DESTINY

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

2015-03-10

DESTINY is a comprehensive tool for modeling 3D and 2D cache designs using SRAM,embedded DRAM (eDRAM), spin transfer torque RAM (STT-RAM), resistive RAM (ReRAM), and phase change RAM (PCN). In its purpose, it is similar to CACTI, CACTI-3DD or NVSim. DESTINY is very useful for performing design-space exploration across several dimensions, such as optimizing for a target (e.g. latency, area or energy-delay product) for agiven memory technology, choosing the suitable memory technology or fabrication method (i.e. 2D v/s 3D) for a given optimization target, etc. DESTINY has been validated against several cache prototypes. DESTINY is expected to boost studies ofmore » next-generation memory architectures used in systems ranging from mobile devices to extreme-scale supercomputers.« less

The Solar Wind Environment in Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pognan, Quentin; Garraffo, Cecilia; Cohen, Ofer; Drake, Jeremy J.

2018-03-01

We use magnetograms of eight solar analogs of ages 30 Myr–3.6 Gyr obtained from Zeeman Doppler Imaging and taken from the literature, together with two solar magnetograms, to drive magnetohydrodynamical wind simulations and construct an evolutionary scenario of the solar wind environment and its angular momentum loss rate. With observed magnetograms of the radial field strength as the only variant in the wind model, we find that a power-law model fitted to the derived angular momentum loss rate against time, t, results in a spin-down relation Ω ∝ t ‑0.51, for angular speed Ω, which is remarkably consistent with the well-established Skumanich law Ω ∝ t ‑0.5. We use the model wind conditions to estimate the magnetospheric standoff distances for an Earth-like test planet situated at 1 au for each of the stellar cases, and to obtain trends of minimum and maximum wind ram pressure and average ram pressure in the solar system through time. The wind ram pressure declines with time as \\overline{{P}ram}}\\propto {t}2/3, amounting to a factor of 50 or so over the present lifetime of the solar system.

Integration of RAMS in LCC analysis for linear transport infrastructures. A case study for railways.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calle-Cordón, Álvaro; Jiménez-Redondo, Noemi; Morales-Gámiz, F. J.; García-Villena, F. A.; Garmabaki, Amir H. S.; Odelius, Johan

2017-09-01

Life-cycle cost (LCC) analysis is an economic technique used to assess the total costs associated with the lifetime of a system in order to support decision making in long term strategic planning. For complex systems, such as railway and road infrastructures, the cost of maintenance plays an important role in the LCC analysis. Costs associated with maintenance interventions can be more reliably estimated by integrating the probabilistic nature of the failures associated to these interventions in the LCC models. Reliability, Maintainability, Availability and Safety (RAMS) parameters describe the maintenance needs of an asset in a quantitative way by using probabilistic information extracted from registered maintenance activities. Therefore, the integration of RAMS in the LCC analysis allows obtaining reliable predictions of system maintenance costs and the dependencies of these costs with specific cost drivers through sensitivity analyses. This paper presents an innovative approach for a combined RAMS & LCC methodology for railway and road transport infrastructures being developed under the on-going H2020 project INFRALERT. Such RAMS & LCC analysis provides relevant probabilistic information to be used for condition and risk-based planning of maintenance activities as well as for decision support in long term strategic investment planning.

HyRAM V1.0 User Guide

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

Groth, Katrina M.; Zumwalt, Hannah Ruth; Clark, Andrew Jordan

2016-03-01

Hydrogen Risk Assessment Models (HyRAM) is a prototype software toolkit that integrates data and methods relevant to assessing the safety of hydrogen fueling and storage infrastructure. The HyRAM toolkit integrates deterministic and probabilistic models for quantifying accident scenarios, predicting physical effects, and characterizing the impact of hydrogen hazards, including thermal effects from jet fires and thermal pressure effects from deflagration. HyRAM version 1.0 incorporates generic probabilities for equipment failures for nine types of components, and probabilistic models for the impact of heat flux on humans and structures, with computationally and experimentally validated models of various aspects of gaseous hydrogen releasemore » and flame physics. This document provides an example of how to use HyRAM to conduct analysis of a fueling facility. This document will guide users through the software and how to enter and edit certain inputs that are specific to the user-defined facility. Description of the methodology and models contained in HyRAM is provided in [1]. This User’s Guide is intended to capture the main features of HyRAM version 1.0 (any HyRAM version numbered as 1.0.X.XXX). This user guide was created with HyRAM 1.0.1.798. Due to ongoing software development activities, newer versions of HyRAM may have differences from this guide.« less

In-line and Real-time Monitoring of Resonant Acoustic Mixing by Near-infrared Spectroscopy Combined with Chemometric Technology for Process Analytical Technology Applications in Pharmaceutical Powder Blending Systems.

PubMed

Tanaka, Ryoma; Takahashi, Naoyuki; Nakamura, Yasuaki; Hattori, Yusuke; Ashizawa, Kazuhide; Otsuka, Makoto

2017-01-01

Resonant acoustic ® mixing (RAM) technology is a system that performs high-speed mixing by vibration through the control of acceleration and frequency. In recent years, real-time process monitoring and prediction has become of increasing interest, and process analytical technology (PAT) systems will be increasingly introduced into actual manufacturing processes. This study examined the application of PAT with the combination of RAM, near-infrared spectroscopy, and chemometric technology as a set of PAT tools for introduction into actual pharmaceutical powder blending processes. Content uniformity was based on a robust partial least squares regression (PLSR) model constructed to manage the RAM configuration parameters and the changing concentration of the components. As a result, real-time monitoring may be possible and could be successfully demonstrated for in-line real-time prediction of active pharmaceutical ingredients and other additives using chemometric technology. This system is expected to be applicable to the RAM method for the risk management of quality.

Surface wind accuracy for modeling mineral dust emissions: Comparing two regional models in a Bodélé case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurent, B.; Heinold, B.; Tegen, I.; Bouet, C.; Cautenet, G.

2008-05-01

After a decade of research on improving the description of surface and soil features in desert regions to accurately model mineral dust emissions, we now emphasize the need for deeper evaluating the accuracy of modeled 10-m surface wind speeds U 10 . Two mesoscale models, the Lokal-Modell (LM) and the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), coupled with an explicit dust emission model have previously been used to simulate mineral dust events in the Bodélé region. We compare LM and RAMS U 10 , together with measurements at the Chicha site (BoDEx campaign) and Faya-Largeau meteorological station. Surface features and soil schemes are investigated to correctly simulate U 10 intensity and diurnal variability. The uncertainties in dust emissions computed with LM and RAMS U 10 and different soil databases are estimated. This sensitivity study shows the importance of accurate computation of surface winds to improve the quantification of regional dust emissions from the Bodélé

The Effect of Central American Smoke Aerosols on the Air Quality and Climate over the Southeastern United States: First Results from RAMS-AROMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.; Christopher, S. A.; Nair, U. S.; Reid, J.; Prins, E. M.; Szykman, J.

2004-12-01

Observation shows that smoke aerosols from biomass burning activities in Central America can be transported to the Southeastern United States (SEUS). In this study, the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System - Assimilation and Radiation Online Modeling of Aerosols (RAMS-AROMA) is used to investigate the effect of transported smoke aerosols on climate and air quality over the SEUS. AROMA is an aerosol transport model with capabilities of online integration of aerosol radiation effects and online assimilation of satellite-derived aerosol and emission products. It is assembled within the RAMS, so two-way interactions between aerosol fields and other meteorology fields are achieved simultaneously during each model time step. RAMS-AROMA is a unique tool that can be used to examine the aerosol radiative impacts on the surface energy budget and atmospheric heating rate and to investigate how atmospheric thermal and dynamical processes respond to such impacts and consequently affect the aerosol distribution (so called feedbacks). First results regarding air quality effects and radiative forcing of transported smoke aerosols will be presented from RAMS-AROMA based on assimilation of smoke emission products from the Fire Locating and Modeling of Burning Emissions (FLAMBE) project and aerosol optical thickness data derived from the MODIS instrument on the Terra and Aqua satellites. Comparisons with PM2.5 data collected from the EPA observation network and the aerosol optical thickness data from the DOE Atmosphere Radiation Measurements in the Southern Great Plains (ARM SGP) showed that RAMS-AROMA can predict the timing and spatial distribution of smoke events very well, with an accuracy useful for air quality forecasts. The smoke radiative effects on the surface temperature and atmospheric heating rate as well as their feedbacks will also be discussed.

Research and Applications Modules (RAM). Phase B study: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The design, development, and characteristics of the Research and Applications Module (RAM) system is discussed. The RAM system is a family of payload carriers that can be delivered to and retrieved from low earth orbit by the space shuttle. The RAM payload carriers are used to support diverse technological and scientific investigations. The NASA study objectives, the relationship of the RAM payload carriers to other systems in the orbital space program, and recommendations for additional effort are presented.

Coupled atmosphere-biophysics-hydrology models for environmental modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walko, R.L.; Band, L.E.; Baron, Jill S.; Kittel, T.G.F.; Lammers, R.; Lee, T.J.; Ojima, D.; Pielke, R.A.; Taylor, C.; Tague, C.; Tremback, C.J.; Vidale, P.L.

2000-01-01

The formulation and implementation of LEAF-2, the Land Ecosystem–Atmosphere Feedback model, which comprises the representation of land–surface processes in the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), is described. LEAF-2 is a prognostic model for the temperature and water content of soil, snow cover, vegetation, and canopy air, and includes turbulent and radiative exchanges between these components and with the atmosphere. Subdivision of a RAMS surface grid cell into multiple areas of distinct land-use types is allowed, with each subgrid area, or patch, containing its own LEAF-2 model, and each patch interacts with the overlying atmospheric column with a weight proportional to its fractional area in the grid cell. A description is also given of TOPMODEL, a land hydrology model that represents surface and subsurface downslope lateral transport of groundwater. Details of the incorporation of a modified form of TOPMODEL into LEAF-2 are presented. Sensitivity tests of the coupled system are presented that demonstrate the potential importance of the patch representation and of lateral water transport in idealized model simulations. Independent studies that have applied LEAF-2 and verified its performance against observational data are cited. Linkage of RAMS and TOPMODEL through LEAF-2 creates a modeling system that can be used to explore the coupled atmosphere–biophysical–hydrologic response to altered climate forcing at local watershed and regional basin scales.

Research and Applications Modules (RAM), phase B study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The research and applications modules (RAM) system is discussed. The RAM is a family of payload carrier modules that can be delivered to and retrieved from earth orbit by the space shuttle. The RAM's capability for implementing a wide range of manned and man-tended missions is described. The rams have evolved into three types; (1) pressurized RAMs, (2) unpressurized RAMs, and (3) pressurizable free-flying RAMs. A reference experiment plan for use as a baseline in the derivation and planning of the RAM project is reported. The plan describes the number and frequency of shuttle flights dedicated to RAM missions and the RAM payloads for the identified flights.

Integration of RAM-SCB into the Space Weather Modeling Framework

DOE PAGES

Welling, Daniel; Toth, Gabor; Jordanova, Vania Koleva; ...

2018-02-07

We present that numerical simulations of the ring current are a challenging endeavor. They require a large set of inputs, including electric and magnetic fields and plasma sheet fluxes. Because the ring current broadly affects the magnetosphere-ionosphere system, the input set is dependent on the ring current region itself. This makes obtaining a set of inputs that are self-consistent with the ring current difficult. To overcome this challenge, researchers have begun coupling ring current models to global models of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. This paper describes the coupling between the Ring current Atmosphere interaction Model with Self-Consistent Magnetic field (RAM-SCB) tomore » the models within the Space Weather Modeling Framework. Full details on both previously introduced and new coupling mechanisms are defined. Finally, the impact of self-consistently including the ring current on the magnetosphere-ionosphere system is illustrated via a set of example simulations.« less

Integration of RAM-SCB into the Space Weather Modeling Framework

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

Welling, Daniel; Toth, Gabor; Jordanova, Vania Koleva

We present that numerical simulations of the ring current are a challenging endeavor. They require a large set of inputs, including electric and magnetic fields and plasma sheet fluxes. Because the ring current broadly affects the magnetosphere-ionosphere system, the input set is dependent on the ring current region itself. This makes obtaining a set of inputs that are self-consistent with the ring current difficult. To overcome this challenge, researchers have begun coupling ring current models to global models of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. This paper describes the coupling between the Ring current Atmosphere interaction Model with Self-Consistent Magnetic field (RAM-SCB) tomore » the models within the Space Weather Modeling Framework. Full details on both previously introduced and new coupling mechanisms are defined. Finally, the impact of self-consistently including the ring current on the magnetosphere-ionosphere system is illustrated via a set of example simulations.« less

Learning about cognition risk with the radial-arm maze in the developmental neurotoxicology battery.

PubMed

Levin, Edward D

2015-01-01

Cognitive dysfunction has been found in epidemiological studies to be among the most sensitive impairments associated with developmental exposure to a variety of environmental contaminants from heavy metals to polyhalogenated hydrocarbons and pesticides. These chemicals have been also shown to impair cognitive function after developmental exposure in experimental animal models. The radial-arm maze (RAM) has proven to be a sensitive and reliable way to assess both learning and memory in a variety of species, most often in rats and mice. The RAM is a very adaptable test method that takes advantage of rodents' instinct to explore new places in the environment to forage. That is, rodents do not need to be trained to run through the maze; they will normally do this from the initial session of testing. Training with differential reinforcement for arm choices provides a more rigorous test of learning and memory. The RAM is quite adaptable for assessing various aspects of cognition. Although the RAM has been mostly used to assess spatial learning and memory, it can be configured to assess non-spatial memory as well. Both working and reference memory can be easily distinguished. The RAM can be run with both appetitive (food reinforced) and aversive (water escape) motivators. The RAM has been found to be sensitive to a wide variety of developmental toxicants including heavy metals such as mercury and pesticides such as chlorpyrifos. There is an extremely rich literature especially with rats showing the effects of many types of brain lesions and drug effects so that the participation of a wide variety of neural systems in RAM performance is known. These systems, notably the hippocampus and frontal cortex, and acetylcholine and glutamate neurotransmitter systems, are the same neural systems that have been shown in humans to be critical for learning and memory. This considerably aids the interpretation of neurobehavioral toxicity studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gambling and the Reasoned Action Model: Predicting Past Behavior, Intentions, and Future Behavior.

PubMed

Dahl, Ethan; Tagler, Michael J; Hohman, Zachary P

2018-03-01

Gambling is a serious concern for society because it is highly addictive and is associated with a myriad of negative outcomes. The current study applied the Reasoned Action Model (RAM) to understand and predict gambling intentions and behavior. Although prior studies have taken a reasoned action approach to understand gambling, no prior study has fully applied the RAM or used the RAM to predict future gambling. Across two studies the RAM was used to predict intentions to gamble, past gambling behavior, and future gambling behavior. In study 1 the model significantly predicted intentions and past behavior in both a college student and Amazon Mechanical Turk sample. In study 2 the model predicted future gambling behavior, measured 2 weeks after initial measurement of the RAM constructs. This study stands as the first to show the utility of the RAM in predicting future gambling behavior. Across both studies, attitudes and perceived normative pressure were the strongest predictors of intentions to gamble. These findings provide increased understanding of gambling and inform the development of gambling interventions based on the RAM.

Imaging System Model Crammed Into A 32K Microcomputer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyson, Robert K.

1986-12-01

An imaging system model, based upon linear systems theory, has been developed for a microcomputer with less than 32K of free random access memory (RAM). The model includes diffraction effects of the optics, aberrations in the optics, and atmospheric propagation transfer functions. Variables include pupil geometry, magnitude and character of the aberrations, and strength of atmospheric turbulence ("seeing"). Both coherent and incoherent image formation can be evaluated. The techniques employed for crowding the model into a very small computer will be discussed in detail. Simplifying assumptions for the diffraction and aberration phenomena will be shown along with practical considerations in modeling the optical system. Particular emphasis is placed on avoiding inaccuracies in modeling the pupil and the associated optical transfer function knowing limits on spatial frequency content and resolution. Memory and runtime constraints are analyzed stressing the efficient use of assembly language Fourier transform routines, disk input/output, and graphic displays. The compromises between computer time, limited RAM, and scientific accuracy will be given with techniques for balancing these parameters for individual needs.

Integrated semiconductor-magnetic random access memory system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katti, Romney R. (Inventor); Blaes, Brent R. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

The present disclosure describes a non-volatile magnetic random access memory (RAM) system having a semiconductor control circuit and a magnetic array element. The integrated magnetic RAM system uses CMOS control circuit to read and write data magnetoresistively. The system provides a fast access, non-volatile, radiation hard, high density RAM for high speed computing.

Structural Responses and Finite Element Modeling of Hakka Tulou Rammed Earth Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sranislawski, Daniel

Hakka Tulous are rammed earth structures that have survived the effects of aging and natural elements upwards of even over a thousand years. These structures have housed the Hakka people of the Fujian Province, China in natural yet modern housing that has provided benefits over newer building materials. The key building material, rammed earth, which is used for the walls of the Hakka Tulou structures, has provided structural stability along with thermal comfort to the respective inhabitants of the Hakka Tulous. Through material testing and analysis this study has examined how the Tulou structures have maintained their structural stability while also providing thermal comfort. Reports of self healing cracks in the rammed earth walls were also analyzed for their validity in this study. The study has found that although the story of the self healing crack cannot be validated, there is reason to believe that with the existence of lime, some type of autogenous healing could occur on a small scale. The study has also found, through the use of nondestructive testing, that both the internal wooden systems (flooring, roof, and column support) and the rammed earth walls, are still structurally sound. Also, rammed earth's high thermal mass along with the use of sufficient shading has allowed for a delay release of heat energy from the walls of the Tulous, thus providing thermal comfort that can be felt during both night and day temperatures. The Hakka Tulou structures have been found to resist destruction from natural disasters such as strong earthquakes even when more modern construction has not. Through finite element modeling, this study has shown that the high volume of rammed earth used in the construction of the Hakka Tulous helps dissipate lateral force energy into much lower stresses for the rammed earth wall. This absorption of lateral force energy allows the rammed earth structures to survive even the strongest of earthquakes experienced in the region. The Hakka Tulou, if rated by the LEED green building certification program, would earn the highest certification as this rammed earth construction has offered efficient living for hundreds of years. As historic as these rammed earth structures are, they present an environmentally friendly option to structures of the future.

Comparison of hourly surface downwelling solar radiation estimated from MSG-SEVIRI and forecast by the RAMS model with pyranometers over Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Federico, Stefano; Torcasio, Rosa Claudia; Sanò, Paolo; Casella, Daniele; Campanelli, Monica; Fokke Meirink, Jan; Wang, Ping; Vergari, Stefania; Diémoz, Henri; Dietrich, Stefano

2017-06-01

In this paper, we evaluate the performance of two global horizontal solar irradiance (GHI) estimates, one derived from Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) and another from the 1-day forecast of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) mesoscale model. The horizontal resolution of the MSG-GHI is 3 × 5 km2 over Italy, which is the focus area of this study. For this paper, RAMS has the horizontal resolution of 4 km.The performances of the MSG-GHI estimate and RAMS-GHI 1-day forecast are evaluated for 1 year (1 June 2013-31 May 2014) against data of 12 ground-based pyranometers over Italy spanning a range of climatic conditions, i.e. from maritime Mediterranean to Alpine climate.Statistics for hourly GHI and daily integrated GHI are presented for the four seasons and the whole year for all the measurement sites. Different sky conditions are considered in the analysisResults for hourly data show an evident dependence on the sky conditions, with the root mean square error (RMSE) increasing from clear to cloudy conditions. The RMSE is substantially higher for Alpine stations in all the seasons, mainly because of the increase of the cloud coverage for these stations, which is not well represented at the satellite and model resolutions. Considering the yearly statistics computed from hourly data for the RAMS model, the RMSE ranges from 152 W m-2 (31 %) obtained for Cozzo Spadaro, a maritime station, to 287 W m-2 (82 %) for Aosta, an Alpine site. Considering the yearly statistics computed from hourly data for MSG-GHI, the minimum RMSE is for Cozzo Spadaro (71 W m-2, 14 %), while the maximum is for Aosta (181 W m-2, 51 %). The mean bias error (MBE) shows the tendency of RAMS to over-forecast the GHI, while no specific behaviour is found for MSG-GHI.Results for daily integrated GHI show a lower RMSE compared to hourly GHI evaluation for both RAMS-GHI 1-day forecast and MSG-GHI estimate. Considering the yearly evaluation, the RMSE of daily integrated GHI is at least 9 % lower (in percentage units, from 31 to 22 % for RAMS in Cozzo Spadaro) than the RMSE computed for hourly data for each station. A partial compensation of underestimation and overestimation of the GHI contributes to the RMSE reduction. Furthermore, a post-processing technique, namely model output statistics (MOS), is applied to improve the GHI forecast at hourly and daily temporal scales. The application of MOS shows an improvement of RAMS-GHI forecast, which depends on the site considered, while the impact of MOS on MSG-GHI RMSE is small.

In Vitro Selection of ramR and soxR Mutants Overexpressing Efflux Systems by Fluoroquinolones as Well as Cefoxitin in Klebsiella pneumoniae▿

PubMed Central

Bialek-Davenet, Suzanne; Marcon, Estelle; Leflon-Guibout, Véronique; Lavigne, Jean-Philippe; Bert, Frédéric; Moreau, Richard; Nicolas-Chanoine, Marie-Hélène

2011-01-01

The relationship between efflux system overexpression and cross-resistance to cefoxitin, quinolones, and chloramphenicol has recently been reported in Klebsiella pneumoniae. In 3 previously published clinical isolates and 17 in vitro mutants selected with cefoxitin or fluoroquinolones, mutations in the potential regulator genes of the AcrAB efflux pump (acrR, ramR, ramA, marR, marA, soxR, soxS, and rob) were searched, and their impacts on efflux-related antibiotic cross-resistance were assessed. All mutants but 1, and 2 clinical isolates, overexpressed acrB. No mutation was detected in the regulator genes studied among the clinical isolates and 8 of the mutants. For the 9 remaining mutants, a mutation was found in the ramR gene in 8 of them and in the soxR gene in the last one, resulting in overexpression of ramA and soxS, respectively. Transformation of the ramR mutants and the soxR mutant with the wild-type ramR and soxR genes, respectively, abolished overexpression of acrB and ramA in the ramR mutants and of soxS in the soxR mutant, as well as antibiotic cross-resistance. Resistance due to efflux system overexpression was demonstrated for 4 new antibiotics: cefuroxime, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and ertapenem. This study shows that the ramR and soxR genes control the expression of efflux systems in K. pneumoniae and suggests the existence of efflux pumps other than AcrAB and of other loci involved in the regulation of AcrAB expression. PMID:21464248

Optimizing Clinical Drug Product Performance: Applying Biopharmaceutics Risk Assessment Roadmap (BioRAM) and the BioRAM Scoring Grid.

PubMed

Dickinson, Paul A; Kesisoglou, Filippos; Flanagan, Talia; Martinez, Marilyn N; Mistry, Hitesh B; Crison, John R; Polli, James E; Cruañes, Maria T; Serajuddin, Abu T M; Müllertz, Anette; Cook, Jack A; Selen, Arzu

2016-11-01

The aim of Biopharmaceutics Risk Assessment Roadmap (BioRAM) and the BioRAM Scoring Grid is to facilitate optimization of clinical performance of drug products. BioRAM strategy relies on therapy-driven drug delivery and follows an integrated systems approach for formulating and addressing critical questions and decision-making (J Pharm Sci. 2014,103(11): 3777-97). In BioRAM, risk is defined as not achieving the intended in vivo drug product performance, and success is assessed by time to decision-making and action. Emphasis on time to decision-making and time to action highlights the value of well-formulated critical questions and well-designed and conducted integrated studies. This commentary describes and illustrates application of the BioRAM Scoring Grid, a companion to the BioRAM strategy, which guides implementation of such an integrated strategy encompassing 12 critical areas and 6 assessment stages. Application of the BioRAM Scoring Grid is illustrated using published literature. Organizational considerations for implementing BioRAM strategy, including the interactions, function, and skillsets of the BioRAM group members, are also reviewed. As a creative and innovative systems approach, we believe that BioRAM is going to have a broad-reaching impact, influencing drug development and leading to unique collaborations influencing how we learn, and leverage and share knowledge. Published by Elsevier Inc.

SQL-RAMS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alfaro, Victor O.; Casey, Nancy J.

2005-01-01

SQL-RAMS (where "SQL" signifies Structured Query Language and "RAMS" signifies Rocketdyne Automated Management System) is a successor to the legacy version of RAMS -- a computer program used to manage all work, nonconformance, corrective action, and configuration management on rocket engines and ground support equipment at Stennis Space Center. The legacy version resided in the File-Maker Pro software system and was constructed in modules that could act as standalone programs. There was little or no integration among modules. Because of limitations on file-management capabilities in FileMaker Pro, and because of difficulty of integration of FileMaker Pro with other software systems for exchange of data using such industry standards as SQL, the legacy version of RAMS proved to be limited, and working to circumvent its limitations too time-consuming. In contrast, SQL-RAMS is an integrated SQL-server-based program that supports all data-exchange software industry standards. Whereas in the legacy version, it was necessary to access individual modules to gain insight into a particular workstatus document, SQL-RAMS provides access through a single-screen presentation of core modules. In addition, SQL-RAMS enables rapid and efficient filtering of displayed statuses by predefined categories and test numbers. SQL-RAMS is rich in functionality and encompasses significant improvements over the legacy system. It provides users the ability to perform many tasks, which in the past required administrator intervention. Additionally, many of the design limitations have been corrected, allowing for a robust application that is user centric.

SQL-RAMS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alfaro, Victor O.; Casey, Nancy J.

2005-01-01

SQL-RAMS (where "SQL" signifies Structured Query Language and "RAMS" signifies Rocketdyne Automated Management System) is a successor to the legacy version of RAMS a computer program used to manage all work, nonconformance, corrective action, and configuration management on rocket engines and ground support equipment at Stennis Space Center. The legacy version resided in the FileMaker Pro software system and was constructed in modules that could act as stand-alone programs. There was little or no integration among modules. Because of limitations on file-management capabilities in FileMaker Pro, and because of difficulty of integration of FileMaker Pro with other software systems for exchange of data using such industry standards as SQL, the legacy version of RAMS proved to be limited, and working to circumvent its limitations too time-consuming. In contrast, SQL-RAMS is an integrated SQL-server-based program that supports all data-exchange software industry standards. Whereas in the legacy version, it was necessary to access individual modules to gain insight to a particular work-status documents, SQL-RAMS provides access through a single-screen presentation of core modules. In addition, SQL-RAMS enable rapid and efficient filtering of displayed statuses by predefined categories and test numbers. SQL-RAMS is rich in functionality and encompasses significant improvements over the legacy system. It provides users the ability to perform many tasks which in the past required administrator intervention. Additionally many of the design limitations have been corrected allowing for a robust application that is user centric.

Lessons Learned from Application of System and Software Level RAMS Analysis to a Space Control System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, N.; Esper, A.

2012-01-01

The work presented in this article represents the results of applying RAMS analysis to a critical space control system, both at system and software levels. The system level RAMS analysis allowed the assignment of criticalities to the high level components, which was further refined by a tailored software level RAMS analysis. The importance of the software level RAMS analysis in the identification of new failure modes and its impact on the system level RAMS analysis is discussed. Recommendations of changes in the software architecture have also been proposed in order to reduce the criticality of the SW components to an acceptable minimum. The dependability analysis was performed in accordance to ECSS-Q-ST-80, which had to be tailored and complemented in some aspects. This tailoring will also be detailed in the article and lessons learned from the application of this tailoring will be shared, stating the importance to space systems safety evaluations. The paper presents the applied techniques, the relevant results obtained, the effort required for performing the tasks and the planned strategy for ROI estimation, as well as the soft skills required and acquired during these activities.

Summer Faculty Systems Design Program. Integrating Wind Tunnels and Computers. Volume 2. Details of Summer Design Study USAF/OSR/ASEE

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-08-01

level is given in the report by El- Ramly and Rainbird of Carleton University in Ontario Canada (Ref. 2.48). This report comments on an investigation of...RefT 3, Äp r i 1 1976. 2.48. El- Ramly , Z. M. and Rainbird, W. J. "Computer-Controlled System for the Investigation of the Flow Behind Wings...detailed studies of "model" equations (such as the Burgers ’ equation) which include all the essential aspects of the actual problem of interest have

Objective assessment of sperm motion characteristics of Malpura ram lambs raised under intensive management system in semiarid tropical environment.

PubMed

Kumar, Davendra; Joshi, Anil; Naqvi, S M K

2010-04-01

A study was conducted to evaluate the semen production and sperm motion characteristics of ram lambs by computer-aided semen analysis technique. Eight Malpura rams were raised under intensive management system and were trained for semen collection at a weekly interval from the age of 6 months. Rams were scheduled for semen collection at a weekly interval up to 1 year of age to assess their potential for semen production and objective evaluation of semen quality. The average age of ram lambs at the time of first ejaculation was 219 days ranging from 186 to 245 days. The age of ram lambs significantly (p < 0.05) influenced sperm concentration, sperm velocities, and beat frequency of spermatozoa, which were higher in 9-12-month-old compared to 6-9-month-old ram lambs. However, the effect of age was not significant on semen volume, percent motility, percent rapid, medium or slow motile spermatozoa, percent linearity, percent straightness, amplitude of lateral head displacement, percent elongation, and area of sperm head. The body weight of ram lambs was significantly (p < 0.01) and positively correlated (r = 0.46) with age. The results indicate that Malpura ram lambs of 9-12 months of age raised under the intensive management system in a semiarid tropical environment can produce good quality of semen.

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

Barr, Jonathan L.; Taira, Randal Y.; Orr, Heather M.

The purpose of this document is to describe the operating concepts, capabilities, and benefits of RAMS including descriptions of how the system implementations can improve emergency response, damage assessment, task prioritization, and situation awareness. This CONOPS provides general information on operational processes and procedures required to utilize RAMS, and expected performance benefits of the system. The primary audiences for this document are the end users of RAMS (including flight operators and incident commanders) and the RAMS management team. Other audiences include interested offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and officials from other state and local jurisdictions who wantmore » to implement similar systems.« less

Unified computational model of transport in metal-insulating oxide-metal systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tierney, B. D.; Hjalmarson, H. P.; Jacobs-Gedrim, R. B.; Agarwal, Sapan; James, C. D.; Marinella, M. J.

2018-04-01

A unified physics-based model of electron transport in metal-insulator-metal (MIM) systems is presented. In this model, transport through metal-oxide interfaces occurs by electron tunneling between the metal electrodes and oxide defect states. Transport in the oxide bulk is dominated by hopping, modeled as a series of tunneling events that alter the electron occupancy of defect states. Electron transport in the oxide conduction band is treated by the drift-diffusion formalism and defect chemistry reactions link all the various transport mechanisms. It is shown that the current-limiting effect of the interface band offsets is a function of the defect vacancy concentration. These results provide insight into the underlying physical mechanisms of leakage currents in oxide-based capacitors and steady-state electron transport in resistive random access memory (ReRAM) MIM devices. Finally, an explanation of ReRAM bipolar switching behavior based on these results is proposed.

Simulation of a Severe Autumn/Winter Drought in Eastern China by Regional Atmospheric Modeling System(RAMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Chunchun; Ma, Yaoming

2016-04-01

Compared with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ERA-interim) Reanalysis data and Global Summary Of Day (GSOD) observation data, the outcomes from RAMS of the 2008/2009 severe autumn/winter drought in eastern china are analyzed in this study. The reanalysis data showed that most parts of north China are controlled by northwest wind which was accompanied by cold air, the warm and moist air from South Sea is so weak to meet with cold air, therefore forming a circulation which is unfavorable for the formation of precipitation over Eastern China. RAMS performs very well over the simulation of this atmospheric circulation, so do the rainfall and air temperature over China and where the drought occurred. Meanwhile, the simulation of the time series of precipitation and temperature behaves excellent, the square of correlation coefficient between simulations and observations reached above 0.8. Although the performance of RAMS on this drought simulation is fairly accurate, there is amount of research work to be continued to complete a more realistic simulation. KEY WORDS RAMS; severe drought; numerical simulation; atmospheric circulation; precipitation and air temperature

EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF REGIONAL-SCALE PHOTOCHEMICAL MODELING SYSTEMS: PART II--OZONE PREDICTIONS. (R825260)

EPA Science Inventory

In this paper, the concept of scale analysis is applied to evaluate ozone predictions from two regional-scale air quality models. To this end, seasonal time series of observations and predictions from the RAMS3b/UAM-V and MM5/MAQSIP (SMRAQ) modeling systems for ozone were spectra...

Investigation of advanced propulsion technologies: The RAM accelerator and the flowing gas radiation heater

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruckner, A. P.; Knowlen, C.; Mattick, A. T.; Hertzberg, A.

1992-01-01

The two principal areas of advanced propulsion investigated are the ram accelerator and the flowing gas radiation heater. The concept of the ram accelerator is presented as a hypervelocity launcher for large-scale aeroballistic range applications in hypersonics and aerothermodynamics research. The ram accelerator is an in-bore ramjet device in which a projectile shaped like the centerbody of a supersonic ramjet is propelled in a stationary tube filled with a tailored combustible gas mixture. Combustion on and behind the projectile generates thrust which accelerates it to very high velocities. The acceleration can be tailored for the 'soft launch' of instrumented models. The distinctive reacting flow phenomena that have been observed in the ram accelerator are relevant to the aerothermodynamic processes in airbreathing hypersonic propulsion systems and are useful for validating sophisticated CFD codes. The recently demonstrated scalability of the device and the ability to control the rate of acceleration offer unique opportunities for the use of the ram accelerator as a large-scale hypersonic ground test facility. The flowing gas radiation receiver is a novel concept for using solar energy to heat a working fluid for space power or propulsion. Focused solar radiation is absorbed directly in a working gas, rather than by heat transfer through a solid surface. Previous theoretical analysis had demonstrated that radiation trapping reduces energy loss compared to that of blackbody receivers, and enables higher efficiencies and higher peak temperatures. An experiment was carried out to measure the temperature profile of an infrared-active gas and demonstrate the effect of radiation trapping. The success of this effort validates analytical models of heat transfer in this receiver, and confirms the potential of this approach for achieving high efficiency space power and propulsion.

The “ram effect”: new insights into neural modulation of the gonadotropic axis by male odors and socio-sexual interactions

PubMed Central

Fabre-Nys, Claude; Kendrick, Keith M.; Scaramuzzi, Rex J.

2015-01-01

Reproduction in mammals is controlled by the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis under the influence of external and internal factors such as photoperiod, stress, nutrition, and social interactions. Sheep are seasonal breeders and stop mating when day length is increasing (anestrus). However, interactions with a sexually active ram during this period can override the steroid negative feedback responsible for the anoestrus state, stimulate luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion and eventually reinstate cyclicity. This is known as the “ram effect” and research into the mechanisms underlying it is shedding new light on HPG axis regulation. The first step in the ram effect is increased LH pulsatile secretion in anestrus ewes exposed to a sexually active male or only to its fleece, the latter finding indicating a “pheromone-like” effect. Estradiol secretion increases in all ewes and this eventually induces a LH surge and ovulation, just as during the breeding season. An exception is a minority of ewes that exhibit a precocious LH surge (within 4 h) with no prior increase in estradiol. The main olfactory system and the cortical nucleus of the amygdala are critical brain structures in mediating the ram effect since it is blocked by their inactivation. Sexual experience is also important since activation (increased c-fos expression) in these and other regions is greatly reduced in sexually naïve ewes. In adult ewes kisspeptin neurons in both arcuate and preoptic regions and some preoptic GnRH neurons are activated 2 h after exposure to a ram. Exposure to rams also activates noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus and A1 nucleus and increased noradrenalin release occurs in the posterior preoptic area. Pharmacological modulation of this system modifies LH secretion in response to the male or his odor. Together these results show that the ram effect can be a fruitful model to promote both a better understanding of the neural and hormonal regulation of the HPG axis in general and also the specific mechanisms by which male cues can overcome negative steroid feedback and trigger LH release and ovulatory cycles. PMID:25914614

Basic and Applied Studies of the RAM Accelerator as a Hypervelocity Projectile Launcher

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-10

The quasi-steady, one-dimensional "blackbox" model of thermally choked ram accelerator performance 18 that has been widely used by the authors and...the thermal choke point is assumed to be in equilibrium, the conditions can be determined by an equilibrium chemistry combustion routine. This model ...to operation, the details of the flow field must be examined. I The simplest model of the thermally choked ram accelerator flow field treats the flow

Numerical simulation of terrain-induced mesoscale circulation in the Chiang Mai area, Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sathitkunarat, Surachai; Wongwises, Prungchan; Pan-Aram, Rudklao; Zhang, Meigen

2008-11-01

The regional atmospheric modeling system (RAMS) was applied to Chiang Mai province, a mountainous area in Thailand, to study terrain-induced mesoscale circulations. Eight cases in wet and dry seasons under different weather conditions were analyzed to show thermal and dynamic impacts on local circulations. This is the first study of RAMS in Thailand especially investigating the effect of mountainous area on the simulated meteorological data. Analysis of model results indicates that the model can reproduce major features of local circulation and diurnal variations in temperatures. For evaluating the model performance, model results were compared with observed wind speed, wind direction, and temperature monitored at a meteorological tower. Comparison shows that the modeled values are generally in good agreement with observations and that the model captured many of the observed features.

Numerical Modeling of Transport of Biomass Burning Emissions on South America

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

RibeirodeFreitas, Saulo

2001-01-01

Our research efforts have addressed theoretical and numerical modeling of sources emissions and transport processes of trace gases and aerosols emitted by biomass burning on the central of Brazil and Amazon basin. For this effort we coupled all Eulerian transport model with the mesoscale atmospheric model RAMS (Regional Atmospheric Modeling System).

A robust activity marking system for exploring active neuronal ensembles

PubMed Central

Sørensen, Andreas T; Cooper, Yonatan A; Baratta, Michael V; Weng, Feng-Ju; Zhang, Yuxiang; Ramamoorthi, Kartik; Fropf, Robin; LaVerriere, Emily; Xue, Jian; Young, Andrew; Schneider, Colleen; Gøtzsche, Casper René; Hemberg, Martin; Yin, Jerry CP; Maier, Steven F; Lin, Yingxi

2016-01-01

Understanding how the brain captures transient experience and converts it into long lasting changes in neural circuits requires the identification and investigation of the specific ensembles of neurons that are responsible for the encoding of each experience. We have developed a Robust Activity Marking (RAM) system that allows for the identification and interrogation of ensembles of neurons. The RAM system provides unprecedented high sensitivity and selectivity through the use of an optimized synthetic activity-regulated promoter that is strongly induced by neuronal activity and a modified Tet-Off system that achieves improved temporal control. Due to its compact design, RAM can be packaged into a single adeno-associated virus (AAV), providing great versatility and ease of use, including application to mice, rats, flies, and potentially many other species. Cre-dependent RAM, CRAM, allows for the study of active ensembles of a specific cell type and anatomical connectivity, further expanding the RAM system’s versatility. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13918.001 PMID:27661450

Pressure Characteristics of a Diffuser in a Ram RDE Propulsive Device

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-21

Continuous detonation Rotating-detonation- engine Ethylene-air Diffuser Pressure feedback Modeling and simulation Office of Naval Research 875 N. Randolph...RDE PROPULSIVE DEVICE INTRODUCTION This report focuses on the diffuser of a ram Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) device. A ram RDE is a ramjet with...the constant pressure combustion chamber replaced with a Rotating Detonation Engine combustor to accomplish pressure gain combustion. A ram engine

Single-Event Effect Response of a Commercial ReRAM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Dakai; Label, Kenneth A.; Kim, Hak; Phan, Anthony; Wilcox, Edward; Buchner, Stephen; Khachatrian, Ani; Roche, Nicolas

2014-01-01

We show heavy ion test results of a commercial production-level ReRAM. The memory array is robust to bit upsets. However the ReRAM system is vulnerable to SEFIs due to upsets in peripheral circuits, including the sense amplifier.

Root Architecture Diversity and Meristem Dynamics in Different Populations of Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Aceves-García, Pamela; Álvarez-Buylla, Elena R.; Garay-Arroyo, Adriana; García-Ponce, Berenice; Muñoz, Rodrigo; Sánchez, María de la Paz

2016-01-01

Arabidopsis thaliana has been an excellent model system for molecular genetic approaches to development and physiology. More recently, the potential of studying various accessions collected from diverse habitats has been started to exploit. Col-0 has been the best-studied accession but we now know that several traits show significant divergences among them. In this work, we focused in the root that has become a key system for development. We studied root architecture and growth dynamics of 12 Arabidopsis accessions. Our data reveal a wide variability in root architecture and root length among accessions. We also found variability in the root apical meristem (RAM), explained mainly by cell size at the RAM transition domain and possibly by peculiar forms of organization at the stem cell niche in some accessions. Contrary to Col-0 reports, in some accessions the RAM size not always explains the variations in the root length; indicating that elongated cell size could be more relevant in the determination of root length than the RAM size itself. This study contributes to investigations dealing with understanding the molecular and cellular basis of phenotypic variation, the role of plasticity on adaptation, and the developmental mechanisms that may restrict phenotypic variation in response to contrasting environmental conditions. PMID:27379140

Root Architecture Diversity and Meristem Dynamics in Different Populations of Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Aceves-García, Pamela; Álvarez-Buylla, Elena R; Garay-Arroyo, Adriana; García-Ponce, Berenice; Muñoz, Rodrigo; Sánchez, María de la Paz

2016-01-01

Arabidopsis thaliana has been an excellent model system for molecular genetic approaches to development and physiology. More recently, the potential of studying various accessions collected from diverse habitats has been started to exploit. Col-0 has been the best-studied accession but we now know that several traits show significant divergences among them. In this work, we focused in the root that has become a key system for development. We studied root architecture and growth dynamics of 12 Arabidopsis accessions. Our data reveal a wide variability in root architecture and root length among accessions. We also found variability in the root apical meristem (RAM), explained mainly by cell size at the RAM transition domain and possibly by peculiar forms of organization at the stem cell niche in some accessions. Contrary to Col-0 reports, in some accessions the RAM size not always explains the variations in the root length; indicating that elongated cell size could be more relevant in the determination of root length than the RAM size itself. This study contributes to investigations dealing with understanding the molecular and cellular basis of phenotypic variation, the role of plasticity on adaptation, and the developmental mechanisms that may restrict phenotypic variation in response to contrasting environmental conditions.

MODIS land cover uncertainty in regional climate simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xue; Messina, Joseph P.; Moore, Nathan J.; Fan, Peilei; Shortridge, Ashton M.

2017-12-01

MODIS land cover datasets are used extensively across the climate modeling community, but inherent uncertainties and associated propagating impacts are rarely discussed. This paper modeled uncertainties embedded within the annual MODIS Land Cover Type (MCD12Q1) products and propagated these uncertainties through the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). First, land cover uncertainties were modeled using pixel-based trajectory analyses from a time series of MCD12Q1 for Urumqi, China. Second, alternative land cover maps were produced based on these categorical uncertainties and passed into RAMS. Finally, simulations from RAMS were analyzed temporally and spatially to reveal impacts. Our study found that MCD12Q1 struggles to discriminate between grasslands and croplands or grasslands and barren in this study area. Such categorical uncertainties have significant impacts on regional climate model outputs. All climate variables examined demonstrated impact across the various regions, with latent heat flux affected most with a magnitude of 4.32 W/m2 in domain average. Impacted areas were spatially connected to locations of greater land cover uncertainty. Both biophysical characteristics and soil moisture settings in regard to land cover types contribute to the variations among simulations. These results indicate that formal land cover uncertainty analysis should be included in MCD12Q1-fed climate modeling as a routine procedure.

Three models intercomparison for Quantitative Precipitation Forecast over Calabria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Federico, S.; Avolio, E.; Bellecci, C.; Colacino, M.; Lavagnini, A.; Accadia, C.; Mariani, S.; Casaioli, M.

2004-11-01

In the framework of the National Project “Sviluppo di distretti industriali per le Osservazioni della Terra” (Development of Industrial Districts for Earth Observations) funded by MIUR (Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca Scientifica --Italian Ministry of the University and Scientific Research) two operational mesoscale models were set-up for Calabria, the southernmost tip of the Italian peninsula. Models are RAMS (Regional Atmospheric Modeling System) and MM5 (Mesoscale Modeling 5) that are run every day at Crati scrl to produce weather forecast over Calabria (http://www.crati.it). This paper reports model intercomparison for Quantitative Precipitation Forecast evaluated for a 20 month period from 1th October 2000 to 31th May 2002. In addition to RAMS and MM5 outputs, QBOLAM rainfall fields are available for the period selected and included in the comparison. This model runs operationally at “Agenzia per la Protezione dell'Ambiente e per i Servizi Tecnici”. Forecasts are verified comparing models outputs with raingauge data recorded by the regional meteorological network, which has 75 raingauges. Large-scale forcing is the same for all models considered and differences are due to physical/numerical parameterizations and horizontal resolutions. QPFs show differences between models. Largest differences are for BIA compared to the other considered scores. Performances decrease with increasing forecast time for RAMS and MM5, whilst QBOLAM scores better for second day forecast.

A Model-Based Architecture Approach to Ship Design Linking Capability Needs to System Solutions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

NSSM NATO Sea Sparrow Missile RAM Rolling Airframe Missile CIWS Close-In Weapon System 3D Three Dimensional Ps Probability of Survival PHit ...example effectiveness model. The primary MOP is the inverse of the probability of taking a hit (1- PHit ), which in, this study, will be referred to as

Rechargeable alkaline manganese dioxide cells. A test report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrington, Michael D.

The rechargeable alkaline MnO 2 (RAM) system has now been commercially available for several years. The Canadian Department of National Defence is interested in determining if the low cost RAM system is technically capable of replacing existing cells and batteries now in use. A preliminary study identified sufficient candidate batteries in use within the Department whose performance requirements compared favourably with RAM manufacturers' claims. Further study was warranted. Replacement cost savings could be significant. A study is now in progress that is aimed at determining how well the RAM technology actually performs. This paper presents test results that illustrate how RAM cells compare to primary alkaline cells and nickel/cadmium. The majority of the work is focused on the 'AA' size products from Rayovac and Pure Energy: tests were also conducted on Rayovac 'D' cells.

Two Way Coupling RAM-SCB to the Space Weather Modeling Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welling, D. T.; Jordanova, V. K.; Zaharia, S. G.; Toth, G.

2010-12-01

The Ring current Atmosphere interaction Model with Self-Consistently calculated 3D Magnetic field (RAM-SCB) has been used to successfully study inner magnetosphere dynamics during different solar wind and magnetosphere conditions. Recently, one way coupling of RAM-SCB with the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) has been achieved to replace all data or empirical inputs with those obtained through first-principles-based codes: magnetic field and plasma flux outer boundary conditions are provided by the Block Adaptive Tree Solar wind Roe-type Upwind Scheme (BATS-R-US) MHD code, convection electric field is provided by the Ridley Ionosphere Model (RIM), and ion composition is provided by the Polar Wind Outflow Model (PWOM) combined with a multi-species MHD approach. These advances, though creating a powerful inner magnetosphere virtual laboratory, neglect the important mechanisms through which the ring current feeds back into the whole system, primarily the stretching of the magnetic field lines and shielding of the convection electric field through strong region two Field Aligned Currents (FACs). In turn, changing the magnetosphere in this way changes the evolution of the ring current. To address this shortcoming, the coupling has been expanded to include feedback from RAM-SCB to the other coupled codes: region two FACs are returned to the RIM while total plasma pressure is used to nudge the MHD solution towards the RAM-SCB values. The impacts of the two way coupling are evaluated on three levels: the global magnetospheric level, focusing on the impact on the ionosphere and the shape of the magnetosphere, the regional level, examining the impact on the development of the ring current in terms of energy density, anisotropy, and plasma distribution, and the local level to compare the new results to in-situ measurements of magnetic and electric field and plasma. The results will also be compared to past simulations using the one way coupling and no coupling whatsoever. This work is the first to fully couple an anisotropic kinetic ring current code with a self-consistently calculated magnetic field to a set of global models.

EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF REGIONAL-SCALE PHOTOCHEMICAL MODELING SYSTEMS: PART I--METEOROLOGICAL PREDICTIONS. (R825260)

EPA Science Inventory

In this study, the concept of scale analysis is applied to evaluate two state-of-science meteorological models, namely MM5 and RAMS3b, currently being used to drive regional-scale air quality models. To this end, seasonal time series of observations and predictions for temperatur...

Regional Climate Simulations over North America: Interaction of Local Processes with Improved Large-Scale Flow.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miguez-Macho, Gonzalo; Stenchikov, Georgiy L.; Robock, Alan

2005-04-01

The reasons for biases in regional climate simulations were investigated in an attempt to discern whether they arise from deficiencies in the model parameterizations or are due to dynamical problems. Using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) forced by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis, the detailed climate over North America at 50-km resolution for June 2000 was simulated. First, the RAMS equations were modified to make them applicable to a large region, and its turbulence parameterization was corrected. The initial simulations showed large biases in the location of precipitation patterns and surface air temperatures. By implementing higher-resolution soil data, soil moisture and soil temperature initialization, and corrections to the Kain-Fritch convective scheme, the temperature biases and precipitation amount errors could be removed, but the precipitation location errors remained. The precipitation location biases could only be improved by implementing spectral nudging of the large-scale (wavelength of 2500 km) dynamics in RAMS. This corrected for circulation errors produced by interactions and reflection of the internal domain dynamics with the lateral boundaries where the model was forced by the reanalysis.

Heart rate patterns during courtship and mating in rams and in estrous and nonestrous ewes ().

PubMed

Orihuela, A; Omaña, J C; Ungerfeld, R

2016-02-01

The aim of this study was to compare the heart rate (HR) patterns in rams mated with estrous or nonestrous ewes and in mated estrous and nonestrous ewes () during courtship and mating. For this purpose, HR and behavior were recorded using a radio telemetry recording system and a closed-circuit television system with video recording, respectively. Rams were joined with either an estrous ( = 10) or a nonestrous ( = 10) ewe that was restrained in a stanchion by the neck. Data were continuously recorded until each ram performed 3 ejaculations. Eight days later, the HR of the 10 estrous and 10 nonestrous ewes was recorded during mating. Although the time between entrance into the yard and the first ejaculation was similar across rams, rams that mounted estrous ewes were faster at attaining their second (3min5s ± 17 s vs. 5min28s ± 18 s) and third (7min58s ± 45 s vs. 12 min ± 1min14s) ejaculations (all < 0.05). By contrast, no differences in HR were observed between rams that interacted with estrous versus nonestrous ewes. In all cases, HR reached maximum values immediately after each ejaculation and the HR pattern was similar across ejaculations (first, second, and third). Although HR was similar between estrous and nonestrous ewes before mating, nonestrous ewes had higher HR ( < 0.05) during mating. In summary, 1) rams that mated estrous ewes displayed shorter interejaculation periods but HR did not differ between groups of rams during any ejaculation (first, second, or third), 2) HR for both groups of rams peaked shortly after each ejaculation, and 3) HR increased more in nonestrous than in estrous ewes while mating.

Direct Radiative Impacts of Central American Biomass Burning Smoke Aerosols: Analysis from a Coupled Aerosol-Radiation-Meteorology Model RAMS-AROMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.; Christopher, S. A.; Nair, U. S.; Reid, J. S.; Prins, E. M.

2005-12-01

Considerable efforts including various field experiments have been carried out in the last decade for studying the regional climatic impact of smoke aerosols produced by biomass burning activities in Africa and South America. In contrast, only few investigations have been conducted for Central American Biomass Burning (CABB) region. Using a coupled aerosol-radiation-meteorology model called RAMS-AROMA together with various ground-based observations, we present a comprehensive analysis of the smoke direct radiative impacts on the surface energy budget, boundary layer evolution, and e precipitation process during the CABB events in Spring 2003. Quantitative estimates are also made regarding the transboundary carbon mass to the U.S. in the form of smoke particles. Buult upon the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) mesoscale model, the RAMS AROMA has several features including Assimilation and Radiation Online Modeling of Aerosols (AROMA) algorithms. The model simulates smoke transport by using hourly smoke emission inventory from the Fire Locating and Modeling of Burning Emissions (FLAMBE) geostationary satellite database. It explicitly considers the smoke effects on the radiative transfer at each model time step and model grid, thereby coupling the dynamical processes and aerosol transport. Comparison with ground-based observation show that the simulation realistically captured the smoke transport timeline and distribution from daily to hourly scales. The effects of smoke radiative extinction on the decrease of 2m air temperature (2mT), diurnal temperature range (DTR), and boundary layer height over the land surface are also quantified. Warming due to smoke absorption of solar radiation can be found in the lower troposphere over the ocean, but not near the underlying land surface. The increase of boundary layer stability produces a positive feedback where more smoke particles are trapped in the lower boundary layer. These changes in temperature, surface energy budget and the atmospheric lapse rate have important ramification for the simulation of precipitations.

Confronting the WRF and RAMS mesoscale models with innovative observations in the Netherlands: Evaluating the boundary layer heat budget

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steeneveld, G. J.; Tolk, L. F.; Moene, A. F.; Hartogensis, O. K.; Peters, W.; Holtslag, A. A. M.

2011-12-01

The Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) and the Regional Atmospheric Mesoscale Model System (RAMS) are frequently used for (regional) weather, climate and air quality studies. This paper covers an evaluation of these models for a windy and calm episode against Cabauw tower observations (Netherlands), with a special focus on the representation of the physical processes in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). In addition, area averaged sensible heat flux observations by scintillometry are utilized which enables evaluation of grid scale model fluxes and flux observations at the same horizontal scale. Also, novel ABL height observations by ceilometry and of the near surface longwave radiation divergence are utilized. It appears that WRF in its basic set-up shows satisfactory model results for nearly all atmospheric near surface variables compared to field observations, while RAMS needed refining of its ABL scheme. An important inconsistency was found regarding the ABL daytime heat budget: Both model versions are only able to correctly forecast the ABL thermodynamic structure when the modeled surface sensible heat flux is much larger than both the eddy-covariance and scintillometer observations indicate. In order to clarify this discrepancy, model results for each term of the heat budget equation is evaluated against field observations. Sensitivity studies and evaluation of radiative tendencies and entrainment reveal that possible errors in these variables cannot explain the overestimation of the sensible heat flux within the current model infrastructure.

Comparison of an algebraic multigrid algorithm to two iterative solvers used for modeling ground water flow and transport

USGS Publications Warehouse

Detwiler, R.L.; Mehl, S.; Rajaram, H.; Cheung, W.W.

2002-01-01

Numerical solution of large-scale ground water flow and transport problems is often constrained by the convergence behavior of the iterative solvers used to solve the resulting systems of equations. We demonstrate the ability of an algebraic multigrid algorithm (AMG) to efficiently solve the large, sparse systems of equations that result from computational models of ground water flow and transport in large and complex domains. Unlike geometric multigrid methods, this algorithm is applicable to problems in complex flow geometries, such as those encountered in pore-scale modeling of two-phase flow and transport. We integrated AMG into MODFLOW 2000 to compare two- and three-dimensional flow simulations using AMG to simulations using PCG2, a preconditioned conjugate gradient solver that uses the modified incomplete Cholesky preconditioner and is included with MODFLOW 2000. CPU times required for convergence with AMG were up to 140 times faster than those for PCG2. The cost of this increased speed was up to a nine-fold increase in required random access memory (RAM) for the three-dimensional problems and up to a four-fold increase in required RAM for the two-dimensional problems. We also compared two-dimensional numerical simulations of steady-state transport using AMG and the generalized minimum residual method with an incomplete LU-decomposition preconditioner. For these transport simulations, AMG yielded increased speeds of up to 17 times with only a 20% increase in required RAM. The ability of AMG to solve flow and transport problems in large, complex flow systems and its ready availability make it an ideal solver for use in both field-scale and pore-scale modeling.

Wireless data over RAM's Mobitex network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, M. Mobeen

1995-12-01

Mobitex is a mobile data technology standard created by Eritel, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Ericsson, that has been in existence for about a decade. Originally designed as a low speed (1.2 kbps) data system with a voice dispatch overlay, it was significantly enhanced in 1990 for use in North America and the UK. The enhanced system is a data-only system using cellular architecture and multi-channel frequency reuse, store-and-forward capability, and an 8 kbps over-the-air data rate. The mission of RAM Mobile Data USA Limited Partnership ('RAM') is to provide high quality, cost efficient, wireless data communications solutions in its targeted market segments. RAM's Mobitex network is currently one of the two networks providing two way wireless data services nationwide using a long distance service provider of the customer's choice.

Impact of Forecast and Model Error Correlations In 4dvar Data Assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zupanski, M.; Zupanski, D.; Vukicevic, T.; Greenwald, T.; Eis, K.; Vonder Haar, T.

A weak-constraint 4DVAR data assimilation system has been developed at Cooper- ative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), Colorado State University. It is based on the NCEP's ETA 4DVAR system, and it is fully parallel (MPI coding). The CIRA's 4DVAR system is aimed for satellite data assimilation research, with cur- rent focus on assimilation of cloudy radiances and microwave satellite measurements. Most important improvement over the previous 4DVAR system is a degree of gener- ality introduced into the new algorithm, namely for applications with different NWP models (e.g., RAMS, WRF, ETA, etc.), and for the choice of control variable. In cur- rent applications, the non-hydrostatic RAMS model and its adjoint are used, including all microphysical processess. The control variable includes potential temperature, ve- locity potential and stream function, vertical velocity, and seven mixing ratios with respect to all water phases. Since the statistics of the microphysical components of the control variable is not well known, a special attention will be paid to the impact of the forecast and model (prior) error correlations on the 4DVAR analysis. In particular, the sensitivity of the analysis with respect to decorrelation length will be examined. The prior error covariances are modelled using the compactly-supported, space-limited correlations developed at NASA DAO.

Triggering active galactic nuclei in galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Madeline A.; Shabala, Stanislav S.; Krause, Martin G. H.; Pimbblet, Kevin A.; Croton, Darren J.; Owers, Matt S.

2018-03-01

We model the triggering of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in galaxy clusters using the semi-analytic galaxy formation model SAGE. We prescribe triggering methods based on the ram pressure galaxies experience as they move throughout the intracluster medium, which is hypothesized to trigger star formation and AGN activity. The clustercentric radius and velocity distribution of the simulated active galaxies produced by these models are compared with those of AGN and galaxies with intense star formation from a sample of low-redshift relaxed clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The ram pressure triggering model that best explains the clustercentric radius and velocity distribution of these observed galaxies has AGN and star formation triggered if 2.5 × 10-14 Pa < Pram < 2.5 × 10-13 Pa and Pram > 2Pinternal; this is consistent with expectations from hydrodynamical simulations of ram-pressure-induced star formation. Our results show that ram pressure is likely to be an important mechanism for triggering star formation and AGN activity in clusters.

How motivation affects academic performance: a structural equation modelling analysis.

PubMed

Kusurkar, R A; Ten Cate, Th J; Vos, C M P; Westers, P; Croiset, G

2013-03-01

Few studies in medical education have studied effect of quality of motivation on performance. Self-Determination Theory based on quality of motivation differentiates between Autonomous Motivation (AM) that originates within an individual and Controlled Motivation (CM) that originates from external sources. To determine whether Relative Autonomous Motivation (RAM, a measure of the balance between AM and CM) affects academic performance through good study strategy and higher study effort and compare this model between subgroups: males and females; students selected via two different systems namely qualitative and weighted lottery selection. Data on motivation, study strategy and effort was collected from 383 medical students of VU University Medical Center Amsterdam and their academic performance results were obtained from the student administration. Structural Equation Modelling analysis technique was used to test a hypothesized model in which high RAM would positively affect Good Study Strategy (GSS) and study effort, which in turn would positively affect academic performance in the form of grade point averages. This model fit well with the data, Chi square = 1.095, df = 3, p = 0.778, RMSEA model fit = 0.000. This model also fitted well for all tested subgroups of students. Differences were found in the strength of relationships between the variables for the different subgroups as expected. In conclusion, RAM positively correlated with academic performance through deep strategy towards study and higher study effort. This model seems valid in medical education in subgroups such as males, females, students selected by qualitative and weighted lottery selection.

TiO2-based memristors and ReRAM: materials, mechanisms and models (a review)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gale, Ella

2014-10-01

The memristor is the fundamental nonlinear circuit element, with uses in computing and computer memory. Resistive Random Access Memory (ReRAM) is a resistive switching memory proposed as a non-volatile memory. In this review we shall summarize the state of the art for these closely-related fields, concentrating on titanium dioxide, the well-utilized and archetypal material for both. We shall cover material properties, switching mechanisms and models to demonstrate what ReRAM and memristor scientists can learn from each other and examine the outlook for these technologies.

Space Station

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-01-01

This is an artist's concept of the Research and Applications Modules (RAM). Evolutionary growth was an important consideration in space station plarning, and another project was undertaken in 1971 to facilitate such growth. The RAM study, conducted through a Marshall Space Flight Center contract with General Dynamics Convair Aerospace, resulted in the conceptualization of a series of RAM payload carrier-sortie laboratories, pallets, free-flyers, and payload and support modules. The study considered two basic manned systems. The first would use RAM hardware for sortie mission, where laboratories were carried into space and remained attached to the Shuttle for operational periods up to 7 days. The second envisioned a modular space station capability that could be evolved by mating RAM modules to the space station core configuration. The RAM hardware was to be built by Europeans, thus fostering international participation in the space program.

Delta 2 Explosion Plume Analysis Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Randolph J.

2000-01-01

A Delta II rocket exploded seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) on 17 January 1997. The cloud produced by the explosion provided an opportunity to evaluate the models which are used to track potentially toxic dispersing plumes and clouds at CCAFS. The primary goal of this project was to conduct a case study of the dispersing cloud and the models used to predict the dispersion resulting from the explosion. The case study was conducted by comparing mesoscale and dispersion model results with available meteorological and plume observations. This study was funded by KSC under Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) option hours. The models used in the study are part of the Eastern Range Dispersion Assessment System (ERDAS) and include the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), HYbrid Particle And Concentration Transport (HYPACT), and Rocket Exhaust Effluent Dispersion Model (REEDM). The primary observations used for explosion cloud verification of the study were from the National Weather Service's Weather Surveillance Radar 1988-Doppler (WSR-88D). Radar reflectivity measurements of the resulting cloud provided good estimates of the location and dimensions of the cloud over a four-hour period after the explosion. The results indicated that RAMS and HYPACT models performed reasonably well. Future upgrades to ERDAS are recommended.

DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE, MULTISCALE "ONE ATMOSPHERE" MODELING SYSTEM: APPLICATION TO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. (R826372)

EPA Science Inventory

A comprehensive three-dimensional Eulerian photochemical model (URM-1ATM) was developed that simulates urban and regional gas and size-resolved aerosol concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere and both wet and dry deposition. In this study, RAMS and EMS-95 are used to ge...

Aerodynamics of Tracked Ram Air Cushion Vehicles - Effects of Pitch Attitude and Upper Surface Flow

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-12-01

Three types of experiments were conducted on geometrically similar model of a Tracked Ram Air Cushion Vehicle (TRACV). The first consisted of wind tunnel tests with the vehicle model positioned within a short segment of stationary guideway. In the se...

Investigating EMIC Wave Dynamics with RAM-SCB-E

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordanova, V. K.; Fu, X.; Henderson, M. G.; Morley, S.; Welling, D. T.; Yu, Y.

2017-12-01

The distribution of ring current ions and electrons in the inner magnetosphere depends strongly on their transport in realistic electric (E) and magnetic (B) fields and concurrent energization or loss. To investigate the high variability of energetic particle (H+, He+, O+, and electron) fluxes during storms selected by the GEM Surface Charging Challenge, we use our kinetic ring current model (RAM) two-way coupled with a 3-D magnetic field code (SCB). This model was just extended to include electric field calculations, making it a unique, fully self-consistent, anisotropic ring current-atmosphere interactions model, RAM-SCB-E. Recently we investigated electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) instability in a local plasma using both linear theory and nonlinear hybrid simulations and derived a scaling formula that relates the saturation EMIC wave amplitude to initial plasma conditions. Global dynamic EMIC wave maps obtained with our RAM-SCB-E model using this scaling will be presented and compared with statistical models. These plasma waves can affect significantly both ion and electron precipitation into the atmosphere and the subsequent patterns of ionospheric conductance, as well as the global ring current dynamics.

Analytical methods to predict liquid congealing in ram air heat exchangers during cold operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coleman, Kenneth; Kosson, Robert

1989-07-01

Ram air heat exchangers used to cool liquids such as lube oils or Ethylene-Glycol/water solutions can be subject to congealing in very cold ambients, resulting in a loss of cooling capability. Two-dimensional, transient analytical models have been developed to explore this phenomenon with both continuous and staggered fin cores. Staggered fin predictions are compared to flight test data from the E-2C Allison T56 engine lube oil system during winter conditions. For simpler calculations, a viscosity ratio correction was introduced and found to provide reasonable cold ambient performance predictions for the staggered fin core, using a one-dimensional approach.

Mitigation of High Altitude and Low Earth Orbit Radiation Effects on Microelectronics via Shielding or Error Detection and Correction Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gupta, Kajal (Technical Monitor); Kirby, Kelvin

2004-01-01

The NASA Cooperative Agreement NAG4-210 was granted under the FY2000 Faculty Awards for Research (FAR) Program. The project was proposed to examine the effects of charged particles and neutrons on selected random access memory (RAM) technologies. The concept of the project was to add to the current knowledge of Single Event Effects (SEE) concerning RAM and explore the impact of selected forms of radiation on Error Detection and Correction Systems. The project was established as an extension of a previous FAR awarded to Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), under the direction of Dr. Richard Wilkins as principal investigator. The NASA sponsored Center for Applied Radiation Research (CARR) at PVAMU developed an electronic test-bed to explore and quantify SEE on RAM from charged particles and neutrons. The test-bed was developed using 486DX microprocessor technology (PC-104) and a custom test board to mount RAM integrated circuits or other electronic devices. The test-bed had two configurations - a bench test version for laboratory experiments and a 400 Hz powered rack version for flight experiments. The objectives of this project were to: 1) Upgrade the Electronic Test-bed (ETB) to a Pentium configuration; 2) Accommodate more than only 8 Mbytes of RAM; 3) Explore Error Detection and Correction Systems for radiation effects; 4) Test modern RAM technologies in radiation environments.

eRAM: encyclopedia of rare disease annotations for precision medicine.

PubMed

Jia, Jinmeng; An, Zhongxin; Ming, Yue; Guo, Yongli; Li, Wei; Liang, Yunxiang; Guo, Dongming; Li, Xin; Tai, Jun; Chen, Geng; Jin, Yaqiong; Liu, Zhimei; Ni, Xin; Shi, Tieliu

2018-01-04

Rare diseases affect over a hundred million people worldwide, most of these patients are not accurately diagnosed and effectively treated. The limited knowledge of rare diseases forms the biggest obstacle for improving their treatment. Detailed clinical phenotyping is considered as a keystone of deciphering genes and realizing the precision medicine for rare diseases. Here, we preset a standardized system for various types of rare diseases, called encyclopedia of Rare disease Annotations for Precision Medicine (eRAM). eRAM was built by text-mining nearly 10 million scientific publications and electronic medical records, and integrating various data in existing recognized databases (such as Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), Human Phenotype Ontology, Orphanet, OMIM, GWAS). eRAM systematically incorporates currently available data on clinical manifestations and molecular mechanisms of rare diseases and uncovers many novel associations among diseases. eRAM provides enriched annotations for 15 942 rare diseases, yielding 6147 human disease related phenotype terms, 31 661 mammalians phenotype terms, 10,202 symptoms from UMLS, 18 815 genes and 92 580 genotypes. eRAM can not only provide information about rare disease mechanism but also facilitate clinicians to make accurate diagnostic and therapeutic decisions towards rare diseases. eRAM can be freely accessed at http://www.unimd.org/eram/. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Reliability and Maintainability model (RAM) user and maintenance manual. Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ebeling, Charles E.

1995-01-01

This report documents the procedures for utilizing and maintaining the Reliability and Maintainability Model (RAM) developed by the University of Dayton for the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The RAM model predicts reliability and maintainability (R&M) parameters for conceptual space vehicles using parametric relationships between vehicle design and performance characteristics and subsystem mean time between maintenance actions (MTBM) and manhours per maintenance action (MH/MA). These parametric relationships were developed using aircraft R&M data from over thirty different military aircraft of all types. This report describes the general methodology used within the model, the execution and computational sequence, the input screens and data, the output displays and reports, and study analyses and procedures. A source listing is provided.

Experimental Results and Issues on Equalization for Nonlinear Memory Channel: Pre-Cursor Enhanced Ram-DFE Canceler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuan, Lu; LeBlanc, James

1998-01-01

This thesis investigates the effects of the High Power Amplifier (HPA) and the filters over a satellite or telemetry channel. The Volterra series expression is presented for the nonlinear channel with memory, and the algorithm is based on the finite-state machine model. A RAM-based algorithm operating on the receiver side, Pre-cursor Enhanced RAM-FSE Canceler (PERC) is developed. A high order modulation scheme , 16-QAM is used for simulation, the results show that PERC provides an efficient and reliable method to transmit data on the bandlimited nonlinear channel. The contribution of PERC algorithm is that it includes both pre-cursors and post-cursors as the RAM address lines, and suggests a new way to make decision on the pre-addresses. Compared with the RAM-DFE structure that only includes post- addresses, the BER versus Eb/NO performance of PERC is substantially enhanced. Experiments are performed for PERC algorithms with different parameters on AWGN channels, and the results are compared and analyzed. The investigation of this thesis includes software simulation and hardware verification. Hardware is setup to collect actual TWT data. Simulation on both the software-generated data and the real-world data are performed. Practical limitations are considered for the hardware collected data. Simulation results verified the reliability of the PERC algorithm. This work was conducted at NMSU in the Center for Space Telemetering and Telecommunications Systems in the Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

A Future Accelerated Cognitive Distributed Hybrid Testbed for Big Data Science Analytics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halem, M.; Prathapan, S.; Golpayegani, N.; Huang, Y.; Blattner, T.; Dorband, J. E.

2016-12-01

As increased sensor spectral data volumes from current and future Earth Observing satellites are assimilated into high-resolution climate models, intensive cognitive machine learning technologies are needed to data mine, extract and intercompare model outputs. It is clear today that the next generation of computers and storage, beyond petascale cluster architectures, will be data centric. They will manage data movement and process data in place. Future cluster nodes have been announced that integrate multiple CPUs with high-speed links to GPUs and MICS on their backplanes with massive non-volatile RAM and access to active flash RAM disk storage. Active Ethernet connected key value store disk storage drives with 10Ge or higher are now available through the Kinetic Open Storage Alliance. At the UMBC Center for Hybrid Multicore Productivity Research, a future state-of-the-art Accelerated Cognitive Computer System (ACCS) for Big Data science is being integrated into the current IBM iDataplex computational system `bluewave'. Based on the next gen IBM 200 PF Sierra processor, an interim two node IBM Power S822 testbed is being integrated with dual Power 8 processors with 10 cores, 1TB Ram, a PCIe to a K80 GPU and an FPGA Coherent Accelerated Processor Interface card to 20TB Flash Ram. This system is to be updated to the Power 8+, an NVlink 1.0 with the Pascal GPU late in 2016. Moreover, the Seagate 96TB Kinetic Disk system with 24 Ethernet connected active disks is integrated into the ACCS storage system. A Lightweight Virtual File System developed at the NASA GSFC is installed on bluewave. Since remote access to publicly available quantum annealing computers is available at several govt labs, the ACCS will offer an in-line Restricted Boltzmann Machine optimization capability to the D-Wave 2X quantum annealing processor over the campus high speed 100 Gb network to Internet 2 for large files. As an evaluation test of the cognitive functionality of the architecture, the following studies utilizing all the system components will be presented; (i) a near real time climate change study generating CO2 fluxes and (ii) a deep dive capability into an 8000 x8000 pixel image pyramid display and (iii) Large dense and sparse eigenvalue decomposition.

76 FR 20503 - Airworthiness Directives; Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. (EMBRAER) Model ERJ 170 and ERJ...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-13

... of the related balance washer causing a possible ram air turbine (RAT) imbalance event, which may... in loss of power to airplane flight controls hydraulic back-up system. * * * * * Loss of power to the hydraulic back-up system for airplane flight controls could reduce the ability of the flightcrew to maintain...

Impact of Linearity and Write Noise of Analog Resistive Memory Devices in a Neural Algorithm Accelerator

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

Jacobs-Gedrim, Robin B.; Agarwal, Sapan; Knisely, Kathrine E.

Resistive memory (ReRAM) shows promise for use as an analog synapse element in energy-efficient neural network algorithm accelerators. A particularly important application is the training of neural networks, as this is the most computationally-intensive procedure in using a neural algorithm. However, training a network with analog ReRAM synapses can significantly reduce the accuracy at the algorithm level. In order to assess this degradation, analog properties of ReRAM devices were measured and hand-written digit recognition accuracy was modeled for the training using backpropagation. Bipolar filamentary devices utilizing three material systems were measured and compared: one oxygen vacancy system, Ta-TaO x, andmore » two conducting metallization systems, Cu-SiO 2, and Ag/chalcogenide. Analog properties and conductance ranges of the devices are optimized by measuring the response to varying voltage pulse characteristics. Key analog device properties which degrade the accuracy are update linearity and write noise. Write noise may improve as a function of device manufacturing maturity, but write nonlinearity appears relatively consistent among the different device material systems and is found to be the most significant factor affecting accuracy. As a result, this suggests that new materials and/or fundamentally different resistive switching mechanisms may be required to improve device linearity and achieve higher algorithm training accuracy.« less

Impact of Linearity and Write Noise of Analog Resistive Memory Devices in a Neural Algorithm Accelerator

DOE PAGES

Jacobs-Gedrim, Robin B.; Agarwal, Sapan; Knisely, Kathrine E.; ...

2017-12-01

Resistive memory (ReRAM) shows promise for use as an analog synapse element in energy-efficient neural network algorithm accelerators. A particularly important application is the training of neural networks, as this is the most computationally-intensive procedure in using a neural algorithm. However, training a network with analog ReRAM synapses can significantly reduce the accuracy at the algorithm level. In order to assess this degradation, analog properties of ReRAM devices were measured and hand-written digit recognition accuracy was modeled for the training using backpropagation. Bipolar filamentary devices utilizing three material systems were measured and compared: one oxygen vacancy system, Ta-TaO x, andmore » two conducting metallization systems, Cu-SiO 2, and Ag/chalcogenide. Analog properties and conductance ranges of the devices are optimized by measuring the response to varying voltage pulse characteristics. Key analog device properties which degrade the accuracy are update linearity and write noise. Write noise may improve as a function of device manufacturing maturity, but write nonlinearity appears relatively consistent among the different device material systems and is found to be the most significant factor affecting accuracy. As a result, this suggests that new materials and/or fundamentally different resistive switching mechanisms may be required to improve device linearity and achieve higher algorithm training accuracy.« less

Ontogenic and nutritional changes in circulating insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II and IGF-binding proteins in growing ewe and ram lambs.

PubMed

Gatford, K L; Quinn, K J; Walton, P E; Grant, P A; Hosking, B J; Egan, A R; Owens, P C

1997-10-01

The ontogeny of the IGF endocrine system was investigated in 15 young lambs before and after weaning at 62 days of age. Before weaning, plasma IGF-I concentrations were higher in rams than ewes, and plasma concentrations of IGF-II and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) also tended to be higher in rams than in ewes. Feed intake of ewes and rams was restricted after weaning to remove sex differences in feed intake. Plasma concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 did not differ between rams and ewes at 100 days of age, but plasma IGF-II was higher in rams than in ewes at this time. Since circulating concentrations of GH were higher in rams than in ewes at 100 days of age, this implies that the restricted feed intake blocked the IGF-I and IGFBP-3 responses to GH. We conclude that sex differences in circulating IGF-I and IGFBP-3 concentrations in the growing lamb alter with age, and are not present when nutrition is restricted.

MESO-Adaptation Based on Model Oriented Reengineering Process for Human-Computer Interface (MESOMORPH)

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-02-01

Publishing Company , Addison- Wesley Systems Programming Series, 1990. [5] E. Stroulia and T. Systa. Dynamic analysis for reverse engineering and program...understanding, Applied Computing Reviews, Spring 2002, ACM Press. [6] El- Ramly , Mohammad; Stroulia, Eleni; Sorenson, Paul. “Recovering software

Modeling of behavioral responses for successful selection of easy-to-train rams for semen collection with an artificial vagina.

PubMed

Ambrosi, Claudia Pamela; Rubio, Natalia; Giménez, Gustavo; Venturino, Andrés; Aisen, Eduardo Gabriel; López Armengol, María Fernanda

2018-06-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the reproductive behavioral responses in Australian Merino rams, to identify those related to a faster training for semen collection with an artificial vagina. Eight Australian Merino rams, aged 1.5 years and with no prior sexual experience, were randomly selected from an extensively grazed flock. One immobilized ewe with no hormone stimulation was used for rams to sexually interact and mount. The frequencies of approaching, sniffing, flehmen, pushing, pawing with chin resting, and tongue flicking were recorded during eight training and three post-training assessments periods. In addition, the duration of sniffing and flehmen responses, as well as the time from when the ram started to approach the ewe until the mount with ejaculation (completed mount) were recorded. Descriptive, correlation, and modeling analyses were performed. Amongst the rams, four mounted the ewe and ejaculated for the first time during the training phase, and three mounted and ejaculated for the first time after the training phase. The remaining ram mounted the ewe and ejaculated for the first time during the post-training evaluation in the following year. A great variability in the behavior repertoire was observed among rams. The correlation analysis indicated that the completed mount was associated with the behaviors during the approaching response. The expression of the sniffing response decreased between the training phase and post-training evaluation, while the responses of pushing the ewe and tongue flicking ceased to occur. Pawing the side of the ewe with the chin resting on the back of the ewe and flehmen responses, however, continued between the training and post-training phases. This led to a decrease in the time from when the ram started to approach the ewe until the completed mount. It is concluded that the responses of approaching the ewe, pawing the side of the ewe with chin resting on the ewe, and sniffing of the ewe (the latter occurring only during the training phase) are behavioral indicators that could be used for selection of easy-to-train rams for purposes of semen collection with an artificial vagina. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reliable Acquisition of RAM Dumps from Intel-Based Apple Mac Computers over FireWire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gladyshev, Pavel; Almansoori, Afrah

RAM content acquisition is an important step in live forensic analysis of computer systems. FireWire offers an attractive way to acquire RAM content of Apple Mac computers equipped with a FireWire connection. However, the existing techniques for doing so require substantial knowledge of the target computer configuration and cannot be used reliably on a previously unknown computer in a crime scene. This paper proposes a novel method for acquiring RAM content of Apple Mac computers over FireWire, which automatically discovers necessary information about the target computer and can be used in the crime scene setting. As an application of the developed method, the techniques for recovery of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) conversation fragments from RAM dumps are also discussed in this paper.

Uncertainties in Episodic Ozone Modeling Stemming from Uncertainties in the Meteorological Fields.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswas, Jhumoor; Trivikrama Rao, S.

2001-02-01

This paper examines the uncertainty associated with photochemical modeling using the Variable-Grid Urban Airshed Model (UAM-V) with two different prognostic meteorological models. The meteorological fields for ozone episodes that occurred during 17-20 June, 12-15 July, and 30 July-2 August in the summer of 1995 were derived from two meteorological models, the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) and the Fifth-Generation Pennsylvania State University-National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5). The simulated ozone concentrations from the two photochemical modeling systems, namely, RAMS/UAM-V and MM5/UAM-V, are compared with each other and with ozone observations from several monitoring sites in the eastern United States. The overall results indicate that neither modeling system performs significantly better than the other in reproducing the observed ozone concentrations. The results reveal that there is a significant variability, about 20% at the 95% level of confidence, in the modeled 1-h ozone concentration maxima from one modeling system to the other for a given episode. The model-to-model variability in the simulated ozone levels is for most part attributable to the unsystematic type of errors. The directionality for emission controls (i.e., NOx versus VOC sensitivity) is also evaluated with UAM-V using hypothetical emission reductions. The results reveal that not only the improvement in ozone but also the VOC-sensitive and NOx-sensitive regimes are influenced by the differences in the meteorological fields. Both modeling systems indicate that a large portion of the eastern United States is NOx limited, but there are model-to-model and episode-to-episode differences at individual grid cells regarding the efficacy of emission reductions.

Paging memory from random access memory to backing storage in a parallel computer

DOEpatents

Archer, Charles J; Blocksome, Michael A; Inglett, Todd A; Ratterman, Joseph D; Smith, Brian E

2013-05-21

Paging memory from random access memory (`RAM`) to backing storage in a parallel computer that includes a plurality of compute nodes, including: executing a data processing application on a virtual machine operating system in a virtual machine on a first compute node; providing, by a second compute node, backing storage for the contents of RAM on the first compute node; and swapping, by the virtual machine operating system in the virtual machine on the first compute node, a page of memory from RAM on the first compute node to the backing storage on the second compute node.

The ovine sexually dimorphic nucleus, aromatase, and sexual partner preferences in sheep.

PubMed

Roselli, C E; Stormshak, F

2010-02-28

We are using the domestic ram as an experimental model to examine the role of aromatase in the development of sexual partner preferences. This interest has arisen because of the observation that as many as 8% of domestic rams are sexually attracted to other rams (male-oriented) in contrast to the majority of rams that are attracted to estrous ewes (female-oriented). Our findings demonstrate that aromatase expression is enriched in a cluster of neurons in the medial preoptic nucleus called the ovine sexually dimorphic nucleus (oSDN). The size of the oSDN is associated with a ram's sexual partner preference, such that the nucleus is 2-3 times larger in rams that are attracted to females (female-oriented) than in rams that are attracted to other rams (male-oriented). Moreover, the volume of the oSDN in male-oriented rams is similar to the volume in ewes. These volume differences are not influenced by adult concentrations of serum testosterone. Instead, we found that the oSDN is already present in late gestation lamb fetuses (approximately day 135 of gestation) when it is approximately 2-fold greater in males than in females. Exposure of genetic female fetuses to exogenous testosterone during the critical period for sexual differentiation masculinizes oSDN volume and aromatase expression when examined subsequently on day 135. The demonstration that the oSDN is organized prenatally by testosterone exposure suggests that the brain of the male-oriented ram may be under-androgenized during development. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of self-relevant cues and cue valence on autobiographical memory specificity in dysphoria.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Noboru; Mochizuki, Satoshi

2017-04-01

Reduced autobiographical memory specificity (rAMS) is a characteristic memory bias observed in depression. To corroborate the capture hypothesis in the CaRFAX (capture and rumination, functional avoidance, executive capacity and control) model, we investigated the effects of self-relevant cues and cue valence on rAMS using an adapted Autobiographical Memory Test conducted with a nonclinical population. Hierarchical linear modelling indicated that the main effects of depression and self-relevant cues elicited rAMS. Moreover, the three-way interaction among valence, self-relevance, and depression scores was significant. A simple slope test revealed that dysphoric participants experienced rAMS in response to highly self-relevant positive cues and low self-relevant negative cues. These results partially supported the capture hypothesis in nonclinical dysphoria. It is important to consider cue valence in future studies examining the capture hypothesis.

Automated internal pipe cutting device

DOEpatents

Godlewski, William J.; Haffke, Gary S.; Purvis, Dale; Bashar, Ronald W.; Jones, Stewart D.; Moretti, Jr., Henry; Pimentel, James

2003-01-21

The invention is a remotely controlled internal pipe cutting device primarily used for cutting pipes where the outside of the pipe is inaccessible at the line where the cut is to be made. The device includes an axial ram within a rotational cylinder which is enclosed in a housing. The housing is adapted for attachment to an open end of the pipe and for supporting the ram and cylinder in cantilever fashion within the pipe. A radially movable cutter, preferably a plasma arc torch, is attached to the distal end of the ram. A drive mechanism, containing motors and mechanical hardware for operating the ram and cylinder, is attached to the proximal end of the housing. The ram and cylinder provide for moving the cutter axially and circumferentially, and a cable assembly attached to a remote motor provide for the movement of the cutter radially, within the pipe. The control system can be adjusted and operated remotely to control the position and movement of the cutter to obtain the desired cut. The control system can also provide automatic standoff control for a plasma arc torch.

Atomistic mechanisms of ReRAM cell operation and reliability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Sumeet C.

2018-01-01

We present results from first-principles-based modeling that captures functionally important physical phenomena critical to cell materials selection, operation, and reliability for resistance-switching memory technologies. An atomic-scale description of retention, the low- and high-resistance states (RS), and the sources of intrinsic cell-level variability in ReRAM is discussed. Through the results obtained from density functional theory, non-equilibrium Green’s function, molecular dynamics, and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations; the role of variable-charge vacancy defects and metal impurities in determining the RS, the LRS-stability, and electron-conduction in such RS is reported. Although, the statistical electrical characteristics of the oxygen-vacancy (Ox-ReRAM) and conductive-bridging RAM (M-ReRAM) are notably different, the underlying similar electrochemical phenomena describing retention and formation/dissolution of RS are being discussed.

The use of an exclusion-based risk-assessment model for venous thrombosis improves uptake of appropriate thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized medical patients.

PubMed

Bagot, C; Gohil, S; Perrott, R; Barsam, S; Patel, R K; Arya, R

2010-08-01

Venous thromboembolism is a common condition in hospitalized medical patients. Numerous studies have demonstrated that low molecular weight heparin significantly reduces this risk but, despite this, the use of thromboprophylaxis remains poor. To evaluate the use of an exclusion based risk-assessment model (RAM) for venous thrombosis in improving the uptake of appropriate thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized medical patients. A survey with a subsequent audit cycle of three separate audits over 36 months. 497 hospitalized patients with acute medical conditions on general medical wards were audited at a secondary care centre in London, UK. The survey and subsequent audits were performed by reviewing the notes and medication charts of medical patients, prior to the launch of the RAM and at 12, 28 and 36 months following its introduction. Prior to launching the RAM, 49% of hospitalized medical patients received appropriate thromboprophylaxis. This did not change 12 months after the RAM was introduced but increased significantly to 71% following formal education of the health care professionals involved in thromboprophylaxis prescription. This improvement was maintained as demonstrated by a subsequent audit 8 months later (75.9%). The introduction of a simple exclusion-based RAM for venous thrombosis in medical patients significantly improved delivery of thromboprophylaxis. The successful uptake of the RAM appears to have been dependent on direct education of those health carers involved in its use. A similar exclusion-based model used nationally could have a significant impact on the burden of VTE currently experienced in the UK.

Imaging through atmospheric turbulence for laser based C-RAM systems: an analytical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buske, Ivo; Riede, Wolfgang; Zoz, Jürgen

2013-10-01

High Energy Laser weapons (HEL) have unique attributes which distinguish them from limitations of kinetic energy weapons. HEL weapons engagement process typical starts with identifying the target and selecting the aim point on the target through a high magnification telescope. One scenario for such a HEL system is the countermeasure against rockets, artillery or mortar (RAM) objects to protect ships, camps or other infrastructure from terrorist attacks. For target identification and especially to resolve the aim point it is significant to ensure high resolution imaging of RAM objects. During the whole ballistic flight phase the knowledge about the expectable imaging quality is important to estimate and evaluate the countermeasure system performance. Hereby image quality is mainly influenced by unavoidable atmospheric turbulence. Analytical calculations have been taken to analyze and evaluate image quality parameters during an approaching RAM object. In general, Kolmogorov turbulence theory was implemented to determine atmospheric coherence length and isoplanatic angle. The image acquisition is distinguishing between long and short exposure times to characterize tip/tilt image shift and the impact of high order turbulence fluctuations. Two different observer positions are considered to show the influence of the selected sensor site. Furthermore two different turbulence strengths are investigated to point out the effect of climate or weather condition. It is well known that atmospheric turbulence degenerates image sharpness and creates blurred images. Investigations are done to estimate the effectiveness of simple tip/tilt systems or low order adaptive optics for laser based C-RAM systems.

Galactic star formation enhanced and quenched by ram pressure in groups and clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bekki, Kenji

2014-02-01

We investigate how ram pressure of intragroup and intracluster medium can influence the spatial and temporal variations of star formation (SF) of disc galaxies with halo masses (Mh) ranging from 1010 to 1012 M⊙ (i.e. from dwarf irregular to Milky Way-type) in groups and clusters with 1013 ≤ Mh/M⊙ ≤ 1015 by using numerical simulations with a new model for time-varying ram pressure. The long-term evolution of SF rates and Hα morphologies corresponding to the distributions of star-forming regions are particularly investigated for different model parameters. The principal results are as follows. Whether ram pressure can enhance or reduce SF depends on Mh of disc galaxies and inclination angles of gas discs with respect to their orbital directions for a given orbit and a given environment. For example, SF can be moderately enhanced in disc galaxies with Mh = 1012 M⊙ at the pericentre passages in a cluster with Mh = 1014 M⊙ whereas it can be completely shut down (`quenching') for low-mass discs with Mh = 1010 M⊙. Ram pressure can reduce the Hα-to-optical-disc-size ratios of discs and the level of the reduction depends on Mh and orbits of disc galaxies for a given environment. Disc galaxies under strong ram pressure show characteristic Hα morphologies such as ring-like, one-sided and crescent-like distributions.

Effect of pioglitazone and ramipril on biomarkers of low-grade inflammation and vascular function in nondiabetic patients with increased cardiovascular risk and an activated inflammation: results from the PIOace study.

PubMed

Pfützner, Andreas; Hanefeld, Markolf; Dekordi, Lida A; Müller, Jürgen; Kleine, Iris; Fuchs, Winfried; Forst, Thomas

2011-07-01

This study investigated the effects of pioglitazone (PIO), ramipril (RAM), or their combination (PIRA) on low-grade inflammation in nondiabetic hypertensive patients with increased cardiovascular risk. Patients enrolled in this placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, parallel trial (72 male, 77 female, aged 60 ± 9 years, body mass index 30.4 ± 4.7 kg/m(2), duration of hypertension 9 ± 8 years) were treated with either 30/45 mg PIO (dose titration), 2.5/5 mg RAM, or their combination for 12 weeks. A reduction in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was observed with PIO (-0.89 ± 1.98 mg/liter; -25%) and PIRA (-0.49 ± 2.11 mg/liter; -16%), while an increase was seen with RAM (0.58 ± 2.13 mg/liter; +20%, p < .05 vs PIO and PIRA). The 24-hour blood pressure profile showed a small increase with both monotherapies but a decrease with PIRA (p < .05 vs PIO). Improvements in biomarkers of chronic systemic inflammation and insulin resistance (IR) were observed in the PIO and PIRA arms only [PIO/RAM/PIRA: homeostasis model of assessment of IR: -0.78 ± 1.39 (-29%)/0.15 ± 1.03 (+5%)/ -1.44 ± 2.83 (-40%); adiponectin: 8.51 ± 5.91 (+104%)/ 0.09 ± 2.63 (+1%)/ 8.86 ± 6.37 mg/liter (+107%); matrix metallo-proteinase-9: -48 ± 127 (-12%)/-1 ± 224 (0%)/-60 ± 210 ng/ml (-13%), p < .05 for RAM vs PIO or PIRA in all cases]. Our 3-month study in nondiabetic hypertensive patients showed a decrease in biomarkers of IR and chronic systemic inflammation with the PIO monotherapy and the PIRA combination only, which may help to explain some findings in other cardiovascular outcome trials. © 2011 Diabetes Technology Society.

Simulation of atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides using an Eulerian-Lagrangian modelling system.

PubMed

Basit, Abdul; Espinosa, Francisco; Avila, Ruben; Raza, S; Irfan, N

2008-12-01

In this paper we present an atmospheric dispersion scenario for a proposed nuclear power plant in Pakistan involving the hypothetical accidental release of radionuclides. For this, a concept involving a Lagrangian stochastic particle model (LSPM) coupled with an Eulerian regional atmospheric modelling system (RAMS) is used. The atmospheric turbulent dispersion of radionuclides (represented by non-buoyant particles/neutral traces) in the LSPM is modelled by applying non-homogeneous turbulence conditions. The mean wind velocities governed by the topography of the region and the surface fluxes of momentum and heat are calculated by the RAMS code. A moving least squares (MLS) technique is introduced to calculate the concentration of radionuclides at ground level. The numerically calculated vertical profiles of wind velocity and temperature are compared with observed data. The results obtained demonstrate that in regions of complex terrain it is not sufficient to model the atmospheric dispersion of particles using a straight-line Gaussian plume model, and that by utilising a Lagrangian stochastic particle model and regional atmospheric modelling system a much more realistic estimation of the dispersion in such a hypothetical scenario was ascertained. The particle dispersion results for a 12 h ground release show that a triangular area of about 400 km(2) situated in the north-west quadrant of release is under radiological threat. The particle distribution shows that the use of a Gaussian plume model (GPM) in such situations will yield quite misleading results.

Lateral Stability of a Dynamic Ram Air Cushion Vehicle

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-08-01

The lateral stability derivatives of a dynamic ram air cushion vehicle in a rectangular guideway were measured using a ship model towing tank. Lift and pitching moment are also reported. The primary lateral derivatives are all stabilizing, with signi...

The Ram's Horn.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rassias, John A., Ed.; And Others

1983-01-01

The summer-fall and winter-spring numbers of the journal, "The Ram's Horn," contain these articles: "The Text as Dramatic Departure"; "The Dartmouth Language Outreach Approach to Spanish for Police Action"; "The Dartmouth Intensive Language Model (DILM) in Florida: John Rassias with High School Teachers";…

Ring Current Pressure Estimation withRAM-SCB using Data Assimilation and VanAllen Probe Flux Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godinez, H. C.; Yu, Y.; Henderson, M. G.; Larsen, B.; Jordanova, V.

2015-12-01

Capturing and subsequently modeling the influence of tail plasma injections on the inner magnetosphere is particularly important for understanding the formation and evolution of Earth's ring current. In this study, the ring current distribution is estimated with the Ring Current-Atmosphere Interactions Model with Self-Consistent Magnetic field (RAM-SCB) using, for the first time, data assimilation techniques and particle flux data from the Van Allen Probes. The state of the ring current within the RAM-SCB is corrected via an ensemble based data assimilation technique by using proton flux from one of the Van Allen Probes, to capture the enhancement of ring current following an isolated substorm event on July 18 2013. The results show significant improvement in the estimation of the ring current particle distributions in the RAM-SCB model, leading to better agreement with observations. This newly implemented data assimilation technique in the global modeling of the ring current thus provides a promising tool to better characterize the effect of substorm injections in the near-Earth regions. The work is part of the Space Hazards Induced near Earth by Large, Dynamic Storms (SHIELDS) project in Los Alamos National Laboratory.

30 CFR 250.1610 - Blowout preventer systems and system components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... equipment subject to well and/or pump pressure shall have a rated working pressure at least as great as the... manifold with a pressure rating at least as great as the rated working pressure of the ram-type BOP's..., the BOP stack shall be equipped with conventional and/or variable-bore pipe rams to provide either of...

30 CFR 250.1610 - Blowout preventer systems and system components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... pressure at least as great as the rated working pressure of the ram-type BOP's or as otherwise approved by..., and including, the choke manifold with a pressure rating at least as great as the rated working...-string operations, the BOP stack shall be equipped with conventional and/or variable-bore pipe rams to...

30 CFR 250.1610 - Blowout preventer systems and system components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... equipment subject to well and/or pump pressure shall have a rated working pressure at least as great as the... manifold with a pressure rating at least as great as the rated working pressure of the ram-type BOP's..., the BOP stack shall be equipped with conventional and/or variable-bore pipe rams to provide either of...

30 CFR 250.1610 - Blowout preventer systems and system components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... equipment subject to well and/or pump pressure shall have a rated working pressure at least as great as the... manifold with a pressure rating at least as great as the rated working pressure of the ram-type BOP's..., the BOP stack shall be equipped with conventional and/or variable-bore pipe rams to provide either of...

30 CFR 250.1610 - Blowout preventer systems and system components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... equipment subject to well and/or pump pressure shall have a rated working pressure at least as great as the... manifold with a pressure rating at least as great as the rated working pressure of the ram-type BOP's..., the BOP stack shall be equipped with conventional and/or variable-bore pipe rams to provide either of...

Experimental Investigation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Tracked Ram Air Cushion Vehicle

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-01-01

The results of an experimental and theoretical investigation of the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of a tracked ram air cushion vehicle are presented. Experiments have been conducted both in a wind tunnel with a model and section of guidewa...

Prenatal programming of sexual partner preference: the ram model.

PubMed

Roselli, C E; Stormshak, F

2009-03-01

In our laboratory, the domestic ram is used as an experimental model to study the early programming of neural mechanisms underlying same-sex partner preference. This interest developed from the observation that approximately 8% of domestic rams are sexually attracted to other rams (male-oriented) in contrast to the majority of rams that are attracted to oestrous ewes (female-oriented). One prominent feature of sexual differentiation in many species is the presence of a sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN) in the preoptic/anterior hypothalamus that is larger in males than in females. Lesion studies in rats and ferrets implicate the SDN in the expression of sexual preferences. We discovered an ovine SDN (oSDN) in the preoptic/anterior hypothalamus that is smaller in male- than in female-oriented rams and similar in size to the oSDN of ewes. Neurones of the oSDN show abundant aromatase expression that is also reduced in male-oriented compared to female-oriented rams. This observation suggests that sexual partner preferences are neurologically hard-wired and could be influenced by hormones. Aromatase-containing neurones constitute a nascent oSDN as early as day 60 of gestation, which becomes sexually dimorphic by day 135 of gestation when it is two-fold larger in males than in females. Exposure of fetal female lambs to exogenous testosterone from days 30-90 of gestation resulted in a masculinised oSDN. These data demonstrate that the oSDN develops prenatally and may influence adult sexual preferences. Surprisingly, inhibition of aromatase activity in the brain of ram foetuses during the critical period did not interfere with defeminisation of adult sexual partner preference or oSDN volume. These results fail to support an essential role for neural aromatase in the sexual differentiation of sheep brain and behaviour. Thus, we propose that oSDN morphology and male-typical partner preferences may instead be programmed through an androgen receptor mechanism not involving aromatisation.

Digital MOS integrated circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmasry, M. I.

MOS in digital circuit design is considered along with aspects of digital VLSI, taking into account a comparison of MOSFET logic circuits, 1-micrometer MOSFET VLSI technology, a generalized guide for MOSFET miniaturization, processing technologies, novel circuit structures for VLSI, and questions of circuit and system design for VLSI. MOS memory cells and circuits are discussed, giving attention to a survey of high-density dynamic RAM cell concepts, one-device cells for dynamic random-access memories, variable resistance polysilicon for high density CMOS Ram, high performance MOS EPROMs using a stacked-gate cell, and the optimization of the latching pulse for dynamic flip-flop sensors. Programmable logic arrays are considered along with digital signal processors, microprocessors, static RAMs, and dynamic RAMs.

Optimal design and dynamic impact tests of removable bollards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Suwen; Liu, Tianyi; Li, Guoqiang; Liu, Qing; Sun, Jianyun

2017-10-01

Anti-ram bollard systems, which are installed around buildings and infrastructure, can prevent unauthorized vehicles from entering, maintain distance from vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) and reduce the corresponding damage. Compared with a fixed bollard system, a removable bollard system provides more flexibility as it can be removed when needed. This paper first proposes a new type of K4-rated removable anti-ram bollard system. To simulate the collision of a vehicle hitting the bollard system, a finite element model was then built and verified through comparison of numerical simulation results and existing experimental results. Based on the orthogonal design method, the factors influencing the safety and economy of this proposed system were examined and sorted according to their importance. An optimal design scheme was then produced. Finally, to validate the effectiveness of the proposed design scheme, four dynamic impact tests, including two front impact tests and two side impact tests, have been conducted according to BSI Specifications. The residual rotation angles of the specimen are smaller than 30º and satisfy the requirements of the BSI Specification.

Two way coupling RAM-SCB to the space weather modeling framework

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

Welling, Daniel T; Jordanova, Vania K; Zaharia, Sorin G

The Ring current Atmosphere interaction Model with Self-Consistently calculated 3D Magnetic field (RAM-SCB) has been used to successfully study inner magnetosphere dynamics during different solar wind and magnetosphere conditions. Recently, one way coupling of RAM-SCB with the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) has been achieved to replace all data or empirical inputs with those obtained through first-principles-based codes: magnetic field and plasma flux outer boundary conditions are provided by the Block Adaptive Tree Solar wind Roe-type Upwind Scheme (BATS-R-US) MHO code, convection electric field is provided by the Ridley Ionosphere Model (RIM), and ion composition is provided by the Polarmore » Wind Outflow Model (PWOM) combined with a multi-species MHO approach. These advances, though creating a powerful inner magnetosphere virtual laboratory, neglect the important mechanisms through which the ring current feeds back into the whole system, primarily the stretching of the magnetic field lines and shielding of the convection electric field through strong region two Field Aligned Currents (FACs). In turn, changing the magnetosphere in this way changes the evolution of the ring current. To address this shortcoming, the coupling has been expanded to include feedback from RAM-SCB to the other coupled codes: region two FACs are returned to the RIM while total plasma pressure is used to nudge the MHO solution towards the RAMSCB values. The impacts of the two way coupling are evaluated on three levels: the global magnetospheric level, focusing on the impact on the ionosphere and the shape of the magnetosphere, the regional level, examining the impact on the development of the ring current in terms of energy density, anisotropy, and plasma distribution, and the local level to compare the new results to in-situ measurements of magnetic and electric field and plasma. The results will also be compared to past simulations using the one way coupling and no coupling whatsoever. This work is the first to fully couple an anisotropic kinetic ring current code with a selfconsistently calculated magnetic field to a set of global models.« less

Regional Atmospheric Modeling of Caribbean Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winter, A.; Gonzalez, J.; Ramirez, N.; Vásquez, R.

2002-12-01

We use the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) to simulate climatic pattern on the island of Puerto Rico. We hope our analyses will be used to determine the effects of climate change on other Caribbean and tropical islands. Our first experiments were to simulate the precipitation patterns on the island and the urban heat island effect. The main model configuration consists of two grids. Grid 1 covers the entire Caribbean area and has a horizontal resolution of 20 km; it was used mainly for downscaling the large-scale observational data and for boundary nudging. Grid 2 has a horizontal resolution of 5 km and covers the island of Puerto Rico and surrounding waters with the full microphysical parameterization. RAMS was configured to use a vegetation index based on AVHRR data from NOAA 12 and NOAA 14 satellites. From these images we show that the vegetation for the month of January is more abundant than in March. Mean diameters for cloud droplets and raindrops where specified as 35 micrometers and 100 micrometers, respectively. We minimized errors due to clouds by combining data into a monthly composites. We found that experimentation with the microphysical parameterization had a significant impact in the total precipitation amount over the island. RAMS robustly simulated the total accumulated precipitation for the month of April 1998 as well the dependence of the precipitation pattern on the local topography over the island of Puerto Rico. To test the urban heat island effect RAMS was configured using only infrared emission and absorption of water vapor and carbon dioxide without treating clouds or condensate. A soil model was used with ten layers 5 cm thick. The model clearly shows that because of the urban heat island effect San Juan is 5° warmer than the surrounding area. The model results were validated using an extensive network of environmental monitoring instruments from various agencies covering the island of Puerto Rico. The data was converted to a common format using the Java application and made available over the internet using Java Server Pages. Statistical analysis and neural network techniques were employed to improve resolution of sparse lower atmospheric data.

Towing Tank Tests on a Ram Wing in a Rectangular Guideway

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-07-01

The object of the study was to set the theoretical and experimental basis for a preliminary design of a ram wing vehicle. A simplified one-dimensional mathematical model is developed in an attempt to estimate the stability derivatives of this type of...

RAM-SCB simulations of electron transport and plasma wave scattering during the October 2012 “double-dip” storm

DOE PAGES

Jordanova, Vania Koleva; Tu, Weichao; Chen, Yue; ...

2016-09-01

Here, mechanisms for electron injection, trapping, and loss in the near-Earth space environment are investigated during the October 2012 “double-dip” storm using our magnetically self-consistent ring current model (RAM-SCB). Pitch angle and energy scattering are included for the first time in RAM-SCB using L and magnetic local time (MLT) dependent event-specific chorus wave models inferred from NOAA POES and Van Allen Probes EMFISIS observations. The dynamics of the source (~10s keV) and seed (~100s keV) populations of the radiation belts simulated with RAM-SCB is compared with Van Allen Probes MagEIS observations in the morning sector and with measurements from NOAA-15more » satellite in the predawn and afternoon MLT sectors. We find that although the low-energy (E < 100 keV) electron fluxes are in good agreement with observations, increasing significantly by magnetospheric convection during both SYM-H dips while decreasing during the intermediate recovery phase, the injection of high-energy electrons is underestimated by this mechanism throughout the storm. Local acceleration by chorus waves intensifies the electron fluxes at E ≥ 50 keV considerably and RAM-SCB simulations overestimate the observed trapped fluxes by more than an order of magnitude; the simulated with RAM-SCB precipitating fluxes are weaker and their temporal and spatial evolution agree well with POES/MEPED data.« less

RAM-SCB simulations of electron transport and plasma wave scattering during the October 2012 “double-dip” storm

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

Jordanova, Vania Koleva; Tu, Weichao; Chen, Yue

Here, mechanisms for electron injection, trapping, and loss in the near-Earth space environment are investigated during the October 2012 “double-dip” storm using our magnetically self-consistent ring current model (RAM-SCB). Pitch angle and energy scattering are included for the first time in RAM-SCB using L and magnetic local time (MLT) dependent event-specific chorus wave models inferred from NOAA POES and Van Allen Probes EMFISIS observations. The dynamics of the source (~10s keV) and seed (~100s keV) populations of the radiation belts simulated with RAM-SCB is compared with Van Allen Probes MagEIS observations in the morning sector and with measurements from NOAA-15more » satellite in the predawn and afternoon MLT sectors. We find that although the low-energy (E < 100 keV) electron fluxes are in good agreement with observations, increasing significantly by magnetospheric convection during both SYM-H dips while decreasing during the intermediate recovery phase, the injection of high-energy electrons is underestimated by this mechanism throughout the storm. Local acceleration by chorus waves intensifies the electron fluxes at E ≥ 50 keV considerably and RAM-SCB simulations overestimate the observed trapped fluxes by more than an order of magnitude; the simulated with RAM-SCB precipitating fluxes are weaker and their temporal and spatial evolution agree well with POES/MEPED data.« less

An investigation of the internal and external aerodynamics of cattle trucks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muirhead, V. U.

1983-01-01

Wind tunnel tests were conducted on a one-tenth scale model of a conventional tractor trailer livestock hauler to determine the air flow through the trailer and the drag of the vehicle. These tests were conducted with the trailer empty and with a full load of simulated cattle. Additionally, the drag was determined for six configurations, of which details for three are documented herein. These are: (1) conventional livestock trailer empty, (2) conventional trailer with smooth sides (i.e., without ventilation openings), and (3) a stream line tractor with modified livestock trailer (cab streamlining and gap fairing). The internal flow of the streamlined modification with simulated cattle was determined with two different ducting systems: a ram air inlet over the cab and NACA submerged inlets between the cab and trailer. The air flow within the conventional trailer was random and variable. The streamline vehicle with ram air inlet provided a nearly uniform air flow which could be controlled. The streamline vehicle with NACA submerged inlets provided better flow conditions than the conventional livestock trailer but not as uniform or controllable as the ram inlet configuration.

Design and analysis of hydraulic ram water pumping system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussin, N. S. M.; Gamil, S. A.; Amin, N. A. M.; Safar, M. J. A.; Majid, M. S. A.; Kazim, M. N. F. M.; Nasir, N. F. M.

2017-10-01

The current pumping system (DC water pump) for agriculture is powered by household electricity, therefore, the cost of electricity will be increased due to the higher electricity consumption. In addition, the water needs to be supplied at different height of trees and different places that are far from the water source. The existing DC water pump can pump the water to 1.5 m height but it cost money for electrical source. The hydraulic ram is a mechanical water pump that suitable used for agriculture purpose. It can be a good substitute for DC water pump in agriculture use. The hydraulic ram water pumping system has ability to pump water using gravitational energy or the kinetic energy through flowing source of water. This project aims to analyze and develop the water ram pump in order to meet the desired delivery head up to 3 meter height with less operation cost. The hydraulic ram is designed using CATIA software. Simulation work has been done using ANSYS CFX software to validate the working concept. There are three design were tested in the experiment study. The best design reached target head of 3 m with 15% efficiency and flow rate of 11.82l/min. The results from this study show that the less diameter of pressure chamber and higher supply head will create higher pressure.

SU-F-J-44: Development of a Room Laser Based Real-Time Alignment Monitoring System Using An Array of Photodiodes

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

Noh, Y; Kim, T; Kang, S

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop a real-time alignment monitoring system (RAMS) to compensate for the limitations of the conventional room laser based alignment system, and to verify the feasibility of the RAMS. Methods: The RAMS was composed of a room laser sensing array (RLSA), an analog-todigital converter, and a control PC. In the RLSA, seven photodiodes (each in 1 mm width) are arranged in a pattern that the RAMS provides alignment in 1 mm resolution. It works based on detecting laser light aligned on one of photodiodes. When misaligned, the laser would match with different photodiode(s) giving signal at unexpected location. Thus,more » how much displaced can be determined. To verify the reproducibility of the system with respect to time as well as repeated set-ups, temporal reproducibility and repeatability test was conducted. The accuracy of the system was tested by obtaining detection signals with varying laser-match positions. Results: The signal of the RAMS was found to be stable with respect to time. The repeatability test resulted in a maximum coefficient of variance of 1.14%, suggesting that the signal of the RAMS was stable over repeated set-ups. In the accuracy test, signals between when the laser was aligned and notaligned with any of sensors could be distinguished by signal intensity. The signals of not-aligned sensors were always below 75% of the signal of the aligned sensor. It was confirmed that the system could detect 1 mm of movement by monitoring the pattern of signals, and could observe the movement of the system in real-time. Conclusion: We developed a room laser based alignment monitoring system. The feasibility test verified that the system is capable of quantitative alignment monitoring in real time. The system is relatively simple, not expensive, and considered to be easily incorporated into conventional room laser systems for real-time alignment monitoring. This research was supported by the Mid-career Researcher Program through NRF funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning of Korea (NRF-2014R1A2A1A10050270) and by the Radiation Technology R&D program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (No. 2013M2A2A7038291)« less

Analysis of ramming settlement based on dissipative principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Hao; Yu, Kaining; Chen, Changli; Li, Changrong; Wang, Xiuli

2018-03-01

The deformation of soil is a kind of dissipative structure under the action of dynamic compaction. The macroscopic performance of soil to steady state evolution is the change of ramming settlement in the process of dynamic compaction. based on the existing solution of dynamic compaction boundary problem, calculated ramming effectiveness (W) and ramming efficiency coefficient( η ). For the same soil, ramming efficiency coefficient is related to ramming factor λ = M/ρr3. By using the dissipative principle to analyze the law between ramming settlements and ramming times under different ramming energy and soil density, come to the conclusion that: Firstly, with the increase of ramming numbers, ramming settlement tends to a stable value, ramming effectiveness coefficient tends to a stable value. Secondly, under the condition of the same single ramming energy, the soil density of before ramming has effect on ramming effectiveness of previous ramming, almost no effect on ramming effectiveness of subsequent ramming. Thirdly, under the condition of the same soil density, different ramming energy correspond to different steady-state, the cumulative ramming settlement and steady-state increase with ramming energy.

The collaborative effect of ram pressure and merging on star formation and stripping fraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bischko, J. C.; Steinhauser, D.; Schindler, S.

2015-04-01

Aims: We investigate the effect of ram pressure stripping (RPS) on several simulations of merging pairs of gas-rich spiral galaxies. We are concerned with the changes in stripping efficiency and the time evolution of the star formation rate. Our goal is to provide an estimate of the combined effect of merging and RPS compared to the influence of the individual processes. Methods: We make use of the combined N-body/hydrodynamic code GADGET-2. The code features a threshold-based statistical recipe for star formation, as well as radiative cooling and modeling of galactic winds. In our simulations, we vary mass ratios between 1:4 and 1:8 in a binary merger. We sample different geometric configurations of the merging systems (edge-on and face-on mergers, different impact parameters). Furthermore, we vary the properties of the intracluster medium (ICM) in rough steps: the speed of the merging system relative to the ICM between 500 and 1000 km s-1, the ICM density between 10-29 and 10-27 g cm-3, and the ICM direction relative to the mergers' orbital plane. Ram pressure is kept constant within a simulation time period, as is the ICM temperature of 107 K. Each simulation in the ICM is compared to simulations of the merger in vacuum and the non-merging galaxies with acting ram pressure. Results: Averaged over the simulation time (1 Gyr) the merging pairs show a negligible 5% enhancement in SFR, when compared to single galaxies under the same environmental conditions. The SFRs peak at the time of the galaxies first fly-through. There, our simulations show SFRs of up to 20 M⊙ yr-1 (compared to 3 M⊙ yr-1 of the non-merging galaxies in vacuum). In the most extreme case, this constitutes a short-term (<50 Myr) SFR increase of 50 % over the non-merging galaxies experiencing ram pressure. The wake of merging galaxies in the ICM typically has a third to half the star mass seen in the non-merging galaxies and 5% to 10% less gas mass. The joint effect of RPS and merging, according to our simulations, is not significantly different from pure ram pressure effects.

Space-based solar power conversion and delivery systems study. Volume 5: Economic analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Space-based solar power conversion and delivery systems are studied along with a variety of economic and programmatic issues relevant to their development and deployment. The costs, uncertainties and risks associated with the current photovoltaic Satellite Solar Power System (SSPS) configuration, and issues affecting the development of an economically viable SSPS development program are addressed. In particular, the desirability of low earth orbit (LEO) and geosynchronous (GEO) test satellites is examined and critical technology areas are identified. The development of SSPS unit production (nth item), and operation and maintenance cost models suitable for incorporation into a risk assessment (Monte Carlo) model (RAM) are reported. The RAM was then used to evaluate the current SSPS configuration expected costs and cost-risk associated with this configuration. By examining differential costs and cost-risk as a function of postulated technology developments, the critical technologies, that is, those which drive costs and/or cost-risk, are identified. It is shown that the key technology area deals with productivity in space, that is, the ability to fabricate and assemble large structures in space, not, as might be expected, with some hardware component technology.

System Verification Through Reliability, Availability, Maintainability (RAM) Analysis & Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)

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

Emmanuel Ohene Opare, Jr.; Charles V. Park

The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project, managed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), is authored by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, to research, develop, design, construct, and operate a prototype fourth generation nuclear reactor to meet the needs of the 21st Century. A section in this document proposes that the NGNP will provide heat for process heat applications. As with all large projects developing and deploying new technologies, the NGNP is expected to meet high performance and availability targets relative to current state of the art systems and technology. One requirement for the NGNP is to provide heatmore » for the generation of hydrogen for large scale productions and this process heat application is required to be at least 90% or more available relative to other technologies currently on the market. To reach this goal, a RAM Roadmap was developed highlighting the actions to be taken to ensure that various milestones in system development and maturation concurrently meet required availability requirements. Integral to the RAM Roadmap was the use of a RAM analytical/simulation tool which was used to estimate the availability of the system when deployed based on current design configuration and the maturation level of the system.« less

Application of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System to the Martian Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rafkin, Scot C. R.

1998-01-01

The core dynamics of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), a widely used and powerful mesoscale Earth model, is adapted to the Martian Atmosphere and applied in the study of aeolian surface features. In particular, research efforts focused on the substitution of Martian planetary and atmospheric properties such as rotation rate, and thermodynamic constants in place of hard-wired Earth properties. Application of the model was restricted to three-dimensional flow impinging upon impact craters, and the search for plausible wind patterns that could produce the so-called light and dark streaks downwind of topographic barriers.

Adaptive glide slope control for parafoil and payload aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Michael

Airdrop systems provide a unique capability of delivering large payloads to undeveloped and inaccessible locations. Traditionally, these systems have been unguided, requiring large landing zones and drops from low altitude. The invention of the steerable, gliding, ram-air parafoil enabled the possibility of precision aerial payload delivery. In practice, the gliding ability of the ram-air parafoil can actually create major problems for airdrop systems by making them more susceptible to winds and allowing them to achieve far greater miss distances than were previously possible. Research and development work on guided airdrop systems has focused primarily on evolutionary improvements to the guidance algorithm, while the navigation and control algorithms have changed little since the initial autnomous systems were developed. Furthermore, the control mechanisms have not changed since the invention of the ram-air canopy in the 1960’s. The primary contributions of this dissertation are: (1) the development of a reliable and robust method to identify a flight dynamic model for a parafoil and payload aircraft using minimal sensor data; (2) the first demonstration in flight test of the ability to achieve large changes in glide slope over ground using coupled incidence angle variation and trailing edge brake deflection; (3) the first development of a control law to implement glide slope control on an autonomous system; (4) the first flight tests of autonomous landing with a glide slope control mechanism demonstrating an improvement in landing accuracy by a factor of 2 or more in especially windy conditions, and (5) the first demonstrations in both simulation and flight test of the ability to perform in-flight system identification to adapt the internal control mappings to flight data and provide dramatic improvements in landing accuracy when there is a significant discrepancy between the assumed and actual flight characteristics.

INM. Integrated Noise Model Version 4.11. User’s Guide - Supplement

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

KB of Random Access Memory (RAM) or 3 MB of RAM, if operating the INM from a RAM disk, as discussed in Section 1.2.1 below; 0 Math co-processor, Series... accessible from the Data Base using the ACDB11.EXE computer program, supplied with the Version 4.11 release. With the exception of INM airplane numbers 1, 6...9214 10760 -- -.-- 27 7053 6215 9470 10703 --- --- - 28 SS7 5940 SS94 729S . ... ... 29 4223 4884 7897 9214 10760 ..... 30 sots 6474 7939 8774

THE MAGELLANIC STREAM SYSTEM. I. RAM-PRESSURE TAILS AND THE RELICS OF THE COLLISION BETWEEN THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS

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

Hammer, F.; Yang, Y. B.; Flores, H.

We have analyzed the Magellanic Stream (MS) using the deepest and the most resolved H i survey of the Southern Hemisphere (the Galactic All-Sky Survey). The overall Stream is structured into two filaments, suggesting two ram-pressure tails lagging behind the Magellanic Clouds (MCs), and resembling two close, transonic, von Karman vortex streets. The past motions of the Clouds appear imprinted in them, implying almost parallel initial orbits, and then a radical change after their passage near the N(H i) peak of the MS. This is consistent with a recent collision between the MCs, 200–300 Myr ago, which has stripped theirmore » gas further into small clouds, spreading them out along a gigantic bow shock, perpendicular to the MS. The Stream is formed by the interplay between stellar feedback and the ram pressure exerted by hot gas in the Milky Way (MW) halo with n{sub h} = 10{sup −4} cm{sup −3} at 50–70 kpc, a value necessary to explain the MS multiphase high-velocity clouds. The corresponding hydrodynamic modeling provides the currently most accurate reproduction of the whole H i Stream morphology, of its velocity, and column density profiles along L{sub MS}. The “ram pressure plus collision” scenario requires tidal dwarf galaxies, which are assumed to be the Cloud and dSph progenitors, to have left imprints in the MS and the Leading Arm, respectively. The simulated LMC and SMC have baryonic mass, kinematics, and proper motions consistent with observations. This supports a novel paradigm for the MS System, which could have its origin in material expelled toward the MW by the ancient gas-rich merger that formed M31.« less

The Magellanic Stream System. I. Ram-Pressure Tails and the Relics of the Collision Between the Magellanic Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammer, F.; Yang, Y. B.; Flores, H.; Puech, M.; Fouquet, S.

2015-11-01

We have analyzed the Magellanic Stream (MS) using the deepest and the most resolved H i survey of the Southern Hemisphere (the Galactic All-Sky Survey). The overall Stream is structured into two filaments, suggesting two ram-pressure tails lagging behind the Magellanic Clouds (MCs), and resembling two close, transonic, von Karman vortex streets. The past motions of the Clouds appear imprinted in them, implying almost parallel initial orbits, and then a radical change after their passage near the N(H i) peak of the MS. This is consistent with a recent collision between the MCs, 200-300 Myr ago, which has stripped their gas further into small clouds, spreading them out along a gigantic bow shock, perpendicular to the MS. The Stream is formed by the interplay between stellar feedback and the ram pressure exerted by hot gas in the Milky Way (MW) halo with n h = 10-4 cm-3 at 50-70 kpc, a value necessary to explain the MS multiphase high-velocity clouds. The corresponding hydrodynamic modeling provides the currently most accurate reproduction of the whole H i Stream morphology, of its velocity, and column density profiles along L MS. The “ram pressure plus collision” scenario requires tidal dwarf galaxies, which are assumed to be the Cloud and dSph progenitors, to have left imprints in the MS and the Leading Arm, respectively. The simulated LMC and SMC have baryonic mass, kinematics, and proper motions consistent with observations. This supports a novel paradigm for the MS System, which could have its origin in material expelled toward the MW by the ancient gas-rich merger that formed M31.

The Effectiveness of Software Project Management Practices: A Quantitative Measurement

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

Assessment (SPMMA) model ( Ramli , 2007). The purpose of the SPMMA was to help a company measure the strength and weaknesses of its software project...Practices,” Fuazi and Ramli presented a model to assess software project management practices using their Software Project Management Maturity...Analysis The SPMMA was carried out on one mid-size Information Technology (IT) Company . Based on the questionnaire responses, interviews and discussions

Evaluation of Columbia, USMARC-Composite, Suffolk, and Texel rams as terminal sires in an extensive rangeland production system: I. Ewe productivity and crossbred lamb survival and preweaning growth

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A 3-yr study was conducted to comprehensively evaluate Columbia, Suffolk, USMARC-Composite (Composite), and Texel breeds as terminal sires in an extensive rangeland production system. The objective was to estimate breed-of-ram effects on ewe fertility, prolificacy, and dystocia, and sire breed effe...

Ferroelectric memory evaluation and development system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bondurant, David W.

Attention is given to the Ramtron FEDS-1, an IBM PC/AT compatible single-board 16-b microcomputer with 8-kbyte program/data memory implemented with nonvolatile ferroelectric dynamic RAM. This is the first demonstration of a new type of solid state nonvolatile read/write memory, the ferroelectric RAM (FRAM). It is suggested that this memory technology will have a significant impact on avionics system performance and reliability.

Fast in-memory elastic full-waveform inversion using consumer-grade GPUs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivertsen Bergslid, Tore; Birger Raknes, Espen; Arntsen, Børge

2017-04-01

Full-waveform inversion (FWI) is a technique to estimate subsurface properties by using the recorded waveform produced by a seismic source and applying inverse theory. This is done through an iterative optimization procedure, where each iteration requires solving the wave equation many times, then trying to minimize the difference between the modeled and the measured seismic data. Having to model many of these seismic sources per iteration means that this is a highly computationally demanding procedure, which usually involves writing a lot of data to disk. We have written code that does forward modeling and inversion entirely in memory. A typical HPC cluster has many more CPUs than GPUs. Since FWI involves modeling many seismic sources per iteration, the obvious approach is to parallelize the code on a source-by-source basis, where each core of the CPU performs one modeling, and do all modelings simultaneously. With this approach, the GPU is already at a major disadvantage in pure numbers. Fortunately, GPUs can more than make up for this hardware disadvantage by performing each modeling much faster than a CPU. Another benefit of parallelizing each individual modeling is that it lets each modeling use a lot more RAM. If one node has 128 GB of RAM and 20 CPU cores, each modeling can use only 6.4 GB RAM if one is running the node at full capacity with source-by-source parallelization on the CPU. A parallelized per-source code using GPUs can use 64 GB RAM per modeling. Whenever a modeling uses more RAM than is available and has to start using regular disk space the runtime increases dramatically, due to slow file I/O. The extremely high computational speed of the GPUs combined with the large amount of RAM available for each modeling lets us do high frequency FWI for fairly large models very quickly. For a single modeling, our GPU code outperforms the single-threaded CPU-code by a factor of about 75. Successful inversions have been run on data with frequencies up to 40 Hz for a model of 2001 by 600 grid points with 5 m grid spacing and 5000 time steps, in less than 2.5 minutes per source. In practice, using 15 nodes (30 GPUs) to model 101 sources, each iteration took approximately 9 minutes. For reference, the same inversion run with our CPU code uses two hours per iteration. This was done using only a very simple wavefield interpolation technique, saving every second timestep. Using a more sophisticated checkpointing or wavefield reconstruction method would allow us to increase this model size significantly. Our results show that ordinary gaming GPUs are a viable alternative to the expensive professional GPUs often used today, when performing large scale modeling and inversion in geophysics.

76 FR 62671 - Airworthiness Directives; Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-11

... product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as: The manufacturer of the Transformer Rectifier Unit... MCAI states: The manufacturer of the Transformer Rectifier Unit (TRU) part of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT..., all serial numbers, certificated in any category; equipped with any Ram Air Turbine (RAT) Transformer...

Empirical modeling of Single-Event Upset (SEU) in NMOS depletion-mode-load static RAM (SRAM) chips

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoutendyk, J. A.; Smith, L. S.; Soli, G. A.; Smith, S. L.; Atwood, G. E.

1986-01-01

A detailed experimental investigation of single-event upset (SEU) in static RAM (SRAM) chips fabricated using a family of high-performance NMOS (HMOS) depletion-mode-load process technologies, has been done. Empirical SEU models have been developed with the aid of heavy-ion data obtained with a three-stage tandem van de Graaff accelerator. The results of this work demonstrate a method by which SEU may be empirically modeled in NMOS integrated circuits.

Feeding of the megamouth shark (Pisces: Lamniformes: Megachasmidae) predicted by its hyoid arch: a biomechanical approach.

PubMed

Tomita, Taketeru; Sato, Keiichi; Suda, Kenta; Kawauchi, Junro; Nakaya, Kazuhiro

2011-05-01

Studies of the megamouth shark, one of three planktivorous sharks, can provide information about their evolutionary history. Megamouth shark feeding has never been observed in life animals, but two alternative hypotheses on biomechanics suggest either feeding, i.e., ram feeding or suction feeding. In this study, the second moment of area of the ceratohyal cartilages, which is an indicator of the flexural stiffness of the cartilages, is calculated for 21 species of ram- and suction-feeding sharks using computed tomography. The results indicate that suction-feeding sharks have ceratohyal cartilages with a larger second moment of area than ram-feeding sharks. The result also indicates that the ram-suction index, which is an indicator of relative contribution of ram and suction behavior, is also correlated with the second moment of area of the ceratohyal. Considering that large bending stresses are expected to be applied to the ceratohyal cartilage during suction, the larger second moment of area of the ceratohyal of suction-feeding sharks can be interpreted as an adaptation for suction feeding. Based on the small second moment of area of the ceratohyal cartilage of the megamouth shark, the feeding mode of the megamouth shark is considered to be ram feeding, similar to the planktivorous basking shark. From these results, an evolutionary scenario of feeding mechanics of three species of planktivorous sharks can be suggested. In this scenario, the planktivorous whale shark evolved ram feeding from a benthic suction-feeding ancestor. Ram feeding in the planktivorous megamouth shark and the basking shark evolved from ram feeding swimming-type ancestors and that both developed their unique filtering system to capture small-sized prey. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The New S-RAM Air Variable Compressor/Expander for Heat Pump and Waste Heat to Power Application

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

Dehoff, Ryan R; Jestings, Lee; Conde, Ricardo

S-RAM Dynamics (S-RAM) has designed an innovative heat pump system targeted for commercial and industrial applications. This new heat pump system is more efficient than anything currently on the market and utilizes air as the refrigerant instead of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, leading to lower operating costs, minimal environmental costs or concerns, and lower maintenance costs. The heat pumps will be manufactured in the United States. This project was aimed at determining the feasibility of utilizing additive manufacturing to make the heat exchanger device for the new heat pump system. ORNL and S-RAM Dynamics collaborated on determining the prototype performance andmore » subsequently printing of the prototype using additive manufacturing. Complex heat exchanger designs were fabricated using the Arcam electron beam melting (EBM) powder bed technology using Ti-6Al-4V material. An ultrasonic welding system was utilized in order to remove the powder from the small openings of the heat exchanger. The majority of powder in the small chambers was removed, however, the amount of powder remaining in the heat exchanger was a function of geometry. Therefore, only certain geometries of heat exchangers could be fabricated. SRAM Dynamics evaluated a preliminary heat exchanger design. Although the results of the additive manufacturing of the heat exchanger were not optimum, a less complex geometry was demonstrated. A sleeve valve was used as a demonstration piece, as engine designs from S-RAM Dynamics require the engine to have a very high density. Preliminary designs of this geometry were successfully fabricated using the EBM technology.« less

Static RAM data recorder for flight tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoner, D. C.; Eklund, T. F. F.

A static random access memory (RAM) data recorder has been developed to recover strain and acceleration data during development tests of high-speed earth penetrating vehicles. Bilevel inputs are also available for continuity measurements. An iteration of this system was modified for use on water entry evaluations.

RAM-SCB simulations of electron transport and plasma wave scattering during the October 2012 "double-dip" storm.

PubMed

Jordanova, V K; Tu, W; Chen, Y; Morley, S K; Panaitescu, A-D; Reeves, G D; Kletzing, C A

2016-09-01

Mechanisms for electron injection, trapping, and loss in the near-Earth space environment are investigated during the October 2012 "double-dip" storm using our ring current-atmosphere interactions model with self-consistent magnetic field (RAM-SCB). Pitch angle and energy scattering are included for the first time in RAM-SCB using L and magnetic local time (MLT)-dependent event-specific chorus wave models inferred from NOAA Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) and Van Allen Probes Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science observations. The dynamics of the source (approximately tens of keV) and seed (approximately hundreds of keV) populations of the radiation belts simulated with RAM-SCB is compared with Van Allen Probes Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer observations in the morning sector and with measurements from NOAA 15 satellite in the predawn and afternoon MLT sectors. We find that although the low-energy ( E < 100 keV) electron fluxes are in good agreement with observations, increasing significantly by magnetospheric convection during both SYM-H dips while decreasing during the intermediate recovery phase, the injection of high-energy electrons is underestimated by this mechanism throughout the storm. Local acceleration by chorus waves intensifies the electron fluxes at E ≥50 keV considerably, and RAM-SCB simulations overestimate the observed trapped fluxes by more than an order of magnitude; the precipitating fluxes simulated with RAM-SCB are weaker, and their temporal and spatial evolutions agree well with POES/Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detectors data.

Flight and Preflight Tests of a Ram Jet Burning Magnesium Slurry Fuel and Utilizing a Solid-propellant Gas Generator for Fuel Expulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartlett, Walter, A , jr; Hagginbotham, William K , Jr

1955-01-01

Data obtained from the first flight test of a ram jet utilizing a magnesium slurry fuel are presented. The ram jet accelerated from a Mach number of 1.75 to a Mach number of 3.48 in 15.5 seconds. During this period a maximum values of air specific impulse and gross thrust coefficient were calculated to be 151 seconds and 0.658, respectively. The rocket gas generator used as a fuel-pumping system operated successfully.

Development and flight test of a deployable precision landing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sim, Alex G.; Murray, James E.; Neufeld, David C.; Reed, R. Dale

1994-01-01

A joint NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility and Johnson Space Center program was conducted to determine the feasibility of the autonomous recovery of a spacecraft using a ram-air parafoil system for the final stages of entry from space that included a precision landing. The feasibility of this system was studied using a flight model of a spacecraft in the generic shape of a flattened biconic that weighed approximately 150 lb and was flown under a commercially available, ram-air parachute. Key elements of the vehicle included the Global Positioning System guidance for navigation, flight control computer, ultrasonic sensing for terminal altitude, electronic compass, and onboard data recording. A flight test program was used to develop and refine the vehicle. This vehicle completed an autonomous flight from an altitude of 10,000 ft and a lateral offset of 1.7 miles that resulted in a precision flare and landing into the wind at a predetermined location. At times, the autonomous flight was conducted in the presence of winds approximately equal to vehicle airspeed. Several novel techniques for computing the winds postflight were evaluated. Future program objectives are also presented.

Memory interface simulator: A computer design aid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, D. S.; Williams, T.; Weatherbee, J. E.

1972-01-01

Results are presented of a study conducted with a digital simulation model being used in the design of the Automatically Reconfigurable Modular Multiprocessor System (ARMMS), a candidate computer system for future manned and unmanned space missions. The model simulates the activity involved as instructions are fetched from random access memory for execution in one of the system central processing units. A series of model runs measured instruction execution time under various assumptions pertaining to the CPU's and the interface between the CPU's and RAM. Design tradeoffs are presented in the following areas: Bus widths, CPU microprogram read only memory cycle time, multiple instruction fetch, and instruction mix.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal and the Spanish school of neurology.

PubMed

Andres-Barquin, Pedro J

2002-11-01

Advances in neurology are now possible thanks to the endeavours of a few scientists who in the past laid firm foundations for the study of the nervous system. Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) was one such pioneer of brain exploration and is acknowledged as the founder of modern neuroscience. He described the structure and organisation of virtually all parts of the nervous system and developed theories, including the neuron doctrine and the law of functional polarisation, that are the cornerstones of neuroscience. In addition to devoting his life to research, Ramón y Cajal was a dedicated teacher and mentor and created a school that greatly contributed to the flourishing of neurology.

77 FR 40830 - Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-11

... proposed AD was prompted by reports of ram air turbine (RAT) pump failure. This proposed AD would require..., an A330 aeroplane experienced a RAT [ram air turbine] pump failure, as a result of which, the green hydraulic system could not be fully pressurized. Investigations concluded that this malfunction was due to...

MSIX - A general and user-friendly platform for RAM analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Z. J.; Blemel, Peter

The authors present a CAD (computer-aided design) platform supporting RAM (reliability, availability, and maintainability) analysis with efficient system description and alternative evaluation. The design concepts, implementation techniques, and application results are described. This platform is user-friendly because of its graphic environment, drawing facilities, object orientation, self-tutoring, and access to the operating system. The programs' independency and portability make them generally applicable to various analysis tasks.

PO calculation for reduction in radar cross section of hypersonic targets using RAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Song-hua; Guo, Li-xin; Pan, Wei-tao; Chen, Wei; Xiao, Yi-fan

2018-06-01

The radar cross section (RCS) reduction of hypersonic targets by radar absorbing materials (RAM) coating under different reentry cases is analyzed in the C and X bands frequency range normally used for radar detection. The physical optics method is extended to both the inhomogeneous plasma sheath and RAM layer present simultaneously. The simulation results show that the absorbing coating can reduce the RCS of the plasma cloaking system and its effectiveness is related to the maximum plasma frequency. Moreover, the amount of the RCS decrease, its maxima, and the corresponding optimal RAM thickness depend on the non-uniformity and parameters of the plasma sheath. In addition, the backward RCS of the flight vehicle shrouded by plasma shielding and man-made absorber is calculated and compared to the bare cone.

The impacts of land use, radiative forcing, and biological changes on regional climate in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dairaku, K.; Pielke, R. A., Sr.

2013-12-01

Because regional responses of surface hydrological and biogeochemical changes are particularly complex, it is necessary to develop assessment tools for regional scale adaptation to climate. We developed a dynamical downscaling method using the regional climate model (NIED-RAMS) over Japan. The NIED-RAMS model includes a plant model that considers biological processes, the General Energy and Mass Transfer Model (GEMTM) which adds spatial resolution to accurately assess critical interactions within the regional climate system for vulnerability assessments to climate change. We digitalized a potential vegetation map that formerly existed only on paper into Geographic Information System data. It quantified information on the reduction of green spaces and the expansion of urban and agricultural areas in Japan. We conducted regional climate sensitivity experiments of land use and land cover (LULC) change, radiative forcing, and biological effects by using the NIED-RAMS with horizontal grid spacing of 20 km. We investigated regional climate responses in Japan for three experimental scenarios: 1. land use and land cover is changed from current to potential vegetation; 2. radiative forcing is changed from 1 x CO2 to 2 x CO2; and 3. biological CO2 partial pressures in plants are doubled. The experiments show good accuracy in reproducing the surface air temperature and precipitation. The experiments indicate the distinct change of hydrological cycles in various aspects due to anthropogenic LULC change, radiative forcing, and biological effects. The relative impacts of those changes are discussed and compared. Acknowledgments This study was conducted as part of the research subject "Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in Water Hazard Assessed Using Regional Climate Scenarios in the Tokyo Region' (National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention; PI: Koji Dairaku) of Research Program on Climate Change Adaptation (RECCA), and was supported by the SOUSEI Program, funded by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Government of Japan.

On the accuracy of personality judgment: a realistic approach.

PubMed

Funder, D C

1995-10-01

The "accuracy paradigm" for the study of personality judgment provides an important, new complement to the "error paradigm" that dominated this area of research for almost 2 decades. The present article introduces a specific approach within the accuracy paradigm called the Realistic Accuracy Model (RAM). RAM begins with the assumption that personality traits are real attributes of individuals. This assumption entails the use of a broad array of criteria for the evaluation of personality judgment and leads to a model that describes accuracy as a function of the availability, detection, and utilization of relevant behavioral cues. RAM provides a common explanation for basic moderators of accuracy, sheds light on how these moderators interact, and outlines a research agenda that includes the reintegration of the study of error with the study of accuracy.

Experimental and numerical investigation of ram extrusion of bread dough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed, M. A. P.; Wanigasooriya, L.; Charalambides, M. N.

2016-10-01

An experimental and numerical study on ram extrusion of bread dough was conducted. A laboratory ram extrusion rig was designed and manufactured, where dies with different angles and exit radii were employed. Rate dependent behaviour was observed from tests conducted at different extrusion speeds, and higher extrusion pressure was reported for dies with decreasing exit radius. A finite element simulation of extrusion was performed using the adaptive meshing technique in Abaqus. Simulations using a frictionless contact between the billet and die wall showed that the model underestimates the response at high entry angles. On the other hand, when the coefficient of friction value was set to 0.09 as measured from friction experiments, the dough response was overestimated, i.e. the model extrusion pressure was much higher than the experimentally measured values. When a critical shear stress limit, τmax, was used, the accuracy of the model predictions improved. The results showed that higher die angles require higher τmax values for the model and the experiments to agree.

Regional climate modeling of heat stress, frost, and water stress events in the agricultural region of Southwest Western Australia under the current climate and future climate scenarios.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kala, Jatin; Lyons, Tom J.; Abbs, Deborah J.; Foster, Ian J.

2010-05-01

Heat stress, frost, and water stress events have significant impacts on grain quality and production within the agricultural region (wheat-belt) of Southwest Western Australia (SWWA) (Cramb, 2000) and understanding how the frequency and intensity of these events will change in the future is crucial for management purposes. Hence, the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (Pielke et al, 1992) (RAMS Version 6.0) is used to simulate the past 10 years of the climate of SWWA at a 20 km grid resolution by down-scaling the 6-hourly 1.0 by 1.0 degree National Center for Environmental Prediction Final Analyses from December 1999 to Present. Daily minimum and maximum temperatures, as well as daily rainfall are validated against observations. Simulations of future climate are carried out by down-scaling the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Mark 3.5 General Circulation Model (Gordon et al, 2002) for 10 years (2046-2055) under the SRES A2 scenario using the Cubic Conformal Atmospheric Model (CCAM) (McGregor and Dix, 2008). The 6-hourly CCAM output is then downscaled to a 20 km resolution using RAMS. Changes in extreme events are discussed within the context of the continued viability of agriculture in SWWA. Cramb, J. (2000) Climate in relation to agriculture in south-western Australia. In: The Wheat Book (Eds W. K. Anderson and J. R. Garlinge). Bulletin 4443. Department of Agriculture, Western Australia. Gordon, H. B., Rotstayn, L. D., McGregor, J. L., Dix, M. R., Kowalczyk, E. A., O'Farrell, S. P., Waterman, L. J., Hirst, A. C., Wilson, S. G., Collier, M. A., Watterson, I. G., and Elliott, T. I. (2002). The CSIRO Mk3 Climate System Model [Electronic publication]. Aspendale: CSIRO Atmospheric Research. (CSIRO Atmospheric Research technical paper; no. 60). 130 p McGregor, J. L., and Dix, M. R., (2008) An updated description of the conformal-cubic atmospheric model. High Resolution Simulation of the Atmosphere and Ocean, Hamilton, K. and Ohfuchi, W., Eds., Springer, 51-76. Pielke, R. A., Cotton, W. R., Walko, R. L., Tremback, C. J., Lyons, W. A., Grasso, L. D., Nicholls, M. E., Moran, M. D., Wesley, D. A., Lee, T. J., Copeland, J. H., (1992) A comprehensive meteorological modeling system - RAMS. Meteorol. Atmos. Phys., 49, 69-91.

Methods for resistive switching of memristors

DOEpatents

Mickel, Patrick R.; James, Conrad D.; Lohn, Andrew; Marinella, Matthew; Hsia, Alexander H.

2016-05-10

The present invention is directed generally to resistive random-access memory (RRAM or ReRAM) devices and systems, as well as methods of employing a thermal resistive model to understand and determine switching of such devices. In particular example, the method includes generating a power-resistance measurement for the memristor device and applying an isothermal model to the power-resistance measurement in order to determine one or more parameters of the device (e.g., filament state).

The relationship between post-thaw sperm DNA integrity and non-return rate among Norwegian cross-bred rams.

PubMed

Nordstoga, A B; Krogenæs, A; Nødtvedt, A; Farstad, W; Waterhouse, K

2013-04-01

With the aim of investigating the relationship between sperm DNA integrity and non-return rate (NRR) among Norwegian cross-bred rams, semen from 15 individuals was examined by flow cytometry. Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA) quantifies the proportion of spermatozoa with denatured DNA after in situ acid treatment, and the four parameters % DFI, % HDS, MEAN DFI and SD DFI are all different measures of DNA denaturation and maturation. Field fertility, reported as NRR 25 days after insemination was based on all inseminations from a large-scale breeding programme and supplied by the Norwegian Association of Sheep and Goat Farmers. From each ram, four straws from four different weeks of the breeding season were analysed, and the associations between 25-day NRR and the mean of the four SCSA parameters were tested using a logistic regression model. The results revealed no association between fertility and % DFI or % HDS, while SD DFI and MEAN DFI showed a significant negative association with NRR. Further, the SCSA values varied significantly between ejaculates within ram among some of the rams in the study. However, no significant association was seen between these intra-individual differences in sperm DNA integrity and NRR. In conclusion, this study suggests an association between sperm DNA integrity and NRR for rams. However, further research must be conducted to confirm these findings and determine whether sperm DNA assessments can be applied to predict ram fertility. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

A Next Generation Atmospheric Prediction System for the Navy

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

by DOE and NSF , while the HiRAM system has primarily been supported by NOAA, although both models have leveraged considerably from indirect and...Neptune scalability (blue line) with the increasing number of cores compared to a perfect simulation rate (black line). Horizontal distance (km...draw on the community expertise with both MPAS and HIRAM. NRL is a no- cost collaborator with a number of proposals for the ONR Seasonal Prediction

Economics of ramucirumab for metastatic colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Zeichner, Simon B; Kohn, Christine G; Goldstein, Daniel A

2016-12-01

Despite its FDA approval and incorporation into the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines, ramucirumab (RAM) is associated with a drug acquisition cost that is substantially higher than other approved options. Given its substantial cost, the presence of a viable alternative treatment option, and its minimal survival improvement, the usefulness of RAM in clinical practice has been called into question. Areas covered: In this paper, we outline the cost, benefits, and economic implications of RAM from a US perspective, as it is used in the treatment of mCRC. We also dissect its use in other tumor types and in other healthcare systems around the world, and briefly compare it with similar drugs targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway. We used the search engine PubMed using the following as search terms: cost-effectiveness; ramucirumab; metastatic colon cancer; angiogenesis; and value-based medicine. Expert commentary: The use of ramucirumab in the treatment of mCRC serves as a microcosm of the worsening healthcare crisis within the US and the ongoing controversy regarding oncology drug costs, benefits, and value. Therefore, there must be a joint effort in moving towards value based pricing models.

Rocket-Based Combined Cycle Engine Concept Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ratekin, G.; Goldman, Allen; Ortwerth, P.; Weisberg, S.; McArthur, J. Craig (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The development of rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC) propulsion systems is part of a 12 year effort under both company funding and contract work. The concept is a fixed geometry integrated rocket, ramjet, scramjet, which is hydrogen fueled and uses hydrogen regenerative cooling. The baseline engine structural configuration uses an integral structure that eliminates panel seals, seal purge gas, and closeout side attachments. Engine A5 is the current configuration for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the ART program. Engine A5 models the complete flight engine flowpath of inlet, isolator, airbreathing combustor, and nozzle. High-performance rocket thrusters are integrated into the engine enabling both low speed air-augmented rocket (AAR) and high speed pure rocket operation. Engine A5 was tested in GASL's new Flight Acceleration Simulation Test (FAST) facility in all four operating modes, AAR, RAM, SCRAM, and Rocket. Additionally, transition from AAR to RAM and RAM to SCRAM was also demonstrated. Measured performance demonstrated vision vehicle performance levels for Mach 3 AAR operation and ramjet operation from Mach 3 to 4. SCRAM and rocket mode performance was above predictions. For the first time, testing also demonstrated transition between operating modes.

Comparison of ScaRaB, GOES 8, Aircraft, and Surface Observations of the Absorption of Solar Radiation by Clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pope, Shelly K.; Valero, Francisco P. J.; Collins, William D.; Minnis, Patrick

2002-01-01

Data obtained by the Scanner for Radiation Budget (ScaRaB) instrument on the Meteor 3 satellite have been analyzed and compared to satellite (GOES 8), aircraft (Radiation Measurement System, RAMS), and surface (Baseline Solar Radiation Network (BSRN), Solar and Infrared Observations System (SIROS), and RAMS) measurements of irradiance obtained during the Atmospheric Radiation Measurements Enhanced Shortwave Experiment (ARESE). It is found that the ScaRaB data covering the period from March 1994 to February 1995 (the instrument's operational lifetime) indicate excess absorption of solar radiation by the cloudy atmosphere in agreement with previous aircraft, surface, and GOES 8 results. The full ScaRaB data set combined with BSRN and SIROS surface observations gives an average all-sky absorptance of 0.28. The GOES 8 data set combined with RAMS surface observations gives an average all-sky absorptance of 0.26. The aircraft data set (RAMS) gives a mean all-sky absorptance of 0.24 (for the column between 0.5 and 13 km).

NASA Space Science and a Search for Ram-Pressure Stripping in the Hydra I Cluster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Beth

2005-01-01

The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Sciences and Exploration Directorate seeks to expand scientific knowledge through observational and theoretical research in the study of the Earth-Sun system, the solar system and the origins of life, and the birth and evolution of the universe. This talk will discuss some of the cutting-edge space science research being conducted at Goddard. In addition, I will discuss my research on ram-pressure stripping in cluster elliptical galaxies. Ram-pressure stripping is a method by which hot interstellar gas can be removed from a galaxy moving through a group or cluster of galaxies. Indirect evidence of ram-pressure stripping includes lowered X-ray brightness in a galaxy due to less X-ray emitting gas remaining in the galaxy. Here we present the initial results of our program to determine whether cluster elliptical galaxies have lower hot gas masses than their counterparts in less rich environments. This test requires the use of the high-resolution imaging of the Chandra Observatory and we present our analysis of the galaxies in the nearby cluster Hydra I.

Examples of data assimilation in mesoscale models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carr, Fred; Zack, John; Schmidt, Jerry; Snook, John; Benjamin, Stan; Stauffer, David

1993-01-01

The keynote address was the problem of physical initialization of mesoscale models. The classic purpose of physical or diabatic initialization is to reduce or eliminate the spin-up error caused by the lack, at the initial time, of the fully developed vertical circulations required to support regions of large rainfall rates. However, even if a model has no spin-up problem, imposition of observed moisture and heating rate information during assimilation can improve quantitative precipitation forecasts, especially early in the forecast. The two key issues in physical initialization are the choice of assimilating technique and sources of hydrologic/hydrometeor data. Another example of data assimilation in mesoscale models was presented in a series of meso-beta scale model experiments with and 11 km version of the MASS model designed to investigate the sensitivity of convective initiation forced by thermally direct circulations resulting from differential surface heating to four dimensional assimilation of surface and radar data. The results of these simulations underscore the need to accurately initialize and simulate grid and sub-grid scale clouds in meso- beta scale models. The status of the application of the CSU-RAMS mesoscale model by the NOAA Forecast Systems Lab for producing real-time forecasts with 10-60 km mesh resolutions over (4000 km)(exp 2) domains for use by the aviation community was reported. Either MAPS or LAPS model data are used to initialize the RAMS model on a 12-h cycle. The use of MAPS (Mesoscale Analysis and Prediction System) model was discussed. Also discussed was the mesobeta-scale data assimilation using a triply-nested nonhydrostatic version of the MM5 model.

Review of radiation effects on ReRAM devices and technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Velo, Yago; Barnaby, Hugh J.; Kozicki, Michael N.

2017-08-01

A review of the ionizing radiation effects on resistive random access memory (ReRAM) technology and devices is presented in this article. The review focuses on vertical devices exhibiting bipolar resistance switching, devices that have already exhibited interesting properties and characteristics for memory applications and, in particular, for non-volatile memory applications. Non-volatile memories are important devices for any type of electronic and embedded system, as they are for space applications. In such applications, specific environmental issues related to the existence of cosmic rays and Van Allen radiation belts around the Earth contribute to specific failure mechanisms related to the energy deposition induced by such ionizing radiation. Such effects are important in non-volatile memory as the current leading technology, i.e. flash-based technology, is sensitive to the total ionizing dose (TID) and single-event effects. New technologies such as ReRAM, if competing with or complementing the existing non-volatile area of memories from the point of view of performance, also have to exhibit great reliability for use in radiation environments such as space. This has driven research on the radiation effects of such ReRAM technology, on both the conductive-bridge RAM as well as the valence-change memories, or OxRAM variants of the technology. Initial characterizations of ReRAM technology showed a high degree of resilience to TID, developing researchers’ interest in characterizing such resilience as well as investigating the cause of such behavior. The state of the art of such research is reviewed in this article.

Advanced Cu chemical displacement technique for SiO2-based electrochemical metallization ReRAM application.

PubMed

Chin, Fun-Tat; Lin, Yu-Hsien; You, Hsin-Chiang; Yang, Wen-Luh; Lin, Li-Min; Hsiao, Yu-Ping; Ko, Chum-Min; Chao, Tien-Sheng

2014-01-01

This study investigates an advanced copper (Cu) chemical displacement technique (CDT) with varying the chemical displacement time for fabricating Cu/SiO2-stacked resistive random-access memory (ReRAM). Compared with other Cu deposition methods, this CDT easily controls the interface of the Cu-insulator, the switching layer thickness, and the immunity of the Cu etching process, assisting the 1-transistor-1-ReRAM (1T-1R) structure and system-on-chip integration. The modulated shape of the Cu-SiO2 interface and the thickness of the SiO2 layer obtained by CDT-based Cu deposition on SiO2 were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The CDT-fabricated Cu/SiO2-stacked ReRAM exhibited lower operation voltages and more stable data retention characteristics than the control Cu/SiO2-stacked sample. As the Cu CDT processing time increased, the forming and set voltages of the CDT-fabricated Cu/SiO2-stacked ReRAM decreased. Conversely, decreasing the processing time reduced the on-state current and reset voltage while increasing the endurance switching cycle time. Therefore, the switching characteristics were easily modulated by Cu CDT, yielding a high performance electrochemical metallization (ECM)-type ReRAM.

Single-Event Upset (SEU) model verification and threshold determination using heavy ions in a bipolar static RAM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoutendyk, J. A.; Smith, L. S.; Soli, G. A.; Thieberger, P.; Wegner, H. E.

1985-01-01

Single-Event Upset (SEU) response of a bipolar low-power Schottky-diode-clamped TTL static RAM has been observed using Br ions in the 100-240 MeV energy range and O ions in the 20-100 MeV range. These data complete the experimental verification of circuit-simulation SEU modeling for this device. The threshold for onset of SEU has been observed by the variation of energy, ion species and angle of incidence. The results obtained from the computer circuit-simulation modeling and experimental model verification demonstrate a viable methodology for modeling SEU in bipolar integrated circuits.

The Effects of Ram-pressure Stripping and Supernova Winds on the Tidal Stirring of Disky Dwarfs: Enhanced Transformation into Dwarf Spheroidals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazantzidis, Stelios; Mayer, Lucio; Callegari, Simone; Dotti, Massimo; Moustakas, Leonidas A.

2017-02-01

A conclusive model for the formation of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies still remains elusive. Owing to their proximity to the massive spirals Milky Way (MW) and M31, various environmental processes have been invoked to explain their origin. In this context, the tidal stirring model postulates that interactions with MW-sized hosts can transform rotationally supported dwarfs, resembling present-day dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies, into systems with the kinematic and structural properties of dSphs. Using N-body+SPH simulations, we investigate the dependence of this transformation mechanism on the gas fraction, f gas, in the disk of the progenitor dwarf. Our numerical experiments incorporate for the first time the combined effects of radiative cooling, ram-pressure stripping, star formation, supernova (SN) winds, and a cosmic UV background. For a given orbit inside the primary galaxy, rotationally supported dwarfs with gas fractions akin to those of observed dIrrs (f gas ≳ 0.5), demonstrate a substantially enhanced likelihood and efficiency of transformation into dSphs relative to their collisionless (f gas = 0) counterparts. We argue that the combination of ram-pressure stripping and SN winds causes the gas-rich dwarfs to respond more impulsively to tides, augmenting their transformation. When f gas ≳ 0.5, disky dwarfs on previously unfavorable low-eccentricity or large-pericenter orbits are still able to transform. On the widest orbits, the transformation is incomplete; the dwarfs retain significant rotational support, a relatively flat shape, and some gas, naturally resembling transition-type systems. We conclude that tidal stirring constitutes a prevalent evolutionary mechanism for shaping the structure of dwarf galaxies within the currently favored CDM cosmological paradigm.

The Effects of Ram-pressure Stripping and Supernova Winds on the Tidal Stirring of Disky Dwarfs: Enhanced Transformation into Dwarf Spheroidals

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

Kazantzidis, Stelios; Mayer, Lucio; Callegari, Simone

A conclusive model for the formation of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies still remains elusive. Owing to their proximity to the massive spirals Milky Way (MW) and M31, various environmental processes have been invoked to explain their origin. In this context, the tidal stirring model postulates that interactions with MW-sized hosts can transform rotationally supported dwarfs, resembling present-day dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies, into systems with the kinematic and structural properties of dSphs. Using N -body+SPH simulations, we investigate the dependence of this transformation mechanism on the gas fraction, f {sub gas}, in the disk of the progenitor dwarf. Our numerical experimentsmore » incorporate for the first time the combined effects of radiative cooling, ram-pressure stripping, star formation, supernova (SN) winds, and a cosmic UV background. For a given orbit inside the primary galaxy, rotationally supported dwarfs with gas fractions akin to those of observed dIrrs ( f {sub gas} ≳ 0.5), demonstrate a substantially enhanced likelihood and efficiency of transformation into dSphs relative to their collisionless ( f {sub gas} = 0) counterparts. We argue that the combination of ram-pressure stripping and SN winds causes the gas-rich dwarfs to respond more impulsively to tides, augmenting their transformation. When f {sub gas} ≳ 0.5, disky dwarfs on previously unfavorable low-eccentricity or large-pericenter orbits are still able to transform. On the widest orbits, the transformation is incomplete; the dwarfs retain significant rotational support, a relatively flat shape, and some gas, naturally resembling transition-type systems. We conclude that tidal stirring constitutes a prevalent evolutionary mechanism for shaping the structure of dwarf galaxies within the currently favored CDM cosmological paradigm.« less

System matrix computation vs storage on GPU: A comparative study in cone beam CT.

PubMed

Matenine, Dmitri; Côté, Geoffroi; Mascolo-Fortin, Julia; Goussard, Yves; Després, Philippe

2018-02-01

Iterative reconstruction algorithms in computed tomography (CT) require a fast method for computing the intersection distances between the trajectories of photons and the object, also called ray tracing or system matrix computation. This work focused on the thin-ray model is aimed at comparing different system matrix handling strategies using graphical processing units (GPUs). In this work, the system matrix is modeled by thin rays intersecting a regular grid of box-shaped voxels, known to be an accurate representation of the forward projection operator in CT. However, an uncompressed system matrix exceeds the random access memory (RAM) capacities of typical computers by one order of magnitude or more. Considering the RAM limitations of GPU hardware, several system matrix handling methods were compared: full storage of a compressed system matrix, on-the-fly computation of its coefficients, and partial storage of the system matrix with partial on-the-fly computation. These methods were tested on geometries mimicking a cone beam CT (CBCT) acquisition of a human head. Execution times of three routines of interest were compared: forward projection, backprojection, and ordered-subsets convex (OSC) iteration. A fully stored system matrix yielded the shortest backprojection and OSC iteration times, with a 1.52× acceleration for OSC when compared to the on-the-fly approach. Nevertheless, the maximum problem size was bound by the available GPU RAM and geometrical symmetries. On-the-fly coefficient computation did not require symmetries and was shown to be the fastest for forward projection. It also offered reasonable execution times of about 176.4 ms per view per OSC iteration for a detector of 512 × 448 pixels and a volume of 384 3 voxels, using commodity GPU hardware. Partial system matrix storage has shown a performance similar to the on-the-fly approach, while still relying on symmetries. Partial system matrix storage was shown to yield the lowest relative performance. On-the-fly ray tracing was shown to be the most flexible method, yielding reasonable execution times. A fully stored system matrix allowed for the lowest backprojection and OSC iteration times and may be of interest for certain performance-oriented applications. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Innovative workover/drilling rigs to utilize hydraulics

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

Noran, D.

1975-09-29

While Western Gear Corp., Everett, Wash., is currently building 2 models of a hydraulic workover/drilling rig (one offshore and the other a trailer-mounted land rig), Bender Co., Bakersfield, Calif., already has an all-hydraulic servicing/drilling rig undergoing tests. The rigs are similar in that they eliminate the traveling block, crown block, draw works, chains, and sprockets found on the conventional rig. The major design innovation on the Western Gear model is the 260,000-lb-capacity hoisting system in which 2 hydraulic rams are anchored to the rig floor and carry all the pipe weight, thus eliminating the danger of the derrick's being pulledmore » in. Other changes involve the tripping system, a power swivel/elevator, and the control valves. Maintenance and labor cost reductions are expected to be substantial. The Bender Co. rig has a single-section mast that is a lever-lift-type derrick which serves as a guide for the rams and a support for the pipe-racking platform. Hoisting capacity depends on the number and size of the lifting rods (which support the crown sheaves) and the hydraulic pressure applied. Manufacturing and operating costs are expected to be less than for conventional rigs.« less

Ram-recovery Characteristics of NACA Submerged Inlets at High Subsonic Speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Charles F; Frank, Joseph L

1948-01-01

Results are presented of an experimental investigation of the characteristics of NACA submerged inlets on a model of a fighter airplane for Mach numbers from 0.30 to 0.875. The effects on the ram-recovery ratio at the inlets of Mach number, angle of attack, boundary-layer thickness on the fuselage, inlet location, and boundary-layer deflectors are shown. The data indicate only a slight decrease in ram-recovery ratio for the inlets ahead of or just behind the wing leading edge as Mach number increased, but showed large decreases at high Mach numbers for the inlets aft of the point of maximum thickness of the wing.

Error analysis and prevention of cosmic ion-induced soft errors in static CMOS RAMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diehl, S. E.; Ochoa, A., Jr.; Dressendorfer, P. V.; Koga, P.; Kolasinski, W. A.

1982-12-01

Cosmic ray interactions with memory cells are known to cause temporary, random, bit errors in some designs. The sensitivity of polysilicon gate CMOS static RAM designs to logic upset by impinging ions has been studied using computer simulations and experimental heavy ion bombardment. Results of the simulations are confirmed by experimental upset cross-section data. Analytical models have been extended to determine and evaluate design modifications which reduce memory cell sensitivity to cosmic ions. A simple design modification, the addition of decoupling resistance in the feedback path, is shown to produce static RAMs immune to cosmic ray-induced bit errors.

Distributed Micro-Processor Applications to Guidance and Control Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-07-01

nanoseconds compared with 22 milliseconds for the older type of NMOS non-volatile RAM. This non-volatile RAM is estimated to hold its memory for 100 years...illustrated in figure 1.4.3.3 and compared with the traditional permalog chevron bubble structure. The contiguous element bubble structure is being developed ...M for its 8086 based Digital Advanced Avionics System (DAAS) developed for NASA Ames, but rejected it as being unsuitable. Ada is the new DoD

Web-Based Real-Time Emergency Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, Craig A.; Lawhead, Joel

2007-01-01

The Web-based Real-Time Asset Monitoring (RAM) module for emergency operations and facility management enables emergency personnel in federal agencies and local and state governments to monitor and analyze data in the event of a natural disaster or other crisis that threatens a large number of people and property. The software can manage many disparate sources of data within a facility, city, or county. It was developed on industry-standard Geo- Spatial software and is compliant with open GIS standards. RAM View can function as a standalone system, or as an integrated plugin module to Emergency Operations Center (EOC) software suites such as REACT (Real-time Emergency Action Coordination Tool), thus ensuring the widest possible distribution among potential users. RAM has the ability to monitor various data sources, including streaming data. Many disparate systems are included in the initial suite of supported hardware systems, such as mobile GPS units, ambient measurements of temperature, moisture and chemical agents, flow meters, air quality, asset location, and meteorological conditions. RAM View displays real-time data streams such as gauge heights from the U.S. Geological Survey gauging stations, flood crests from the National Weather Service, and meteorological data from numerous sources. Data points are clearly visible on the map interface, and attributes as specified in the user requirements can be viewed and queried.

Factors influencing delivered mean airway pressure during nasal CPAP with the RAM cannula.

PubMed

Gerdes, Jeffrey S; Sivieri, Emidio M; Abbasi, Soraya

2016-01-01

To measure mean airway pressure (MAP) delivered through the RAM Cannula® when used with a ventilator in CPAP mode as a function of percent nares occlusion in a simulated nasal interface/test lung model and to compare the results to MAPs using a nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) interface with nares fully occluded. An artificial airway model was connected to a spontaneous breathing lung model in which MAP was measured at set NCPAP levels between 4 and 8 cmH2 O provided by a Dräger Evita XL® ventilator and delivered through three sizes of RAM cannulae. Measurements were performed with varying leakage at the nasal interface by decreasing occlusion from 100% to 29%, half-way prong insertion, and simulated mouth leakage. Comparison measurements were made using the Dräger BabyFlow® NCPAP interface with a full nasal seal. With simulated mouth closed, the Dräger interface delivered MAPs within 0.5 cmH2 O of set CPAP levels. For the RAM cannula, with 60-80% nares occlusion, overall delivered MAPs were 60 ± 17% less than set CPAP levels (P < 0.001). Further, MAP decreased progressively with decreasing percent nares occlusion. The simulated open mouth condition resulted in significantly lower MAPs to <1.7 cmH2 O. The one-half prong insertion depth condition, with closed mouth, yielded MAPs approximately 35 ± 9% less than full insertion pressures (P < 0.001). In our bench tests, the RAM interface connected to a ventilator in NCPAP mode failed to deliver set CPAP levels when applied using the manufacturer recommended 60-80% nares occlusion, even with closed mouth and full nasal prong insertion conditions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Decision Model for Selection of Microcomputers and Operating Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

is resilting in application software (for microccmputers) being developed almost exclu- sively tor the IBM PC and compatiole systems. NAVDAC ielt that...location can be indepen- dently accessed. RAN memory is also often called read/ write memory, hecause new information can be written into and read from...when power is lost; this is also read/ write memory. Bubble memory, however, has significantly slower access times than RAM or RON and also is not preva

Use of the 1991 ASCOT field study data in a mesoscale model employing a four-dimensional data assimilation technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fast, Jerome D.; Osteen, B. Lance

In this study, a four-dimensional data assimilation technique based on Newtonian relaxation is incorporated into the Colorado State University (CSU) Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) and evaluated using data taken from one experiment of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) 1991 Atmospheric Studies in COmplex Terrain (ASCOT) field study along the front range of the Rockies in Colorado. The main objective of this study is to determine the ability of the model to predict small-scale circulations influenced by terrain, such as drainage flows, and assess the impact of data assimilation on the numerical results. In contrast to previous studies in which the smallest horizontal grid spacing was 10 km and 8 km, data assimilation is applied in this study to domains with a horizontal grid spacing as small as 1 km. The prognostic forecasts made by RAMS are evaluated by comparing simulations that employ static initial conditions, with simulations that incorporate continuous data assimilation, and data assimilation for a fixed period of time (dynamic initialization). This paper will also elaborate on the application and limitation of the Newtonian relaxation technique in limited-area mesoscale models with a relatively small grid spacing.

"It's Like a Cyber-Security Blanket": The Utility of Remote Activity Monitoring in Family Dementia Care.

PubMed

Mitchell, Lauren L; Peterson, Colleen M; Rud, Shaina R; Jutkowitz, Eric; Sarkinen, Andrielle; Trost, Sierra; Porta, Carolyn M; Finlay, Jessica M; Gaugler, Joseph E

2018-03-01

Technologies have emerged that aim to help older persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs) remain at home while also supporting their caregiving family members. However, the usefulness of these innovations, particularly in home-based care contexts, remains underexplored. The current study evaluated the acceptability and utility of an in-home remote activity monitoring (RAM) system for 30 family caregivers of persons with ADRD via quantitative survey data collected over a 6-month period and qualitative survey and interview data collected for up to 18 months. A parallel convergent mixed methods design was employed. The integrated qualitative and quantitative data suggested that RAM technology offered ongoing monitoring and provided caregivers with a sense of security. Considerable customization was needed so that RAM was most appropriate for persons with ADRD. The findings have important clinical implications when considering how RAM can supplement, or potentially substitute for, ADRD family care.

All-optical clocked flip-flops and random access memory cells using the nonlinear polarization rotation effect of low-polarization-dependent semiconductor optical amplifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yongjun; Liu, Xinyu; Tian, Qinghua; Wang, Lina; Xin, Xiangjun

2018-03-01

Basic configurations of various all-optical clocked flip-flops (FFs) and optical random access memory (RAM) based on the nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR) effect of low-polarization-dependent semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) are proposed. As the constituent elements, all-optical logic gates and all-optical SR latches are constructed by taking advantage of the SOA's NPR switch. Different all-optical FFs (AOFFs), including SR-, D-, T-, and JK-types as well as an optical RAM cell were obtained by the combination of the proposed all-optical SR latches and logic gates. The effectiveness of the proposed schemes were verified by simulation results and demonstrated by a D-FF and 1-bit RAM cell experimental system. The proposed all-optical clocked FFs and RAM cell are significant to all-optical signal processing.

Cloud condensation nuclei in Western Colorado: Observations and model predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Daniel Stewart

Variations in the warm cloud-active portion of atmospheric aerosols, or cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), have been shown to impact cloud droplet number concentration and subsequently cloud and precipitation processes. This issue carries special significance in western Colorado where a significant portion of the region's water resources is supplied by precipitation from winter season, orographic clouds, which are particularly sensitive to variations in CCN. Temporal and spatial variations in CCN in western Colorado were investigated using a combination of observations and a new method for modeling CCN. As part of the Inhibition of Snowfall by Pollution Aerosols (ISPA-III) field campaign, total particle and CCN number concentration were measured for a 24-day period in Mesa Verde National Park, climatologically upwind of the San Juan Mountains. These data were combined with CCN observations from Storm Peak Lab (SPL) in northwestern Colorado and from the King Air platform, flying north to south along the Western Slope. Altogether, the sampled aerosols were characteristic of a rural continental environment and the cloud-active portion varied slowly in time, and little in space. Estimates of the is hygroscopicity parameter indicated consistently low aerosol hygroscopicity typical of organic aerosol species. The modeling approach included the addition of prognostic CCN to the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). The RAMS droplet activation scheme was altered using parcel model simulations to include variations in aerosol hygroscopicity, represented by K. Analysis of the parcel model output and a supplemental sensitivity study showed that model CCN will be sensitive to changes in aerosol hygroscopicity, but only for conditions of low supersaturation or small particle sizes. Aerosol number, size distribution median radius, and hygroscopicity (represented by the K parameter) in RAMS were constrained by nudging to forecasts of these quantities from the Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF/Chem) model. The new system was validated against observations from SPL and research flights along the Colorado Front Range, and used to test the sensitivity of CCN in western Colorado to various anthropogenic emissions of aerosols and aerosol precursor gases. Results showed complex interactions between gas and aerosol species that could lead to an increase in CCN even when some emissions are eliminated. Both observations and modeling suggest that, although several large anthropogenic aerosol sources are located within the study region, these sources have a minor impact on the local CCN population.

Numerical simulation of a mistral wind event occuring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guenard, V.; Caccia, J. L.; Tedeschi, G.

2003-04-01

The experimental network of the ESCOMPTE field experiment (june-july 2001) is turned into account to investigate the Mistral wind affecting the Marseille area (South of France). Mistral wind is a northerly flow blowing across the Rhône valley and toward the Mediterranean sea resulting from the dynamical low pressure generated in the wake of the Alps ridge. It brings cold, dry air masses and clear sky conditions over the south-eastern part of France. Up to now, few scientific studies have been carried out on the Mistral wind especially the evolution of its 3-D structure so that its mesoscale numerical simulation is still relevant. Non-hydrostatic RAMS model is performed to better investigate this mesoscale phenomena. Simulations at a 12 km horizontal resolution are compared to boundary layer wind profilers and ground measurements. Preliminary results suit quite well with the Mistral statistical studies carried out by the operational service of Météo-France and observed wind profiles are correctly reproduced by the numerical model RAMS which appears to be an efficient tool for its understanding of Mistral. Owing to the absence of diabatic effect in Mistral events which complicates numerical simulations, the present work is the first step for the validation of RAMS model in that area. Further works will consist on the study of the interaction of Mistral wind with land-sea breeze. Also, RAMS simulations will be combined with aerosol production and ocean circulation models to supply chemists and oceanographers with some answers for their studies.

Coupled basin-scale water resource models for arid and semiarid regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winter, C.; Springer, E.; Costigan, K.; Fasel, P.; Mniewski, S.; Zyvoloski, G.

2003-04-01

Managers of semi-arid and arid water resources must allocate increasingly variable surface sources and limited groundwater resources to growing demands. This challenge is leading to a new generation of detailed computational models that link multiple interacting sources and demands. We will discuss a new computational model of arid region hydrology that we are parameterizing for the upper Rio Grande Basin of the United States. The model consists of linked components for the atmosphere (the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System, RAMS), surface hydrology (the Los Alamos Distributed Hydrologic System, LADHS), and groundwater (the Finite Element Heat and Mass code, FEHM), and the couplings between them. The model runs under the Parallel Application WorkSpace software developed at Los Alamos for applications running on large distributed memory computers. RAMS simulates regional meteorology coupled to global climate data on the one hand and land surface hydrology on the other. LADHS generates runoff by infiltration or saturation excess mechanisms, as well as interception, evapotranspiration, and snow accumulation and melt. FEHM simulates variably saturated flow and heat transport in three dimensions. A key issue is to increase the components’ spatial and temporal resolution to account for changes in topography and other rapidly changing variables that affect results such as soil moisture distribution or groundwater recharge. Thus, RAMS’ smallest grid is 5 km on a side, LADHS uses 100 m spacing, while FEHM concentrates processing on key volumes by means of an unstructured grid. Couplings within our model are based on new scaling methods that link groundwater-groundwater systems and streams to aquifers and we are developing evapotranspiration methods based on detailed calculations of latent heat and vegetative cover. Simulations of precipitation and soil moisture for the 1992-93 El Nino year will be used to demonstrate the approach and suggest further needs.

Remote Asynchronous Message Service Gateway

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Shin-Ywan; Burleigh, Scott C.

2011-01-01

The Remote Asynchronous Message Service (RAMS) gateway is a special-purpose AMS application node that enables exchange of AMS messages between nodes residing in different AMS "continua," notionally in different geographical locations. JPL s implementation of RAMS gateway functionality is integrated with the ION (Interplanetary Overlay Network) implementation of the DTN (Delay-Tolerant Networking) bundle protocol, and with JPL s implementation of AMS itself. RAMS protocol data units are encapsulated in ION bundles and are forwarded to the neighboring RAMS gateways identified in the source gateway s AMS management information base. Each RAMS gateway has interfaces in two communication environments: the AMS message space it serves, and the RAMS network - the grid or tree of mutually aware RAMS gateways - that enables AMS messages produced in one message space to be forwarded to other message spaces of the same venture. Each gateway opens persistent, private RAMS network communication channels to the RAMS gateways of other message spaces for the same venture, in other continua. The interconnected RAMS gateways use these communication channels to forward message petition assertions and cancellations among themselves. Each RAMS gateway subscribes locally to all subjects that are of interest in any of the linked message spaces. On receiving its copy of a message on any of these subjects, the RAMS gateway node uses the RAMS network to forward the message to every other RAMS gateway whose message space contains at least one node that has subscribed to messages on that subject. On receiving a message via the RAMS network from some other RAMS gateway, the RAMS gateway node forwards the message to all subscribers in its own message space.

The development and flight test of a deployable precision landing system for spacecraft recovery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sim, Alex G.; Murray, James E.; Neufeld, David C.; Reed, R. Dale

1993-01-01

A joint NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility and Johnson Space Center program was conducted to determine the feasibility of the autonomous recovery of a spacecraft using a ram-air parafoil system for the final stages of entry from space that included a precision landing. The feasibility of this system was studied using a flight model of a spacecraft in the generic shape of a flattened biconic which weighed approximately 150 lb and was flown under a commercially available, ram-air parachute. Key elements of the vehicle included the Global Positioning System guidance for navigation, flight control computer, ultrasonic sensing for terminal altitude, electronic compass, and onboard data recording. A flight test program was used to develop and refine the vehicle. This vehicle completed an autonomous flight from an altitude of 10,000 ft and a lateral offset of 1.7 miles which resulted in a precision flare and landing into the wind at a predetermined location. At times, the autonomous flight was conducted in the presence of winds approximately equal to vehicle airspeed. Several techniques for computing the winds postflight were evaluated. Future program objectives are also presented.

MIZEX: A Program for Mesoscale Air-Ice-Ocean Interaction Experiments in Arctic Marginal Ice Zones. VIII. A Science Plan for a Winter Marginal Ice Zone Experiment in the Fram Strait/Greenland Sea: 1987/89,

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-04-01

forward modeling, with the pa- be telemetered via the ARGOS system for real - rameter changes needed to bring the predictions time evaluation, and the...integrated en ’i- rtinnental measurement svs fern. quisition system to the Winter MIZEX in I-ram To control and direct the experiment, real - time Strait...to measure, under- Electromagnetic sensing via aircraft and satellites stand, and model: will be employed in real time to identify eddy " Changes in

Genetic characterization of tigecycline resistance in clinical isolates of Enterobacter cloacae and Enterobacter aerogenes.

PubMed

Veleba, Mark; De Majumdar, Shyamasree; Hornsey, Michael; Woodford, Neil; Schneiders, Thamarai

2013-05-01

The intrinsically encoded ramA gene has been linked to tigecycline resistance through the up-regulation of efflux pump AcrAB in Enterobacter cloacae. The molecular basis for increased ramA expression in E. cloacae and Enterobacter aerogenes, as well as the role of AraC regulator rarA, has not yet been shown. To ascertain the intrinsic molecular mechanism(s) involved in tigecycline resistance in Enterobacter spp., we analysed the expression levels of ramA and rarA and corresponding efflux pump genes acrAB and oqxAB in Enterobacter spp. clinical isolates. The expression levels of ramA, rarA, oqxA and acrA were tested by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The ramR open reading frames of the ramA-overexpressing strains were sequenced; strains harbouring mutations were transformed with wild-type ramR to study altered ramA expression and tigecycline susceptibility. Tigecycline resistance was mediated primarily by increased ramA expression in E. cloacae and E. aerogenes. Only the ramA-overexpressing E. cloacae isolates showed increased rarA and oqxA expression. Upon complementation with wild-type ramR, all Enterobacter spp. containing ramR mutations exhibited decreased ramA and acrA expression and increased tigecycline susceptibility. Exceptions were one E. cloacae strain and one E. aerogenes strain, where a decrease in ramA levels was not accompanied by lower acrA expression. Increased ramA expression due to ramR deregulation is the primary mediator of tigecycline resistance in clinical isolates of E. cloacae and E. aerogenes. However, some ramA-overexpressing isolates do not show changes in ramR, suggesting alternate pathways of ramA regulation; the rarA regulator and the oqxAB efflux pump may also play a role in tigecycline resistance in E. cloacae.

Impact of Intraseasonal Oscillations on the Tropical Cyclone Activity Over the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean Sea in GFDL HiRAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Kun; Chen, Jan-Huey; Harris, Lucas M.; Lin, Shian-Jiann; Xiang, Baoqiang; Zhao, Ming

2017-12-01

The tropical cyclones (TCs) that form over the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico region pose a major threat to the surrounding coastal communities. Skillful subseasonal prediction of TC activity is important for early preparedness and reducing the TC damage in this region. In this study, we evaluate the performance of a 25 km resolution Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) High Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM) in simulating the modulation of the TC activity in the Gulf of Mexico and western Caribbean Sea by the intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) based on multiyear retrospective seasonal predictions. We demonstrate that the HiRAM faithfully captures the observed influence of ISO on TC activity over the region of interest, including the formation of tropical storms and (major) hurricanes, as well as the landfalling storms. This is likely because of the realistic representation of the large-scale anomalies associated with boreal summer ISO over Northeast Pacific in HiRAM, especially the enhanced (reduced) moisture throughout the troposphere during the convectively enhanced (suppressed) phase of ISO. The reasonable performance of HiRAM suggests its potential for the subseasonal prediction of regional TC risk.

The Neurobiology of Sexual Partner Preferences in Rams

PubMed Central

Roselli, Charles E.; Stormshak, Fred

2009-01-01

The question of what causes a male animal to seek out and choose a female as opposed to another male mating partner is unresolved and remains an issue of considerable debate. The most developed biologic theory is the perinatal organizational hypothesis, which states that perinatal hormone exposure mediates sexual differentiation of the brain. Numerous animal experiments have assessed the contribution of perinatal testosterone and/or estradiol exposure to the development of a male-typical mate preference, but almost all have used hormonally manipulated animals. In contrast, variations in sexual partner preferences occur spontaneously in domestic rams, with as many as 8% of the population exhibiting a preference for same-sex mating partners (male-oriented rams). Thus, the domestic ram is an excellent experimental model to study possible links between fetal neuroendocrine programming of neural mechanisms and adult sexual partner preferences. In this review, we present an overview of sexual differentiation in relation to sexual partner preferences. We then summarize results that test the relevance of the organizational hypothesis to expression of same-sex sexual partner preferences in rams. Finally, we demonstrate that the sexual differentiation of brain and behavior in sheep do not depend critically on aromatization of testosterone to estradiol. PMID:19446078

Improving the leakage current of polyimide-based resistive memory by tuning the molecular chain stack of the polyimide film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Chi-Chang; Hsiao, Yu-Ping; You, Hsin-Chiang; Lin, Guan-Wei; Kao, Min-Fang; Manga, Yankuba B.; Yang, Wen-Luh

2018-02-01

We have developed an organic-based resistive random access memory (ReRAM) by using spin-coated polyimide (PI) as the resistive layer. In this study, the chain distance and number of chain stacks of PI molecules are investigated. We employed different solid contents of polyamic acid (PAA) to synthesize various PI films, which served as the resistive layer of ReRAM, the electrical performance of which was evaluated. By tuning the PAA solid content, the intermolecular interaction energy of the PI films is changed without altering the molecular structure. Our results show that the leakage current in the high-resistance state and the memory window of the PI-based ReRAM can be substantially improved using this technique. The superior properties of the PI-based ReRAM are ascribed to fewer molecular chain stacks in the PI films when the PAA solid content is decreased, hence suppressing the leakage current. In addition, a device retention time of more than 107 s can be achieved using this technique. Finally, the conduction mechanism in the PI-based ReRAM was analyzed using hopping and conduction models.

The neurobiology of sexual partner preferences in rams.

PubMed

Roselli, Charles E; Stormshak, Fred

2009-05-01

The question of what causes a male animal to seek out and choose a female as opposed to another male mating partner is unresolved and remains an issue of considerable debate. The most developed biologic theory is the perinatal organizational hypothesis, which states that perinatal hormone exposure mediates sexual differentiation of the brain. Numerous animal experiments have assessed the contribution of perinatal testosterone and/or estradiol exposure to the development of a male-typical mate preference, but almost all have used hormonally manipulated animals. In contrast, variations in sexual partner preferences occur spontaneously in domestic rams, with as many as 8% of the population exhibiting a preference for same-sex mating partners (male-oriented rams). Thus, the domestic ram is an excellent experimental model to study possible links between fetal neuroendocrine programming of neural mechanisms and adult sexual partner preferences. In this review, we present an overview of sexual differentiation in relation to sexual partner preferences. We then summarize results that test the relevance of the organizational hypothesis to expression of same-sex sexual partner preferences in rams. Finally, we demonstrate that the sexual differentiation of brain and behavior in sheep does not depend critically on aromatization of testosterone to estradiol.

Effect of dispersion on convective mixing in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Baole; Hesse, Marc; Geological porous media Group Team

2017-11-01

We investigate the effect of dispersion on convection in porous media by performing direct numerical simulations (DNS) in a 2D Rayleigh-Darcy domain. Scaling analysis of the governing equations shows that the dynamics of this system is not only controlled by the classical Rayleigh-Darcy number based on molecular diffusion, Ram , and the domain aspect ratio, but also controlled by two other dimensionless parameters: the dispersive Rayleigh number Rad = H /αt and the dispersivity ratio r =αl /αt , where H is the domain height, αt and αl are the transverse and longitudinal dispersivities, respectively. For Ram << Rad , the effect of dispersion on convection is negligible; for Ram >> Rad , however, the flow pattern is determined by Rad while the mass transport flux F Ram at high- Ram regime. Our DNS results also show that the increase of the mechanical dispersion (i.e. decreasing Rad) will broaden the plume spacing and coarsen the convective pattern. Moreover, for r >> 1 the anisotropy of dispersion destroys the slender columnar structure of the primary plumes at large Ram and therefore reduces the mass transport rate. This work was supported by the Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0001114.

Evaluation of Columbia, USMARC-Composite, Suffolk, and Texel rams as terminal sires in an extensive rangeland production system: V. Postfabrication carcass component weights

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Postfabrication carcass component weights of 517 crossbred wether lambs were analyzed to evaluate 4 terminal-sire breeds. Wethers were produced over 3 yr from single-sire matings of 22 Columbia, 22 USMARC-Composite (Composite), 21 Suffolk, and 17 Texel rams to adult Rambouillet ewes. Lambs were rais...

30 CFR 250.441 - What are the requirements for a surface BOP stack?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Drilling Operations...? (a) When you drill with a surface BOP stack, you must install the BOP system before drilling below... with blind-shear rams. The blind-shear rams must be capable of shearing the drill pipe that is in the...

Ram accelerator direct space launch system - New concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bogdanoff, David W.

1992-01-01

The ram accelerator, a chemically driven ramjet-in-tube device is a new option for direct launch of acceleration-insensitive payloads into earth orbit. The projectile is the centerbody of a ramjet and travels through a tube filled with a premixed fuel-oxidizer mixture. The tube acts as the cowl of the ramjet. A number of new concepts for a ram accelerator space launch system are presented. The velocity and acceleration capabilities of a number of ram accelerator drive modes, including several new modes, are given. Passive (fin) stabilization during atmospheric transit is investigated and found to be promising. Gasdynamic heating in-tube and during atmospheric transit is studied; the former is found to be severe, but may be alleviated by the selection of the most suitable drive modes, transpiration cooling, or a hydrogen gas core in the launch tube. To place the payload in earth orbit, scenarios using one impulse and three impulses (with an aeropass) and a new scenario involving an auxiliary vehicle are studied. The auxiliary vehicle scenario is found to be competitive regarding payload, and requires a much simpler projectile, but has the disadvantage of requiring the auxiliary vehicle.

The behavioral component of the ram effect: the influence of ram sexual behavior on the induction of estrus in anovulatory ewes.

PubMed

Perkins, A; Fitzgerald, J A

1994-01-01

The objective of this study was to test whether the sexual behavior of the ram affects the ram effect. Rams exhibiting either high (HP) or low (LP) levels of sexual performance (on the basis of serving capacity tests) were exposed to 89 anestrous ewes for 28 d. Thirty-two anestrous ewes were not exposed to rams. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of estrus induction by HP (n = 4) vs LP (n = 4) rams. Plasma progesterone concentration was used as an index of ovarian activity. Groups of ewes were exposed to either an HP or an LP ram in a .32-ha pasture. Courtship behaviors of rams were recorded for 6 h on the initial day of exposure and for 30-min periods on alternate days thereafter. A greater percentage of ewes exposed to HP rams ovulated (95%) compared with ewes exposed to LP rams (78%) (P < .02). On the 1st d of exposure, the HP rams exhibited more courtship behavior and spent more time near the ewes (P < .04). The HP rams spent more time within 1 m of ewes during the 28-d exposure. There were no differences in the amount of contact with rams (LP or HP) between rise in progesterone indicate of ovulation tended to occur earlier (P = .06) in ewes penned with HP rams. A greater percentage of ewes exposed to LP rams (P = .03) had early elevations of progesterone with no concurrent sexual behavior. These data imply that in addition to a pheromone the sexual behavior of the ram may be important in initiating ovarian cycle activity.

Adaptation of Mesoscale Weather Models to Local Forecasting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manobianco, John T.; Taylor, Gregory E.; Case, Jonathan L.; Dianic, Allan V.; Wheeler, Mark W.; Zack, John W.; Nutter, Paul A.

2003-01-01

Methodologies have been developed for (1) configuring mesoscale numerical weather-prediction models for execution on high-performance computer workstations to make short-range weather forecasts for the vicinity of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) and (2) evaluating the performances of the models as configured. These methodologies have been implemented as part of a continuing effort to improve weather forecasting in support of operations of the U.S. space program. The models, methodologies, and results of the evaluations also have potential value for commercial users who could benefit from tailoring their operations and/or marketing strategies based on accurate predictions of local weather. More specifically, the purpose of developing the methodologies for configuring the models to run on computers at KSC and CCAFS is to provide accurate forecasts of winds, temperature, and such specific thunderstorm-related phenomena as lightning and precipitation. The purpose of developing the evaluation methodologies is to maximize the utility of the models by providing users with assessments of the capabilities and limitations of the models. The models used in this effort thus far include the Mesoscale Atmospheric Simulation System (MASS), the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Eta Model ( Eta for short). The configuration of the MASS and RAMS is designed to run the models at very high spatial resolution and incorporate local data to resolve fine-scale weather features. Model preprocessors were modified to incorporate surface, ship, buoy, and rawinsonde data as well as data from local wind towers, wind profilers, and conventional or Doppler radars. The overall evaluation of the MASS, Eta, and RAMS was designed to assess the utility of these mesoscale models for satisfying the weather-forecasting needs of the U.S. space program. The evaluation methodology includes objective and subjective verification methodologies. Objective (e.g., statistical) verification of point forecasts is a stringent measure of model performance, but when used alone, it is not usually sufficient for quantifying the value of the overall contribution of the model to the weather-forecasting process. This is especially true for mesoscale models with enhanced spatial and temporal resolution that may be capable of predicting meteorologically consistent, though not necessarily accurate, fine-scale weather phenomena. Therefore, subjective (phenomenological) evaluation, focusing on selected case studies and specific weather features, such as sea breezes and precipitation, has been performed to help quantify the added value that cannot be inferred solely from objective evaluation.

Center for Hypersonic Combined Cycle Flow Physics

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-24

team of expert experimentalists and numerical and chemical kinetic modelers. Flowfields were examined in the turbine /ramjet dual inlet mode transition...using data from the NASA Glenn IMX facility and RANS calculations. In the ramjet/scramjet mode regime a dual-mode combustion wind tunnel was developed...SUBJECT TERMS Hypersonic combined cycle propulsion, turbine /ram dual-inlet transition, ram/scram dual-mode transition, hypervelocity regime, RANS, Hybrid

Identification of smallholder farmers and pastoralists' preferences for sheep breeding traits: choice model approach.

PubMed

Duguma, G; Mirkena, T; Haile, A; Okeyo, A M; Tibbo, M; Rischkowsky, B; Sölkner, J; Wurzinger, M

2011-12-01

Identification of breeding objective traits pertinent to specific production environments with the involvement of target beneficiaries is crucial to the success of a breed improvement program. A choice experiment was conducted in four locations representing different production systems and agro-ecologies that are habitat to four indigenous sheep breeds (Afar, Bonga, Horro and Menz) of Ethiopia with the objective of identifying farmers'/pastoralists' preferences for sheep breeding traits. Following a synthesis of secondary information and diagnostic surveys, two communities per location consisting of 60 households each having at least four breeding ewes were identified. Producers' priority attributes used in the choice sets were identified through in-depth production system studies conducted from December 2007 to March 2008. On the basis of prior information, four to seven attributes were used to design choice sets with different profiles in order to capture results that mimic real life of the different communities. The attributes and levels chosen for the sheep profile were as follows: body size (large/small), coat color (brown/white/black), tail type (good/bad) for both rams and ewes; horn (polled/horned) and libido (active/poor) for rams; and lambing interval (three lambings in 2 years/two lambings in 2 years time), mothering ability (good mother/bad mother), twinning rate (twin bearer/single bearer) and milk yield (two cups per milking/one cup per milking) for ewes. A fractional factorial design was implemented to construct the alternatives included in the choice sets. The design resulted in a randomized selection of 48 sheep profiles (24 sets) for both sexes, which were grouped into four blocks with six choice sets each. An individual respondent was presented with one of the four blocks to make his/her choices. Results indicate that producers' trait preferences were heterogeneous except for body size in rams and mothering ability in ewes where nearly homogeneous preferences were investigated. In the pastoral production system, attention was given to coat color of both breeding rams and ewes, favoring brown and white colors over black. Ram libido influenced producers' decisions in Bonga, Horro and Menz areas. The influence of milk yield and twinning on respondents' decision making was high in Afar and Horro, respectively. Breeders in all areas attempt to combine production and reproduction traits as well as they can in order to maximize benefits from their sheep. The elicited measurable objective traits were used to design alternative community-based sheep breeding plans for the four indigenous sheep breeds in their production environments that have been implemented since.

Initiation of combustion in the thermally choked ram accelerator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruckner, A. P.; Burnham, E. A.; Knowlen, C.; Hertzberg, A.; Bogdanoff, D. W.

1992-01-01

The methodology for initiating stable combustion in a ram accelerator operating in the thermally choked mode is presented in this paper. The ram accelerator is a high velocity ramjet-in-tube projectile launcher whose principle of operation is similar to that of an airbreathing ramjet. The subcaliber projectile travels supersonically through a stationary tube filled with a premixed combustible gas mixture. In the thermally choked propulsion mode subsonic combustion takes place behind the base of the projectile and leads to thermal choking, which stabilizes a normal shock system on the projectile, thus producing forward thrust. Projectiles with masses in the 45-90 g range have been accelerated to velocities up to 2650 m/sec in a 38 mm bore, 16 m long accelerator tube. Operation of the ram accelerator is started by injecting the projectile into the accelerator tube at velocities in the 700 - 1300 m/sec range by means of a conventional gas gun. A specially designed obturator, which seals the bore of the gun during this initial acceleration, enters the ram accelerator together with the projectile. The interaction of the obturator with the propellant gas ignites the gas mixture and establishes stable combustion behind the projectile.

Memory-based frame synchronizer. [for digital communication systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stattel, R. J.; Niswander, J. K. (Inventor)

1981-01-01

A frame synchronizer for use in digital communications systems wherein data formats can be easily and dynamically changed is described. The use of memory array elements provide increased flexibility in format selection and sync word selection in addition to real time reconfiguration ability. The frame synchronizer comprises a serial-to-parallel converter which converts a serial input data stream to a constantly changing parallel data output. This parallel data output is supplied to programmable sync word recognizers each consisting of a multiplexer and a random access memory (RAM). The multiplexer is connected to both the parallel data output and an address bus which may be connected to a microprocessor or computer for purposes of programming the sync word recognizer. The RAM is used as an associative memory or decorder and is programmed to identify a specific sync word. Additional programmable RAMs are used as counter decoders to define word bit length, frame word length, and paragraph frame length.

Ram Pressure Stripping: Observations Meet Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Past, Matthew; Ruszkowski, Mateusz; Sharon, Keren

2017-01-01

Ram pressure stripping occurs when a galaxy falls into the potential well of a cluster, removing gas and dust as the galaxy travels through the intracluster medium. This interaction leads to filamentary gas tails stretching behind the galaxy and plays an important role in galaxy evolution. Previously, these “jellyfish” galaxies had only been observed in nearby clusters, but recently, higher redshift (z > 0.3) examples have been found from HST data imaging.Recent work has shown that cosmic rays injected by supernovae can cause galactic disks to thicken due to cosmic ray pressure. We run three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamical simulations of ram pressure stripping including cosmic rays to compare to previous models. We study how the efficiency of the ram pressure stripping of the gas, and the morphology of the filamentary tails, depend on the magnitude of the cosmic ray pressure support. We generate mock X-ray images and radio polarization data. Simultaneously, we perform an exhaustive search of the HST archive to increase the sample of jellyfish galaxies and compare selected cases to simulations.

Exposure to Photoperiod-Melatonin-Induced, Sexually-Activated Rams after Weaning Advances the Resumption of Sexual Activity in Post-Partum Mediterranean Ewes Lambing in January.

PubMed

Abecia, José A; Chemineau, Philippe; Gómez, Andrea; Palacios, Carlos; Keller, Matthieu; Delgadillo, José A

2017-01-21

This study was aimed to determine whether the presence of sexually stimulated rams by photoperiodic and melatonin treatments can advance the resumption of post-partum sexual activity in Mediterranean ewes lambing in January and weaned at the end of the breeding season at 41°N, in March. Rams were exposed to two months of long days (16 h light/day) and given three melatonin implants at the end of the long days (sexually-activated rams; SAR). Control rams (CR) were exposed to the natural photoperiod. Thirty-six ewes weaned on 25 February were assigned to one of two groups. From 1 March to 30 June, one group was housed with four SAR males (SAR-treated; n = 18), and the other group (CR-treated; n = 18) was housed with four unstimulated rams. Ovulation was assessed once per week based on plasma progesterone concentrations. Estrus was monitored daily by marks left on ewes by rams' harnesses. SAR-treated ewes had a shorter ( p < 0.01) weaning-first estrus interval than CR-treated ewes (61 ± 17 days vs. 102 ± 47 days; mean date of first estrus after weaning on April 26 and June 6, respectively). The proportion of the ewes ovulating in April or May was higher ( p < 0.05) in the SAR-treated group than in the CR-treated group. SAR-treated ewes resumed estrous activity sooner than CR-treated ewes such that, in April, May, and June, the proportion of females that exhibited estrus was higher ( p < 0.01) in the SAR-treated group (72%, 89%, and 100%, respectively) than in the CR-treated group (17%, 44%, and 61%, respectively). In conclusion, the introduction at weaning of sexually activated rams advanced the resumption of estrous activity in ewes in spring. The practical implications of this work could be important in ewes adapted for intensive production and accelerated lambing systems.

Ram locus is a key regulator to trigger multidrug resistance in Enterobacter aerogenes.

PubMed

Molitor, Alexander; James, Chloë E; Fanning, Séamus; Pagès, Jean-Marie; Davin-Regli, Anne

2018-02-01

Several genetic regulators belonging to AraC family are involved in the emergence of MDR isolates of E. aerogenes due to alterations in membrane permeability. Compared with the genetic regulator Mar, RamA may be more relevant towards the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Focusing on the global regulators, Mar and Ram, we compared the amino acid sequences of the Ram repressor in 59 clinical isolates and laboratory strains of E. aerogenes. Sequence types were associated with their corresponding multi-drug resistance phenotypes and membrane protein expression profiles using MIC and immunoblot assays. Quantitative gene expression analysis of the different regulators and their targets (porins and efflux pump components) were performed. In the majority of the MDR isolates tested, ramR and a region upstream of ramA were mutated but marR or marA were unchanged. Expression and cloning experiments highlighted the involvement of the ram locus in the modification of membrane permeability. Overexpression of RamA lead to decreased porin production and increased expression of efflux pump components, whereas overexpression of RamR had the opposite effects. Mutations or deletions in ramR, leading to the overexpression of RamA predominated in clinical MDR E. aerogenes isolates and were associated with a higher-level of expression of efflux pump components. It was hypothesised that mutations in ramR, and the self-regulating region proximal to ramA, probably altered the binding properties of the RamR repressor; thereby producing the MDR phenotype. Consequently, mutability of RamR may play a key role in predisposing E. aerogenes towards the emergence of a MDR phenotype.

Evaluation of Columbia, USMARC-Composite, Suffolk, and Texel rams as terminal sires in an extensive rangeland production system: IV. Postweaning growth, feed intake, and feed efficiency

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study was conducted to quantify differences in postweaning performance among 4 sire breeds using records from 1,109 crossbred lambs over 3 yr. Lambs were sired by Columbia, USMARC-Composite (Composite), Suffolk, and Texel rams mated with adult Rambouillet ewes. After weaning, lambs were finishe...

Evaluation of Columbia, USMARC-Composite, Suffolk, and Texel rams as terminal sires in an extensive rangeland production system: VIII. Quality measures of lamb longissimus dorsi

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Quality measures of lamb longissimus dorsi were evaluated in 514 crossbred wether lambs to assess sire breed differences. Wethers were produced over 3 yr from single-sire matings of 22 Columbia, 22 USMARC-Composite (Composite), 21 Suffolk, and 17 Texel rams to adult Rambouillet ewes. Lambs were rear...

Electronic Warfare and Radar Systems Engineering Handbook

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

Airframe Missile, or Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability R&M Reliability and Maintainability RAT Ram Air Turbine RBOC Rapid Blooming...the Doppler shifted return (see Figure 10). Reflections off rotating jet engine compressor blades, aircraft propellers, ram air turbine (RAT...predict aircraft ground speed and direction of motion. Wind influences are taken into account, such that the radar can also be used to update the aircraft

Electronic Warfare and Radar Systems Engineering Handbook. 4th Edition

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

and Maintainability R&M Reliability and Maintainability RAT Ram Air Turbine RBOC Rapid Blooming Offboard Chaff RCP or RHCP Right-hand Circular...Doppler shifted return (see Figure 10). Reflections off rotating jet engine compressor blades, aircraft propellers, ram air turbine (RAT...Doppler techniques, in order to precisely predict aircraft ground speed and direction of motion. Wind influences are taken into account, such that

Evaluating the reproductive ability of breeding rams in North-Eastern Spain using clinical examination of the body and external genitalia.

PubMed

Mozo, René; Galeote, Ana Isabel; Alabart, José Luis; Fantova, Enrique; Folch, José

2015-11-26

Predicting the ability of rams to detect, mate and fertilise ewes in oestrus accurately is certainly difficult; however, tests based on clinical examinations have been performed to assess the overall potential capacity of rams to serve and impregnate ewes. Clinical examinations for breeding soundness evaluation were carried out in 897 Rasa Aragonesa (RA) rams from 35 flocks in North-Eastern (NE) Spain. Clinical examinations of head, trunk, limbs and genitals were performed in each ram. Blood samples were collected for a serological study of Brucella ovis. The sheep owners were surveyed regarding the characteristics of the flock, rams' health history and the management of rams. The clinical alterations found were classified according to severity (mild or severe). Rams were classified as suitable (without lesions or with only mild lesions) or unsuitable (with severe lesions) for breeding depending on the results of the clinical examinations. The results showed that 60.6 % of rams presented some type of alteration (mild: 43.3 %; severe: 17.3 %) in various body parts (genitalia: 31.6 %; head and trunk: 37.2 %; limbs: 15.5 %), and that 16.7 % of rams were classified as unsuitable breeders. The most common genital alterations were ulcerative posthitis (18.7 %) followed by testicular lesions (5.3 %). The highest prevalence of unsuitable breeders was found in the category of adult and aged rams (13.8 % and 37.4 %, respectively) and in the category of emaciated rams (33.3 %). All rams examined were seronegative to Brucella ovis. The mean percentage of rams in flocks was 2.8 % (min: 1.6 %; max: 4.6 %); nevertheless, this percentage dropped to 2.5 % (min: 1.4 %; max: 3.7 %) and 2.1 % (min: 0.3 %; max: 3.5 %) when only suitable or effective (suitable mature) rams were considered. Thus, it is concluded that there are fewer effective rams in farms than farmers realise. Frequent clinical examination of males is recommended in order to identify potentially infertile rams.

A simple parameterization of aerosol emissions in RAMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Letcher, Theodore

Throughout the past decade, a high degree of attention has been focused on determining the microphysical impact of anthropogenically enhanced concentrations of Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) on orographic snowfall in the mountains of the western United States. This area has garnered a lot of attention due to the implications this effect may have on local water resource distribution within the Region. Recent advances in computing power and the development of highly advanced microphysical schemes within numerical models have provided an estimation of the sensitivity that orographic snowfall has to changes in atmospheric CCN concentrations. However, what is still lacking is a coupling between these advanced microphysical schemes and a real-world representation of CCN sources. Previously, an attempt to representation the heterogeneous evolution of aerosol was made by coupling three-dimensional aerosol output from the WRF Chemistry model to the Colorado State University (CSU) Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) (Ward et al. 2011). The biggest problem associated with this scheme was the computational expense. In fact, the computational expense associated with this scheme was so high, that it was prohibitive for simulations with fine enough resolution to accurately represent microphysical processes. To improve upon this method, a new parameterization for aerosol emission was developed in such a way that it was fully contained within RAMS. Several assumptions went into generating a computationally efficient aerosol emissions parameterization in RAMS. The most notable assumption was the decision to neglect the chemical processes in formed in the formation of Secondary Aerosol (SA), and instead treat SA as primary aerosol via short-term WRF-CHEM simulations. While, SA makes up a substantial portion of the total aerosol burden (much of which is made up of organic material), the representation of this process is highly complex and highly expensive within a numerical model. Furthermore, SA formation is greatly reduced during the winter months due to the lack of naturally produced organic VOC's. Because of these reasons, it was felt that neglecting SOA within the model was the best course of action. The actual parameterization uses a prescribed source map to add aerosol to the model at two vertical levels that surround an arbitrary height decided by the user. To best represent the real-world, the WRF Chemistry model was run using the National Emissions Inventory (NEI2005) to represent anthropogenic emissions and the Model Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN) to represent natural contributions to aerosol. WRF Chemistry was run for one hour, after which the aerosol output along with the hygroscopicity parameter (κ) were saved into a data file that had the capacity to be interpolated to an arbitrary grid used in RAMS. The comparison of this parameterization to observations collected at Mesa Verde National Park (MVNP) during the Inhibition of Snowfall from Pollution Aerosol (ISPA-III) field campaign yielded promising results. The model was able to simulate the variability in near surface aerosol concentration with reasonable accuracy, though with a general low bias. Furthermore, this model compared much better to the observations than did the WRF Chemistry model using a fraction of the computational expense. This emissions scheme was able to show reasonable solutions regarding the aerosol concentrations and can therefore be used to provide an estimate of the seasonal impact of increased CCN on water resources in Western Colorado with relatively low computational expense.

Application of the LEPS technique for Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting (QPF) in Southern Italy: a preliminary study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Federico, S.; Avolio, E.; Bellecci, C.; Colacino, M.; Walko, R. L.

2006-03-01

This paper reports preliminary results for a Limited area model Ensemble Prediction System (LEPS), based on RAMS (Regional Atmospheric Modelling System), for eight case studies of moderate-intense precipitation over Calabria, the southernmost tip of the Italian peninsula. LEPS aims to transfer the benefits of a probabilistic forecast from global to regional scales in countries where local orographic forcing is a key factor to force convection. To accomplish this task and to limit computational time in an operational implementation of LEPS, we perform a cluster analysis of ECMWF-EPS runs. Starting from the 51 members that form the ECMWF-EPS we generate five clusters. For each cluster a representative member is selected and used to provide initial and dynamic boundary conditions to RAMS, whose integrations generate LEPS. RAMS runs have 12-km horizontal resolution. To analyze the impact of enhanced horizontal resolution on quantitative precipitation forecasts, LEPS forecasts are compared to a full Brute Force (BF) ensemble. This ensemble is based on RAMS, has 36 km horizontal resolution and is generated by 51 members, nested in each ECMWF-EPS member. LEPS and BF results are compared subjectively and by objective scores. Subjective analysis is based on precipitation and probability maps of case studies whereas objective analysis is made by deterministic and probabilistic scores. Scores and maps are calculated by comparing ensemble precipitation forecasts against reports from the Calabria regional raingauge network. Results show that LEPS provided better rainfall predictions than BF for all case studies selected. This strongly suggests the importance of the enhanced horizontal resolution, compared to ensemble population, for Calabria for these cases. To further explore the impact of local physiographic features on QPF (Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting), LEPS results are also compared with a 6-km horizontal resolution deterministic forecast. Due to local and mesoscale forcing, the high resolution forecast (Hi-Res) has better performance compared to the ensemble mean for rainfall thresholds larger than 10mm but it tends to overestimate precipitation for lower amounts. This yields larger false alarms that have a detrimental effect on objective scores for lower thresholds. To exploit the advantages of a probabilistic forecast compared to a deterministic one, the relation between the ECMWF-EPS 700 hPa geopotential height spread and LEPS performance is analyzed. Results are promising even if additional studies are required.

Projectile Combustion Effects on Ram Accelerator Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chitale, Saarth Anjali

University of Washington Abstract Projectile Combustion Effects on Ram Accelerator Performance Saarth Anjali Chitale Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Prof. Carl Knowlen William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics The ram accelerator facility at the University of Washington is used to propel projectiles at supersonic velocities. This concept is similar to an air-breathing ramjet engine in that sub-caliber projectiles, shaped like the ramjet engine center-body, are shot through smooth-bore steel-walled tubes having an internal diameter of 38 mm. The ram accelerator propulsive cycles operate between Mach 2 to 10 and have the potential to accelerate projectile to velocities greater than 8 km/s. The theoretical thrust versus Mach number characteristics can be obtained using knowledge of gas dynamics and thermodynamics that goes into the design of the ram accelerator. The corresponding velocity versus distance profiles obtained from the test runs at the University of Washington, however, are often not consistent with the theoretical predictions after the projectiles reach in-tube Mach numbers greater than 4. The experimental velocities are typically greater than the expected theoretical predictions; which has led to the proposition that the combustion process may be moving up onto the projectile. An alternative explanation for higher than predicted thrust, which is explored here, is that the performance differences can be attributed to the ablation of the projectile body which results in molten metal being added to the flow of the gaseous combustible mixture around the projectile. This molten metal is assumed to mix uniformly and react with the gaseous propellant; thereby enhancing the propellant energy release and altering the predicted thrust-Mach characteristics. This theory predicts at what Mach number the projectile will first experience enhanced thrust and the corresponding velocity-distance profile. Preliminary results are in good agreement with projectiles operating in methane/oxygen/nitrogen propellants. Effects of projectile surface to volume ratio are also explored by applying the model to experimental results from smaller (Tohoku University, 25-mm-bore) and larger (Institute of Saint-Louis 90-mm-bore) bore ram accelerators. Due to lower surface-to-volume ratio, large diameter projectiles are predicted to need to reach higher Mach numbers than smaller diameter projectiles before thrust enhancement due to metal ablation and burning would be experienced. This proposition was supported by published experimental data. The theoretical modeling of projectile ablation, metal combustion, and subsequent ram accelerator thrust characteristics are presented along comparisons to experiments from three different sized ram accelerator facilities.

Ex Vivo Machine Perfusion in CTA with a Novel Oxygen Carrier System to Enhance Graft Preservation and Immunologic Outcomes

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

rectus abdominal muscle, autotransplantation, heterotopic, superior epigastric vein, cold ischemia time, immunomodulation, transcriptomics...composite flap (muscle, adipose tissue and skin) from the whole rectus abdominal muscle (RAM). This model was maximized through extensive anatomical...The biopsies included Skin - Subcutaneous Fat – Muscle. (9 tissue samples per each biopsy time point for each flap) The biopsies were taken by punches

JuxtaView - A tool for interactive visualization of large imagery on scalable tiled displays

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krishnaprasad, N.K.; Vishwanath, V.; Venkataraman, S.; Rao, A.G.; Renambot, L.; Leigh, J.; Johnson, A.E.; Davis, B.

2004-01-01

JuxtaView is a cluster-based application for viewing ultra-high-resolution images on scalable tiled displays. We present in JuxtaView, a new parallel computing and distributed memory approach for out-of-core montage visualization, using LambdaRAM, a software-based network-level cache system. The ultimate goal of JuxtaView is to enable a user to interactively roam through potentially terabytes of distributed, spatially referenced image data such as those from electron microscopes, satellites and aerial photographs. In working towards this goal, we describe our first prototype implemented over a local area network, where the image is distributed using LambdaRAM, on the memory of all nodes of a PC cluster driving a tiled display wall. Aggressive pre-fetching schemes employed by LambdaRAM help to reduce latency involved in remote memory access. We compare LambdaRAM with a more traditional memory-mapped file approach for out-of-core visualization. ?? 2004 IEEE.

Gap Winds in a Fjord: Howe Sound, British Columbia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Peter L.

1993-01-01

Gap, outflow, or Squamish wind, is the cold low level seaward flow of air through fjords which dissect the coastal mountain barrier of northwestern North America. These flows, occurring mainly during winter, can be strong, threatening safety, economic activity and comfort. Howe Sound gap winds were studied using a combination of observations and several types of models. Observations of winds in Howe Sound showed that gap wind strength varied considerably along the channel, across the channel and vertically. Generally, winds increase down the channel, are strongest along the eastern side, and are below 1000 m depth. Observations were unable to answer all questions about gap winds due to data sparseness, particularly in the vertical direction. Therefore, several modelling approaches were used. The modelling began with a complete 3-dimensional quasi-Boussinesq model (CSU RAMS) and ended with the creation and testing of models which are conceptually simpler, and more easily interpreted and manipulated. A gap wind simulation made using RAMS was shown to be mostly successful by statistical evaluation compared to other mesoscale simulations, and by visual inspection of the fields. The RAMS output, which has very high temporal and spatial resolution, provided much additional information about the details of gap flow. In particular, RAMS results suggested a close analogy between gap wind and hydraulic channel flow, with hydraulic features such as supercritical flow and hydraulic jumps apparent. These findings imply gap wind flow could potentially be represented by much simpler models. The simplest possible models containing pressure gradient, advection and friction but not incorporating hydraulic effects, were created, tested, and found lacking. A hydraulic model, which in addition incorporates varying gap wind height and channel geometry, was created and shown to successfully simulate gap winds. Force balance analysis from RAMS and the hydraulic model showed that pressure gradient and advection are the most important forces, followed by friction which becomes an important force in fast supercritical flow. The sensitivity of gap wind speed to various parameters was found from sensitivity tests using the hydraulic model. Results indicated that gap wind speed increases with increasing boundary layer height and speed at the head of channel, and increasing synoptic pressure gradient. Gap wind speed decreases with increasing friction, and increasing boundary layer height at the seaward channel end. Increasing temperature differences between the cold gap wind air and the warmer air aloft was found to increase the variability of the flow--higher maximum but lower mean wind speeds.

Use of gonadotropin releasing hormone to improve reproductive responses of ewes introduced to rams during seasonal anestrus.

PubMed

Jordan, K M; Inskeep, E K; Knights, M

2009-12-01

Three experiments were conducted on anestrous ewes of Suffolk, Dorset, and Katahdin breeding to examine the potential value of GnRH to improve ovulation and pregnancy in response to introduction of rams. In Experiment 1, treatment with GnRH 2d after treatment with progesterone (P(4); 25mg i.m.) at introduction of rams was compared to treatment with P(4) alone at the time of introduction of rams. Treatment with GnRH did not increase percentages of ewes with a corpus luteum (CL) 14d after introduction of rams, pregnant 32d after treatment with PGF(2)alpha 14d after introduction of rams, or percent of treated ewes lambing to all services. In Experiment 2, treatments with GnRH on day 2, 7, or both after introduction of rams were compared. Treatments did not differ in mean estrous response, percentages of ewes with a detectable CL or number of CL present on day 11, or mean pregnancy and lambing rates. Therefore, neither one nor two injections of GnRH at these times appeared to be effective to induce anestrous ewes to breed. In Experiment 3, treatments compared included GnRH 4d before introduction of rams, GnRH 4d before and 1d after introduction of rams, ram introduction alone, and treatment with P(4) (25mg i.m.) at the time of introduction of rams. Percentages of ewes with concentrations of P(4) greater than 1ng/mL (indicating formation of CL had occurred) 7d after ram introduction tended to be greater (P<0.07) in ewes treated with GnRH or P(4) than in control ewes treated with ram introduction alone. However, there was no difference in P(4) concentrations between groups by day 11 or 12 after introduction of rams. Estrous response rates and percentages of ewes pregnant 95d after PGF(2)alpha was administered (on day 12 after introduction of rams) tended to be greater (P=0.08 and 0.06, respectively) in ewes treated with GnRH or P(4) than in ewes exposed to rams only. There was no difference in response variables between ewes treated with GnRH 4d before introduction of rams and ewes treated with GnRH 4d before and 1d after introduction of rams. In conclusion, treatment with GnRH 4d before ram introduction showed promise as an alternative to treatment with P(4) to improve the ovulatory response and reproductive performance of ewes introduced to rams during seasonal anestrus.

Evaluation of Columbia, USMARC-Composite, Suffolk, and Texel rams as terminal sires in an extensive rangeland production system: II. Postweaning growth and ultrasonic measures of composition.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Over 3 yr, postweaning growth patterns and changes in ultrasonic measurements of fat depth and loin muscle area were assessed for 1,049 crossbred ewe and wether lambs produced by mating adult Rambouillet ewes to one of 22 Columbia, 22 USMARC-Composite (Composite), 21 Suffolk, or 17 Texel rams and ra...

An automatic analyzer of solid state nuclear track detectors using an optic RAM as image sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staderini, Enrico Maria; Castellano, Alfredo

1986-02-01

An optic RAM is a conventional digital random access read/write dynamic memory device featuring a quartz windowed package and memory cells regularly ordered on the chip. Such a device is used as an image sensor because each cell retains data stored in it for a time depending on the intensity of the light incident on the cell itself. The authors have developed a system which uses an optic RAM to acquire and digitize images from electrochemically etched CR39 solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) in the track count rate up to 5000 cm -2. On the digital image so obtained, a microprocessor, with appropriate software, performs image analysis, filtering, tracks counting and evaluation.

Lewis and Fischer 344 rats as a model for genetic differences in spatial learning and memory: Cocaine effects.

PubMed

Fole, Alberto; Miguéns, Miguel; Morales, Lidia; González-Martín, Carmen; Ambrosio, Emilio; Del Olmo, Nuria

2017-06-02

Lewis (LEW) and Fischer 344 (F344) rats are considered a model of genetic vulnerability to drug addiction. We previously showed important differences in spatial learning and memory between them, but in contrast with previous experiments demonstrating cocaine-induced enhanced learning in Morris water maze (MWM) highly demanding tasks, the eight-arm radial maze (RAM) performance was not modified either in LEW or F344 rats after chronic cocaine treatment. In the present work, chronically cocaine-treated LEW and F344 adult rats have been evaluated in learning and memory performance using the Y-maze, two RAM protocols that differ in difficulty, and a reversal protocol that tests cognitive flexibility. After one of the RAM protocols, we quantified dendritic spine density in hippocampal CA1 neurons and compared it to animals treated with cocaine but not submitted to RAM. LEW cocaine treated rats showed a better performance in the Y maze than their saline counterparts, an effect that was not evident in the F344 strain. F344 rats significantly took more time to learn the RAM task and made a greater number of errors than LEW animals in both protocols tested, whereas cocaine treatment induced deleterious effects in learning and memory in the highly difficult protocol. Moreover, hippocampal spine density was cocaine-modulated in LEW animals whereas no effects were found in F344 rats. We propose that differences in addictive-like behavior between LEW and F344 rats could be related to differences in hippocampal learning and memory processes that could be on the basis of individual vulnerability to cocaine addiction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ring current Atmosphere interactions Model with Self-Consistent Magnetic field

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

Jordanova, Vania; Jeffery, Christopher; Welling, Daniel

The Ring current Atmosphere interactions Model with Self-Consistent magnetic field (B) is a unique code that combines a kinetic model of ring current plasma with a three dimensional force-balanced model of the terrestrial magnetic field. The kinetic portion, RAM, solves the kinetic equation to yield the bounce-averaged distribution function as a function of azimuth, radial distance, energy and pitch angle for three ion species (H+, He+, and O+) and, optionally, electrons. The domain is a circle in the Solar-Magnetic (SM) equatorial plane with a radial span of 2 to 6.5 RE. It has an energy range of approximately 100 eVmore » to 500 KeV. The 3-D force balanced magnetic field model, SCB, balances the JxB force with the divergence of the general pressure tensor to calculate the magnetic field configuration within its domain. The domain ranges from near the Earth’s surface, where the field is assumed dipolar, to the shell created by field lines passing through the SM equatorial plane at a radial distance of 6.5 RE. The two codes work in tandem, with RAM providing anisotropic pressure to SCB and SCB returning the self-consistent magnetic field through which RAM plasma is advected.« less

Effect of breed and age on sexual behaviour of rams.

PubMed

Simitzis, Panagiotis E; Deligeorgis, Stelios G; Bizelis, Joseph A

2006-05-01

The objective of this study was to highlight the problems that arise during the reproduction between thin-tailed rams and fat-tailed ewes. At the same time, particular emphasis laid on the influence of sheep breed, sheep age, time after ram introduction and day of the ewe estrus cycle on ram and ewe sexual behaviour. Rams were subjected to sexual performance tests by being individually exposed to 12 ewes for 3 h daily, 19 consecutive days. The 16 rams of the experiment were separated according to their age (9 and 21 months old) and breed (Chios and Karagouniki), and the 96 ewes of Chios fat-tailed breed, were divided by age (9 and 21 months old). The main characteristics of courtship behaviour, like sniffing, nudging, flehmen response and following were recorded and studied in detail. Mature Chios rams, which were the only one with previous experience of Chios ewes, exhibited higher rates of sexual interest per ewe than the other rams (P < 0.05). On the other hand, rams sniffed and nudged more young than mature ewes (P < 0.05), probably due to the fact that young ewes did not express intense symptoms of estrus. Young rams exhibited substandard sexual interest towards mature ewes, when they first came in contact with them (P < 0.05). In general, Karagouniki thin-tailed rams exhibited reduced rates of mating behaviour when they courted with Chios fat-tailed ewes in comparison with Chios rams (P < 0.05). Moreover, as the time after ram introduction passed, the frequency and duration of sexual behaviour components decreased (P < 0.001). Finally, the effect of the day of the experiment was only significant in the case of sniffing, which increased during the first 2 days and then declined and stabilized (P < 0.01). As it was demonstrated, ram age and ram breed played a fundamental role in the exhibition of sexual interest elements.

ACS Science Data Buffer Check/Self-Tests for CS Buffer RAM and MIE RAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balzano, V.

2001-07-01

The ACS Science Buffer RAM is checked for bit flips during SAA passages. This is followed by a Control Section {CS} self-test consisting of writing/reading a specified bit pattern from each memory location in Buffer RAM and a similar test for MIE RAM. The MIE must be placed in BOOT mode for its self-test. The CS Buffer RAM self-test as well as the bit flip tests are all done with the CS in Operate.

COS Side 2 Science Data Buffer Check/Self-Tests for CS Buffer RAM and DIB RAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacinski, John

2013-10-01

The COS Science Buffer RAM is checked for bit flips during SAA passages. This is followed by a Control Section {CS} self-test consisting of writing/reading a specified bit pattern from each memory location in Buffer RAM and a similar test for DIB RAM. The DIB must be placed in BOOT mode for its self-test. The CS Buffer RAM self-test as well as the bit flip tests are all done with the CS in Operate.

ACS Science Data Buffer Check/Self-Tests for CS Buffer RAM and MIE RAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welty, Alan

2005-07-01

The ACS Science Buffer RAM is checked for bit flips during SAA passages. Thisis followed by a Control Section {CS} self-test consisting of writing/reading a specified bit pattern from each memory location in Buffer RAM and a similar test for MIE RAM. The MIE must be placed in BOOT mode for its self-test. The CS Buffer RAM self-test as well as the bit flip tests are all done with the CS in Operate.

Short term, repeated exposure to rams during the transition into the breeding season improves the synchrony of mating in the breeding season.

PubMed

Hawken, P A R; Evans, A C O; Beard, A P

2008-07-01

The ram effect is widely used in Mediterranean breeds of sheep but its use in temperate genotypes is restricted by breed seasonality. However, ewes from these highly seasonal genotypes are sensitive to stimulation by rams close to the onset of the natural breeding season. In this study we developed a pre-mating protocol of repeated, short-term exposure to rams (fence-line contact or vasectomised rams) beginning during late anoestrus and continuing into the breeding season. We hypothesised that this pre-mating protocol would synchronise the distribution of mating of North of England Mule ewes during the breeding season above that observed in ewes isolated from rams prior to mating. Ram-exposed ewes were given contact with rams (Experiment 1: fence-line; FR, n=94 and Experiment 2: vasectomised rams; VR; n=103) for 24h on Days 0 (10 September), 17 and 34 of the experiment. Control ewes (Experiment 1; FC, n=98 and Experiment 2; VC; n=106) remained isolated from rams prior to mating. In Experiment 2, a subset of VR (n=35) and VC ewes (n=35) were blood sampled twice weekly to monitor their pre-mating progesterone profiles. At mating, harnessed entire rams were introduced, 17 or 16 days after the last ram exposure (Experiments 1 and 2) and raddle marks were recorded daily. The median time from ram introduction to mating was reduced in ewes given both fence-line and vasectomised ram contact (P<0.001), leading to a more compact distribution of mating and lambing (At least P<0.01). In the blood sampled VR ewes, there was a progressive decline in the number of days from ram exposure to the onset of dioestrus (at least P<0.05). This observation indicates that the cycles in VR ewes became increasingly synchronised over the pre-mating period, a pattern not evident in VC ewes. In conclusion, repeated, short-term exposure of ewes to rams during the transition into the breeding season is an effective method of synchronising the distribution of mating during the breeding season.

Experimental cold-flow evaluation of a ram air cooled plug nozzle concept for afterburning turbojet engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Straight, D. M.; Harrington, D. E.

1973-01-01

A concept for plug nozzles cooled by inlet ram air is presented. Experimental data obtained with a small scale model, 21.59-cm (8.5-in.) diameter, in a static altitude facility demonstrated high thrust performance and excellent pumping characteristics. Tests were made at nozzle pressure ratios simulating supersonic cruise and takeoff conditions. Effect of plug size, outer shroud length, and varying amounts of secondary flow were investigated.

ramR mutations affecting fluoroquinolone susceptibility in epidemic multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky ST198

PubMed Central

Baucheron, Sylvie; Le Hello, Simon; Doublet, Benoît; Giraud, Etienne; Weill, François-Xavier; Cloeckaert, Axel

2013-01-01

A screening for non-target mutations affecting fluoroquinolone susceptibility was conducted in epidemic multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky ST198. Among a panel of representative isolates (n = 27), covering the epidemic, only three showed distinct mutations in ramR resulting in enhanced expression of genes encoding the AcrAB-TolC efflux system and low increase in ciprofloxacin MIC. No mutations were detected in other regulatory regions of this efflux system. Ciprofloxacin resistance in serovar Kentucky ST198 is thus currently mainly due to multiple target gene mutations. PMID:23914184

In vitro effects of nonylphenol on motility, mitochondrial, acrosomal and chromatin integrity of ram and boar spermatozoa.

PubMed

Uguz, C; Varisli, O; Agca, C; Evans, T; Agca, Y

2015-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of nonylphenol (NP) on viability of ram and boar sperm in vitro. Ram or boar spermatozoa were exposed to 1, 10, 100, 250 and 500 μg NP ml(-1) for 1, 2, 3 or 4 h. Computer-assisted sperm motility analysis (CASA) system was used to evaluate sperm motility characteristics. Flow cytometry was used to determine mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and chromatin integrity, while epifluorescent microscopy was used to determine sperm acrosomal status. Exposure of both species spermatozoa to 250 and 500 μg NP ml(-1) was detrimental to progressive motility (P < 0.05), and its adverse effect was significant at lower (100 μg NP ml(-1) ) concentration (P < 0.05). The percentages of ram and boar spermatozoa with high MMP declined drastically after exposures to ≥250 μg ml(-1) NP (P < 0.05). Unlike chromatin integrity, which did not appear to be altered by NP exposure, there were dose-dependent NP effects (P < 0.05) on acrosomal integrity of both species at as low as 1 μg ml(-1) NP for boar spermatozoa and 10 μg ml(-1) NP for ram spermatozoa. These data show adverse effects of NP on ram and boar spermatozoa and thus its potential harmful effects on male reproduction as NP is found in fruits, vegetables, human milk, fish and livestock products. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

A Survey Of Architectural Approaches for Managing Embedded DRAM and Non-volatile On-chip Caches

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

Mittal, Sparsh; Vetter, Jeffrey S; Li, Dong

Recent trends of CMOS scaling and increasing number of on-chip cores have led to a large increase in the size of on-chip caches. Since SRAM has low density and consumes large amount of leakage power, its use in designing on-chip caches has become more challenging. To address this issue, researchers are exploring the use of several emerging memory technologies, such as embedded DRAM, spin transfer torque RAM, resistive RAM, phase change RAM and domain wall memory. In this paper, we survey the architectural approaches proposed for designing memory systems and, specifically, caches with these emerging memory technologies. To highlight theirmore » similarities and differences, we present a classification of these technologies and architectural approaches based on their key characteristics. We also briefly summarize the challenges in using these technologies for architecting caches. We believe that this survey will help the readers gain insights into the emerging memory device technologies, and their potential use in designing future computing systems.« less

Optimal Resource Allocation under Fair QoS in Multi-tier Server Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akai, Hirokazu; Ushio, Toshimitsu; Hayashi, Naoki

Recent development of network technology realizes multi-tier server systems, where several tiers perform functionally different processing requested by clients. It is an important issue to allocate resources of the systems to clients dynamically based on their current requests. On the other hand, Q-RAM has been proposed for resource allocation in real-time systems. In the server systems, it is important that execution results of all applications requested by clients are the same QoS(quality of service) level. In this paper, we extend Q-RAM to multi-tier server systems and propose a method for optimal resource allocation with fairness of the QoS levels of clients’ requests. We also consider an assignment problem of physical machines to be sleep in each tier sothat the energy consumption is minimized.

Integrating O/S models during conceptual design, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ebeling, Charles E.

1994-01-01

This report documents the procedures for utilizing and maintaining the Reliability & Maintainability Model (RAM) developed by the University of Dayton for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) under NASA research grant NAG-1-1327. The purpose of the grant is to provide support to NASA in establishing operational and support parameters and costs of proposed space systems. As part of this research objective, the model described here was developed. Additional documentation concerning the development of this model may be found in Part 1 of this report. This is the 2nd part of a 3 part technical report.

An evaluation of a community pharmacy-based rural asthma management service.

PubMed

Saini, Bandana; Filipovska, Julija; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia; Taylor, Susan; Krass, Ines; Armour, Carol

2008-04-01

To compare the effect of a pharmacist-delivered rural asthma management service (RAMS) on health outcomes for people with asthma in a rural/regional area with 'standard care' delivered through community pharmacies. A parallel group controlled repeated measures study. Community pharmacies in Central West New South Wales. Standardised protocols and resources based on national asthma management guidelines, delivered by specially trained community pharmacists. Patients visited the pharmacy at baseline and 1, 3 and 6 months after baseline in the intervention group and at baseline plus 6 months after baseline in the control group. The intervention pharmacists (n = 12) were trained to deliver the RAMS model, while control pharmacists (n = 8) provided standard asthma care to their recruited patients. Fifty-one and 39 patients were recruited by intervention and control pharmacists. Asthma severity score which was a composite score based on recency, frequency and severity of asthma symptoms, and asthma history. Data compared at the final visit between groups indicated that the RAMS patient group demonstrated a significant reduction in the asthma severity scores (7.9 +/- 2.6 versus 10.4 +/- 2.6, P < 0.001); a reduction in the risk of non-adherence to medication scores (1.6 +/- 0.7 versus 2.3 +/- 1.1, P < 0.001); and an increase in the proportion of patients owning a written action plan (50% versus 23%, P = 0.04). These results indicated that the community pharmacy-based RAMS model can improve asthma outcomes for patients in rural settings, and similar models for asthma and other chronic diseases should be tested rigorously and adopted in rural primary care practice.

An application of the distributed hydrologic model CASC2D to a tropical montane watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsik, Matt; Waylen, Peter

2006-11-01

SummaryIncreased stormflow in the Quebrada Estero watershed (2.5 km 2), in the northwestern Central Valley tectonic depression of Costa Rica, reportedly has caused flooding of the city of San Ramón in recent decades. Although scientifically untested, urban expansion was deemed the cause and remedial measures were recommended by the Programa de Investigación en Desarrollo Humano Sostenible (ProDUS). CASC2D, a physically-based, spatially explicit hydrologic model, was constructed and calibrated to a June 10th 2002 storm that delivered 110.5 mm of precipitation in 4.5 h visibly exceeded the bankfull stage (0.9 m) of the Quebrada flooding portions of San Ramón. The calibrated hydrograph showed a peak discharge 16.68% (2.5 m 3 s -1) higher, an above flood stage duration 20% shorter, and time to peak discharge 11 min later than the same observed discharge hydrograph characteristics. Simulations of changing land cover conditions from 1979 to 1999 showed an increase also in the peak discharge, above flood stage duration, and time to peak discharge. Analysis using a modified location quotient identified increased urbanization in lower portions of the watershed over the time period studied. These results suggest that increased urbanization in the Quebrada Estero watershed have increased flooding peaks, and durations above threshold, confirming the ProDUS report. These results and the CASC2D model offer an easy-to-use, pragmatic planning tool for policymakers in San Ramón to assess future development scenarios and their potential flooding impacts to San Ramón.

Advanced recovery systems wind tunnel test report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geiger, R. H.; Wailes, W. K.

1990-01-01

Pioneer Aerospace Corporation (PAC) conducted parafoil wind tunnel testing in the NASA-Ames 80 by 120 test sections of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex, Moffett Field, CA. The investigation was conducted to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of two scale ram air wings in support of air drop testing and full scale development of Advanced Recovery Systems for the Next Generation Space Transportation System. Two models were tested during this investigation. Both the primary test article, a 1/9 geometric scale model with wing area of 1200 square feet and secondary test article, a 1/36 geometric scale model with wing area of 300 square feet, had an aspect ratio of 3. The test results show that both models were statically stable about a model reference point at angles of attack from 2 to 10 degrees. The maximum lift-drag ratio varied between 2.9 and 2.4 for increasing wing loading.

COS Science Data Buffer Check/Self-Tests for CS Buffer RAM and DIB RAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welty, Alan

2009-07-01

The COS Science Buffer RAM is checked for bit flips during SAA passages. This is followed by a Control Section {CS} self-test consisting of writing/reading a specified bit pattern from each memory location in Buffer RAM and a similar test for DIB RAM. The DIB must be placed in BOOT mode for its self-test. The CS Buffer RAM self-test as well as the bit flip tests are all done with the CS in Operate.Supports Activity COS-03

Solar wind conditions in the outer heliosphere and the distance to the termination shock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belcher, John W.; Lazarus, Alan J.; Mcnutt, Ralph L., Jr.; Gordon, George S., Jr.

1993-01-01

The Plasma Science experiment on the Voyager 2 spacecraft has measured the properties of solar wind protons from 1 to 40.4 AU. We use these observations to discuss the probable location and motion of the termination shock of the solar wind. Assuming that the interstellar pressure is due to a 5 micro-G magnetic field draped over the upstream face of the heliopause, the radial variation of ram pressure implies that the termination shock will be located at an average distance near 89 AU. This distance scales inversely as the assumed field strength. There are also large variations in ram pressure on time scales of tens of days, due primarily to large variations in solar wind density at a given radius. Such rapid changes in the solar wind ram pressure can cause large perturbations in the location of the termination shock. We study the nonequilibrium location of the termination shock as it responds to these ram pressure changes. The results of this study suggest that the position of the termination shock can vary by as much as 10 AU in a single year, depending on the nature of variations in the ram pressure, and that multiple crossings of the termination shock by a given outer heliosphere spacecraft are likely. After the first crossing, such models of shock motion will be useful for predicting the timing of subsequent crossings.

GASP. IX. Jellyfish galaxies in phase-space: an orbital study of intense ram-pressure stripping in clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaffé, Yara L.; Poggianti, Bianca M.; Moretti, Alessia; Gullieuszik, Marco; Smith, Rory; Vulcani, Benedetta; Fasano, Giovanni; Fritz, Jacopo; Tonnesen, Stephanie; Bettoni, Daniela; Hau, George; Biviano, Andrea; Bellhouse, Callum; McGee, Sean

2018-06-01

It is well known that galaxies falling into clusters can experience gas stripping due to ram pressure by the intra-cluster medium. The most spectacular examples are galaxies with extended tails of optically bright stripped material known as `jellyfish'. We use the first large homogeneous compilation of jellyfish galaxies in clusters from the WINGS and OmegaWINGS surveys, and follow-up MUSE observations from the GASP MUSE programme to investigate the orbital histories of jellyfish galaxies in clusters and reconstruct their stripping history through position versus velocity phase-space diagrams. We construct analytic models to define the regions in phase-space where ram-pressure stripping is at play. We then study the distribution of cluster galaxies in phase-space and find that jellyfish galaxies have on average higher peculiar velocities (and higher cluster velocity dispersion) than the overall population of cluster galaxies at all cluster-centric radii, which is indicative of recent infall into the cluster and radial orbits. In particular, the jellyfish galaxies with the longest gas tails reside very near the cluster cores (in projection) and are moving at very high speeds, which coincides with the conditions of the most intense ram pressure. We conclude that many of the jellyfish galaxies seen in clusters likely formed via fast (˜1-2 Gyr), incremental, outside-in ram-pressure stripping during first infall into the cluster in highly radial orbits.

Resistive Random Access Memory from Materials Development fnd Engineering to Novel Encryption and Neuromorphic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckmann, Karsten

Resistive random access memory (ReRAM or RRAM) is a novel form of non-volatile memory that is expected to play a major role in future computing and memory solutions. It has been shown that the resistance state of ReRAM devices can be precisely tuned by modulating switching voltages, by limiting peak current, and by adjusting the switching pulse properties. This enables the realization of novel applications such as memristive neuromorphic computing and neural network computing. I have developed two processes based on 100 and 300mm wafer platforms to demonstrate functional HfO2 based ReRAM devices. The first process is designed for a rapid materials engineering and device characterization, while the second is an advanced hybrid ReRAM/CMOS combination based on the IBM 65nm 10LPe process technology. The 100mm wafer efforts were used to show impacts of etch processes on ReRAM switching performance and the need for a rigorous structural evaluation of ReRAM devices before starting materials development. After an etch development, a bottom electrode comparison between the inert materials Pt, Ru and W was performed where Ru showed superior results with respect to yield and resilience against environmental impacts such as humidity over a 2-month period. A comparison of amorphous and crystalline devices showed no statistical difference in the performance with respect to random telegraph noise. This demonstrates, that the forming process fundamentally alters the crystallographic structure within and around the filament. The 300mm wafer development efforts were aimed towards implementing ReRAM in the FEOL, combined with CMOS, to yield a seamless process flow of 1 transistor 1 ReRAM structures (1T1R). This technology was customized with custom-developed tungsten metal 1 (M1) and dual tungsten/copper via 1 (V1) structures, within which the ReRAM stack is embedded. The ReRAM itself consists of an inert W bottom electrode, HfO2 based active switching layer, a Ti oxygen scavenger layer, and an inert TiN top electrode. Linear sweep and controlled pulse (down to 5 ns) based electrical characterization of 1 transistor 1 ReRAM (1T1R) elements was performed to determine key properties including endurance, reliability, and threshold voltages. We demonstrated endurance values above 1010 cycles with an average on/off ratio of 10, and pulse voltages for set/reset operation of +/-1.5V. The on-chip 1T1R structures show an excellent controllability with respect to the low and high resistive states by manipulating the peak current from 75 up to 350 mu?A resulting in 10 distinct low resistance states (LRS). Our results demonstrate that the set operation (which shifts the ReRAM device from the high to the low resistance state) is only dependent on the voltage of the switching pulse and the peak current limit. The reset operation, however, occurs in an analog fashion and appears to be dependent on the total energy of the applied switching pulse. Pulse energy was modulated by varying the peak voltage resulting in a larger relative change of the ReRAM device resistance. The incremental resistance changes are ideally suited to emulate synaptic weights for future implementation into neuromorphic architectures. Switching results from these devices were also used to develop a model time-delay physical unclonable function (PUF) circuit, which showed excellent performance when compared to a pure CMOS implementation with significant improvements in uniqueness, size and accuracy.

A Predictive Score for Thrombosis Associated with Breast, Colorectal, Lung, or Ovarian Cancer: The Prospective COMPASS-Cancer-Associated Thrombosis Study.

PubMed

Gerotziafas, Grigoris T; Taher, Ali; Abdel-Razeq, Hikmat; AboElnazar, Essam; Spyropoulos, Alex C; El Shemmari, Salem; Larsen, Annette K; Elalamy, Ismail

2017-10-01

The stratification of outpatients on chemotherapy for breast, colorectal, lung, and ovarian cancers at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains an unmet clinical need. The derivation of a risk assessment model (RAM) for VTE in these patients was the aim of the study "Prospective Comparison of Methods for thromboembolic risk assessment with clinical Perceptions and AwareneSS in real life patients-Cancer Associated Thrombosis" (COMPASS-CAT). The derivation cohort consisted of 1,023 outpatients. Patients on low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) thromboprophylaxis were excluded. Documented symptomatic VTE was the endpoint of the study. Patients had breast (61%), colorectal (17%), lung (13%), or ovarian cancer (8.6%) at localized (30%) or advanced stage (70%). In 64% of patients, cancer was diagnosed within the last 6 months prior to inclusion. Most of them were on chemotherapy when assessed. Symptomatic VTE occurred in 8.5% of patients. The COMPASS-CAT RAM includes the following variables: (a) anthracycline or anti - hormonal therapy, (b) time since cancer diagnosis, (c) central venous catheter, (d) stage of cancer, (e) presence of cardiovascular risk factors, (f) recent hospitalization for acute medical illness, (g) personal history of VTE, and (h) platelet count. At 6 months, patients stratified at low/intermediate and high-risk groups had VTE rates of 1.7% and 13.3%, respectively. The area under the curve of receiver operating characteristics analysis was 0.85. The sensitivity and specificity of the RAM were 88% and 52%, respectively. The negative and positive predictive values of the RAM were 98% and 13%, respectively. The COMPASS-CAT RAM includes reliable and easily collected VTE risk predictors and, in contrast to the Khorana score, it is applicable after the initiation of anticancer treatment in patients with common solid tumors. Its robustness for stratification of patients at high and low/intermediate VTE risk needs to be externally validated. The Prospective Comparison of Methods for thromboembolic risk assessment with clinical Perceptions and AwareneSS in real life patients-Cancer Associated Thrombosis (COMPASS-CAT) study provides a new risk assessment model (RAM) for venous thromboembolism (VTE) applicable in outpatients with breast, colorectal, lung or ovarian cancer. The COMPASS-CAT RAM is robust, applicable during chemotherapy and determines the need for VTE prévention by including reliable and easily collected VTE predictors associated with cancer status, its treatment as well as with patients' characteristics and comorbidities. An independent external validation of the RAM is indicated before its use in clinical practice. © 2017 The Authors The Oncologist published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AlphaMed Press.

The interbreeding of sheep and goats.

PubMed Central

Kelk, D A; Gartley, C J; Buckrell, B C; King, W A

1997-01-01

To determine the outcome of interbreeding sheep and goats, ewes and does were bred to rams and bucks, and their embryos recovered. Pregnancy was monitored in 2 does bred to a ram. Fertilization rates in ram X does, buck X does, ram X ewes, and buck X ewes were 72%, 96%, 90%, and 0%, respectively. Ram X doe fetuses died at 5 to 10 weeks. PMID:9105723

Exposure to Photoperiod-Melatonin-Induced, Sexually-Activated Rams after Weaning Advances the Resumption of Sexual Activity in Post-Partum Mediterranean Ewes Lambing in January

PubMed Central

Abecia, José A.; Chemineau, Philippe; Gómez, Andrea; Palacios, Carlos; Keller, Matthieu; Delgadillo, José A.

2017-01-01

This study was aimed to determine whether the presence of sexually stimulated rams by photoperiodic and melatonin treatments can advance the resumption of post-partum sexual activity in Mediterranean ewes lambing in January and weaned at the end of the breeding season at 41°N, in March. Rams were exposed to two months of long days (16 h light/day) and given three melatonin implants at the end of the long days (sexually-activated rams; SAR). Control rams (CR) were exposed to the natural photoperiod. Thirty-six ewes weaned on 25 February were assigned to one of two groups. From 1 March to 30 June, one group was housed with four SAR males (SAR-treated; n = 18), and the other group (CR-treated; n = 18) was housed with four unstimulated rams. Ovulation was assessed once per week based on plasma progesterone concentrations. Estrus was monitored daily by marks left on ewes by rams’ harnesses. SAR-treated ewes had a shorter (p < 0.01) weaning–first estrus interval than CR-treated ewes (61 ± 17 days vs. 102 ± 47 days; mean date of first estrus after weaning on April 26 and June 6, respectively). The proportion of the ewes ovulating in April or May was higher (p < 0.05) in the SAR-treated group than in the CR-treated group. SAR-treated ewes resumed estrous activity sooner than CR-treated ewes such that, in April, May, and June, the proportion of females that exhibited estrus was higher (p < 0.01) in the SAR-treated group (72%, 89%, and 100%, respectively) than in the CR-treated group (17%, 44%, and 61%, respectively). In conclusion, the introduction at weaning of sexually activated rams advanced the resumption of estrous activity in ewes in spring. The practical implications of this work could be important in ewes adapted for intensive production and accelerated lambing systems. PMID:29056663

Epididymitis Caused by Brucella ovis in a Southern Ontario Sheep Flock

PubMed Central

Buckrell, Brian C.; McEwen, Scott A.; Johnson, Walter H.; Savage, Neale C.

1985-01-01

Epididymitis was diagnosed in three rams in a commercial sheep flock in southern Ontario. The affected rams had palpably enlarged epididymides and two rams had semen which contained inflammatory cells and was of poor quality. Serum compliment fixation titers for Brucella ovis were 1:20, 1:80 and 1:90. Five other rams in the flock were clinically normal and without titers. Two of the affected rams had lesions similar to those produced by experimental infection with B. ovis. The infection in the rams had no apparent affect on ewe performance. The source of the infection remains unknown, but the rams were purchased from a flock which had imported ewes from the western U.S.A. ImagesFigure 1.Figure 2. PMID:17422577

Evaluation of Columbia, USMARC-Composite, Suffolk, and Texel rams as terminal sires in an extensive rangeland production system: VI.Measurements of live-lamb and carcass shape and their relationship to carcass yield and value

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Linear measurements on live lambs and carcasses can be used to characterize sheep breeds and may have value for prediction of carcass yield and value. This study used 512 crossbred lambs produced over 3 yr by mating Columbia, USMARC Composite, Suffolk, and Texel rams to adult Rambouillet ewes to ass...

Progesterone stimulates the long-distance migration of capacitated ram spermatozoa through viscous media under geotactic condition.

PubMed

Martínez-Rodríguez, Carmen; Anel-López, Luis; Alvarez, Mercedes; Ortega-Ferrusola, Cristina; Boixo, Juan Carlos; Peña, Fernando J; Anel, Luis; de Paz, Paulino

2018-05-15

Forward progressive motility of spermatozoa is an essential prerequisite for reproductive success, and sperm navigation is assisted by guidance mechanisms that may depend on micro-environmental factors. In the present study, we performed an integrated analysis of long-distance ram sperm migration in vitro that combined two environmental factors (10 μM progesterone and a geotactic effect) and the physiological status of the cells (capacitation treatment). A penetration assay was used in which spermatozoa had to travel 20 mm in a viscous medium (two media of differing viscosity: acrylamide and hyaluronic acid) through a tube device. The number of migrating spermatozoa, the physiology of the cells (motility analyzed using a CASA system; acrosomal status, viability and active mitochondria evaluated by flow cytometry; DNA fragmentation index calculated by quantitative PCR) and the morphometry of sperm heads (performed using an image analysis system) were evaluated after long-distance sperm migration. Ram sperm capacitation significantly stimulates cell migration through viscous media under geotactic conditions, and this effect is enhanced by progesterone induction. The rheological characteristics of viscous media have a marked impact on ram sperm migration, and acrylamide more favorably facilitates navigation over a large distance. The migrating spermatozoa are morphologically better adapted (high ellipticity) for displacement in viscous media and exhibit remarkably depleted mitochondrial membrane potential. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sexual behaviour of rams: male orientation and its endocrine correlates.

PubMed

Resko, J A; Perkins, A; Roselli, C E; Stellflug, J N; Stormshak, F K

1999-01-01

The components of heterosexual behaviour in rams are reviewed as a basis for understanding partner preference behaviour. A small percentage of rams will not mate with oestrous females and if given a choice will display courtship behaviour towards another ram in preference to a female. Some of the endocrine profiles of these male-oriented rams differ from those of heterosexual controls. These differences include reduced serum concentrations of testosterone, oestradiol and oestrone, reduced capacity to produce testosterone in vitro, and reduced capacity to aromatize androgens in the preoptic-anterior hypothalamus of the brain. Our observation that aromatase activity is significantly lower in the preoptic-anterior hypothalamic area of male-oriented rams than in female-oriented rams may indicate an important neurochemical link to sexual behaviour that should be investigated. The defect in steroid hormone production by the adult testes of the male-oriented ram may represent a defect that can be traced to the fetal testes. If this contention is correct, partner preference behaviour of rams may also be traceable to fetal development and represent a phenomenon of sexual differentiation.

Continental cichlid radiations: functional diversity reveals the role of changing ecological opportunity in the Neotropics.

PubMed

Arbour, Jessica Hilary; López-Fernández, Hernán

2016-08-17

Adaptive radiations have been hypothesized to contribute broadly to the diversity of organisms. Models of adaptive radiation predict that ecological opportunity and ecological release, the availability of empty ecological niches and the response by adapting lineages to occupy them, respectively, drive patterns of phenotypic and lineage diversification. Adaptive radiations driven by 'ecological opportunity' are well established in island systems; it is less clear if ecological opportunity influences continent-wide diversification. We use Neotropical cichlid fishes to test if variation in rates of functional evolution is consistent with changing ecological opportunity. Across a functional morphological axis associated with ram-suction feeding traits, evolutionary rates declined through time as lineages diversified in South America. Evolutionary rates of ram-suction functional morphology also appear to have accelerated as cichlids colonized Central America and encountered renewed opportunity. Our results suggest that ecological opportunity may play an important role in shaping patterns of morphological diversity of even broadly distributed lineages like Neotropical cichlids. © 2016 The Author(s).

A three-time-point method for assessing kinetic parameters of 64Cu-labeled Ramucirumab trapping in VEGFR-2 positive lung tumors.

PubMed

Laffon, Eric; Marthan, Roger

2017-11-01

To describe a three-time-point method for estimating kinetic parameters involved in 64 Cu-labeled Ramucirumab ( 64 Cu-NOTA-RamAb) trapping of VEGFR-2 positive lung tumors. Positron emission tomography (microPET) data of tumor-bearing mice for 64 Cu-NOTA-RamAb trapping in VEGFR-2 positive HCC4006 tumor were used, involving tissue activity measurements acquired at 3, 24 and 48 h post-injection, without and with administration of RamAb blocking dose. A kinetic model provided an analytical formula describing the tissue time-activity-curve, involving 64 Cu-NOTA-RamAb uptake (Ki), release rate constant (k R ) and fraction of free tracer in blood and interstitial volume (F). Fitting analytical formula outcomes on mean microPET data yielded values of the kinetic parameters: Ki = 0.0314/0.0123 gram of blood per hour per gram of tissue, k R  = 0.0387/0.0313 h -1 and F = 0.2075/0.2007 gram of blood per gram of tissue, without/with RamAb blocking dose, respectively (R = 0.99999 for the graph displaying microPET versus theoretical data; P < .01). Three independent kinetic parameters (Ki, k R and F) can be assessed from three data points acquired at early, mid and late imaging, i.e., at 3, 24 and 48 h post-injection, for further characterization of 64 Cu-NOTA-RamAb trapping in VEGFR-2 positive lung tumors. Copyright © 2017 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidence that local land use practices influence regional climate, vegetation, and stream flow patterns in adjacent natural areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stohlgren, T.J.; Chase, T.N.; Pielke, R.A.; Kittel, T.G.F.; Baron, Jill S.

1998-01-01

We present evidence that land use practices in the plains of Colorado influence regional climate and vegetation in adjacent natural areas in the Rocky Mountains in predictable ways. Mesoscale climate model simulations using the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modelling System (RAMS) projected that modifications to natural vegetation in the plains, primarily due to agriculture and urbanization, could produce lower summer temperatures in the mountains. We corroborate the RAMS simulations with three independent sets of data: (i) climate records from 16 weather stations, which showed significant trends of decreasing July temperatures in recent decades; (ii) the distribution of seedlings of five dominant conifer species in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, which suggested that cooler, wetter conditions occurred over roughly the same time period; and (iii) increased stream flow, normalized for changes in precipitation, during the summer months in four river basins, which also indicates cooler summer temperatures and lower transpiration at landscape scales. Combined, the mesoscale atmospheric/land-surface model, short-term in regional temperatures, forest distribution changes, and hydrology data indicate that the effects of land use practices on regional climate may overshadow larger-scale temperature changes commonly associated with observed increases in CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

The electromagnetic ram action of the plasma focus as a paradigm for the generation of cosmic rays and the gigantic jets in active galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bostick, W. H.; Nardi, V.

1985-01-01

Recent measurements of the energy spectrum of the plasma-focus-generated deuteron beam yield as spectrum of the form N(E)=(approx.) E to the -2.7 for 1MeV E 13 MeV. Other measurements show that the beta 1 electron beam which is generated simultaneously with the deuteron beam is interrupted into segments of spacing 25ps and duration approximately 4ps. A stuttering-electro-magnetic-ram (ser) model of the plasma focus in proposed which is similar to Raudorf's electronic ram which produces a similar spectrum for an electron beam for 1Mev E 10MeV. It is proposed that the cosmic ray spectrum and the giganic galactic jets are both generated by ser action near the centers of active galaxies.

The electromagnetic Ram action of the plasma focus as a paradigm for the generation of cosmic rays and the gigantic jets in active galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bostick, W. H.; Nardi, V.

1985-08-01

Recent measurements of the energy spectrum of the plasma-focus-generated deuteron beam yield as spectrum of the form N(E)=(approx.) E to the -2.7 for 1MeV E 13 MeV. Other measurements show that the beta 1 electron beam which is generated simultaneously with the deuteron beam is interrupted into segments of spacing 25ps and duration approximately 4ps. A stuttering-electro-magnetic-ram (ser) model of the plasma focus in proposed which is similar to Raudorf's electronic ram which produces a similar spectrum for an electron beam for 1Mev E 10MeV. It is proposed that the cosmic ray spectrum and the giganic galactic jets are both generated by ser action near the centers of active galaxies.

Interactions between Flight Dynamics and Propulsion Systems of Air-Breathing Hypersonic Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalle, Derek J.

The development and application of a first-principles-derived reduced-order model called MASIV (Michigan/AFRL Scramjet In Vehicle) for an air-breathing hypersonic vehicle is discussed. Several significant and previously unreported aspects of hypersonic flight are investigated. A fortunate coupling between increasing Mach number and decreasing angle of attack is shown to extend the range of operating conditions for a class of supersonic inlets. Detailed maps of isolator unstart and ram-to-scram transition are shown on the flight corridor map for the first time. In scram mode the airflow remains supersonic throughout the engine, while in ram mode there is a region of subsonic flow. Accurately predicting the transition between these two modes requires models for complex shock interactions, finite-rate chemistry, fuel-air mixing, pre-combustion shock trains, and thermal choking, which are incorporated into a unified framework here. Isolator unstart occurs when the pre-combustion shock train is longer than the isolator, which blocks airflow from entering the engine. Finally, cooptimization of the vehicle design and trajectory is discussed. An optimal control technique is introduced that greatly reduces the number of computations required to optimize the simulated trajectory.

Naringenin improves learning and memory in an Alzheimer's disease rat model: Insights into the underlying mechanisms.

PubMed

Ghofrani, Saeed; Joghataei, Mohammad-Taghi; Mohseni, Simin; Baluchnejadmojarad, Tourandokht; Bagheri, Maryam; Khamse, Safoura; Roghani, Mehrdad

2015-10-05

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the prevalent neurological disorders of the central nervous system hallmarked by increased beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition and ensuing learning and memory deficit. In the present study, the beneficial effect of naringenin on improvement of learning and memory was evaluated in an Alzheimer's disease rat model. The Aβ-injected rats showed a lower alternation score in Y-maze task, impairment of retention and recall capability in passive avoidance test, and lower correct choices and higher errors in radial arm maze (RAM) task as compared to sham group in addition to enhanced oxidative stress and apoptosis. Naringenin, but not a combination of naringenin and fulvestrant (an estrogenic receptor antagonist) significantly improved the performance of Aβ-injected rats in passive avoidance and RAM tasks. Naringenin pretreatment of Aβ-injected rats also lowered hippocampal malondialdehyde (MDA) with no significant effect on nitrite and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in addition to lowering apoptosis. These results suggest naringenin pretreatment attenuates Aβ-induced impairment of learning and memory through mitigation of lipid peroxidation and apoptosis and its beneficial effect is somewhat mediated via estrogenic pathway. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential for the usage of information technologies and communications (ITC) in the teaching and practice of nurses in Madeira.

PubMed

Henriques de Jesus, E; Correia Martins, M C

1998-01-01

The propose of this communication is to describe the present nursing situation in Madeira (RAM) and its potentialities for the utilisation of the Information Technologies and Communications (I.T.C.) in educational and in clinical practice. RAM has its own Regional Health System and is developing a Health Information System, a Nursing Education System which conglobates a Baccalaureate Nursing School and a Licentiate's degree Nursing School which graduates almost the totality of the nurses who work here in Madeira, a Health Professional Education Department, common to the different organisations and a Regional Nursing Research Group constituted by elements representing the several organisations of health and which has been developing Research Education and dynamize Research Projects in nursing practice. The Nursing Schools in addition to the Health Organisation, use the Nursing Theoretical Models and the Nursing Process since 1990 Referring to the utilisation of the ITC in Education and in the Clinical Practice, despite the school curricula include informatics subjects, nurse's knowledge and opportunities of utilisation are still too incipient. Nevertheless, the present reform of the baccalaureate course curriculum as well as the aims and strategies of the Nursing Research Group and training strategies will provide positive changes.

FPS-RAM: Fast Prefix Search RAM-Based Hardware for Forwarding Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitsu, Kazuya; Yamamoto, Koji; Kuroda, Yasuto; Inoue, Kazunari; Ata, Shingo; Oka, Ikuo

Ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) is becoming very popular for designing high-throughput forwarding engines on routers. However, TCAM has potential problems in terms of hardware and power costs, which limits its ability to deploy large amounts of capacity in IP routers. In this paper, we propose new hardware architecture for fast forwarding engines, called fast prefix search RAM-based hardware (FPS-RAM). We designed FPS-RAM hardware with the intent of maintaining the same search performance and physical user interface as TCAM because our objective is to replace the TCAM in the market. Our RAM-based hardware architecture is completely different from that of TCAM and has dramatically reduced the costs and power consumption to 62% and 52%, respectively. We implemented FPS-RAM on an FPGA to examine its lookup operation.

Feed supplementation improves estrus response and increases fertility of sheep induced to breed out of season.

PubMed

Khlil, Z Ben; Khnissi, S; Rekik, M; Lassoued, N

2017-03-01

To test the efficacy on reproductive performance of nutritional supplementation in an out-of-season mating system, 66 adult prolific Barbarine ewes were selected and induced to breed using "ram effect". The ewes were allocated to two homogeneous groups; each ewe received on a daily basis 700 g of hay and 500 g of barley grains starting 3 weeks before or 1 week after rams' introduction in group 1 and group 2, respectively. Supplementation ended 1 month after rams' introduction and mating lasted 60 days. Final live weight 30 days after introduction of rams was higher (P < 0.05) for ewes in group1 (39.45 vs. 36.72 kg). Seven days after introduction of rams, ewes in group 1 recorded higher plasma glucose levels than females in group 2 (4.12 and 3.9 S.E.M. 0.05 mmol l -1 ). Proportions of ewes which displayed estrus between days 16 and 26 were 48 and 38% in group 1 and group 2, respectively (P < 0.05), and those which had a normal induced cycle (16-17 days) were 25 and 11% in group 1 and group 2, respectively (P < 0.05). Fertilities were higher (P < 0.05) for ewes in group 1 than in group 2 (91.17 vs. 75.75% and 97.1 vs. 81.8% for fertility at induced estrus and total fertility, respectively). It is concluded that a timed supplementation starting 3 weeks before introduction of rams is effective in yielding high reproductive performance for the prolific strain of the Barbarine breed.

Investigation of Hafnium oxide/Copper resistive memory for advanced encryption applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briggs, Benjamin D.

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a widely used encryption algorithm to protect data and communications in today's digital age. Modern AES CMOS implementations require large amounts of dedicated logic and must be tuned for either performance or power consumption. A high throughput, low power, and low die area AES implementation is required in the growing mobile sector. An emerging non-volatile memory device known as resistive memory (ReRAM) is a simple metal-insulator-metal capacitor device structure with the ability to switch between two stable resistance states. Currently, ReRAM is targeted as a non-volatile memory replacement technology to eventually replace flash. Its advantages over flash include ease of fabrication, speed, and lower power consumption. In addition to memory, ReRAM can also be used in advanced logic implementations given its purely resistive behavior. The combination of a new non-volatile memory element ReRAM along with high performance, low power CMOS opens new avenues for logic implementations. This dissertation will cover the design and process implementation of a ReRAM-CMOS hybrid circuit, built using IBM's 10LPe process, for the improvement of hardware AES implementations. Further the device characteristics of ReRAM, specifically the HfO2/Cu memory system, and mechanisms for operation are not fully correlated. Of particular interest to this work is the role of material properties such as the stoichiometry, crystallinity, and doping of the HfO2 layer and their effect on the switching characteristics of resistive memory. Material properties were varied by a combination of atomic layer deposition and reactive sputtering of the HfO2 layer. Several studies will be discussed on how the above mentioned material properties influence switching parameters, and change the underlying physics of device operation.

Examinations of Linkages Between the Northwest Mexican Monsoon and Great Plains Precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleeby, S. M.; Cotton, W. R.

2001-12-01

The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) is being used to examine linkages between the Mexican monsoon and precipitation in the Great Plains region of the United States. Currently, available datasets have allowed for seasonal runs for July and August of the 1993 flood year in the midwest US and the 1997 El Nino year. There is also a plan to perform a full monsoon season simulation of the drought summer of 1988 once precipitation data becomes available. Preliminary results of this ongoing study are presented here. The model configuration consists of a 120km resolution coarse grid that covers a region from west of Hawaii to Bermuda and from south of the equator up into Canada. Two 40km resolution nested grids exist, with one covering the western two-thirds of the United States and Mexico and the other covering the Pacific ITCZ. A 10km fine grid and 2.5km cloud resolving grid are spawned over the region of monsoon surges to explicitly resolve convection. The model is initialized with NCEP reanalysis data, surface obs, rawinsonde data, variable soil moisture, and weekly averaged SST's. RAMS is running with two-stream Harrington radiation, one moment microphysics, and Kuo cumulus parameterization. The completed 1993 and 1997 seasonal simulations are now being examined and verified again NCEP reanalysis data and high resolution precipitation data. Initial model results look promising when verified against the NCEP upper level fields, such that the model is able to capture the large scale dynamics. For the duration of both seasonal runs, RAMS successfully simulates the mid and upper level geopotential heights, the temperature, and winds. The large scale 700mb and 500mb anti-cyclone over the US and Mexico is resolved, as well as the easterly flow over Mexico. Model fields are also being examined to isolate monsoon surge events which are characterized by increased precipitation over the Sierra Madres and a northward moisture surge into the northern extent of the Gulf of California and southern Arizona. Within the coarse grids, the RAMS model has successfully resolved the low-level jet that persists in the Gulf of California and the local maximum in mixing ratio that persists over the gulf. It has also captured the upslope flow over the Sierra Madres that forces the moist air into the higher elevation to the east. This provides the necessary lifting and moisture for the development of intense convection and resulting large amounts of precipitation that occur along the Sierra Madre mountain range. Examination of model-predicted low-level moisture transport reveals that moisture advected from the Gulf of California is the primary monsoon moisture source, rather than the Gulf of Mexico. Time averages of moisture transport, mixing ratio, winds, and precipitation for July 1993 reveal the prominent diurnal cycle variations that exist due to radiative effects and land-sea interactions; the maximum in convection, precipitation rate, and moisture transport occurs around 00Z. Seasonal accumulated precipitation amounts in the model are successful in predicting the placement of precipitation and relative amounts for most of the 40km continental grid, but there is an overestimation of precipitation along the northern Sierra Madre Occidental and an underestimation in the US mid-west. During the 1993 flood summer, much of the mid-west US precipitation fell in association with mesoscale convective systems; it is suspected that other cumulus parameterizations may provide better prediction of sub-grid scale convective precipitation. >http://hugo.atmos.colostate.edu/www/monsoon/monsoon.html

Recurrent 3-day cycles of water deprivation for over a month depress mating behaviour but not semen characteristics of adult rams.

PubMed

Khnissi, S; Lassoued, N; Rekik, M; Ben Salem, H

2016-02-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of water deprivation (WD) on reproductive traits of rams. Ten mature rams were used and allocated to two groups balanced for body weight. Control (C) rams had free access to drinking water, while water-restricted rams (WD) were deprived from water for 3 consecutive days and early on the morning of day 4, they had ad libitum access to water for 24 h, similar to C animals. The experiment lasted 32 days, that is eight 4-day cycles of water deprivation and subsequent watering. Feed and water intake were significantly affected by water deprivation; in comparison with C rams, WD rams reduced their feed intake by 18%. During the watering day of the deprivation cycle, WD rams consumed more water than C rams on the same day (11.8 (SD = 3.37) and 8.4 (SD = 1.92) l respectively; p < 0.05). Glucose, total protein and creatinine were increased as a result of water deprivation. However, testosterone levels were lowered as a result of water deprivation and average values were 10.9 and 6.2 (SEM 1.23) ng/ml for C and WD rams respectively (p < 0.05). Semen traits were less affected by treatment; WD rams consistently had superior sperm concentrations than C animals; and statistical significances were reached in cycles 5 and 8 of water deprivation. Several mating behaviour traits were modified as a result of water deprivation. When compared to controls, WD rams had a more prolonged time to first mount attempt (p < 0.001), their frequency of mount attempts decreased [6.8 vs. 5.2 (SEM 0.1); p < 0.001] and their flehmen reaction intensity was negatively affected (p < 0.05). Water deprivation may have practical implications reducing the libido and therefore the serving capacity of rams under field conditions. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Characterization of Crude Oil Degrading Bacteria Isolated from Contaminated Soils Surrounding Gas Stations.

PubMed

Abou-Shanab, Reda A I; Eraky, Mohamed; Haddad, Ahmed M; Abdel-Gaffar, Abdel-Rahman B; Salem, Ahmed M

2016-11-01

A total of twenty bacterial cultures were isolated from hydrocarbon contaminated soil. Of the 20 isolates, RAM03, RAM06, RAM13, and RAM17 were specifically chosen based on their relatively higher growth on salt medium amended with 4 % crude oil, emulsion index, surface tension, and degradation percentage. These bacterial cultures had 16S rRNA gene sequences that were most similar to Ochrobactrum cytisi (RAM03), Ochrobactrum anthropi (RAM06 and RAM17), and Sinorhizobium meliloti (RAM13) with 96 %, 100 % and 99 %, and 99 % similarity. The tested strains revealed a promising potential for bioremediation of petroleum oil contamination as they could degrade >93 % and 54 % of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in a liquid medium and soil amended with 4 % crude oil, respectively, after 30 day incubation. These bacteria could effectively remove both aliphatic and aromatic petroleum hydrocarbons. In conclusion, these strains could be considered as good prospects for their application in bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated environment.

Stochastic receding horizon control: application to an octopedal robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, Shridhar K.; Tanner, Herbert G.

2013-06-01

Miniature autonomous systems are being developed under ARL's Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST). These systems can only be fitted with a small-size processor, and their motion behavior is inherently uncertain due to manufacturing and platform-ground interactions. One way to capture this uncertainty is through a stochastic model. This paper deals with stochastic motion control design and implementation for MAST- specific eight-legged miniature crawling robots, which have been kinematically modeled as systems exhibiting the behavior of a Dubin's car with stochastic noise. The control design takes the form of stochastic receding horizon control, and is implemented on a Gumstix Overo Fire COM with 720 MHz processor and 512 MB RAM, weighing 5.5 g. The experimental results show the effectiveness of this control law for miniature autonomous systems perturbed by stochastic noise.

The rapid mode of calcium uptake into heart mitochondria (RaM): comparison to RaM in liver mitochondria.

PubMed

Buntinas, L; Gunter, K K; Sparagna, G C; Gunter, T E

2001-04-02

A mechanism of Ca(2+) uptake, capable of sequestering significant amounts of Ca(2+) from cytosolic Ca(2+) pulses, has previously been identified in liver mitochondria. This mechanism, the Rapid Mode of Ca(2+) uptake (RaM), was shown to sequester Ca(2+) very rapidly at the beginning of each pulse in a sequence [Sparagna et al. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 27510-27515]. The existence and properties of RaM in heart mitochondria, however, are unknown and are the basis for this study. We show that RaM functions in heart mitochondria with some of the characteristics of RaM in liver, but its activation and inhibition are quite different. It is feasible that these differences represent different physiological adaptations in these two tissues. In both tissues, RaM is highly conductive at the beginning of a Ca(2+) pulse, but is inhibited by the rising [Ca(2+)] of the pulse itself. In heart mitochondria, the time required at low [Ca(2+)] to reestablish high Ca(2+) conductivity via RaM i.e. the 'resetting time' of RaM is much longer than in liver. RaM in liver mitochondria is strongly activated by spermine, activated by ATP or GTP and unaffected by ADP and AMP. In heart, RaM is activated much less strongly by spermine and unaffected by ATP or GTP. RaM in heart is strongly inhibited by AMP and has a biphasic response to ADP; it is activated at low concentrations and inhibited at high concentrations. Finally, an hypothesis consistent with the data and characteristics of liver and heart is presented to explain how RaM may function to control the rate of oxidative phosphorylation in each tissue. Under this hypothesis, RaM functions to create a brief, high free Ca(2+) concentration inside mitochondria which may activate intramitochondrial metabolic reactions with relatively small amounts of Ca(2+) uptake. This hypothesis is consistent with the view that intramitochondrial [Ca(2+)] may be used to control the rate of ADP phosphorylation in such a way as to minimize the probability of activating the Ca(2+)-induced mitochondrial membrane permeability transition (MPT).

ETARA - EVENT TIME AVAILABILITY, RELIABILITY ANALYSIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Viterna, L. A.

1994-01-01

The ETARA system was written to evaluate the performance of the Space Station Freedom Electrical Power System, but the methodology and software can be modified to simulate any system that can be represented by a block diagram. ETARA is an interactive, menu-driven reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) simulation program. Given a Reliability Block Diagram representation of a system, the program simulates the behavior of the system over a specified period of time using Monte Carlo methods to generate block failure and repair times as a function of exponential and/or Weibull distributions. ETARA can calculate availability parameters such as equivalent availability, state availability (percentage of time at a particular output state capability), continuous state duration and number of state occurrences. The program can simulate initial spares allotment and spares replenishment for a resupply cycle. The number of block failures are tabulated both individually and by block type. ETARA also records total downtime, repair time, and time waiting for spares. Maintenance man-hours per year and system reliability, with or without repair, at or above a particular output capability can also be calculated. The key to using ETARA is the development of a reliability or availability block diagram. The block diagram is a logical graphical illustration depicting the block configuration necessary for a function to be successfully accomplished. Each block can represent a component, a subsystem, or a system. The function attributed to each block is considered for modeling purposes to be either available or unavailable; there are no degraded modes of block performance. A block does not have to represent physically connected hardware in the actual system to be connected in the block diagram. The block needs only to have a role in contributing to an available system function. ETARA can model the RAM characteristics of systems represented by multilayered, nesting block diagrams. There are no restrictions on the number of total blocks or on the number of blocks in a series, parallel, or M-of-N parallel subsystem. In addition, the same block can appear in more than one subsystem if such an arrangement is necessary for an accurate model. ETARA 3.3 is written in APL2 for IBM PC series computers or compatibles running MS-DOS and the APL2 interpreter. Hardware requirements for the APL2 system include 640K of RAM, 2Mb of extended memory, and an 80386 or 80486 processor with an 80x87 math co-processor. The standard distribution medium for this package is a set of two 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskettes. A sample executable is included. The executable contains licensed material from the APL2 for the IBM PC product which is program property of IBM; Copyright IBM Corporation 1988 - All rights reserved. It is distributed with IBM's permission. The contents of the diskettes are compressed using the PKWARE archiving tools. The utility to unarchive the files, PKUNZIP.EXE, is included. ETARA was developed in 1990 and last updated in 1991.

Experiments with a Regional Vector-Vorticity Model, and Comparison with Other Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konor, C. S.; Dazlich, D. A.; Jung, J.; Randall, D. A.

2017-12-01

The Vector-Vorticity Model (VVM) is an anelastic model with a unique dynamical core that predicts the three-dimensional vorticity instead of the three-dimensional momentum. The VVM is used in the CRMs of the Global Quasi-3D Multiscale Modeling Framework, which is discussed by Joon-Hee Jung and collaborators elsewhere in this session. We are updating the physics package of the VVM, replacing it with the physics package of the System for Atmosphere Modeling (SAM). The new physics package includes a double-moment microphysics, Mellor-Yamada turbulence, Monin-Obukov surface fluxes, and the RRTMG radiation parameterization. We briefly describe the VVM and show results from standard test cases, including TWP-ICE. We compare the results with those obtained using the earlier physics. We also show results from experiments on convection aggregation in radiative-convective equilibrium, and compare with those obtained using both SAM and the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS).

Exhaust turbine and jet propulsion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leist, Karl; Knornschild, Eugen

1951-01-01

DVL experimental and analytical work on the cooling of turbine blades by using ram air as the working fluid over a sector or sectors of the turbine annulus area is summarized. The subsonic performance of ram-jet, turbo-jet, and turbine-propeller engines with both constant pressure and pulsating-flow combustion is investigated. Comparison is made with the performance of a reciprocating engine and the advantages of the gas turbine and jet-propulsion engines are analyzed. Nacelle installation methods and power-level control are discussed.

mRNA Cap Methyltransferase, RNMT-RAM, Promotes RNA Pol II-Dependent Transcription.

PubMed

Varshney, Dhaval; Lombardi, Olivia; Schweikert, Gabriele; Dunn, Sianadh; Suska, Olga; Cowling, Victoria H

2018-05-01

mRNA cap addition occurs early during RNA Pol II-dependent transcription, facilitating pre-mRNA processing and translation. We report that the mammalian mRNA cap methyltransferase, RNMT-RAM, promotes RNA Pol II transcription independent of mRNA capping and translation. In cells, sublethal suppression of RNMT-RAM reduces RNA Pol II occupancy, net mRNA synthesis, and pre-mRNA levels. Conversely, expression of RNMT-RAM increases transcription independent of cap methyltransferase activity. In isolated nuclei, recombinant RNMT-RAM stimulates transcriptional output; this requires the RAM RNA binding domain. RNMT-RAM interacts with nascent transcripts along their entire length and with transcription-associated factors including the RNA Pol II subunits SPT4, SPT6, and PAFc. Suppression of RNMT-RAM inhibits transcriptional markers including histone H2BK120 ubiquitination, H3K4 and H3K36 methylation, RNA Pol II CTD S5 and S2 phosphorylation, and PAFc recruitment. These findings suggest that multiple interactions among RNMT-RAM, RNA Pol II factors, and RNA along the transcription unit stimulate transcription. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electro-optic modulator with ultra-low residual amplitude modulation for frequency modulation and laser stabilization.

PubMed

Tai, Zhaoyang; Yan, Lulu; Zhang, Yanyan; Zhang, Xiaofei; Guo, Wenge; Zhang, Shougang; Jiang, Haifeng

2016-12-01

The reduction of the residual amplitude modulation (RAM) induced by electro-optic modulation is essential for many applications of frequency modulation spectroscopy requiring a lower system noise floor. Here, we demonstrate a simple passive approach employing an electro-optic modulator (EOM) cut at Brewster's angle. The proposed EOM exhibits a RAM of a few parts per million, which is comparable with that achieved by a common EOM under critical active temperature and bias voltage controls. The frequency instability of a 10 cm cavity-stabilized laser induced by the RAM effect of the proposed EOM is below 3×10^-17 for integration times from 1 to 1000 s, and below 4×10^-16 for comprehensive noise contributions for integration times from 1 to 100 s.

Ram seminal plasma improves pregnancy rates in ewes cervically inseminated with ram semen stored at 5 °C for 24 hours.

PubMed

López-Pérez, A; Pérez-Clariget, R

2012-01-15

In this study, we compared pregnancy rates obtained using ram semen stored at 5 °C for 24 h, with ram or bull seminal plasma (SP) added to TRIS-egg yolk extender. During the breeding period, 670 adult Corriedale ewes were cervically inseminated with semen (2 × 10(8) sperm in a volume of 0.2 mL) from eight adult Corriedale rams. Ejaculates, obtained using an artificial vagina, were split into three aliquots and diluted with the following: TRIS-egg yolk based extender (T), T + 30% ram SP (R), or T + 30% bull SP (B). Samples were refrigerated and stored at 5 °C for 24 h until used for AI. Pregnancy was assessed by ultrasonography 35 to 40 d after AI. Pregnancy rate was not affected by ram (P = 0.77) or breeding period (P = 0.43), and there were no interactions between extender and ram (P = 0.94), or extender and breeding period (P = 0.24). However, there was an effect of extender (P = 0.0009) on pregnancy rates; ram SP, but not bull SP, increased pregnancy rates compared with extender without SP (49.7, 38.1, and 31.1%, for R, B, and T respectively). In conclusion, ram SP added to TRIS-egg yolk extender had a beneficial effect on the pregnancy rate of ram sperm stored at 5 °C for 24 h and used for cervical insemination of ewes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The two-way relationship between ionospheric outflow and the ring current

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

Welling, Daniel T.; Jordanova, Vania Koleva; Glocer, Alex

It is now well established that the ionosphere, because it acts as a significant source of plasma, plays a critical role in ring current dynamics. However, because the ring current deposits energy into the ionosphere, the inverse may also be true: the ring current can play a critical role in the dynamics of ionospheric outflow. This study uses a set of coupled, first-principles-based numerical models to test the dependence of ionospheric outflow on ring current-driven region 2 field-aligned currents (FACs). A moderate magnetospheric storm event is modeled with the Space Weather Modeling Framework using a global MHD code (Block Adaptivemore » Tree Solar wind Roe-type Upwind Scheme, BATS-R-US), a polar wind model (Polar Wind Outflow Model), and a bounce-averaged kinetic ring current model (ring current atmosphere interaction model with self-consistent magnetic field, RAM-SCB). Initially, each code is two-way coupled to all others except for RAM-SCB, which receives inputs from the other models but is not allowed to feed back pressure into the MHD model. The simulation is repeated with pressure coupling activated, which drives strong pressure gradients and region 2 FACs in BATS-R-US. It is found that the region 2 FACs increase heavy ion outflow by up to 6 times over the non-coupled results. The additional outflow further energizes the ring current, establishing an ionosphere-magnetosphere mass feedback loop. This study further demonstrates that ionospheric outflow is not merely a plasma source for the magnetosphere but an integral part in the nonlinear ionosphere-magnetosphere-ring current system.« less

The two-way relationship between ionospheric outflow and the ring current

DOE PAGES

Welling, Daniel T.; Jordanova, Vania Koleva; Glocer, Alex; ...

2015-06-01

It is now well established that the ionosphere, because it acts as a significant source of plasma, plays a critical role in ring current dynamics. However, because the ring current deposits energy into the ionosphere, the inverse may also be true: the ring current can play a critical role in the dynamics of ionospheric outflow. This study uses a set of coupled, first-principles-based numerical models to test the dependence of ionospheric outflow on ring current-driven region 2 field-aligned currents (FACs). A moderate magnetospheric storm event is modeled with the Space Weather Modeling Framework using a global MHD code (Block Adaptivemore » Tree Solar wind Roe-type Upwind Scheme, BATS-R-US), a polar wind model (Polar Wind Outflow Model), and a bounce-averaged kinetic ring current model (ring current atmosphere interaction model with self-consistent magnetic field, RAM-SCB). Initially, each code is two-way coupled to all others except for RAM-SCB, which receives inputs from the other models but is not allowed to feed back pressure into the MHD model. The simulation is repeated with pressure coupling activated, which drives strong pressure gradients and region 2 FACs in BATS-R-US. It is found that the region 2 FACs increase heavy ion outflow by up to 6 times over the non-coupled results. The additional outflow further energizes the ring current, establishing an ionosphere-magnetosphere mass feedback loop. This study further demonstrates that ionospheric outflow is not merely a plasma source for the magnetosphere but an integral part in the nonlinear ionosphere-magnetosphere-ring current system.« less

Projection of Summer Climate on Tokyo Metropolitan Area using Pseudo Global Warming Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adachi, S. A.; Kimura, F.; Kusaka, H.; Hara, M.

2010-12-01

Recent surface air temperature observations in most of urban areas show the remarkable increasing trend affected by the global warming and the heat island effects. There are many populous areas in Japan. In such areas, the effects of land-use change and urbanization on the local climate are not negligible (Fujibe, 2010). The heat stress for citizen there is concerned to swell moreover in the future. Therefore, spatially detailed climate projection is required for making adaptation and mitigation plans. This study focuses on the Tokyo metropolitan area (TMA) in summer and aims to estimate the local climate change over the TMA in 2070s using a regional climate model. The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) was used for downscaling. A single layer urban canopy model (Kusaka et al., 2001) is built into RAMS as a parameterization expressing the features of urban surface. We performed two experiments for estimating present and future climate. In the present climate simulation, the initial and boundary conditions for RAMS are provided from the JRA-25/JCDAS. On the other hand, the Pseudo Global Warming (PGW) method (Sato et al., 2007) is applied to estimate the future climate, instead of the conventional dynamical downscaling method. The PGW method is expected to reduce the model biases in the future projection estimated by Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCM). The boundary conditions used in the PGW method is given by the PGW data, which are obtained by adding the climate monthly difference between 1990s and 2070s estimated by AOGCMs to the 6-hourly reanalysis data. In addition, the uncertainty in the regional climate projection depending on the AOGCM projections is estimated from additional downscaling experiments using the different PGW data obtained from five AOGCMs. Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the Global Environment Research Fund (S-5-3) of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan. References: 1. Fujibe, F., Int. J. Climatol., doi:10.1002/joc.2142 (2010). 2. Kusaka, H., H. Kondo, Y. Kikegawa, and F. Kimura, Bound.-Layer Meteor., 101, 329-358 (2001). 3. Sato, T., F. Kimura, and A. Kitoh, J. Hydrology, 144-154 (2007).

Automation of an RCS (Radar Cross Section) Measurement System and Its Application to Investigate the Electromagnetic Scattering from Scale Model Aircraft Canopies

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-01

8217 -E ep IP 760 7v rag-2-t 7 -vet ca vo - a~ .:cz : 112 !] 10 Star-, requency i- -in.- -,,z. 200 :1h too t rouencv, i ax. 210 N T iarizat~on i2:)15. 220... 10 2-3 Pyramidal Radar Absorbing Material (RAM) ... . 11 2-4 Hardware configuration .... ............. 13 2-5 Point source model for phase variation...two plates ....... 51 4- 10 Gated RCS of 4 inch circular flat plate a) time doi. ain and b) frequency response . . . . 52 5-1 Measurement test matrix

Understanding the Role of Reservoir Size on Probable Maximum Precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woldemichael, A. T.; Hossain, F.

2011-12-01

This study addresses the question 'Does surface area of an artificial reservoir matter in the estimation of probable maximum precipitation (PMP) for an impounded basin?' The motivation of the study was based on the notion that the stationarity assumption that is implicit in the PMP for dam design can be undermined in the post-dam era due to an enhancement of extreme precipitation patterns by an artificial reservoir. In addition, the study lays the foundation for use of regional atmospheric models as one way to perform life cycle assessment for planned or existing dams to formulate best management practices. The American River Watershed (ARW) with the Folsom dam at the confluence of the American River was selected as the study region and the Dec-Jan 1996-97 storm event was selected for the study period. The numerical atmospheric model used for the study was the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). First, the numerical modeling system, RAMS, was calibrated and validated with selected station and spatially interpolated precipitation data. Best combinations of parameterization schemes in RAMS were accordingly selected. Second, to mimic the standard method of PMP estimation by moisture maximization technique, relative humidity terms in the model were raised to 100% from ground up to the 500mb level. The obtained model-based maximum 72-hr precipitation values were named extreme precipitation (EP) as a distinction from the PMPs obtained by the standard methods. Third, six hypothetical reservoir size scenarios ranging from no-dam (all-dry) to the reservoir submerging half of basin were established to test the influence of reservoir size variation on EP. For the case of the ARW, our study clearly demonstrated that the assumption of stationarity that is implicit the traditional estimation of PMP can be rendered invalid to a large part due to the very presence of the artificial reservoir. Cloud tracking procedures performed on the basin also give indication of the formation of mesoscale convective systems (MCS) in the vicinity of dams/reservoirs that may have explicitly been triggered by their presence. The significance of this finding is that water resources managers need to consider the post-dam impact of water cycle and local climate due to the very reservoir and land use change triggered if efficient water resources management is desired. Future works of the study will include incorporation of the anthropogenic changes that occur as a result of the presence of dams/reservoirs in the forms of irrigation, urbanization and downstream wetland reduction. Similar hypothesis testing procedures will be applied to understand the combined effects of the reservoir size variation and anthropogenic changes in the extreme precipitation patterns.

Further development and flight test of an autonomous precision landing system using a parafoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murray, James E.; Sim, Alex G.; Neufeld, David C.; Rennich, Patrick K.; Norris, Stephen R.; Hughes, Wesley S.

1994-01-01

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and NASA Johnson Space Center are jointly conducting a phased program to determine the feasibility of the autonomous recovery of a spacecraft using a ram-air parafoil system for the final stages of entry from space to a precision landing. The feasibility is being studied using a flight model of a spacecraft in the generic shape of a flattened biconic that weighs approximately 120 lb and is flown under a commercially available ram-air parafoil. Key components of the vehicle include the global positioning system (GPS) guidance for navigation, a flight control computer, an electronic compass, a yaw rate gyro, and an onboard data recorder. A flight test program is being used to develop and refine the vehicle. The primary flight goal is to demonstrate autonomous flight from an altitude of 3,000 m (10,000 ft) with a lateral offset of 1.6 km (1.0 mi) to a precision soft landing. This paper summarizes the progress to date. Much of the navigation system has been tested, including a heading tracker that was developed using parameter estimation techniques and a complementary filter. The autoland portion of the autopilot is still in development. The feasibility of conducting the flare maneuver without servoactuators was investigated as a means of significantly reducing the servoactuator rate and load requirements.

Operations of the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer : A `Dynamic' Flux Calibration.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehrenreich, D.; Dupuis, J.; Dixon, W. V.; Sahnow, D. J.; Kruk, J. W.

2003-05-01

The FUSE flux calibration is based on model-atmosphere predictions of the spectra of well studied white-dwarf stars. Calibration operations, however, are a highly `dynamic' process consisting of repeatedly measuring these standard stars, deriving corrections, and integrating the results into CALFUSE, the FUSE science pipeline. With suitable scheduling, those calibration observation campaigns let us characterize short term and long term variations of the sensitivity. One particular issue addressed by these observations is monitoring possible degradation of the FUSE optical coatings by atomic oxygen present in the upper atmosphere. We have attempted to minimize this by avoiding pointing close to the instantaneous velocity vector of the spacecraft (the ram vector). Prior to Cycle 3, the minimum permitted angle between the line of sight and the ram vector was 20 degrees. This was reduced to 15 degrees during Cycle 3 to increase our sky coverage, and will be further reduced to 10 degrees for Cycle 4. This relaxation of ram constraints has been preceded by a tailored calibration program in which white dwarf measurements are obtained before and after observations performed for a limited time below the current ram vector constraint. This relaxation of the ram vector constraint will considerably expand the ability of FUSE to observe sources at low declination. This work is based on data obtained for the Guaranteed Time Team by the NASA-CNES-CSA FUSE mission operated by the Johns Hopkins University. Financial support to U.S. participants has been provided by NASA contract NAS5-32985.

Energy normalization of TV viewed optical correlation (automated correlation plane analyzer for an optical processor)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grumet, A.

1981-01-01

An automatic correlation plane processor that can rapidly acquire, identify, and locate the autocorrelation outputs of a bank of multiple optical matched filters is described. The read-only memory (ROM) stored digital silhouette of each image associated with each matched filter allows TV video to be used to collect image energy to provide accurate normalization of autocorrelations. The resulting normalized autocorrelations are independent of the illumination of the matched input. Deviation from unity of a normalized correlation can be used as a confidence measure of correct image identification. Analog preprocessing circuits permit digital conversion and random access memory (RAM) storage of those video signals with the correct amplitude, pulse width, rising slope, and falling slope. TV synchronized addressing of 3 RAMs permits on-line storage of: (1) the maximum unnormalized amplitude, (2) the image x location, and (3) the image y location of the output of each of up to 99 matched filters. A fourth RAM stores all normalized correlations. A normalization approach, normalization for cross correlations, a system's description with block diagrams, and system's applications are discussed.

Blended Wing Body (BWB) Boundary Layer Ingestion (BLI) Inlet Configuration and System Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawai, Ronald T.; Friedman, Douglas M.; Serrano, Leonel

2006-01-01

A study was conducted to determine the potential reduction in fuel burned for BLI (boundary layer ingestion) inlets on a BWB (blended wing body) airplane employing AFC (active flow control). The BWB is a revolutionary type airplane configuration with engines on the aft upper surface where thick boundary layer offers the greatest opportunity for ram drag reduction. AFC is an emerging technology for boundary layer control. Several BLI inlet configurations were analyzed in the NASA-developed RANS Overflow CFD code. The study determined that, while large reductions in ram drag result from BLI, lower inlet pressure recovery produces engine performance penalties that largely offset this ram drag reduction. AFC could, however, enable a short BLI inlet that allows surface mounting of the engine which, when coupled with a short diffuser, would significantly reduce drag and weight for a potential 10% reduction in fuel burned. Continuing studies are therefore recommended to achieve this reduction in fuel burned considering the use of more modest amounts of BLI coupled with both AFC and PFC (Passive Flow Control) to produce a fail-operational system.

BUDHIES II: a phase-space view of H I gas stripping and star formation quenching in cluster galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaffé, Yara L.; Smith, Rory; Candlish, Graeme N.; Poggianti, Bianca M.; Sheen, Yun-Kyeong; Verheijen, Marc A. W.

2015-04-01

We investigate the effect of ram-pressure from the intracluster medium on the stripping of H I gas in galaxies in a massive, relaxed, X-ray bright, galaxy cluster at z = 0.2 from the Blind Ultra Deep H I Environmental Survey (BUDHIES). We use cosmological simulations, and velocity versus position phase-space diagrams to infer the orbital histories of the cluster galaxies. In particular, we embed a simple analytical description of ram-pressure stripping in the simulations to identify the regions in phase-space where galaxies are more likely to have been sufficiently stripped of their H I gas to fall below the detection limit of our survey. We find a striking agreement between the model predictions and the observed location of H I-detected and non-detected blue (late-type) galaxies in phase-space, strongly implying that ram-pressure plays a key role in the gas removal from galaxies, and that this can happen during their first infall into the cluster. However, we also find a significant number of gas-poor, red (early-type) galaxies in the infall region of the cluster that cannot easily be explained with our model of ram-pressure stripping alone. We discuss different possible additional mechanisms that could be at play, including the pre-processing of galaxies in their previous environment. Our results are strengthened by the distribution of galaxy colours (optical and UV) in phase-space, that suggests that after a (gas-rich) field galaxy falls into the cluster, it will lose its gas via ram-pressure stripping, and as it settles into the cluster, its star formation will decay until it is completely quenched. Finally, this work demonstrates the utility of phase-space diagrams to analyse the physical processes driving the evolution of cluster galaxies, in particular H I gas stripping.

Determination of Acoustic Effects on Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles for the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-12

Acoustic Simulation System/Gaussian Ray Bundle (CASS/GRAB), Range-Dependent Acoustic Model (RAM), or Reflection and Refraction Multilayered Ocean / Ocean ...Multilayered Ocean / Ocean Bottoms with Shear Wave Effects RES Relative Environmental Suitability SEL Sound exposure level SOCAL Southern California SPL...the Office of Naval Research. The HSTT Study Area is comprised of established operating and warning areas across the north-central Pacific Ocean

Remote Attitude Measurement Sensor (RAMS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, H. W.

1989-01-01

Remote attitude measurement sensor (RAMS) offers a low-cost, low-risk, proven design concept that is based on mature, demonstrated space sensor technology. The electronic design concepts and interpolation algorithms were tested and proven in space hardware like th Retroreflector Field Tracker and various star trackers. The RAMS concept is versatile and has broad applicability to both ground testing and spacecraft needs. It is ideal for use as a precision laboratory sensor for structural dynamics testing. It requires very little set-up or preparation time and the output data is immediately usable without integration or extensive analysis efforts. For on-orbit use, RAMS rivals any other type of dynamic structural sensor (accelerometer, lidar, photogrammetric techniques, etc.) for overall performance, reliability, suitability, and cost. Widespread acceptance and extensive usage of RAMS will occur only after some interested agency, such as OAST, adopts the RAMS concept and provides the funding support necessary for further development and implementation of RAMS for a specific program.

Experimental analysis of 7.62 mm hydrodynamic ram in containers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deletombe, E.; Fabis, J.; Dupas, J.; Mortier, J. M.

2013-02-01

The design of fuel tanks with a reduced vulnerability with respect to hydrodynamic ram pressure (HRAM) effects is of an increasing need in the Civil (e.g. the Concorde accident), and Defence (military aircraft, unmanned vehicle systems) aircraft industries. The presented work concerns experimental research which aims at observing two hydraulic ram events - both induced by a 7.62 mm bullet shot in very different containers - throughout their various steps until the final collapse of the generated cavity, in order to study the nature of HRAM, the influence of the containers geometry, and to measure original dynamic data for numerical modelling developments and validation. For that purpose, test configurations and experimental results are described, documented and discussed. They concern two types of firing tests that were performed at ONERA using the NATO 7.62 mm projectile, respectively in the frame of ONERA (pool) and EUCLID (caisson) funded research projects. The authors concentrate on two topics: on the one hand, digital image analysis to measure the cavity geometry during its growth and collapse phases and, on the other hand, pressure measurements that catch the transient shock wave. The originality of the work consists in the fact that - compared with other published works - the phenomenon is studied up to tens of milliseconds in a very large pool for theoretical analysis of the bullet/liquid interactions only, and in a realistic fuel tank specimen to consider influence of boundary conditions onto the cavity characteristics (geometry, dynamics).

Numerical simulations of the superdetonative ram accelerator combusting flow field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soetrisno, Moeljo; Imlay, Scott T.; Roberts, Donald W.

1993-01-01

The effects of projectile canting and fins on the ram accelerator combusting flowfield and the possible cause of the ram accelerator unstart are investigated by performing axisymmetric, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional calculations. Calculations are performed using the INCA code for solving Navier-Stokes equations and a guasi-global combustion model of Westbrook and Dryer (1981, 1984), which includes N2 and nine reacting species (CH4, CO, CO2, H2, H, O2, O, OH, and H2O), which are allowed to undergo a 12-step reaction. It is found that, without canting, interactions between the fins, boundary layers, and combustion fronts are insufficient to unstart the projectile at superdetonative velocities. With canting, the projectile will unstart at flow conditions where it appears to accelerate without canting. Unstart occurs at some critical canting angle. It is also found that three-dimensionality plays an important role in the overall combustion process.

Interaction of NGC 2276 with the NGC 2300 group - Fabry-Perot observations of the H-alpha velocity field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gruendl, Robert A.; Vogel, Stuart N.; Davis, David S.; Mulchaey, John S.

1993-01-01

We report kinematic observations of H-alpha emission from the spiral galaxy NGC 2276 obtained with a Fabry-Perot Camera. The 'bow shock' appearance and enhanced star formation in NGC 2276 have been attributed by Mulchaey et al. (1993) to a ram-pressure interaction with the dense IGM detected in ROSAT observations of the NGC 2300 group of galaxies. Along the 'bow shock' limb of the galaxy, we observe strong H-alpha emission and significant kinematic perturbations located immediately interior to an abrupt decrease in the scale length of the optical disk. Although ram-pressure forces may be important in the evolution of the outer gaseous disk, the peculiar kinematics and the truncation in the stellar disk are difficult to explain in a ram-pressure model; a more likely cause is tidal interaction, probably with the elliptical galaxy NGC 2300.

Evaluation of a nutritional strategy to increase ovulation rate in merino ewes mated in late spring-early summer.

PubMed

Nottle, M B; Kleemann, D O; Grosser, T I; Seamark, R F

1997-07-01

A nutritional strategy for increasing ovulation rate in Merino ewes mated in late spring-early summer was evaluated on two commercial farms. The strategy used the 'ram effect' to induce oestrus in seasonally anoestrus ewes and supplementary feeding of lupin grain six days prior to oestrus to increase ovulation rate. Ewes that had been isolated from rams for 6 weeks were exposed to vasectomised rams for 2 weeks and then mated to fertile rams for 6 weeks. Feeding 500 g lupins/head/day for 14 days commencing 12 days after the introduction of vasectomised rams, increased the number of ovulations from 126 to 146 per 100 ewes exposed to rams (P < 0.05). This increase was reflected in an improvement in fecundity (lambs born per ewe lambing; P < 0.05) but not fertility (ewes lambing per ewe mated to rams). Net reproductive performance (the product of fertility, fecundity and lamb survival) was increased by 11 lambs weaned per 100 ewes exposed to rams due to lupin supplementation at mating.

Effects of Long-Term Flutamide Treatment during Development on Sexual Behavior and Hormone Responsiveness in Rams

PubMed Central

Roselli, Charles E.; Meaker, Mary; Stormshak, Fred; Estill, Charles T.

2016-01-01

Testosterone (T) exposure during midgestation differentiates neural circuits controlling sex-specific behaviors and patterns of gonadotropin secretion in male sheep. T acts through androgen receptors (AR) and/or after aromatization to estradiol and binding to estrogen receptors. The current study assessed the role of AR activation in male sexual differentiation. We compared rams that were exposed to the AR antagonist flutamide (Flu) throughout the critical period (i.e. day 30 – 90 of gestation) to control rams and ewes that received no prenatal treatments. The external genitalia of all Flu rams were phenotypically female. Testes were positioned subcutaneously in the inguinal region of the abdomen, exhibited seasonally impaired androgen secretion and were azospermic. Flu rams displayed male-typical precopulatory and mounting behaviors, but could not intromit or ejaculate because they lacked a penis. Flu rams exhibited greater mounting behavior than control rams, and like controls, showed sexual partner preferences for estrous ewes. Neither control nor Flu rams responded to estradiol treatments with displays of female-typical receptive behavior or LH surge responses; whereas all control ewes responded as expected. The ovine sexually dimorphic nucleus in Flu rams was intermediate in volume between control rams and ewes and significantly different from both. . These results indicate that prenatal antiandrogen exposure is not able to block male sexual differentiation in sheep and suggest that compensatory mechanisms intervene to maintain sufficient androgen stimulation during development. PMID:27005749

Vesicovaginal fistula repair with rectus abdominus myofascial interposition flap.

PubMed

Reynolds, W Stuart; Gottlieb, Lawrence J; Lucioni, Alvaro; Rapp, David E; Song, David H; Bales, Gregory T

2008-06-01

Complex, recurrent vesicovaginal fistulas (VVFs) can be very challenging to repair and often require interposition of nonirradiated, well-vascularized tissue between the urinary system and vagina. We report our experience using a rectus abdominus myofascial (RAM) interposition flap for VVF repair. A retrospective analysis was performed to identify patients who had undergone VVF repair with RAM interposition. Data were collected focusing on preoperative patient characteristics, etiology of VVF, intraoperative parameters, including surgical techniques, and postoperative patient outcomes. We used a RAM interposition flap for VVF repair in 5 patients. All VVFs had developed postoperatively; no patient had received radiotherapy. VVF developed after total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) or radical cystectomy in 3 and 2 cases, respectively. Both cases of VVF after radical cystectomy occurred in conjunction with orthotopic diversion (neobladder-vaginal fistula). In 3 patients with post-TAH VVF, a total of five previous failed repairs were attempted before RAM interposition. In 1 patient with a neobladder-vaginal fistula, who had received adjuvant chemotherapy, RAM interposition failed, and the patient ultimately required cutaneous urinary diversion after two subsequent failed attempts at repair (68 months of follow-up). The remaining 4 patients (80%) had no evidence of recurrent VVF or voiding abnormalities at a mean follow-up of 19 months (range 8 to 32). Rectus abdominus muscle can be a successful interposition flap during repair of complex, recurrent VVF. In our experience, this has been successful in most cases, particularly in younger patients with nonmalignant processes.

Critical role of a double-layer configuration in solution-based unipolar resistive switching memories.

PubMed

Carlos, Emanuel; Kiazadeh, Asal; Deuermeier, Jonas; Branquinho, Rita; Martins, Rodrigo; Fortunato, Elvira

2018-08-24

Lately, resistive switching memories (ReRAM) have been attracting a lot of attention due to their possibilities of fast operation, lower power consumption and simple fabrication process and they can also be scaled to very small dimensions. However, most of these ReRAM are produced by physical methods and nowadays the industry demands more simplicity, typically associated with low cost manufacturing. As such, ReRAMs in this work are developed from a solution-based aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) using a simple combustion synthesis process. The device performance is optimized by two-stage deposition of the Al 2 O 3 film. The resistive switching properties of the bilayer devices are reproducible with a yield of 100%. The ReRAM devices show unipolar resistive switching behavior with good endurance and retention time up to 10 5 s at 85 °C. The devices can be programmed in a multi-level cell operation mode by application of different reset voltages. Temperature analysis of various resistance states reveals a filamentary nature based on the oxygen vacancies. The optimized film was stacked between ITO and indium zinc oxide, targeting a fully transparent device for applications on transparent system-on-panel technology.

Discovery of Ram-pressure Stripped Gas around an Elliptical Galaxy in Abell 2670

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

Sheen, Yun-Kyeong; Kim, Minjin; Smith, Rory

Studies of cluster galaxies are increasingly finding galaxies with spectacular one-sided tails of gas and young stars, suggestive of intense ram-pressure stripping. These so-called “jellyfish” galaxies typically have late-type morphology. In this paper, we present Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations of an elliptical galaxy in Abell 2670 with long tails of material visible in the optical spectra, as well as blobs with tadpole-like morphology. The spectra in the central part of the galaxy reveal a stellar component as well as ionized gas. The stellar component does not have significant rotation, while the ionized gas defines a clear star-forming gasmore » disk. We argue, based on deep optical images of the galaxy, that the gas was most likely acquired during a past wet merger. It is possible that the star-forming blobs are also remnants of the merger. In addition, the direction and kinematics of the one-sided ionized tails, combined with the tadpole morphology of the star-forming blobs, strongly suggests that the system is undergoing ram pressure from the intracluster medium. In summary, this paper presents the discovery of a post-merger elliptical galaxy undergoing ram-pressure stripping.« less

Discovery of Ram-pressure Stripped Gas around an Elliptical Galaxy in Abell 2670

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheen, Yun-Kyeong; Smith, Rory; Jaffé, Yara; Kim, Minjin; Yi, Sukyoung K.; Duc, Pierre-Alain; Nantais, Julie; Candlish, Graeme; Demarco, Ricardo; Treister, Ezequiel

2017-05-01

Studies of cluster galaxies are increasingly finding galaxies with spectacular one-sided tails of gas and young stars, suggestive of intense ram-pressure stripping. These so-called “jellyfish” galaxies typically have late-type morphology. In this paper, we present Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations of an elliptical galaxy in Abell 2670 with long tails of material visible in the optical spectra, as well as blobs with tadpole-like morphology. The spectra in the central part of the galaxy reveal a stellar component as well as ionized gas. The stellar component does not have significant rotation, while the ionized gas defines a clear star-forming gas disk. We argue, based on deep optical images of the galaxy, that the gas was most likely acquired during a past wet merger. It is possible that the star-forming blobs are also remnants of the merger. In addition, the direction and kinematics of the one-sided ionized tails, combined with the tadpole morphology of the star-forming blobs, strongly suggests that the system is undergoing ram pressure from the intracluster medium. In summary, this paper presents the discovery of a post-merger elliptical galaxy undergoing ram-pressure stripping.

An energy and cost efficient majority-based RAM cell in quantum-dot cellular automata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khosroshahy, Milad Bagherian; Moaiyeri, Mohammad Hossein; Navi, Keivan; Bagherzadeh, Nader

Nanotechnologies, notably quantum-dot cellular automata, have achieved major attentions for their prominent features as compared to the conventional CMOS circuitry. Quantum-dot cellular automata, particularly owning to its considerable reduction in size, high switching speed and ultra-low energy consumption, is considered as a potential alternative for the CMOS technology. As the memory unit is one of the most essential components in a digital system, designing a well-optimized QCA random access memory (RAM) cell is an important area of research. In this paper, a new five-input majority gate is presented which is suitable for implementing efficient single-layer QCA circuits. In addition, a new RAM cell with set and reset capabilities is designed based on the proposed majority gate, which has an efficient and low-energy structure. The functionality, performance and energy consumption of the proposed designs are evaluated based on the QCADesigner and QCAPro tools. According to the simulation results, the proposed RAM design leads to on average 38% lower total energy dissipation, 25% smaller area, 20% lower cell count, 28% lower delay and 60% lower QCA cost as compared to its previous counterparts.

Tyrosine hydroxylase in the ventral tegmental area of rams with high or low libido-A role for dopamine.

PubMed

Kramer, A C; Mirto, A J; Austin, K J; Roselli, C E; Alexander, B M

2017-12-01

Dopamine synthesis in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is necessary for the reinforcement of sexual behavior. The objective of this study determined if sexual stimuli initiates reward, and whether reward is attenuated in sexually inactive rams. Sexually active rams were exposed to urine from estrous (n=4) or ovariectomized (n=3) ewes with inactive rams (n=3) exposed to urine from estrous ewes. Following exposure, rams were exsanguinated and brains perfused. Alternating sections of the VTA were stained for Fos related antigens (FRA), tyrosine hydroxylase, and dopamine beta-hydroxylase activity. Forebrain tissue, mid-sagittal ventral to the anterior corpus callosum, was stained for dopamine D 2 receptors. Concentrations of cortisol was determined prior to and following exposure. Exposure to ovariectomized-ewe urine in sexually active rams did not influence (P=0.6) FRA expression, but fewer (P<0.05) neurons were positive for tyrosine hydroxylase in the VTA. Sexually inactive rams had fewer (P<0.05) FRA and tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons in the VTA than sexually active rams following exposure to estrous ewe urine. VTA neurons staining positive for dopamine beta-hydroxylase did not differ by sexual activity (P=0.44) or urine exposure (P=0.07). Exposure to stimulus did not influence (P=0.46) numbers of forebrain neurons staining positive for dopamine D2 receptors in sexually active rams, but fewer (P=0.04) neurons stain positive in inactive rams. Serum concentrations of cortisol did not differ (P≥0.52) among rams prior to or following stimulus. In conclusion sexual inactivity is unlikely due to stress, but may be partially a result of decreased tyrosine hydroxylase and/or the response to dopamine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of the GRAS transcription factor ATA/RAM1 in the transcriptional reprogramming of arbuscular mycorrhiza in Petunia hybrida.

PubMed

Rich, Mélanie K; Courty, Pierre-Emmanuel; Roux, Christophe; Reinhardt, Didier

2017-08-08

Development of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) requires a fundamental reprogramming of root cells for symbiosis. This involves the induction of hundreds of genes in the host. A recently identified GRAS-type transcription factor in Petunia hybrida, ATA/RAM1, is required for the induction of host genes during AM, and for morphogenesis of the fungal endosymbiont. To better understand the role of RAM1 in symbiosis, we set out to identify all genes that depend on activation by RAM1 in mycorrhizal roots. We have carried out a transcript profiling experiment by RNAseq of mycorrhizal plants vs. non-mycorrhizal controls in wild type and ram1 mutants. The results show that the expression of early genes required for AM, such as the strigolactone biosynthetic genes and the common symbiosis signalling genes, is independent of RAM1. In contrast, genes that are involved at later stages of symbiosis, for example for nutrient exchange in cortex cells, require RAM1 for induction. RAM1 itself is highly induced in mycorrhizal roots together with many other transcription factors, in particular GRAS proteins. Since RAM1 has previously been shown to be directly activated by the common symbiosis signalling pathway through CYCLOPS, we conclude that it acts as an early transcriptional switch that induces many AM-related genes, among them genes that are essential for the development of arbuscules, such as STR, STR2, RAM2, and PT4, besides hundreds of additional RAM1-dependent genes the role of which in symbiosis remains to be explored. Taken together, these results indicate that the defect in the morphogenesis of the fungal arbuscules in ram1 mutants may be an indirect consequence of functional defects in the host, which interfere with nutrient exchange and possibly other functions on which the fungus depends.

Measurement and modeling of moist processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cotton, William; Starr, David; Mitchell, Kenneth; Fleming, Rex; Koch, Steve; Smith, Steve; Mailhot, Jocelyn; Perkey, Don; Tripoli, Greg

1993-01-01

The keynote talk summarized five years of work simulating observed mesoscale convective systems with the RAMS (Regional Atmospheric Modeling System) model. Excellent results are obtained when simulating squall line or other convective systems that are strongly forced by fronts or other lifting mechanisms. Less highly forced systems are difficult to model. The next topic in this colloquium was measurement of water vapor and other constituents of the hydrologic cycle. Impressive accuracy was shown measuring water vapor with both the airborne DIAL (Differential Absorption Lidar) system and the the ground-based Raman Lidar. NMC's plans for initializing land water hydrology in mesoscale models was presented before water vapor measurement concepts for GCIP were discussed. The subject of using satellite data to provide mesoscale moisture and wind analyses was next. Recent activities in modeling of moist processes in mesoscale systems was reported on. These modeling activities at the Canadian Atmospheric Environment Service (AES) used a hydrostatic, variable-resolution grid model. Next the spatial resolution effects of moisture budgets was discussed; in particular, the effects of temporal resolution on heat and moisture budgets for cumulus parameterization. The conclusion of this colloquium was on modeling scale interaction processes.

Factors Influencing Participation in Continuing Professional Development: A Focus on Motivation Among Pharmacists.

PubMed

Tjin A Tsoi, Sharon L N M; de Boer, Anthonius; Croiset, Gerda; Koster, Andries S; Kusurkar, Rashmi A

2016-01-01

The interest in continuing education (CE) for pharmacists has increased because of patient safety issues, advancing science and the quick changes in the profession. Therefore, contemporary pharmaceutical care requires an effective and sustainable system for pharmacists to maintain and improve competencies. Although motivation plays an important role both as a facilitator (desire to learn) and a barrier (lack of motivation), there is little investigated about this specific factor. The aim of the study was to explore what factors influence pharmacists' participation in CE with a focus on motivation. The theoretical framework was self-determination theory (SDT), which describes autonomous motivation (AM) representing motivation from an internal locus of causality, controlled motivation (CM) originating from an external locus of causality, and relative autonomous motivation (RAM) that measures the AM in an individual after correcting for the CM. The relationship between pharmacists' characteristics, especially their motivation (AM, CM and RAM) in CE, and their participation in CE activities was explored using the AMS-questionnaire and the Dutch online portfolio system. RAM was positively correlated with CE participation of pharmacists and explained 7.8% of the variance. The correlations between the independent variables AM and CM and CE hours were negative (-0.301 and -0.476, respectively). Other factors influencing CE participation were pharmacy school (6.8%), traineeship (10.9%), and work experience (7.8%). Pharmacists participated for 27.0 hours on average in CE during 11 months and preferred face-to-face-learning (85.5%) above e-learning (13.8%). Our findings show a positive relationship between RAM and CE participation. The current CE system is probably not conducive to stimulation of AM. Further research is needed to understand the factors that stimulate pharmacists' motivation and participation in CE.

The Origin of Dwarf Ellipticals in the Virgo Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boselli, A.; Boissier, S.; Cortese, L.; Gavazzi, G.

2008-02-01

We study the evolution of dwarf (LH < 109.6 LH⊙) star-forming and quiescent galaxies in the Virgo Cluster by comparing their UV to radio centimetric properties to the predictions of multizone chemospectrophotometric models of galaxy evolution especially tuned to take into account the perturbations induced by the interaction with the cluster intergalactic medium. Our models simulate one or multiple ram pressure stripping events and galaxy starvation. Models predict that all star-forming dwarf galaxies entering the cluster for the first time loose most, if not all, of their atomic gas content, quenching on short timescales (<=150 Myr) their activity of star formation. These dwarf galaxies soon become red and quiescent, gas metal-rich objects with spectrophotometric and structural properties similar to those of dwarf ellipticals. Young, low-luminosity, high surface brightness star-forming galaxies such as late-type spirals and BCDs are probably the progenitors of relatively massive dwarf ellipticals, while it is likely that low surface brightness Magellanic irregulars evolve into very low surface brightness quiescent objects hardly detectable in ground-based imaging surveys. The small number of dwarf galaxies with physical properties intermediate between those of star-forming and quiescent systems is consistent with a rapid (<1 Gyr) transitional phase between the two dwarf galaxy populations. These results, combined with statistical considerations, are consistent with the idea that most of the dwarf ellipticals dominating the faint end of the Virgo luminosity function were initially star-forming systems, accreted by the cluster and stripped of their gas by one or subsequent ram pressure stripping events.

A Training Manual in Conducting a Workshop in the Design, Construction, Operation, Maintenance and Repair of Hydrams.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peace Corps, Washington, DC. Office of Programming and Training Coordination.

This manual presents a comprehensive training design, suggested procedures, and materials for conducting a workshop in the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and repair of hydrams, and in the planning and implementation of hydram projects. Hydrams (hydraulic rams, hydraulic ram pumps, automatic hydraulic ram pumps, rams) are devices…

A numerical study of tropospheric ozone in the springtime in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Meigen; Xu, Yongfu; Itsushi, Uno; Hajime, Akimoto

2004-04-01

The Models-3 Community Multi-scale Air Quality modeling system (CMAQ) coupled with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) is applied to East Asia to study the transport and photochemical transformation of tropospheric ozone in March 1998. The calculated mixing ratios of ozone and carbon monoxide are compared with ground level observations at three remote sites in Japan and it is found that the model reproduces the observed features very well. Examination of several high episodes of ozone and carbon monoxide indicates that these elevated levels are found in association with continental outflow, demonstrating the critical role of the rapid transport of carbon monoxide and other ozone precursors from the continental boundary layer. In comparison with available ozonesonde data, it is found that the model-calculated ozone concentrations are generally in good agreement with the measurements, and the stratospheric contribution to surface ozone mixing ratios is quite limited.

Study of shock-induced combustion using an implicit TVD scheme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yungster, Shayne

1992-01-01

The supersonic combustion flowfields associated with various hypersonic propulsion systems, such as the ram accelerator, the oblique detonation wave engine, and the scramjet, are being investigated using a new computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. The code solves the fully coupled Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations and species continuity equations in an efficient manner. It employs an iterative method and a second order differencing scheme to improve computational efficiency. The code is currently being applied to study shock wave/boundary layer interactions in premixed combustible gases, and to investigate the ram accelerator concept. Results obtained for a ram accelerator configuration indicate a new combustion mechanism in which a shock wave induces combustion in the boundary layer, which then propagates outward and downstream. The combustion process creates a high pressure region over the back of the projectile resulting in a net positive thrust forward.

Investigation of starting transients in the thermally choked ram accelerator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burnham, E. A.; Hinkey, J. B.; Bruckner, A. P.

1992-01-01

An experimental investigation of the starting transients of the thermally choked ram accelerator is presented in this paper. Construction of a highly instrumented tube section and instrumentation inserts provide high resolution experimental pressure, luminosity, and electromagnetic data of the starting transients. Data obtained prior to and following the entrance diaphragm show detailed development of shock systems in both combustible and inert mixtures. With an evacuated launch tube, starting the diffuser is possible at any Mach number above the Kantrowitz Mach number. The detrimental effects and possible solutions of higher launch tube pressures and excessive obturator leakage (blow-by) are discussed. Ignition of a combustible mixture is demonstrated with both perforated and solid obturators. The relative advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. Data obtained from these starting experiments enhance the understanding of the ram accelerator, as well as assist in the validation of unsteady, chemically reacting CFD codes.

Future intensification of hydro-meteorological extremes: downscaling using the weather research and forecasting model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Samra, R.; Bou-Zeid, E.; Bangalath, H. K.; Stenchikov, G.; El-Fadel, M.

2017-12-01

A set of ten downscaling simulations at high spatial resolution (3 km horizontally) were performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to generate future climate projections of annual and seasonal temperature and precipitation changes over the Eastern Mediterranean (with a focus on Lebanon). The model was driven with the High Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM), running over the whole globe at a resolution of 25 km, under the conditions of two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) (4.5 and 8.5). Each downscaling simulation spanned one year. Two past years (2003 and 2008), also forced by HiRAM without data assimilation, were simulated to evaluate the model's ability to capture the cold and wet (2003) and hot and dry (2008) extremes. The downscaled data were in the range of recent observed climatic variability, and therefore corrected for the cold bias of HiRAM. Eight future years were then selected based on an anomaly score that relies on the mean annual temperature and accumulated precipitation to identify the worst year per decade from a water resources perspective. One hot and dry year per decade, from 2011 to 2050, and per scenario was simulated and compared to the historic 2008 reference. The results indicate that hot and dry future extreme years will be exacerbated and the study area might be exposed to a significant decrease in annual precipitation (rain and snow), reaching up to 30% relative to the current extreme conditions.

EC/LSS thermal control system study for the space shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howell, H. R.

1972-01-01

The results of a parametric weight analysis of heat rejection systems for the space shuttle orbiter are presented. Integrating the suborbital heat rejection system with the overall heat rejection system design and the possible use of a common system for both on-orbit and suborbital operations require an overall system and parametric analyses applicable to all mission phases. The concept of equivalent weights, with weight penalties assigned for power, induced aircraft drag and radiator area is used to determine weight estimates for the following candidate systems: vapor cycle refrigeration, gas cycle refrigeration, radiators (space and atmospheric convectors), expendable heat sinks, and ram air. The orbiter power penalty, ram air penalty, and radiator weight penalty are analyzed. The vapor compression system and an expendable fluid system utilizing a multifluid spraying flash evaporator are selected as the two most promising systems. These are used for maximum on-orbit heat rejection in combination with or as a supplement to a space radiator.

Involvement of the avian song system in reproductive behaviour

PubMed Central

Wild, J. Martin; Botelho, João F.

2015-01-01

The song system of songbirds consists of an interconnected set of forebrain nuclei that has traditionally been regarded as dedicated to the learning and production of song. Here, however, we suggest that the song system could also influence muscles used in reproductive behaviour, such as the cloacal sphincter muscle. We show that the same medullary nucleus, retroambigualis (RAm), that projects upon spinal motoneurons innervating expiratory muscles (which provide the pressure head for vocalization) and upon vocal motoneurons for respiratory–vocal coordination also projects upon cloacal motoneurons. Furthermore, RAm neurons projecting to sacral spinal levels were shown to receive direct projections from nucleus robustus arcopallialis (RA) of the forebrain song system. Thus, by indicating a possible disynaptic relationship between RA and motoneurons innervating the reproductive organ, in both males and females, these results potentially extend the role of the song system to include consummatory as well as appetitive aspects of reproductive behaviour. PMID:26631245

Intrinsic Hydrophobicity of Rammed Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holub, M.; Stone, C.; Balintova, M.; Grul, R.

2015-11-01

Rammed earth is well known for its vapour diffusion properties, its ability to regulate humidity within the built environment. Rammed earth is also an aesthetically iconic material such as marble or granite and therefore is preferably left exposed. However exposed rammed earth is often coated with silane/siloxane water repellents or the structure is modified architecturally (large roof overhangs) to accommodate for the hydrophilic nature of the material. This paper sets out to find out optimal hydrophobicity for rammed earth based on natural composite fibres and surface coating without adversely affecting the vapour diffusivity of the material. The material is not required to be waterproof, but should resist at least driving rain. In order to evaluate different approaches to increase hydrophobicity of rammed earth surface, peat fibres and four types of repellents were used.

RECERTIFICATION OF THE MODEL 9977 RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL PACKAGING

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

Abramczyk, G.; Bellamy, S.; Loftin, B.

2013-06-05

The Model 9977 Packaging was initially issued a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) by the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) for the transportation of radioactive material (RAM) in the Fall of 2007. This first CoC was for a single radioactive material and two packing configurations. In the five years since that time, seven Addendums have been written to the Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (SARP) and five Letter Amendments have been written that have authorized either new RAM contents or packing configurations, or both. This paper will discuss the process of updating the 9977 SARP to include allmore » the contents and configurations, including the addition of a new content, and its submittal for recertification.« less

Continuous exposure to sexually active rams extends estrous activity in ewes in spring.

PubMed

Abecia, J A; Chemineau, P; Flores, J A; Keller, M; Duarte, G; Forcada, F; Delgadillo, J A

2015-12-01

Sexual activity in sheep is under photoperiodic control, which is the main environmental factor responsible for the seasonality of reproduction. However, other natural environmental factors such as presence of conspecifics can slightly influence the timing of onset and offset of the breeding season. In goats, we have found that the continuous presence of bucks that were rendered sexually active out of season by previous exposure to long days, prevented goats from displaying seasonal anestrus, which suggests that the relative contribution of photoperiod in controlling seasonal anestrus should be reevaluated in small ruminant species. The aim of this study was to assess whether the presence of sexually active rams that had been stimulated by artificial photoperiod and melatonin implants, reduces seasonal anestrus in sheep, by prolonging ovulatory activity in spring. Ewes were assigned to one of two groups (n = 16 and 15), which were housed in two separate barns, and kept in contact, either with the treated or the control rams between March and July. Vasectomized rams were either exposed to 2 months of long days followed by the insertion of three subcutaneous melatonin implants (treated rams, n = 8), or exposed to natural light conditions (control rams, n = 2). Estrus was monitored daily, and weekly plasma progesterone analyses indicated ovulatory activity. Ewes that were exposed to treated rams exhibited a higher proportion of monthly estrus than ewes exposed to the control rams (P < 0.05). Thirteen of 15 ewes (one ewe was not considered because of the presence of persistent CL) exposed to stimulated rams exhibited estrous behavior in a cyclic manner. In contrast, all ewes exposed to control rams stopped estrous activity for a period of time during the study, such that this group exhibited a significantly longer anestrous season (mean ± standard error of the mean 89 ± 9 days) than did the ewes housed with treated rams (26 ± 10 days; P < 0.0001). Among 15 ewes housed with treated rams, 13 of them exhibited continuous ovulatory activity between March and July, whereas one stopped in June and two in July. All ewes kept with control rams stopped ovulating for some time; consequently, those ewes had a longer anovulation period than did the group exposed to treated rams (3 ± 3 vs. 18 ± 7 days, respectively; P < 0.05). In conclusion, continuous exposure to sexually activated rams induced by artificial photoperiod and melatonin implants in spring extended the ovarian activity of ewes in spring, which results in an increase in estrous expression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence in the USA of rilpivirine resistance-associated mutations in clinical samples and effects on phenotypic susceptibility to rilpivirine and etravirine.

PubMed

Picchio, Gaston R; Rimsky, Laurence T; Van Eygen, Veerle; Haddad, Mojgan; Napolitano, Laura A; Vingerhoets, Johan

2014-01-01

The prevalence of rilpivirine resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) in the USA, and their effect on phenotypic susceptibility to rilpivirine and etravirine, was evaluated in clinical samples from HIV-1-infected patients. In total, 15,991 samples submitted to Monogram Biosciences (South San Francisco, CA, USA) for routine resistance testing between January 2010 and June 2011 were assessed for the presence of known rilpivirine RAMs K101E/P, E138A/G/K/Q/R, V179L, Y181C/I/V, Y188L, H221Y, F227C and M230I/L; non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) RAMs K103N, L100I and L100I+K103N; and the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) RAMs M184I/V and their combinations with rilpivirine RAMs. Phenotypic susceptibility (PhenoSenseGT(®) assay; Monogram Biosciences) was evaluated, with reduced susceptibility defined as fold change (FC) in 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50)>2.0 for rilpivirine and FC>2.9 for etravirine. Of the 15,991 samples, 17% harboured ≥1 rilpivirine RAMs. The prevalence of most rilpivirine RAMs and combinations of NNRTI RAMs of interest was low (≤3%), except for Y181C (7%). Rilpivirine RAMs were often associated with reduced rilpivirine phenotypic susceptibility. Median FC values >2.0 were observed for clinical isolates with rilpivirine RAMs K101P, E138Q/R, Y181C/I/V, Y188L or M230L, and for the combination of E138K with M184I/V, and K101E with M184I. Most rilpivirine FC values >2.0 were associated with etravirine FC values >2.9 for individual rilpivirine RAMs and those combined with M184I/V. There was no relationship between the presence of K103N and rilpivirine FC. However, the L100I+K103N combination (without rilpivirine RAMs), at <2% prevalence, was associated with a rilpivirine FC>2.0. Based on 15,991 US clinical samples from HIV-1-infected patients, the frequency of most known rilpivirine RAMs apart from Y181C was low.

Astronomical Applications of New Line Lists for CN, C_2 and Their Isotopologues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernath, Peter F.; Sneden, Chris; Brooke, James S. A.; Ram, Ram

2014-06-01

For cool stellar and substellar objects, atomic lines weaken, and detailed elemental and isotopic abundances are often derived from molecular absorption features. We have embarked on a project to provide molecular line lists by combining experimental observations for line positions with ab initio calculations for line strengths. So far we have results for MgH (A-X and B-X transitions), C2 (Swan system), CP (A-X transition), NH (vibration-rotation bands) and OH (Meinel system). This talk will briefly describe the new line lists for the Swan system (d3Π-a3Π) of C2 and 12C13C, and the red (A2Π-X2Σ+) and violet (B2Σ+-X2Σ+) systems of CN, 13CN and C15N. Applications to the spectra of carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars, the K-giant Arcturus, the metal-rich open cluster NGC 6791, the Sun and comets will be presented. E. GharibNezhad, A. Shayesteh and P. F. Bernath, Mon. Notices R. Astro. Soc. 432, 2043-2047 (2013) . H. Hinkle, L. Wallace, R. S. Ram, P. F. Bernath, C. Sneden and S. Lucatello, Astrophys. J. Suppl. 207, 26 (7pp) (2013) J. S. A. Brooke, P. F. Bernath, T. W. Schmidt and G. B. Bacskay, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Trans. 124, 11-20 (2013) R. S. Ram, J. S. A. Brooke, P. F. Bernath, C. Sneden and S. Lucatello, Astrophys. J. Suppl. 211, 5 (7pp) (2014) J. S. A. Brooke, R. S. Ram, C. M. Western, G. Li, D. W. Schwenke and P. F. Bernath, Astrophys. J. Suppl. 210, 23 (15pp) (2014) R. S. Ram, J. S. A. Brooke, C.M. Western and P. F. Bernath, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transfer (in press) J. S. A. Brooke et al., this meeting, P301

Analysis and high-resolution modeling of a dense sea fog event over the Yellow Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Gang; Guo, Jingtian; Xie, Shang-Ping; Duan, Yihong; Zhang, Meigen

2006-10-01

A ubiquitous feature of the Yellow Sea (YS) is the frequent occurrence of the sea fog in spring and summer season. An extremely dense sea fog event was observed around the Shandong Peninsula in the morning of 11 April 2004. This fog patch, with a spatial scale of several hundreds kilometers and lasted about 20 h, reduced the horizontal visibility to be less than 20 m in some locations, and caused a series of traffic collisions and 12 injuries on the coastal stretch of a major highway. In this paper, almost all available observational data, including Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-9 visible satellite imagery, objectively reanalyzed data of final run analysis (FNL) issued by the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the sounding data of Qingdao and Dalian, as well as the latest 4.4 version of Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) model, were employed to investigate this sea fog case. Its evolutionary process and the environmental conditions that led to the fog formation were examined by using GOES-9 visible satellite imagery and sounding observations. In order to better understand the fog formation mechanism, a high-resolution RAMS modeling of 4 km × 4 km was designed. The modeling was initialized and validated by FNL data. A 30-h modeling that started from 18 UTC 10 April 2004 reproduced the main characteristics of this fog event. The simulated lower horizontal visibility area agreed reasonably well with the sea fog region identified from the satellite imagery. Advection cooling effect seemed to play a significant role for the fog formation.

Prevalence of etravirine-associated mutations in clinical samples with resistance to nevirapine and efavirenz.

PubMed

Llibre, J M; Santos, J R; Puig, T; Moltó, J; Ruiz, L; Paredes, R; Clotet, B

2008-11-01

To evaluate the expected activity of etravirine in clinical samples, according to mutational patterns associated with decreased virological response (VR). We identified 1586 routine clinical samples with resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) to nevirapine and efavirenz (K103N 60%, Y181C 37%, G190A 27%, V108I 13%). Concerning in vitro identified etravirine mutations, samples with F227C, Y181I, M230L or L100I plus K103N plus Y181C were considered highly resistant. Samples with two RAMs plus Y181C or V179D or K101E or Y188L were considered intermediate. The prevalence of 13 RAMs recently associated with decreased VR to etravirine in the DUET clinical trials was also investigated. Most samples (69%) harboured more than one IAS-USA RAM to first-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs): 42% harboured two RAMs, 21% three RAMs and 6% four or more RAMs. The prevalence of 13 specific etravirine RAMs was V179F 0.12%, G190S 3.9%, Y181V 0.1%, V106I 2.6%, V179D 1.6%, K101P 2.0%, K101E 10.1%, Y181C 36.9%, A98G 5.9%, V90I 6.9%, Y181I 3.6%, G190A 27% and L100I 9.1%. The five RAMs with the most impact on VR (V179F/D, G190S, Y181V and V106I) occurred less often. Overall, 8.2% of the samples had three or more etravirine RAMs and only 1.1% had four or more. In addition, patterns of RAMs previously associated with intermediate etravirine resistance were present in 26.2% of the samples, whereas 4.85% displayed patterns of high-degree resistance. For RAMs associated with decreased VR, etravirine resistance in routine clinical samples was lower than previously reported. High-degree resistance was uncommon, even in patients with resistance to first-generation NNRTIs, whereas low-to-intermediate etravirine resistance was more common.

The biopharmaceutics risk assessment roadmap for optimizing clinical drug product performance.

PubMed

Selen, Arzu; Dickinson, Paul A; Müllertz, Anette; Crison, John R; Mistry, Hitesh B; Cruañes, Maria T; Martinez, Marilyn N; Lennernäs, Hans; Wigal, Tim L; Swinney, David C; Polli, James E; Serajuddin, Abu T M; Cook, Jack A; Dressman, Jennifer B

2014-11-01

The biopharmaceutics risk assessment roadmap (BioRAM) optimizes drug product development and performance by using therapy-driven target drug delivery profiles as a framework to achieve the desired therapeutic outcome. Hence, clinical relevance is directly built into early formulation development. Biopharmaceutics tools are used to identify and address potential challenges to optimize the drug product for patient benefit. For illustration, BioRAM is applied to four relatively common therapy-driven drug delivery scenarios: rapid therapeutic onset, multiphasic delivery, delayed therapeutic onset, and maintenance of target exposure. BioRAM considers the therapeutic target with the drug substance characteristics and enables collection of critical knowledge for development of a dosage form that can perform consistently for meeting the patient's needs. Accordingly, the key factors are identified and in vitro, in vivo, and in silico modeling and simulation techniques are used to elucidate the optimal drug delivery rate and pattern. BioRAM enables (1) feasibility assessment for the dosage form, (2) development and conduct of appropriate "learning and confirming" studies, (3) transparency in decision-making, (4) assurance of drug product quality during lifecycle management, and (5) development of robust linkages between the desired clinical outcome and the necessary product quality attributes for inclusion in the quality target product profile. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Comparative Study of the Ride Quality of TRACV Suspension Alternatives

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-06-01

A linearized model of the pitch-heave dynamics of a Tracked Ram Air Cushion Vehicle is presented. This model is based on aerodynamic theory which has been verified by wind tunnel and towed model experiments. The vehicle is assumed to be equipped with...

Deep sequencing analysis of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase at baseline and time of failure in patients receiving rilpivirine in the phase III studies ECHO and THRIVE.

PubMed

Van Eygen, Veerle; Thys, Kim; Van Hove, Carl; Rimsky, Laurence T; De Meyer, Sandra; Aerssens, Jeroen; Picchio, Gaston; Vingerhoets, Johan

2016-05-01

Minority variants (1.0-25.0%) were evaluated by deep sequencing (DS) at baseline and virological failure (VF) in a selection of antiretroviral treatment-naïve, HIV-1-infected patients from the rilpivirine ECHO/THRIVE phase III studies. Linkage between frequently emerging resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) was determined. DS (llIumina®) and population sequencing (PS) results were available at baseline for 47 VFs and time of failure for 48 VFs; and at baseline for 49 responders matched for baseline characteristics. Minority mutations were accurately detected at frequencies down to 1.2% of the HIV-1 quasispecies. No baseline minority rilpivirine RAMs were detected in VFs; one responder carried 1.9% F227C. Baseline minority mutations associated with resistance to other non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) were detected in 8/47 VFs (17.0%) and 7/49 responders (14.3%). Baseline minority nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) RAMs M184V and L210W were each detected in one VF (none in responders). At failure, two patients without NNRTI RAMs by PS carried minority rilpivirine RAMs K101E and/or E138K; and five additional patients carried other minority NNRTI RAMs V90I, V106I, V179I, V189I, and Y188H. Overall at failure, minority NNRTI RAMs and NRTI RAMs were found in 29/48 (60.4%) and 16/48 VFs (33.3%), respectively. Linkage analysis showed that E138K and K101E were usually not observed on the same viral genome. In conclusion, baseline minority rilpivirine RAMs and other NNRTI/NRTI RAMs were uncommon in the rilpivirine arm of the ECHO and THRIVE studies. DS at failure showed emerging NNRTI resistant minority variants in seven rilpivirine VFs who had no detectable NNRTI RAMs by PS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fattening ability and carcass value of Dhamari and Tehami ram lambs, F₁ crossbreds of Dhamari × Tehami in Yemen.

PubMed

Al Khewani, Talal; Momani Shaker, Mohamed; Al-Olofi, Samer

2014-12-01

A fattening experiment was carried out to analyze and evaluate the effect of ram lamb genotype on the growth, feed conversion (FC), and carcass value of Dhamari ram lambs, F1 crossbreds of Dhamari × Tehami (F1 DhT), and Tehami ram lambs. Genotype of the ram lambs including the experiment (n = 30) had high significant effect on total weight gain (TWG), average daily gain (ADG), and FC (P < 0.01-0.001). Genotype of the lamb had significant effect on hot and cold dressing percentage (P < 0.001). Also, genotype of the lamb had significant effect on the highest leg percentage (P < 0.001). Furthermore, genotype of the ram lambs had significant effect on musculus longissimus dorsi (MLD) area (P < 0.001). Genotype of the ram lamb had significant effect on TWG, ADG, and FC (P < 0.001). The results of moisture percentage, crude protein percentage, and ash percentage of muscle samples were significantly influenced by ram lamb's genotype (P < 0.001). Fasting live weight and other carcass measurements (hot carcass weight, leg weight, loin weight, shoulder weight, first quality cuts weight) have a positive and highest correlations (P < 0.001). The positive and the highest correlations were found between fasting live weight and hot carcass weight, first quality parts weight. In addition, the positive and the highest correlations were found between hot carcass weight and first quality cuts weight. In general, the results of this study documented that F1 DhT was better than Tehami ram lambs in ADG, TWG, and FC. Additionally, the results show that the feed conversion was in F1 DhT crossbreds ram lambs better than pure Dhamari and Tehami ram lambs, mainly in the carcass indicators.

The Fate of Gas-rich Satellites in Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safarzadeh, Mohammadtaher; Scannapieco, Evan

2017-11-01

We investigate the stellar mass-loss of gas-rich galaxies falling into clusters due to the change in the gravitational potential caused by the ram-pressure-stripping of their gas. We model the satellites with exponential stellar and gas disk profiles, assume rapid ram-pressure-stripping, and follow the stellar orbits in the shocked potential. Due to the change of the potential, the stars move from circular orbits to elliptical orbits with apocenters that are often outside the tidal radius, causing those stars to be stripped. We explore the impact of the redshift of infall, gas fraction, satellite halo mass, and cluster mass on this process. The puffing of the satellites makes them appear as ultra-diffuse galaxies, and the stripped stars contribute to the intracluster light. Our results show that these effects are most significant for less massive satellites, which have larger gas fractions when they are accreted into clusters. The preferential destruction of low-mass systems causes the red fraction of cluster galaxies to be smaller at lower masses, an observation that is otherwise difficult to explain.

Influence of grazing management on the seasonal change in testicular morphology in Corriedale rams.

PubMed

Bielli, A; Pedrana, G; Gastel, M T; Castrillejo, A; Moraña, A; Lundeheim, N; Forsberg, M; Rodriguez-Martinez, H

1999-06-28

The present study was conducted: (a) to determine the degree of seasonal variation in testis stereology in Corriedale rams between autumn and winter; (b) to test the hypothesis that testis stereology of Corriedale rams grazing native pastures during autumn and winter would differ from those of Corriedale rams grazing sown pastures and supplemented with grain during the same period; and (c) to determine whether Sertoli cell numbers differ in adult rams between the breeding season (autumn) and the following non-breeding season (winter). Twenty experimental animals were studied. Six rams (autumn control group, C-A) that had been grazing on native pasture (stocking rate = 2-3 animals ha(-1)) were castrated at the beginning of the experiment (March, early autumn). Seven rams (winter control group, C-W) continued to graze on native pasture at the same stocking rate until the end of the experiment (August, late winter). Another seven rams (treated group, T) grazed on improved pasture (stocking rate = 1-2 animals ha(-1)) and were supplemented with 1 kg grain ram(-1) day(-1) until the end of the experiment. Live weight, scrotal circumference, serum testosterone concentration and selected testicular stereological parameters were measured. The treatment did not impede the winter reduction in testicular activity and reduced its magnitude slightly (group T) compared with controls (group C-W). Sertoli cell numbers were higher in autumn (group C-A) than in winter, both on native (group C-W) and sown pastures (group T). Diminishing Sertoli cell numbers between autumn and the following winter suggest the occurrence of that Sertoli cell death during this period. The results indicate that, although the reproductive activity of Corriedale rams is moderately seasonal, a restricted change in grazing and grain supplementation can only modify it to a limited extent.

Fos Expression in the Olfactory Pathway of High- and Low-Sexually Performing Rams Exposed to Urine from Estrous or Ovariectomized Ewes

PubMed Central

Mirto, AJ; Austin, KJ; Uthlaut, VA; Roselli, CE; Alexander, BM

2015-01-01

Exposure to estrous ewe urine stimulates investigation and mounting activity in sexually active but not sexually inactive rams. It was hypothesized sexual indifference may result from an inability to detect olfactory cues or an interruption of the pathway from detection of the olfactory stimulus to the motor response. Sexually active (n=4) and inactive (n=3) rams were exposed to urine from estrous ewes. An additional group of sexually active rams (n=3) were exposed to urine from ovariectomized ewes. Rams were exsanguinated following 1 h of exposure to stimulus. Neural activity was determined in tissues of interest by the presence of fos and fos-related proteins detected by immunohistochemistry procedures. Sexually active rams exposed to urine from ovariectomized ewes had more (P ≤ 0.05) fos-positive cells in the olfactory bulb, but fewer (P = 0.03) fos-positive cells in the cortical amygdala compared to sexually active rams exposed to urine from estrous ewes. Sexually inactive rams had similar (P ≥ 0.13) numbers of fos positive neurons in the olfactory bulb and medial amygdala but fewer (P ≤ 0.04) in the central amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the medial preoptic area compared to sexually active rams exposed to urine from estrous ewes. Sexual inactivity was not associated with decreased hypothalamic function since fos activity was similar (P ≥ 0.14) among groups in the suprachiasmatic and ventral medial nucleus. Sexual inactivity is not likely due to an impaired ability to detect or process olfactory stimuli by the main olfactory bulb and medial-cortical amygdala. Sexually inactive rams may have reduced attentiveness to sexual stimuli and/or decreased responsiveness of regions in the brain which regulate reproductive behaviors. PMID:28348447

Influence of trophy hunting and horn size on mating behavior and survivorship of mountain sheep

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singer, F.J.; Zeigenfuss, L.C.

2002-01-01

We conducted a study of the effects of horn sizes and trophy hunting on mating behavior and survival of rams in hunted and unhunted populations of Dall sheep (Ovis dalli), Rocky Mountain bighorn (O. canadensis canadensis), and desert bighorn (O. c. nelsoni) sheep. Mating success was positively correlated with horn size in Dall sheep (P = 0.03) and Rocky Mountain bighorns (P = 0.05), but not in the desert bighorn (P > 0.05) taxa. Group sizes, rams per rut group, and competition between rams were lowest in desert bighorn sheep. There were indications of greater harassment of ewes by young rams in trophy-hunted populations. In hunted populations, compared with unhunted, ewes ran away more often from approaching rams, ewes moved farther away from courting young rams (P = 0.003), younger rams performed fewer courtship displays (P = 0.042) and more aggressive displays to ewes, and sheep interacted 27% more of the time. Ram-to-ewe interaction times per individual ewe did not differ for any of the taxa (P > 0.05), and, apparently as a consequence of this, we found no discernable effects of trophy hunting on survivorship of ewes, ewe fecundity, or recruitment of young (P > 0.05). There were greater energy expenditures by young rams in the heavily hunted Dall sheep population versus the paired Dall sheep unhunted population, but not in the lightly hunted Rocky Mountain and desert bighorn populations when compared with unhunted populations. This was consistent with evidence for depressed survivorship of rams too young or too small to be hunted (approximately ages 4–6) in the heavily hunted Dall sheep population (P = 0.0001), but not in the bighorn sheep populations (P > 0.05).

Reliability and Validity of a Brief Questionnaire to Assess Calcium Intake in Female Collegiate Athletes

PubMed Central

Ward, Kenneth D.; Hunt, Kami Mays; Berg, Melanie Burstyne; Slawson, Deborah A.; Vukadinovich, Christopher M.; McClanahan, Barbara S.; Clemens, Linda H.

2016-01-01

Calcium intake often is inadequate in female collegiate athletes, increasing the risk for training injuries and future osteoporosis. Thus, a brief and accurate assessment tool to quickly measure calcium intake in athletes is needed. We evaluated the reliability and validity, compared to 6 days of diet records (DRs), of the Rapid Assessment Method (RAM), a self-administered calcium checklist (14). Seventy-six female collegiate athletes (mean age = 18.8 yrs, range = 17–21; 97% Caucasian) were recruited from basketball, cross-country, field hockey, soccer, and volleyball teams. Athletes completed a RAM at the start of the training season to assess calcium intake during the past week. Two weeks later, a second RAM was completed to assess reliability, and athletes began 6 days of diet records (DRs) collection. At completion of DRs, athletes completed a final RAM, corresponding to the same time period as DRs, to assess agreement between the 2 instruments. The RAM demonstrated adequate test-retest reliability over 2 weeks (n = 56; Intraclass correlation [ICC] = .54, p < .0001) and adequate agreement with DRs (n = 34; ICC = .41, p = .0067). Calcium intake was below recommended levels, and mean estimates did not differ significantly on the RAM (823 ± 387 mg/d) and DRs (822 ± 330 mg/d; p = .988). Adequacy of calcium intake from both DRs and the RAM was classified as “inadequate” (<1000 mg/d) and “adequate” (≥1000 mg/d). Agreement between the RAM and DRs for adequacy classification was fair (ICC = .30, p = .042), with the RAM identifying 84% of athletes judged to have inadequate calcium intake based on DRs. The RAM briefly and accurately estimates calcium intake in female collegiate athletes compared to DRs. PMID:15118194

Improvement in in vitro fertilization rate, decrease in reactive oxygen species and spermatozoa death incidence in rams by dietary fish oil.

PubMed

Matini Behzad, A; Ebrahimi, B; Alizadeh, A R; Esmaeili, V; Dalman, A; Rashki, L; Shahverdi, A H

2014-08-01

Our aim was to evaluate the effects of fish oil feeding on sperm classical parameters, level of reactive oxygen spices (ROS), spermatozoa death incidence and in vitro fertilization (IVF) rate in rams. We randomly assigned nine rams, into two experimental groups (isoenergetic and isonitrogenous rations with constant level of vitamin E supplement): control (CTR; n = 5) and fish oil (FO; n = 4, 35 g/day/ram). Diets were fed for 70 days during the physiological breeding season. After a 21-day dietary adaptation period, semen was collected weekly from each ram by an artificial vagina. Sperm classical parameters were determined by the computer-assisted sperm analyzer system (CASA), and it was prepared for IVF process by swim-up technique. These evaluations were performed during the first and last weeks of sampling. Intracellular ROS level and spermatozoa death incidence were detected by flow cytometry on a weekly basis after adaptation. Data were analysed with SPSS 15. The volume, concentration (3.6 and 2.7 × 10(9) /ml) and sperm progressive motility (60 and 48%) were significantly improved in the FO group compared with the CTR (p < 0.05). A comparison of two-cell stage embryos following IVF in the two groups showed a significantly higher fertilization rate in the FO group (56%) compared with the CTR (49%). Superoxide anion (O2 (-) ) rate was significantly lower (p < 0.05) at the third week of sampling in the FO. Although the H2 O2 rate was numerically lower in the FO group compared with the CTR, this difference was not significant. In addition, apoptosis showed a significant difference in the third week of sampling (15 and 30% for FO and CTR, respectively; p < 0.05). Overall, adding fish oil to the ram diet not only improved sperm quality and IVF results, it also could reduce oxygen-free radicals and the incidence of spermatozoa death. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The Replacement of Monosaccharide by Mannitol or Sorbitol in the Freezing Extender Enhances Cryosurvival of Ram Spermatozoa.

PubMed

Wu, Guo Quan; Lv, Chun Rong; Jiang, Yan Ting; Wang, Si Yu; Shao, Qing Yong; Hong, Qiong Hua; Quan, Guo Bo

2016-10-01

In this study, the protective effects of monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) and sugar alcohols (mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol) on frozen ram spermatozoa were evaluated and compared. The motility, moving velocity, and hypoosmotic swelling capability of spermatozoa frozen with monosaccharide or sugar alcohol were measured using a computer-assisted spermatozoa analyzer system. The acrosome status, membrane integrity, distribution of phosphatidylserine (PS), and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were analyzed using fluorescence staining and flow cytometry. The results indicated that similar to glucose or fructose, the presence of sugar alcohol in the freezing extender cannot significantly improve the motility and moving velocity of ram spermatozoa equilibrated at 5°C. In terms of motility, pathway velocity, curve velocity, hypoosmotic swelling capability, acrosome and membrane integrity, and MMP, the inclusion of mannitol or sorbitol in the extender can significantly improve the quality of frozen-thawed ram spermatozoa compared to glucose or fructose. However, the effects of mannitol or sorbitol on linear velocity and PS distribution of frozen-thawed spermatozoa were similar to those of the monosaccharides (p > 0.05). In addition, the ability of xylitol to protect acrosome and maintain MMP in frozen-thawed spermatozoa was significantly higher compared with glucose or fructose (p < 0.05), although it could not improve the other evaluated parameters. Finally, there is no significant difference existing between mannitol and sorbitol with respect to the above evaluated parameters. In conclusion, the replacement of glucose or fructose by mannitol or sorbitol in a freezing extender can improve the postthaw quality of ram spermatozoa under specific freezing conditions. Moreover, the protective effects of mannitol and sorbitol on frozen-thawed ram spermatozoa are superior to that of xylitol. However, in the presence of sugar alcohols, the cryoinjury on spermatozoa membrane is still serious. In the future, the question of protecting the membrane of frozen-thawed spermatozoa needs further research.

Design of the Wind Tunnel Model Communication Controller Board. Degree awarded by Christopher Newport Univ. on Dec. 1998

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, William C.

1999-01-01

The NASA Langley Research Center's Wind Tunnel Reinvestment project plans to shrink the existing data acquisition electronics to fit inside a wind tunnel model. Space limitations within a model necessitate a distributed system of Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) rather than a centralized system based on PC boards. This thesis will focus on the design of the prototype of the communication Controller board. A portion of the communication Controller board is to be used as the basis of an ASIC design. The communication Controller board will communicate between the internal model modules and the external data acquisition computer. This board is based around an Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), to allow for reconfigurability. In addition to the FPGA, this board contains buffer Random Access Memory (RAM), configuration memory (EEPROM), drivers for the communications ports, and passive components.

Reliability evaluation of CMOS RAMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvo, C. J.; Sasaki, A. T.

The results of an evaluation of the reliability of a 1K x 1 bit CMOS RAM and a 4K x 1 bit CMOS RAM for the USAF are reported. The tests consisted of temperature cycling, thermal shock, electrical overstress-static discharge and accelerated life test cells. The study indicates that the devices have high reliability potential for military applications. Use-temperature failure rates at 100 C were 0.54 x 10 to the -5th failures/hour for the 1K RAM and 0.21 x 10 to the -5th failures/hour for the 4K RAM. Only minimal electrostatic discharge damage was noted in the devices when they were subjected to multiple pulses at 1000 Vdc, and redesign of the 7 Vdc quiescent parameter of the 4K RAM is expected to raise its field threshold voltage.

File format for normalizing radiological concentration exposure rate and dose rate data for the effects of radioactive decay and weathering processes

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

Kraus, Terrence D.

2017-04-01

This report specifies the electronic file format that was agreed upon to be used as the file format for normalized radiological data produced by the software tool developed under this TI project. The NA-84 Technology Integration (TI) Program project (SNL17-CM-635, Normalizing Radiological Data for Analysis and Integration into Models) investigators held a teleconference on December 7, 2017 to discuss the tasks to be completed under the TI program project. During this teleconference, the TI project investigators determined that the comma-separated values (CSV) file format is the most suitable file format for the normalized radiological data that will be outputted frommore » the normalizing tool developed under this TI project. The CSV file format was selected because it provides the requisite flexibility to manage different types of radiological data (i.e., activity concentration, exposure rate, dose rate) from other sources [e.g., Radiological Assessment and Monitoring System (RAMS), Aerial Measuring System (AMS), Monitoring and Sampling). The CSV file format also is suitable for the file format of the normalized radiological data because this normalized data can then be ingested by other software [e.g., RAMS, Visual Sampling Plan (VSP)] used by the NA-84’s Consequence Management Program.« less

Validation of DSMC results for chemically nonequilibrium air flows against measurements of the electron number density in RAM-C II flight experiment

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

Shevyrin, Alexander A.; Vashchenkov, Pavel V.; Bondar, Yevgeniy A.

An ionized flow around the RAM C-II vehicle in the range of altitudes from 73 to 81 km is studied by the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method with three models of chemical reactions. It is demonstrated that vibration favoring in reactions of dissociation of neutral molecules affects significantly the predicted values of plasma density in the shock layer, and good agreement between the results of experiments and DSMC computations can be achieved in terms of the plasma density as a function of the flight altitude.

Activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis and testicular development in prepubertal ram lambs with induced hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.

PubMed

Chandrasekhar, Y; D'Occhio, M J; Holland, M K; Setchell, B P

1985-10-01

Prepubertal (16 weeks old) ram lambs were used to investigate the effects of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism on development of reproductive endocrine function. Over a period of 8 weeks, ram lambs were made hypothyroid (serum T4 less than or equal to 3 ng/ml compared with controls congruent to 30 ng/ml) by daily oral administration of methyl thiouracil or hyperthyroid (serum T4 congruent to 135 ng/ml) by daily sc injection of T4. Hyperthyroidism was associated with decreases in LH pulse frequency (2.25 +/- 0.75/12 h compared with controls 5.75 +/- 0.48/12 h), basal LH, and mean LH concentrations, together with arrested testicular growth and aspermatogenesis. Hypothyroid rams showed normal pubertal development. After iv injection of LHRH, hyperthyroid ram lambs showed similar LH responses to control and hypothyroid rams. Basal testosterone production (5.6 +/- 1.0 ng/min) and plasma testosterone concentrations after human CG (2.0 +/- 0.7 ng/ml) in hyperthyroid rams were significantly lower than in controls (67.5 +/- 24.0 ng/min and 5.2 +/- 1.0 ng/ml, respectively). It is concluded that retarded testicular development in hyperthyroid ram lambs results from changes in hypothalamo-pituitary activity manifested in a decreased LH pulse frequency.

3. Light tower, view northwest, south side Ram Island ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. Light tower, view northwest, south side - Ram Island Light Station, Ram Island, south of Ocean Point & just north of Fisherman Island, marking south side of Fisherman Island Passage, Ocean Point, Lincoln County, ME

Determination of fatty acid profile in ram spermatozoa and seminal plasma.

PubMed

Díaz, R; Torres, M A; Bravo, S; Sanchez, R; Sepúlveda, N

2016-08-01

Fatty acids are important in male reproductive function because they are associated with membrane fluidity, acrosome reaction, sperm motility and viability, but limited information exists about the fatty acid profile of ram semen. Our aim was to determine the fatty acid composition in ram spermatozoa and seminal plasma. Sixty ejaculates were obtained from three ram (20 ejaculates/ram) using artificial vagina. Ram spermatozoa (RS) and seminal plasma (SP) were separated using centrifugation, and the fatty acids were analysed by gas chromatography. Total lipids obtained in ram spermatozoa were 1.8% and 1.6% in seminal plasma. Saturated fatty acid (SFA) was proportionally major in SP (66.6%) that RS (49.9%). The highest proportions of SFA corresponded to C4:0 (RS = 16.3% and SP = 28.8%) and C16:0 (RS = 16.3% and PS = 20%). The most important unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) was docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 44.9% in RS and 31.5% in SP. The profile of fatty acid and their proportions showed differences between spermatozoa and seminal plasma. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Sphericalization of the potential of interaction of anisotropic molecules with spherical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández-Prini, R.; Japas, María L.

1986-09-01

The possibility of employing sphericalized intermolecular potentials to describe the interactions between nonpolar anisotropic molecules (CCl4 and benzene) with spherical nonpolar molecules (Ar, Xe, and CH4) has been tested for binary systems having liquid- and gas-like densities. Median and RAM sphericalization procedures have been used and their capacity to account for the experimental values of cross second virial coefficients and Henry's constants are compared. It is shown that the median sphericalized potentials, which are temperature and density independent, give a fairly good description of the data which is better than that provided by RAM potentials. The possibility of accounting correctly for the change of properties when the relative size of the interacting partners changes (e.g., conformal systems) is noteworthy.

Toward Skillful Subseasonal Prediction of North Atlantic Hurricanes with regionally-refined GFDL HiRAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, K.; Harris, L.; Chen, J. H.; Lin, S. J.

2017-12-01

Skillful subseasonal prediction of hurricane activity (from two weeks to less than a season) is important for early preparedness and reducing the hurricane damage in coastal regions. In this study, we will present evaluations of the performance of GFDL HiRAM (High-Resolution Atmospheric Model) for the simulation and prediction of the North Atlantic hurricane activity on the sub-seasonal time scale. A series of sub-seasonal (30-day duration) retrospective predictions were performed over the years 2000-2014 using two configurations of HiRAM: a) global uniform 25km-resolution grid and b) two-way nested grid with a 8km-resolution nest over North Atlantic. The analysis of hurricane structure from the two sets of simulations indicates the two-way-nesting method is an efficient way to improve the representation of hurricanes in global models: the two-way nested configuration produces realistic hurricane inner-core size and structure, which leads to improved lifetime maximum intensity distribution. Both configurations show very promising performance in the subseasonal hurricane genesis prediction, but the two-way nested configuration shows better performance in the prediction of major hurricane (Categories 3-5) activity because of the improved intensity simulation. We will also present the analysis of how the phase and magnitude of MJO, as well as the initial SST anomaly affect the model's prediction skill.

Static Behavior of Chalcogenide Based Programmable Metallization Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajabi, Saba

Nonvolatile memory (NVM) technologies have been an integral part of electronic systems for the past 30 years. The ideal non-volatile memory have minimal physical size, energy usage, and cost while having maximal speed, capacity, retention time, and radiation hardness. A promising candidate for next-generation memory is ion-conducting bridging RAM which is referred to as programmable metallization cell (PMC), conductive bridge RAM (CBRAM), or electrochemical metallization memory (ECM), which is likely to surpass flash memory in all the ideal memory characteristics. A comprehensive physics-based model is needed to completely understand PMC operation and assist in design optimization. To advance the PMC modeling effort, this thesis presents a precise physical model parameterizing materials associated with both ion-rich and ion-poor layers of the PMC's solid electrolyte, so that captures the static electrical behavior of the PMC in both its low-resistance on-state (LRS) and high resistance off-state (HRS). The experimental data is measured from a chalcogenide glass PMC designed and manufactured at ASU. The static on- and off-state resistance of a PMC device composed of a layered (Ag-rich/Ag-poor) Ge30Se70 ChG film is characterized and modeled using three dimensional simulation code written in Silvaco Atlas finite element analysis software. Calibrating the model to experimental data enables the extraction of device parameters such as material bandgaps, workfunctions, density of states, carrier mobilities, dielectric constants, and affinities. The sensitivity of our modeled PMC to the variation of its prominent achieved material parameters is examined on the HRS and LRS impedance behavior. The obtained accurate set of material parameters for both Ag-rich and Ag-poor ChG systems and process variation verification on electrical characteristics enables greater fidelity in PMC device simulation, which significantly enhances our ability to understand the underlying physics of ChG-based resistive switching memory.

Preference of redear sunfish on zebra mussels and rams-horn snails

USGS Publications Warehouse

French, John R. P.; Morgan, Michael N.

1995-01-01

We tested prey preferences of adult (200- to 222-mm long) redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) on two size classes of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and two-ridge rams-horns (Helisoma anceps) in experimental aquaria. We also tested physical limitations on consuming these mollusks and determined prey bioenergetic profitability. Redear sunfish strongly preferred rams-horns over zebra mussels, but they displayed no size preference for either prey. Ingestion was not physically limited since both prey species up to 15-mm long fit within the pharyngeal gapes of redear sunfish. Rams-horns were more bioenergetically profitable than zebra mussels and ingestion of rams-horn shell fragments was about three times less than zebra mussels. Rams-horns were somewhat more resistant to shell-crushing, but all size ranges of both prey species tested were crushable by redear sunfish. These studies suggested that the redear sunfish should not be considered a panacea for biological control of zebra mussels.

Projected Changes in Evapotranspiration Rates over Northeast Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Alexandre; Guimarães, Sullyandro; Vasconcelos, Francisco, Jr.; Sales, Domingo; da Silva, Emerson

2015-04-01

Climate simulations were performed using a regional model (Regional Atmospheric Modeling System, RAMS 6.0) driven by data from one of the CMIP5 models (Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model, version 2 - Earth System, HadGEM2-ES) over two CORDEX domains (South America and Central America) for the heavy-emission scenario (RCP8.5). Potential evapotranspiraion data from the RCM and from the CMIP5 global models were analyzed over Northeast Brazil, a semiarid region with a short rainy season (usually February to May in its northern portion due to the seasonal shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone) and over which droughts are frequent. Significant changes in the potential evapotranspiration were found, with most models showing a increasing trend along the 21st century, which are expected to alter the surface water budget, increasing the current water deficit (precipitation is currently much smaller than potential evapotranspiration). Based on the projections from the majority of the models, we expect important impacts over local agriculture and water resources over Northeast Brazil.

Transparent resistive switching memory using aluminum oxide on a flexible substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeom, Seung-Won; Shin, Sang-Chul; Kim, Tan-Young; Ha, Hyeon Jun; Lee, Yun-Hi; Shim, Jae Won; Ju, Byeong-Kwon

2016-02-01

Resistive switching memory (ReRAM) has attracted much attention in recent times owing to its fast switching, simple structure, and non-volatility. Flexible and transparent electronic devices have also attracted considerable attention. We therefore fabricated an Al2O3-based ReRAM with transparent indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) electrodes on a flexible substrate. The device transmittance was found to be higher than 80% in the visible region (400-800 nm). Bended states (radius = 10 mm) of the device also did not affect the memory performance because of the flexibility of the two transparent IZO electrodes and the thin Al2O3 layer. The conduction mechanism of the resistive switching of our device was explained by ohmic conduction and a Poole-Frenkel emission model. The conduction mechanism was proved by oxygen vacancies in the Al2O3 layer, as analyzed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. These results encourage the application of ReRAM in flexible and transparent electronic devices.

Grid effects on the derived ion temperature and ram velocity from the simulated results of the retarding potential analyzer data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, C. K.; Su, S.-Y.; Yeh, H. C.

2003-12-01

The ROCSAT-1 satellite circulating at 600 km altitude in the low- and mid-latitude topside ionosphere carries a retarding potential analyzer to measure the ion composition, temperature, and the plasma flow velocity in the ram direction. Based on an existing three-dimensional model, the particle's motion inside the instrument is simulated with the exact wire and mesh sizes but with a smaller aperture of the real sensor configuration. The simulation results indicate that the retarding grids could not provide a uniform retarding potential barrier to completely repel low energy particles. Some of low energy particles could pass through those grids and arrive at the collector. The leakage will cause the ram velocity to be over-estimated for by about 180 m/sec. Furthermore, the simulated O + temperature derived from the I-V curve is lower than the input temperature due to ion losses from colliding with the grids from the non-uniform potential field generated by the high retarding voltage.

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.

IR temperatures of Mauna Loa caldera obtained with multispectral thermal imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pendergast, Malcolm M.; O'Steen, Byron L.; Kurzeja, Robert J.

2002-01-01

A survey of surface temperatures of the Mauna Loa caldera during 7/14/00 and 7/15/00 was made by SRTC in conjunction with a MTI satellite image collection. The general variation of surface temperature appears quite predictable responding to solar heating. The analysis of detailed times series of temperature indicates systematic variations in temperature of 5 C corresponding to time scales of 3-5 minutes and space scales of 10-20 m. The average temperature patterns are consistent with those predicted by the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS).

Fragment Size Distribution of Blasted Rock Mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jug, Jasmin; Strelec, Stjepan; Gazdek, Mario; Kavur, Boris

2017-12-01

Rock mass is a heterogeneous material, and the heterogeneity of rock causes sizes distribution of fragmented rocks in blasting. Prediction of blasted rock mass fragmentation has a significant role in the overall economics of opencast mines. Blasting as primary fragmentation can significantly decrease the cost of loading, transport, crushing and milling operations. Blast fragmentation chiefly depends on the specific blast design (geometry of blast holes drilling, the quantity and class of explosive, the blasting form, the timing and partition, etc.) and on the properties of the rock mass (including the uniaxial compressive strength, the rock mass elastic Young modulus, the rock discontinuity characteristics and the rock density). Prediction and processing of blasting results researchers can accomplish by a variety of existing software’s and models, one of them is the Kuz-Ram model, which is possibly the most widely used approach to estimating fragmentation from blasting. This paper shows the estimation of fragmentation using the "SB" program, which was created by the authors. Mentioned program includes the Kuz-Ram model. Models of fragmentation are confirmed and calibrated by comparing the estimated fragmentation with actual post-blast fragmentation from image processing techniques. In this study, the Kuz-Ram fragmentation model has been used for an open-pit limestone quarry in Dalmatia, southern Croatia. The resulting calibrated value of the rock factor enables the quality prognosis of fragmentation in further blasting works, with changed drilling geometry and blast design parameters. It also facilitates simulation in the program to optimize blasting works and get the desired fragmentations of the blasted rock mass.

Characterization of Two Distinct Glycosyl Hydrolase Family 78 α-l-Rhamnosidases from Pediococcus acidilactici▿†

PubMed Central

Michlmayr, Herbert; Brandes, Walter; Eder, Reinhard; Schümann, Christina; del Hierro, Andrés M.; Kulbe, Klaus D.

2011-01-01

α-l-Rhamnosidases play an important role in the hydrolysis of glycosylated aroma compounds (especially terpenes) from wine. Although several authors have demonstrated the enological importance of fungal rhamnosidases, the information on bacterial enzymes in this context is still limited. In order to fill this important gap, two putative rhamnosidase genes (ram and ram2) from Pediococcus acidilactici DSM 20284 were heterologously expressed, and the respective gene products were characterized. In combination with a bacterial β-glucosidase, both enzymes released the monoterpenes linalool and cis-linalool oxide from a muscat wine extract under ideal conditions. Additionally, Ram could release significant amounts of geraniol and citronellol/nerol. Nevertheless, the potential enological value of these enzymes is limited by the strong negative effects of acidity and ethanol on the activities of Ram and Ram2. Therefore, a direct application in winemaking seems unlikely. Although both enzymes are members of the same glycosyl hydrolase family (GH 78), our results clearly suggest the distinct functionalities of Ram and Ram2, probably representing two subclasses within GH 78: Ram could efficiently hydrolyze only the synthetic substrate p-nitrophenyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (Vmax = 243 U mg−1). In contrast, Ram2 displayed considerable specificity toward hesperidin (Vmax = 34 U mg−1) and, especially, rutinose (Vmax = 1,200 U mg−1), a disaccharide composed of glucose and rhamnose. Both enzymes were unable to hydrolyze the flavanone glycoside naringin. Interestingly, both enzymes displayed indications of positive substrate cooperativity. This study presents detailed kinetic data on two novel rhamnosidases, which could be relevant for the further study of bacterial glycosidases. PMID:21784921

Physical modeling of vortical cross-step flow in the American paddlefish, Polyodon spathula

PubMed Central

Brooks, Hannah; Haines, Grant E.; Lin, M. Carly

2018-01-01

Vortical cross-step filtration in suspension-feeding fish has been reported recently as a novel mechanism, distinct from other biological and industrial filtration processes. Although crossflow passing over backward-facing steps generates vortices that can suspend, concentrate, and transport particles, the morphological factors affecting this vortical flow have not been identified previously. In our 3D-printed models of the oral cavity for ram suspension-feeding fish, the angle of the backward-facing step with respect to the model’s dorsal midline affected vortex parameters significantly, including rotational, tangential, and axial speed. These vortices were comparable to those quantified downstream of the backward-facing steps that were formed by the branchial arches of preserved American paddlefish in a recirculating flow tank. Our data indicate that vortices in cross-step filtration have the characteristics of forced vortices, as the flow of water inside the oral cavity provides the external torque required to sustain forced vortices. Additionally, we quantified a new variable for ram suspension feeding termed the fluid exit ratio. This is defined as the ratio of the total open pore area for water leaving the oral cavity via spaces between branchial arches that are not blocked by gill rakers, divided by the total area for water entering through the gape during ram suspension feeding. Our experiments demonstrated that the fluid exit ratio in preserved paddlefish was a significant predictor of the flow speeds that were quantified anterior of the rostrum, at the gape, directly dorsal of the first ceratobranchial, and in the forced vortex generated by the first ceratobranchial. Physical modeling of vortical cross-step filtration offers future opportunities to explore the complex interactions between structural features of the oral cavity, vortex parameters, motile particle behavior, and particle morphology that determine the suspension, concentration, and transport of particles within the oral cavity of ram suspension-feeding fish. PMID:29561890

Penetrating Fire Extinguisher

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

When Feecon Corporation, a manufacturer of fire protection systems, needed a piercing nozzle for larger aircraft, they were assisted by Kennedy Space Center who provided the company with a fire extinguisher with a hard pointed tip that had been developed in case of an orbiter crash landing. The nozzle can penetrate metal skins of aircraft, trains, etc. Feecon obtained a license and now markets its cobra ram piercing nozzle to airport firefighters. Its primary advantage is that the nozzle can be held in one spot during repeated blows of the ram. *This product has been discontinued and is no longer commercially available.

Crossing boundaries in a collaborative modeling workspace

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morisette, Jeffrey T.; Cravens, Amanda; Miller, Brian W.; Talbert, Marian; Talbert, Colin; Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Fink, Michelle; Decker, Karin; Odell, Eric

2017-01-01

There is substantial literature on the importance of bridging across disciplinary and science–management boundaries. One of the ways commonly suggested to cross boundaries is for participants from both sides of the boundary to jointly produce information (i.e., knowledge co-production). But simply providing tools or bringing people together in the same room is not sufficient. Here we present a case study documenting the mechanisms by which managers and scientists collaborated to incorporate climate change projections into Colorado’s State Wildlife Action Plan. A critical component of the project was the use of a collaborative modeling and visualization workspace: the U.S. Geological Survey’s Resource for Advanced Modeling (RAM). Using video analysis and pre/post surveys from this case study, we examine how the RAM facilitated cognitive and social processes that co-produced a more salient and credible end product. This case provides practical suggestions to scientists and practitioners who want to implement actionable science.

External validation of a risk assessment model for venous thromboembolism in the hospitalised acutely-ill medical patient (VTE-VALOURR).

PubMed

Mahan, Charles E; Liu, Yang; Turpie, A Graham; Vu, Jennifer T; Heddle, Nancy; Cook, Richard J; Dairkee, Undaleeb; Spyropoulos, Alex C

2014-10-01

Venous thromboembolic (VTE) risk assessment remains an important issue in hospitalised, acutely-ill medical patients, and several VTE risk assessment models (RAM) have been proposed. The purpose of this large retrospective cohort study was to externally validate the IMPROVE RAM using a large database of three acute care hospitals. We studied 41,486 hospitalisations (28,744 unique patients) with 1,240 VTE hospitalisations (1,135 unique patients) in the VTE cohort and 40,246 VTE-free hospitalisations (27,609 unique patients) in the control cohort. After chart review, 139 unique VTE patients were identified and 278 randomly-selected matched patients in the control cohort. Seven independent VTE risk factors as part of the RAM in the derivation cohort were identified. In the validation cohort, the incidence of VTE was 0.20%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18-0.22, 1.04%; 95%CI 0.88-1.25, and 4.15%; 95%CI 2.79-8.12 in the low, moderate, and high VTE risk groups, respectively, which compared to rates of 0.45%, 1.3%, and 4.74% in the three risk categories of the derivation cohort. For the derivation and validation cohorts, the total percentage of patients in low, moderate and high VTE risk occurred in 68.6% vs 63.3%, 24.8% vs 31.1%, and 6.5% vs 5.5%, respectively. Overall, the area under the receiver-operator characteristics curve for the validation cohort was 0.7731. In conclusion, the IMPROVE RAM can accurately identify medical patients at low, moderate, and high VTE risk. This will tailor future thromboprophylactic strategies in this population as well as identify particularly high VTE risk patients in whom multimodal or more intensive prophylaxis may be beneficial.

Numerical modeling study into the climatic impact of deforestation associated with the fall of Mayan Empire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kongoli, C.; Nair, U. S.; Welch, R. M.; Sever, T. L.; Irwin, D.; Pielke, R. A.

2002-05-01

The collapse the Mayan Empire, which flourished from 250 to 900 AD in the Southern Mexico and Central American regions, is one of the greatest demographic disasters in the human history. Early studies of Mayan civilization found cessation in dating and inscription of monuments in the ninth century. Later studies suggest a two-thirds decline in Mayan population numbering millions between 830 and 900 AD. The reason for this population decline and the subsequent collapse of Mayan Empire in ninth century is not known. The mass exodus of population has been ruled out since the population in the surrounding regions remained stable during this time period. Other suggested reasons for this population decline include conflict, disease, warfare, climate change. However, studies of historical pollen data indicate increased rates of deforestation starting in the fifth century with most of the trees in the region being cut down by the ninth century. Lake core sediments document a major drought around 800 AD that was one of the most intense drought in an 8000 year history. A recent study on climatic reconstruction from pollen records also indicate that climate became drier following the collapse of the Mayan Empire, and suggest that this may be due to the cutting down of trees. In the present study, the effect of forest clearing on the regional climate in the Mayan region is examined using the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (CSU RAMS). The RAMS is being used to simulate the rainfall over the Mayan region for conditions where the surface is assumed to be completely forested and deforested. Simulations are being done for two months, both in the wet and dry season. Comparison of RAMS simulated rainfall between the completely forested and deforested scenarios are expected to provide bounds on regional climate change brought about by deforestation. Further details will be presented at the conference.

RAM Technology Study.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-01-03

characteristics. 4 2 Example of MOS scaling. 18 3 RAM chip area comparison. 31 4 Summary of RAM switching response. 34 5 Summary of RAM power dissipation...array to retain the data after power is removed (volatility). The level of chip complexity is that of the most complex arrays in current production and is...4) ..4 L) . C U ~~~~ -- -- t 0 -, 4 4 . . Data in the Read-Only-Memory is defined by the metallization pattern during chip fabrication. The stored

The “Ram Effect”: A “Non-Classical” Mechanism for Inducing LH Surges in Sheep

PubMed Central

Fabre-Nys, Claude; Chanvallon, Audrey; Dupont, Joëlle; Lardic, Lionel; Lomet, Didier; Martinet, Stéphanie; Scaramuzzi, Rex J.

2016-01-01

During spring sheep do not normally ovulate but exposure to a ram can induce ovulation. In some ewes an LH surge is induced immediately after exposure to a ram thus raising questions about the control of this precocious LH surge. Our first aim was to determine the plasma concentrations of oestradiol (E2) E2 in anoestrous ewes before and after the “ram effect” in ewes that had a “precocious” LH surge (starting within 6 hours), a “normal” surge (between 6 and 28h) and “late» surge (not detected by 56h). In another experiment we tested if a small increase in circulating E2 could induce an LH surge in anoestrus ewes. The concentration of E2 significantly was not different at the time of ram introduction among ewes with the three types of LH surge. “Precocious” LH surges were not preceded by a large increase in E2 unlike “normal” surges and small elevations of circulating E2 alone were unable to induce LH surges. These results show that the “precocious” LH surge was not the result of E2 positive feedback. Our second aim was to test if noradrenaline (NA) is involved in the LH response to the “ram effect”. Using double labelling for Fos and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) we showed that exposure of anoestrous ewes to a ram induced a higher density of cells positive for both in the A1 nucleus and the Locus Coeruleus complex compared to unstimulated controls. Finally, the administration by retrodialysis into the preoptic area, of NA increased the proportion of ewes with an LH response to ram odor whereas treatment with the α1 antagonist Prazosin decreased the LH pulse frequency and amplitude induced by a sexually active ram. Collectively these results suggest that in anoestrous ewes NA is involved in ram-induced LH secretion as observed in other induced ovulators. PMID:27384667

Growth performance and hematology of Djallonké rams fed haulms of four varieties of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.).

PubMed

Ansah, Terry; Yaccub, Zanabongo I; Rahman, Nurudeen A

2017-12-01

The study was conducted to assess the chemical composition of the haulms of 4 dual-purpose groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) varieties and their effects on the growth and hematology of Djallonké rams. The groundnut varieties were ICGV 97049 (Obolo), ICGX SM 87057 (Yenyawoso), RMP 12 (Azivivi) and Manipinta. Rams (live weight 15.0 ± 3.0 kg) were randomly assigned to 4 sole groundnut haulm meal (GHM) treatments, with 4 rams each in an individual pen per treatment (total n  = 16 rams). Samples of the groundnut haulms were milled and analyzed for crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF). The CP concentration was higher ( P  < 0.05) in Azivivi, Manipinta and Yenyawoso than in Obolo. The highest ( P  < 0.05) NDF and ADF fractions were obtained in Obolo. Whilst no significant difference was reported in total and daily dry matter (DM) intake among the varieties, CP, NDF and ADF intake all differed between Obolo and other varieties. The apparent nutrient digestibility did not differ ( P  > 0.05) when the Djallonké rams were fed the haulms. However, significant differences were observed in final live weight and average daily live weight gain. Rams fed the Yenyawoso variety had higher ( P  < 0.05) final live weight and average daily live weight gain compared with those fed Obolo and Azivivi varieties. Consumption of any of the 4 varieties of groundnut haulms by Djallonké rams did not have any harmful effect on their red and white blood cell numbers and hemoglobin concentration. The study revealed that the different varieties of groundnut haulms differ in nutrient composition and also affect the growth performance of the rams. The Yenyawoso variety may be used as a sole diet for fattening Djallonké rams.

A Theory for Stability and Buzz Pulsation Amplitude in Ram Jets and an Experimental Investigation Including Scale Effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trimpi, Robert L

1956-01-01

From a theory developed on a quasi-one-dimensional-flow basis, it is found that the stability of the ram jet is dependent upon the instantaneous values of mass flow and total pressure recovery of the supersonic diffuser and immediate neighboring subsonic diffuser. Conditions for stable and unstable flow are presented. The theory developed in the report is in agreement with the experimental data of NACA-TN-3506 and NACA-RM-L50K30. A simple theory for predicting the approximate amplitude of small pressure pulsation in terms of mass-flow decrement from minimum-stable mass flow is developed and found to agree with experiments. Cold-flow tests at a Mach number of 1.94 of ram-jet models having scale factors of 3.15:1 and Reynolds number ratios of 4.75:1 with several supersonic diffuser configurations showed only small variations in performance between geometrically similar models. The predominant variation in steady-flow performance resulted from the larger boundary layer in the combustion chamber of the low Reynolds number models. The conditions at which buzz originated were nearly the same for the same supersonic diffuser (cowling-position angle) configurations in both large and small diameter models. There was no appreciable variation in stability limits of any of the models when the combustion-chamber length was increased by a factor of three. The unsteady-flow performance and wave patterns were also similar when considered on a reduced-frequency basis determined from the relative lengths of the model. The negligible effect of Reynolds number on stability of the off-design configurations was not anticipated in view of the importance of boundary layer to stability, and this result should not be construed to be generally applicable. (author)

Metal oxide resistive random access memory based synaptic devices for brain-inspired computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Bin; Kang, Jinfeng; Zhou, Zheng; Chen, Zhe; Huang, Peng; Liu, Lifeng; Liu, Xiaoyan

2016-04-01

The traditional Boolean computing paradigm based on the von Neumann architecture is facing great challenges for future information technology applications such as big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and wearable devices, due to the limited processing capability issues such as binary data storage and computing, non-parallel data processing, and the buses requirement between memory units and logic units. The brain-inspired neuromorphic computing paradigm is believed to be one of the promising solutions for realizing more complex functions with a lower cost. To perform such brain-inspired computing with a low cost and low power consumption, novel devices for use as electronic synapses are needed. Metal oxide resistive random access memory (ReRAM) devices have emerged as the leading candidate for electronic synapses. This paper comprehensively addresses the recent work on the design and optimization of metal oxide ReRAM-based synaptic devices. A performance enhancement methodology and optimized operation scheme to achieve analog resistive switching and low-energy training behavior are provided. A three-dimensional vertical synapse network architecture is proposed for high-density integration and low-cost fabrication. The impacts of the ReRAM synaptic device features on the performances of neuromorphic systems are also discussed on the basis of a constructed neuromorphic visual system with a pattern recognition function. Possible solutions to achieve the high recognition accuracy and efficiency of neuromorphic systems are presented.

Comparison of Postoperative Respiratory Monitoring by Acoustic and Transthoracic Impedance Technologies in Pediatric Patients at Risk of Respiratory Depression.

PubMed

Patino, Mario; Kalin, Megan; Griffin, Allison; Minhajuddin, Abu; Ding, Lili; Williams, Timothy; Ishman, Stacey; Mahmoud, Mohamed; Kurth, C Dean; Szmuk, Peter

2017-06-01

In children, postoperative respiratory rate (RR) monitoring by transthoracic impedance (TI), capnography, and manual counting has limitations. The rainbow acoustic monitor (RAM) measures continuous RR noninvasively by a different methodology. Our primary aim was to compare the degree of agreement and accuracy of RR measurements as determined by RAM and TI to that of manual counting. Secondary aims include tolerance and analysis of alarm events. Sixty-two children (2-16 years old) were admitted after tonsillectomy or receiving postoperative patient/parental-controlled analgesia. RR was measured at regular intervals by RAM, TI, and manual count. Each TI or RAM alarm resulted in a clinical evaluation to categorize as a true or false alarm. To assess accuracy and degree of agreement of RR measured by RAM or TI compared with manual counting, a Bland-Altman analysis was utilized showing the average difference and the limits of agreement. Sensitivity and specificity of RR alarms by TI and RAM are presented. Fifty-eight posttonsillectomy children and 4 patient/parental-controlled analgesia users aged 6.5 ± 3.4 years and weighting 35.3 ± 22.7 kg (body mass index percentile 76.6 ± 30.8) were included. The average monitoring time per patient was 15.9 ± 4.8 hours. RAM was tolerated 87% of the total monitoring time. The manual RR count was significantly different from TI (P = .007) with an average difference ± SD of 1.39 ± 10.6 but were not significantly different from RAM (P = .81) with an average difference ± SD of 0.17 ± 6.8. The proportion of time when RR measurements differed by ≥4 breaths was 22% by TI and was 11% by RAM. Overall, 276 alarms were detected (mean alarms/patient = 4.5). The mean number of alarms per patient were 1.58 ± 2.49 and 2.87 ± 4.32 for RAM and TI, respectively. The mean number of false alarms was 0.18 ± 0.71 for RAM and 1.00 ± 2.78 for TI. The RAM was found to have 46.6% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29-0.64), 95.9% specificity (95% CI, 0.90-1.00), 88.9% positive predictive value (95% CI, 0.73-1.00), and 72.1% negative predictive value (95% CI, 0.61-0.84), whereas the TI monitor had 68.5% sensitivity (95% CI, 0.53-0.84), 72.0% specificity (95% CI, 0.60-0.84), 59.0% positive (95% CI, 0.44-0.74), and 79.5% negative predictive value (95% CI, 0.69-0.90). In children at risk of postoperative respiratory depression, RR assessment by RAM was not different to manual counting. RAM was well tolerated, had a lower incidence of false alarms, and had better specificity and positive predictive value than TI. Rigorous evaluation of the negative predictive value is essential to determine the role of postoperative respiratory monitoring with RAM.

Identification of sperm subpopulations with defined motility characteristics in ejaculates from Ile de France rams.

PubMed

Bravo, J A; Montanero, J; Calero, R; Roy, T J

2011-11-01

The aims of this study were to identify different motile sperm subpopulations in fresh ejaculates from six Ile de France rams, by using a computer-assisted sperm motility analysis (CASA) system, and to evaluate the effects of individual ram and season on population distribution. Overall sperm motility and individual kinematic parameters of motile spermatozoa were evaluated for 125,312 spermatozoa, defined by curvilinear velocity (VCL), linear velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP), linearity coefficient (LIN), straightness coefficient (STR), wobble coefficient (WOB), mean amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) and frequency of head displacement (BCF). A multivariate cluster analysis was carried out to classify these spermatozoa into a reduced number of subpopulations according to their movement patterns. The statistical analysis clustered the whole motile sperm population into five separate groups: subpopulation 1, constituted by rapid, progressive and non sinuous spermatozoa (VCL=126.41 μm/s, STR=92.87% and LIN=86.47%); subpopulation 2, characterized by progressive spermatozoa with moderate velocity (VCL=74.74 μm/s and STR=84.03%); subpopulation 3, represented by rapid, progressive and sinuous spermatozoa (VCL=130.45 μm/s, STR=76.02% and LIN=47.68%); subpopulation 4 represents rapid nonprogressive spermatozoa (VCL=128.69 μm/s and STR=44.09%); subpopulation 5 includes poorly motile, nonprogressive spermatozoa with a very irregular trajectory (VCL=36.81 μm/s and STR=47.04%). Our results show the existence of five subpopulations of motile spermatozoa in ram ejaculates. The frequency distribution of spermatozoa within subpopulations was quite similar for the six rams, and the five subpopulations turned out to be very stable along seasons. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SEM Analysis Techniques for LSI Microcircuits. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

4~, 1 v’ ’ RADC-TR80-250, Vol 11 (of two), Final Technical -Report, Augut1980 SEM, ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES, FOR LSI MICROCIRCUITS: ’Martin...Bit Static ’RAM.. Volume II - 1024 Bit Stat’i RAM, 4096 Bit Dynamic RAM (SiGATE WOS,)., 4096 Bit -Dynamic RAM ( 1 2 L Bipolar)., ,Summary. RADC-TR-80-250...States, ithout.irst obtani an export nse, is a violation t Internatio 1 Tr ffic in A . eguiations. Such violation is subject o penalty of to 2 years impr

High spatial resolution measurements in a single stage ram accelerator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinkey, J. B.; Burnham, E. A.; Bruckner, A. P.

1992-01-01

High spatial resolution experimental tube wall pressure measurements of ram accelerator gas dynamic phenomena are presented in this paper. The ram accelerator is a ramjet-in-tube device which operates in a manner similar to that of a conventional ramjet. The projectile resembles the centerbody of a ramjet and travels supersonically through a tube filled with a combustible gaseous mixture, with the tube acting as the outer cowling. Pressure data are recorded as the projectile passes by sensors mounted in the tube wall at various locations along the tube. Utilization of special highly instrumented sections of tube has allowed the recording of gas dynamic phenomena with high resolution. High spatial resolution tube wall pressure data from the three regimes of propulsion studied to date (subdetonative, transdetonative, and superdetonative) in a single stage gas mixture are presented and reveal the three-dimensional character of the flow field induced by projectile fins and the canting of the fins and the canting of the projectile body relative to the tube wall. Also presented for comparison to the experimental data are calculations made with an inviscid, three-dimensional CFD code. The knowledge gained from these experiments and simulations is useful in understanding the underlying nature of ram accelerator propulsive regimes, as well as assisting in the validation of three-dimensional CFD coded which model unsteady, chemically reactive flows.

Electronic Warfare and Radar Systems Engineering Handbook

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-04-01

EWRL Electronic Warfare Reprogrammable ELNOT Emitter Library Notation Library (USN) EM Electromagnetic EWSI EW Systems Integration E-Mail Electronic...ram air turbine (RAT) propellers used to power aircraft pods, helicopter rotor blades, and protruding surfaces of automobile hubcaps will all provide

Reference intervals for serum reactive oxygen metabolites, biological antioxidant potential, and oxidative stress index in adult rams.

PubMed

Oikonomidis, Ioannis L; Kiosis, Evangelos A; Brozos, Christos N; Kritsepi-Konstantinou, Maria G

2017-03-01

OBJECTIVE To establish reference intervals for serum reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs), biological antioxidant potential (BAP), and oxidative stress index (OSi) in adult rams by use of controlled preanalytic and analytic procedures. ANIMALS 123 healthy 1- to 4-year-old rams of 2 Greek breeds (Chios [n = 62] and Florina [61]). PROCEDURES 4 hours after rams were fed, a blood sample was obtained from each ram, and serum was harvested. Concentrations of ROMs and BAP were measured colorimetrically on a spectrophotometric analyzer. The OSi was calculated as ROMs concentration divided by BAP concentration. Combined and breed-specific reference intervals were calculated by use of nonparametric and robust methods, respectively. Reference intervals were defined as the 2.5th to 97.5th percentiles. RESULTS Reference intervals for ROMs, BAP, and OSi for all rams combined were 65 to 109 Carratelli units, 2,364 to 4,491 μmol/L, and 18.2 to 43.0 Carratelli units/(mmol/L), respectively. Reference intervals of Chios rams for ROMs, BAP, and OSi were 56 to 113 Carratelli units, 2,234 to 4,290 μmol/L, and 12.9 to 38.4 Carratelli units/(mmol/L), respectively. Reference intervals of Florina rams for ROMs, BAP, and OSi were 68 to 111 Carratelli units, 2,337 to 4,363 μmol/L, and 14.1 to 38.1 Carratelli units/(mmol/L), respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Reference intervals calculated in this study can be used as a guide for the interpretation of ROMs, BAP, and OSi results in rams and, under appropriate conditions, can be adopted for use by veterinary laboratories.

Multi-wavelength access gate for WDM-formatted words in optical RAM row architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitsios, D.; Alexoudi, T.; Vagionas, C.; Miliou, A.; Kanellos, G. T.; Pleros, N.

2013-03-01

Optical RAM has emerged as a promising solution for overcoming the "Memory Wall" of electronics, indicating the use of light in RAM architectures as the approach towards enabling ps-regime memory access times. Taking a step further towards exploiting the unique wavelength properties of optical signals, we reveal new architectural perspectives in optical RAM structures by introducing WDM principles in the storage area. To this end, we demonstrate a novel SOAbased multi-wavelength Access Gate for utilization in a 4x4 WDM optical RAM bank architecture. The proposed multiwavelength Access Gate can simultaneously control random access to a 4-bit optical word, exploiting Cross-Gain-Modulation (XGM) to process 8 Bit and Bit channels encoded in 8 different wavelengths. It also suggests simpler optical RAM row architectures, allowing for the effective sharing of one multi-wavelength Access Gate for each row, substituting the eight AGs in the case of conventional optical RAM architectures. The scheme is shown to support 10Gbit/s operation for the incoming 4-bit data streams, with a power consumption of 15mW/Gbit/s. All 8 wavelength channels demonstrate error-free operation with a power penalty lower than 3 dB for all channels, compared to Back-to-Back measurements. The proposed optical RAM architecture reveals that exploiting the WDM capabilities of optical components can lead to RAM bank implementations with smarter column/row encoders/decoders, increased circuit simplicity, reduced number of active elements and associated power consumption. Moreover, exploitation of the wavelength entity can release significant potential towards reconfigurable optical cache mapping schemes when using the wavelength dimension for memory addressing.

Analysis and modeling of summertime convective cloud and precipitation structure over the southeastern United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knupp, Kevin R.

1988-01-01

Described is work performed under NASA Grant NAG8-654 for the period 15 March to 15 September 1988. This work entails primarily data analysis and numerical modeling efforts related to the 1986 Satellite Precipitation and Cloud Experiment (SPACE). In the following, the SPACE acronym is used along with the acronym COHMEX, which represents the encompassing Cooperative Huntsville Meteorological Experiment. Progress made during the second half of the first year of the study included: (1) installation and testing of the RAMS numerical Modeling system on the Alabama CRAY X-MP/24; (2) a start on the analysis of the mesoscale convection system (MCS) of 13 July 1986 COHMEX case; and (3) a cursory examination of a small MCS that formed over the COHMEX region on 15 July 1986. Details of each of these individual tasks are given.

275 C Downhole Microcomputer System

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

Chris Hutchens; Hooi Miin Soo

2008-08-31

An HC11 controller IC and along with serial SRAM and ROM support ICs chip set were developed to support a data acquisition and control for extreme temperature/harsh environment conditions greater than 275 C. The 68HC11 microprocessor is widely used in well logging tools for control, data acquisition, and signal processing applications and was the logical choice for a downhole controller. This extreme temperature version of the 68HC11 enables new high temperature designs and additionally allows 68HC11-based well logging tools and MWD tools to be upgraded for high temperature operation in deep gas reservoirs, The microcomputer chip consists of the microprocessormore » ALU, a small boot ROM, 4 kbyte data RAM, counter/timer unit, serial peripheral interface (SPI), asynchronous serial interface (SCI), and the A, B, C, and D parallel ports. The chip is code compatible with the single chip mode commercial 68HC11 except for the absence of the analog to digital converter system. To avoid mask programmed internal ROM, a boot program is used to load the microcomputer program from an external mask SPI ROM. A SPI RAM IC completes the chip set and allows data RAM to be added in 4 kbyte increments. The HC11 controller IC chip set is implemented in the Peregrine Semiconductor 0.5 micron Silicon-on-Sapphire (SOS) process using a custom high temperature cell library developed at Oklahoma State University. Yield data is presented for all, the HC11, SPI-RAM and ROM. The lessons learned in this project were extended to the successful development of two high temperature versions of the LEON3 and a companion 8 Kbyte SRAM, a 200 C version for the Navy and a 275 C version for the gas industry.« less

A Study of the Failure of Joints in Composite Material Fuel Cells Due to Hydraulic Ram Loading

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

H co PSw Z QW <H W CO 33 PS4 o CO O CM \\ Q> 00 vO m CO CM N ra Figure VI.B.l THICKNESS MODEL 55 it acts upon on the membrane, gives the force to be...ability of the joint to carry the loads created by hydraulic ram loading. It would also make the manufacturing procedure easier, less time consuming , and...70 less expensive. Cutting holes and channels in a composite plate not only alters the behavior and load carrying capa- bility of the plate, but it is

PADDLEFISH BUCCAL FLOW VELOCITY DURING RAM SUSPENSION FEEDING AND RAM VENTILATION

PubMed

Cech; Cheer

1994-01-01

A micro-thermistor probe was inserted into the buccal cavity of freely swimming paddlefish to measure flow velocity during ram ventilation, ram suspension feeding and prey processing. Swimming speed was measured from videotapes recorded simultaneously with the buccal flow velocity measurements. Both swimming velocity and buccal flow velocity were significantly higher during suspension feeding than during ram ventilation. As the paddlefish shifted from ventilation to feeding, buccal flow velocity increased to approximately 60 % of the swimming velocity. During prey processing, buccal flow velocity was significantly higher than the swimming velocity, indicating that prey processing involves the generation of suction. The Reynolds number (Re) for flow at the level of the paddlefish gill rakers during feeding is about 30, an order of magnitude lower than the Re calculated previously for pump suspension-feeding blackfish. These data, combined with data available from the literature, indicate that the gill rakers of ram suspension-feeding teleost fishes may operate at a substantially lower Re than the rakers of pump suspension feeders.

FIRE_ACE_C130_RAMS

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2017-04-26

... NCAR C-130 Instrument:  Radiation Measurement System Spatial Coverage:  Fairbanks, Alaska and the ... Parameters:  Upwelling and Downwelling Total Solar Flux Infrared Flux and Narrowband Flux Order Data:  ...

Space Station Freedom power - A reliability, availability, and maintainability assessment of the proposed Space Station Freedom electric power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turnquist, S. R.; Twombly, M.; Hoffman, D.

1989-01-01

A preliminary reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) analysis of the proposed Space Station Freedom electric power system (EPS) was performed using the unit reliability, availability, and maintainability (UNIRAM) analysis methodology. Orbital replacement units (ORUs) having the most significant impact on EPS availability measures were identified. Also, the sensitivity of the EPS to variations in ORU RAM data was evaluated for each ORU. Estimates were made of average EPS power output levels and availability of power to the core area of the space station. The results of assessments of the availability of EPS power and power to load distribution points in the space stations are given. Some highlights of continuing studies being performed to understand EPS availability considerations are presented.

Body Composition of Lambs and Rams Fed Complete Feed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmawati, F.; Rianto, E.

2018-02-01

This study was aimed to investigate the proportion of body water, protein and fat of lambs and rams. The material used in this study were 6 lambs (weighed of 15.92 kg), and 6 rams (weighed 23.31 kg). The sheep were fed a complete feed. In weeks 1, 5 and 9, the body composition (water, protein and body fat) was measured using the “urea space” method. The results showed that the proportion of water, protein and fat in the body of lambs and sheep differed significantly (P <0.01). The proportion of lambs’ body water in weeks 1, 5 and 9 were 58.71, 58.43 and 58.43%, respectively; while thoset of the rams were 58.40, 58.14% and 58.14%, respectively. The proportion of body protein of lambs in weeks 1, 5 and 9 were 11.84, 11.94 and 11.99%, respectively; while those of rams were 13.01; 13.01 and 13.03%, respectively. The proportion of body fat of lambs in weeks 1, 5 and 9 were 20.51, 20.87 and 20.87%, respectively; while those of rams were 20.9, 21.26 and 21.25%, respectively. Body water of lambs and rams week decreased from week 1 to 9. On the other hand, the proportion of body protein and fat increased. It is concluded that the proportion of body water was higher while the proportions of body protein and fat were lower in lambs as compared with those in rams.

EVALUATION OF THE REAL-TIME AIR-QUALITY MODEL USING THE RAPS (REGIONAL AIR POLLUTION STUDY) DATA BASE. VOLUME 1. OVERVIEW

EPA Science Inventory

The theory and programming of statistical tests for evaluating the Real-Time Air-Quality Model (RAM) using the Regional Air Pollution Study (RAPS) data base are fully documented in four report volumes. Moreover, the tests are generally applicable to other model evaluation problem...

Effect of ram semen extenders and supplements on computer assisted sperm analysis parameters

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A study evaluated the effects of ram semen extender and extender supplementation on computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA) parameters positively correlated with progressive motility. Semen collected from 5 rams was distributed across treatment combinations consisting of either TRIS citrate (T) or ...

Investigation of Aerodynamic and Icing Characteristics of a Flush Alternate Inlet Induction System Air Scoop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, James P.

1953-01-01

An investigation has been made in the NACA Lewis icing research tunnel to determine the aerodynamic and icing characteristics of a full-scale induction-system air-scoop assembly incorporating a flush alternate inlet. The flush inlet was located immediately downstream of the offset ram inlet and included a 180 deg reversal and a 90 deg elbow in the ducting between inlet and carburetor top deck. The model also had a preheat-air inlet. The investigation was made over a range of mass-air- flow ratios of 0 to 0.8, angles of attack of 0 and 4 deg airspeeds of 150 to 270 miles per hour, air temperatures of 0 and 25 F various liquid-water contents, and droplet sizes. The ram inlet gave good pressure recovery in both clear air and icing but rapid blockage of the top-deck screen occurred during icing. The flush alternate inlet had poor pressure recovery in both clear air and icing. The greatest decreases in the alternate-inlet pressure recovery were obtained at icing conditions of low air temperature and high liquid-water content. No serious screen icing was observed with the alternate inlet. Pressure and temperature distributions on the carburetor top deck were determined using the preheat-air supply with the preheat- and alternate-inlet doors in various positions. No screen icing occurred when the preheat-air system was operated in combination with alternate-inlet air flow.

Partially pre-calculated weights for the backpropagation learning regime and high accuracy function mapping using continuous input RAM-based sigma-pi nets.

PubMed

Neville, R S; Stonham, T J; Glover, R J

2000-01-01

In this article we present a methodology that partially pre-calculates the weight updates of the backpropagation learning regime and obtains high accuracy function mapping. The paper shows how to implement neural units in a digital formulation which enables the weights to be quantised to 8-bits and the activations to 9-bits. A novel methodology is introduced to enable the accuracy of sigma-pi units to be increased by expanding their internal state space. We, also, introduce a novel means of implementing bit-streams in ring memories instead of utilising shift registers. The investigation utilises digital "Higher Order" sigma-pi nodes and studies continuous input RAM-based sigma-pi units. The units are trained with the backpropagation learning regime to learn functions to a high accuracy. The neural model is the sigma-pi units which can be implemented in digital microelectronic technology. The ability to perform tasks that require the input of real-valued information, is one of the central requirements of any cognitive system that utilises artificial neural network methodologies. In this article we present recent research which investigates a technique that can be used for mapping accurate real-valued functions to RAM-nets. One of our goals was to achieve accuracies of better than 1% for target output functions in the range Y epsilon [0,1], this is equivalent to an average Mean Square Error (MSE) over all training vectors of 0.0001 or an error modulus of 0.01. We present a development of the sigma-pi node which enables the provision of high accuracy outputs. The sigma-pi neural model was initially developed by Gurney (Learning in nets of structured hypercubes. PhD Thesis, Department of Electrical Engineering, Brunel University, Middlessex, UK, 1989; available as Technical Memo CN/R/144). Gurney's neuron models, the Time Integration Node (TIN), utilises an activation that was derived from a bit-stream. In this article we present a new methodology for storing sigma-pi node's activations as single values which are averages. In the course of the article we state what we define as a real number; how we represent real numbers and input of continuous values in our neural system. We show how to utilise the bounded quantised site-values (weights) of sigma-pi nodes to make training of these neurocomputing systems simple, using pre-calculated look-up tables to train the nets. In order to meet our accuracy goal, we introduce a means of increasing the bandwidth capability of sigma-pi units by expanding their internal state-space. In our implementation we utilise bit-streams when we calculate the real-valued outputs of the net. To simplify the hardware implementation of bit-streams we present a method of mapping them to RAM-based hardware using 'ring memories'. Finally, we study the sigma-pi units' ability to generalise once they are trained to map real-valued, high accuracy, continuous functions. We use sigma-pi units as they have been shown to have shorter training times than their analogue counterparts and can also overcome some of the drawbacks of semi-linear units (Gurney, 1992. Neural Networks, 5, 289-303).

Analytical Studies of the Lift and Roll Stability of a Ram Air Cushion Vehicle

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1972-12-01

A ram air cushion vehicle (a type of ram wing) is described schematically and compared with a conventional air cushion vehicle design. The nonlinear equations for the flow in the cushion region are derived. A review is made of the most recent literat...

Molecular gas mass and star formation of 12 Virgo spiral galaxies along the ram pressure time sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Eun Jung; Kim, S.

2014-01-01

The ram pressure stripping is known as one of the most efficient mechanisms to deplete the ISM of a galaxy in the clusters of galaxies. As being affected continuously by ICM pressure, a galaxy may lose their gas that is the fuel of star formation, and consequently star formation rate would be changed. We select twelve Virgo spiral galaxies according to their stage of the ram pressure stripping event to probe possible consequences of star formation of spiral galaxies in the ram pressure and thus the evolution of galaxies in the Virgo cluster. We investigate the molecular gas properties, star formation activity, and gas depletion time along the time from the ram pressure peak. We also discussed the evolution of galaxies in the cluster.

A Study of Pattern Prediction in the Monitoring Data of Earthen Ruins with the Internet of Things.

PubMed

Xiao, Yun; Wang, Xin; Eshragh, Faezeh; Wang, Xuanhong; Chen, Xiaojiang; Fang, Dingyi

2017-05-11

An understanding of the changes of the rammed earth temperature of earthen ruins is important for protection of such ruins. To predict the rammed earth temperature pattern using the air temperature pattern of the monitoring data of earthen ruins, a pattern prediction method based on interesting pattern mining and correlation, called PPER, is proposed in this paper. PPER first finds the interesting patterns in the air temperature sequence and the rammed earth temperature sequence. To reduce the processing time, two pruning rules and a new data structure based on an R-tree are also proposed. Correlation rules between the air temperature patterns and the rammed earth temperature patterns are then mined. The correlation rules are merged into predictive rules for the rammed earth temperature pattern. Experiments were conducted to show the accuracy of the presented method and the power of the pruning rules. Moreover, the Ming Dynasty Great Wall dataset was used to examine the algorithm, and six predictive rules from the air temperature to rammed earth temperature based on the interesting patterns were obtained, with the average hit rate reaching 89.8%. The PPER and predictive rules will be useful for rammed earth temperature prediction in protection of earthen ruins.

Prevalence of etravirine mutations and impact on response to treatment in routine clinical care: the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS).

PubMed

Scherrer, A U; Hasse, B; von Wyl, V; Yerly, S; Böni, J; Bürgisser, P; Klimkait, T; Bucher, H C; Ledergerber, B; Günthard, H F

2009-11-01

Etravirine (ETV) is a novel nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) with reduced cross-resistance to first-generation NNRTIs, which has been primarily studied in randomized clinical trials and not in routine clinical settings. ETV resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) were investigated by analysing 6072 genotypic tests. The antiviral activity of ETV was predicted using different interpretation systems: International AIDS Society-USA (IAS-USA), Stanford, Rega and Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le Sida et les hépatites virales (ANRS). The prevalence of ETV RAMs was higher in NNRTI-exposed patients [44.9%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 41.0-48.9%] than in treatment-naïve patients (9.6%, 95% CI 8.5-10.7%). ETV RAMs in treatment-naïve patients mainly represent polymorphism, as prevalence estimates in genotypic tests for treatment-naïve patients with documented recent (<1 year) infection, who had acquired HIV before the introduction of NNRTIs, were almost identical (9.8%, 95% CI 3.3-21.4). Discontinuation of NNRTI treatment led to a marked drop in the detection of ETV RAMs, from 51.7% (95% CI 40.8-62.6%) to 34.5% (95% CI 24.6-45.4%, P=0.032). Differences in prevalence among subtypes were found for V90I and V179T (P<0.001). Estimates of restricted virological response to ETV varied among algorithms in patients with exposure to efavirenz (EFV)/nevirapine (NVP), ranging from 3.8% (95% CI 2.5-5.6%) for ANRS to 56.2% (95% CI 52.2-60.1%) for Stanford. The predicted activity of ETV decreased as the sensitivity of potential optimized background regimens decreased. The presence of major IAS-USA mutations (L100I, K101E/H/P and Y181C/I/V) reduced the treatment response at week 24. Most ETV RAMs in drug-naïve patients are polymorphisms rather than transmitted RAMs. Uncertainty regarding predictions of antiviral activity for ETV in NNRTI-treated patients remains high. The lowest activity was predicted for patients harbouring extensive multidrug-resistant viruses, thus limiting ETV use in those who are most in need.

The Use of a Mesoscale Climate Model to Validate the Nocturnal Carbon Flux over a Forested Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werth, D.; Parker, M.; Kurzeja, R.; Leclerc, M.; Watson, T.

2007-12-01

The Savannah River National Laboratory is initiating a comprehensive carbon dioxide monitoring and modeling program in collaboration with the University of Georgia and the Brookhaven National Laboratory. One of the primary goals is to study the dynamics of carbon dioxide in the stable nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) over a forested area of the Savannah River Site in southwest South Carolina. In the nocturnal boundary layer (NBL), eddy flux correlation is less effective in determining the release of CO2 due to respiration. Theoretically, however, the flux can be inferred by measuring the build up of CO2 in the stable layer throughout the night. This method of monitoring the flux will be validated and studied in more detail with both observations and the results of a high-resolution regional climate model. The experiment will involve two phases. First, an artificial tracer will be released into the forest boundary layer and observed through an array of sensors and at a flux tower. The event will be simulated with the RAMS climate model run at very high resolution. Ideally, the tracer will remain trapped within the stable layer and accumulate at rates which will allow us to infer the release rate, and this should compare well to the actual release rate. If an unknown mechanism allows the tracer to escape, the model simulation would be used to reveal it. In the second phase, carbon fluxes will be measured overnight through accumulation in the overlying layer. The RAMS model will be coupled with the SiB carbon model to simulate the nocturnal cycle of carbon dynamics, and this will be compared to the data collected during the night. As with the tracer study, the NBL method of flux measurement will be validated against the model. The RAMS-SiB coupled model has been run over the SRS at high-resolution to simulate the NBL, and results from simulations of both phases of the project will be presented.

Effect of mitochondrial uncoupling and glycolysis inhibition on ram sperm functionality.

PubMed

Losano, Jda; Angrimani, Dsr; Dalmazzo, A; Rui, B R; Brito, M M; Mendes, C M; Kawai, Gkv; Vannucchi, C I; Assumpção, Meoa; Barnabe, V H; Nichi, M

2017-04-01

Studies have demonstrated the importance of mitochondria to sperm functionality, as the main source of ATP for cellular homoeostasis and motility. However, the role of mitochondria on sperm metabolism is still controversial. Studies indicate that, for some species, glycolysis may be the main mechanism for sperm energy production. For ram sperm, such pathway is not clear. Thus, we evaluated ram sperm in response to mitochondrial uncoupling and glycolysis inhibition aiming to assess the importance of each pathway for sperm functionality. Statistical analysis was performed by the SAS System for Windows, using the General Linear Model Procedure. Data were tested for residue normality and variance homogeneity. A p < .05 was considered significant. Groups treated with the mitochondrial uncoupler Carbonyl cyanide 3 chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) showed a decrease in the percentage of cells with low mitochondrial activity and high mitochondrial membrane potential. We also observed that the highest CCCP concentration promotes a decrease in sperm susceptibility to lipid peroxidation. Regardless the lack of effect of CCCP on total motility, this substance induced significant alterations on sperm kinetics. Besides the interference of CCCP on spermatic movement patterns, it was also possible to observe such an effect in samples treated with the inhibitor of glycolysis (2-deoxy-d-glucose, DOG). Furthermore, treatment with DOG also led to a dose-dependent increase in sperm susceptibility to lipid peroxidation. Based on our results, we suggest that the glycolysis appears to be as important as oxidative phosphorylation for ovine sperm kinetics as this mechanism is capable of maintaining full motility when most of the cells have a low mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, we found that changes in the glycolytic pathway trough glycolysis inhibition are likely involved in mitochondrial dysfunction and sperm oxidative unbalance. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Windsock memory COnditioned RAM (CO-RAM) pressure effect: Forced reconnection in the Earth's magnetotail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vörös, Z.; Facskó, G.; Khodachenko, M.; Honkonen, I.; Janhunen, P.; Palmroth, M.

2014-08-01

Magnetic reconnection (MR) is a key physical concept explaining the addition of magnetic flux to the magnetotail and closed flux lines back-motion to the dayside magnetosphere. This scenario elaborated by Dungey (1963) can explain many aspects of solar wind-magnetosphere interaction processes, including substorms. However, neither the Dungey model nor its numerous modifications were able to explain fully the onset conditions for MR in the tail. In this paper, we introduce new onset conditions for forced MR in the tail. We call our scenario the "windsock memory conditioned ram pressure effect." Our nonflux transfer-associated forcing is introduced by a combination of the large-scale windsock motions exhibiting memory effects and solar wind dynamic pressure actions on the nightside magnetopause during northward oriented interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Using global MHD Grand Unified Magnetosphere Ionosphere Coupling Simulation version 4 simulation results, upstream data from Wind, magnetosheath data from Cluster 1 and distant tail data from the two-probe Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun mission, we show that the simultaneous occurrence of vertical windsock motions of the magnetotail and enhanced solar wind dynamic pressure introduces strong nightside disturbances, including enhanced electric fields and persistent vertical cross-tail shear flows. These perturbations, associated with a stream interaction region in the solar wind, drive MR in the tail during episodes of northward oriented interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). We detect MR indirectly, observing plasmoids in the tail and ground-based signatures of earthward moving fast flows. We also consider the application to solar system planets and close-in exoplanets, where the proposed scenario can elucidate some new aspects of solar/stellar wind-magnetosphere interactions.

Multistate Memristive Tantalum Oxide Devices for Ternary Arithmetic

PubMed Central

Kim, Wonjoo; Chattopadhyay, Anupam; Siemon, Anne; Linn, Eike; Waser, Rainer; Rana, Vikas

2016-01-01

Redox-based resistive switching random access memory (ReRAM) offers excellent properties to implement future non-volatile memory arrays. Recently, the capability of two-state ReRAMs to implement Boolean logic functionality gained wide interest. Here, we report on seven-states Tantalum Oxide Devices, which enable the realization of an intrinsic modular arithmetic using a ternary number system. Modular arithmetic, a fundamental system for operating on numbers within the limit of a modulus, is known to mathematicians since the days of Euclid and finds applications in diverse areas ranging from e-commerce to musical notations. We demonstrate that multistate devices not only reduce the storage area consumption drastically, but also enable novel in-memory operations, such as computing using high-radix number systems, which could not be implemented using two-state devices. The use of high radix number system reduces the computational complexity by reducing the number of needed digits. Thus the number of calculation operations in an addition and the number of logic devices can be reduced. PMID:27834352

Multistate Memristive Tantalum Oxide Devices for Ternary Arithmetic.

PubMed

Kim, Wonjoo; Chattopadhyay, Anupam; Siemon, Anne; Linn, Eike; Waser, Rainer; Rana, Vikas

2016-11-11

Redox-based resistive switching random access memory (ReRAM) offers excellent properties to implement future non-volatile memory arrays. Recently, the capability of two-state ReRAMs to implement Boolean logic functionality gained wide interest. Here, we report on seven-states Tantalum Oxide Devices, which enable the realization of an intrinsic modular arithmetic using a ternary number system. Modular arithmetic, a fundamental system for operating on numbers within the limit of a modulus, is known to mathematicians since the days of Euclid and finds applications in diverse areas ranging from e-commerce to musical notations. We demonstrate that multistate devices not only reduce the storage area consumption drastically, but also enable novel in-memory operations, such as computing using high-radix number systems, which could not be implemented using two-state devices. The use of high radix number system reduces the computational complexity by reducing the number of needed digits. Thus the number of calculation operations in an addition and the number of logic devices can be reduced.

Multistate Memristive Tantalum Oxide Devices for Ternary Arithmetic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Wonjoo; Chattopadhyay, Anupam; Siemon, Anne; Linn, Eike; Waser, Rainer; Rana, Vikas

2016-11-01

Redox-based resistive switching random access memory (ReRAM) offers excellent properties to implement future non-volatile memory arrays. Recently, the capability of two-state ReRAMs to implement Boolean logic functionality gained wide interest. Here, we report on seven-states Tantalum Oxide Devices, which enable the realization of an intrinsic modular arithmetic using a ternary number system. Modular arithmetic, a fundamental system for operating on numbers within the limit of a modulus, is known to mathematicians since the days of Euclid and finds applications in diverse areas ranging from e-commerce to musical notations. We demonstrate that multistate devices not only reduce the storage area consumption drastically, but also enable novel in-memory operations, such as computing using high-radix number systems, which could not be implemented using two-state devices. The use of high radix number system reduces the computational complexity by reducing the number of needed digits. Thus the number of calculation operations in an addition and the number of logic devices can be reduced.

Length and activity of the root apical meristem revealed in vivo by infrared imaging.

PubMed

Bizet, François; Hummel, Irène; Bogeat-Triboulot, Marie-Béatrice

2015-03-01

Understanding how cell division and cell elongation influence organ growth and development is a long-standing issue in plant biology. In plant roots, most of the cell divisions occur in a short and specialized region, the root apical meristem (RAM). Although RAM activity has been suggested to be of high importance to understand how roots grow and how the cell cycle is regulated, few experimental and numeric data are currently available. The characterization of the RAM is difficult and essentially based upon cell length measurements through destructive and time-consuming microscopy approaches. Here, a new non-invasive method is described that couples infrared light imaging and kinematic analyses and that allows in vivo measurements of the RAM length. This study provides a detailed description of the RAM activity, especially in terms of cell flux and cell division rate. We focused on roots of hydroponic grown poplars and confirmed our method on maize roots. How the RAM affects root growth rate is studied by taking advantage of the high inter-individual variability of poplar root growth. An osmotic stress was applied and did not significantly affect the RAM length, highlighting its homeostasis in short to middle-term responses. The methodology described here simplifies a lot experimental procedures, allows an increase in the number of individuals that can be taken into account in experiments, and means new experiments can be formulated that allow temporal monitoring of the RAM length. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Effect of semen extender and storage temperature on ram sperm motility over time

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Storage of ram semen for long period of time depends on a number of factors, including type of extender and storage temperature. A study compared the effect of semen extender and storage temperature on motility of ram semen stored for 72 h. Semen collected via electroejaculator from 5 mature Katahd...

The psychological health of remote area medics in Iraq.

PubMed

Whittaker-Howe, S; Brown, G; Williamson, V; Greenberg, N

2017-12-30

Remote area medics (RAMs) may be at increased risk of mental health difficulties. To explore the occupational experiences of RAMs to identify stressors and the mental health impact. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six RAMs working in Iraq to gather data, which was explored using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three key themes emerged from the data (i) the experience of being remote, (ii) cultural shock and (iii) social support. A number of key stressors were identified, including loneliness and boredom, associated with being remote, and the loss of professional identity due to the occupational role. Three out of the six participants reported substantial depressive symptoms. A number of positive coping strategies were identified, particularly relationships with other RAMs, via instant messaging forums. RAMs experience a number of particular stressors that could put them at risk of depression. Adaptive coping strategies were identified; in particular, virtual social support. These findings should be of interest to companies which employ RAMs. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Ram Pressure Stripping Made Easy: An Analytical Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köppen, J.; Jáchym, P.; Taylor, R.; Palouš, J.

2018-06-01

The removal of gas by ram pressure stripping of galaxies is treated by a purely kinematic description. The solution has two asymptotic limits: if the duration of the ram pressure pulse exceeds the period of vertical oscillations perpendicular to the galactic plane, the commonly used quasi-static criterion of Gunn & Gott is obtained which uses the maximum ram pressure that the galaxy has experienced along its orbit. For shorter pulses the outcome depends on the time-integrated ram pressure. This parameter pair fully describes the gas mass fraction that is stripped from a given galaxy. This approach closely reproduces results from SPH simulations. We show that typical galaxies follow a very tight relation in this parameter space corresponding to a pressure pulse length of about 300 Myr. Thus, the Gunn & Gott criterion provides a good description for galaxies in larger clusters. Applying the analytic description to a sample of 232 Virgo galaxies from the GoldMine database, we show that the ICM provides indeed the ram pressures needed to explain the deficiencies. We also can distinguish current and past strippers, including objects whose stripping state was unknown.

Single-cell full-length total RNA sequencing uncovers dynamics of recursive splicing and enhancer RNAs.

PubMed

Hayashi, Tetsutaro; Ozaki, Haruka; Sasagawa, Yohei; Umeda, Mana; Danno, Hiroki; Nikaido, Itoshi

2018-02-12

Total RNA sequencing has been used to reveal poly(A) and non-poly(A) RNA expression, RNA processing and enhancer activity. To date, no method for full-length total RNA sequencing of single cells has been developed despite the potential of this technology for single-cell biology. Here we describe random displacement amplification sequencing (RamDA-seq), the first full-length total RNA-sequencing method for single cells. Compared with other methods, RamDA-seq shows high sensitivity to non-poly(A) RNA and near-complete full-length transcript coverage. Using RamDA-seq with differentiation time course samples of mouse embryonic stem cells, we reveal hundreds of dynamically regulated non-poly(A) transcripts, including histone transcripts and long noncoding RNA Neat1. Moreover, RamDA-seq profiles recursive splicing in >300-kb introns. RamDA-seq also detects enhancer RNAs and their cell type-specific activity in single cells. Taken together, we demonstrate that RamDA-seq could help investigate the dynamics of gene expression, RNA-processing events and transcriptional regulation in single cells.

Resistance profile of darunavir: combined 24-week results from the POWER trials.

PubMed

de Meyer, Sandra; Vangeneugden, Tony; van Baelen, Ben; de Paepe, Els; van Marck, Herwig; Picchio, Gaston; Lefebvre, Eric; de Béthune, Marie-Pierre

2008-03-01

The resistance profile of darunavir (TMC114) in treatment-experienced patients was explored using pooled week 24 data from POWER 1, 2, and 3 at the recommended dose of darunavir with low-dose ritonavir (darunavir/r, 600/100 mg bid, N = 458). Baseline darunavir fold change in EC(50) was a strong predictor of virological response at week 24. Preliminary phenotypic clinical cut-offs of 10 and 40 were established. Virological response to darunavir/r was maintained in the presence at baseline of a high number of IAS-USA PI resistance-associated mutations (IAS-USA PI RAMS); a diminished response occurred with >or=14. Eleven protease mutations associated with diminished darunavir/r virological response were identified (V11I, V32I, L33F, I47V, I50V, I54L/M, G73S, L76V, I84V, and L89V). These darunavir resistance-associated mutations (DRV RAMS) occurred in the presence of a high number of IAS-USA PI RAMS. Virological response was diminished with three or more DRV RAMS in the background of a high number of IAS-USA PI RAMS. Incremental numbers of DRV RAMS were more predictive of outcome than were IAS-USA PI RAMS. Mutations developing during darunavir/r virological failure (V32I, L33F, I47V, I54L, and L89V) were also featured in the DRV RAMS list. Site-directed mutants carrying these five mutations, or any one of these mutations either alone or together with one or two IAS-USA PI RAMS, showed no reduced darunavir susceptibility, suggesting that a high number of additional background mutations is required for darunavir resistance. In this population of treatment-experienced patients, darunavir/r demonstrated significantly greater efficacy than investigator-selected control PIs of trials POWER 1 and 2, regardless of baseline viral genotype or phenotype, while exhibiting a high genetic barrier to the development of resistance.

Rare emergence of drug resistance in HIV-1 treatment-naïve patients after 48 weeks of treatment with elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide.

PubMed

Margot, Nicolas A; Kitrinos, Kathryn M; Fordyce, Marshall; McCallister, Scott; Miller, Michael D; Callebaut, Christian

2016-03-01

Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), a novel prodrug of the NtRTI tenofovir (TFV), delivers TFV-diphosphate (TFV-DP) to target cells more efficiently than the current prodrug, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), with a 90% reduction in TFV plasma exposure. TAF, within the fixed dose combination of elvitegravir /cobicistat / emtricitabine (FTC)/TAF (E/C/F/TAF), has been evaluated in one Phase 2 and two Phase 3 randomized, double-blinded studies in HIV-infected treatment-naive patients, comparing E/C/F/TAF to E/C/F/TDF. In these studies, the TAF-containing group demonstrated non-inferior efficacy to the TDF-containing comparator group with 91.9% of E/C/F/TAF patients having <50 copies/mL of HIV-1 RNA at week 48. An integrated resistance analysis across these three studies was conducted, including HIV-1 genotypic analysis at screening, and genotypic/phenotypic analysis for patients with HIV-1 RNA>400 copies/mL at virologic failure. Pre-existing primary resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) were observed at screening among the 1903 randomized and treated patients: 7.5% had NRTI-RAMs, 18.2% had NNRTI-RAMs, and 3.4% had primary PI-RAMs. Pre-treatment RAMs did not influence treatment response at Week 48. In the E/C/F/TAF group, resistance development was rare; seven patients (0.7%, 7/978) developed NRTI-RAMs, five of whom (0.5%, 5/978) also developed primary INSTI-RAMs. In the E/C/F/TDF group, resistance development was also rare; seven patients (0.8%, 7/925) developed NRTI-RAMs, four of whom (0.4%, 4/925) also developed primary INSTI-RAMs. An additional analysis by deep sequencing in virologic failures revealed minimal differences compared to population sequencing. Overall, resistance development was rare in E/C/F/TAF-treated patients, and the pattern of emergent mutations was similar to E/C/F/TDF.

EVALUATION OF THE REAL-TIME AIR-QUALITY MODEL USING THE RAPS (REGIONAL AIR POLLUTION STUDY) DATA BASE. VOLUME 3. PROGRAM USER'S GUIDE

EPA Science Inventory

The theory and programming of statistical tests for evaluating the Real-Time Air-Quality Model (RAM) using the Regional Air Pollution Study (RAPS) data base are fully documented in four volumes. Moreover, the tests are generally applicable to other model evaluation problems. Volu...

EVALUATION OF THE REAL-TIME AIR-QUALITY MODEL USING THE RAPS (REGIONAL AIR POLLUTION STUDY) DATA BASE. VOLUME 4. EVALUATION GUIDE

EPA Science Inventory

The theory and programming of statistical tests for evaluating the Real-Time Air-Quality Model (RAM) using the Regional Air Pollution Study (RAPS) data base are fully documented in four volumes. Moreover, the tests are generally applicable to other model evaluation problems. Volu...

A Telerobot to Extend the Skill of Microsurgeons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Das, H.; Ohm, T.; Boswell, C.; Rodriguez, G.; Steele, R.; Charles, S.

1998-01-01

The engineering details of the Robot Assisted MicroSurgery (RAMS) telerobotic system designed to assist microsurgeons improve the precision and dexterity with which they can position surgical instruments is described in this paper.

Serial-data correlator/code translator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, L. E.

1977-01-01

System, consisting of sampling flip flop, memory (either RAM or ROM), and memory buffer, correlates sampled data with predetermined acceptance code patterns, translates acceptable code patterns to nonreturn-to-zero code, and identifies data dropouts.

Preliminary survey of propulsion using chemical energy stored in the upper atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baldwin, Lionel V; Blackshear, Perry L

1958-01-01

Ram-jet cycles that use the chemical energy of dissociated oxygen for propulsion in the ionosphere are presented. After a review of the properties and compositions of the upper atmosphere, the external drag, recombination kinetics, and aerodynamic-heating problems of an orbiting ram jet are analyzed. The study indicates that the recombination ram jet might be useful for sustaining a satellite at an altitude of about 60 miles. Atmospheric composition and recombination-rate coefficients were too uncertain for more definite conclusions. The ram jet is a marginal device even in the optimistic view.

A self-testing dynamic RAM chip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Y.; Hayes, J. P.

1985-02-01

A novel approach to making very large dynamic RAM chips self-testing is presented. It is based on two main concepts: on-chip generation of regular test sequences with very high fault coverage, and concurrent testing of storage-cell arrays to reduce overall testing time. The failure modes of a typical 64 K RAM employing one-transistor cells are analyzed to identify their test requirements. A comprehensive test generation algorithm that can be implemented with minimal modification to a standard cell layout is derived. The self-checking peripheral circuits necessary to implement this testing algorithm are described, and the self-testing RAM is briefly evaluated.

Overview of the response of anoestrous ewes to the ram effect.

PubMed

Ungerfeld, R; Forsberg, M; Rubianes, E

2004-01-01

The present review summarises knowledge of the reproductive response of anoestrous ewes to the introduction of rams - in other words, the ram effect. The ovarian and endocrine response, the factors that determine whether ewes will respond or not (associated with both the stimulus and the receptivity of the ewes) and some aspects of practical management are discussed. Information on the use of the ram effect to stimulate post-partum, prepubertal and cyclic ewes is also given. New insights are provided on ovarian response patterns, including recently collected information on luteal responses. The existence of delayed ovulation (5-7 days after the introduction of the rams) followed by luteal phases of normal or short length, luteal cysts and luteinised follicles is reported after scanning the ovaries with ultrasound. Endocrine parameters for depth of anoestrus, such as LH pulsatility and FSH concentrations, and how the concentrations of these hormones should be considered are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the observation of spontaneous, higher LH pulsatility and higher FSH concentrations in anoestrous ewes that respond to rams with luteal phases than in those that fail to respond. The use of progestogen priming and single progestogen administration and the possible advantages for synchronisation of oestrus are also discussed. Other factors that should be considered before the ram effect is applied, such as the strength of the stimulus and some practical considerations, are also included.

Binder of Sperm Proteins 1 and 5 have contrasting effects on the capacitation of ram spermatozoa.

PubMed

Pini, Taylor; de Graaf, Simon P; Druart, Xavier; Tsikis, Guillaume; Labas, Valerie; Teixeira-Gomes, Ana Paula; Gadella, Barend M; Leahy, Tamara

2018-06-01

Binder of Sperm Proteins (BSPs) are the most abundant seminal plasma protein family in the ram and bull. They have been extensively studied in the bull but less is known about their function in ovine seminal plasma and current knowledge suggests that BSPs may have different effects in these two species. In the bull, they facilitate capacitation and destabilize the sperm membrane during in vitro handling, whereas in the ram, they appear to stabilize the sperm membrane and prevent cryopreservation-induced capacitation-like changes. Further investigation into the effects of BSPs on ram spermatozoa under capacitating conditions is required to further clarify their physiological roles in the ram. We investigated the effects of Binder of Sperm Proteins 1 and 5 on epididymal ram spermatozoa in conditions of low, moderate, and high cAMP. BSPs had minimal effects on sperm function in low-cAMP conditions, but caused significant changes under cAMP upregulation. BSP1 stabilized the membrane and qualitatively reduced protein tyrosine phosphorylation, but significantly increased cholesterol efflux and induced spontaneous acrosome reactions. BSP5 slightly increased spontaneous acrosome reactions and caused sperm necrosis. However, BSP5 had minimal effects on membrane lipid order and cholesterol efflux and did not inhibit protein tyrosine phosphorylation. These findings demonstrate that under maximal cAMP upregulation, BSP1 affected ram spermatozoa in a manner comparable to bull spermatozoa, while BSP5 did not.

A Hardware Platform for Characterizing and Validating 1-Dimensional Optical Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

principle laboratory experiments, a bread -board sensor and data collection system was created to gather fuze data to postprocess after the event...merely differentiates this bistable memory category from dynamic random access memory [RAM], which must be periodically refreshed to retain data.) A

Citizen Science Air Monitor (CSAM) Operating Procedures

EPA Science Inventory

The Citizen Science Air Monitor (CSAM) is an air monitoring system designed for measuring nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM) pollutants simultaneously. This self-contained system consists of a CairPol CairClip NO2 sensor, a Thermo Scientific personal DataRAM PM2.5...

Extrapolation of scattering data to the negative-energy region. II. Applicability of effective range functions within an exactly solvable model

DOE PAGES

Blokhintsev, L. D.; Kadyrov, A. S.; Mukhamedzhanov, A. M.; ...

2018-02-05

A problem of analytical continuation of scattering data to the negative-energy region to obtain information about bound states is discussed within an exactly solvable potential model. This work is continuation of the previous one by the same authors [L. D. Blokhintsev et al., Phys. Rev. C 95, 044618 (2017)]. The goal of this paper is to determine the most effective way of analytic continuation for different systems. The d + α and α + 12C systems are considered and, for comparison, an effective-range function approach and a recently suggested Δ method [O. L. Ramírez Suárez and J.-M. Sparenberg, Phys. Rev.more » C 96, 034601 (2017).] are applied. We conclude that the method is more effective for heavier systems with large values of the Coulomb parameter, whereas for light systems with small values of the Coulomb parameter the effective-range function method might be preferable.« less

Extrapolation of scattering data to the negative-energy region. II. Applicability of effective range functions within an exactly solvable model

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

Blokhintsev, L. D.; Kadyrov, A. S.; Mukhamedzhanov, A. M.

A problem of analytical continuation of scattering data to the negative-energy region to obtain information about bound states is discussed within an exactly solvable potential model. This work is continuation of the previous one by the same authors [L. D. Blokhintsev et al., Phys. Rev. C 95, 044618 (2017)]. The goal of this paper is to determine the most effective way of analytic continuation for different systems. The d + α and α + 12C systems are considered and, for comparison, an effective-range function approach and a recently suggested Δ method [O. L. Ramírez Suárez and J.-M. Sparenberg, Phys. Rev.more » C 96, 034601 (2017).] are applied. We conclude that the method is more effective for heavier systems with large values of the Coulomb parameter, whereas for light systems with small values of the Coulomb parameter the effective-range function method might be preferable.« less

Timber RAM. . .a long-range planning method for commercial timber lands under multiple-use management

Treesearch

Daniel I. Navon

1971-01-01

Timber RAM (Resource Allocation Method) is a long-range planning method for commercial timber lands under multiple-use management. Timber RAM can produce cutting and reforestation schedules and related harvest and economic reports. Each schedule optimizes an index of performance, subject to periodic constraints on revenues, costs, and, harvest levels. Periodic...

RANGE RAM: a long-term planning method for managing grazing lands

Treesearch

Henricus C. Jansen

1976-01-01

Range RAM (Resource Allocation Method) is a computerized planning method designed to assist range managers in developing and selecting alternatives in spatial and temporal allocation of resources. The technique is applicable at the frest or district management levels, or their equivalents. Range RAM can help formulate plans that maximize the production of range outputs...

A Study of the Role of Clouds in the Relationship Between Land Use/Land Cover and the Climate and Air Quality of the Atlanta Area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kidder, Stanley Q.; Hafner, Jan

1997-01-01

The goal of Project ATLANTA is to derive a better scientific understanding of how land cover changes associated with urbanization affect local and regional climate and air quality. Clouds play a significant role in this relationship. Using GOES images, we found that in a 63-day period (5 July-5 September 1996) there were zero days which were clear for the entire daylight period. Days which are cloud-free in the morning become partly cloudy with small cumulus clouds in the afternoon in response to solar heating. This result casts doubt on the applicability of California-style air quality models which run in perpetual clear skies. Days which are clear in the morning have higher ozone than those which are cloudy in the morning. Using the RAMS model, we found that urbanization increases the skin surface temperature by about 1.0-1.5 C on average under cloudy conditions, with an extreme of +3.5 C. Clouds cool the surface due to their shading effect by 1.5-2.0 C on average, with an extreme of 5.0 C. RAMS simulates well the building stage of the cumulus cloud field, but does poorly in the decaying phase. Next year's work: doing a detailed cloud climatology and developing improved RAMS cloud simulations.

Production of a recombinant phospholipase A2 in Escherichia coli using resonant acoustic mixing that improves oxygen transfer in shake flasks.

PubMed

Valdez-Cruz, Norma A; Reynoso-Cereceda, Greta I; Pérez-Rodriguez, Saumel; Restrepo-Pineda, Sara; González-Santana, Jesus; Olvera, Alejandro; Zavala, Guadalupe; Alagón, Alejandro; Trujillo-Roldán, Mauricio A

2017-07-25

Shake flasks are widely used during the development of bioprocesses for recombinant proteins. Cultures of recombinant Escherichia coli with orbital mixing (OM) have an oxygen limitation negatively affecting biomass growth and recombinant-protein production. With the aim to improve mixing and aeration in shake flask cultures, we analyzed cultures subjected to OM and the novel resonant acoustic mixing (RAM) by applying acoustic energy to E. coli BL21-Gold (DE3): a producer of recombinant phospholipase A2 (rPLA2) from Micrurus laticollaris snake venom. Comparing OM with RAM (200 rpm vs. 7.5g) at the same initial volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (k L a ≈ 80 h -1 ) ~69% less biomass was obtained with OM compared with RAM. We analyzed two more conditions increasing agitation until maximal speed (12.5 and 20g), and ~1.6- and ~1.4-fold greater biomass was obtained as compared with cultures at 7.5g. Moreover, the specific growth rate was statistically similar in all cultures carried out in RAM, but ~1.5-fold higher than that in cultures carried out under OM. Almost half of the glucose was consumed in OM, whereas between 80 and 100% of the glucose was consumed in RAM cultures, doubling biomass per glucose yields. Differential organic acid production was observed, but acetate production was prevented at the maximal RAM (20g). The amount of rPLA2 in both, OM and RAM cultures, represented 38 ± 5% of the insoluble protein. A smaller proportion of α-helices and β-sheet of purified inclusion bodies (IBs) were appreciated by ATR-FTIR from cultures carried out under OM, than those from RAM. At maximal agitation by RAM, internal E. coli localization patterns of protein aggregation changed, as well as, IBs proteolytic degradation, in conjunction with the formation of small external vesicles, although these changes did not significantly affect the cell survival response. In moderate-cell-density recombinant E. coli BL21-Gold (DE3) cultures, the agitation increases in RAM (up to the maximum) was not enough to avoid the classical oxygen limitation that happens in OM shake flasks. However, RAM presents a decrease of oxygen limitation, resulting in a favorable effect on biomass growth and volumetric rPLA2 production. While under OM a higher recombinant protein yield was obtained.

Kinematics of ram filter feeding and beat-glide swimming in the northern anchovy Engraulis mordax.

PubMed

Carey, Nicholas; Goldbogen, Jeremy A

2017-08-01

In the dense aquatic environment, the most adept swimmers are streamlined to reduce drag and increase the efficiency of locomotion. However, because they open their mouth to wide gape angles to deploy their filtering apparatus, ram filter feeders apparently switch between diametrically opposite swimming modes: highly efficient, streamlined 'beat-glide' swimming, and ram filter feeding, which has been hypothesized to be a high-cost feeding mode because of presumed increased drag. Ram filter-feeding forage fish are thought to play an important role in the flux of nutrients and energy in upwelling ecosystems; however, the biomechanics and energetics of this feeding mechanism remain poorly understood. We quantified the kinematics of an iconic forage fish, the northern anchovy, Engraulis mordax , during ram filter feeding and non-feeding, mouth-closed beat-glide swimming. Although many kinematic parameters between the two swimming modes were similar, we found that swimming speeds and tailbeat frequencies were significantly lower during ram feeding. Rather than maintain speed with the school, a speed which closely matches theoretical optimum filter-feeding speeds was consistently observed. Beat-glide swimming was characterized by high variability in all kinematic parameters, but variance in kinematic parameters was much lower during ram filter feeding. Under this mode, body kinematics are substantially modified, and E. mordax swims more slowly and with decreased lateral movement along the entire body, but most noticeably in the anterior. Our results suggest that hydrodynamic effects that come with deployment of the filtering anatomy may limit behavioral options during foraging and result in slower swimming speeds during ram filtration. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

RamA, a Protein Required for Reductive Activation of Corrinoid-dependent Methylamine Methyltransferase Reactions in Methanogenic Archaea*S⃞

PubMed Central

Ferguson, Tsuneo; Soares, Jitesh A.; Lienard, Tanja; Gottschalk, Gerhard; Krzycki, Joseph A.

2009-01-01

Archaeal methane formation from methylamines is initiated by distinct methyltransferases with specificity for monomethylamine, dimethylamine, or trimethylamine. Each methylamine methyltransferase methylates a cognate corrinoid protein, which is subsequently demethylated by a second methyltransferase to form methyl-coenzyme M, the direct methane precursor. Methylation of the corrinoid protein requires reduction of the central cobalt to the highly reducing and nucleophilic Co(I) state. RamA, a 60-kDa monomeric iron-sulfur protein, was isolated from Methanosarcina barkeri and is required for in vitro ATP-dependent reductive activation of methylamine:CoM methyl transfer from all three methylamines. In the absence of the methyltransferases, highly purified RamA was shown to mediate the ATP-dependent reductive activation of Co(II) corrinoid to the Co(I) state for the monomethylamine corrinoid protein, MtmC. The ramA gene is located near a cluster of genes required for monomethylamine methyltransferase activity, including MtbA, the methylamine-specific CoM methylase and the pyl operon required for co-translational insertion of pyrrolysine into the active site of methylamine methyltransferases. RamA possesses a C-terminal ferredoxin-like domain capable of binding two tetranuclear iron-sulfur proteins. Mutliple ramA homologs were identified in genomes of methanogenic Archaea, often encoded near methyltrophic methyltransferase genes. RamA homologs are also encoded in a diverse selection of bacterial genomes, often located near genes for corrinoid-dependent methyltransferases. These results suggest that RamA mediates reductive activation of corrinoid proteins and that it is the first functional archetype of COG3894, a family of redox proteins of unknown function. PMID:19043046

Recognition of a heritage in danger: rammed-earth architecture in Lyon city, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alex, Dorothée

2018-04-01

Historically, man has built with what he had underfoot: if the earthen construction is a tradition of 11 000 years old, the technique of the rammed earth (earth rammed in a formwork) is relatively new since it appeared for the first time in Tunisia in 814 BC. Exported in France, rammed earth is established mainly in Rhône-Alpes Region which has an ideal soil, rich in gravel, sand, silt and clay. Traditionally associated with the rural world, rammed earth heritage is also present in urban centers. The city of Lyon is one of the rare European cities to concentrate a large proportion of rammed earth buildings: the inventories made show that they are present in almost all the districts as well as in the suburban areas. This high density could be explained by the phenomenon of rural exodus experienced by Lyon during the nineteenth century. The agricultural populations, attracted by the prosperity of the city, then settled at the doors of this city, bringing their know-how by building with the cheaper and easier material available: earth. Rammed earth buildings are therefore located on bounder areas between the countryside and the city. They are thus found on lands that were once outside the city walls. With the advent of the industrial era at the end of the 19th century and the appearance of concrete, rammed earth constructions gradually disappeared. The constructions that we see today are therefore prior to 1900. Varied, ranging from detached houses to the 6-storey buildings, they stand as a testimony to a know-how that finds a particular resonance today, while the environmental and economic concerns are at the forefront. Little known, they constitute a heritage in danger that should be rediscovered.

FDDI network test adaptor error injection circuit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckenrode, Thomas (Inventor); Stauffer, David R. (Inventor); Stempski, Rebecca (Inventor)

1994-01-01

An apparatus for injecting errors into a FDDI token ring network is disclosed. The error injection scheme operates by fooling a FORMAC into thinking it sent a real frame of data. This is done by using two RAM buffers. The RAM buffer normally accessed by the RBC/DPC becomes a SHADOW RAM during error injection operation. A dummy frame is loaded into the shadow RAM in order to fool the FORMAC. This data is just like the data that would be used if sending a normal frame, with the restriction that it must be shorter than the error injection data. The other buffer, the error injection RAM, contains the error injection frame. The error injection data is sent out to the media by switching a multiplexor. When the FORMAC is done transmitting the data, the multiplexor is switched back to the normal mode. Thus, the FORMAC is unaware of what happened and the token ring remains operational.

Basic and applied studies of the ram accelerator as a hypervelocity projectile launcher

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruckner, Adam P.; Knowlen, Carl

1993-12-01

The potential of using ram accelerator technology for an impulsive launcher of autonomously guided interceptors, such as the LEAP, has been studied during this contract period. In addition, fundamental investigations on some of the engineering issues which must be addressed for enabling ram accelerator propulsive modes to operate at 4 km/sec have been undertaken. An experimental investigation of the gas dynamic limits of ram accelerator operation has demonstrated the existence of two distinct limiting mechanisms that must be accounted for when designing projectiles for these launchers. Other experiments were conducted to make detailed pressure measurements of the flow fields at the tube walls to study the effects of projectile canting. Results from this LEAP launcher study and the experimental investigations indicate that the ram accelerator technology is well suited for applications as a transportable launcher capable of meeting the needs of theater ballistic missile defense missions.

Memory Forensics: Review of Acquisition and Analysis Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

Management Overview Processes running on modern multitasking operating systems operate on an abstraction of RAM, called virtual memory [7]. In these systems...information such as user names, email addresses and passwords [7]. Analysts also use tools such as WinHex to identify headers or other suspicious data within

30 CFR 250.1625 - Blowout preventer system testing, records, and drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... drills. 250.1625 Section 250.1625 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT... Operations § 250.1625 Blowout preventer system testing, records, and drills. (a) Prior to conducting high..., upper and lower kelly cocks, and drill-string safety valves shall be pressure tested to pipe-ram test...

30 CFR 250.1625 - Blowout preventer system testing, records, and drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... drills. 250.1625 Section 250.1625 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT... Operations § 250.1625 Blowout preventer system testing, records, and drills. (a) Prior to conducting high..., upper and lower kelly cocks, and drill-string safety valves shall be pressure tested to pipe-ram test...

30 CFR 250.1625 - Blowout preventer system testing, records, and drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... drills. 250.1625 Section 250.1625 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT... Operations § 250.1625 Blowout preventer system testing, records, and drills. (a) Prior to conducting high..., upper and lower kelly cocks, and drill-string safety valves shall be pressure tested to pipe-ram test...

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

Frederick, P.R.

The purpose of this research was to provide a handbook on Project PETROL RAM and its ideas for enhancing the base-level fuels operations. This handbook is to serve as an introduction and reference guide to the components, characteristics, and capabilities of the proposed initiative. In preparing this handbook, available information on the structure, operations, and procedures of a typical base Fuels Management Branch was gathered, then condensed and simplified. For added depth and understanding, personal interviews with personnel involved in the design and development of this project were conducted. The research resulted in a handbook that describes, in simplified terminology,more » the different systems which are being developed under the Project PETROL RAM initiative.« less

Inspection of Stryker Engines Evaluated Using SCPL in a 20K Mile RAM-D Test

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-01

Availability, Maintainability, and Durability (RAM-D) test. The Caterpillar 3126 engine as tested was removed from the IAV Stryker, an 18 ton 8-wheeled...The objective of this work was to complete a tear down and inspection of two CAT 3126 engines as used in the IAV Stryker. A 20k mile RAM-D test was

Simulations of Tornadoes, Tropical Cyclones, MJOs, and QBOs, using GFDL's multi-scale global climate modeling system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Shian-Jiann; Harris, Lucas; Chen, Jan-Huey; Zhao, Ming

2014-05-01

A multi-scale High-Resolution Atmosphere Model (HiRAM) is being developed at NOAA/Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. The model's dynamical framework is the non-hydrostatic extension of the vertically Lagrangian finite-volume dynamical core (Lin 2004, Monthly Wea. Rev.) constructed on a stretchable (via Schmidt transformation) cubed-sphere grid. Physical parametrizations originally designed for IPCC-type climate predictions are in the process of being modified and made more "scale-aware", in an effort to make the model suitable for multi-scale weather-climate applications, with horizontal resolution ranging from 1 km (near the target high-resolution region) to as low as 400 km (near the antipodal point). One of the main goals of this development is to enable simulation of high impact weather phenomena (such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, category-5 hurricanes) within an IPCC-class climate modeling system previously thought impossible. We will present preliminary results, covering a very wide spectrum of temporal-spatial scales, ranging from simulation of tornado genesis (hours), Madden-Julian Oscillations (intra-seasonal), topical cyclones (seasonal), to Quasi Biennial Oscillations (intra-decadal), using the same global multi-scale modeling system.

Impact of a highly detailed emission inventory on modeling accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taghavi, M.; Cautenet, S.; Arteta, J.

2005-03-01

During Expérience sur Site pour COntraindre les Modèles de Pollution atmosphérique et de Transport d'Emissions (ESCOMPTE) campaign (June 10 to July 14, 2001), two pollution events observed during an intensive measurement period (IOP2a and IOP2b) have been simulated. The comprehensive Regional Atmospheric Modeling Systems (RAMS) model, version 4.3, coupled online with a chemical module including 29 species is used to follow the chemistry of a polluted zone over Southern France. This online method takes advantage of a parallel code and use of the powerful computer SGI 3800. Runs are performed with two emission inventories: the Emission Pre Inventory (EPI) and the Main Emission Inventory (MEI). The latter is more recent and has a high resolution. The redistribution of simulated chemical species (ozone and nitrogen oxides) is compared with aircraft and surface station measurements for both runs at regional scale. We show that the MEI inventory is more efficient than the EPI in retrieving the redistribution of chemical species in space (three-dimensional) and time. In surface stations, MEI is superior especially for primary species, like nitrogen oxides. The ozone pollution peaks obtained from an inventory, such as EPI, have a large uncertainty. To understand the realistic geographical distribution of pollutants and to obtain a good order of magnitude in ozone concentration (in space and time), a high-resolution inventory like MEI is necessary. Coupling RAMS-Chemistry with MEI provides a very efficient tool able to simulate pollution plumes even in a region with complex circulations, such as the ESCOMPTE zone.

30 CFR 250.1625 - Blowout preventer system testing, records, and drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... § 250.1625 Blowout preventer system testing, records, and drills. (a) Prior to conducting high-pressure tests, all BOP systems shall be tested to a pressure of 200 to 300 psi. (b) Ram-type BOP's and the choke manifold shall be pressure tested with water to a rated working pressure or as otherwise approved by the...

The ram accelerator - A chemically driven mass launcher

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaloupis, P.; Bruckner, A. P.

1988-01-01

The ram accelerator, a chemically propelled mass driver, is presented as a viable new approach for directly launching acceleration-insensitive payloads into low earth orbit. The propulsion principle is similar to that of a conventional air-breathing ramjet. The cargo vehicle resembles the center-body of a ramjet and travels through a tube filled with a pre-mixed fuel and oxidizer mixture. The launch tube acts as the outer cowling of the ramjet and the combustion process travels with the vehicle. Two drive modes of the ram accelerator propulsion system are described, which when used in sequence are capable of accelerating the vehicle to as high as 10 km/sec. The requirements are examined for placing a 2000 kg vehicle into a 500 km orbit with a minimum of on-board rocket propellant for circularization maneuvers. It is shown that aerodynamic heating during atmospheric transit results in very little ablation of the nose. An indirect orbital insertion scenario is selected, utilizing a three step maneuver consisting of two burns and aerobraking. An on-board propulsion system using storable liquid propellants is chosen in order to minimize propellant mass requirements, and the use of a parking orbit below the desired final orbit is suggested as a means to increase the flexibility of the mass launch concept. A vehicle design using composite materials is proposed that will best meet the structural requirements, and a preliminary launch tube design is presented.

Space-based solar power conversion and delivery systems study. Volume 3: Economic analysis of space-based solar power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hazelrigg, G. A., Jr.

1976-01-01

A variety of economic and programmatic issues are discussed concerning the development and deployment of a fleet of space-based solar power satellites (SSPS). The costs, uncertainties and risks associated with the current photovoltaic SSPS configuration, and with issues affecting the development of an economically viable SSPS development program are analyzed. The desirability of a low earth orbit (LEO) demonstration satellite and a geosynchronous (GEO) pilot satellite is examined and critical technology areas are identified. In addition, a preliminary examination of utility interface issues is reported. The main focus of the effort reported is the development of SSPS unit production, and operation and maintenance cost models suitable for incorporation into a risk assessment (Monte Carlo) model (RAM). It is shown that the key technology area deals with the productivity of man in space, not, as might be expected, with some hardware component technology.

Assessing sea wave and spray effects on Marine Boundary Layer structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stathopoulos, Christos; Galanis, George; Patlakas, Platon; Kallos, George

2017-04-01

Air sea interface is characterized by several mechanical and thermodynamical processes. Heat, moisture and momentum exchanges increase the complexity in modeling the atmospheric-ocean system. Near surface atmospheric levels are subject to sea surface roughness and sea spray. Sea spray fluxes can affect atmospheric stability and induce microphysical processes such as sea salt particle formation and condensation/evaporation of water in the boundary layer. Moreover, presence of sea spray can alter stratification over the ocean surface with further insertion of water vapor. This can lead to modified stability conditions and to wind profiles that deviate significantly from the logarithmic approximation. To model these effects, we introduce a fully coupled system consisting of the mesoscale atmospheric model RAMS/ICLAMS and the wave model WAM. The system encompasses schemes for ocean surface roughness, sea salt aerosols and droplet thermodynamic processes and handles sea salt as predictive quantity. Numerical experiments using the developed atmospheric-ocean system are performed over the Atlantic and Mediterranean shoreline. Emphasis is given to the quantification of the improvement obtained in the description of the marine boundary layer, particularly in its lower part as well as in wave characteristics.

Detection of stably bright squeezed light with the quantum noise reduction of 12.6  dB by mutually compensating the phase fluctuations.

PubMed

Yang, Wenhai; Shi, Shaoping; Wang, Yajun; Ma, Weiguang; Zheng, Yaohui; Peng, Kunchi

2017-11-01

We present a mutual compensation scheme of three phase fluctuations, originating from the residual amplitude modulation (RAM) in the phase modulation process, in the bright squeezed light generation system. The influence of the RAM on each locking loop is harmonized by using one electro-optic modulator (EOM), and the direction of the phase fluctuation is manipulated by positioning the photodetector (PD) that extracts the error signal before or after the optical parametric amplifier (OPA). Therefore a bright squeezed light with non-classical noise reduction of π is obtained. By fitting the squeezing and antisqueezing measurement results, we confirm that the total phase fluctuation of the system is around 3.1 mrad. The fluctuation of the noise suppression is 0.2 dB for 3 h.

PET Imaging of VEGFR-2 Expression in Lung Cancer with 64Cu-Labeled Ramucirumab.

PubMed

Luo, Haiming; England, Christopher G; Graves, Stephen A; Sun, Haiyan; Liu, Glenn; Nickles, Robert J; Cai, Weibo

2016-02-01

Lung cancer accounts for 17% of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and most patients present with locally advanced or metastatic disease. Novel PET imaging agents for assessing vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) expression can be used for detecting VEGFR-2-positive malignancies and subsequent monitoring of therapeutic response to VEGFR-2-targeted therapies. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of an antibody-based imaging agent for PET imaging of VEGFR-2 expression in vivo. Ramucirumab (named RamAb), a fully humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody, was conjugated to 2-S-(4-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (p-SCN-Bn-NOTA) and labeled with (64)Cu. Flow cytometry analysis and microscopy studies were performed to compare the VEGFR-2 binding affinity of RamAb and NOTA-RamAb. PET imaging and biodistribution studies were performed in nude mice bearing HCC4006 and A549 xenograft tumors. Ex vivo histopathology was performed to elucidate the expression patterns of VEGFR-2 in different tissues and organs to validate in vivo results. Flow cytometry examination revealed the specific binding capacity of fluorescein isothiocyanate-RamAb to VEGFR-2, and no difference in VEGFR-2 binding affinity was seen between RamAb and NOTA-RamAb. After being labeled with (64)Cu, PET imaging revealed specific and prominent uptake of (64)Cu-NOTA-RamAb in VEGFR-2-positive HCC4006 tumors (9.4 ± 0.5 percentage injected dose per gram at 48 h after injection; n = 4) and significantly lower uptake in VEGFR-2-negative A549 tumors (4.3 ± 0.2 percentage injected dose per gram at 48 h after injection; n = 3). Blocking experiments revealed significantly lower uptake in HCC4006 tumors, along with histology analysis, further confirming the VEGFR-2 specificity of (64)Cu-NOTA-RamAb. This study provides initial evidence that (64)Cu-NOTA-RamAb can function as a PET imaging agent for visualizing VEGFR-2 expression in vivo, which may also find potential applications in monitoring the treatment response of VEGFR-2-targeted cancer therapy. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

THE COSMIC-RAY INTENSITY NEAR THE ARCHEAN EARTH

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

Cohen, O.; Drake, J. J.; Kota, J.

2012-11-20

We employ three-dimensional state-of-the-art magnetohydrodynamic models of the early solar wind and heliosphere and a two-dimensional model for cosmic-ray transport to investigate the cosmic-ray spectrum and flux near the Archean Earth. We assess how sensitive the cosmic-ray spectrum is to changes in the sunspot placement and magnetic field strength, the large-scale dipole magnetic field strength, the wind ram pressure, and the Sun's rotation period. Overall, our results confirm earlier work that suggested the Archean Earth would have experienced a greatly reduced cosmic-ray flux than is the case today. The cosmic-ray reduction for the early Sun is mainly due to themore » shorter solar rotation period and tighter winding of the Parker spiral, and to the different surface distribution of the more active solar magnetic field. These effects lead to a global reduction of the cosmic-ray flux at 1 AU by up to two orders of magnitude or more. Variations in the sunspot magnetic field have more effect on the flux than variations in the dipole field component. The wind ram pressure affects the cosmic-ray flux through its influence on the size of the heliosphere via the pressure balance with the ambient interstellar medium. Variations in the interstellar medium pressure experienced by the solar system in orbit through the Galaxy could lead to order of magnitude changes in the cosmic-ray flux at Earth on timescales of a few million years.« less

The Evaporation and Survival of Cluster Galaxy Coronae. I. The Effectiveness of Isotropic Thermal Conduction Including Saturation

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

Vijayaraghavan, Rukmani; Sarazin, Craig, E-mail: rukmani@virginia.edu

We simulate the evolution of cluster galaxy hot interstellar medium (ISM) gas that is a result of the effects of ram pressure and thermal conduction in the intracluster medium (ICM). At the density and temperature of the ICM, the mean free paths of ICM electrons are comparable to the sizes of galaxies, therefore electrons can efficiently transport heat that is due to thermal conduction from the hot ICM to the cooler ISM. Galaxies consisting of dark matter halos and hot gas coronae are embedded in an ICM-like “wind tunnel” in our simulations. In this paper, we assume that thermal conductionmore » is isotropic and include the effects of saturation. We find that as heat is transferred from the ICM to the ISM, the cooler denser ISM expands and evaporates. This process is significantly faster than gas loss due to ram pressure stripping; for our standard model galaxy, the evaporation time is 160 Myr, while the ram pressure stripping timescale is 2.5 Gyr. Thermal conduction also suppresses the formation of shear instabilities, and there are no stripped ISM tails since the ISM evaporates before tails can form. Observations of long-lived X-ray emitting coronae and ram pressure stripped X-ray tails in galaxies in group and cluster environments therefore require that thermal conduction is suppressed or offset by some additional physical process. The most likely process is anisotropic thermal conduction that is due to magnetic fields in the ISM and ICM, which we simulate and study in the next paper in this series.« less

The Evaporation and Survival of Cluster Galaxy Coronae. I. The Effectiveness of Isotropic Thermal Conduction Including Saturation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijayaraghavan, Rukmani; Sarazin, Craig

2017-05-01

We simulate the evolution of cluster galaxy hot interstellar medium (ISM) gas that is a result of the effects of ram pressure and thermal conduction in the intracluster medium (ICM). At the density and temperature of the ICM, the mean free paths of ICM electrons are comparable to the sizes of galaxies, therefore electrons can efficiently transport heat that is due to thermal conduction from the hot ICM to the cooler ISM. Galaxies consisting of dark matter halos and hot gas coronae are embedded in an ICM-like “wind tunnel” in our simulations. In this paper, we assume that thermal conduction is isotropic and include the effects of saturation. We find that as heat is transferred from the ICM to the ISM, the cooler denser ISM expands and evaporates. This process is significantly faster than gas loss due to ram pressure stripping; for our standard model galaxy, the evaporation time is 160 Myr, while the ram pressure stripping timescale is 2.5 Gyr. Thermal conduction also suppresses the formation of shear instabilities, and there are no stripped ISM tails since the ISM evaporates before tails can form. Observations of long-lived X-ray emitting coronae and ram pressure stripped X-ray tails in galaxies in group and cluster environments therefore require that thermal conduction is suppressed or offset by some additional physical process. The most likely process is anisotropic thermal conduction that is due to magnetic fields in the ISM and ICM, which we simulate and study in the next paper in this series.

Design of a ram accelerator mass launch system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aarnio, Michael; Armerding, Calvin; Berschauer, Andrew; Christofferson, Erik; Clement, Paul; Gohd, Robin; Neely, Bret; Reed, David; Rodriguez, Carlos; Swanstrom, Fredrick

1988-01-01

The ram accelerator mass launch system has been proposed to greatly reduce the costs of placing acceleration-insensitive payloads into low earth orbit. The ram accelerator is a chemically propelled, impulsive mass launch system capable of efficiently accelerating relatively large masses from velocities of 0.7 km/sec to 10 km/sec. The principles of propulsion are based on those of a conventional supersonic air-breathing ramjet; however the device operates in a somewhat different manner. The payload carrying vehicle resembles the center-body of the ramjet and accelerates through a stationary tube which acts as the outer cowling. The tube is filled with premixed gaseous fuel and oxidizer mixtures that burn in the vicinity of the vehicle's base, producing a thrust which accelerates the vehicle through the tube. This study examines the requirement for placing a 2000 kg vehicle into a 500 km circular orbit with a minimum amount of on-board rocket propellant for orbital maneuvers. The goal is to achieve a 50 pct payload mass fraction. The proposed design requirements have several self-imposed constraints that define the vehicle and tube configurations. Structural considerations on the vehicle and tube wall dictate an upper acceleration limit of 1000 g's and a tube inside diameter of 1.0 m. In-tube propulsive requirements and vehicle structural constraints result in a vehicle diameter of 0.76 m, a total length of 7.5 m and a nose-cone half angle of 7 degrees. An ablating nose-cone constructed from carbon-carbon composite serves as the thermal protection mechanism for atmospheric transit.

Assessment of the impacts of aromatic VOC emissions and yields of SOA on SOA concentrations with the air quality model RAMS-CMAQ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jialin; Zhang, Meigen; Wu, Fangkun; Sun, Yele; Tang, Guiqian

2017-06-01

The secondary organic aerosol (SOA) concentration is generally underestimated by models. Recent studies suggest that the underprediction is related to underestimations of aromatic volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and SOA yields in current models. Here, the impacts of these two factors in China were investigated with the regional air quality modeling system RAMS-CMAQ, referring to field observations during the episode from October 14 to November 14, 2014. Comparisons between the observed and modeled SOA of four sensitivity simulation cases indicated the significant impacts of the two underestimated factors on the SOA output. By considering these two aspects, the simulated mean SOA concentrations significantly increased by nearly 4 times with a good representation of the intensively temporal variations of concentrations, which were largely controlled by photochemical processes rather than meteorological conditions. The improvement in SOA compensated for the underestimations by approximately 23.5% and contributed to the mean fraction of SOA to organic aerosol (OA) by increasing the fraction from less than 7% to more than 25%, which was closer to the observed result. These results suggested a more reasonable and more realistic representation of SOA formation in the model after allowing for the two factors. Due to the better simulation of SOA, predictions of OA were correspondingly improved when the correlation coefficient increased from 0.57 to 0.73 and other bias parameters were reduced, which indicated the improved ability of our model to trace the temporal variations of OA. Based on the improved simulation throughout the episode, the mean SOA concentration was obviously higher in eastern China than in the west. The highest concentration appeared in the Sichuan Basin and Pearl River Delta (PRD) areas, with values of 6-11 μg/m3 and 8-17 μg/m3, respectively. Over the wide regions of central and eastern China, the dominant component in SOA was formed from anthropogenic sources (ASOA), generally accounting for more than 60%.

Nanocrystal powered nanomotor

DOEpatents

Regan, Brian C [Los Angeles, CA; Zettl, Alexander K [Kensington, CA; Aloni, Shaul [Albany, CA

2011-01-04

A nanoscale nanocrystal which may be used as a reciprocating motor is provided, comprising a substrate having an energy differential across it, e.g. an electrical connection to a voltage source at a proximal end; an atom reservoir on the substrate distal to the electrical connection; a nanoparticle ram on the substrate distal to the atom reservoir; a nanolever contacting the nanoparticle ram and having an electrical connection to a voltage source, whereby a voltage applied between the electrical connections on the substrate and the nanolever causes movement of atoms between the reservoir and the ram. Movement of the ram causes movement of the nanolever relative to the substrate. The substrate and nanolever preferably comprise multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and the atom reservoir and nanoparticle ram are preferably metal (e.g. indium) deposited as small particles on the MWNTs. The substrate may comprise a silicon chip that has been fabricated to provide the necessary electrodes and other electromechanical structures, and further supports an atomic track, which may comprise an MWNT.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Harvey Cushing: two forefathers of neuroscience and neurosurgery.

PubMed

Zamora-Berridi, Grettel J; Pendleton, Courtney; Ruiz, Gabriel; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A; Quiñones-Hinojosa, Alfredo

2011-11-01

To summarize the extraordinary accomplishments, and the commonalities, between Santiago Ramon y Cajal and Harvey Williams Cushing. Existing literature describing the lives and achievements of Ramón y Cajal and Cushing, as well as personal communication, and the surgical records of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, from 1896 to 1912, were reviewed. Both Ramón y Cajal and Cushing were men of unusually broad interests and talents, and these shared characteristics undoubtedly influenced the career paths and scientific investigations they pursued. Although Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Harvey Williams Cushing never directly interacted, the links between them can be traced through some of their disciples, including Pío del Río Hortega, Wilder Penfield, and Percival Bailey. Ramón y Cajal and Cushing are widely considered the forefathers of neuroscience and neurosurgery, respectively, and their discoveries have made lasting impressions on both the scientific and medical communities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of environmental gas compression on the multiphase ISM and star formation . The Virgo spiral galaxies NGC 4501 and NGC 4567/68

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nehlig, F.; Vollmer, B.; Braine, J.

2016-03-01

The cluster environment can affect galaxy evolution in different ways: via ram pressure stripping or by gravitational perturbations caused by galactic encounters. Both kinds of interactions can lead to the compression of the interstellar medium (ISM) and its associated magnetic fields, causing an increase in the gas surface density and the appearance of asymmetric ridges of polarized radio continuum emission. New IRAM 30m HERA CO(2-1) data of NGC 4501, a Virgo spiral galaxy currently experiencing ram pressure stripping, and NGC 4567/68, an interacting pair of galaxies in the Virgo cluster, are presented. We find an increase in the molecular fraction where the ISM is compressed. The gas is close to self-gravitation in compressed regions. This leads to an increase in gas pressure and a decrease in the ratio between the molecular fraction and total ISM pressure. The overall Kennicutt Schmidt relation based on a pixel-by-pixel analysis at ~1.5 kpc resolution is not significantly modified by compression. However, we detected continuous regions of low molecular star formation efficiencies in the compressed parts of the galactic gas disks. The data suggest that a relation between the molecular star formation efficiency SFEH2 = SFR/M(H2) and gas self-gravitation (Rmol/Ptot and Toomre Q parameter) exists. Both systems show spatial variations in the star formation efficiency with respect to the molecular gas that can be related to environmental compression of the ISM. An analytical model was used to investigate the dependence of SFEH2 on self-gravitation. The model correctly reproduces the correlations between Rmol/Ptot, SFEH2, and Q if different global turbulent velocity dispersions are assumed for the three galaxies. We found that variations in the NH2/ICO conversion factor can mask most of the correlation between SFEH2 and the Toomre Q parameter. Dynamical simulations were used to compare the effects of ram pressure and tidal ISM compression. These models give direct access to the volume density. We conclude that a gravitationally induced ISM compression has the same consequences as ram pressure compression: (I) an increasing gas surface density; (II) an increasing molecular fraction; and (III) a decreasing Rmol/Ptot in the compressed region due to the presence of nearly self-gravitating gas. The response of SFEH2 to compression is more complex. While in the violent ISM-ISM collisions (e.g., Taffy galaxies and NGC 4438) the interaction makes star formation drop by an order of magnitude, we only detect an SFEH2 variation of ~50% in the compressed regions of the three galaxies. We suggest that the decrease in star formation depends on the ratio between the compression timescale and the turbulent dissipation timescale. In NGC 4501 and NGC 4567/68 the compression timescale is comparable to the turbulent dissipation timescale and only leads to minor changes in the molecular star formation efficiency.

14 CFR 105.45 - Use of tandem parachute systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) Has completed a minimum of 500 freefall parachute jumps using a ram-air parachute, and (iii) Holds a... parachute jump with a tandem parachute system unless— (1) The main parachute has been packed by a certificated parachute rigger, the parachutist in command making the next jump with that parachute, or a person...

TRADOC RAM (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability) Data Evaluation System (TRADES). Part 5. System Technical Paper.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-05

McCo0ne Sheridan’"-M nSdHill Silver Dow Powder River Wibaux Jefferson Stillwater The following counties in Wyoming: Judith Basin Sweet Grass Albany...Sweetwater Lassen Sonoma Johnson Teton Misalera Stanislaus Lincoln Uinta Main Sutter Park Washakie Maripoaa Tehama"Sheridan Mendocino Trinity Merced

Delayed puberty caused by hyperthyroidism in ram lambs is not a result of suppression in body growth.

PubMed

Chandrasekhar, Y; D'Occhio, M J; Setchell, B P

1986-03-01

Over a period of 8 weeks ram lambs (16 weeks old) were made hyperthyroidal (serum thyroxine approximately equal to 150 ng/ml, compared with control approximately equal to 48 ng/ml) by daily subcutaneous injections of thyroxine or maintained at a constant body weight by restriction of the feed intake. Hyperthyroidal and restricted-intake lambs remained at a constant body weight during the period of treatment whilst control rams gained body weight. Testicular growth was normal in restricted-intake lambs but was suppressed in hyperthyroidal animals. Hyperthyroidism, but not feed restriction, was also associated with decrease in LH pulse frequency (1.3 +/- 0.3/12 h compared with controls 4.8 +/- 0.9/12 h. Hyperthyroidal lambs showed normal LH responses to exogenous LHRH. After cessation of treatment testicular growth continued to be suppressed for up to 16 weeks in previously hyperthyroidic rams; thereafter testes began to increase in size but at 30 weeks after treatment were still smaller than those of control rams. It is concluded that elevated thyroxine concentrations directly influence sexual maturation in ram lambs through actions at hypothalamic and/or higher brain centres which control LH secretion. Transient hyperthyroidism during sexual maturation may cause permanent impairment of sexual development.

Is the scaling of swim speed in sharks driven by metabolism?

PubMed Central

Jacoby, David M. P.; Siriwat, Penthai; Freeman, Robin; Carbone, Chris

2015-01-01

The movement rates of sharks are intrinsically linked to foraging ecology, predator–prey dynamics and wider ecosystem functioning in marine systems. During ram ventilation, however, shark movement rates are linked not only to ecological parameters, but also to physiology, as minimum speeds are required to provide sufficient water flow across the gills to maintain metabolism. We develop a geometric model predicting a positive scaling relationship between swim speeds in relation to body size and ultimately shark metabolism, taking into account estimates for the scaling of gill dimensions. Empirical data from 64 studies (26 species) were compiled to test our model while controlling for the influence of phylogenetic similarity between related species. Our model predictions were found to closely resemble the observed relationships from tracked sharks, providing a means to infer mobility in particularly intractable species. PMID:26631246

76 FR 81360 - Special Conditions: Gulfstream Aerospace LP (GALP) Model G280 Airplane, Operation Without Normal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-28

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 25 [Docket No. FAA-2011-1172: Special Conditions No. 25-453-SC] Special Conditions: Gulfstream Aerospace LP (GALP) Model G280... is not equipped with a Ram Air Turbine (RAT) generator. The loss of all electrical power to certain...

75 FR 59073 - Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc. Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-27

...) and Model CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA... blade failure), loss of ADG electrical power and structural damage to the aircraft and, if deployment... failure on similar ADGs [air-driven generators]/ram air turbines installed on other aircraft types...

Response of anestrous ewes to the ram effect after follicular wave synchronization with a single dose of estradiol-17beta.

PubMed

Ungerfeld, Rodolfo; Dago, Ana L; Rubianes, Edgardo; Forsberg, Mats

2004-01-01

Anestrous ewes respond to the introduction of rams with either an ovulation within 2-3 days that may be followed by luteal phases of normal or short length, with delayed ovulations (5-6 days later), or with the luteinization of follicles. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between the growth status of the largest follicle present when rams are introduced and the type of ovarian response in non-treated ewes and in ewes treated with estradiol-17beta before ram introduction. Thirteen anestrous Corriedale ewes were divided into 2 groups: E2 (n = 7) and C (n = 6). The E2 ewes received a single dose of 50 microg estradiol-17beta 5 days before the introduction of the rams to synchronize the onset of their follicle waves, while C ewes remained untreated. When the rams were introduced, all E2 ewes had the largest follicle in a growing stage in contrast with the C ewes (3 out of 6; P < 0.05). Five C and 4 E2 ewes ovulated after the introduction of the rams (Day 3.4 +/- 0.4 for C vs. 4.8 +/- 0.3 for E2 ewes, respectively, P < 0.05). Only one ewe from each group developed a normal luteal phase: 4 C and 3 E2 ewes had short luteal phases. One C ewe and 2 E2 ewes had short luteal phases originating from follicles that did not ovulate. After the first luteal phase, all ewes returned to anesirus without a second ovulation or luteal phase. The remaining E2 ewe did not ovulate or show any changes in progesterone serum concentrations. We conclude that the growth status of the largest follicle alone does not determine the ovarian responding pattern of anestrous ewes to the ram effect.

Appetitive and Consummatory Sexual Behaviors of Rams Treated with Exogenous Testosterone and Exposed to Anestrus Dorper Ewes: Efficacy of the Male Effect.

PubMed

Tejada, Luz M; Meza-Herrera, Cesar A; Rivas-Muñoz, Raymundo; Rodríguez-Martínez, Rafael; Carrillo, Evaristo; Mellado, Miguel; Véliz-Deras, Francisco G

2017-04-01

We determine whether Dorper rams treated with testosterone in the sexual resting season trigger both appetitive and consummatory sexual behaviors and sexual and reproductive outcomes in anestrous ewes at 26° North during March-April. Dorper rams (n = 12, 2.5 years) were randomly divided prior to mating in two groups: GT (treated group; n = 6), treated with testosterone propionate (25 mg i.m. every 3 days × 3 weeks) and GC (control group; n = 6), treated with saline. Thereafter, adult anovulatory Dorper ewes (n = 61) were exposed to the GT-rams while the other group (n = 60) was exposed to the GC-rams. Ram's appetitive sexual behavior was similar (50 %) in both groups, yet the GT-rams exerted 100 % of the consummatory sexual behavior. Sexual and reproductive outcomes of the anestrus females exposed to both male groups considered two phases: 0-15 and 16-25 days from exposure to males. Involved variables were: ewes in estrus, ewes ovulating, duration of estrus, pregnant ewes, and lambed ewes. All the average variables favored those ewes exposed to GT-males: ewes in estrus: 85 versus 40 %; ewes ovulating: 80 versus 53 %; duration of estrus: 37 versus 25 h; pregnant ewes: 60 versus 31 %, and lambed ewes: 57 versus 31 %. Results confirm that adult Dorper rams treated with exogenous testosterone had improved consummatory sexual behavior and induced increased ovulation and pregnancy rates when exposed to anestrus ewes. This feasible and inexpensive testosterone-based protocol through the male effect also enhanced both sexual and reproductive outcomes in previously anestrous Dorper ewes during the natural out-of-season. Results are important to speed up reproductive performance of sheep during the natural anestrous season at this latitude, while also they embrace interesting outcomes from a comparative sexual behavior stand point.

Growing without a mother results in poorer sexual behaviour in adult rams.

PubMed

Damián, J P; Beracochea, F; Machado, S; Hötzel, M J; Banchero, G; Ungerfeld, R

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine if the absence of the mother during rearing has long-term effects on sexual behaviour and physiological reproductive parameters of adult rams. Two groups of rams were: (1) artificially reared, separated from their dams 24 to 36 h after birth (Week 0) and fed using sheep milk until 10 weeks of age (group AR, n=14); and (2) reared by their dams until 10 weeks of age (group DR, n=13). Sexual behaviour (tests of 20 min) and physiological reproductive parameters were analysed separately for the non-breeding (Weeks 42 to 64) and the breeding (Weeks 66 to 90) seasons. Body weight, scrotal circumference, gonado-somatic index, testosterone concentrations or sperm parameters were similar in both rearing conditions (AR v. DR) in both seasons. During the non-breeding season AR rams displayed fewer ano-genital sniffings (AR: 4.2±0.4 v. DR: 5.3±0.4, P=0.04) and matings (AR: 1.2±0.2 v. DR: 1.8±0.2, P=0.002) than DR rams. During the breeding season AR rams displayed fewer ano-genital sniffings (AR: 4.3±0.5 v. DR: 5.7±0.5, P=0.005), flehmen (AR: 0.7±0.2 v. DR: 1.1±0.2, P=0.03), mount attempts (AR: 1.4±0.2 v. DR: 2.1±0.2, P=0.04), and tended to mount less frequently (AR: 6.6±0.9 v. DR: 8.8±0.9, P=0.08) than DR rams. In conclusion, the absence of the mother during the rearing period negatively affected display of sexual behaviour towards oestrous ewes during a rams adult life in both breeding and non-breeding seasons. However, it did not affect testis size, testosterone secretion or sperm variables.

Developmental programming in sheep: administration of testosterone during 60-90 days of pregnancy reduces breeding success and pregnancy outcome.

PubMed

Steckler, T L; Roberts, E K; Doop, D D; Lee, T M; Padmanabhan, V

2007-02-01

Evidence suggests that exposure to excess steroids during critical periods of fetal development leads to reproductive disorders. Exposure of female lambs to excess testosterone (T) from Days 60 to 90 of gestation (T60-90; term, 147 days) delayed onset of the LH surge and resulted in to male-typical reproductive behavior. The objectives of this study were to test the ability of T60-90 ewes to mate, conceive and lamb during the first three breeding seasons (Years 1, 2 and 3). Pregnant Suffolk ewes were injected with T propionate in cottonseed oil (100mg, im twice weekly) or vehicle (control; C) from Days 60 to 90 of gestation. In Year 1, ewes (C=12, T60-90=12) were kept with a vasectomized ram for 3 months and markings/visual observation of copulations were recorded. Rams had paint applied to their chest to facilitate detection of estrus and mating. All C but only three T60-90 ewes were marked (P<0.001). All ewes were then estrus-synchronized with two injections of prostaglandin F2alpha (20mg, im) given 11 days apart and allowed to mate with a painted, fertile ram. Nine of 12 C and 4 of 12 T60-90 ewes (P=0.1) were mated. Based on estrus and long-term monitoring of progesterone, more C than T60-90 became pregnant (82 and 18%, respectively; P<0.01). In Year 2, to maximize ram exposure, two C and two T60-90 estrus-synchronized ewes were placed with a painted, fertile ram at a time and mated ewes were removed to a nearby pen to force mating with others. Twenty-four hour video monitoring revealed the rams mated more C than T60-90 ewes (83 and 25%, respectively; P=0.01). In both Years 1 and 2, the rams preferred C over T60-90 ewes; therefore in Year 3 rams were given access only to T60-90 ewes. Only four T60-90 estrus-synchronized ewes were placed with a painted ram at a time. Not given an option, 91% of the T60-90 ewes were marked resulting in 4 of 11 (36%; first-service pregnancy rate in the breeding herd was 91%) ewes becoming pregnant to the synchronized estrus. Collectively these studies showed that fertility in T60-90 females was severely compromised, even after overcoming ram preference for controls.

Migration by soaring or flapping: numerical atmospheric simulations reveal that turbulence kinetic energy dictates bee-eater flight mode

PubMed Central

Sapir, Nir; Horvitz, Nir; Wikelski, Martin; Avissar, Roni; Mahrer, Yitzhak; Nathan, Ran

2011-01-01

Aerial migrants commonly face atmospheric dynamics that may affect their movement and behaviour. Specifically, bird flight mode has been suggested to depend on convective updraught availability and tailwind assistance. However, this has not been tested thus far since both bird tracks and meteorological conditions are difficult to measure in detail throughout extended migratory flyways. Here, we applied, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive numerical atmospheric simulations by mean of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) to study how meteorological processes affect the flight behaviour of migrating birds. We followed European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) over southern Israel using radio telemetry and contrasted bird flight mode (flapping, soaring–gliding or mixed flight) against explanatory meteorological variables estimated by RAMS simulations at a spatial grid resolution of 250 × 250 m2. We found that temperature and especially turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) determine bee-eater flight mode, whereas, unexpectedly, no effect of tailwind assistance was found. TKE during soaring–gliding was significantly higher and distinct from TKE during flapping. We propose that applying detailed atmospheric simulations over extended migratory flyways can elucidate the highly dynamic behaviour of air-borne organisms, help predict the abundance and distribution of migrating birds, and aid in mitigating hazardous implications of bird migration. PMID:21471116

A Novel Heterocyclic Compound CE-104 Enhances Spatial Working Memory in the Radial Arm Maze in Rats and Modulates the Dopaminergic System

PubMed Central

Aher, Yogesh D.; Subramaniyan, Saraswathi; Shanmugasundaram, Bharanidharan; Sase, Ajinkya; Saroja, Sivaprakasam R.; Holy, Marion; Höger, Harald; Beryozkina, Tetyana; Sitte, Harald H.; Leban, Johann J.; Lubec, Gert

2016-01-01

Various psychostimulants targeting monoamine neurotransmitter transporters (MATs) have been shown to rescue cognition in patients with neurological disorders and improve cognitive abilities in healthy subjects at low doses. Here, we examined the effects upon cognition of a chemically synthesized novel MAT inhibiting compound 2-(benzhydrylsulfinylmethyl)-4-methylthiazole (named as CE-104). The efficacy of CE-104 in blocking MAT [dopamine transporter (DAT), serotonin transporter (SERT), and norepinephrine transporter] was determined using in vitro neurotransmitter uptake assay. The effect of the drug at low doses (1 and 10 mg/kg) on spatial memory was studied in male rats in the radial arm maze (RAM). Furthermore, the dopamine receptor and transporter complex levels of frontal cortex (FC) tissue of trained and untrained animals treated either with the drug or vehicle were quantified on blue native PAGE (BN-PAGE). The drug inhibited dopamine (IC50: 27.88 μM) and norepinephrine uptake (IC50: 160.40 μM), but had a negligible effect on SERT. In the RAM, both drug-dose groups improved spatial working memory during the performance phase of RAM as compared to vehicle. BN-PAGE Western blot quantification of dopamine receptor and transporter complexes revealed that D1, D2, D3, and DAT complexes were modulated due to training and by drug effects. The drug’s ability to block DAT and its influence on DAT and receptor complex levels in the FC is proposed as a possible mechanism for the observed learning and memory enhancement in the RAM. PMID:26941626

Parallel Three-Dimensional Computation of Fluid Dynamics and Fluid-Structure Interactions of Ram-Air Parachutes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tezduyar, Tayfun E.

1998-01-01

This is a final report as far as our work at University of Minnesota is concerned. The report describes our research progress and accomplishments in development of high performance computing methods and tools for 3D finite element computation of aerodynamic characteristics and fluid-structure interactions (FSI) arising in airdrop systems, namely ram-air parachutes and round parachutes. This class of simulations involves complex geometries, flexible structural components, deforming fluid domains, and unsteady flow patterns. The key components of our simulation toolkit are a stabilized finite element flow solver, a nonlinear structural dynamics solver, an automatic mesh moving scheme, and an interface between the fluid and structural solvers; all of these have been developed within a parallel message-passing paradigm.

Production of aluminum-silicon alloy and ferrosilicon and commercial purity aluminum by the direct reduction process. Second interim technical report, Phase C for the period 1980 April 1-1980 June 30

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

Bruno, M.J.

1980-10-01

Beneficiation of bauxite by high intensity wet magnetic separation to remove Fe and Ti was not successful. Pilot reactor VSR-3 was modified and operated to evaluate the blast-arc reduction process concept. Modifications included a tapered upper shaft section, vertical stroke ram, and CO preheater system. The taper/ram revisions were successful in maintaining bed movement, resulting in several continuous runs in which large quantities of burden were fed and metal product was recovered. Pilot VSR samples were also analyzed. The major phases contained Si and FeSi/sub 2/Al/sub 4/ intermetallics in a matrix of eutectic Al-Si.

Expert systems for fault diagnosis in nuclear reactor control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalel, N. A.; Nicholson, H.

1990-11-01

An expert system for accident analysis and fault diagnosis for the Loss Of Fluid Test (LOFT) reactor, a small scale pressurized water reactor, was developed for a personal computer. The knowledge of the system is presented using a production rule approach with a backward chaining inference engine. The data base of the system includes simulated dependent state variables of the LOFT reactor model. Another system is designed to assist the operator in choosing the appropriate cooling mode and to diagnose the fault in the selected cooling system. The response tree, which is used to provide the link between a list of very specific accident sequences and a set of generic emergency procedures which help the operator in monitoring system status, and to differentiate between different accident sequences and select the correct procedures, is used to build the system knowledge base. Both systems are written in TURBO PROLOG language and can be run on an IBM PC compatible with 640k RAM, 40 Mbyte hard disk and color graphics.

An application of a multi model approach for solar energy prediction in Southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avolio, Elenio; Lo Feudo, Teresa; Calidonna, Claudia Roberta; Contini, Daniele; Torcasio, Rosa Claudia; Tiriolo, Luca; Montesanti, Stefania; Transerici, Claudio; Federico, Stefano

2015-04-01

The accuracy of the short and medium range forecast of solar irradiance is very important for solar energy integration into the grid. This issue is particularly important for Southern Italy where a significant availability of solar energy is associated with a poor development of the grid. In this work we analyse the performance of two deterministic models for the prediction of surface temperature and short-wavelength radiance for two sites in southern Italy. Both parameters are needed to forecast the power production from solar power plants, so the performance of the forecast for these meteorological parameters is of paramount importance. The models considered in this work are the RAMS (Regional Atmospheric Modeling System) and the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting Model) and they were run for the summer 2013 at 4 km horizontal resolution over Italy. The forecast lasts three days. Initial and dynamic boundary conditions are given by the 12 UTC deterministic forecast of the ECMWF-IFS (European Centre for Medium Weather Range Forecast - Integrated Forecasting System) model, and were available every 6 hours. Verification is given against two surface stations located in Southern Italy, Lamezia Terme and Lecce, and are based on hourly output of models forecast. Results for the whole period for temperature show a positive bias for the RAMS model and a negative bias for the WRF model. RMSE is between 1 and 2 °C for both models. Results for the whole period for the short-wavelength radiance show a positive bias for both models (about 30 W/m2 for both models) and a RMSE of 100 W/m2. To reduce the model errors, a statistical post-processing technique, i.e the multi-model, is adopted. In this approach the two model's outputs are weighted with an adequate set of weights computed for a training period. In general, the performance is improved by the application of the technique, and the RMSE is reduced by a sizeable fraction (i.e. larger than 10% of the initial RMSE) depending on the forecasting time and parameter. The performance of the multi model is discussed as a function of the length of the training period and is compared with the performance of the MOS (Model Output Statistics) approach. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work is partially supported by projects PON04a2E Sinergreen-ResNovae - "Smart Energy Master for the energetic government of the territory" and PONa3_00363 "High Technology Infrastructure for Climate and Environment Monitoring" (I-AMICA) founded by Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) PON 2007-2013. The ECMWF and CNMCA (Centro Nazionale di Meteorologia e Climatologia Aeronautica) are acknowledged for the use of the MARS (Meteorological Archive and Retrieval System).

Robotic Assisted Microsurgery - RAMS FY'97

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

JPL and Microdexterity Systems collaborated to develop new surgical capabilities. They developed a Robot Assisted Microsurgery (RAM) tool for surgeons to use for operating on the eye, ear, brain, and blood vessels with unprecedented dexterity. A surgeon can hold the surgical instrument with motions of 6 degrees of freedom with an accuracy of 25 microns in a 70 cu cm workspace. In 1996 a demonstration was performed to remove a microscopic particle from a simulated eyeball. In 1997, tests were performed at UCLA to compare telerobotics with mechanical operations. In 5 out of 7 tests, the RAM tool performed with a significant improvement of preciseness over mechanical operation. New design features include: (1) amplified forced feedback; (2) simultaneous slave robot instrumentation; (3) index control switch on master handle; and (4) tool control switches. Upgrades include: (1) increase in computational power; and (2) installation of hard disk memory storage device for independent operation and independent operation of forceps. In 1997 a final demonstration was performed using 2 telerobotics simultaneously in a microsurgery suture procedure to close a slit in a thin sheet of latex rubber which extended the capabilities of microsurgery procedures. After completing trials and demonstrations for the FDA the potential benefits for thousands of operations will be exposed.

Radiation immune RAM semiconductor technology for the 80's. [Random Access Memory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanna, W. A.; Panagos, P.

1983-01-01

This paper presents current and short term future characteristics of RAM semiconductor technologies which were obtained by literature survey and discussions with cognizant Government and industry personnel. In particular, total ionizing dose tolerance and high energy particle susceptibility of the technologies are addressed. Technologies judged compatible with spacecraft applications are ranked to determine the best current and future technology for fast access (less than 60 ns), radiation tolerant RAM.

REGIONAL AIR POLLUTION STUDY, QUALITY ASSURANCE AUDITS

EPA Science Inventory

RAPS Quality Assurance audits were conducted under this Task Order in continuation of the audit program previously conducted under Task Order No. 58. Quantitative field audits were conducted of the Regional Air Monitoring System (RAMS) Air Monitoring Stations, Local Air Monitorin...

A preliminary investigation of the drag and ventilation characteristics of livestock haulers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, J. A.; Sandin, D. R.

1983-01-01

A wind tunnel evaluation of the drag and ventilation characteristics of a conventional (unmodified) and five modified subscale model livestock haulers at 0 deg yaw angle has been made. The unmodified livestock hauler has a relatively high drag coefficient, and a low velocity recirculation region exists in the forward portion of the hauler. The use of a streamlined forebody and enclosed gap reduced the drag coefficient of one model by 42% and improved the rate at which contaminants can be flushed from the cargo compartment by a factor of 2.5. From the limited data obtained, any increase in the fraction of open area of the trailer sides was found to improve the trailer ventilation. The use of a ram air inlet can improve the ventilation within the hauler and remove the low velocity recirculation region at the expense of a modest increase in the truck's drag coefficient. A mathematical model for vehicles with ram air or NACA submerged inlets was developed and appears to adequately predict the ventilation characteristics of livestock haulers.

An interactive display system for large-scale 3D models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zijian; Sun, Kun; Tao, Wenbing; Liu, Liman

2018-04-01

With the improvement of 3D reconstruction theory and the rapid development of computer hardware technology, the reconstructed 3D models are enlarging in scale and increasing in complexity. Models with tens of thousands of 3D points or triangular meshes are common in practical applications. Due to storage and computing power limitation, it is difficult to achieve real-time display and interaction with large scale 3D models for some common 3D display software, such as MeshLab. In this paper, we propose a display system for large-scale 3D scene models. We construct the LOD (Levels of Detail) model of the reconstructed 3D scene in advance, and then use an out-of-core view-dependent multi-resolution rendering scheme to realize the real-time display of the large-scale 3D model. With the proposed method, our display system is able to render in real time while roaming in the reconstructed scene and 3D camera poses can also be displayed. Furthermore, the memory consumption can be significantly decreased via internal and external memory exchange mechanism, so that it is possible to display a large scale reconstructed scene with over millions of 3D points or triangular meshes in a regular PC with only 4GB RAM.

Transient Simulation of Ram Accelerator Flowfields

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

PROPULSIVE FLOWS WITH COMIBUSTION CHEMISTRY, ADVANCED TURBULENCE MODELS - 1񕚑ŕ. Reference: Dash, "Advanced Computational Models for Analyzing High - Speed...coupled, implicit manner. Near-wall effects have been dealt with via the low Reynolds number formulation of Chien: and the recent model of Rodi.3 High ...July 1989. 19 Dash, S.M., ’Advanced Computational Models for Analyzing High -Speed Propulsive Flowficlds,’ 199M J&ý,NAF Propulsion Meeting, CPIA Pub. 550

Reproductive performance of postpartum ewes treated with insulin or progesterone hormones in association with ram effect.

PubMed

Ferreira-Silva, J C; Basto, Srl; Tenório Filho, F; Moura, M T; Silva Filho, M L; Oliveira, Mal

2017-08-01

The reproductive performance of postpartum Santa Inês (SI) and Morada Nova (MN) ewes treated with insulin or progesterone hormones in association with ram effect was evaluated. Ewes from SI (n = 69) and MN (n = 69) breeds were randomly allocated to three groups of each breed (T1-ram effect only; T2-ram effect + insulin; T3-ram effect + progesterone). Progesterone concentrations (ηg/ml; mean ± SD) before and after introduction of rams (n = 6) were 0.51 ± 0.22 and 3.78 ± 0.68 (T1), 0.65 ± 0.21 and 3.77 ± 0.78 (T2) and 0.52 ± 0.21 and 3.84 ± 0.84 (T3) in SI ewes and 0.74 ± 0.19 and 3.71 ± 0.56 (T1), 0.70 ± 0.21 and 3.79 ± 0.75 (T2) and 0.81 ± 0.14 and 3.87 ± 0.80 (T3) in MN ewes, respectively. Thus, lower progesterone concentrations were found before the introduction of rams (p < .05). After the introduction of rams, preovulatory peaks of LH (ηg/ml) occurred at 28 (T1), 44 (T2) and 48 (T3) hr in SI ewes and at 64 (T1), 40 (T2) and 44 (T3) hr in MN ewes. The mean number of ovulations was similar between groups (p > .05), was 1.3 ± 0.51 (T1), 1.5 ± 0.54 (T2) and 1.6 ± 0.51 (T3) in SI ewes and 1.3 ± 0.51 (T1), 1.6 ± 0.51 (T2) and 1.6 ± 0.51 (T3) in MN ewes. In conclusion, the ram effect alone is effective at inducing and synchronizing oestrus in sheep under postpartum anoestrus, irrespective of hormone treatments. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Supplementation of soybean lecithin-based semen extender by antioxidants: complementary flowcytometric study on post-thawed ram spermatozoa.

PubMed

Sharafi, Mohsen; Zhandi, Mahdi; Akbari Sharif, Abbas

2015-06-01

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of cysteine (C) and glutathione (G) on the post-thawed ram sperm quality. Collected semen samples from four mature rams were diluted with five soybean lecithin (SL)-based extenders containing: no antioxidant (SL-0), 5 mM cysteine (SL-C5), 10 mM cysteine (SL-C10), 5 mM glutathione (SL-G5) and 10 mM glutathione (SL-G10). After freeze-thawing process, motion and velocity parameters, plasma membrane integrity and functionality, morphological abnormality, lipid peroxidation, acrosomal status, mitochondria activity, and apoptosis status of post-thawed ram spermatozoa were assessed. The results showed that SL-C10 increased the total motility and plasma membrane integrity (p < 0.05) of post-thawed ram spermatozoa (55.86 ± 1.37 and 60.57 ± 1.34 %) compared to other extenders. Progressive motility was significantly higher in SL-C10 (24.71 ± 1.13 %) compared to SL-0 (20 ± 1.13 %) and SL-G10 (15 ± 1.13 %). Mitochondrial activity was significantly higher in SL-C10 (56.83 ± 2.29 %) compared to SL-G10 (38.75 ± 2.29 %). Capacitation and acrosomal status, lipid peroxidation, and the percentage of dead spermatozoa were not affected by different extenders. The percentage of live spermatozoa was higher in SL-C10 (56.33 ± 1.35 %) compared to other extenders. Also, SL-C10 resulted in a lower percentage of apoptotic spermatozoa (14.17 ± 0.53 %) compared to other extenders. The results of this study showed that supplementation of SL-based ram semen extender with 10 mM cysteine resulted in an improved quality of post-thawed ram spermatozoa.

Pretreatment resistance to hepatitis C virus protease inhibitors boceprevir/telaprevir in hepatitis C virus subgenotype 1a-infected patients from Manitoba.

PubMed

Andonov, Anton; Kadkhoda, Kamran; Osiowy, Carla; Kaita, Kelly

2013-07-01

Traditional therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin combined with the new protease inhibitors boceprevir or telaprevir has demonstrated improved outcomes in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. Prevalence data regarding pre-existing drug-resistant variants to these two new virus inhibitors in the Canadian population are not available. To detect pre-existing mutations conferring resistance to boceprevir and⁄or telaprevir in Canadian patients infected with HCV genotype 1a. Resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) were evaluated in 85 patients infected with HCV genotype 1a who had not yet received antiviral therapy. The NS3 protease gene was sequenced and common RAMs were identified based on a recently published list. The overall prevalence of pre-existing RAMs to boceprevir and telaprevir was higher compared with other similar studies. All of the observed RAMs were associated with a low level of resistance. A surprisingly high proportion of patients had the V55A RAM (10.6%). None of the mutations associated with a high level of resistance were observed. The simultaneous presence of two low-level resistance mutations (V36L and V55A) was observed in only one patient. Three other patients had both T54S RAM and V55I mutations, which may require a higher concentration of the protease drugs. The prevalence of various mutations in Aboriginal Canadian patients was higher (37.5%) compared with Caucasians (16.39%) (P=0.038). The present study was the first to investigate pre-existing drug resistance to boceprevir⁄telaprevir in Canadian HCV-infected patients. A relatively high proportion of untreated HCV genotype 1a patients in Manitoba harbour low-level RAMs, especially patients of Aboriginal descent, which may contribute to an increased risk of treatment failure.

Effects of immunization against alpha-inhibin using two adjuvants on daily sperm production and hormone concentrations in ram lambs.

PubMed

Voge, J L; Parker, J B; Wheaton, J E

2009-11-01

Twenty-five ram lambs were immunized against alpha-inhibin peptide emulsified in Freund's adjuvant (FRA), Emulsigen (EML) containing an oligodeoxynucleotide as an immunostimulant, or adjuvant without alpha-inhibin antigen (control). Four immunizations were administered during an 85-d period, after which testes were obtained for determination of daily sperm production (DSP) and histological evaluation. alpha-Inhibin antibody (Ab) titers were 70-fold greater in lambs treated with FRA than in EML-treated ram lambs. alpha-Inhibin immunization had no effect on testes weight or on plasma concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone. Mean DSP/g tended (P=0.1) to be greater in alpha-inhibin-immunized (EML=17.6x10(6); FRA=15.8x10(6)) ram lambs than in control animals (14.4x10(6)). One of the 8 control ram lambs had an elevated DSP/g, which was a statistical outlier. Without data from this lamb, DSP/g was increased (P<0.01) in alpha-inhibin-immunized ram lambs by 28% over controls. No association was found between the titer of alpha-inhibin Ab developed and DSP/g. Histologically, the percentage of testicular area occupied by seminiferous tubules differed (P=0.01) by treatment and was greatest (82%) in EML-treated ram alpha-inhibin-immunized lambs and lowest (74%) in control animals. Percentage tubular area and DSP/g were correlated (r=0.57, P=0.003). Findings show that (1) the extent of the increase in DSP/g is not dependent on the titer of alpha-inhibin Ab; (2) the increase in DSP/g is achieved through an increase in the mass of seminiferous tubules; and (3) FRA elicits a greater alpha-inhibin Ab titer than EML containing an oligodeoxynucleotide.

Evaluation of Rectoanal Mucosal Swab Sampling for Molecular Detection of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in Beef Cattle.

PubMed

Agga, Getahun E; Arthur, Terrance M; Hinkley, Susanne; Bosilevac, Joseph M

2017-04-01

Cattle are a primary reservoir of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), and contaminated beef products are a source of human infections. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service declared seven EHEC serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157) as adulterants in raw ground beef. Sampling a large number of animals for EHEC surveillance or evaluations of EHEC-focused preharvest interventions requires a convenient and robust sampling method. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of rectoanal mucosal swab (RAMS) for the detection of the top seven EHEC serogroups. Paired fecal grab (FG) and RAMS samples were collected from 176 beef cattle and tested using the NeoSEEK Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) confirmation method. The prevalence of virulence-associated genes (stx 1 , stx 2 , stx 2c , eae, and nleB) was higher in RAMS than in FG samples. The results of the two methods had poor agreement, as indicated by kappa statistics, for the detection of the seven serogroups. When FG and RAMS results were combined for comparison, RAMS was more sensitive than FG for the detection of serogroups O103 (82% versus 39%), O157 (75% versus 67%), and O45 (79% versus 73%) with similar sensitivity for the detection of serogroup O145 (67%). Serogroups O111 and O121 were detected from one and two samples, respectively, by FG and were not detected by RAMS. Serogroup O26 was not detected with either method. RAMS appears to be equivalent or superior to FG sampling for detection of the top seven EHEC serogroups in the feces of beef cattle with the NeoSEEK STEC confirmation test.

Rumination relates to reduced autobiographical memory specificity in formerly depressed patients following a self-discrepancy challenge: the case of autobiographical memory specificity reactivity.

PubMed

Raes, Filip; Schoofs, Hanne; Griffith, James W; Hermans, Dirk

2012-12-01

Reduced Autobiographical Memory Specificity (rAMS) is a hypothesized vulnerability factor for depression. Rumination is thought to be one of the processes underlying rAMS, but research has failed to show an association between trait rumination and rAMS in individuals who are not currently depressed (e.g., community samples, college samples, and formerly depressed samples). The present study tested whether a challenge procedure that induces a self-discrepancy focus can elicit an association between trait rumination and rAMS in formerly depressed participants. Trait rumination was assessed via self-report. Measures of psychopathology and cognitive function, including depression, were assessed via self-report and interview. Autobiographical Memory Specificity (AMS) was evaluated before and after the induction of a self-discrepancy focus in formerly depressed participants. Results showed that trait rumination was indeed negatively correlated with AMS after, but not before the induction. Moreover, high trait ruminating participants showed a decrease in AMS following the induction. In other words, memory specificity was reactive to the induction, but no such decrease was observed in low trait ruminating individuals. This study is mostly of women. These results may not generalize well to men. Our experimental control was within-subjects, which, although powerful and economical, cannot rule out certain confounding processes including natural changes in self-discrepancy, or non-specific or unintended effects of the induction. In order to detect rAMS in formerly depressed individuals or to observe associations between rAMS and trait measures of rumination, state ruminative processing needs to be activated. Results are discussed by framing rAMS as an example of cognitive reactivity, a general type of processing that is associated with depression. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A New Objective Technique for Verifying Mesoscale Numerical Weather Prediction Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, Jonathan L.; Manobianco, John; Lane, John E.; Immer, Christopher D.

2003-01-01

This report presents a new objective technique to verify predictions of the sea-breeze phenomenon over east-central Florida by the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. The Contour Error Map (CEM) technique identifies sea-breeze transition times in objectively-analyzed grids of observed and forecast wind, verifies the forecast sea-breeze transition times against the observed times, and computes the mean post-sea breeze wind direction and speed to compare the observed and forecast winds behind the sea-breeze front. The CEM technique is superior to traditional objective verification techniques and previously-used subjective verification methodologies because: It is automated, requiring little manual intervention, It accounts for both spatial and temporal scales and variations, It accurately identifies and verifies the sea-breeze transition times, and It provides verification contour maps and simple statistical parameters for easy interpretation. The CEM uses a parallel lowpass boxcar filter and a high-order bandpass filter to identify the sea-breeze transition times in the observed and model grid points. Once the transition times are identified, CEM fits a Gaussian histogram function to the actual histogram of transition time differences between the model and observations. The fitted parameters of the Gaussian function subsequently explain the timing bias and variance of the timing differences across the valid comparison domain. Once the transition times are all identified at each grid point, the CEM computes the mean wind direction and speed during the remainder of the day for all times and grid points after the sea-breeze transition time. The CEM technique performed quite well when compared to independent meteorological assessments of the sea-breeze transition times and results from a previously published subjective evaluation. The algorithm correctly identified a forecast or observed sea-breeze occurrence or absence 93% of the time during the two- month evaluation period from July and August 2000. Nearly all failures in CEM were the result of complex precipitation features (observed or forecast) that contaminated the wind field, resulting in a false identification of a sea-breeze transition. A qualitative comparison between the CEM timing errors and the subjectively determined observed and forecast transition times indicate that the algorithm performed very well overall. Most discrepancies between the CEM results and the subjective analysis were again caused by observed or forecast areas of precipitation that led to complex wind patterns. The CEM also failed on a day when the observed sea- breeze transition affected only a very small portion of the verification domain. Based on the results of CEM, the RAMS tended to predict the onset and movement of the sea-breeze transition too early and/or quickly. The domain-wide timing biases provided by CEM indicated an early bias on 30 out of 37 days when both an observed and forecast sea breeze occurred over the same portions of the analysis domain. These results are consistent with previous subjective verifications of the RAMS sea breeze predictions. A comparison of the mean post-sea breeze winds indicate that RAMS has a positive wind-speed bias for .all days, which is also consistent with the early bias in the sea-breeze transition time since the higher wind speeds resulted in a faster inland penetration of the sea breeze compared to reality.

Computer hardware for radiologists: Part I

PubMed Central

Indrajit, IK; Alam, A

2010-01-01

Computers are an integral part of modern radiology practice. They are used in different radiology modalities to acquire, process, and postprocess imaging data. They have had a dramatic influence on contemporary radiology practice. Their impact has extended further with the emergence of Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM), Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), Radiology information system (RIS) technology, and Teleradiology. A basic overview of computer hardware relevant to radiology practice is presented here. The key hardware components in a computer are the motherboard, central processor unit (CPU), the chipset, the random access memory (RAM), the memory modules, bus, storage drives, and ports. The personnel computer (PC) has a rectangular case that contains important components called hardware, many of which are integrated circuits (ICs). The fiberglass motherboard is the main printed circuit board and has a variety of important hardware mounted on it, which are connected by electrical pathways called “buses”. The CPU is the largest IC on the motherboard and contains millions of transistors. Its principal function is to execute “programs”. A Pentium® 4 CPU has transistors that execute a billion instructions per second. The chipset is completely different from the CPU in design and function; it controls data and interaction of buses between the motherboard and the CPU. Memory (RAM) is fundamentally semiconductor chips storing data and instructions for access by a CPU. RAM is classified by storage capacity, access speed, data rate, and configuration. PMID:21042437

JELLYFISH: EVIDENCE OF EXTREME RAM-PRESSURE STRIPPING IN MASSIVE GALAXY CLUSTERS

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

Ebeling, H.; Stephenson, L. N.; Edge, A. C.

Ram-pressure stripping by the gaseous intracluster medium has been proposed as the dominant physical mechanism driving the rapid evolution of galaxies in dense environments. Detailed studies of this process have, however, largely been limited to relatively modest examples affecting only the outermost gas layers of galaxies in nearby and/or low-mass galaxy clusters. We here present results from our search for extreme cases of gas-galaxy interactions in much more massive, X-ray selected clusters at z > 0.3. Using Hubble Space Telescope snapshots in the F606W and F814W passbands, we have discovered dramatic evidence of ram-pressure stripping in which copious amounts ofmore » gas are first shock compressed and then removed from galaxies falling into the cluster. Vigorous starbursts triggered by this process across the galaxy-gas interface and in the debris trail cause these galaxies to temporarily become some of the brightest cluster members in the F606W passband, capable of outshining even the Brightest Cluster Galaxy. Based on the spatial distribution and orientation of systems viewed nearly edge-on in our survey, we speculate that infall at large impact parameter gives rise to particularly long-lasting stripping events. Our sample of six spectacular examples identified in clusters from the Massive Cluster Survey, all featuring M {sub F606W} < –21 mag, doubles the number of such systems presently known at z > 0.2 and facilitates detailed quantitative studies of the most violent galaxy evolution in clusters.« less

The effect of BaM/PANI composition with epoxy paint matrix on single and double layers coating with spray coating method for radar absorbing materials applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widyastuti, Fajarin, Rindang; Pratiwi, Vania Mitha; Kholid, Rifki Rachman; Habib, Abdulloh

2018-04-01

In this study, RAM composite has been succesfully synthesized by mixing BaM as magnetic materials and PANI as conductive materials. BaM and PANI materials were prepared separately by solid state method and polymerization method, respectively. To investigated the presence of BaM phase and magnetic property of the as prepared BaM, XRD pert PAN analytical and VSM 250 Dexing Magnet were employed. Inductance Capacitance Resistance technique was carried out to measure electrical conductivity of the synthesized PANI materials. In order to further characterized the structural features of BaM and PANI, SEM-EDX FEI 850 and FTIR characterizations were conducted. RAM composite was prepared by mixing BaM and PANI powders with ultrasonic cleaner. Afterwards, VNA (Vector Network Analyzer) characterization was carried out to determine reflection loss value of RAM by applying mixed RAM composite and epoxy paint on aluminum plate using spray gun. Microscopic characterization was employed to investigated the distribution of RAM particles on the substrate. It was found that reflection loss value as low as -27.153 dB was achieved when applied 15 wt% BaM/PANi composite at 100.6 µm thickness. In addition, the absorption of electromagnetic waves value increase as the addition of RAM composite composition increases.

The oviducal protein, heat-shock 70-kDa protein 8, improves the long-term survival of ram spermatozoa during storage at 17°C in a commercial extender.

PubMed

Lloyd, R E; Fazeli, A; Watson, P F; Holt, W V

2012-01-01

Poor fertility rates are often observed when fresh ram semen stored in conventional extenders is used for cervical artificial insemination (AI). Heat-shock 70-kDa protein 8 (HSPA8), found within the oviduct, prolongs boar, ram and bull sperm survival at body temperatures in vitro. Here, we aimed to determine whether supplementing extenders (INRA-96 and RSD-1) with HSPA8 (4 µg mL⁻¹) would improve their performance in maintaining freshly collected ram sperm viability and sperm nuclear DNA integrity during storage over 48 h at 17°C. Sperm function was assessed at 1, 6, 24 and 48h and this experiment was repeated using 25 × 10⁶ and 800 × 10⁶ spermatozoa mL⁻¹. INRA96 supplemented with HSPA8 maintained sperm viability significantly better than INRA96 alone at both sperm concentrations. However, sperm nuclear DNA fragmentation (DF) increased significantly during storage using the higher sperm concentration, irrespective of the extender and the protein treatment used. Increasing levels of sperm nuclear DF over time could explain why poor fertility rates are often observed following cervical AI using stored ram semen. However, further research is required to ascertain whether supplementing the commercially available INRA96 extender with HSPA8 will improve fertility rates following cervical AI using stored ram semen.

30 CFR 250.1611 - Blowout preventer systems tests, actuations, inspections, and maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... conducting high-pressure tests, all BOP systems shall be tested to a pressure of 200 to 300 psi. (b) Ram-type BOP's and the choke manifold shall be pressure tested with water to rated working pressure or as otherwise approved by the District Manager. Annular type BOP's shall be pressure tested with water to 70...

Three-model ensemble wind prediction in southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torcasio, Rosa Claudia; Federico, Stefano; Calidonna, Claudia Roberta; Avolio, Elenio; Drofa, Oxana; Landi, Tony Christian; Malguzzi, Piero; Buzzi, Andrea; Bonasoni, Paolo

2016-03-01

Quality of wind prediction is of great importance since a good wind forecast allows the prediction of available wind power, improving the penetration of renewable energies into the energy market. Here, a 1-year (1 December 2012 to 30 November 2013) three-model ensemble (TME) experiment for wind prediction is considered. The models employed, run operationally at National Research Council - Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), are RAMS (Regional Atmospheric Modelling System), BOLAM (BOlogna Limited Area Model), and MOLOCH (MOdello LOCale in H coordinates). The area considered for the study is southern Italy and the measurements used for the forecast verification are those of the GTS (Global Telecommunication System). Comparison with observations is made every 3 h up to 48 h of forecast lead time. Results show that the three-model ensemble outperforms the forecast of each individual model. The RMSE improvement compared to the best model is between 22 and 30 %, depending on the season. It is also shown that the three-model ensemble outperforms the IFS (Integrated Forecasting System) of the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast) for the surface wind forecasts. Notably, the three-model ensemble forecast performs better than each unbiased model, showing the added value of the ensemble technique. Finally, the sensitivity of the three-model ensemble RMSE to the length of the training period is analysed.

Ram-pressure scaling and non-uniformity characterization of a spherically imploding liner formed by hypervelocity plasma jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cassibry, Jason; Dougherty, Jesse; Thompson, Seth; Hsu, Scott; Witherspoon, F. D.; University of AL in Huntsville Team; Los Alamos National Laboratory Team; HyperV Technologies Corp. Team

2014-10-01

Three-dimensional modeling of plasma liner formation and implosion is performed using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Code (SPHC) with radiation, thermal transport, and tabular equations of state (EOS), accounting for ionization, in support of a proposed 60-gun plasma liner formation experiment for plasma-jet driven magneto-inertial fusion (PJMIF). Previous SPHC modeling showed that ideal gas law scaling of peak stagnation pressure increased linearly with density and number of jets, quadratically with jet radius and velocity, and inversely with the initial jet length, while results with tabular EOS, thermal transport, and radiation have greater sensitivity to the initial jet distribution. A series of simulations are conducted to study the effects of initial jet conditions on peak ram pressure and liner non-uniformity during plasma liner implosion. The growth rate of large-amplitude density perturbations introduced by the discrete jets are computed and compared with predictions by the Bell-Plesset equation.

Biochar as an electron shuttle for reductive dechlorination of pentachlorophenol by Geobacter sulfurreducens

PubMed Central

Yu, Linpeng; Yuan, Yong; Tang, Jia; Wang, Yueqiang; Zhou, Shungui

2015-01-01

The reductive dechlorination of pentachlorophenol (PCP) by Geobacter sulfurreducens in the presence of different biochars was investigated to understand how biochars affect the bioreduction of environmental contaminants. The results indicated that biochars significantly accelerate electron transfer from cells to PCP, thus enhancing reductive dechlorination. The promotion effects of biochar (as high as 24-fold) in this process depend on its electron exchange capacity (EEC) and electrical conductivity (EC). A kinetic model revealed that the surface redox-active moieties (RAMs) and EC of biochar (900 °C) contributed to 56% and 41% of the biodegradation rate, respectively. This work demonstrates that biochars are efficient electron mediators for the dechlorination of PCP and that both the EC and RAMs of biochars play important roles in the electron transfer process. PMID:26592958

[A Case of Recurrent Gastric Cancer with Grade 3 Proteinuria Caused by Ramucirumab plus Paclitaxel Therapy].

PubMed

Kimura, Yutaka; Makari, Yoichi; Mikami, Jota; Hiraki, Yoko; Kato, Hiroaki; Iwama, Mitsuru; Shiraishi, Osamu; Yasuda, Atsushi; Shinkai, Masayuki; Imano, Motohiro; Imamoto, Haruhiko; Fujita, Junya; Furukawa, Hiroshi; Yasuda, Takushi

2017-11-01

Proteinuria is one of the characteristic adverse events by ramucirumab(RAM)plus paclitaxel(PTX)combination therapy for advanced gastric cancer. We reported a case of recurrent gastric cancer with grade(gr)3 proteinuria caused by RAM plus PTX therapy. 77-year-old woman was underwent distal gastrectomy in 76 years old for gastric cancer that was diagnosed mucinous adenocarcinoma, fStage III C(T4aN3H0P0CY0M0)and received adjuvant chemotherapy of S-1 for 1 year. She suffered from peritoneal recurrence with ascites after 1 year and 4 months of the operation and RAM(8mg/kg; day 1 and 15)plus PTX(80mg/m2; day 1, 8 and 15)therapy was administrated as second-line chemotherapy. After 1 course, weekly PTX has been continued for gr 3 proteinuria and the ascites disappeared after 4 courses. This successful case might indicate that it was important for patients with gr 3 proteinuria as adverse event to consider discontinuance of RAM and continuation of PTX according to the proper usage guide of RAM.

NEAR-SURFACE AIR PARCEL TRAJECTORIES - ST. LOUIS, 1975

EPA Science Inventory

The utility of air parcel trajectories is described for the diagnosis of mesometeorological and urban air pollution problems. A technique is described that uses the St. Louis Regional Air Monitoring System (RAMS) to provide wind measurements for the local urban scale. A computeri...

Realization of Minimum and Maximum Gate Function in Ta2O5-based Memristive Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breuer, Thomas; Nielen, Lutz; Roesgen, Bernd; Waser, Rainer; Rana, Vikas; Linn, Eike

2016-04-01

Redox-based resistive switching devices (ReRAM) are considered key enablers for future non-volatile memory and logic applications. Functionally enhanced ReRAM devices could enable new hardware concepts, e.g. logic-in-memory or neuromorphic applications. In this work, we demonstrate the implementation of ReRAM-based fuzzy logic gates using Ta2O5 devices to enable analogous Minimum and Maximum operations. The realized gates consist of two anti-serially connected ReRAM cells offering two inputs and one output. The cells offer an endurance up to 106 cycles. By means of exemplary input signals, each gate functionality is verified and signal constraints are highlighted. This realization could improve the efficiency of analogous processing tasks such as sorting networks in the future.

Exploring the shallow structure of the San Ramón thrust fault in Santiago, Chile (~33.5° S), using active seismic and electric methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz, D.; Maksymowicz, A.; Vargas, G.; Vera, E.; Contreras-Reyes, E.; Rebolledo, S.

2014-08-01

The crustal-scale west-vergent San Ramón thrust fault system, which lies at the foot of the main Andean Cordillera in central Chile, is a geologically active structure with manifestations of late Quaternary complex surface rupture on fault segments along the eastern border of the city of Santiago. From the comparison of geophysical and geological observations, we assessed the subsurface structural pattern that affects the sedimentary cover and rock-substratum topography across fault scarps, which is critical for evaluating structural models and associated seismic hazard along the related faults. We performed seismic profiles with an average length of 250 m, using an array of 24 geophones (Geode), with 25 shots per profile, to produce high-resolution seismic tomography to aid in interpreting impedance changes associated with the deformed sedimentary cover. The recorded travel-time refractions and reflections were jointly inverted by using a 2-D tomographic approach, which resulted in variations across the scarp axis in both the velocities and the reflections that are interpreted as the sedimentary cover-rock substratum topography. Seismic anisotropy observed from tomographic profiles is consistent with sediment deformation triggered by west-vergent thrust tectonics along the fault. Electrical soundings crossing two fault scarps were used to construct subsurface resistivity tomographic profiles, which reveal systematic differences between lower resistivity values in the hanging wall with respect to the footwall of the geological structure, and clearly show well-defined east-dipping resistivity boundaries. These boundaries can be interpreted in terms of structurally driven fluid content change between the hanging wall and the footwall of the San Ramón fault. The overall results are consistent with a west-vergent thrust structure dipping ~55° E in the subsurface beneath the piedmont sediments, with local complexities likely associated with variations in fault surface rupture propagation, fault splays and fault segment transfer zones.

Exploring the shallow structure of the San Ramón thrust fault in Santiago, Chile (∼33.5° S), using active seismic and electric methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz, D.; Maksymowicz, A.; Vargas, G.; Vera, E.; Contreras-Reyes, E.; Rebolledo, S.

2014-01-01

The crustal-scale west-vergent San Ramón thrust fault system at the foot of the main Andean Cordillera in central Chile is a geologically active structure with Quaternary manifestations of complex surface rupture along fault segments in the eastern border of Santiago city. From the comparison of geophysical and geological observations, we assessed the subsurface structure pattern affecting sedimentary cover and rock-substratum topography across fault scarps, which is critic for evaluating structural modeling and associated seismic hazard along this kind of faults. We performed seismic profiles with an average length of 250 m, using an array of twenty-four geophones (GEODE), and 25 shots per profile, supporting high-resolution seismic tomography for interpreting impedance changes associated to deformed sedimentary cover. The recorded traveltime refractions and reflections were jointly inverted by using a 2-D tomographic approach, which resulted in variations across the scarp axis in both velocities and reflections interpreted as the sedimentary cover-rock substratum topography. Seismic anisotropy observed from tomographic profiles is consistent with sediment deformation triggered by west-vergent thrust tectonics along the fault. Electrical soundings crossing two fault scarps supported subsurface resistivity tomographic profiles, which revealed systematic differences between lower resistivity values in the hanging wall with respect to the footwall of the geological structure, clearly limited by well-defined east-dipping resistivity boundaries. The latter can be interpreted in terms of structurally driven fluid content-change between the hanging wall and the footwall of a permeability boundary associated with the San Ramón fault. The overall results are consistent with a west-vergent thrust structure dipping ∼55° E at subsurface levels in piedmont sediments, with local complexities being probably associated to fault surface rupture propagation, fault-splay and fault segment transfer zones.

Rilpivirine versus etravirine validity in NNRTI-based treatment failure in Thailand.

PubMed

Teeranaipong, Phairote; Sirivichayakul, Sunee; Mekprasan, Suwanna; Ruxrungtham, Kiat; Putcharoen, Opass

2014-01-01

Etravirine (ETR) and rilpivirine (RPV) are the second-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) for treatment of HIV-1 infection. Etravirine is recommended for patients with virologic failure from first generation NNRTI-based regimen [1]. RPV has profile with similar properties to ETR but this agent is approved for treatment-naïve patients [2]. In Thailand, ETR is approximately 45 times more expensive than RPV. We aimed to study the patterns of genotypic resistance and possibility of using RPV in patients with virologic failure from two common NNRTI-based regimens: efavirenz (EFV)- or nevirapine (NVP)-based regimen. Data of clinical samples with confirmed virologic failure during 2003-2010 were reviewed. We selected the samples from patients who failed EFV- or NVP-based regimen. Resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) were determined by IAS-USA Drug Resistance Mutations. DUET, Monogram scoring system and Stanford Genotypic Resistance Interpretation were applied to determine the susceptibility of ETR and RPV. A total of 2086 samples were analyzed. Samples from 1482 patients with virologic failure from NVP-based regimen treatment failure (NVP group) and 604 patients with virologic failure from EFV-based regimen treatment failure (EFV group) were included. 95% of samples were HIV-1 CRF01_AE subtype. Approximately 80% of samples in each group had one to three NNRTI-RAMs and 20% had four to seven NNRTI-RAMs. 181C mutation was the most common NVP-associated RAM (54.3% vs 14.7%, p<0.01). 103N mutation was the most common EFV-associated RAM (56.5% vs 19.1%, p<0.01). The calculated scores from all three scoring systems were concordant. In NVP group, 165 (11.1%) and 161 (10.9%) patients were susceptible to ETR and RPV, respectively (p=0.81). In EFV group, 195 (32.2%) and 191 (31.6%) patients were susceptible to ETR and RPV, respectively (p=0.81). The proportions of viruses that remained susceptible to ETR and RPV in EFV group were significantly higher than NPV group (ETR susceptibility 32.2% vs 11.1%, p<0.01, RPV susceptibility 31.6% vs 10.9%, p<0.01), respectively. RPV might be a cost saving and reasonable second line NNRTI for patients who failed EFV- or NVP-containing regimens, especially in resource-limited setting because these two agents have comparable susceptibility identified by genotyping. From our study, approximately 30% of patients who failed EFV-based regimens had viruses that remained susceptible to RPV.

Infertility in a Ram Associated with a Knobbed Acrosome Abnormality of the Spermatozoa

PubMed Central

Savage, N. C.

1984-01-01

A yearling Rambouillet ram with an asymmetrical scrotum was examined for potential breeding soundness prior to use in a synchronized mating program in a purebred flock of 20 ewes. Initial sperm cell evaluation revealed 78% knobbed acrosomes associated with few other abnormalities of the head and midpiece. Use of the ram resulted in no conception in one group of ten synchronized ewes. One month later, the proportion of sperm cells with knobbed acrosomes was 80%. ImagesFigure 1.Figure 2. PMID:17422370

Non-Volatile Memory Technology Symposium 2001: Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aranki, Nazeeh; Daud, Taher; Strauss, Karl

2001-01-01

This publication contains the proceedings for the Non-Volatile Memory Technology Symposium 2001 that was held on November 7-8, 2001 in San Diego, CA. The proceedings contains a a wide range of papers that cover current and new memory technologies including Flash memories, Magnetic Random Access Memories (MRAM and GMRAM), Ferro-electric RAM (FeRAM), and Chalcogenide RAM (CRAM). The papers presented in the proceedings address the use of these technologies for space applications as well as radiation effects and packaging issues.

Fertility in South Australian commercial Merino flocks: aspects of management.

PubMed

Kleemann, David O; Grosser, Timothy I; Walker, Simon K

2006-05-01

Wide variation in reproductive performance of commercial Merino flocks in south central Australia is the result of genetic and environmental influences that are both amenable to change through decisions of management. Relationships of reproductive traits (estrus, ovulation, fertility, fecundity, lamb survival, and lambs weaned) with variables that graziers can change or modify (strain of Merino, day or month of exposure of ewes to rams, ram effect or teasing, length of the mating period, ram percentage, days between weaning and next mating, stocking density and flock size at lambing, ewe liveweight, and condition) are reported in this paper, the third in a series. Small differences were observed between medium and strong-wool South Australian Merino strains for reproductive traits. Choosing the time of year that ewes are exposed to rams, between late spring to autumn, may result in reduced ovulation rate during early summer (December) giving a potentially smaller net reproductive efficiency (lambs weaned). The ram effect or teasing, used by about 50% of graziers to synchronise lambing, could be effectively employed to the end of January. The technique was not reproductively advantageous when compared with flocks that were not teased. The percentage of rams mated to ewes varied widely (approximately 1-3%) and did not alter flock fertility, suggesting that a substantial proportion of graziers could safely reduce the number of rams purchased. A positive relationship between incidence of estrus during the first 14 d of the cycle and the number of days from weaning to next mating and a negative relationship of returns to service with the same variable indicates that managers should consider increasing the time allowed for recovery of liveweight and body condition by adjusting age at weaning, length of the mating period, or both. Lamb survival was curvilinearly related to flock size and not stocking intensity, with the optimum size at about 400 ewes. The number of lambs weaned per 100 ewes exposed to rams increased by 1.0 kg(-1) increase in liveweight at mating. We concluded that the major factor controlling net reproductive efficiency is nutritional in origin through its effects on ewe liveweight and condition, and is a factor that can be largely manipulated through management.

Rare emergence of drug resistance in HIV-1 treatment-naïve patients receiving elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide for 144 weeks.

PubMed

Margot, Nicolas; Cox, Stephanie; Das, Moupali; McCallister, Scott; Miller, Michael D; Callebaut, Christian

2018-06-01

The single tablet regimen (STR) composed of elvitegravir (E), cobicistat (C), emtricitabine (F), and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) (E/C/F/TAF) was compared to the STR composed of E, C, F, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) (E/C/F/TDF) in 2 phase 3 studies in 1733 HIV-1 infected treatment-naïve adults. Superior efficacy of E/C/F/TAF compared to E/C/F/TDF was demonstrated at Week 144 with 84% treatment success compared to 80%, respectively, along with significantly better outcomes of bone and renal safety. Analyze the emergence of HIV-1 resistance in treatment-naïve adults receiving E/C/F/TAF for 144 weeks. We conducted an integrated resistance analysis of the 2 Phase 3 studies, comprising pretreatment HIV-1 sequencing for all participants (N = 1733) and post-baseline HIV-1 resistance analysis for participants with virologic failure (HIV-1 RNA ≥400 copies/mL). Primary resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) were observed pre-treatment in 7.4% (NRTI-RAMs), 18.1% (NNRTI-RAMs), and 3.3% (PI-RAMs) of enrolled subjects. Baseline HIV-1 subtype or pre-existing RAMs did not affect E/C/F/TAF treatment response at week 144. Virologic failure resistance analyses were conducted for 28/866 (3.2%) and 30/867 (3.5%) patients in the E/C/F/TAF and E/C/F/TDF arms, respectively. Over the 3-year study, the rate of resistance emergence remained low at 1.4% in each group (12/866 in E/C/F/TAF; 12/867 in E/C/F/TDF). Resistant virus emerged in 24 patients who developed resistance to antiretrovirals in the regimens (E/C/F/TAF: M184V/I [1.3%], INSTI-RAMs [0.9%], K65R/N [0.2%]; E/C/F/TDF: M184V/I [1.0%], INSTI-RAMs [0.9%], K65R/N [0.5%]). Resistance emergence was rare (1.4%) with similar patterns of emergent mutations in both groups. M184V/I was the most prevalent RAM (1.2% overall). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Large Eddy Simulation of Cirrus Clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Ting; Cotton, William R.

1999-01-01

The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) with mesoscale interactive nested-grids and a Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) version of RAMS, coupled to two-moment microphysics and a new two-stream radiative code were used to investigate the dynamic, microphysical, and radiative aspects of the November 26, 1991 cirrus event. Wu (1998) describes the results of that research in full detail and is enclosed as Appendix 1. The mesoscale nested grid simulation successfully reproduced the large scale circulation as compared to the Mesoscale Analysis and Prediction System's (MAPS) analyses and other observations. Three cloud bands which match nicely to the three cloud lines identified in an observational study (Mace et al., 1995) are predicted on Grid #2 of the nested grids, even though the mesoscale simulation predicts a larger west-east cloud width than what was observed. Large-eddy simulations (LES) were performed to study the dynamical, microphysical, and radiative processes in the 26 November 1991 FIRE 11 cirrus event. The LES model is based on the RAMS version 3b developed at Colorado State University. It includes a new radiation scheme developed by Harrington (1997) and a new subgrid scale model developed by Kosovic (1996). The LES model simulated a single cloud layer for Case 1 and a two-layer cloud structure for Case 2. The simulations demonstrated that latent heat release can play a significant role in the formation and development of cirrus clouds. For the thin cirrus in Case 1, the latent heat release was insufficient for the cirrus clouds to become positively buoyant. However, in some special cases such as Case 2, positively buoyant cells can be embedded within the cirrus layers. These cells were so active that the rising updraft induced its own pressure perturbations that affected the cloud evolution. Vertical profiles of the total radiative and latent heating rates indicated that for well developed, deep, and active cirrus clouds, radiative cooling and latent heating could be comparable in magnitude in the cloudy layer. This implies that latent heating cannot be neglected in the construction of a cirrus cloud model. The probability density function (PDF) of w was analyzed to assist in the parameterization of cloud-scale velocities in large-scale models. For the more radiatively-driven, thin cirrus case, the PDFs are approximately Gaussian. However, in the interior of the deep, convectively unstable case, the PDFs of w are multi-modal and very broad, indicating that parameterizing cloud-scale motions for such clouds can be very challenging. The results of this research are described in detail in a paper submitted to the Journal of Atmospheric Science (Wu and Cotton, 1999), which is enclosed as Appendix 2. Using soundings extracted from a mesoscale simulation of the November 26, 1991 cirrus event, the radiative effects on vapor deposition/sublimation of ice crystals was studied using a two-dimensional cloud-resolving model (CRM) version of RAMS, coupled to an explicit bin-resolving microphysics. The CRM simulations of the November 26, 1991 cirrus event demonstrate that the radiative impact on the diffusional growth (or sublimation) of ice crystals is significant. In this case, the ice particles experienced radiative warming. Model results show that radiative feedbacks in the diffusional growth of ice particles can be very complex. Radiative warming of an ice particle will restrict the particle's diffusional growth. In the case of radiative warming, ice particles larger than a certain size will experience so much radiative warming that surface ice saturation vapor pressures become large enough to cause sublimation of the larger crystals, while smaller crystals are growing by vapor deposition. However, ice mass production can be enhanced in the case of radiative cooling of an ice particle. For the November 26, 1991 cirrus event, radiative feedback results in significant reduction in the total ice mass, especially in the production of large ice crystals, and consequently, both radiative and dynamic properties of the cirrus cloud are significantly affected. A complete description of this research has been submitted as a paper to the Journal of Atmospheric Science (Wu et al., 1999), and included as Appendix 3.

Protection of Grain Products from Sitophilus oryzae (L.) Contamination by Anti-Insect Pest Repellent Sachet Containing Allyl Mercaptan Microcapsule.

PubMed

Chang, Yoonjee; Lee, Soo-Hyun; Na, Ja Hyun; Chang, Pahn-Shick; Han, Jaejoon

2017-11-01

The purpose of this study was to develop an anti-insect pest repellent sachet to prevent Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) contamination in grain packaging. The anti-insect pest activities of essential oils (EOs) from garlic (Allium Sativum), ginger (Zingiber Officinalis), black pepper (Piper nigrum), onion (Allium cepa), and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) as well as major compounds (allyl disulfide, AD; allyl mercaptan, AM) isolated from of garlic and onion (AD and AM) were measured against S. oryzae. The results revealed that garlic EO, onion EO, AD, and AM showed strong fumigant insecticidal activities. Among these, AM showed the highest acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition rate, indicating that the fumigation insecticidal efficacy of AM is related with its AChE inhibition ability. Subsequently, the microcapsules were produced with a high efficiency (80.02%) by using AM as a core material and rice flour as a wall material. Finally, sachet composed of rice flour microcapsule containing 2% AM (RAM) was produced. Repellent assay was performed to measure anti-insect pest ability of the RAM sachet, showed remarkable repelling effect within 48 h both in the presence or absence of attractant. In a release profile of RAM sachet, it was expected to last over 20 mo during the distribution period of brown rice. Moreover, RAM sachet showed no undesirable changes to the sensory properties of the rice both before and after cooking. Taken together, these results suggest that the newly developed RAM sachet could be used as a packaging material to protect grain products from S. oryzae contamination. The rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), causes damages to stored products and its contamination in grain products has become a major problem in cereal market. To preserve brown rice, an anti-insect pest repellent sachet containing 2% allyl mercaptan was newly developed and it showed remarkable repellent abilities against S. oryzae. It could be used as an active food packaging system to protect grain products from insect pest contamination. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Simulating Energy, Water and Carbon Fluxes at the Shortgrass Steppe Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beltran-Przekurat, A. B.; Pielke, R. A.; Morgan, J. A.; Burke, I. C.

2005-12-01

Coupled atmospheric-biospheric models are a particularly valuable tool for studying the potential effects of land-use and land-cover changes on the near-surface atmosphere since the atmosphere and biosphere are allowed to dynamically interact through the surface and canopy energy balance. GEMRAMS is a coupled atmospheric-biospheric model comprised of an atmospheric model, RAMS, and an ecophysiological process-based model, GEMTM. In the first part of this study, the soil-vegetation-atmosphere-transfer (SVAT) scheme, LEAF2, from RAMS, coupled with GEMTM, are used to simulate energy, water and carbon fluxes over different cropping systems (winter wheat and irrigated corn) and over a mixed C3/C4 shortgrass prairie located at the USDA-ARS Central Plains Experimental Range near Nunn, Colorado, the LTER Shortgrass Steppe site. The new SVAT scheme, GEMLEAF, is forced with air temperature and humidity, wind speed and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR). Calculated canopy temperature and relative humidity, soil moisture and temperature and PAR are used to compute sunlit/shaded leaf photosynthesis (for C3 and C4 plant types) and respiration. Photosynthate is allocated to leaves, shoots, roots and reproductive organs with variable partition coefficients, which are functions of soil water conditions. As water stress increases, the fraction of photosynthate allocated to root growth increases. Leaf area index (LAI) is estimated from daily leaf biomass growth, using the vegetation-prescribed specific leaf area. Canopy conductance, computed and based on photosynthesis and relative humidity, is used to calculate latent heat flux. Simulated energy and CO2 fluxes are compared to observations collected using Bowen ratio flux towers during two growing seasons. Seasonality of the fluxes reflecting different plant phenologies agrees well with the observed patterns. In the second part of this study, simulations for two clear days are performed with GEMRAMS over a model domain centered at the SGS site. Simulated spatial differences in the energy fluxes can be associated with the highly heterogeneous landscape in this area.

Effects of service sire on prenatal mortality and prolificacy in ewes.

PubMed

Holler, T L; Dean, M; Taylor, T; Poole, D H; Thonney, M L; Thomas, D L; Pate, J L; Whitley, N; Dailey, R A; Inskeep, E K

2014-07-01

Ability to select service sires that minimize partial or complete losses of pregnancy could have major economic impacts in sheep production systems. This study tested the null hypothesis that survival of potential progeny did not vary with breed type of service sire or among individual rams. Data included 980 ewes on 10 farms; each ewe was pregnant to 1 of 67 rams of 12 breeds. Number of conceptuses was estimated once during pregnancy by ultrasonography, either transrectal (embryos) or transabdominal (fetuses), and was compared with number of lambs born to estimate losses. Data were examined first for number of lambs born and second for documented losses. Individual service sires affected number born (P < 0.001), which varied from 0.70 to 2.45 lambs per pregnant ewe. The main effects of breed type on lambs born were not significant, but breed types of both service sires (P < 0.0002) and ewes (P < 0.001) interacted with diagnosed number of conceptuses. Lambs born varied with ewe age (P < 0.0001) and among farms (P < 0.0001), and statistically, farms interacted with number of diagnosed conceptuses (P < 0.0001); season had no effect. In documented losses, there were both main effects of individual service sire and a service sire × number of diagnosed embryos interaction (P < 0.005). Thus, ewes bred to some rams were more apt to lose single pregnancies, whereas ewes bred to other rams were more apt to lose 1 or more embryos or fetuses from multiple pregnancies. Breed type of service sire affected (P < 0.05) prenatal death. Complete losses of single conceptuses tended to be greater in ewes bred to black-faced or hair-type rams (service sire breed type × number of diagnosed conceptuses; P < 0.09). Breed type of ewes also varied in incidence of complete losses (P < 0.05); hair-type ewes (46%) lost more (P < 0.02) documented conceptuses from examination to birth than black-faced (27%), white-faced (20%), or dairy-type (25%) ewes. Greater losses of singles than of multiples occurred in black-faced (37% vs. 18%) and hair-type (64% vs. 27%) ewes than in other breeds (ewe breed type × number of conceptuses; P < 0.03) per ewe. Surprisingly, purebred conceptuses were lost less often (24%) than crossbreds (36.4%; P < 0.002). Selection of rams based on records of prenatal losses in ewes they serviced may be a method to decrease embryonic and fetal wastage. However, further study to determine repeatability of differences among service sires from year to year will be required.

Evaluating pasture and soil allowance of manganese for Kajli rams grazing in semi-arid environment.

PubMed

Khan, Zafar Iqbal; Ahmad, Kafeel; Ashraf, Muhammad; Naqvi, Syed Ali Hassan; Seidavi, Alireza; Akram, Nudrat Aisha; Laudadio, Vito; Tufarelli, Vincenzo

2015-03-01

The current research on the manganese (Mn) transfer from soil to plant as well as to grazing Kajli rams in the form of sampling periods was carried out under semi-arid environmental conditions. Forage, soil and blood plasma samples were collected during 4 months of the year after a 1-month interval, and Mn concentrations were assessed after wet digestion using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results showed that Mn concentration in soil ranged from 48.28 to 59.44 mg/kg, with incoherent augment and decline across sampling periods, and effect of sampling period on soil Mn was also found to be significant (P < 0.05). The mean levels of Mn in soil appeared higher than the critical value and sufficient for forage crop requirement. The Mn concentration in forage ranged between 24.8 and 37.2 mg/kg, resulting deficient based on the requirement allowance of Mn for livestock grazing animals, therein with almost unchanged forage Mn concentration. The Mn values in blood plasma of rams varied from 0.066 to 0.089 mg/l, with a consistent increase based on sampling period, and the effect of sampling periods on plasma Mn was found to be highly significant (P < 0.05). The Mn levels in ram blood plasma were lesser than the normal level suggesting reasonable need for supplementation. Our study revealed the role of Mn availability in soil and plant species amassing capability on the transport of Mn in the soil-plant-animal system. Results indicated a much higher accumulation rate at the sampling characterized by vegetation dominated by legumes in comparison to grasses, crop residues and mixed pasture and a pronounced seasonal supply of Mn at the four sampling period of grazing land of diverse botanical composition.

Risk Assessment Methodology for Water utilities (RAM-W) : the foundation for emergency response planning.

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

Danneels, Jeffrey John

2005-03-01

Concerns about acts of terrorism against critical infrastructures have been on the rise for several years. Critical infrastructures are those physical structures and information systems (including cyber) essential to the minimum operations of the economy and government. The President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection (PCCIP) probed the security of the nation's critical infrastructures. The PCCIP determined the water infrastructure is highly vulnerable to a range of potential attacks. In October 1997, the PCCIP proposed a public/private partnership between the federal government and private industry to improve the protection of the nation's critical infrastructures. In early 2000, the EPA partnered withmore » the Awwa Research Foundation (AwwaRF) and Sandia National Laboratories to create the Risk Assessment Methodology for Water Utilities (RAM-W{trademark}). Soon thereafter, they initiated an effort to create a template and minimum requirements for water utility Emergency Response Plans (ERP). All public water utilities in the US serving populations greater than 3,300 are required to undertaken both a vulnerability assessment and the development of an emergency response plan. This paper explains the initial steps of RAM-W{trademark} and then demonstrates how the security risk assessment is fundamental to the ERP. During the development of RAM-W{trademark}, Sandia performed several security risk assessments at large metropolitan water utilities. As part of the scope of that effort, ERPs at each utility were reviewed to determine how well they addressed significant vulnerabilities uncovered during the risk assessment. The ERP will contain responses to other events as well (e.g. natural disasters) but should address all major findings in the security risk assessment.« less

User's guide for RAM. Volume II. Data preparation and listings

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

Turner, D.B.; Novak, J.H.

1978-11-01

The information presented in this user's guide is directed to air pollution scientists having an interest in applying air quality simulation models. RAM is a method of estimating short-term dispersion using the Gaussian steady-state model. These algorithms can be used for estimating air quality concentrations of relatively nonreactive pollutants for averaging times from an hour to a day from point and area sources. The algorithms are applicable for locations with level or gently rolling terrain where a single wind vector for each hour is a good approximation to the flow over the source area considered. Calculations are performed for eachmore » hour. Hourly meteorological data required are wind direction, wind speed, temperature, stability class, and mixing height. Emission information required of point sources consists of source coordinates, emission rate, physical height, stack diameter, stack gas exit velocity, and stack gas temperature. Emission information required of area sources consists of southwest corner coordinates, source side length, total area emission rate and effective area source-height. Computation time is kept to a minimum by the manner in which concentrations from area sources are estimated using a narrow plume hypothesis and using the area source squares as given rather than breaking down all sources into an area of uniform elements. Options are available to the user to allow use of three different types of receptor locations: (1) those whose coordinates are input by the user, (2) those whose coordinates are determined by the model and are downwind of significant point and area sources where maxima are likely to occur, and (3) those whose coordinates are determined by the model to give good area coverage of a specific portion of the region. Computation time is also decreased by keeping the number of receptors to a minimum. Volume II presents RAM example outputs, typical run streams, variable glossaries, and Fortran source codes.« less

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

T.F. Trembach; A.G. Klimenko

Coke battery 1A, which uses rammed batch, has gone into production at Radlin coke plant (Poland), on the basis of Giprokoks designs. Up-to-date dust-trapping methods are used for the first time within the aspiration systems in the coal-preparation shop and in improving dust collection within the production buildings.

Diversification of Processors Based on Redundancy in Instruction Set

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichikawa, Shuichi; Sawada, Takashi; Hata, Hisashi

By diversifying processor architecture, computer software is expected to be more resistant to plagiarism, analysis, and attacks. This study presents a new method to diversify instruction set architecture (ISA) by utilizing the redundancy in the instruction set. Our method is particularly suited for embedded systems implemented with FPGA technology, and realizes a genuine instruction set randomization, which has not been provided by the preceding studies. The evaluation results on four typical ISAs indicate that our scheme can provide a far larger degree of freedom than the preceding studies. Diversified processors based on MIPS architecture were actually implemented and evaluated with Xilinx Spartan-3 FPGA. The increase of logic scale was modest: 5.1% in Specialized design and 3.6% in RAM-mapped design. The performance overhead was also modest: 3.4% in Specialized design and 11.6% in RAM-mapped design. From these results, our scheme is regarded as a practical and promising way to secure FPGA-based embedded systems.

Complete positive ion, electron, and ram negative ion measurements near Comet Halley (COPERNIC) plasma experiment for the European Giotto Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Robert P.

1988-01-01

Participation of U.S. scientists on the COPERNIC (COmplete Positive ions, Electrons and Ram Negative Ion measurements near Comet Halley) plasma experiment on the Giotto mission is described. The experiment consisted of two detectors: the EESA (electron electrostatic analyzer) which provided three-dimensional measurements of the distribution of electrons from 10 eV to 30 keV, and the PICCA (positive ion cluster composition analyzer) which provided mass analysis of positively charged cold cometary ions from mass 10 to 210 amu. In addition, a small 3 deg wide sector of the EESA looking in the ram direction was devoted to the detection of negatively charged cold cometary ions. Both detectors operated perfectly up to near closest approach (approx. 600 km) to Halley, but impacts of dust particles and neutral gas on the spacecraft contaminated parts of the data during the last few minutes. Although no flight hardware was fabricated in the U.S., The U.S. made very significant contributions to the hardware design, ground support equipment (GSE) design and fabrication, and flight and data reduction software required for the experiment, and also participated fully in the data reduction and analysis, and theoretical modeling and interpretation. Cometary data analysis is presented.

RAMI modeling of plant systems for proposed tritium production and extraction facilities

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

Blanchard, A.

2000-04-05

The control of life-cycle cost is a primary concern during the development, construction, operation, and decommissioning of DOE systems and facilities. An effective tool that can be used to control these costs, beginning with the design stage, is called a reliability, availability, maintainability, and inspectability analysis or, simply, RAMI for short. In 1997, RAMI technology was introduced to the Savannah River Site with applications at the conceptual design stage beginning with the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) Project and later extended to the Commercial Light Water Reactor (CLWR) Tritium Extraction Facility (TEF) Project. More recently it has been applied tomore » the as-build Water Treatment Facilities designed for ground water environmental restoration. This new technology and database was applied to the assessment of balance-of-plant systems for the APT Conceptual Design Report. Initial results from the Heat Removal System Assessment revealed that the system conceptual design would cause the APT to fall short of its annual production goal. Using RAM technology to immediately assess this situation, it was demonstrated that the product loss could be gained back by upgrading the system's chiller unit capacity at a cost of less than $1.3 million. The reclaimed production is worth approximately $100 million. The RAM technology has now been extended to assess the conceptual design for the CLWR-TEF Project. More specifically, this technology and database is being used to translate high level availability goals into lower level system design requirements that will ensure the TEF meets its production goal. Results, from the limited number of system assessments performed to date, have already been used to modify the conceptual design for a remote handling system, improving its availability to the point that a redundant system, with its associated costs of installation and operation may no longer be required. RAMI results were also used to justify the elimination of a metal uranium bed in the design of a water cracker system, producing a significant reduction in the estimated construction and operating costs.« less

77 FR 49434 - 36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notification

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-16

... Standard (RAM/RS), with ancillary equipment, and machine guns. Also included are the upgrade of Brazil's... Maintainability/Rebuild to Standard (RAM/RS), with ancillary equipment, and machine guns. Also included are the...

Precise Restraightening of Bent Studs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boardman, R. E.

1982-01-01

Special tool quickly bends studs back into shape accurately and safely by force applied by hydraulic ram, with deflection being measured by dial indicator. Ram and indicator can be interchanged for straightening in reverse direction.

Determinate Root Growth and Meristem Maintenance in Angiosperms

PubMed Central

Shishkova, S.; Rost, T. L.; Dubrovsky, J. G.

2008-01-01

Background The difference between indeterminate and determinate growth in plants consists of the presence or absence of an active meristem in the fully developed organ. Determinate root growth implies that the root apical meristem (RAM) becomes exhausted. As a consequence, all cells in the root tip differentiate. This type of growth is widely found in roots of many angiosperm taxa and might have evolved as a developmental adaptation to water deficit (in desert Cactaceae), or low mineral content in the soil (proteoid roots in various taxa). Scope and Conclusions This review considers the mechanisms of determinate root growth to better understand how the RAM is maintained, how it functions, and the cellular and genetic bases of these processes. The role of the quiescent centre in RAM maintenance and exhaustion will be analysed. During root ageing, the RAM becomes smaller and its organization changes; however, it remains unknown whether every root is truly determinate in the sense that its RAM becomes exhausted before senescence. We define two types of determinate growth: constitutive where determinacy is a natural part of root development; and non-constitutive where determinacy is induced usually by an environmental factor. Determinate root growth is proposed to include two phases: the indeterminate growth phase, when the RAM continuously produces new cells; and the termination growth phase, when cell production gradually decreases and eventually ceases. Finally, new concepts regarding stem cells and a stem cell niche are discussed to help comprehend how the meristem is maintained in a broad taxonomic context. PMID:17954472

Modeling CCN effects on tropical convection: An statistical perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrio, G. G.; Cotton, W. R.; Massie, S. T.

2012-12-01

This modeling study examines the response of tropical convection to the enhancement of CCN concentrations from a statistical perspective. The sensitivity runs were performed using RAMS version 6.0, covering almost the entire Amazonian Aerosol Characterization Experiment period (AMAZE, wet season of 2008). The main focus of the analysis was the indirect aerosol effects on the probability density functions (PDFs) of various cloud properties. RAMS was configured to work with four two-way interactive nested grids with 42 vertical levels and horizontal grid spacing of 150, 37.5, 7.5, and 1.5 km. Grids 2 and 3 were used to simulate the synoptic and mesoscale environments, while grid 4 was used to resolve deep convection. Comparisons were made using the finest grid with a domain size of 300 X 300km, approximately centered on the city of Manaus (3.1S, 60.01W). The vertical grid was stretched using with 75m spacing at the finest levels to provide better resolution within the first 1.5 km, and the model top extended to approximately 22 km above ground level. RAMS was initialized on February 10 2008 (00:00 UTC), the length of simulations was 32 days, and GSF data were used for initialization and nudging of the coarser-grid boundaries. The control run considered a CCN concentration of 300cm-3 while other several other simulations considered an influx of higher CCN concentrations (up to 1300/cc) . The latter concentration was observed near the end of the AMAZE project period. Both direct and indirect effects of these CCN particles were considered. Model output data (finest grid) every 15 min were used to compute the PDFs for each model level. When increasing aerosol concentrations, significant impacts were simulated for the PDFs of the water contents of various hydrometeors, vertical motions, area with precipitation, latent heat releases, among other quantities. In most cases, they exhibited a peculiar non-monotonic response similar to that seen in two previous studies of ours (for isolated cloud systems). It is well known that a reduction in sizes of cloud droplets reduces coalescence, increases their probability of reaching super-cooled levels, and convective cells are intensified by additional release of latent heat of freezing. However, indirect aerosol effects tend to revert when aerosol concentrations are greatly enhanced due to the riming efficiency reduction of ice particles. However, some quantities show a different response; for instance, the water content associated with small ice crystals large contents are always more likely at high levels when considering air masses more polluted in terms of CCN. Conversely, the PDF's of water contents of larger ice crystals at high altitudes exhibit the aforementioned non-monotonic behavior.

Concept definition study for an extremely large aerophysics range facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swift, Hallock F.

1993-01-01

A conceptual design of a very large aeroballistic range is presented, as are its operational characteristics and procedures. The proposed model launcher is a two-stage light-gas gun, having a launch tube diameter of 254 mm, and the capability of accelerating a 14 kg launch mass to 6.1 km/sec. The gun's 91.4 cm diameter piston is driven by pressurized helium. High pressures in the central breech are contained by a multiple disk arrangement. The blast tank and sabot separation tank are described, as are methods for arresting sabot segments. The conceptual design of the range itself includes a 3.3 m diameter test or flight chamber some 330 m in length. Provisions are made for testing of free flight models and tests in which the model is confined by a track system. Methods for model deceleration and recovery are described. Provisions required for future addition of advanced model launchers such as an electromagnetic launcher or ram accelerator are addressed. Siting and safety issues are also addressed.

Multilevel resistive information storage and retrieval

DOEpatents

Lohn, Andrew; Mickel, Patrick R.

2016-08-09

The present invention relates to resistive random-access memory (RRAM or ReRAM) systems, as well as methods of employing multiple state variables to form degenerate states in such memory systems. The methods herein allow for precise write and read steps to form multiple state variables, and these steps can be performed electrically. Such an approach allows for multilevel, high density memory systems with enhanced information storage capacity and simplified information retrieval.

Aerothermal and Propulsion Ground Testing That Can Be Conducted to Increase Chances for Successful Hypervelocity Flight Experiments

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-10-01

interaction • Turbulence/ flow chemistry plus combustion interaction • Transpiration Cooling and ablation – Ram/Scramjet Technology – Ignition, mixing...turbulence models for separated regions of shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction – Modeling turbulence/ flow chemistry /combustion...Minutes FLOW DURATION Flow velocity Reynolds number Mach number Velocity Temperature Vehicle length NoneLengthVelocity Flow Chemistry Total temperature

Association of soybean-based extenders with field fertility of stored ram (Ovis aries) semen: a randomized double-blind parallel group design.

PubMed

Khalifa, Tarek; Lymberopoulos, Aristotelis; Theodosiadou, Ekaterini

2013-02-01

Two consecutive randomized double-blind field fertility experiments were conducted over a 4-month period and aimed at evaluating the association of two commercial soybean lecithin-based extenders (AndroMed [Minitub, Tiefenbach, Germany] and BioXcell [IMV Technologies, L'Aigle, France]) with pregnancy rates of chilled-stored (CS) and frozen-thawed (FT) ram semen. Semen samples with more than 2 × 10(9) sperm per mL and 70% progressive motile spermatozoa were collected via an artificial vagina from twelve proven fertile Chios rams, split-diluted with the above mentioned extenders, packaged in 0.25 mL straws and either stored at 5 ± 1 °C for 30 to 36 hours or frozen and thawed. Non-lactating multiparous ewes were inseminated in progestagen-synchronized estrus either with CS (AndroMed: N = 212 and BioXcell: N = 206; intracervical AI) or with FT (AndroMed: N = 114 and BioXcell: N = 92; laparoscopic intrauterine AI) semen. Ovulation was confirmed in all ewes based on determination of blood plasma progesterone (>1 ng/mL) 8 days post AI. Ewes were screened for pregnancy diagnosis by transabdominal ultrasonography 65 days post AI. BioXcell was superior to AndroMed in preserving the fertilizing potential of CS (P < 0.05) and FT (P < 0.005) semen. In AndroMed-stored semen, young rams (1.5-2.5 years old, N = 8) had a pregnancy rate (59.1%; 124/210) lower than that (72.4%; 84/116) of mature rams (4.5 to 5.5 years, N = 4; P < 0.025). Compared with AndroMed extender, processing of young ram semen in BioXcell extender improved pregnancy rates of CS (66.7%; 88/132 vs. 83.9%; 94/112; P < 0.005) and FT (46.2%; 36/78 vs. 71.0%; 44/62; P < 0.01) spermatozoa. Both extenders were similarly effective in preserving pregnancy rates of mature ram semen (P > 0.05). Ram-by-extender interactions were significant for pregnancy rates of CS and FT semen. Irrespective of extenders, overall pregnancy rates after intracervical and intrauterine AI were 75.1% and 62.2%, respectively (P < 0.001). In conclusion, BioXcell is a suitable extender for short- and long-term storage of ram semen. Selection of the ewes, farms, and extenders for intracervical AI programs can contribute to satisfactory fertility rates with semen preserved more than 24 hours at 5 °C. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HIV multi-drug resistance at first-line antiretroviral failure and subsequent virological response in Asia

PubMed Central

Jiamsakul, Awachana; Sungkanuparph, Somnuek; Law, Matthew; Kantor, Rami; Praparattanapan, Jutarat; Li, Patrick CK; Phanuphak, Praphan; Merati, Tuti; Ratanasuwan, Winai; Lee, Christopher KC; Ditangco, Rossana; Mustafa, Mahiran; Singtoroj, Thida; Kiertiburanakul, Sasisopin

2014-01-01

Introduction First-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) failure often results from the development of resistance-associated mutations (RAMs). Three patterns, including thymidine analogue mutations (TAMs), 69 Insertion (69Ins) and the Q151M complex, are associated with resistance to multiple-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and may compromise treatment options for second-line ART. Methods We investigated patterns and factors associated with multi-NRTI RAMs at first-line failure in patients from The TREAT Asia Studies to Evaluate Resistance – Monitoring study (TASER-M), and evaluated their impact on virological responses at 12 months after switching to second-line ART. RAMs were compared with the IAS-USA 2013 mutations list. We defined multi-NRTI RAMs as the presence of either Q151M; 69Ins; ≥2 TAMs; or M184V+≥1 TAM. Virological suppression was defined as viral load (VL) <400 copies/ml at 12 months from switch to second-line. Logistic regression was used to analyze (1) factors associated with multi-NRTI RAMs at first-line failure and (2) factors associated with virological suppression after 12 months on second-line. Results A total of 105 patients from 10 sites in Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines were included. There were 97/105 (92%) patients harbouring ≥1 RAMs at first-line failure, 39/105 with multi-NRTI RAMs: six with Q151M; 24 with ≥2 TAMs; and 32 with M184V+≥1 TAM. Factors associated with multi-NRTI RAMs were CD4 ≤200 cells/µL at genotyping (OR=4.43, 95% CI [1.59–12.37], p=0.004) and ART duration >2 years (OR=6.25, 95% CI [2.39–16.36], p<0.001). Among 87/105 patients with available VL at 12 months after switch to second-line ART, virological suppression was achieved in 85%. The median genotypic susceptibility score (GSS) for the second-line regimen was 2.00. Patients with ART adherence ≥95% were more likely to be virologically suppressed (OR=9.33, 95% CI (2.43–35.81), p=0.001). Measures of patient resistance to second-line ART, including the GSS, were not significantly associated with virological outcome. Conclusions Multi-NRTI RAMs at first-line failure were associated with low CD4 level and longer duration of ART. With many patients switching to highly susceptible regimens, good adherence was still crucial in achieving virological response. This emphasizes the importance of continued adherence counselling well into second-line therapy. PMID:25141905

HIV multi-drug resistance at first-line antiretroviral failure and subsequent virological response in Asia.

PubMed

Jiamsakul, Awachana; Sungkanuparph, Somnuek; Law, Matthew; Kantor, Rami; Praparattanapan, Jutarat; Li, Patrick C K; Phanuphak, Praphan; Merati, Tuti; Ratanasuwan, Winai; Lee, Christopher K C; Ditangco, Rossana; Mustafa, Mahiran; Singtoroj, Thida; Kiertiburanakul, Sasisopin

2014-01-01

First-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) failure often results from the development of resistance-associated mutations (RAMs). Three patterns, including thymidine analogue mutations (TAMs), 69 Insertion (69Ins) and the Q151M complex, are associated with resistance to multiple-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and may compromise treatment options for second-line ART. We investigated patterns and factors associated with multi-NRTI RAMs at first-line failure in patients from The TREAT Asia Studies to Evaluate Resistance - Monitoring study (TASER-M), and evaluated their impact on virological responses at 12 months after switching to second-line ART. RAMs were compared with the IAS-USA 2013 mutations list. We defined multi-NRTI RAMs as the presence of either Q151M; 69Ins; ≥ 2 TAMs; or M184V+≥ 1 TAM. Virological suppression was defined as viral load (VL) <400 copies/ml at 12 months from switch to second-line. Logistic regression was used to analyze (1) factors associated with multi-NRTI RAMs at first-line failure and (2) factors associated with virological suppression after 12 months on second-line. A total of 105 patients from 10 sites in Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines were included. There were 97/105 (92%) patients harbouring ≥ 1 RAMs at first-line failure, 39/105 with multi-NRTI RAMs: six with Q151M; 24 with ≥ 2 TAMs; and 32 with M184V+≥ 1 TAM. Factors associated with multi-NRTI RAMs were CD4 ≤ 200 cells/µL at genotyping (OR=4.43, 95% CI [1.59-12.37], p=0.004) and ART duration >2 years (OR=6.25, 95% CI [2.39-16.36], p<0.001). Among 87/105 patients with available VL at 12 months after switch to second-line ART, virological suppression was achieved in 85%. The median genotypic susceptibility score (GSS) for the second-line regimen was 2.00. Patients with ART adherence ≥ 95% were more likely to be virologically suppressed (OR=9.33, 95% CI (2.43-35.81), p=0.001). Measures of patient resistance to second-line ART, including the GSS, were not significantly associated with virological outcome. Multi-NRTI RAMs at first-line failure were associated with low CD4 level and longer duration of ART. With many patients switching to highly susceptible regimens, good adherence was still crucial in achieving virological response. This emphasizes the importance of continued adherence counselling well into second-line therapy.

Jellyfish: the origin and distribution of extreme ram-pressure stripping events in massive galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McPartland, Conor; Ebeling, Harald; Roediger, Elke; Blumenthal, Kelly

2016-01-01

We investigate the observational signatures and physical origin of ram-pressure stripping (RPS) in 63 massive galaxy clusters at z = 0.3-0.7, based on images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. Using a training set of a dozen `jellyfish' galaxies identified earlier in the same imaging data, we define morphological criteria to select 211 additional, less obvious cases of RPS. Spectroscopic follow-up observations of 124 candidates so far confirmed 53 as cluster members. For the brightest and most favourably aligned systems, we visually derive estimates of the projected direction of motion based on the orientation of apparent compression shocks and debris trails. Our findings suggest that the onset of these events occurs primarily at large distances from the cluster core (>400 kpc), and that the trajectories of the affected galaxies feature high-impact parameters. Simple models show that such trajectories are highly improbable for galaxy infall along filaments but common for infall at high velocities, even after observational biases are accounted for, provided the duration of the resulting RPS events is ≲500 Myr. We thus tentatively conclude that extreme RPS events are preferentially triggered by cluster mergers, an interpretation that is supported by the disturbed dynamical state of many of the host clusters. This hypothesis implies that extreme RPS might occur also near the cores of merging poor clusters or even merging groups of galaxies. Finally, we present nine additional `jellyfish" galaxies at z > 0.3 discovered by us, thereby doubling the number of such systems known at intermediate redshift.

Comparing interfertility data with random amplified microsatellites DNA (RAMS) studies in Ganoderma Karst. Taxonomy.

PubMed

Nudin, Nur Fatihah Hasan; S, Siddiquee

2012-03-01

The taxonomy of the causal pathogen of basal stem rot of oil palms, Ganoderma is somewhat problematic at present. In order to determine the genetic distance relationship between G. boninense isolates and non-boninense isolates, a random amplified microsatellites DNA (RAMS) technique was carried out. The result was then compared with interfertility data of G. boninense that had been determined in previous mating studies to confirm the species of G. boninense. Dendrogram from cluster analysis based on UPGMA of RAMS data showed that two major clusters, I and II which separated at a genetic distance of 0.7935 were generated. Cluster I consisted of all the biological species G. boninense isolates namely CNLB, GSDK 3, PER 71, WD 814, GBL 3, GBL 6, OC, GH 02, 170 SL and 348781 while all non-boninense isolates namely G. ASAM, WRR, TFRI 129, G. RES, GJ, and CNLM were grouped together in cluster II. Although the RAMS markers showed polymorphisms in all the isolates tested, the results obtained were in agreement with the interfertility data. Therefore, the RAMS data could support the interfertility data for the identification of Ganoderma isolates.

Transcriptomics insights into the genetic regulation of root apical meristem exhaustion and determinate primary root growth in Pachycereus pringlei (Cactaceae).

PubMed

Rodriguez-Alonso, Gustavo; Matvienko, Marta; López-Valle, Mayra L; Lázaro-Mixteco, Pedro E; Napsucialy-Mendivil, Selene; Dubrovsky, Joseph G; Shishkova, Svetlana

2018-06-04

Many Cactaceae species exhibit determinate growth of the primary root as a consequence of root apical meristem (RAM) exhaustion. The genetic regulation of this growth pattern is unknown. Here, we de novo assembled and annotated the root apex transcriptome of the Pachycereus pringlei primary root at three developmental stages, with active or exhausted RAM. The assembled transcriptome is robust and comprehensive, and was used to infer a transcriptional regulatory network of the primary root apex. Putative orthologues of Arabidopsis regulators of RAM maintenance, as well as putative lineage-specific transcripts were identified. The transcriptome revealed putative orthologues of most proteins involved in housekeeping processes, hormone signalling, and metabolic pathways. Our results suggest that specific transcriptional programs operate in the root apex at specific developmental time points. Moreover, the transcriptional state of the P. pringlei root apex as the RAM becomes exhausted is comparable to the transcriptional state of cells from the meristematic, elongation, and differentiation zones of Arabidopsis roots along the root axis. We suggest that the transcriptional program underlying the drought stress response is induced during Cactaceae root development, and that lineage-specific transcripts could contribute to RAM exhaustion in Cactaceae.

Implementing a bubble memory hierarchy system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Segura, R.; Nichols, C. D.

1979-01-01

This paper reports on implementation of a magnetic bubble memory in a two-level hierarchial system. The hierarchy used a major-minor loop device and RAM under microprocessor control. Dynamic memory addressing, dual bus primary memory, and hardware data modification detection are incorporated in the system to minimize access time. It is the objective of the system to incorporate the advantages of bipolar memory with that of bubble domain memory to provide a smart, optimal memory system which is easy to interface and independent of user's system.

Spiking Neural Networks Based on OxRAM Synapses for Real-Time Unsupervised Spike Sorting.

PubMed

Werner, Thilo; Vianello, Elisa; Bichler, Olivier; Garbin, Daniele; Cattaert, Daniel; Yvert, Blaise; De Salvo, Barbara; Perniola, Luca

2016-01-01

In this paper, we present an alternative approach to perform spike sorting of complex brain signals based on spiking neural networks (SNN). The proposed architecture is suitable for hardware implementation by using resistive random access memory (RRAM) technology for the implementation of synapses whose low latency (<1μs) enables real-time spike sorting. This offers promising advantages to conventional spike sorting techniques for brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and neural prosthesis applications. Moreover, the ultra-low power consumption of the RRAM synapses of the spiking neural network (nW range) may enable the design of autonomous implantable devices for rehabilitation purposes. We demonstrate an original methodology to use Oxide based RRAM (OxRAM) as easy to program and low energy (<75 pJ) synapses. Synaptic weights are modulated through the application of an online learning strategy inspired by biological Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity. Real spiking data have been recorded both intra- and extracellularly from an in-vitro preparation of the Crayfish sensory-motor system and used for validation of the proposed OxRAM based SNN. This artificial SNN is able to identify, learn, recognize and distinguish between different spike shapes in the input signal with a recognition rate about 90% without any supervision.

Making Distance Education Borderless.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Srisa-An, Wichit

1997-01-01

Begins with a tribute to Professor G. Ram Reddy (founder of Indira Gandhi National Open University), then focuses on enhancing the role of open universities in providing borderless distance education. Highlights include the need for open distance-education; philosophy and vision; the distance teaching system; the role of information technology;…

Analysis of Ram Acceleration for High Velocity Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-01

South Street Buffalo, NY 14225-0400 Portsmouth, NH 03801-5423 General Electric Company 1 Physics International Company Tactical Systems Department...E. Oran Gaithersburg, MD 20882 Washington, DC 20375-5000 AFOSR/NA 1 Amtec Engineering, Inc. ATTN: Dr. J. Tishkoff P.O. Box 3633 Boiling AFB, DC 20332

Magnetic flux ropes in the Venus ionosphere - Observations and models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, R. C.; Russell, C. T.

1983-01-01

Pioneer Venus Orbiter data are used as evidence of naturally occurring magnetic field filamentary structures which can be described by a flux rope model. The solar wind is interpreted as piling up a magnetic field on the Venus ionosphere, with the incident ram pressure being expressed as magnetic field pressure. Currents flowing at the ionopause shield out the field, allowing magnetic excursions to be observed with magnitudes of tens of nT over an interval of a few seconds. A quantitative assessment is made of the signature expected from a flux rope. It is noted that each excursion of the magnetic field detected by the Orbiter magnetometer was correlated with variations in the three components of the field. A coordinate system is devised which shows that the Venus data is indicative of the presence of flux ropes whose parameters are the coordinates of the system and would yield the excursions observed in the spacecraft crossings of the fields.

Influence of sexual behavior of Dorper rams treated with glutamate and/or testosterone on reproductive performance of anovulatory ewes.

PubMed

Calderón-Leyva, Guadalupe; Meza-Herrera, Cesar A; Rodriguez-Martinez, Rafael; Angel-García, Oscar; Rivas-Muñoz, Raymundo; Delgado-Bermejo, Juan V; Véliz-Deras, Francisco G

2018-01-15

The aim of this study was to determine if exogenous administration of glutamate and (or) testosterone to male rams during the season of reproductive arrest is able to re-activate male sexual behavior and, later on, to promote through the male effect, both sexual and reproductive competence of anovulatory nulliparous ewes. Therefore, an experiment was performed under long-day photoperiods (spring; photo-reproductive arrest, 26°N). Dorper rams were randomly divided into four homogeneous experimental groups (n = 5 males each) regarding live weight (LW), body condition score (BCS), scrotal circumference (SC) and odor intensity (OI). Then, groups were treated with: i) GG (7 mg kg -1  LW of glutamate, every 4d × 30d, im.), ii) GGT (7 mg kg -1  LW of glutamate every 4d × 30d im + 25 mg of testosterone propionate, every 3d × 15d, im.), iii) GT (25 mg of testosterone propionate every 3d × 15d, im, and iv) GC (1 mL of saline, every 4d × 30d, im.). Thereafter, Dorper rams, (n = 4 per group) were selected and exposed to Dorper anovulatory-nulliparous ewes divided in four groups (n = 14 ewes each), and all the appetitive (ASB) and consummatory (CSB) sexual behaviors and indicators of sexual rest (ISR) were registered during the first 48 h of this male-to-females contact. Thereafter, males continued the male-to-female contact for another 8 d, in order to quantify the ewe's sexual and reproductive response through the male effect. During the sexual behavior tests, the GGT rams showed the highest ASB + CSB frequencies (P < 0.05) followed by the GG-rams with the lowest frequencies showed by the GC and GT groups. While the highest ISR behaviors were shown by the GG and GGT groups (P < 0.05) followed by the GC and GT-rams, no differences occurred regarding LW, BCS, and SC along the experimental breeding, with the largest (P < 0.05) OI shown by the GGT-rams and the lowest value observed in the control rams. Regarding the reproductive response of the nulliparous-anovulatory ewes exposed to treated rams, the glutamate + testosterone treated males induced not only an increased (P < 0.05) ovulatory activity and faster (P < 0.05) estrus response but an augmented (P < 0.05) pregnancy rate of the previously anovulatory ewes. To conclude, whereas the GG and GGT treatments generated encouraging sexual and reproductive outcomes, our results are also thought-provoking from a comparative sexual behavior perspective while may embrace potential applications to other animal industries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.