Sub-saturation matter in compact stars: Nuclear modelling in the framework of the extended Thomas-Fermi theory

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

Aymard, François; Gulminelli, Francesca; Margueron, Jérôme

A recently introduced analytical model for the nuclear density profile [1] is implemented in the Extended Thomas-Fermi (ETF) energy density functional. This allows to (i) shed a new light on the issue of the sign of surface symmetry energy in nuclear mass formulas, as well as to (ii) show the importance of the in-medium corrections to the nuclear cluster energies in thermodynamic conditions relevant for the description of core-collapse supernovae and (proto)-neutron star crust.

Optically Addressed Nanostructures for High Density Data Storage

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-10-14

beam to sub-wavelength resolutions. X. Refereed Journal Publications I. M. D. Stenner , D. J. Gauthier, and M. A. Neifeld, "The speed of information in a...profiles for high-density optical data storage," Optics Communications, Vol.253, pp.56-69, 2005. 5. M. D. Stenner , D. J. Gauthier, and M. A. Neifeld, "Fast...causal information transmission in a medium with a slow group velocity," Physical Review Letters, Vol.94, February 2005. 6. M. D. Stenner , M. A

Sub-saturation matter in compact stars: Nuclear modelling in the framework of the extended Thomas-Fermi theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aymard, François; Gulminelli, Francesca; Margueron, Jérôme

2015-02-01

A recently introduced analytical model for the nuclear density profile [1] is implemented in the Extended Thomas-Fermi (ETF) energy density functional. This allows to (i) shed a new light on the issue of the sign of surface symmetry energy in nuclear mass formulas, as well as to (ii) show the importance of the in-medium corrections to the nuclear cluster energies in thermodynamic conditions relevant for the description of core-collapse supernovae and (proto)-neutron star crust.

The Damping Rates of Embedded Oscillating Starless Cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broderick, Avery E.; Narayan, Ramesh; Keto, Eric; Lada, Charles J.

2008-08-01

In a previous paper we demonstrated that nonradial hydrodynamic oscillations of a thermally supported (Bonnor-Ebert) sphere embedded in a low-density, high-temperature medium persist for many periods. The predicted column density variations and molecular spectral line profiles are similar to those observed in the Bok globule B68, suggesting that the motions in some starless cores may be oscillating perturbations on a thermally supported equilibrium structure. Such oscillations can produce molecular line maps which mimic rotation, collapse, or expansion and, thus, could make determining the dynamical state from such observations alone difficult. However, while B68 is embedded in a very hot, low-density medium, many starless cores are not, having interior/exterior density contrasts closer to unity. In this paper we investigate the oscillation damping rate as a function of the exterior density. For concreteness we use the same interior model employed by Broderick et al., with varying models for the exterior gas. We also develop a simple analytical formalism, based on the linear perturbation analysis of the oscillations, which predicts the contribution to the damping rates due to the excitation of sound waves in the external medium. We find that the damping rate of oscillations on globules in dense molecular environments is always many periods, corresponding to hundreds of thousands of years and persisting over the inferred lifetimes of the globules.

The H I-to-H2 Transition in a Turbulent Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialy, Shmuel; Burkhart, Blakesley; Sternberg, Amiel

2017-07-01

We study the effect of density fluctuations induced by turbulence on the H I/H2 structure in photodissociation regions (PDRs) both analytically and numerically. We perform magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations for both subsonic and supersonic turbulent gas and chemical H I/H2 balance calculations. We derive atomic-to-molecular density profiles and the H I column density probability density function (PDF) assuming chemical equilibrium. We find that, while the H I/H2 density profiles are strongly perturbed in turbulent gas, the mean H I column density is well approximated by the uniform-density analytic formula of Sternberg et al. The PDF width depends on (a) the radiation intensity-to-mean density ratio, (b) the sonic Mach number, and (c) the turbulence decorrelation scale, or driving scale. We derive an analytic model for the H I PDF and demonstrate how our model, combined with 21 cm observations, can be used to constrain the Mach number and driving scale of turbulent gas. As an example, we apply our model to observations of H I in the Perseus molecular cloud. We show that a narrow observed H I PDF may imply small-scale decorrelation, pointing to the potential importance of subcloud-scale turbulence driving.

Weak lensing in a plasma medium and gravitational deflection of massive particles using the Gauss-Bonnet theorem. A unified treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crisnejo, Gabriel; Gallo, Emanuel

2018-06-01

We apply the Gauss-Bonnet theorem to the study of light rays in a plasma medium in a static and spherically symmetric gravitational field and also to the study of timelike geodesics followed for test massive particles in a spacetime with the same symmetries. The possibility of using the theorem follows from a correspondence between timelike curves followed by light rays in a plasma medium and spatial geodesics in an associated Riemannian optical metric. A similar correspondence follows for massive particles. For some examples and applications, we compute the deflection angle in weak gravitational fields for different plasma density profiles and gravitational fields.

Baryon Budget of the Hot Circumgalactic Medium of Massive Spiral Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiang-Tao; Bregman, Joel N.; Wang, Q. Daniel; Crain, Robert A.; Anderson, Michael E.

2018-03-01

The baryon content around local galaxies is observed to be much less than is needed in Big Bang nucleosynthesis. Simulations indicate that a significant fraction of these “missing baryons” may be stored in a hot tenuous circumgalactic medium (CGM) around massive galaxies extending to or even beyond the virial radius of their dark matter halos. Previous observations in X-ray and Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) signals claimed that ∼(1–50)% of the expected baryons are stored in a hot CGM within the virial radius. The large scatter is mainly caused by the very uncertain extrapolation of the hot gas density profile based on the detection in a small radial range (typically within 10%–20% of the virial radius). Here, we report stacking X-ray observations of six local isolated massive spiral galaxies from the CGM-MASS sample. We find that the mean density profile can be characterized by a single power law out to a galactocentric radius of ≈200 kpc (or ≈130 kpc above the 1σ background uncertainty), about half the virial radius of the dark matter halo. We can now estimate that the hot CGM within the virial radius accounts for (8 ± 4)% of the baryonic mass expected for the halos. Including the stars, the baryon fraction is (27 ± 16)%, or (39 ± 20)% by assuming a flattened density profile at r ≳ 130 kpc. We conclude that the hot baryons within the virial radius of massive galaxy halos are insufficient to explain the “missing baryons.”

Deuterium and Oxygen Toward Feige 110: Results from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, S. D.; Howk, J. C.; Chayer, P.; Tripp, T. M.; Hebrard, G.; Andre, M.; Oliveira, C.; Jenkins, E. B.; Moos, H. W.; Oegerle, William R.

2001-01-01

We present measurements of the column densities of interstellar D I and O I made with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), and of H I made with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) toward the sdOB star Feige 110 [(l,b) = (74.09 deg., - 59.07 deg.); d = 179(sup +265, sub -67) pc; Z = -154(sup +57, Sub -227 pc). Our determination of the D I column density made use of curve of growth fitting and profile fitting analyses, while our O I column density determination used only curve of growth techniques. The H I column density was estimated by fitting the damping wings of the interstellar Ly(lpha) profile. We find log N(D I) = 15.47 +/- 0.06, log N(O I) = 16.73 +/- 0.10, and log N(H I) = 20.14(sup +0.13, sub -0.20) (all errors 2(sigma)). This implies D/H = (2.14 +/- 0.82) x 10(esp -5), D/O = (5.50(sup + 1.64, sub -133)) x 10(exp -2), and O/H = (3.89 +/- 1.67) x 10(exp -4). Taken with the FUSE results reported in companion papers and previous measurements of the local interstellar medium, this suggests the possibility of spatial variability in D/H for sight lines exceeding approx. 100 pc. This result may constrain models which characterize the mixing time and length scales of material in the local interstellar medium.

An in situ estimation of anisotropic elastic moduli for a submarine shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Douglas E.; Leaney, Scott; Borland, William H.

1994-11-01

Direct arrival times and slownesses from wide-aperture walkaway vertical seismic profile data acquired in a layered anisotropic medium can be processed to give direct estimate of the phase slowness surface associated with the medium at the depth of the receivers. This slowness surface can, in turn, be fit by an estimated transversely isotropic medium with a vertical symmetry axis (a 'TIV' medium). While the method requires that the medium between the receivers and the surface be horizontally stratified, no further measurement or knowledge of that medium is required. When applied to data acquired in a compacting shale sequence (here termed the 'Petronas shale') encountered by a well in the South China Sea, the method yields an estimated TIV medium that fits the data extremely well over 180 deg of propagation angles sampled by 201 source positions. The medium is strongly anisotropic. The anisotropy is significantly anelliptic and implies that the quasi-shear mode should be triplicated for off-axis propagation. Estimated density-normalized moduli (in units of sq km/sq s) for the Petronas shale are A(sub 11) = 6.99 +/- 0.21, A(sub 33) = 5.53 +/- 0.17, A(sub 55) = 0.91 +/- 0.05, and A(sub 13) = 2.64 +/- 0.26. Densities in the logged zone just below the survey lie in the range between 2200 and 2400 kg/cu m with an average value close to 2300 kg/cu m.

Smooth H I Low Column Density Outskirts in Nearby Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ianjamasimanana, R.; Walter, Fabian; de Blok, W. J. G.; Heald, George H.; Brinks, Elias

2018-06-01

The low column density gas at the outskirts of galaxies as traced by the 21 cm hydrogen line emission (H I) represents the interface between galaxies and the intergalactic medium, i.e., where galaxies are believed to get their supply of gas to fuel future episodes of star formation. Photoionization models predict a break in the radial profiles of H I at a column density of ∼5 × 1019 cm‑2 due to the lack of self-shielding against extragalactic ionizing photons. To investigate the prevalence of such breaks in galactic disks and to characterize what determines the potential edge of the H I disks, we study the azimuthally averaged H I column density profiles of 17 nearby galaxies from the H I Nearby Galaxy Survey and supplemented in two cases with published Hydrogen Accretion in LOcal GAlaxieS data. To detect potential faint H I emission that would otherwise be undetected using conventional moment map analysis, we line up individual profiles to the same reference velocity and average them azimuthally to derive stacked radial profiles. To do so, we use model velocity fields created from a simple extrapolation of the rotation curves to align the profiles in velocity at radii beyond the extent probed with the sensitivity of traditional integrated H I maps. With this method, we improve our sensitivity to outer-disk H I emission by up to an order of magnitude. Except for a few disturbed galaxies, none show evidence of a sudden change in the slope of the H I radial profiles: the alleged signature of ionization by the extragalactic background.

The influence of the environment on the propagation of protostellar outflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moraghan, Anthony; Smith, Michael D.; Rosen, Alexander

2008-06-01

The properties of bipolar outflows depend on the structure in the environment as well as the nature of the jet. To help distinguish between the two, we investigate here the properties pertaining to the ambient medium. We execute axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations, injecting continuous atomic jets into molecular media with density gradients (protostellar cores) and density discontinuities (thick swept-up sheets). We determine the distribution of outflowing mass with radial velocity (the mass spectrum) to quantify our approach and to compare to observationally determined values. We uncover a sequence from clump entrainment in the flanks to bow shock sweeping as the density profile steepens. We also find that the dense, highly supersonic outflows remain collimated but can become turbulent after passing through a shell. The mass spectra vary substantially in time, especially at radial speeds exceeding 15 kms-1. The mass spectra also vary according to the conditions: both envelope-type density distributions and the passage through dense sheets generate considerably steeper mass spectra than a uniform medium. The simulations suggest that observed outflows penetrate highly non-uniform media.

Low-frequency pulse profile variation in PSR B2217+47: evidence for echoes from the interstellar medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michilli, D.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Donner, J. Y.; Grießmeier, J.-M.; Serylak, M.; Shaw, B.; Stappers, B. W.; Verbiest, J. P. W.; Deller, A. T.; Driessen, L. N.; Stinebring, D. R.; Bondonneau, L.; Geyer, M.; Hoeft, M.; Karastergiou, A.; Kramer, M.; Osłowski, S.; Pilia, M.; Sanidas, S.; Weltevrede, P.

2018-05-01

We have observed a complex and continuous change in the integrated pulse profile of PSR B2217+47, manifested as additional components trailing the main peak. These transient components are detected over 6 yr at 150 MHz using the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR), but they are not seen in contemporaneous Lovell observations at 1.5 GHz. We argue that propagation effects in the ionized interstellar medium (IISM) are the most likely cause. The putative structures in the IISM causing the profile variation are roughly half-way between the pulsar and the Earth and have transverse radii R ˜ 30 au. We consider different models for the structures. Under the assumption of spherical symmetry, their implied average electron density is \\overline{n}_e ˜ 100 cm-3. Since PSR B2217+47 is more than an order of magnitude brighter than the average pulsar population visible to LOFAR, similar profile variations would not have been identified in most pulsars, suggesting that subtle profile variations in low-frequency profiles might be more common than we have observed to date. Systematic studies of these variations at low frequencies can provide a new tool to investigate the proprieties of the IISM and the limits to the precision of pulsar timing.

IUE observations of interstellar hydrogen and deuterium toward Alpha Centauri B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landsman, W. B.; Murthy, J.; Henry, R. C.; Moos, H. W.; Linsky, J. L.

1986-01-01

A high dispersion profile is presented of the Lyman-alpha emission toward Alpha Cen B as recorded in two images taken with the IUE spacecraft. The spectra were examined with a three-parameter Gaussian or five-parameter solar-type profile to derive the intrinsic background stellar emission. Voight absorption profiles were calculated for the intervening H I and D I gas. A uniform, thermally broadened medium was assumed, with the calculations being based on the free stellar parameters of density, velocity dispersion and the bulk velocity of H I, and the density of D I. The use of a small aperture is shown to have been effective in eliminating geocoronal and interplanetary diffuse Ly-alpha contamination. The H I absorption profile toward Alpha Cen B is found to be equivalent to that toward Alpha Cen A, indicating that the H I profiles derived are essentially independent of stellar emission. Less success, however, was attained in obtaining any definitive D I profile, although an asymmetry in the blue and red wings of the Lyman-alpha emissions did show the presence of absorption by interstellar deuterium and allow setting a lower limit of 0.00001 for the D I/H I ratio.

A high-resolution X-ray image of Puppis A - Inhomogeneities in the interstellar medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petre, R.; Kriss, G. A.; Winkler, P. F.; Canizares, C. R.

1982-01-01

Eleven HRI exposures from the Einstein Observatory are assembled into an 0.1-4 keV image of the Puppis A supernova remnant which displays a complex morphology that may reflect the structure of the shocked interstellar medium. In addition to showing a density gradient of a factor greater than four across the approximately 30 pc diameter of the remnant perpendicular to the galactic plane, a shell of X-ray emission is seen surrounding the northern half of Puppis A, coincident with the radio shell, whose edge brightness profile indicates direct hot plasma heating by the blast wave rather than evaporation from clouds. The interior structure of the supernova remnant suggests inhomogeneities whose sizes range over 0.1-5 pc, but with moderate density contrast. Although isolated clouds of 10-30/cu cm density are responsible for the two brightest X-ray features, they represent only a small fraction of the Puppis A mass.

Dynamic measurements in non-uniform flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ershov, A. P.

2017-12-01

The response of gauges registering the flow velocity and pressure in highly non-uniform media (for example, a powder under shock compression or powdered low-density explosive) is simulated. The modeling employs an acoustic approach. Against the average level of the signal, the fluctuations generated by the heterogeneity of the medium are observed which may distort the results completely. For reliable measurements, gauges larger than the characteristic scale of the medium non-uniformity are required. Under this condition, electromagnetic flow measurements and the velocity interferometer system for any reflector (VISAR) produce quite similar flow velocity profiles with small level of noise.

Dynamic measurements in non-uniform flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ershov, A. P.

2018-07-01

The response of gauges registering the flow velocity and pressure in highly non-uniform media (for example, a powder under shock compression or powdered low-density explosive) is simulated. The modeling employs an acoustic approach. Against the average level of the signal, the fluctuations generated by the heterogeneity of the medium are observed which may distort the results completely. For reliable measurements, gauges larger than the characteristic scale of the medium non-uniformity are required. Under this condition, electromagnetic flow measurements and the velocity interferometer system for any reflector (VISAR) produce quite similar flow velocity profiles with small level of noise.

Model Insensitive and Calibration Independent Method for Determination of the Downstream Neutral Hydrogen Density Through Ly-alpha Glow Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gangopadhyay, P.; Judge, D. L.

1996-01-01

Our knowledge of the various heliospheric phenomena (location of the solar wind termination shock, heliopause configuration and very local interstellar medium parameters) is limited by uncertainties in the available heliospheric plasma models and by calibration uncertainties in the observing instruments. There is, thus, a strong motivation to develop model insensitive and calibration independent methods to reduce the uncertainties in the relevant heliospheric parameters. We have developed such a method to constrain the downstream neutral hydrogen density inside the heliospheric tail. In our approach we have taken advantage of the relative insensitivity of the downstream neutral hydrogen density profile to the specific plasma model adopted. We have also used the fact that the presence of an asymmetric neutral hydrogen cavity surrounding the sun, characteristic of all neutral densities models, results in a higher multiple scattering contribution to the observed glow in the downstream region than in the upstream region. This allows us to approximate the actual density profile with one which is spatially uniform for the purpose of calculating the downstream backscattered glow. Using different spatially constant density profiles, radiative transfer calculations are performed, and the radial dependence of the predicted glow is compared with the observed I/R dependence of Pioneer 10 UV data. Such a comparison bounds the large distance heliospheric neutral hydrogen density in the downstream direction to a value between 0.05 and 0.1/cc.

THE STRUCTURE AND STELLAR CONTENT OF THE OUTER DISKS OF GALAXIES: A NEW VIEW FROM THE Pan-STARRS1 MEDIUM DEEP SURVEY

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

Zheng, Zheng; Thilker, David A.; Heckman, Timothy M.

2015-02-20

We present the results of an analysis of Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey multi-band (grizy) images of a sample of 698 low-redshift disk galaxies that span broad ranges in stellar mass, star-formation rate, and bulge/disk ratio. We use population synthesis spectral energy distribution fitting techniques to explore the radial distribution of the light, color, surface mass density, mass/light ratio, and age of the stellar populations. We characterize the structure and stellar content of the galaxy disks out to radii of about twice Petrosian r {sub 90}, beyond which the halo light becomes significant. We measure normalized radial profiles for sub-samples ofmore » galaxies in three bins each of stellar mass and concentration. We also fit radial profiles to each galaxy. The majority of galaxies have down-bending radial surface brightness profiles in the bluer bands with a break radius at roughly r {sub 90}. However, they typically show single unbroken exponentials in the reddest bands and in the stellar surface mass density. We find that the mass/light ratio and stellar age radial profiles have a characteristic 'U' shape. There is a good correlation between the amplitude of the down-bend in the surface brightness profile and the rate of the increase in the M/L ratio in the outer disk. As we move from late- to early-type galaxies, the amplitude of the down-bend and the radial gradient in M/L both decrease. Our results imply a combination of stellar radial migration and suppression of recent star formation can account for the stellar populations of the outer disk.« less

Termination of the solar wind in the hot, partially ionized interstellar medium. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lombard, C. K.

1974-01-01

Theoretical foundations for understanding the problem of the termination of the solar wind are reexamined in the light of most recent findings concerning the states of the solar wind and the local interstellar medium. The investigation suggests that a simple extention of Parker's (1961) analytical model provides a useful approximate description of the combined solar wind, interstellar wind plasma flowfield under conditions presently thought to occur. A linear perturbation solution exhibiting both the effects of photoionization and charge exchange is obtained for the supersonic solar wind. A numerical algorithm is described for computing moments of the non-equilibrium hydrogen distribution function and associated source terms for the MHD equations. Computed using the algorithm in conjunction with the extended Parker solution to approximate the plasma flowfield, profiles of hydrogen number density are given in the solar wind along the upstream and downstream axes of flow with respect to the direction of the interstellar wind. Predictions of solar Lyman-alpha backscatter intensities to be observed at 1 a.u. have been computed, in turn, from a set of such hydrogen number density profiles varied over assumed conditions of the interstellar wind.

The H i-to-H{sub 2} Transition in a Turbulent Medium

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

Bialy, Shmuel; Sternberg, Amiel; Burkhart, Blakesley, E-mail: shmuelbi@mail.tau.ac.il

2017-07-10

We study the effect of density fluctuations induced by turbulence on the H i/H{sub 2} structure in photodissociation regions (PDRs) both analytically and numerically. We perform magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations for both subsonic and supersonic turbulent gas and chemical H i/H{sub 2} balance calculations. We derive atomic-to-molecular density profiles and the H i column density probability density function (PDF) assuming chemical equilibrium. We find that, while the H i/H{sub 2} density profiles are strongly perturbed in turbulent gas, the mean H i column density is well approximated by the uniform-density analytic formula of Sternberg et al. The PDF width depends onmore » (a) the radiation intensity–to–mean density ratio, (b) the sonic Mach number, and (c) the turbulence decorrelation scale, or driving scale. We derive an analytic model for the H i PDF and demonstrate how our model, combined with 21 cm observations, can be used to constrain the Mach number and driving scale of turbulent gas. As an example, we apply our model to observations of H i in the Perseus molecular cloud. We show that a narrow observed H i PDF may imply small-scale decorrelation, pointing to the potential importance of subcloud-scale turbulence driving.« less

Electron scattering wings on lines in interacting supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Chenliang; Chevalier, Roger A.

2018-03-01

We consider the effect of electron scattering on lines emitted as a result of supernova interaction with a circumstellar medium, assuming that the scattering occurs in ionized gas in the pre-shock circumstellar medium. The single scattering case gives the broad component in the limit of low optical depth, showing a velocity full width half-maximum that is close to the thermal velocities of electrons. The line shape is approximately exponential at low velocities and steepens at higher velocities. At higher optical depths, the line profile remains exponential at low velocities, but wings strengthen with increasing optical depth. In addition to the line width, the ratio of narrow to broad (scattered) line strength is a possible diagnostic of the gas. The results depend on the density profile of the circumstellar gas, especially if the scattering and photon creation occur in different regions. We apply the scattering model to a number of supernovae, including Type IIn and Type Ia-circumstellar medium (CSM) events. The asymmetry to the red found in some cases can be explained by scattering in a fast wind region that is indicated by observations.

Long-term statin therapy could be efficacious in reducing the lipoprotein (a) levels in patients with coronary artery disease modified by some traditional risk factors.

PubMed

Xu, Ming-Xing; Liu, Chang; He, Yong-Ming; Yang, Xiang-Jun; Zhao, Xin

2017-05-01

Lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] is a well-established risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, up till now, treatment of patients with higher Lp (a) levels is challenging. This current study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of short-, medium and long-term statin use on the Lp (a) reduction and its modifying factors. The therapeutic duration was categorized into short-term (median, 39 days), medium term (median, 219 days) and long-term (median, 677 days). The lipid profiles before therapy served as baselines. Patients at short-, medium or long-term exactly matched with those at baseline. Every patient's lipid profiles during the follow-ups were compared to his own ones at baselines. The current study demonstrated that long-term statin therapy significantly decreased the Lp (a) levels in CAD patients while short-term or medium term statin therapy didn't. When grouped by statin use, only long-term simvastatin use significantly decreased the Lp (a) levels while long-term atorvastatin use insignificantly decreased the Lp (a) levels. Primary hypertension (PH), DM, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) could modify the therapeutic effects of statin use on the Lp (a) levels in CAD patients. The long-term statin therapy could be efficacious in reducing the Lp (a) levels in CAD patients, which has been modified by some traditional risk factors. In the era of commercial unavailability of more reliable Lp (a) lowering drugs, our findings will bolster confidence in fighting higher Lp (a) abnormalities both for patients and for doctors.

X-ray and SZ constraints on the properties of hot CGM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Priyanka; Majumdar, Subhabrata; Nath, Biman B.; Silk, Joseph

2018-05-01

We use observations of stacked X-ray luminosity and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) signal from a cosmological sample of ˜80, 000 and 104,000 massive galaxies, respectively, with 1012.6 ≲ M500 ≲ 1013M⊙ and mean redshift, z¯ ˜ 0.1 - 0.14 to constrain the hot Circumgalactic Medium (CGM) density and temperature. The X-ray luminosities constrain the density and hot CGM mass, while the SZ signal helps in breaking the density-temperature degeneracy. We consider a simple power-law density distribution (ne∝r-3β) as well as a hydrostatic hot halo model, with the gas assumed to be isothermal in both cases. The datasets are best described by the mean hot CGM profile ∝r-1.2, which is shallower than an NFW profile. For halo virial mass ˜1012 - 1013M⊙, the hot CGM contains ˜ 20 - 30% of galactic baryonic mass for the power-law model and 4 - 11% for the hydrostatic halo model, within the virial radii. For the power-law model, the hot CGM profile broadly agrees with observations of the Milky Way. The mean hot CGM mass is comparable to or larger than the mass contained in other phases of the CGM for L* galaxies.

Mode-medium instability and its correction with a Gaussian-reflectivity mirror

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webster, K. L.; Sung, C. C.

1992-01-01

A high-power CO2 laser beam is known to deteriorate after a few microseconds due to a mode-medium instability (MMI) which results from an intensity-dependent heating rate related to the vibrational-to-translational decay of the upper and lower CO2 lasing levels. An iterative numerical technique is developed to model the time evolution of the beam as it is affected by the MMI. The technique is used to study the MMI in an unstable CO2 resonator with a hard-edge output mirror for different parameters like the Fresnel number and the gas density. The results show that the mode of the hard edge unstable resonator deteriorates because of the diffraction ripples in the mode. A Gaussian-reflectivity mirror was used to correct the MMI. This mirror produces a smoother intensity profile which significantly reduces the effects of the MMI. Quantitative results on peak density variation and beam quality are presented.

Mode-medium instability and its correction with a Gaussian reflectivity mirror

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webster, K. L.; Sung, C. C.

1990-01-01

A high power CO2 laser beam is known to deteriorate after a few microseconds due to a mode-medium instability (MMI) which results from an intensity dependent heating rate related to the vibrational-to-translational decay of the upper and lower CO2 lasing levels. An iterative numerical technique is developed to model the time evolution of the beam as it is affected by the MMI. The technique is used to study the MMI in an unstable CO2 resonator with a hard-edge output mirror for different parameters like the Fresnel number and the gas density. The results show that the mode of the hard edge unstable resonator deteriorates because of the diffraction ripples in the mode. A Gaussian-reflectivity mirror was used to correct the MMI. This mirror produces a smoother intensity profile which significantly reduces the effects of the MMI. Quantitative results on peak density variation and beam quality are presented.

A study of electron density profiles in relation to ionization sources and ground-based radio wave absorption measurements, part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gnanalingam, S.; Kane, J. A.

1973-01-01

An extensive set of ground-based measurements of the diurnal variation of medium frequency radio wave adsorption and virtual height is analyzed in terms of current understanding of the D- and lower E-region ion production and loss process. When this is done a gross discrepancy arises, the source of which is not known.

On the probability distribution function of the mass surface density of molecular clouds. I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischera, Jörg

2014-05-01

The probability distribution function (PDF) of the mass surface density is an essential characteristic of the structure of molecular clouds or the interstellar medium in general. Observations of the PDF of molecular clouds indicate a composition of a broad distribution around the maximum and a decreasing tail at high mass surface densities. The first component is attributed to the random distribution of gas which is modeled using a log-normal function while the second component is attributed to condensed structures modeled using a simple power-law. The aim of this paper is to provide an analytical model of the PDF of condensed structures which can be used by observers to extract information about the condensations. The condensed structures are considered to be either spheres or cylinders with a truncated radial density profile at cloud radius rcl. The assumed profile is of the form ρ(r) = ρc/ (1 + (r/r0)2)n/ 2 for arbitrary power n where ρc and r0 are the central density and the inner radius, respectively. An implicit function is obtained which either truncates (sphere) or has a pole (cylinder) at maximal mass surface density. The PDF of spherical condensations and the asymptotic PDF of cylinders in the limit of infinite overdensity ρc/ρ(rcl) flattens for steeper density profiles and has a power law asymptote at low and high mass surface densities and a well defined maximum. The power index of the asymptote Σ- γ of the logarithmic PDF (ΣP(Σ)) in the limit of high mass surface densities is given by γ = (n + 1)/(n - 1) - 1 (spheres) or by γ = n/ (n - 1) - 1 (cylinders in the limit of infinite overdensity). Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Magnetic field influences on the lateral dose response functions of photon-beam detectors: MC study of wall-less water-filled detectors with various densities.

PubMed

Looe, Hui Khee; Delfs, Björn; Poppinga, Daniela; Harder, Dietrich; Poppe, Björn

2017-06-21

The distortion of detector reading profiles across photon beams in the presence of magnetic fields is a developing subject of clinical photon-beam dosimetry. The underlying modification by the Lorentz force of a detector's lateral dose response function-the convolution kernel transforming the true cross-beam dose profile in water into the detector reading profile-is here studied for the first time. The three basic convolution kernels, the photon fluence response function, the dose deposition kernel, and the lateral dose response function, of wall-less cylindrical detectors filled with water of low, normal and enhanced density are shown by Monte Carlo simulation to be distorted in the prevailing direction of the Lorentz force. The asymmetric shape changes of these convolution kernels in a water medium and in magnetic fields of up to 1.5 T are confined to the lower millimetre range, and they depend on the photon beam quality, the magnetic flux density and the detector's density. The impact of this distortion on detector reading profiles is demonstrated using a narrow photon beam profile. For clinical applications it appears as favourable that the magnetic flux density dependent distortion of the lateral dose response function, as far as secondary electron transport is concerned, vanishes in the case of water-equivalent detectors of normal water density. By means of secondary electron history backtracing, the spatial distribution of the photon interactions giving rise either directly to secondary electrons or to scattered photons further downstream producing secondary electrons which contribute to the detector's signal, and their lateral shift due to the Lorentz force is elucidated. Electron history backtracing also serves to illustrate the correct treatment of the influences of the Lorentz force in the EGSnrc Monte Carlo code applied in this study.

Effect of the medium's density on the hydrocyclonic separation of waste plastics with different densities.

PubMed

Fu, Shuangcheng; Fang, Yong; Yuan, Huixin; Tan, Wanjiang; Dong, Yiwen

2017-09-01

Hydrocyclones can be applied to recycle waste plastics with different densities through separating plastics based on their differences in densities. In the process, the medium density is one of key parameters and the value of the medium's density is not just the average of the density of two kinds of plastics separated. Based on the force analysis and establishing the equation of motion of particles in the hydrocyclone, a formula to calculate the optimum separation medium density has been deduced. This value of the medium's density is a function of various parameters including the diameter, density, radial position and tangential velocity of particles, and viscosity of the medium. Tests on the separation performance of the hydrocyclone has been conducted with PET and PVC particles. The theoretical result appeared to be in good agreement with experimental results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Fermentation Time with Probiotic Bacteria on Organic Fertilizer as Daphnia magna Cultured Medium towards Nutrient Quality, Biomass Production and Growth Performance Enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endar Herawati, Vivi; Agung Nugroho, Ristiawan; Pinandoyo; Darmanto, YS; Hutabarat, Johannes

2018-02-01

The nutrient quality and growth performance of D. magna are highly depend on the organic fertilizer which is used in its culture medium. The objective of this study was to identify the best fermentation time by using probiotic bacteria on organic fertilizer as mass culture medium to improve its nutrient quality, biomass production, and growth performance. This study was conducted using completely randomized experimental design with five treatments and three repetitions. Organic fertilizers used cultured medium with chicken manure, rejected bread and tofu waste fermented by probiotic bacteria then cultured for 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. The results showed that medium which used 25% chicken manure, 25% tofu waste and 50% rejected bread cultured for 28 days created the highest biomass production, population density and nutrient content of D. magna those are 233,980 ind/L for population density; 134.60 grams for biomass production, 0.574% specific growth rate; 68.06% protein content and 6.91% fat. The highest fatty acid profile is 4.83% linoleic and 3.54% linolenic acid. The highest essential amino acid is 53.94 ppm lysine. In general, the content of ammonia, DO, temperature, and pH during the study were in the good range of D. magna life. The conclusion of this research is medium which used 25% chicken manure, 25% tofu waste and 50% rejected bread cultured for 28 days created the highest biomass production, population and nutrient content of D. magna.

Effect of short-term hypoxia on marine nematode community structure and vertical distribution pattern in three different sediment types of the North Sea.

PubMed

Taheri, Mehrshad; Braeckman, Ulrike; Vincx, Magda; Vanaverbeke, Jan

2014-08-01

The responses of nematode communities to short-term hypoxia (1 and 7 days) were investigated in three North Sea stations with different sediment types (coarse silt, fine sand and medium sand). In the field, nematode density, diversity, vertical distribution and community structure differ among the stations. In the laboratory, oxic and hypoxic treatments were established for 1 and 7 days for all sediment types. Comparison between field control and oxic day 1 treatments showed that experimental sediment handling did not affect nematode characteristics. Our results revealed that short-term hypoxia did not affect total density, diversity, community composition, vertical density profiles (except in the fine sand) and densities of five dominant species in all sediment types. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ASCA observation of NGC 4636: Dark matter and metallicity gradient

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mushotzky, R. F.; Loewenstein, M.; Awaki, H.; Makishima, K.; Matsushita, K.; Matsumoto, H.

1994-01-01

We present our analysis of ASCA PV phase observation of the elliptical galaxy NGC 4636. Solid state imaging spectrometer (SIS) spectra in six concentric annuli centered on NGC 4636 are used to derive temperature, metallicity, and column density profiles for the hot interstellar medium. Outside of the central 3 min the temperature is roughly constant at approximately 0.85 keV, while the metallicity decreases from greater than 0.36 solar at the center to less than 0.12 solar at R approximately 9 min. The implications of this gradient for elliptical galaxy formation and the enrichment of intracluster gas are discussed. We derive a detailed mass profile consistent with the stellar velocity dispersion and with ROSAT position sensitive proportional counter (PSPC) and ASCA SIS X-ray temperature profiles. We find that NGC 4636 becomes dark matter dominated at roughly the de Vaucouleurs radius, and, at r approximately 100 kpc, the ratio of dark to luminous matter density is approximately 80 and solar mass/solar luminosity approximately equal to 150. Evidence for the presence of a cooling flow is also discussed.

Food price policies improve diet quality while increasing socioeconomic inequalities in nutrition

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Prices are an important determinant of food choices. Consequently, food price policies (subsidies and/or taxes) are proposed to improve the nutritional quality of diets. The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of food price policies on the expenditures and nutritional quality of the food baskets chosen by low- and medium-income households. Methods Experimental economics was used to examine two price manipulations: i) a fruit and vegetable price subsidy named “fruit and vegetables condition”; ii) a healthy-product subsidy coupled with an unhealthy-product tax named “nutrient profile condition”. The nutrient profiling system called SAIN,LIM was used. This system classifies each individual food according to its overall nutritional quality which then allows for a food item to be taxed or subsidized. Women from low- (n = 95) and medium-incomes (n = 33) selected a daily food basket, first, at current prices and then at manipulated prices. The redistributive effects of experimental conditions were assessed by comparing the extent of savings induced by subsidies and of costs generated by the tax on the two income groups. Energy density (kcal/100 g), free sugars (% energy) and the mean adequacy ratio (MAR) were used as nutritional quality indicators. Results At baseline (before price manipulations), low-income women selected less expensive and less healthy baskets than medium-income ones. After price manipulations expenditures for both income group decreased significantly, whereas, the nutritional quality improved (energy density decreased, the MAR increased). Additionally, the redistributive effects were less favourable for low-income women and their nutritional quality improvements from baseline were significantly lower. Conclusion Low-income women derived fewer financial and nutritional benefits from implemented food subsidies and taxes than medium-income women. This outcome suggests that food price policies may improve diet quality while increasing socio-economic inequalities in nutrition. PMID:24886414

Food price policies improve diet quality while increasing socioeconomic inequalities in nutrition.

PubMed

Darmon, Nicole; Lacroix, Anne; Muller, Laurent; Ruffieux, Bernard

2014-05-20

Prices are an important determinant of food choices. Consequently, food price policies (subsidies and/or taxes) are proposed to improve the nutritional quality of diets. The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of food price policies on the expenditures and nutritional quality of the food baskets chosen by low- and medium-income households. Experimental economics was used to examine two price manipulations: i) a fruit and vegetable price subsidy named "fruit and vegetables condition"; ii) a healthy-product subsidy coupled with an unhealthy-product tax named "nutrient profile condition". The nutrient profiling system called SAIN,LIM was used. This system classifies each individual food according to its overall nutritional quality which then allows for a food item to be taxed or subsidized. Women from low- (n = 95) and medium-incomes (n = 33) selected a daily food basket, first, at current prices and then at manipulated prices. The redistributive effects of experimental conditions were assessed by comparing the extent of savings induced by subsidies and of costs generated by the tax on the two income groups. Energy density (kcal/100 g), free sugars (% energy) and the mean adequacy ratio (MAR) were used as nutritional quality indicators. At baseline (before price manipulations), low-income women selected less expensive and less healthy baskets than medium-income ones. After price manipulations expenditures for both income group decreased significantly, whereas, the nutritional quality improved (energy density decreased, the MAR increased). Additionally, the redistributive effects were less favourable for low-income women and their nutritional quality improvements from baseline were significantly lower. Low-income women derived fewer financial and nutritional benefits from implemented food subsidies and taxes than medium-income women. This outcome suggests that food price policies may improve diet quality while increasing socio-economic inequalities in nutrition.

The importance of atmospheric monitoring at the Pierre Auger Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Bruce R.

The Pierre Auger Observatory is an ultra-high energy cosmic ray experiment employing a giant surface array of particle detectors together with telescopes to image fluorescence light from extensive air showers in the atmosphere. The atmosphere is the medium in which the incoming cosmic rays deposit their energy, and as a result we must monitor the characteristics of the atmosphere, including its density profile and light transmission properties, over the Observatory area of 3000 square kilometres.

Constraining brane tension using rotation curves of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Aspeitia, Miguel A.; Rodríguez-Meza, Mario A.

2018-04-01

We present in this work a study of brane theory phenomenology focusing on the brane tension parameter, which is the main observable of the theory. We show the modifications steaming from the presence of branes in the rotation curves of spiral galaxies for three well known dark matter density profiles: Pseudo isothermal, Navarro-Frenk-White and Burkert dark matter density profiles. We estimate the brane tension parameter using a sample of high resolution observed rotation curves of low surface brightness spiral galaxies and a synthetic rotation curve for the three density profiles. Also, the fittings using the brane theory model of the rotation curves are compared with standard Newtonian models. We found that Navarro-Frenk-White model prefers lower values of the brane tension parameter, on the average λ ∼ 0.73 × 10‑3eV4, therefore showing clear brane effects. Burkert case does prefer higher values of the tension parameter, on the average λ ∼ 0.93 eV4 ‑ 46 eV4, i.e., negligible brane effects. Whereas pseudo isothermal is an intermediate case. Due to the low densities found in the galactic medium it is almost impossible to find evidence of the presence of extra dimensions. In this context, we found that our results show weaker bounds to the brane tension values in comparison with other bounds found previously, as the lower value found for dwarf stars composed of a polytropic equation of state, λ ≈ 104 MeV4.

Simulations of Gamma-Ray Burst Jets in a Stratified External Medium: Dynamics, Afterglow Light Curves, Jet Breaks, and Radio Calorimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Colle, Fabio; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico; Granot, Jonathan; Lopez-Camara, Diego

2012-05-01

The dynamics of gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets during the afterglow phase is most reliably and accurately modeled using hydrodynamic simulations. All published simulations so far, however, have considered only a uniform external medium, while a stratified external medium is expected around long duration GRB progenitors. Here, we present simulations of the dynamics of GRB jets and the resulting afterglow emission for both uniform and stratified external media with ρextvpropr -k for k = 0, 1, 2. The simulations are performed in two dimensions using the special relativistic version of the Mezcal code. Common to all calculations is the initiation of the GRB jet as a conical wedge of half-opening angle θ0 = 0.2 whose radial profile is taken from the self-similar Blandford-McKee solution. The dynamics for stratified external media (k = 1, 2) are broadly similar to those derived for expansion into a uniform external medium (k = 0). The jet half-opening angle is observed to start increasing logarithmically with time (or radius) once the Lorentz factor Γ drops below θ-1 0. For larger k values, however, the lateral expansion is faster at early times (when Γ > θ-1 0) and slower at late times with the jet expansion becoming Newtonian and slowly approaching spherical symmetry over progressively longer timescales. We find that, contrary to analytic expectations, there is a reasonably sharp jet break in the light curve for k = 2 (a wind-like external medium), although the shape of the break is affected more by the viewing angle (for θobs <= θ0) than by the slope of the external density profile (for 0 <= k <= 2). Steeper density profiles (i.e., increasing k values) are found to produce more gradual jet breaks while larger viewing angles cause smoother and later appearing jet breaks. The counterjet becomes visible as it becomes sub-relativistic, and for k = 0 this results in a clear bump-like feature in the light curve. However, for larger k values the jet decelerates more gradually, causing only a mild flattening in the radio light curve that might be hard to discern when k = 2. Late-time radio calorimetry, which makes use of a spherical flow approximation near the non-relativistic transition, is likely to consistently overestimate the true energy by up to a factor of a few for k = 2, but likely to either overpredict or underpredict it by a smaller factor for k = 0, 1.

Bottom-up assembly of metallic germanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scappucci, Giordano; Klesse, Wolfgang M.; Yeoh, Lareine A.; Carter, Damien J.; Warschkow, Oliver; Marks, Nigel A.; Jaeger, David L.; Capellini, Giovanni; Simmons, Michelle Y.; Hamilton, Alexander R.

2015-08-01

Extending chip performance beyond current limits of miniaturisation requires new materials and functionalities that integrate well with the silicon platform. Germanium fits these requirements and has been proposed as a high-mobility channel material, a light emitting medium in silicon-integrated lasers, and a plasmonic conductor for bio-sensing. Common to these diverse applications is the need for homogeneous, high electron densities in three-dimensions (3D). Here we use a bottom-up approach to demonstrate the 3D assembly of atomically sharp doping profiles in germanium by a repeated stacking of two-dimensional (2D) high-density phosphorus layers. This produces high-density (1019 to 1020 cm-3) low-resistivity (10-4Ω · cm) metallic germanium of precisely defined thickness, beyond the capabilities of diffusion-based doping technologies. We demonstrate that free electrons from distinct 2D dopant layers coalesce into a homogeneous 3D conductor using anisotropic quantum interference measurements, atom probe tomography, and density functional theory.

Sialidase activities of cultured human fibroblasts and the metabolism of GM3 ganglioside

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

Usuki, S.; Lyu, S.C.; Sweeley, C.C.

1988-05-15

Free sialic acid has been found in the cell-conditioned medium of human foreskin fibroblasts. It is proposed that the accumulation of extracellular sialic acid may result from the hydrolysis of GM3 ganglioside on the cell surface of these fibroblasts. Sialidase activities with GM3 ganglioside and sialyllactitol as substrates were demonstrated in cell-conditioned medium, and the levels of their activities correlated positively with cell density. The GM3 sialidase activity at pH 4.5 was 4.1 and 38 pmol/h/ml of medium at sparse and confluent densities, respectively; the corresponding activities with sialyllactitol as the substrate were 12 and 75 pmol/h/ml of medium (pHmore » 4.5). The pH versus activity profiles with GM3 as the substrate suggested the presence of a second sialidase with an optimal activity at pH 6.5 in the conditioned medium of preconfluent cells. This activity was virtually absent in the medium of contact-inhibited cells and could not be assayed with sialyllactitol as the substrate. The turnover of cell surface GM3 was assessed by pulse labeling human foreskin fibroblasts with a radioactive precursor of sialic acid ((1-14C)N-acetylmannosamine) and a radioactive precursor of ceramide ((3,3-3H2)serine). During a chase period of 24 h turnover of the doubly labeled cellular GM3 was observed; there was a loss of about 35% of the 14C-labeled sialic acid without any measureable loss of 3H-labeled ceramide from GM3. We have speculated that the enzyme-catalyzed removal of sialic acid from the GM3 ganglioside on the extracellular aspect of the plasma membrane may be a necessary event involved in the modulation of cell growth.« less

Numerical Simulations of Supernova Remnant Evolution in a Cloudy Interstellar Medium

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

Slavin, Jonathan D.; Smith, Randall K.; Foster, Adam

The mixed morphology class of supernova remnants has centrally peaked X-ray emission along with a shell-like morphology in radio emission. White and Long proposed that these remnants are evolving in a cloudy medium wherein the clouds are evaporated via thermal conduction once being overrun by the expanding shock. Their analytical model made detailed predictions regarding temperature, density, and emission profiles as well as shock evolution. We present numerical hydrodynamical models in 2D and 3D including thermal conduction, testing the White and Long model and presenting results for the evolution and emission from remnants evolving in a cloudy medium. We findmore » that, while certain general results of the White and Long model hold, such as the way the remnants expand and the flattening of the X-ray surface brightness distribution, in detail there are substantial differences. In particular we find that the X-ray luminosity is dominated by emission from shocked cloud gas early on, leading to a bright peak, which then declines and flattens as evaporation becomes more important. In addition, the effects of thermal conduction on the intercloud gas, which is not included in the White and Long model, are important and lead to further flattening of the X-ray brightness profile as well as lower X-ray emission temperatures.« less

In vivo gastric residence and gastroprotective effect of floating gastroretentive tablet of DA-9601, an extract of Artemisia asiatica, in beagle dogs

PubMed Central

Kim, Jeong Soo; Cha, Kwang Ho; Kang, Seung Yeob; Won, Donghan; Jang, Sun Woo; Son, Miwon; Son, Moon Ho; Choi, Ho Jung; Lee, Young Won; Kang, Myung Joo

2016-01-01

Objective DA-9601, an extract of Artemisia asiatica containing eupatilin and jaceosidin as active compounds, has been prescribed to treat gastritis in Asia. In recent times, sustained-release, floating gastroretentive (GR) tablets of DA-9601 are available on the market. In the present study, the physical properties and in vitro drug release profile, in vivo gastric residence time, and gastroprotective effect of GR tablet were compared to those of immediate release (IR) tablets of DA-9601. Method In vitro buoyancy behavior (floating lag time and duration) and release profile of eupatilin were assessed in acidic medium. The in vivo intragastric behaviors of the barium sulfate-loaded IR and GR tablets were evaluated in beagle dogs by radiographic studies. Local gastroprotective effect was compared in an experimentally induced gastric lesion in beagle dogs after oral administration of IR (three times per day) or GR (twice daily) tablets for 15 days. Results Upon contact with gastric juice, a low-density floating tablet (apparent density of 0.93 g/cm3) was buoyant on the medium and was upheld for 14 hours, providing sustained drug release profile, whereas the IR tablet disintegrated within 10 minutes, showing complete drug release within 2 hours. In vivo radiographic studies showed that the GR tablet was retained for >4 hours in the stomach. Both DA-9601 formulations remarkably alleviated gastric mucosal injury compared to placebo group, when observed by gastric endoscopy. Conclusion Twice-daily GR tablets exhibited a prolonged gastric residence time and a remarkable mucosal restoration effect in animal models. Therefore, the GR system of DA-9601 could be a substitute dosage form for the treatment of gastritis, while reducing the dosing frequency and thus improving patient compliance. PMID:27354765

In vivo gastric residence and gastroprotective effect of floating gastroretentive tablet of DA-9601, an extract of Artemisia asiatica, in beagle dogs.

PubMed

Kim, Jeong Soo; Cha, Kwang Ho; Kang, Seung Yeob; Won, Donghan; Jang, Sun Woo; Son, Miwon; Son, Moon Ho; Choi, Ho Jung; Lee, Young Won; Kang, Myung Joo

2016-01-01

DA-9601, an extract of Artemisia asiatica containing eupatilin and jaceosidin as active compounds, has been prescribed to treat gastritis in Asia. In recent times, sustained-release, floating gastroretentive (GR) tablets of DA-9601 are available on the market. In the present study, the physical properties and in vitro drug release profile, in vivo gastric residence time, and gastroprotective effect of GR tablet were compared to those of immediate release (IR) tablets of DA-9601. In vitro buoyancy behavior (floating lag time and duration) and release profile of eupatilin were assessed in acidic medium. The in vivo intragastric behaviors of the barium sulfate-loaded IR and GR tablets were evaluated in beagle dogs by radiographic studies. Local gastroprotective effect was compared in an experimentally induced gastric lesion in beagle dogs after oral administration of IR (three times per day) or GR (twice daily) tablets for 15 days. Upon contact with gastric juice, a low-density floating tablet (apparent density of 0.93 g/cm(3)) was buoyant on the medium and was upheld for 14 hours, providing sustained drug release profile, whereas the IR tablet disintegrated within 10 minutes, showing complete drug release within 2 hours. In vivo radiographic studies showed that the GR tablet was retained for >4 hours in the stomach. Both DA-9601 formulations remarkably alleviated gastric mucosal injury compared to placebo group, when observed by gastric endoscopy. Twice-daily GR tablets exhibited a prolonged gastric residence time and a remarkable mucosal restoration effect in animal models. Therefore, the GR system of DA-9601 could be a substitute dosage form for the treatment of gastritis, while reducing the dosing frequency and thus improving patient compliance.

Quasi-monoenergetic multi-GeV electron acceleration by optimizing the spatial and spectral phases of PW laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Junghun; Kim, Hyung Taek; Pathak, V. B.; Hojbota, Calin; Lee, Seong Ku; Sung, Jae Hee; Lee, Hwang Woon; Yoon, Jin Woo; Jeon, Cheonha; Nakajima, Kazuhisa; Sylla, F.; Lifschitz, A.; Guillaume, E.; Thaury, C.; Malka, V.; Nam, Chang Hee

2018-06-01

Generation of high-quality electron beams from laser wakefield acceleration requires optimization of initial experimental parameters. We present here the dependence of accelerated electron beams on the temporal profile of a driving PW laser, the density, and length of an interacting medium. We have optimized the initial parameters to obtain 2.8 GeV quasi-monoenergetic electrons which can be applied further to the development of compact electron accelerators and radiations sources.

Three-dimensional ultrashort optical Airy beams in an inhomogeneous medium with carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhukov, Alexander V.; Bouffanais, Roland; Belonenko, Mikhail B.; Dvuzhilov, Ilya S.

2017-03-01

In this Letter, we consider the problem of the dynamics of propagation of three-dimensional optical pulses (a.k.a. light bullets) with an Airy profile through a heterogeneous environment of carbon nanotubes. We show numerically that such beams exhibit sustained and stable propagation. Moreover, we demonstrate that by varying the density modulation period of the carbon nanotubes one can indirectly control the pulse velocity, which is a particularly valuable feature for the design and manufacturing of novel pulse delay devices.

Numerical Investigation of Statistical Turbulence Effects on Beam Propagation through 2-D Shear Mixing Layer

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

instrumental in helping me refine my grid and flow profile to produce my investigation flow field. Dr. Brooks and Dr. Grismer helped me by getting me current ...wavelength of the source and changes in the index of refraction from density changes in the medium. They are directly attributed to three physical phenomenon...Turbulence arises from injection of energy into the fluid causing the motion to become unstable. This source of this energy injection is usually

Analysis of operational requirements for medium density air transportation. Volume 1: Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The medium density air travel market was studied to determine the aircraft design and operational requirements. The impact of operational characteristics on the air travel system and the economic viability of the study aircraft were also evaluated. Medium density is defined in terms of numbers of people transported (20 to 500 passengers per day on round trip routes), and frequency of service ( a minumium of two and maximum of eight round trips per day) for 10 regional carriers. The operational characteristics of aircraft best suited to serve the medium density air transportation market are determined and a basepoint aircraft is designed from which tradeoff studies and parametric variations could be conducted. The impact of selected aircraft on the medium density market, economics, and operations is ascertained. Research and technology objectives for future programs in medium density air transportation are identified and ranked.

Insulin and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor synergistically promote astrocyte survival and proliferation in serum-free medium.

PubMed

Jia, Mei; Shi, Zhongfang; Yan, Xu; Xu, Lixin; Dong, Liping; Li, Jiaxin; Wang, Yujiao; Yang, Shaohua; Yuan, Fang

2018-06-08

In vitro systems allowing maintenance and experimentation on primary astrocyte cultures have been used for decades. Astrocyte cultures are most maintained in serum-containing medium which has been found to alter the morphology and gene profiles of astrocytes. Here, we reported a new serum-free medium for astrocyte culture, which consisted of DMEM and NB media supplemented with insulin and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) (SF-I-H medium). Meanwhile FBS-containing (FBS) medium composed of DMEM medium containing 10% FBS were used for comparison study. Cerebral cortex was harvested from postnatal day 1 Wistar rats and brain cells were isolated and seeded to poly-L-lysine coated culture dishes after 15 min differential velocity adherence. Compared with FBS medium, astrocytes in SF-I-H medium are smaller and exhibited process bearing morphologies. MTT assays showed that cell density and proliferation rate were higher in SF-I-H medium than in FBS medium all the time, and flow cytometry analysis revealed that SF-I-H medium promoted cell mitosis in a manner comparable to FBS medium. Consistently, western blot analysis further revealed that insulin and HB-EGF synergistically activated the PI3K-AKT and MAPK-ERK1/2 signaling cascades as FBS. Astrocytes cultured in SF-I-H medium grow faster than FBS medium. Taken together, our results indicated that SF-I-H medium, in which cell morphology was similar with astrocytes in brain, was more effective for astrocyte survival and proliferation than FBS medium, providing a new cell model to study astrocyte functions without the interference of serum. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Bulgeless dwarf galaxies and dark matter cores from supernova-driven outflows.

PubMed

Governato, F; Brook, C; Mayer, L; Brooks, A; Rhee, G; Wadsley, J; Jonsson, P; Willman, B; Stinson, G; Quinn, T; Madau, P

2010-01-14

For almost two decades the properties of 'dwarf' galaxies have challenged the cold dark matter (CDM) model of galaxy formation. Most observed dwarf galaxies consist of a rotating stellar disk embedded in a massive dark-matter halo with a near-constant-density core. Models based on the dominance of CDM, however, invariably form galaxies with dense spheroidal stellar bulges and steep central dark-matter profiles, because low-angular-momentum baryons and dark matter sink to the centres of galaxies through accretion and repeated mergers. Processes that decrease the central density of CDM halos have been identified, but have not yet reconciled theory with observations of present-day dwarfs. This failure is potentially catastrophic for the CDM model, possibly requiring a different dark-matter particle candidate. Here we report hydrodynamical simulations (in a framework assuming the presence of CDM and a cosmological constant) in which the inhomogeneous interstellar medium is resolved. Strong outflows from supernovae remove low-angular-momentum gas, which inhibits the formation of bulges and decreases the dark-matter density to less than half of what it would otherwise be within the central kiloparsec. The analogues of dwarf galaxies-bulgeless and with shallow central dark-matter profiles-arise naturally in these simulations.

Propagation of mechanical waves through a stochastic medium with spherical symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avendaño, Carlos G.; Reyes, J. Adrián

2018-01-01

We theoretically analyze the propagation of outgoing mechanical waves through an infinite isotropic elastic medium possessing spherical symmetry whose Lamé coefficients and density are spatial random functions characterized by well-defined statistical parameters. We derive the differential equation that governs the average displacement for a system whose properties depend on the radial coordinate. We show that such an equation is an extended version of the well-known Bessel differential equation whose perturbative additional terms contain coefficients that depend directly on the squared noise intensities and the autocorrelation lengths in an exponential decay fashion. We numerically solve the second order differential equation for several values of noise intensities and autocorrelation lengths and compare the corresponding displacement profiles with that of the exact analytic solution for the case of absent inhomogeneities.

Interfacial mixing in as-deposited Si/Ni/Si layers analyzed by x-ray and polarized neutron reflectometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Debarati; Basu, Saibal; Singh, Surendra; Roy, Sumalay; Dev, Bhupendra Nath

2012-12-01

Interdiffusion occurring across the interfaces in a Si/Ni/Si layered system during deposition at room temperature was probed using x-ray reflectivity (XRR) and polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR). Exploiting the complementarity of these techniques, both structural and magnetic characterization with nanometer depth resolution could be achieved. Suitable model fitting of the reflectivity profiles identified the formation of Ni-Si mixed alloy layers at the Si/Ni and Ni/Si interfaces. The physical parameters of the layered structure, including quantitative assessment of the stoichiometry of interfacial alloys, were obtained from the analyses of XRR and PNR patterns. In addition, PNR provided magnetic moment density profile as a function of depth in the stratified medium.

The gene expression pattern induced by high plating density in cultured bovine and buffalo granulosa cells might be regulated by specific miRNA species

PubMed Central

YENUGANTI, Vengala Rao; BADDELA, Vijay Simha; BAUFELD, Anja; SINGH, Dheer; VANSELOW, Jens

2015-01-01

Precise regulation of cell type-specific gene expression profiles precedes the profound morphological reorganization of somatic cell layers during folliculogenesis, ovulation and luteinization. Cell culture models are essential to the study of corresponding molecular mechanisms of gene regulation. In a recent study, it was shown that an increased cell plating density can largely change gene expression profiles of cultured bovine granulosa cells. In our present study, we comparatively analyzed cell plating density effects on cultured bovine and buffalo granulosa cells. Cells were isolated from small- to medium-sized follicles (2–6 mm) and cultured under serum-free conditions at different plating densities. The abundance of selected marker transcripts and associated miRNA candidates was determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. We found in both species that the abundance of CYP19A1, CCNE1 and PCNA transcripts was remarkably lower at a high plating density, whereas VNN2 and RGS2 transcripts significantly increased. In contrast, putative regulators of CYP19A1, miR-378, miR-106a and let-7f were significantly higher in both species or only in buffalo, respectively. Also miR-15a, a regulator of CCNE1, was upregulated in both species. Thus, increased plating density induced similar changes of mRNA and miRNA expression in granulosa cells from buffalo and cattle. From these data, we conclude that specific miRNA species might be involved in the observed density-induced gene regulation. PMID:25740097

OT2_pgolds01_6: Herschel [NII] Observations to Define the Source of [CII] Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldsmith, P.

2011-09-01

The 158 micron line of ionized carbon is the strongest single long-wavelength emission feature from the interstellar medium and is the most important coolant of gas in which hydrogen is in atomic form. It is a key determinant of the evolution of these largely atomic regions into denser, cooler molecular clouds in which new stars are formed, and is widely used as a tracer of star formation in the Milky Way and other galaxies. There is, however, an ongoing, serious controversy about the origin of the [CII] emission, which has been asserted to come from the extended low-density warm interstellar medium, but has more generally been associated with the primarily molecular photon dominated regions (PDRs) intimately associated with massive, young stars. We propose a combined HIFI and PACS study of the two far-infrared [NII] fine structure lines in order to resolve the important question of the fraction of CII emission that arises in ionized gas. Specifically, we will (1) utilize the fact that due to its ionization potential NII is found only in HII regions, and with PACS 122 and 205 micron observations, determine electron densities in a sample of such regions in the Galactic plane; (2) utilize available data on radio free-free and H-alpha emission to determine the NII column densities and from this the CII column densities in the HII regions; (3) use the electron densities to determine the fraction of CII emission arising in the ionized interstellar medium. These observations will be carried out at 150 of the positions in the Galactic plane observed in [CII] by the GOT-C+ project. We will also carry out HIFI observations of 10 selected positions in the 205 micron line to determine spectral characteristics of the NII emission line, which with CII, CI, and CO profiles already in hand will serve as a further discriminant among the proposed sources of CII emission.

Optical properties of an inhomogeneously broadened ΛV-system with multiple excited states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, Paramjit; Bharti, Vineet; Wasan, Ajay

2014-09-01

We present a theoretical model using a density matrix approach to show the influence of multiple excited states on the optical properties of an inhomogeneously broadened ?V-system of the ?Rb D2 line. These closely spaced multiple excited states cause asymmetry in absorption and dispersion profiles. We observe the reduced absorption profiles, due to dressed state interactions of the applied electromagnetic fields, which results the Mollow sideband-like transparency windows. In a room temperature vapor, we obtain a narrow enhanced absorption and steep positive dispersion at the line center when the strengths of control and pump fields are equal. Here, we show how the probe transmittance varies when it passes through the atomic medium. We also discuss the transient behavior of our system which agrees well with the corresponding absorption and dispersion profiles. This study has potential applications in controllability of group velocity, and for optical and quantum information processing.

A Fundamental Test for Galaxy Formation Models: Matching the Lyman-α Absorption Profiles of Galactic Halos Over Three Decades in Distance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorini, Daniele; Oñorbe, José; Hennawi, Joseph F.; Lukić, Zarija

2018-06-01

Galaxy formation depends critically on the physical state of gas in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) and its interface with the intergalactic medium (IGM), determined by the complex interplay between inflow from the IGM and outflows from supernovae and/or AGN feedback. The average Lyα absorption profile around galactic halos represents a powerful tool to probe their gaseous environments. We compare predictions from Illustris and Nyx hydrodynamical simulations with the observed absorption around foreground quasars, damped Lyα systems, and Lyman-break galaxies. We show how large-scale BOSS and small-scale quasar pair measurements can be combined to precisely constrain the absorption profile over three decades in transverse distance 20 {kpc}≲ b≲ 20 {Mpc}. Far from galaxies, ≳ 2 {Mpc}, the simulations converge to the same profile and provide a reasonable match to the observations. This asymptotic agreement arises because the ΛCDM model successfully describes the ambient IGM and represents a critical advantage of studying the mean absorption profile. However, significant differences between the simulations, and between simulations and observations, are present on scales 20 {kpc}≲ b≲ 2 {Mpc}, illustrating the challenges of accurately modeling and resolving galaxy formation physics. It is noteworthy that these differences are observed as far out as ∼ 2 {Mpc}, indicating that the “sphere of influence” of galaxies could extend to approximately ∼7 times the halo virial radius. Current observations are very precise on these scales and can thus strongly discriminate between different galaxy formation models. We demonstrate that the Lyα absorption profile is primarily sensitive to the underlying temperature–density relationship of diffuse gas around galaxies, and argue that it thus provides a fundamental test of galaxy formation models.

Hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of low GI and medium GL Indian diets in type 2 diabetics for a period of 4 weeks: a prospective study.

PubMed

Pande, Ashwini; Krishnamoorthy, Geetha; Moulick, N D

2012-09-01

This prospective study reports significant hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects in type 2 diabetic subjects who were provided the complete diet plan to be on low glycaemic index (GI) and low-medium glycaemic load (GL) Indian vegetarian snacks and mixed meals for 4 continuous weeks. Five millilitres of fasting blood sample drawn at weekly intervals for 4 weeks were analysed for blood glucose, HbA1c and lipid profile. Four weeks later mean blood glucose level of 173.6 mg% decreased to 137.8 mg%, HbA1c of 8% also decreased to 7.1% which reflected the blood glucose level during the study period and hence correlated well with the fall in blood glucose level. Triglyceride level of 244.5 mg% decreased to 164.7 mg% (p < 0.0001) and total cholesterol of 173.5 mg% decreased to 134.6 mg% (p < 0.0001). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol of 33 mg% increased to 39.8 mg% (p < 0.003), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol of 48.9 mg% decreased to 32.9 mg% (p < 0.0001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of 90.1 mg% decreased to 64.3 (p < 0.009). This significant outcome can be improved further if compliance to low GI and low-to-medium GL diet is continued. This may achieve desired glycaemic control and that's limit oxidative stress.

Constraints on rapidity-dependent initial conditions from charged-particle pseudorapidity densities and two-particle correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ke, Weiyao; Moreland, J. Scott; Bernhard, Jonah E.; Bass, Steffen A.

2017-10-01

We study the initial three-dimensional spatial configuration of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions using centrality and pseudorapidity-dependent measurements of the medium's charged particle density and two-particle correlations. A cumulant-generating function is first used to parametrize the rapidity dependence of local entropy deposition and extend arbitrary boost-invariant initial conditions to nonzero beam rapidities. The model is then compared to p +Pb and Pb + Pb charged-particle pseudorapidity densities and two-particle pseudorapidity correlations and systematically optimized using Bayesian parameter estimation to extract high-probability initial condition parameters. The optimized initial conditions are then compared to a number of experimental observables including the pseudorapidity-dependent anisotropic flows, event-plane decorrelations, and flow correlations. We find that the form of the initial local longitudinal entropy profile is well constrained by these experimental measurements.

Two-component scattering model and the electron density spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, A. Z.; Tan, J. Y.; Esamdin, A.; Wu, X. J.

2010-02-01

In this paper, we discuss a rigorous treatment of the refractive scintillation caused by a two-component interstellar scattering medium and a Kolmogorov form of density spectrum. It is assumed that the interstellar scattering medium is composed of a thin-screen interstellar medium (ISM) and an extended interstellar medium. We consider the case that the scattering of the thin screen concentrates in a thin layer represented by a δ function distribution and that the scattering density of the extended irregular medium satisfies the Gaussian distribution. We investigate and develop equations for the flux density structure function corresponding to this two-component ISM geometry in the scattering density distribution and compare our result with the observations. We conclude that the refractive scintillation caused by this two-component ISM scattering gives a more satisfactory explanation for the observed flux density variation than does the single extended medium model. The level of refractive scintillation is strongly sensitive to the distribution of scattering material along the line of sight (LOS). The theoretical modulation indices are comparatively less sensitive to the scattering strength of the thin-screen medium, but they critically depend on the distance from the observer to the thin screen. The logarithmic slope of the structure function is sensitive to the scattering strength of the thin-screen medium, but is relatively insensitive to the thin-screen location. Therefore, the proposed model can be applied to interpret the structure functions of flux density observed in pulsar PSR B2111 + 46 and PSR B0136 + 57. The result suggests that the medium consists of a discontinuous distribution of plasma turbulence embedded in the interstellar medium. Thus our work provides some insight into the distribution of the scattering along the LOS to the pulsar PSR B2111 + 46 and PSR B0136 + 57.

Bottom-up assembly of metallic germanium.

PubMed

Scappucci, Giordano; Klesse, Wolfgang M; Yeoh, LaReine A; Carter, Damien J; Warschkow, Oliver; Marks, Nigel A; Jaeger, David L; Capellini, Giovanni; Simmons, Michelle Y; Hamilton, Alexander R

2015-08-10

Extending chip performance beyond current limits of miniaturisation requires new materials and functionalities that integrate well with the silicon platform. Germanium fits these requirements and has been proposed as a high-mobility channel material, a light emitting medium in silicon-integrated lasers, and a plasmonic conductor for bio-sensing. Common to these diverse applications is the need for homogeneous, high electron densities in three-dimensions (3D). Here we use a bottom-up approach to demonstrate the 3D assembly of atomically sharp doping profiles in germanium by a repeated stacking of two-dimensional (2D) high-density phosphorus layers. This produces high-density (10(19) to 10(20) cm(-3)) low-resistivity (10(-4)Ω · cm) metallic germanium of precisely defined thickness, beyond the capabilities of diffusion-based doping technologies. We demonstrate that free electrons from distinct 2D dopant layers coalesce into a homogeneous 3D conductor using anisotropic quantum interference measurements, atom probe tomography, and density functional theory.

Double-Wronskian solitons and rogue waves for the inhomogeneous nonlinear Schrödinger equation in an inhomogeneous plasma

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

Sun, Wen-Rong; Tian, Bo, E-mail: tian_bupt@163.com; Jiang, Yan

2014-04-15

Plasmas are the main constituent of the Universe and the cause of a vast variety of astrophysical, space and terrestrial phenomena. The inhomogeneous nonlinear Schrödinger equation is hereby investigated, which describes the propagation of an electron plasma wave packet with a large wavelength and small amplitude in a medium with a parabolic density and constant interactional damping. By virtue of the double Wronskian identities, the equation is proved to possess the double-Wronskian soliton solutions. Analytic one- and two-soliton solutions are discussed. Amplitude and velocity of the soliton are related to the damping coefficient. Asymptotic analysis is applied for us tomore » investigate the interaction between the two solitons. Overtaking interaction, head-on interaction and bound state of the two solitons are given. From the non-zero potential Lax pair, the first- and second-order rogue-wave solutions are constructed via a generalized Darboux transformation, and influence of the linear and parabolic density profiles on the background density and amplitude of the rogue wave is discussed. -- Highlights: •Double-Wronskian soliton solutions are obtained and proof is finished by virtue of some double Wronskian identities. •Asymptotic analysis is applied for us to investigate the interaction between the two solitons. •First- and second-order rogue-wave solutions are constructed via a generalized Darboux transformation. •Influence of the linear and parabolic density profiles on the background density and amplitude of the rogue wave is discussed.« less

Effect of dielectric discontinuity on a spherical polyelectrolyte brush

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tergolina, Vinicius B.; dos Santos, Alexandre P.

2017-09-01

In this paper we perform molecular dynamics simulations of a spherical polyelectrolyte brush and counterions in a salt-free medium. The dielectric discontinuity on the grafted nanoparticle surface is taken into account by the method of image charges. Properties of the polyelectrolyte brush are obtained for different parameters, including valency of the counterions, radius of the nanoparticle, and the brush total charge. The monovalent counterions density profiles are obtained and compared with a simple mean-field theoretical approach. The theory allows us to obtain osmotic properties of the system.

The Temperature-Density Relation in the Intergalactic Medium at Redshift langzrang = 2.4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudie, Gwen C.; Steidel, Charles C.; Pettini, Max

2012-10-01

We present new measurements of the temperature-density (T-ρ) relation for neutral hydrogen in the 2.0 < z < 2.8 intergalactic medium (IGM) using a sample of ~6000 individual H I absorbers fitted with Voigt profiles constrained in all cases by multiple Lyman series transitions. We find model-independent evidence for a positive correlation between the column density of H I (N H I ) and the minimum observed velocity width of absorbers (b min). With minimal interpretation, this implies that the T-ρ relation in the IGM is not "inverted," contrary to many recent studies. Fitting b min as a function of N H I results in line-width-column-density dependence of the form b min = b 0(N H I /N H I,0)Γ-1 with a minimum line width at mean density (\\rho /\\bar{\\rho }= 1, N_H\\,\\mathsc{i, 0} = 10^{13.6} cm-2) of b 0 = 17.9 ± 0.2 km s-1 and a power-law index of (Γ - 1) = 0.15 ± 0.02. Using analytic arguments, these measurements imply an "equation of state" for the IGM at langzrang = 2.4 of the form T=T_0 \\left(\\rho /\\bar{\\rho }\\right)^{\\gamma -1} with a temperature at mean density of T 0 = [1.94 ± 0.05] × 104 K and a power-law index (γ - 1) = 0.46 ± 0.05. Based on data obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Resonant line transfer in a fog: using Lyman-alpha to probe tiny structures in atomic gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gronke, Max; Dijkstra, Mark; McCourt, Michael; Peng Oh, S.

2017-11-01

Motivated by observational and theoretical work that suggest very small-scale (≲ 1 pc) structure in the circumgalactic medium of galaxies and in other environments, we study Lyman-α (Lyα) radiative transfer in an extremely clumpy medium with many clouds of neutral gas along the line of sight. While previous studies have typically considered radiative transfer through sightlines intercepting ≲ 10 clumps, we explored the limit of a very large number of clumps per sightline (up to fc 1000). Our main finding is that, for covering factors greater than some critical threshold, a multiphase medium behaves similarly to a homogeneous medium in terms of the emergent Lyα spectrum. The value of this threshold depends on both the clump column density and the movement of the clumps. We estimated this threshold analytically and compare our findings to radiative transfer simulations with a range of covering factors, clump column densities, radii, and motions. Our results suggest that (I) the success in fitting observed Lyα spectra using homogeneous "shell models" (and the corresponding failure of multiphase models) hints at the presence of very small-scale structure in neutral gas, which is in agreement within a number of other observations; and (II) the recurrent problems of reproducing realistic line profiles from hydrodynamical simulations may be due to their inability to resolve small-scale structure, which causes simulations to underestimate the effective covering factor of neutral gas clouds. The movie associated to Fig. B.2 is available at http://www.aanda.org

Sound wave generation by a spherically symmetric outburst and AGN feedback in galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xiaping; Churazov, Eugene

2017-07-01

We consider the evolution of an outburst in a uniform medium under spherical symmetry, having in mind active galactic nucleus feedback in the intracluster medium. For a given density and pressure of the medium, the spatial structure and energy partition at a given time tage (since the onset of the outburst) are fully determined by the total injected energy Einj and the duration tb of the outburst. We are particularly interested in the late phase evolution when the strong shock transforms into a sound wave. We studied the energy partition during such transition with different combinations of Einj and tb. For an instantaneous outburst with tb → 0, which corresponds to the extension of classic Sedov-Taylor solution with counter-pressure, the fraction of energy that can be carried away by sound waves is ≲12 per cent of Einj. As tb increases, the solution approaches the 'slow piston' limit, with the fraction of energy in sound waves approaching zero. We then repeat the simulations using radial density and temperature profiles measured in Perseus and M87/Virgo clusters. We find that the results with a uniform medium broadly reproduce an outburst in more realistic conditions once proper scaling is applied. We also develop techniques to map intrinsic properties of an outburst (Einj, tb and tage) to the observables like the Mach number of the shock and radii of the shock and ejecta. For the Perseus cluster and M87, the estimated (Einj, tb and tage) agree with numerical simulations tailored for these objects with 20-30 per cent accuracy.

Computational neuroanatomy: mapping cell-type densities in the mouse brain, simulations from the Allen Brain Atlas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grange, Pascal

2015-09-01

The Allen Brain Atlas of the adult mouse (ABA) consists of digitized expression profiles of thousands of genes in the mouse brain, co-registered to a common three-dimensional template (the Allen Reference Atlas).This brain-wide, genome-wide data set has triggered a renaissance in neuroanatomy. Its voxelized version (with cubic voxels of side 200 microns) is available for desktop computation in MATLAB. On the other hand, brain cells exhibit a great phenotypic diversity (in terms of size, shape and electrophysiological activity), which has inspired the names of some well-studied cell types, such as granule cells and medium spiny neurons. However, no exhaustive taxonomy of brain cell is available. A genetic classification of brain cells is being undertaken, and some cell types have been chraracterized by their transcriptome profiles. However, given a cell type characterized by its transcriptome, it is not clear where else in the brain similar cells can be found. The ABA can been used to solve this region-specificity problem in a data-driven way: rewriting the brain-wide expression profiles of all genes in the atlas as a sum of cell-type-specific transcriptome profiles is equivalent to solving a quadratic optimization problem at each voxel in the brain. However, the estimated brain-wide densities of 64 cell types published recently were based on one series of co-registered coronal in situ hybridization (ISH) images per gene, whereas the online ABA contains several image series per gene, including sagittal ones. In the presented work, we simulate the variability of cell-type densities in a Monte Carlo way by repeatedly drawing a random image series for each gene and solving the optimization problem. This yields error bars on the region-specificity of cell types.

Aerogel Fingerprint Media

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

Miller, Fred S.; Andresen, Brian D.

1999-09-21

A fingerprint medium which is made of an aerogel having a predetermined density. The fingerprint medium may have a midrange density for forming plates or may be crushed forming a powder. The fingerprint medium may further include at least one of a metal and metal oxide to enhance characteristics desirable in a fingerprint medium.

Equilibrium star formation in a constant Q disc: model optimization and initial tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Zheng; Meurer, Gerhardt R.; Heckman, Timothy M.; Thilker, David A.; Zwaan, Martin A.

2013-10-01

We develop a model for the distribution of the interstellar medium (ISM) and star formation in galaxies based on recent studies that indicate that galactic discs stabilize to a constant stability parameter, which we combine with prescriptions of how the phases of the ISM are determined and for the star formation law (SFL). The model predicts the gas surface mass density and star formation intensity of a galaxy given its rotation curve, stellar surface mass density and the gas velocity dispersion. This model is tested on radial profiles of neutral and molecular ISM surface mass density and star formation intensity of 12 galaxies selected from the H I Nearby Galaxy Survey sample. Our tests focus on intermediate radii (0.3 to 1 times the optical radius) because there are insufficient data to test the outer discs and the fits are less accurate in detail in the centre. Nevertheless, the model produces reasonable agreement with the ISM mass and star formation rate integrated over the central region in all but one case. To optimize the model, we evaluate four recipes for the stability parameter, three recipes for apportioning the ISM into molecular and neutral components, and eight versions of the SFL. We find no clear-cut best prescription for the two-fluid (gas and stars) stability parameter Q2f and therefore for simplicity, we use the Wang and Silk approximation (QWS). We found that an empirical scaling between the molecular-to-neutral ISM ratio (Rmol) and the stellar surface mass density proposed by Leroy et al. works marginally better than the other two prescriptions for this ratio in predicting the ISM profiles, and noticeably better in predicting the star formation intensity from the ISM profiles produced by our model with the SFLs we tested. Thus, in the context of our modelled ISM profiles, the linear molecular SFL and the two-component SFL work better than the other prescriptions we tested. We incorporate these relations into our `constant Q disc' model.

The effect of implant design and bone quality on insertion torque, resonance frequency analysis, and insertion energy during implant placement in low or low- to medium-density bone.

PubMed

Wang, Tong-Mei; Lee, Ming-Shu; Wang, Juo-Song; Lin, Li-Deh

2015-01-01

This study investigated the effect of implant design and bone quality on insertion torque (IT), implant stability quotient (ISQ), and insertion energy (IE) by monitoring the continuous change in IT and ISQ while implants were inserted in artificial bone blocks that simulate bone of poor or poor-to-medium quality. Polyurethane foam blocks (Sawbones) of 0.16 g/cm³ and 0.32 g/cm³ were respectively used to simulate low density and low- to medium-density cancellous bone. In addition, some test blocks were laminated with a 1-mm 0.80 g/cm³ polyurethane layer to simulate cancellous bone with a thin cortical layer. Four different implants (Nobel Biocare Mk III-3.75, Mk III-4.0, Mk IV-4.0, and NobelActive-4.3) were placed into the different test blocks in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. The IT and ISQ were recorded at every 0.5-mm of inserted length during implant insertion, and IE was calculated from the torque curve. The peak IT (PIT), final IT (FIT), IE, and final ISQ values were statistically analyzed. All implants showed increasing ISQ values when the implant was inserted more deeply. In contrast to the ISQ, implants with different designs showed dissimilar IT curve patterns during the insertion. All implants showed a significant increase in the PIT, FIT, IE, and ISQ when the test-block density increased or when the 1-mm laminated layer was present. Tapered implants showed FIT or PIT values of more than 40 Ncm for all of the laminated test blocks and for the nonlaminated test blocks of low to medium density. Parallel-wall implants did not exhibit PIT or FIT values of more than 40 Ncm for all of the test blocks. NobelActive-4.3 showed a significantly higher FIT, but a significantly lower IE, than Mk IV-4.0. While the existence of cortical bone or implant designs significantly affects the dynamic IT profiles during implant insertion, it does not affect the ISQ to a similar extent. Certain implant designs are more suitable than others if high IT is required in bone of poor quality. The manner in which IT, IE, and ISQ represent the implant primary stability requires further study.

A DISTANT ECHO OF MILKY WAY CENTRAL ACTIVITY CLOSES THE GALAXY’s BARYON CENSUS

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

Nicastro, F.; Senatore, F.; Krongold, Y.

2016-09-01

We report on the presence of large amounts of million-degree gas in the Milky Way’s interstellar and circum-galactic medium. This gas (1) permeates both the Galactic plane and the halo, (2) extends to distances larger than 60–200 kpc from the center, and (3) its mass is sufficient to close the Galaxy’s baryon census. Moreover, we show that a vast, ∼6 kpc radius, spherically symmetric central region of the Milky Way above and below the 0.16 kpc thick plane has either been emptied of hot gas or the density of this gas within the cavity has a peculiar profile, increasing frommore » the center up to a radius of ∼6 kpc, and then decreasing with a typical halo density profile. This, and several other converging pieces of evidence, suggest that the current surface of the cavity, at 6 kpc from the Galaxy’s center, traces the distant echo of a period of strong nuclear activity of our supermassive black hole, occurring about 6 Myr ago.« less

Random medium model for cusping of plane waves.

PubMed

Li, Jia; Korotkova, Olga

2017-09-01

We introduce a model for a three-dimensional (3D) Schell-type stationary medium whose degree of potential's correlation satisfies the Fractional Multi-Gaussian (FMG) function. Compared with the scattered profile produced by the Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) medium, the Fractional Multi-Gaussian Schell-model (FMGSM) medium gives rise to a sharp concave intensity apex in the scattered field. This implies that the FMGSM medium also accounts for a larger than Gaussian's power in the bucket (PIB) in the forward scattering direction, hence being a better candidate than the GSM medium for generating highly-focused (cusp-like) scattered profiles in the far zone. Compared to other mathematical models for the medium's correlation function which can produce similar cusped scattered profiles the FMG function offers unprecedented tractability being the weighted superposition of Gaussian functions. Our results provide useful applications to energy counter problems and particle manipulation by weakly scattered fields.

Time resolved interferometric study of the plasma plume induced shock wave in confined geometry: Two-dimensional mapping of the ambient and plasma density

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

Choudhury, Kaushik; Singh, R. K.; Kumar, Ajai, E-mail: ajai@ipr.res.in

2016-04-15

An experimental investigation of the laser produced plasma induced shock wave in the presence of confining walls placed along the axial as well as the lateral direction has been performed. A time resolved Mach Zehnder interferometer is set up to track the primary as well as the reflected shock waves and its effect on the evolving plasma plume has been studied. An attempt has been made to discriminate the electronic and medium density contributions towards the changes in the refractive index of the medium. Two dimensional spatial distributions for both ambient medium density and plasma density (electron density) have beenmore » obtained by employing customised inversion technique and algorithm on the recorded interferograms. The observed density pattern of the surrounding medium in the presence of confining walls is correlated with the reflected shock wave propagation in the medium. Further, the shock wave plasma interaction and the subsequent changes in the shape and density of the plasma plume in confined geometry are briefly described.« less

76 FR 80993 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-27

... option of obtaining several cabinet sizes and power densities. The co-located customer may obtain a half cabinet, a low density cabinet, a medium density cabinet, a medium-high density cabinet and a high density...-location customer may obtain more power by choosing a combination of lower power density cabinets. However...

76 FR 80995 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-27

... cabinet sizes and power densities. The co-located customer may obtain a half cabinet, a low density cabinet, a medium density cabinet, a medium-high density cabinet and a high density cabinet. Each cabinet... obtain more power by choosing a combination of lower power density cabinets. However, the Exchange is...

76 FR 80996 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-27

... power densities. The co-located customer may obtain a half cabinet, a low density cabinet, a medium density cabinet, a medium-high density cabinet and a high density cabinet.\\3\\ Each cabinet may vary in... by choosing a combination of lower power density cabinets. However, the Exchange is providing a...

Observations of the interstellar gas with the Copernicus satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morton, D. C.

1975-01-01

Results are reviewed for Copernicus far-UV measurements of the absorption lines of H I, D I, H2, and heavier elements in the interstellar gas. Column densities along several lines of sight, as estimated from Ly-alpha absorption-line profiles, confirm that wide differences in the gas density are present in various directions. The measurement of interstellar D I implies an open universe unless alternate sources for this nuclide are found. Analysis of reddened stars for which the line of sight passes through one or more interstellar clouds indicates a depletion of several heavy elements in the gas. It is suggested that the depleted elements may be present in grains rather than molecules and that the intercloud medium may consist primarily of H II with a few small H I clouds.

Characterization and reproducibility of HepG2 hanging drop spheroids toxicology in vitro.

PubMed

Hurrell, Tracey; Ellero, Andrea Antonio; Masso, Zelie Flavienne; Cromarty, Allan Duncan

2018-02-21

Hepatotoxicity remains a major challenge in drug development despite preclinical toxicity screening using hepatocytes of human origin. To overcome some limitations of reproducing the hepatic phenotype, more structurally and functionally authentic cultures in vitro can be introduced by growing cells in 3D spheroid cultures. Characterisation and reproducibility of HepG2 spheroid cultures using a high-throughput hanging drop technique was performed and features contributing to potential phenotypic variation highlighted. Cultured HepG2 cells were seeded into Perfecta 3D® 96-well hanging drop plates and assessed over time for morphology, viability, cell cycle distribution, protein content and protein-mass profiles. Divergent aspects which were assessed included cell stocks, seeding density, volume of culture medium and use of extracellular matrix additives. Hanging drops are advantageous due to no complex culture matrix being present, enabling background free extractions for downstream experimentation. Varying characteristics were observed across cell stocks and batches, seeding density, culture medium volume and extracellular matrix when using immortalized HepG2 cells. These factors contribute to wide-ranging cellular responses and highlights concerns with respect to generating a reproducible phenotype in HepG2 hanging drop spheroids. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association between Metabolite Profiles, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity Status.

PubMed

Allam-Ndoul, Bénédicte; Guénard, Frédéric; Garneau, Véronique; Cormier, Hubert; Barbier, Olivier; Pérusse, Louis; Vohl, Marie-Claude

2016-05-27

Underlying mechanisms associated with the development of abnormal metabolic phenotypes among obese individuals are not yet clear. Our aim is to investigate differences in plasma metabolomics profiles between normal weight (NW) and overweight/obese (Ov/Ob) individuals, with or without metabolic syndrome (MetS). Mass spectrometry-based metabolite profiling was used to compare metabolite levels between each group. Three main principal components factors explaining a maximum of variance were retained. Factor 1's (long chain glycerophospholipids) metabolite profile score was higher among Ov/Ob with MetS than among Ov/Ob and NW participants without MetS. This factor was positively correlated to plasma total cholesterol (total-C) and triglyceride levels in the three groups, to high density lipoprotein -cholesterol (HDL-C) among participants without MetS. Factor 2 (amino acids and short to long chain acylcarnitine) was positively correlated to HDL-C and negatively correlated with insulin levels among NW participants. Factor 3's (medium chain acylcarnitines) metabolite profile scores were higher among NW participants than among Ov/Ob with or without MetS. Factor 3 was negatively associated with glucose levels among the Ov/Ob with MetS. Factor 1 seems to be associated with a deteriorated metabolic profile that corresponds to obesity, whereas Factors 2 and 3 seem to be rather associated with a healthy metabolic profile.

MASS ACCRETION AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE SELF-SIMILARITY OF GAS PROFILES IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF GALAXY CLUSTERS

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

Lau, Erwin T.; Nagai, Daisuke; Avestruz, Camille

2015-06-10

Galaxy clusters exhibit remarkable self-similar behavior which allows us to establish simple scaling relationships between observable quantities and cluster masses, making galaxy clusters useful cosmological probes. Recent X-ray observations suggested that self-similarity may be broken in the outskirts of galaxy clusters. In this work, we analyze a mass-limited sample of massive galaxy clusters from the Omega500 cosmological hydrodynamic simulation to investigate the self-similarity of the diffuse X-ray emitting intracluster medium (ICM) in the outskirts of galaxy clusters. We find that the self-similarity of the outer ICM profiles is better preserved if they are normalized with respect to the mean densitymore » of the universe, while the inner profiles are more self-similar when normalized using the critical density. However, the outer ICM profiles as well as the location of accretion shock around clusters are sensitive to their mass accretion rate, which causes the apparent breaking of self-similarity in cluster outskirts. We also find that the collisional gas does not follow the distribution of collisionless dark matter (DM) perfectly in the infall regions of galaxy clusters, leading to 10% departures in the gas-to-DM density ratio from the cosmic mean value. Our results have a number implications for interpreting observations of galaxy clusters in X-ray and through the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect, and their applications to cosmology.« less

The warm and cold neutral phase in the local interstellar medium at absolute value of B greater than or equal to 10 deg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poppel, W. G. L.; Marronetti, P.; Benaglia, P.

1994-07-01

We made a systematic separation of both the neutral phases using the atlases of 21-cm profiles of Heiles & Habing (1974) and Colomb et al. (1980), complemented with other data. First, we fitted the emission of the warm neutral medium (WNM) by means of a broad Gaussian curve (velocity dispersion sigma approximately 10-14 km/s). We derived maps of the column densities NWH and the radial velocities VW of the WNM. Its overall distribution appears to be very inhomogeneous with a large hole in the range b greater than or equal to +50 deg. However, if the hole is excluded, the mean latitude-profiles admit a rough cosec absolute value of b-fit common to both hemispheres. A kinematical analysis of VW for the range 10 deg less than or equal to absolute value of b less than or equal to 40 deg indicates a mean differential rotation with a small nodal deviation. At absolute value of b greater than 50 deg VW is negative, with larger values and discontinuities in the north. On the mean, sigma increases for absolute value of b decreasing, as is expected from differential rotation. From a statistical study of the peaks of the residual profiles we derived some characteristics of the cold neutral medium (CNM). The latter is generally characterized by a single component of sigma approximately 2-6 km/s. Additionally we derived the sky-distribution of the column densities NCH and the radial velocities VC of the CNM within bins of 1.2 deg sec b x 1 deg in l, b. Furthermore, we focused on the characteristics of Linblad's feature A of cool gas by considering the narrow ridge of local H I, which appears in the b-V contour maps at fixed l (e.g. Schoeber 1976). The ridge appears to be the main component of the CNM. We suggest a scenario for the formulation and evolution of the Gould belt system of stars and gas on the basis of an explosive event within a shingle of cold dense gas tilted to the galactic plane. The scenario appears to be consistent with the results found for both the neutral phases, as well as with Danly's (1989) optical and UV observations of interstellar cool gas in the lower halo.

Validation of GPU-accelerated superposition-convolution dose computations for the Small Animal Radiation Research Platform.

PubMed

Cho, Nathan; Tsiamas, Panagiotis; Velarde, Esteban; Tryggestad, Erik; Jacques, Robert; Berbeco, Ross; McNutt, Todd; Kazanzides, Peter; Wong, John

2018-05-01

The Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) has been developed for conformal microirradiation with on-board cone beam CT (CBCT) guidance. The graphics processing unit (GPU)-accelerated Superposition-Convolution (SC) method for dose computation has been integrated into the treatment planning system (TPS) for SARRP. This paper describes the validation of the SC method for the kilovoltage energy by comparing with EBT2 film measurements and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. MC data were simulated by EGSnrc code with 3 × 10 8 -1.5 × 10 9 histories, while 21 photon energy bins were used to model the 220 kVp x-rays in the SC method. Various types of phantoms including plastic water, cork, graphite, and aluminum were used to encompass the range of densities of mouse organs. For the comparison, percentage depth dose (PDD) of SC, MC, and film measurements were analyzed. Cross beam (x,y) dosimetric profiles of SC and film measurements are also presented. Correction factors (CFz) to convert SC to MC dose-to-medium are derived from the SC and MC simulations in homogeneous phantoms of aluminum and graphite to improve the estimation. The SC method produces dose values that are within 5% of film measurements and MC simulations in the flat regions of the profile. The dose is less accurate at the edges, due to factors such as geometric uncertainties of film placement and difference in dose calculation grids. The GPU-accelerated Superposition-Convolution dose computation method was successfully validated with EBT2 film measurements and MC calculations. The SC method offers much faster computation speed than MC and provides calculations of both dose-to-water in medium and dose-to-medium in medium. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Emulsions Containing Perfluorocarbon Support Cell Cultures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ju, Lu-Kwang; Lee, Jaw Fang; Armiger, William B.

1990-01-01

Addition of emulsion containing perfluorocarbon liquid to aqueous cell-culture medium increases capacity of medium to support mammalian cells. FC-40 Fluorinert (or equivalent) - increases average density of medium so approximately equal to that of cells. Cells stay suspended in medium without mechanical stirring, which damages them. Increases density enough to prevent cells from setting, and increases viscosity of medium so oxygen bubbled through it and nutrients stirred in with less damage to delicate cells.

AGN jet power, formation of X-ray cavities, and FR I/II dichotomy in galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujita, Yutaka; Kawakatu, Nozomu; Shlosman, Isaac

2016-04-01

We investigate the ability of jets in active galactic nuclei to break out of the ambient gas with sufficiently large advance velocities. Using observationally estimated jet power, we analyze 28 bright elliptical galaxies in nearby galaxy clusters. Because the gas density profiles in the innermost regions of galaxies have not been resolved so far, we consider two extreme cases for temperature and density profiles. We also follow two types of evolution for the jet cocoons: being driven by the pressure inside the cocoon [Fanaroff-Riley (FR) type I], and being driven by the jet momentum (FR type II). Our main result is that regardless of the assumed form of the density profiles, jets with observed powers of ≲1044 erg s-1 are not powerful enough to evolve as FR II sources. Instead, they evolve as FR I sources and appear to be decelerated below the buoyant velocities of the cocoons when jets were propagating through the central dense regions of the host galaxies. This explains why FR I sources are more frequent than FR II sources in clusters. Furthermore, we predict the sizes of X-ray cavities from the observed jet powers and compare them with the observed ones-they are consistent within a factor of two if the FR I type evolution is realized. Finally, we find that the jets with a power ≳1044 erg s-1 are less affected by the ambient medium, and some of them, but not all, could serve as precursors of the FR II sources.

Revisiting first type self-similar solutions of explosions containing ultrarelativistic shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Jun

2018-05-01

We revisit the first type self-similar solutions for ultrarelativistic shock waves produced by explosions propagating into cold external medium whose density profile decreases with radius as ρ ∝ r-k. The first-type solutions proposed by Blandford and McKee (hereafter BM solution) conforms to the global conservation of energy and applies when k < 4. They have been found to be invalid when k > 17/4 because of the divergence of total energy contained in the shocked fluids. So far no attention has been paid to the particle number. We use the BM solution to calculate the total particle number traversed by the shock and find that it diverges when k > 3. This is inconsistent with the finite particles in the surrounding medium. We propose a possible solution when k > 3 based on the conservation of particle number and discuss its implication for the second-type solutions.

Two stream instability in n-type gallium arsenide semiconductor quantum plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, S.; Muley, Apurva

2018-01-01

By using quantum hydrodynamic model, we derive a generalized dielectric response function for two stream instability (convective only) in n-type gallium arsenide semiconductor plasma. We investigate the phase and amplification profiles of two stream instability with externally applied electric field ranging from 2600 to 4000 kV m-1 in presence of non-dimensional quantum parameter- H. In this range, a significant number of electrons in satellite valley become comparable to the number of electrons in central valley. The presence of quantum corrections in plasma medium induces two novel modes; one of it has amplifying nature and propagates in forward direction. It also modifies the spectral profile of four pre-existing modes in classical plasma. The existence of two stream instability is also established analytically by deriving the real part of longitudinal electrokinetic power flow density.

The effect of the external medium on the gravity-induced polarity of cytoplasmic streaming in Chara corallina (Characeae).

PubMed

Staves, M P; Wayne, R; Leopold, A C

1997-11-01

Gravity induces a polarity of cytoplasmic streaming in vertical internodal cells of Chara such that the downwardly directed stream moves faster than the upwardly directed stream. In order to determine whether the statolith theory (in which intracellular sedimenting particles are responsible for gravity sensing) or the gravitational pressure theory (in which the entire protoplast acts as the gravity sensor) best explain the gravity response in Chara internodal cells, we controlled the physical properties of the external medium, including density and osmolarity, with impermeant solutes and examined the effect on the polarity of cytoplasmic streaming. As the density of the external medium is increased, the polarity of cytoplasmic streaming decreases and finally disappears when the density of the external medium is equal to that of the cell (1015 kg/m3). A further increase in the density of the external medium causes a reversal of the gravity response. These results are consistent with the gravitational pressure theory of gravity sensing since the buoyancy of the protoplast is dependent on the difference between the density of the protoplast and the external medium, and are inconsistent with the statolith theory since the buoyancy of intracellular particles are unaffected by changes in the external medium.

The effect of the external medium on the gravity-induced polarity of cytoplasmic streaming in Chara corallina (Characeae)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Staves, M. P.; Wayne, R.; Leopold, A. C.

1997-01-01

Gravity induces a polarity of cytoplasmic streaming in vertical internodal cells of Chara such that the downwardly directed stream moves faster than the upwardly directed stream. In order to determine whether the statolith theory (in which intracellular sedimenting particles are responsible for gravity sensing) or the gravitational pressure theory (in which the entire protoplast acts as the gravity sensor) best explain the gravity response in Chara internodal cells, we controlled the physical properties of the external medium, including density and osmolarity, with impermeant solutes and examined the effect on the polarity of cytoplasmic streaming. As the density of the external medium is increased, the polarity of cytoplasmic streaming decreases and finally disappears when the density of the external medium is equal to that of the cell (1015 kg/m3). A further increase in the density of the external medium causes a reversal of the gravity response. These results are consistent with the gravitational pressure theory of gravity sensing since the buoyancy of the protoplast is dependent on the difference between the density of the protoplast and the external medium, and are inconsistent with the statolith theory since the buoyancy of intracellular particles are unaffected by changes in the external medium.

Electron density measurements for plasma adaptive optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neiswander, Brian W.

Over the past 40 years, there has been growing interest in both laser communications and directed energy weapons that operate from moving aircraft. As a laser beam propagates from an aircraft in flight, it passes through boundary layers, turbulence, and shear layers in the near-region of the aircraft. These fluid instabilities cause strong density gradients which adversely affect the transmission of laser energy to a target. Adaptive optics provides corrective measures for this problem but current technology cannot respond quickly enough to be useful for high speed flight conditions. This research investigated the use of plasma as a medium for adaptive optics for aero-optics applications. When a laser beam passes through plasma, its phase is shifted proportionally to the electron density and gas heating within the plasma. As a result, plasma can be utilized as a dynamically controllable optical medium. Experiments were carried out using a cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge plasma chamber which generated a sub-atmospheric pressure, low-temperature plasma. An electrostatic model of this design was developed and revealed an important design constraint relating to the geometry of the chamber. Optical diagnostic techniques were used to characterize the plasma discharge. Single-wavelength interferometric experiments were performed and demonstrated up to 1.5 microns of optical path difference (OPD) in a 633 nm laser beam. Dual-wavelength interferometry was used to obtain time-resolved profiles of the plasma electron density and gas heating inside the plasma chamber. Furthermore, a new multi-wavelength infrared diagnostic technique was developed and proof-of-concept simulations were conducted to demonstrate the system's capabilities.

Properties of medium-density fiberboard produced in an oil-heated laboratory press

Treesearch

O. Suchsland; G.E. Woodson

1976-01-01

Medium-density fiberboards from pressurized double-disk refined fibers have a close correlation between layer density and layer dynamic modulus of elasticity. Density distribution over the thickness was readily controlled by manipulating platen temperature and applied pressure. Thus, overall modulus of elasticity could be adjusted. In contrast to modulus of elasticity...

How good is the turbid medium-based approach for accounting for light partitioning in contrasted grass--legume intercropping systems?

PubMed

Barillot, Romain; Louarn, Gaëtan; Escobar-Gutiérrez, Abraham J; Huynh, Pierre; Combes, Didier

2011-10-01

Most studies dealing with light partitioning in intercropping systems have used statistical models based on the turbid medium approach, thus assuming homogeneous canopies. However, these models could not be directly validated although spatial heterogeneities could arise in such canopies. The aim of the present study was to assess the ability of the turbid medium approach to accurately estimate light partitioning within grass-legume mixed canopies. Three contrasted mixtures of wheat-pea, tall fescue-alfalfa and tall fescue-clover were sown according to various patterns and densities. Three-dimensional plant mock-ups were derived from magnetic digitizations carried out at different stages of development. The benchmarks for light interception efficiency (LIE) estimates were provided by the combination of a light projective model and plant mock-ups, which also provided the inputs of a turbid medium model (SIRASCA), i.e. leaf area index and inclination. SIRASCA was set to gradually account for vertical heterogeneity of the foliage, i.e. the canopy was described as one, two or ten horizontal layers of leaves. Mixtures exhibited various and heterogeneous profiles of foliar distribution, leaf inclination and component species height. Nevertheless, most of the LIE was satisfactorily predicted by SIRASCA. Biased estimations were, however, observed for (1) grass species and (2) tall fescue-alfalfa mixtures grown at high density. Most of the discrepancies were due to vertical heterogeneities and were corrected by increasing the vertical description of canopies although, in practice, this would require time-consuming measurements. The turbid medium analogy could be successfully used in a wide range of canopies. However, a more detailed description of the canopy is required for mixtures exhibiting vertical stratifications and inter-/intra-species foliage overlapping. Architectural models remain a relevant tool for studying light partitioning in intercropping systems that exhibit strong vertical heterogeneities. Moreover, these models offer the possibility to integrate the effects of microclimate variations on plant growth.

Instability Analysis of a Low-Density Gas Jet Injected into a High-Density Gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawson, Anthony Layiwola

2001-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of buoyancy on the absolute instability of low-density gas jets injected into high-density gas mediums. Most of the existing analyses of low-density gas jets injected into a high-density ambient have been carried out neglecting effects of gravity. In order to investigate the influence of gravity on the near-injector development of the flow, a linear temporal stability analysis and a spatio-temporal stability analysis of a low-density round jet injected into a high-density ambient gas were performed. The flow was assumed to be isothermal and locally parallel; viscous and diffusive effects were ignored. The variables were represented as the sum of the mean value and a normal-mode small disturbance. An ordinary differential equation governing the amplitude of the pressure disturbance was derived. The velocity and density profiles in the shear layer, and the Froude number (signifying the effects of gravity) were the three important parameters in this equation. Together with the boundary conditions, an eigenvalue problem was formulated. Assuming that the velocity and density profiles in the shear layer to be represented by hyperbolic tangent functions, the eigenvalue problem was solved for various values of Froude number. The temporal growth rates and the phase velocity of the disturbances were obtained. It was found that the presence of variable density within the shear layer resulted in an increase in the temporal amplification rate of the disturbances and an increase in the range of unstable frequencies, accompanied by a reduction in the phase velocities of the disturbances. Also, the temporal growth rates of the disturbances were increased as the Froude number was reduced (i.e. gravitational effects increased), indicating the destabilizing role played by gravity. The spatio-temporal stability analysis was performed to determine the nature of the absolute instability of the jet. The roles of the density ratio, Froude number, Schmidt number, and the lateral shift between the density and velocity profiles on the jet s absolute instability were determined. Comparisons of the results with previous experimental studies show good agreement when the effects of these variables are combined together. Thus, the combination of these variables determines how absolutely unstable the jet will be. Experiments were carried out to observe the qualitative differences between a round low-density gas jet injected into a high-density gas (helium jet injected into air) and a round constant density jet (air jet injected into air). Flow visualizations and velocity measurements in the near-injector region of the helium jet show more mixing and spreading of the helium jet than the air jet. The vortex structures develop and contribute to the jet spreading causing the helium jet to oscillate.

Adiponectin and markers of metabolic syndrome in obese children and adolescents: impact of 8-mo regular physical exercise program.

PubMed

Nascimento, Henrique; Costa, Elísio; Rocha, Susana; Lucena, Clarice; Rocha-Pereira, Petronila; Rêgo, Carla; Mansilha, Helena Ferreira; Quintanilha, Alexandre; Aires, Luísa; Mota, Jorge; Santos-Silva, Alice; Belo, Luís

2014-08-01

Adiponectin circulates as low-, medium-, and high-molecular-weight multimers (LMW, MMW, and HMW) and influences lipid profile and insulin resistance (IR), HMW being considered as the most biologically active form. We aimed to study the relation between adiponectin and markers of metabolic syndrome (MS) in pediatric obesity, and the impact of physical exercise. The study consisted of a cross-sectional part and an 8-mo physical exercise program. Lipid profile, insulin, glucose, C-reactive protein (CRP), total adiponectin (TA), and homeostasis model assessment IR (HOMA-IR) were measured. Adiponectin multimers were studied in a prepubertal group. Obesity is associated with increased dyslipidemia, IR, and inflammation. TA is correlated inversely with adiposity, triglycerides, HOMA-IR, and CRP, and positively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc)/total cholesterol (TC) ratio. HMW mimicked TA associations. The intervention program led to a reduction of TC, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), insulin, HOMA-IR, and trunk percentage of fat, and an increase of HDLc/TC ratio, in the obese group. BMI improvements prevented adiponectin reduction and correlated with increments in HMW and MMW. Obesity-related increase in MS features might be linked to lower adiponectin. HMW and MMW were the multimers that most explained the MS features. The intervention program improved the lipid profile and IR, and prevented the reduction of adiponectin.

Effects of panel density and mat moisture content on processing medium density fiberboard

Treesearch

Zhiyong Cai; James H. Muehl; Jerrold E. Winandy

2006-01-01

Development of a fundamental understanding of heat transfer and resin curing during hot- pressing will help to optimize the manufacturing process of medium density fiberboard (MDF) allowing increased productivity, improved product quality, and enhanced durability. Effect of mat moisture content (MC) and panel density on performance of MDF panels, heat transfer,...

Interferometric nanoporous anodic alumina photonic coatings for optical sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yuting; Santos, Abel; Wang, Ye; Kumeria, Tushar; Wang, Changhai; Li, Junsheng; Losic, Dusan

2015-04-01

Herein, we present a systematic study on the development, optical optimization and sensing applicability of colored photonic coatings based on nanoporous anodic alumina films grown on aluminum substrates. These optical nanostructures, so-called distributed Bragg reflectors (NAA-DBRs), are fabricated by galvanostatic pulse anodization process, in which the current density is altered in a periodic manner in order to engineer the effective medium of the resulting photonic coatings. As-prepared NAA-DBR photonic coatings present brilliant interference colors on the surface of aluminum, which can be tuned at will within the UV-visible spectrum by means of the anodization profile. A broad library of NAA-DBR colors is produced by means of different anodization profiles. Then, the effective medium of these NAA-DBR photonic coatings is systematically assessed in terms of optical sensitivity, low limit of detection and linearity by reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS) in order to optimize their nanoporous structure toward optical sensors with enhanced sensing performance. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of these photonic nanostructures as optical platforms by selectively detecting gold(iii) ions in aqueous solutions. The obtained results reveal that optimized NAA-DBR photonic coatings can achieve an outstanding sensing performance for gold(iii) ions, with a sensitivity of 22.16 nm μM-1, a low limit of detection of 0.156 μM (i.e. 30.7 ppb) and excellent linearity within the working range (0.9983).Herein, we present a systematic study on the development, optical optimization and sensing applicability of colored photonic coatings based on nanoporous anodic alumina films grown on aluminum substrates. These optical nanostructures, so-called distributed Bragg reflectors (NAA-DBRs), are fabricated by galvanostatic pulse anodization process, in which the current density is altered in a periodic manner in order to engineer the effective medium of the resulting photonic coatings. As-prepared NAA-DBR photonic coatings present brilliant interference colors on the surface of aluminum, which can be tuned at will within the UV-visible spectrum by means of the anodization profile. A broad library of NAA-DBR colors is produced by means of different anodization profiles. Then, the effective medium of these NAA-DBR photonic coatings is systematically assessed in terms of optical sensitivity, low limit of detection and linearity by reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS) in order to optimize their nanoporous structure toward optical sensors with enhanced sensing performance. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of these photonic nanostructures as optical platforms by selectively detecting gold(iii) ions in aqueous solutions. The obtained results reveal that optimized NAA-DBR photonic coatings can achieve an outstanding sensing performance for gold(iii) ions, with a sensitivity of 22.16 nm μM-1, a low limit of detection of 0.156 μM (i.e. 30.7 ppb) and excellent linearity within the working range (0.9983). Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: The Supporting Information file provides further information about real-time monitoring of ΔOTeff with changes in the refractive index of the medium filling the nanopores, demonstration of visual red shift in a NAA-DBR sample after infiltration with isopropanol and calculations of linearity (R2) for each NAA-DBR coating. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr00369e

Associative diazotrophic bacteria in grass roots and soils from heavy metal contaminated sites.

PubMed

Moreira, Fátima M S; Lange, Anderson; Klauberg-Filho, Osmar; Siqueira, José O; Nóbrega, Rafaela S A; Lima, Adriana S

2008-12-01

This work aimed to evaluate density of associative diazotrophic bacteria populations in soil and grass root samples from heavy metal contaminated sites, and to characterize isolates from these populations, both, phenotypically (Zinc, Cadmium and NaCl tolerance in vitro, and protein profiles) and genotypically (16S rDNA sequencing), as compared to type strains of known diazotrophic species. Densities were evaluated by using NFb, Fam and JNFb media, commonly used for enrichment cultures of diazotrophic bacteria. Bacterial densities found in soil and grass root samples from contaminated sites were similar to those reported for agricultural soils. Azospirillum spp. isolates from contaminated sites and type strains from non-contaminated sites varied substantially in their in vitro tolerance to Zn+2 and Cd+2, being Cd+2 more toxic than Zn+2. Among the most tolerant isolates (UFLA 1S, 1R, S181, S34 and S22), some (1R, S34 and S22) were more tolerant to heavy metals than rhizobia from tropical and temperate soils. The majority of the isolates tolerant to heavy metals were also tolerant to salt stress as indicated by their ability to grow in solid medium supplemented with 30 g L(-1) NaCl. Five isolates exhibited high dissimilarity in protein profiles, and the 16S rDNA sequence analysis of two of them revealed new sequences for Azospirillum.

Simulations of AGN jets: magnetic kink instability versus conical shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barniol Duran, Rodolfo; Tchekhovskoy, Alexander; Giannios, Dimitrios

2017-08-01

Relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGN) convert as much as half of their energy into radiation. To explore the poorly understood processes that are responsible for this conversion, we carry out fully 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of relativistic magnetized jets. Unlike the standard approach of injecting the jets at large radii, our simulated jets self-consistently form at the source and propagate and accelerate outwards for several orders of magnitude in distance before they interact with the ambient medium. We find that this interaction can trigger strong energy dissipation of two kinds inside the jets, depending on the properties of the ambient medium. Those jets that form in a new outburst and drill a fresh hole through the ambient medium fall victim to a 3D magnetic kink instability and dissipate their energy primarily through magnetic reconnection in the current sheets formed by the instability. On the other hand, those jets that form during repeated cycles of AGN activity and escape through a pre-existing hole in the ambient medium maintain their stability and dissipate their energy primarily at MHD recollimation shocks. In both cases, the dissipation region can be associated with a change in the density profile of the ambient gas. The Bondi radius in AGN jets serves as such a location.

The Properties of the local Interstellar Medium and the Interaction of the Stellar Winds of epsilon Indi and lambda Andromedae with the Interstellar Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Brian E.; Alexander, William R.; Linsky, Jeffrey L.

1996-01-01

We present new observations of the Ly alpha lines of Epsilon Indi (K5 5) and A Andromedae (G8 4-3 + ?) These data were obtained by the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. Analysis of the interstellar H 1 and D 1 absorption lines reveals that the velocities and temperatures inferred from the H 1 lines are inconsistent with the parameters inferred from the D 1 lines, unless the H 1 absorption is assumed to be produced by two absorption components. One absorption component is produced by interstellar material. For both lines of sight observed, the velocity of this component is consistent with the velocity predicted by the local flow vector. For the Epsilon Indi data, the large velocity separation between the stellar emission and the interstellar absorption allows us to measure the H 1 column density independent of the shape of the intrinsic stellar Ly alpha profile. This approach permits us to quote an accurate column density and to assess its uncertainty with far more confidence than in previous analyses, for which the errors were dominated by uncertainties in the assumed stellar profiles.

The dark matter of galaxy voids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutter, P. M.; Lavaux, Guilhem; Wandelt, Benjamin D.; Weinberg, David H.; Warren, Michael S.

2014-03-01

How do observed voids relate to the underlying dark matter distribution? To examine the spatial distribution of dark matter contained within voids identified in galaxy surveys, we apply Halo Occupation Distribution models representing sparsely and densely sampled galaxy surveys to a high-resolution N-body simulation. We compare these galaxy voids to voids found in the halo distribution, low-resolution dark matter and high-resolution dark matter. We find that voids at all scales in densely sampled surveys - and medium- to large-scale voids in sparse surveys - trace the same underdensities as dark matter, but they are larger in radius by ˜20 per cent, they have somewhat shallower density profiles and they have centres offset by ˜ 0.4Rv rms. However, in void-to-void comparison we find that shape estimators are less robust to sampling, and the largest voids in sparsely sampled surveys suffer fragmentation at their edges. We find that voids in galaxy surveys always correspond to underdensities in the dark matter, though the centres may be offset. When this offset is taken into account, we recover almost identical radial density profiles between galaxies and dark matter. All mock catalogues used in this work are available at http://www.cosmicvoids.net.

Density-dependent regulation of growth of BSC-1 cells in cell culture: growth inhibitors formed by the cells.

PubMed Central

Holley, R W; Armour, R; Baldwin, J H

1978-01-01

Inhibitors formed by a monkey epithelial cell line, BSC-1, play an important role in limiting growth at high cell densities. At least three inhibitors are formed: lactic acid, ammonia, and an unidentified inhibitor that may be an unstable protein. The unidentified inhibitor is destroyed by shaking the conditioned medium, by bubbling gas through the medium, or by heating or storing the medium in the absence of cells. The concentrations of lactic acid and ammonia that accumulate in conditioned medium inhibit growth when added to fresh medium. These results, together with earlier studies, indicate that density-dependent regulation of growth of BSC-1 cells results from the combined effects of (a) inhibitors formed by the cells, (b) decreased availability of receptor sites for serum growth factors as the cells become crowded, and (c) limiting concentrations of low molecular weight nutrients in the medium. In contrast, density-dependent regulation of growth in 3T3 mouse embryo fibroblasts results almost entirely from inactivation of serum factors. PMID:273914

On the origin of the ionosphere at Moon : a study using results from Chandrayaan-I S-band radio occultation experiment and a photochemical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kailasam Madathil, Ambili; Bhardwaj, Anil; Choudhary, Raj Kumar

2016-07-01

Using Chandrayaan-1 communication link between orbiter and ground (S-band frequency), the presence of ionosphere at Moon has been explored using Radio Occultation technique. Results obtained from the observations conducted between July 30 and August 14, 2009 show evidence for a possible existence of the Ionosphere at Moon. A few seconds before the occultation of Chandrayaan-1 radio signals, extra fluctuation in the rate of change of difference between the theoretically estimated Doppler and observed Doppler was observed. The fluctuation was more pronounced when the probing radio waves were crossing through the day-night terminator. Using standard onion-peeling technique to invert the phase changes in radio signals to the refractivity of the medium, we estimated the bending angle and hence the electron density profiles for the Lunar medium. The estimated electron density near the Lunar surface was of the order of 400 - 1000 cm ^{-3} which decreased monotonically with increasing altitude till about 40 km above the surface where it became negligible. The observed electron density was compared with the results from a model which was developed based on CHACE measurements abroad Moon Impact Probe of Chandrayaan-I. The model included the photo chemical reactions and solar wind interactions of the lunar plasma. We propose that the ionosphere over Moon could have molecular origin with H _{2}O ^{+},CO_{2} ^{+} and H_{3}O ^{+} as dominant ions.

Mosquito density, biting rate and cage size effects on repellent tests.

PubMed

Barnard, D R; Posey, K H; Smith, D; Schreck, C E

1998-01-01

Mosquito biting rates and the mean duration of protection (in hours) from bites (MDPB) of Aedes aegypti and Anopheles quadrimaculatus, using the repellent 'deet' (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) on a 50 cm2 area of healthy human skin, were observed in small (27 l), medium (approximately 65 l) and large (125 l) cages containing low, medium or high densities of mosquitoes: respectively, 640, 128 or 49 cm3 of cage volume per female. At the initial treatment rate of approximately 0.4 microliter/cm2 (1 ml of 25% deet in ethanol on 650 cm2 of skin), the MDPB for deet against Ae. aegypti ranged from 4.5 to 6.5 h and was significantly less (5.0 +/- 0.8 h) in large cages compared with medium (6.2 +/- 0.9 h) and small (6.2 +/- 0.8 h) cages, regardless of the density. Against An. quadrimaculatus the MDPB for deet 0.4 microliter/cm2 was 1.5-8.0 h, less in small (3.7 +/- 2.3 h) and large (2.2 +/- 1.1 h) cages at medium (3.7 +/- 2.3 h) and high (2.5 +/- 1.7 h) mosquito densities, and was longest in medium cages (6.2 +/- 2.6 h) at low mosquito densities (5.8 +/- 2.8 h). With equinoxial photoperiodicity (light on 06.00-18.00 hours) the biting rate was influenced by the time of observation (08.00, 12.00, 16.00 hours) for Ae. aegypti but not for An. quadrimaculatus. For both species, the biting rate was inversely proportional to mosquito density and the MDPB. The shortest MDPBs were obtained in large cages with high densities of mosquitoes and longest protection times occurred in medium sized cages with low mosquito densities.

Exploitation of nutrient- and C-rich paleosols by deep rooting plants in Dutch drift- and coversands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gocke, Martina; Kessler, Fabian; van Mourik, Jan; Jansen, Boris; Wiesenberg, Guido L. B.

2015-04-01

Plant roots are commonly assumed to be most abundant in topsoil, with strongly decreasing frequencies in underlying soil horizons with incrasing depth and almost absence of roots below the uppermost few dm due to unfavorable environmental conditions in terms of e.g. aeration, nutrient availability or water, that hamper root growth. It still remains unknown, to which extent roots might be able to exploit deeper parts of soils and underlying soil parent material as well as burried paleosols. The study site is located in SE Netherlands. Undisturbed oak forests developed about 200 years ago on stabilized driftsand, deposited on a plaggic Anthrosol after approximately 700 years of agricultural use. The soil profile, consisting of the recent initial Podzol in driftsand, overlying 1.1 m thick plaggic deposits that were established in a 0.5 m thick residual Podzol in coversand, was excavated in a pit of 2.3 m depth. Living and dead roots were counted throughout the profile on both, the vertical wall and horizontal levels. Additionally, soil or sediment samples free of visible root remains were collected in depth intervals between 0.05 m and 0.15 m from topsoil down to the coversand. A multi-proxy approach, including assessment of bulk elemental composition of soil, sediments and paleosol and molecular structure of organic matter therein, organic carbon contents, bulk density and pH was applied in order to comprehensively describe the varying environmental conditions within the soil profile and in transects from roots to root-free material. The burried agricultural soil revealed low density and high organic carbon contents compared to the coversand parent material, and especially in its lower part, high phosphorous contents. In contrast, the burried Podzol was characterized by completely different geochemical and physical properties, like increasing pH with depth and high iron and aluminium contents. In the recent initial Podzol, fine roots (≤ 2 mm), deriving from both oak trees and understory vegetation, immediately decreased from 476 m-2 to 24 m-2, whereas medium roots (2-5 mm) from oak trees continuously increased from 8 m-2 at the surface to 188 m-2 within the upper part of the agricultural soil. Both, frequencies of fine and medium roots peaked at 4.448 m-2 and 216 m-2, respectively, in the uppermost part of the burried Podzol, thus considerably exceeding topsoil abundances. Comparison of these results with those obtained at the profile wall demonstrated that fine root abundances might be considerably underestimated by the more traditional approach of profile wall investigation, because fine roots were growing vertically to exploit the nutrient-rich burried paleosols. Unlike fine roots, medium roots and even more, large roots (> 5 mm) were not able to penetrate the hard sesquioxide crusts of the burried Podzol in larger numbers. Our results show that roots are able to deeply penetrate the soil and underlying soil parent material or paleosols, if the latter provides nutrition benefits. Root distribution strongly depends on physical and chemical properties of the deep subsoil, which should be taken into account when interpreting complex soil profiles covering recent and paleosols.

Short communication: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in bulk tank milk of dairy cows and effect of swine population density.

PubMed

Locatelli, C; Cremonesi, P; Bertocchi, L; Zanoni, M G; Barberio, A; Drigo, I; Varisco, G; Castiglioni, B; Bronzo, V; Moroni, P

2016-03-01

The methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has recently frequently been reported in dairy cattle, usually with low prevalence. The livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) ST398 is especially involved in cases of subclinical and clinical mastitis. Swine carry LA-MRSA without clinical symptoms and are considered its reservoir and shedder. People exposed to swine are particularly at risk of LA-MRSA colonization. Environments with relevant livestock density are a demonstrated risk factor for humans to be carriers of a LA-MRSA. This work investigated dairy farms located in an area with a high livestock density, mainly represented by swine. Bulk tank milk samples from 224 dairy farms were collected, and their status was defined as MRSA-positive or MRSA-negative based on culture on chromogenic medium. The number of fattening swine and of fattening swine herds was calculated in an area of 3 km around each dairy farm through georeferencing. The probability of a Staphylococcus aureus-positive dairy farm to be MRSA positive based on the extent of potential infective pressure due to swine density was calculated. Both the number of swine herds and the number of swine were associated with the MRSA status of dairy herds. The 9 MRSA isolated were typed by multi-locus sequence typing and spa-typing, and characterized for their virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance profiles. The ST and spa-types detected are consistent with those present in the Italian swine population. Virulence and resistance profiles are mostly consistent with the types detected. This work provides the first evidence of the epidemiological challenge exerted by the density of the swine population on MRSA in dairy cows. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cosmology and astrophysics from relaxed galaxy clusters - III. Thermodynamic profiles and scaling relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantz, A. B.; Allen, S. W.; Morris, R. G.; Schmidt, R. W.

2016-03-01

This is the third in a series of papers studying the astrophysics and cosmology of massive, dynamically relaxed galaxy clusters. Our sample comprises 40 clusters identified as being dynamically relaxed and hot (I.e. massive) in Papers I and II of this series. Here we consider the thermodynamics of the intracluster medium, in particular the profiles of density, temperature and related quantities, as well as integrated measurements of gas mass, average temperature, total luminosity and centre-excluded luminosity. We fit power-law scaling relations of each of these quantities as a function of redshift and cluster mass, which can be measured precisely and with minimal bias for these relaxed clusters using hydrostatic arguments. For the thermodynamic profiles, we jointly model the density and temperature and their intrinsic scatter as a function of radius, thus also capturing the behaviour of the gas pressure and entropy. For the integrated quantities, we also jointly fit a multidimensional intrinsic covariance. Our results reinforce the view that simple hydrodynamical models provide a good description of relaxed clusters outside their centres, but that additional heating and cooling processes are important in the inner regions (radii r ≲ 0.5 r2500 ≈ 0.15 r500). The thermodynamic profiles remain regular, with small intrinsic scatter, down to the smallest radii where deprojection is straightforward (˜20 kpc); within this radius, even the most relaxed systems show clear departures from spherical symmetry. Our results suggest that heating and cooling are continuously regulated in a tight feedback loop, allowing the cluster atmosphere to remain stratified on these scales.

The Strength and Radial Profile of the Coronal Magnetic Field from the Standoff Distance of a Coronal Mass Ejection-Driven Shock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gopalswamy, Nat; Yashiro, Seiji

2011-01-01

We determine the coronal magnetic field strength in the heliocentric distance range 6-23 solar radii (Rs) by measuring the shock standoff distance and the radius of curvature of the flux rope during the 2008 March 25 coronal mass ejection imaged by white-light coronagraphs. Assuming the adiabatic index, we determine the Alfven Mach number, and hence the Alfven speed in the ambient medium using the measured shock speed. By measuring the upstream plasma density using polarization brightness images, we finally get the magnetic field strength upstream of the shock. The estimated magnetic field decreases from approximately 48 mG around 6 Rs to 8 mG at 23 Rs. The radial profile of the magnetic field can be described by a power law in agreement with other estimates at similar heliocentric distances.

Modeling Line Emission from Structures Seen at High Resolution in the Nebulae m1 and M16

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sankrit, Ravi

1998-12-01

Narrow band images of the Crab Nebula supernova remnant and of the Eagle Nebula H II region taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) show the ionization structure of the emitting gas in unprecedented detail because of the high spatial resolution. The physics of the emission processes-shock excited emission and photoionized emission-is well understood. Sophisticated numerical codes are used to model the ionization structure and emission observed in these images. It is found that the thin skin of material around the Crab synchrotron nebula visible in (O III) λ5007 emission is best explained as the cooling region behind a shock driven by the synchrotron nebula into a surrounding remnant of freely expanding ejecta. Shock models, with parameters derived from independently known properties of the Crab, explain the observed spectrum of the skin while photoionization models fail to explain the observed strength of high ionization lines such as C IV λ1549. This result is clear evidence that the synchrotron nebula is interacting with an extended remnant of ejecta, which in turn has significant implications for the structure and evolution of the Crab. At HST resolution, it is seen that low ionization emission, from lines such as (O I) λ6300, is concentrated in sharp structures while high ionization emission (from (O III) λ5007) is much more diffuse. Individual filaments are found to lie along a sequence of ionization structure ranging from features in which all lines are concentrated in the same compact volume through features with low ionization cores surrounded by high ionization envelopes. Photoionization models of cylindrically symmetrical filaments with varying 'core-halo' density profiles can match the observed variation in the filament structure in the Crab. A photoionization model of a uniform low density medium matches the extended diffuse component which dominates the high ionization emission. It is found that detailed knowledge of the filament structures present in an aperture is needed to correctly interpret ground-based spectra of the Crab. The images also show that many filament cores coincide with dust extinction features, which suggest that the dust to gas mass ratio may be up to an order of magnitude higher than is typical in the interstellar medium. Nebula show the interface between the ionized gas and the molecular cloud in tangency against the background of the ionized cavity which constitutes the H II region. A photoionization model using a density profile for the photoevaporative flow that is expected at such an interface is successful at explaining the observed emission profiles of Hα λ6563, (S II) λλ6716,6731, and (O III) λ5007. The ionizing flux is well constrained by the Hα emission and the sulphur abundance is constrained by the peak of the (S II) emission. A grid of models using the same density profiles shows how various emission properties depend on the ionizing continuum shape, ionizing flux and elemental abundances.

A baseline metabolomic signature is associated with immunological CD4+ T-cell recovery after 36 months of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Gallego, Esther; Gómez, Josep; Pacheco, Yolanda M; Peraire, Joaquim; Viladés, Consuelo; Beltrán-Debón, Raúl; Mallol, Roger; López-Dupla, Miguel; Veloso, Sergi; Alba, Verónica; Blanco, Julià; Cañellas, Nicolau; Rull, Anna; Leal, Manuel; Correig, Xavier; Domingo, Pere; Vidal, Francesc

2018-03-13

Poor immunological recovery in treated HIV-infected patients is associated with greater morbidity and mortality. To date, predictive biomarkers of this incomplete immune reconstitution have not been established. We aimed to identify a baseline metabolomic signature associated with a poor immunological recovery after antiretroviral therapy (ART) to envisage the underlying mechanistic pathways that influence the treatment response. This was a multicentre, prospective cohort study in ART-naive and a pre-ART low nadir (<200 cells/μl) HIV-infected patients (n = 64). We obtained clinical data and metabolomic profiles for each individual, in which low molecular weight metabolites, lipids and lipoproteins (including particle concentrations and sizes) were measured by NMR spectroscopy. Immunological recovery was defined as reaching CD4 T-cell count at least 250 cells/μl after 36 months of virologically successful ART. We used univariate comparisons, Random Forest test and receiver-operating characteristic curves to identify and evaluate the predictive factors of immunological recovery after treatment. HIV-infected patients with a baseline metabolic pattern characterized by high levels of large high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles, HDL cholesterol and larger sizes of low density lipoprotein particles had a better immunological recovery after treatment. Conversely, patients with high ratios of non-HDL lipoprotein particles did not experience this full recovery. Medium very-low-density lipoprotein particles and glucose increased the classification power of the multivariate model despite not showing any significant differences between the two groups. In HIV-infected patients, a baseline healthier metabolomic profile is related to a better response to ART where the lipoprotein profile, mainly large HDL particles, may play a key role.

The galaxy cluster outskirts probed by Chandra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morandi, Andrea; Sun, Ming; Forman, William; Jones, Christine

2015-08-01

Exploring the virialization region of galaxy clusters has recently raised the attention of the scientific community, offering a direct view of structure formation. In this talk, I will present recent results on the physical properties of the intracluster medium in the outer volumes of a sample of 320 clusters (0.056 3 keV) in the Chandra archive, with a total integration time of ~20 Ms. We stacked the emission measure profiles of the clusters to detect a signal out to R_{100}. We then measured the average emission measure, gas density and gas fraction, which scale according to the self-similar model of cluster formation. We observe a steepening of the density profiles beyond R_{500} with slope beta ~ 0.68 at R_{500} and beta ~ 1 at R_{200} and beyond. By tracking the direction of the cosmic filaments where the clusters are embedded, we report that galaxy clusters deviate from spherical symmetry. We also did not find evolution of the gas density with redshift, confirming the self-similar evolution of the gas density. The value of the baryon fraction reaches the cosmic value at R_{200}: however, systematics due to non-thermal pressure support and clumpiness might enhance the measured gas fraction, leading to an actual deficit of the baryon budget with respect to the primordial value). This novel method, the stacking the X-ray signal of cluster outskirts, has the capacity to provide a generational leap forward in our understanding of cluster physics and formation, and the use of clusters as cosmological probes.

Potential of electrical resistivity tomography and muon density imaging to study spatio-temporal variations in the sub-surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesparre, Nolwenn; Cabrera, Justo; Courbet, Christelle

2015-04-01

We explore the capacity of electrical resistivity tomography and muon density imaging to detect spatio-temporal variations of the medium surrounding a regional fault crossing the underground platform of Tournemire (Aveyron, France). The studied Cernon fault is sub-vertical and intersects perpendicularly the tunnel of Tournemire and extends to surface. The fault separates clay and limestones layers of the Dogger from limestones layers of the Lias. The Cernon fault presents a thickness of a ten of meters and drives water from an aquifer circulating at the top of the Dogger clay layer to the tunnel. An experiment combining electrical resistivity imaging and muon density imaging was setup taking advantage of the tunnel presence. A specific array of electrodes were set up, adapted for the characterization of the fault. Electrodes were placed along the tunnel as well as at the surface above the tunnel on both sides of the fault in order to acquire data in transmission across the massif to better cover the sounded medium. Electrical resistivity is particularly sensitive to water presence in the medium and thus carry information on the main water flow paths and on the pore space saturation. At the same time a muon sensor was placed in the tunnel under the fault region to detect muons coming from the sky after their crossing of the rock medium. Since the muon flux is attenuated as function of the quantity of matter crossed, muons flux measurements supply information on the medium average density along muons paths. The sensor presents 961 angles of view so measurements performed from one station allows a comparison of the muon flux temporal variations along the fault as well as in the medium surrounding the fault. As the water saturation of the porous medium fluctuates through time the medium density might indeed present sensible variations as shown by gravimetric studies. During the experiment important rainfalls occurred leading variations of the medium properties affecting density and electrical resistivity physical parameters. We show with data sets acquired before and after an important rainfall event how muon density and electrical resistivity imaging may complementary characterize variations of the medium properties. The development of such innovative experiments for hydrogeophysical studies presents then the ability to supply new information on fluid dynamics in the sub-surface.

Strain Measurements within Fibre Boards. Part II: Strain Concentrations at the Crack Tip of MDF Specimens Tested by the Wedge Splitting Method

PubMed Central

Sinn, Gerhard; Müller, Ulrich; Konnerth, Johannes; Rathke, Jörn

2012-01-01

This is the second part of an article series where the mechanical and fracture mechanical properties of medium density fiberboard (MDF) were studied. While the first part of the series focused on internal bond strength and density profiles, this article discusses the fracture mechanical properties of the core layer. Fracture properties were studied with a wedge splitting setup. The critical stress intensity factors as well as the specific fracture energies were determined. Critical stress intensity factors were calculated from maximum splitting force and two-dimensional isotropic finite elements simulations of the specimen geometry. Size and shape of micro crack zone were measured with electronic laser speckle interferometry. The process zone length was approx. 5 mm. The specific fracture energy was determined to be 45.2 ± 14.4 J/m2 and the critical stress intensity factor was 0.11 ± 0.02 MPa.

Simulating the evolution of optically dark HI clouds in the Virgo cluster : will no-one rid me of this turbulent sphere ?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, R.; Wünsch, R.; Palouš, J.

2018-05-01

Most detected neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) at low redshift is associated with optically bright galaxies. However, a handful of HI clouds are known which appear to be optically dark and have no nearby potential progenitor galaxies, making tidal debris an unlikely explanation. In particular, 6 clouds identified by the Arecibo Galaxy Environment Survey are interesting due to the combination of their small size, isolation, and especially their broad line widths atypical of other such clouds. A recent suggestion is that these clouds exist in pressure equilibrium with the intracluster medium, with the line width arising from turbulent internal motions. Here we explore that possibility by using the FLASH code to perform a series of 3D hydro simulations. Our clouds are modelled using spherical Gaussian density profiles, embedded in a hot, low-density gas representing the intracluster medium. The simulations account for heating and cooling of the gas, and we vary the structure and strength of their internal motions. We create synthetic HI spectra, and find that none of our simulations reproduce the observed cloud parameters for longer than ˜100 Myr : the clouds either collapse, disperse, or experience rapid heating which would cause ionisation and render them undetectable to HI surveys. While the turbulent motions required to explain the high line widths generate structures which appear to be inherently unstable, making this an unlikely explanation for the observed clouds, these simulations demonstrate the importance of including the intracluster medium in any model seeking to explain the existence of these objects.

Measurement of the X-Ray Proper Motion in the South-East Rim of RXJ1713.7-3946

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acero, Fabio; Katsuda, Saturo; Ballet, Jean; Petre, Robert

2017-01-01

We report on the first proper motion measurement in the supernova remnant RX J1713.73946 using the XMM-Newton X-ray telescope on a 13 yr time interval. This expansion measurement is carried out in the south-east region of the remnant, where two sharp filament structures are observed. For the outermost filament, the proper motion is 0.75(+0.05-0.06) +/- 0.069 syst arcsec/ yr which is equivalent to a shock speed of approx. 3500 km/s at a distance of 1 kpc. In contrast with the bright north-west region, where the shock is interacting with the border of the cavity, the shock in the south-east region is probably expanding in the original ambient medium carved by the progenitor and can be used to derive the current density at the shock and the age of the remnant. In the case where the shock is evolving in a wind profile (p varies as r(sup -s), s = 2) or in a uniform medium (s = 0), we estimate an age of approx. 2300 yr and approx.1800 yr respectively for an ejecta power-law index of n = 9. The specific case of an ejecta power-law index of n = 7, and s = 0, yields an age of approx. 1500 yr, which would reconcile RX J1713.73946 with the historical records of SN 393. In all scenarios, we derive similar upstream densities of the order of 0.01/cu cm, compatible with the lack of thermal X-rays from the shocked ambient medium.

Measurement of the X-ray proper motion in the south-east rim of RX J1713.7-3946

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acero, Fabio; Katsuda, Satoru; Ballet, Jean; Petre, Robert

2017-01-01

We report on the first proper motion measurement in the supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946 using the XMM-Newton X-ray telescope on a 13 yr time interval. This expansion measurement is carried out in the south-east region of the remnant, where two sharp filament structures are observed. For the outermost filament, the proper motion is arcsec yr-1 which is equivalent to a shock speed of 3500 km s-1 at a distance of 1 kpc. In contrast with the bright north-west region, where the shock is interacting with the border of the cavity, the shock in the south-east region is probably expanding in the original ambient medium carved by the progenitor and can be used to derive the current density at the shock and the age of the remnant. In the case where the shock is evolving in a wind profile (ρ ∝ r- s, s = 2) or in a uniform medium (s = 0), we estimate an age of 2300 yr and 1800 yr respectively for an ejecta power-law index of n = 9. The specific case of an ejecta power-law index of n = 7, and s = 0, yields an age of 1500 yr, which would reconcile RX J1713.7-3946 with the historical records of SN 393. In all scenarios, we derive similar upstream densities of the order of 0.01 cm-3, compatible with the lack of thermal X-rays from the shocked ambient medium.

Effects of Energy Density and Shielding Medium on Performance of Laser Beam Welding (LBW) Joints on SAF2205 Duplex Stainless Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, W. W.; Cong, S.; Luo, S. B.; Fang, J. H.

2018-05-01

The corrosion resistance performance of SAF2205 duplex stainless steel depends on the amount of ferrite to austenite transformation, but the ferrite content after power beam welding is always excessively high. To obtain laser beam welding joints with better mechanical and corrosion resistance performance, the effects of the energy density and shielding medium on the austenite content, hardness distribution, and shear strength were investigated. The results showed that ferrite to austenite transformation was realized with increase in the energy density. When the energy density was increased from 120 J/mm to 200 J/mm, the austenite content of the welding joint changed from 2.6% to 38.5%. Addition of nitrogen gas to the shielding medium could promote formation of austenite. When the shielding medium contained 50% and 100% nitrogen gas, the austenite content of the welding joint was 42.7% and 47.2%, respectively. The hardness and shear strength were significantly improved by increase in the energy density. However, the shielding medium had less effect on the mechanical performance. Use of the optimal welding process parameters resulted in peak hardness of 375 HV and average shear strength of 670 MPa.

Nucleon properties in the Polyakov quark-meson model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yingying; Hu, Jinniu; Mao, Hong

2018-05-01

We study the nucleon as a nontopological soliton in a quark medium as well as in a nucleon medium in terms of the Polyakov quark-meson (PQM) model with two flavors at finite temperature and density. The constituent quark masses evolving with the temperature at various baryon chemical potentials are calculated and the equations of motion are solved according to the proper boundary conditions. The PQM model predicts an increasing size of the nucleon and a reduction of the nucleon mass in both hot environment. However, the phase structure is different from each other in quark and nucleon mediums. There is a crossover in the low-density region and a first-order phase transition in the high-density region in quark medium, whereas there exists a crossover characterized by the overlap of the nucleons in nucleon medium.

Density-dependent regulation of growth of BSC-1 cells in cell culture: Control of growth by low molecular weight nutrients

PubMed Central

Holley, Robert W.; Armour, Rosemary; Baldwin, Julia H.

1978-01-01

BSC-1 cells, epithelial cells of African green monkey kidney origin, show pronounced density-dependent regulation of growth in cell culture. Growth of the cells is rapid to a density of approximately 1.5 × 105 cells/per cm2 in Dulbecco-modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 10% calf serum. Above this “saturation density,” growth is much slower. It has been found that the glucose concentration in the culture medium is important in determining the “saturation density.” If the glucose concentration is increased 4-fold, the “saturation density” increases approximately 50%. Reduction of the “saturation density” of BSC-1 cells is also possible by decreasing the concentrations of low molecular weight nutrients in the culture medium. In medium supplemented with 0.1% calf serum, decreasing the concentrations of all of the organic constituents of the medium, from the high levels present in Dulbecco-modified Eagle's medium to concentrations near physiological levels, decreases the “saturation density” by approximately half. The decreased “saturation density” is not the result of lowering the concentration of any single nutrient but rather results from reduction of the concentrations of several nutrients. When the growth of BSC-1 cells is limited by low concentrations of all of the nutrients, some stimulation of growth results from increasing, separately, the concentrations of individual groups of nutrients, but the best growth stimulation is obtained by increasing the concentrations of all of the nutrients. The “wound healing” phenomenon, one manifestation of density-dependent regulation of growth in cell culture, is abolished by lowering the concentration of glutamine in the medium. Density-dependent regulation of growth of BSC-1 cells in cell culture thus appears to be a complex phenomenon that involves an interaction of nutrient concentrations with other regulatory factors. PMID:272650

Investigation of mitomycin-C-treated fibroblasts in 3-D collagen gel and conditioned medium for keratinocyte proliferation.

PubMed

Huang, Yi-Chau; Wang, Tzu-Wei; Sun, Jui-Sheng; Lin, Feng-Huei

2006-03-01

Fibroblasts produce a spectrum of necessary growth factors essential for growth and proliferation of a variety of cell types. In this study, the paracrine effect of mitomycin-C-treated fibroblasts with various densities in collagen gel for keratinocyte proliferation was investigated from which an optimum cell density and optimum conditioned medium would be determined to expand keratinocyte without further differentiation for skin equivalent tissue engineering. The optimum cell density in collagen feeder gel for optimum collected medium preparation will be determined by checking the level of keratinocyte growth factor and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor in conventional medium. The results showed that the cell density of 1 x 10(5) cells/gel in the feeder gel is better to produce optimum collected medium. The conditioned medium is prepared by mixing together the optimum collected medium and molecular cellular and developmental biology (MCDB) 153 medium in different ratios for keratinocyte growth. The keratinocyte viability will be measured by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay to determine the optimum conditioned medium. From the study, 67% conditioned medium was supposed as the better medium for keratinocyte proliferation. In this experiment, the optimum cell density in feeder gel to coculture with keratinocytes is also determined as 1 x 10(5) cells/gel. Keratin 10 (K10) and Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase Mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling stain will be used to check the cell differentiation and apoptosis, respectively. The results suggest that keratinocytes should not be cultured in postconfluent conditions due to undesired apoptosis and differentiation. The result of cell viability from passages to passages shows that the optimum feeder gel plays a more important role to the keratinocyte proliferation than that of optimum conditioned medium. Keratinocytes cultured with optimum feeder gel in 67% conditioned medium could effectively promote proliferation, inhibit apoptosis, and prevent differentiation. The combination of conditioned media and feeder gel to culture keratinocytes without external supplements can provide an inexpensive way for keratinocyte proliferation and construct an environment for real-time communication between the two cells. The results conclude that keratinocyte cultivation in feeder gel with modified medium should be feasible in the production of high quality keratinocytes for skin equivalents preparation.

Real-time feedback control of the plasma density profile on ASDEX Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mlynek, A.; Reich, M.; Giannone, L.; Treutterer, W.; Behler, K.; Blank, H.; Buhler, A.; Cole, R.; Eixenberger, H.; Fischer, R.; Lohs, A.; Lüddecke, K.; Merkel, R.; Neu, G.; Ryter, F.; Zasche, D.; ASDEX Upgrade Team

2011-04-01

The spatial distribution of density in a fusion experiment is of significant importance as it enters in numerous analyses and contributes to the fusion performance. The reconstruction of the density profile is therefore commonly done in offline data analysis. In this paper, we present an algorithm which allows for density profile reconstruction from the data of the submillimetre interferometer and the magnetic equilibrium in real-time. We compare the obtained results to the profiles yielded by a numerically more complex offline algorithm. Furthermore, we present recent ASDEX Upgrade experiments in which we used the real-time density profile for active feedback control of the shape of the density profile.

High-frequency and hot-platen curing of medium-density fiberboards

Treesearch

Robert R. Stevens; George E. Woodson

1977-01-01

The effects of two curing methods-high-frequencey heating and hot-platen heating-on the properties of a ureaformaldehyde-bonded medium-density fiberboard prepared with a southern-hardwoods furnish (50% southern read oak, 25% mockernut hickory, and 25% sweetgum) were studied. Boards of three densities-38, 44, and 50 lb./ft3-were cured by the two...

Simulating the interaction of galaxies and the intergalactic medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carin, Robert A.

2008-11-01

The co-evolution of galaxies and the intergalactic medium as a function of environment is studied using hydrodynamic simulations of the ΛCDM cosmogony. It is demonstrated with non-radiative calculations that, in the absence of non-gravitational mechanisms, dark matter haloes accrete a near-universal fraction (˜ 0.9Ω_{b}/&Omega_;{m}) of baryons. The absence of a mass or redshift dependence of this fraction augurs well for parameter tests that use X-ray clusters as cosmological probes. Moreover, this result indicates that non-gravitational processes must efficiently regulate the formation of stars in dark matter haloes if the halo mass function is to be reconciled with the observed galaxy luminosity function. Simulations featuring stellar evolution and non-gravitational feedback mechanisms (photo-heating by the ultraviolet background, and thermal and kinetic supernovae feedback) are used to follow the evolution of star formation, and the thermo- and chemo-dynamical evolution of baryons. The observed star formation history of the Universe is reproduced, except at low redshift where it is overestimated by a factor of a few, possibly indicating the need for feedback from active galactic nuclei to quench cooling flows around massive galaxies. The simulations more accurately reproduce the observed abundance of galaxies with late-type morphologies than has been reported elsewhere. The unique initial conditions of these simulations, based on the Millennium Simulation, allow an unprecedented study of the role of large-scale environment to be conducted. The cosmic star formation rate density is found to vary by an order of magnitude across the extremes of environment expected in the local Universe. The mass fraction of baryons in the observationally elusive warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM), and the volume filling factor that this gas occupies, is also shown to vary by a factor of a few across such environments. This variation is attributed to differences in the halo mass functions of the environments. Finally, we compare the X-ray properties of haloes from the simulations with the predictions of the tet{White_and_Frenk_91} analytic galaxy formation model, and demonstrate that deviations from the analytic prediction arise from the assumptions i) that haloes retain their cosmic share of baryons, and ii) their gas follows an isothermal density profile. The simulations indicate that a significant fraction of gas is ejected from low mass haloes by galactic superwinds, leading to a significant increase in their cooling time profiles and an associated drop in their soft X-ray luminosities, relative to the analytic model. Simulated X-ray luminosities remain greater than present observational upper limits, but it is argued that the observations provide only weak constraints and may suffer from a systematic bias, such that the mass of the halo hosting a given galaxy is overestimated. This bias also follows from the assumption that haloes exhibit isothermal density profiles.

Reconstruction of refractive index profile of a stratified medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogelzang, E.; Ferwerda, H. A.; Yevick, D.

In this paper, a method for determining the permittivity profile of a stratified medium terminated by a perfect conductor from the (complex) reflectivity is presented. The calculations are based on the Gelfand-Levitan and the Marchenko equations. The bound modes of the system are explicitly taken into account.

Nonideal detonation regimes in low density explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ershov, A. P.; Kashkarov, A. O.; Pruuel, E. R.; Satonkina, N. P.; Sil'vestrov, V. V.; Yunoshev, A. S.; Plastinin, A. V.

2016-02-01

Measurements using Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector (VISAR) were performed for three high explosives at densities slightly above the natural loose-packed densities. The velocity histories at the explosive/window interface demonstrate that the grain size of the explosives plays an important role. Fine-grained materials produced rather smooth records with reduced von Neumann spike amplitudes. For commercial coarse-grained specimens, the chemical spike (if detectable) was more pronounced. This difference can be explained as a manifestation of partial burn up. In fine-grained explosives, which are more sensitive, the reaction can proceed partly within the compression front, which leads to a lower initial shock amplitude. The reaction zone was shorter in fine-grained materials because of higher density of hot spots. The noise level was generally higher for the coarse-grained explosives, which is a natural stochastic effect of the highly non-uniform flow of the heterogeneous medium. These results correlate with our previous data of electrical conductivity diagnostics. Instead of the classical Zel'dovich-von Neumann-Döring profiles, violent oscillations around the Chapman-Jouguet level were observed in about half of the shots using coarse-grained materials. We suggest that these unusual records may point to a different detonation wave propagation mechanism.

Non-thermal pressure in the outskirts of Abell 2142

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fusco-Femiano, Roberto; Lapi, Andrea

2018-03-01

Clumping and turbulence are expected to affect the matter accreted on to the outskirts of galaxy clusters. To determine their impact on the thermodynamic properties of Abell 2142, we perform an analysis of the X-ray temperature data from XMM-Newton via our SuperModel, a state-of-the-art tool for investigating the astrophysics of the intracluster medium already tested on many individual clusters (since Cavaliere, Lapi & Fusco-Femiano 2009). Using the gas density profile corrected for clumpiness derived by Tchernin et al. (2016), we find evidence for the presence of a non-thermal pressure component required to sustain gravity in the cluster outskirts of Abell 2142, that amounts to about 30 per cent of the total pressure at the virial radius. The presence of the non-thermal component implies the gas fraction to be consistent with the universal value at the virial radius and the electron thermal pressure profile to be in good agreement with that inferred from the SZ data. Our results indicate that the presence of gas clumping and of a non-thermal pressure component are both necessary to recover the observed physical properties in the cluster outskirts. Moreover, we stress that an alternative method often exploited in the literature (included Abell 2142) to determine the temperature profile kBT = Pe/ne basing on a combination of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) pressure Pe and of the X-ray electron density ne does not allow us to highlight the presence of non-thermal pressure support in the cluster outskirts.

Ram Pressure Stripping of Galaxy JO201

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Greta; Tonnesen, Stephanie; Jaffé, Yara; Bellhouse, Callum; Bianca Poggianti

2017-01-01

Despite the discovery of the morphology-density relation more than 30 years ago, the process driving the evolution of spiral galaxies into S0s in clusters is still widely debated. Ram pressure stripping--the removal of a galaxy's interstellar medium by the pressure of the intracluster medium through which it orbits--may help explain galactic evolution and quenching in clusters. MUSE (Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer) observational data of galaxy JO201 in cluster Abell 85 reveal it to be a jellyfish galaxy--one with an H-alpha emitting gas tail on only one side. We model the possible orbits for this galaxy, constrained by the cluster mass profile, line of sight velocity, and projected distance from the cluster center. Using Enzo, an adaptive mesh refinement hydrodynamics code, we simulate effects of ram pressure on this galaxy for a range of possible orbits. We present comparisons of both the morphology and velocity structure of our simulated galaxy to the observations of H-alpha emission.

The impact of different interstellar medium structures on the dynamical evolution of supernova remnants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yueyang; Bao, Biwen; Yang, Chuyuan; Zhang, Li

2018-05-01

The dynamical properties of supernova remnants (SNRs) evolving with different interstellar medium structures are investigated through performing extensive two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations in the cylindrical symmetry. Three cases of different interstellar medium structures are considered: the uniform medium, the turbulent medium and the cloudy medium. Large-scale density and magnetic fluctuations are calculated and mapped into the computational domain before simulations. The clouds are set by random distribution in advance. The above configuration allows us to study the time-dependent dynamical properties and morphological evolution of the SNR evolving with different ambient structures, along with the development of the instabilities at the contact discontinuity. Our simulation results indicate that remnant morphology deviates from symmetry if the interstellar medium contains clouds or turbulent density fluctuations. In the cloudy medium case, interactions between the shock wave and clouds lead to clouds' fragmentation. The magnetic field can be greatly enhanced by stretching field lines with a combination of instabilities while the width of amplification region is quite different among the three cases. Moreover, both the width of amplification region and the maximum magnetic-field strength are closely related to the clouds' density.

The effects of exercise on the lipoprotein subclass profile: a meta-analysis of 10 interventions

PubMed Central

Sarzynski, Mark A.; Burton, Jeffrey; Rankinen, Tuomo; Blair, Steven N.; Church, Timothy S.; Després, Jean-Pierre; Hagberg, James M.; Landers-Ramos, Rian; Leon, Arthur S.; Mikus, Catherine R.; Rao, D.C.; Seip, Richard L.; Skinner, James S.; Slentz, Cris A.; Thompson, Paul D.; Wilund, Kenneth R.; Kraus, William E.; Bouchard, Claude

2015-01-01

Objective The goal was to examine lipoprotein subclass responses to regular exercise as measured in 10 exercise interventions derived from six cohorts. Methods Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to quantify average particle size, total and subclass concentrations of very low-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein particles (VLDL-P, LDL-P, and HDL-P, respectively) before and after an exercise intervention in 1,555 adults from six studies, encompassing 10 distinct exercise programs: APOE (N=106), DREW (N=385), GERS (N=79), HERITAGE (N=715), STRRIDE I (N=168) and II (N=102). Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to evaluate the overall estimate of mean change across the unadjusted and adjusted mean change values from each exercise group. Results Meta-analysis of unadjusted data showed that regular exercise induced significant decreases in the concentration of large VLDL-P, small LDL-P, and medium HDL-P and mean VLDL-P size, with significant increases in the concentration of large LDL-P and large HDL-P and mean LDL-P size. These changes remained significant in meta-analysis with adjustment for age, sex, race, baseline body mass index, and baseline trait value. Conclusions Despite differences in exercise programs and study populations, regular exercise produced putatively beneficial changes in the lipoprotein subclass profile across 10 exercise interventions. Further research is needed to examine how exercise-induced changes in lipoprotein subclasses may be associated with (concomitant changes in) cardiovascular disease risk. PMID:26520888

Mercury Slovenian soils: High, medium and low sample density geochemical maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosar, Mateja; Šajn, Robert; Teršič, Tamara

2017-04-01

Regional geochemical survey was conducted in whole territory of Slovenia (20273 km2). High, medium and low sample density surveys were compared. High sample density represented the regional geochemical data set supplemented by local high-density sampling data (irregular grid, n=2835). Medium-density soil sampling was performed in a 5 x 5 km grid (n=817) and low-density geochemical survey was conducted in a sampling grid 25 x 25 km (n=54). Mercury distribution in Slovenian soils was determined with models of mercury distribution in soil using all three data sets. A distinct Hg anomaly in western part of Slovenia is evident on all three models. It is a consequence of 500-years of mining and ore processing in the second largest mercury mine in the world, the Idrija mine. The determined mercury concentrations revealed an important difference between the western and the eastern parts of the country. For the medium scale geochemical mapping is the median value (0.151 mg /kg) for western Slovenia almost 2-fold higher than the median value (0.083 mg/kg) in eastern Slovenia. Besides the Hg median for the western part of Slovenia exceeds the Hg median for European soil by a factor of 4 (Gosar et al., 2016). Comparing these sample density surveys, it was shown that high sampling density allows the identification and characterization of anthropogenic influences on a local scale, while medium- and low-density sampling reveal general trends in the mercury spatial distribution, but are not appropriate for identifying local contamination in industrial regions and urban areas. The resolution of the pattern generated is the best when the high-density survey on a regional scale is supplemented with the geochemical data of the high-density surveys on a local scale. References: Gosar, M, Šajn, R, Teršič, T. Distribution pattern of mercury in the Slovenian soil: geochemical mapping based on multiple geochemical datasets. Journal of geochemical exploration, 2016, 167/38-48.

Snowmobile impacts on snowpack physical and mechanical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fassnacht, Steven R.; Heath, Jared T.; Venable, Niah B. H.; Elder, Kelly J.

2018-03-01

Snowmobile use is a popular form of winter recreation in Colorado, particularly on public lands. To examine the effects of differing levels of use on snowpack properties, experiments were performed at two different areas, Rabbit Ears Pass near Steamboat Springs and at Fraser Experimental Forest near Fraser, Colorado USA. Differences between no use and varying degrees of snowmobile use (low, medium and high) on shallow (the operational standard of 30 cm) and deeper snowpacks (120 cm) were quantified and statistically assessed using measurements of snow density, temperature, stratigraphy, hardness, and ram resistance from snow pit profiles. A simple model was explored that estimated snow density changes from snowmobile use based on experimental results. Snowpack property changes were more pronounced for thinner snow accumulations. When snowmobile use started in deeper snow conditions, there was less difference in density, hardness, and ram resistance compared to the control case of no snowmobile use. These results have implications for the management of snowmobile use in times and places of shallower snow conditions where underlying natural resources could be affected by denser and harder snowpacks.

High-frequency and hot-platen curing of medium-density fiberboards

Treesearch

R.R. Stevens; G.E. Woodson

1977-01-01

The effects of two curing methods- high-frequency heating and hot-platen heating- on the properties of a ure-formaldehyd-bonded medium-density fiberboard prepared with a southern-hardwoods furnish (50% southern red oak, 25% mockernut hickory, and 25% sweetgum) were studied. Boards of three densities- 38, 44, and 50 lb./ft.3- were cured by the two...

Cloaks for suppression or enhancement of scattering of diffuse photon density waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renthlei, Lalruatfela; Ramakrishna, S. Anantha; Wanare, Harshawardhan

2018-07-01

Enhancement of wave-like characteristics of heavily damped diffuse photon density waves in a random medium by amplification can induce strongly localised resonances. These resonances can be used to either suppress or enhance scattering from an inhomogeneity in the random medium by cloaking the inhomogeneous region by a shell of random medium with the correct levels of absorption or amplification. A spherical core-shell structure consisting of a shell of a random amplifying medium is shown to enhance or suppress specific resonant modes. A shell with an absorbing random medium is also shown to suppress scattering which can also be used for cloaking the core region.

Interplanetary density models as inferred from solar Type III bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oppeneiger, Lucas; Boudjada, Mohammed Y.; Lammer, Helmut; Lichtenegger, Herbert

2016-04-01

We report on the density models derived from spectral features of solar Type III bursts. They are generated by beams of electrons travelling outward from the Sun along open magnetic field lines. Electrons generate Langmuir waves at the plasma frequency along their ray paths through the corona and the interplanetary medium. A large frequency band is covered by the Type III bursts from several MHz down to few kHz. In this analysis, we consider the previous empirical density models proposed to describe the electron density in the interplanetary medium. We show that those models are mainly based on the analysis of Type III bursts generated in the interplanetary medium and observed by satellites (e.g. RAE, HELIOS, VOYAGER, ULYSSES,WIND). Those models are confronted to stereoscopic observations of Type III bursts recorded by WIND, ULYSSES and CASSINI spacecraft. We discuss the spatial evolution of the electron beam along the interplanetary medium where the trajectory is an Archimedean spiral. We show that the electron beams and the source locations are depending on the choose of the empirical density models.

System and method for monitoring water content or other dielectric influences in a medium

DOEpatents

Cherry, Robert S.; Anderson, Allen A.

2001-01-01

A sensor system is provided that measures water content or other detectable properties in a medium along the entire length of the sensor at any point in time. The sensor system includes an electromagnetic signal generator and a transmission line disposed in a medium to be monitored. Alternatively, the transmission line can be configured for movement across a medium to be monitored, or the transmission line can be fixed relative to a moving medium being monitored. A signal is transmitted along the transmission line at predetermined frequencies, and the signal is returned back along the transmission line and/or into an optional receive line in proximity to the transmission line. The returned signal is processed to generate a one-dimensional data output profile that is a function of a detectable property of the medium. The data output profile can be mapped onto a physical system to generate a two-dimensional or three-dimensional profile if desired. The sensor system is useful in a variety of different applications such as agriculture, horticulture, biofiltration systems for industrial offgases, leak detection in landfills or drum storage facilities at buried waste sites, and in many other applications.

Correlation of ion and beam current densities in Kaufman thrusters.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilbur, P. J.

1973-01-01

In the absence of direct impingement erosion, electrostatic thruster accelerator grid lifetime is defined by the charge exchange erosion that occurs at peak values of the ion beam current density. In order to maximize the thrust from an engine with a specified grid lifetime, the ion beam current density profile should therefore be as flat as possible. Knauer (1970) has suggested this can be achieved by establishing a radial plasma uniformity within the thruster discharge chamber; his tests with the radial field thruster provide an example of uniform plasma properties within the chamber and a flat ion beam profile occurring together. It is shown that, in particular, the ion density profile within the chamber determines the beam current density profile, and that a uniform ion density profile at the screen grid end of the discharge chamber should lead to a flat beam current density profile.

Deuterium and the Local Interstellar Medium: Properties for the Procyon and Capella Lines of Sight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linsky, Jeffrey L.; Diplas, Athanassios; Wood, Brian E.; Brown, Alexander; Ayres, Thomas R.; Savage, Blair D.

1995-01-01

We present Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph observations of the interstellar H I and D I Ly-alpha lines and the Mg II and Fe II resonance lines formed along the lines of sight toward the nearby stars Procyon (3.5 pc, l = 214 deg, b = 13 deg) and Capella (12.5 pc, l = 163 deg, b = 5 deg). New observations of Capella were obtained at orbital phase 0.80, when the radial velocities of the intrinsic Ly-alpha emission lines of each star were nearly reversed from those of the previous observations at phase 0.26. Since the intrinsic Ly-alpha line of the Capella system (the 'continuum' against which the interstellar absorption is measured) has different shapes at phases 0.26 and 0.80, we can derive both the intrinsic stellar profiles and the interstellar absorption lines more precisely by jointly analyzing the two data sets. For the analysis of the Procyon line of sight, we first assumed that the intrinsic Ly-alpha line profile is a broadened solar profile, but this assumption does not lead to a good fit to the observed D I line profile for any value of D/H. We then assumed that (D/H)(sub LISM) = 1.6 x 10(exp -5), the same value as for the Capella line of sight, and we modified the broadened solar profile to achieve agreement between the simulated and observed line profiles. The resulting asymmetric intrinsic stellar line profile is consistent with the shapes of the scaled Mg II line profiles. We believe therefore that the Procyon data are consistent with (D/H)(sub LISM) = 1.6 x 10(exp -5), but the uncertainty in the intrinsic Ly-alpha emission-line profile does not permit us to conclude that the D/H ratio is constant in the local interstellar medium (LISM). The temperature and turbulence in the Procyon line of sight are T = 6900 +/- 80 (+/- 300 systematic error) K and zeta = 1.21 +/- 0.27 km/s. These properties are similar to those of Capella, except that the gas toward Procyon is divided into two velocity components separated by 2.6 km/s and the Procyon line of sight has a mean neutral hydrogen density that is a factor of 2.4 larger than that of the Capella line of sight. This suggests that the first 5.3 pc along the Capella line of sight lies within the local cloud and the remaining 7.2 pc lies in the hot gas surrounding the local cloud. We propose that n(H I) = 0.1065 +/- 0.0028 cm(exp -2) be adopted for the neutral hydrogen density within the local cloud and that zeta = 1.21 +/- 0.27 km/s be adopted for the nonthermal motions. The existence of different second velocity components toward the nearby stars Procyon and Sirius provides the first glimpse of a turbulent cloudlet boundary layer between the local cloud and the surrounding hot interstellar gas.

Relationship between Icodextrin use and decreased level of small low-density lipoprotein cholesterol fractioned by high-performance gel permeation chromatography

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Because of the absorption of glucose in peritoneal dialysis (PD) solution, PD patients show an atherogenic lipid profile, which is predictive of poor survival in PD patients. Lipoprotein subclasses consist of a continuous spectrum of particles of different sizes and densities (fraction). In this study, we investigated the lipoprotein fractions in PD patients with controlled serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level, and evaluated the effects of icodextrin on lipid metabolism. Methods Forty-nine PD patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study in Japan. The proportions of cholesterol levels to total cholesterol level (cholesterol proportion) in 20 lipoprotein fractions were measured using an improved method of high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC). Results Twenty-six patients used icodextrin. Although no significant differences in cholesterol levels in LDL and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were observed between the patients using icodextrin (icodextrin group) and control groups, HPGPC showed that the icodextrin group had significantly lower cholesterol proportions in the small LDL (t-test, p=0.053) and very small LDL (p=0.019), and significantly higher cholesterol proportions in the very large HDL and large HDL than the control group (p=0.037; p=0.066, respectively). Multivariate analysis adjusted for patient characteristics and statin use showed that icodextrin use was negatively associated with the cholesterol proportions in the small LDL (p=0.037) and very small LDL (p=0.026), and positively with those in the very large HDL (p=0.040), large HDL (p=0.047), and medium HDL (p=0.009). Conclusions HPGPC showed the relationship between icodextrin use and the cholesterol proportions in lipoprotein fractions in PD patients. These results suggest that icodextrin may improve atherogenic lipid profiles in a manner different from statin. PMID:24161017

Plasma hormonal profiles and dendritic spine density and morphology in the hippocampal CA1 stratum radiatum, evidenced by light microscopy, of virgin and postpartum female rats.

PubMed

Brusco, Janaína; Wittmann, Raul; de Azevedo, Márcia S; Lucion, Aldo B; Franci, Celso R; Giovenardi, Márcia; Rasia-Filho, Alberto A

2008-06-27

Successful reproduction requires that changes in plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), oxytocin (OT), estrogen (E(2)) and progesterone (P(4)) occur together with the display of maternal behaviors. Ovarian steroids and environmental stimuli can affect the dendritic spines in the rat hippocampus. Here, studying Wistar rats, it is described: (a) the sequential and concomitant changes in the hormonal profile of females at postpartum days (PP) 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24, comparing to estrous cycle referential values; (b) the dendritic spine density in the stratum radiatum of CA1 (CA1-SR) Golgi-impregnated neurons in virgin females across the estrous cycle and in multiparous age-matched ones; and (c) the proportion of different types of spines in the CA1-SR of virgin and postpartum females, both in diestrus. Plasma levels of gonadotrophins and ovarian hormones remained low along PP while LH increased and PRL decreased near the end of the lactating period. The lowest dendritic spine density was found in virgin females in estrus when compared to diestrus and proestrus phases or to postpartum females in diestrus (p<0.03). Other comparisons among groups were not statistically significant (p>0.4). There were no differences in the proportions of the different spine types in nulliparous and postpartum females (p>0.2). Results suggest that medium layer CA1-SR spines undergo rapid modifications in Wistar females across the estrous cycle (not quite comparable to Sprague-Dawley data or to hormonal substitutive therapy following ovariectomy), but persistent effects of motherhood on dendritic spine density and morphology were not found in this area.

D/H Toward BD+28 4211: First FUSE Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sonneborne, George; Andre, M.; Oliveira, C.; Friedman, S. D.; Howk, J. C.; Kruk, J. W.; Moos, H. W.; Oegerle, W. R.; Sembach, K. R.; Chayer, P.;

Parameters of the flare and surrounding medium and their evolution during 20 January 2005 solar event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troitskaia, E.; Arkhangelskaja, I.; Arkhangelsky, A.; Gan, W.

2013-02-01

Basing on the data of AVS-F apparatus from SONG-D detector onboard CORONAS-F satellite, we have studied the extreme solar event of January 20, 2005 used the 2.223 MeV, 4.44 MeV and 6.13 MeV γ-lines temporal profiles. By the statistical modeling method we calculated the temporal profile of 2.223 MeV line too. Calculations have been performed in assumption of Bessel type of accelerated particles energy spectrum, different 3He content in the region of nuclear reactions and several density models of the solar atmosphere. Comparisons of the results of modeling with observational 2.223 MeV AVS-F/SONG-D data reveal the increasing of the ratio of 3He concentration to 1H one during the flare from 2× 10-5 at the rise phase of the gamma-ray flux up to 2× 10--4 at the decay one. During the same period the spectrum became harder and the density of solar atmosphere increased too. Averaged over full time of 2.223 MeV γ-emission concentration ratio of 3He/1H is equal to (1.40±0.15)×10--4, also the density model with enlarged density up to 2×1017 cm-3 in the lower chromosphere and through the whole photosphere is realized. Besides, we have estimated the spectral index αT that is close to 0.1 for accelerated protons in the range of 1-100 MeV. Using the AVS-F gamma-rays spectral data in the wide range up to 140 MeV, we have obtained the spectral index of s=2.5±0.1 in the case of power law spectrum for energies more than 300 MeV.

Implications of high-velocity interstellar H I absorption features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cowie, L.; York, D. G.; Laurent, C.; Vidal-Madjar, A.

1979-01-01

Contributions to the interstellar H I column density at high velocities from immediate postshock gas and from the cooling gas behind a shock are compared. The detection of high-velocity H I in L-epsilon and L-delta for Iota Ori is reported and interpreted as cooling gas behind a shock of 100 km/s velocity. The immediate postshock gas should be observable for shock velocities greater than 200 km/s and permits direct determination of the velocities of adiabatic shocks in the interstellar medium. It is pointed out that interstellar L-alpha and L-beta lines may not have purely Lorentzian profiles if high-velocity H I is a widespread phenomenon.

Decay of correlations between cross-polarized electromagnetic waves in a two-dimensional random medium.

PubMed

Gorodnichev, E E

2018-04-01

The problem of multiple scattering of polarized light in a two-dimensional medium composed of fiberlike inhomogeneities is studied. The attenuation lengths for the density matrix elements are calculated. For a highly absorbing medium it is found that, as the sample thickness increases, the intensity of waves polarized along the fibers decays faster than the other density matrix elements. With further increase in the sample thickness, the off-diagonal elements which are responsible for correlations between the cross-polarized waves disappear. In the asymptotic limit of very thick samples the scattered light proves to be polarized perpendicular to the fibers. The difference in the attenuation lengths between the density matrix elements results in a nonmonotonic depth dependence of the degree of polarization. In the opposite case of a weakly absorbing medium, the off-diagonal element of the density matrix and, correspondingly, the correlations between the cross-polarized fields are shown to decay faster than the intensity of waves polarized along and perpendicular to the fibers.

Enhanced Polarized Emission from the One-parsec-scale Hotspot of 3C 84 as a Result of the Interaction with the Clumpy Ambient Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagai, H.; Fujita, Y.; Nakamura, M.; Orienti, M.; Kino, M.; Asada, K.; Giovannini, G.

2017-11-01

We present Very Long Baseline Array polarimetric observations of the innermost jet of 3C 84 (NGC 1275) at 43 GHz. A significant polarized emission is detected at the hotspot of the innermost restarted jet, which is located 1 pc south from the radio core. While the previous report presented a hotspot at the southern end of the western limb, the hotspot location has been moved to the southern end of the eastern limb. Faraday rotation is detected within an entire bandwidth of the 43 GHz band. The measured rotation measure (RM) is at most (6.3 ± 1.9) × 105 rad m-2 and might be slightly time variable on the timescale of a month by a factor of a few. Our measured RM and the RM previously reported by the CARMA and SMA observations cannot be consistently explained by the spherical accretion flow with a power-law profile. We propose that a clumpy/inhomogeneous ambient medium is responsible for the observed RM. Using an equipartition magnetic field, we derive the electron density of 2 × 104 cm-3. Such an electron density is consistent with the cloud of the narrow line emission region around the central engine. We also discuss the magnetic field configuration from the black hole scale to the parsec scale and the origin of low polarization.

Synthetic Observations of 21 cm H I Line Profiles from Inhomogeneous Turbulent Interstellar H I Gas with Magnetic Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukui, Yasuo; Hayakawa, Takahiro; Inoue, Tsuyoshi; Torii, Kazufumi; Okamoto, Ryuji; Tachihara, Kengo; Onishi, Toshikazu; Hayashi, Katsuhiro

2018-06-01

We carried out synthetic observations of interstellar atomic hydrogen at 21 cm wavelength by utilizing the magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations of the inhomogeneous turbulent interstellar medium. The cold neutral medium (CNM) shows a significantly clumpy distribution with a small volume filling factor of 3.5%, whereas the warm neutral medium (WNM) has a distinctly different and smooth distribution with a large filling factor of 96.5%. In projection on the sky, the CNM exhibits a highly filamentary distribution with a subparsec width, whereas the WNM shows a smooth, extended distribution. In the H I optical depth, the CNM is dominant and the contribution of the WNM is negligibly small. The CNM has an area covering factor of 30% in projection, while the WNM has a covering factor of 70%. This means that the emission–absorption measurements toward radio continuum compact sources tend to sample the WNM with a probability of 70%, yielding a smaller H I optical depth and a smaller H I column density than those of the bulk H I gas. The emission–absorption measurements, which are significantly affected by the small-scale large fluctuations of the CNM properties, are not suitable for characterizing the bulk H I gas. Larger-beam emission measurements that are able to fully sample the H I gas will provide a better tool for that purpose, if a reliable proxy for hydrogen column density, possibly dust optical depth and gamma rays, is available. The present results provide a step toward precise measurements of the interstellar hydrogen with ∼10% accuracy. This will be crucial in interstellar physics, including identification of the proton–proton interaction in gamma-ray supernova remnants.

X-Ray Spectroscopy of AS1101 with Chandra, XMM-Newton, and ROSAT: Bandpass Dependence of the Temperature Profile and Soft Excess Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonamente, Massimiliano; Nevalainen, Jukka

2011-09-01

We present spatially resolved spectroscopy of the galaxy cluster AS1101, also known as Sèrsic 159-03, with Chandra, XMM-Newton, and ROSAT, and investigate the presence of soft X-ray excess emission above the contribution from the hot intracluster medium. In earlier papers we reported an extremely bright soft excess component that reached 100% of the thermal radiation in the R2 ROSAT band (0.2-0.4 keV), using the H I column density measurement by Dickey and Lockman. In this paper we use the newer Leiden-Argentine-Bonn survey measurements of the H I column density toward AS1101, significantly lower than the previous value, and show that the soft excess emission in AS1101 is now at the level of 10%-20% of the hot gas emission, in line with those of a large sample of clusters analyzed by Bonamente et al. in 2002. The ROSAT soft excess emission is detected regardless of calibration uncertainties between Chandra and XMM-Newton. This new analysis of AS1101 indicates that the 1/4 keV band emission is compatible with the presence of warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) filaments connected to the cluster and extending outward into the intergalactic medium; the temperatures we find in this study are typically lower than those of the WHIM probed in other X-ray studies. We also show that the soft excess emission is compatible with a non-thermal origin as the inverse Compton scattering of relativistic electrons off the cosmic microwave background, with pressure less than 1% of the thermal electrons.

Spontaneous electrorheological effect in nematic liquid crystals under Taylor-Couette flow configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhar, Jayabrata; Chakraborty, Suman

2017-09-01

Electrorheological (ER) characteristics of Nematic Liquid Crystals (NLCs) have been a topic of immense interest in the field of soft matter physics owing to its rheological modulation capabilities. Here we explore the augmentation in rheological characteristics of the nematic fluid confined within the annular region of the concentric cylindrical space with an Electrical Double Layer (EDL) induced at the fluid-substrate interface due to certain physico-chemical interactions. Using a Taylor-Couette flow configuration associated with an EDL induced at the inner cylinder wall, we show that a spontaneous electrorheological effect is generated owing to the intrinsic director anisotropy and structural order of complex nematic fluids. We seek to find the enhancement in torque transfer capability due to the inherent electrorheological nature of the nematic medium, apart from exploiting the innate nature of such homogeneous media to remain free of coagulation, a fact which makes it an excellent candidate for the applications in microfluidic environment. Our analysis reveals that with stronger induced charge density within the EDL, the apparent viscosity enhances, which, in turn, augments torque transfer across the concentric cylinder. The velocity profile tends to flatten in comparison to the classical circular Couette flow in annular geometry as one increases the surface charge density. We further observe a more pronounced ER effect for the nematic medium having larger electrical permittivity anisotropy. Besides the torque transfer qualifications, we also explore the distinct scenarios, wherein the same NLC medium exhibits shear thinning and shear thickening characteristics. The present configuration of the efficient torque transfer mechanism may be proficiently downscaled to micro-level and is relevant in the fabrication of micro-clutch and micro-dampers.

SU-E-T-791: Validation of a Determinant Based Photon Transport Solver in Dose Perturbed By Diverse Media

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

Kuo, H; Tome, W; Yaparpalvi, R

Purpose: To validate a determinant based photon transport solver in dose imparted within different transition zone between different medium. Methods: Thickness (.2cm,.5cm, 1cm, 3cm) from various materials (Air - density=0.0012g/cm3, Cork-0.19g/cm3, Lung-0.26g/cm3, Bone-1.85g/cm3, Aluminum (Al)-2.7g/cm3, Titanium (Ti)-4.42g/cm3, Iron (Fe)-8g/cm3) were sandwiched by 10cm solid water. 6MV were used to study the calculation difference between a superposition photon beam model (AAA) and the determinant based Boltzmann photon transport solver (XB) at the upstream (I) and downstream boarder (II) of the medium, within the medium (III), and at far distance downstream away from medium (IV). Calculation was validated with available thickness ofmore » Air, Cork, Lung, Al, Ti and Fe. Results are presented as the ratio of the dose at the point with medium perturbation to the same point dose without perturbation. Results: Zone I showed different backscatter enhancement from high-density materials within the 5mm of the upstream border. AAA showed no backscatter at all, XB showed good agreement beyond 1mm upstream (1.18 vs 1.14, 1.09 vs 1.10, and 1.04 vs 1.05 for Fe, Ti, and Fe, respectively). Zone II showed a re-buildup after exiting high-density medium and Air but no build up for density close to water in both of the measurement and XB. AAA yielded the opposite results in Zone II. XB and AAA showed in Zone III very different absorption in high density medium and the Air. XB and measurement had high concordance regarding photon attenuation in Zone IV. AAA showed less agreement especially when the medium was Air or Fe. Conclusion: XB compared well with measurement in regions 1mm away from the interface. Planning using XB should be beneficial for External Beam Planning in situations with large air cavity, very low lung density, compact bone, and any kind of metal implant.« less

Response of a thin airfoil encountering strong density discontinuity

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

Marble, F.E.

1993-12-01

Airfoil theory for unsteady motion has been developed extensively assuming the undisturbed medium to be of uniform density, a restriction accurate for motion in the atmosphere. In some instances, notably for airfoil comprising fan, compressor and turbine blade rows, the undisturbed medium may carry density variations or ``spots``, resulting from non-uniformities in temperature or composition, of a size comparable to the blade chord. This condition exists for turbine blades, immediately downstream of the main burner of a gas turbine engine where the density fluctuations of the order of 50 percent may occur. Disturbances of a somewhat smaller magnitude arise frommore » the ingestion of hot boundary layers into fans, and exhaust into hovercraft. Because these regions of non-uniform density convect with the moving medium, the airfoil experiences a time varying load and moment which the authors calculate.« less

The virialization density of peaks with general density profiles under spherical collapse

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

Rubin, Douglas; Loeb, Abraham, E-mail: dsrubin@physics.harvard.edu, E-mail: aloeb@cfa.harvard.edu

2013-12-01

We calculate the non-linear virialization density, Δ{sub c}, of halos under spherical collapse from peaks with an arbitrary initial and final density profile. This is in contrast to the standard calculation of Δ{sub c} which assumes top-hat profiles. Given our formalism, the non-linear halo density can be calculated once the shape of the initial peak's density profile and the shape of the virialized halo's profile are provided. We solve for Δ{sub c} for halos in an Einstein de-Sitter and a ΛCDM universe. As examples, we consider power-law initial profiles as well as spherically averaged peak profiles calculated from the statisticsmore » of a Gaussian random field. We find that, depending on the profiles used, Δ{sub c} is smaller by a factor of a few to as much as a factor of 10 as compared to the density given by the standard calculation ( ≈ 200). Using our results, we show that, for halo finding algorithms that identify halos through an over-density threshold, the halo mass function measured from cosmological simulations can be enhanced at all halo masses by a factor of a few. This difference could be important when using numerical simulations to assess the validity of analytic models of the halo mass function.« less

Gray wolf density and its association with weights and hematology of pups from 1970 to 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

DelGiudice, Glenn D.; Mech, L. David; Seal, U.S.

1991-01-01

We examined weights and hematologic profiles of gray wolf (Canis lupus) pups and the associated wolf density in the east-central Superior National Forest of northeastern Minnesota (USA) during 1970 to 1988. We collected weight and hematologic data from 117 pups (57 females, 60 males) during 1 September to 22 November each year. The wolf density (wolves/800 km2) trend was divided into three phases: high (72 ± 7), 1970 to 1975; medium (44 ± 2), 1976 to 1983; and low (27 ± 2), 1984 to 1988. Wolf numbers declined (P = 0.0001) 39 and 63% from 1970 to 1975 to 1976 to 1983 and from 1970 to 1975 to 1984 to 1988, respectively. Weight was similar between male and female pups and did not vary as wolf density changed. Mean hemoglobin (P = 0.04), red (P = 0.0001) and white blood cells (P = 0.002), mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (P = 0.0001) did differ among the multi-annual phases of changing wolf density. Weight and hematologic data also were compared to values from captive wolf pups. The high, but declining wolf density was associated with macrocytic, normochromic anemia in wolf pups, whereas the lowest density coincided with a hypochromic anemia. Although hematologic values show promise for assessing wolf pup condition and wolf population status, they must be used cautiously until data are available from other populations.

Influence of atomic densities on propagation property for ultrashort pulses in a two-level medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Bingxin; Gong, Shangqing; Song, Xiaohong; Jin, Shiqi

2005-05-01

The influence of atomic densities on the propagation property for ultrashort pulses in a two-level atom (TLA) medium is investigated. With higher atomic densities, the self-induced transparency (SIT) cannot be recovered even for 2? ultrashort pulses. New features such as pulse splitting, red-shift and blue-shift of the corresponding spectra arise, and the component of central frequency gradually disappears.

Growth and recombinant protein expression with Escherichia coli in different batch cultivation media.

PubMed

Hortsch, Ralf; Weuster-Botz, Dirk

2011-04-01

Parallel operated milliliter-scale stirred tank bioreactors were applied for recombinant protein expression studies in simple batch experiments without pH titration. An enzymatic glucose release system (EnBase), a complex medium, and the frequently used LB and TB media were compared with regard to growth of Escherichia coli and recombinant protein expression (alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from Lactobacillus brevis and formate dehydrogenase (FDH) from Candida boidinii). Dissolved oxygen and pH were recorded online, optical densities were measured at-line, and the activities of ADH and FDH were analyzed offline. Best growth was observed in a complex medium with maximum dry cell weight concentrations of 14 g L(-1). EnBase cultivations enabled final dry cell weight concentrations between 6 and 8 g L(-1). The pH remained nearly constant in EnBase cultivations due to the continuous glucose release, showing the usefulness of this glucose release system especially for pH-sensitive bioprocesses. Cell-specific enzyme activities varied considerably depending on the different media used. Maximum specific ADH activities were measured with the complex medium, 6 h after induction with IPTG, whereas the highest specific FDH activities were achieved with the EnBase medium at low glucose release profiles 24 h after induction. Hence, depending on the recombinant protein, different medium compositions, times for induction, and times for cell harvest have to be evaluated to achieve efficient expression of recombinant proteins in E. coli. A rapid experimental evaluation can easily be performed with parallel batch operated small-scale stirred tank bioreactors.

Scaling of confinement and profiles in the EXTRAP T2 reversed-field pinch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welander, A.

1999-01-01

In the EXTRAP T2 reversed-field pinch the diagnostic techniques for the measurement of electron density and temperature include; Thomson scattering which gives values at three radial positions in the core (r/a = 0, 0.28, 0.56), Langmuir probes which give values at the edge (r/a > 0.9) and interferometry which gives a line-averaged density. The empirical scaling of electron density and temperature including profile information with global plasma parameters has been studied. The density profile is subject to large variations, with an average parabolic shape when the density is low and flatter shapes when the density is increased. The change in the profile shape can be attributed to a shift in the penetration length of neutrals from the vicinity of the wall. The temperature scales roughly as I/n1/2 where I is the plasma current and n is the density. The temperature profile is always quite flat with lower variations and there is a tendency for a flatter profile at higher temperatures.

Ti nanorod arrays with a medium density significantly promote osteogenesis and osteointegration

PubMed Central

Ning, Chengyun; Wang, Shuangying; Zhu, Ye; Zhong, Meiling; Lin, Xi; Zhang, Yu; Tan, Guoxin; Li, Mei; Yin, Zhaoyi; Yu, Peng; Wang, Xiaolan; Li, Ying; He, Tianrui; Chen, Wei; Wang, Yingjun; Mao, Chuanbin

2016-01-01

Ti implants are good candidates in bone repair. However, how to promote bone formation on their surface and their consequent perfect integration with the surrounding tissue is still a challenge. To overcome such challenge, we propose to form Ti nanorods on their surface to promote the new bone formation around the implants. Here Ti nanorod arrays (TNrs) with different densities were produced on pure Ti surfaces using an anodizing method. The influence of TNr density on the protein adsorption as well as on the adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblastic cells were assessed. The TNrs were also implanted into the bone defects in rabbits to test their application in promoting bone formation and osteointegration at the implant-bone interface. TNrs with the medium density were found to show the best capability in promoting the protein adsorption from surrounding medium, which in turn efficiently enhanced osteogenic differentiation in vitro and osteointegration in vivo. Our work suggests that growing TNrs with a medium density on the surface of traditional Ti implants is an efficient and facile method for promoting bone formation and osteointegration in bone repair. PMID:26743328

Ti nanorod arrays with a medium density significantly promote osteogenesis and osteointegration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ning, Chengyun; Wang, Shuangying; Zhu, Ye; Zhong, Meiling; Lin, Xi; Zhang, Yu; Tan, Guoxin; Li, Mei; Yin, Zhaoyi; Yu, Peng; Wang, Xiaolan; Li, Ying; He, Tianrui; Chen, Wei; Wang, Yingjun; Mao, Chuanbin

2016-01-01

Ti implants are good candidates in bone repair. However, how to promote bone formation on their surface and their consequent perfect integration with the surrounding tissue is still a challenge. To overcome such challenge, we propose to form Ti nanorods on their surface to promote the new bone formation around the implants. Here Ti nanorod arrays (TNrs) with different densities were produced on pure Ti surfaces using an anodizing method. The influence of TNr density on the protein adsorption as well as on the adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblastic cells were assessed. The TNrs were also implanted into the bone defects in rabbits to test their application in promoting bone formation and osteointegration at the implant-bone interface. TNrs with the medium density were found to show the best capability in promoting the protein adsorption from surrounding medium, which in turn efficiently enhanced osteogenic differentiation in vitro and osteointegration in vivo. Our work suggests that growing TNrs with a medium density on the surface of traditional Ti implants is an efficient and facile method for promoting bone formation and osteointegration in bone repair.

Influence of stocking density on growth, body composition and energy budget of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. in recirculating aquaculture systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Baoliang; Liu, Ying; Liu, Ziyi; Qiu, Denggao; Sun, Guoxiang; Li, Xian

2014-09-01

Atlantic salmon Salmo salar were reared at four stocking densities—high density D 1 (final density ˜39 kg/m3), medium densities D 2 (˜29 kg/m3) and D 3 (˜19 kg/m3), and low density D 4 (˜12 kg/m3)—for 40 days to investigate the effect of stocking density on their growth performance, body composition and energy budgets. Stocking density did not significantly affect specific growth rate in terms of weight (SGRw) but did affect specific growth rate in terms of energy (SGRe). Stocking density significantly influenced the ration level (RLw and RLe), feed conversion ratio (FCRw and FCRe) and apparent digestibility rate (ADR). Ration level and FCRw tended to increase with increasing density. Fish at the highest density D 1 and lowest density D 4 showed lower FCRe and higher ADR than at medium densities. Stocking density significantly affected protein and energy contents of the body but did not affect its moisture, lipid, or ash contents. The expenditure of energy for metabolism in the low-density and high-density groups was lower than that in the medium-density groups. Stocking density affected energy utilization from the feces but had no effect on excretion rate. The greater energy allocation to growth at high density and low density may be attributed to reduced metabolic rate and increased apparent digestibility rate. These findings provide information that will assist selection of suitable stocking densities in the Atlantic-salmon-farming industry.

Aggressive and foraging behavioral interactions among ruffe

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savino, Jacqueline F.; Kostich, Melissa J.

2000-01-01

The ruffe, Gymnocephalus cernuus, is a nonindigenous percid in the Great Lakes. Ruffe are aggressive benthivores and forage over soft substrates. Laboratory studies in pools (100 cm in diameter, 15 cm water depth) were conducted to determine whether fish density (low = 2, medium = 4, high = 6 ruffe per pool) changed foraging and aggressive behaviors with a limited food supply of chironomid larvae. All fish densities demonstrated a hierarchy based on aggressive interactions, but ruffe were most aggressive at low and high fish densities. Time spent in foraging was lowest at the low fish density. The best forager at the low fish density was the most aggressive individual, but the second most aggressive fish at the medium and high fish density was the best forager and also the one chased most frequently. A medium fish density offered the best energetic benefits to ruffe by providing the lowest ratio of time spent in aggression to that spent foraging. Based on our results, ruffe should grow best at an intermediate density. With high ruffe densities, we would also expect disparity in size as the more aggressive fish are able to garner a disproportionate amount of the resources. Alternatively, as the Great Lakes are a fairly open system, ruffe could migrate out of one area to colonize another as populations exceed optimal densities.

Colonisation of soilless growing media for tomato by Trichoderma harzianum.

PubMed

De Schutter, B; Aerts, R; Rombouts, L

2001-01-01

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the distribution of T. harzianum in soilless media used in greenhouse growing systems for tomatoes. Growing media based on rockwool and based on coconut fibre were included. The fungus was applied to the roots of the plant by means of a conidial suspension. The upper plant parts were removed from the coconut fibre an the rockwool slab after 10 and 15 weeks respectively. Both the coconut fibre and the rockwool slab were divided into fragments with a width of 10 cm. The coconut fibre medium fragments were again divided in an upper and a lower part. For every fragment the CFU/g was determined by two different methods. In the first method a known volume of growing medium was brought into suspension using a blender and diluted. Appropriate dilutions were plated on a selective medium. In the second method a known volume of growing medium was spread directly upon a selective medium in petri dishes. All dishes were incubated at room temperature and colonies were counted. Results showed that in the case of the coconut fibre growing medium T. harzianum was isolated in every fragment of the substrate. Highest densities were measured at the site of inoculation. In the lower part of the fragments less CFU/g were counted than in the upper part. In the case of the rockwool growing medium, there were several fragments in which no T. harzianum was isolated. The dilution technique demonstrated to be most useful in cases of high density. The direct spreading-method is best applied when low densities are expected. These observations demonstrate that the growing medium based upon coconut fibre is more appropriate for colonisation by T. harzianum. However, densities are higher at the site of inoculation in both tested growing media.

A cost effective cultivation medium for biocalcification of Bacillus pasteurii KCTC 3558 and its effect on cement cubes properties.

PubMed

Yoosathaporn, S; Tiangburanatham, P; Bovonsombut, S; Chaipanich, A; Pathom-Aree, W

2016-01-01

Application of carbonate precipitation induced by Bacillus pasteurii for improving some properties of cement has been reported. However, it is not yet successful in commercial scale due to the high cost of cultivation medium. This is the first report on the application of effluent from chicken manure bio-gas plant, a high protein content agricultural waste, as an alternative growth medium for carbonate precipitation by B. pasteurii KCTC3558. Urease activity of B. pasteurii KCTC3558 cultured in chicken manure effluent medium and other three standard media were examined using phenate method. The highest urease production was achieved in chicken manure effluent medium (16.756Umg(-1) protein). Cost per liter of chicken manure effluent medium is up to 88.2% lower than other standard media. The most effective cultivation media was selected for carbonate precipitation study in cement cubes. Water absorption, voids, apparent density and compressive strength of cement cubes were measured according to the ASTM standard. The correlation between the increasing density and compressive strength of bacterial added cement cube was evident. The density of bacterial cement cube is 5.1% higher than control while the compressive strength of cement mixed with bacterial cells in chicken manure effluent medium increases up to 30.2% compared with control. SEM and XRD analysis also found the crystalline phase of calcium carbonate within bacterial cement which confirmed that the increasing density and compressive strength were resulted from bacterial carbonate precipitation. This study indicated that the effluent from chicken manure bio-gas plant could be used as an alternative cost effective culture medium for cultivation and biocalcification of B. pasteurii KCTC3558 in cement. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Feeding the fire: tracing the mass-loading of 107 K galactic outflows with O VI absorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chisholm, J.; Bordoloi, R.; Rigby, J. R.; Bayliss, M.

2018-02-01

Galactic outflows regulate the amount of gas galaxies convert into stars. However, it is difficult to measure the mass outflows remove because they span a large range of temperatures and phases. Here, we study the rest-frame ultraviolet spectrum of a lensed galaxy at z ˜ 2.9 with prominent interstellar absorption lines from O I, tracing neutral gas, up to O VI, tracing transitional phase gas. The O VI profile mimics weak low-ionization profiles at low velocities, and strong saturated profiles at high velocities. These trends indicate that O VI gas is co-spatial with the low-ionization gas. Further, at velocities blueward of -200 km s-1 the column density of the low-ionization outflow rapidly drops while the O VI column density rises, suggesting that O VI is created as the low-ionization gas is destroyed. Photoionization models do not reproduce the observed O VI, but adequately match the low-ionization gas, indicating that the phases have different formation mechanisms. Photoionized outflows are more massive than O VI outflows for most of the observed velocities, although the O VI mass outflow rate exceeds the photoionized outflow at velocities above the galaxy's escape velocity. Therefore, most gas capable of escaping the galaxy is in a hot outflow phase. We suggest that the O VI absorption is a temporary by-product of conduction transferring mass from the photoionized phase to an unobserved hot wind, and discuss how this mass-loading impacts the observed circum-galactic medium.

Density profiles around A+B→C reaction-diffusion fronts in partially miscible systems: A general classification.

PubMed

Loodts, V; Trevelyan, P M J; Rongy, L; De Wit, A

2016-10-01

Various spatial density profiles can develop in partially miscible stratifications when a phase A dissolves with a finite solubility into a host phase containing a dissolved reactant B. We investigate theoretically the impact of an A+B→C reaction on such density profiles in the host phase and classify them in a parameter space spanned by the ratios of relative contributions to density and diffusion coefficients of the chemical species. While the density profile is either monotonically increasing or decreasing in the nonreactive case, reactions combined with differential diffusivity can create eight different types of density profiles featuring up to two extrema in density, at the reaction front or below it. We use this framework to predict various possible hydrodynamic instability scenarios inducing buoyancy-driven convection around such reaction fronts when they propagate parallel to the gravity field.

Primordial inhomogeneities in the expanding universe. II - General features of spherical models at late times

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, D. W.; Silk, J.

1979-01-01

This paper studies the density profile that forms around a spherically symmetric bound central core immersed in a homogeneous-background k = 0 or k = -1 Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological model, with zero pressure. Although the density profile in the linearized regime is almost arbitrary, in the nonlinear regime certain universal features of the density profile are obtained that are independent of the details of the initial conditions. The formation of 'halos' ('holes') with densities greater than (less than) the average cosmological density is discussed. It is shown that in most regions 'halos' form, and universal values are obtained for the slope of the ln (density)-ln (radius) profile in those 'halos' at late times, independently of the shape of the initial density profile. Restrictions are derived on where it is possible for 'holes' to exist at late times and on how such 'holes' must have evolved.

Completing the evolution of supernova remnants and their bubbles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slavin, Jonathan D.; Cox, Donald P.

1992-01-01

The filling fraction of hot gas in the ISM is reexamined with new calculations of the very long term evolution of SNRs and their fossil hot bubbles. Results are presented of a 1D numerical solution of the evolution of an SNR in a homogeneous medium with a nonthermal pressure corresponding to a 5-micro-G magnetic field and density of 0.2/cu cm. Comparison is made with a control simulation having no magnetic field pressure. It is found that the evolutions, once they have become radiative, differ in several significant ways, while both differ appreciably from qualitative pictures presented in the past. Over most of the evolution of either case, the hot bubble in the interior occupies only a small fraction of the shocked volume, the remainder in a thick shell of slightly compressed material. Column densities and radial distributions of O VI, N V, C IV, and Si IV as well as examples of absorption profiles for their strong UV lines are presented.

A flux-limited treatment for the conductive evaporation of spherical interstellar gas clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dalton, William W.; Balbus, Steven A.

1993-01-01

In this work, we present and analyze a new analytic solution for the saturated (flux-limited) thermal evaporation of a spherical cloud. This work is distinguished from earlier analytic studies by allowing the thermal conductivity to change continuously from a diffusive to a saturated form, in a manner usually employed only in numerical calculations. This closed form solution will be of interest as a computational benchmark. Using our calculated temperature profiles and mass-loss rates, we model the thermal evaporation of such a cloud under typical interstellar medium (ISM) conditions, with some restrictions. We examine the ionization structure of the cloud-ISM interface and evaluate column densities of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, and silicon ions toward the cloud. In accord with other investigations, we find that ionization equilibrium is far from satisfied under the assumed conditions. Since the inclusion of saturation effects in the heat flux narrows the thermal interface relative to its classical structure, we also find that saturation effects tend to lower predicted column densities.

Scalable patterning using laser-induced shock waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilhom, Saidjafarzoda; Kholikov, Khomidkhodza; Li, Peizhen; Ottman, Claire; Sanford, Dylan; Thomas, Zachary; San, Omer; Karaca, Haluk E.; Er, Ali O.

2018-04-01

An advanced direct imprinting method with low cost, quick, and minimal environmental impact to create a thermally controllable surface pattern using the laser pulses is reported. Patterned microindents were generated on Ni50Ti50 shape memory alloys and aluminum using an Nd: YAG laser operating at 1064 nm combined with a suitable transparent overlay, a sacrificial layer of graphite, and copper grid. Laser pulses at different energy densities, which generate pressure pulses up to a few GPa on the surface, were focused through the confinement medium, ablating the copper grid to create plasma and transferring the grid pattern onto the surface. Scanning electron microscope and optical microscope images show that various patterns were obtained on the surface with high fidelity. One-dimensional profile analysis indicates that the depth of the patterned sample initially increases with the laser energy and later levels off. Our simulations of laser irradiation process also confirm that high temperature and high pressure could be generated when the laser energy density of 2 J/cm2 is used.

Trends in Dielectric Etch for Microelectronics Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, Eric A.

2003-10-01

Dielectric etch technology faces many challenges to meet the requirements for leading-edge microelectronics processing. The move to sub 100-nm device design rules increases the aspect ratios of certain features, imposes tighter restrictions on etched features' critical dimensions, and increases the density of closely packed arrays of features. Changes in photolithography are driving transitions to new photoresist materials and novel multilayer resist methods. The increasing use of copper metallization and low-k interlayer dielectric materials has introduced dual-damascene integration methods, with specialized dielectric etch applications. A common need is the selective removal of multiple layers which have very different compositions, while maintaining close control of the etched features' profiles. To increase productivity, there is a growing trend toward in-situ processing, which allows several films to be successively etched during a single pass through the process module. Dielectric etch systems mainly utilize capacitively coupled etch reactors, operating with medium-density plasmas and low gas residence time. Commercial technology development increasingly relies upon plasma diagnostics and modeling to reduce development cycle time and maximize performance.

Chandra X-ray spectroscopy of focused wind in the Cygnus X-1 system: II. The non-dip spectrum in the low/hard state – modulations with orbital phase

DOE PAGES

Miskovicova, Ivica; Hell, Natalie; Hanke, Manfred; ...

2016-05-25

Accretion onto the black hole in the system HDE 226868/Cygnus X-1 is powered by the strong line-driven stellar wind of the O-type donor star. We study the X-ray properties of the stellar wind in the hard state of Cyg X-1, as determined using data from the Chandra High Energy Transmission Gratings. Large density and temperature inhomogeneities are present in the wind, with a fraction of the wind consisting of clumps of matter with higher density and lower temperature embedded in a photoionized gas. Absorption dips observed in the light curve are believed to be caused by these clumps. This workmore » concentrates on the non-dip spectra as a function of orbital phase. The spectra show lines of H-like and He-like ions of S, Si, Na, Mg, Al, and highly ionized Fe (Fe xvii–Fe xxiv). We measure velocity shifts, column densities, and thermal broadening of the line series. The excellent quality of these five observations allows us to investigate the orbital phase-dependence of these parameters. We show that the absorber is located close to the black hole. Doppler shifted lines point at a complex wind structure in this region, while emission lines seen in some observations are from a denser medium than the absorber. Here, the observed line profiles are phase-dependent. Their shapes vary from pure, symmetric absorption at the superior conjunction to P Cygni profiles at the inferior conjunction of the black hole.« less

Analysis of Mid-Latitude Plasma Density Irregularities in the Presence of Finite Larmor Radius Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sotnikov, V. I.; Kim, T. C.; Mishin, E. V.; Kil, H.; Kwak, Y. S.; Paraschiv, I.

2017-12-01

Ionospheric irregularities cause scintillations of electromagnetic signals that can severely affect navigation and transionospheric communication, in particular during space storms. At mid-latitudes the source of F-region Field Aligned Irregularities (FAI) is yet to be determined. They can be created in enhanced subauroral flow channels (SAI/SUBS), where strong gradients of electric field, density and plasma temperature are present. Another important source of FAI is connected with Medium-scale travelling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs). Related shear flows and plasma density troughs point to interchange and Kelvin-Helmholtz type instabilities as a possible source of plasma irregularities. A model of nonlinear development of these instabilities based on the two-fluid hydrodynamic description with inclusion of finite Larmor radius effects will be presented. This approach allows to resolve density irregularities on the meter scale. A numerical code in C language to solve the derived nonlinear equations for analysis of interchange and flow velocity shear instabilities in the ionosphere was developed. This code will be used to analyze competition between interchange and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in the mid-latitude region. The high-resolution simulations with continuous density and velocity profiles will be driven by the ambient conditions corresponding to the in situ data obtained during the 2016 Daejeon (Korea) and MU (Japan) radar campaign and data collected simultaneously by the Swarm satellites passed over Korea and Japan. PA approved #: 88ABW-2017-3641

Food Price Policies May Improve Diet but Increase Socioeconomic Inequalities in Nutrition.

PubMed

Darmon, Nicole; Lacroix, Anne; Muller, Laurent; Ruffieux, Bernard

2016-01-01

Unhealthy eating is more prevalent among women and people with a low socioeconomic status. Policies that affect the price of food have been proposed to improve diet quality. The study's objective was to compare the impact of food price policies on the nutritional quality of food baskets chosen by low-income and medium-income women. Experimental economics was used to simulate a fruit and vegetable subsidy and a mixed policy subsidizing healthy products and taxing unhealthy ones. Food classification was based on the Score of Nutritional Adequacy of Individual Foods, Score of Nutrients to Be Limited nutrient profiling system. Low-income (n = 95) and medium-income (n = 33) women selected a daily food basket first at current prices and then at policy prices. Energy density (ED) and the mean adequacy ratio (MAR) were used as nutritional quality indicators. At baseline, low-income women selected less healthy baskets than medium-income women (less fruit and vegetables, more unhealthy products, higher ED, lower MAR). Both policies improved nutritional quality (fruit and vegetable quantities increased, ED decreased, the MAR increased), but the magnitude of the improvement was often lower among low-income women. For instance, ED decreased by 5.3% with the fruit and vegetable subsidy and by 7.3% with the mixed subsidy, whereas decreases of 13.2 and 12.6%, respectively, were recorded for the medium-income group. Finally, both policies improved dietary quality, but they increased socioeconomic inequalities in nutrition. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Inter-machine validation study of neoclassical transport modelling in medium- to high-density stellarator-heliotron plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinklage, A.; Yokoyama, M.; Tanaka, K.; Velasco, J. L.; López-Bruna, D.; Beidler, C. D.; Satake, S.; Ascasíbar, E.; Arévalo, J.; Baldzuhn, J.; Feng, Y.; Gates, D.; Geiger, J.; Ida, K.; Isaev, M.; Jakubowski, M.; López-Fraguas, A.; Maaßberg, H.; Miyazawa, J.; Morisaki, T.; Murakami, S.; Pablant, N.; Kobayashi, S.; Seki, R.; Suzuki, C.; Suzuki, Y.; Turkin, Yu.; Wakasa, A.; Wolf, R.; Yamada, H.; Yoshinuma, M.; LHD Exp. Group; TJ-II Team; W7-AS Team

2013-06-01

A comparative study of energy transport for medium- to high-density discharges in the stellarator-heliotrons TJ-II, W7-AS and LHD is carried out. The specific discharge parameters are chosen to apply a recently concluded benchmarking study of neoclassical (NC) transport coefficients (Beidler et al 2011 Nucl. Fusion 51 076001) to perform this validation study. In contrast to previous experiments at low densities for which electron transport was predominant (Yokoyama et al 2007 Nucl. Fusion 47 1213), the current discharges also exhibit significant ion energy transport. As it affects the energy transport in 3D devices, the ambipolar radial electric field is addressed as well. For the discharges described, ion-root conditions, i.e. a small negative radial electric field were found. The energy transport in the peripheral region cannot be explained by NC theory. Within a ‘core region’(r/a < 1/2 ˜ 2/3), the predicted NC energy fluxes comply with experimental findings for W7-AS. For TJ-II, compliance in the core region is found for the particle transport and the electron energy transport. For the specific LHD discharges, the core energy transport complied with NC theory except for the electron energy transport in the inward-shifted magnetic configuration. The NC radial electric field tends to agree with experimental results for all devices but is measured to be more negative in the core of both LHD and TJ-II. As a general observation, the energy confinement time approaches the gyro-Bohm-type confinement scaling ISS04 (Yamada et al 2005 Nucl. Fusion 45 1684). This work is carried out within the International Stellarator-Heliotron Profile Database (www.ipp.mpg.de/ISS and http://ishpdb.nifs.ac.jp/index.html).

Constraints on hydrodynamical subgrid models from quasar absorption line studies of the simulated circumgalactic medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hummels, Cameron B.; Bryan, Greg L.; Smith, Britton D.; Turk, Matthew J.

2013-04-01

Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy evolution are increasingly able to produce realistic galaxies, but the largest hurdle remaining is in constructing subgrid models that accurately describe the behaviour of stellar feedback. As an alternate way to test and calibrate such models, we propose to focus on the circumgalactic medium (CGM). To do so, we generate a suite of adaptive mesh refinement simulations for a Milky-Way-massed galaxy run to z = 0, systematically varying the feedback implementation. We then post-process the simulation data to compute the absorbing column density for a wide range of common atomic absorbers throughout the galactic halo, including H I, Mg II, Si II, Si III, Si IV, C IV, N V, O VI and O VII. The radial profiles of these atomic column densities are compared against several quasar absorption line studies to determine if one feedback prescription is favoured. We find that although our models match some of the observations (specifically those ions with lower ionization strengths), it is particularly difficult to match O VI observations. There is some indication that the models with increased feedback intensity are better matches. We demonstrate that sufficient metals exist in these haloes to reproduce the observed column density distribution in principle, but the simulated CGM lacks significant multiphase substructure and is generally too hot. Furthermore, we demonstrate the failings of inflow-only models (without energetic feedback) at populating the CGM with adequate metals to match observations even in the presence of multiphase structure. Additionally, we briefly investigate the evolution of the CGM from z = 3 to present. Overall, we find that quasar absorption line observations of the gas around galaxies provide a new and important constraint on feedback models.

Effects of Dietary Coconut Oil as a Medium-chain Fatty Acid Source on Performance, Carcass Composition and Serum Lipids in Male Broilers.

PubMed

Wang, Jianhong; Wang, Xiaoxiao; Li, Juntao; Chen, Yiqiang; Yang, Wenjun; Zhang, Liying

2015-02-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary coconut oil as a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) source on performance, carcass composition and serum lipids in male broilers. A total of 540, one-day-old, male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 treatments with each treatment being applied to 6 replicates of 18 chicks. The basal diet (i.e., R0) was based on corn and soybean meal and was supplemented with 1.5% soybean oil during the starter phase (d 0 to 21) and 3.0% soybean oil during the grower phase (d 22 to 42). Four experimental diets were formulated by replacing 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% of the soybean oil with coconut oil (i.e., R25, R50, R75, and R100). Soybean oil and coconut oil were used as sources of long-chain fatty acid and MCFA, respectively. The feeding trial showed that dietary coconut oil had no effect on weight gain, feed intake or feed conversion. On d 42, serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were linearly decreased as the coconut oil level increased (p<0.01). Lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase, and total lipase activities were linearly increased as the coconut oil level increased (p<0.01). Abdominal fat weight/eviscerated weight (p = 0.05), intermuscular fat width (p<0.01) and subcutaneous fat thickness (p<0.01) showed a significant quadratic relationship, with the lowest value at R75. These results indicated that replacement of 75% of the soybean oil in diets with coconut oil is the optimum level to reduce fat deposition and favorably affect lipid profiles without impairing performance in broilers.

Metabolic active-high density VERO cell cultures on microcarriers following apoptosis prevention by galactose/glutamine feeding.

PubMed

Mendonça, Ronaldo Z; Arrózio, Sara J; Antoniazzi, Marta M; Ferreira, Jorge M C; Pereira, Carlos A

2002-07-17

The control of cell death occurring in high density cultures performed in bioreactors is an important factor in production processes. In this work, medium nutrient removal or feeding was used to determine at which extension apoptosis could be, respectively, involved or prevented in VERO cell cultures on microcarriers. Glutamine and galactose present in the VERO cell culture medium was consumed after, respectively, 6 and 12 days of culture. Kinetics studies showed that fresh medium replacement and, to some extent, galactose or glutamine depleted-fresh medium replacement provided a nutritional environment, allowing the VERO cell cultures to attain high densities. Galactose was shown to be a more critical nutrient when cultures reached a high density. In agreement with that, VERO cell cultures supplemented with galactose and/or glutamine were shown to confirm previous findings and, again at high densities, galactose was shown to be a critical nutrient for VERO cell growth. These observations also indicated that in VERO cell cultures, for feeding purposes, the glutamine could be replaced by galactose. The inverse was not true and led, at high densities, to a decrease of cell viability. In the absence of glutamine and galactose, apoptosis was observed in VERO cell cultures by cytofluorometry, Acridine orange staining or light and electron microscopy, reaching high levels when compared to cultures performed with complete medium. VERO cells apoptosis process could be prevented by the galactose and/or glutamine feeding and, at high densities, galactose was more efficient in protecting the cultures. These cultures, prevented from apoptosis, were shown to synthesize high levels of measles virus following infection. Our data show that apoptosis prevention by glutamine/galactose feeding, led to high productive and metabolic active VERO cell cultures, as indicated by the high cell density obtained and the virus multiplication leading to higher virus titers.

Utilization of Chinese tallow tree and bagasse for medium density fiberboard

Treesearch

Sangyeob Lee; Todd F. Shupe; Chung Y. Hse

2004-01-01

The objective of this research was to investigate various adhesive systems and determine the best composite formulation for selected mechanical and physical properties of medium density fiberboard (MDF) made from wood and bagasse fibers. This study investigated opportunities ofbiomass utilization for natural fiber-based composites from agricultural (bagasse) and...

Aldehyde emissions from particleboard and medium density fiberboard products

Treesearch

Melissa G. D. Baumann; Linda F. Lorenz; Stuart A. Batterman; Guo-Zheng Zhang

2000-01-01

Indoor air quality problems resulting from the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have become an issue of increasing concern. Emissions from building and furnishing materials, which are frequently constructed from particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF), are a potentially important contributor of indoor VOCs. In this research, VOC emissions from...

Difference in distribution of membrane proteins between low- and high-density secretory granules in parotid acinar cells

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

Fujita-Yoshigaki, Junko; Katsumata, Osamu; Matsuki, Miwako

Secretory granules (SGs) are considered to be generated as immature granules and to mature by condensation of their contents. In this study, SGs of parotid gland were separated into low-, medium-, and high-density granule fractions by Percoll-density gradient centrifugation, since it was proposed that the density corresponds to the degree of maturation. The observation with electron microscopy showed that granules in the three fractions were very similar. The average diameter of high-density granules was a little but significantly larger than that of low-density granules. Although the three fractions contained amylase, suggesting that they are all SGs, distribution of membrane proteinsmore » was markedly different. Syntaxin6 and VAMP4 were localized in the low-density granule fraction, while VAMP2 was concentrated in the high-density granule fraction. Immunoprecipitation with anti-syntaxin6 antibody caused coprecipitation of VAMP2 from the medium-density granule fraction without solubilization, but not from Triton X-100-solubilized fraction, while VAMP4 was coprecipitated from both fractions. Therefore, VAMP2 is present on the same granules, but is separated from syntaxin6 and VAMP4, which are expected to be removed from immature granules. These results suggest that the medium-density granules are intermediates from low- to high-density granules, and that the membrane components of SGs dynamically change by budding and fusion during maturation.« less

[The relationship of the saturation density of multilayer cell cultures to their mass exchange with the medium].

PubMed

Akatov, V S; Lavrovskaia, V P

1991-01-01

Chinese hamster fibroblasts (CHF) and NIH 3T3 cells were cultured on a glass substrate at different distances from the porous membrane separating the cells from the perfusing medium. It is shown that with perfusion of medium above the membrane there is no movement of the medium near the cells. In both the types of culture, the cells grow in multilayers, however the multilayer character of growth in CHF is more pronounced than in NIH 3T3 cells. The saturation density of the cultures depends on the cell-membrane separation, and at separations of no more than 0.2 mm exceeds the saturation density in the monolayer by 8-10 fold. The dependences of the saturation density on separation are different for CHE and NIH 3T3 cells, indicating qualitative differences in the inhibition of cell growth in monolayers between these cultures. The results obtained indicate that the inhibition of cell growth in monolayer is due to mass exchange limitations, rather than to intercellular contact interactions.

Response learning stimulates dendritic spine growth on dorsal striatal medium spiny neurons.

PubMed

Briones, Brandy A; Tang, Vincent D; Haye, Amanda E; Gould, Elizabeth

2018-06-23

Increases in the number and/or the size of dendritic spines, sites of excitatory synapses, have been linked to different types of learning as well as synaptic plasticity in several brain regions, including the hippocampus, sensory cortex, motor cortex, and cerebellum. By contrast, a previous study reported that training on a maze task requiring the dorsal striatum has no effect on medium spiny neuron dendritic spines in this area. These findings might suggest brain region-specific differences in levels of plasticity as well as different cellular processes underlying different types of learning. No previous studies have investigated whether dendritic spine density changes may be localized to specific subpopulations of medium spiny neurons, nor have they examined dendritic spines in rats trained on a dorsolateral striatum-dependent maze task in comparison to rats exposed to the same type of maze in the absence of training. To address these questions further, we labeled medium spiny neurons with the lipophilic dye DiI and stained for the protein product of immediate early gene zif 268, an indirect marker of neuronal activation, in both trained and untrained groups. We found a small but significant increase in dendritic spine density on medium spiny neurons of the dorsolateral striatum after short-term intensive training, along with robust increases in the density of spines with mushroom morphology coincident with reductions in the density of spines with thin morphology. However, these results were not associated with zif 268 expression. Our findings suggest that short-term intensive training on a dorsolateral striatum-dependent maze task induces rapid increases in dendritic spine density and maturation on medium spiny neurons of the dorsolateral striatum, an effect which may contribute to early acquisition of the learned response in maze training. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Long-term culture of rat hippocampal neurons at low density in serum-free medium: combination of the sandwich culture technique with the three-dimensional nanofibrous hydrogel PuraMatrix.

PubMed

Kaneko, Ai; Sankai, Yoshiyuki

2014-01-01

The primary culture of neuronal cells plays an important role in neuroscience. There has long been a need for methods enabling the long-term culture of primary neurons at low density, in defined serum-free medium. However, the lower the cell density, the more difficult it is to maintain the cells in culture. Therefore, we aimed to develop a method for long-term culture of neurons at low density, in serum-free medium, without the need for a glial feeder layer. Here, we describe the work leading to our determination of a protocol for long-term (>2 months) primary culture of rat hippocampal neurons in serum-free medium at the low density of 3×10(4) cells/mL (8.9×10(3) cells/cm2) without a glial feeder layer. Neurons were cultured on a three-dimensional nanofibrous hydrogel, PuraMatrix, and sandwiched under a coverslip to reproduce the in vivo environment, including the three-dimensional extracellular matrix, low-oxygen conditions, and exposure to concentrated paracrine factors. We examined the effects of varying PuraMatrix concentrations, the timing and presence or absence of a coverslip, the timing of neuronal isolation from embryos, cell density at plating, medium components, and changing the medium or not on parameters such as developmental pattern, cell viability, neuronal ratio, and neurite length. Using our method of combining the sandwich culture technique with PuraMatrix in Neurobasal medium/B27/L-glutamine for primary neuron culture, we achieved longer neurites (≥3,000 µm), greater cell viability (≥30%) for 2 months, and uniform culture across the wells. We also achieved an average neuronal ratio of 97%, showing a nearly pure culture of neurons without astrocytes. Our method is considerably better than techniques for the primary culture of neurons, and eliminates the need for a glial feeder layer. It also exhibits continued support for axonal elongation and synaptic activity for long periods (>6 weeks).

Does the prediction of breast cancer improve using a combination of mammographic density measures compared to individual measures alone?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong Sik Hee, Joseph Ryan; Harkness, Elaine F.; Gadde, Soujanya; Lim, Yit Y.; Maxwell, Anthony J.; Evans, D. Gareth; Howell, Anthony; Astley, Susan M.

2017-03-01

High mammographic density is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, however whether the association is stronger when there is agreement across measures is unclear. This study investigates whether a combination of density measures is a better predictor of breast cancer risk than individual methods alone. Women recruited to the Predicting Risk of Cancer At Screening (PROCAS) study and with mammographic density assessed using three different methods were included (n=33,304). Density was assessed visually using Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) and by two fully automated methods, Quantra and Volpara. Percentage breast density was divided into (high, medium and low) and combinations of measures were used to further categorise individuals (e.g. `all high'). A total of 667 breast cancers were identified and logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between breast density and breast cancer risk. In total, 44% of individuals were in the same tertile for all three measures, 8.6% were in non-adjacent (high and low) or mixed categories (high, medium and low). For individual methods the strongest association with breast cancer risk was for medium and high tertiles of VAS with odds ratios (OR) adjusted for age and BMI of 1.63 (95% CI 1.31-2.03) and 2.33 (1.87-2.90) respectively. For the combination of density methods the strongest association was for `all high' (OR 2.42, 1.77-3.31) followed by "two high" (OR 1.90, 1.35-3.31) and "two medium" (OR 1.88, 1.40-2.52). Combining density measures did not affect the magnitude of risk compared to using individual methods.

Trunk density profile estimates from dual X-ray absorptiometry.

PubMed

Wicke, Jason; Dumas, Geneviève A; Costigan, Patrick A

2008-01-01

Accurate body segment parameters are necessary to estimate joint loads when using biomechanical models. Geometric methods can provide individualized data for these models but the accuracy of the geometric methods depends on accurate segment density estimates. The trunk, which is important in many biomechanical models, has the largest variability in density along its length. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a new method for modeling trunk density profiles based on dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and (2) develop a trunk density function for college-aged females and males that can be used in geometric methods. To this end, the density profiles of 25 females and 24 males were determined by combining the measurements from a photogrammetric method and DXA readings. A discrete Fourier transformation was then used to develop the density functions for each sex. The individual density and average density profiles compare well with the literature. There were distinct differences between the profiles of two of participants (one female and one male), and the average for their sex. It is believed that the variations in these two participants' density profiles were a result of the amount and distribution of fat they possessed. Further studies are needed to support this possibility. The new density functions eliminate the uniform density assumption associated with some geometric models thus providing more accurate trunk segment parameter estimates. In turn, more accurate moments and forces can be estimated for the kinetic analyses of certain human movements.

CGM-GRB: A survey of the CircumGalactic Medium around GRB hosts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gatkine, Pradip; Veilleux, Sylvain; Cucchiara, Antonino; Cenko, Bradley

2018-01-01

Recent space- and ground-based studies of the circumgalactic medium around galaxies have revealed the dynamic interplay between the galaxy ecosystem and surrounding CGM using bright background quasars. Here, we extend this investigation of the CGM to higher redshifts by using the bright afterglows of gamma-ray bursts as background sources. This provides a unique opportunity to probe the host galaxy ISM and its surrounding CGM together. We compiled a sample of 25 high-resolution (R > 8000) and high-quality (typical S/N ~ 20) rest-frame UV spectra of GRB afterglows with a redshift range (1.5 < z < 5.9) obtained using Keck-HIRES, VLT-UVES, and VLT-X-shooter spectrographs. We fit multi-component Voigt profiles to several absorption lines of both high-ionization (O VI, C IV, Si IV, etc) and low-ionization species (Si II, C II, Fe II, etc) to extract the column densities (N), Doppler parameters (b) and line-centroids. The preliminary results of our analysis on the kinematics and physical properties of the ISM and CGM of these GRB hosts are presented here.

Strain relaxation of CdTe on Ge studied by medium energy ion scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pillet, J. C.; Pierre, F.; Jalabert, D.

2016-10-01

We have used the medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) technique to assess the strain relaxation in molecular-beam epitaxial (MBE) grown CdTe (2 1 1)/Ge (2 1 1) system. A previous X-ray diffraction study, on 10 samples of the same heterostructure having thicknesses ranging from 25 nm to 10 μm has allowed the measurement of the strain relaxation on a large scale. However, the X-ray diffraction measurements cannot achieve a stress measurement in close proximity to the CdTe/Ge interface at the nanometer scale. Due to the huge lattice misfit between the CdTe and Ge, a high degree of disorder is expected at the interface. The MEIS in channeling mode is a good alternative in order to profile defects with a high depth resolution. For a 21 nm thick CdTe layer, we observed, at the interface, a high density of Cd and/or Te atoms moved from their expected crystallographic positions followed by a rapid recombination of defects. Strain relaxation mechanisms in the vicinity of the interface are discussed

Effect of tributyltin (TBT) in the metabolic activity of TBT-resistant and sensitive estuarine bacteria.

PubMed

Cruz, Andreia; Oliveira, Vanessa; Baptista, Inês; Almeida, Adelaide; Cunha, Angela; Suzuki, Satoru; Mendo, Sónia

2012-01-01

The effect of tributyltin (TBT) on growth and metabolic activity of three estuarine bacteria with different TBT resistance profiles was investigated in an organic-rich culture medium (TSB) and in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) buffer. Exposure to TBT was assessed by determining its effect on growth (OD(600 nm) measurement), bacterial productivity (leucine incorporation), viability (CFU counts), aggregation and cell size (from Live/Dead analysis), ATP and NADH concentrations. TBT exposure resulted in decrease of bacterial density, cell size, and metabolic activity. In addition, cell aggregates were observed in the TBT-treated cultures. TBT strongly affected bacterial cell metabolism and seemed to exert an effect on its equilibrium, interfering with cell activity. Also, TBT toxicity was lower when cells were grown in TSB than in PBS, suggesting that a nutrient-rich growth medium can protect cells from TBT toxicity. This study contributes to our understanding of the TBT-resistant cell behavior reflected in its physiology and metabolic activity. This information is of utmost importance for further studies of TBT bioremediation. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Comparison of High Frequency Angle of Arrival and Ionosonde Data During a Traveling Ionospheric Disturbance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knippling, K.; Nava, O.; Emmons, D. J., II; Dao, E. V.

2017-12-01

Geolocation techniques are used to track the source of uncooperative high frequency emitters. Traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) make geolocation particularly difficult due to large perturbations in the local ionospheric electron density profiles. Angle of arrival(AoA) and ionosonde virtual height measurements collected at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico in January, 2014 are analyzed during a medium scale TID (MSTID). MSTID characteristics are extracted from the measurements, and a comparison between the data sets is performed, providing a measure of the correlation as a function of distance between the ionosonde and AoA circuit midpoints. The results of this study may advance real-time geolocation techniques through the implementation of a time varying mirror model height.

Acoustic-gravity waves in atmospheric and oceanic waveguides.

PubMed

Godin, Oleg A

2012-08-01

A theory of guided propagation of sound in layered, moving fluids is extended to include acoustic-gravity waves (AGWs) in waveguides with piecewise continuous parameters. The orthogonality of AGW normal modes is established in moving and motionless media. A perturbation theory is developed to quantify the relative significance of the gravity and fluid compressibility as well as sensitivity of the normal modes to variations in sound speed, flow velocity, and density profiles and in boundary conditions. Phase and group speeds of the normal modes are found to have certain universal properties which are valid for waveguides with arbitrary stratification. The Lamb wave is shown to be the only AGW normal mode that can propagate without dispersion in a layered medium.

Revisiting gamma-ray burst afterglows with time-dependent parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chao; Zou, Yuan-Chuan; Chen, Wei; Liao, Bin; Lei, Wei-Hua; Liu, Yu

2018-02-01

The relativistic external shock model of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows has been established with five free parameters, i.e., the total kinetic energy E, the equipartition parameters for electrons {{ε }}{{e}} and for the magnetic field {{ε }}{{B}}, the number density of the environment n and the index of the power-law distribution of shocked electrons p. A lot of modified models have been constructed to consider the variety of GRB afterglows, such as: the wind medium environment by letting n change with radius, the energy injection model by letting kinetic energy change with time and so on. In this paper, by assuming all four parameters (except p) change with time, we obtain a set of formulas for the dynamics and radiation, which can be used as a reference for modeling GRB afterglows. Some interesting results are obtained. For example, in some spectral segments, the radiated flux density does not depend on the number density or the profile of the environment. As an application, through modeling the afterglow of GRB 060607A, we find that it can be interpreted in the framework of the time dependent parameter model within a reasonable range.

Further optimization of culture method for rat keratinocytes: titration of glucose and sodium chloride.

PubMed

Oku, H; Yamashita, M; Iwasaki, H; Chinen, I

1999-02-01

The present study further improved the serum-free method of culturing rat keratinocytes. To obtain the best growth of rat keratinocytes, we modified our previous serum-free medium (MCDB153 based medium), particularly the amounts of glucose and sodium chloride (NaCl). Titration experiments showed the optimal concentration to be 0.8 mM for glucose and 100 mM for NaCl. This modification eliminated the requirement for albumin, which had been essential for colony formation when our previous medium was used. Titration of glucose and NaCl, followed by adjustment of essential amino acids and growth factors, produced a new formulation. More satisfactory and better growth was achieved with the new medium than with the previous medium. Accumulation of monoalkyldiacylglycerol (MADAG) was consistently noted in this study, representing the unusual lipid profile. A tendency toward normalization was, however, noted with the neutral lipid profile of keratinocytes cultivated in the new medium: lower production of MADAG was obtained with the new formulation, rather than the previous one.

Cultivation of Arthrospira (spirulina) platensis in desalinator wastewater and salinated synthetic medium: protein content and amino-acid profile

PubMed Central

Volkmann, Harriet; Imianovsky, Ulisses; Oliveira, Jorge L.B.; Sant’Anna, Ernani S.

2008-01-01

Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis was cultivated in laboratory under controlled conditions (30°C, photoperiod of 12 hours light/dark provided by fluorescent lamps at a light intensity of 140 μmol photons.m-2.s-1 and constant bubbling air) in three different culture media: (1) Paoletti medium (control), (2) Paoletti supplemented with 1 g.L-1 NaCl (salinated water) and (3) Paoletti medium prepared with desalinator wastewater. The effects of these treatments on growth, protein content and amino acid profile were measured. Maximum cell concentrations observed in Paoletti medium, Paoletti supplemented with salinated water or with desalinator wastewater were 2.587, 3.545 and 4.954 g.L-1, respectively. Biomass in medium 3 presented the highest protein content (56.17%), while biomass in medium 2 presented 48.59% protein. All essential amino acids, except lysine and tryptophan, were found in concentrations higher than those requiried by FAO. PMID:24031187

Generalized skew-symmetric interfacial probability distribution in reflectivity and small-angle scattering analysis

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

Jiang, Zhang; Chen, Wei

Generalized skew-symmetric probability density functions are proposed to model asymmetric interfacial density distributions for the parameterization of any arbitrary density profiles in the `effective-density model'. The penetration of the densities into adjacent layers can be selectively controlled and parameterized. A continuous density profile is generated and discretized into many independent slices of very thin thickness with constant density values and sharp interfaces. The discretized profile can be used to calculate reflectivities via Parratt's recursive formula, or small-angle scattering via the concentric onion model that is also developed in this work.

Generalized skew-symmetric interfacial probability distribution in reflectivity and small-angle scattering analysis

DOE PAGES

Jiang, Zhang; Chen, Wei

2017-11-03

Generalized skew-symmetric probability density functions are proposed to model asymmetric interfacial density distributions for the parameterization of any arbitrary density profiles in the `effective-density model'. The penetration of the densities into adjacent layers can be selectively controlled and parameterized. A continuous density profile is generated and discretized into many independent slices of very thin thickness with constant density values and sharp interfaces. The discretized profile can be used to calculate reflectivities via Parratt's recursive formula, or small-angle scattering via the concentric onion model that is also developed in this work.

Decay and termite resistance of medium density fiberboard (MDF) made from different wood species

Treesearch

S. Nami Kartal; Frederick Green

2003-01-01

Medium density fiberboard (MDF) production worldwide is increasing due to the development of new manufacturing technologies. As a result, MDF products are increasingly utilized in traditional wood applications that require fungal and insect resistance. This study evaluated the ability of white and brown rot fungi and termites to decompose MDF consisting of different...

Medium density fiberboard from mixed southern hardwoods

Treesearch

George E. Woodson

1977-01-01

Medium-density fiberboards of acceptable quality were made from a mixture of barky chips from 14 southern hardwoods. Boards made from fiber refined at three different plate clearances did not vary significantly in bending, internal bond (IB), or linear expansion. but, lack of replications and the fact that the refiner was not loaded to capacity caused these results to...

Dry chips versus green chips as furnish for medium-density fiberboard

Treesearch

Paul H. Short; George E. Woodson; Duane E. Lyon

1978-01-01

The fiber characteristics and the physical and mechanical properties of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), manufactured with pressure-refined fiber from green and partially dried raw material, were analyzed to determine if dry wood chips made a better furnish than green wood chips. Pressure-refining dry material produced coarser fiber than those obtained from green...

Dry chips versus green chips as furnish for medium-density fiberboard

Treesearch

P.H. Short; G.E. Woodson; D.E. Lyon

1978-01-01

The fiber characteristics and the physical and mechanical properties of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), manufactured with pressure-refined fiber from green and partially dried raw material, were analyzed to determine if dry wood chips made a better furnish than green wood chips. Pressure-refined dry material produced coarser fiber than those obtained from green...

Non-stationary self-focusing of intense laser beam in plasma using ramp density profile

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

Habibi, M.; Ghamari, F.

2011-10-15

The non-stationary self-focusing of high intense laser beam in under-dense plasma with upward increasing density ramp is investigated. The obtained results show that slowly increasing plasma density ramp is very important in enhancing laser self-focusing. Also, the spot size oscillations of laser beam in front and rear of the pulse for two different density profiles are shown. We have selected density profiles that already were used by Sadighi-Bonabi et al.[Phys. Plasmas 16, 083105 (2009)]. Ramp density profile causes the laser beam to become more focused and penetrations deeps into the plasma by reduction of diffraction effects. Our computations show moremore » reliable results in comparison to the previous works.« less

Formulation and evaluation of a montelukast sodium orally disintegrating tablet with a similar dissolution profile as the marketed product.

PubMed

Chen, Yong; Feng, Tingting; Li, Yong; Du, Bin; Weng, Weiyu

2017-03-01

A major challenge of orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) development is predicting its bioequivalence to its corresponding marketed product. Therefore, comparing ODT dissolution profiles to those of the corresponding marketed product is very important. The objective of this study was to develop a 5.2-mg montelukast sodium (MS) ODT with a similar dissolution profile to that of the marketed chewable tablet. Dissolution profiles were examined in different media to screen each formulation. We found that MS dissolution from ODTs in acidic medium heavily depended on manufacturing methods. All MS ODTs prepared using direct compression rapidly disintegrated in acidic medium. However, dispersed MS powders aggregated into sticky masses, resulting in slow dissolution. In contrast, MS ODTs prepared using wet granulation had much faster dissolution rates in acidic medium with no obvious aggregation. Additionally, the optimized formulation, prepared using wet granulation, displayed similar dissolution profiles to the marketed reference in all four types of media examined (f 2  >   50). The in vitro disintegration time of the optimized ODT was 9.5 ± 2.4 s, which meets FDA requirements. In conclusion, the wet granulation preparation method of MS ODTs resulted in a product with equivalent dissolution profiles as those of the marketed product.

Variation in sensitivity, absorption and density of the central rod distribution with eccentricity.

PubMed

Tornow, R P; Stilling, R

1998-01-01

To assess the human rod photopigment distribution and sensitivity with high spatial resolution within the central +/-15 degrees and to compare the results of pigment absorption, sensitivity and rod density distribution (number of rods per square degree). Rod photopigment density distribution was measured with imaging densitometry using a modified Rodenstock scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Dark-adapted sensitivity profiles were measured with green stimuli (17' arc diameter, 1 degrees spacing) using a T ubingen manual perimeter. Sensitivity profiles were plotted on a linear scale and rod photopigment optical density distribution profiles were converted to absorption profiles of the rod photopigment layer. Both the absorption profile of the rod photopigment and the linear sensitivity profile for green stimuli show a minimum at the foveal center and increase steeply with eccentricity. The variation with eccentricity corresponds to the rod density distribution. Rod photopigment absorption profiles, retinal sensitivity profiles, and the rod density distribution are linearly related within the central +/-15 degrees. This is in agreement with theoretical considerations. Both methods, imaging retinal densitometry using a scanning laser ophthalmoscope and dark-adapted perimetry with small green stimuli, are useful for assessing the central rod distribution and sensitivity. However, at present, both methods have limitations. Suggestions for improving the reliability of both methods are given.

Revealing Asymmetries in the HD181327 Debris Disk: A Recent Massive Collision or Interstellar Medium Warping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stark, Christopher C.; Schneider, Glenn; Weinberger, Alycia J.; Debes, John H.; Grady, Carol A.; Jang-Condell, Hannah; Kuchner, Marc J.

2014-01-01

New multi-roll coronagraphic images of the HD181327 debris disk obtained using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope reveal the debris ring in its entirety at high signal-to-noise ratio and unprecedented spatial resolution. We present and apply a new multi-roll image processing routine to identify and further remove quasi-static point-spread function-subtraction residuals and quantify systematic uncertainties. We also use a new iterative image deprojection technique to constrain the true disk geometry and aggressively remove any surface brightness asymmetries that can be explained without invoking dust density enhancements/ deficits. The measured empirical scattering phase function for the disk is more forward scattering than previously thought and is not well-fit by a Henyey-Greenstein function. The empirical scattering phase function varies with stellocentric distance, consistent with the expected radiation pressured-induced size segregation exterior to the belt. Within the belt, the empirical scattering phase function contradicts unperturbed debris ring models, suggesting the presence of an unseen planet. The radial profile of the flux density is degenerate with a radially varying scattering phase function; therefore estimates of the ring's true width and edge slope may be highly uncertain.We detect large scale asymmetries in the disk, consistent with either the recent catastrophic disruption of a body with mass greater than 1% the mass of Pluto, or disk warping due to strong interactions with the interstellar medium.

Revealing asymmetries in the HD 181327 debris disk: A recent massive collision or interstellar medium warping

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

Stark, Christopher C.; Kuchner, Marc J.; Schneider, Glenn

New multi-roll coronagraphic images of the HD 181327 debris disk obtained using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope reveal the debris ring in its entirety at high signal-to-noise ratio and unprecedented spatial resolution. We present and apply a new multi-roll image processing routine to identify and further remove quasi-static point-spread function-subtraction residuals and quantify systematic uncertainties. We also use a new iterative image deprojection technique to constrain the true disk geometry and aggressively remove any surface brightness asymmetries that can be explained without invoking dust density enhancements/deficits. The measured empirical scattering phase function for themore » disk is more forward scattering than previously thought and is not well-fit by a Henyey-Greenstein function. The empirical scattering phase function varies with stellocentric distance, consistent with the expected radiation pressured-induced size segregation exterior to the belt. Within the belt, the empirical scattering phase function contradicts unperturbed debris ring models, suggesting the presence of an unseen planet. The radial profile of the flux density is degenerate with a radially varying scattering phase function; therefore estimates of the ring's true width and edge slope may be highly uncertain. We detect large scale asymmetries in the disk, consistent with either the recent catastrophic disruption of a body with mass >1% the mass of Pluto, or disk warping due to strong interactions with the interstellar medium.« less

Revealing Asymmetries in the HD 181327 Debris Disk: A Recent Massive Collision or Interstellar Medium Warping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stark, Christopher C.; Schneider, Glenn; Weinberger, Alycia J.; Debes, John H.; Grady, Carol A.; Jang-Condell, Hannah; Kuchner, Marc J.

2014-07-01

New multi-roll coronagraphic images of the HD 181327 debris disk obtained using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope reveal the debris ring in its entirety at high signal-to-noise ratio and unprecedented spatial resolution. We present and apply a new multi-roll image processing routine to identify and further remove quasi-static point-spread function-subtraction residuals and quantify systematic uncertainties. We also use a new iterative image deprojection technique to constrain the true disk geometry and aggressively remove any surface brightness asymmetries that can be explained without invoking dust density enhancements/deficits. The measured empirical scattering phase function for the disk is more forward scattering than previously thought and is not well-fit by a Henyey-Greenstein function. The empirical scattering phase function varies with stellocentric distance, consistent with the expected radiation pressured-induced size segregation exterior to the belt. Within the belt, the empirical scattering phase function contradicts unperturbed debris ring models, suggesting the presence of an unseen planet. The radial profile of the flux density is degenerate with a radially varying scattering phase function; therefore estimates of the ring's true width and edge slope may be highly uncertain. We detect large scale asymmetries in the disk, consistent with either the recent catastrophic disruption of a body with mass >1% the mass of Pluto, or disk warping due to strong interactions with the interstellar medium.

Enhanced Polarized Emission from the One-parsec-scale Hotspot of 3C 84 as a Result of the Interaction with the Clumpy Ambient Medium

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

Nagai, H.; Kino, M.; Fujita, Y.

2017-11-01

We present Very Long Baseline Array polarimetric observations of the innermost jet of 3C 84 (NGC 1275) at 43 GHz. A significant polarized emission is detected at the hotspot of the innermost restarted jet, which is located 1 pc south from the radio core. While the previous report presented a hotspot at the southern end of the western limb, the hotspot location has been moved to the southern end of the eastern limb. Faraday rotation is detected within an entire bandwidth of the 43 GHz band. The measured rotation measure (RM) is at most (6.3 ± 1.9) × 10{sup 5}more » rad m{sup −2} and might be slightly time variable on the timescale of a month by a factor of a few. Our measured RM and the RM previously reported by the CARMA and SMA observations cannot be consistently explained by the spherical accretion flow with a power-law profile. We propose that a clumpy/inhomogeneous ambient medium is responsible for the observed RM. Using an equipartition magnetic field, we derive the electron density of 2 × 10{sup 4} cm{sup −3}. Such an electron density is consistent with the cloud of the narrow line emission region around the central engine. We also discuss the magnetic field configuration from the black hole scale to the parsec scale and the origin of low polarization.« less

X-ray emission from SN 2012ca: A Type Ia-CSM supernova explosion in a dense surrounding medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bochenek, Christopher D.; Dwarkadas, Vikram V.; Silverman, Jeffrey M.; Fox, Ori D.; Chevalier, Roger A.; Smith, Nathan; Filippenko, Alexei V.

2018-01-01

X-ray emission is one of the signposts of circumstellar interaction in supernovae (SNe), but until now, it has been observed only in core-collapse SNe. The level of thermal X-ray emission is a direct measure of the density of the circumstellar medium (CSM), and the absence of X-ray emission from Type Ia SNe has been interpreted as a sign of a very low density CSM. In this paper, we report late-time (500-800 d after discovery) X-ray detections of SN 2012ca in Chandra data. The presence of hydrogen in the initial spectrum led to a classification of Type Ia-CSM, ostensibly making it the first SN Ia detected with X-rays. Our analysis of the X-ray data favours an asymmetric medium, with a high-density component which supplies the X-ray emission. The data suggest a number density >108 cm-3 in the higher density medium, which is consistent with the large observed Balmer decrement if it arises from collisional excitation. This is high compared to most core-collapse SNe, but it may be consistent with densities suggested for some Type IIn or superluminous SNe. If SN 2012ca is a thermonuclear SN, the large CSM density could imply clumps in the wind, or a dense torus or disc, consistent with the single-degenerate channel. A remote possibility for a core-degenerate channel involves a white dwarf merging with the degenerate core of an asymptotic giant branch star shortly before the explosion, leading to a common envelope around the SN.

Validation of COSMIC radio occultation electron density profiles by incoherent scatter radar data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherniak, Iurii; Zakharenkova, Irina

The COSMIC/FORMOSAT-3 is a joint US/Taiwan radio occultation mission consisting of six identical micro-satellites. Each microsatellite has a GPS Occultation Experiment payload to operate the ionospheric RO measurements. FS3/COSMIC data can make a positive impact on global ionosphere study providing essential information about height electron density distribu-tion. For correct using of the RO electron density profiles for geophysical analysis, modeling and other applications it is necessary to make validation of these data with electron density distributions obtained by another measurement techniques such as proven ground based facili-ties -ionosondes and IS radars. In fact as the ionosondes provide no direct information on the profile above the maximum electron density and the topside ionosonde profile is obtained by fitting a model to the peak electron density value, the COSMIC RO measurements can make an important contribution to the investigation of the topside part of the ionosphere. IS radars provide information about the whole electron density profile, so we can estimate the agreement of topside parts between two independent measurements. To validate the reliability of COS-MIC data we have used the ionospheric electron density profiles derived from IS radar located near Kharkiv, Ukraine (geographic coordinates: 49.6N, 36.3E, geomagnetic coordinates: 45.7N, 117.8E). The Kharkiv radar is a sole incoherent scatter facility on the middle latitudes of Eu-ropean region. The radar operates with 100-m zenith parabolic antenna at 158 MHz with peak transmitted power 2.0 MW. The Kharkiv IS radar is able to determine the heights-temporal distribution of ionosphere parameters in height range of 70-1500 km. At the ionosphere in-vestigation by incoherent scatter method there are directly measured the power spectrum (or autocorrelation function) of scattered signal. With using of rather complex procedure of the received signal processing it is possible to estimate the majority of the ionospheric parameters -density and kinetic temperature of electron and main ions, the plasma drift velocity and others. The comparison of RO reveals that usually COSMIC RO profiles are in a rather good agreement with ISR profiles both in the F2 layer peak electron density (NmF2) and the form of profiles. The coincidence of profiles is better in the cases when projection of the ray path of tangent points is closer to the ISR location. It is necessary to note that retrieved electron density profiles should not be interpreted as actual vertical profiles. The geographical location of the ray path tangent points at the top and at the bottom of a profile may differ by several hundred kilometers. So the spatial smearing of data takes place and RO technique represents an image of vertical and horizontal ionospheric structure. That is why the comparison with ground-based data has rather relative character. We derived quantitative parameters to char-acterize the differences of the compared profiles: the peak height difference, the relative peak density difference. Most of the compared profiles agree within error limits, depending on the accuracy of the occultation-and the radar-derived profiles. In general COSMIC RO profiles are in a good agreement with incoherent radar profiles both in the F2 layer peak electron density (NmF2) and the form of the profiles. The coincidence of COSMIC and incoherent radar pro-files is better in the cases when projection of the ray path tangent points is closer to the radar location. COSMIC measurements can be efficiently used to study the topside part of the iono-spheric electron density. To validate the reliability of the COSMIC ionospheric observations it must be done the big work on the analysis and statistical generalization of the huge data array (today the total number of ionospheric occultation is more than 2.300.000), but this technique is a very promising one to retrieve accurate profiles of the ionospheric electron density with ground-based measurements on a global scale. We acknowledge the Taiwan's National Space Organization (NSPO) and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) for providing the COSMIC Data.

Measurement of OH, O, and NO densities and their correlations with mouse melanoma cell death rate treated by a nanosecond pulsed streamer discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yagi, Ippei; Shirakawa, Yuki; Hirakata, Kenta; Akiyama, Taketoshi; Yonemori, Seiya; Mizuno, Kazue; Ono, Ryo; Oda, Tetsuji

2015-10-01

Mouse melanoma cells in a culture medium are treated using a nanosecond pulsed streamer discharge plasma and the correlations between the rate of cell death and the densities of reactive species (OH, O, and NO) in the plasma are measured. The plasma is irradiated onto the culture medium surface with a vertical gas flow of an O2/N2 mixture from a glass tube at various gas flow rates and O2 concentrations. The densities of the reactive species are measured very close to the culture medium surface, where the reactive species interact with the culture medium, using laser-induced fluorescence. In the case of the N2 discharge (O2 = 0%), an increase in gas flow rate decreases OH density because it lowers the water vapor concentration by diluting the vapor, which is required for OH production. The increase in gas flow rate also leads to a decreased cell death rate. In the case of the O2/N2 discharge, on the other hand, an increase in O2 concentration at a fixed flow rate does not affect the rate of cell death, although it considerably changes the O and NO densities. These findings indicate that some reactive species derived from water vapor such as OH are responsible for the melanoma cell death, whereas those from O2, such as O and NO, are less likely responsible. They also indicate the importance of water evaporation from the culture medium surface in cell treatment.

The cosmological dependence of cluster density profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crone, Mary M.; Evrard, August E.; Richstone, Douglas O.

1994-01-01

We use N-body simulations to study the shape of mean cluster density and velocity profiles in the nonlinear regime formed via gravitational instability. The dependence of the final structure on both cosmology and initial density field is examined, using a grid of cosmologies and scale-free initial power spectra P(k) varies as k(exp n). Einstein-de Sitter, open (Omega(sub 0) = 0.2 and 0.1) and flat, low density (Omega(sub 0) = 0.2 lambda(sub 0) = 0.8) models are examined, with initial spectral indices n = -2, -1 and 0. For each model, we stack clusters in an appropriately scaled manner to define an average density profile in the nonlinear regime. The profiles are well fit by a power law rho(r) varies as r(exp -alpha) for radii whereat the local density contrast is between 100 and 3000. This covers 99% of the cluster volume. We find a clear trend toward steeper slopes (larger alphas) with both increasing n and decreasing Omega(sub 0). The Omega(sub 0) dependence is partially masked by the n dependence; there is degeneracy in the values of alpha between the Einstein-de Sitter and flat, low-density cosmologies. However, the profile slopes in the open models are consistently higher than the Omega = 1 values for the range of n examined. Cluster density profiles are thus potentially useful cosmological diagnostics. We find no evidence for a constant density core in any of the models, although the density profiles do tend to flatten at small radii. Much of the flattening is due to the force softening required by the simulations. An attempt is made to recover the unsoftened profiles assuming angular momentum invariance. The recovered profiles in Einstein-de Sitter cosmologies are consistent with a pure power law up to the highest density contrasts (10(exp 6)) accessible with our resolution. The low-density models show significant deviation from a power law above density contrasts approximately 10(exp 5). We interpret this curvature as reflecting the non-scale-invariant nature of the background cosmology in these models. These results are at the limit of our resolution and so should be tested in the future using simulations with larger numbers of particles. Such simulations will also provide insight on the broader problem of understanding, in a statistical sense, the full phase space structure of collapsed, cosmological halos.

Streaked x-ray backlighting with twin-slit imager for study of density profile and trajectory of low-density foam target filled with deuterium liquid

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

Shiraga, H.; Mahigashi, N.; Yamada, T.

2008-10-15

Low-density plastic foam filled with liquid deuterium is one of the candidates for inertial fusion target. Density profile and trajectory of 527 nm laser-irradiated planer foam-deuterium target in the acceleration phase were observed with streaked side-on x-ray backlighting. An x-ray imager employing twin slits coupled to an x-ray streak camera was used to simultaneously observe three images of the target: self-emission from the target, x-ray backlighter profile, and the backlit target. The experimentally obtained density profile and trajectory were in good agreement with predictions by one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation code ILESTA-1D.

Density effects on the electronic contribution to hydrogen Lyman alpha Stark profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motapon, O.

1998-01-01

The quantum unified theory of Stark broadening (Tran Minh et al. 1975, Feautrier et al. 1976) is used to study the density effects on the electronic contribution to the hydrogen Lyman alpha lineshape. The contribution of the first angular momenta to the total profile is obtained by an extrapolation method, and the results agree with other approaches. The comparison made with Vidal et al. (1973) shows a good agreement; and the electronic profile is found to be linear in density for | Delta lambda right | greater than 8 Angstroms for densities below 10(17) cm(-3) , while the density dependence becomes more complex for | Delta lambda right | less than 8 Angstroms. The wing profiles are calculated at various temperatures scaling from 2500 to 40000K and a polynomial fit of these profiles is given.

Aircraft requirements for low/medium density markets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ausrotas, R.; Dodge, S.; Faulkner, H.; Glendinning, I.; Hays, A.; Simpson, R.; Swan, W.; Taneja, N.; Vittek, J.

1973-01-01

A study was conducted to determine the demand for and the economic factors involved in air transportation in a low and medium density market. The subjects investigated are as follows: (1) industry and market structure, (2) aircraft analysis, (3) economic analysis, (4) field surveys, and (5) computer network analysis. Graphs are included to show the economic requirements and the aircraft performance characteristics.

Effects of post heat-treatment on surface characteristics and adhesive bonding performance of medium density fiberboard

Treesearch

Nadir Ayrilimis; Jerrold E. Winandy

2009-01-01

A series of commercially manufactured medium density fiberboard (MDF) panels were exposed to a post-manufacture heat-treatment at various temperatures and durations using a hot press and just enough pressure to ensure firm contact between the panel and the press platens. Post-manufacture heat-treatment improved surface roughness of the exterior MDF panels. Panels...

"Surely They Can't Do as Well": A Comparison of Business Students' Academic Performance in English-Medium and Spanish-as-First-Language-Medium Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dafouz, Emma; Camacho, Mar; Urquia, Elena

2014-01-01

For years, universities worldwide have offered English-medium degrees as a way to attract international students and staff, enhance their institutional profile and promote multilingualism. In Europe and the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), English-medium instruction (EMI) is more recent, but the dimension and speed of its implementation has…

Topside correction of IRI by global modeling of ionospheric scale height using COSMIC radio occultation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, M. J.; Guo, P.; Fu, N. F.; Xu, T. L.; Xu, X. S.; Jin, H. L.; Hu, X. G.

2016-06-01

The ionosphere scale height is one of the most significant ionospheric parameters, which contains information about the ion and electron temperatures and dynamics in upper ionosphere. In this paper, an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis method is applied to process all the ionospheric radio occultations of GPS/COSMIC (Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate) from the year 2007 to 2011 to reconstruct a global ionospheric scale height model. This monthly medium model has spatial resolution of 5° in geomagnetic latitude (-87.5° ~ 87.5°) and temporal resolution of 2 h in local time. EOF analysis preserves the characteristics of scale height quite well in the geomagnetic latitudinal, anural, seasonal, and diurnal variations. In comparison with COSMIC measurements of the year of 2012, the reconstructed model indicates a reasonable accuracy. In order to improve the topside model of International Reference Ionosphere (IRI), we attempted to adopt the scale height model in the Bent topside model by applying a scale factor q as an additional constraint. With the factor q functioning in the exponent profile of topside ionosphere, the IRI scale height should be forced equal to the precise COSMIC measurements. In this way, the IRI topside profile can be improved to get closer to the realistic density profiles. Internal quality check of this approach is carried out by comparing COSMIC realistic measurements and IRI with or without correction, respectively. In general, the initial IRI model overestimates the topside electron density to some extent, and with the correction introduced by COSMIC scale height model, the deviation of vertical total electron content (VTEC) between them is reduced. Furthermore, independent validation with Global Ionospheric Maps VTEC implies a reasonable improvement in the IRI VTEC with the topside model correction.

A Close Relationship between Lyα and Mg II in Green Pea Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry, Alaina; Berg, Danielle A.; Scarlata, Claudia; Verhamme, Anne; Erb, Dawn

2018-03-01

The Mg II λλ2796, 2803 doublet is often used to measure interstellar medium absorption in galaxies, thereby serving as a diagnostic for feedback and outflows. However, the interpretation of Mg II remains confusing, due to resonant trapping and re-emission of the photons, analogous to Lyα. Therefore, in this paper, we present new MMT Blue Channel Spectrograph observations of Mg II for a sample of 10 Green Pea galaxies at z ∼ 0.2–0.3, where Lyα was previously observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. With strong, (mostly) double-peaked Lyα profiles, these galaxies allow us to observe Mg II in the limit of low H I column density. We find strong Mg II emission and little-to-no absorption. We use photoionization models to show that nebular Mg II from H II regions is non-negligible, and the ratios of Mg II λλ2796, 2803/[O III] λ5007 versus [O III] λ5007/[O II] λ3727 form a tight sequence. Using this relation, we predict intrinsic Mg II flux, and show that Mg II escape fractions range from 0 to 0.9. We find that the Mg II escape fraction correlates tightly with the Lyα escape fraction, and the Mg II line profiles show evidence for broader and more redshifted emission when the escape fractions are low. These trends are expected if the escape fractions and velocity profiles of Lyα and Mg II are shaped by resonant scattering in the same low column density gas. As a consequence of a close relation with Lyα, Mg II may serve as a useful diagnostic in the epoch of reionization, where Lyα and Lyman continuum photons are not easily observed.

Einasto profiles and the dark matter power spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludlow, Aaron D.; Angulo, Raúl E.

2017-02-01

We study the mass accretion histories (MAHs) and density profiles of dark matter haloes using N-body simulations of self-similar gravitational clustering from scale-free power spectra, P(k) ∝ kn. We pay particular attention to the density profile curvature, which we characterize using the shape parameter, α, of an Einasto profile. In agreement with previous findings, our results suggest that, despite vast differences in their MAHs, the density profiles of virialized haloes are remarkably alike. Nonetheless, clear departures from self-similarity are evident: For a given spectral index, α increases slightly but systematically with `peak height', ν ≡ δsc/σ(M, z), regardless of mass or redshift. More importantly, however, the `α-ν' relation depends on n: The steeper the initial power spectrum, the more gradual the curvature of both the mean MAHs and mean density profiles. These results are consistent with previous findings connecting the shapes of halo mass profiles and MAHs, and imply that dark matter haloes are not structurally self-similar but, through the merger history, retain a memory of the linear density field from which they form.

Neural network evaluation of reflectometry density profiles for control purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, J.; Nunes, F.; Manso, M.; Nunes, I.

1999-01-01

Broadband reflectometry is a diagnostic that is able to measure the density profile with high spatial and temporal resolutions, therefore it can be used to improve the performance of advanced tokamak operation modes and to supplement or correct the magnetics for plasma position control. To perform these tasks real-time processing is needed. Here we present a method that uses a neural network to make a fast evaluation of radial positions for selected density layers. Typical ASDEX Upgrade density profiles were used to generate the simulated network training and test sets. It is shown that the method has the potential to meet the tight timing requirements of control applications with the required accuracy. The network is also able to provide an accurate estimation of the position of density layers below the first density layer which is probed by an O-mode reflectometer, provided that it is trained with a realistic density profile model.

Sorting process of nanoparticles and applications of same

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

Tyler, Timothy P.; Henry, Anne-Isabelle; Van Duyne, Richard P.

In one aspect of the present invention, a method for sorting nanoparticles includes preparing a high-viscosity density gradient medium filled in a container, dispersing nanoparticles into an aqueous solution to form a suspension of the nanoparticles, each nanoparticle having one or more cores and a shell encapsulating the one or more cores, layering the suspension of the nanoparticles on the top of the high-viscosity density gradient medium in the container, and centrifugating the layered suspension of the nanoparticles on the top of the high-viscosity density gradient medium in the container at a predetermined speed for a predetermined period of timemore » to form a gradient of fractions of the nanoparticles along the container, where each fraction comprises nanoparticles in a respective one of aggregation states of the nanoparticles.« less

Universal analytical scattering form factor for shell-, core-shell, or homogeneous particles with continuously variable density profile shape.

PubMed

Foster, Tobias

2011-09-01

A novel analytical and continuous density distribution function with a widely variable shape is reported and used to derive an analytical scattering form factor that allows us to universally describe the scattering from particles with the radial density profile of homogeneous spheres, shells, or core-shell particles. Composed by the sum of two Fermi-Dirac distribution functions, the shape of the density profile can be altered continuously from step-like via Gaussian-like or parabolic to asymptotically hyperbolic by varying a single "shape parameter", d. Using this density profile, the scattering form factor can be calculated numerically. An analytical form factor can be derived using an approximate expression for the original Fermi-Dirac distribution function. This approximation is accurate for sufficiently small rescaled shape parameters, d/R (R being the particle radius), up to values of d/R ≈ 0.1, and thus captures step-like, Gaussian-like, and parabolic as well as asymptotically hyperbolic profile shapes. It is expected that this form factor is particularly useful in a model-dependent analysis of small-angle scattering data since the applied continuous and analytical function for the particle density profile can be compared directly with the density profile extracted from the data by model-free approaches like the generalized inverse Fourier transform method. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Properties of ion temperature gradient and trapped electron modes in tokamak plasmas with inverted density profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Huarong; Jhang, Hogun; Hahm, T. S.; Dong, J. Q.; Wang, Z. X.

2017-12-01

We perform a numerical study of linear stability of the ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode and the trapped electron mode (TEM) in tokamak plasmas with inverted density profiles. A local gyrokinetic integral equation is applied for this study. From comprehensive parametric scans, we obtain stability diagrams for ITG modes and TEMs in terms of density and temperature gradient scale lengths. The results show that, for the inverted density profile, there exists a normalized threshold temperature gradient above which the ITG mode and the TEM are either separately or simultaneously unstable. The instability threshold of the TEM for the inverted density profile is substantially different from that for normal and flat density profiles. In addition, deviations are found on the ITG threshold from an early analytic theory in sheared slab geometry with the adiabatic electron response [T. S. Hahm and W. M. Tang, Phys. Fluids B 1, 1185 (1989)]. A possible implication of this work on particle transport in pellet fueled tokamak plasmas is discussed.

Tuning the density profile of surface-grafted hyaluronan and the effect of counter-ions.

PubMed

Berts, Ida; Fragneto, Giovanna; Hilborn, Jöns; Rennie, Adrian R

2013-07-01

The present paper investigates the structure and composition of grafted sodium hyaluronan at a solid-liquid interface using neutron reflection. The solvated polymer at the surface could be described with a density profile that decays exponentially towards the bulk solution. The density profile of the polymer varied depending on the deposition protocol. A single-stage deposition resulted in denser polymer layers, while layers created with a two-stage deposition process were more diffuse and had an overall lower density. Despite the diffuse density profile, two-stage deposition leads to a higher surface excess. Addition of calcium ions causes a strong collapse of the sodium hyaluronan chains, increasing the polymer density near the surface. This effect is more pronounced on the sample prepared by two-stage deposition due to the initial less dense profile. This study provides an understanding at a molecular level of how surface functionalization alters the structure and how surface layers respond to changes in calcium ions in the solvent.

Toxicological Profiling of Highly Purified Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with Different Lengths in the Rodent Lung and Escherichia Coli.

PubMed

Wang, Xiang; Lee, Jae-Hyeok; Li, Ruibin; Liao, Yu-Pei; Kang, Joohoon; Chang, Chong Hyun; Guiney, Linda M; Mirshafiee, Vahid; Li, Linjiang; Lu, Jianqin; Xia, Tian; Hersam, Mark C; Nel, André E

2018-06-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibit a number of physicochemical properties that contribute to adverse biological outcomes. However, it is difficult to define the independent contribution of individual properties without purified materials. A library of highly purified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) of different lengths is prepared from the same base material by density gradient ultracentrifugation, designated as short (318 nm), medium (789 nm), and long (1215 nm) SWCNTs. In vitro screening shows length-dependent interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production, in order of long > medium > short. However, there are no differences in transforming growth factor-β1 production in BEAS-2B cells. Oropharyngeal aspiration shows that all the SWCNTs induce profibrogenic effects in mouse lung at 21 d postexposure, but there are no differences between tube lengths. In contrast, these SWCNTs demonstrate length-dependent antibacterial effects on Escherichia coli, with the long SWCNT exerting stronger effects than the medium or short tubes. These effects are reduced by Pluronic F108 coating or supplementing with glucose. The data show length-dependent effects on proinflammatory response in macrophage cell line and antibacterial effects, but not on collagen deposition in the lung. These data demonstrate that over the length scale tested, the biological response to highly purified SWCNTs is dependent on the complexity of the nano/bio interface. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dynamics and Afterglow Light Curves of Gamma-Ray Burst Blast Waves Encountering a Density Bump or Void

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uhm, Z. Lucas; Zhang, Bing

2014-07-01

We investigate the dynamics and afterglow light curves of gamma-ray burst blast waves that encounter various density structures (such as bumps, voids, or steps) in the surrounding ambient medium. We present and explain the characteristic response features that each type of density structure in the medium leaves on the forward shock (FS) and reverse shock (RS) dynamics for blast waves with either a long-lived or short-lived RS. We show that when the ambient medium density drops, the blast waves exhibit in some cases a period of an actual acceleration (even during their deceleration stage) due to adiabatic cooling of blast waves. Comparing numerical examples that have different shapes of bumps or voids, we propose a number of consistency tests that must be satisfied by correct modeling of blast waves. Our model results successfully pass these tests. Employing a Lagrangian description of blast waves, we perform a sophisticated calculation of afterglow emission. We show that as a response to density structures in the ambient medium, the RS light curves produce more significant variations than the FS light curves. Some observed features (such as rebrightenings, dips, or slow wiggles) can be more easily explained within the RS model. We also discuss the origin of these different features imprinted on the FS and RS light curves.

Dynamics and afterglow light curves of gamma-ray burst blast waves encountering a density bump or void

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

Uhm, Z. Lucas; Zhang, Bing, E-mail: uhm@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: zhang@physics.unlv.edu

2014-07-01

We investigate the dynamics and afterglow light curves of gamma-ray burst blast waves that encounter various density structures (such as bumps, voids, or steps) in the surrounding ambient medium. We present and explain the characteristic response features that each type of density structure in the medium leaves on the forward shock (FS) and reverse shock (RS) dynamics for blast waves with either a long-lived or short-lived RS. We show that when the ambient medium density drops, the blast waves exhibit in some cases a period of an actual acceleration (even during their deceleration stage) due to adiabatic cooling of blastmore » waves. Comparing numerical examples that have different shapes of bumps or voids, we propose a number of consistency tests that must be satisfied by correct modeling of blast waves. Our model results successfully pass these tests. Employing a Lagrangian description of blast waves, we perform a sophisticated calculation of afterglow emission. We show that as a response to density structures in the ambient medium, the RS light curves produce more significant variations than the FS light curves. Some observed features (such as rebrightenings, dips, or slow wiggles) can be more easily explained within the RS model. We also discuss the origin of these different features imprinted on the FS and RS light curves.« less

THE ENTIRE VIRIAL RADIUS OF THE FOSSIL CLUSTER RX J1159+5531. I. GAS PROPERTIES

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

Su, Yuanyuan; Buote, David; Gastaldello, Fabio

2015-06-01

Previous analysis of the fossil-group/cluster RX J1159+5531 with X-ray observations from a central Chandra pointing and an offset-north Suzaku pointing indicate a radial intracluster medium (ICM) entropy profile at the virial radius (R{sub vir}) consistent with predictions from gravity-only cosmological simulations, in contrast to other cool-core clusters. To examine the generality of these results, we present three new Suzaku observations that, in conjunction with the north pointing, provide complete azimuthal coverage out to R{sub vir}. With two new Chandra ACIS-I observations overlapping the north Suzaku pointing, we have resolved ≳50% of the cosmic X-ray background there. We present radial profilesmore » of the ICM density, temperature, entropy, and pressure obtained for each of the four directions. We measure only modest azimuthal scatter in the ICM properties at R{sub 200} between the Suzaku pointings: 7.6% in temperature and 8.6% in density, while the systematic errors can be significant. The temperature scatter, in particular, is lower than that studied at R{sub 200} for a small number of other clusters observed with Suzaku. These azimuthal measurements verify that RX J1159+5531 is a regular, highly relaxed system. The well-behaved entropy profiles we have measured for RX J1159+5531 disfavor the weakening of the accretion shock as an explanation of the entropy flattening found in other cool-core clusters but is consistent with other explanations such as gas clumping, electron-ion non-equilibrium, non-thermal pressure support, and cosmic-ray acceleration. Finally, we mention that the large-scale galaxy density distribution of RX J1159+5531 seems to have little impact on its gas properties near R{sub vir}.« less

Guiding of High Laser Intensities in Long Plasma Channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levin, M.; Eisenmann, S.; Palchan, T.; Zigler, A.; Sugiyama, K.; Nakajima, K.; Kaganovich, D.; Hubbard, R. F.; Ting, A.; Gordon, D. F.; Sprangle, P.; Fraenkel, M.; Maman, S.; Henis, Z.

Plasma channels have been widely used to guide intense laser pulses over many Rayleigh lengths. Using optimized segmented capillary discharges, we demonstrated guided propagation of ultra short (100 fs) high intensity (1016 W/cm-2, limited by the laser system) pulses over distances up to 12.6 cm and intensities above 1018W/cm2 for 1.5cm boron nitride capillary. Both radial and longitudinal density profiles of plasma channels were studied under various discharge conditions. A new diagnostic technique is presented in which the transport of a guided laser pulse at different delay times from the initiation of the discharge is sampled on a single discharge shot. Using external, 10 nsec Nd YAG laser of several tenths of milijoules to ignite polyethylene capillaries we have demonstrated channels of various length in density range of 1017 - 1019 cm-3 and up to 25% deep. The longitudinal profiles were found to be remarkably uniform in both short and long capillaries. The Boron Nitride capillary has provided a guiding medium that can withstand more than 1000 shots. Using these capillaries we have guided laser intensities above 1018W/cm2. The laser ignition of capillary discharge provided reliable almost jitter free approach. The concerns related to influence of relatively high current density flow through capillary on the injected electrons were studied extensively by us both theoretically and experimentally using a simple injection method. The method is based on the interaction of a high intensity laser pulse with a thin wire placed near capillary entrance. The influence of magnetic fields was found to be insignificant. Using this method we have studied transport of electrons though capillary discharge.

Radio and X-Ray Observations of SN 2006jd: Another Strongly Interacting Type IIn Supernova

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandra, Poonam; Chevalier, Roger A.; Chugai, Nikolai; Fransson, Claes; Irwin, Christopher M.; Soderberg, Alicia M.; Chakraborti, Sayan; Immler, Stefan

2012-01-01

We report four years of radio and X-ray monitoring of the Type IIn supernova SN 2006jd at radio wavelengths with the Very Large Array, Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and Expanded Very Large Array at X-ray wavelengths with Chandra, XMM-Newton and Swift-XRT. We assume that the radio and X-ray emitting particles are produced by shock interaction with a dense circumstellar medium. The radio emission shows an initial rise that can be attributed to free-free absorption by cool gas mixed into the nonthermal emitting region external free-free absorption is disfavored because of the shape of the rising light curves and the low gas column density inferred along the line of sight to the emission region. The X-ray luminosity implies a preshock circumstellar density approximately 10(exp 6) per cubic meter at a radius r approximately 2 x 10(exp 16) centimeter, but the column density inferred from the photoabsorption of X-rays along the line of sight suggests a significantly lower density. The implication may be an asymmetry in the interaction. The X-ray spectrum shows Fe line emission at 6.9 keV that is stronger than is expected for the conditions in the X-ray emitting gas. We suggest that cool gas mixed into the hot gas plays a role in the line emission. Our radio and X-ray data both suggest the density profile is flatter than r2 because of the slow evolution of the unabsorbed emission.

Head-on collision of multistate ultralight BEC dark matter configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzmán, F. S.; Avilez, Ana A.

2018-06-01

Density profiles of ultralight Bose-condensate dark matter inferred from numerical simulations of structure formation, ruled by the Gross-Pitaevskii-Poisson (GPP) system of equations, have a core-tail structure. Multistate equilibrium configurations of the GPP system, on the other hand, have a similar core-tail density profile. We now submit these multistate configurations to highly dynamical scenarios and show their potential as providers of appropriate density profiles of structures. We present the simulation of head-on collisions between two equilibrium configurations of the GPP system of equations, including the collision of ground state with multistate configurations. We study the regimes of solitonic and merger behavior and show generic properties of the dynamics of the system, including the relaxation process and attractor density profiles. We show that the merger of multistate configurations has the potential to produce core-tail density profiles, with the core dominated by the ground state and the halo dominated by an additional state.

First results of the SOL reflectometer on Alcator C-Mod.

PubMed

Lau, C; Hanson, G; Lin, Y; Wilgen, J; Wukitch, S; Labombard, B; Wallace, G

2012-10-01

A swept-frequency X-mode reflectometer has been built on Alcator C-Mod to measure the scrape-off layer (SOL) density profiles adjacent to the lower hybrid launcher. The reflectometer system operates between 100 and 146 GHz at sweep rates from 10 μs to 1 ms and covers a density range of ∼10(16)-10(20) m(-3) at B(0) = 5-5.4 T. This paper discusses the analysis of reflectometer density profiles and presents first experimental results of SOL density profile modifications due to the application of lower hybrid range-of-frequencies power to L-mode discharges. Comparison between density profiles measured by the X-mode reflectometer and scanning Langmuir probes is also shown.

Analysis of lipoprotein profiles of healthy cats by gel-permeation high-performance liquid chromatography

PubMed Central

MIZUTANI, Hisashi; SAKO, Toshinori; OKUDA, Hiroko; ARAI, Nobuaki; KURIYAMA, Koji; MORI, Akihiro; YOSHIMURA, Itaru; KOYAMA, Hidekazu

2016-01-01

Density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGUC) and gel electrophoresis are conventionally used to obtain lipoprotein profiles of animals. We recently applied high-performance liquid chromatography with a gel permeation column (GP-HPLC) and an on-line dual enzymatic system to dogs for lipoprotein profile analysis. We compared the GP-HPLC with DGUC as a method to obtain a feline lipoprotein profile. The lipoprotein profiles showed large and small peaks, which corresponded to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), respectively, whereas very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and chylomicron (CM) were only marginally detected. This profile was very similar to that of dogs reported previously. Healthy cats also had a small amount of cholesterol-rich particles distinct from the normal LDL or HDL profile. There was no difference in lipoprotein profiles between the sexes, but males had a significantly larger LDL particle size (P=0.015). This study shows the feasibility of GP-HPLC for obtaining accurate lipoprotein profiles with small sample volumes and provides valuable reference data for healthy cats that should facilitate diagnoses. PMID:27170431

Variability of dental cone beam CT grey values for density estimations

PubMed Central

Pauwels, R; Nackaerts, O; Bellaiche, N; Stamatakis, H; Tsiklakis, K; Walker, A; Bosmans, H; Bogaerts, R; Jacobs, R; Horner, K

2013-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the use of dental cone beam CT (CBCT) grey values for density estimations by calculating the correlation with multislice CT (MSCT) values and the grey value error after recalibration. Methods A polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) phantom was developed containing inserts of different density: air, PMMA, hydroxyapatite (HA) 50 mg cm−3, HA 100, HA 200 and aluminium. The phantom was scanned on 13 CBCT devices and 1 MSCT device. Correlation between CBCT grey values and CT numbers was calculated, and the average error of the CBCT values was estimated in the medium-density range after recalibration. Results Pearson correlation coefficients ranged between 0.7014 and 0.9996 in the full-density range and between 0.5620 and 0.9991 in the medium-density range. The average error of CBCT voxel values in the medium-density range was between 35 and 1562. Conclusion Even though most CBCT devices showed a good overall correlation with CT numbers, large errors can be seen when using the grey values in a quantitative way. Although it could be possible to obtain pseudo-Hounsfield units from certain CBCTs, alternative methods of assessing bone tissue should be further investigated. Advances in knowledge The suitability of dental CBCT for density estimations was assessed, involving a large number of devices and protocols. The possibility for grey value calibration was thoroughly investigated. PMID:23255537

Effect of oxalic acid pretreatment of wood chips on manufacturing medium-density fiberboard

Treesearch

Xianjun Li; Zhiyong Cai; Eric Horn; Jerrold E. Winandy

2011-01-01

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of oxalic acid (OA) wood chips pretreatment prior to refining, which is done to reduce energy used during the refining process. Selected mechanical and physical performances of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) – internal bonding (IB), modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), water absorption (WA)...

The association of very-low-density lipoprotein with ankle-brachial index in peritoneal dialysis patients with controlled serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Peripheral artery disease (PAD) represents atherosclerotic disease and is a risk factor for death in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, who tend to show an atherogenic lipid profile. In this study, we investigated the relationship between lipid profile and ankle-brachial index (ABI) as an index of atherosclerosis in PD patients with controlled serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level. Methods Thirty-five PD patients, whose serum LDL cholesterol level was controlled at less than 120mg/dl, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study in Japan. The proportions of cholesterol level to total cholesterol level (cholesterol proportion) in 20 lipoprotein fractions and the mean size of lipoprotein particles were measured using an improved method, namely, high-performance gel permeation chromatography. Multivariate linear regression analysis was adjusted for diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular diseases. Results The mean (standard deviation) age was 61.6 (10.5) years; PD vintage, 38.5 (28.1) months; ABI, 1.07 (0.22). A low ABI (0.9 or lower) was observed in 7 patients (low-ABI group). The low-ABI group showed significantly higher cholesterol proportions in the chylomicron fraction and large very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) (Fractions 3–5) than the high-ABI group (ABI>0.9). Adjusted multivariate linear regression analysis showed that ABI was negatively associated with serum VLDL cholesterol level (parameter estimate=-0.00566, p=0.0074); the cholesterol proportions in large VLDLs (Fraction 4, parameter estimate=-3.82, p=0.038; Fraction 5, parameter estimate=-3.62, p=0.0039) and medium VLDL (Fraction 6, parameter estimate=-3.25, p=0.014); and the size of VLDL particles (parameter estimate=-0.0352, p=0.032). Conclusions This study showed that the characteristics of VLDL particles were associated with ABI among PD patients. Lowering serum VLDL level may be an effective therapy against atherosclerosis in PD patients after the control of serum LDL cholesterol level. PMID:24093487

Hydrostatic factors affect the gravity responses of algae and roots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Staves, Mark P.; Wayne, Randy; Leopold, A. C.

1991-01-01

The hypothesis of Wayne et al. (1990) that plant cells perceive gravity by sensing a pressure differential between the top and the bottom of the cell was tested by subjecting rice roots and cells of Caracean algae to external solutions of various densities. It was found that increasing the density of the external medium had a profound effect on the polar ratio (PR, the ratio between velocities of the downwardly and upwardly streaming cytoplasm) of the Caracean algae cells. When these cells were placed in solutions of denser compound, the PR decreased to less than 1, as the density of the external medium became higher than that of the cell; thus, the normal gravity-induced polarity was reversed, indicating that the osmotic pressure of the medium affects the cell's ability to respond to gravity. In rice roots, an increase of the density of the solution inhibited the rate of gravitropism. These results agree with predictions of a hydrostatic model for graviperception.

Observation of helicon wave with m = 0 antenna in a weakly magnetized inductively coupled plasma source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellingboe, Bert; Sirse, Nishant; Moloney, Rachel; McCarthy, John

2015-09-01

Bounded whistler wave, called ``helicon wave,'' is known to produce high-density plasmas and has been exploited as a high density plasma source for many applications, including electric propulsion for spacecraft. In a helicon plasma source, an antenna wrapped around the magnetized plasma column launches a low frequency wave, ωce/2 >ωhelicon >ωce/100, in the plasma which is responsible for maintaining high density plasma. Several antenna designs have been proposed in order to match efficiently the wave modes. In our experiment, helicon wave mode is observed using an m = 0 antenna. A floating B dot probe, compensated to the capacitively coupled E field, is employed to measure axial-wave-field-profiles (z, r, and θ components) in the plasma at multiple radial positions as a function of rf power and pressure. The Bθ component of the rf-field is observed to be unaffected as the wave propagates in the axial direction. Power coupling between the antenna and the plasma column is identified and agrees with the E, H, and wave coupling regimes previously seen in M =1 antenna systems. That is, the Bz component of the rf-field is observed at low plasma density as the Bz component from the antenna penetrates the plasma. The Bz component becomes very small at medium density due to shielding at the centre of the plasma column; however, with increasing density, a sudden ``jump'' occurs in the Bz component above which a standing wave under the antenna with a propagating wave away from the antenna are observed.

Swiftly moving focus points and forming shapes through the scattering media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Vinh; Sahoo, Sujit Kumar; Tang, Dongliang; Dang, Cuong

2018-02-01

Propagation of light through scattering media such as ground glass or biological tissue limits the quality and intensity of focusing point. Wave front shaping technique which uses spatial light modulator (SLM) devices to reshape the field profile of incoming light, is considered as one of the most effective and convenient methods. Advanced biomedical or manufacturing applications require drawing various contours or shapes quickly and precisely. However, creating each shape behind the scattering medium needs different phase profiles, which are time consuming to optimize or measure. Here, we demonstrate a technique to draw various shapes or contours behind the scattering medium by swiftly moving the focus point without any mechanical movements. Our technique relies on the existence of speckle correlation property in scattering media, also known as optical memory effect. In our procedure, we first modulate the phase-only SLM to create the focus point on the other side of scattering medium. Then, we digitally shift the preoptimized phase profile on the SLM and ramp it to tilt the beam accordingly. Now, the incoming beam with identical phase profile shines on the same scattering region at a tilted angle to regenerate the focus point at the desired position due to memory effect. Moreover, with linear combination of different field patterns, we can generate a single phase profile on SLM to produce two, three or more focus points simultaneously on the other side of a turbid medium. Our method could provide a useful tool for prominent applications such as opto-genetic excitation, minimally invasive laser surgery and other related fields.

Evaluation of a Magnetically-Filtered Faraday Probe for Measuring the ion Current Density Profile of a Hall Thruster

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-07-01

The ability of a magnetically-filtered Faraday probe (MFFP) to obtain the ion current density profile of a Hall thruster is investigated. The MFFP is...MFFP, boxed Faraday probe (BFP), and nude Faraday probe are used to measure the ion current density profile of a 5 kW Hall thruster operated over the

Multi-energy SXR cameras for magnetically confined fusion plasmas (invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delgado-Aparicio, L. F.; Maddox, J.; Pablant, N.; Hill, K.; Bitter, M.; Rice, J. E.; Granetz, R.; Hubbard, A.; Irby, J.; Greenwald, M.; Marmar, E.; Tritz, K.; Stutman, D.; Stratton, B.; Efthimion, P.

2016-11-01

A compact multi-energy soft x-ray camera has been developed for time, energy and space-resolved measurements of the soft-x-ray emissivity in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. Multi-energy soft x-ray imaging provides a unique opportunity for measuring, simultaneously, a variety of important plasma properties (Te, nZ, ΔZeff, and ne,fast). The electron temperature can be obtained by modeling the slope of the continuum radiation from ratios of the available brightness and inverted radial emissivity profiles over multiple energy ranges. Impurity density measurements are also possible using the line-emission from medium- to high-Z impurities to separate the background as well as transient levels of metal contributions. This technique should be explored also as a burning plasma diagnostic in-view of its simplicity and robustness.

The flat density profiles of massive, and relaxed galaxy clusters

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

Popolo, A. Del, E-mail: adelpopolo@oact.inaf.it

2014-07-01

The present paper is an extension and continuation of Del Popolo (2012a) which studied the role of baryon physics on clusters of galaxies formation. In the present paper, we studied by means of the SIM introduced in Del Popolo (2009), the total and DM density profiles, and the correlations among different quantities, observed by Newman et al. (2012a,b), in seven massive and relaxed clusters, namely MS2137, A963, A383, A611, A2537, A2667, A2390. As already found in Del Popolo 2012a, the density profiles depend on baryonic fraction, angular momentum, and the angular momentum transferred from baryons to DM through dynamical friction.more » Similarly to Newman et al. (2012a,b), the total density profile, in the radius range 0.003–0.03r{sub 200}, has a mean total density profile in agreement with dissipationless simulations. The slope of the DM profiles of all clusters is flatter than -1. The slope, α, has a maximum value (including errors) of α = −0.88 in the case of A2390, and minimum value α = −0.14 for A2537. The baryonic component dominates the mass distribution at radii < 5–10 kpc, while the outer distribution is dark matter dominated. We found an anti-correlation among the slope α, the effective radius, R{sub e}, and the BCG mass, and a correlation among the core radius r{sub core}, and R{sub e}. Moreover, the mass in 100 kpc (mainly dark matter) is correlated with the mass inside 5 kpc (mainly baryons). The behavior of the total mass density profile, the DM density profile, and the quoted correlations can be understood in a double phase scenario. In the first dissipative phase the proto-BCG forms, and in the second dissipationless phase, dynamical friction between baryonic clumps (collapsing to the center) and the DM halo flattens the inner slope of the density profile. In simple terms, the large scatter in the inner slope from cluster to cluster, and the anti-correlation among the slope, α and R{sub e} is due to the fact that in order to have a total mass density profile which is NFW-like, clusters having more massive BCGs at their centers must contain less DM in their center. Consequently the inner profile has a flatter slope.« less

The effect of growth medium on B. anthracis Sterne spore carbohydrate content.

PubMed

Colburn, Heather A; Wunschel, David S; Antolick, Kathryn C; Melville, Angela M; Valentine, Nancy B

2011-06-01

The expressed characteristics of biothreat agents may be impacted by variations in the culture environment, including growth medium formulation. The carbohydrate composition of B. anthracis spores has been well studied, particularly for the exosporium, which is the outermost spore structure. The carbohydrate composition of the exosporium has been demonstrated to be distinct from the vegetative form containing unique monosaccharides. We have investigated the carbohydrate composition of B. anthracis Sterne spores produced using four different medium types formulated with different sources of medium components. The amount of rhamnose, 3-O-methyl rhamnose and galactosamine was found to vary significantly between spores cultured using different medium formulations. The relative abundance of these monosaccharides compared to other monosaccharides such as mannosamine was also found to vary with medium type. Specific medium components were also found to impact the carbohydrate profile. Xylose has not been previously described in B. anthracis spores but was detected at low levels in two media. This may represent residual material from the brewery yeast extract used to formulate these two media. These results illustrate the utility of this method to capture the impact of growth medium on carbohydrate variation in spores. Detecting carbohydrate profiles in B. anthracis evidentiary material may provide useful forensic information on the growth medium used for sporulation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Coupling of light into the fundamental diffusion mode of a scattering medium (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojambati, Oluwafemi S.; Yılmaz, Hasan; Lagendijk, Ad; Mosk, Allard P.; Vos, Willem L.

2016-03-01

Diffusion equation describes the energy density inside a scattering medium such as biological tissues and paint [1]. The solution of the diffusion equation is a sum over a complete set of eigensolutions that shows a characteristic linear decrease with depth in the medium. It is of particular interest if one could launch energy in the fundamental eigensolution, as this opens the opportunity to achieve a much greater internal energy density. For applications in optics, an enhanced energy density is vital for solid-state lighting, light harvesting in solar cells, low-threshold random lasers, and biomedical optics. Here we demonstrate the first ever selective coupling of optical energy into a diffusion eigensolution of a scattering medium of zinc oxide (ZnO) paint. To this end, we exploit wavefront shaping to selectively couple energy into the fundamental diffusion mode, employing fluorescence of nanoparticles randomly positioned inside the medium as a probe of the energy density. We observe an enhanced fluorescence in case of optimized incident wavefronts, and the enhancement increases with sample thickness, a typical mesoscopic control parameter. We interpret successfully our result by invoking the fundamental eigensolution of the diffusion equation, and we obtain excellent agreement with our observations, even in absence of adjustable parameters [2]. References [1] R. Pierrat, P. Ambichl, S. Gigan, A. Haber, R. Carminati, and R. Rotter, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111, 17765 (2014). [2] O. S. Ojambati, H. Yilmaz, A. Lagendijk, A. P. Mosk, and W. L. Vos, arXiv:1505.08103.

Devices, systems, and methods for conducting assays with improved sensitivity using sedimentation

DOEpatents

Schaff, Ulrich Y.; Koh, Chung-Yan; Sommer, Gregory J.

2016-04-05

Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward devices, systems, and method for conducting assays using sedimentation. In one example, a method includes layering a mixture on a density medium, subjecting sedimentation particles in the mixture to sedimentation forces to cause the sedimentation particles to move to a detection area through a density medium, and detecting a target analyte in a detection region of the sedimentation channel. In some examples, the sedimentation particles and labeling agent may have like charges to reduce non-specific binding of labeling agent and sedimentation particles. In some examples, the density medium is provided with a separation layer for stabilizing the assay during storage and operation. In some examples, the sedimentation channel may be provided with a generally flat sedimentation chamber for dispersing the particle pellet over a larger surface area.

Devices, systems, and methods for conducting assays with improved sensitivity using sedimentation

DOEpatents

Schaff, Ulrich Y; Koh, Chung-Yan; Sommer, Gregory J

2015-02-24

Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward devices, systems, and method for conducting assays using sedimentation. In one example, a method includes layering a mixture on a density medium, subjecting sedimentation particles in the mixture to sedimentation forces to cause the sedimentation particles to move to a detection area through a density medium, and detecting a target analyte in a detection region of the sedimentation channel. In some examples, the sedimentation particles and labeling agent may have like charges to reduce non-specific binding of labeling agent and sedimentation particles. In some examples, the density medium is provided with a separation layer for stabilizing the assay during storage and operation. In some examples, the sedimentation channel may be provided with a generally flat sedimentation chamber for dispersing the particle pellet over a larger surface area.

Light impurity transport in JET ILW L-mode plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonanomi, N.; Mantica, P.; Giroud, C.; Angioni, C.; Manas, P.; Menmuir, S.; Contributors, JET

2018-03-01

A series of experimental observations of light impurity profiles was carried out in JET (Joint European Torus) ITER-like wall (ILW) L-mode plasmas in order to investigate their transport mechanisms. These discharges feature the presence of 3He, Be, C, N, Ne, whose profiles measured by active Charge Exchange diagnostics are compared with quasi-linear and non-linear gyro-kinetic simulations. The peaking of 3He density follows the electron density peaking, Be and Ne are also peaked, while the density profiles of C and N are flat in the mid plasma region. Gyro-kinetic simulations predict peaked density profiles for all the light impurities studied and at all the radial positions considered, and fail predicting the flat or hollow profiles observed for C and N at mid radius in our cases.

Effect of an ozone injury retardant chemical on isozyme profiles from alfalfa callus in vitro

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

Rier, J.P. Jr.; Sood, V.K.; Whitaker, A.

1983-01-01

Plant ozone injury retardant N-(2-(2-oxo-1-imidazolidinyl)-ethyl)-N'-phenylurea (EDU or ethylenediurea) at 1.0 ppm inhibited growth of callus of alfalfa cultivars Williamsburg (ozone-sensitive) and MSB-CW5An2 (ozone-insensitive) germplasm of Medicago sativa. The presence of EDU (0.1 ppm)in the growth medium increased the number of protein and peroxidase isozyme bands in alfalfa cultivar Williamsburg stem callus and ozone modified their intensities. Protein profiles of MSB stem callus from media containing EDU or exposed to ozone were unchanged. Marked differences were observed between the peroxidase profiles of ozonated and control ozone-insensitive stem callus from media containing EDU. Protein profiles of ozonated ozone-sensitive leaf callus differed slightlymore » from controls. The peroxidase profile of ozonated ozone-sensitive leaf callus was not altered when its growth medium contained EDU, but when it was absent, changes were observed in these profiles.« less

Spatial variation of peat soil properties in the oil-producing region of northeastern Sakhalin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipatov, D. N.; Shcheglov, A. I.; Manakhov, D. V.; Zavgorodnyaya, Yu. A.; Rozanova, M. S.; Brekhov, P. T.

2017-07-01

Morphology and properties of medium-deep oligotrophic peat, oligotrophic peat gley, pyrogenic oligotrophic peat gley, and peat gley soils on subshrub-cotton grass-sphagnum bogs and in swampy larch forests of northeastern Sakhalin have been studied. Variation in the thickness and reserves of litters in the studied bog and forest biogeocenoses has been analyzed. The profile distribution and spatial variability of moisture, density, ash, and pHKCl in separate groups of peat soils have been described. The content and spatial variability of petroleum hydrocarbons have been considered in relation to the accumulation of natural bitumoids by peat soils and the technogenic pressing in the oil-producing region. Variation of each parameter at different distances (10, 50, and 1000 m) has been estimated using a hierarchical sampling scheme. The spatial conjugation of soil parameters has been studied by factor analysis using the principal components method and Spearman correlation coefficients. Regression equations have been proposed to describe relationships of ash content with soil density and content of petroleum hydrocarbons in peat horizons.

Simulated cosmic microwave background maps at 0.5 deg resolution: Unresolved features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kogut, A.; Hinshaw, G.; Bennett, C. L.

1995-01-01

High-contrast peaks in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy can appear as unresolved sources to observers. We fit simluated CMB maps generated with a cold dark matter model to a set of unresolved features at instrumental resolution 0.5 deg-1.5 deg to derive the integral number density per steradian n (greater than absolute value of T) of features brighter than threshold temperature absolute value of T and compare the results to recent experiments. A typical medium-scale experiment observing 0.001 sr at 0.5 deg resolution would expect to observe one feature brighter than 85 micro-K after convolution with the beam profile, with less than 5% probability to observe a source brighter than 150 micro-K. Increasing the power-law index of primordial density perturbations n from 1 to 1.5 raises these temperature limits absolute value of T by a factor of 2. The MSAM features are in agreement with standard cold dark matter models and are not necessarily evidence for processes beyond the standard model.

Race Does Not Predict Melanocyte Heterogeneous Responses to Dermal Fibroblast-Derived Mediators

PubMed Central

Sirimahachaiyakul, Pornthep; Sood, Ravi F.; Muffley, Lara A.; Seaton, Max; Lin, Cheng-Ta; Qiao, Liang; Armaly, Jeffrey S.; Hocking, Anne M.; Gibran, Nicole S.

2015-01-01

Introduction Abnormal pigmentation following cutaneous injury causes significant patient distress and represents a barrier to recovery. Wound depth and patient characteristics influence scar pigmentation. However, we know little about the pathophysiology leading to hyperpigmentation in healed shallow wounds and hypopigmentation in deep dermal wound scars. We sought to determine whether dermal fibroblast signaling influences melanocyte responses. Methods and Materials Epidermal melanocytes from three Caucasians and three African-Americans were genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the entire genome. Melanocyte genetic profiles were determined using principal component analysis. We assessed melanocyte phenotype and gene expression in response to dermal fibroblast-conditioned medium and determined potential mesenchymal mediators by proteome profiling the fibroblast-conditioned medium. Results Six melanocyte samples demonstrated significant variability in phenotype and gene expression at baseline and in response to fibroblast-conditioned medium. Genetic profiling for SNPs in receptors for 13 identified soluble fibroblast-secreted mediators demonstrated considerable heterogeneity, potentially explaining the variable melanocyte responses to fibroblast-conditioned medium. Discussion Our data suggest that melanocytes respond to dermal fibroblast-derived mediators independent of keratinocytes and raise the possibility that mesenchymal-epidermal interactions influence skin pigmentation during cutaneous scarring. PMID:26418010

75 FR 15632 - Proposed Amendment to and Establishment of Restricted Areas and Other Special Use Airspace...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-30

... restricted area is inadequate for training at medium to high altitudes. The restricted areas R-2402B and R...- 2402, at 30,000 feet MSL, is considered adequate for medium to high altitude weapons employment tactics... lateral maneuvering airspace needed to practice medium to high altitude standoff weapon delivery profiles...

Surface currents associated with external kink modes in tokamak plasmas during a major disruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, C. S.; Bhattacharjee, A.

2017-10-01

The surface current on the plasma-vacuum interface during a disruption event involving kink instability can play an important role in driving current into the vacuum vessel. However, there have been disagreements over the nature or even the sign of the surface current in recent theoretical calculations based on idealized step-function background plasma profiles. We revisit such calculations by replacing step-function profiles with more realistic profiles characterized by a strong but finite gradient along the radial direction. It is shown that the resulting surface current is no longer a delta-function current density, but a finite and smooth current density profile with an internal structure, concentrated within the region with a strong plasma pressure gradient. Moreover, this current density profile has peaks of both signs, unlike the delta-function case with a sign opposite to, or the same as the plasma current. We show analytically and numerically that such current density can be separated into two parts, with one of them, called the convective current density, describing the transport of the background plasma density by the displacement, and the other part that remains, called the residual current density. It is argued that consideration of both types of current density is important and can resolve past controversies.

Environment of the Gamma-Ray Burst GRB 971214: A Giant H ii Region Surrounded by a Galactic Supershell.

PubMed

Ahn

2000-02-10

Among a number of gamma-ray bursts whose host galaxies are known, GRB 971214 stands out for its high redshift (z>/=3) and the Lyalpha emission line having a P Cygni-type profile, which is interpreted to be a direct consequence of the expanding supershell. From a profile-fitting analysis, we estimate the expansion velocity of the supershell (vexp=1500 km s-1) and the neutral column density (NHi=1020 cm -2). The redshift z=3.418 of the host galaxy proposed by Kulkarni et al. in 1998 has been revised to be z=3.425 from our profile analysis. The observed Lyalpha profile is fitted well by a Gaussian curve, which yields the Lyalpha luminosity LLyalpha=&parl0;1.8+/-0.8&parr0;x1042 ergs s-1. Assuming that the photon source is a giant H ii region, we deduce the electron number density in the H ii region ne=&parl0;40+/-10&parr0;&parl0;L/LLyalpha&parr0;0.5&parl0;R/100 pc&parr0;-1.5 cm-3, which corresponds to the illumination by about 104 O5 stars. We estimate the star formation rate to be RSF=7+/-3 M middle dot in circle yr-1 with the internal and the Galactic extinction corrected. The theory on the evolution of supernova remnants is used to propose that the supershell is at the adiabatic phase, with its radius R=18E1&solm0;253 pc, its age t=4.7x103E1&solm0;253 yr, and the density of the ambient medium n1=5.4E-1&solm0;253 cm-3, where E53=E&solm0;1053 ergs; we estimate the kinetic energy of the supershell to be Ek=7.3x1052E53 ergs. These values are consistent with the hypothesis that the supershell is the remnant of a gamma-ray burst. We note similarities between supershells found in nearby galaxies and remote primeval galaxies and propose that the gamma-ray burst may have occurred in a giant H ii region whose environment is similar to that in star-forming galaxies.

Uv Spectroscopy of Low-Redshift Active Galaxies -- Cyc 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boggess, Albert

1994-01-01

FOS will be used to measure the ultraviolet spectrum of active galaxies. Complementary and simultaneous visual and infrared data will also be obtained. The profile of the emission lines will provide information on the broadening mechanism and dynamics of the emitting regions. Comparison of the profile and radial velocity of the emission lines produced by species of different ioni- zation potential will allow the study of the thermal and density stratification of the emitting regions. The degree of asymmetry of lines at different wave- lengths will allow the absorbing material be identified and located. The ratio of the UV to visible lines, such as those for O I and He II will be used to estimate the reddening along the line of sight. Ratio of emission line fluxes will be compared with models in order to derive the ionization mechanism, elec- tron temperature and density, and chemical composition of the emitting gas. The emission line properties of low luminosity will be compared with those of high luminosity objects in order to investigate the covering factor and evolutionary effects. The continumm spectrum from the UV to the IR will be used to establish the emission mechanism and the nature and luminosity of the energy source. The weak absorption lines will be used to establish the physical conditions and the chemical composition of the gas in: our Galaxy, intergalactic medium and the parent galaxy. Absorption produced by broad line clouds will give information on cloud motion and covering factor.

Methanol and ethanol electroxidation using Pt electrodes prepared by the polymeric precursor method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freitas, R. G.; Santos, M. C.; Oliveira, R. T. S.; Bulhões, L. O. S.; Pereira, E. C.

The results of methanol and ethanol oxidation in acidic medium on Pt electrodes deposited on Ti substrate using the Pechini method are presented. In this route the metallic salts were dissolved in a mixture of ethylene glycol (EG) and citric acid (CA) forming a polyester network, which is painted onto a Ti substrate and then heat treated at 600 °C in order to obtain the metallic Pt thin films. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed the presence of Pt pattern peaks. The presence of the (4 2 0) plane in a higher amount compared to bulk Pt was observed and the peak position of the planes (2 0 0) and (4 2 0) were displaced by approximately -0.3°. The roughness data presented almost the same values for Ti and Ti/Pt. The electrochemical characterization of the electrodes in 0.1 M HClO 4 showed a typical Pt voltammetric profile. Although the voltammetric profiles of Ti/Pt and bulk Pt were the same, the electrocatalytical behavior for methanol oxidation showed an enhancement of the oxidation current density peak, which increased by 170% compared to bulk platinum. Although, the current density peak for ethanol oxidation on Ti/Pt is smaller than for Pt, it began at 0.11 V less positive than the same process on bulk Pt. The chronoamperometric experiments for methanol and ethanol oxidation on Ti/Pt increased by almost 934% and 440%, respectively, compared with Pt bulk.

Observational Tracers of Hot and Cold Gas in Isolated Galaxy Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brzycki, Bryan; Silvia, Devin

2018-01-01

We present results from an analysis comparing simulations of isolated spiral galaxies with recent observations of the circumgalactic medium (CGM). As the interface containing inflows and outflows between the interstellar and intergalactic media, the CGM plays an important role in the composition and evolution of galaxies. Using a set of isolated galaxy simulations over different initial conditions and star formation and feedback parameters, we investigate the evolution of CGM gas. Specifically, in light of recent observational studies, we compute the radial column density profiles and covering fractions of various observable ion species (H I, C IV, O VI, Mg II, Si III) for each simulated galaxy. Taking uniformly random sightlines through the CGM of each simulated galaxy, we find the abundance of gas absorbers and analyze their contribution to the overall column density along each sightline. By identifying the prevalence of high column density absorbers, we seek to characterize the distribution and evolution of observable ion species in the CGM. We also highlight a subset of our isolated galaxy simulations that produce and maintain a stable precipitating CGM that fuels high rates of sustained star formation. This project was supported in part by the NSF REU grant AST-1358980 and by the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association.

Chandra and XMM-Newton Observations of the Abell 3395/Abell 3391 Intercluster Filament

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez, Gabriella E.; Randall, Scott W.; Bourdin, Hervé; Jones, Christine; Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly

2018-05-01

We present Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observations of the Abell 3391/Abell 3395 intercluster filament. It has been suggested that the galaxy clusters Abell 3395, Abell 3391, and the galaxy group ESO-161 -IG 006 located between the two clusters, are in alignment along a large-scale intercluster filament. We find that the filament is aligned close to the plane of the sky, in contrast to previous results. We find a global projected filament temperature kT = {4.45}-0.55+0.89 keV, electron density {n}e={1.08}-0.05+0.06× {10}-4 cm‑3, and {M}gas}={2.7}-0.1+0.2 × {10}13 M ⊙. The thermodynamic properties of the filament are consistent with that of the intracluster medium (ICM) of Abell 3395 and Abell 3391, suggesting that the filament emission is dominated by ICM gas that has been tidally disrupted during an early stage merger between these two clusters. We present temperature, density, entropy, and abundance profiles across the filament. We find that the galaxy group ESO-161 may be undergoing ram-pressure-stripping in the low-density environment at or near the virial radius of both clusters, due to its rapid motion through the filament.

Development of a semidefined growth medium for Pedobacter cryoconitis BG5 using statistical experimental design.

PubMed

Ong, Magdalena; Ongkudon, Clarence M; Wong, Clemente Michael Vui Ling

2016-10-02

Pedobacter cryoconitis BG5 are psychrophiles isolated from the cold environment and capable of proliferating and growing well at low temperature regime. Their cellular products have found a broad spectrum of applications, including in food, medicine, and bioremediation. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a high-cell density cultivation strategy coupled with optimized growth medium for P. cryoconitis BG5. To date, there has been no published report on the design and optimization of growth medium for P. cryoconitis, hence the objective of this research project. A preliminary screening of four commercially available media, namely tryptic soy broth, R2A, Luria Bertani broth, and nutrient broth, was conducted to formulate the basal medium. Based on the preliminary screening, tryptone, glucose, NaCl, and K2HPO4 along with three additional nutrients (yeast extract, MgSO4, and NH4Cl) were identified to form the basal medium which was further analyzed by Plackett-Burman experimental design. Central composite experimental design using response surface methodology was adopted to optimize tryptone, yeast extract, and NH4Cl concentrations in the formulated growth medium. Statistical data analysis showed a high regression factor of 0.84 with a predicted optimum optical (600 nm) cell density of 7.5 using 23.7 g/L of tryptone, 8.8 g/L of yeast extract, and 0.7 g/L of NH4Cl. The optimized medium for P. cryoconitis BG5 was tested, and the observed optical density was 7.8. The cost-effectiveness of the optimized medium was determined as 6.25 unit prices per gram of cell produced in a 250-ml Erlenmeyer flask.

IUE study of the very local interstellar medium. [Copernicus spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henry, R. C.; Murthy, J.; Moos, H. W.; Landsman, W. B.; Linsky, J. L.; Vidal-Madjar, A.; Gry, C.

1986-01-01

The IUE and Copernicus results for the very local interstellar medium are compared. Despite its lower resolution, IUE produces results of comparable quality, giving important confirmation of Copernicus results on the density, temperature, turbulence, and deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio in the region within 10 pc of the Sun. The stars observed are in a very low-density quarter of the galaxy: multicomponent structure seen in other directions may not be present in the direction of most of the observed stars. The exceedingly low densities observed in certain directions encourages the idea that EUV studies of certain normal stars may be possible.

Effect of medium components and culture conditions in Bacillus subtilis EA-CB0575 spore production.

PubMed

Posada-Uribe, Luisa F; Romero-Tabarez, Magally; Villegas-Escobar, Valeska

2015-10-01

Bacillus subtilis spores have important biotechnological applications; however, achieving both, high spore cell densities and sporulation efficiencies in fermentation, is poorly reported. In this study, medium components and culture conditions were optimized with different statistical methods to increase spore production of the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria B. subtilis EA-CB0575. Key medium components were determined with Plackett-Burman (PB) design, and the optimum concentration levels of two components (glucose, MgSO4·7H2O) were optimized with a full factorial and central composite design, achieving 1.37 × 10(9) CFU/mL of spore cell density and 93.5 % of sporulation efficiency in shake flask. The optimized medium was used to determine the effect of culture conditions on spore production at bioreactor level, finding that maintaining pH control did not affect significantly spore production, while the interaction of agitation and aeration rates had a significant effect on spore cell density. The overall optimization generated a 17.2-fold increase in spore cell density (8.78 × 10(9) CFU/mL) and 1.9-fold increase in sporulation efficiency (94.2 %) compared to that of PB design. These results indicate the potential of B. subtilis EA-CB0575 to produce both, high spore cell densities and sporulation efficiencies, with very low nutrient requirements and short incubation period which can represent savings of process production.

Nonequilibrium forces following quenches in active and thermal matter.

PubMed

Rohwer, Christian M; Solon, Alexandre; Kardar, Mehran; Krüger, Matthias

2018-03-01

Nonequilibrium systems with conserved quantities like density or momentum are known to exhibit long-ranged correlations. This, in turn, leads to long-ranged fluctuation-induced (Casimir) forces, predicted to arise in a variety of nonequilibrium settings. Here, we study such forces, which arise transiently between parallel plates or compact inclusions in a gas of particles, following a change ("quench") in temperature or activity of the medium. Analytical calculations, as well as numerical simulations of passive or active Brownian particles, indicate two distinct forces: (i) The immediate effect of the quench is adsorption or desorption of particles of the medium to the immersed objects, which in turn initiates a front of relaxing (mean) density. This leads to time-dependent density-induced forces. (ii) A long-term effect of the quench is that density fluctuations are modified, manifested as transient (long-ranged) (pair-)correlations that relax diffusively to their (short-ranged) steady-state limit. As a result, transient fluctuation-induced forces emerge. We discuss the properties of fluctuation-induced and density-induced forces as regards universality, relaxation as a function of time, and scaling with distance between objects. Their distinct signatures allow us to distinguish the two types of forces in simulation data. Our simulations also show that a quench of the effective temperature of an active medium gives rise to qualitatively similar effects to a temperature quench in a passive medium. Based on this insight, we propose several scenarios for the experimental observation of the forces described here.

Nonequilibrium forces following quenches in active and thermal matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohwer, Christian M.; Solon, Alexandre; Kardar, Mehran; Krüger, Matthias

2018-03-01

Nonequilibrium systems with conserved quantities like density or momentum are known to exhibit long-ranged correlations. This, in turn, leads to long-ranged fluctuation-induced (Casimir) forces, predicted to arise in a variety of nonequilibrium settings. Here, we study such forces, which arise transiently between parallel plates or compact inclusions in a gas of particles, following a change ("quench") in temperature or activity of the medium. Analytical calculations, as well as numerical simulations of passive or active Brownian particles, indicate two distinct forces: (i) The immediate effect of the quench is adsorption or desorption of particles of the medium to the immersed objects, which in turn initiates a front of relaxing (mean) density. This leads to time-dependent density-induced forces. (ii) A long-term effect of the quench is that density fluctuations are modified, manifested as transient (long-ranged) (pair-)correlations that relax diffusively to their (short-ranged) steady-state limit. As a result, transient fluctuation-induced forces emerge. We discuss the properties of fluctuation-induced and density-induced forces as regards universality, relaxation as a function of time, and scaling with distance between objects. Their distinct signatures allow us to distinguish the two types of forces in simulation data. Our simulations also show that a quench of the effective temperature of an active medium gives rise to qualitatively similar effects to a temperature quench in a passive medium. Based on this insight, we propose several scenarios for the experimental observation of the forces described here.

A technique for routinely updating the ITU-R database using radio occultation electron density profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunini, Claudio; Azpilicueta, Francisco; Nava, Bruno

2013-09-01

Well credited and widely used ionospheric models, such as the International Reference Ionosphere or NeQuick, describe the variation of the electron density with height by means of a piecewise profile tied to the F2-peak parameters: the electron density,, and the height, . Accurate values of these parameters are crucial for retrieving reliable electron density estimations from those models. When direct measurements of these parameters are not available, the models compute the parameters using the so-called ITU-R database, which was established in the early 1960s. This paper presents a technique aimed at routinely updating the ITU-R database using radio occultation electron density profiles derived from GPS measurements gathered from low Earth orbit satellites. Before being used, these radio occultation profiles are validated by fitting to them an electron density model. A re-weighted Least Squares algorithm is used for down-weighting unreliable measurements (occasionally, entire profiles) and to retrieve and values—together with their error estimates—from the profiles. These values are used to monthly update the database, which consists of two sets of ITU-R-like coefficients that could easily be implemented in the IRI or NeQuick models. The technique was tested with radio occultation electron density profiles that are delivered to the community by the COSMIC/FORMOSAT-3 mission team. Tests were performed for solstices and equinoxes seasons in high and low-solar activity conditions. The global mean error of the resulting maps—estimated by the Least Squares technique—is between and elec/m for the F2-peak electron density (which is equivalent to 7 % of the value of the estimated parameter) and from 2.0 to 5.6 km for the height (2 %).

Dark matter annihilation in the circumgalactic medium at high redshifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schön, S.; Mack, K. J.; Wyithe, J. S. B.

2018-03-01

Annihilating dark matter (DM) models offer promising avenues for future DM detection, in particular via modification of astrophysical signals. However, when modelling such potential signals at high redshift, the emergence of both DM and baryonic structure, as well as the complexities of the energy transfer process, needs to be taken into account. In the following paper, we present a detailed energy deposition code and use this to examine the energy transfer efficiency of annihilating DM at high redshift, including the effects on baryonic structure. We employ the PYTHIA code to model neutralino-like DM candidates and their subsequent annihilation products for a range of masses and annihilation channels. We also compare different density profiles and mass-concentration relations for 105-107 M⊙ haloes at redshifts 20 and 40. For these DM halo and particle models, we show radially dependent ionization and heating curves and compare the deposited energy to the haloes' gravitational binding energy. We use the `filtered' annihilation spectra escaping the halo to calculate the heating of the circumgalactic medium and show that the mass of the minimal star-forming object is increased by a factor of 2-3 at redshift 20 and 4-5 at redshift 40 for some DM models.

Implementation of the new multichannel X-mode edge density profile reflectometer for the ICRF antenna on ASDEX Upgrade

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

Aguiam, D. E., E-mail: daguiam@ipfn.tecnico.ulisboa.pt; Silva, A.; Carvalho, P. J.

A new multichannel frequency modulated continuous-wave reflectometry diagnostic has been successfully installed and commissioned on ASDEX Upgrade to measure the plasma edge electron density profile evolution in front of the Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies (ICRF) antenna. The design of the new three-strap ICRF antenna integrates ten pairs (sending and receiving) of microwave reflectometry antennas. The multichannel reflectometer can use three of these to measure the edge electron density profiles up to 2 × 10{sup 19} m{sup −3}, at different poloidal locations, allowing the direct study of the local plasma layers in front of the ICRF antenna. ICRF power coupling,more » operational effects, and poloidal variations of the plasma density profile can be consistently studied for the first time. In this work the diagnostic hardware architecture is described and the obtained density profile measurements were used to track outer radial plasma position and plasma shape.« less

The atmospheric emission method of calculating the neutral atmosphere and charged particle densities in the upper atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McElroy, Kenneth L., Jr.

1992-12-01

A method is presented for the determination of neutral gas densities in the ionosphere from rocket-borne measurements of UV atmospheric emissions. Computer models were used to calculate an initial guess for the neutral atmosphere. Using this neutral atmosphere, intensity profiles for the N2 (0,5) Vegard-Kaplan band, the N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield band system, and the OI2972 A line were calculated and compared with the March 1990 NPS MUSTANG data. The neutral atmospheric model was modified and the intensity profiles recalculated until a fit with the data was obtained. The neutral atmosphere corresponding to the intensity profile that fit the data was assumed to be the atmospheric composition prevailing at the time of the observation. The ion densities were then calculated from the neutral atmosphere using a photochemical model. The electron density profile calculated by this model was compared with the electron density profile measured by the U.S. Air Force Geophysics Laboratory at a nearby site.

A possible model for evaluating the topographic and mechanical effects of subducted oceanic plate with irregular surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kodama, K.

1987-02-01

A simple model is proposed to evaluate the possible mechanical and topographic effects that might be caused when an oceanic plate with irregular surface is subducted beneath a continental plate. The model focuses on the effects of such features as oceanic ridges, seamounts, plateaus and other bathymetric highs. The model approximates a continental plate as a two-dimensional incompressible Newtonian viscous fluid with uniform thickness, and a subducting oceanic plate as a rigid basement slipping beneath the viscous fluid with a constant velocity. In this model, bathymetric highs on the oceanic plate are approximated by topographic irregularities of the rigid basement. Based on the fundamental solutions given by Budd (1970) which were applied originally to the analysis of glacial movements, the shear stress near the basement and surface profile of the overriding medium are calculated, for instance, for a model whose basement profile is represented simply as exp( -ax 2) where a is the geometrical constant representing the degree of regional slope, and x the horizontal distance from the axis of the ridge. Assuming reasonable values for viscosity (10 23 poise), density (3 g/cm 3), thickness of the viscous medium (30 km), elevation of the top of the ridge from the surroundings (1 km), geometrical constant of the ridge shape (10 -2 km -2), and slip velocity (10 cm/a), the resultant surface profile was inferred to be asymmetrical shape with its highest elevation of 1360 m and the lowest of -620 m, while the magnitude of the shear stress near the base showed a symmetrical distribution with the maximum of 12.7 kbar. The results from these calculations do not only allow us to make quantitative estimates of the geological consequences of the subduction of bathymetric highs beneath continental plates but also give possible explanation for some of the uneven seismic activities found around present subduction zones.

The XMM Cluster Outskirts Project (X-COP): Thermodynamic properties of the intracluster medium out to R200 in Abell 2319

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghirardini, V.; Ettori, S.; Eckert, D.; Molendi, S.; Gastaldello, F.; Pointecouteau, E.; Hurier, G.; Bourdin, H.

2018-06-01

Aims: We present the joint analysis of the X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) signals in Abell 2319, the galaxy cluster with the highest signal-to-noise ratio in SZ Planck maps and that has been surveyed within our XMM-Newton Cluster Outskirts Project (X-COP), a very large program which aims to grasp the physical condition in 12 local (z < 0.1) and massive (M200 > 3 × 1014 M⊙) galaxy clusters out to R200 and beyond. Methods: We recover the profiles of the thermodynamic properties by the geometrical deprojection of the X-ray surface brightness, of the SZ Comptonization parameter, and accurate and robust spectroscopic measurements of the gas temperature out to 3.2 Mpc (1.6 R200), 4 Mpc (2 R200), and 1.6 Mpc (0.8 R200), respectively. We resolve the clumpiness of the gas density to be below 20% over the entire observed volume. We also demonstrate that most of this clumpiness originates from the ongoing merger and can be associated with large-scale inhomogeneities (the "residual" clumpiness). We estimate the total mass through the hydrostatic equilibrium equation. This analysis is done both in azimuthally averaged radial bins and in eight independent angular sectors, enabling us to study in detail the azimuthal variance of the recovered properties. Results: Given the exquisite quality of the X-ray and SZ datasets, their radial extension, and their complementarity, we constrain at R200 the total hydrostatic mass, modelled with a Navarro-Frenk-White profile at very high precision (M200 = 10.7 ± 0.5stat. ± 0.9syst. × 1014 M⊙). We identify the ongoing merger and how it is affecting differently the gas properties in the resolved azimuthal sectors. We have several indications that the merger has injected a high level of non-thermal pressure in this system: the clumping free density profile is above the average profile obtained by stacking Rosat/PSPC observations; the gas mass fraction recovered using our hydrostatic mass profile exceeds the expected cosmic gas fraction beyond R500; the pressure profile is flatter than the fit obtained by the Planck Collaboration; the entropy profile is flatter than the mean profile predicted from non-radiative simulations; the analysis in azimuthal sectors has revealed that these deviations occur in a preferred region of the cluster. All these tensions are resolved by requiring a relative support of about 40% from non-thermal to the total pressure at R200.

Efficient analysis of mode profiles in elliptical microcavity using dynamic-thermal electron-quantum medium FDTD method.

PubMed

Khoo, E H; Ahmed, I; Goh, R S M; Lee, K H; Hung, T G G; Li, E P

2013-03-11

The dynamic-thermal electron-quantum medium finite-difference time-domain (DTEQM-FDTD) method is used for efficient analysis of mode profile in elliptical microcavity. The resonance peak of the elliptical microcavity is studied by varying the length ratio. It is observed that at some length ratios, cavity mode is excited instead of whispering gallery mode. This depicts that mode profiles are length ratio dependent. Through the implementation of the DTEQM-FDTD on graphic processing unit (GPU), the simulation time is reduced by 300 times as compared to the CPU. This leads to an efficient optimization approach to design microcavity lasers for wide range of applications in photonic integrated circuits.

Properties of the circumgalactic medium in simulations compared to observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machado, R. E. G.; Tissera, P. B.; Lima Neto, G. B.; Sodré, L.

2018-01-01

Context. Galaxies are surrounded by extended gaseous halos that store significant fractions of chemical elements. These are syntethized by the stellar populations and later ejected into the circumgalactic medium (CGM) by different mechanism, of which supernova feedback is considered one of the most relevant. Aims: We aim to explore the properties of this metal reservoir surrounding star-forming galaxies in a cosmological context aiming to investigate the chemical loop between galaxies and their CGM, and the ability of the subgrid models to reproduce observational results. Methods: Using cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, we have analysed the gas-phase chemical contents of galaxies with stellar masses in the range 109-1011 M⊙. We estimated the fractions of metals stored in the different CGM phases, and the predicted O VI and Si III column densities within the virial radius. Results: We find roughly 107 M⊙ of oxygen in the CGM of simulated galaxies having M⋆ 1010 M⊙, in fair agreement with the lower limits imposed by observations. The Moxy is found to correlate with M⋆, at odds with current observational trends but in agreement with other numerical results. The estimated profiles of O VI column density reveal a substantial shortage of that ion, whereas Si III, which probes the cool phase, is overpredicted. Nevertheless, the radial dependences of both ions follow the respective observed profiles. The analysis of the relative contributions of both ions from the hot, warm and cool phases suggests that the warm gas (105 K < T < 106 K) should be more abundant in order to bridge the mismatch with the observations, or alternatively, that more metals should be stored in this gas-phase. These discrepancies provide important information to improve the subgrid physics models. Our findings show clearly the importance of tracking more than one chemical element and the difficulty of simultaneously satisfying the observables that trace the circumgalactic gas at different physical conditions. Additionally, we find that the X-ray coronae around the simulated galaxies have luminosities and temperatures in decent agreement with the available observational estimates.

Chemistry in Magnetohydrodynamic Shock Waves in Diffuse Molecular Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peimbert, Antonio

1998-09-01

Absorption observations of the CH+ molecule with column densities of up to 1014 cm-2 in diffuse molecular clouds in many lines of sight are reviewed, and compared to the reddening and to abundances and velocity shifts of molecules like CH. Special attention is placed on the observations of the line of sight towards ς Ophiuchi where high quality observations of many chemical species are available. The problem of the required CH+ is described, and many formation mechanisms from the literature are reviewed, finding that none of them is particularly apt at describing the observations towards ς-Oph. Two fluid J-type shock models are studied as an alternative. The necessary conditions for their formation are discussed, and it is shown how they are expected to be present widely in the interstellar medium. Plane parallel numerical integrations, for the particular case in which the magnetic field is perpendicular to the shock velocity, are employed to study the region of phase-space of initial conditions that will produce 2 fluid shocks. A chemical network is developed and formation of key molecules like CH+, CH and OH, along with the excited roto-vibrational levels of H2, are studied under the shock dynamics. These models are then compared to the observations of the different lines of sight, showing they are capable of reproducing the features of the observations towards most of those clouds. An attempt to model the line of sight towards ς-Oph is done, finding that a shock with a shock speed vs = 9.0km/s going through a cloud with a density of nH = 14cm-3 with a magnetic field of B = 4.7μG does a reasonable job at satisfying most of the observations with the exception of the highest rotational excited states of molecular hydrogen for which observations are available. There is a small family of solutions capable of explaining the observed results which make specific predictions for the velocity profiles of the H2 lines of various excited levels. New observations with the Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph (IMAPS) camera would be useful in confirming or rejecting these models.

Effect of Control Blade History, and Axial Coolant Density and Burnup Profiles on BWR Burnup Credit

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

Marshall, William BJ J

2016-01-01

A technical basis for peak reactivity boiling water reactor (BWR) burnup credit (BUC) methods was recently generated, and the technical basis for extended BWR BUC is now being developed. In this paper, a number of effects related to extended BWR BUC are analyzed, including three major operational effects in BWRs: the coolant density axial distribution, the use of control blades during operation, and the axial burnup profile. Specifically, uniform axial moderator density profiles are analyzed and compared to previous results and an additional temporal fidelity study combing moderator density profiles for three different fuel assemblies is presented. Realistic control blademore » histories and cask criticality results are compared to previously generated constructed control blade histories. Finally, a preliminary study of the axial burnup profile is provided.« less

Kinetic simulations of the stability of a plasma confined by the magnetic field of a current rod

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonge, J.; Leboeuf, J. N.; Huang, C.; Dawson, J. M.

2003-09-01

The kinetic stability of a plasma in the magnetic field of a current rod is investigated for various temperature and density profiles using three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Such a plasma obeys similar physics to a plasma in a dipole magnetic field, while it is easier to perform computer simulations, and do theoretical analysis, of a plasma in the field of a current rod. Simple energy principle calculations and simulations with a variety of temperature and density profiles show that the plasma is stable to interchange for pressure profiles proportional to r-10/3. As predicted by theory the simulations also show that the density profile will be stationary as long as density is proportional to r-2 even though the temperature profile may not be stable.

Better Than Counting: Density Profiles from Force Sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de las Heras, Daniel; Schmidt, Matthias

2018-05-01

Calculating one-body density profiles in equilibrium via particle-based simulation methods involves counting of events of particle occurrences at (histogram-resolved) space points. Here, we investigate an alternative method based on a histogram of the local force density. Via an exact sum rule, the density profile is obtained with a simple spatial integration. The method circumvents the inherent ideal gas fluctuations. We have tested the method in Monte Carlo, Brownian dynamics, and molecular dynamics simulations. The results carry a statistical uncertainty smaller than that of the standard counting method, reducing therefore the computation time.

Spiral waves in driven dusty plasma medium: Generalized hydrodynamic fluid description

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Sandeep; Patel, Bhavesh; Das, Amita

2018-04-01

Spiral waves are observed in many natural phenomena. They have been extensively represented by the mathematical FitzHugh-Nagumo model [Barkley et al., Phys. Rev. A 42, 2489 (1990)] of excitable media. Also, in incompressible fluid simulations, the excitation of thermal spiral waves has been reported by Li et al. [Phys. of Fluids 22, 011701 (2010)]. In the present paper, the spatiotemporal development of spiral waves in the context of weak and strong coupling limits has been shown. While the weakly coupled medium has been represented by a simple fluid description, for strong coupling, a generalized visco-elastic fluid description has been employed. The medium has been driven by an external force in the form of a rotating electric field. It is shown that when the amplitude of force is small, the density perturbations in the medium are also small. In this case, the excitations do not develop as a spiral wave. Only when the amplitude of force is high so as to drive the density perturbations to nonlinear amplitudes does the spiral density wave formation occurs. The role of the forcing frequency and the effect of strong coupling and the sound velocity of medium in the formation and evolution of spiral waves have been investigated in detail.

Cosmological simulation with dust formation and destruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoyama, Shohei; Hou, Kuan-Chou; Hirashita, Hiroyuki; Nagamine, Kentaro; Shimizu, Ikkoh

2018-06-01

To investigate the evolution of dust in a cosmological volume, we perform hydrodynamic simulations, in which the enrichment of metals and dust is treated self-consistently with star formation and stellar feedback. We consider dust evolution driven by dust production in stellar ejecta, dust destruction by sputtering, grain growth by accretion and coagulation, and grain disruption by shattering, and treat small and large grains separately to trace the grain size distribution. After confirming that our model nicely reproduces the observed relation between dust-to-gas ratio and metallicity for nearby galaxies, we concentrate on the dust abundance over the cosmological volume in this paper. The comoving dust mass density has a peak at redshift z ˜ 1-2, coincident with the observationally suggested dustiest epoch in the Universe. In the local Universe, roughly 10 per cent of the dust is contained in the intergalactic medium (IGM), where only 1/3-1/4 of the dust survives against dust destruction by sputtering. We also show that the dust mass function is roughly reproduced at ≲ 108 M⊙, while the massive end still has a discrepancy, which indicates the necessity of stronger feedback in massive galaxies. In addition, our model broadly reproduces the observed radial profile of dust surface density in the circum-galactic medium (CGM). While our model satisfies the observational constraints for the dust extinction on cosmological scales, it predicts that the dust in the CGM and IGM is dominated by large (>0.03 μm) grains, which is in tension with the steep reddening curves observed in the CGM.

Facebook use among early-career veterinarians in Ontario, Canada (March to May 2010).

PubMed

Weijs, Cynthia A; Coe, Jason B; Christofides, Emily; Muise, Amy; Desmarais, Serge

2013-04-15

To explore the nature and content of information publicly posted to Facebook by early-career veterinarians. Cross-sectional descriptive study. Sample-352 early-career veterinarians. Publicly accessible Facebook profiles were searched online from March to May 2010 for profiles of early-career veterinarians (graduates from 2004 through 2009) registered with the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, Canada. The content of veterinarians' Facebook profiles was evaluated and then categorized as low, medium, or high exposure in terms of the information a veterinarian had publicly posted to Facebook. Through the use of content analysis, high-exposure profiles were further analyzed for publicly posted information that may have posed risks to an individual's or the profession's public image. Facebook profiles for 352 of 494 (71%) registered early-career veterinarians were located. One-quarter (25%) of profiles were categorized as low exposure (ie, high privacy), over half (54%) as medium exposure (i.e., medium privacy), and 21% as high exposure (i.e., low privacy). Content analysis of the high-exposure profiles identified publicly posted information that may pose risks to an individual's or the profession's reputation, including breaches of client confidentiality, evidence of substance abuse, and demeaning comments toward others. Almost a quarter of veterinarians' Facebook profiles viewed in the present study contained publicly available content of a questionable nature that could pose a risk to the reputation of the individual, his or her practice, or the veterinary profession. The increased use of Facebook and all types of social media points to the need for raised awareness by veterinarians of all ages of how to manage one's personal and professional identities online to minimize reputation risks for individuals and their practices and to protect the reputation and integrity of the veterinary profession.

Medium pH in submerged cultivation modulates differences in the intracellular protein profile of Fusarium oxysporum.

PubMed

da Rosa-Garzon, Nathália Gonsales; Laure, Hélen Julie; Souza-Motta, Cristina Maria de; Rosa, José César; Cabral, Hamilton

2017-08-09

Fusarium oxysporum is a filamentous fungus that damages a wide range of plants and thus causes severe crop losses. In fungal pathogens, the genes and proteins involved in virulence are known to be controlled by environmental pH. Here, we report the influence of culture-medium pH (5, 6, 7, and 8) on the production of degradative enzymes involved in the pathogenesis of F. oxysporum URM 7401 and on the 2D-electrophoresis profile of intracellular proteins in this fungus. F. oxysporum URM 7401 was grown in acidic, neutral, and alkaline culture media in a submerged bioprocess. After 96 hr, the crude extract was processed to enzyme activity assays, while the intracellular proteins were obtained from mycelium and analyzed using 2D electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. We note that the diversity of secreted enzymes was changed quantitatively in different culture-medium pH. Also, the highest accumulated biomass and the intracellular protein profile of F. oxysporum URM 7401 indicate an increase in metabolism in neutral-alkaline conditions. The differential profiles of secreted enzymes and intracellular proteins under the evaluated conditions indicate that the global protein content in F. oxysporum URM 7401 is modulated by extracellular pH.

Characteristics of ionospheric electron density profiles in the auroral and polar cap regions from long-term incoherent scatter radar observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jee, G.; Kim, E.; Kwak, Y. S.; Kim, Y.; Kil, H.

2017-12-01

We investigate the climatological characteristics of the ionospheric electron density profiles in the auroral and polar cap regions in comparison with the mid-latitude ionosphere using incoherent scatter radars (ISR) observations from Svalbard (78.15N, 16.05E), Tromso (69.59N, 19.23E), and Millstone Hill (42.6N, 288.5E) during a period of 1995 - 2015. Diurnal variations of electron density profiles from 100 to 500 km are compared among the three radar observations during equinox, summer and winter solstice for different solar and geomagnetic activities. Also investigated are the physical characteristics of E-region and F-region peak parameters of electron density profiles in the auroral and polar cap regions, which are significantly different from the mid-latitude ionosphere. In the polar ionosphere, the diurnal variations of density profiles are extremely small in summer hemisphere. Semiannual anomaly hardly appears for all latitudes, but winter anomaly occurs at mid-latitude and auroral ionospheres for high solar activity. Nighttime density becomes larger than daytime density in the winter polar cap ionosphere for high solar activity. The E-region peak is very distinctive in the nighttime auroral region and the peak height is nearly constant at about 110 km for all conditions. Compared with the F-region peak density, the E-region peak density does not change much with solar activity. Furthermore, the E-region peak density can be even larger than F-region density for low solar activity in the auroral region, particularly during disturbed condition.

Probing the Spatial Distribution of the Interstellar Dust Medium by High Angular Resolution X-ray Halos of Point Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Jingen

X-rays are absorbed and scattered by dust grains when they travel through the interstellar medium. The scattering within small angles results in an X-ray ``halo''. The halo properties are significantly affected by the energy of radiation, the optical depth of the scattering, the grain size distributions and compositions, and the spatial distribution of dust along the line of sight (LOS). Therefore analyzing the X-ray halo properties is an important tool to study the size distribution and spatial distribution of interstellar grains, which plays a central role in the astrophysical study of the interstellar medium, such as the thermodynamics and chemistry of the gas and the dynamics of star formation. With excellent angular resolution, good energy resolution and broad energy band, the Chandra ACIS is so far the best instrument for studying the X-ray halos. But the direct images of bright sources obtained with ACIS usually suffer from severe pileup which prevents us from obtaining the halos in small angles. We first improve the method proposed by Yao et al to resolve the X-ray dust scattering halos of point sources from the zeroth order data in CC-mode or the first order data in TE mode with Chandra HETG/ACIS. Using this method we re-analyze the Cygnus X-1 data observed with Chandra. Then we studied the X-ray dust scattering halos around 17 bright X-ray point sources using Chandra data. All sources were observed with the HETG/ACIS in CC-mode or TE-mode. Using the interstellar grain models of WD01 model and MRN model to fit the halo profiles, we get the hydrogen column densities and the spatial distributions of the scattering dust grains along the line of sights (LOS) to these sources. We find there is a good linear correlation not only between the scattering hydrogen column density from WD01 model and the one from MRN model, but also between N_{H} derived from spectral fits and the one derived from the grain models WD01 and MRN (except for GX 301-2 and Vela X-1): N_{H,WD01} = (0.720±0.009) × N_{H,abs} + (0.051±0.013) and N_{H, MRN} = (1.156±0.016) × N_{H,abs} + (0.062±0.024) in the units 10^{22} cm^{-2}. Then the correlation between FHI and N_{H} is obtained. Both WD01 model and MRN model fits show that the scattering dust density very close to these sources is much higher than the normal interstellar medium and we consider it is the evidence of molecular clouds around these X-ray binaries. We also find that there is the linear correlation between the effective distance through the galactic dust layer and hydrogen scattering olumn density N_{H} excluding the one in x=0.99-1.0 but the correlation does not exist between he effective distance and the N_{H} in x=0.99-1.0. It shows that the dust nearby the X-ray sources is not the dust from galactic disk. Then we estimate the structure and density of the stellar wind around the special X-ray pulsars Vela X-1 and GX 301-2. Finally we discuss the possibility of probing the three dimensional structure of the interstellar using the X-ray halos of the transient sources, probing the spatial distributions of interstellar dust medium nearby the point sources, even the structure of the stellar winds using higher angular resolution X-ray dust scattering halos and testing the model that the black hole can be formed from the direct collapse of a massive star without supernova using the statistical distribution of the dust density nearby the X-ray binaries.

Optically Tunable Gratings Based on Coherent Population Oscillation.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao-Jun; Wang, Hai-Hua; Wang, Lei; Wu, Jin-Hui

2018-05-01

We theoretically study the optically tunable gratings based on a L-type atomic medium using coherent population oscillations from the angle of reflection and transmission of the probe field. Adopting a standing-wave driving field, the refractive index of the medium as well as the absorption are periodically modified. Consequently, the Bragg scattering causes the effective reflection. We show that different intensities of the control field lead to three types of reflection profile which actually correspond to different absorption/amplification features of the medium. We present a detailed analyses about the influence of amplification on the reflection profile as well. The coherent population oscillation is robust to the dephasing effect, and such induced gratings could have promising applications in nonlinear optics and all-optical information processing.

Numerical simulation of rotating body movement in medium with various densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tenenev, Valentin A.; Korolev, Stanislav A.; Rusyak, Ivan G.

2016-10-01

The paper proposes an approach to calculate the motion of rotating bodies in resisting medium by solving the Kirchhoff equations of motion in a coordinate system moving with the body and in determination of aerodynamic characteristics of the body with a given geometry by solving the Navier-Stokes equations. We present the phase trajectories of the perturbed motion of a rotating projectile in media with different densities: gas and liquid.

Changes in the chemical composition and spectroscopy of loblolly pine medium density fiberboard furnish as a function of age and refining pressure

Treesearch

Stephen S. Kelley; Thomas Elder; Leslie H. Groom

2005-01-01

Loblolly pine wood between the ages of 5-35 was refined into medium density fiberboard furnish at steam pressures from 2 to 18 bar, The effect of age and processing conditions on the properties of the fibers was assessed by wet chemical analyses, Near Infared Spectroscopy (NIR) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD).In general ,the percentages of extractives and glucose...

Cognitive Profile in Low, Medium and High Creative Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrando, Mercedes; Bermejo, Rosario; Sainz, Marta; Ferrandiz, Carmen; Prieto, Maria Dolores; Soto, Gloria

2012-01-01

Introduction: The aim of the present work is to advance in the study of creativity-intelligence relationship looking into the students' cognitive profiles. It is hypothesized that, if creative ideas emerge as result of connecting distant concepts, and a balanced cognitive profile (without significant differences between ability levels) can…

The Effect of T'ai Chi Exercise on Lipid Profiles: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

PubMed

Alenazi, Aqeel M; Alshehri, Mohammed M; Hoover, Jeffrey C; Yabroudi, Mohammad A; Kachanathu, Shaji John; Liu, Wen

2018-03-01

Cardiovascular disease is a common health problem resulting from many factors, including dyslipidemia. T'ai chi is one of the interventions assigned to improve lipid profiles and other physical outcomes. However, conflicting results might be attributed to different study designs and interventional approaches. A systematic review and meta-analysis are needed to evaluate existing evidence. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate existing randomized clinical trials (RCTs) regarding the overall effect of t'ai chi exercise on lipid profiles. Electronic databases (MEDLINE and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) were searched. The authors included only English peer reviewed published RCTs that used a t'ai chi intervention and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) as the primary outcome along with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and/or total cholesterol (TC) as secondary outcomes. The authors identified 37 potentially eligible studies. Only eight RCTs were eligible for their qualitative review, and seven studies were eligible for meta-analysis. The included studies were rated as having a low risk of bias. Despite the overall low risk of bias, all studies failed to blind participants to group assignment and were generally unclear about whether they were selectively reporting data. A fixed effect model (I 2  = 38.16%) demonstrated a small positive effect of t'ai chi on HDL-C (Cohen d = 0.12; standard error [SE] = 0.067; p = 0.037). A random effect model demonstrated a medium effect and small effect for LDL-C (Cohen d = 0.47; SE = 0.347; p = 0.089) and TC (Cohen d = 0.34; SE = 0.225; p = 0.066), respectively. T'ai chi may potentially be beneficial on lipid profiles across different age groups and populations. Although there were conflicting results regarding the effect of t'ai chi on lipid profiles, the majority of studies had at least a small positive effect indicating a potential positive effect of t'ai chi on HDL-C, LDL-C, and/or TC. Therefore, further research is needed to confirm the small positive effect of t'ai chi on lipid profiles found in this review.

Seismic Velocity Anomalies in the Outer Core: The Final Frontier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevenson, D. J.

2008-12-01

Variation in density along outer core geoid surfaces must be very small (of order one part in a billion) since the resulting fluid motions and buoyancy fluxes would otherwise be prohibitively large for any reasonable choice of outer core viscosity. In any situation where seismic velocity variations are proportional to density variations (a generalized Birch's "law") this means that the resulting seismic travel time variations in the outer core would be unobservable. The largest lateral variations in the outer core are thus likely to arise from the distortion of geoid surfaces caused by density anomalies in the mantle or inner core. However, these do not change on decadal timescales and would be very difficult to separate from the inner core or mantle variations that cause them. Nonetheless, a recent study (Dai and Song, GRL, vol. 35, L16311, doi:10.1029/2008GL034895) provides evidence for time-variable outer core seismic velocity at the level of ten parts per million. Assuming this is real, I argue that the best candidate explanation is that all or part of the outer core is a two-phase medium consisting of a small mass fraction of small (ten or 100 micron-sized) particles of exsolving silicate material suspended in the convecting liquid. The seismic velocity of this two phase medium can vary at the desired level should the size distribution of particles vary from place to place (and with time) as one would expect in a convecting system, even though the mean density of the medium is invariant at the level of a part per billion, as required by dynamical considerations (thus invalidating Birch's "law"). The seismic velocity variation depends on the ratio of diffusion times to seismic periods, where the diffusion times are thermal or compositional for the particles or the particle spacing. This idea is not new (cf. Stevenson, JGR, 1983) but gains increased impetus from recent work on the nature of core formation and the desirability of an additional energy source for driving the geodynamo, as would arise if of order 10km of mantle underplating occurred over all of geologic time. The amount of suspended material will be tiny at any one time, illustrating the remarkable sensitivity of seismic waves to the microstructure of the medium. Consequences of this picture include some dissipation (finite Q) in the outer core and a significant frequency dependence of this effect, but precise predictions are difficult because of uncertainties in particle kinetics and convective velocities. The two-phase region may also influence radial seismic velocity profiles, particularly in the layers immediately adjacent to the boundaries (e.g., the layer just below the core-mantle boundary), an effect that has been suggested in the literature on many occasions. Even so, this explanation for lateral variability remains marginal at best, suggesting that the claimed observation is either not real or that some other explanation still awaits discovery.

Recovering galaxy cluster gas density profiles with XMM-Newton and Chandra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartalucci, I.; Arnaud, M.; Pratt, G. W.; Vikhlinin, A.; Pointecouteau, E.; Forman, W. R.; Jones, C.; Mazzotta, P.; Andrade-Santos, F.

2017-12-01

We examined the reconstruction of galaxy cluster radial density profiles obtained from Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observations, using high quality data for a sample of twelve objects covering a range of morphologies and redshifts. By comparing the results obtained from the two observatories and by varying key aspects of the analysis procedure, we examined the impact of instrumental effects and of differences in the methodology used in the recovery of the density profiles. We find that the final density profile shape is particularly robust. We adapted the photon weighting vignetting correction method developed for XMM-Newton for use with Chandra data, and confirm that the resulting Chandra profiles are consistent with those corrected a posteriori for vignetting effects. Profiles obtained from direct deprojection and those derived using parametric models are consistent at the 1% level. At radii larger than 6″, the agreement between Chandra and XMM-Newton is better than 1%, confirming an excellent understanding of the XMM-Newton PSF. Furthermore, we find no significant energy dependence. The impact of the well-known offset between Chandra and XMM-Newton gas temperature determinations on the density profiles is found to be negligible. However, we find an overall normalisation offset in density profiles of the order of 2.5%, which is linked to absolute flux cross-calibration issues. As a final result, the weighted ratios of Chandra to XMM-Newton gas masses computed at R2500 and R500 are r = 1.03 ± 0.01 and r = 1.03 ± 0.03, respectively. Our study confirms that the radial density profiles are robustly recovered, and that any differences between Chandra and XMM-Newton can be constrained to the 2.5% level, regardless of the exact data analysis details. These encouraging results open the way for the true combination of X-ray observations of galaxy clusters, fully leveraging the high resolution of Chandra and the high throughput of XMM-Newton.

Study of electromagnetic wave scattering from an inhomogeneous plasma layer using Green's function volume integral equation method

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

Soltanmoradi, Elmira; Shokri, Babak, E-mail: b-shokri@sbu.ac.ir; Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, G. C., Evin, Tehran 19839-63113

Gigahertz electromagnetic wave scattering from an inhomogeneous collisional plasma layer with bell-like and Epstein electron density distributions is studied by the Green's function volume integral equation method to find the reflectance, transmittance, and absorbance coefficients of this inhomogeneous plasma. Also, the effects of the frequency of the electromagnetic wave, plasma parameters, such as collision frequency, electron density, and plasma thickness, and the effects of the profile of the electron density on the electromagnetic wave scattering from this plasma slab are investigated. According to the results, when the electron density, collision frequency, and plasma thickness are increased, collisional absorbance is enhanced,more » and as a result, the absorbance bandwidth of plasma is broadened. Moreover, this broadening is more evident for plasma with bell-like electron density profile. Also, the bandwidth of the frequency and the range of pressure in which plasma behaves as a good reflector are determined in this article. According to the results, the bandwidth of the frequency is decreased for thicker plasma with bell-like profile, while it does not vary for a different plasma thickness with Epstein profile. Moreover, the range of the pressure is decreased for bell-like profile in comparison with Epstein profile. Furthermore, due to the sharp inhomogeneity of the Epstein profile, the coefficients of plasma that are uniform for plasma with bell-like profile are changed for plasma with Epstein profile, and some perturbations are seen.« less

Measurement of Fe2+ ion by coulometry method at incubation of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans.

PubMed

Tsuda, I; Kato, K; Nozaki, K

1996-12-01

Thiobacillus ferrooxidans is a chemoautotrophic bacterium that is capable of using Fe2+ oxidation by O2 as the sole source of energy for growth and CO2 fixation. The idea of the solar bacterial biomass farm by using of this bacterium is proposed. The incubation experiment of these bacteria was carried out, and the 9K culture medium as the standard medium for T. ferrooxidans was used. The measurement of Fe2+ in the growth stage was carried out as the first step of the experiments to clarify the possibility of this system. The items of measurement were Fe2+ ion density, pH of the medium, bacterium density and quantity of total organic carbon (TOC). The density of Fe2+ ion in the medium was measured by coulometry method. This method has the following advantage, high accuracy (<1%), easy operation, short measurement time (a few minutes) and small sample quantity (about 0.1 ml). The experimental results show that the Fe 2+ ion density is measured as same as the accuracy of pH measurement. At the final stage of the growth, the pH decreased due to the generation of the iron hydroxide (Fe(OH)3). The bacterium density and TOC slightly increased after that Fe2+ runs short. This result shows that the CO2 fixation speed is slower than Fe2+ oxidation speed. It is shown by the experiment that the growth limit of T. ferrooxidans is caused by the disappearance of the Fe2+ ion. It may be possible that the bacterium density increases by the continuous supply of Fe2+ ion.

Prevalence and distribution of Aeromonas hydrophila in the United States.

PubMed

Hazen, T C; Fliermans, C B; Hirsch, R P; Esch, G W

1978-11-01

The abundance of Aeromonas hydrophila was measured in 147 natural aquatic habitats in 30 states and Puerto Rico. Viable cell counts were used to estimate density at all sites by using Rimler-Shotts medium, a differential presumptive medium for A. hydrophila. Temperature, pH, conductivity, salinity, and turbidity were measured simultaneously with water sample collection. The density of A. hydrophila was higher in lotic than in lentic systems. Saline systems had higher densities of A. hydrophila than did freshwater systems. A. hydrophila could not be isolated from extremely saline, thermal, or polluted waters, even though it was found over wide ranges of salinity, conductivity, temperature, pH, and turbidity. Of the water quality parameters measured, only conductivity was significantly regressed with density of A. hydrophila.

The Role of Paracrine and Autocrine Signaling in the Early Phase of Adipogenic Differentiation of Adipose-derived Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Hemmingsen, Mette; Vedel, Søren; Skafte-Pedersen, Peder; Sabourin, David; Collas, Philippe; Bruus, Henrik; Dufva, Martin

2013-01-01

Introduction High cell density is known to enhance adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, suggesting secretion of signaling factors or cell-contact-mediated signaling. By employing microfluidic biochip technology, we have been able to separate these two processes and study the secretion pathways. Methods and results Adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) cultured in a microfluidic system was investigated under perfusion conditions with an adipogenic medium or an adipogenic medium supplemented with supernatant from differentiating ASCs (conditioned medium). Conditioned medium increased adipogenic differentiation compared to adipogenic medium with respect to accumulation of lipid-filled vacuoles and gene expression of key adipogenic markers (C/EBPα, C/EBPβ, C/EBPδ, PPARγ, LPL and adiponectin). The positive effects of conditioned medium were observed early in the differentiation process. Conclusions Using different cell densities and microfluidic perfusion cell cultures to suppress the effects of cell-released factors, we have demonstrated the significant role played by auto- or paracrine signaling in adipocyte differentiation. The cell-released factor(s) were shown to act in the recruitment phase of the differentiation process. PMID:23723991

Effect of resistivity profile on current decay time of initial phase of current quench in neon-gas-puff inducing disruptions of JT-60U

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

Kawakami, S.; Ohno, N.; Shibata, Y.

2013-11-15

According to an early work [Y. Shibata et al., Nucl. Fusion 50, 025015 (2010)] on the behavior of the plasma current decay in the JT-60U disruptive discharges caused by the radiative collapse with a massive neon-gas-puff, the increase of the internal inductance mainly determined the current decay time of plasma current during the initial phase of current quench. To investigate what determines the increase of the internal inductance, we focus attention on the relationship between the electron temperature (or the resistivity) profile and the time evolution of the current density profile and carry out numerical calculations. As a result, wemore » find the reason of the increase of the internal inductance: The current density profile at the start of the current quench is broader than an expected current density profile in the steady state, which is determined by the temperature (or resistivity) profile. The current density profile evolves into peaked one and the internal inductance is increasing.« less

Depth profiles of oxygen precipitates in nitride-coated silicon wafers subjected to rapid thermal annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voronkov, V. V.; Falster, R.; Kim, TaeHyeong; Park, SoonSung; Torack, T.

2013-07-01

Silicon wafers, coated with a silicon nitride layer and subjected to high temperature Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) in Ar, show—upon a subsequent two-step precipitation anneal cycle (such as 800 °C + 1000 °C)—peculiar depth profiles of oxygen precipitate densities. Some profiles are sharply peaked near the wafer surface, sometimes with a zero bulk density. Other profiles are uniform in depth. The maximum density is always the same. These profiles are well reproduced by simulations assuming that precipitation starts from a uniformly distributed small oxide plates originated from RTA step and composed of oxygen atoms and vacancies ("VO2 plates"). During the first step of the precipitation anneal, an oxide layer propagates around this core plate by a process of oxygen attachment, meaning that an oxygen-only ring-shaped plate emerges around the original plate. These rings, depending on their size, then either dissolve or grow during the second part of the anneal leading to a rich variety of density profiles.

Atmospheric constituent density profiles from full disk solar occultation experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lumpe, J. D.; Chang, C. S.; Strickland, D. J.

1991-01-01

Mathematical methods are described which permit the derivation of the number of density profiles of atmospheric constituents from solar occultation measurements. The algorithm is first applied to measurements corresponding to an arbitrary solar-intensity distribution to calculate the normalized absorption profile. The application of Fourier transform to the integral equation yields a precise expression for the corresponding number density, and the solution is employed with the data given in the form of Laguerre polynomials. The algorithm is employed to calculate the results for the case of uniform distribution of solar intensity, and the results demonstrate the convergence properties of the method. The algorithm can be used to effectively model representative model-density profiles with constant and altitude-dependent scale heights.

Electronic properties of Laves phase ZrFe{sub 2} using Compton spectroscopy

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

Bhatt, Samir, E-mail: sameerbhatto11@gmail.com; Kumar, Kishor; Ahuja, B. L.

First-ever experimental Compton profile of Laves phase ZrFe{sub 2}, using indigenous 20 Ci {sup 137}Cs Compton spectrometer, is presented. To analyze the experimental electron momentum density, we have deduced the theoretical Compton profiles using density functional theory (DFT) and hybridization of DFT and Hartree-Fock scheme within linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) method. The energy bands and density of states are also calculated using LCAO prescription. The theoretical profile based on local density approximation gives a better agreement with the experimental profile than other reported schemes. The present investigations validate the inclusion of correlation potential of Perdew-Zunger in predicting themore » electronic properties of ZrFe{sub 2}.« less

Effects of refractive index mismatch in optical CT imaging of polymer gel dosimeters.

PubMed

Manjappa, Rakesh; Makki S, Sharath; Kumar, Rajesh; Kanhirodan, Rajan

2015-02-01

Proposing an image reconstruction technique, algebraic reconstruction technique-refraction correction (ART-rc). The proposed method takes care of refractive index mismatches present in gel dosimeter scanner at the boundary, and also corrects for the interior ray refraction. Polymer gel dosimeters with high dose regions have higher refractive index and optical density compared to the background medium, these changes in refractive index at high dose results in interior ray bending. The inclusion of the effects of refraction is an important step in reconstruction of optical density in gel dosimeters. The proposed ray tracing algorithm models the interior multiple refraction at the inhomogeneities. Jacob's ray tracing algorithm has been modified to calculate the pathlengths of the ray that traverses through the higher dose regions. The algorithm computes the length of the ray in each pixel along its path and is used as the weight matrix. Algebraic reconstruction technique and pixel based reconstruction algorithms are used for solving the reconstruction problem. The proposed method is tested with numerical phantoms for various noise levels. The experimental dosimetric results are also presented. The results show that the proposed scheme ART-rc is able to reconstruct optical density inside the dosimeter better than the results obtained using filtered backprojection and conventional algebraic reconstruction approaches. The quantitative improvement using ART-rc is evaluated using gamma-index. The refraction errors due to regions of different refractive indices are discussed. The effects of modeling of interior refraction in the dose region are presented. The errors propagated due to multiple refraction effects have been modeled and the improvements in reconstruction using proposed model is presented. The refractive index of the dosimeter has a mismatch with the surrounding medium (for dry air or water scanning). The algorithm reconstructs the dose profiles by estimating refractive indices of multiple inhomogeneities having different refractive indices and optical densities embedded in the dosimeter. This is achieved by tracking the path of the ray that traverses through the dosimeter. Extensive simulation studies have been carried out and results are found to be matching that of experimental results.

Effects of refractive index mismatch in optical CT imaging of polymer gel dosimeters

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

Manjappa, Rakesh; Makki S, Sharath; Kanhirodan, Rajan, E-mail: rajan@physics.iisc.ernet.in

2015-02-15

Purpose: Proposing an image reconstruction technique, algebraic reconstruction technique-refraction correction (ART-rc). The proposed method takes care of refractive index mismatches present in gel dosimeter scanner at the boundary, and also corrects for the interior ray refraction. Polymer gel dosimeters with high dose regions have higher refractive index and optical density compared to the background medium, these changes in refractive index at high dose results in interior ray bending. Methods: The inclusion of the effects of refraction is an important step in reconstruction of optical density in gel dosimeters. The proposed ray tracing algorithm models the interior multiple refraction at themore » inhomogeneities. Jacob’s ray tracing algorithm has been modified to calculate the pathlengths of the ray that traverses through the higher dose regions. The algorithm computes the length of the ray in each pixel along its path and is used as the weight matrix. Algebraic reconstruction technique and pixel based reconstruction algorithms are used for solving the reconstruction problem. The proposed method is tested with numerical phantoms for various noise levels. The experimental dosimetric results are also presented. Results: The results show that the proposed scheme ART-rc is able to reconstruct optical density inside the dosimeter better than the results obtained using filtered backprojection and conventional algebraic reconstruction approaches. The quantitative improvement using ART-rc is evaluated using gamma-index. The refraction errors due to regions of different refractive indices are discussed. The effects of modeling of interior refraction in the dose region are presented. Conclusions: The errors propagated due to multiple refraction effects have been modeled and the improvements in reconstruction using proposed model is presented. The refractive index of the dosimeter has a mismatch with the surrounding medium (for dry air or water scanning). The algorithm reconstructs the dose profiles by estimating refractive indices of multiple inhomogeneities having different refractive indices and optical densities embedded in the dosimeter. This is achieved by tracking the path of the ray that traverses through the dosimeter. Extensive simulation studies have been carried out and results are found to be matching that of experimental results.« less

The effect of the external medium on the gravitropic curvature of rice (Oryza sativa, Poaceae) roots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Staves, M. P.; Wayne, R.; Leopold, A. C.

1997-01-01

The roots of rice seedlings, growing in artificial pond water, exhibit robust gravitropic curvature when placed perpendicular to the vector of gravity. To determine whether the statolith theory (in which intracellular sedimenting particles are responsible for gravity sensing) or the gravitational pressure theory (in which the entire protoplast acts as the gravity sensor) best accounts for gravity sensing in rice roots, we changed the physical properties of the external medium with impermeant solutes and examined the effect on gravitropism. As the density of the external medium is increased, the rate of gravitropic curvature decreases. The decrease in the rate of gravicurvature cannot be attributed to an inhibition of growth, since rice roots grown in 100 Osm/m3 (0.248 MPa) solutions of different densities all support the same root growth rate but inhibit gravicurvature increasingly with increasing density. By contrast, the sedimentation rate of amyloplasts in the columella cells is unaffected by the external density. These results are consistent with the gravitational pressure theory of gravity sensing, but cannot be explained by the statolith theory.

A Numerical Fit of Analytical to Simulated Density Profiles in Dark Matter Haloes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caimmi, R.; Marmo, C.; Valentinuzzi, T.

2005-06-01

Analytical and geometrical properties of generalized power-law (GPL) density profiles are investigated in detail. In particular, a one-to-one correspondence is found between mathematical parameters (a scaling radius, r_0, a scaling density, rho_0, and three exponents, alpha, beta, gamma), and geometrical parameters (the coordinates of the intersection of the asymptotes, x_C, y_C, and three vertical intercepts, b, b_beta, b_gamma, related to the curve and the asymptotes, respectively): (r_0,rho_0,alpha,beta,gamma) <--> (x_C,y_C,b,b_beta,b_gamma). Then GPL density profiles are compared with simulated dark haloes (SDH) density profiles, and nonlinear least-absolute values and least-squares fits involving the above mentioned five parameters (RFSM5 method) are prescribed. More specifically, the sum of absolute values or squares of absolute logarithmic residuals, R_i= log rhoSDH(r_i)-log rhoGPL(r_i), is evaluated on 10^5 points making a 5- dimension hypergrid, through a few iterations. The size is progressively reduced around a fiducial minimum, and superpositions on nodes of earlier hypergrids are avoided. An application is made to a sample of 17 SDHs on the scale of cluster of galaxies, within a flat LambdaCDM cosmological model (Rasia et al. 2004). In dealing with the mean SDH density profile, a virial radius, rvir, averaged over the whole sample, is assigned, which allows the calculation of the remaining parameters. Using a RFSM5 method provides a better fit with respect to other methods. The geometrical parameters, averaged over the whole sample of best fitting GPL density profiles, yield (alpha,beta,gamma) approx(0.6,3.1,1.0), to be compared with (alpha,beta,gamma)=(1,3,1), i.e. the NFW density profile (Navarro et al. 1995, 1996, 1997), (alpha,beta,gamma)=(1.5,3,1.5) (Moore et al. 1998, 1999), (alpha,beta,gamma)=(1,2.5,1) (Rasia et al. 2004); and, in addition, gamma approx 1.5 (Hiotelis 2003), deduced from the application of a RFSM5 method, but using a different definition of scaled radius, or concentration; and gamma approx 1.2-1.3 deduced from more recent high-resolution simulations (Diemand et al. 2004, Reed et al. 2005). No evident correlation is found between SDH dynamical state (relaxed or merging) and asymptotic inner slope of the fitting logarithmic density profile or (for SDH comparable virial masses) scaled radius. Mean values and standard deviations of some parameters are calculated, and in particular the decimal logarithm of the scaled radius, xivir, reads < log xivir >=0.74 and sigma_s log xivir=0.15-0.17, consistent with previous results related to NFW density profiles. It provides additional support to the idea, that NFW density profiles may be considered as a convenient way to parametrize SDH density profiles, without implying that it necessarily produces the best possible fit (Bullock et al. 2001). A certain degree of degeneracy is found in fitting GPL to SDH density profiles. If it is intrinsic to the RFSM5 method or it could be reduced by the next generation of high-resolution simulations, still remains an open question.

Instability of a shear layer between multicomponent fluids at supercritical pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Qing-fei; Zhang, Yun-xiao; Mo, Chao-jie; Yang, Li-jun

2018-04-01

The temporal instability of a thin shear layer lying between streams of two components of fluids has been studied. The effects of density profile of the layer on the instability behavior were mainly considered. The detailed density profile was obtained through Linear Gradient Theory. The eigenvalue problem was calculated, and the temporal instability curves were obtained for the thermodynamic parameters, e.g. pressure and temperature. The results show that, increase of pressure leads to the increase of the maximum growth rate. However, increasing pressure has opposite effects on the disturbances with small and large wave length. The increase of temperature causes the decrease of disturbance growth rate. The instability behavior of the shear layers was determined mainly by the interval between the inflections of the velocity and density profiles, and the maximum density gradient. The total effects, determined by coupling density stratification, and interval between the inflections of the velocity and density profiles, were quite distinct for different ranges of temperature and pressure.

First Ionospheric Results From the MAVEN Radio Occultation Science Experiment (ROSE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Withers, Paul; Felici, M.; Mendillo, M.; Moore, L.; Narvaez, C.; Vogt, M. F.; Jakosky, B. M.

2018-05-01

Radio occultation observations of the ionosphere of Mars can span the full vertical extent of the ionosphere, in contrast to in situ measurements that rarely sample the main region of the ionosphere. However, most existing radio occultation electron density profiles from Mars were acquired without clear context for the solar forcing or magnetospheric conditions, which presents challenges for the interpretation of these profiles. Here we present 48 ionospheric electron density profiles acquired by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission (MAVEN) Radio Occultation Science Experiment (ROSE) from 5 July 2016 to 27 June 2017 at solar zenith angles of 54° to 101°. Latitude coverage is excellent, and comprehensive context for the interpretation of these profiles is provided by other MAVEN instruments. The profiles show a 9-km increase in ionospheric peak altitude in January 2017 that is associated with a lower atmospheric dust storm, variations in electron densities in the M1 layer that cannot be explained by variations in the solar soft X-ray flux, and topside electron densities that are larger in strongly magnetized regions than in weakly magnetized regions. MAVEN Radio Occultation Science Experiment electron density profiles are publicly available on the NASA Planetary Data System.

The effect of dissipative inhomogeneous medium on the statistics of the wave intensity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saatchi, Sasan S.

1993-01-01

One of the main theoretical points in the theory of wave propagation in random medium is the derivation of closed form equations to describe the statistics of the propagating waves. In particular, in one dimensional problems, the closed form representation of the multiple scattering effects is important since it contributes in understanding such problems like wave localization, backscattering enhancement, and intensity fluctuations. In this the propagation of plane waves in a layer of one-dimensional dissipative random medium is considered. The medium is modeled by a complex permittivity whose real part is a constant representing the absorption. The one dimensional problem is mathematically equivalent to the analysis of a transmission line with randomly perturbed distributed parameters and a single mode lossy waveguide and the results can be used to study the propagation of radio waves through atmosphere and the remote sensing of geophysical media. It is assumed the scattering medium consists of an ensemble of one-dimensional point scatterers randomly positioned in a layer of thickness L with diffuse boundaries. A Poisson impulse process with density lambda is used to model the position of scatterers in the medium. By employing the Markov properties of this process an exact closed form equation of Kolmogorov-Feller type was obtained for the probability density of the reflection coefficient. This equation was solved by combining two limiting cases: (1) when the density of scatterers is small; and (2) when the medium is weakly dissipative. A two variable perturbation method for small lambda was used to obtain solutions valid for thick layers. These solutions are then asymptotically evaluated for small dissipation. To show the effect of dissipation, the mean and fluctuations of the reflected power are obtained. The results were compared with a lossy homogeneous medium and with a lossless inhomogeneous medium and the regions where the effect of absorption is not essential were discussed.

RECOZ data reduction and analysis: Programs and procedures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, E. I.

1984-01-01

The RECOZ data reduction programs transform data from the RECOZ photometer to ozone number density and overburden as a function of altitude. Required auxiliary data are the altitude profile versus time and for appropriate corrections to the ozone cross sections and scattering effects, air pressure and temperature profiles. Air temperature and density profiles may also be used to transform the ozone density versus geometric altitude to other units, such as to ozone partial pressure or mixing ratio versus pressure altitude. There are seven programs used to accomplish this: RADAR, LISTRAD, RAW OZONE, EDIT OZONE, MERGE, SMOOTH, and PROFILE.

A simulation of the intracluster medium with feedback from cluster galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Metzler, Christopher A.; Evrard, August E.

1994-01-01

We detail method and report first results from a three-dimensional hydrodynamical and N-body simulation of the formation and evolution of a Coma-sized cluster of galaxies, with the intent of studying the history of the hot, X-ray emitting intracluster medium. Cluster gas, galaxies, and dark matter are included in the model. The galaxies and dark matter fell gravitational forces; the cluster gas also undergoes hydrodynamical effects such as shock heating and PdV work. For the first time in three dimensions, we include modeling of ejection of processed gas from the simulated galaxies by winds, including heating and heavy element enrichment. For comparison, we employ a `pure infall' simulation using the same initial conditions but with no galaxies or winds. We employ an extreme ejection history for galactic feedback in order to define the boundary of likely models. As expected, feedback raises the entropy of the intracluster gas, preventing it from collapsing to densities as high as those attained in the infall model. The effect is more pronounced in subclusters formed at high redshift. The cluster with feedback is always less X-ray luminous, but experiences more rapid luminosity evolution, than the pure infall cluster. Even employing an extreme ejection model, the final gas temperature is only approximately 15% larger than in the infall model. The radial temperature profile is very nearly isothermal within 1.5 Mpc. The cluster galaxies in the feedback model have a velocity dispersion approximately 15% lower than the dark matter. This results in the true ratio of specific energies in galaxies to gas being less than one, beta(sub spec) approximately 0.7. The infall model predicts beta(sub spec) approximately 1.2. Large excursions in these values occur over time, following the complex dynamical history of the cluster. The morphology of the X-ray emission is little affected by feedback. The emission profiles of both clusters are well described by the standard beta-model with beta(sub fit) approximately equal to 0.7 - 0.9. X-ray mass estimates based on the assumptions of hydrostatic equilibrium and the applicability of the beta-model are quite accurate in both cases. A strong, radial iron abundance gradient is present, which develops as a consequence of the steepening of the galaxy density profile over time. Spectroscopic observations using nonimaging detectors with wide (approximately 45 min) fields of view dramatically smear the gradient. Observations with arcminute resolution, made available with the ASCA satellite, would readily resolve the gradient.

2D electron density profile measurement in tokamak by laser-accelerated ion-beam probe.

PubMed

Chen, Y H; Yang, X Y; Lin, C; Wang, L; Xu, M; Wang, X G; Xiao, C J

2014-11-01

A new concept of Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) diagnostic has been proposed, of which the key is to replace the electrostatic accelerator of traditional HIBP by a laser-driven ion accelerator. Due to the large energy spread of ions, the laser-accelerated HIBP can measure the two-dimensional (2D) electron density profile of tokamak plasma. In a preliminary simulation, a 2D density profile was reconstructed with a spatial resolution of about 2 cm, and with the error below 15% in the core region. Diagnostics of 2D density fluctuation is also discussed.

Drift effect and "negative" mass transport in an inhomogeneous medium: limiting case of a two-component lattice gas.

PubMed

Lukyanets, Sergei P; Kliushnychenko, Oleksandr V

2010-11-01

The mass transport in an inhomogeneous medium is modeled as the limiting case of a two-component lattice gas with excluded volume constraint and one of the components fixed. In the long-wavelength approximation, the density relaxation of mobile particles is governed by diffusion and interaction with a medium inhomogeneity represented by the static component distribution. It is shown that the density relaxation can be locally accompanied by density distribution compression, i.e., the local mass transport directed from low-to high-density regions. The origin of such a "negative" mass transport is shown to be associated with the presence of a stationary drift flow defined by the medium inhomogeneity. In the quasi-one-dimensional case, the compression dynamics manifests itself in the hoppinglike motion of packet front position of diffusing substance due to staged passing through inhomogeneity barriers, and it leads to fragmentation of the packet and retardation of its spreading. The root-mean-square displacement reflects only the averaged packet front dynamics and becomes inappropriate as the transport characteristic in this regime. In the stationary case, the mass transport throughout the whole system may be directed from the boundary with lower concentration towards the boundary with higher concentration. Implications of the excluded volume constraint and particle distinguishability for these effects are discussed.

Radio emission of SN1993J: the complete picture. II. Simultaneous fit of expansion and radio light curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martí-Vidal, I.; Marcaide, J. M.; Alberdi, A.; Guirado, J. C.; Pérez-Torres, M. A.; Ros, E.

2011-02-01

We report on a simultaneous modelling of the expansion and radio light curves of the supernova SN1993J. We developed a simulation code capable of generating synthetic expansion and radio light curves of supernovae by taking into consideration the evolution of the expanding shock, magnetic fields, and relativistic electrons, as well as the finite sensitivity of the interferometric arrays used in the observations. Our software successfully fits all the available radio data of SN 1993J with a standard emission model for supernovae, which is extended with some physical considerations, such as an evolution in the opacity of the ejecta material, a radial decline in the magnetic fields within the radiating region, and a changing radial density profile for the circumstellar medium starting from day 3100 after the explosion.

Multi-energy SXR cameras for magnetically confined fusion plasmas (invited).

PubMed

Delgado-Aparicio, L F; Maddox, J; Pablant, N; Hill, K; Bitter, M; Rice, J E; Granetz, R; Hubbard, A; Irby, J; Greenwald, M; Marmar, E; Tritz, K; Stutman, D; Stratton, B; Efthimion, P

2016-11-01

A compact multi-energy soft x-ray camera has been developed for time, energy and space-resolved measurements of the soft-x-ray emissivity in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. Multi-energy soft x-ray imaging provides a unique opportunity for measuring, simultaneously, a variety of important plasma properties (T e , n Z , ΔZ eff , and n e,fast ). The electron temperature can be obtained by modeling the slope of the continuum radiation from ratios of the available brightness and inverted radial emissivity profiles over multiple energy ranges. Impurity density measurements are also possible using the line-emission from medium- to high-Z impurities to separate the background as well as transient levels of metal contributions. This technique should be explored also as a burning plasma diagnostic in-view of its simplicity and robustness.

Current density distributions, field distributions and impedance analysis of segmented deep brain stimulation electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Xuefeng F.; Grill, Warren M.

2005-12-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes are designed to stimulate specific areas of the brain. The most widely used DBS electrode has a linear array of 4 cylindrical contacts that can be selectively turned on depending on the placement of the electrode and the specific area of the brain to be stimulated. The efficacy of DBS therapy can be improved by localizing the current delivery into specific populations of neurons and by increasing the power efficiency through a suitable choice of electrode geometrical characteristics. We investigated segmented electrode designs created by sectioning each cylindrical contact into multiple rings. Prototypes of these designs, made with different materials and larger dimensions than those of clinical DBS electrodes, were evaluated in vitro and in simulation. A finite element model was developed to study the effects of varying the electrode characteristics on the current density and field distributions in an idealized electrolytic medium and in vitro experiments were conducted to measure the electrode impedance. The current density over the electrode surface increased towards the edges of the electrode, and multiple edges increased the non-uniformity of the current density profile. The edge effects were more pronounced over the end segments than over the central segments. Segmented electrodes generated larger magnitudes of the second spatial difference of the extracellular potentials, and thus required lower stimulation intensities to achieve the same level of neuronal activation as solid electrodes. For a fixed electrode conductive area, increasing the number of segments (edges) decreased the impedance compared to a single solid electrode, because the average current density over the segments increased. Edge effects played a critical role in determining the current density distributions, neuronal excitation patterns, and impedance of cylindrical electrodes, and segmented electrodes provide a means to increase the efficiency of DBS.

EFFECTS OF LASER RADIATION ON MATTER. LASER PLASMA: Steepening of the density profile under the action of a ponderomotive force during isothermal planar plasma expansion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garanin, Sergey G.; Kir'yanov, Yu F.; Kochemasov, G. G.

1990-06-01

A theoretical investigation is reported of the deformation of the density profile of a plasma by a ponderomotive force under transient conditions. Initially, the structure of the density profile near the critical point coincides exactly with the solution of the steady-state problem. Plasma expansion is accompanied by growth of a spiky instability in the form of stimulated Brillouin scattering.

Impact of Te and ne on edge current density profiles in ELM mitigated regimes on ASDEX Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunne, M. G.; Rathgeber, S.; Burckhart, A.; Fischer, R.; Giannone, L.; McCarthy, P. J.; Schneider, P. A.; Wolfrum, E.; the ASDEX Upgrade Team

2015-01-01

ELM resolved edge current density profiles are reconstructed using the CLISTE equilibrium code. As input, highly spatially and temporally resolved edge electron temperature and density profiles are used in addition to data from the extensive set of external poloidal field measurements available at ASDEX Upgrade, flux loop difference measurements, and current measurements in the scrape-off layer. Both the local and flux surface averaged current density profiles are analysed for several ELM mitigation regimes. The focus throughout is on the impact of altered temperature and density profiles on the current density. In particular, many ELM mitigation regimes rely on operation at high density. Two reference plasmas with type-I ELMs are analysed, one with a deuterium gas puff and one without, in order to provide a reference for the behaviour in type-II ELMy regimes and high density ELM mitigation with external magnetic perturbations at ASDEX Upgrade. For type-II ELMs it is found that while a similar pedestal top pressure is sustained at the higher density, the temperature gradient decreases in the pedestal. This results in lower local and flux surface averaged current densities in these phases, which reduces the drive for the peeling mode. No significant differences between the current density measured in the type-I phase and ELM mitigated phase is seen when external perturbations are applied, though the pedestal top density was increased. Finally, ELMs during the nitrogen seeded phase of a high performance discharge are analysed and compared to ELMs in the reference phase. An increased pedestal pressure gradient, which is the source of confinement improvement in impurity seeded discharges, causes a local current density increase. However, the increased Zeff in the pedestal acts to reduce the flux surface averaged current density. This dichotomy, which is not observed in other mitigation regimes, could act to stabilize both the ballooning mode and the peeling mode at the same time.

Resolving the interactions between population density and air pollution emissions controls in the San Joaquin Valley, USA.

PubMed

Hixson, Mark; Mahmud, Abdullah; Hu, Jianlin; Kleeman, Michael J

2012-05-01

The effectiveness of emissions control programs designed to reduce concentrations of airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 microm (PM2.5) in California's San Joaquin Valley was studied in the year 2030 under three growth scenarios: low, medium, and high population density. Base-case inventories for each choice of population density were created using a coupled emissions modeling system that simultaneously considered interactions between land use and transportation, area source, and point source emissions. The ambient PM2.5 response to each combination of population density and emissions control was evaluated using a regional chemical transport model over a 3-week winter stagnation episode. Comparisons between scenarios were based on regional average and population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations. In the absence of any emissions control program, population-weighted concentrations of PM2.5 in the future San Joaquin Valley are lowest undergrowth scenarios that emphasize low population density. A complete ban on wood burning and a 90% reduction in emissions from food cooking operations and diesel engines must occur before medium- to high-density growth scenarios result in lower population-weighted concentrations of PM2.5. These trends partly reflect the fact that existing downtown urban cores that naturally act as anchor points for new high-density growth in the San Joaquin Valley are located close to major transportation corridors for goods movement. Adding growth buffers around transportation corridors had little impact in the current analysis, since the 8-km resolution of the chemical transport model already provided an artificial buffer around major emissions sources. Assuming that future emissions controls will greatly reduce or eliminate emissions from residential wood burning, food cooking, and diesel engines, the 2030 growth scenario using "as-planned" (medium) population density achieves the lowest population-weighted average PM2.5 concentration in the future San Joaquin Valley during a severe winter stagnation event. The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most heavily polluted air basins in the United States that are projected to experience strong population growth in the coming decades. The best plan to improve air quality in the region combines medium- or high-density population growth with rigorous emissions controls. In the absences of controls, high-density growth leads to increased population exposure to PM2.5 compared with low-density growth scenarios (urban sprawl).

Observational and Numerical Diagnostics of Galaxy Cluster Outer Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckert, D.; Vazza, F.; Ettori, S.; Molendi, S.; Nagai, D.; Lau, E.; Roncarelli, M.; Rossetti, M.; Snowden, S. L.; Gastaldello, F.

2011-01-01

Aims. We present the analysis of a local (z = 0.04 - 0.2) sample of 31 galaxy clusters with the aim of measuring the density of the X-ray emitting gas in cluster outskirts. We compare our results with numerical simulations to set constraints on the azimuthal symmetry and gas clumping in the outer regions of galaxy clusters. Methods. We exploit the large field-of-view and low instrumental background of ROSAT/PSPC to trace the density of the intracluster gas out to the virial radius. We perform a stacking of the density profiles to detect a signal beyond r(sub 200) and measure the typical density and scatter in cluster outskirts. We also compute the azimuthal scatter of the profiles with respect to the mean value to look for deviations from spherical symmetry. Finally, we compare our average density and scatter profiles with the results of numerical simulations. Results. As opposed to several recent results, we observe a steepening of the density profiles beyond approximately 0.3r(sub 500). Comparing our density profiles with simulations, we find that non-radiative runs predict too steep density profiles, whereas runs including additional physics and/or gas clumping are in better agreement with the observed gas distribution. We note a systematic difference between cool-core and non-cool core clusters beyond approximately 0.3r(sub 200), which we explain by a different distribution of the gas in the two classes. Beyond approximately r(sub 500), galaxy clusters deviate significantly from spherical symmetry, with only little differences between relaxed and disturbed systems. We find good agreement between the observed and predicted scatter profiles, but only when the 1% densest clumps are filtered out in the simulations. Conclusions. The general trend of steepening density around the virial radius indicates that the shallow density profiles found in several recent works were probably obtained along particular directions (e.g., filaments) and are not representative of the typical behavior of clusters. Comparing our results with numerical simulations, we find that non-radiative simulations fail to reproduce the gas distribution, even well outside cluster cores. Therefore, a detailed treatment of gas cooling, star formation, clumping, and AGN feedback is required to construct realistic models of cluster outer regions.

Lipid effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ agonist GW501516 in subjects with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol: characteristics of metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Olson, Eric J; Pearce, Gregory L; Jones, Nigel P; Sprecher, Dennis L

2012-09-01

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ-induced upregulation in skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation would predict the modulation of lipid/lipoproteins. GW501516 (2.5, 5.0, or 10.0 mg) or placebo was given for 12 weeks to patients (n=268) with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol <1.16 mmol/L. Fasting lipids/apolipoproteins (apos), insulin, glucose, and free fatty acid were measured; changes from baseline were calculated and assessed. A second smaller exploratory study (n=37) in a similar population was conducted using a sequence of 5 and 10 mg dosing for the assessment of lipoprotein particle concentration. GW501516 demonstrated HDL cholesterol increases up to 16.9% (10 mg) and apoA-I increases up to 6.6%. Reductions were observed in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (-7.3%), triglycerides (-16.9%), apoB (-14.9%), and free fatty acids (-19.4%). The exploratory study showed significant reductions in the concentration of very LDL (-19%), intermediate-density lipoprotein (-52%), and LDL (-14%, predominantly a reduction in small particles), whereas the number of HDL particles increased (+10%; predominantly medium and large HDL). GW501516 produced significant changes in HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, apoA1, and apoB. Fewer very LDL and larger LDL support a transition toward less atherogenic lipoprotein profiles. These data are consistent with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ being a potentially important target for providing cardiovascular protection in metabolic syndrome-like patients.

Modeling KBOs Charon, Orcus and Salacia by means of a new equation of state for porous icy bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malamud, U.; Prialnik, D.

2015-10-01

We use a one-dimensional adaptive-grid thermal evolution code to model intermediate sized Kuiper belt objects Charon, Orcus and Salacia and compare their measured bulk densities with those resulting from evolutionary calculations at the end of 4.6 Gyr. Our model assumes an initial homogeneous composition of mixed ice and rock, and follows the multiphase flow of water through the porous rocky medium, consequent differentiation and aqueous chemical alterations in the rock. Heating sources include long-lived radionuclides, serpentinization reactions, release of gravitational potential energy due to compaction, and crystallization of amorphous ice. The density profile is calculated by assuming hydrostatic equilibrium to be maintained through changes in composition, pressure and temperature. To this purpose, we construct an equation of state suitable for porous icy bodies with radii of a few hundred km, based on the best available empirical studies of ice and rock compaction, and on comparisons with rock porosities in Earth analog and Solar System silicates. We show that the observed bulk densities can be reproduced by assuming the same set of initial and physical parameters, including the same rock/ice mass ratio for all three bodies. We conclude that the mass of the object uniquely determines the evolution of porosity, and thus explains the observed differences in bulk density. The final structure of all three objects is differentiated, with an inner rocky core, and outer ice-enriched mantle. The degree of differentiation, too, is determined by the object's mass.

Modeling Kuiper belt objects Charon, Orcus and Salacia by means of a new equation of state for porous icy bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malamud, Uri; Prialnik, Dina

2015-01-01

We use a one-dimensional adaptive-grid thermal evolution code to model Kuiper belt objects Charon, Orcus and Salacia and compare their measured bulk densities with those resulting from evolutionary calculations at the end of 4.6 Gyr. Our model assumes an initial homogeneous composition of mixed ice and rock, and follows the multiphase flow of water through the porous rocky medium, consequent differentiation and aqueous chemical alterations in the rock. Heating sources include long-lived radionuclides, serpentinization reactions, release of gravitational potential energy due to compaction, and crystallization of amorphous ice. The density profile is calculated by assuming hydrostatic equilibrium to be maintained through changes in composition, pressure and temperature. To this purpose, we construct an equation of state suitable for porous icy bodies with radii of a few hundred km, based on the best available empirical studies of ice and rock compaction, and on comparisons with rock porosities in Earth analog and Solar System silicates. We show that the observed bulk densities can be reproduced by assuming the same set of initial and physical parameters, including the same rock/ice mass ratio for all three bodies. We conclude that the mass of the object uniquely determines the evolution of porosity, and thus explains the observed differences in bulk density. The final structure of all three objects is differentiated, with an inner rocky core, and outer ice-enriched mantle. The degree of differentiation, too, is determined by the object's mass.

Performance Assessment of Kernel Density Clustering for Gene Expression Profile Data

PubMed Central

Zeng, Beiyan; Chen, Yiping P.; Smith, Oscar H.

2003-01-01

Kernel density smoothing techniques have been used in classification or supervised learning of gene expression profile (GEP) data, but their applications to clustering or unsupervised learning of those data have not been explored and assessed. Here we report a kernel density clustering method for analysing GEP data and compare its performance with the three most widely-used clustering methods: hierarchical clustering, K-means clustering, and multivariate mixture model-based clustering. Using several methods to measure agreement, between-cluster isolation, and withincluster coherence, such as the Adjusted Rand Index, the Pseudo F test, the r2 test, and the profile plot, we have assessed the effectiveness of kernel density clustering for recovering clusters, and its robustness against noise on clustering both simulated and real GEP data. Our results show that the kernel density clustering method has excellent performance in recovering clusters from simulated data and in grouping large real expression profile data sets into compact and well-isolated clusters, and that it is the most robust clustering method for analysing noisy expression profile data compared to the other three methods assessed. PMID:18629292

Analysis of Rotation and Transport Data in C-Mod ITB Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiore, C. L.; Rice, J. E.; Reinke, M. L.; Podpaly, Y.; Bespamyatnov, I. O.; Rowan, W. L.

2009-11-01

Internal transport barriers (ITBs) spontaneously form near the half radius of Alcator C-Mod plasmas when the EDA H-mode is sustained for several energy confinement times in either off-axis ICRF heated discharges or in purely ohmic heated plasmas. These plasmas exhibit strongly peaked density and pressure profiles, static or peaking temperature profiles, peaking impurity density profiles, and thermal transport coefficients that approach neoclassical values in the core. It has long been observed that the intrinsic central plasma rotation that is strongly co-current following the H-mode transition slows and often reverses as the density peaks as the ITB forms. Recent spatial measurements demonstrate that the rotation profile develops a well in the core region that decreases continuously as central density rises while the value outside of the core remains strongly co-current. This results in the formation of a steep potential gradient/strong electric field at the location of the foot of the ITB density profile. The resulting E X B shearing rate is also quite significant at the foot. These analyses and the implications for plasma transport and stability will be presented.

Profiles of Student Perceptions of School Climate: Relations with Risk Behaviors and Academic Outcomes.

PubMed

Shukla, Kathan; Konold, Timothy; Cornell, Dewey

2016-06-01

School climate has been linked to a variety of positive student outcomes, but there may be important within-school differences among students in their experiences of school climate. This study examined within-school heterogeneity among 47,631 high school student ratings of their school climate through multilevel latent class modeling. Student profiles across 323 schools were generated on the basis of multiple indicators of school climate: disciplinary structure, academic expectations, student willingness to seek help, respect for students, affective and cognitive engagement, prevalence of teasing and bullying, general victimization, bullying victimization, and bullying perpetration. Analyses identified four meaningfully different student profile types that were labeled positive climate, medium climate-low bullying, medium climate-high bullying, and negative climate. Contrasts among these profile types on external criteria revealed meaningful differences for race, grade-level, parent education level, educational aspirations, and frequency of risk behaviors. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

[FEATURES OF MASS-SPECTROMETRIC PROTEIN PROFILES OF STRAINS OF BRUCELLOSIS CAUSATIVE AGENT DURING PREPARATION OF CULTURE ON VARIOUS NUTRIENT MEDIA].

PubMed

Ulshina, D V; Kovalev, D A; Zhirov, A M; Zharinova, N V; Khudoleev, A A; Kogotkova, O I; Efremenko, V I; Evchenko, N I; Kulichenko, A N

2016-01-01

Carry out comparative analysis using time-of-flight mass-spectrometry with matrix laser desorption/ionization (MALDI-TOF MS) of protein profiles of brucellosis causative agents (Brucella melitensis Rev-1 and Brucella abortus 19BA), cultivated in various nutrient media: Albimi agar, brucellagar and erythrit-agar. Vaccine,strains: Brucella melitensis Rev-1 and Brucella abortus 19BA. Protein profiling in linear mode on Microflex "Bruker Daltonics" MALDI-TOF mass-spectrometer. A number of characteristic features of brucella mass-spectra was detected: in particular, preservation of the total qualitative composition of protein profiles of cultures and significant differences in the intensity of separate peaks depending on the nutrient medium used. Based on the analysis of the data obtained, use of Albimi agar as the nutrient medium for preparation of brucella culture samples for mass-spectrometric analysis was shown to be optimal.

Transmutation of singularities and zeros in graded index optical instruments: a methodology for designing practical devices.

PubMed

Hooper, I R; Philbin, T G

2013-12-30

We describe a design methodology for modifying the refractive index profile of graded-index optical instruments that incorporate singularities or zeros in their refractive index. The process maintains the device performance whilst resulting in graded profiles that are all-dielectric, do not require materials with unrealistic values, and that are impedance matched to the bounding medium. This is achieved by transmuting the singularities (or zeros) using the formalism of transformation optics, but with an additional boundary condition requiring the gradient of the co-ordinate transformation be continuous. This additional boundary condition ensures that the device is impedance matched to the bounding medium when the spatially varying permittivity and permeability profiles are scaled to realizable values. We demonstrate the method in some detail for an Eaton lens, before describing the profiles for an "invisible disc" and "multipole" lenses.

Profiling of Extracellular Toxins Associated with Diarrhetic Shellfish Poison in Prorocentrum lima Culture Medium by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Pan, Lei; Chen, Junhui; Shen, Huihui; He, Xiuping; Li, Guangjiu; Song, Xincheng; Zhou, Deshan; Sun, Chengjun

2017-01-01

Extracellular toxins released by marine toxigenic algae into the marine environment have attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this study, profiling, characterization and quantification of extracellular toxin compounds associated with diarrhetic shellfish poison (DSP) in the culture medium of toxin-producing dinoflagellates were performed using high-performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry/tandem mass spectrometry for the first time. Results showed that solid-phase extraction can effectively enrich and clean the DSP compounds in the culture medium of Prorocentrum lima (P. lima), and the proposed method achieved satisfactory recoveries (94.80%–100.58%) and repeatability (relative standard deviation ≤9.27%). Commercial software associated with the accurate mass information of known DSP toxins and their derivatives was used to screen and identify DSP compounds. Nine extracellular DSP compounds were identified, of which seven toxins (including OA-D7b, OA-D9b, OA-D10a/b, and so on) were found in the culture medium of P. lima for the first time. The results of quantitative analysis showed that the contents of extracellular DSP compounds in P. lima culture medium were relatively high, and the types and contents of intracellular and extracellular toxins apparently varied in the different growth stages of P. lima. The concentrations of extracellular okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin-1 were within 19.9–34.0 and 15.2–27.9 μg/L, respectively. The total concentration of the DSP compounds was within the range of 57.70–79.63 μg/L. The results showed that the proposed method is an effective tool for profiling the extracellular DSP compounds in the culture medium of marine toxigenic algae. PMID:28974018

Profiling of Extracellular Toxins Associated with Diarrhetic Shellfish Poison in Prorocentrum lima Culture Medium by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Pan, Lei; Chen, Junhui; Shen, Huihui; He, Xiuping; Li, Guangjiu; Song, Xincheng; Zhou, Deshan; Sun, Chengjun

2017-09-30

Extracellular toxins released by marine toxigenic algae into the marine environment have attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this study, profiling, characterization and quantification of extracellular toxin compounds associated with diarrhetic shellfish poison (DSP) in the culture medium of toxin-producing dinoflagellates were performed using high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry/tandem mass spectrometry for the first time. Results showed that solid-phase extraction can effectively enrich and clean the DSP compounds in the culture medium of Prorocentrum lima ( P. lima ), and the proposed method achieved satisfactory recoveries (94.80%-100.58%) and repeatability (relative standard deviation ≤9.27%). Commercial software associated with the accurate mass information of known DSP toxins and their derivatives was used to screen and identify DSP compounds. Nine extracellular DSP compounds were identified, of which seven toxins (including OA-D7b, OA-D9b, OA-D10a/b, and so on) were found in the culture medium of P. lima for the first time. The results of quantitative analysis showed that the contents of extracellular DSP compounds in P. lima culture medium were relatively high, and the types and contents of intracellular and extracellular toxins apparently varied in the different growth stages of P. lima . The concentrations of extracellular okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin-1 were within 19.9-34.0 and 15.2-27.9 μg/L, respectively. The total concentration of the DSP compounds was within the range of 57.70-79.63 μg/L. The results showed that the proposed method is an effective tool for profiling the extracellular DSP compounds in the culture medium of marine toxigenic algae.

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

Chae, Kyu-Hyun; Kravtsov, Andrey V.; Frieman, Joshua A.

With SDSS galaxy data and halo data from up-to-date N-body simulations we construct a semi-empirical catalog (SEC) of early-type systems by making a self-consistent bivariate statistical match of stellar mass (M_star) and velocity dispersion (sigma) with halo virial mass (M_vir). We then assign stellar mass profile and velocity dispersion profile parameters to each system in the SEC using their observed correlations with M_star and sigma. Simultaneously, we solve for dark matter density profile of each halo using the spherical Jeans equation. The resulting dark matter density profiles deviate in general from the dissipationless profile of NFW or Einasto and theirmore » mean inner density slope and concentration vary systematically with M_vir. Statistical tests of the distribution of profiles at fixed M_vir rule out the null hypothesis that it follows the distribution predicted by N-body simulations for M_vir ~< 10^{13.5-14.5} M_solar. These dark matter profiles imply that dark matter density is, on average, enhanced significantly in the inner region of halos with M_vir ~< 10^{13.5-14.5} M_solar supporting halo contraction. The main characteristics of halo contraction are: (1) the mean dark matter density within the effective radius has increased by a factor varying systematically up to ~ 3-4 at M_vir = 10^{12} M_solar, and (2) the inner density slope has a mean of ~ 1.3 with rho(r) ~ r^{-alpha} and a halo-to-halo rms scatter of rms(alpha) ~ 0.4-0.5 for 10^{12} M_solar ~< M_vir ~< 10^{13-14} M_solar steeper than the NFW profile (alpha=1). Based on our results we predict that halos of nearby elliptical and lenticular galaxies can, in principle, be promising targets for gamma-ray emission from dark matter annihilation.« less

Linear nozzle with tailored gas plumes

DOEpatents

Leon, David D.; Kozarek, Robert L.; Mansour, Adel; Chigier, Norman

2001-01-01

There is claimed a method for depositing fluid material from a linear nozzle in a substantially uniform manner across and along a surface. The method includes directing gaseous medium through said nozzle to provide a gaseous stream at the nozzle exit that entrains fluid material supplied to the nozzle, said gaseous stream being provided with a velocity profile across the nozzle width that compensates for the gaseous medium's tendency to assume an axisymmetric configuration after leaving the nozzle and before reaching the surface. There is also claimed a nozzle divided into respective side-by-side zones, or preferably chambers, through which a gaseous stream can be delivered in various velocity profiles across the width of said nozzle to compensate for the tendency of this gaseous medium to assume an axisymmetric configuration.

Linear nozzle with tailored gas plumes and method

DOEpatents

Leon, David D.; Kozarek, Robert L.; Mansour, Adel; Chigier, Norman

1999-01-01

There is claimed a method for depositing fluid material from a linear nozzle in a substantially uniform manner across and along a surface. The method includes directing gaseous medium through said nozzle to provide a gaseous stream at the nozzle exit that entrains fluid material supplied to the nozzle, said gaseous stream being provided with a velocity profile across the nozzle width that compensates for the gaseous medium's tendency to assume an axisymmetric configuration after leaving the nozzle and before reaching the surface. There is also claimed a nozzle divided into respective side-by-side zones, or preferably chambers, through which a gaseous stream can be delivered in various velocity profiles across the width of said nozzle to compensate for the tendency of this gaseous medium to assume an axisymmetric configuration.

Linear nozzle with tailored gas plumes

DOEpatents

Kozarek, Robert L.; Straub, William D.; Fischer, Joern E.; Leon, David D.

2003-01-01

There is claimed a method for depositing fluid material from a linear nozzle in a substantially uniform manner across and along a surface. The method includes directing gaseous medium through said nozzle to provide a gaseous stream at the nozzle exit that entrains fluid material supplied to the nozzle, said gaseous stream being provided with a velocity profile across the nozzle width that compensates for the gaseous medium's tendency to assume an axisymmetric configuration after leaving the nozzle and before reaching the surface. There is also claimed a nozzle divided into respective side-by-side zones, or preferably chambers, through which a gaseous stream can be delivered in various velocity profiles across the width of said nozzle to compensate for the tendency of this gaseous medium to assume an axisymmetric configuration.

Notochordal cell conditioned medium stimulates mesenchymal stem cell differentiation toward a young nucleus pulposus phenotype

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Introduction Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer promise for intervertebral disc (IVD) repair and regeneration because they are easily isolated and expanded, and can differentiate into several mesenchymal tissues. Notochordal (NC) cells contribute to IVD development, incorporate into the nucleus pulposus (NP), and stimulate mature disc cells. However, there have been no studies investigating the effects of NC cells on adult stem cell differentiation. The premise of this study is that IVD regeneration is more similar to IVD development than to IVD maintenance, and we hypothesize that soluble factors from NC cells differentiate MSCs to a phenotype characteristic of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells during development. The eventual clinical goal would be to isolate or chemically/recombinantly produce the active agent to induce the therapeutic effects, and to use it as either an injectable therapy for early intervention on disc disease, or in developing appropriately pre-differentiated MSC cells in a tissue engineered NP construct. Methods Human MSCs from bone marrow were expanded and pelleted to form high-density cultures. MSC pellets were exposed to either control medium (CM), chondrogenic medium (CM with dexamethasone and transforming growth factor, (TGF)-β3) or notochordal cell conditioned medium (NCCM). NCCM was prepared from NC cells maintained in serum free medium for four days. After seven days culture, MSC pellets were analyzed for appearance, biochemical composition (glycosaminoglycans and DNA), and gene expression profile (sox-9, collagen types-II and III, laminin-β1 and TIMP1(tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1)). Results Significantly higher glycosaminoglycan accumulation was seen in NCCM treated pellets than in CM or TGFβ groups. With NCCM treatment, increased gene expression of collagen III, and a trend of increasing expression of laminin-β1 and decreased expression of sox-9 and collagen II relative to the TGFβ group was observed. Conclusions Together, results suggest NCCM stimulates mesenchymal stem cell differentiation toward a potentially NP-like phenotype with some characteristics of the developing IVD. PMID:20565707

Dose specification for radiation therapy: dose to water or dose to medium?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, C.-M.; Li, Jinsheng

2011-05-01

The Monte Carlo method enables accurate dose calculation for radiation therapy treatment planning and has been implemented in some commercial treatment planning systems. Unlike conventional dose calculation algorithms that provide patient dose information in terms of dose to water with variable electron density, the Monte Carlo method calculates the energy deposition in different media and expresses dose to a medium. This paper discusses the differences in dose calculated using water with different electron densities and that calculated for different biological media and the clinical issues on dose specification including dose prescription and plan evaluation using dose to water and dose to medium. We will demonstrate that conventional photon dose calculation algorithms compute doses similar to those simulated by Monte Carlo using water with different electron densities, which are close (<4% differences) to doses to media but significantly different (up to 11%) from doses to water converted from doses to media following American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 105 recommendations. Our results suggest that for consistency with previous radiation therapy experience Monte Carlo photon algorithms report dose to medium for radiotherapy dose prescription, treatment plan evaluation and treatment outcome analysis.

Semi-empirical catalog of early-type galaxy-halo systems: dark matter density profiles, halo contraction and dark matter annihilation strength

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

Chae, Kyu-Hyun; Kravtsov, Andrey V.; Frieman, Joshua A.

With Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxy data and halo data from up-to-date N-body simulations within the ΛCDM framework we construct a semi-empirical catalog (SEC) of early-type galaxy-halo systems by making a self-consistent bivariate statistical match of stellar mass (M{sub *}) and velocity dispersion (σ) with halo virial mass (M{sub vir}) as demonstrated here for the first time. We then assign stellar mass profile and velocity dispersion profile parameters to each system in the SEC using their observed correlations with M{sub *} and σ. Simultaneously, we solve for dark matter density profile of each halo using the spherical Jeans equation. Themore » resulting dark matter density profiles deviate in general from the dissipationless profile of Navarro-Frenk-White or Einasto and their mean inner density slope and concentration vary systematically with M{sub vir}. Statistical tests of the distribution of profiles at fixed M{sub vir} rule out the null hypothesis that it follows the distribution predicted by dissipationless N-body simulations for M{sub vir}∼<10{sup 13.5} {sup –} {sup 14.5} M{sub s}un. These dark matter profiles imply that dark matter density is, on average, enhanced significantly in the inner region of halos with M{sub vir}∼<10{sup 13.5} {sup –} {sup 14.5} M{sub s}un supporting halo contraction. The main characteristics of halo contraction are: (1) the mean dark matter density within the effective radius has increased by a factor varying systematically up to ≈ 3–4 at M{sub vir} = 10{sup 12} M{sub s}un, and (2) the inner density slope has a mean of (α) ≈ 1.3 with ρ{sub dm}(r)∝r{sup −α} and a halo-to-halo rms scatter of rms(α) ∼ 0.4–0.5 for 10{sup 12} M{sub s}un∼« less

Energetics and Birth Rates of Supernova Remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leahy, D. A.

2017-03-01

Published X-ray emission properties for a sample of 50 supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) are used as input for SNR evolution modeling calculations. The forward shock emission is modeled to obtain the initial explosion energy, age, and circumstellar medium density for each SNR in the sample. The resulting age distribution yields a SNR birthrate of 1/(500 yr) for the LMC. The explosion energy distribution is well fit by a log-normal distribution, with a most-probable explosion energy of 0.5× {10}51 erg, with a 1σ dispersion by a factor of 3 in energy. The circumstellar medium density distribution is broader than the explosion energy distribution, with a most-probable density of ˜0.1 cm-3. The shape of the density distribution can be fit with a log-normal distribution, with incompleteness at high density caused by the shorter evolution times of SNRs.

Impurity profiles and radial transport in the EXTRAP-T2 reversed field pinch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sallander, J.

1999-05-01

Radially resolved spectroscopy has been used to measure the radial distribution of impurity ions (O III-O V and C III-CVI) in the EXTRAP-T2 reversed field pinch (RFP). The radial profile of the emission is reconstructed from line emission measured along five lines of sight. The ion density profile is the fitted quantity in the reconstruction of the brightness profile and is thus obtained directly in this process. These measurements are then used to adjust the parameters in transport calculations in order to obtain consistency with the observed ion density profiles. Comparison between model and measurements show that a radial dependence in the diffusion is needed to explain the measured ion densities.

Review of NASA short-haul studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenyon, G. C.

1975-01-01

The paper summarizes the results of NASA-conducted technological and economic studies of low, medium, and high density short-haul transportation systems. Aircraft concepts considered included CTOL, RTOL, STOL, and general aviation aircraft. For low density systems, it was found that viable air service becomes possible if city pairs are at least 100 km apart and a two-way total travel demand of at least 200 daily passengers exists. Currently available aircraft were found suitable. The medium-density study showed that a 60-passenger twin engine turbofan was the best suited aircraft. For high density systems, STOL appears to be an economically viable means of reducing noise and congestion at major hub airports. Adequate runways 914 m in length or greater either already exist or could be added to most existing major hub airports.

Surface-peaked medium effects in the interaction of nucleons with finite nuclei

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

Aguayo, F. J.; Arellano, H. F.

We investigate the asymptotic separation of the optical model potential for nucleon-nucleus scattering in momentum space, where the potential is split into a medium-independent term and another depending exclusively on the gradient of the density-dependent g matrix. This decomposition confines the medium sensitivity of the nucleon-nucleus coupling to the surface of the nucleus. We examine this feature in the context of proton-nucleus scattering at beam energies between 30 and 100 MeV and find that the pn coupling accounts for most of this sensitivity. Additionally, based on this general structure of the optical potential we are able to treat both, themore » medium dependence of the effective interaction and the full mixed density as described by single-particle shell models. The calculated scattering observables agree within 10% with those obtained by Arellano, Brieva, and Love in their momentum-space g-folding approach.« less

Fine coal cleaning via the micro-mag process

DOEpatents

Klima, Mark S.; Maronde, Carl P.; Killmeyer, Richard P.

1991-01-01

A method of cleaning particulate coal which is fed with a dense medium slurry as an inlet feed to a cyclone separator. The coal particle size distribution is in the range of from about 37 microns to about 600 microns. The dense medium comprises water and ferromagnetic particles that have a relative density in the range of from about 4.0 to about 7.0. The ferromagnetic particles of the dense medium have particle sizes of less than about 15 microns and at least a majority of the particle sizes are less than about 5 microns. In the cyclone, the particulate coal and dense-medium slurry is separated into a low gravity product stream and a high gravity produce stream wherein the differential in relative density between the two streams is not greater than about 0.2. The low gravity and high gravity streams are treated to recover the ferromagnetic particles therefrom.

Near infrared laser penetration and absorption in human skin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasouri, Babak; Murphy, Thomas E.; Berberoglu, Halil

2014-02-01

For understanding the mechanisms of low level laser/light therapy (LLLT), accurate knowledge of light interaction with tissue is necessary. In this paper, we present a three dimensional, multi-layer Monte Carlo simulation tool for studying light penetration and absorption in human skin. The skin is modeled as a three-layer participating medium, namely epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous, where its geometrical and optical properties are obtained from the literature. Both refraction and reflection are taken into account at the boundaries according to Snell's law and Fresnel relations. A forward Monte Carlo method was implemented and validated for accurately simulating light penetration and absorption in absorbing and anisotropically scattering media. Local profiles of light penetration and volumetric absorption densities were simulated for uniform as well as Gaussian profile beams with different spreads at 155 mW average power over the spectral range from 1000 nm to 1900 nm. The results show the effects of beam profiles and wavelength on the local fluence within each skin layer. Particularly, the results identify different wavelength bands for targeted deposition of power in different skin layers. Finally, we show that light penetration scales well with the transport optical thickness of skin. We expect that this tool along with the results presented will aid researchers resolve issues related to dose and targeted delivery of energy in tissues for LLLT.

MIKiS: The Multi-instrument Kinematic Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. I. Velocity Dispersion Profiles and Rotation Signals of 11 Globular Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferraro, F. R.; Mucciarelli, A.; Lanzoni, B.; Pallanca, C.; Lapenna, E.; Origlia, L.; Dalessandro, E.; Valenti, E.; Beccari, G.; Bellazzini, M.; Vesperini, E.; Varri, A.; Sollima, A.

2018-06-01

We present the first results of the Multi-Instrument Kinematic Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters (GGCs), a project aimed at exploring the internal kinematics of a representative sample of GGCs from the radial velocity of individual stars, covering the entire radial extension of each system. This is achieved by exploiting the formidable combination of multi-object and integral field unit spectroscopic facilities of the ESO Very Large Telescope. As a first step, here we discuss the results obtained for 11 clusters from high and medium resolution spectra acquired through a combination of FLAMES and KMOS observations. We provide the first kinematical characterization of NGC 1261 and NGC 6496. In all the surveyed systems, the velocity dispersion profile declines at increasing radii, in agreement with the expectation from the King model that best fits the density/luminosity profile. In the majority of the surveyed systems, we find evidence of rotation within a few half-mass radii from the center. These results are in general overall agreement with the predictions of recent theoretical studies, suggesting that the detected signals could be the relic of significant internal rotation set at the epoch of the cluster’s formation. Based on FLAMES and KMOS observations performed at the European Southern Observatory as part of the Large Programme 193.D-0232 (PI: Ferraro).

An adaptive technique for estimating the atmospheric density profile during the AE mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Argentiero, P.

1973-01-01

A technique is presented for processing accelerometer data obtained during the AE missions in order to estimate the atmospheric density profile. A minimum variance, adaptive filter is utilized. The trajectory of the probe and probe parameters are in a consider mode where their estimates are unimproved but their associated uncertainties are permitted an impact on filter behavior. Simulations indicate that the technique is effective in estimating a density profile to within a few percentage points.

Use of fatty acid methyl ester profiles for discrimination of Bacillus cereus T-strain spores grown on different media.

PubMed

Ehrhardt, Christopher J; Chu, Vivian; Brown, TeeCie; Simmons, Terrie L; Swan, Brandon K; Bannan, Jason; Robertson, James M

2010-03-01

The goal of this study was to determine if cellular fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiling could be used to distinguish among spore samples from a single species (Bacillus cereus T strain) that were prepared on 10 different medium formulations. To analyze profile differences and identify FAME biomarkers diagnostic for the chemical constituents in each sporulation medium, a variety of statistical techniques were used, including nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS), analysis of similarities (ANOSIM), and discriminant function analysis (DFA). The results showed that one FAME biomarker, oleic acid (18:1 omega9c), was exclusively associated with spores grown on Columbia agar supplemented with sheep blood and was indicative of blood supplements that were present in the sporulation medium. For spores grown in other formulations, multivariate comparisons across several FAME biomarkers were required to discern profile differences. Clustering patterns in nMDS plots and R values from ANOSIM revealed that dissimilarities among FAME profiles were most pronounced when spores grown with disparate sources of complex additives or protein supplements were compared (R > 0.8), although other factors also contributed to FAME differences. DFA indicated that differentiation could be maximized with a targeted subset of FAME variables, and the relative contributions of branched FAME biomarkers to group dissimilarities changed when different media were compared. When taken together, these analyses indicate that B. cereus spore samples grown in different media can be resolved with FAME profiling and that this may be a useful technique for providing intelligence about the production methods of Bacillus organisms in a forensic investigation.

Use of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester Profiles for Discrimination of Bacillus cereus T-Strain Spores Grown on Different Media▿

PubMed Central

Ehrhardt, Christopher J.; Chu, Vivian; Brown, TeeCie; Simmons, Terrie L.; Swan, Brandon K.; Bannan, Jason; Robertson, James M.

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to determine if cellular fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiling could be used to distinguish among spore samples from a single species (Bacillus cereus T strain) that were prepared on 10 different medium formulations. To analyze profile differences and identify FAME biomarkers diagnostic for the chemical constituents in each sporulation medium, a variety of statistical techniques were used, including nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS), analysis of similarities (ANOSIM), and discriminant function analysis (DFA). The results showed that one FAME biomarker, oleic acid (18:1 ω9c), was exclusively associated with spores grown on Columbia agar supplemented with sheep blood and was indicative of blood supplements that were present in the sporulation medium. For spores grown in other formulations, multivariate comparisons across several FAME biomarkers were required to discern profile differences. Clustering patterns in nMDS plots and R values from ANOSIM revealed that dissimilarities among FAME profiles were most pronounced when spores grown with disparate sources of complex additives or protein supplements were compared (R > 0.8), although other factors also contributed to FAME differences. DFA indicated that differentiation could be maximized with a targeted subset of FAME variables, and the relative contributions of branched FAME biomarkers to group dissimilarities changed when different media were compared. When taken together, these analyses indicate that B. cereus spore samples grown in different media can be resolved with FAME profiling and that this may be a useful technique for providing intelligence about the production methods of Bacillus organisms in a forensic investigation. PMID:20097814

Effects of ICRF power on SOL density profiles and LH coupling during simultaneous LH and ICRF operation on Alcator C-Mod

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, C.; Lin, Y.; Wallace, G.; Wukitch, S. J.; Hanson, G. R.; Labombard, B.; Ochoukov, R.; Shiraiwa, S.; Terry, J.

2013-09-01

A dedicated experiment during simultaneous lower hybrid (LH) and ion cyclotron range-of-frequencies (ICRF) operations is carried out to evaluate and understand the effects of ICRF power on the scrape-off-layer (SOL) density profiles and on the resultant LH coupling for a wide range of plasma parameters on Alcator C-Mod. Operation of the LH launcher with the adjacent ICRF antenna significantly degrades LH coupling while operation with the ICRF antenna that is not magnetically connected to the LH launcher minimally affects LH coupling. An X-mode reflectometer system at three poloidal locations adjacent to the LH launcher and a visible video camera imaging the LH launcher are used to measure local SOL density profile and emissivity modifications with the application of LH and LH + ICRF power. These measurements confirm that the density in front of the LH launcher depends strongly on the magnetic field line mapping of the active ICRF antenna. Reflectometer measurements also observe both ICRF-driven and LH-driven poloidal density profile asymmetries, especially a strong density depletion at certain poloidal locations in front of the LH launcher during operation with a magnetically connected ICRF antenna. The results indicate that understanding both LH-driven flows and ICRF sheath driven flows may be necessary to understand the observed density profile modifications and LH coupling results during simultaneous LH + ICRF operation.

Analysis of operational requirements for medium density air transportation, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The medium density air travel market is examined and defined in terms of numbers of people transported per route per day and frequency of service. The operational characteristics for aircraft to serve this market are determined and a basepoint aircraft is designed from which tradeoff studies and parametric variations can be conducted. The impact of the operational characteristics on the air travel system is evaluated along with the economic viability of the study aircraft. Research and technology programs for future study consideration are identified.

Density profile of dark matter haloes and galaxies in the HORIZON-AGN simulation: the impact of AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peirani, Sébastien; Dubois, Yohan; Volonteri, Marta; Devriendt, Julien; Bundy, Kevin; Silk, Joe; Pichon, Christophe; Kaviraj, Sugata; Gavazzi, Raphaël; Habouzit, Mélanie

2017-12-01

Using a suite of three large cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, HORIZON-AGN, HORIZON–NOAGN (no AGN feedback) and HORIZON-DM (no baryons), we investigate how a typical sub-grid model for AGN feedback affects the evolution of the inner density profiles of massive dark matter haloes and galaxies. Based on direct object-to-object comparisons, we find that the integrated inner mass and density slope differences between objects formed in these three simulations (hereafter, HAGN, HnoAGN and HDM) significantly evolve with time. More specifically, at high redshift (z ∼ 5), the mean central density profiles of HAGN and HnoAGN dark matter haloes tend to be much steeper than their HDM counterparts owing to the rapidly growing baryonic component and ensuing adiabatic contraction. By z ∼ 1.5, these mean halo density profiles in HAGN have flattened, pummelled by powerful AGN activity ('quasar mode'): the integrated inner mass difference gaps with HnoAGN haloes have widened, and those with HDM haloes have narrowed. Fast forward 9.5 billion years, down to z = 0, and the trend reverses: HAGN halo mean density profiles drift back to a more cusped shape as AGN feedback efficiency dwindles ('radio mode'), and the gaps in integrated central mass difference with HnoAGN and HDM close and broaden, respectively. On the galaxy side, the story differs noticeably. Averaged stellar profile central densities and inner slopes are monotonically reduced by AGN activity as a function of cosmic time, resulting in better agreement with local observations.

Halo density profiles and baryon physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Del Popolo, A.; Li, Xi-Guo

2017-08-01

The radial dependence of the pseudo phase-space density, ρ( r)/ σ 3( r) is studied. We find that the pseudo phase-space density for halos consisting both of dark matter and baryons is approximately a power-law only down to 0.1% of the virial radius while it has a non-power law behavior below the quoted scale, with inner profiles changing with mass. Halos consisting just of dark matter, as the one in dark matter only simulations, are characterized by an approximately power-law behavior. The results argue against universality of the pseudo phase-space density, when the baryons effect are included, and as a consequence argue against universality of density profiles constituted by dark matter and baryons as also discussed in [1].

Work-function calculations for a symmetrical total-charge-density profile at the metallic surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojciechowski, K. F.; Sobańska-Nowotnik, M.

1983-07-01

It is shown that, if the total-charge-density profile nT(x) at the surface of jellium satisfies the Budd-Vannimenus constraint and also is a symmetrical function of x, relative to the ordinate axis, then the work-function variation versus the Wigner-Seitz radius rs does not depend on the form of nT(x). Also the simple linear-density profile is used to calculate the work function by application of the variational principle for the energy, including the first and second density-gradient corrections to the kinetic energy and the first gradient correction to the exchange and correlation energy. The results for the work function are in good agreement with the polycrystalline values for low-density metals.

CT analysis of lung density changes in patients undergoing total body irradiation prior to bone marrow transplantation.

PubMed

Lee, J Y; Shank, B; Bonfiglio, P; Reid, A

1984-10-01

Sequential changes in lung density measured by CT are potentially sensitive and convenient monitors of lung abnormalities following total body irradiation (TBI). Methods have been developed to compare pre- and post-TBI CT of lung. The average local features of a cross-sectional lung slice are extracted from three peripheral regions of interest in the anterior, posterior, and lateral portions of the CT image. Also, density profiles across a specific region may be obtained. These may be compared first for verification of patient position and breathing status and then for changes between pre- and post-TBI. These may also be compared with radiation dose profiles through the lung. A preliminary study on 21 leukemia patients undergoing total body irradiation indicates the following: (a) Density gradients of patients' lungs in the antero-posterior direction show a marked heterogeneity before and after transplantation compared with normal lungs. The patients with departures from normal density gradients pre-TBI correlate with later pulmonary complications. (b) Measurements of average peripheral lung densities have demonstrated that the average lung density in the younger age group is substantially higher: pre-TBI, the average CT number (1,000 scale) is -638 +/- 39 Hounsfield unit (HU) for 0-10 years old and -739 +/- 53 HU for 21-40 years old. (c) Density profiles showed no post-TBI regional changes in lung density corresponding to the dose profile across the lung, so no differentiation of a radiation-specific effect has yet been possible. Computed tomographic density profiles in the antero-posterior direction are successfully used to verify positioning of the CT slice and the breathing level of the lung.

What does the fox say? Monitoring antimicrobial resistance in the environment using wild red foxes as an indicator.

PubMed

Mo, Solveig Sølverød; Urdahl, Anne Margrete; Madslien, Knut; Sunde, Marianne; Nesse, Live L; Slettemeås, Jannice Schau; Norström, Madelaine

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to estimate and compare the occurrence of AMR in wild red foxes in relation to human population densities. Samples from wild red foxes (n = 528) included in the Norwegian monitoring programme on antimicrobial resistance in bacteria from food, feed and animals were included. All samples were divided into three different groups based on population density in the municipality where the foxes were hunted. Of the 528 samples included, 108 (20.5%), 328 (62.1%) and 92 (17.4%) originated from areas with low, medium and high population density, respectively. A single faecal swab was collected from each fox. All samples were plated out on a selective medium for Enterobacteriaceae for culturing followed by inclusion and susceptibility testing of one randomly selected Escherichia coli to assess the overall occurrence of AMR in the Gram-negative bacterial population. Furthermore, the samples were subjected to selective screening for detection of E. coli displaying resistance towards extended-spectrum cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. In addition, a subset of samples (n = 387) were subjected to selective culturing to detect E. coli resistant to carbapenems and colistin, and enterococci resistant to vancomycin. Of these, 98 (25.3%), 200 (51.7%) and 89 (23.0%) originated from areas with low, medium and high population density, respectively. Overall, the occurrence of AMR in indicator E. coli from wild red foxes originating from areas with different human population densities in Norway was low to moderate (8.8%). The total occurrence of AMR was significantly higher; χ2 (1,N = 336) = 6.53, p = 0.01 in areas with high population density compared to areas with medium population density. Similarly, the occurrence of fluoroquinolone resistant E. coli isolated using selective detection methods was low in areas with low population density and more common in areas with medium or high population density. In conclusion, we found indications that occurrence of AMR in wild red foxes in Norway is associated with human population density. Foxes living in urban areas are more likely to be exposed to AMR bacteria and resistance drivers from food waste, garbage, sewage, waste water and consumption of contaminated prey compared to foxes living in remote areas. The homerange of red fox has been shown to be limited thereby the red fox constitutes a good sentinel for monitoring antimicrobial resistance in the environment. Continuous monitoring on the occurrence of AMR in different wild species, ecological niches and geographical areas can facilitate an increased understanding of the environmental burden of AMR in the environment. Such information is needed to further assess the impact for humans, and enables implementation of possible control measures for AMR in humans, animals and the environment in a true "One Health" approach.

Strategies for repair of white matter: influence of osmolarity and microglia on proliferation and apoptosis of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in different basal culture media.

PubMed

Kleinsimlinghaus, Karolina; Marx, Romy; Serdar, Meray; Bendix, Ivo; Dietzel, Irmgard D

2013-01-01

The aim of the present study has been to obtain high yields of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) in culture. This is a first step in facilitation of myelin repair. We show that, in addition to factors, known to promote proliferation, such as basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) the choice of the basal medium exerts a significant influence on the yield of OPCs in cultures from newborn rats. During a culture period of up to 9 days we observed larger numbers of surviving cells in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), and Roswell Park Memorial Institute Medium (RPMI) compared with Neurobasal Medium (NB). A larger number of A2B5-positive OPCs was found after 6 days in RPMI based media compared with NB. The percentage of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells was largest in cultures maintained in DMEM and RPMI. The percentage of caspase-3 positive cells was largest in NB, suggesting that this medium inhibits OPC proliferation and favors apoptosis. A difference between NB and DMEM as well as RPMI is the reduced Na(+)-content. The addition of equiosmolar supplements of mannitol or NaCl to NB medium rescued the BrdU-incorporation rate. This suggested that the osmolarity influences the proliferation of OPCs. Plating density as well as residual microglia influence OPC survival, BrdU incorporation, and caspase-3 expression. We found, that high density cultures secrete factors that inhibit BrdU incorporation whereas the presence of additional microglia induces an increase in caspase-3 positive cells, indicative of enhanced apoptosis. An enhanced number of microglia could thus also explain the stronger inhibition of OPC differentiation observed in high density cultures in response to treatment with the cytokines TNF-α and IFN-γ. We conclude that a maximal yield of OPCs is obtained in a medium of an osmolarity higher than 280 mOsm plated at a relatively low density in the presence of as little microglia as technically achievable.

[Isolation and purification of BMScs of GFP transgenic mouse using the method of adhering to cuture plastic in different time].

PubMed

Li, Fu-Qiang; Zhou, Hong-Ying; Yang, Hui-Lun; Xiang, Tao; Mei, Yan; Hu, Huo-Zhen; Wang, Ting-Hua

2006-03-01

To adopt the method of adhering to culture plastic in different time for cultivating and purifying BMSCs of green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic mice. Bone marrow cells isolated from GFP transgenic mice are directly planted in culture flask and an exchange of the total volume medium is made at different time. Then the cells adhering to culture plastic are differently counted according to the cell types and are examined by immunohistochemistry using the antibodies of CD44, CD45 and CD54 in three days. Moreover, the cells after the exchange of the total volume medium in 4 hours, 8 hours and 24 hours are selected and successively subcultured down to the fifth passage. Then the result of amplification is calculated and the cells are examined by immunohistochemistry using the antibodies of CD44, CD45 and CD54. With the extending of the time for the first exchange of medium, the density of cells adhering to culture plastic increased accordingly, but the BMSCs proportion decreased. The cells after first exchange of medium in 4 hours had high BMSCs proportion but low BMSCs density, and the cells in 24 hours had high BMSCs density and low BMSCs proportion. However, the cells in 8-10 hours had high BMSCs density and also high BMSCs proportion. The subcultured BMSCs could stably express GFP. The method of adhering to culture plastic in different time for cultivating and purifying BMSCs of GFP transgenic mice is effective. It is suitable to make the first exchange of total volume medium in 8-10 hours. The subcultured cell has the capacity for amplification and will probably be a seed cell for the research of tissue engineering and gene therapy.

Fission fragment excited laser system

DOEpatents

McArthur, David A.; Tollefsrud, Philip B.

1976-01-01

A laser system and method for exciting lasing action in a molecular gas lasing medium which includes cooling the lasing medium to a temperature below about 150 K and injecting fission fragments through the lasing medium so as to preferentially excite low lying vibrational levels of the medium and to cause population inversions therein. The cooled gas lasing medium should have a mass areal density of about 5 .times. 10.sup.-.sup.3 grams/square centimeter, relaxation times of greater than 50 microseconds, and a broad range of excitable vibrational levels which are excitable by molecular collisions.

Ground state of a confined Yukawa plasma including correlation effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henning, C.; Ludwig, P.; Filinov, A.; Piel, A.; Bonitz, M.

2007-09-01

The ground state of an externally confined one-component Yukawa plasma is derived analytically using the local density approximation (LDA). In particular, the radial density profile is computed. The results are compared with the recently obtained mean-field (MF) density profile [Henning , Phys. Rev. E 74, 056403 (2006)]. While the MF results are more accurate for weak screening, the LDA with correlations included yields the proper description for large screening. By comparison with first-principles simulations for three-dimensional spherical Yukawa crystals, we demonstrate that the two approximations complement each other. Together they accurately describe the density profile in the full range of screening parameters.

Are ultracompact minihalos really ultracompact?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delos, M. Sten; Erickcek, Adrienne L.; Bailey, Avery P.; Alvarez, Marcelo A.

2018-02-01

Ultracompact minihalos (UCMHs) have emerged as a valuable probe of the primordial power spectrum of density fluctuations at small scales. UCMHs are expected to form at early times in regions with δ ρ /ρ ≳10-3 , and they are theorized to possess an extremely compact ρ ∝r-9 /4 radial density profile, which enhances their observable signatures. Nonobservation of UCMHs can thus constrain the primordial power spectrum. Using N -body simulations to study the collapse of extreme density peaks at z ≃1000 , we show that UCMHs forming under realistic conditions do not develop the ρ ∝r-9 /4 profile and instead develop either ρ ∝r-3 /2 or ρ ∝r-1 inner density profiles depending on the shape of the power spectrum. We also demonstrate via idealized simulations that self-similarity—the absence of a scale length—is necessary to produce a halo with the ρ ∝r-9 /4 profile, and we argue that this implies such halos cannot form from a Gaussian primordial density field. Prior constraints derived from UCMH nonobservation must be reworked in light of this discovery. Although the shallower density profile reduces UCMH visibility, our findings reduce their signal by as little as O (10-2) while allowing later-forming halos to be considered, which suggests that new constraints could be significantly stronger.

Ponderomotive force on solitary structures created during radiation pressure acceleration of thin foils

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

Tripathi, Vipin K.; Sharma, Anamika

2013-05-15

We estimate the ponderomotive force on an expanded inhomogeneous electron density profile, created in the later phase of laser irradiated diamond like ultrathin foil. When ions are uniformly distributed along the plasma slab and electron density obeys the Poisson's equation with space charge potential equal to negative of ponderomotive potential, φ=−φ{sub p}=−(mc{sup 2}/e)(γ−1), where γ=(1+|a|{sup 2}){sup 1/2}, and |a| is the normalized local laser amplitude inside the slab; the net ponderomotive force on the slab per unit area is demonstrated analytically to be equal to radiation pressure force for both overdense and underdense plasmas. In case electron density is takenmore » to be frozen as a Gaussian profile with peak density close to relativistic critical density, the ponderomotive force has non-monotonic spatial variation and sums up on all electrons per unit area to equal radiation pressure force at all laser intensities. The same result is obtained for the case of Gaussian ion density profile and self consistent electron density profile, obeying Poisson's equation with φ=−φ{sub p}.« less

Electron densities in the ionosphere of Mars: A comparison of MARSIS and radio occultation measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, Marissa F.; Withers, Paul; Fallows, Kathryn; Flynn, Casey L.; Andrews, David J.; Duru, Firdevs; Morgan, David D.

2016-10-01

Radio occultation electron densities measurements from the Mariner 9 and Viking spacecraft, which orbited Mars in the 1970s, have recently become available in a digital format. These data are highly complementary to the radio occultation electron density profiles from Mars Global Surveyor, which were restricted in solar zenith angle and altitude. We have compiled data from the Mariner 9, Viking, and Mars Global Surveyor radio occultation experiments for comparison to electron density measurements made by Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS), the topside radar sounder on Mars Express, and MARSIS-based empirical density models. We find that the electron densities measured by radio occultation are in generally good agreement with the MARSIS data and model, especially near the altitude of the peak electron density but that the MARSIS data and model display a larger plasma scale height than the radio occultation profiles at altitudes between the peak density and 200 km. Consequently, the MARSIS-measured and model electron densities are consistently larger than radio occultation densities at altitudes 200-300 km. Finally, we have analyzed transitions in the topside ionosphere, at the boundary between the photochemically controlled and transport-controlled regions, and identified the average transition altitude, or altitude at which a change in scale height occurs. The average transition altitude is 200 km in the Mariner 9 and Viking radio occultation profiles and in profiles of the median MARSIS radar sounding electron densities.

Bioenergetic Profile Experiment using C2C12 Myoblast Cells

PubMed Central

Nicholls, David G.; Darley-Usmar, Victor M.; Wu, Min; Jensen, Per Bo; Rogers, George W.; Ferrick, David A.

2010-01-01

The ability to measure cellular metabolism and understand mitochondrial dysfunction, has enabled scientists worldwide to advance their research in understanding the role of mitochondrial function in obesity, diabetes, aging, cancer, cardiovascular function and safety toxicity. Cellular metabolism is the process of substrate uptake, such as oxygen, glucose, fatty acids, and glutamine, and subsequent energy conversion through a series of enzymatically controlled oxidation and reduction reactions. These intracellular biochemical reactions result in the production of ATP, the release of heat and chemical byproducts, such as lactate and CO2 into the extracellular environment. Valuable insight into the physiological state of cells, and the alteration of the state of those cells, can be gained through measuring the rate of oxygen consumed by the cells, an indicator of mitochondrial respiration - the Oxygen Consumption Rate - or OCR. Cells also generate ATP through glycolysis, i.e.: the conversion of glucose to lactate, independent of oxygen. In cultured wells, lactate is the primary source of protons. Measuring the lactic acid produced indirectly via protons released into the extracellular medium surrounding the cells, which causes acidification of the medium provides the Extra-Cellular Acidification Rate - or ECAR. In this experiment, C2C12 myoblast cells are seeded at a given density in Seahorse cell culture plates. The basal oxygen consumption (OCR) and extracellular acidification (ECAR) rates are measured to establish baseline rates. The cells are then metabolically perturbed by three additions of different compounds (in succession) that shift the bioenergetic profile of the cell. This assay is derived from a classic experiment to assess mitochondria and serves as a framework with which to build more complex experiments aimed at understanding both physiologic and pathophysiologic function of mitochondria and to predict the ability of cells to respond to stress and/or insults. PMID:21189469

Simulation of Magnetic Field Assisted Finishing (MFAF) Process Utilizing Smart MR Polishing Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barman, Anwesa; Das, Manas

2017-02-01

Magnetic field assisted finishing process is an advanced finishing process. This process is capable of producing nanometer level surface finish. In this process magnetic field is applied to control the finishing forces using magnetorheological polishing medium. In the current study, permanent magnet is used to provide the required magnetic field in the finishing zone. The working gap between the workpiece and the magnet is filled with MR fluid which is used as the polishing brush to remove surface undulations from the top surface of the workpiece. In this paper, the distribution of magnetic flux density on the workpiece surface and behaviour of MR polishing medium during finishing are analyzed using commercial finite element packages (Ansys Maxwell® and Comsol®). The role of magnetic force in the indentation of abrasive particles on the workpiece surface is studied. A two-dimensional simulation study of the steady, laminar, and incompressible MR fluid flow behaviour during finishing process is carried out. The material removal and surface roughness modelling of the finishing process are also presented. The indentation force by a single active abrasive particle on the workpiece surface is modelled during simulation. The velocity profile of MR fluid with and without application of magnetic field is plotted. It shows non-Newtonian property without application of magnetic field. After that the total material displacement due to one abrasive particle is plotted. The simulated roughness profile is in a good agreement with the experimental results. The conducted study will help in understanding the fluid behavior and the mechanism of finishing during finishing process. Also, the modelling and simulation of the process will help in achieving better finishing performance.

Thermodynamics of the Coma Cluster Outskirts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simionescu, A.; Werner, N.; Urban, O.; Allen, S. W.; Fabian, A. C.; Mantz, A.; Matsushita, K.; Nulsen, P. E. J.; Sanders, J. S.; Sasaki, T.; Sato, T.; Takei, Y.; Walker, S. A.

2013-09-01

We present results from a large mosaic of Suzaku observations of the Coma Cluster, the nearest and X-ray brightest hot (~8 keV), dynamically active, non-cool core system, focusing on the thermodynamic properties of the intracluster medium on large scales. For azimuths not aligned with an infalling subcluster toward the southwest, our measured temperature and X-ray brightness profiles exhibit broadly consistent radial trends, with the temperature decreasing from about 8.5 keV at the cluster center to about 2 keV at a radius of 2 Mpc, which is the edge of our detection limit. The southwest merger significantly boosts the surface brightness, allowing us to detect X-ray emission out to ~2.2 Mpc along this direction. Apart from the southwestern infalling subcluster, the surface brightness profiles show multiple edges around radii of 30-40 arcmin. The azimuthally averaged temperature profile, as well as the deprojected density and pressure profiles, all show a sharp drop consistent with an outwardly-propagating shock front located at 40 arcmin, corresponding to the outermost edge of the giant radio halo observed at 352 MHz with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope. The shock front may be powering this radio emission. A clear entropy excess inside of r 500 reflects the violent merging events linked with these morphological features. Beyond r 500, the entropy profiles of the Coma Cluster along the relatively relaxed directions are consistent with the power-law behavior expected from simple models of gravitational large-scale structure formation. The pressure is also in agreement at these radii with the expected values measured from Sunyaev-Zel'dovich data from the Planck satellite. However, due to the large uncertainties associated with the Coma Cluster measurements, we cannot yet exclude an entropy flattening in this system consistent with that seen in more relaxed cool core clusters.

Vertical and Lateral Electron Content in the Martian Ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paetzold, M. P.; Peter, K.; Bird, M. K.; Häusler, B.; Tellmann, S.

2016-12-01

The radio-science experiment MaRS (Mars Express Radio Science) on the Mars Express spacecraft sounds the neutral atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars since 2004. Approximately 800 vertical profiles of the ionospheric electron density have been acquired until today. The vertical electron content (TEC) is easily computed from the vertical electron density profile by integrating along the altitude. The TEC is typically a fraction of a TEC unit (1E16 m^-2) and depends on the solar zenith angle. The magnitude of the TEC is however fully dominated by the electron density contained in the main layer M2. The contributions by the M1 layer below M2 or the topside is marginal. MaRS is using two radio frequencies for the sounding of the ionosphere. The directly observed differential Doppler from the two received frequencies is a measure of the lateral electron content that means along the ray path and perpendicular to the vertical electron density profile. Combining both the vertical electron density profile, the vertical TEC and the directly observed lateral TEC describes the lateral electron density distribution in the ionosphere.

Simulation of the trajectory of microwaves during passage of Mesoescale Convective System over Southern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diniz, F. L.; Munchow, G. B.; Herdies, D. L.; Foster, P. R.

2010-12-01

When the eletromagnetic wave travels in the atmosphere from one medium to another with different density and/or composition suffers small changes in speed and direction of propagation. These changes are caused by the vertical variation of atmospheric refractive index. This causes different types of trajectory deviations, which can be called: normal refraction, sub-refraction, super-refraction and duct. The condition to create duct is satisfied when there is a especific vertical profile of refraction, in this case an eletromagnectic wave will oscillate in a layer of the atmosphere. Considering that this ducts condition can causes damage in the transmission and reception of microwave system equipment (e.g. telecomunications, global positioning, weather radars and satellites) and that in the Rio Grande do Sul, state of Brazil, there are two weather radars, this study present a simulation of the trajectory that would have an eletromagnetic wave. In this study was used soundings of the atmosphere to infer the vertical profile of refractive index during the passage of a Mesoescale Convective System on September 7, 2009. In the lack of this data a numerical simulation with nested grids using Weather Research & Forecasting Model was performed to infer this.

Greenland annual accumulation along the EGIG line, 1959-2004, from ASIRAS airborne radar and neutron-probe density measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overly, Thomas B.; Hawley, Robert L.; Helm, Veit; Morris, Elizabeth M.; Chaudhary, Rohan N.

2016-08-01

We report annual snow accumulation rates from 1959 to 2004 along a 250 km segment of the Expéditions Glaciologiques Internationales au Groenland (EGIG) line across central Greenland using Airborne SAR/Interferometric Radar Altimeter System (ASIRAS) radar layers and high resolution neutron-probe (NP) density profiles. ASIRAS-NP-derived accumulation rates are not statistically different (95 % confidence interval) from in situ EGIG accumulation measurements from 1985 to 2004. ASIRAS-NP-derived accumulation increases by 20 % below 3000 m elevation, and increases by 13 % above 3000 m elevation for the period 1995 to 2004 compared to 1985 to 1994. Three Regional Climate Models (PolarMM5, RACMO2.3, MAR) underestimate snow accumulation below 3000 m by 16-20 % compared to ASIRAS-NP from 1985 to 2004. We test radar-derived accumulation rates sensitivity to density using modeled density profiles in place of NP densities. ASIRAS radar layers combined with Herron and Langway (1980) model density profiles (ASIRAS-HL) produce accumulation rates within 3.5 % of ASIRAS-NP estimates in the dry snow region. We suggest using Herron and Langway (1980) density profiles to calibrate radar layers detected in dry snow regions of ice sheets lacking detailed in situ density measurements, such as those observed by the Operation IceBridge campaign.

Measurement of heat load density profile on acceleration grid in MeV-class negative ion accelerator.

PubMed

Hiratsuka, Junichi; Hanada, Masaya; Kojima, Atsushi; Umeda, Naotaka; Kashiwagi, Mieko; Miyamoto, Kenji; Yoshida, Masafumi; Nishikiori, Ryo; Ichikawa, Masahiro; Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Tobari, Hiroyuki

2016-02-01

To understand the physics of the negative ion extraction/acceleration, the heat load density profile on the acceleration grid has been firstly measured in the ITER prototype accelerator where the negative ions are accelerated to 1 MeV with five acceleration stages. In order to clarify the profile, the peripheries around the apertures on the acceleration grid were separated into thermally insulated 34 blocks with thermocouples. The spatial resolution is as low as 3 mm and small enough to measure the tail of the beam profile with a beam diameter of ∼16 mm. It was found that there were two peaks of heat load density around the aperture. These two peaks were also clarified to be caused by the intercepted negative ions and secondary electrons from detailed investigation by changing the beam optics and gas density profile. This is the first experimental result, which is useful to understand the trajectories of these particles.

Plasma Profile Measurements for Laser Fusion Research with the Nike KrF Laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Jaechul; Weaver, J. L.; Serlin, V.; Obenschain, S. P.

2015-11-01

The grid image refractometer of the Nike laser facility (Nike-GIR) has demonstrated the capability of simultaneously measuring electron density (ne) and temperature (Te) profiles of coronal plasma. For laser plasma instability (LPI) research, the first Nike-GIR experiment successfully measured the plasma profiles in density regions up to ne ~ 4 ×1021 cm-3 (22% of the critical density for 248 nm light of Nike) using an ultraviolet probe laser (λp = 263 nm). The probe laser has been recently replaced with a shorter wavelength laser (λp = 213 nm, a 5th harmonic of the Nd:YAG laser) to diagnose a higher density region. The Nike-GIR system is being further extended to measure plasma profiles in the on-going experiment using 135°-separated Nike beam arrays for the cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) studies. We present an overview of the extended Nike-GIR arrangements and a new numerical algorithm to extract self-consistant plasma profiles with the measured quantities. Work supported by DoE/NNSA.

Membrane-aerated microbioreactor for high-throughput bioprocessing.

PubMed

Zanzotto, Andrea; Szita, Nicolas; Boccazzi, Paolo; Lessard, Philip; Sinskey, Anthony J; Jensen, Klavs F

2004-07-20

A microbioreactor with a volume of microliters is fabricated out of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and glass. Aeration of microbial cultures is through a gas-permeable PDMS membrane. Sensors are integrated for on-line measurement of optical density (OD), dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH. All three parameter measurements are based on optical methods. Optical density is monitored via transmittance measurements through the well of the microbioreactor while dissolved oxygen and pH are measured using fluorescence lifetime-based sensors incorporated into the body of the microbioreactor. Bacterial fermentations carried out in the microbioreactor under well-defined conditions are compared to results obtained in a 500-mL bench-scale bioreactor. It is shown that the behavior of the bacteria in the microbioreactor is similar to that in the larger bioreactor. This similarity includes growth kinetics, dissolved oxygen profile within the vessel over time, pH profile over time, final number of cells, and cell morphology. Results from off-line analysis of the medium to examine organic acid production and substrate utilization are presented. By changing the gaseous environmental conditions, it is demonstrated that oxygen levels within the microbioreactor can be manipulated. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the sensitivity and reproducibility of the microbioreactor system are such that statistically significant differences in the time evolution of the OD, DO, and pH can be used to distinguish between different physiological states. Finally, modeling of the transient oxygen transfer within the microbioreactor based on observed and predicted growth kinetics is used to quantitatively characterize oxygen depletion in the system. Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Counterion effects on the ultrafast dynamics of charge-transfer-to-solvent electrons.

PubMed

Rivas, N; Moriena, G; Domenianni, L; Hodak, J H; Marceca, E

2017-12-06

We performed femtosecond transient absorption (TA) experiments to monitor the solvation dynamics of charge-transfer-to-solvent (CTTS) electrons originating from UV photoexcitation of ammoniated iodide in close proximity to the counterions. Solutions of KI were prepared in liquid ammonia and TA experiments were carried out at different temperatures and densities, along the liquid-gas coexistence curve of the fluid. The results complement previous femtosecond TA work by P. Vöhringer's group in neat ammonia via multiphoton ionization. The dynamics of CTTS-detached electrons in ammonia was found to be strongly affected by ion pairing. Geminate recombination time constants as well as escape probabilities were determined from the measured temporal profiles and analysed as a function of the medium density. A fast unresolved (τ < 250 fs) increase of absorption related to the creation/thermalization of solvated electron species was followed by two decay components: one with a characteristic time around 10 ps, and a slower one that remains active for hundreds of picoseconds. While the first process is attributed to an early recombination of (I, e - ) pairs, the second decay and its asymptote reflects the effect of the K + counterion on the geminate recombination dynamics, rate and yield. The cation basically acts as an electron anchor that restricts the ejection distance, leading to solvent-separated counterion-electron species. The formation of (K + , NH 3 , e - ) pairs close to the parent iodine atom brings the electron escape probability to very low values. Transient spectra of the electron species have also been estimated as a function of time by probing the temporal profiles at different wavelengths.

Cardiovascular risk profile in burn survivors.

PubMed

Leung, Becky; Younger, John F; Stockton, Kellie; Muller, Michael; Paratz, Jennifer

2017-11-01

Burn patients have prolonged derangements in metabolic, endocrine, cardiac and psychosocial systems, potentially impacting on their cardiovascular health. There are no studies on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) after-burn. The aim of our study was to record lipid values and evaluate CVD risk in adult burn survivors. In a cross-sectional study patients ≥18 years with burn injury between 18-80% total burn surface area (TBSA) from 1998 to 2012 had total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides measured via finger prick. Means were compared to optimal ranges. Multivariate regression models were performed to assess the association of lipids with age, years after-burn and total body surface area % (TBSA). A p value <0.05 was considered significant. The Framingham General Cardiovascular Risk Score (FGCRS) was calculated. Fifty patients were included in the study. Compared to optimal values, patients had low HDL and high triglycerides. Greater %TBSA was associated with statistically significant elevation of triglycerides (p=0.007) and total cholesterol/HDL ratio (p=0.027). The median FGCRS was 3.9% (low) 10-year risk of CVD with 82% of patients in the low-risk category. Patients involved in medium/high level of physical activity had optimal values of HDL, TC/HDL and triglycerides despite the magnitude of TBSA%. Adult burn survivors had alterations in lipid profile proportional to TBSA, which could be modified by exercise, and no increase in overall formally predicted CVD risk in this cross sectional study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Facies-dependent variations in sediment physical properties on the Mississippi River Delta Front, USA: evidence for depositional and post-depositional processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, J. E., IV; Bentley, S. J.; Courtois, A. J.; Obelcz, J.; Chaytor, J. D.; Maloney, J. M.; Georgiou, I. Y.; Xu, K.; Miner, M. D.

2017-12-01

Recent studies on Mississippi River Delta have documented sub-aerial land loss, driven in part by declining sediment load over the past century. Impacts of changing sediment load on the subaqueous delta are less well known. The subaqueous Mississippi River Delta Front is known to be shaped by extensive submarine mudflows operating at a range of temporal and spatial scales, however impacts of changing sediment delivery on mudflow deposits have not been investigated. To better understand seabed morphology and stratigraphy as impacted by plume sedimentation and mudflows, an integrated geological/geophysical study was undertaken in delta front regions offshore the three main passes of the Mississippi River Delta. This study focuses on stratigraphy and physical properties of 30 piston cores (5-9 m length) collected in June 2017. Coring locations were selected in gully, lobe and prodelta settings based on multibeam bathymetry and seismic profiles collected in mid-May 2017. Cores were analyzed for density, magnetic susceptibility, P-wave speed, and resistivity using a Geotek multi sensor core logger; here, we focus on density data. Core density profiles generally vary systematically across facies. Density profiles of gully cores are nearly invariant with some downward stepwise increases delineating units meters thick, and abundant gaps likely caused by gas expansion. Lobe cores generally have subtle downward increases in density, some stepwise density increases, and fewer gaps. Prodelta cores show more pronounced downward density increases, decimeter-scale peaks and valleys in density profiles, but stepwise increases are less evident. We hypothesize that density profiles in gully and lobe settings (uniform profiles except for stepwise increases) reflect remolding by mudflows, whereas density variations in prodelta settings instead reflect grain size variations (decimeter-scale) and more advanced consolidation (overall downward density increase) consistent with slower sediment deposition. These hypotheses will be evaluated by a more detailed study of seismic stratigraphy and core properties, including geochronology, grain size distribution and X-radiographic imaging, to further relate important sedimentary processes with resulting deposits.

Estimating the D-Region Ionospheric Electron Density Profile Using VLF Narrowband Transmitters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, N. C.; Cohen, M.

2016-12-01

The D-region ionospheric electron density profile plays an important role in many applications, including long-range and transionospheric communications, and coupling between the lower atmosphere and the upper ionosphere occurs, and estimation of very low frequency (VLF) wave propagation within the earth-ionosphere waveguide. However, measuring the D-region ionospheric density profile has been a challenge. The D-region is about 60 to 90 [km] in altitude, which is higher than planes and balloons can fly but lower than satellites can orbit. Researchers have previously used VLF remote sensing techniques, from either narrowband transmitters or sferics, to estimate the density profile, but these estimations are typically during a short time frame and over a single propagation path.We report on an effort to construct estimates of the D-region ionospheric electron density profile over multiple narrowband transmission paths for long periods of time. Measurements from multiple transmitters at multiple receivers are analyzed concurrently to minimize false solutions and improve accuracy. Likewise, time averaging is used to remove short transient noise at the receivers. The cornerstone of the algorithm is an artificial neural network (ANN), where input values are the received amplitude and phase for the narrowband transmitters and the outputs are the commonly known h' and beta two parameter exponential electron density profile. Training data for the ANN is generated using the Navy's Long-Wavelength Propagation Capability (LWPC) model. Results show the algorithm performs well under smooth ionospheric conditions and when proper geometries for the transmitters and receivers are used.

Chapman Enskog-maximum entropy method on time-dependent neutron transport equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdou, M. A.

2006-09-01

The time-dependent neutron transport equation in semi and infinite medium with linear anisotropic and Rayleigh scattering is proposed. The problem is solved by means of the flux-limited, Chapman Enskog-maximum entropy for obtaining the solution of the time-dependent neutron transport. The solution gives the neutron distribution density function which is used to compute numerically the radiant energy density E(x,t), net flux F(x,t) and reflectivity Rf. The behaviour of the approximate flux-limited maximum entropy neutron density function are compared with those found by other theories. Numerical calculations for the radiant energy, net flux and reflectivity of the proposed medium are calculated at different time and space.

Detection of an electron beam in a high density plasma via an electrostatic probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majeski, Stephen; Yoo, Jongsoo; Zweben, Stewart; Yamada, Masaaki

2018-07-01

An electron beam is detected by a 1D floating potential probe array in a relatively high density (1012–1013 cm‑3) and low temperature (∼5 eV) plasma of the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment. Clear perturbations in the floating potential profile by the electron beam are observed. Based on the floating potential profile and a current balance equation to the probe array tips, the effective width of the electron beam is determined, from which we determine the radial and toroidal beam current density profiles. After the profile of the electron beam is specified from the measured beam current, we demonstrate the consistency of the current balance equation and the location of the perturbation is also in agreement with field line mapping. No significant broadening of the electron beam is observed after the beam propagates for tens of centimeters through the high density plasma. These results prove that the field line mapping is, in principle, possible in high density plasmas.

Detection of an electron beam in a high density plasma via an electrostatic probe

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

Majeski, Stephen; Yoo, Jongsoo; Zweben, Stewart

Here, an electron beam is detected by a 1D floating potential probe array in a relatively high density (10 12–10 13 cm -3) and low temperature (~5 eV) plasma of the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment. Clear perturbations in the floating potential profile by the electron beam are observed. Based on the floating potential profile and a current balance equation to the probe array tips, the effective width of the electron beam is determined, from which we determine the radial and toroidal beam current density profiles. After the profile of the electron beam is specified from the measured beam current, we demonstratemore » the consistency of the current balance equation and the location of the perturbation is also in agreement with field line mapping. No significant broadening of the electron beam is observed after the beam propagates for tens of centimeters through the high density plasma. These results prove that the field line mapping is, in principle, possible in high density plasmas.« less

Detection of an electron beam in a high density plasma via an electrostatic probe

DOE PAGES

Majeski, Stephen; Yoo, Jongsoo; Zweben, Stewart; ...

2018-05-08

Here, an electron beam is detected by a 1D floating potential probe array in a relatively high density (10 12–10 13 cm -3) and low temperature (~5 eV) plasma of the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment. Clear perturbations in the floating potential profile by the electron beam are observed. Based on the floating potential profile and a current balance equation to the probe array tips, the effective width of the electron beam is determined, from which we determine the radial and toroidal beam current density profiles. After the profile of the electron beam is specified from the measured beam current, we demonstratemore » the consistency of the current balance equation and the location of the perturbation is also in agreement with field line mapping. No significant broadening of the electron beam is observed after the beam propagates for tens of centimeters through the high density plasma. These results prove that the field line mapping is, in principle, possible in high density plasmas.« less

Effects of test media on reproduction in Potamopyrgus antipodarum and of pre-exposure population densities on sensitivity to cadmium in a reproduction test.

PubMed

Sieratowicz, Agnes; Schulte-Oehlmann, Ulrike; Wigh, Adriana; Oehlmann, Jörg

2013-01-01

Molluscan species can be affected by various anthropogenic substances. Yet, these effects are disregarded in chemical risk assessment as molluscs are unrepresented in standard OECD guidelines. The project "validation of a mollusc reproduction test" (Federal Environment Agency, code 371165417) deals with the development of a test method with the mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum for OECD purposes. In this context, the influence on reproduction of both, different media and varying snail density, has been observed in independent experiments. Further, the impact of density on the outcome of subsequent cadmium (Cd) toxicity in a test has been investigated to refine the existing methodology. First, adult snails were kept in different test media for 12 weeks. Second, snail density was increased for 4 weeks to induce stress. Snails from each density scenario were used for another 4 weeks in a reproduction test at an equal density with 12 μg Cd/L, respectively. Significant differences in reproduction between medium groups were noted after 4 and 8, but not 12, weeks. Further, reproduction was significantly altered by snail density in the beakers but after subsequent 4 weeks at a constant density, no differences were observed between control groups. Cd reduced reproduction and this effect increased with snail density in the pre-exposure period, demonstrating that a previous stress factor may result in increased sensitivity to chemicals and underlines the need for more standardized breeding conditions to minimize effect variations. Based on the outcome of this study, an acclimatization period of 12 weeks must be guaranteed for specimens transferred to another medium. Further, 4 weeks of acclimatization are necessary after density stress. An additional 12 weeks density experiment showed that medium volume in each replicate can be decreased by half to save on chemicals, water and space during tests.

Status of the Topside Vary-Chap Ionospheric Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinisch, Bodo; Nsumei, Patrick; Huang, Xueqin; Bilitza, Dieter

Status of the Topside Vary-Chap Ionospheric Model The general alpha-Chapman function for a multi-constituent gas which includes a continuously varying scale height and was therefore dubbed the Vary-Chap function, can present the topside electron density profiles in analytical form. The Vary-Chap profile is defined by the scale height function H(h) and the height and density of the F2 layer peak. By expressing 80,000 ISIS-2 measured topside density profiles as Vary-Chap functions we derived 80,000 scale height functions, which form the basis for the topside density profile modeling. The normalized scale height profiles Hn = H(h)/Hm were grouped according to season, MLAT, and MLT for each 50 km height bin from 200 km to 1400 km, and the median, lower, and upper quartiles for each bin were calculated. Hm is the scale height at the F2 layer peak. The resulting Hn functions are modeled in terms of hyperbolic tangent functions using 5 parameters that are determined by multivariate least squares, including the transition height hT where the scale height gradient has a maximum. These normalized scale height functions, representing the model of the topside electron density profiles from hmF2 to 1,400 km altitude, are independent of hmF2 and NmF2 and can therefore be directly used for the topside Ne profile in IRI. Similarly, this model can extend measured bottomside profiles to the topside, replacing the simple alpha-Chapman function with constant scale height that is currently used for construction of the topside profile in the Digisondes / ARTIST of the Global Ionospheric Radio Observatory (GIRO). It turns out that Hm(top) calculated from the topside profiles is generally several times larger than Hm(bot) derived from the bottomside profiles. This follows necessarily from the difference in the definition of the scale height functions for the topside and bottomside profiles. The diurnal variations of the ratio Hm(top) / Hm(bot) has been determined for different latitudes which makes it now possible to specify the topside profile for any given bottomside profile.

The Spectroscopic Evolution of the Symbiotic-like Recurrent Nova V407 Cygni During Its 2010 Outburst. 2. The Circumstellar Environment and the Aftermath

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shore, S. N.; Wahlgren, G. M.; Augusteijn, T.; Liimets, T.; Koubsky, P.; Slechta, M.; Votruba, V.

2011-01-01

The nova outburst of V407 Cyg in 2010 Mar. 10 was the first observed for this star but its close resemblance to the well known symbiotic-like recurrent nova RS Oph suggests that it is also a member of this rare type of Galactic novae. The nova was the first detected at gamma-ray energies and is the first known nova explosion for this system. The extensive multiwavelength coverage of this outburst makes it an ideal comparison with the few other outbursts known for similar systems. We extend our previous analysis of the Mira and the expanding shock from the explosion to detail the time development of the photoionized Mira wind, circumstellar medium, and shocked circumstellar environment to derive their physical parameters and how they relate to large scale structure of the environment, extending the previous coverage to more than 500 days after outburst. We use optical spectra obtained at high resolution with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) (R approx. =.45000 to 65000) and medium resolution Ondrejov Observatory (R approx. = 12000) data and compare the line variations with publicly available archival measurements at 30 GHz OVNR and at X-rays with Swift during the first four months of the outburst, through the end of the epoch of strong XR emission. We use nebular diagnostics and high resolution profile variations to derive the densities and locations of the extended emission. We find that the higher the ionization and/or the higher the excitation energy, the more closely the profiles resemble the He II/Ca V-type high velocity shock profile discussed in Paper I. This also accounts for the comparative development of the [N II] and [O III] isoelectronic transitions: the [O III] 4363A profile does not show the low velocity peaks while the excited [N II] 5754A does. If nitrogen is mainly N(+3) or higher in the shock, the upper state of the [N II] nebular lines will contribute but if the oxygen is O(+2) then this line is formed by recombination, masking the nebular contributor, and the lower states are collisionally quenched but emit from the low density surroundings. Absorption lines of Fe-peak ions formed in the Mira wind were visible as P Cyg profiles at low velocity before Day 69, around the time of the X-ray peak and we identified many absorption transitions without accompanying emission for metal lines. The H Balmer lines showed strong P Cyg absorption troughs that weakened during the 2010 observing period, through Day 128. The Fe-peak line profiles and flux variations were different for permitted and forbidden transitions: the E1 transitions were not visible after Day 128 but had shown a narrow peak superimposed on an extended (200 km/s) blue wing, while the M1 and E2 transitions persisted to Day 529, the last observation, and showed extended redshifted wings up of the same velocity. We distinguish the components from the shock, the photoionized environment, and the chromosphere and inner Mira wind using spectra taken more than one year after outburst. The multiple shells and radiative excitation phenomenology are similar to those recently cited for GRBs and SNIa .

Identification of Potential Chemical Carcinogens in Compendia of Gene Expression Profiles

EPA Science Inventory

Chemicals induce cancer through partially characterized adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) that include molecular initiating events (MIEs) and downstream key events (KEs). Microarray profiling of chemical-induced effects is being increasingly used in medium- and high-throughput form...

Gaseous hydrogen/oxygen injector performance characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Degroot, W. A.; Tsuei, H. H.

1994-01-01

Results are presented of spontaneous Raman scattering measurements in the combustion chamber of a 110 N thrust class gaseous hydrogen/oxygen rocket. Temperature, oxygen number density, and water number density profiles at the injector exit plane are presented. These measurements are used as input profiles to a full Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. Predictions of this code while using the measured profiles are compared with predictions while using assumed uniform injector profiles. Axial and radial velocity profiles derived from both sets of predictions are compared with Rayleigh scattering measurements in the exit plane of a 33:1 area ratio nozzle. Temperature and number density Raman scattering measurements at the exit plane of a test rocket with a 1:1.36 area ratio nozzle are also compared with results from both sets of predictions.

Radial dependence of the dark matter distribution in M33

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López Fune, E.; Salucci, P.; Corbelli, E.

2017-06-01

The stellar and gaseous mass distributions, as well as the extended rotation curve, in the nearby galaxy M33 are used to derive the radial distribution of dark matter density in the halo and to test cosmological models of galaxy formation and evolution. Two methods are examined to constrain the dark mass density profiles. The first method deals directly with fitting the rotation curve data in the range of galactocentric distances 0.24 ≤ r ≤ 22.72 kpc. Using the results of collisionless Λ cold dark matter numerical simulations, we confirm that the Navarro-Frenkel-White (NFW) dark matter profile provides a better fit to the rotation curve data than the cored Burkert profile (BRK) profile. The second method relies on the local equation of centrifugal equilibrium and on the rotation curve slope. In the aforementioned range of distances, we fit the observed velocity profile, using a function that has a rational dependence on the radius, and we derive the slope of the rotation curve. Then, we infer the effective matter densities. In the radial range 9.53 ≤ r ≤ 22.72 kpc, the uncertainties induced by the luminous matter (stars and gas) become negligible, because the dark matter density dominates, and we can determine locally the radial distribution of dark matter. With this second method, we tested the NFW and BRK dark matter profiles and we can confirm that both profiles are compatible with the data, even though in this case the cored BRK density profile provides a more reasonable value for the baryonic-to-dark matter ratio.

Density variations and their influence on carbon stocks: case-study on two Biosphere Reserves in the Democratic Republic of Congo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Ridder, Maaike; De Haulleville, Thalès; Kearsley, Elizabeth; Van den Bulcke, Jan; Van Acker, Joris; Beeckman, Hans

2014-05-01

It is commonly acknowledged that allometric equations for aboveground biomass and carbon stock estimates are improved significantly if density is included as a variable. However, not much attention is given to this variable in terms of exact, measured values and density profiles from pith to bark. Most published case-studies obtain density values from literature sources or databases, this way using large ranges of density values and possible causing significant errors in carbon stock estimates. The use of one single fixed value for density is also not recommended if carbon stock increments are estimated. Therefore, our objective is to measure and analyze a large number of tree species occurring in two Biosphere Reserves (Luki and Yangambi). Nevertheless, the diversity of tree species in these tropical forests is too high to perform this kind of detailed analysis on all tree species (> 200/ha). Therefore, we focus on the most frequently encountered tree species with high abundance (trees/ha) and dominance (basal area/ha) for this study. Increment cores were scanned with a helical X-ray protocol to obtain density profiles from pith to bark. This way, we aim at dividing the tree species with a distinct type of density profile into separate groups. If, e.g., slopes in density values from pith to bark remain stable over larger samples of one tree species, this slope could also be used to correct for errors in carbon (increment) estimates, caused by density values from simplified density measurements or density values from literature. In summary, this is most likely the first study in the Congo Basin that focuses on density patterns in order to check their influence on carbon stocks and differences in carbon stocking based on species composition (density profiles ~ temperament of tree species).

Wave Propagation inside Random Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Xiaojun

This thesis presents results of studies of wave scattering within and transmission through random and periodic systems. The main focus is on energy profiles inside quasi-1D and 1D random media. The connection between transport and the states of the medium is manifested in the equivalence of the dimensionless conductance, g, and the Thouless number which is the ratio of the average linewidth and spacing of energy levels. This equivalence and theories regarding the energy profiles inside random media are based on the assumption that LDOS is uniform throughout the samples. We have conducted microwave measurements of the longitudinal energy profiles within disordered samples contained in a copper tube supporting multiple waveguide channels with an antenna moving along a slit on the tube. These measurements allow us to determine the local density of states (LDOS) at a location which is the sum of energy from all incoming channels on both sides. For diffusive samples, the LDOS is uniform and the energy profile decays linearly as expected. However, for localized samples, we find that the LDOS drops sharply towards the middle of the sample and the energy profile does not follow the result of the local diffusion theory where the LDOS is assumed to be uniform. We analyze the field spectra into quasi-normal modes and found that the mode linewidth and the number of modes saturates as the sample length increases. Thus the Thouless number saturates while the dimensionless conductance g continues to fall with increasing length, indicating that the modes are localized near the boundaries. This is in contrast to the general believing that g and Thouless number follow the same scaling behavior. Previous measurements show that single parameter scaling (SPS) still holds in the same sample where the LDOS is suppressed te{shi2014microwave}. We explore the extension of SPS to the interior of the sample by analyzing statistics of the logrithm of the energy density ln W(x) and found that =-x/l where l is the transport mean free path. The result does not depend on the sample length, which is counterintuitive yet remarkably simple. More supprisingly, the linear fall-off of energy profile holds for totally disordered random 1D layered samples in simulations where the LDOS is uniform as well as for single mode random waveguide experiments and 1D nearly periodic samples where the LDOS is suppressed in the middle of the sample. The generalization of the transmission matrix to the interior of quasi-1D random samples, which is defined as the field matrix, and its eigenvalues statistics are also discussed. The maximum energy deposition at a location is not the intensity of the first transmission eigenchannel but the eigenvalue of the first energy density eigenchannels at that cross section, which can be much greater than the average value. The contrast, which is the ratio of the intensity at the focused point to the background intensity, in optimal focusing is determined by the participation number of the energy density eigenvalues and its inverse gives the variance of the energy density at that cross section in a single configuration. We have also studied topological states in photonic structures. We have demonstrated robust propagation of electromagnetic waves along reconfigurable pathways within a topological photonic metacrystal. Since the wave is confined within the domain wall, which is the boundary between two distinct topological insulating systems, we can freely steer the wave by reconstructing the photonic structure. Other topics, such as speckle pattern evolutions and the effects of boundary conditions on the statistics of transmission eigenvalues and energy profiles are also discussed.

Surface Condensation of CO2 onto Kaolinite

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

Schaef, Herbert T.; Glezakou, Vassiliki Alexandra; Owen, Antionette T.

2014-02-11

The fundamental adsorption behavior of gaseous and supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) onto poorly crystalline kaolinite (KGa-2) at conditions relevant to geologic sequestration has been investigated using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and density functional theory (DFT) methods. The QCM data indicated linear adsorption of CO2 (0-0.3 mmol CO2/g KGa-2) onto the kaolinite surface up through the gaseous state (0.186 g/cm3). However in the supercritical region, CO2 adsorption increases dramatically, reaching a peak (0.9-1.0 mmol CO2/g KGa-2) near 0.43 g/cm3, before declining rapidly to surface adsorption values equivalent or below gaseous CO2. This adsorption profile was not observed with He ormore » N2. Comparative density functional studies of CO2 interactions with kaolinite surface models rule out CO2 intercalation and confirm that surface adsorption is favored up to approximately 0.35 g/cm3 of CO2, showing distorted T-shaped CO2-CO2 clustering, typical of supercritical CO2 aggregation over the surface as the density increases. Beyond this point, the adsorption energy gain for any additional CO2 becomes less than the CO2 interaction energy (~0.2 eV) in the supercritical medium resulting in overall desorption of CO2 from the kaolinite surface.« less

AN OCCULTATION EVENT IN CENTAURUS A AND THE CLUMPY TORUS MODEL

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

Rivers, Elizabeth; Markowitz, Alex; Rothschild, Richard, E-mail: erivers@ucsd.edu

2011-12-15

We have analyzed 16 months of sustained monitoring observations of Centaurus A from the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer to search for changes in the absorbing column in the line of sight to the central nucleus. We present time-resolved spectroscopy which indicates that a discrete clump of material transited the line of sight to the central illuminating source over the course of {approx}170 days between 2010 August and 2011 February with a maximum increase in the column density of about 8.4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 22} cm{sup -2}. This is the best quality data of such an event that has ever been analyzedmore » with the shape of the ingress and egress clearly seen. Modeling the clump of material as roughly spherical with a linearly decreasing density profile and assuming a distance from the central nucleus commensurate with the dusty torus, we found that the clump would have a diameter of (1.4-2.4) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} cm with a central number density of n{sub H} = (1.8-3.0) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 7} cm{sup -3}. This is consistent with previous results for a similar (though possibly much longer) occultation event inferred in this source in 2003-2004 and supports models of the molecular torus as a clumpy medium.« less

Modulation of chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells in jellyfish collagen scaffolds by cell density and culture medium.

PubMed

Pustlauk, W; Paul, B; Brueggemeier, S; Gelinsky, M; Bernhardt, A

2017-06-01

Studies on tissue-engineering approaches for the regeneration of traumatized cartilage focus increasingly on multipotent human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) as an alternative to autologous chondrocytes. The present study applied porous scaffolds made of collagen from the jellyfish Rhopilema esculentum for the in vitro chondrogenic differentiation of hMSCs. Culture conditions in those scaffolds differ from conditions in high-density pellet cultures, making a re-examination of these data necessary. We systematically investigated the influence of seeding density, basic culture media [Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), α-minimum essential medium (α-MEM)] with varying glucose content and supplementation with fetal calf serum (FCS) or bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the chondrogenic differentiation of hMSCs. Gene expression analyses of selected markers for chondrogenic differentiation and hypertrophic development were conducted. Furthermore, the production of cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) was analysed by quantification of sulphated glycosaminoglycan and collagen type II contents. The strongest upregulation of chondrogenic markers, along with the highest ECM deposition was observed in scaffolds seeded with 2.4 × 10 6 cells/cm 3 after cultivation in high-glucose DMEM and 0.125% BSA. Lower seeding densities compared to high-density pellet cultures were sufficient to induce in vitro chondrogenic differentiation of hMSCs in collagen scaffolds, which reduces the amount of cells required for the seeding of scaffolds and thus the monolayer expansion period. Furthermore, examination of the impact of FCS and α-MEM on chondrogenic MSC differentiation is an important prerequisite for the development of an osteochondral medium for simultaneous osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation in biphasic scaffolds for osteochondral tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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

Wardaya, P. D., E-mail: pongga.wardaya@utp.edu.my; Noh, K. A. B. M., E-mail: pongga.wardaya@utp.edu.my; Yusoff, W. I. B. W., E-mail: pongga.wardaya@utp.edu.my

This paper discusses a new approach for investigating the seismic wave velocity of rock, specifically carbonates, as affected by their pore structures. While the conventional routine of seismic velocity measurement highly depends on the extensive laboratory experiment, the proposed approach utilizes the digital rock physics view which lies on the numerical experiment. Thus, instead of using core sample, we use the thin section image of carbonate rock to measure the effective seismic wave velocity when travelling on it. In the numerical experiment, thin section images act as the medium on which wave propagation will be simulated. For the modeling, anmore » advanced technique based on artificial neural network was employed for building the velocity and density profile, replacing image's RGB pixel value with the seismic velocity and density of each rock constituent. Then, ultrasonic wave was simulated to propagate in the thin section image by using finite difference time domain method, based on assumption of an acoustic-isotropic medium. Effective velocities were drawn from the recorded signal and being compared to the velocity modeling from Wyllie time average model and Kuster-Toksoz rock physics model. To perform the modeling, image analysis routines were undertaken for quantifying the pore aspect ratio that is assumed to represent the rocks pore structure. In addition, porosity and mineral fraction required for velocity modeling were also quantified by using integrated neural network and image analysis technique. It was found that the Kuster-Toksoz gives the closer prediction to the measured velocity as compared to the Wyllie time average model. We also conclude that Wyllie time average that does not incorporate the pore structure parameter deviates significantly for samples having more than 40% porosity. Utilizing this approach we found a good agreement between numerical experiment and theoretically derived rock physics model for estimating the effective seismic wave velocity of rock.« less

Variability in sublingual microvessel density and flow measurements in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Hubble, Sheena M A; Kyte, Hayley L; Gooding, Kim; Shore, Angela C

2009-02-01

As sublingual microvascular indices are increasingly heralded as new resuscitation end-points, better population data are required to power clinical studies. This paper describes improved methods to quantify sublingual microvessel flow and density in images obtained by sidestream dark field (SDF) technology in healthy volunteers, including vessels under 10 microm in diameter. Measurements of sublingual capillary density and flow were obtained by recording three 15-second images in 20 healthy volunteers over three days. Two independent observers quantified capillary density by using two methods: total vessel length (mm/mm2) and counting (number/mm). Both intraoral and temporal variabilities within subject and observer reproducibilities were determined by using coefficients of variability and reproducibility indices. For small (1-10 microm), medium (11-20 microm), and large (21-50 microm) diameter, mean vessel density with standard deviations (SDs) in volunteers was 21.3(+/- 4.9), 5.2 (+/- 1.2), and 2.7 (+/- 0.9) mm/mm2, respectively. Also, 94.0 +/- 1.4% of small vessels, 94.5 +/- 1.4% of medium vessels, and 94.5+/- 4.0% of large vessels had continuous perfusion. Within subjects, the means of all measurements over three days varied less than 13, 22, and 35% in small, medium, and large vessels, respectively. Interobserver reproducibility was good, especially for capillary (1-10 microm) density and flow measurements. Our methods of microvessel flow and density quantification have low observer variability and confirm the stability of microcirculatory measurements over time. These results facilitate the development of SDF-acquired sublingual microvascular indices as feasible microperfusion markers in shock resuscitation.

A field-to-desktop toolchain for X-ray CT densitometry enables tree ring analysis

PubMed Central

De Mil, Tom; Vannoppen, Astrid; Beeckman, Hans; Van Acker, Joris; Van den Bulcke, Jan

2016-01-01

Background and Aims Disentangling tree growth requires more than ring width data only. Densitometry is considered a valuable proxy, yet laborious wood sample preparation and lack of dedicated software limit the widespread use of density profiling for tree ring analysis. An X-ray computed tomography-based toolchain of tree increment cores is presented, which results in profile data sets suitable for visual exploration as well as density-based pattern matching. Methods Two temperate (Quercus petraea, Fagus sylvatica) and one tropical species (Terminalia superba) were used for density profiling using an X-ray computed tomography facility with custom-made sample holders and dedicated processing software. Key Results Density-based pattern matching is developed and able to detect anomalies in ring series that can be corrected via interactive software. Conclusions A digital workflow allows generation of structure-corrected profiles of large sets of cores in a short time span that provide sufficient intra-annual density information for tree ring analysis. Furthermore, visual exploration of such data sets is of high value. The dated profiles can be used for high-resolution chronologies and also offer opportunities for fast screening of lesser studied tropical tree species. PMID:27107414

Schlieren System and method for moving objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinstein, Leonard M. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

A system and method are provided for recording density changes in a flow field surrounding a moving object. A mask having an aperture for regulating the passage of images is placed in front of an image recording medium. An optical system is placed in front of the mask. A transition having a light field-of-view and a dark field-of-view is located beyond the test object. The optical system focuses an image of the transition at the mask such that the aperture causes a band of light to be defined on the image recording medium. The optical system further focuses an image of the object through the aperture of the mask so that the image of the object appears on the image recording medium. Relative motion is minimized between the mask and the transition. Relative motion is also minimized between the image recording medium and the image of the object. In this way, the image of the object and density changes in a flow field surrounding the object are recorded on the image recording medium when the object crosses the transition in front of the optical system.

Systematic development and optimization of chemically defined medium supporting high cell density growth of Bacillus coagulans.

PubMed

Chen, Yu; Dong, Fengqing; Wang, Yonghong

2016-09-01

With determined components and experimental reducibility, the chemically defined medium (CDM) and the minimal chemically defined medium (MCDM) are used in many metabolism and regulation studies. This research aimed to develop the chemically defined medium supporting high cell density growth of Bacillus coagulans, which is a promising producer of lactic acid and other bio-chemicals. In this study, a systematic methodology combining the experimental technique with flux balance analysis (FBA) was proposed to design and simplify a CDM. The single omission technique and single addition technique were employed to determine the essential and stimulatory compounds, before the optimization of their concentrations by the statistical method. In addition, to improve the growth rationally, in silico omission and addition were performed by FBA based on the construction of a medium-size metabolic model of B. coagulans 36D1. Thus, CDMs were developed to obtain considerable biomass production of at least five B. coagulans strains, in which two model strains B. coagulans 36D1 and ATCC 7050 were involved.

Coupled granular/continuous medium for thermally stable perpendicular magnetic recording

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonobe, Y.; Weller, D.; Ikeda, Y.; Takano, K.; Schabes, M. E.; Zeltzer, G.; Do, H.; Yen, B. K.; Best, M. E.

2001-10-01

We studied coupled granular/continuous (CGC) perpendicular media consisting of a continuous multilayer structure and a granular layer. The addition of Co/Pt multilayers decreased the nucleation field from 200 to -1800 Oe and increased the squareness from 0.9 to 1.0. The moment decay at room temperature was significantly reduced from -4.8% to -0.05% per decade. At elevated temperatures, strong exchange coupling between a granular layer and a continuous layer is needed for thermal stability. The exchange-coupled continuous layer reduces thermal demagnetization as it effectively increases the grain size, tightens the grain distribution, and prevents the reversal of individual grains. Magnetic Force Microscope image showed a larger magnetic cluster size for the CGC structure. Compared to the CoCr 18Pt 12 medium, the CGC medium had 2.3 dB higher output. However, the noise for the CGC medium increased with the recording density, while the noise for the CoCr 18Pt 12 medium remained constant from 4 to 15 kfc/mm. Further optimization and noise reduction are still required for future high density recording.

Excitation of Molecular Hydrogen in the Orion Bar Photodissociation Region from a Deep Near-infrared IGRINS Spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, Kyle F.; Dinerstein, Harriet L.; Oh, Heeyoung; Mace, Gregory N.; Kim, Hwihyun; Sokal, Kimberly R.; Pavel, Michael D.; Lee, Sungho; Pak, Soojong; Park, Chan; Sok Oh, Jae; Jaffe, Daniel T.

2017-04-01

We present a deep near-infrared spectrum of the Orion Bar Photodissociation Region (PDR) taken with the Immersion Grating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) on the 2.7 m telescope at the McDonald Observatory. IGRINS has high spectral resolution (R˜ {{45,000}}) and instantaneous broad wavelength coverage (1.45-2.45 μm), enabling us to detect 87 emission lines from rovibrationally excited molecular hydrogen (H2) that arise from transitions out of 69 upper rovibration levels of the electronic ground state. These levels cover a large range of rotational and vibrational quantum numbers and excitation energies, making them excellent probes of the excitation mechanisms of H2 and physical conditions within the PDR. The Orion Bar PDR is thought to consist of cooler high density clumps or filaments (T=50{--}250 K, {n}H={10}5{--}{10}7 cm-3) embedded in a warmer lower density medium (T=250{--}1000 K, {n}H={10}4{--}{10}5 cm-3). We fit a grid of constant temperature and density Cloudy models, which recreate the observed H2 level populations well, to constrain the temperature to a range of 600-650 K and the density to {n}H=2.5× {10}3{--}{10}4 cm-3. The best-fit model gives T = 625 K and {n}H=5× {10}3 cm-3. This well-constrained warm temperature is consistent with kinetic temperatures found by other studies for the Orion Bar’s lower density medium. However, the range of densities well fit by the model grid is marginally lower than those reported by other studies. We could be observing lower density gas than the surrounding medium, or perhaps a density-sensitive parameter in our models is not properly estimated.

Optimization of Methods for Articular Cartilage Surface Tissue Engineering: Cell Density and Transforming Growth Factor Beta Are Critical for Self-Assembly and Lubricin Secretion.

PubMed

Iwasa, Kenjiro; Reddi, A Hari

2017-07-01

Lubricin/superficial zone protein (SZP)/proteoglycan4 (PRG4) plays an important role in boundary lubrication in articular cartilage. Lubricin is secreted by superficial zone chondrocytes and synoviocytes of the synovium. The specific objective of this investigation is to optimize the methods for tissue engineering of articular cartilage surface. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of cell density on the self-assembly of superficial zone chondrocytes and lubricin secretion as a functional assessment. Superficial zone chondrocytes were cultivated as a monolayer at low, medium, and high densities. Chondrocytes at the three different densities were treated with transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)1 twice a week or daily, and the accumulated lubricin in the culture medium was analyzed by immunoblots and quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cell numbers in low and medium densities were increased by TGF-β1; whereas cell numbers in high-density cell cultures were decreased by twice-a-week treatment of TGF-β1. On the other hand, the cell numbers were maintained by daily TGF-β treatment. Immunoblots and quantitation of lubricin by ELISA analysis indicated that TGF-β1 stimulated lubricin secretion by superficial zone chondrocytes at all densities with twice-a-week TGF-β treatment. It is noteworthy that the daily treatment of TGF-β1 increased lubricin much higher compared with twice-a-week treatment. These data demonstrate that daily treatment is optimal for the TGF-β1 response in a higher density of monolayer cultures. These findings have implications for self-assembly of surface zone chondrocytes of articular cartilage for application in tissue engineering of articular cartilage surface.

Thorium Fuel Utilization Analysis on Small Long Life Reactor for Different Coolant Types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Permana, Sidik

2017-07-01

A small power reactor and long operation which can be deployed for less population and remote area has been proposed by the IAEA as a small and medium reactor (SMR) program. Beside uranium utilization, it can be used also thorium fuel resources for SMR as a part of optimalization of nuclear fuel as a “partner” fuel with uranium fuel. A small long-life reactor based on thorium fuel cycle for several reactor coolant types and several power output has been evaluated in the present study for 10 years period of reactor operation. Several key parameters are used to evaluate its effect to the reactor performances such as reactor criticality, excess reactivity, reactor burnup achievement and power density profile. Water-cooled types give higher criticality than liquid metal coolants. Liquid metal coolant for fast reactor system gives less criticality especially at beginning of cycle (BOC), which shows liquid metal coolant system obtains almost stable criticality condition. Liquid metal coolants are relatively less excess reactivity to maintain longer reactor operation than water coolants. In addition, liquid metal coolant gives higher achievable burnup than water coolant types as well as higher power density for liquid metal coolants.

Electromagnetic energy flux vector for a dispersive linear medium.

PubMed

Crenshaw, Michael E; Akozbek, Neset

2006-05-01

The electromagnetic energy flux vector in a dispersive linear medium is derived from energy conservation and microscopic quantum electrodynamics and is found to be of the Umov form as the product of an electromagnetic energy density and a velocity vector.

Greek-origin royal jelly improves the lipid profile of postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Lambrinoudaki, Irene; Augoulea, Areti; Rizos, Demetrios; Politi, Marianna; Tsoltos, Nikolaos; Moros, Michail; Chinou, Ioanna; Graikou, Konstantia; Kouskouni, Evangelia; Kambani, Susana; Panoulis, Konstantinos; Moutsatsou, Paraskevi

2016-10-01

Menopause transition is associated with chronic conditions such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Concerns about the long-term safety of menopausal hormone therapy make alternative natural methods an appealing approach to management. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of royal jelly (RJ) on cardiovascular and bone turnover markers in clinically healthy postmenopausal women. A total of 36 postmenopausal healthy women were studied in a prospective follow-up study. Participants received 150 mg of RJ daily for three months. Circulating cardiovascular risk markers [lipid profile, antithrombin-III (ATIII), Protein C, Protein S, Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)] and bone turnover parameters [Total calcium, phosphate (P), parathormone (PTH), total type-1 Procollagen N-terminal (P1NP), Osteocalcin and serum collagen type 1 cross-linked C-telopeptide (CTX)] were compared between the baseline and the three-month visit. The RJ used in this study was particularly rich in medium chain fatty acids, compounds with hypolipidemic properties, which comprised 63% of the dry weight fatty content. RJ treatment resulted in a significant increase in high density lipoprotein - cholesterol (HDL-C 60.2 mg/dL ± 12.3 versus 64.7 mg/dL ± 13.9, 7.7% increase, p = 0.0003), as well as in a significant decrease in low density lipoprotein - cholesterol (LDL-C, 143.9 ± 37.5 versus 136.2 ± 32, 4.1% decrease, p = 0.011) and in total cholesterol (224.4 ± 38.6 to 216.1 ± 36.5, 3.09% decrease, p = 0.018). No statistical significant changes were found in the remaining cardiovascular or the bone turnover parameters. The intake of RJ 150 mg for three months is associated with significant improvements of the lipid profile of postmenopausal women. RJ supplementation may offer an alternative method of controlling the menopause - associated dyslipidemia.

Measurement of a density profile of a hot-electron plasma in RT-1 with three-chord interferometry

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

Saitoh, H.; Yano, Y.; Yoshida, Z.

2015-02-15

The electron density profile of a plasma in a magnetospheric dipole field configuration was measured with a multi-chord interferometry including a relativistic correction. In order to improve the accuracy of density reconstruction, a 75 GHz interferometer was installed at a vertical chord of the Ring Trap 1 (RT-1) device in addition to previously installed ones at tangential and another vertical chords. The density profile was calculated by using the data of three-chord interferometry including relativistic effects for a plasma consisting of hot and cold electrons generated by electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECH). The results clearly showed the effects of density peakingmore » and magnetic mirror trapping in a strongly inhomogeneous dipole magnetic field.« less

Vertical Profiles of Aerosol Volume from High Spectral Resolution Infrared Transmission Measurements: Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eldering, Annmarie; Kahn, Brian H.; Mills, Franklin P.; Irion, Fredrick W.; Steele, Helen M.; Gunson, Michael R.

2004-01-01

The high-resolution infrared absorption spectra of the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) experiment are utilized to derive vertical profiles of sulfate aerosol volume density and extinction coefficient. Following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in June 1991, the ATMOS spectra obtained on three Space Shuttle missions (1992, 1993, and 1994) provide a unique opportunity to study the global stratospheric sulfate aerosol layer shortly after a major volcanic eruption and periodically during the decay phase. Synthetic sulfate aerosol spectra are fit to the observed spectra, and a global fitting inversion routine is used to derive vertical profiles of sulfate aerosol volume density. Vertical profiles of sulfate aerosol volume density for the three missions over portions of the globe are presented, with the peak in aerosol volume density occurring from as low as 10 km (polar latitudes) to as high as 20 km (subtropical latitudes). Derived aerosol volume density is as high as 2-3.5 (mu)m(exp 3) per cubic centimeter +/-10% in 1992, decreasing to 0.2-0.5 (mu)m(exp 3) per cubic centimeter +/-20% in 1994, in agreement with other experiments. Vertical extinction profiles derived from ATMOS are compared with profiles from Improved Stratospheric And Mesospheric Sounder (ISAMS) and Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) that coincide in space and time and show good general agreement. The uncertainty of the ATMOS vertical profiles is similar to CLAES and consistently smaller than ISAMS at similar altitudes.

The Halo Boundary of Galaxy Clusters in the SDSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baxter, Eric; Chang, Chihway; Jain, Bhuvnesh; Adhikari, Susmita; Dalal, Neal; Kravtsov, Andrey; More, Surhud; Rozo, Eduardo; Rykoff, Eli; Sheth, Ravi K.

2017-05-01

Analytical models and simulations predict a rapid decline in the halo density profile associated with the transition from the “infalling” regime outside the halo to the “collapsed” regime within the halo. Using data from SDSS, we explore evidence for such a feature in the density profiles of galaxy clusters using several different approaches. We first estimate the steepening of the outer galaxy density profile around clusters, finding evidence for truncation of the halo profile. Next, we measure the galaxy density profile around clusters using two sets of galaxies selected on color. We find evidence of an abrupt change in galaxy colors that coincides with the location of the steepening of the density profile. Since galaxies that have completed orbits within the cluster are more likely to be quenched of star formation and thus appear redder, this abrupt change in galaxy color can be associated with the transition from single-stream to multi-stream regimes. We also use a standard model comparison approach to measure evidence for a “splashback”-like feature, but find that this approach is very sensitive to modeling assumptions. Finally, we perform measurements using an independent cluster catalog to test for potential systematic errors associated with cluster selection. We identify several avenues for future work: improved understanding of the small-scale galaxy profile, lensing measurements, identification of proxies for the halo accretion rate, and other tests. With upcoming data from the DES, KiDS, and HSC surveys, we can expect significant improvements in the study of halo boundaries.

Interpretation of scrape-off layer profile evolution and first-wall ion flux statistics on JET using a stochastic framework based on fillamentary motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walkden, N. R.; Wynn, A.; Militello, F.; Lipschultz, B.; Matthews, G.; Guillemaut, C.; Harrison, J.; Moulton, D.; Contributors, JET

2017-08-01

This paper presents the use of a novel modelling technique based around intermittent transport due to filament motion, to interpret experimental profile and fluctuation data in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of JET during the onset and evolution of a density profile shoulder. A baseline case is established, prior to shoulder formation, and the stochastic model is shown to be capable of simultaneously matching the time averaged profile measurement as well as the PDF shape and autocorrelation function from the ion-saturation current time series at the outer wall. Aspects of the stochastic model are then varied with the aim of producing a profile shoulder with statistical measurements consistent with experiment. This is achieved through a strong localised reduction in the density sink acting on the filaments within the model. The required reduction of the density sink occurs over a highly localised region with the timescale of the density sink increased by a factor of 25. This alone is found to be insufficient to model the expansion and flattening of the shoulder region as the density increases, which requires additional changes within the stochastic model. An example is found which includes both a reduction in the density sink and filament acceleration and provides a consistent match to the experimental data as the shoulder expands, though the uniqueness of this solution can not be guaranteed. Within the context of the stochastic model, this implies that the localised reduction in the density sink can trigger shoulder formation, but additional physics is required to explain the subsequent evolution of the profile.

MHD Equilibrium with Reversed Current Density and Magnetic Islands Revisited: the Vacuum Vector Potential Calculus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

L. Braga, F.

2013-10-01

The solution of Grad-Shafranov equation determines the stationary behavior of fusion plasma inside a tokamak. To solve the equation it is necessary to know the toroidal current density profile. Recent works show that it is possible to determine a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium with reversed current density (RCD) profiles that presents magnetic islands. In this work we show analytical MHD equilibrium with a RCD profile and analyze the structure of the vacuum vector potential associated with these equilibria using the virtual casing principle.

Calculation of nanodrop profile from fluid density distribution.

PubMed

Berim, Gersh O; Ruckenstein, Eli

2016-05-01

Two approaches are examined, which can be used to determine the drop profile from the fluid density distributions (FDDs) obtained on the basis of microscopic theories. For simplicity, only two-dimensional (cylindrical, or axisymmetrical) distributions are examined and it is assumed that the fluid is either in contact with a smooth solid or separated from the smooth solid by a lubricating liquid film. The first approach is based on the sharp-kink interface approximation in which the density of the liquid inside and the density of the vapor outside the drop are constant with the exception of the surface layer of the drop where the density is different from the above ones. In this case, the drop profile was calculated by minimizing the total potential energy of the system. The second approach is based on a nonuniform FDD obtained either by the density functional theory or molecular dynamics simulations. To determine the drop profile from such an FDD, which does not contain sharp interfaces, three procedures can be used. In the first two procedures, P1 and P2, the one-dimensional FDDs along straight lines which are parallel to the surface of the solid are extracted from the two-dimensional FDD. Each of those one-dimensional FDDs has a vapor-liquid interface at which the fluid density changes from vapor-like to liquid-like values. Procedure P1 uses the locations of the equimolar dividing surfaces for the one-dimensional FDDs as points of the drop profile. Procedure P2 is based on the assumption that the fluid density is constant on the surface of the drop, that density being selected either arbitrarily or as a fluid density at the location of the equimolar dividing surface for one of the one-dimensional FDDs employed in procedure P1. In the third procedure, P3, which is suggested for the first time in this paper, the one-dimensional FDDs are taken along the straight lines passing through a selected point inside the drop (radial line). Then, the drop profile is calculated like in procedure P1. It is shown, that procedure P3 provides a drop profile which is more reasonable than the other ones. Relationship of the discussed procedures to those used in image analysis is briefly discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

FUSE spectra of Lyman series emissions from the interplanetary medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, John

Neutral atoms from the local ISM flow into the solar system producing diffuse emissions through resonant scattering of solar emissions. This wind contains the velocity distribution of the local ISM, plus modifications by solar gravity and radiation pressure near the Sun. In addition, the H atom motions are modified by charge exchange collisions with fast protons in the heliospheric interface region, while He atoms are little affected by charge exchange. Recent observations of the He and H flows in the solar system suggest that the He velocity of 26 km s-1 is that of the local ISM cloud, while the lower H velocity of 18-21 km s-1 and greatly increased velocity dispersion in the flow direction are due to an interface modification of the H flow. Remote observations of the H flow thereby provide a method to remotely study the heliospheric interface. The H flow has been studied from H Lyα line profiles at high spectral resolution observed by Copernicus, IUE, and HST, using the Earth orbital motion to Doppler shift the ISM from the geocoronal emission. One serious ambiguity in the interpretation of these data results from the optically thick Lyα emission, leading to uncertainties in derived values of the H density. Using FUSE to observe the brightness and line profile of the optically thin H Lyβ line, close in time to SOHO observations of the Lyα emission, we can determine accurately the optical depth and density n(H) along lines of sight upwind, downwind, and cross-flow. Comparing n(H) with the heliospheric helium density, and with the interstellar cloud HI/HeI ratio measured recently by the EUVE, will give the fraction of H atoms removed by charge exchange at the entrance to the heliosphere, and then the Local Cloud (or ambient ISM) electron density which governs the size of the heliosphere. We request FUSE sky aperture spectra in the two narrow science apertures obtained during other pointed observations, through cooperation in scheduling pointed observations in the correct look directions at the proper times of year.

Temporal soil bulk density following tillage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil is the medium for air, energy, water, and chemical transport between the atmosphere and the solid earth. Soil bulk density is a key variable impacting the rate at which this transport occurs. Typically, soil bulk density is measured by the gravimetric method, where a sample of known volume is t...

Directional power absorption in helicon plasma sources excited by a half-helix antenna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afsharmanesh, Mohsen; Habibi, Morteza

2017-10-01

This paper deals with the investigation of the power absorption in helicon plasma excited through a half-helix antenna driven at 13.56 {{MHz}}. The simulations were carried out by means of a code, HELIC. They were carried out by taking into account different inhomogeneous radial density profiles and for a wide range of plasma densities, from {10}11 {{{cm}}}-3 to {10}13 {{{cm}}}-3. The magnetic field was 200, 400, 600 and 1000 {{G}}. A three-parameter function was used for generating various density profiles with different volume gradients, edge gradients and density widths. The density profile had a large effect on the efficient Trivelpiece-Gould (TG) and helicon mode excitation and antenna coupling to the plasma. The fraction of power deposition via the TG mode was extremely dependent on the plasma density near the plasma boundary. Interestingly, the obtained efficient parallel helicon wavelength was close to the anticipated value for Gaussian radial density profile. Power deposition was considerably asymmetric when the \\tfrac{n}{{B}0} ratio was more than a specific value for a determined density width. The longitudinal power absorption was symmetric at approximately {n}0={10}11 {{{cm}}}-3, irrespective of the magnetic field supposed. The asymmetry became more pronounced when the plasma density was {10}12 {{{cm}}}-3. The ratio of density width to the magnetic field was an important parameter in the power coupling. At high magnetic fields, the maximum of the power absorption was reached at higher plasma density widths. There was at least one combination of the plasma density, magnetic field and density width for which the RF power deposition at both side of the tube reached its maximum value.

Synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of granular magnesium substituted β-tricalcium phosphate.

PubMed

Tavares, Débora dos Santos; Castro, Leticia de Oliveira; Soares, Gloria Dulce de Almeida; Alves, Gutemberg Gomes; Granjeiro, José Mauro

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to produce dense granules of tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and magnesium (Mg) substituted β-TCP, also known as β-TCMP (Mg/Ca=0.15 mol), in order to evaluate the impact of Mg incorporation on the physicochemical parameters and in vitro biocompatibility of this novel material. The materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electron microscopy and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). Biocompatibility was assayed according to ISO 10993-12:2007 and 7405:2008, by two different tests of cell survival and integrity (XTT and CVDE). The XRD profile presented the main peaks of β-TCP (JCPDS 090169) and β-TCMP (JCPDS 130404). The characteristic absorption bands of TCP were also identified by FTIR. The ICP results of β-TCMP granules extract showed a precipitation of calcium and release of Mg into the culture medium. Regarding the cytotoxicity assays, β-TCMP dense granules did not significantly affect the mitochondrial activity and relative cell density in relation to β-TCP dense granules, despite the release of Mg from granules into the cell culture medium. β-TCMP granules were successfully produced and were able to release Mg into media without cytotoxicity, indicating the suitability of this promising material for further biological studies on its adequacy for bone therapy.

Expression variability of co-regulated genes differentiates Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker's yeast) is found in diverse ecological niches and is characterized by high adaptive potential under challenging environments. In spite of recent advances on the study of yeast genome diversity, little is known about the underlying gene expression plasticity. In order to shed new light onto this biological question, we have compared transcriptome profiles of five environmental isolates, clinical and laboratorial strains at different time points of fermentation in synthetic must medium, during exponential and stationary growth phases. Results Our data unveiled diversity in both intensity and timing of gene expression. Genes involved in glucose metabolism and in the stress response elicited during fermentation were among the most variable. This gene expression diversity increased at the onset of stationary phase (diauxic shift). Environmental isolates showed lower average transcript abundance of genes involved in the stress response, assimilation of nitrogen and vitamins, and sulphur metabolism, than other strains. Nitrogen metabolism genes showed significant variation in expression among the environmental isolates. Conclusions Wild type yeast strains respond differentially to the stress imposed by nutrient depletion, ethanol accumulation and cell density increase, during fermentation of glucose in synthetic must medium. Our results support previous data showing that gene expression variability is a source of phenotypic diversity among closely related organisms. PMID:21507216

Effects of low central fuelling on density and ion temperature profiles in reversed shear plasmas on JT-60U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takenaga, H.; Ide, S.; Sakamoto, Y.; Fujita, T.; JT-60 Team

2008-07-01

Effects of low central fuelling on density and ion temperature profiles have been investigated using negative ion based neutral beam injection and electron cyclotron heating (ECH) in reversed shear plasmas on JT-60U. Strong internal transport barrier (ITB) was maintained in density and ion temperature profiles, when central fuelling was decreased by switching positive ion based neutral beam injection to ECH after the strong ITB formation. Similar density and ion temperature ITBs were formed for the low and high central fuelling cases during the plasma current ramp-up phase. Strong correlation between the density gradient and the ion temperature gradient was observed, indicating that particle transport and ion thermal transport are strongly coupled or the density gradient assists the ion temperature ITB formation through suppression of drift wave instabilities such as ion temperature gradient mode. These results support that the density and ion temperature ITBs can be formed under reactor relevant conditions.

Generation of genome-modified Drosophila cell lines using SwAP.

PubMed

Franz, Alexandra; Brunner, Erich; Basler, Konrad

2017-10-02

The ease of generating genetically modified animals and cell lines has been markedly increased by the recent development of the versatile CRISPR/Cas9 tool. However, while the isolation of isogenic cell populations is usually straightforward for mammalian cell lines, the generation of clonal Drosophila cell lines has remained a longstanding challenge, hampered by the difficulty of getting Drosophila cells to grow at low densities. Here, we describe a highly efficient workflow to generate clonal Cas9-engineered Drosophila cell lines using a combination of cell pools, limiting dilution in conditioned medium and PCR with allele-specific primers, enabling the efficient selection of a clonal cell line with a suitable mutation profile. We validate the protocol by documenting the isolation, selection and verification of eight independently Cas9-edited armadillo mutant Drosophila cell lines. Our method provides a powerful and simple workflow that improves the utility of Drosophila cells for genetic studies with CRISPR/Cas9.

DYNAMICS AND MAGNETIZATION IN GALAXY CLUSTER CORES TRACED BY X-RAY COLD FRONTS

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

Keshet, Uri; Markevitch, Maxim; Birnboim, Yuval

2010-08-10

Cold fronts (CFs)-density and temperature plasma discontinuities-are ubiquitous in cool cores of galaxy clusters, where they appear as X-ray brightness edges in the intracluster medium, nearly concentric with the cluster center. We analyze the thermodynamic profiles deprojected across core CFs found in the literature. While the pressure appears continuous across these CFs, we find that all of them require significant centripetal acceleration beneath the front. This is naturally explained by a tangential, nearly sonic bulk flow just below the CF, and a tangential shear flow involving a fair fraction of the plasma beneath the front. Such shear should generate near-equipartitionmore » magnetic fields on scales {approx}<50pc from the front and could magnetize the entire core. Such fields would explain the apparent stability of cool core CFs and the recently reported CF-radio minihalo association.« less

OBSERVATIONS OF ROTATING RADIO TRANSIENTS WITH THE FIRST STATION OF THE LONG WAVELENGTH ARRAY

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

Taylor, G. B.; Stovall, K.; McCrackan, M.

2016-11-10

Rotating radio transients (RRATs) are a subclass of pulsars first identified in 2006 that are detected only in searches for single pulses and not through their time averaged emission. Here, we present the results of observations of 19 RRATs using the first station of the Long Wavelength Array (LWA1) at frequencies between 30 and 88 MHz. The RRATs observed here were first detected in higher frequency pulsar surveys. Of the 19 RRATs observed, two sources were detected and their dispersion measures, periods, pulse profiles, and flux densities are reported and compared to previous higher frequency measurements. We find a lowmore » detection rate (11%), which could be a combination of the lower sensitivity of LWA1 compared to higher frequency telescopes, and the result of scattering by the interstellar medium or a spectral turnover.« less

Near-Infrared Band Strengths of Molecules Diluted in N2 and H20 Ice Mixtures Relevant to Interstellar and Planetary Ices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richey, C. R.; Richey, Christina R.

2012-01-01

In order to determine the column density of a component of an ice from its infrared absorption features, the strengths of these features must be known. The peak positions, widths, profiles, and strengths of a certain ice component's infrared absorption features are affected be the overall composition of the ice. Many satellites within the solar system have surfaces that are dominated by H2O or N2 and ices in the interstellar medium (ISM) are primarily composed of H2O. The experiments presented here focus on the near-infrared absorption features of CO, CO2, CH4, and NH3 (nu=10,000-4,000/cm, lambda=1-2.5 microns) and the effects of diluting these molecules in N2 or H2O ice (mixture ratio of 5:1). This is a continuation of previous results published by our research group.

Multi-energy SXR cameras for magnetically confined fusion plasmas (invited)

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

Delgado-Aparicio, L. F.; Maddox, J.; Pablant, N.

A compact multi-energy soft x-ray camera has been developed for time, energy and space-resolved measurements of the soft-x-ray emissivity in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. Multi-energy soft x-ray imaging provides a unique opportunity for measuring, simultaneously, a variety of important plasma properties (T e, n Z, ΔZ eff, and n e,fast). The electron temperature can be obtained by modeling the slope of the continuum radiation from ratios of the available brightness and inverted radial emissivity profiles over multiple energy ranges. Impurity density measurements are also possible using the line-emission from medium- to high-Z impurities to separate the background as well asmore » transient levels of metal contributions. As a result, this technique should be explored also as a burning plasma diagnostic in-view of its simplicity and robustness.« less

Multi-energy SXR cameras for magnetically confined fusion plasmas (invited)

DOE PAGES

Delgado-Aparicio, L. F.; Maddox, J.; Pablant, N.; ...

2016-11-14

A compact multi-energy soft x-ray camera has been developed for time, energy and space-resolved measurements of the soft-x-ray emissivity in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. Multi-energy soft x-ray imaging provides a unique opportunity for measuring, simultaneously, a variety of important plasma properties (T e, n Z, ΔZ eff, and n e,fast). The electron temperature can be obtained by modeling the slope of the continuum radiation from ratios of the available brightness and inverted radial emissivity profiles over multiple energy ranges. Impurity density measurements are also possible using the line-emission from medium- to high-Z impurities to separate the background as well asmore » transient levels of metal contributions. As a result, this technique should be explored also as a burning plasma diagnostic in-view of its simplicity and robustness.« less

Biometric Screening and Future Employer Medical Costs: Is It Worth It to Know?

PubMed

Vanichkachorn, Greg; Marchese, Maya; Roy, Brad; Opel, Gordon

2017-12-01

To study the relationship between a biometric wellness data and future/actual medical costs. A relationship between total cholesterol to high density lipoprotein ratio, blood pressure, and blood glucose and medical costs, based on analysis of claims data, was explored in 1834 employees that had both wellness program biometric and claims data in 2016. Increased total cholesterol to HDL ratio is strongly associated with increased average costs (P < 0.01). Similarly, an increased glucose level is strongly associated with increased average costs (P = 0.001). There was no evidence of a relationship between elevated blood pressure and higher costs. By investing in an employer-sponsored biometric screening of full cholesterol and glucose profiles, medium-sized employers can identify high-risk employees who are expected to incur significantly higher healthcare costs, as compared with low-risk level employees, and improve treatment outcomes.

Grain Destruction in a Supernova Remnant Shock Wave

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raymond, John C.; Ghavamian, Parviz; Williams, Brian J.; Blair, William P.; Borkowski, Kazimierz J.; Gaetz, Terrance J.; Sankrit, Ravi

2014-01-01

Dust grains are sputtered away in the hot gas behind shock fronts in supernova remnants, gradually enriching the gas phase with refractory elements. We have measured emission in C IV (lambda)1550 from C atoms sputtered from dust in the gas behind a non-radiative shock wave in the northern Cygnus Loop. Overall, the intensity observed behind the shock agrees approximately with predictions from model calculations that match the Spitzer 24 micron and the X-ray intensity profiles. Thus these observations confirm the overall picture of dust destruction in SNR shocks and the sputtering rates used in models. However, there is a discrepancy in that the CIV intensity 10'' behind the shock is too high compared to the intensities at the shock and 25'' behind it. Variations in the density, hydrogen neutral fraction and the dust properties over parsec scales in the pre- shock medium limit our ability to test dust destruction models in detail.

Low profile thermite igniter

DOEpatents

Halcomb, Danny L.; Mohler, Jonathan H.

1991-03-05

A thermite igniter/heat source comprising a housing, high-density thermite, and low-density thermite. The housing has a relatively low profile and can focus energy by means of a torch-like ejection of hot reaction products and is externally ignitable.

Results of Detailed Modeling of the Narrow-Line Region of Seyfert Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, David; Cohen, Ross D.

1996-01-01

We present model line profiles of [O II] lambda3727, [Ne III] lambda3869, [O I] lambda5007, [Fe VII] lambda6087, [Fe X] lambda6374, [O I] lambda6300, H(alpha) lambda6563, and [S 2] lambda6731. The profiles presented here illustrate explicitly the pronounced effects that collisional de-excitation, and that spatial variations in both the ionization parameter and cloud column density, have on Narrow-Line Region (NLR) model profiles. The above effects were included only qualitatively in a previous analytical treatment by Moore and Cohen. By making a direct correspondence between these model profiles and the analytical model profiles of Moore and Cohen, and by comparing with the observed profiles presented in a companion paper and also with those presented elsewhere in the literature, we strengthen some of the conclusions of Moore and Cohen. Most notably, we argue for constant ionization parameter, uniformly accelerated outflow of clouds that are individually stratified in ionization, and the interpretation of emission-line width correlations with ionization potential as a column density effect. For comparison with previous observational studies, such as our own in a companion paper, we also calculate profile parameters for some of the models, and we present and discuss the resulting line width correlations with critical density (n(sub cr)) and Ionization Potential (IP). Because the models we favor are those that produce extended profile wings as observed in high spectral resolution studies, the line width correlations of our favoured models are of particular interest. Line width correlations with n(sub cr) and/or IP result only if the width parameter is more sensitive to extended profile wings than is the Full Width at Half-Maximum (FWHM). Correlations between FWHM and n(sub cr) and/or IP result only after convolving the model profiles with a broad instrumental profile that simulates the lower spectral resolution used in early observational studies. The model in agreement with the greatest number of observational considerations has electron density decreasing outward from n(sub e) approx. equals 10(exp 6)/cu cm to n(sub e) approx. equals 10(exp 2)/cu cm and, due to collisional de-excitation effects in the lowest velocity clouds, it generates broad flat-topped profile peaks in the lines of lowest critical density (e.g., [O II] lambda3727 and [S II] lambda(lambda)6716, 6731). Because the observed profile peaks of both low and high critical density lines are often very similar, our favored model requires a contribution to NLR emission-line spectra from low-velocity, low-density, and low-ionization gas not included in the model NLR.

Relations for lipid bilayers. Connection of electron density profiles to other structural quantities.

PubMed Central

Nagle, J F; Wiener, M C

1989-01-01

Three relations are derived that connect low angle diffraction/scattering results obtained from lipid bilayers to other structural quantities of interest. The first relates the area along the surface of the bilayer, the measured specific volume, and the zeroth order structure factor, F(0). The second relates the size of the trough in the center of the electron density profile, the volume of the terminal methyl groups, and the volume of the methylene groups in the fatty acid chains. The third relates the size of the headgroup electron density peak, the volume of the headgroup, and the volumes of water and hydrocarbon in the headgroup region. These relations, which are easily modified for neutron diffraction, are useful for obtaining structural quantities from electron density profiles obtained by fitting model profiles to measured low angle x-ray intensities. PMID:2713444

Measuring and engineering the atomic mass density wave of a Gaussian mass-polariton pulse in optical fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Partanen, Mikko; Tulkki, Jukka

2018-02-01

Conventional theories of electromagnetic waves in a medium assume that only the energy of the field propagates inside the medium. Consequently, they neglect the transport of mass density by the medium atoms. We have recently presented foundations of a covariant theory of light propagation in a nondispersive medium by considering a light wave simultaneously with the dynamics of the medium atoms driven by optoelastic forces [Phys. Rev. A 95, 063850 (2017)]. In particular, we have shown that the mass is transferred by an atomic mass density wave (MDW), which gives rise to mass-polariton (MP) quasiparticles, i.e., covariant coupled states of the field and matter having a nonzero rest mass. Another key observation of the mass-polariton theory of light is that, in common semiconductors, most of the momentum of light is transferred by moving atoms, e.g., 92% in the case of silicon. In this work, we generalize the MP theory of light for dispersive media and consider experimental measurement of the mass transferred by the MDW atoms when an intense light pulse propagates in a silicon fiber. In particular, we consider optimal intensity and time dependence of a Gaussian pulse and account for the breakdown threshold irradiance of the material. The optical shock wave property of the MDW, which propagates with the velocity of light instead of the velocity of sound, prompts for engineering of novel device concepts like very high frequency mechanical oscillators not limited by the acoustic cutoff frequency.

Electromagnetic Inverse Methods and Applications for Inhomogeneous Media Probing and Synthesis.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Jake Jiqing

The electromagnetic inverse scattering problems concerned in this thesis are to find unknown inhomogeneous permittivity and conductivity profiles in a medium from the scattering data. Both analytical and numerical methods are studied in the thesis. The inverse methods can be applied to geophysical medium probing, non-destructive testing, medical imaging, optical waveguide synthesis and material characterization. An introduction is given in Chapter 1. The first part of the thesis presents inhomogeneous media probing. The Riccati equation approach is discussed in Chapter 2 for a one-dimensional planar profile inversion problem. Two types of the Riccati equations are derived and distinguished. New renormalized formulae based inverting one specific type of the Riccati equation are derived. Relations between the inverse methods of Green's function, the Riccati equation and the Gel'fand-Levitan-Marchenko (GLM) theory are studied. In Chapter 3, the renormalized source-type integral equation (STIE) approach is formulated for inversion of cylindrically inhomogeneous permittivity and conductivity profiles. The advantages of the renormalized STIE approach are demonstrated in numerical examples. The cylindrical profile inversion problem has an application for borehole inversion. In Chapter 4 the renormalized STIE approach is extended to a planar case where the two background media are different. Numerical results have shown fast convergence. This formulation is applied to inversion of the underground soil moisture profiles in remote sensing. The second part of the thesis presents the synthesis problem of inhomogeneous dielectric waveguides using the electromagnetic inverse methods. As a particular example, the rational function representation of reflection coefficients in the GLM theory is used. The GLM method is reviewed in Chapter 5. Relations between modal structures and transverse reflection coefficients of an inhomogeneous medium are established in Chapter 6. A stratified medium model is used to derive the guidance condition and the reflection coefficient. Results obtained in Chapter 6 provide the physical foundation for applying the inverse methods for the waveguide design problem. In Chapter 7, a global guidance condition for continuously varying medium is derived using the Riccati equation. It is further shown that the discrete modes in an inhomogeneous medium have the same wave vectors as the poles of the transverse reflection coefficient. An example of synthesizing an inhomogeneous dielectric waveguide using a rational reflection coefficient is presented. A summary of the thesis is given in Chapter 8. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.).

Comment on the paper "Mars Express radio occultation data: A novel analysis approach" by Grandin et al. (2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pätzold, M.; Bird, M. K.; Häusler, B.; Peter, K.; Tellmann, S.; Tyler, G. L.

2016-10-01

In their recent paper, Grandin et al. (2014) claim to have developed a novel approach, principally a ray tracing method, to analyze radio sounding data from occulted spacecraft signals by planetary atmospheres without the usual assumptions of the radio occultation inversion method of a stratified, layered, symmetric atmosphere. They apply their "new approach" to observations of the Mars Express Radio Science (MaRS) experiment and compare their resulting temperature, neutral number density, and electron density profiles with those from MaRS, claiming that there is good agreement with the observations. The fact is, however, that there are serious disagreements in the most important altitude ranges. Their temperature profile shows a 30 K shift or a 300σ (1σ standard deviation = 0.1 K for the MaRS profile near the surface) difference toward warmer temperatures at the surface when compared with MaRS, while the MaRS profile is in best agreement with the profile from the Mars Climate Data Base V5.0 (MCD V5.0). Their full temperature profile from the surface to 250 km altitude deviates significantly from the MCD V5.0 profile. Their ionospheric electron density profile is considerably different from that derived from the MaRs observations. Although Grandin et al. (2014) claim to derive the neutral number density and temperature profiles above 200 km, including the asymptotic exosphere temperature, it is simply not possible to derive this information from what is essentially noise.

Stand-alone scattering optical device using holographic photopolymer (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jongchan; Lee, KyeoReh; Park, YongKeun

2016-03-01

When a light propagates through highly disordered medium, its optical parameters such as amplitude, phase and polarization states are completely scrambled because of multiple scattering events. Since the multiple scattering is a fundamental optical process that contains extremely high degrees of freedom, optical information of a transmitted light is totally mingled. Until recently, the presence of multiple scattering in an inhomogeneous medium is considered as a major obstacle when manipulating a light transmitting through the medium. However, a recent development of wavefront shaping techniques enable us to control the propagation of light through turbid media; a light transmitting through a turbid medium can be effectively controlled by modulating the spatial profile of the incident light using spatial light modulator. In this work, stand-alone scattering optical device is proposed; a holographic photopolymer film, which is much economic compared to the other digital spatial light modulators, is used to record and reconstruct permanent wavefront to generate optical field behind a scattering medium. By employing our method, arbitrary optical field can be generated since the scattering medium completely mixes all the optical parameters which allow us to access all the optical information only by modulating spatial phase profile of the impinging wavefront. The method is experimentally demonstrated in both the far-field and near-field regime where it shows promising fidelity and stability. The proposed stand-alone scattering optical device will opens up new avenues for exploiting the randomness inherent in disordered medium.

A Simultaneous Density-Integral System for Estimating Stem Profile and Biomass: Slash Pine and Willow Oak

Treesearch

Bernard R. Parresol; Charles E. Thomas

1996-01-01

In the wood utilization industry, both stem profile and biomass are important quantities. The two have traditionally been estimated separately. The introduction of a density-integral method allows for coincident estimation of stem profile and biomass, based on the calculus of mass theory, and provides an alternative to weight-ratio methodology. In the initial...

Do satellite galaxies trace matter in galaxy clusters?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chunxiang; Li, Ran; Gao, Liang; Shan, Huanyuan; Kneib, Jean-Paul; Wang, Wenting; Chen, Gang; Makler, Martin; Pereira, Maria E. S.; Wang, Lin; Maia, Marcio A. G.; Erben, Thomas

2018-04-01

The spatial distribution of satellite galaxies encodes rich information of the structure and assembly history of galaxy clusters. In this paper, we select a red-sequence Matched-filter Probabilistic Percolation cluster sample in SDSS Stripe 82 region with 0.1 ≤ z ≤ 0.33, 20 < λ < 100, and Pcen > 0.7. Using the high-quality weak lensing data from CS82 Survey, we constrain the mass profile of this sample. Then we compare directly the mass density profile with the satellite number density profile. We find that the total mass and number density profiles have the same shape, both well fitted by an NFW profile. The scale radii agree with each other within a 1σ error (r_s,gal=0.34_{-0.03}^{+0.04} Mpc versus r_s=0.37_{-0.10}^{+0.15} Mpc).

Validation of ionospheric electron density profiles inferred from GPS occultation observations of the GPS/MET experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawakami, Todd Mori

In April of 1995, the launch of the GPS Meteorology Experiment (GPS/MET) onboard the Orbview-1 satellite, formerly known as Microlab-1, provided the first technology demonstration of active limb sounding of the Earth's atmosphere with a low Earth orbiting spacecraft utilizing the signals transmitted by the satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Though the experiment's primary mission was to probe the troposphere and stratosphere, GPS/MET was also capable of making radio occultation observations of the ionosphere. The application of the GPS occultation technique to the upper atmosphere created a unique opportunity to conduct ionospheric research with an unprecedented global distribution of observations. For operational support requirements, the Abel transform could be employed to invert the horizontal TEC profiles computed from the L1 and L2 phase measurements observed by GPS/MET into electron density profiles versus altitude in near real time. The usefulness of the method depends on how effectively the TEC limb profiles can be transformed into vertical electron density profiles. An assessment of GPS/MET's ability to determine electron density profiles needs to be examined to validate the significance of the GPS occultation method as a new and complementary ionospheric research tool to enhance the observational databases and improve space weather modeling and forecasting. To that end, simulations of the occultation observations and their inversions have been conducted to test the Abel transform algorithm and to provide qualitative information about the type and range of errors that might be experienced during the processing of real data. Comparisons of the electron density profiles inferred from real GPS/MET observations are then compared with coincident in situ measurements from the satellites of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and ground-based remote sensing from digisonde and incoherent scatter radar facilities. The principal focus of this study is the validation of the electron density profiles inferred from GPS occultation observations using the Abel transform.

Quasi-steady-state high confinement at high density by lower hybrid waves in the HT-6M tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiangang; Luo, Jiarong; Wan, Baonian; Wan, Yuanxi; Liu, Yuexiu; Yin, Finxian; Gong, Xianzu; Li, Duochuan; Liu, Shen; Jie, Yinxian; Gao, Xiang; Luo, Nancang; Jiang, Jiaguang; Han, Yuqing; Wu, Mingjun; Wang, Guangxin; Liang, Yunfeng; Yao, Ailing; Wu, Zhenwei; Zhang, Shouyin; Mao, Jiansan; Cui, Lingzhuo; Xu, Yuhong; Meng, Yuedong; Zhao, Junyu; Ding, Bolong; Li, Guiming; Xu, Xiangdong; Lin, Bili; Wei, Meishen; Yie, Weiwei

2000-03-01

The quasi-steady-state (tH > 10 τEoh) H mode with high plasma density (ELMy and ELM free) was routinely obtained by the injection of lower hybrid wave heating and lower hybrid current drive with a power threshold of 50 kW. The antenna spectrum was scanned over a wide range and τE was about 1.5-2.0 times that of the L mode scaling. The density increases by almost a factor of 3 during the H phase by gas puffing and the particle confinement time increases by more than this factor even with a line averaged density of 3 × 1013cm-3, which is about 60% of the Greenwald density limit. A hollow Te profile was achieved in the high density case. The experimental results reproducibly show a good agreement with the theoretical prediction for the LH off-axis power deposition profile. When a certain fraction of the plasma current is non-inductively sustained by the LH waves, a hollow current density profile is formed and the magnetic shear is reversed. This off-axis hollow profile and enhanced confinement improvement are attributed to a strong reduction of the electron thermal diffusivity in the reversed shear region.

Effects of dexamethasone and insulin on the synthesis of triacylglycerols and phosphatidylcholine and the secretion of very-low-density lipoproteins and lysophosphatidylcholine by monolayer cultures of rat hepatocytes.

PubMed Central

Mangiapane, E H; Brindley, D N

1986-01-01

Rat hepatocytes in monolayer culture were preincubated for 19 h with 1 microM-dexamethasone, and the incubation was continued for a further 23 h with [14C]oleate, [3H]glycerol and 1 microM-dexamethasone. Dexamethasone increased the secretion of triacylglycerol into the medium in particles that had the properties of very-low-density lipoproteins. The increased secretion was matched by a decrease in the triacylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine that remained in the hepatocytes. Preincubating the hepatocytes for the total 42 h period with 36 nM-insulin decreased the amount of triacylglycerol in the medium and in the cells after the final incubation for 23 h with radioactive substrates. However, insulin had no significant effect on the triacylglycerol content of the cell and medium when it was present only in the final 23 h incubation. Insulin antagonized the effects of dexamethasone in stimulating the secretion of triacylglycerol from the hepatocytes, especially when it was present throughout the total 42 h period. The labelling of lysophosphatidylcholine in the medium when hepatocytes were incubated with [14C]oleate and [3H]glycerol was greater than that of phosphatidylcholine. The appearance of this lipid in the medium, unlike that of triacylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine, was not stimulated by dexamethasone, or inhibited by colchicine. However, the presence of lysophosphatidylcholine in the medium was decreased when the hepatocytes were incubated with both dexamethasone and insulin. These findings are discussed in relation to the control of the synthesis of glycerolipids and the secretion of very-low-density lipoproteins and lysophosphatidylcholine by the liver, particularly in relation to the interactions of glucocorticoids and insulin. PMID:3513755

One-loop QCD thermodynamics in a strong homogeneous and static magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rath, Shubhalaxmi; Patra, Binoy Krishna

2017-12-01

We have studied how the equation of state of thermal QCD with two light flavors is modified in a strong magnetic field. We calculate the thermodynamic observables of hot QCD matter up to one-loop, where the magnetic field affects mainly the quark contribution and the gluon part is largely unaffected except for the softening of the screening mass. We have first calculated the pressure of a thermal QCD medium in a strong magnetic field, where the pressure at fixed temperature increases with the magnetic field faster than the increase with the temperature at constant magnetic field. This can be understood from the dominant scale of thermal medium in the strong magnetic field, being the magnetic field, in the same way that the temperature dominates in a thermal medium in the absence of magnetic field. Thus although the presence of a strong magnetic field makes the pressure of hot QCD medium larger, the dependence of pressure on the temperature becomes less steep. Consistent with the above observations, the entropy density is found to decrease with the temperature in the presence of a strong magnetic field which is again consistent with the fact that the strong magnetic field restricts the dynamics of quarks to two dimensions, hence the phase space becomes squeezed resulting in the reduction of number of microstates. Moreover the energy density is seen to decrease and the speed of sound of thermal QCD medium increases in the presence of a strong magnetic field. These findings could have phenomenological implications in heavy ion collisions because the expansion dynamics of the medium produced in non-central ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions is effectively controlled by both the energy density and the speed of sound.

Ultrafast decay of hot phonons in an AlGaN/AlN/AlGaN/GaN camelback channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leach, J. H.; Wu, M.; Morkoç, H.; Liberis, J.; Šermukšnis, E.; Ramonas, M.; Matulionis, A.

2011-11-01

A bottleneck for heat dissipation from the channel of a GaN-based heterostructure field-effect transistor is treated in terms of the lifetime of nonequilibrium (hot) longitudinal optical phonons, which are responsible for additional scattering of electrons in the voltage-biased quasi-two-dimensional channel. The hot-phonon lifetime is measured for an Al0.33Ga0.67N/AlN/Al0.1Ga0.9N/GaN heterostructure where the mobile electrons are spread in a composite Al0.1Ga0.9N/GaN channel and form a camelback electron density profile at high electric fields. In accordance with plasmon-assisted hot-phonon decay, the parameter of importance for the lifetime is not the total charge in the channel (the electron sheet density) but rather the electron density profile. This is demonstrated by comparing two structures with equal sheet densities (1 × 1013 cm-2), but with different density profiles. The camelback channel profile exhibits a shorter hot-phonon lifetime of ˜270 fs as compared with ˜500 fs reported for a standard Al0.33Ga0.67N/AlN/GaN channel at low supplied power levels. When supplied power is sufficient to heat the electrons > 600 K, ultrafast decay of hot phonons is observed in the case of the composite channel structure. In this case, the electron density profile spreads to form a camelback profile, and hot-phonon lifetime reduces to ˜50 fs.

Vertical density profile and internal bond strength of wet-formed particleboard bonded with cellulose nanofibrils

Treesearch

John F. Hunt; Weiqi Leng; Mehdi Tajvidi

2017-01-01

In this study, the effects of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) ratio, press program, particle size, and density on the vertical density profile (VDP) and internal bond (IB) strength of the wet-formed particleboard were investigated. Results revealed that the VDP was significantly influenced by the press program. Pressing using a constant pressure (CP) press program...

Measurement of electron density profiles on HT-6M tokamak by 7-channel FIR HCN laser interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Gao; Qiliang, Guo

1990-12-01

Electron density measurements are periormed on HT-6M tokamak using a 7 channel Far-Infrared HCN laser interferometer. From the measured line integrals--7 channel phase shifts the electron density profile is reconstructed by a fit procedure. Results were tested by comparison to Abel inverted. Some recent interesting experimental results were reported.

Asymmetric simple exclusion process with position-dependent hopping rates: Phase diagram from boundary-layer analysis.

PubMed

Mukherji, Sutapa

2018-03-01

In this paper, we study a one-dimensional totally asymmetric simple exclusion process with position-dependent hopping rates. Under open boundary conditions, this system exhibits boundary-induced phase transitions in the steady state. Similarly to totally asymmetric simple exclusion processes with uniform hopping, the phase diagram consists of low-density, high-density, and maximal-current phases. In various phases, the shape of the average particle density profile across the lattice including its boundary-layer parts changes significantly. Using the tools of boundary-layer analysis, we obtain explicit solutions for the density profile in different phases. A detailed analysis of these solutions under different boundary conditions helps us obtain the equations for various phase boundaries. Next, we show how the shape of the entire density profile including the location of the boundary layers can be predicted from the fixed points of the differential equation describing the boundary layers. We discuss this in detail through several examples of density profiles in various phases. The maximal-current phase appears to be an especially interesting phase where the boundary layer flows to a bifurcation point on the fixed-point diagram.

Asymmetric simple exclusion process with position-dependent hopping rates: Phase diagram from boundary-layer analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukherji, Sutapa

2018-03-01

In this paper, we study a one-dimensional totally asymmetric simple exclusion process with position-dependent hopping rates. Under open boundary conditions, this system exhibits boundary-induced phase transitions in the steady state. Similarly to totally asymmetric simple exclusion processes with uniform hopping, the phase diagram consists of low-density, high-density, and maximal-current phases. In various phases, the shape of the average particle density profile across the lattice including its boundary-layer parts changes significantly. Using the tools of boundary-layer analysis, we obtain explicit solutions for the density profile in different phases. A detailed analysis of these solutions under different boundary conditions helps us obtain the equations for various phase boundaries. Next, we show how the shape of the entire density profile including the location of the boundary layers can be predicted from the fixed points of the differential equation describing the boundary layers. We discuss this in detail through several examples of density profiles in various phases. The maximal-current phase appears to be an especially interesting phase where the boundary layer flows to a bifurcation point on the fixed-point diagram.

Longitudinal gas-density profilometry for plasma-wakefield acceleration targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaper, Lucas; Goldberg, Lars; Kleinwächter, Tobias; Schwinkendorf, Jan-Patrick; Osterhoff, Jens

2014-03-01

Precise tailoring of plasma-density profiles has been identified as one of the critical points in achieving stable and reproducible conditions in plasma wakefield accelerators. Here, the strict requirements of next generation plasma-wakefield concepts, such as hybrid-accelerators, with densities around 1017 cm-3 pose challenges to target fabrication as well as to their reliable diagnosis. To mitigate these issues we combine target simulation with fabrication and characterization. The resulting density profiles in capillaries with gas jet and multiple in- and outlets are simulated with the fluid code OpenFOAM. Satisfactory simulation results then are followed by fabrication of the desired target shapes with structures down to the 10 μm level. The detection of Raman scattered photons using lenses with large collection solid angle allows to measure the corresponding longitudinal density profiles at different number densities and allows a detection sensitivity down to the low 1017 cm-3 density range at high spatial resolution. This offers the possibility to gain insight into steep density gradients as for example in gas jets and at the plasma-to-vacuum transition.

A novel technique for real-time estimation of edge pedestal density gradients via reflectometer time delay data

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

Zeng, L., E-mail: zeng@fusion.gat.com; Doyle, E. J.; Rhodes, T. L.

2016-11-15

A new model-based technique for fast estimation of the pedestal electron density gradient has been developed. The technique uses ordinary mode polarization profile reflectometer time delay data and does not require direct profile inversion. Because of its simple data processing, the technique can be readily implemented via a Field-Programmable Gate Array, so as to provide a real-time density gradient estimate, suitable for use in plasma control systems such as envisioned for ITER, and possibly for DIII-D and Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. The method is based on a simple edge plasma model with a linear pedestal density gradient and low scrape-off-layermore » density. By measuring reflectometer time delays for three adjacent frequencies, the pedestal density gradient can be estimated analytically via the new approach. Using existing DIII-D profile reflectometer data, the estimated density gradients obtained from the new technique are found to be in good agreement with the actual density gradients for a number of dynamic DIII-D plasma conditions.« less

Multi-omic profiles of hepatic metabolism in TPN-fed preterm pigs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

New generation lipid emulsions comprised of fish oil or blends of soybean/fish/medium chain triglyceride/olive oil are emerging that result in favorable clinical metabolic outcomes in pediatric populations. Our aim was to characterize the lipidodomic, metabolomic, and transcriptomic profiles these ...

On the Use of Topside RO-Derived Electron Density for Model Validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaikh, M. M.; Nava, B.; Haralambous, H.

2018-05-01

In this work, the standard Abel inversion has been exploited as a powerful observation tool, which may be helpful to model the topside of the ionosphere and therefore to validate ionospheric models. A thorough investigation on the behavior of radio occultation (RO)-derived topside electron density (Ne(h))-profiles has therefore been performed with the main purpose to understand whether it is possible to predict the accuracy of a single RO-retrieved topside by comparing the peak density and height of the retrieved profile to the true values. As a first step, a simulation study based on the use of the NeQuick2 model has been performed to show that when the RO-derived electron density peak and height match the true peak values, the full topside Ne(h)-profile may be considered accurate. In order to validate this hypothesis with experimental data, electron density profiles obtained from four different incoherent scatter radars have therefore been considered together with co-located RO-derived Ne(h)-profiles. The evidence presented in this paper show that in all cases examined, if the incoherent scatter radar and the corresponding co-located RO profile have matching peak parameter values, their topsides are in very good agreement. The simulation results presented in this work also highlighted the importance of considering the occultation plane azimuth while inverting RO data to obtain Ne(h)-profile. In particular, they have indicated that there is a preferred range of azimuths of the occultation plane (80°-100°) for which the difference between the "true" and the RO-retrieved Ne(h)-profile in the topside is generally minimal.

What sets the central structure of dark matter haloes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogiya, Go; Hahn, Oliver

2018-02-01

Dark matter (DM) haloes forming near the thermal cut-off scale of the density perturbations are unique, since they are the smallest objects and form through monolithic gravitational collapse, while larger haloes contrastingly have experienced mergers. While standard cold dark matter (CDM) simulations readily produce haloes that follow the universal Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) density profile with an inner slope, ρ ∝ r-α, with α = 1, recent simulations have found that when the free-streaming cut-off expected for the CDM model is resolved, the resulting haloes follow nearly power-law density profiles of α ∼ 1.5. In this paper, we study the formation of density cusps in haloes using idealized N-body simulations of the collapse of proto-haloes. When the proto-halo profile is initially cored due to particle free-streaming at high redshift, we universally find ∼r-1.5 profiles irrespective of the proto-halo profile slope outside the core and large-scale non-spherical perturbations. Quite in contrast, when the proto-halo has a power-law profile, then we obtain profiles compatible with the NFW shape when the density slope of the proto-halo patch is shallower than a critical value, αini ∼ 0.3, while the final slope can be steeper for αini ≳ 0.3. We further demonstrate that the r-1.5 profiles are sensitive to small-scale noise, which gradually drives them towards an inner slope of -1, where they become resilient to such perturbations. We demonstrate that the r-1.5 solutions are in hydrostatic equilibrium, largely consistent with a simple analytic model, and provide arguments that angular momentum appears to determine the inner slope.

Simulation of the Plasma Density Evolution during Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating at the T-10 Tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dnestrovskij, Yu. N.; Vershkov, V. A.; Danilov, A. V.; Dnestrovskij, A. Yu.; Zenin, V. N.; Lysenko, S. E.; Melnikov, A. V.; Shelukhin, D. A.; Subbotin, G. F.; Cherkasov, S. V.

2018-01-01

In ohmically heated (OH) plasma with low recycling, an improved particle confinement (IPC) mode is established during gas puffing. However, after gas puffing is switched off, this mode is retained only for about 100 ms, after which an abrupt phase transition into the low particle confinement (LPC) mode occurs in the entire plasma cross section. During such a transition, energy transport due to heat conduction does not change. The phase transition in OH plasma is similar to the effect of density pump-out from the plasma core, which occurs after electron cyclotron heating (ECH) is switched on. Analysis of the measured plasma pressure profiles in the T-10 tokamak shows that, after gas puffing in the OH mode is switched off, the plasma pressure profile in the IPC stage becomes more peaked and, after the peakedness exceeds a certain critical value, the IPC-LPC transition occurs. Similar processes are also observed during ECH. If the pressure profile is insufficiently peaked during ECH, then the density pump-out effect comes into play only after the critical peakedness of the pressure profile is reached. In the plasma core, the density and pressure profiles are close to the corresponding canonical profiles. This allows one to derive an expression for the particle flux within the canonical profile model and formulate a criterion for the IPC-LPC transition. The time evolution of the plasma density profile during phase transitions was simulated for a number of T-10 shots with ECH and high recycling. The particle transport coefficients in the IPC and LPC phases, as well as the dependences of these coefficients on the ECH power, are determined.

Kinetics of the Active Medium of a Copper Vapor Brightness Amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulagin, A. E.; Torgaev, S. N.; Evtushenko, G. S.; Trigub, M. V.

2018-03-01

A spatiotemporal kinetics of the active medium of a copper vapor brightness amplifier is described that allows gain characteristics to be investigated during the pump pulse. Model calculations show that changing the discharge parameters allows the radial gain profiles to be improved significantly, as well as the gain and the inversion duration to be increased. The data obtained will be used to choose the operating conditions for the active medium in the brightness amplifier mode.

Controlling spontaneous emission with the local density of states of honeycomb photonic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Ya-Chih; Lin, Chien-Fan; Chang, Jui-Wen

2009-05-01

We calculated the local density of state for various positions in a photonic crystal of honeycomb lattice to study how the spontaneous emission rate of a radiating dipole is altered in the presence of the photonic crystal. The local density of states is found to be position-sensitive and its value can be enhanced or depressed relative to the density of states, depending on the location of the dipole. Our study shows that the density of states tends to underestimate the effect of a photonic crystal on the prohibition of light propagation, while on the contrary tends to overestimate the effect on the enhancement of light emission. The calculations also indicate that it is possible to tailor the spontaneous emission of an active medium by careful selecting its location in the photonic crystal. The results are helpful in determining the insertion location of the active medium and in evaluating the efficiency of active photonic crystal devices such as light-emitting diodes or lasers.

Electron density measurement of non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma using dispersion interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshimura, Shinji; Kasahara, Hiroshi; Akiyama, Tsuyoshi

2017-10-01

Medical applications of non-equilibrium atmospheric plasmas have recently been attracting a great deal of attention, where many types of plasma sources have been developed to meet the purposes. For example, plasma-activated medium (PAM), which is now being studied for cancer treatment, has been produced by irradiating non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma with ultrahigh electron density to a culture medium. Meanwhile, in order to measure electron density in magnetic confinement plasmas, a CO2 laser dispersion interferometer has been developed and installed on the Large Helical Device (LHD) at the National Institute for Fusion Science, Japan. The dispersion interferometer has advantages that the measurement is insensitive to mechanical vibrations and changes in neutral gas density. Taking advantage of these properties, we applied the dispersion interferometer to electron density diagnostics of atmospheric pressure plasmas produced by the NU-Global HUMAP-WSAP-50 device, which is used for producing PAM. This study was supported by the Grant of Joint Research by the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS).

Propagation of Circularly Polarized Light Through a Two-Dimensional Random Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorodnichev, E. E.

2017-12-01

The problem of small-angle multiple-scattering of circularly polarized light in a two-dimensional medium with large fiberlike inhomogeneities is studied. The attenuation lengths for elements the density matrix are calculated. It is found that with increasing the sample thickness the intensity of waves polarized along the fibers decays faster than the other density matrix elements. With further increase in the thickness, the off-diagonal element which is responsible for correlation between the cross-polarized waves dissapears. In the case of very thick samples the scattered field proves to be polarized perpendicular to the fibers. It is shown that the difference in the attenuation lengths of the density matrix elements results in a non-monotonic depth dependence of the degree of polarization.

Density profiles of supernova matter and determination of neutrino parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Shao-Hsuan

2007-08-01

The flavor conversion of supernova neutrinos can lead to observable signatures related to the unknown neutrino parameters. As one of the determinants in dictating the efficiency of resonant flavor conversion, the local density profile near the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) resonance in a supernova environment is, however, not so well understood. In this analysis, variable power-law functions are adopted to represent the independent local density profiles near the locations of resonance. It is shown that the uncertain matter density profile in a supernova, the possible neutrino mass hierarchies, and the undetermined 1-3 mixing angle would result in six distinct scenarios in terms of the survival probabilities of νe and ν¯e. The feasibility of probing the undetermined neutrino mass hierarchy and the 1-3 mixing angle with the supernova neutrinos is then examined using several proposed experimental observables. Given the incomplete knowledge of the supernova matter profile, the analysis is further expanded to incorporate the Earth matter effect. The possible impact due to the choice of models, which differ in the average energy and in the luminosity of neutrinos, is also addressed in the analysis.

EPA GHG certification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles: Development of road grade profiles representative of US controlled access highways

DOE PAGES

Wood, Eric; Duran, Adam; Kelly, Kenneth

2016-09-27

In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has conducted a national analysis of road grade characteristics experienced by U.S. medium- and heavy-duty trucks on controlled access highways. These characteristics have been developed using TomTom's commercially available street map and road grade database. Using the TomTom national road grade database, national statistics on road grade and hill distances were generated for the U.S. network of controlled access highways. These statistical distributions were then weighted using data provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for activity of medium- and heavy-dutymore » trucks on controlled access highways. Here, the national activity-weighted road grade and hill distance distributions were then used as targets for development of a handful of sample grade profiles potentially to be used in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model certification tool as well as in dynamometer testing of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and their powertrains.« less

EPA GHG certification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles: Development of road grade profiles representative of US controlled access highways

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

Wood, Eric; Duran, Adam; Kelly, Kenneth

In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has conducted a national analysis of road grade characteristics experienced by U.S. medium- and heavy-duty trucks on controlled access highways. These characteristics have been developed using TomTom's commercially available street map and road grade database. Using the TomTom national road grade database, national statistics on road grade and hill distances were generated for the U.S. network of controlled access highways. These statistical distributions were then weighted using data provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for activity of medium- and heavy-dutymore » trucks on controlled access highways. Here, the national activity-weighted road grade and hill distance distributions were then used as targets for development of a handful of sample grade profiles potentially to be used in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model certification tool as well as in dynamometer testing of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and their powertrains.« less

The Baryonic and Dark Matter Distributions in Abell 401

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nevalainen, J.; Markevitch, M.; Forman, W.

1999-11-01

We combine spatially resolved ASCA temperature data with ROSAT imaging data to constrain the total mass distribution in the cluster A401, assuming that the cluster is in hydrostatic equilibrium, but without the assumption of gas isothermality. We obtain a total mass within the X-ray core (290 h-150 kpc) of 1.2+0.1-0.5×1014 h-150 Msolar at the 90% confidence level, 1.3 times larger than the isothermal estimate. The total mass within r500 (1.7 h-150 Mpc) is M500=0.9+0.3-0.2×1015 h-150 Msolar at 90% confidence, in agreement with the optical virial mass estimate, and 1.2 times smaller than the isothermal estimate. Our M500 value is 1.7 times smaller than that estimated using the mass-temperature scaling law predicted by simulations. The best-fit dark matter density profile scales as r-3.1 at large radii, which is consistent with the Navarro, Frenk & White (NFW) ``universal profile'' as well as the King profile of the galaxy density in A401. From the imaging data, the gas density profile is shallower than the dark matter profile, scaling as r-2.1 at large radii, leading to a monotonically increasing gas mass fraction with radius. Within r500 the gas mass fraction reaches a value of fgas=0.21+0.06-0.05 h-3/250 (90% confidence errors). Assuming that fgas (plus an estimate of the stellar mass) is the universal value of the baryon fraction, we estimate the 90% confidence upper limit of the cosmological matter density to be Ωm<0.31, in conflict with an Einstein-deSitter universe. Even though the NFW dark matter density profile is statistically consistent with the temperature data, its central temperature cusp would lead to convective instability at the center, because the gas density does not have a corresponding peak. One way to reconcile a cusp-shaped total mass profile with the observed gas density profile, regardless of the temperature data, is to introduce a significant nonthermal pressure in the center. Such a pressure must satisfy the hydrostatic equilibrium condition without inducing turbulence. Alternately, significant mass drop-out from the cooling flow would make the temperature less peaked and the NFW profile acceptable. However, the quality of data is not adequate to test this possibility.

Impact of kinetic mass transfer on free convection in a porous medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Chunhui; Shi, Liangsheng; Chen, Yiming; Xie, Yueqing; Simmons, Craig T.

2016-05-01

We investigate kinetic mass transfer effects on unstable density-driven flow and transport processes by numerical simulations of a modified Elder problem. The first-order dual-domain mass transfer model coupled with a variable-density-flow model is employed to describe transport behavior in porous media. Results show that in comparison to the no-mass-transfer case, a higher degree of instability and more unstable system is developed in the mass transfer case due to the reduced effective porosity and correspondingly a larger Rayleigh number (assuming permeability is independent on the mobile porosity). Given a constant total porosity, the magnitude of capacity ratio (i.e., immobile porosity/mobile porosity) controls the macroscopic plume profile in the mobile domain, while the magnitude of mass transfer timescale (i.e., the reciprocal of the mass transfer rate coefficient) dominates its evolution rate. The magnitude of capacity ratio plays an important role on the mechanism driving the mass flux into the aquifer system. Specifically, for a small capacity ratio, solute loading is dominated by the density-driven transport, while with increasing capacity ratio local mass transfer dominated solute loading may occur at later times. At significantly large times, however, both mechanisms contribute comparably to solute loading. Sherwood Number could be a nonmonotonic function of mass transfer timescale due to complicated interactions of solute between source zone, mobile zone and immobile zone in the top boundary layer, resulting in accordingly a similar behavior of the total mass. The initial assessment provides important insights into unstable density-driven flow and transport in the presence of kinetic mass transfer.

Probing the structure of the gas in the Milky Way through X-ray high-resolution spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gatuzz, Efraín; Churazov, Eugene

2018-02-01

We have developed a new X-ray absorption model, called IONeq, which computes the optical depth τ(E) simultaneously for ions of all abundant elements, assuming ionization equilibrium and taking into account turbulent broadening. We use this model to analyse the interstellar medium (ISM) absorption features in the Milky Way for a sample of 18 Galactic (LMXBs) and 42 extragalactic sources (mainly Blazars). The absorbing ISM was modelled as a combination of three components/phases - neutral (T ≲ 1 × 104 K), warm (T ˜ 5 × 104 K) and hot (T ˜ 2 × 106 K). We found that the spatial distribution of both, neutral and warm components, are difficult to describe using smooth profiles due to non-uniform distribution of the column densities over the sky. For the hot phase we used a combination of a flattened disc and a halo, finding comparable column densities for both spatial components, of the order of ˜6-7 × 1018 cm-2, although this conclusion depends on the adopted parametrization. If the halo component has sub-solar abundance Z, then the column density has to be scaled up by a factor of Z_{⊙}/Z. The vertically integrated column densities of the disc components suggest the following mass fractions for these three ISM phases in the Galactic disc: neutral ˜ 89 per cent, warm ˜ 8 per cent and hot ˜ 3 per cent components, respectively. The constraints on the radial distribution of the halo component of the hot component are weak.

Compton profiles and electronic properties of TiB{sub 2}

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

Bhatt, Samir, E-mail: sameerbhatt011@gmail.com; Suthar, K. K.; Ahuja, B. L.

In this paper, we report the experimental Compton profile (CP) of TiB{sub 2} using high energy {sup 137}Cs γ-rays Compton spectrometer. To interpret the experimental momentum density, we have calculated the CPs using Hartree-Fock (HF), density functional theory (DFT) and hybridization of DFT and HF within linear combination of atomic orbitals. The theoretical profile with generalized gradient approximation is found to be relatively in better agreement with the experimental profile. A sharp valley in density of states and hence the pseudogap near the Fermi energy is attributed to hybridization of Ti-3d and B-2p states and almost reverse trend of energymore » bands below and above the Fermi energy.« less

The Relationship between Ionospheric Slab Thickness and the Peak Density Height, hmF2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meehan, J.; Sojka, J. J.

2017-12-01

The electron density profile is one of the most critical elements in the ionospheric modeling-related applications today. Ionosphere parameters, hmF2, the height of the peak density layer, and slab thickness, the ratio of the total electron content, TEC, to the peak density value, NmF2, are generally obtained from any global sounding observation network and are easily incorporated into models, theoretical or empirical, as numerical representations. Slab thickness is a convenient one-parameter summary of the electron density profile and can relate a variety of elements of interest that effect the overall electron profile shape, such as the neutral and ionospheric temperatures and gradients, the ionospheric composition, and dynamics. Using ISR data from the 2002 Millstone Hill ISR data campaign, we found, for the first time, slab thickness to be correlated to hmF2. For this, we introduce a new ionospheric index, k, which ultimately relates electron density parameters and can be a very useful tool for describing the topside ionosphere shape. Our study is an initial one location, one season, 30-day study, and future work is needed to verify the robustness of our claim. Generally, the ionospheric profile shape, requires knowledge of several ionospheric parameters: electron, ion and neutral temperatures, ion composition, electric fields, and neutral winds, and is dependent upon seasons, local time, location, and the level of solar and geomagnetic activity; however, with this new index, only readily-available, ionospheric density information is needed. Such information, as used in this study, is obtained from a bottomside electron density profile provided by an ionosonde, and TEC data provided by a local, collocated GPS receiver.

Properties of medium-density fiberboard related to hardwood specific gravity

Treesearch

George E. Woodson

1976-01-01

Boards of acceptable quality were made from barky material, pressure-refined from 14 species of southern hardwoods. Static bending and tensile properties (parallel to surface) of specimens were negatively correlated to stem specific gravity (wood plus bark), chip bulk density, and fiber bulk density. Bending and tensile properties increased with increasing...

The halo boundary of galaxy clusters in the SDSS

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

Baxter, Eric; Chang, Chihway; Jain, Bhuvnesh

Analytical models and simulations predict a rapid decline in the halo density profile associated with the transition from the "infalling" regime outside the halo to the "collapsed" regime within the halo. Using data from SDSS, we explore evidence for such a feature in the density profiles of galaxy clusters using several different approaches. We first estimate the steepening of the outer galaxy density profile around clusters, finding evidence for truncation of the halo profile. Next, we measure the galaxy density profile around clusters using two sets of galaxies selected on color. We find evidence of an abrupt change in galaxymore » colors that coincides with the location of the steepening of the density profile. Since galaxies that have completed orbits within the cluster are more likely to be quenched of star formation and thus appear redder, this abrupt change in galaxy color can be associated with the transition from single-stream to multi-stream regimes. We also use a standard model comparison approach to measure evidence for a "splashback"-like feature, but find that this approach is very sensitive to modeling assumptions. Finally, we perform measurements using an independent cluster catalog to test for potential systematic errors associated with cluster selection. We identify several avenues for future work: improved understanding of the small-scale galaxy profile, lensing measurements, identification of proxies for the halo accretion rate, and other tests. As a result, with upcoming data from the DES, KiDS, and HSC surveys, we can expect significant improvements in the study of halo boundaries.« less

The Halo Boundary of Galaxy Clusters in the SDSS

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

Baxter, Eric; Jain, Bhuvnesh; Sheth, Ravi K.

Analytical models and simulations predict a rapid decline in the halo density profile associated with the transition from the “infalling” regime outside the halo to the “collapsed” regime within the halo. Using data from SDSS, we explore evidence for such a feature in the density profiles of galaxy clusters using several different approaches. We first estimate the steepening of the outer galaxy density profile around clusters, finding evidence for truncation of the halo profile. Next, we measure the galaxy density profile around clusters using two sets of galaxies selected on color. We find evidence of an abrupt change in galaxymore » colors that coincides with the location of the steepening of the density profile. Since galaxies that have completed orbits within the cluster are more likely to be quenched of star formation and thus appear redder, this abrupt change in galaxy color can be associated with the transition from single-stream to multi-stream regimes. We also use a standard model comparison approach to measure evidence for a “splashback”-like feature, but find that this approach is very sensitive to modeling assumptions. Finally, we perform measurements using an independent cluster catalog to test for potential systematic errors associated with cluster selection. We identify several avenues for future work: improved understanding of the small-scale galaxy profile, lensing measurements, identification of proxies for the halo accretion rate, and other tests. With upcoming data from the DES, KiDS, and HSC surveys, we can expect significant improvements in the study of halo boundaries.« less

The halo boundary of galaxy clusters in the SDSS

DOE PAGES

Baxter, Eric; Chang, Chihway; Jain, Bhuvnesh; ...

2017-05-18

Analytical models and simulations predict a rapid decline in the halo density profile associated with the transition from the "infalling" regime outside the halo to the "collapsed" regime within the halo. Using data from SDSS, we explore evidence for such a feature in the density profiles of galaxy clusters using several different approaches. We first estimate the steepening of the outer galaxy density profile around clusters, finding evidence for truncation of the halo profile. Next, we measure the galaxy density profile around clusters using two sets of galaxies selected on color. We find evidence of an abrupt change in galaxymore » colors that coincides with the location of the steepening of the density profile. Since galaxies that have completed orbits within the cluster are more likely to be quenched of star formation and thus appear redder, this abrupt change in galaxy color can be associated with the transition from single-stream to multi-stream regimes. We also use a standard model comparison approach to measure evidence for a "splashback"-like feature, but find that this approach is very sensitive to modeling assumptions. Finally, we perform measurements using an independent cluster catalog to test for potential systematic errors associated with cluster selection. We identify several avenues for future work: improved understanding of the small-scale galaxy profile, lensing measurements, identification of proxies for the halo accretion rate, and other tests. As a result, with upcoming data from the DES, KiDS, and HSC surveys, we can expect significant improvements in the study of halo boundaries.« less

Astrocytes produce an insulin-like neurotrophic factor

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

Kadle, R.; Suksang, C.; Fellows, R.E.

1986-05-01

They have previously reported that survival of dissociated neurons from fetal rat telencephalon plated at low density in serum-free, hormone-free defined medium is enhanced in the presence of insulin. In the absence of insulin a similar effect on neuronal survival is observed if cells are grown in medium conditioned by glial cells. The present study was carried out to characterize the insulin-like neurotrophic activity present in the glial conditioned medium (GLCM). Conditioned medium from confluent cultures of astrogial cells maintained in a serum free defined medium without insulin was collected every two or three days. A 5 to 30kDa fractionmore » of this medium was obtained by filtering it sequentially through YM30 and YM5 membrane filters. Binding of /sup 125/I-insulin to high density neuronal cultures was inhibited 43% by this fraction. Radioimmunoassay for insulin indicated that 1-2 ng of immuno-reactive insulin were present per ml of GLCM. Immunosequestration of the factor by insulin antibodies bound to protein A agarose gel resulted in loss of neurotrophic activity of the 5 to 30 kDa fraction. These results indicate that cultured astrocytes produce a factor immunologically and biochemically similar to insulin. This factor enhances the survival of neurons in culture and may be important for their normal development and differentiation.« less

Probing flexible thermoplastic thin films on a substrate using ultrasonic waves to retrieve mechanical moduli and density: Inverse problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazri, H.; Ogam, E.; Amar, B.; Fellah, Z. E. A.; Sayoud, N.; Boumaiza, Y.

2018-05-01

Flexible, supple thermoplastic thin films (PVB and PET) placed on elastic substrates were probed using ultrasonic waves to identify their mechanical moduli and density. The composite medium immersed in a fluid host medium (water) was excited using a 50 Mhz transducer operating at normal incidence in reflection mode. Elastic wave propagation data from the stratified medium was captured in the host medium as scattered field. These data were used along with theoretical fluid-solid interaction forward models for stratified-media developed using elasticity theory, to solve an inverse problem for the recovery of the model parameters of the thin films. Two configurations were modeled, one considering the substrate as a semi-infinite elastic medium and the second the substrate having a finite thickness and flanked by a semi-infinite host medium. Transverse slip for the sliding interface between the films and substrate was chosen. This was found to agree with the experiments whereby the thin films were just placed on the substrate without bonding. The inverse problems for the recovery of the mechanical parameters were successful in retrieving the thin films’ parameters under the slip boundary condition. The possible improvements to the new method for the characterization of thin films are discussed.

Reverse Transcriptase-Containing Particles Induced in Rous Sarcoma Virus-Transformed Rat Cells by Arginine Deprivation

PubMed Central

Kotler, Moshe; Weinberg, Eynat; Haspel, Osnat; Becker, Yechiel

1972-01-01

Incubation of rat cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) in an arginine-deficient medium resulted in accumulation of particles in the culture medium. Such particles did not appear when the transformed rat cells were incubated in a complete medium nor in the medium of primary rat cells which were incubated either in arginine-deficient or complete media. The particles which were released from the arginine-deprived transformed rat cells resemble C-type particles in their properties. These particles band in sucrose gradients at a density of 1.16 g/ml and contain 35S ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules and a reverse transcriptase activity. Analysis of the cytoplasm of transformed and primary rat cells, deprived and undeprived of arginine, revealed the presence of reverse transcriptase-containing particles which banded in sucrose gradients at a density of 1.14 g/ml. These particles differed from the particles released into the medium by the arginine-deprived RSV-transformed rat cells. The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules synthesized in vitro by the reverse transcriptase present in the particles isolated from the medium of arginine-deprived cells hybridized to RSV RNA, whereas the DNA synthesized by the cell-bound enzyme had no homology to RSV RNA. PMID:4116137

Involvement of extracellular factors in maintaining self-renewal of neural stem cell by nestin.

PubMed

Di, Chun Guang; Xiang, Andy Peng; Jia, Lei; Liu, Jun Feng; Lahn, Bruce T; Ma, Bao Feng

2014-07-09

Nestin knockout leads to embryonic lethality and self-renewal deficiency in neural stem cells (NSCs). However, how nestin maintains self-renewal remains uncertain. Here, we used the dosage effect of nestin in heterozygous mice (Nes+/-) to study self-renewal of NSCs. With existing extracellular signaling in vivo or in vitro, nestin levels do not affect proliferation ability or apoptosis when compared between Nes+/- and Nes+/+ NSCs. However, self-renewal ability of Nes+/- NSCs is impaired when plated at a low cell density and completely lost at a clonal density. This deficiency in self-renewal at a clonal density is rescued using a medium conditioned by Nes+/+ NSCs. In addition, the Akt signaling pathway is altered at low density and reversed by conditioned medium. Our data show that secreted factors contribute toward maintaining self-renewal of NSCs by nestin, potentially through Akt signaling.

The distribution of interstellar dust in the solar neighborhood

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaustad, John E.; Van Buren, Dave

1993-01-01

We surveyed the IRAS data base at the positions of the 1808 O6-B9.5 stars in The Bright Star Catalog for extended objects with excess emission at 60 microns, indicating the presence of interstellar dust at the location of the star. Within 400 pc the filling factor of the interstellar medium, for dust clouds with a density greater than 0.5/cu cm is 14.6 + or - 2.4%. Above a density of 1.0/cu cm, the density distribution function appears to follow a power law index - 1.25. When the dust clouds are mapped onto the galactic plane, the sun appears to be located in a low-density region of the interstellar medium of width about 60 pc extending at least 500 pc in the direction of longitudes 80 deg - 260 deg, a feature we call the 'local trough'.

Medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances by three-dimensional ionospheric GPS tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C. H.; Saito, A.; Lin, C. H.; Yamamoto, M.; Suzuki, S.; Seemala, G. K.

2016-02-01

In this study, we develop a three-dimensional ionospheric tomography with the ground-based global position system (GPS) total electron content observations. Because of the geometric limitation of GPS observation path, it is difficult to solve the ill-posed inverse problem for the ionospheric electron density. Different from methods given by pervious studies, we consider an algorithm combining the least-square method with a constraint condition, in which the gradient of electron density tends to be smooth in the horizontal direction and steep in the vicinity of the ionospheric F2 peak. This algorithm is designed to be independent of any ionospheric or plasmaspheric electron density models as the initial condition. An observation system simulation experiment method is applied to evaluate the performance of the GPS ionospheric tomography in detecting ionospheric electron density perturbation at the scale size of around 200 km in wavelength, such as the medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances.

Propagation of sound waves through a spatially homogeneous but smoothly time-dependent medium

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

Hayrapetyan, A.G., E-mail: armen@physi.uni-heidelberg.de; Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg; Grigoryan, K.K.

2013-06-15

The propagation of sound through a spatially homogeneous but non-stationary medium is investigated within the framework of fluid dynamics. For a non-vortical fluid, especially, a generalized wave equation is derived for the (scalar) potential of the fluid velocity distribution in dependence of the equilibrium mass density of the fluid and the sound wave velocity. A solution of this equation for a finite transition period τ is determined in terms of the hypergeometric function for a phenomenologically realistic, sigmoidal change of the mass density and sound wave velocity. Using this solution, it is shown that the energy flux of the soundmore » wave is not conserved but increases always for the propagation through a non-stationary medium, independent of whether the equilibrium mass density is increased or decreased. It is found, moreover, that this amplification of the transmitted wave arises from an energy exchange with the medium and that its flux is equal to the (total) flux of the incident and the reflected wave. An interpretation of the reflected wave as a propagation of sound backward in time is given in close analogy to Feynman and Stueckelberg for the propagation of anti-particles. The reflection and transmission coefficients of sound propagating through a non-stationary medium is analyzed in more detail for hypersonic waves with transition periods τ between 15 and 200 ps as well as the transformation of infrasound waves in non-stationary oceans. -- Highlights: •Analytically exact study of sound propagation through a non-stationary medium. •Energy exchange between the non-stationary medium and the sound wave. •Transformation of hypersonic and ultrasound frequencies in non-stationary media. •Propagation of sound backward in time in close analogy to anti-particles. •Prediction of tsunamis both in spatially and temporally inhomogeneous oceans.« less

galstep: Initial conditions for spiral galaxy simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruggiero, Rafael

2017-11-01

galstep generates initial conditions for disk galaxy simulations with GADGET-2 (ascl:0003.001), RAMSES (ascl:1011.007) and GIZMO (ascl:1410.003), including a stellar disk, a gaseous disk, a dark matter halo and a stellar bulge. The first two components follow an exponential density profile, and the last two a Dehnen density profile with gamma=1 by default, corresponding to a Hernquist profile.

REopt Lite Training Video - Text Version | State, Local, and Tribal

Science.gov Websites

information about your electric load profile. So, if you have hourly interval data from your utility, you can input that by selecting custom load profile. If you don't have that, you can simulate your electric load Palmdale, California. And we're going to simulate this load profile based on a medium office that consumes

Low profile thermite igniter

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

Halcomb, D.L.; Mohler, J.H.

1991-03-05

This patent describes a thermite igniter/heat source comprising a housing, high-density thermite, and low-density thermite. The housing has a relatively low profile and can focus energy by means of a torch-like ejection of hot reaction products and is externally ignitable.

The diverse density profiles of galaxy clusters with self-interacting dark matter plus baryons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Andrew; Massey, Richard; Eke, Vincent; Tulin, Sean; Yu, Hai-Bo; Bahé, Yannick; Barnes, David J.; Bower, Richard G.; Crain, Robert A.; Dalla Vecchia, Claudio; Kay, Scott T.; Schaller, Matthieu; Schaye, Joop

2018-05-01

We present the first simulated galaxy clusters (M200 > 1014 M⊙) with both self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) and baryonic physics. They exhibit a greater diversity in both dark matter and stellar density profiles than their counterparts in simulations with collisionless dark matter (CDM), which is generated by the complex interplay between dark matter self-interactions and baryonic physics. Despite variations in formation history, we demonstrate that analytical Jeans modelling predicts the SIDM density profiles remarkably well, and the diverse properties of the haloes can be understood in terms of their different final baryon distributions.

Methodology for extraction of space charge density profiles at nanoscale from Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements.

PubMed

Villeneuve-Faure, C; Boudou, L; Makasheva, K; Teyssedre, G

2017-12-15

To understand the physical phenomena occurring at metal/dielectric interfaces, determination of the charge density profile at nanoscale is crucial. To deal with this issue, charges were injected applying a DC voltage on lateral Al-electrodes embedded in a SiN x thin dielectric layer. The surface potential induced by the injected charges was probed by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). It was found that the KPFM frequency mode is a better adapted method to probe accurately the charge profile. To extract the charge density profile from the surface potential two numerical approaches based on the solution to Poisson's equation for electrostatics were investigated: the second derivative model method, already reported in the literature, and a new 2D method based on the finite element method (FEM). Results highlight that the FEM is more robust to noise or artifacts in the case of a non-flat initial surface potential. Moreover, according to theoretical study the FEM appears to be a good candidate for determining charge density in dielectric films with thicknesses in the range from 10 nm to 10 μm. By applying this method, the charge density profile was determined at nanoscale, highlighting that the charge cloud remains close to the interface.

Novel analysis technique for measuring edge density fluctuation profiles with reflectometry in the Large Helical Device.

PubMed

Creely, A J; Ida, K; Yoshinuma, M; Tokuzawa, T; Tsujimura, T; Akiyama, T; Sakamoto, R; Emoto, M; Tanaka, K; Michael, C A

2017-07-01

A new method for measuring density fluctuation profiles near the edge of plasmas in the Large Helical Device (LHD) has been developed utilizing reflectometry combined with pellet-induced fast density scans. Reflectometer cutoff location was calculated by proportionally scaling the cutoff location calculated with fast far infrared laser interferometer (FIR) density profiles to match the slower time resolution results of the ray-tracing code LHD-GAUSS. Plasma velocity profile peaks generated with this reflectometer mapping were checked against velocity measurements made with charge exchange spectroscopy (CXS) and were found to agree within experimental uncertainty once diagnostic differences were accounted for. Measured density fluctuation profiles were found to peak strongly near the edge of the plasma, as is the case in most tokamaks. These measurements can be used in the future to inform inversion methods of phase contrast imaging (PCI) measurements. This result was confirmed with both a fixed frequency reflectometer and calibrated data from a multi-frequency comb reflectometer, and this method was applied successfully to a series of discharges. The full width at half maximum of the turbulence layer near the edge of the plasma was found to be only 1.5-3 cm on a series of LHD discharges, less than 5% of the normalized minor radius.

Development of Long-Pulse Heating and Current Drive Actuators and Operational Techniques Compatible with a High-Z Divertor and First Wall

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

Wang, Guiding

Accurate measurement of the edge electron density profile is essential to optimizing antenna coupling and assessment of impurity contamination in studying long-pulse plasma heating and current drive in fusion devices. Measurement of the edge density profile has been demonstrated on the US fusion devices such as C-Mod, DIII-D, and TFTR amongst many devices, and has been used for RF loading and impurity modeling calculations for many years. University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has recently installed a density profile reflectometer system on the EAST fusion device at the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Chinamore » based on the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)-designed reflectometer system on the DIII-D fusion device at General Atomics Company in San Diego, California. UCLA has been working with USTC to optimize the existing microwave antenna, waveguide system, microwave electronics, and data analysis to produce reliable edge density profiles. During the past budget year, progress has been made in all three major areas: effort to achieve reliable system operations under various EAST operational conditions, effort to optimize system performance, and effort to provide quality density profiles into EAST’s database routinely.« less

Novel analysis technique for measuring edge density fluctuation profiles with reflectometry in the Large Helical Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creely, A. J.; Ida, K.; Yoshinuma, M.; Tokuzawa, T.; Tsujimura, T.; Akiyama, T.; Sakamoto, R.; Emoto, M.; Tanaka, K.; Michael, C. A.

2017-07-01

A new method for measuring density fluctuation profiles near the edge of plasmas in the Large Helical Device (LHD) has been developed utilizing reflectometry combined with pellet-induced fast density scans. Reflectometer cutoff location was calculated by proportionally scaling the cutoff location calculated with fast far infrared laser interferometer (FIR) density profiles to match the slower time resolution results of the ray-tracing code LHD-GAUSS. Plasma velocity profile peaks generated with this reflectometer mapping were checked against velocity measurements made with charge exchange spectroscopy (CXS) and were found to agree within experimental uncertainty once diagnostic differences were accounted for. Measured density fluctuation profiles were found to peak strongly near the edge of the plasma, as is the case in most tokamaks. These measurements can be used in the future to inform inversion methods of phase contrast imaging (PCI) measurements. This result was confirmed with both a fixed frequency reflectometer and calibrated data from a multi-frequency comb reflectometer, and this method was applied successfully to a series of discharges. The full width at half maximum of the turbulence layer near the edge of the plasma was found to be only 1.5-3 cm on a series of LHD discharges, less than 5% of the normalized minor radius.

Role of ion magnetization in formation of radial density profile in magnetically expanding plasma produced by helicon antenna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Sonu; Ghosh, Soumen; Bose, Sayak; Barada, Kshitish K.; Pal, Rabindranath; Chattopadhyay, Prabal K.

2018-04-01

Experimentally, the density profile in the magnetic nozzle of a helicon antenna based plasma device is seen to be modified from being centrally peaked to that of hollow nature as the external magnetic field is increased. It occurs above a characteristic field value when the ions become magnetized in the expansion chamber. The density profile in the source chamber behind the nozzle, however, remains peaked on-axis irrespective of the magnetic field. The electron temperature there is observed to be hollow and this nature is carried to the expansion chamber along the field line. In the electron energy distribution near the off axis peak location, a high energy tail exists. Rotation of these tail electrons in the azimuthal direction due to the gradient-B drift in the expansion chamber leads to an additional off-axis ionization and forms the hollow density profile. It seems that if the ions are not magnetized, then the off-axially produced additional plasma is not confined and the density profile retains the on-axis peak nature. The present experiment successfully demonstrates how the knowledge of the ion magnetization together with tail electrons significantly contributes to the design of an efficient helicon plasma based thruster.

A field-to-desktop toolchain for X-ray CT densitometry enables tree ring analysis.

PubMed

De Mil, Tom; Vannoppen, Astrid; Beeckman, Hans; Van Acker, Joris; Van den Bulcke, Jan

2016-06-01

Disentangling tree growth requires more than ring width data only. Densitometry is considered a valuable proxy, yet laborious wood sample preparation and lack of dedicated software limit the widespread use of density profiling for tree ring analysis. An X-ray computed tomography-based toolchain of tree increment cores is presented, which results in profile data sets suitable for visual exploration as well as density-based pattern matching. Two temperate (Quercus petraea, Fagus sylvatica) and one tropical species (Terminalia superba) were used for density profiling using an X-ray computed tomography facility with custom-made sample holders and dedicated processing software. Density-based pattern matching is developed and able to detect anomalies in ring series that can be corrected via interactive software. A digital workflow allows generation of structure-corrected profiles of large sets of cores in a short time span that provide sufficient intra-annual density information for tree ring analysis. Furthermore, visual exploration of such data sets is of high value. The dated profiles can be used for high-resolution chronologies and also offer opportunities for fast screening of lesser studied tropical tree species. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Methodology for extraction of space charge density profiles at nanoscale from Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villeneuve-Faure, C.; Boudou, L.; Makasheva, K.; Teyssedre, G.

2017-12-01

To understand the physical phenomena occurring at metal/dielectric interfaces, determination of the charge density profile at nanoscale is crucial. To deal with this issue, charges were injected applying a DC voltage on lateral Al-electrodes embedded in a SiN x thin dielectric layer. The surface potential induced by the injected charges was probed by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). It was found that the KPFM frequency mode is a better adapted method to probe accurately the charge profile. To extract the charge density profile from the surface potential two numerical approaches based on the solution to Poisson’s equation for electrostatics were investigated: the second derivative model method, already reported in the literature, and a new 2D method based on the finite element method (FEM). Results highlight that the FEM is more robust to noise or artifacts in the case of a non-flat initial surface potential. Moreover, according to theoretical study the FEM appears to be a good candidate for determining charge density in dielectric films with thicknesses in the range from 10 nm to 10 μm. By applying this method, the charge density profile was determined at nanoscale, highlighting that the charge cloud remains close to the interface.

Traditional cattle vs. introduced deer management in Chaco Serrano woodlands (Argentina): Analysis of environmental sustainability at increasing densities.

PubMed

Charro, José Luis; López-Sánchez, Aida; Perea, Ramón

2018-01-15

Wild ungulate populations have increased and expanded considerably in many regions, including austral woodlands and forests where deer (Cervus elaphus) have been introduced as an alternative management to traditional cattle grazing. In this study, we compared traditional cattle with introduced deer management at increasing deer densities in the "Chaco Serrano" woodlands of Argentina to assess their ecological sustainability. We used three ecological indicators (abundance of tree regeneration, woody plant diversity and browsing damage) as proxies for environmental sustainability in woody systems. Our results indicate that traditional cattle management, at stocking rates of ∼10 ind km -2 , was the most ecologically sustainable management since it allowed greater tree regeneration abundance, higher richness of woody species and lower browsing damage. Importantly, cattle management and deer management at low densities (10 ind km -2 ) showed no significant differences in species richness and abundance of seedlings, although deer caused greater browsing damage on saplings and juveniles. However, management regimes involving high deer densities (∼35 deer km 2 ) was highly unsustainable in comparison to low (∼10 deer km -2 ) and medium (∼20 deer km -2 ) densities, with 40% probability of unsustainable browsing as opposed to less than 5% probability at low and medium densities. In addition, high deer densities caused a strong reduction in tree regeneration, with a 19-30% reduction in the abundance of seedlings and young trees when compared to low deer densities. These results showed that the effect of increasing deer densities on woody plant conservation was not linear, with high deer densities causing a disproportional deleterious effect on tree regeneration and sustainable browsing. Our results suggest that traditional management at low densities or the use of introduced ungulates (deer breeding areas) at low-medium densities (<20 deer km -2 ) are compatible with woody vegetation conservation. However, further research is needed on plant palatability, animal habitat use (spatial heterogeneity) and species turnover and extinction (comparison to areas of low-null historical browsing) to better estimate environmental sustainability of Neotropical ungulate-dominated woodlands. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microwave Interferometric Density Measurements of a Pulsed Helicon Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scime, Ethan; Scime, Earl; Thompson, Derek

2017-10-01

The intense rf environment of a helicon plasma source is problematic for electrostatic probe measurements of plasma density, particularly at low neutral pressures. Here we present measurements of the line-integrated plasma density in a helicon plasma source using a multi-frequency (20-40 GHz) microwave interferometer. The design of the diagnostic and the data acquisition system are presented, as well as a comparison to density profiles obtained with a moveable electrostatic probe. A parametric fit to the probe profile measurements is used to determine the peak density from the microwave density measurements. This work supported by U.S. National Science Foundation Grant No. PHY-1360278.

Crowdsourcing Vector Surveillance: Using Community Knowledge and Experiences to Predict Densities and Distribution of Outdoor-Biting Mosquitoes in Rural Tanzania.

PubMed

Mwangungulu, Stephen Peter; Sumaye, Robert David; Limwagu, Alex Julius; Siria, Doreen Josen; Kaindoa, Emmanuel Wilson; Okumu, Fredros Oketch

2016-01-01

Lack of reliable techniques for large-scale monitoring of disease-transmitting mosquitoes is a major public health challenge, especially where advanced geo-information systems are not regularly applicable. We tested an innovative crowd-sourcing approach, which relies simply on knowledge and experiences of residents to rapidly predict areas where disease-transmitting mosquitoes are most abundant. Guided by community-based resource persons, we mapped boundaries and major physical features in three rural Tanzanian villages. We then selected 60 community members, taught them basic map-reading skills, and offered them gridded maps of their own villages (grid size: 200m×200m) so they could identify locations where they believed mosquitoes were most abundant, by ranking the grids from one (highest density) to five (lowest density). The ranks were interpolated in ArcGIS-10 (ESRI-USA) using inverse distance weighting (IDW) method, and re-classified to depict areas people believed had high, medium and low mosquito densities. Finally, we used odor-baited mosquito traps to compare and verify actual outdoor mosquito densities in the same areas. We repeated this process for 12 months, each time with a different group of 60 residents. All entomological surveys depicted similar geographical stratification of mosquito densities in areas classified by community members as having high, medium and low vector abundance. These similarities were observed when all mosquito species were combined, and also when only malaria vectors were considered. Of the 12,412 mosquitoes caught, 60.9% (7,555) were from areas considered by community members as having high mosquito densities, 28% (3,470) from medium density areas, and 11.2% (1,387) from low density areas. This study provides evidence that we can rely on community knowledge and experiences to identify areas where mosquitoes are most abundant or least abundant, even without entomological surveys. This crowd-sourcing method could be further refined and validated to improve community-based planning of mosquito control operations at low-cost.

Crowdsourcing Vector Surveillance: Using Community Knowledge and Experiences to Predict Densities and Distribution of Outdoor-Biting Mosquitoes in Rural Tanzania

PubMed Central

Limwagu, Alex Julius; Siria, Doreen Josen; Kaindoa, Emmanuel Wilson; Okumu, Fredros Oketch

2016-01-01

Lack of reliable techniques for large-scale monitoring of disease-transmitting mosquitoes is a major public health challenge, especially where advanced geo-information systems are not regularly applicable. We tested an innovative crowd-sourcing approach, which relies simply on knowledge and experiences of residents to rapidly predict areas where disease-transmitting mosquitoes are most abundant. Guided by community-based resource persons, we mapped boundaries and major physical features in three rural Tanzanian villages. We then selected 60 community members, taught them basic map-reading skills, and offered them gridded maps of their own villages (grid size: 200m×200m) so they could identify locations where they believed mosquitoes were most abundant, by ranking the grids from one (highest density) to five (lowest density). The ranks were interpolated in ArcGIS-10 (ESRI-USA) using inverse distance weighting (IDW) method, and re-classified to depict areas people believed had high, medium and low mosquito densities. Finally, we used odor-baited mosquito traps to compare and verify actual outdoor mosquito densities in the same areas. We repeated this process for 12 months, each time with a different group of 60 residents. All entomological surveys depicted similar geographical stratification of mosquito densities in areas classified by community members as having high, medium and low vector abundance. These similarities were observed when all mosquito species were combined, and also when only malaria vectors were considered. Of the 12,412 mosquitoes caught, 60.9% (7,555) were from areas considered by community members as having high mosquito densities, 28% (3,470) from medium density areas, and 11.2% (1,387) from low density areas. This study provides evidence that we can rely on community knowledge and experiences to identify areas where mosquitoes are most abundant or least abundant, even without entomological surveys. This crowd-sourcing method could be further refined and validated to improve community-based planning of mosquito control operations at low-cost. PMID:27253869

The outskirts of galaxy clusters: astrophysics and cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morandi, Andrea; Sun, Ming

2017-08-01

Exploring the virialization region of galaxy clusters has recently raised the attention of the scientific community, offering a direct view of structure formation. In this talk, I will present recent results on the physical properties of the intracluster medium in the outer volumes of a sample of 320 clusters (0.056 3 keV) in the Chandra archive, with a total integration time of ~20 Ms. We stacked the emission measure profiles of the clusters to detect a signal out to R100. We then measured the average emission measure, gas density and gas fraction, which scale according to the self-similar model of cluster formation. We observe a steepening of the density profiles beyond R500 with slope β~0.68 at R500 and β~1 at R200 and beyond. By tracking the direction of the cosmic filaments where the clusters are embedded, we report that galaxy clusters deviate from spherical symmetry. We finally used, for the first time, the high level of similarity of the emission measure in the cluster outskirts as cosmology proxy. The cosmological parameters are thus constrained assuming that the emission measure profiles at different redshift are weakly self-similar, that is their shape is universal, explicitly allowing for temperature and redshift dependence of the gas fraction. This cosmological test, in combination with Planck+SNIa data, allows us to put a tight constraint on the dark energy models. For a constant-w model, we have w=-1.010±0.030 and Ωm=0.311±0.014, while for a time-evolving equation of state of dark energy w(z) we have Ωm=0.308±0.017, w0=-0.993±0.046 and wa=-0.123±0.400 We checked that our method is robust towards different sources of systematics, including background modelling, outlier measurements, selection effects, inhomogeneities of the gas distribution and cosmic filaments. We also provided for the first time constraints on which definition of cluster boundary radius is more tenable, namely based on a fixed overdensity with respect to the critical density of the Universe. Finally, we present gas inhomogeneities measurements of the outskirts of the poor galaxy group NGC2563.

Spectral stability of supercontinuum generation in condensed mediums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jier; Zhang, Yizhu; Shen, Huifeng; Jiang, Yuhai; Wang, Zhongyang

2017-07-01

The features of the supercontinuum generation (SCG) using intense femtosecond pulses are systematically investigated in condensed mediums [sapphire, BK7 glass, ultraviolet (UV)-fused silica, and fluoride crystals]. By optimizing the experimental conditions and choosing suitable mediums, the bandwidth of the SCG can be extended to the UV regime with good spectral stability. This study demonstrates that materials with high bandgap present high efficiency for SCG, particularly in the short wavelength region. The achievable short wavelength and low power-density threshold of the SCG exhibit complicated correlations with the bandgap of condensed mediums.

PATCHY BLAZAR HEATING: DIVERSIFYING THE THERMAL HISTORY OF THE INTERGALACTIC MEDIUM

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

Lamberts, Astrid; Chang, Philip; Pfrommer, Christoph

TeV-blazars potentially heat the intergalactic medium (IGM) as their gamma rays interact with photons of the extragalactic background light to produce electron–positron pairs, which lose their kinetic energy to the surrounding medium through plasma instabilities. This results in a heating mechanism that is only weakly sensitive to the local density, and therefore approximately spatially uniform, naturally producing an inverted temperature–density relation in underdense regions. In this paper we go beyond the approximation of uniform heating and quantify the heating rate fluctuations due to the clustered distribution of blazars and how this impacts the thermal history of the IGM. We analyticallymore » compute a filtering function that relates the heating rate fluctuations to the underlying dark matter density field. We implement it in the cosmological code GADGET-3 and perform large-scale simulations to determine the impact of inhomogeneous heating. We show that because of blazar clustering, blazar heating is inhomogeneous for z ≳ 2. At high redshift, the temperature–density relation shows an important scatter and presents a low temperature envelope of unheated regions, in particular at low densities and within voids. However, the median temperature of the IGM is close to that in the uniform case, albeit slightly lower at low redshift. We find that blazar heating is more complex than initially assumed and that the temperature–density relation is not unique. Our analytic model for the heating rate fluctuations couples well with large-scale simulations and provides a cost-effective alternative to subgrid models.« less

Interaction cross sections and matter radii of oxygen isotopes using the Glauber model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Suhel; Usmani, A. A.; Ahmad, Shakeb; Khan, Z. A.

2017-05-01

Using the Coulomb modified correlation expansion for the Glauber model S matrix, we calculate the interaction cross sections of oxygen isotopes (O-2616) on 12C at 1.0 GeV/nucleon. The densities of O-2616 are obtained using (i) the Slater determinants consisting of the harmonic oscillator single-particle wave functions (SDHO) and (ii) the relativistic mean-field approach (RMF). Retaining up to the two-body density term in the correlation expansion, the calculations are performed employing the free as well as the in-medium nucleon-nucleon (N N ) scattering amplitude. The in-medium N N amplitude considers the effects arising due to phase variation, higher momentum transfer components, and Pauli blocking. Our main focus in this work is to reveal how could one make the best use of SDHO densities with reference to the RMF one. The results demonstrate that the SDHO densities, along with the in-medium N N amplitude, are able to provide satisfactory explanation of the experimental data. It is found that, except for O,2423, the predicted SDHO matter rms radii of oxygen isotopes closely agree with those obtained using the RMF densities. However, for O,2423, our results require reasonably larger SDHO matter rms radii than the RMF values, thereby predicting thicker neutron skins in 23O and 24O as compared to RMF ones. In conclusion, the results of the present analysis establish the utility of SDHO densities in predicting fairly reliable estimates of the matter rms radii of neutron-rich nuclei.

Local ensemble transform Kalman filter for ionospheric data assimilation: Observation influence analysis during a geomagnetic storm event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durazo, Juan A.; Kostelich, Eric J.; Mahalov, Alex

2017-09-01

We propose a targeted observation strategy, based on the influence matrix diagnostic, that optimally selects where additional observations may be placed to improve ionospheric forecasts. This strategy is applied in data assimilation observing system experiments, where synthetic electron density vertical profiles, which represent those of Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate/Formosa satellite 3, are assimilated into the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model using the local ensemble transform Kalman filter during the 26 September 2011 geomagnetic storm. During each analysis step, the observation vector is augmented with five synthetic vertical profiles optimally placed to target electron density errors, using our targeted observation strategy. Forecast improvement due to assimilation of augmented vertical profiles is measured with the root-mean-square error (RMSE) of analyzed electron density, averaged over 600 km regions centered around the augmented vertical profile locations. Assimilating vertical profiles with targeted locations yields about 60%-80% reduction in electron density RMSE, compared to a 15% average reduction when assimilating randomly placed vertical profiles. Assimilating vertical profiles whose locations target the zonal component of neutral winds (Un) yields on average a 25% RMSE reduction in Un estimates, compared to a 2% average improvement obtained with randomly placed vertical profiles. These results demonstrate that our targeted strategy can improve data assimilation efforts during extreme events by detecting regions where additional observations would provide the largest benefit to the forecast.

Inversion method applied to the rotation curves of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Márquez-Caicedo, L. A.; Lora-Clavijo, F. D.; Sanabria-Gómez, J. D.

2017-07-01

We used simulated annealing, Montecarlo and genetic algorithm methods for matching both numerical data of density and velocity profiles in some low surface brigthness galaxies with theoretical models of Boehmer-Harko, Navarro-Frenk-White and Pseudo Isothermal Profiles for galaxies with dark matter halos. We found that Navarro-Frenk-White model does not fit at all in contrast with the other two models which fit very well. Inversion methods have been widely used in various branches of science including astrophysics (Charbonneau 1995, ApJS, 101, 309). In this work we have used three different parametric inversion methods (MonteCarlo, Genetic Algorithm and Simmulated Annealing) in order to determine the best fit of the observed data of the density and velocity profiles of a set of low surface brigthness galaxies (De Block et al. 2001, ApJ, 122, 2396) with three models of galaxies containing dark mattter. The parameters adjusted by the inversion methods were the central density and a characteristic distance in the Boehmer-Harko BH (Boehmer & Harko 2007, JCAP, 6, 25), Navarro-Frenk-White NFW (Navarro et al. 2007, ApJ, 490, 493) and Pseudo Isothermal Profile PI (Robles & Matos 2012, MNRAS, 422, 282). The results obtained showed that the BH and PI Profile dark matter galaxies fit very well for both the density and the velocity profiles, in contrast the NFW model did not make good adjustments to the profiles in any analized galaxy.

The interstellar medium and the highly ionized species observed in the spectrum of the nearby white dwarf G191-B2B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruhweiler, F. C.; Kondo, Y.

1981-01-01

High-resolution spectra of the nearby (48 pc) white dwarf G191-B2B, obtained with the International Ultraviolet Explorer, reveal sharp resonance lines of N V, C IV, and Si IV. The origin of these features is most likely linked to the white dwarf, possibly being formed in an expanding halo around the star. Interstellar lines of C II, N I, Mg II, Si II, and Fe II are also seen in the spectrum. Analysis of these features indicates an average neutral hydrogen number density of 0.064 for this line of sight. In combination with the recent EUV and soft X-ray results, this is interpreted to mean that the interstellar medium in the most immediate solar vicinity is of the normal density n approximately equal to 0.1/cu cm of lower ionization, while just beyond it, at least in some directions, is a hot lower density plasma. These results are apparently in conflict with the model of the interstellar medium by McKee and Ostriker (1977) in its present form.

Performance and data analysis aspects of the new DIII-D monostatic profile reflectometer system

DOE PAGES

Zeng, Lei; Peebles, William A.; Doyle, Edward J.; ...

2014-08-07

A new frequency-modulated (FMCW) profile reflectometer system, featuring a monostatic antenna geometry (using one microwave antenna for both launch and receive), has been installed on the DIII-D tokamak, providing a first experimental test of this measurement approach for profile reflectometry. Significant features of the new system are briefly described in this paper, including the new monostatic arrangement, use of overmoded, broadband transmission waveguide, and dual-polarization combination/demultiplexing. Updated data processing and analysis, and in-service performance aspects of the new monostatic profile reflectometer system are also presented. By using a raytracing code (GENRAY) to determine the approximate trajectory of the probe beam,more » the electron density (n e) profile can be successfully reconstructed with L-mode plasmas vertically shifted by more than 10 cm off the vessel midplane. Specifically, it is demonstrated that the new system has a capability to measure n e profiles with plasma vertical offsets of up to ±17 cm. Furthermore, examples are also presented of accurate, high time and spatial resolution density profile measurements made over a wide range of DIII-D conditions, e.g. the measured temporal evolution of the density profile across an L-H transition.« less

Optimization of laser-plasma injector via beam loading effects using ionization-induced injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, P.; Maynard, G.; Audet, T. L.; Cros, B.; Lehe, R.; Vay, J.-L.

2018-05-01

Simulations of ionization-induced injection in a laser driven plasma wakefield show that high-quality electron injectors in the 50-200 MeV range can be achieved in a gas cell with a tailored density profile. Using the PIC code Warp with parameters close to existing experimental conditions, we show that the concentration of N2 in a hydrogen plasma with a tailored density profile is an efficient parameter to tune electron beam properties through the control of the interplay between beam loading effects and varying accelerating field in the density profile. For a given laser plasma configuration, with moderate normalized laser amplitude, a0=1.6 and maximum electron plasma density, ne 0=4 ×1018 cm-3 , the optimum concentration results in a robust configuration to generate electrons at 150 MeV with a rms energy spread of 4% and a spectral charge density of 1.8 pC /MeV .

Density profiles of a self-gravitating lattice gas in one, two, and three dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakhti, Benaoumeur; Boukari, Divana; Karbach, Michael; Maass, Philipp; Müller, Gerhard

2018-04-01

We consider a lattice gas in spaces of dimensionality D =1 ,2 ,3 . The particles are subject to a hardcore exclusion interaction and an attractive pair interaction that satisfies Gauss' law as do Newtonian gravity in D =3 , a logarithmic potential in D =2 , and a distance-independent force in D =1 . Under mild additional assumptions regarding symmetry and fluctuations we investigate equilibrium states of self-gravitating material clusters, in particular radial density profiles for closed and open systems. We present exact analytic results in several instances and high-precision numerical data in others. The density profile of a cluster with finite mass is found to exhibit exponential decay in D =1 and power-law decay in D =2 with temperature-dependent exponents in both cases. In D =2 the gas evaporates in a continuous transition at a nonzero critical temperature. We describe clusters of infinite mass in D =3 with a density profile consisting of three layers (core, shell, halo) and an algebraic large-distance asymptotic decay. In D =3 a cluster of finite mass can be stabilized at T >0 via confinement to a sphere of finite radius. In some parameter regime, the gas thus enclosed undergoes a discontinuous transition between distinct density profiles. For the free energy needed to identify the equilibrium state we introduce a construction of gravitational self-energy that works in all D for the lattice gas. The decay rate of the density profile of an open cluster is shown to transform via a stretched exponential for 1

Lift producing device exhibiting low drag and reduced ventilation potential and method for producing the same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caldwell, Richard A. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A lift producing device is disclosed which is adapted to be connected to a vehicle to provide lift to the vehicle when the vehicle is moved relative to a first fluid medium having a first density and viscosity and being in contact with a second fluid medium adjacent the vehicle. The second fluid medium has a second fluid density which is different from the first fluid density. The lift producing device comprises opposed first and second major surfaces joined at a longitudinally extending leading edge and at a longitudinally extending trailing edge, with at least a portion of the longitudinally extending leading edge being spaced from the longitudinally extending trailing edge by a predetermined mean chord length. When the vehicle is moved relative to the first fluid medium at a velocity within a range of predetermined velocities, with each of the velocities having a direction inclined from a plane extending through the leading edge and the trailing edge within a predetermined angular range, a region of high pressure is generated in the first fluid medium adjacent the first major surface and a region of low pressure is generated in the first fluid medium adjacent the second major surface. The lift producing device has a cross-sectional shape which will generate a pressure distribution around the device when the vehicle is moved relative to the first fluid medium at a velocity within the range of predetermined velocities such that the first fluid medium exhibits attached laminar flow along the device for a portion of the predetermined mean chord length from the leading edge to the trailing edge and will neither form a laminar separation bubble adjacent the second major surface of the device, nor exhibit turbulent separation adjacent the second major surface for substantially all of the predetermined mean chord length from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The portion along which attached laminar flow is maintained is the longest portion which will still fulfill the flow separation requirements. A method for producing the foil is also disclosed.

Distinguishing oil and water layers in a cracked porous medium using pulsed neutron logging data based on Hudson's crack theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xueang; Yang, Zhichao; Tang, Bin; Wang, Renbo; Wei, Xiong

2018-05-01

During geophysical surveys, water layers may interfere with the detection of oil layers. In order to distinguish between oil and water layers in porous cracked media, research on the properties of the cracks, the oil and water layers, and their relation to pulsed neutron logging characteristics is essential. Using Hudson's crack theory, we simulated oil and water layers in a cracked porous medium with different crack parameters corresponding to the well log responses. We found that, in a cracked medium with medium-angle (40°-50°) cracks, the thermal neutron count peak value is higher and more sensitive than those in low-angle and high-angle crack environments; in addition, the thermal neutron density distribution shows more minimum values than in other cases. Further, the thermal neutron count and the rate of change for the oil layer are greater than those of the water layer, and the time spectrum count peak value for the water layer in middle-high-angle (40°-70°) cracked environments is higher than that of the oil layer. The thermal neutron density distribution sensitivity is higher in the water layer with a range of small crack angles (0°-30°) than in the oil layer with the same range of angles. In comparing the thermal neutron density distribution, thermal neutron count peak, thermal neutron density distribution sensitivity, and time spectrum maximum in the oil and water layers, we find that neutrons in medium-angle (40°-50°) cracked reservoirs are more sensitive to deceleration and absorption than those in water layers; neutrons in approximately horizontal (0°-30°) cracked water layers are more sensitive to deceleration than those in reservoirs. These results can guide future work in the cracked media neutron logging field.

KINK AND SAUSAGE MODES IN NONUNIFORM MAGNETIC SLABS WITH CONTINUOUS TRANSVERSE DENSITY DISTRIBUTIONS

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

Yu, Hui; Li, Bo; Chen, Shao-Xia

2015-11-20

We examine the influence of a continuous density structuring transverse to coronal slabs on the dispersive properties of fundamental standing kink and sausage modes supported therein. We derive generic dispersion relations (DRs) governing linear fast waves in pressureless straight slabs with general transverse density distributions, and focus on cases where the density inhomogeneity takes place in a layer of arbitrary width and in arbitrary form. The physical relevance of the solutions to the DRs is demonstrated by the corresponding time-dependent computations. For all profiles examined, the lowest order kink modes are trapped regardless of longitudinal wavenumber k. A continuous density distribution introducesmore » a difference to their periods of ≲13% when k is the observed range relative to the case where the density profile takes a step function form. Sausage modes and other branches of kink modes are leaky at small k, and their periods and damping times are heavily influenced by how the transverse density profile is prescribed, in particular the length scale. These modes have sufficiently high quality to be observable only for physical parameters representative of flare loops. We conclude that while the simpler DR pertinent to a step function profile can be used for the lowest order kink modes, the detailed information on the transverse density structuring needs to be incorporated into studies of sausage modes and higher order kink modes.« less