with fourth-generation tools. The challenges that confront information systems managers are described. (Author/MLW)

Effects of isopropanol on collagen fibrils in new parchment

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Isopropanol is widely used by conservators to relax the creases and folds of parchment artefacts. At present, little is known of the possible side effects of the chemical on parchments main structural component- collagen. This study uses X-ray Diffraction to investigate the effects of a range of isopropanol concentrations on the dimensions of the nanostructure of the collagen component of new parchment. Results It is found in this study that the packing features of the collagen molecules within the collagen fibril are altered by exposure to isopropanol. The results suggest that this chemical treatment can induce a loss of structural water from the collagen within parchment and thus a rearrangement of intermolecular bonding. This study also finds that the effects of isopropanol treatment are permanent to parchment artefacts and cannot be reversed with rehydration using deionised water. Conclusions This study has shown that isopropanol induces permanent changes to the packing features of collagen within parchment artefacts and has provided scientific evidence that its use to remove creases and folds on parchment artefacts will cause structural change that may contribute to long-term deterioration of parchment artefacts. This work provides valuable information that informs conservation practitioners regarding the use of isopropanol on parchment artefacts. PMID:22462769

Inferring epidemiological parameters from phylogenetic information for the HIV-1 epidemic among MSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quax, Rick; van de Vijver, David A. M. C.; Frentz, Dineke; Sloot, Peter M. A.

2013-09-01

The HIV-1 epidemic in Europe is primarily sustained by a dynamic topology of sexual interactions among MSM who have individual immune systems and behavior. This epidemiological process shapes the phylogeny of the virus population. Both fields of epidemic modeling and phylogenetics have a long history, however it remains difficult to use phylogenetic data to infer epidemiological parameters such as the structure of the sexual network and the per-act infectiousness. This is because phylogenetic data is necessarily incomplete and ambiguous. Here we show that the cluster-size distribution indeed contains information about epidemiological parameters using detailed numberical experiments. We simulate the HIV epidemic among MSM many times using the Monte Carlo method with all parameter values and their ranges taken from literature. For each simulation and the corresponding set of parameter values we calculate the likelihood of reproducing an observed cluster-size distribution. The result is an estimated likelihood distribution of all parameters from the phylogenetic data, in particular the structure of the sexual network, the per-act infectiousness, and the risk behavior reduction upon diagnosis. These likelihood distributions encode the knowledge provided by the observed cluster-size distrbution, which we quantify using information theory. Our work suggests that the growing body of genetic data of patients can be exploited to understand the underlying epidemiological process.

Genetic connectivity among swarming sites in the wide ranging and recently declining little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)

PubMed Central

Burns, Lynne E; Frasier, Timothy R; Broders, Hugh G

2014-01-01

Characterizing movement dynamics and spatial aspects of gene flow within a species permits inference on population structuring. As patterns of structuring are products of historical and current demographics and gene flow, assessment of structure through time can yield an understanding of evolutionary dynamics acting on populations that are necessary to inform management. Recent dramatic population declines in hibernating bats in eastern North America from white-nose syndrome have prompted the need for information on movement dynamics for multiple bat species. We characterized population genetic structure of the little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus, at swarming sites in southeastern Canada using 9 nuclear microsatellites and a 292-bp region of the mitochondrial genome. Analyses of FST, ΦST, and Bayesian clustering (STRUCTURE) found weak levels of genetic structure among swarming sites for the nuclear and mitochondrial genome (Global FST = 0.001, P < 0.05, Global ΦST = 0.045, P < 0.01, STRUCTURE K = 1) suggesting high contemporary gene flow. Hierarchical AMOVA also suggests little structuring at a regional (provincial) level. Metrics of nuclear genetic structure were not found to differ between males and females suggesting weak asymmetries in gene flow between the sexes. However, a greater degree of mitochondrial structuring does support male-biased dispersal long term. Demographic analyses were consistent with past population growth and suggest a population expansion occurred from approximately 1250 to 12,500 BP, following Pleistocene deglaciation in the region. Our study suggests high gene flow and thus a high degree of connectivity among bats that visit swarming sites whereby mainland areas of the region may be best considered as one large gene pool for management and conservation. PMID:25505539

Optimal multi-community network modularity for information diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jiaocan; Du, Ruping; Zheng, Yingying; Liu, Dong

2016-02-01

Studies demonstrate that community structure plays an important role in information spreading recently. In this paper, we investigate the impact of multi-community structure on information diffusion with linear threshold model. We utilize extended GN network that contains four communities and analyze dynamic behaviors of information that spreads on it. And we discover the optimal multi-community network modularity for information diffusion based on the social reinforcement. Results show that, within the appropriate range, multi-community structure will facilitate information diffusion instead of hindering it, which accords with the results derived from two-community network.

Geophysical and isotopic mapping of preexisting crustal structures that influenced the location and development of the San Jacinto fault zone, southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Jachens, R.C.; Morton, D.M.; Kistler, R.W.; Matti, J.C.

2004-01-01

We examine the role of preexisting crustal structure within the Peninsular Ranges batholith on determining the location of the San Jacinto fault zone by analysis of geophysical anomalies and initial strontium ratio data. A 1000-km-long boundary within the Peninsular Ranges batholith, separating relatively mafic, dense, and magnetic rocks of the western Peninsular Ranges batholith from the more felsic, less dense, and weakly magnetic rocks of the eastern Peninsular Ranges batholith, strikes north-northwest toward the San Jacinto fault zone. Modeling of the gravity and magnetic field anomalies caused by this boundary indicates that it extends to depths of at least 20 km. The anomalies do not cross the San Jacinto fault zone, but instead trend northwesterly and coincide with the fault zone. A 75-km-long gradient in initial strontium ratios (Sri) in the eastern Peninsular Ranges batholith coincides with the San Jacinto fault zone. Here rocks east of the fault are characterized by Sri greater than 0.706, indicating a source of largely continental crust, sedimentary materials, or different lithosphere. We argue that the physical property contrast produced by the Peninsular Ranges batholith boundary provided a mechanically favorable path for the San Jacinto fault zone, bypassing the San Gorgonio structural knot as slip was transferred from the San Andreas fault 1.0-1.5 Ma. Two historical M6.7 earthquakes may have nucleated along the Peninsular Ranges batholith discontinuity in San Jacinto Valley, suggesting that Peninsular Ranges batholith crustal structure may continue to affect how strain is accommodated along the San Jacinto fault zone. ?? 2004 Geological Society of America.

Magnetic and thermal property studies of RCrTeO6 (R=trivalent lanthanides) with layered honeycomb sublattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narsinga Rao, G.; Sankar, R.; Panneer Muthuselvam, I.; Chou, F. C.

2014-12-01

We have investigated the magnetic ordering of the RCrTeO6 (R=Y, La, Tb and Er) samples comprising Cr3+ (S=3/2). The X-ray diffraction structure analysis revealed that all samples are a hexagonal structure with the space group P 3bar. The magnetic susceptibility χ(T) and heat capacity CP(T) measurement results reveal that both short range and long range antiferromagnetic (AFM) orderings exist in non-magnetic rare earth R=Y and La compounds. For isostructural compounds of R=Tb and Er, CP(T) curves show long range ordering at the same temperature as non-magnetic R=Y, which indicates that the super-super exchange of Cr spins dominates. For R elements of Tb and Er with large spins sitting between honeycomb sublattices composed of CrO6-TeO6 octahedra, the two sublattices of R and Cr appear to be independently magnetic.

Market structure and the role of consumer information in the physician services industry: an empirical test.

PubMed

Wong, H S

1996-04-01

This paper applies Panzar and Rosse's (1987) econometric test of market structure to examine two long-debated issues: What is the market structure for physician services? Do more physicians in a market area raise the search cost of obtaining consumer information and increase prices (Satterthwaite, 1979, 1985)? For primary care and general and family practice physicians, the monopolistically competitive model prevailed over the competing hypotheses--monopoly, perfect competition, and monopolistic competition characterized by consumer informational confusion. Although less conclisive, there is some evidence to support the monopolistically competitive model for surgeons and the consumer informational confusion model for internal medicine physicians.

Results of the long range position-determining system tests. [Field Army system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhode, F. W.

1973-01-01

The long range position-determining system (LRPDS) has been developed by the Corps of Engineers to provide the Field Army with a rapid and accurate positioning capability. The LRPDS consists of an airborne reference position set (RPS), up to 30 ground based positioning sets (PS), and a position computing central (PCC). The PCC calculates the position of each PS based on the range change information provided by each Set. The positions can be relayed back to the PS again via RPS. Each PS unit contains a double oven precise crystal oscillator. The RPS contains a Hewlett-Packard cesium beam standard. Frequency drifts and off-sets of the crystal oscillators are taken in account in the data reduction process. A field test program was initiated in November 1972. A total of 54 flights were made which included six flights for equipment testing and 48 flights utilizing the field test data reduction program. The four general types of PS layouts used were: short range; medium range; long range; tactical configuration. The overall RMS radial error of the unknown positions varied from about 2.3 meters for the short range to about 15 meters for the long range. The corresponding elevation RMS errors vary from about 12 meters to 37 meters.

How to tackle protein structural data from solution and solid state: An integrated approach.

PubMed

Carlon, Azzurra; Ravera, Enrico; Andrałojć, Witold; Parigi, Giacomo; Murshudov, Garib N; Luchinat, Claudio

2016-02-01

Long-range NMR restraints, such as diamagnetic residual dipolar couplings and paramagnetic data, can be used to determine 3D structures of macromolecules. They are also used to monitor, and potentially to improve, the accuracy of a macromolecular structure in solution by validating or "correcting" a crystal model. Since crystal structures suffer from crystal packing forces they may not be accurate models for the macromolecular structures in solution. However, the presence of real differences should be tested for by simultaneous refinement of the structure using both crystal and solution NMR data. To achieve this, the program REFMAC5 from CCP4 was modified to allow the simultaneous use of X-ray crystallographic and paramagnetic NMR data and/or diamagnetic residual dipolar couplings. Inconsistencies between crystal structures and solution NMR data, if any, may be due either to structural rearrangements occurring on passing from the solution to solid state, or to a greater degree of conformational heterogeneity in solution with respect to the crystal. In the case of multidomain proteins, paramagnetic restraints can provide the correct mutual orientations and positions of domains in solution, as well as information on the conformational variability experienced by the macromolecule. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low energy measurements of the 10B(p ,α )7Be reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiescher, M.; deBoer, R. J.; Görres, J.; Azuma, R. E.

2017-04-01

Background: The 11B(p,2 α ) 4He reaction is being discussed as a prime candidate for advanced aneutronic fusion fuel systems. Particular interest in this reaction has recently emerged for laser driven plasma systems for energy generation and jet-propulsion systems. The lack of long-lived radioactive reaction products has been suggested as the main advantage of proton-boron fusion fuel. However, 19% of natural boron is 10B, with the 10B(p ,α )7Be fusion reaction producing long-lived 7Be as a side product. Purpose: A detailed measurement of the 10B(p ,α )7Be reaction over the critical energy range of hot fusion plasma environments will help to determine the amount of 7Be radioactivity being produced. This information can be used in turn to monitor the actual fusion temperature by offline measurement of the extracted 7Be activity. The goal of the here presented experiment is to expand on the results of earlier experiments, covering a wider energy range of interest for aneutronic plasma fusion applications, including also both 10B(p ,α0)7Be and the 10B(p ,α1)7Be reaction channels. Method: The reaction cross section was measured over a wide energy range from Ep=400 to 1000 keV using particle detection and from Ep=80 to 1440 keV using γ -ray spectroscopic techniques. Reaction α particles were measured at different angles to obtain angular distribution information. The results are discussed in terms of an R -matrix analysis. Results: The cross section data cover a wider energy range than previously investigated and bridge a gap in the previously available data sets. The cross sections show good agreement with previous results in the low energy region and show that the 10B(p ,α0)7Be channel is considerably larger than that of the 10B(p ,α1)7Be channel up to Ep≈1 MeV . Conclusions: The new reaction data provides important new information about the reaction cross section over the entire energy range of plasma fusion facilities. This data, when coupled with previous measurement of the competing 10B(p ,γ )11C reaction, will provide the opportunity for an extensive R -matrix analysis of the rather complex level structure in the 11C compound nucleus system.

Limited role of spectra in dynamo theory: coherent versus random dynamos.

PubMed

Tobias, Steven M; Cattaneo, Fausto

2008-09-19

We discuss the importance of phase information and coherence times in determining the dynamo properties of turbulent flows. We compare the kinematic dynamo properties of three flows with the same energy spectrum. The first flow is dominated by coherent structures with nontrivial phase information and long eddy coherence times, the second has random phases and long-coherence time, the third has nontrivial phase information, but short coherence time. We demonstrate that the first flow is the most efficient kinematic dynamo, owing to the presence of sustained stretching and constructive folding. We argue that these results place limitations on the possible inferences of the dynamo properties of flows from the use of spectra alone, and that the role of coherent structures must always be accounted for.

Nonequilibrium Phase Precursors during a Photoexcited Insulator-to-Metal Transition in V2O3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singer, Andrej; Ramirez, Juan Gabriel; Valmianski, Ilya; Cela, Devin; Hua, Nelson; Kukreja, Roopali; Wingert, James; Kovalchuk, Olesya; Glownia, James M.; Sikorski, Marcin; Chollet, Matthieu; Holt, Martin; Schuller, Ivan K.; Shpyrko, Oleg G.

2018-05-01

Here, we photoinduce and directly observe with x-ray scattering an ultrafast enhancement of the structural long-range order in the archetypal Mott system V2O3 . Despite the ultrafast increase in crystal symmetry, the change of unit cell volume occurs an order of magnitude slower and coincides with the insulator-to-metal transition. The decoupling between the two structural responses in the time domain highlights the existence of a transient photoinduced precursor phase, which is distinct from the two structural phases present in equilibrium. X-ray nanoscopy reveals that acoustic phonons trapped in nanoscale twin domains govern the dynamics of the ultrafast transition into the precursor phase, while nucleation and growth of metallic domains dictate the duration of the slower transition into the metallic phase. The enhancement of the long-range order before completion of the electronic transition demonstrates the critical role the nonequilibrium structural phases play during electronic phase transitions in correlated electrons systems.

A Changing Information Environment Challenges Public Administrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otten, Klaus W.

1989-01-01

Describes ways in which information handling techniques will eventually be used in public administration, focusing on technologies that automate routine administrative processes and support decision making. The need to develop a long range concept for continued full employment of administrative staff is discussed. (two references) (CLB)

From Binding-Induced Dynamic Effects in SH3 Structures to Evolutionary Conserved Sectors.

PubMed

Zafra Ruano, Ana; Cilia, Elisa; Couceiro, José R; Ruiz Sanz, Javier; Schymkowitz, Joost; Rousseau, Frederic; Luque, Irene; Lenaerts, Tom

2016-05-01

Src Homology 3 domains are ubiquitous small interaction modules known to act as docking sites and regulatory elements in a wide range of proteins. Prior experimental NMR work on the SH3 domain of Src showed that ligand binding induces long-range dynamic changes consistent with an induced fit mechanism. The identification of the residues that participate in this mechanism produces a chart that allows for the exploration of the regulatory role of such domains in the activity of the encompassing protein. Here we show that a computational approach focusing on the changes in side chain dynamics through ligand binding identifies equivalent long-range effects in the Src SH3 domain. Mutation of a subset of the predicted residues elicits long-range effects on the binding energetics, emphasizing the relevance of these positions in the definition of intramolecular cooperative networks of signal transduction in this domain. We find further support for this mechanism through the analysis of seven other publically available SH3 domain structures of which the sequences represent diverse SH3 classes. By comparing the eight predictions, we find that, in addition to a dynamic pathway that is relatively conserved throughout all SH3 domains, there are dynamic aspects specific to each domain and homologous subgroups. Our work shows for the first time from a structural perspective, which transduction mechanisms are common between a subset of closely related and distal SH3 domains, while at the same time highlighting the differences in signal transduction that make each family member unique. These results resolve the missing link between structural predictions of dynamic changes and the domain sectors recently identified for SH3 domains through sequence analysis.

From Binding-Induced Dynamic Effects in SH3 Structures to Evolutionary Conserved Sectors

PubMed Central

Ruiz Sanz, Javier; Schymkowitz, Joost; Rousseau, Frederic

2016-01-01

Src Homology 3 domains are ubiquitous small interaction modules known to act as docking sites and regulatory elements in a wide range of proteins. Prior experimental NMR work on the SH3 domain of Src showed that ligand binding induces long-range dynamic changes consistent with an induced fit mechanism. The identification of the residues that participate in this mechanism produces a chart that allows for the exploration of the regulatory role of such domains in the activity of the encompassing protein. Here we show that a computational approach focusing on the changes in side chain dynamics through ligand binding identifies equivalent long-range effects in the Src SH3 domain. Mutation of a subset of the predicted residues elicits long-range effects on the binding energetics, emphasizing the relevance of these positions in the definition of intramolecular cooperative networks of signal transduction in this domain. We find further support for this mechanism through the analysis of seven other publically available SH3 domain structures of which the sequences represent diverse SH3 classes. By comparing the eight predictions, we find that, in addition to a dynamic pathway that is relatively conserved throughout all SH3 domains, there are dynamic aspects specific to each domain and homologous subgroups. Our work shows for the first time from a structural perspective, which transduction mechanisms are common between a subset of closely related and distal SH3 domains, while at the same time highlighting the differences in signal transduction that make each family member unique. These results resolve the missing link between structural predictions of dynamic changes and the domain sectors recently identified for SH3 domains through sequence analysis. PMID:27213566

Resource for structure related information on transmembrane proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tusnády, Gábor E.; Simon, István

Transmembrane proteins are involved in a wide variety of vital biological processes including transport of water-soluble molecules, flow of information and energy production. Despite significant efforts to determine the structures of these proteins, only a few thousand solved structures are known so far. Here, we review the various resources for structure-related information on these types of proteins ranging from the 3D structure to the topology and from the up-to-date databases to the various Internet sites and servers dealing with structure prediction and structure analysis. Abbreviations: 3D, three dimensional; PDB, Protein Data Bank; TMP, transmembrane protein.

Cascaded bidirectional recurrent neural networks for protein secondary structure prediction.

PubMed

Chen, Jinmiao; Chaudhari, Narendra

2007-01-01

Protein secondary structure (PSS) prediction is an important topic in bioinformatics. Our study on a large set of non-homologous proteins shows that long-range interactions commonly exist and negatively affect PSS prediction. Besides, we also reveal strong correlations between secondary structure (SS) elements. In order to take into account the long-range interactions and SS-SS correlations, we propose a novel prediction system based on cascaded bidirectional recurrent neural network (BRNN). We compare the cascaded BRNN against another two BRNN architectures, namely the original BRNN architecture used for speech recognition as well as Pollastri's BRNN that was proposed for PSS prediction. Our cascaded BRNN achieves an overall three state accuracy Q3 of 74.38\\%, and reaches a high Segment OVerlap (SOV) of 66.0455. It outperforms the original BRNN and Pollastri's BRNN in both Q3 and SOV. Specifically, it improves the SOV score by 4-6%.

SIRAH: a structurally unbiased coarse-grained force field for proteins with aqueous solvation and long-range electrostatics.

PubMed

Darré, Leonardo; Machado, Matías Rodrigo; Brandner, Astrid Febe; González, Humberto Carlos; Ferreira, Sebastián; Pantano, Sergio

2015-02-10

Modeling of macromolecular structures and interactions represents an important challenge for computational biology, involving different time and length scales. However, this task can be facilitated through the use of coarse-grained (CG) models, which reduce the number of degrees of freedom and allow efficient exploration of complex conformational spaces. This article presents a new CG protein model named SIRAH, developed to work with explicit solvent and to capture sequence, temperature, and ionic strength effects in a topologically unbiased manner. SIRAH is implemented in GROMACS, and interactions are calculated using a standard pairwise Hamiltonian for classical molecular dynamics simulations. We present a set of simulations that test the capability of SIRAH to produce a qualitatively correct solvation on different amino acids, hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions, and long-range electrostatic recognition leading to spontaneous association of unstructured peptides and stable structures of single polypeptides and protein-protein complexes.

Fractional Gaussian noise-enhanced information capacity of a nonlinear neuron model with binary signal input

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Feng-Yin; Kang, Yan-Mei; Chen, Xi; Chen, Guanrong

2018-05-01

This paper reveals the effect of fractional Gaussian noise with Hurst exponent H ∈(1 /2 ,1 ) on the information capacity of a general nonlinear neuron model with binary signal input. The fGn and its corresponding fractional Brownian motion exhibit long-range, strong-dependent increments. It extends standard Brownian motion to many types of fractional processes found in nature, such as the synaptic noise. In the paper, for the subthreshold binary signal, sufficient conditions are given based on the "forbidden interval" theorem to guarantee the occurrence of stochastic resonance, while for the suprathreshold binary signal, the simulated results show that additive fGn with Hurst exponent H ∈(1 /2 ,1 ) could increase the mutual information or bits count. The investigation indicated that the synaptic noise with the characters of long-range dependence and self-similarity might be the driving factor for the efficient encoding and decoding of the nervous system.

CRUSTAL REFRACTION PROFILE OF THE LONG VALLEY CALDERA, CALIFORNIA, FROM THE JANUARY 1983 MAMMOTH LAKES EARTHQUAKE SWARM.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luetgert, James H.; Mooney, Walter D.

1985-01-01

Seismic-refraction profiles recorded north of Mammoth Lakes, California, using earthquake sources from the January 1983 swarm complement earlier explosion refraction profiles and provide velocity information from deeper in the crust in the area of the Long Valley caldera. Eight earthquakes from a depth range of 4. 9 to 8. 0 km confirm the observation of basement rocks with seismic velocities ranging from 5. 8 to 6. 4 km/sec extending at least to depths of 20 km. The data provide further evidence for the existence of a partial melt zone beneath Long Valley caldera and constrain its geometry. Refs.

Remocean : a marine radar as a safety tool for offshore platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serafino, Francesco; Ludeno, Giovanni; Arturi, Daniele; Lugni, Claudio; Natale, Antonio; Soldovieri, Francesco

2013-04-01

In the recent years, there is a growing interest towards offshore platforms for electric power energy with a focus to the ones exploiting wind or sea surface currents force. In this frame, an important role can be played the marine X-band radar systems, which are able to acquire high resolution information (of the order of the meters) on the sea state (direction and height of the waves) and sea surface current in a range of several kilometers from the radar platform. The information gained from the radar is therefore very useful for many issues related to the offshore platforms installation and safety. In fact, the X-band radar system can be deployed to gain a long-term information about the direction and the velocity of sea surface current so to drive in a proper way the installation of the turbines by choosing the right areas; to use the information about the long-term sea state monitoring to evaluate the vulnerability of the platforms not only against the extreme climate events but also against the structural solicitation due to ordinary conditions; to gain indirect information about the wind intensity and direction for the right management of the wind farms. In this work, we will present the marine radar system designed and developed by REMOCEAN (www.remocean.com), a Spin-off of the National Research Council (CNR, Italy). In particular, we will present the application of the REMOCEAN system to the case of the monitoring of the sea state for the offshore platform safety in real conditions.

Colloidal attraction induced by a temperature gradient.

PubMed

Di Leonardo, R; Ianni, F; Ruocco, G

2009-04-21

Colloidal crystals are of extreme importance for applied research and for fundamental studies in statistical mechanics. Long-range attractive interactions, such as capillary forces, can drive the spontaneous assembly of such mesoscopic ordered structures. However, long-range attractive forces are very rare in the colloidal realm. Here we report a novel strong, long-ranged attraction induced by a thermal gradient in the presence of a wall. By switching the thermal gradient on and off, we can rapidly and reversibly form stable hexagonal 2D crystals. We show that the observed attraction is hydrodynamic in nature and arises from thermally induced slip flow on particle surfaces. We used optical tweezers to measure the force law directly and compare it to an analytical prediction based on Stokes flow driven by Marangoni-like forces.

First-principles supercell calculations of small polarons with proper account for long-range polarization effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kokott, Sebastian; Levchenko, Sergey V.; Rinke, Patrick; Scheffler, Matthias

2018-03-01

We present a density functional theory (DFT) based supercell approach for modeling small polarons with proper account for the long-range elastic response of the material. Our analysis of the supercell dependence of the polaron properties (e.g., atomic structure, binding energy, and the polaron level) reveals long-range electrostatic effects and the electron–phonon (el–ph) interaction as the two main contributors. We develop a correction scheme for DFT polaron calculations that significantly reduces the dependence of polaron properties on the DFT exchange-correlation functional and the size of the supercell in the limit of strong el–ph coupling. Using our correction approach, we present accurate all-electron full-potential DFT results for small polarons in rocksalt MgO and rutile TiO2.

Roles of chromatin insulator proteins in higher-order chromatin organization and transcription regulation

PubMed Central

Vogelmann, Jutta; Valeri, Alessandro; Guillou, Emmanuelle; Cuvier, Olivier; Nollmann, Marcelo

2013-01-01

Eukaryotic chromosomes are condensed into several hierarchical levels of complexity: DNA is wrapped around core histones to form nucleosomes, nucleosomes form a higher-order structure called chromatin, and chromatin is subsequently compartmentalized in part by the combination of multiple specific or unspecific long-range contacts. The conformation of chromatin at these three levels greatly influences DNA metabolism and transcription. One class of chromatin regulatory proteins called insulator factors may organize chromatin both locally, by setting up barriers between heterochromatin and euchromatin, and globally by establishing platforms for long-range interactions. Here, we review recent data revealing a global role of insulator proteins in the regulation of transcription through the formation of clusters of long-range interactions that impact different levels of chromatin organization. PMID:21983085

Protein fiber linear dichroism for structure determination and kinetics in a low-volume, low-wavelength couette flow cell.

PubMed

Dafforn, Timothy R; Rajendra, Jacindra; Halsall, David J; Serpell, Louise C; Rodger, Alison

2004-01-01

High-resolution structure determination of soluble globular proteins relies heavily on x-ray crystallography techniques. Such an approach is often ineffective for investigations into the structure of fibrous proteins as these proteins generally do not crystallize. Thus investigations into fibrous protein structure have relied on less direct methods such as x-ray fiber diffraction and circular dichroism. Ultraviolet linear dichroism has the potential to provide additional information on the structure of such biomolecular systems. However, existing systems are not optimized for the requirements of fibrous proteins. We have designed and built a low-volume (200 microL), low-wavelength (down to 180 nm), low-pathlength (100 microm), high-alignment flow-alignment system (couette) to perform ultraviolet linear dichroism studies on the fibers formed by a range of biomolecules. The apparatus has been tested using a number of proteins for which longer wavelength linear dichroism spectra had already been measured. The new couette cell has also been used to obtain data on two medically important protein fibers, the all-beta-sheet amyloid fibers of the Alzheimer's derived protein Abeta and the long-chain assemblies of alpha1-antitrypsin polymers.

An efficient signal processing tool for impedance-based structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, Megan K.; Taylor, Stuart G.; Farinholt, Kevin M.; Park, Gyuhae; Farrar, Charles R.

2009-03-01

Various experimental studies have demonstrated that an impedance-based approach to structural health monitoring can be an effective means of damage detection. Using the self-sensing and active-sensing capabilities of piezoelectric materials, the electromechanical impedance response can be monitored to provide a qualitative indication of the overall health of a structure. Although impedance analyzers are commonly used to collect such data, they are bulky and impractical for long-term field implementation, so a smaller and more portable device is desired. However, impedance measurements often contain a sizeable number of data points, and a smaller device may not possess enough memory to store the required information, particularly for real-time analysis. Therefore, the amount of data used to assess the integrity of a structure must be significantly reduced. A new type of cross correlation analysis, for which impedance data is instantaneously correlated between different sensor sets and different frequency ranges, as opposed to be correlated to pre-stored baseline data, is proposed to drastically reduce the amount of data to a single correlation coefficient and provide a quantitative means of detecting damage relative to the sensor positions. The proposed analysis is carried out on a 3-story representative structure and its efficiency is demonstrated.

Long-range p-d exchange interaction in a ferromagnet-semiconductor hybrid structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korenev, V. L.; Salewski, M.; Akimov, I. A.; Sapega, V. F.; Langer, L.; Kalitukha, I. V.; Debus, J.; Dzhioev, R. I.; Yakovlev, D. R.; Müller, D.; Schröder, C.; Hövel, H.; Karczewski, G.; Wiater, M.; Wojtowicz, T.; Kusrayev, Yu. G.; Bayer, M.

2016-01-01

Hybrid structures synthesized from different materials have attracted considerable attention because they may allow not only combination of the functionalities of the individual constituents but also mutual control of their properties. To obtain such a control an interaction between the components needs to be established. For coupling the magnetic properties, an exchange interaction has to be implemented which typically depends on wavefunction overlap and is therefore short-ranged, so that it may be compromised across the hybrid interface. Here we study a hybrid structure consisting of a ferromagnetic Co layer and a semiconducting CdTe quantum well, separated by a thin (Cd, Mg)Te barrier. In contrast to the expected p-d exchange that decreases exponentially with the wavefunction overlap of quantum well holes and magnetic atoms, we find a long-ranged, robust coupling that does not vary with barrier width up to more than 30 nm. We suggest that the resulting spin polarization of acceptor-bound holes is induced by an effective p-d exchange that is mediated by elliptically polarized phonons.

Markov Dynamics as a Zooming Lens for Multiscale Community Detection: Non Clique-Like Communities and the Field-of-View Limit

PubMed Central

Schaub, Michael T.; Delvenne, Jean-Charles; Yaliraki, Sophia N.; Barahona, Mauricio

2012-01-01

In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in community detection algorithms for complex networks. A variety of computational heuristics, some with a long history, have been proposed for the identification of communities or, alternatively, of good graph partitions. In most cases, the algorithms maximize a particular objective function, thereby finding the ‘right’ split into communities. Although a thorough comparison of algorithms is still lacking, there has been an effort to design benchmarks, i.e., random graph models with known community structure against which algorithms can be evaluated. However, popular community detection methods and benchmarks normally assume an implicit notion of community based on clique-like subgraphs, a form of community structure that is not always characteristic of real networks. Specifically, networks that emerge from geometric constraints can have natural non clique-like substructures with large effective diameters, which can be interpreted as long-range communities. In this work, we show that long-range communities escape detection by popular methods, which are blinded by a restricted ‘field-of-view’ limit, an intrinsic upper scale on the communities they can detect. The field-of-view limit means that long-range communities tend to be overpartitioned. We show how by adopting a dynamical perspective towards community detection [1], [2], in which the evolution of a Markov process on the graph is used as a zooming lens over the structure of the network at all scales, one can detect both clique- or non clique-like communities without imposing an upper scale to the detection. Consequently, the performance of algorithms on inherently low-diameter, clique-like benchmarks may not always be indicative of equally good results in real networks with local, sparser connectivity. We illustrate our ideas with constructive examples and through the analysis of real-world networks from imaging, protein structures and the power grid, where a multiscale structure of non clique-like communities is revealed. PMID:22384178

Family Structure and Long-Term Care Insurance Purchase

PubMed Central

Van Houtven, Courtney Harold; Coe, Norma B.; Konetzka, R. Tamara

2015-01-01

While it has long been assumed that family structure and potential sources of informal care play a large role in the purchase decisions for long-term care insurance (LTCI), current empirical evidence is inconclusive. Our study examines the relationship between family structure and LTCI purchase and addresses several major limitations of the prior literature by using a long panel of data and considering modern family relationships, such as presence of stepchildren. We find that family structure characteristics from one’s own generation, particularly about one’s spouse, are associated with purchase, but that few family structure attributes from the younger generation have an influence. Family factors that may indicate future caregiver supply are negatively associated with purchase: having a coresidential child, signaling close proximity, and having a currently working spouse, signaling a healthy and able spouse, that LTC planning has not occurred yet, or that there is less need for asset protection afforded by LTCI. Dynamic factors, such as increasing wealth or turning 65, are associated with higher likelihood of LTCI purchase. PMID:25760583

An Accurate Co-registration Method for Airborne Repeat-pass InSAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, X. T.; Zhao, Y. H.; Yue, X. J.; Han, C. M.

2017-10-01

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology plays a significant role in topographic mapping and surface deformation detection. Comparing with spaceborne repeat-pass InSAR, airborne repeat-pass InSAR solves the problems of long revisit time and low-resolution images. Due to the advantages of flexible, accurate, and fast obtaining abundant information, airborne repeat-pass InSAR is significant in deformation monitoring of shallow ground. In order to getting precise ground elevation information and interferometric coherence of deformation monitoring from master and slave images, accurate co-registration must be promised. Because of side looking, repeat observing path and long baseline, there are very different initial slant ranges and flight heights between repeat flight paths. The differences of initial slant ranges and flight height lead to the pixels, located identical coordinates on master and slave images, correspond to different size of ground resolution cells. The mismatching phenomenon performs very obvious on the long slant range parts of master image and slave image. In order to resolving the different sizes of pixels and getting accurate co-registration results, a new method is proposed based on Range-Doppler (RD) imaging model. VV-Polarization C-band airborne repeat-pass InSAR images were used in experiment. The experiment result shows that the proposed method leads to superior co-registration accuracy.

Semi-classical statistical description of Fröhlich condensation.

PubMed

Preto, Jordane

2017-06-01

Fröhlich's model equations describing phonon condensation in open systems of biological relevance are reinvestigated within a semi-classical statistical framework. The main assumptions needed to deduce Fröhlich's rate equations are identified and it is shown how they lead us to write an appropriate form for the corresponding master equation. It is shown how solutions of the master equation can be numerically computed and can highlight typical features of the condensation effect. Our approach provides much more information compared to the existing ones as it allows to investigate the time evolution of the probability density function instead of following single averaged quantities. The current work is also motivated, on the one hand, by recent experimental evidences of long-lived excited modes in the protein structure of hen-egg white lysozyme, which were reported as a consequence of the condensation effect, and, on the other hand, by a growing interest in investigating long-range effects of electromagnetic origin and their influence on the dynamics of biochemical reactions.

Long Valley caldera and the UCERF depiction of Sierra Nevada range-front faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hill, David P.; Montgomery-Brown, Emily K.

2015-01-01

Long Valley caldera lies within a left-stepping offset in the north-northwest-striking Sierra Nevada range-front normal faults with the Hilton Creek fault to the south and Hartley Springs fault to the north. Both Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF) 2 and its update, UCERF3, depict slip on these major range-front normal faults as extending well into the caldera, with significant normal slip on overlapping, subparallel segments separated by ∼10  km. This depiction is countered by (1) geologic evidence that normal faulting within the caldera consists of a series of graben structures associated with postcaldera magmatism (intrusion and tumescence) and not systematic down-to-the-east displacements consistent with distributed range-front faulting and (2) the lack of kinematic evidence for an evolving, postcaldera relay ramp structure between overlapping strands of the two range-front normal faults. The modifications to the UCERF depiction described here reduce the predicted shaking intensity within the caldera, and they are in accord with the tectonic influence that underlapped offset range-front faults have on seismicity patterns within the caldera associated with ongoing volcanic unrest.

Can forest watershed management mitigate climate change effects on water resources

Treesearch

James M. Vose; Chelcy R. Ford; Stephanie Laseter; Salli Dymond; Ge Sun; Mary Beth Adams; Stephen Sebestyen; John Campbell; Charlie Luce; Devendra Amatya; Kelly Elder; Tamara Heartsill Scalley

2012-01-01

Long-term hydrology and climate data from United States Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges (EFR) provide critical information on the interactions among climate, streamflow, and forest management practices. We examined the relationships among streamflow responses to climate variation and forest management using long-term data. Analysis of climate data from a...

Can forest watershed management mitigate climate change impacts on water resources?

Treesearch

James M. Vose; Chelcy R. Ford; Stephanie Laseter; Salli Dymond; GE Sun; Mary Beth Adams; Stephen Sebestyen; John Campbell; Charles Luce; Devendra Amatya; Kelly Elder; Tamara. Heartsill-Scalley

2012-01-01

Long-term hydrology and climate data from United States Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges (EFR) provide critical information on the interactions among climate, streamflow, and forest management practices. We examined the relationships among streamflow responses to climate variation and forest management using long-term data. Analysis of climate data from a...

PHOTOPERIODIC BEHAVIOR OF SUNFLOWER

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

Dyer, H.J.; Skok, J.; Scully, N.J.

1959-09-01

S>The sunflower, Helianthus annuus L., var. Mammoth Russian, has been shown to be a short-day type plant. It will, however, flower under a wide range of photoperiodic conditions, including excessively long days (as long as 20 hours) and a regime in which the daily dark periods are interrupted by 1-hour light periods if it be permitted to grow for a sufficiently long period. Short photoperiods promote flowering both by hastening the initiation of flower primordia and by hastening the development of primordia into macroscropic floral structures. Interruption of the dark periods by light is effective in inhibiting both the initiationmore » of flower primordia as well as the development of primordia into macroscopic floral structures. Sunflower thus exhibits a wide range of photoperiodic conditions under which flowering may take place plus an unusual variability in the time of flowering among individual plants in a given population. This may be related to the phenomenon pointed out by Habermann and Wallace: that a certain maturation requiremert or vegetative growth requirement for flowering must be met before flowering can occur. Stem elongation in sunflower is favored by long photoperiods. (auth)« less

Local Structure and Short-Range Order in a NiCoCr Solid Solution Alloy

DOE PAGES

Zhang, F. X.; Zhao, Shijun; Jin, Ke; ...

2017-05-19

Multi-element solid solution alloys are intrinsically disordered on the atomic scale, and many of their advanced properties originate from the unique local structural characteristics. We measured the local structure of a NiCoCr solid solution alloy with X-ray/neutron total scattering and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) techniques. The atomic pair distribution function analysis (PDF) did not exhibit distinct structural distortion. But, EXAFS analysis suggested that the Cr atoms are favorably bonded with Ni and Co in the solid solution alloys. This short-range order (SRO) plays a role in the distinct low values of electrical and thermal conductivities in Ni-based solidmore » solution alloys when Cr is incorporated. Both the long-range and local structures of the NiCoCr alloy upon Ni ion irradiation were studied and an irradiation-induced enhancement of SRO was found.« less

Information System for Educational Policy and Administration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, J. C., Jr.

Educational Information System (EIS) is a proposed computer-based data processing system to help schools solve current educational problems more efficiently. The system would allow for more effective administrative operations in student scheduling, financial accounting, and long range planning. It would also assist school trustees and others in…

77 FR 20474 - Delegation of Authority; Delegation of Authority No. 24 to the Chief Operating Officer

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-04

... and performance planning, measurement, analysis, assessment of progress, and use of performance...; long- range budgeting and accounting; hiring and training employees; modernizing information technology..., measurement, analysis, regular assessment of progress and the use of performance information to improve...

5 CFR 2635.703 - Use of nonpublic information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... source selection team assigned to review the proposals submitted by several companies in response to an Army solicitation for spare parts. As a member of the evaluation team, the employee has access to... newspaper reporter nonpublic information about long-range plans to build a particular dam. ...

5 CFR 2635.703 - Use of nonpublic information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... source selection team assigned to review the proposals submitted by several companies in response to an Army solicitation for spare parts. As a member of the evaluation team, the employee has access to... newspaper reporter nonpublic information about long-range plans to build a particular dam. ...

5 CFR 2635.703 - Use of nonpublic information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... source selection team assigned to review the proposals submitted by several companies in response to an Army solicitation for spare parts. As a member of the evaluation team, the employee has access to... newspaper reporter nonpublic information about long-range plans to build a particular dam. ...

Subaru Telescope limits on cosmological variations in the fine-structure constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Michael T.; Cooksey, Kathy L.

2017-11-01

Previous, large samples of quasar absorption spectra have indicated some evidence for relative variations in the fine-structure constant (Δα/α) across the sky. However, they were likely affected by long-range distortions of the wavelength calibration, so it is important to establish a statistical sample of more reliable results from multiple telescopes. Here we triple the sample of Δα/α measurements from the Subaru Telescope which have been `supercalibrated' to correct for long-range distortions. A blinded analysis of the metallic ions in six intervening absorption systems in two Subaru quasar spectra provides no evidence for α variation, with a weighted mean of Δα/α = 3.0 ± 2.8stat ± 2.0sys parts per million (1σ statistical and systematic uncertainties). The main remaining systematic effects are uncertainties in the long-range distortion corrections, absorption profile models, and errors from redispersing multiple quasar exposures on to a common wavelength grid. The results also assume that terrestrial isotopic abundances prevail in the absorbers; assuming only the dominant terrestrial isotope is present significantly lowers Δα/α, though it is still consistent with zero. Given the location of the two quasars on the sky, our results do not support the evidence for spatial α variation, especially when combined with the 21 other recent measurements which were corrected for, or resistant to, long-range distortions. Our spectra and absorption profile fits are publicly available.

7 CFR 993.517 - Identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... numerical or nomenclature designation prescribed in § 993.515, which designation shall not be lacking in... additional information describing in numerical terms the average size count, or particular range of size counts, of the prunes in such lot so long as such numerical terms fall within the range of the size...

7 CFR 993.517 - Identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... numerical or nomenclature designation prescribed in § 993.515, which designation shall not be lacking in... additional information describing in numerical terms the average size count, or particular range of size counts, of the prunes in such lot so long as such numerical terms fall within the range of the size...

7 CFR 993.517 - Identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... numerical or nomenclature designation prescribed in § 993.515, which designation shall not be lacking in... additional information describing in numerical terms the average size count, or particular range of size counts, of the prunes in such lot so long as such numerical terms fall within the range of the size...

7 CFR 993.517 - Identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... numerical or nomenclature designation prescribed in § 993.515, which designation shall not be lacking in... additional information describing in numerical terms the average size count, or particular range of size counts, of the prunes in such lot so long as such numerical terms fall within the range of the size...

7 CFR 993.517 - Identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... numerical or nomenclature designation prescribed in § 993.515, which designation shall not be lacking in... additional information describing in numerical terms the average size count, or particular range of size counts, of the prunes in such lot so long as such numerical terms fall within the range of the size...

The Layered Structure of The Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kursunoglu, Behram N.

2003-06-01

It has now become a habit for the cosmologists to introduce attraction or repulsion generating substances to describe the observed cosmological behavior of matter. Examples are dark energy to provide repulsive force to cause increasing acceleration accompanying the expansion of the universe, quintessence providing repulsive force. In this paper we believe that what is needed in the final analysis is attraction and repulsion. We show here that universe can be conceived to consist of attractive and repulsive layers of matter expanding with increasing acceleration. The generalized theory of gravitation as developed originally by Einstein and Schrödinger as a non-symmetric theory was modified by this author using Bianchi-Einstein Identities yielding coupling between the field and electric charge as well as between the field and magnetic charge, and there appears a fundamental length parameter ro where quintessence constitute magnetic repulsive layers while dark energy and all other kinds of names invented by cosmologists refer to attractive electric layers. This layered structure of the universe resembles the layered structure of the elementary particle predicted by this theory decades ago (1, 3, and 6). This implies a layer Doughnut structure of the universe. We have therefore, obtained a unification of the structure of the universe and the structure of elementary particles. Overall the forces consist of long range attractive, long range repulsive, short-range attractive, and short-range repulsive variety. We further discovered the existence of space oscillations whose roles in the expansion of the universe with increasing acceleration and further the impact in the propagation of the gravitational waves can be expected to play a role in their observation.

Peer Learning across the Undergraduate Information Systems Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granger, Mary J.; Lippert, Susan K.

1999-01-01

Focuses on the use of in-class peer learning experiences in several typical Information Systems courses. Provides additional summaries of three semester-long learning projects in Structured Programming, Systems Design, and Database Design. (Contains 29 references.) (Author/ASK)

Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy in infants.

PubMed

Ramakrishnan, Prem A; Medhat, Mohammed; Al-Bulushi, Younis H; Nair, Priti; Al-Kindy, Ahmed

2007-10-01

Pediatric urolithiasis is relatively uncommon and limited information is available on the application of minimally invasive management modalities in young children. We present a single centre experience with extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) for infants with upper urinary tract calculi. A total of 74 infants aged 3 months to 24 months with upper urinary tract calculi were treated with ESWL under general anesthesia using the Wolf 2500 and the 2501 Piezolith lithotriptors over a 14 and a half-year period. Patient and stone characteristics, risk factors for urolithiasis, treatment parameters, clinical outcomes and long-term follow-up were assessed and recorded. The mean patient age was 14.5 (range 3 to 24) months. The mean renal stone size was 18.2 (range 7 to 32) mm while the mean ureteral stone size was 9.4 (range 5 to 14) mm. Metabolic abnormalities, structural anomalies and urinary tract infections were identified as contributory factors for stone formation in 34% of the infants. At the 3-month follow-up there was an overall successful outcome in 72 infants (97%) that included 65 (88%) who were rendered stone-free and 7 (9%) who had clinically insignificant stone fragments. Retreatment was required in 27 (35%) patients, auxiliary procedures after ESWL were needed in 5 (7%) and secondary operative procedures were required in 2 (3%). Major complications were encountered in 5 (7%) patients that included complete ureteral obstruction with sepsis in 2, partial ureteral obstruction in 1 and febrile urinary tract infection in 2 other children. Long-term follow-up was recorded in 39 infants: 8 developed recurrent stones, 2 had stone regrowth and 1 developed mild hypertension but none had significant deterioration of renal function. ESWL is an effective treatment for upper urinary tract calculi in infants. In the short-term, complications are minimal but long-term follow-up is important.

Unexpectedly Low Rangewide Population Genetic Structure of the Imperiled Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene c. carolina

PubMed Central

Kimble, Steven J. A.; Rhodes Jr., O. E.; Williams, Rod N.

2014-01-01

Rangewide studies of genetic parameters can elucidate patterns and processes that operate only over large geographic scales. Herein, we present a rangewide population genetic assessment of the eastern box turtle Terrapene c. carolina, a species that is in steep decline across its range. To inform conservation planning for this species, we address the hypothesis that disruptions to demographic and movement parameters associated with the decline of the eastern box turtle has resulted in distinctive genetic signatures in the form of low genetic diversity, high population structuring, and decreased gene flow. We used microsatellite genotype data from (n = 799) individuals from across the species range to perform two Bayesian population assignment approaches, two methods for comparing historical and contemporary migration among populations, an evaluation of isolation by distance, and a method for detecting barriers to gene flow. Both Bayesian methods of population assignment indicated that there are two populations rangewide, both of which have maintained high levels of genetic diversity (HO = 0.756). Evidence of isolation by distance was detected in this species at a spatial scale of 300 – 500 km, and the Appalachian Mountains were identified as the primary barrier to gene flow across the species range. We also found evidence for historical but not contemporary migration between populations. Our prediction of many, highly structured populations across the range was not supported. This may point to cryptic contemporary gene flow, which might in turn be explained by the presence of rare transients in populations. However these data may be influenced by historical signatures of genetic connectivity because individuals of this species can be long-lived. PMID:24647580

Pore Pressure Distribution and Flank Instability in Hydrothermally Altered Stratovolcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ball, J. L.; Taron, J.; Hurwitz, S.; Reid, M. E.

2015-12-01

Field and geophysical investigations of stratovolcanoes with long-lived hydrothermal systems commonly reveal that initially permeable regions (such as brecciated layers of pyroclastic material) can become both altered and water-bearing. Hydrothermal alteration in these regions, including clay formation, can turn them into low-permeability barriers to fluid flow, which could increase pore fluid pressures resulting in flank slope instability. We examined elevated pore pressure conditions using numerical models of hydrothermal flow in stratovolcanoes, informed by geophysical data about internal structures and deposits. Idealized radially symmetric meshes were developed based on cross-sectional profiles and alteration/permeability structures of Cascade Range stratovolcanoes. We used the OpenGeoSys model to simulate variably saturated conditions in volcanoes heated only by regional heat fluxes, as well as 650°C intrusions at two km depth below the surface. Meteoric recharge was estimated from precipitation rates in the Cascade Range. Preliminary results indicate zones of elevated pore pressures form: 1) where slopes are underlain by continuous low-permeability altered layers, or 2) when the edifice has an altered core with saturated, less permeable limbs. The first scenario might control shallow collapses on the slopes above the altered layers. The second could promote deeper flank collapses that are initially limited to the summit and upper slopes, but could progress to the core of an edifice. In both scenarios, pore pressures can be further elevated by shallow intrusions, or evolve over longer time scales under forcing from regional heat flux. Geometries without confining low-permeability layers do not show these pressure effects. Our initial scenarios use radially symmetric models, but we are also simulating hydrothermal flow under real 3D geometries with asymmetric subsurface structures (Mount Adams). Simulation results will be used to inform 3D slope-stability models.

Enhancing prescription drug innovation and adoption.

PubMed

Alexander, G Caleb; O'Connor, Alec B; Stafford, Randall S

2011-06-21

The adoption and use of a new drug would ideally be guided by its innovation and cost-effectiveness. However, information about the relative efficacy and safety of a drug is typically incomplete even well after market entry, and various other forces create a marketplace in which most new drugs are little better than their older counterparts. Five proposed mechanisms are considered for promoting innovation and reducing the use of therapies ultimately found to offer poor value or have unacceptable risks. These changes range from increasing the evidence required for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to modifying the structure of drug reimbursement. Despite the challenges of policy implementation, the United States has a long history of successfully improving the societal value and safe use of prescription medicines.

Magnetic-field-dependent slow light in strontium atom-cavity system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zeng-Xing; Wang, Bao; Kong, Cui; Xiong, Hao; Wu, Ying

2018-03-01

Realizing and controlling a long-lived slow light is of fundamental importance in physics and may find applications in quantum router and quantum information processing. In this work, we propose a feasible scheme to realize the slow light in a strontium atom-cavity system, in which the value of group delay can be continuously adjusted within a range of different Zeeman splittings and vacuum Rabi frequencies by varying the applied static magnetic field and the atom number instead of a strong coherent field. In our scheme, the major limitations of the slow-light structure, namely, dispersion and loss, can be effectively resolved, and so our scheme may help to achieve the practical application of slow light relevant to the optical communication network.

Low-cost information distribution - New directions for technology developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Catoe, C. E.

1978-01-01

The use of space satellites for data storage and retrieval is discussed with respect to short-term (1978-1985) and long-term (1985-2000) developments. The present structure, where access to satellite-transmitted data is controlled largely by the Federal Government for its own use, will be gradually replaced by a continually expanding user-community with a broadening scope of needs. Technological improvements in satellite-communication and data-processing will drive down the cost of both transmitting and receiving hardware, making such hardware available to more and more people. By the closing years of the century, personal, direct satellite communication should be available to every American household, providing video, printed, and archivable data over a wide range of subjects, from bank statements to medical records.

Biotechnological applications of transglutaminases.

PubMed

Rachel, Natalie M; Pelletier, Joelle N

2013-10-22

In nature, transglutaminases catalyze the formation of amide bonds between proteins to form insoluble protein aggregates. This specific function has long been exploited in the food and textile industries as a protein cross-linking agent to alter the texture of meat, wool, and leather. In recent years, biotechnological applications of transglutaminases have come to light in areas ranging from material sciences to medicine. There has also been a substantial effort to further investigate the fundamentals of transglutaminases, as many of their characteristics that remain poorly understood. Those studies also work towards the goal of developing transglutaminases as more efficient catalysts. Progress in this area includes structural information and novel chemical and biological assays. Here, we review recent achievements in this area in order to illustrate the versatility of transglutaminases.

Memory traces of long-range coordinated oscillations in the sleeping human brain.

PubMed

Piantoni, Giovanni; Van Der Werf, Ysbrand D; Jensen, Ole; Van Someren, Eus J W

2015-01-01

Cognition involves coordinated activity across distributed neuronal networks. Neuronal activity during learning triggers cortical plasticity that allows for reorganization of the neuronal network and integration of new information. Animal studies have shown post-learning reactivation of learning-elicited neuronal network activity during subsequent sleep, supporting consolidation of the reorganization. However, no previous studies, to our knowledge, have demonstrated reactivation of specific learning-elicited long-range functional connectivity during sleep in humans. We here show reactivation of learning-induced long-range synchronization of magnetoencephalography power fluctuations in human sleep. Visuomotor learning elicited a specific profile of long-range cortico-cortical synchronization of slow (0.1 Hz) fluctuations in beta band (12-30 Hz) power. The parieto-occipital part of this synchronization profile reappeared in delta band (1-3.5 Hz) power fluctuations during subsequent sleep, but not during the intervening wakefulness period. Individual differences in the reactivated synchronization predicted postsleep performance improvement. The presleep resting-state synchronization profile was not reactivated during sleep. The findings demonstrate reactivation of long-range coordination of neuronal activity in humans, more specifically of reactivation of coupling of infra-slow fluctuations in oscillatory power. The spatiotemporal profile of delta power fluctuations during sleep may subserve memory consolidation by echoing coordinated activation elicited by prior learning. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The short-lived signaling state of the photoactive yellow protein photoreceptor revealed by combined structural probes.

PubMed

Ramachandran, Pradeep L; Lovett, Janet E; Carl, Patrick J; Cammarata, Marco; Lee, Jae Hyuk; Jung, Yang Ouk; Ihee, Hyotcherl; Timmel, Christiane R; van Thor, Jasper J

2011-06-22

The signaling state of the photoactive yellow protein (PYP) photoreceptor is transiently developed via isomerization of its blue-light-absorbing chromophore. The associated structural rearrangements have large amplitude but, due to its transient nature and chemical exchange reactions that complicate NMR detection, its accurate three-dimensional structure in solution has been elusive. Here we report on direct structural observation of the transient signaling state by combining double electron electron resonance spectroscopy (DEER), NMR, and time-resolved pump-probe X-ray solution scattering (TR-SAXS/WAXS). Measurement of distance distributions for doubly spin-labeled photoreceptor constructs using DEER spectroscopy suggests that the signaling state is well ordered and shows that interspin-label distances change reversibly up to 19 Å upon illumination. The SAXS/WAXS difference signal for the signaling state relative to the ground state indicates the transient formation of an ordered and rearranged conformation, which has an increased radius of gyration, an increased maximum dimension, and a reduced excluded volume. Dynamical annealing calculations using the DEER derived long-range distance restraints in combination with short-range distance information from (1)H-(15)N HSQC perturbation spectroscopy give strong indication for a rearrangement that places part of the N-terminal domain in contact with the exposed chromophore binding cleft while the terminal residues extend away from the core. Time-resolved global structural information from pump-probe TR-SAXS/WAXS data supports this conformation and allows subsequent structural refinement that includes the combined energy terms from DEER, NMR, and SAXS/WAXS together. The resulting ensemble simultaneously satisfies all restraints, and the inclusion of TR-SAXS/WAXS effectively reduces the uncertainty arising from the possible spin-label orientations. The observations are essentially compatible with reduced folding of the I(2)' state (also referred to as the 'pB' state) that is widely reported, but indicates it to be relatively ordered and rearranged. Furthermore, there is direct evidence for the repositioning of the N-terminal region in the I(2)' state, which is structurally modeled by dynamical annealing and refinement calculations.

Quantifying Vegetation Structure with Lightweight, Rapid-Scanning Terrestrial Lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paynter, I.; Genest, D.; Saenz, E. J.; Strahler, A. H.; Li, Z.; Peri, F.; Schaaf, C.

2016-12-01

Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) is proving a competent technology for observing vegetation structure. Terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) are ground-based instruments which utilize hundreds of thousands to millions of lidar observations to provide detailed structural and reflective information of their surroundings. TLS has enjoyed initial success as a validation tool for satellite and airborne estimates of vegetation structure, and are producing independent estimates with increasing accuracy. Reconstruction techniques for TLS observations of vegetation have also improved rapidly, especially for trees. However, uncertainties and challenges still remain in TLS modelling of vegetation structure, especially in geometrically complex ecosystems such as tropical forests (where observation extent and density is hampered by occlusion) and highly temporally dynamic coastal ecosystems (such as saltmarshes and mangroves), where observations may be restricted to narrow microstates. Some of these uncertainties can be mitigated, and challenges met, through the use of lidar instruments optimized for favorable deployment logistics through low weight, rapid scanning, and improved durability. We have conducted studies of vegetation structure in temperate and tropical forests, saltmarshes and mangroves, utilizing a highly portable TLS with considerable deployment flexibility, the Compact Biomass Lidar (CBL). We show results from studies in the temperate Long Term Ecological Research site of Harvard Forest (MA, USA); the tropical forested long-term Carbono sites of La Selva Biological Station (Sarapiqui, Costa Rica); and the saltmarsh LTER of Plum Island (MA, USA). These results demonstrate the improvements to observations in these ecosystems which are facilitated by the specifications of the CBL (and similar TLS) which are optimized for favorable deployment logistics and flexibility. We show the benefits of increased numbers of scanning positions, and specialized deployment platforms to meet ecosystem challenges.

Precise Inference and Characterization of Structural Organization (PICASO) of tissue from molecular diffusion

PubMed Central

Ning, Lipeng; Özarslan, Evren; Westin, Carl-Fredrik; Rathi, Yogesh

2017-01-01

Inferring the microstructure of complex media from the diffusive motion of molecules is a challenging problem in diffusion physics. In this paper, we introduce a novel representation of diffusion MRI (dMRI) signal from tissue with spatially-varying diffusivity using a diffusion disturbance function. This disturbance function contains information about the (intra-voxel) spatial fluctuations in diffusivity due to restrictions, hindrances and tissue heterogeneity of the underlying tissue substrate. We derive the short- and long-range disturbance coefficients from this disturbance function to characterize the tissue structure and organization. Moreover, we provide an exact relation between the disturbance coefficients and the time-varying moments of the diffusion propagator, as well as their relation to specific tissue microstructural information such as the intra-axonal volume fraction and the apparent axon radius. The proposed approach is quite general and can model dMRI signal for any type of gradient sequence (rectangular, oscillating, etc.) without using the Gaussian phase approximation. The relevance of the proposed PICASO model is explored using Monte-Carlo simulations and in-vivo dMRI data. The results show that the estimated disturbance coefficients can distinguish different types of microstructural organization of axons. PMID:27751940

Precise Inference and Characterization of Structural Organization (PICASO) of tissue from molecular diffusion.

PubMed

Ning, Lipeng; Özarslan, Evren; Westin, Carl-Fredrik; Rathi, Yogesh

2017-02-01

Inferring the microstructure of complex media from the diffusive motion of molecules is a challenging problem in diffusion physics. In this paper, we introduce a novel representation of diffusion MRI (dMRI) signal from tissue with spatially-varying diffusivity using a diffusion disturbance function. This disturbance function contains information about the (intra-voxel) spatial fluctuations in diffusivity due to restrictions, hindrances and tissue heterogeneity of the underlying tissue substrate. We derive the short- and long-range disturbance coefficients from this disturbance function to characterize the tissue structure and organization. Moreover, we provide an exact relation between the disturbance coefficients and the time-varying moments of the diffusion propagator, as well as their relation to specific tissue microstructural information such as the intra-axonal volume fraction and the apparent axon radius. The proposed approach is quite general and can model dMRI signal for any type of gradient sequence (rectangular, oscillating, etc.) without using the Gaussian phase approximation. The relevance of the proposed PICASO model is explored using Monte-Carlo simulations and in-vivo dMRI data. The results show that the estimated disturbance coefficients can distinguish different types of microstructural organization of axons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bootstrap percolation on spatial networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Jian; Zhou, Tao; Hu, Yanqing

2015-10-01

Bootstrap percolation is a general representation of some networked activation process, which has found applications in explaining many important social phenomena, such as the propagation of information. Inspired by some recent findings on spatial structure of online social networks, here we study bootstrap percolation on undirected spatial networks, with the probability density function of long-range links’ lengths being a power law with tunable exponent. Setting the size of the giant active component as the order parameter, we find a parameter-dependent critical value for the power-law exponent, above which there is a double phase transition, mixed of a second-order phase transition and a hybrid phase transition with two varying critical points, otherwise there is only a second-order phase transition. We further find a parameter-independent critical value around -1, about which the two critical points for the double phase transition are almost constant. To our surprise, this critical value -1 is just equal or very close to the values of many real online social networks, including LiveJournal, HP Labs email network, Belgian mobile phone network, etc. This work helps us in better understanding the self-organization of spatial structure of online social networks, in terms of the effective function for information spreading.

Structure Formation in Salt-Free Solutions of Amphiphilic Sulfonated Polyelectrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bockstaller, Michael; Koehler, Werner

2000-03-01

Self-assembled systems have long attracted attention due to their practical importance in many technical and biological fields. Dodecyl-substituted poly(para-phenylen)sulfonates (abbreviated PPPS) are highly charged polyelectrolytes which in the uncharged state have been investigated extensively and an intrinsic persistence length of 15 nm has been reported. Due to their hydrophobic side chains, PPPS are compatible with water only as micellar aggregates and tend to form supramolecular structures even at concentrations as low as 10-5mol_mon.units/l. Because of the rodlike conformation of PPPS, this self-assembly leads to aggregates of anisotropic shape. Therefore, depolarized light scattering was employed to yield complementary information about structure and dynamics of these complex fluids. Aqueous solutions of PPPS at room temperature undergo a structural transition at a critical concentration of c_crit.=0.016 g/l. This transition is characterized by a strong increase of scattered intensity in forward direction and dynamic depolarized scattering. Above c_crit. the cylindrical micelles (L=310 nm, d=3.1 nm, N_radial=12) self assembly into large ellipsoidal clusters of size in the μ m range. Due to the strong increase of depolarized scattered intensity there has to be a preferential orientation of the micelles inside those clusters, which thus represent a lyotropic mesophase. By combining static and dynamic light scattering for the low q-range as well as small angle x-ray scattering for the higher q-range it is possible to determine size and shape of each aggregation step. Decreasing the molecular weight of the PPPS has profound influence on the micellar length and hence on c_crit. which is close to the overlap concentration (c ~ 1/L^3) allowing for the observation of the polyelectrolyte effect.

Structure and Dynamics of Interacting Nanoparticles in Semidilute Polymer Solutions

DOE PAGES

Pollng-Skutvik, Ryan; Mongcopa, Katrina Irene S.; Faraone, Antonio; ...

2016-08-17

We investigate the structure and dynamics of silica nanoparticles and polymer chains in semidilute solutions of high molecular weight polystyrene in 2-butanone to determine the effect of long-range interparticle interactions on the coupling between particle and polymer dynamics. Particles at concentrations of 1–10 wt % are well dispersed in the semidilute polymer solutions and exhibit long-range electrostatic repulsions between particles. Because the particles are comparably sized to the radius of gyration of the polymer, the particle dynamics is predicted to couple to that of the polymer. We verify that the polymer structure and dynamics are not significantly affected by themore » particles, indicating that the particle–polymer coupling does not change with increasing particle loading. We find that the coupling between the dynamics of comparably sized particles and polymer results in subdiffusive particle dynamics, as expected. Over the interparticle distance, however, the particle dynamics is hindered and not fully described by the relaxation of the surrounding polymer chains. Instead, the particle dynamics is inversely related to the structure factor, suggesting that physical particle–polymer coupling on short length scales and interparticle interactions on long length scales both present energetic barriers to particle motion that lead to subdiffusive dynamics and de Gennes narrowing, respectively.« less

Model Analyses and Guidance

Science.gov Websites

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Mismatch in cation size causes rapid anion dynamics in solid electrolytes: the role of the Arrhenius pre-factor.

PubMed

Breuer, Stefan; Wilkening, Martin

2018-03-28

Crystalline ion conductors exhibiting fast ion dynamics are of utmost importance for the development of, e.g., sensors or rechargeable batteries. In some layer-structured or nanostructured compounds fluorine ions participate in remarkably fast self-diffusion processes. As has been shown earlier, F ion dynamics in nanocrystalline, defect-rich BaF 2 is much higher than that in the coarse-grained counterpart BaF 2 . The thermally metastable fluoride (Ba,Ca)F 2 , which can be prepared by joint high-energy ball milling of the binary fluorides, exhibits even better ion transport properties. While long-range ion dynamics has been studied recently, less information is known about local ion hopping processes to which 19 F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spin-lattice relaxation is sensitive. The present paper aims at understanding ion dynamics in metastable, nanocrystalline (Ba,Ca)F 2 by correlating short-range ion hopping with long-range transport properties. Variable-temperature NMR line shapes clearly indicate fast and slow F spin reservoirs. Surprisingly, from an atomic-scale point of view increased ion dynamics at intermediate values of composition is reflected by increased absolute spin-lattice relaxation rates rather than by a distinct minimum in activation energy. Hence, the pre-factor of the underlying Arrhenius relation, which is determined by the number of mobile spins, the attempt frequency and entropy effects, is identified as the parameter that directly enhances short-range ion dynamics in metastable (Ba,Ca)F 2 . Concerted ion migration could also play an important role to explain the anomalies seen in NMR spin-lattice relaxation.

Chunk formation in immediate memory and how it relates to data compression.

PubMed

Chekaf, Mustapha; Cowan, Nelson; Mathy, Fabien

2016-10-01

This paper attempts to evaluate the capacity of immediate memory to cope with new situations in relation to the compressibility of information likely to allow the formation of chunks. We constructed a task in which untrained participants had to immediately recall sequences of stimuli with possible associations between them. Compressibility of information was used to measure the chunkability of each sequence on a single trial. Compressibility refers to the recoding of information in a more compact representation. Although compressibility has almost exclusively been used to study long-term memory, our theory suggests that a compression process relying on redundancies within the structure of the list materials can occur very rapidly in immediate memory. The results indicated a span of about three items when the list had no structure, but increased linearly as structure was added. The amount of information retained in immediate memory was maximal for the most compressible sequences, particularly when information was ordered in a way that facilitated the compression process. We discuss the role of immediate memory in the rapid formation of chunks made up of new associations that did not already exist in long-term memory, and we conclude that immediate memory is the starting place for the reorganization of information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Guiding the folding pathway of DNA origami

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunn, Katherine E.; Dannenberg, Frits; Ouldridge, Thomas E.; Kwiatkowska, Marta; Turberfield, Andrew J.; Bath, Jonathan

2015-09-01

DNA origami is a robust assembly technique that folds a single-stranded DNA template into a target structure by annealing it with hundreds of short `staple' strands. Its guiding design principle is that the target structure is the single most stable configuration. The folding transition is cooperative and, as in the case of proteins, is governed by information encoded in the polymer sequence. A typical origami folds primarily into the desired shape, but misfolded structures can kinetically trap the system and reduce the yield. Although adjusting assembly conditions or following empirical design rules can improve yield, well-folded origami often need to be separated from misfolded structures. The problem could in principle be avoided if assembly pathway and kinetics were fully understood and then rationally optimized. To this end, here we present a DNA origami system with the unusual property of being able to form a small set of distinguishable and well-folded shapes that represent discrete and approximately degenerate energy minima in a vast folding landscape, thus allowing us to probe the assembly process. The obtained high yield of well-folded origami structures confirms the existence of efficient folding pathways, while the shape distribution provides information about individual trajectories through the folding landscape. We find that, similarly to protein folding, the assembly of DNA origami is highly cooperative; that reversible bond formation is important in recovering from transient misfoldings; and that the early formation of long-range connections can very effectively enforce particular folds. We use these insights to inform the design of the system so as to steer assembly towards desired structures. Expanding the rational design process to include the assembly pathway should thus enable more reproducible synthesis, particularly when targeting more complex structures. We anticipate that this expansion will be essential if DNA origami is to continue its rapid development and become a reliable manufacturing technology.

Guiding the folding pathway of DNA origami.

PubMed

Dunn, Katherine E; Dannenberg, Frits; Ouldridge, Thomas E; Kwiatkowska, Marta; Turberfield, Andrew J; Bath, Jonathan

2015-09-03

DNA origami is a robust assembly technique that folds a single-stranded DNA template into a target structure by annealing it with hundreds of short 'staple' strands. Its guiding design principle is that the target structure is the single most stable configuration. The folding transition is cooperative and, as in the case of proteins, is governed by information encoded in the polymer sequence. A typical origami folds primarily into the desired shape, but misfolded structures can kinetically trap the system and reduce the yield. Although adjusting assembly conditions or following empirical design rules can improve yield, well-folded origami often need to be separated from misfolded structures. The problem could in principle be avoided if assembly pathway and kinetics were fully understood and then rationally optimized. To this end, here we present a DNA origami system with the unusual property of being able to form a small set of distinguishable and well-folded shapes that represent discrete and approximately degenerate energy minima in a vast folding landscape, thus allowing us to probe the assembly process. The obtained high yield of well-folded origami structures confirms the existence of efficient folding pathways, while the shape distribution provides information about individual trajectories through the folding landscape. We find that, similarly to protein folding, the assembly of DNA origami is highly cooperative; that reversible bond formation is important in recovering from transient misfoldings; and that the early formation of long-range connections can very effectively enforce particular folds. We use these insights to inform the design of the system so as to steer assembly towards desired structures. Expanding the rational design process to include the assembly pathway should thus enable more reproducible synthesis, particularly when targeting more complex structures. We anticipate that this expansion will be essential if DNA origami is to continue its rapid development and become a reliable manufacturing technology.

Temporal and geographic patterns of kinship structure in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) suggest site fidelity and female-biased long-distance dispersal.

PubMed

Ball, Laura; Shreves, Kypher; Pilot, Małgorzata; Moura, André E

2017-01-01

Social structure plays a crucial role in determining a species' dispersal patterns and genetic structure. Cetaceans show a diversity of social and mating systems, but their effects on dispersal and genetic structure are not well known, in part because of technical difficulties in obtaining robust observational data. Here, we combine genetic profiling and GIS analysis to identify patterns of kin distribution over time and space, to infer mating structure and dispersal patterns in short-beaked common dolphins ( Delphinus delphis ). This species is highly social, and exhibits weak spatial genetic structure in the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, thought to result from fluid social structure and low levels of site fidelity. We found that although sampled groups were not composed of closely related individuals, close kin were frequently found in the same geographic location over several years. Our results suggest that common dolphin exhibits some level of site fidelity, which could be explained by foraging for temporally varying prey resource in areas familiar to individuals. Dispersal from natal area likely involves long-distance movements of females, as males are found more frequently than females in the same locations as their close kin. Long-distance dispersal may explain the near panmixia observed in this species. By analysing individuals sampled in the same geographic location over multiple years, we avoid caveats associated with divergence-based methods of inferring sex-biased dispersal. We thus provide a unique perspective on this species' social structure and dispersal behaviour, and how it relates to the observed low levels of population genetic structure in European waters. Movement patterns and social interactions are aspects of wild animal's behaviour important for understanding their ecology. However, tracking these behaviours directly can be very challenging in wide-ranging species such as whales and dolphins. In this study, we used genetic information to detect how patterns of kin associations change in space and time, to infer aspects of movement and social structure. We identified previously unknown site fidelity, and suggested that dispersal usually involves females, travelling long distances from the natal area. Our data analysis strategy overcomes known limitations of previously used genetic inference methods, and provides a new approach to identify differences in dispersal between the sexes, which contribute to better understanding of the species' behaviour and ecology. In this case, we suggest that females are more likely to disperse than males, a pattern unusual amongst mammals.

SSC San Diego Strategic Plan. Revision 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-05-01

information dominance . This Strategic Plan is SSC San Diego’s blueprint to meet that challenge. The plan is both a vehicle for carrying us into the...provider of integrated C4ISR solutions for warrior information dominance is our enduring goal. Our plan specifies five long-range strategic objectives. SSC

SSC San Diego Strategic Plan. Revision 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-04-01

information dominance . This Strategic Plan is SSC San Diego’s blueprint to meet that challenge. The plan is both a vehicle for carrying us into the...provider of integrated C4ISR solutions for warrior information dominance - is our enduring goal. Our plan specifies five long-range strategic

Management Information System Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foley, Walter J.; Harr, Gordon G.

The Management Information System (MIS) described in this report represents a plan to utilize modern management techniques to facilitate the goal of a learner-responsive school system. The MIS component is being developed to meet the need for the coordination of the resources of staff, facilities, and time with the long range planning and…

For Every Dollar Invested...The Economic Impact of Public Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, Washington, DC.

This publication summarizes information provided during 1995 and early 1996 in an informal survey of state and land-grant universities concerning the direct and long-range economic impacts of public universities on their immediate communities. Items considered under direct impact include: expenditures by the universities on supplies, materials,…

Mission and Assets Database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baldwin, John; Zendejas, Silvino; Gutheinz, Sandy; Borden, Chester; Wang, Yeou-Fang

2009-01-01

Mission and Assets Database (MADB) Version 1.0 is an SQL database system with a Web user interface to centralize information. The database stores flight project support resource requirements, view periods, antenna information, schedule, and forecast results for use in mid-range and long-term planning of Deep Space Network (DSN) assets.

Amorphous photonic crystals with only short-range order.

PubMed

Shi, Lei; Zhang, Yafeng; Dong, Biqin; Zhan, Tianrong; Liu, Xiaohan; Zi, Jian

2013-10-04

Distinct from conventional photonic crystals with both short- and long-range order, amorphous photonic crystals that possess only short-range order show interesting optical responses owing to their unique structural features. Amorphous photonic crystals exhibit unique light scattering and transport, which lead to a variety of interesting phenomena such as isotropic photonic bandgaps or pseudogaps, noniridescent structural colors, and light localization. Recent experimental and theoretical advances in the study of amorphous photonic crystals are summarized, focusing on their unique optical properties, artificial fabrication, bionspiration, and potential applications. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Cognitive Dimensions of Information Structures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, T. R. G.

1994-01-01

Describes a set of terms (viscosity, hidden dependencies, imposes guess-ahead, abstraction level, and secondary notation) intended as a set of discussion tools for nonspecialists to converse about the structural features of a range of information artifacts. Explains the terms using spreadsheets as an example. (SR)

Ferroelectrics under the Synchrotron Light: A Review

PubMed Central

Fuentes-Cobas, Luis E.; Montero-Cabrera, María E.; Pardo, Lorena; Fuentes-Montero, Luis

2015-01-01

Currently, an intensive search for high-performance lead-free ferroelectric materials is taking place. ABO3 perovskites (A = Ba, Bi, Ca, K and Na; B = Fe, Nb, Ti, and Zr) appear as promising candidates. Understanding the structure–function relationship is mandatory, and, in this field, the roles of long- and short-range crystal orders and interactions are decisive. In this review, recent advances in the global and local characterization of ferroelectric materials by synchrotron light diffraction, scattering and absorption are analyzed. Single- and poly-crystal synchrotron diffraction studies allow high-resolution investigations regarding the long-range average position of ions and subtle global symmetry break-downs. Ferroelectric materials, under the action of electric fields, undergo crystal symmetry, crystallite/domain orientation distribution and strain condition transformations. Methodological aspects of monitoring these processes are discussed. Two-dimensional diffraction clarify larger scale ordering: polycrystal texture is measured from the intensities distribution along the Debye rings. Local order is investigated by diffuse scattering (DS) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) experiments. DS provides information about thermal, chemical and displacive low-dimensional disorders. XAFS investigation of ferroelectrics reveals local B-cation off-centering and oxidation state. This technique has the advantage of being element-selective. Representative reports of the mentioned studies are described. PMID:28787814

Performance improvement of long-range surface plasmon structure for use in an all-optical switch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jandaghian, Ali; Lotfalian, Ali; Kouhkan, Mohsen; Mohajerani, Ezeddin

2017-12-01

This paper presents important parameters in performance of long-range surface plasmon (LRSP) structure (SF4/PVA/silver/PMMA-DR1) that are improved. We select poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as the first dielectric layer due to its water solubility and good optical properties. The thickness of PVA and silver layers is optimized by transfer matrix method based on Fresnel equations. Surface morphologies of PVA and silver surfaces are analyzed by AFM imaging due to their important role in the performance of an LRSP structure. Furthermore, the sensitivity of an all-optical switch based on plasmon is investigated. In order to compare the sensitivity of LRSP and conventional surface plasmon (SP) structures in switching mode, full wide of half maximum, resonance angles, and pump powers of both structures are measured by a custom-made optical setup based on angular interrogation with a precision of 0.01 deg. Finally, we conclude that for creating equal signal levels in both samples, the required pump power for LRSP structure was about three times less than that for conventional SP; thus, these results led to power savings in optical switches.

Long range surface plasmons on asymmetric suspended thin film structures for biosensing applications.

PubMed

Min, Qiao; Chen, Chengkun; Berini, Pierre; Gordon, Reuven

2010-08-30

We show that long-range surface plasmons (LRSPs) are supported in a physically asymmetric thin film structure, consisting of a low refractive index medium on a metal slab, supported by a high refractive index dielectric layer (membrane) over air, as a suspended waveguide. For design purposes, an analytic formulation is derived in 1D yielding a transcendental equation that ensures symmetry of the transverse fields of the LRSP within the metal slab by constraining its thicknesses and that of the membrane. Results from the formulation are in quantitative agreement with transfer matrix calculations for a candidate slab waveguide consisting of an H(2)O-Au-SiO(2)-air structure. Biosensor-relevant figures of merit are compared for the asymmetric and symmetric structures, and it is found that the asymmetric structure actually improves performance, despite higher losses. The finite difference method is also used to analyse metal stripes providing 2D confinement on the structure, and additional constraints for non-radiative LRSP guiding thereon are discussed. These results are promising for sensors that operate with an aqueous solution that would otherwise require a low refractive index-matched substrate for the LRSP.

Structure and magnetism in Co/X, Fe/Si, and Fe/(FeSi) multilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franklin, Michael Ray

Previous studies have shown that magnetic behavior in multilayers formed by repeating a bilayer unit comprised of a ferromagnetic layer and a non-magnetic spacer layer can be affected by small structural differences. For example, a macroscopic property such as giant magnetoresistance (GMR) is believed to depend significantly upon interfacial roughness. In this study, several complimentary structural probes were used to carefully characterize the structure of several sputtered multilayer systems-Co/Ag, Co/Cu, Co/Mo, Fe/Si, and Fe//[FeSi/]. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies were used to examine the long-range structural order of the multilayers perpendicular to the plane of the layers. Transmission electron diffraction (TED) studies were used to probe the long-range order parallel to the layer plane. X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) studies were used to determine the average local structural environment of the ferromagnetic atoms. For the Co/X systems, a simple correlation between crystal structure and saturation magnetization is discovered for the Co/Mo system. For the Fe/X systems, direct evidence of an Fe-silicide is found for the /[FeSi/] spacer layer but not for the Si spacer layer. Additionally, differences were observed in the magnetic behavior between the Fe in the nominally pure Fe layer and the Fe contained in the /[FeSi/] spacer layers.

Dark matter and the equivalence principle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frieman, Joshua A.; Gradwohl, Ben-Ami

1991-01-01

If the dark matter in galaxies and clusters is nonbaryonic, it can interact with additional long-range fields that are invisible to experimental tests of the equivalence principle. The astrophysical and cosmological implications of a long-range force coupled only to the dark matter are discussed and rather tight constraints on its strength are found. If the force is repulsive (attractive), the masses of galaxy groups and clusters (and the mean density of the universe inferred from them) have been systematically underestimated (overestimated). Such an interaction also has unusual implications for the growth of large-scale structure.

Bone geometry, structure and mineral distribution using Dual energy X ray Absorptiometry (DXA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whalen, Robert; Cleek, Tammy

1993-01-01

Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is currently the most widely used method of analyzing regional and whole body changes in bone mineral content (BMC) and areal (g/sq cm) bone mineral density (BMD). However, BMC and BMD do not provide direct measures of long bone geometry, structure, or strength nor do regional measurements detect localized changes in other regions of the same bone. The capabilities of DXA can be enhanced significantly by special processing of pixel BMC data which yields cross-sectional geometric and structural information. We have extended this method of analysis in order to develop non-uniform structural beam models of long bones.

Multipartite Entanglement in Topological Quantum Phases.

PubMed

Pezzè, Luca; Gabbrielli, Marco; Lepori, Luca; Smerzi, Augusto

2017-12-22

We witness multipartite entanglement in the ground state of the Kitaev chain-a benchmark model of a one dimensional topological superconductor-also with variable-range pairing, using the quantum Fisher information. Phases having a finite winding number, for both short- and long-range pairing, are characterized by a power-law diverging finite-size scaling of multipartite entanglement. Moreover, the occurring quantum phase transitions are sharply marked by the divergence of the derivative of the quantum Fisher information, even in the absence of a closing energy gap.

Revisiting long-range dependence in annual precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iliopoulou, Theano; Papalexiou, Simon Michael; Markonis, Yannis; Koutsoyiannis, Demetris

2018-01-01

Long-range dependence (LRD), the so-called Hurst-Kolmogorov behaviour, is considered to be an intrinsic characteristic of most natural processes. This behaviour manifests itself by the prevalence of slowly decaying autocorrelation function and questions the Markov assumption, often habitually employed in time series analysis. Herein, we investigate the dependence structure of annual rainfall using a large set, comprising more than a thousand stations worldwide of length 100 years or more, as well as a smaller number of paleoclimatic reconstructions covering the last 12,000 years. Our findings suggest weak long-term persistence for instrumental data (average H = 0.59), which becomes stronger with scale, i.e. in the paleoclimatic reconstructions (average H = 0.75).

Multifractal analysis of information processing in hippocampal neural ensembles during working memory under Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol administration

PubMed Central

Fetterhoff, Dustin; Opris, Ioan; Simpson, Sean L.; Deadwyler, Sam A.; Hampson, Robert E.; Kraft, Robert A.

2014-01-01

Background Multifractal analysis quantifies the time-scale-invariant properties in data by describing the structure of variability over time. By applying this analysis to hippocampal interspike interval sequences recorded during performance of a working memory task, a measure of long-range temporal correlations and multifractal dynamics can reveal single neuron correlates of information processing. New method Wavelet leaders-based multifractal analysis (WLMA) was applied to hippocampal interspike intervals recorded during a working memory task. WLMA can be used to identify neurons likely to exhibit information processing relevant to operation of brain–computer interfaces and nonlinear neuronal models. Results Neurons involved in memory processing (“Functional Cell Types” or FCTs) showed a greater degree of multifractal firing properties than neurons without task-relevant firing characteristics. In addition, previously unidentified FCTs were revealed because multifractal analysis suggested further functional classification. The cannabinoid-type 1 receptor partial agonist, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), selectively reduced multifractal dynamics in FCT neurons compared to non-FCT neurons. Comparison with existing methods WLMA is an objective tool for quantifying the memory-correlated complexity represented by FCTs that reveals additional information compared to classification of FCTs using traditional z-scores to identify neuronal correlates of behavioral events. Conclusion z-Score-based FCT classification provides limited information about the dynamical range of neuronal activity characterized by WLMA. Increased complexity, as measured with multifractal analysis, may be a marker of functional involvement in memory processing. The level of multifractal attributes can be used to differentially emphasize neural signals to improve computational models and algorithms underlying brain–computer interfaces. PMID:25086297

Fetal functional imaging portrays heterogeneous development of emerging human brain networks

PubMed Central

Jakab, András; Schwartz, Ernst; Kasprian, Gregor; Gruber, Gerlinde M.; Prayer, Daniela; Schöpf, Veronika; Langs, Georg

2014-01-01

The functional connectivity architecture of the adult human brain enables complex cognitive processes, and exhibits a remarkably complex structure shared across individuals. We are only beginning to understand its heterogeneous structure, ranging from a strongly hierarchical organization in sensorimotor areas to widely distributed networks in areas such as the parieto-frontal cortex. Our study relied on the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 32 fetuses with no detectable morphological abnormalities. After adapting functional magnetic resonance acquisition, motion correction, and nuisance signal reduction procedures of resting-state functional data analysis to fetuses, we extracted neural activity information for major cortical and subcortical structures. Resting fMRI networks were observed for increasing regional functional connectivity from 21st to 38th gestational weeks (GWs) with a network-based statistical inference approach. The overall connectivity network, short range, and interhemispheric connections showed sigmoid expansion curve peaking at the 26–29 GW. In contrast, long-range connections exhibited linear increase with no periods of peaking development. Region-specific increase of functional signal synchrony followed a sequence of occipital (peak: 24.8 GW), temporal (peak: 26 GW), frontal (peak: 26.4 GW), and parietal expansion (peak: 27.5 GW). We successfully adapted functional neuroimaging and image post-processing approaches to correlate macroscopical scale activations in the fetal brain with gestational age. This in vivo study reflects the fact that the mid-fetal period hosts events that cause the architecture of the brain circuitry to mature, which presumably manifests in increasing strength of intra- and interhemispheric functional macro connectivity. PMID:25374531

Fetal functional imaging portrays heterogeneous development of emerging human brain networks.

PubMed

Jakab, András; Schwartz, Ernst; Kasprian, Gregor; Gruber, Gerlinde M; Prayer, Daniela; Schöpf, Veronika; Langs, Georg

2014-01-01

The functional connectivity architecture of the adult human brain enables complex cognitive processes, and exhibits a remarkably complex structure shared across individuals. We are only beginning to understand its heterogeneous structure, ranging from a strongly hierarchical organization in sensorimotor areas to widely distributed networks in areas such as the parieto-frontal cortex. Our study relied on the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 32 fetuses with no detectable morphological abnormalities. After adapting functional magnetic resonance acquisition, motion correction, and nuisance signal reduction procedures of resting-state functional data analysis to fetuses, we extracted neural activity information for major cortical and subcortical structures. Resting fMRI networks were observed for increasing regional functional connectivity from 21st to 38th gestational weeks (GWs) with a network-based statistical inference approach. The overall connectivity network, short range, and interhemispheric connections showed sigmoid expansion curve peaking at the 26-29 GW. In contrast, long-range connections exhibited linear increase with no periods of peaking development. Region-specific increase of functional signal synchrony followed a sequence of occipital (peak: 24.8 GW), temporal (peak: 26 GW), frontal (peak: 26.4 GW), and parietal expansion (peak: 27.5 GW). We successfully adapted functional neuroimaging and image post-processing approaches to correlate macroscopical scale activations in the fetal brain with gestational age. This in vivo study reflects the fact that the mid-fetal period hosts events that cause the architecture of the brain circuitry to mature, which presumably manifests in increasing strength of intra- and interhemispheric functional macro connectivity.

Accurate De Novo Prediction of Protein Contact Map by Ultra-Deep Learning Model.

PubMed

Wang, Sheng; Sun, Siqi; Li, Zhen; Zhang, Renyu; Xu, Jinbo

2017-01-01

Protein contacts contain key information for the understanding of protein structure and function and thus, contact prediction from sequence is an important problem. Recently exciting progress has been made on this problem, but the predicted contacts for proteins without many sequence homologs is still of low quality and not very useful for de novo structure prediction. This paper presents a new deep learning method that predicts contacts by integrating both evolutionary coupling (EC) and sequence conservation information through an ultra-deep neural network formed by two deep residual neural networks. The first residual network conducts a series of 1-dimensional convolutional transformation of sequential features; the second residual network conducts a series of 2-dimensional convolutional transformation of pairwise information including output of the first residual network, EC information and pairwise potential. By using very deep residual networks, we can accurately model contact occurrence patterns and complex sequence-structure relationship and thus, obtain higher-quality contact prediction regardless of how many sequence homologs are available for proteins in question. Our method greatly outperforms existing methods and leads to much more accurate contact-assisted folding. Tested on 105 CASP11 targets, 76 past CAMEO hard targets, and 398 membrane proteins, the average top L long-range prediction accuracy obtained by our method, one representative EC method CCMpred and the CASP11 winner MetaPSICOV is 0.47, 0.21 and 0.30, respectively; the average top L/10 long-range accuracy of our method, CCMpred and MetaPSICOV is 0.77, 0.47 and 0.59, respectively. Ab initio folding using our predicted contacts as restraints but without any force fields can yield correct folds (i.e., TMscore>0.6) for 203 of the 579 test proteins, while that using MetaPSICOV- and CCMpred-predicted contacts can do so for only 79 and 62 of them, respectively. Our contact-assisted models also have much better quality than template-based models especially for membrane proteins. The 3D models built from our contact prediction have TMscore>0.5 for 208 of the 398 membrane proteins, while those from homology modeling have TMscore>0.5 for only 10 of them. Further, even if trained mostly by soluble proteins, our deep learning method works very well on membrane proteins. In the recent blind CAMEO benchmark, our fully-automated web server implementing this method successfully folded 6 targets with a new fold and only 0.3L-2.3L effective sequence homologs, including one β protein of 182 residues, one α+β protein of 125 residues, one α protein of 140 residues, one α protein of 217 residues, one α/β of 260 residues and one α protein of 462 residues. Our method also achieved the highest F1 score on free-modeling targets in the latest CASP (Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction), although it was not fully implemented back then. http://raptorx.uchicago.edu/ContactMap/.

Accurate De Novo Prediction of Protein Contact Map by Ultra-Deep Learning Model

PubMed Central

Li, Zhen; Zhang, Renyu

2017-01-01

Motivation Protein contacts contain key information for the understanding of protein structure and function and thus, contact prediction from sequence is an important problem. Recently exciting progress has been made on this problem, but the predicted contacts for proteins without many sequence homologs is still of low quality and not very useful for de novo structure prediction. Method This paper presents a new deep learning method that predicts contacts by integrating both evolutionary coupling (EC) and sequence conservation information through an ultra-deep neural network formed by two deep residual neural networks. The first residual network conducts a series of 1-dimensional convolutional transformation of sequential features; the second residual network conducts a series of 2-dimensional convolutional transformation of pairwise information including output of the first residual network, EC information and pairwise potential. By using very deep residual networks, we can accurately model contact occurrence patterns and complex sequence-structure relationship and thus, obtain higher-quality contact prediction regardless of how many sequence homologs are available for proteins in question. Results Our method greatly outperforms existing methods and leads to much more accurate contact-assisted folding. Tested on 105 CASP11 targets, 76 past CAMEO hard targets, and 398 membrane proteins, the average top L long-range prediction accuracy obtained by our method, one representative EC method CCMpred and the CASP11 winner MetaPSICOV is 0.47, 0.21 and 0.30, respectively; the average top L/10 long-range accuracy of our method, CCMpred and MetaPSICOV is 0.77, 0.47 and 0.59, respectively. Ab initio folding using our predicted contacts as restraints but without any force fields can yield correct folds (i.e., TMscore>0.6) for 203 of the 579 test proteins, while that using MetaPSICOV- and CCMpred-predicted contacts can do so for only 79 and 62 of them, respectively. Our contact-assisted models also have much better quality than template-based models especially for membrane proteins. The 3D models built from our contact prediction have TMscore>0.5 for 208 of the 398 membrane proteins, while those from homology modeling have TMscore>0.5 for only 10 of them. Further, even if trained mostly by soluble proteins, our deep learning method works very well on membrane proteins. In the recent blind CAMEO benchmark, our fully-automated web server implementing this method successfully folded 6 targets with a new fold and only 0.3L-2.3L effective sequence homologs, including one β protein of 182 residues, one α+β protein of 125 residues, one α protein of 140 residues, one α protein of 217 residues, one α/β of 260 residues and one α protein of 462 residues. Our method also achieved the highest F1 score on free-modeling targets in the latest CASP (Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction), although it was not fully implemented back then. Availability http://raptorx.uchicago.edu/ContactMap/ PMID:28056090

SMOG 2: A Versatile Software Package for Generating Structure-Based Models.

PubMed

Noel, Jeffrey K; Levi, Mariana; Raghunathan, Mohit; Lammert, Heiko; Hayes, Ryan L; Onuchic, José N; Whitford, Paul C

2016-03-01

Molecular dynamics simulations with coarse-grained or simplified Hamiltonians have proven to be an effective means of capturing the functionally important long-time and large-length scale motions of proteins and RNAs. Originally developed in the context of protein folding, structure-based models (SBMs) have since been extended to probe a diverse range of biomolecular processes, spanning from protein and RNA folding to functional transitions in molecular machines. The hallmark feature of a structure-based model is that part, or all, of the potential energy function is defined by a known structure. Within this general class of models, there exist many possible variations in resolution and energetic composition. SMOG 2 is a downloadable software package that reads user-designated structural information and user-defined energy definitions, in order to produce the files necessary to use SBMs with high performance molecular dynamics packages: GROMACS and NAMD. SMOG 2 is bundled with XML-formatted template files that define commonly used SBMs, and it can process template files that are altered according to the needs of each user. This computational infrastructure also allows for experimental or bioinformatics-derived restraints or novel structural features to be included, e.g. novel ligands, prosthetic groups and post-translational/transcriptional modifications. The code and user guide can be downloaded at http://smog-server.org/smog2.

Structure of 1-butylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid: quantum chemistry and molecular dynamic simulation studies.

PubMed

Sun, Hui; Qiao, Baofu; Zhang, Dongju; Liu, Chengbu

2010-03-25

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with molecular dynamic (MD) simulations have been performed to show in detail the structure characteristic of 1-butylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate ([BPy(+)][BF(4)(-)]), a representative of pyridinium-based ionic liquids (ILs). It is found that the relative stability for ion pair configurations is synergically determined by the electrostatic attractions and the H-bond interactions between the ions of opposite charge. [BPy(+)][BF(4)(-)] IL possesses strong long-range ordered structure with cations and anions alternately arranging. The spatial distributions of anions and cations around the given cations are clearly shown, and T-shaped orientation is indicated to play a key role in the interaction between two pyridine rings. DFT calculations and MD simulations uniformly suggest that the H-bonds of the fluorine atoms with the hydrogen atoms on the pyridine rings are stronger than those of the fluorine atoms with the butyl chain hydrogens. The present results can offer useful information for understanding the physicochemical properties of [BPy(+)][BF(4)(-)] IL and further designing new pyridinium-based ILs.

Toward a new history and geography of human genes informed by ancient DNA

PubMed Central

Pickrell, Joseph K.; Reich, David

2014-01-01

Genetic information contains a record of the history of our species, and technological advances have transformed our ability to access this record. Many studies have used genome-wide data from populations today to learn about the peopling of the globe and subsequent adaptation to local conditions. Implicit in this research is the assumption that the geographic locations of people today are informative about the geographic locations of their ancestors in the distant past. However, it is now clear that long-range migration, admixture and population replacement subsequent to the initial out-of-Africa expansion have altered the genetic structure of most of the world’s human populations. In light of this, we argue that it is time to critically re-evaluate current models of the peopling of the globe, as well as the importance of natural selection in determining the geographic distribution of phenotypes. We specifically highlight the transformative potential of ancient DNA. By accessing the genetic make-up of populations living at archaeologically-known times and places, ancient DNA makes it possible to directly track migrations and responses to natural selection. PMID:25168683

Top-Down Control of Visual Attention by the Prefrontal Cortex. Functional Specialization and Long-Range Interactions

PubMed Central

Paneri, Sofia; Gregoriou, Georgia G.

2017-01-01

The ability to select information that is relevant to current behavioral goals is the hallmark of voluntary attention and an essential part of our cognition. Attention tasks are a prime example to study at the neuronal level, how task related information can be selectively processed in the brain while irrelevant information is filtered out. Whereas, numerous studies have focused on elucidating the mechanisms of visual attention at the single neuron and population level in the visual cortices, considerably less work has been devoted to deciphering the distinct contribution of higher-order brain areas, which are known to be critical for the employment of attention. Among these areas, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has long been considered a source of top-down signals that bias selection in early visual areas in favor of the attended features. Here, we review recent experimental data that support the role of PFC in attention. We examine the existing evidence for functional specialization within PFC and we discuss how long-range interactions between PFC subregions and posterior visual areas may be implemented in the brain and contribute to the attentional modulation of different measures of neural activity in visual cortices. PMID:29033784

Top-Down Control of Visual Attention by the Prefrontal Cortex. Functional Specialization and Long-Range Interactions.

PubMed

Paneri, Sofia; Gregoriou, Georgia G

2017-01-01

The ability to select information that is relevant to current behavioral goals is the hallmark of voluntary attention and an essential part of our cognition. Attention tasks are a prime example to study at the neuronal level, how task related information can be selectively processed in the brain while irrelevant information is filtered out. Whereas, numerous studies have focused on elucidating the mechanisms of visual attention at the single neuron and population level in the visual cortices, considerably less work has been devoted to deciphering the distinct contribution of higher-order brain areas, which are known to be critical for the employment of attention. Among these areas, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has long been considered a source of top-down signals that bias selection in early visual areas in favor of the attended features. Here, we review recent experimental data that support the role of PFC in attention. We examine the existing evidence for functional specialization within PFC and we discuss how long-range interactions between PFC subregions and posterior visual areas may be implemented in the brain and contribute to the attentional modulation of different measures of neural activity in visual cortices.

Long-wavelength optical coherence tomography at 1.7 µm for enhanced imaging depth

PubMed Central

Sharma, Utkarsh; Chang, Ernest W.; Yun, Seok H.

2009-01-01

Multiple scattering in a sample presents a significant limitation to achieve meaningful structural information at deeper penetration depths in optical coherence tomography (OCT). Previous studies suggest that the spectral region around 1.7 µm may exhibit reduced scattering coefficients in biological tissues compared to the widely used wavelengths around 1.3 µm. To investigate this long-wavelength region, we developed a wavelength-swept laser at 1.7 µm wavelength and conducted OCT or optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) for the first time in this spectral range. The constructed laser is capable of providing a wide tuning range from 1.59 to 1.75 µm over 160 nm. When the laser was operated with a reduced tuning range over 95 nm at a repetition rate of 10.9 kHz and an average output power of 12.3 mW, the OFDI imaging system exhibited a sensitivity of about 100 dB and axial and lateral resolution of 24 µm and 14 µm, respectively. We imaged several phantom and biological samples using 1.3 µm and 1.7 µm OFDI systems and found that the depth-dependent signal decay rate is substantially lower at 1.7 µm wavelength in most, if not all samples. Our results suggest that this imaging window may offer an advantage over shorter wavelengths by increasing the penetration depths as well as enhancing image contrast at deeper penetration depths where otherwise multiple scattered photons dominate over ballistic photons. PMID:19030057

Statistical properties of solar Hα flare activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Linhua; Zhang, Xiaojuan; An, Jianmei; Cai, Yunfang

2017-12-01

Magnetic field structures on the solar atmosphere are not symmetric distribution in the northern and southern hemispheres, which is an important aspect of quasi-cyclical evolution of magnetic activity indicators that are related to solar dynamo theories. Three standard analysis techniques are applied to analyze the hemispheric coupling (north-south asymmetry and phase asynchrony) of monthly averaged values of solar Hα flare activity over the past 49 years (from 1966 January to 2014 December). The prominent results are as follows: (1) from a global point of view, solar Hα flare activity on both hemispheres are strongly correlated with each other, but the northern hemisphere precedes the southern one with a phase shift of 7 months; (2) the long-range persistence indeed exists in solar Hα flare activity, but the dynamical complexities in the two hemispheres are not identical; (3) the prominent periodicities of Hα flare activity are 17 years full-disk activity cycle and 11 years Schwabe solar cycle, but the short- and mid-term periodicities cannot determined by monthly time series; (4) by comparing the non-parametric rescaling behavior on a point-by-point basis, the hemispheric asynchrony of solar Hα flare activity are estimated to be ranging from several months to tens of months with an average value of 8.7 months. The analysis results could promote our knowledge on the long-range persistence, the quasi-periodic variation, and the hemispheric asynchrony of solar Hα flare activity on both hemispheres, and possibly provide valuable information for the hemispheric interrelation of solar magnetic activity.

Long-range Li+ dynamics in the lithium argyrodite Li7PSe6 as probed by rotating-frame spin-lattice relaxation NMR.

PubMed

Epp, V; Gün, O; Deiseroth, H-J; Wilkening, M

2013-05-21

Lithium-rich argyrodites belong to a relatively new group of fast ion conducting solids. They might serve as powerful electrolytes in all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries being, from a medium-term point of view, the key technology when safe energy storage systems have to be developed. Spin-lattice relaxation (SLR) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements carried out in the rotating frame of reference turned out to be the method of choice to study Li dynamics in argyrodites. When plotted as a function of the inverse temperature, the SLR rates log10(R1ρ) reveal an asymmetric diffusion-induced rate peak. The rate peak contains information on the Li jump rate, the activation energy of the hopping process as well as correlation effects. In particular, considering the high-temperature flank of the SLR NMR rate peak recorded in the rotating frame of reference, an activation energy of approximately 0.49 eV is found. This value represents long-range lithium jump diffusion in crystalline Li7PSe6. As an example, at 325 K the Li jump rate determined from SLR NMR is in the order of 1.4 × 10(5) s(-1). The pronounced asymmetry of the rate peak R1ρ(1/T) points to correlated Li motion. It is comparable to that which is typically found for structurally disordered materials showing a broad range of correlation times.

The Expansion of Dreissena and Long-term Shifts in Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Structure in Lake Ontario, 1998-2008

EPA Science Inventory

The introduction of Dreissena to the Great lakes has profoundly impacted benthic ecosystems, resulting in the decline of native species and dramatic community restructuring. In Lake Ontario, long-term monitoring has yielded a wealth of detailed information regarding both the exp...

Defect Clustering and Nano-Phase Structure Characterization of Multi-Component Rare Earth Oxide Doped Zirconia-Yttria Thermal Barrier Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming; Chen, Yuan L.; Miller, Robert A.

2003-01-01

Advanced oxide thermal barrier coatings have been developed by incorporating multi-component rare earth oxide dopants into zirconia-yttria to effectively promote the creation of the thermodynamically stable, immobile oxide defect clusters and/or nano-scale phases within the coating systems. The presence of these nano-sized defect clusters has found to significantly reduce the coating intrinsic thermal conductivity, improve sintering resistance, and maintain long-term high temperature stability. In this paper, the defect clusters and nano-structured phases, which were created by the addition of multi-component rare earth dopants to the plasma-sprayed and electron-beam physical vapor deposited thermal barrier coatings, were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The defect cluster size, distribution, crystallographic and compositional information were investigated using high-resolution TEM lattice imaging, selected area diffraction (SAD), electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis techniques. The results showed that substantial defect clusters were formed in the advanced multi-component rare earth oxide doped zirconia- yttria systems. The size of the oxide defect clusters and the cluster dopant segregation was typically ranging from 5 to 50 nm. These multi-component dopant induced defect clusters are an important factor for the coating long-term high temperature stability and excellent performance.

Defect Clustering and Nano-Phase Structure Characterization of Multi-Component Rare Earth Oxide Doped Zirconia-Yttria Thermal Barrier Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming; Chen, Yuan L.; Miller, Robert A.

1990-01-01

Advanced oxide thermal barrier coatings have been developed by incorporating multi- component rare earth oxide dopants into zirconia-yttria to effectively promote the creation of the thermodynamically stable, immobile oxide defect clusters and/or nano-scale phases within the coating systems. The presence of these nano-sized defect clusters has found to significantly reduce the coating intrinsic thermal conductivity, improve sintering resistance, and maintain long-term high temperature stability. In this paper, the defect clusters and nano-structured phases, which were created by the addition of multi-component rare earth dopants to the plasma- sprayed and electron-beam physical vapor deposited thermal barrier coatings, were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The defect cluster size, distribution, crystallographic and compositional information were investigated using high-resolution TEM lattice imaging, selected area diffraction (SAD), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis techniques. The results showed that substantial defect clusters were formed in the advanced multi-component rare earth oxide doped zirconia-yttria systems. The size of the oxide defect clusters and the cluster dopant segregation was typically ranging fiom 5 to 50 nm. These multi-component dopant induced defect clusters are an important factor for the coating long-term high temperature stability and excellent performance.

Soil Parameter Mapping and Ad Hoc Power Analysis to Increase Blocking Efficiency Prior to Establishing a Long-Term Field Experiment.

PubMed

Collins, Doug; Benedict, Chris; Bary, Andy; Cogger, Craig

2015-01-01

The spatial heterogeneity of soil and weed populations poses a challenge to researchers. Unlike aboveground variability, below-ground variability is more difficult to discern without a strategic soil sampling pattern. While blocking is commonly used to control environmental variation, this strategy is rarely informed by data about current soil conditions. Fifty georeferenced sites were located in a 0.65 ha area prior to establishing a long-term field experiment. Soil organic matter (OM) and weed seed bank populations were analyzed at each site and the spatial structure was modeled with semivariograms and interpolated with kriging to map the surface. These maps were used to formulate three strategic blocking patterns and the efficiency of each pattern was compared to a completely randomized design and a west to east model not informed by soil variability. Compared to OM, weeds were more variable across the landscape and had a shorter range of autocorrelation, and models to increase blocking efficiency resulted in less increase in power. Weeds and OM were not correlated, so no model examined improved power equally for both parameters. Compared to the west to east blocking pattern, the final blocking pattern chosen resulted in a 7-fold increase in power for OM and a 36% increase in power for weeds.

Mechanical forces as information: an integrated approach to plant and animal development

PubMed Central

Hernández-Hernández, Valeria; Rueda, Denisse; Caballero, Lorena; Alvarez-Buylla, Elena R.; Benítez, Mariana

2014-01-01

Mechanical forces such as tension and compression act throughout growth and development of multicellular organisms. These forces not only affect the size and shape of the cells and tissues but are capable of modifying the expression of genes and the localization of molecular components within the cell, in the plasma membrane, and in the plant cell wall. The magnitude and direction of these physical forces change with cellular and tissue properties such as elasticity. Thus, mechanical forces and the mesoscopic fields that emerge from their local action constitute important sources of positional information. Moreover, physical and biochemical processes interact in non-linear ways during tissue and organ growth in plants and animals. In this review we discuss how such mechanical forces are generated, transmitted, and sensed in these two lineages of multicellular organisms to yield long-range positional information. In order to do so we first outline a potentially common basis for studying patterning and mechanosensing that relies on the structural principle of tensegrity, and discuss how tensegral structures might arise in plants and animals. We then provide some examples of morphogenesis in which mechanical forces appear to act as positional information during development, offering a possible explanation for ubiquitous processes, such as the formation of periodic structures. Such examples, we argue, can be interpreted in terms of tensegral phenomena. Finally, we discuss the hypothesis of mechanically isotropic points as a potentially generic mechanism for the localization and maintenance of stem-cell niches in multicellular organisms. This comparative approach aims to help uncovering generic mechanisms of morphogenesis and thus reach a better understanding of the evolution and development of multicellular phenotypes, focusing on the role of physical forces in these processes. PMID:24959170

Mechanical forces as information: an integrated approach to plant and animal development.

PubMed

Hernández-Hernández, Valeria; Rueda, Denisse; Caballero, Lorena; Alvarez-Buylla, Elena R; Benítez, Mariana

2014-01-01

Mechanical forces such as tension and compression act throughout growth and development of multicellular organisms. These forces not only affect the size and shape of the cells and tissues but are capable of modifying the expression of genes and the localization of molecular components within the cell, in the plasma membrane, and in the plant cell wall. The magnitude and direction of these physical forces change with cellular and tissue properties such as elasticity. Thus, mechanical forces and the mesoscopic fields that emerge from their local action constitute important sources of positional information. Moreover, physical and biochemical processes interact in non-linear ways during tissue and organ growth in plants and animals. In this review we discuss how such mechanical forces are generated, transmitted, and sensed in these two lineages of multicellular organisms to yield long-range positional information. In order to do so we first outline a potentially common basis for studying patterning and mechanosensing that relies on the structural principle of tensegrity, and discuss how tensegral structures might arise in plants and animals. We then provide some examples of morphogenesis in which mechanical forces appear to act as positional information during development, offering a possible explanation for ubiquitous processes, such as the formation of periodic structures. Such examples, we argue, can be interpreted in terms of tensegral phenomena. Finally, we discuss the hypothesis of mechanically isotropic points as a potentially generic mechanism for the localization and maintenance of stem-cell niches in multicellular organisms. This comparative approach aims to help uncovering generic mechanisms of morphogenesis and thus reach a better understanding of the evolution and development of multicellular phenotypes, focusing on the role of physical forces in these processes.

Can enzyme engineering benefit from the modulation of protein motions? Lessons learned from NMR relaxation dispersion experiments.

PubMed

Doucet, Nicolas

2011-04-01

Despite impressive progress in protein engineering and design, our ability to create new and efficient enzyme activities remains a laborious and time-consuming endeavor. In the past few years, intricate combinations of rational mutagenesis, directed evolution and computational methods have paved the way to exciting engineering examples and are now offering a new perspective on the structural requirements of enzyme activity. However, these structure-function analyses are usually guided by the time-averaged static models offered by enzyme crystal structures, which often fail to describe the functionally relevant 'invisible states' adopted by proteins in space and time. To alleviate such limitations, NMR relaxation dispersion experiments coupled to mutagenesis studies have recently been applied to the study of enzyme catalysis, effectively complementing 'structure-function' analyses with 'flexibility-function' investigations. In addition to offering quantitative, site-specific information to help characterize residue motion, these NMR methods are now being applied to enzyme engineering purposes, providing a powerful tool to help characterize the effects of controlling long-range networks of flexible residues affecting enzyme function. Recent advancements in this emerging field are presented here, with particular attention to mutagenesis reports highlighting the relevance of NMR relaxation dispersion tools in enzyme engineering.

Long range ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reynolds, Nathan D.

There is an ever-increasing demand for radio frequency identification (RFID) tags that are passive, long range, and mountable on multiple surfaces. Currently, RFID technology is utilized in numerous applications such as supply chain management, access control, and public transportation. With the combination of sensory systems in recent years, the applications of RFID technology have been extended beyond tracking and identifying. This extension includes applications such as environmental monitoring and healthcare applications. The available sensory systems usually operate in the medium or high frequency bands and have a low read range. However, the range limitations of these systems are being overcome by the development of RFID sensors focused on utilizing tags in the ultra-high frequency (UHF) band. Generally, RFID tags have to be mounted to the object that is being identified. Often the objects requiring identification are metallic. The inherent properties of metallic objects have substantial effects on nearby electromagnetic radiation; therefore, the operation of the tag antenna is affected when mounted on a metallic surface. This outlines one of the most challenging problems for RFID systems today: the optimization of tag antenna performance in a complex environment. In this research, a novel UHF RFID tag antenna, which has a low profile, long range, and is mountable on metallic surfaces, is designed analytically and simulated using a 3-D electromagnetic simulator, ANSYS HFSS. A microstrip patch antenna is selected as the antenna structure, as patch antennas are low profile and suitable for mounting on metallic surfaces. Matching and theoretical models of the microstrip patch antenna are investigated. Once matching and theory of a microstrip patch antenna is thoroughly understood, a unique design technique using electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures is explored. This research shows that the utilization of an EBG structure in the patch antenna design yields an improvement in gain, or range, and in the ability to be mounted on multiple metallic surfaces.

An inventory and monitoring plan for a Sonoran Desert ecosystem; Barry M. Goldwater Range-West

USGS Publications Warehouse

Villarreal, Miguel L.; van Riper, Charles; Lovich, Robert E.; Palmer, Robert L.; Nauman, Travis; Studd, Sarah E.; Drake, Sam; Rosenberg, Abigail S.; Malusa, Jim; Pearce, Ronald L.

2011-01-01

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma manages the Barry M. Goldwater Range-West, which encompasses approximately 2,800 square kilometers of Sonoran Desert habitat in southwestern Arizona. The Barry M. Goldwater Range is a major U.S. military installation designed as an air combat training location for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force, but it also includes some of the most pristine desert habitat in the United States. In an effort to ensure the long-term viability of this unique natural resource, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed an Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan and Inventory and Monitoring Plan to guide natural resource management of the Barry M. Goldwater Range-West. This Inventory and Monitoring Plan provides a framework for long-term ecosystem monitoring on Barry M. Goldwater Range-West lands by identifying existing and potential threats to ecosystem function, prioritizing resources for monitoring, and providing information and protocols necessary to initiate a long-term ecosystem monitoring program. The Inventory and Monitoring Plan and related protocols were developed through extensive review of existing Sonoran Desert monitoring programs and monitoring literature and through a 2-day workshop with resource managers, monitoring experts, and other stakeholders. The Barry M. Goldwater Range-West Inventory and Monitoring Plan stresses the importance of regional monitoring partnerships and protocol standardization for understanding landscape-scale ecosystem changes in the Sonoran Desert; information and protocols contained within the plan may also be of interest to land managers engaged in large-scale ecosystem monitoring and adaptive management of other arid regions.

Electronic structure, dielectric response, and surface charge distribution of RGD (1FUV) peptide.

PubMed

Adhikari, Puja; Wen, Amy M; French, Roger H; Parsegian, V Adrian; Steinmetz, Nicole F; Podgornik, Rudolf; Ching, Wai-Yim

2014-07-08

Long and short range molecular interactions govern molecular recognition and self-assembly of biological macromolecules. Microscopic parameters in the theories of these molecular interactions are either phenomenological or need to be calculated within a microscopic theory. We report a unified methodology for the ab initio quantum mechanical (QM) calculation that yields all the microscopic parameters, namely the partial charges as well as the frequency-dependent dielectric response function, that can then be taken as input for macroscopic theories of electrostatic, polar, and van der Waals-London dispersion intermolecular forces. We apply this methodology to obtain the electronic structure of the cyclic tripeptide RGD-4C (1FUV). This ab initio unified methodology yields the relevant parameters entering the long range interactions of biological macromolecules, providing accurate data for the partial charge distribution and the frequency-dependent dielectric response function of this peptide. These microscopic parameters determine the range and strength of the intricate intermolecular interactions between potential docking sites of the RGD-4C ligand and its integrin receptor.

Study of cobalt mononitride thin films prepared using DC and high power impulse magnetron sputtering

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

Gupta, Rachana, E-mail: dr.rachana.gupta@gmail.com; Pandey, Nidhi; Behera, Layanta

2016-05-23

In this work we studied cobalt mononitride (CoN) thin films deposited using dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). A Co target was sputtered using pure N{sub 2} gas alone as the sputtering medium. Obtained long-range structural ordering was studies using x-ray diffraction (XRD), short-range structure using Co L{sub 2,3} and N K absorption edges using soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and the surface morphology using atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that HiPIMS deposited films have better long-range ordering, better stoichiometric ratio for mononitride composition and smoother texture as compared to dcMS deposited films.more » In addition, the thermal stability of HiPIMS deposited CoN film seems to be better. On the basis of different type of plasma conditions generated in HiPIMS and dcMS process, obtained results are presented and discussed.« less

Population genetic structure and long-distance dispersal of a recently expanding migratory bird.

PubMed

Ramos, Raül; Song, Gang; Navarro, Joan; Zhang, Ruiying; Symes, Craig T; Forero, Manuela G; Lei, Fumin

2016-06-01

Long-distance dispersal events and their derivable increases of genetic diversity have been highlighted as important ecological and evolutionary determinants that improve performances of range-expanding species. In the context of global environmental change, specific dispersal strategies have to be understood and foreseen if we like to prevent general biodiversity impoverishment or the spread of allochthonous diseases. We explored the genetic structure and potential population mixing on the recently range-expanding European bee-eater Merops apiaster. In addition, the species is suspected of harbouring and disseminating the most relevant disease for bees and apiculture, Nosema microsporidia. In agreement with complementary ringing recovery data and morphometric measurements, genetic results on two mitochondrial genes and 12 microsatellites showed a reasonably well-structured population partitioning along its breeding distribution. Microsatellite results indicated that not only did a few birds recently disperse long distance during their return migrations and change their natal breeding areas, but also that a group of allochthonous birds together founded a new colony. Although we did not provide evidence on the direct implication of birds in the widespread of Nosema parasites, our finding on the long-distance dispersal of bird flocks between remote breeding colonies adds concern about the role of European bee-eaters in the spread of such disease at a large, inter-continental scale. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Deep electrode insertion and sound coding in cochlear implants.

PubMed

Hochmair, Ingeborg; Hochmair, Erwin; Nopp, Peter; Waller, Melissa; Jolly, Claude

2015-04-01

Present-day cochlear implants demonstrate remarkable speech understanding performance despite the use of non-optimized coding strategies concerning the transmission of tonal information. Most systems rely on place pitch information despite possibly large deviations from correct tonotopic placement of stimulation sites. Low frequency information is limited as well because of the constant pulse rate stimulation generally used and, being even more restrictive, of the limited insertion depth of the electrodes. This results in a compromised perception of music and tonal languages. Newly available flexible long straight electrodes permit deep insertion reaching the apical region with little or no insertion trauma. This article discusses the potential benefits of deep insertion which are obtained using pitch-locked temporal stimulation patterns. Besides the access to low frequency information, further advantages of deeply inserted long electrodes are the possibility to better approximate the correct tonotopic location of contacts, the coverage of a wider range of cochlear locations, and the somewhat reduced channel interaction due to the wider contact separation for a given number of channels. A newly developed set of strategies has been shown to improve speech understanding in noise and to enhance sound quality by providing a more "natural" impression, which especially becomes obvious when listening to music. The benefits of deep insertion should not, however, be compromised by structural damage during insertion. The small cross section and the high flexibility of the new electrodes can help to ensure less traumatic insertions as demonstrated by patients' hearing preservation rate. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled . Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Two-dimensional melting of colloids with long-range attractive interactions.

PubMed

Du, Di; Doxastakis, Manolis; Hilou, Elaa; Biswal, Sibani Lisa

2017-02-22

The solid-liquid melting transition in a two-dimensional (2-D) attractive colloidal system is visualized using superparamagnetic colloids that interact through a long-range isotropic attractive interaction potential, which is induced using a high-frequency rotating magnetic field. Various experiments, supported by Monte Carlo simulations, are carried out over a range of interaction potentials and densities to determine structure factors, Lindermann parameters, and translational and orientational order parameters. The system shows a first-order solid-liquid melting transition. Simulations and experiments suggest that dislocations and disclinations simultaneously unbind during melting. This is in direct contrast with reports of 2-D melting of paramagnetic particles that interact with a repulsive interaction potential.

Hippocampal Structure Predicts Statistical Learning and Associative Inference Abilities during Development.

PubMed

Schlichting, Margaret L; Guarino, Katharine F; Schapiro, Anna C; Turk-Browne, Nicholas B; Preston, Alison R

2017-01-01

Despite the importance of learning and remembering across the lifespan, little is known about how the episodic memory system develops to support the extraction of associative structure from the environment. Here, we relate individual differences in volumes along the hippocampal long axis to performance on statistical learning and associative inference tasks-both of which require encoding associations that span multiple episodes-in a developmental sample ranging from ages 6 to 30 years. Relating age to volume, we found dissociable patterns across the hippocampal long axis, with opposite nonlinear volume changes in the head and body. These structural differences were paralleled by performance gains across the age range on both tasks, suggesting improvements in the cross-episode binding ability from childhood to adulthood. Controlling for age, we also found that smaller hippocampal heads were associated with superior behavioral performance on both tasks, consistent with this region's hypothesized role in forming generalized codes spanning events. Collectively, these results highlight the importance of examining hippocampal development as a function of position along the hippocampal axis and suggest that the hippocampal head is particularly important in encoding associative structure across development.

Initiatives for the '90s. National SOICC Conference (13th, Snowbird, Utah, August 20-22, 1990). Conference Program Highlights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (DOL/ETA), Washington, DC.

This publication provides highlights from a conference of the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC) and the State Occupational Information Coordinating Committees (SOICCs). Highlights of presentations include the following: (1) NOICC initiatives reflect an integrated, long-range planning approach; (2) business,…

Multi-Level Information Systems. AIR Forum Paper 1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Leighton D.; Trautman, DeForest L.

To support informational needs of day-to-day and long-range decision-making, many universities have developed their own data collection devices and institutional reporting systems. Often these models only represent a single point in time and do not effectively support needs at college and departmental levels. This paper identifies some of the more…

The Necessity of Environmental Scanning Prior to Long-Range Planning Activities at Higher Education Institutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Handy, Ty J.

Formal environmental scanning procedures can provide key administrators of higher education institutions with valuable external information regarding both the probability and impact of external trends and forces. Such information may then be used in various strategic planning stages including scenario development, institutional mission and goals…

Detecting fractal power-law long-range dependence in pre-sliced cooked pork ham surface intensity patterns using Detrended Fluctuation Analysis.

PubMed

Valous, Nektarios A; Drakakis, Konstantinos; Sun, Da-Wen

2010-10-01

The visual texture of pork ham slices reveals information about the different qualities and perceived image heterogeneity, which is encapsulated as spatial variations in geometry and spectral characteristics. Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) detects long-range correlations in nonstationary spatial sequences, by a self-similarity scaling exponent alpha. In the current work, the aim is to investigate the usefulness of alpha, using different colour channels (R, G, B, L*, a*, b*, H, S, V, and Grey), as a quantitative descriptor of visual texture in sliced ham surface patterns for the detection of long-range correlations in unidimensional spatial series of greyscale intensity pixel values at 0 degrees , 30 degrees , 45 degrees , 60 degrees , and 90 degrees rotations. Images were acquired from three qualities of pre-sliced pork ham, typically consumed in Ireland (200 slices per quality). Results indicated that the DFA approach can be used to characterize and quantify the textural appearance of the three ham qualities, for different image orientations, with a global scaling exponent. The spatial series extracted from the ham images display long-range dependence, indicating an average behaviour around 1/f-noise. Results indicate that alpha has a universal character in quantifying the visual texture of ham surface intensity patterns, with no considerable crossovers that alter the behaviour of the fluctuations. Fractal correlation properties can thus be a useful metric for capturing information embedded in the visual texture of hams. Copyright (c) 2010 The American Meat Science Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laser range profiling for small target recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinvall, Ove; Tulldahl, Michael

2017-03-01

Long range identification (ID) or ID at closer range of small targets has its limitations in imaging due to the demand for very high-transverse sensor resolution. This is, therefore, a motivation to look for one-dimensional laser techniques for target ID. These include laser vibrometry and laser range profiling. Laser vibrometry can give good results, but is not always robust as it is sensitive to certain vibrating parts on the target being in the field of view. Laser range profiling is attractive because the maximum range can be substantial, especially for a small laser beam width. A range profiler can also be used in a scanning mode to detect targets within a certain sector. The same laser can also be used for active imaging when the target comes closer and is angularly resolved. Our laser range profiler is based on a laser with a pulse width of 6 ns (full width half maximum). This paper will show both experimental and simulated results for laser range profiling of small boats out to a 6 to 7-km range and a unmanned arrial vehicle (UAV) mockup at close range (1.3 km). The naval experiments took place in the Baltic Sea using many other active and passive electro-optical sensors in addition to the profiling system. The UAV experiments showed the need for a high-range resolution, thus we used a photon counting system in addition to the more conventional profiler used in the naval experiments. This paper shows the influence of target pose and range resolution on the capability of classification. The typical resolution (in our case 0.7 m) obtainable with a conventional range finder type of sensor can be used for large target classification with a depth structure over 5 to 10 m or more, but for smaller targets such as a UAV a high resolution (in our case 7.5 mm) is needed to reveal depth structures and surface shapes. This paper also shows the need for 3-D target information to build libraries for comparison of measured and simulated range profiles. At closer ranges, full 3-D images should be preferable.

The visualCMAT: A web-server to select and interpret correlated mutations/co-evolving residues in protein families.

PubMed

Suplatov, Dmitry; Sharapova, Yana; Timonina, Daria; Kopylov, Kirill; Švedas, Vytas

2018-04-01

The visualCMAT web-server was designed to assist experimental research in the fields of protein/enzyme biochemistry, protein engineering, and drug discovery by providing an intuitive and easy-to-use interface to the analysis of correlated mutations/co-evolving residues. Sequence and structural information describing homologous proteins are used to predict correlated substitutions by the Mutual information-based CMAT approach, classify them into spatially close co-evolving pairs, which either form a direct physical contact or interact with the same ligand (e.g. a substrate or a crystallographic water molecule), and long-range correlations, annotate and rank binding sites on the protein surface by the presence of statistically significant co-evolving positions. The results of the visualCMAT are organized for a convenient visual analysis and can be downloaded to a local computer as a content-rich all-in-one PyMol session file with multiple layers of annotation corresponding to bioinformatic, statistical and structural analyses of the predicted co-evolution, or further studied online using the built-in interactive analysis tools. The online interactivity is implemented in HTML5 and therefore neither plugins nor Java are required. The visualCMAT web-server is integrated with the Mustguseal web-server capable of constructing large structure-guided sequence alignments of protein families and superfamilies using all available information about their structures and sequences in public databases. The visualCMAT web-server can be used to understand the relationship between structure and function in proteins, implemented at selecting hotspots and compensatory mutations for rational design and directed evolution experiments to produce novel enzymes with improved properties, and employed at studying the mechanism of selective ligand's binding and allosteric communication between topologically independent sites in protein structures. The web-server is freely available at https://biokinet.belozersky.msu.ru/visualcmat and there are no login requirements.

USCG HF Voice

Science.gov Websites

. Effective April 3, 2012, the National Hurricane Center will reconfigure its marine zones for the offshore reconfiguration. Click HERE for further information. Effective Jan 01, 2005 U.S. Coast Guard long range

Dipole-induced exchange bias.

PubMed

Torres, Felipe; Morales, Rafael; Schuller, Ivan K; Kiwi, Miguel

2017-11-09

The discovery of dipole-induced exchange bias (EB), switching from negative to positive sign, is reported in systems where the antiferromagnet and the ferromagnet are separated by a paramagnetic spacer (AFM-PM-FM). The magnitude and sign of the EB is determined by the cooling field strength and the PM thickness. The same cooling field yields negative EB for thin spacers, and positive EB for thicker ones. The EB decay profile as a function of the spacer thickness, and the change of sign, are attributed to long-ranged dipole coupling. Our model, which accounts quantitatively for the experimental results, ignores the short range interfacial exchange interactions of the usual EB theories. Instead, it retains solely the long range dipole field that allows for the coupling of the FM and AFM across the PM spacer. The experiments allow for novel switching capabilities of long range EB systems, while the theory allows description of the structures where the FM and AFM are not in atomic contact. The results provide a new approach to design novel interacting heterostructures.

Structural stability and mechanical properties of technetium mononitride (TcN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soni, Shubhangi; Choudhary, K. K.; Kaurav, Netram

2018-05-01

Among the nitrides, 3d and 4d transition metal nitrides have been investigated both experimentally and theoretically due to their predominant performances and enormous applications. In the present paper, we have attempted to predict the structural stability and mechanical properties of technetium mononitride (TcN) using an effective interionic interaction potential, which includes the long range Coulomb, van der Waals (vdW) interaction and the short-range repulsive interaction upto second-neighbor ions within the Hafemeister and Flygare approach. Our theoretical approach reveals the structural phase transition of the TcN B3 to B1 structure, wherein, the Gibbs' free energies of both the structures were minimized. The variations of elastic constants with pressure follow a systematic trend identical to that observed in other compounds of ZnS type structure family.

Representing nested semantic information in a linear string of text using XML.

PubMed

Krauthammer, Michael; Johnson, Stephen B; Hripcsak, George; Campbell, David A; Friedman, Carol

2002-01-01

XML has been widely adopted as an important data interchange language. The structure of XML enables sharing of data elements with variable degrees of nesting as long as the elements are grouped in a strict tree-like fashion. This requirement potentially restricts the usefulness of XML for marking up written text, which often includes features that do not properly nest within other features. We encountered this problem while marking up medical text with structured semantic information from a Natural Language Processor. Traditional approaches to this problem separate the structured information from the actual text mark up. This paper introduces an alternative solution, which tightly integrates the semantic structure with the text. The resulting XML markup preserves the linearity of the medical texts and can therefore be easily expanded with additional types of information.

Representing nested semantic information in a linear string of text using XML.

PubMed Central

Krauthammer, Michael; Johnson, Stephen B.; Hripcsak, George; Campbell, David A.; Friedman, Carol

2002-01-01

XML has been widely adopted as an important data interchange language. The structure of XML enables sharing of data elements with variable degrees of nesting as long as the elements are grouped in a strict tree-like fashion. This requirement potentially restricts the usefulness of XML for marking up written text, which often includes features that do not properly nest within other features. We encountered this problem while marking up medical text with structured semantic information from a Natural Language Processor. Traditional approaches to this problem separate the structured information from the actual text mark up. This paper introduces an alternative solution, which tightly integrates the semantic structure with the text. The resulting XML markup preserves the linearity of the medical texts and can therefore be easily expanded with additional types of information. PMID:12463856

Density functional theory studies on the structures and electronic communication of meso-ferrocenylporphyrins: long range orbital coupling via porphyrin core.

PubMed

Zhang, Lijuan; Qi, Dongdong; Zhang, Yuexing; Bian, Yongzhong; Jiang, Jianzhuang

2011-02-01

The molecular and electronic structures together with the electronic absorption spectra of a series of metal free meso-ferrocenylporphyrins, namely 5-ferrocenylporphyrin (1), 5,10-diferrocenylporphyrin (2), 5,15-diferrocenylporphyrin (3), 5,10,15-triferrocenylporphyrin (4), and 5,10,15,20-tetraferrocenylporphyrin (5) have been studied with the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) methods. For the purpose of comparative studies, metal free porphyrin without any ferrocenyl group (0) and isolated ferrocene (6) were also calculated. The effects of the number and position of meso-attached ferrocenyl substituents on their molecular and electronic structures, atomic charges, molecular orbitals, and electronic absorption spectra of 1-5 were systematically investigated. The orbital coupling is investigated in detail, explaining well the long range coupling of ferrocenyl substituents connected via porphyrin core and the systematic change in the electronic absorption spectra of porphyrin compounds. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Functional Sites Induce Long-Range Evolutionary Constraints in Enzymes

PubMed Central

Jack, Benjamin R.; Meyer, Austin G.; Echave, Julian; Wilke, Claus O.

2016-01-01

Functional residues in proteins tend to be highly conserved over evolutionary time. However, to what extent functional sites impose evolutionary constraints on nearby or even more distant residues is not known. Here, we report pervasive conservation gradients toward catalytic residues in a dataset of 524 distinct enzymes: evolutionary conservation decreases approximately linearly with increasing distance to the nearest catalytic residue in the protein structure. This trend encompasses, on average, 80% of the residues in any enzyme, and it is independent of known structural constraints on protein evolution such as residue packing or solvent accessibility. Further, the trend exists in both monomeric and multimeric enzymes and irrespective of enzyme size and/or location of the active site in the enzyme structure. By contrast, sites in protein–protein interfaces, unlike catalytic residues, are only weakly conserved and induce only minor rate gradients. In aggregate, these observations show that functional sites, and in particular catalytic residues, induce long-range evolutionary constraints in enzymes. PMID:27138088

Nano-optical conveyor belt, part II: Demonstration of handoff between near-field optical traps.

PubMed

Zheng, Yuxin; Ryan, Jason; Hansen, Paul; Cheng, Yao-Te; Lu, Tsung-Ju; Hesselink, Lambertus

2014-06-11

Optical tweezers have been widely used to manipulate biological and colloidal material, but the diffraction limit of far-field optics makes focused beams unsuitable for manipulating nanoscale objects with dimensions much smaller than the wavelength of light. While plasmonic structures have recently been successful in trapping nanoscale objects with high positioning accuracy, using such structures for manipulation over longer range has remained a significant challenge. In this work, we introduce a conveyor belt design based on a novel plasmonic structure, the resonant C-shaped engraving (CSE). We show how long-range manipulation is made possible by means of handoff between neighboring CSEs, and we present a simple technique for controlling handoff by rotating the polarization of laser illumination. We experimentally demonstrate handoff between a pair of CSEs for polystyrene spheres 200, 390, and 500 nm in diameter. We then extend this technique and demonstrate controlled particle transport down a 4.5 μm long "nano-optical conveyor belt."

DNA Polymorphism: A Comparison of Force Fields for Nucleic Acids

PubMed Central

Reddy, Swarnalatha Y.; Leclerc, Fabrice; Karplus, Martin

2003-01-01

The improvements of the force fields and the more accurate treatment of long-range interactions are providing more reliable molecular dynamics simulations of nucleic acids. The abilities of certain nucleic acid force fields to represent the structural and conformational properties of nucleic acids in solution are compared. The force fields are AMBER 4.1, BMS, CHARMM22, and CHARMM27; the comparison of the latter two is the primary focus of this paper. The performance of each force field is evaluated first on its ability to reproduce the B-DNA decamer d(CGATTAATCG)2 in solution with simulations in which the long-range electrostatics were treated by the particle mesh Ewald method; the crystal structure determined by Quintana et al. (1992) is used as the starting point for all simulations. A detailed analysis of the structural and solvation properties shows how well the different force fields can reproduce sequence-specific features. The results are compared with data from experimental and previous theoretical studies. PMID:12609851

Coding Early Naturalists' Accounts into Long-Term Fish Community Changes in the Adriatic Sea (1800–2000)

PubMed Central

Fortibuoni, Tomaso; Libralato, Simone; Raicevich, Saša; Giovanardi, Otello; Solidoro, Cosimo

2010-01-01

The understanding of fish communities' changes over the past centuries has important implications for conservation policy and marine resource management. However, reconstructing these changes is difficult because information on marine communities before the second half of the 20th century is, in most cases, anecdotal and merely qualitative. Therefore, historical qualitative records and modern quantitative data are not directly comparable, and their integration for long-term analyses is not straightforward. We developed a methodology that allows the coding of qualitative information provided by early naturalists into semi-quantitative information through an intercalibration with landing proportions. This approach allowed us to reconstruct and quantitatively analyze a 200-year-long time series of fish community structure indicators in the Northern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea). Our analysis provides evidence of long-term changes in fish community structure, including the decline of Chondrichthyes, large-sized and late-maturing species. This work highlights the importance of broadening the time-frame through which we look at marine ecosystem changes and provides a methodology to exploit, in a quantitative framework, historical qualitative sources. To the purpose, naturalists' eyewitness accounts proved to be useful for extending the analysis on fish community back in the past, well before the onset of field-based monitoring programs. PMID:21103349

In Situ Solid-State Reactions Monitored by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy: Temperature-Induced Proton Transfer Leads to Chemical Shifts.

PubMed

Stevens, Joanna S; Walczak, Monika; Jaye, Cherno; Fischer, Daniel A

2016-10-24

The dramatic colour and phase alteration with the solid-state, temperature-dependent reaction between squaric acid and 4,4'-bipyridine has been probed in situ with X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The electronic and chemical sensitivity to the local atomic environment through chemical shifts in the near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) revealed proton transfer from the acid to the bipyridine base through the change in nitrogen protonation state in the high-temperature form. Direct detection of proton transfer coupled with structural analysis elucidates the nature of the solid-state process, with intermolecular proton transfer occurring along an acid-base chain followed by a domino effect to the subsequent acid-base chains, leading to the rapid migration along the length of the crystal. NEXAFS thereby conveys the ability to monitor the nature of solid-state chemical reactions in situ, without the need for a priori information or long-range order. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Towards a Global Wetland Observation System: The Geo-Wetlands Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strauch, Adrian; Geller, Gary; Grobicki, Ania; Hilarides, Lammert; Muro, Javier; Paganini, Marc; Weise, Kathrin

2016-08-01

Wetlands are hot spots of biodiversity and provide a wide range of valuable ecosystem services, but at the same time they globally are one of the fastest declining and most endangered ecosystems. The development of a Global Wetland Observation System (GWOS) that is supported by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands since 2007 is seen as a step towards improved capabilities for global mapping, monitoring and assessment of wetland ecosystems and their services, status and trends. A newly proposed GEO-Wetlands initiative is taking up this effort and developing the necessary governance and management structures, a community of practice and the necessary scientific and technical outputs to set up this system and maintain it over the long term. This effort is aiming at directly supporting the needs of global conventions and monitoring frameworks as well as users of wetland information on all levels (local to global) to build a platform that provides a knowledge-hub as a baseline for informed ecosystem management and decision-making.

Quantum Cause of Gravity Waves and Dark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goradia, Shantilal; Goradia Team

2016-09-01

Per Einstein's theory mass tells space how to curve and space tells mass how to move. How do they tell''? The question boils down to information created by quantum particles blinking ON and OFF analogous to `Ying and Yang' or some more complex ways that may include dark matter. If not, what creates curvature of space-time? Consciousness, dark matter, quantum physics, uncertainty principle, constants of nature like strong coupling, fine structure constant, cosmological constant introduced by Einstein, information, gravitation etc. are fundamentally consequences of that ONE TOE. Vedic philosophers, who impressed Schrodinger so much, called it ATMA split in the categories of AnuAtma (particle soul), JivAtma (life soul) and ParamAtma (Omnipresent soul) which we relate to quantum physics, biology and cosmology. There is no separate TOE for any one thing. The long range relativistic propagations of the strong and weak couplings of the microscopic black holes in are just gravity waves. What else could they be?

Fis protein induced λF-DNA bending observed by single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi-Cheng, Fu; Wunshain, Fann; Yuan Hanna, S.

2006-03-01

Fis, a site-specific DNA binding protein, regulates many biological processes including recombination, transcription, and replication in E.coli. Fis induced DNA bending plays an important role in regulating these functions and bending angle range from ˜50 to 95 dependent on the DNA sequence. For instance, the average bending angle of λF-DNA (26 bp, 8.8nm long, contained λF binding site on the center) measured by gel mobility shift assays was ˜ 94 . But the traditional method cannot provide information about the dynamics and the angle distribution. In this study, λF-DNA was labeled with donor (Alexa Fluor 546) and acceptor (Alexa Fluor 647) dyes on its two 5' ends and the donor-acceptor distances were measured using single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer (sp-FRET) with and without the present of Fis protein. Combing with structure information of Fis-DNA complex, the sp-FRET results are used to estimate the protein induced DNA bending angle distribution and dynamics.

The Influence of Science Knowledge Structures on Children's Success in Solving Academic Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Champagne, Audrey B.; And Others

Presented is a study of eighth-grade students' academic problem-solving ability based on their knowledge structures, or their information stored in semantic or long-term memory. The authors describe a technique that they developed to probe knowledge structures with an extension of the card-sort method. The method, known as the Concept Structure…

Structure and development of old-growth, unmanaged second-growth, and extended rotation Pinus resinosa forests in Minnesota, USA

Treesearch

Emily J. Silver; Anthony W. D' Amato; Shawn Fraver; Brian J. Palik; John B. Bradford

2013-01-01

The structure and developmental dynamics of old-growth forests often serve as important baselines for restoration prescriptions aimed at promoting more complex structural conditions in managed forest landscapes. Nonetheless, long-term information on natural patterns of development is rare for many commercially important and ecologically widespread forest types....

Mining for recurrent long-range interactions in RNA structures reveals embedded hierarchies in network families.

PubMed

Reinharz, Vladimir; Soulé, Antoine; Westhof, Eric; Waldispühl, Jérôme; Denise, Alain

2018-05-04

The wealth of the combinatorics of nucleotide base pairs enables RNA molecules to assemble into sophisticated interaction networks, which are used to create complex 3D substructures. These interaction networks are essential to shape the 3D architecture of the molecule, and also to provide the key elements to carry molecular functions such as protein or ligand binding. They are made of organised sets of long-range tertiary interactions which connect distinct secondary structure elements in 3D structures. Here, we present a de novo data-driven approach to extract automatically from large data sets of full RNA 3D structures the recurrent interaction networks (RINs). Our methodology enables us for the first time to detect the interaction networks connecting distinct components of the RNA structure, highlighting their diversity and conservation through non-related functional RNAs. We use a graphical model to perform pairwise comparisons of all RNA structures available and to extract RINs and modules. Our analysis yields a complete catalog of RNA 3D structures available in the Protein Data Bank and reveals the intricate hierarchical organization of the RNA interaction networks and modules. We assembled our results in an online database (http://carnaval.lri.fr) which will be regularly updated. Within the site, a tool allows users with a novel RNA structure to detect automatically whether the novel structure contains previously observed RINs.

Laser long-range remote-sensing program experimental results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Highland, Ronald G.; Shilko, Michael L.; Fox, Marsha J.; Gonglewski, John D.; Czyzak, Stanley R.; Dowling, James A.; Kelly, Brian; Pierrottet, Diego F.; Ruffatto, Donald; Loando, Sharon; Matsuura, Chris; Senft, Daniel C.; Finkner, Lyle; Rae, Joe; Gallegos, Joe

1995-12-01

A laser long range remote sensing (LRS) program is being conducted by the United States Air Force Phillips Laboratory (AF/PL). As part of this program, AF/PL is testing the feasibility of developing a long path CO(subscript 2) laser-based DIAL system for remote sensing. In support of this program, the AF/PL has recently completed an experimental series using a 21 km slant- range path (3.05 km ASL transceiver height to 0.067 km ASL target height) at its Phillips Laboratory Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS) facility located on Maui, Hawaii. The dial system uses a 3-joule, (superscript 13)C isotope laser coupled into a 0.6 m diameter telescope. The atmospheric optical characterization incorporates information from an infrared scintillometer co-aligned to the laser path, atmospheric profiles from weather balloons launched from the target site, and meteorological data from ground stations at AMOS and the target site. In this paper, we report a description of the experiment configuration, a summary of the results, a summary of the atmospheric conditions and their implications to the LRS program. The capability of such a system for long-range, low-angle, slant-path remote sensing is discussed. System performance issues relating to both coherent and incoherent detection methods, atmospheric limitations, as well as, the development of advanced models to predict performance of long range scenarios are presented.

Reconciliation of local and long-range tilt correlations in underdoped La 2-xBa xCuO 4(0 ≤ x ≤ 0.155)

DOE PAGES

Bozin, Emil S.; Zhong, Ruidan; Knox, Kevin R.; ...

2015-02-26

A long standing puzzle regarding the disparity of local and long range CuO₆ octahedral tilt correlations in the underdoped regime of La₂₋ xBa xCuO₄ is addressed by utilizing complementary neutron powder diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) approaches. Long-range and static CuO₆ tilt order with orthogonally inequivalent Cu-O bonds in the CuO₂ planes in the low temperature tetragonal (LTT) phase is succeeded on warming through the low-temperature transition by one with orthogonally equivalent bonds in the low temperature orthorhombic (LTO) phase. In contrast, the signatures of LTT-type tilts in the instantaneous local atomic structure persist on heating throughout the LTOmore » crystallographic phase on the nanoscale, although becoming weaker as temperature increases. Analysis of the INS spectra for the x = 1/8 composition reveals the dynamic nature of the LTT-like tilt fluctuations within the LTO phase and their 3D character. The doping dependence of relevant structural parameters indicates that the magnitude of the Cu-O bond anisotropy has a maximum at x = 1/8 doping where bulk superconductivity is most strongly suppressed, suggesting that the structural anisotropy might be influenced by electron-phonon coupling and the particular stability of the stripe-ordered phase at this composition. The bond-length modulation that pins stripe order is found to be remarkably subtle, with no anomalous bond length disorder at low temperature, placing an upper limit on any in-plane Cu-O bondlength anisotropy. The results further reveal that although appreciable octahedral tilts persist through the high-temperature transition and into the high temperature tetragonal (HTT) phase, there is no significant preference between different tilt directions in the HTT regime. As a result, this study also exemplifies the importance of a systematic approach using complementary techniques when investigating systems exhibiting a large degree of complexity and subtle structural responses.« less

Strong Genetic Differentiation of Submerged Plant Populations across Mountain Ranges: Evidence from Potamogeton pectinatus in Iran

PubMed Central

Abbasi, Shabnam; Afsharzadeh, Saeed; Saeidi, Hojjatollah; Triest, Ludwig

2016-01-01

Biogeographic barriers for freshwater biota can be effective at various spatial scales. At the largest spatial scale, freshwater organisms can become genetically isolated by their high mountain ranges, vast deserts, and inability to cross oceans. Isolation by distance of aquatic plants is expected to be stronger across than alongside mountain ridges whereas the heterogeneity of habitats among populations and temporary droughts may influence connectivity and hamper dispersal. Suitable aquatic plant habitats became reduced, even for the widespread submerged Potamogeton pectinatus L. (also named Stuckenia pectinata) giving structure to various aquatic habitats. We compared the level of genetic diversity in a heterogeneous series of aquatic habitats across Iran and tested their differentiation over distances and across mountain ranges (Alborz and Zagros) and desert zones (Kavir), with values obtained from temperate region populations. The diversity of aquatic ecosystems across and along large geographic barriers provided a unique ecological situation within Iran. P. pectinatus were considered from thirty-six sites across Iran at direct flight distances ranging from 20 to 1,200 km. Nine microsatellite loci revealed a very high number of alleles over all sites. A PCoA, NJT clustering and STRUCTURE analysis revealed a separate grouping of individuals of southeastern Iranian sites and was confirmed by their different nuclear ITS and cpDNA haplotypes thereby indicating an evolutionary significant unit (ESU). At the level of populations, a positive correlation between allelic differentiation Dest with geographic distance was found. Individual-based STRUCTURE analysis over 36 sites showed 7 genetic clusters. FST and RST values for ten populations reached 0.343 and 0.521, respectively thereby indicating that allele length differences are more important and contain evolutionary information. Overall, higher levels of diversity and a stronger differentiation was revealed among Iranian P. pectinatus than previously observed for temperate European regions, due to regional differences across mountain ranges over long distances. PMID:27560947

Strong Genetic Differentiation of Submerged Plant Populations across Mountain Ranges: Evidence from Potamogeton pectinatus in Iran.

PubMed

Abbasi, Shabnam; Afsharzadeh, Saeed; Saeidi, Hojjatollah; Triest, Ludwig

2016-01-01

Biogeographic barriers for freshwater biota can be effective at various spatial scales. At the largest spatial scale, freshwater organisms can become genetically isolated by their high mountain ranges, vast deserts, and inability to cross oceans. Isolation by distance of aquatic plants is expected to be stronger across than alongside mountain ridges whereas the heterogeneity of habitats among populations and temporary droughts may influence connectivity and hamper dispersal. Suitable aquatic plant habitats became reduced, even for the widespread submerged Potamogeton pectinatus L. (also named Stuckenia pectinata) giving structure to various aquatic habitats. We compared the level of genetic diversity in a heterogeneous series of aquatic habitats across Iran and tested their differentiation over distances and across mountain ranges (Alborz and Zagros) and desert zones (Kavir), with values obtained from temperate region populations. The diversity of aquatic ecosystems across and along large geographic barriers provided a unique ecological situation within Iran. P. pectinatus were considered from thirty-six sites across Iran at direct flight distances ranging from 20 to 1,200 km. Nine microsatellite loci revealed a very high number of alleles over all sites. A PCoA, NJT clustering and STRUCTURE analysis revealed a separate grouping of individuals of southeastern Iranian sites and was confirmed by their different nuclear ITS and cpDNA haplotypes thereby indicating an evolutionary significant unit (ESU). At the level of populations, a positive correlation between allelic differentiation Dest with geographic distance was found. Individual-based STRUCTURE analysis over 36 sites showed 7 genetic clusters. FST and RST values for ten populations reached 0.343 and 0.521, respectively thereby indicating that allele length differences are more important and contain evolutionary information. Overall, higher levels of diversity and a stronger differentiation was revealed among Iranian P. pectinatus than previously observed for temperate European regions, due to regional differences across mountain ranges over long distances.

The role of the pineal gland in the photoperiodic control of bird song frequency and repertoire in the house sparrow, Passer domesticus.

PubMed

Wang, Gang; Harpole, Clifford E; Paulose, Jiffin; Cassone, Vincent M

2014-04-01

Temperate zone birds are highly seasonal in many aspects of their physiology. In mammals, but not in birds, the pineal gland is an important component regulating seasonal patterns of primary gonadal functions. Pineal melatonin in birds instead affects seasonal changes in brain song control structures, suggesting the pineal gland regulates seasonal song behavior. The present study tests the hypothesis that the pineal gland transduces photoperiodic information to the control of seasonal song behavior to synchronize this important behavior to the appropriate phenology. House sparrows, Passer domesticus, expressed a rich array of vocalizations ranging from calls to multisyllabic songs and motifs of songs that varied under a regimen of different photoperiodic conditions that were simulated at different times of year. Control (SHAM) birds exhibited increases in song behavior when they were experimentally transferred from short days, simulating winter, to equinoctial and long days, simulating summer, and decreased vocalization when they were transferred back to short days. When maintained in long days for longer periods, the birds became reproductively photorefractory as measured by the yellowing of the birds' bills; however, song behavior persisted in the SHAM birds, suggesting a dissociation of reproduction from the song functions. Pinealectomized (PINX) birds expressed larger, more rapid increases in daily vocal rate and song repertoire size than did the SHAM birds during the long summer days. These increases gradually declined upon the extension of the long days and did not respond to the transfer to short days as was observed in the SHAM birds, suggesting that the pineal gland conveys photoperiodic information to the vocal control system, which in turn regulates song behavior. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pore structures and mechanical properties of porous titanium scaffolds by bidirectional freeze casting.

PubMed

Yan, Leiming; Wu, Jisi; Zhang, Lei; Liu, Xinli; Zhou, Kechao; Su, Bo

2017-06-01

Porous titanium scaffolds with long-range lamellar structure were fabricated using a novel bidirectional freeze casting method. Compared with the ordinarily porous titanium materials made by traditional freeze casting, the titanium walls can offer the structure of ordered arrays with parallel to each other in the transverse cross-sections. And titanium scaffolds with different pore width, wall size and porosity can be synthesized in terms of adjusting the fabrication parameters. As the titanium content was increased from 15vol.% to 25vol.%, the porosity and pore width decreased from 67±3% to 50±2% and 80±10μm to 67±7μm, respectively. On the contrary, as the wall size was increased from 18±2μm to 30±3μm, the compressive strength and stiffness were increased from 58±8MPa to 162±10MPa and from 2.5±0.7GPa to 6.5±0.9GPa, respectively. The porous titanium scaffolds with long-range lamellar structure and controllable pore structure produced in present work will be capable of having potential application as bone tissue scaffold materials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-range memory and multifractality in gold markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mali, Provash; Mukhopadhyay, Amitabha

2015-03-01

Long-range correlation and fluctuation in the gold market time series of the world's two leading gold consuming countries, namely China and India, are studied. For both the market series during the period 1985-2013 we observe a long-range persistence of memory in the sequences of maxima (minima) of returns in successive time windows of fixed length, but the series, as a whole, are found to be uncorrelated. Multifractal analysis for these series as well as for the sequences of maxima (minima) is carried out in terms of the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) method. We observe a weak multifractal structure for the original series that mainly originates from the fat-tailed probability distribution function of the values, and the multifractal nature of the original time series is enriched into their sequences of maximal (minimal) returns. A quantitative measure of multifractality is provided by using a set of ‘complexity parameters’.

High-harmonic generation in amorphous solids

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

You, Yong Sing; Yin, Yanchun; Wu, Yi

High-harmonic generation in isolated atoms and molecules has been widely utilized in extreme ultraviolet photonics and attosecond pulse metrology. Recently, high-harmonic generation has been observed in solids, which could lead to important applications such as all-optical methods to image valance charge density and reconstruct electronic band structures, as well as compact extreme ultraviolet light sources. So far these studies are confined to crystalline solids; therefore, decoupling the respective roles of long-range periodicity and high density has been challenging. Here we report the observation of high-harmonic generation from amorphous fused silica. We also decouple the role of long-range periodicity by comparingmore » harmonics generated from fused silica and crystalline quartz, which contain the same atomic constituents but differ in long-range periodicity. These results advance current understanding of the strong-field processes leading to high-harmonic generation in solids with implications for the development of robust and compact extreme ultraviolet light sources.« less

Long-range electron transport of ruthenium-centered multilayer films via a stepping-stone mechanism.

PubMed

Terada, Kei-ichi; Nakamura, Hisao; Kanaizuka, Katsuhiko; Haga, Masa-aki; Asai, Yoshihiro; Ishida, Takao

2012-03-27

We studied electron transport of Ru complex multilayer films, whose structure resembles redox-active complex films known in the literature to have long-range electron transport abilities. Hydrogen bond formation in terms of pH control was used to induce spontaneous growth of a Ru complex multilayer. We made a cross-check between electrochemical measurements and I-V measurements using PEDOT:PSS to eliminate the risk of pinhole contributions to the mechanism and have found small β values of 0.012-0.021 Å(-1). Our Ru complex layers exhibit long-range electron transport but with low conductance. On the basis of the results of our theoretical-experimental collaboration, we propose a modified tunneling mechanism named the "stepping-stone mechanism", where the alignment of site potentials forms a narrow band around E(F), making resonant tunneling possible. Our observations may support Tuccito et al.'s proposed mechanism. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Self-organized molecular films with long-range quasiperiodic order.

PubMed

Fournée, Vincent; Gaudry, Émilie; Ledieu, Julian; de Weerd, Marie-Cécile; Wu, Dongmei; Lograsso, Thomas

2014-04-22

Self-organized molecular films with long-range quasiperiodic order have been grown by using the complex potential energy landscape of quasicrystalline surfaces as templates. The long-range order arises from a specific subset of quasilattice sites acting as preferred adsorption sites for the molecules, thus enforcing a quasiperiodic structure in the film. These adsorption sites exhibit a local 5-fold symmetry resulting from the cut by the surface plane through the cluster units identified in the bulk solid. Symmetry matching between the C60 fullerene and the substrate leads to a preferred adsorption configuration of the molecules with a pentagonal face down, a feature unique to quasicrystalline surfaces, enabling efficient chemical bonding at the molecule-substrate interface. This finding offers opportunities to investigate the physical properties of model 2D quasiperiodic systems, as the molecules can be functionalized to yield architectures with tailor-made properties.

Long-Range Adiabatic Corrections to the Ground Molecular State of Alkali-Metal Dimers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marinescu, M.; Dalgarno, A.

1997-04-01

The structure of the long-range limit of the diagonal adiabatic corrections to the ground molecular state of diatomic molecules, may be expressed as a series of inverse powers of internuclear distance, R. The coefficients of this expansion are proportional to the inverse of the nuclear mass. Thus, they may be interpreted as a nuclear mass-dependent corrections to the dispersion coefficients. Using perturbation theory we have calculated the long-range coefficients of the diagonal adiabatic corrections up to the order of R-10. The final expressions are in terms of integrals over imaginary frequencies of products of atomic matrix elements involving Green's functions of complex energy. Thus, in our approach the molecular problem is reduced to an atomic one. Numerical evaluations have been done for all alkali-metal dimers. We acknowledge the support of the U.S. Dept. of Energy.

High-harmonic generation in amorphous solids

DOE PAGES

You, Yong Sing; Yin, Yanchun; Wu, Yi; ...

2017-09-28

High-harmonic generation in isolated atoms and molecules has been widely utilized in extreme ultraviolet photonics and attosecond pulse metrology. Recently, high-harmonic generation has been observed in solids, which could lead to important applications such as all-optical methods to image valance charge density and reconstruct electronic band structures, as well as compact extreme ultraviolet light sources. So far these studies are confined to crystalline solids; therefore, decoupling the respective roles of long-range periodicity and high density has been challenging. Here we report the observation of high-harmonic generation from amorphous fused silica. We also decouple the role of long-range periodicity by comparingmore » harmonics generated from fused silica and crystalline quartz, which contain the same atomic constituents but differ in long-range periodicity. These results advance current understanding of the strong-field processes leading to high-harmonic generation in solids with implications for the development of robust and compact extreme ultraviolet light sources.« less

Functional neuroimaging of extraversion-introversion.

PubMed

Lei, Xu; Yang, Tianliang; Wu, Taoyu

2015-12-01

Neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography have provided an unprecedented neurobiological perspective for research on personality traits. Evidence from task-related neuroimaging has shown that extraversion is associated with activations in regions of the anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, middle temporal gyrus and the amygdala. Currently, resting-state neuroimaging is being widely used in cognitive neuroscience. Initial exploration of extraversion has revealed correlations with the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, and the precuneus. Recent research work has indicated that the long-range temporal dependence of the resting-state spontaneous oscillation has high test-retest reliability. Moreover, the long-range temporal dependence of the resting-state networks is highly correlated with personality traits, and this can be used for the prediction of extraversion. As the long-range temporal dependence reflects real-time information updating in individuals, this method may provide a new approach to research on personality traits.

Magnetic order close to superconductivity in the iron-based layered LaO1-xFxFeAs systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de La Cruz, Clarina; Huang, Q.; Lynn, J. W.; Li, Jiying; , W. Ratcliff, II; Zarestky, J. L.; Mook, H. A.; Chen, G. F.; Luo, J. L.; Wang, N. L.; Dai, Pengcheng

2008-06-01

Following the discovery of long-range antiferromagnetic order in the parent compounds of high-transition-temperature (high-Tc) copper oxides, there have been efforts to understand the role of magnetism in the superconductivity that occurs when mobile `electrons' or `holes' are doped into the antiferromagnetic parent compounds. Superconductivity in the newly discovered rare-earth iron-based oxide systems ROFeAs (R, rare-earth metal) also arises from either electron or hole doping of their non-superconducting parent compounds. The parent material LaOFeAs is metallic but shows anomalies near 150K in both resistivity and d.c. magnetic susceptibility. Although optical conductivity and theoretical calculations suggest that LaOFeAs exhibits a spin-density-wave (SDW) instability that is suppressed by doping with electrons to induce superconductivity, there has been no direct evidence of SDW order. Here we report neutron-scattering experiments that demonstrate that LaOFeAs undergoes an abrupt structural distortion below 155K, changing the symmetry from tetragonal (space group P4/nmm) to monoclinic (space group P112/n) at low temperatures, and then, at ~137K, develops long-range SDW-type antiferromagnetic order with a small moment but simple magnetic structure. Doping the system with fluorine suppresses both the magnetic order and the structural distortion in favour of superconductivity. Therefore, like high-Tc copper oxides, the superconducting regime in these iron-based materials occurs in close proximity to a long-range-ordered antiferromagnetic ground state.

Anisotropic piezoresistivity characteristics of aligned carbon nanotube-polymer nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sengezer, Engin C.; Seidel, Gary D.; Bodnar, Robert J.

2017-09-01

Dielectrophoresis under the application of AC electric fields is one of the primary fabrication techniques for obtaining aligned carbon nanotube (CNT)-polymer nanocomposites, and is used here to generate long range alignment of CNTs at the structural level. The degree of alignment of CNTs within this long range architecture is observed via polarized Raman spectroscopy so that its influence on the electrical conductivity and piezoresistive response in both the alignment and transverse to alignment directions can be assessed. Nanocomposite samples consisting of randomly oriented, well dispersed single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and of long range electric field aligned SWCNTs in a photopolymerizable monomer blend (urethane dimethacrylate and 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate) are quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated. Piezoresistive sensitivities in form of gauge factors were measured for randomly oriented, well dispersed specimens with 0.03, 0.1 and 0.5 wt% SWCNTs and compared with gauge factors in both the axial and transverse to SWCNT alignment directions for electric field aligned 0.03 wt% specimens under both quasi-static monotonic and cyclic tensile loading. Gauge factors in the axial direction were observed to be on the order of 2, while gauge factors in the transverse direction demonstrated a 5 fold increase with values on the order of 10 for aligned specimens. Based on Raman analysis, it is believed the higher sensitivity of the transverse direction is related to architectural evolution of misaligned bridging structures which connect alignment structures under load due to Poisson’s contraction.

Toward Knowledge Systems for Sustainability Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaks, D. P.; Jahn, M.

2011-12-01

Managing ecosystems for the outcomes of agricultural productivity and resilience will require fundamentally different knowledge management systems. In the industrial paradigm of the 20th century, land was considered an open, unconstrained system managed for maximum yield. While dramatic increases in yield occurred in some crops and locations, unintended but often foreseeable consequences emerged. While productivity remains a key objective, we must develop analytic systems that can identify better management options for the full range of monetized and non-monetized inputs, outputs and outcomes that are captured in the following framing question: How much valued service (e.g. food, materials, energy) can we draw from a landscape while maintaining adequate levels of other valued or necessary services (e.g. biodiversity, water, climate regulation, cultural services) including the long-term productivity of the land? This question is placed within our contemporary framing of valued services, but structured to illuminate the shifts required to achieve long-term sufficiency and planetary resilience. This framing also highlights the need for fundamentally new knowledge systems including information management infrastructures, which effectively support decision-making on landscapes. The purpose of this initiative by authors from diverse fields across government and academic science is to call attention to the need for a vision and investment in sustainability science for landscape management. Substantially enhanced capabilities are needed to compare and integrate information from diverse sources, collected over time that link choices made to meet our needs from landscapes to both short and long term consequences. To further the goal of an information infrastructure for sustainability science, three distinct but interlocking domains are best distinguished: 1) a domain of data, information and knowledge assets; 2) a domain that houses relevant models and tools in a curated space; and 3) a domain that includes decision support tools and systems tailored toward frame particular trade-offs, which may focus on inputs or outputs and may range in scale from local to global. An information infrastructure for sustainability science is best built be built and maintained as a modular, open source, open standard, open access, open content platform. We have defined the scope of this challenge, managing choices within agroecosystems, recognizing that any decision on a landscape involves multidimensional tradeoffs. An effort to address this challenge will need a cohesive, coherent and targeted approach toward an integrated knowledge management infrastructure for sustainability science applied to land management is essential to move more rapidly toward sustainable, productive, and resilient landscapes.

Neural field model to reconcile structure with function in primary visual cortex.

PubMed

Rankin, James; Chavane, Frédéric

2017-10-01

Voltage-sensitive dye imaging experiments in primary visual cortex (V1) have shown that local, oriented visual stimuli elicit stable orientation-selective activation within the stimulus retinotopic footprint. The cortical activation dynamically extends far beyond the retinotopic footprint, but the peripheral spread stays non-selective-a surprising finding given a number of anatomo-functional studies showing the orientation specificity of long-range connections. Here we use a computational model to investigate this apparent discrepancy by studying the expected population response using known published anatomical constraints. The dynamics of input-driven localized states were simulated in a planar neural field model with multiple sub-populations encoding orientation. The realistic connectivity profile has parameters controlling the clustering of long-range connections and their orientation bias. We found substantial overlap between the anatomically relevant parameter range and a steep decay in orientation selective activation that is consistent with the imaging experiments. In this way our study reconciles the reported orientation bias of long-range connections with the functional expression of orientation selective neural activity. Our results demonstrate this sharp decay is contingent on three factors, that long-range connections are sufficiently diffuse, that the orientation bias of these connections is in an intermediate range (consistent with anatomy) and that excitation is sufficiently balanced by inhibition. Conversely, our modelling results predict that, for reduced inhibition strength, spurious orientation selective activation could be generated through long-range lateral connections. Furthermore, if the orientation bias of lateral connections is very strong, or if inhibition is particularly weak, the network operates close to an instability leading to unbounded cortical activation.

Solid-State Molecular Nanomagnet Inclusion into a Magnetic Metal-Organic Framework: Interplay of the Magnetic Properties.

PubMed

Mon, Marta; Pascual-Álvarez, Alejandro; Grancha, Thais; Cano, Joan; Ferrando-Soria, Jesús; Lloret, Francesc; Gascon, Jorge; Pasán, Jorge; Armentano, Donatella; Pardo, Emilio

2016-01-11

Single-ion magnets (SIMs) are the smallest possible magnetic devices and are a controllable, bottom-up approach to nanoscale magnetism with potential applications in quantum computing and high-density information storage. In this work, we take advantage of the promising, but yet insufficiently explored, solid-state chemistry of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to report the single-crystal to single-crystal inclusion of such molecular nanomagnets within the pores of a magnetic MOF. The resulting host-guest supramolecular aggregate is used as a playground in the first in-depth study on the interplay between the internal magnetic field created by the long-range magnetic ordering of the structured MOF and the slow magnetic relaxation of the SIM. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structural evolution of nrDNA ITS in Pinaceae and its phylogenetic implications.

PubMed

Kan, Xian-Zhao; Wang, Shan-Shan; Ding, Xin; Wang, Xiao-Quan

2007-08-01

Nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) has been considered as an important tool for inferring phylogenetic relationships at many taxonomic levels. In comparison with its fast concerted evolution in angiosperms, nrDNA is symbolized by slow concerted evolution and substantial ITS region length variation in gymnosperms, particularly in Pinaceae. Here we studied structure characteristics, including subrepeat composition, size, GC content and secondary structure, of nrDNA ITS regions of all Pinaceae genera. The results showed that the ITS regions of all taxa studied contained subrepeat units, ranging from 2 to 9 in number, and these units could be divided into two types, longer subrepeat (LSR) without the motif (5'-GGCCACCCTAGTC) and shorter subrepeat (SSR) with the motif. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the homology of some SSRs still can be recognized, providing important informations for the evolutionary history of nrDNA ITS and phylogeny of Pinaceae. In particular, the adjacent tandem SSRs are not more closely related to one another than they are to remote SSRs in some genera, which may imply that multiple structure variations such as recombination have occurred in the ITS1 region of these groups. This study also found that GC content in the ITS1 region is relevant to its sequence length and subrepeat number, and could provide some phylogenetic information, especially supporting the close relationships among Picea, Pinus, and Cathaya. Moreover, several characteristics of the secondary structure of Pinaceae ITS1 were found as follows: (1) the structure is dominated by several extended hairpins; (2) the configuration complexity is positively correlated with subrepeat number; (3) paired subrepeats often partially overlap at the conserved motif (5'-GGCCACCCTAGTC), and form a long stem, while other subrepeats fold onto itself, leaving part of the conserved motif exposed in hairpin loops.

Conceptual study of hypersonic airbreathing missiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunt, J. L.; Lawing, P. L.; Marcum, D. C.; Cubbage, J. M.

1978-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to report recent results of an in-house conceptual study to evaluate the performance potential and research needs of airbreathing hypersonic missiles. An alkylated-borane (noncryogenic) fueled, dual-mode, ramjet/scramjet propulsion system structured with a Rene 41 inlet and a carbon-carbon combustor was assumed along with a Lockalloy heat sink fuselage structure and beryllium wings and control surfaces. Performance for an air-launched baseline missile with a 961 pound staging weight containing a 100 pound payload indicated excellent long range cruise, moderate acceleration and high maneuverability potential. A sizing study indicates that Mach 6 cruise ranges of the order of 2500 nautical miles for payloads of 300 pounds can be achieved with moderate size missile carry weights (9000 lbs.). Aerodynamic heating analyses indicate that unprotected heat-sink structures with internal insulation are feasible for ranges of several hundred miles. For ranges of several thousands of miles a multiwall radiation shield (Inconel/titanium) was selected for protection of the internally insulated heat sink structure.

Resonant magnetic scattering of polarized soft x rays

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

Sacchi, M.; Hague, C.F.; Gullikson, E.M.

1997-04-01

Magnetic effects on X-ray scattering (Bragg diffraction, specular reflectivity or diffuse scattering) are a well known phenomenon, and they also represent a powerful tool for investigating magnetic materials since it was shown that they are strongly enhanced when the photon energy is tuned across an absorption edge (resonant process). The resonant enhancement of the magnetic scattering has mainly been investigated at high photon energies, in order to match the Bragg law for the typical lattice spacings of crystals. In the soft X-ray range, even larger effects are expected, working for instance at the 2p edges of transition metals of themore » first row or at the 3d edges of rare earths (300-1500 eV), but the corresponding long wavelengths prevent the use of single crystals. Two approaches have been recently adopted in this energy range: (i) the study of the Bragg diffraction from artificial structures of appropriate 2d spacing; (ii) the analysis of the specular reflectivity, which contains analogous information but has no constraints related to the lattice spacing. Both approaches have their own specific advantages: for instance, working under Bragg conditions provides information about the (magnetic) periodicity in ordered structures, while resonant reflectivity can easily be related to electronic properties and absorption spectra. An important aspect common to all the resonant X-ray scattering techniques is the element selectivity inherent to the fact of working at a specific absorption edge: under these conditions, X-ray scattering becomes in fact a spectroscopy. Results are presented for films of iron and cobalt.« less

Protein Conformational Populations and Functionally Relevant Sub-states

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

Agarwal, Pratul K; Burger, Virginia; Savol, Andrej

2013-01-01

Functioning proteins do not remain fixed in a unique structure, but instead they sample a range of conformations facilitated by motions within the protein. Even in the native state, a protein exists as a collection of interconverting conformations driven by thermodynamic fluctuations. Motions on the fast time scale allow a protein to sample conformations in the nearby area of its conformational landscape, while motions on slower time scales give it access to conformations in distal areas of the landscape. Emerging evidence indicates that protein landscapes contain conformational substates with dynamic and structural features that support the designated function of themore » protein. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments provide information about conformational ensembles of proteins. X-ray crystallography allows researchers to identify the most populated states along the landscape, and computational simulations give atom-level information about the conformational substates of different proteins. This ability to characterize and obtain quantitative information about the conformational substates and the populations of proteins within them is allowing researchers to better understand the relationship between protein structure and dynamics and the mechanisms of protein function. In this Account, we discuss recent developments and challenges in the characterization of functionally relevant conformational populations and substates of proteins. In some enzymes, the sampling of functionally relevant conformational substates is connected to promoting the overall mechanism of catalysis. For example, the conformational landscape of the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase has multiple substates, which facilitate the binding and the release of the cofactor and substrate and catalyze the hydride transfer. For the enzyme cyclophilin A, computational simulations reveal that the long time scale conformational fluctuations enable the enzyme to access conformational substates that allow it to attain the transition state, therefore promoting the reaction mechanism. In the long term, this emerging view of proteins with conformational substates has broad implications for improving our understanding of enzymes, enzyme engineering, and better drug design. Researchers have already used photoactivation to modulate protein conformations as a strategy to develop a hypercatalytic enzyme. In addition, the alteration of the conformational substates through binding of ligands at locations other than the active site provides the basis for the design of new medicines through allosteric modulation.« less

The design of a long range megatransport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisshaar, T. A.; Layton, J. B.; Allen, C. L.

1993-01-01

Megatransport objectives and constraints are briefly reviewed, and certain solutions developed by student design teams at Perdue University are summarized. Particular attention is given to the market needs and the economic risks involved in such a project; and the different approaches taken to solve the problem and difficulties faced by the design teams. A long range megatransport aircraft is aimed at carrying more than 600 passengers at reduced cost, and at the same time, reducing airport and airway congestion. The design effort must take into account airport terminal facilities; passenger loading and unloading; and defeating the 'square-cube' law to design large structures.

Vortex flows with suspended separation regions and long-range untwisted central jets

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

Abramovich, G.N.; Trofimov, R.S.

1988-05-01

A study is made of possible physicoaerodynamic configurations of vortical flow with suspended separation regions and untwisted central jets. Such flows are encountered in power plants (heat exchangers, combustion chambers, and chemical reactors) and in nature (tornadoes). The basic configurations of several flows of this type are described, including the structure of a flow formed by coaxial cocurrent twisted jets, the flow in a conical swirl chamber with the formation of an untwisted long-range axial jet, the flow pattern in a gas turbine engine chamber, and some considerations regarding the aerodynamics of a tornado.

Proton clouds to measure long-range contacts between nonexchangeable side chain protons in solid-state NMR.

PubMed

Sinnige, Tessa; Daniëls, Mark; Baldus, Marc; Weingarth, Markus

2014-03-26

We show that selective labeling of proteins with protonated amino acids embedded in a perdeuterated matrix, dubbed 'proton clouds', provides general access to long-range contacts between nonexchangeable side chain protons in proton-detected solid-state NMR, which is important to study protein tertiary structure. Proton-cloud labeling significantly improves spectral resolution by simultaneously reducing proton line width and spectral crowding despite a high local proton density in clouds. The approach is amenable to almost all canonical amino acids. Our method is demonstrated on ubiquitin and the β-barrel membrane protein BamA.

Intermediate- and short-range order in phosphorus-selenium glasses

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

Bytchkov, Aleksei; Hennet, Louis; Price, David L.

2011-04-01

State-of-the-art neutron and x-ray diffraction measurements have been performed to provide a definitive picture of the intermediate- and short-range structures of P{sub x}Se{sub 1-x} glasses spanning two glass regions, x 0.025-0.54 and 0.64-0.84. Liquid P{sub 4}Se{sub 3} and amorphous red P and Se were also measured. Detailed information was obtained about the development with increasing phosphorous concentration of intermediate-range order on the length scale {approx}6 A ring , based on the behavior of the first sharp diffraction peak. Attention is also paid to the feature in the structure factor at 7.5 A ring {sup -1}, identified in earlier numerical simulations,more » provides further evidence of the existence of molecular units. The real-space transforms yield a reliable statistical picture of the changing short-range order as x increases, using the information about types and concentrations of local structural units provided by previous NMR measurements to interpret the trends observed.« less

Long-range intercellular Ca2+ wave patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabi, C. B.; Maïna, I.; Mohamadou, A.; Ekobena, H. P. F.; Kofané, T. C.

2015-10-01

Modulational instability is utilized to investigate intercellular Ca2+ wave propagation in an array of diffusively coupled cells. Cells are supposed to be connected via paracrine signaling, where long-range effects, due to the presence of extracellular messengers, are included. The multiple-scale expansion is used to show that the whole dynamics of Ca2+ waves, from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol, can be reduced to a single differential-difference nonlinear equation whose solutions are assumed to be plane waves. Their linear stability analysis is studied, with emphasis on the impact of long-range coupling, via the range parameter s. It is shown that s, as well as the number of interacting cells, importantly modifies the features of modulational instability, as small values of s imply a strong coupling, and increasing its value rather reduces the problem to a first-neighbor one. Our theoretical findings are numerically tested, as the generic equations are fully integrated, leading to the emergence of nonlinear patterns of Ca2+ waves. Strong long-range coupling is pictured by extended trains of breather-like structures whose frequency decreases with increasing s. We also show numerically that the number of interacting cells plays on the spatio-temporal formation of Ca2+ patterns, whilst the quasi-perfect intercellular communication depends on the paracrine coupling parameter.

Using cuttlefish ink as an additive to produce -non-iridescent structural colors of high color visibility.

PubMed

Zhang, Yafeng; Dong, Biqin; Chen, Ang; Liu, Xiaohan; Shi, Lei; Zi, Jian

2015-08-26

Non-iridescent structural colors of high color visibility are produced by amorphous photonic structures, in which -natural cuttlefish ink is used as an additive to break down the long-range order of the structures. The color hue and its spectral purity can be tuned by adjusting the diameter of the polystyrene (PS) spheres and the proportion of ink particles. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Wired: impacts of increasing power line use by a growing bird population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreira, Francisco; Encarnação, Vitor; Rosa, Gonçalo; Gilbert, Nathalie; Infante, Samuel; Costa, Julieta; D'Amico, Marcello; Martins, Ricardo C.; Catry, Inês

2017-02-01

Power lines are increasingly widespread across many regions of the planet. Although these linear infrastructures are known for their negative impacts on bird populations, through collision and electrocution, some species take advantage of electricity pylons for nesting. In this case, estimation of the net impact of these infrastructures at the population level requires an assessment of trade-offs between positive and negative impacts. We compiled historical information (1958-2014) of the Portuguese white stork Ciconia ciconia population to analyze long-term changes in numbers, distribution range and use of nesting structures. White stork population size increased 660% up to 12000 breeding pairs between 1984 and 2014. In the same period, the proportion of nests on electricity pylons increased from 1% to 25%, likely facilitated by the 60% increase in the length of the very high tension power line grid (holding the majority of the nests) in the stork’s distribution range. No differences in breeding success were registered for storks nesting on electricity pylons versus other structures, but a high risk of mortality by collision and electrocution with power lines was estimated. We discuss the implications of this behavioral change, and of the management responses by power line companies, both for stork populations and for managers.

Assessing ecological correlates of marine bird declines to inform marine conservation.

PubMed

Vilchis, L Ignacio; Johnson, Christine K; Evenson, Joseph R; Pearson, Scott F; Barry, Karen L; Davidson, Peter; Raphael, Martin G; Gaydos, Joseph K

2015-02-01

Identifying drivers of ecosystem change in large marine ecosystems is central for their effective management and conservation. This is a sizable challenge, particularly in ecosystems transcending international borders, where monitoring and conservation of long-range migratory species and their habitats are logistically and financially problematic. Here, using tools borrowed from epidemiology, we elucidated common drivers underlying species declines within a marine ecosystem, much in the way epidemiological analyses evaluate risk factors for negative health outcomes to better inform decisions. Thus, we identified ecological traits and dietary specializations associated with species declines in a community of marine predators that could be reflective of ecosystem change. To do so, we integrated count data from winter surveys collected in long-term marine bird monitoring programs conducted throughout the Salish Sea--a transboundary large marine ecosystem in North America's Pacific Northwest. We found that decadal declines in winter counts were most prevalent among pursuit divers such as alcids (Alcidae) and grebes (Podicipedidae) that have specialized diets based on forage fish, and that wide-ranging species without local breeding colonies were more prone to these declines. Although a combination of factors is most likely driving declines of diving forage fish specialists, we propose that changes in the availability of low-trophic prey may be forcing wintering range shifts of diving birds in the Salish Sea. Such a synthesis of long-term trends in a marine predator community not only provides unique insights into the types of species that are at risk of extirpation and why, but may also inform proactive conservation measures to counteract threats--information that is paramount for species-specific and ecosystem-wide conservation. © 2014 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., on behalf of the Society for Conservation Biology.

Swedish-Portuguese Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Information and Documentation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hjerppe, Roland

Discussions between Portugal and Sweden regarding cooperation in the field of education have been going on since 1975. This report outlines short term and long range goals, conditions, and proposals of the Swedish mission to Portugal to implement modern information and documentation services in scientific and technical research and development.…

Goals for Long-Range Research in Information Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearson, Charls

In order to discuss the research goals of information science (IS), both its logical and its specific nature must be determined. Peircean logical analysis shows that IS may be classified in three parts: pure science, applied science, and technology. The deficiency in the present state of the art is in the pure science, or theoretical portion, of…

1988-2000 Long-Range Plan for Technology of the Texas State Board of Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Board of Education, Austin.

This plan plots the course for meeting educational needs in Texas through such technologies as computer-based systems, devices for storage and retrieval of massive amounts of information, telecommunications for audio, video, and information sharing, and other electronic media devised by the year 2000 that can help meet the instructional and…

Manpower Information Manual. A Manual for Local Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allred, Marcus D.; Myers, Christine F.

The step-by-step procedures contained in this manual are intended to develop a simple information system that can be used to collect and process the best possible factual data on the manpower needs of the community served by an educational institution, so that long-range planning of vocational curriculum and guidance can be based on what the jobs…

Exploring Use of Climate Information in Wildland Fire Management: A Decision Calendar Study

Treesearch

Thomas W. Corringham; Anthony L. Westerling; Barbara J. Morehouse

2006-01-01

Wildfire management is an institutionally complex process involving a complex budget and appropriations cycle, a variety of objectives, and a set of internal and external political constraints. Significant potential exists for enhancing the use of climate information and long-range climate forecasts in wildland fire management in the Western U.S. Written surveys and...

Long-Range Goals in International Telecommunications and Information: An Outline for United States Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

This report presents a comprehensive delineation of the principal issues in the field of international telecommunications and information, as well as an overview of United States policy in this area. The first part discusses international trends in protectionism and the politicization of international forums; it also outlines United States goals,…

Unified Deep Learning Architecture for Modeling Biology Sequence.

PubMed

Wu, Hongjie; Cao, Chengyuan; Xia, Xiaoyan; Lu, Qiang

2017-10-09

Prediction of the spatial structure or function of biological macromolecules based on their sequence remains an important challenge in bioinformatics. When modeling biological sequences using traditional sequencing models, characteristics, such as long-range interactions between basic units, the complicated and variable output of labeled structures, and the variable length of biological sequences, usually lead to different solutions on a case-by-case basis. This study proposed the use of bidirectional recurrent neural networks based on long short-term memory or a gated recurrent unit to capture long-range interactions by designing the optional reshape operator to adapt to the diversity of the output labels and implementing a training algorithm to support the training of sequence models capable of processing variable-length sequences. Additionally, the merge and pooling operators enhanced the ability to capture short-range interactions between basic units of biological sequences. The proposed deep-learning model and its training algorithm might be capable of solving currently known biological sequence-modeling problems through the use of a unified framework. We validated our model on one of the most difficult biological sequence-modeling problems currently known, with our results indicating the ability of the model to obtain predictions of protein residue interactions that exceeded the accuracy of current popular approaches by 10% based on multiple benchmarks.

Large scale genomic reorganization of topological domains at the HoxD locus.

PubMed

Fabre, Pierre J; Leleu, Marion; Mormann, Benjamin H; Lopez-Delisle, Lucille; Noordermeer, Daan; Beccari, Leonardo; Duboule, Denis

2017-08-07

The transcriptional activation of HoxD genes during mammalian limb development involves dynamic interactions with two topologically associating domains (TADs) flanking the HoxD cluster. In particular, the activation of the most posterior HoxD genes in developing digits is controlled by regulatory elements located in the centromeric TAD (C-DOM) through long-range contacts. To assess the structure-function relationships underlying such interactions, we measured compaction levels and TAD discreteness using a combination of chromosome conformation capture (4C-seq) and DNA FISH. We assessed the robustness of the TAD architecture by using a series of genomic deletions and inversions that impact the integrity of this chromatin domain and that remodel long-range contacts. We report multi-partite associations between HoxD genes and up to three enhancers. We find that the loss of native chromatin topology leads to the remodeling of TAD structure following distinct parameters. Our results reveal that the recomposition of TAD architectures after large genomic re-arrangements is dependent on a boundary-selection mechanism in which CTCF mediates the gating of long-range contacts in combination with genomic distance and sequence specificity. Accordingly, the building of a recomposed TAD at this locus depends on distinct functional and constitutive parameters.

Measurement of Long-Range Near-Side Two-Particle Angular Correlations in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV.

PubMed

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Katkov, I; Kornmayer, A; Lobelle Pardo, P; Maier, B; Mildner, H; Mozer, M U; Müller, T; Müller, Th; Plagge, M; Quast, G; Rabbertz, K; Röcker, S; Roscher, F; Schröder, M; Sieber, G; Simonis, H J; Stober, F M; Ulrich, R; Wagner-Kuhr, J; Wayand, S; Weber, M; Weiler, T; Williamson, S; Wöhrmann, C; Wolf, R; Anagnostou, G; Daskalakis, G; Geralis, T; Giakoumopoulou, V A; Kyriakis, A; Loukas, D; Psallidas, A; Topsis-Giotis, I; Agapitos, A; Kesisoglou, S; Panagiotou, A; Saoulidou, N; Tziaferi, E; Evangelou, I; Flouris, G; Foudas, C; Kokkas, P; Loukas, N; Manthos, N; Papadopoulos, I; Paradas, E; Strologas, J; Bencze, G; Hajdu, C; Hazi, A; Hidas, P; Horvath, D; Sikler, F; Veszpremi, V; Vesztergombi, G; Zsigmond, A J; Beni, N; Czellar, S; Karancsi, J; Molnar, J; Szillasi, Z; Bartók, M; Makovec, A; Raics, P; Trocsanyi, Z L; Ujvari, B; Choudhury, S; Mal, P; Mandal, K; Sahoo, D K; Sahoo, N; Swain, S K; Bansal, S; Beri, S B; Bhatnagar, V; Chawla, R; Gupta, R; Bhawandeep, U; Kalsi, A K; Kaur, A; Kaur, M; 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Kamalieddin, R; Knowlton, D; Kravchenko, I; Meier, F; Monroy, J; Ratnikov, F; Siado, J E; Snow, G R; Alyari, M; Dolen, J; George, J; Godshalk, A; Harrington, C; Iashvili, I; Kaisen, J; Kharchilava, A; Kumar, A; Rappoccio, S; Roozbahani, B; Alverson, G; Barberis, E; Baumgartel, D; Chasco, M; Hortiangtham, A; Massironi, A; Morse, D M; Nash, D; Orimoto, T; Teixeira De Lima, R; Trocino, D; Wang, R-J; Wood, D; Zhang, J; Bhattacharya, S; Hahn, K A; Kubik, A; Low, J F; Mucia, N; Odell, N; Pollack, B; Schmitt, M; Stoynev, S; Sung, K; Trovato, M; Velasco, M; Brinkerhoff, A; Dev, N; Hildreth, M; Jessop, C; Karmgard, D J; Kellams, N; Lannon, K; Marinelli, N; Meng, F; Mueller, C; Musienko, Y; Planer, M; Reinsvold, A; Ruchti, R; Smith, G; Taroni, S; Valls, N; Wayne, M; Wolf, M; Woodard, A; Antonelli, L; Brinson, J; Bylsma, B; Durkin, L S; Flowers, S; Hart, A; Hill, C; Hughes, R; Ji, W; Ling, T Y; Liu, B; Luo, W; Puigh, D; Rodenburg, M; Winer, B L; Wulsin, H W; Driga, O; Elmer, P; Hardenbrook, J; Hebda, P; Koay, S A; Lujan, P; Marlow, D; Medvedeva, T; Mooney, M; Olsen, J; Palmer, C; Piroué, P; Saka, H; Stickland, D; Tully, C; Zuranski, A; Malik, S; Barker, A; Barnes, V E; Benedetti, D; Bortoletto, D; Gutay, L; Jha, M K; Jones, M; Jung, A W; Jung, K; Kumar, A; Miller, D H; Neumeister, N; Radburn-Smith, B C; Shi, X; Shipsey, I; Silvers, D; Sun, J; Svyatkovskiy, A; Wang, F; Xie, W; Xu, L; Parashar, N; Stupak, J; Adair, A; Akgun, B; Chen, Z; Ecklund, K M; Geurts, F J M; Guilbaud, M; Li, W; Michlin, B; Northup, M; Padley, B P; Redjimi, R; Roberts, J; Rorie, J; Tu, Z; Zabel, J; Betchart, B; Bodek, A; de Barbaro, P; Demina, R; Eshaq, Y; Ferbel, T; Galanti, M; Garcia-Bellido, A; Han, J; Harel, A; Hindrichs, O; Khukhunaishvili, A; Petrillo, G; Tan, P; Verzetti, M; Arora, S; Chou, J P; Contreras-Campana, C; Contreras-Campana, E; Ferencek, D; Gershtein, Y; Gray, R; Halkiadakis, E; Hidas, D; Hughes, E; Kaplan, S; Kunnawalkam Elayavalli, R; Lath, A; Nash, K; Panwalkar, S; Park, M; Salur, S; Schnetzer, S; Sheffield, D; Somalwar, S; Stone, R; Thomas, S; Thomassen, P; Walker, M; Foerster, M; Riley, G; Rose, K; Spanier, S; Bouhali, O; Castaneda Hernandez, A; Celik, A; Dalchenko, M; De Mattia, M; Delgado, A; Dildick, S; Eusebi, R; Gilmore, J; Huang, T; Kamon, T; Krutelyov, V; Mueller, R; Osipenkov, I; Pakhotin, Y; Patel, R; Perloff, A; Rose, A; Safonov, A; Tatarinov, A; Ulmer, K A; Akchurin, N; Cowden, C; Damgov, J; Dragoiu, C; Dudero, P R; Faulkner, J; Kunori, S; Lamichhane, K; Lee, S W; Libeiro, T; Undleeb, S; Volobouev, I; Appelt, E; Delannoy, A G; Greene, S; Gurrola, A; Janjam, R; Johns, W; Maguire, C; Mao, Y; Melo, A; Ni, H; Sheldon, P; Tuo, S; Velkovska, J; Xu, Q; Arenton, M W; Cox, B; Francis, B; Goodell, J; Hirosky, R; Ledovskoy, A; Li, H; Lin, C; Neu, C; Sinthuprasith, T; Sun, X; Wang, Y; Wolfe, E; Wood, J; Xia, F; Clarke, C; Harr, R; Karchin, P E; Kottachchi Kankanamge Don, C; Lamichhane, P; Sturdy, J; Belknap, D A; Carlsmith, D; Cepeda, M; Dasu, S; Dodd, L; Duric, S; Gomber, B; Grothe, M; Hall-Wilton, R; Herndon, M; Hervé, A; Klabbers, P; Lanaro, A; Levine, A; Long, K; Loveless, R; Mohapatra, A; Ojalvo, I; Perry, T; Pierro, G A; Polese, G; Ruggles, T; Sarangi, T; Savin, A; Sharma, A; Smith, N; Smith, W H; Taylor, D; Verwilligen, P; Woods, N

2016-04-29

Results on two-particle angular correlations for charged particles produced in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV are presented. The data were taken with the CMS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 270  nb^{-1}. The correlations are studied over a broad range of pseudorapidity (|η|<2.4) and over the full azimuth (ϕ) as a function of charged particle multiplicity and transverse momentum (p_{T}). In high-multiplicity events, a long-range (|Δη|>2.0), near-side (Δϕ≈0) structure emerges in the two-particle Δη-Δϕ correlation functions. The magnitude of the correlation exhibits a pronounced maximum in the range 1.0

The depth range of azimuthal anisotropy beneath Southern California via analyses of long-period Rayleigh-waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsang, Stephanie Doris

The motion of the mantle beneath the tectonic plates is still unknown. Mantle shears associated with flow generate anisotropy. In order to investigate the anisotropic properties within the Earth to a range of depths within the crust and upper mantle (and perhaps beyond), long-period Rayleigh waves (periods of 51:282 ≤ T ≤ 333:33 seconds) are used in this study. One model suggests that the fast axis orientation, arising from the preferential alignment of olivine crystal grains in the upper mantle, coincides with the direction of absolute plate motion of the North-American plate. Other models suggest it is aligned with the direction of relative plate motion of the Pacific and North-American plates. A third suggests that an eastward mantle flow occurs beneath the North-American plate. There is also controversy as to the depth to which anisotropy is generated. In this thesis, the Rayleigh-wave phase velocities' dependence on a seismic event's back-azimuth angle is explored within the Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN). Because surface wave velocities vary depending on the range of depth into the Earth sampled by each period, an observed deviation of the resulting phase velocity calculations for a wide range of back-azimuth angles, (6° to 349°) with respect to a reference dispersion curve of the area, provides information on the anisotropy of the subsurface structure. Further work on the fast-axis orientation and its tectonic implications is carried out here. I find that the 2 directions 270° = 90° and 290° = 110° are possible fast-axes orientations. I also find that the amplitude of azimuthal anisotropy is insufficient to explain birefringence of S-body waves, also known as SKS splitting, suggesting that it occurs much deeper than previously thought, perhaps all the way to the transition zone. Future work might involve array analysis of Love-wave components using the beamforming approach. This approach should prove effective in yielding further insight into the heterogeneity of the subsurface structure beneath Southern California.

Observation of Wakefield Suppression in a Photonic-Band-Gap Accelerator Structure

DOE PAGES

Simakov, Evgenya I.; Arsenyev, Sergey A.; Buechler, Cynthia E.; ...

2016-02-10

We report experimental observation of higher order mode (HOM) wakefield suppression in a room-temperature traveling-wave photonic band gap (PBG) accelerating structure at 11.700 GHz. It has been long recognized that PBG structures have potential for reducing long-range wakefields in accelerators. The first ever demonstration of acceleration in a room-temperature PBG structure was conducted in 2005. Since then, the importance of PBG accelerator research has been recognized by many institutions. However, the full experimental characterization of the wakefield spectrum and demonstration of wakefield suppression when the accelerating structure is excited by an electron beam has not been performed to date. Wemore » conducted an experiment at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator (AWA) test facility and observed wakefields excited by a single high charge electron bunch when it passes through a PBG accelerator structure. Lastly, excellent HOM suppression properties of the PBG accelerator were demonstrated in the beam test.« less

Health information needs and preferences in relation to survivorship care plans of long-term cancer survivors in the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-I.

PubMed

Playdon, Mary; Ferrucci, Leah M; McCorkle, Ruth; Stein, Kevin D; Cannady, Rachel; Sanft, Tara; Cartmel, Brenda

2016-08-01

Survivorship care plans (SCPs) provide cancer patients and health care providers with a treatment summary and outline of recommended medical follow-up. Few studies have investigated the information needs and preferred sources among long-term cancer survivors. Cancer survivors of the ten most common cancers enrolled in the longitudinal Study of Cancer Survivors-I (SCS-I) completed a survey 9 years post-diagnosis (n = 3138); at time of diagnosis of the SCS-I cohort, SCPs were not considered usual care. We assessed participants' current desire and preferred sources for information across ten SCP items and evaluated factors associated with information need 9 years after diagnosis. The proportion of long-term cancer survivors endorsing a need for cancer and health information 9 years post-diagnosis ranged from 43 % (cancer screening) to 9 % (consequences of cancer on ability to work). Print media and personalized reading materials were the most preferred information sources. Younger age, higher education, race other than non-Hispanic white, later cancer stage, having breast cancer, having ≥2 comorbidities, and self-reporting poor health were associated with greater informational need (p < 0.05). Long-term cancer survivors continue to report health information needs for most SCP items and would prefer a print format; however, level of need differs by socio-demographic and cancer characteristics. Cancer survivors who did not previously receive a SCP may still benefit from receiving SCP content, and strategies for enabling dissemination to long-term survivors warrant further investigation.

Method and apparatus for assessing cardiovascular risk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albrecht, Paul (Inventor); Bigger, J. Thomas (Inventor); Cohen, Richard J. (Inventor)

1998-01-01

The method for assessing risk of an adverse clinical event includes detecting a physiologic signal in the subject and determining from the physiologic signal a sequence of intervals corresponding to time intervals between heart beats. The long-time structure of fluctuations in the intervals over a time period of more than fifteen minutes is analyzed to assess risk of an adverse clinical event. In a preferred embodiment, the physiologic signal is an electrocardiogram and the time period is at least fifteen minutes. A preferred method for analyzing the long-time structure variability in the intervals includes computing the power spectrum and fitting the power spectrum to a power law dependence on frequency over a selected frequency range such as 10.sup.-4 to 10.sup.-2 Hz. Characteristics of the long-time structure fluctuations in the intervals is used to assess risk of an adverse clinical event.

Long-range monostatic remote sensing of geomaterial structure weak vibrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heifetz, Alexander; Bakhtiari, Sasan; Gopalsami, Nachappa; Elmer, Thomas W.; Mukherjee, Souvik

2018-04-01

We study analytically and numerically signal sensitivity in remote sensing measurements of weak mechanical vibration of structures made of typical construction geomaterials, such as concrete. The analysis includes considerations of electromagnetic beam atmospheric absorption, reflection, scattering, diffraction and losses. Comparison is made between electromagnetic frequencies of 35GHz (Ka-band), 94GHz (W-band) and 260GHz (WR-3 waveguide band), corresponding to atmospheric transparency windows of the electromagnetic spectrum. Numerical simulations indicate that 94GHz frequency is optimal in terms of signal sensitivity and specificity for long-distance (>1.5km) sensing of weak multi-mode vibrations.

Dynamics of Disorder-Order Transitions in Hard Sphere Colloidal Dispersions in micro-g

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, J. X.; Li, M.; Phan, S. E.; Russel, W. B.; Chaikin, Paul M.; Rogers, Rick; Meyers, W.

1996-01-01

We performed a series of experiments on 0.518 millimeter PMMA spheres suspended in an index matching mixture of decalin and tetralin the microgravity environment provided by the Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-73. The samples ranged in concentration from 0.49 to 0.62. volume fraction (phi) of spheres, which covers the range in which liquid, coexistence, solid and glass phases are expected from Earth bound experiments. Light scattering was used to probe the static structure, and the particle dynamics. Digital and 35 mm photos provided information on the morphology of the crystals. In general, the crystallites grew considerably larger (roughly an order of magnitude larger) than the same samples with identical treatment in 1 g. The dynamic light scattering shows the typical short time diffusion and long time caging effects found in 1 g. The surprises that were encountered in microgravity include the preponderance of random hexagonal close packed (RHCP) structures and the complete absence of the expected face centered cubic (FCC) structure, existence of large dendritic crystals floating in the coexistence samples (where liquid and solid phases coexist) and the rapid crystallization of samples which exist only in glass phase under the influence of one g. These results suggest that colloidal crystal growth is profoundly effected by gravity in yet unrecognized ways. We suspect that the RCHP structure is related to the nonequilibrium growth that is evident from the presence of dendrites. An analysis of the dendritic growth instabilities is presented within the framework of the Ackerson-Schatzel equation.

Geographic population structure in an outcrossing plant invasion after centuries of cultivation and recent founding events.

PubMed

Gaskin, John F; Schwarzländer, Mark; Gibson, Robert D; Simpson, Heather; Marshall, Diane L; Gerber, Esther; Hinz, Hariet

2018-04-01

Population structure and genetic diversity of invasions are the result of evolutionary processes such as natural selection, drift and founding events. Some invasions are also molded by specific human activities such as selection for cultivars and intentional introduction of desired phenotypes, which can lead to low genetic diversity in the resulting invasion. We investigated the population structure, diversity and origins of a species with both accidental and intentional introduction histories, as well as long-term selection as a cultivar. Dyer's woad ( Isatis tinctoria ; Brassicaceae) has been used as a dye source for at least eight centuries in Eurasia, was introduced to eastern USA in the 1600s, and is now considered invasive in the western USA. Our analyses of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) from 645 plants from the USA and Eurasia did not find significantly lower gene diversity ( H j ) in the invaded compared to the native range. This suggests that even though the species was under cultivation for many centuries, human selection of plants may not have had a strong influence on diversity in the invasion. We did find significantly lower genetic differentiation ( F st ) in the invasive range but our results still suggested that there are two distinct invasions in the western USA. Our data suggest that these invasions most likely originated from Switzerland, Ukraine and Germany, which correlates with initial biological control agent survey findings. Genetic information on population structure, diversity and origins assists in efforts to control invasive species, and continued combination of ecological and molecular analyses will help bring us closer to sustainable management of plant invasions.

New perspectives in toxicological information management, and the role of ISSTOX databases in assessing chemical mutagenicity and carcinogenicity.

PubMed

Benigni, Romualdo; Battistelli, Chiara Laura; Bossa, Cecilia; Tcheremenskaia, Olga; Crettaz, Pierre

2013-07-01

Currently, the public has access to a variety of databases containing mutagenicity and carcinogenicity data. These resources are crucial for the toxicologists and regulators involved in the risk assessment of chemicals, which necessitates access to all the relevant literature, and the capability to search across toxicity databases using both biological and chemical criteria. Towards the larger goal of screening chemicals for a wide range of toxicity end points of potential interest, publicly available resources across a large spectrum of biological and chemical data space must be effectively harnessed with current and evolving information technologies (i.e. systematised, integrated and mined), if long-term screening and prediction objectives are to be achieved. A key to rapid progress in the field of chemical toxicity databases is that of combining information technology with the chemical structure as identifier of the molecules. This permits an enormous range of operations (e.g. retrieving chemicals or chemical classes, describing the content of databases, finding similar chemicals, crossing biological and chemical interrogations, etc.) that other more classical databases cannot allow. This article describes the progress in the technology of toxicity databases, including the concepts of Chemical Relational Database and Toxicological Standardized Controlled Vocabularies (Ontology). Then it describes the ISSTOX cluster of toxicological databases at the Istituto Superiore di Sanitá. It consists of freely available databases characterised by the use of modern information technologies and by curation of the quality of the biological data. Finally, this article provides examples of analyses and results made possible by ISSTOX.

Development of pair distribution function analysis

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

Vondreele, R.; Billinge, S.; Kwei, G.

1996-09-01

This is the final report of a 3-year LDRD project at LANL. It has become more and more evident that structural coherence in the CuO{sub 2} planes of high-{Tc} superconducting materials over some intermediate length scale (nm range) is important to superconductivity. In recent years, the pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of powder diffraction data has been developed for extracting structural information on these length scales. This project sought to expand and develop this technique, use it to analyze neutron powder diffraction data, and apply it to problems. In particular, interest is in the area of high-{Tc} superconductors, although wemore » planned to extend the study to the closely related perovskite ferroelectric materials andother materials where the local structure affects the properties where detailed knowledge of the local and intermediate range structure is important. In addition, we planned to carry out single crystal experiments to look for diffuse scattering. This information augments the information from the PDF.« less

Using existing thinning studies to investigate the carbon consequences of thinning: learning from the past to craft the future

Treesearch

Coeli M. Hoover

2010-01-01

Although long-term research is a critical tool for answering forest management questions, managers must often make decisions before results from such experiments are available. One way to meet those information needs is to reanalyze existing long-term data sets to address current research questions; the Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges (EFRs) network...

Spatially dynamic recurrent information flow across long-range dorsal motor network encodes selective motor goals.

PubMed

Yoo, Peter E; Hagan, Maureen A; John, Sam E; Opie, Nicholas L; Ordidge, Roger J; O'Brien, Terence J; Oxley, Thomas J; Moffat, Bradford A; Wong, Yan T

2018-06-01

Performing voluntary movements involves many regions of the brain, but it is unknown how they work together to plan and execute specific movements. We recorded high-resolution ultra-high-field blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal during a cued ankle-dorsiflexion task. The spatiotemporal dynamics and the patterns of task-relevant information flow across the dorsal motor network were investigated. We show that task-relevant information appears and decays earlier in the higher order areas of the dorsal motor network then in the primary motor cortex. Furthermore, the results show that task-relevant information is encoded in general initially, and then selective goals are subsequently encoded in specifics subregions across the network. Importantly, the patterns of recurrent information flow across the network vary across different subregions depending on the goal. Recurrent information flow was observed across all higher order areas of the dorsal motor network in the subregions encoding for the current goal. In contrast, only the top-down information flow from the supplementary motor cortex to the frontoparietal regions, with weakened recurrent information flow between the frontoparietal regions and bottom-up information flow from the frontoparietal regions to the supplementary cortex were observed in the subregions encoding for the opposing goal. We conclude that selective motor goal encoding and execution rely on goal-dependent differences in subregional recurrent information flow patterns across the long-range dorsal motor network areas that exhibit graded functional specialization. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Directional Carrier Transfer in Strongly Coupled Binary Nanocrystal Superlattice Films Formed by Assembly and in Situ Ligand Exchange at a Liquid–Air Interface

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

Wu, Yaoting; Li, Siming; Gogotsi, Natalie

Two species of monodisperse nanocrystals (NCs) can self-assemble into a variety of complex 2D and 3D periodic structures, or binary NC superlattice (BNSL) films, based on the relative number and size of the NCs. BNSL films offer great promise for both fundamental scientific studies and optoelectronic applications; however, the utility of as-assembled structures has been limited by the insulating ligands that originate from the synthesis of NCs. Here we report the application of an in situ ligand exchange strategy at a liquid–air interface to replace the long synthesis ligands with short ligands while preserving the long-range order of BNSL films.more » This approach is demonstrated for BNSL structures consisting of PbSe NCs of different size combinations and ligands of interest for photovoltaic devices, infrared detectors, and light-emitting diodes. To confirm enhanced coupling introduced by ligand exchange, we show ultrafast (~1 ps) directional carrier transfer across the type-I heterojunction formed by NCs of different sizes within ligand-exchanged BNSL films. In conclusion, this approach shows the potential promise of functional BNSL films, where the local and long-range energy landscape and electronic coupling can be adjusted by tuning NC composition, size, and interparticle spacing.« less

Intravehicular, Short- and Long-Range Communication Information Fusion for Providing Safe Speed Warnings

PubMed Central

Jiménez, Felipe; Naranjo, Jose Eugenio; Serradilla, Francisco; Pérez, Elisa; Hernández, María Jose; Ruiz, Trinidad; Anaya, José Javier; Díaz, Alberto

2016-01-01

Inappropriate speed is a relevant concurrent factor in many traffic accidents. Moreover, in recent years, traffic accidents numbers in Spain have fallen sharply, but this reduction has not been so significant on single carriageway roads. These infrastructures have less equipment than high-capacity roads, therefore measures to reduce accidents on them should be implemented in vehicles. This article describes the development and analysis of the impact on the driver of a warning system for the safe speed on each road section in terms of geometry, the presence of traffic jams, weather conditions, type of vehicle and actual driving conditions. This system is based on an application for smartphones and includes knowledge of the vehicle position via Ground Positioning System (GPS), access to intravehicular information from onboard sensors through the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, vehicle data entry by the driver, access to roadside information (short-range communications) and access to a centralized server with information about the road in the current and following sections of the route (long-range communications). Using this information, the system calculates the safe speed, recommends the appropriate speed in advance in the following sections and provides warnings to the driver. Finally, data are sent from vehicles to a server to generate new information to disseminate to other users or to supervise drivers’ behaviour. Tests in a driving simulator have been used to define the system warnings and Human Machine Interface (HMI) and final tests have been performed on real roads in order to analyze the effect of the system on driver behavior. PMID:26805839

Quantum Phase Transitions in Conventional Matrix Product Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jing-Min; Huang, Fei; Chang, Yan

2017-02-01

For matrix product states(MPSs) of one-dimensional spin-1/2 chains, we investigate a new kind of conventional quantum phase transition(QPT). We find that the system has two different ferromagnetic phases; on the line of the two ferromagnetic phases coexisting equally, the system in the thermodynamic limit is in an isolated mediate-coupling state described by a paramagnetic state and is in the same state as the renormalization group fixed point state, the expectation values of the physical quantities are discontinuous, and any two spin blocks of the system have the same geometry quantum discord(GQD) within the range of open interval (0,0.25) and the same classical correlation(CC) within the range of open interval (0,0.75) compared to any phase having no any kind of correlation. We not only realize the control of QPTs but also realize the control of quantum correlation of quantum many-body systems on the critical line by adjusting the environment parameters, which may have potential application in quantum information fields and is helpful to comprehensively and deeply understand the quantum correlation, and the organization and structure of quantum correlation especially for long-range quantum correlation of quantum many-body systems.

Comment on ‘Oxygen vacancy-induced magnetic moment in edge-sharing CuO2 chains of Li2CuO2’

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzian, R. O.; Klingeler, R.; Lorenz, W. E. A.; Wizent, N.; Nishimoto, S.; Nitzsche, U.; Rosner, H.; Milosavljevic, D.; Hozoi, L.; Yadav, R.; Richter, J.; Hauser, A.; Geck, J.; Hayn, R.; Yushankhai, V.; Siurakshina, L.; Monney, C.; Schmitt, T.; Thar, J.; Roth, G.; Ito, T.; Yamaguchi, H.; Matsuda, M.; Johnston, S.; Málek, J.; Drechsler, S.-L.

2018-05-01

In a recent work devoted to the magnetism of Li2CuO2, Shu et al (2017 New J. Phys. 19, 023026) have proposed a ‘simplified’ unfrustrated microscopic model that differs considerably from the models refined through decades of prior work. We show that the proposed model is at odds with known experimental data, including the reported magnetic susceptibility χ(T) data up to 550 K. Using an 8th order high-temperature expansion for χ(T), we show that the experimental data for Li2CuO2 are consistent with the prior model derived from inelastic neutron scattering studies. We also establish the T-range of validity for a Curie–Weiss law for the real frustrated magnetic system. We argue that the knowledge of the long-range ordered magnetic structure for T < T N and of χ(T) in a restricted T-range provides insufficient information to extract all of the relevant couplings in frustrated magnets; the saturation field and INS data must also be used to determine several exchange couplings, including the weak but decisive frustrating antiferromagnetic interchain couplings.

Long-Wavelength X-Ray Diffraction and Its Applications in Macromolecular Crystallography.

PubMed

Weiss, Manfred S

2017-01-01

For many years, diffraction experiments in macromolecular crystallography at X-ray wavelengths longer than that of Cu-K α (1.54 Å) have been largely underappreciated. Effects caused by increased X-ray absorption result in the fact that these experiments are more difficult than the standard diffraction experiments at short wavelengths. However, due to the also increased anomalous scattering of many biologically relevant atoms, important additional structural information can be obtained. This information, in turn, can be used for phase determination, for substructure identification, in molecular replacement approaches, as well as in structure refinement. This chapter reviews the possibilities and the difficulties associated with such experiments, and it provides a short description of two macromolecular crystallography synchrotron beam lines dedicated to long-wavelength X-ray diffraction experiments.

Long-term adequacy of metal resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singer, D.A.

1977-01-01

Although the earth's crust contains vast quantities of metals, extraction technologies and associated costs are inextricably bound to three fundamental geological factors - the amount of metal available in the earth's crust in each range of grades, the mineralogical form and chemical state of the metal, and the spatial distribution of the metal. The energy required to recover a given amount of metal increases substantially as grade declines. Most metal is produced from sulphide or oxide minerals, whereas most metal in the crust may be locked in the structures of the more refractory silicates. Recovery from silicate minerals could require orders of magnitude more energy than that used at present as also could exploitation of small, widely scattered or thin, deeply buried deposits. Although specific information on the fundamental factors is not available, each factor must in turn tend to further restrict exploitation. Independence of average grade and tonnage for many deposit types further reduces the availability of rock as a source of metal. In the long term, effects of these factors will be large increases in price for many metals. ?? 1977.

Growth, yield, and structure of extended rotation Pinus resinosa stands in Minnesota, USA

Treesearch

Anthony W. D' Amato; Brian J. Palik; Christel C. Kern

2010-01-01

Extended rotations are increasingly used to meet ecological objectives on forestland; however, information about long-term growth and yield of these systems is lacking for most forests in North America. Additionally, long-term growth responses to repeated thinnings in older stands have received little attention. We addressed these needs by examining the growth and...

Human Memory: The Basics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Michael E.

2010-01-01

The human mind has two types of memory: short-term and long-term. In all types of learning, it is best to use that structure rather than to fight against it. One way to do that is to ensure that learners can fit new information into patterns that can be stored in and more easily retrieved from long-term memory.

Long-Term Memory for Music: Infants Remember Tempo and Timbre

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trainor, Laurel J.; Wu, Luann; Tsang, Christine D.

2004-01-01

We show that infants' long-term memory representations for melodies are not just reduced to the structural features of relative pitches and durations, but contain surface or performance tempo- and timbre-specific information. Using a head turn preference procedure, we found that after a one week exposure to an old English folk song, infants…

Dielectrophoresis of gold nanoparticles conjugated to DNA origami structures

PubMed Central

Wiens, Matthew; Lakatos, Mathias; Heerwig, Andreas; Ostermaier, Frieder; Haufe, Nora

2016-01-01

Summary DNA nanostructures are promising construction materials to bridge the gap between self-assembly of functional molecules and conventional top-down fabrication methods in nanotechnology. Their positioning onto specific locations of a microstructured substrate is an important task towards this aim. Here we study manipulation and positioning of pristine and of gold nanoparticle-conjugated tubular DNA origami structures using ac dielectrophoresis. The dielectrophoretic behavior was investigated employing fluorescence microscopy. For the pristine origami, a significant dielectrophoretic response was found to take place in the megahertz range, whereas, due to the higher polarizability of the metallic nanoparticles, the nanoparticle/DNA hybrid structures required a lower electrical field strength and frequency for a comparable trapping at the edges of the electrode structure. The nanoparticle conjugation additionally resulted in a remarkable alteration of the DNA structure arrangement. The growth of linear, chain-like structures in between electrodes at applied frequencies in the megahertz range was observed. The long-range chain formation is caused by a local, gold nanoparticle-induced field concentration along the DNA nanostructures, which in turn, creates dielectrophoretic forces that enable the observed self-alignment of the hybrid structures. PMID:27547612

Bridging the Gap - Networking Educators using Real-Time Seismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, A. M.; Renwald, M. D.; Baldwin, T. K.; Hall, M. K.

2004-12-01

After nearly a decade, the seismology community has made critical advances in identifying what is effective and what is needed for success in incorporating real-time seismic data in the classroom. Today's K-16 classroom teachers have many options and opportunities for incorporating short- and long-term inquiry activities for monitoring earthquakes and analyzing seismic data in their daily instruction. Through the SpiNet program, we are providing web-based tools that support educators working with real-time seismic data (http://www.scieds.com/spinet/). Our site includes a Recent Seismicity section, which allows users to share seismic data in real-time, and provides near real-time information about global seismicity. Our Activities section provides data and lessons to assist educators who wish to integrate seismology into their classroom. The Research section, currently under development, will allow educators to share general information about how they teach seismology in their classroom through a discussion board and by posting lesson plans. In addition, we are developing a user-friendly tool for students to post results of their research projects. Designing a website which targets a range of users requires a working knowledge of both user needs and website programming and design. User needs include providing a logical navigational structure and accounting for differences in browser functionality, internet access, and users' abilities. Using website development tools, such as PHP, MySQL, RDF feeds, and specialized geoscience applications, we are automating site maintenance; incorporating databases for information storage and retrieval; and providing accessibility for users with a range of skills and physical limitations. By incorporating these features, we have built a dynamic interface for a broad range of users interested in educational seismology.

Hard probes of short-range nucleon-nucleon correlations

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

J. Arrington, D. W. Higinbotham, G. Rosner, M. Sargsian

2012-10-01

The strong interaction of nucleons at short distances leads to a high-momentum component to the nuclear wave function, associated with short-range correlations between nucleons. These short-range, high-momentum structures in nuclei are one of the least well understood aspects of nuclear matter, relating to strength outside of the typical mean-field approaches to calculating the structure of nuclei. While it is difficult to study these short-range components, significant progress has been made over the last decade in determining how to cleanly isolate short-range correlations in nuclei. We have moved from asking if such structures exist, to mapping out their strength in nucleimore » and studying their microscopic structure. A combination of several different measurements, made possible by high-luminosity and high-energy accelerators, coupled with an improved understanding of the reaction mechanism issues involved in studying these structures, has led to significant progress, and provided significant new information on the nature of these small, highly-excited structures in nuclei. We review the general issues related to short-range correlations, survey recent experiments aimed at probing these short-range structures, and lay out future possibilities to further these studies.« less

Integrated OCT-US catheter for detection of cancer in the gastrointestinal tract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiawen; Ma, Teng; Cummins, Thomas; Shung, K. Kirk; Van Dam, Jacques; Zhou, Qifa; Chen, Zhongping

2015-03-01

Gastrointestinal tract cancer, the most common type of cancer, has a very low survival rate, especially for pancreatic cancer (five year survival rate of 5%) and bile duct cancer (five year survival rate of 12%). Here, we propose to use an integrated OCT-US catheter for cancer detection. OCT is targeted to acquire detailed information, such as dysplasia and neoplasia, for early detection of tumors. US is used for staging cancers according to the size of the primary tumor and whether or not it has invaded lymph nodes and other parts of the body. Considering the lumen size of the GI tract, an OCT system with a long image range (>10mm) and a US imaging system with a center frequency at 40MHz (penetration depth > 5mm) were used. The OCT probe was also designed for long-range imaging. The side-view OCT and US probes were sealed inside one probe cap piece and one torque coil and became an integrated probe. This probe was then inserted into a catheter sheath which fits in the channel of a duodenoscope and is able to be navigated smoothly into the bile duct by the elevator of the duodenoscope. We have imaged 5 healthy and 2 diseased bile ducts. In the OCT images, disorganized layer structures and heterogeneous regions demonstrated the existence of tumors. Micro-calcification can be observed in the corresponding US images.

Normal modes of weak colloidal gels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varga, Zsigmond; Swan, James W.

2018-01-01

The normal modes and relaxation rates of weak colloidal gels are investigated in calculations using different models of the hydrodynamic interactions between suspended particles. The relaxation spectrum is computed for freely draining, Rotne-Prager-Yamakawa, and accelerated Stokesian dynamics approximations of the hydrodynamic mobility in a normal mode analysis of a harmonic network representing several colloidal gels. We find that the density of states and spatial structure of the normal modes are fundamentally altered by long-ranged hydrodynamic coupling among the particles. Short-ranged coupling due to hydrodynamic lubrication affects only the relaxation rates of short-wavelength modes. Hydrodynamic models accounting for long-ranged coupling exhibit a microscopic relaxation rate for each normal mode, λ that scales as l-2, where l is the spatial correlation length of the normal mode. For the freely draining approximation, which neglects long-ranged coupling, the microscopic relaxation rate scales as l-γ, where γ varies between three and two with increasing particle volume fraction. A simple phenomenological model of the internal elastic response to normal mode fluctuations is developed, which shows that long-ranged hydrodynamic interactions play a central role in the viscoelasticity of the gel network. Dynamic simulations of hard spheres that gel in response to short-ranged depletion attractions are used to test the applicability of the density of states predictions. For particle concentrations up to 30% by volume, the power law decay of the relaxation modulus in simulations accounting for long-ranged hydrodynamic interactions agrees with predictions generated by the density of states of the corresponding harmonic networks as well as experimental measurements. For higher volume fractions, excluded volume interactions dominate the stress response, and the prediction from the harmonic network density of states fails. Analogous to the Zimm model in polymer physics, our results indicate that long-ranged hydrodynamic interactions play a crucial role in determining the microscopic dynamics and macroscopic properties of weak colloidal gels.

NREL Meeting to Discuss Camp George West Land Exchange

Science.gov Websites

Meeting to Discuss Camp George West Land Exchange For more information contact: Kerry Masson (303 Golden. DOE officials will discuss long-range plans for use of the property the department will acquire

Local chiral potentials with Δ -intermediate states and the structure of light nuclei

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

Piarulli, M.; Girlanda, L.; Schiavilla, R.

We present fully local versions of the minimally non-local nucleon-nucleon potentials constructed in a previous paper [M. Piarulli et al., Phys. Rev. C 91, 024003 (2015)], and use them in hypersperical-harmonics and quantum Monte Carlo calculations of ground and excited states of 3H, 3He, 4He, 6He, and 6Li nuclei. The long-range part of these local potentials includes oneand two-pion exchange contributions without and with Δ isobars in the intermediate states up to order Q3 (Q denotes generically the low momentum scale) in the chiral expansion, while the short-range part consists of contact interactions up to order Q4. The low-energy constantsmore » multiplying these contact interactions are fitted to the 2013 Granada database in two different ranges of laboratory energies, either 0–125 MeV or 0–200 MeV, and to the deuteron binding energy and nn singlet scattering length. Fits to these data are performed for three models characterized by long- and short-range cutoffs, RL and RS respectively, ranging from (RL,RS) = (1.2, 0.8) fm down to (0.8, 0.6) fm. The long-range (short-range) cutoff regularizes the one- and two-pion exchange (contact) part of the potential.« less

Crystal Quality, the Long and the Short of It

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snell, Eddie H.

2004-01-01

The term "crystal quality" is ambiguous and implies different meanings to different crystallographers. For the physical crystallographer who aims to understand long-range aspects of crystal growth mosaicity is one of the leading measures of perfection. For the structural crystallographer and those seeking to understand growth at a short-range, molecular level, the detail in the resulting structure is a key goal. Different quality measures have been developed due to different needs. Each of the measures has advantages and each has limitations. In this talk a sample of these measures will be discussed with particular emphasis applied to their application in the analysis of microgravity grown crystals. The advantages and limitations of each will be discussed. Ultimately, the choice of crystal quality measurement lies in the nature of the question asked. It is scfill to remember that beauty is often in the eye of the beholder.

Method for detection and imaging over a broad spectral range

DOEpatents

Yefremenko, Volodymyr; Gordiyenko, Eduard; Pishko, legal representative, Olga; Novosad, Valentyn; Pishko, deceased; Vitalii

2007-09-25

A method of controlling the coordinate sensitivity in a superconducting microbolometer employs localized light, heating or magnetic field effects to form normal or mixed state regions on a superconducting film and to control the spatial location. Electron beam lithography and wet chemical etching were applied as pattern transfer processes in epitaxial Y--Ba--Cu--O films. Two different sensor designs were tested: (i) a 3 millimeter long and 40 micrometer wide stripe and (ii) a 1.25 millimeters long, and 50 micron wide meandering-like structure. Scanning the laser beam along the stripe leads to physical displacement of the sensitive area, and, therefore, may be used as a basis for imaging over a broad spectral range. Forming the superconducting film as a meandering structure provides the equivalent of a two-dimensional detector array. Advantages of this approach are simplicity of detector fabrication, and simplicity of the read-out process requiring only two electrical terminals.

Preparation of Nanocomposite Plasmonic Films Made from Cellulose Nanocrystals or Mesoporous Silica Decorated with Unidirectionally Aligned Gold Nanorods.

PubMed

Campbell, Michael G; Liu, Qingkun; Sanders, Aric; Evans, Julian S; Smalyukh, Ivan I

2014-04-11

Using liquid crystalline self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals, we achieve long-range alignment of anisotropic metal nanoparticles in colloidal nanocrystal dispersions that are then used to deposit thin structured films with ordering features highly dependent on the deposition method. These hybrid films are comprised of gold nanorods unidirectionally aligned in a matrix that can be made of ordered cellulose nanocrystals or silica nanostructures obtained by using cellulose-based nanostructures as a replica. The ensuing long-range alignment of gold nanorods in both cellulose-based and nanoporous silica films results in a polarization-sensitive surface plasmon resonance. The demonstrated device-scale bulk nanoparticle alignment may enable engineering of new material properties arising from combining the orientational ordering of host nanostructures and properties of the anisotropic plasmonic metal nanoparticles. Our approach may also allow for scalable fabrication of plasmonic polarizers and nanoporous silica structures with orientationally ordered anisotropic plasmonic nanoinclusions.

Trapped atoms along nanophotonic resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fields, Brian; Kim, May; Chang, Tzu-Han; Hung, Chen-Lung

2017-04-01

Many-body systems subject to long-range interactions have remained a very challenging topic experimentally. Ultracold atoms trapped in extreme proximity to the surface of nanophotonic structures provides a dynamic system combining the strong atom-atom interactions mediated by guided mode photons with the exquisite control implemented with trapped atom systems. The hybrid system promises pair-wise tunability of long-range interactions between atomic pseudo spins, allowing studies of quantum magnetism extending far beyond nearest neighbor interactions. In this talk, we will discuss our current status developing high quality nanophotonic ring resonators, engineered on CMOS compatible optical chips with integrated nanostructures that, in combination with a side illuminating beam, can realize stable atom traps approximately 100nm above the surface. We will report on our progress towards loading arrays of cold atoms near the surface of these structures and studying atom-atom interaction mediated by photons with high cooperativity.