A system architecture for a planetary rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, D. B.; Matijevic, J. R.

1989-01-01

Each planetary mission requires a complex space vehicle which integrates several functions to accomplish the mission and science objectives. A Mars Rover is one of these vehicles, and extends the normal spacecraft functionality with two additional functions: surface mobility and sample acquisition. All functions are assembled into a hierarchical and structured format to understand the complexities of interactions between functions during different mission times. It can graphically show data flow between functions, and most importantly, the necessary control flow to avoid unambiguous results. Diagrams are presented organizing the functions into a structured, block format where each block represents a major function at the system level. As such, there are six blocks representing telecomm, power, thermal, science, mobility and sampling under a supervisory block called Data Management/Executive. Each block is a simple collection of state machines arranged into a hierarchical order very close to the NASREM model for Telerobotics. Each layer within a block represents a level of control for a set of state machines that do the three primary interface functions: command, telemetry, and fault protection. This latter function is expanded to include automatic reactions to the environment as well as internal faults. Lastly, diagrams are presented that trace the system operations involved in moving from site to site after site selection. The diagrams clearly illustrate both the data and control flows. They also illustrate inter-block data transfers and a hierarchical approach to fault protection. This systems architecture can be used to determine functional requirements, interface specifications and be used as a mechanism for grouping subsystems (i.e., collecting groups of machines, or blocks consistent with good and testable implementations).

Passive forensics for copy-move image forgery using a method based on DCT and SVD.

PubMed

Zhao, Jie; Guo, Jichang

2013-12-10

As powerful image editing tools are widely used, the demand for identifying the authenticity of an image is much increased. Copy-move forgery is one of the tampering techniques which are frequently used. Most existing techniques to expose this forgery need to improve the robustness for common post-processing operations and fail to precisely locate the tampering region especially when there are large similar or flat regions in the image. In this paper, a robust method based on DCT and SVD is proposed to detect this specific artifact. Firstly, the suspicious image is divided into fixed-size overlapping blocks and 2D-DCT is applied to each block, then the DCT coefficients are quantized by a quantization matrix to obtain a more robust representation of each block. Secondly, each quantized block is divided non-overlapping sub-blocks and SVD is applied to each sub-block, then features are extracted to reduce the dimension of each block using its largest singular value. Finally, the feature vectors are lexicographically sorted, and duplicated image blocks will be matched by predefined shift frequency threshold. Experiment results demonstrate that our proposed method can effectively detect multiple copy-move forgery and precisely locate the duplicated regions, even when an image was distorted by Gaussian blurring, AWGN, JPEG compression and their mixed operations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Slip control for LIM propelled transit vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, A. K.; Parker, J. H.; Dawson, G. E.

1980-09-01

Short stator linear induction motors, with an iron-backed aluminum sheet reaction rail and powered by a controlled inverter, have been selected as the propulsion system for transit vehicles in an intermediate capacity system (12-20,000 pphpd). The linear induction motor is capable of adhesion independent braking and acceleration levels which permit safe, close headways. In addition, simple control is possible allowing moving block automatic train control. This paper presents a slip frequency control scheme for the LIM. Experimental results for motoring and braking obtained from a test vehicle are also presented. These values are compared with theoretical predictions.

Infants Use Social Context to Bind Actions into a Collaborative Sequence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fawcett, Christine; Gredebäck, Gustaf

2013-01-01

Eye tracking was used to show that 18-month-old infants are sensitive to social context as a sign that others' actions are bound together as a collaborative sequence based on a joint goal. Infants observed five identical demonstrations in which Actor 1 moved a block to one location and Actor 2 moved the same block to a new location, creating…

Identification of Lembang fault, West-Java Indonesia by using controlled source audio-magnetotelluric (CSAMT)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanny, Teuku A.

2017-07-01

The objective of this study is to determine boundary and how to know surrounding area between Lembang Fault and Cimandiri fault. For the detailed study we used three methodologies: (1). Surface deformation modeling by using Boundary Element method and (2) Controlled Source Audiomagneto Telluric (CSAMT). Based on the study by using surface deformation by using Boundary Element Methods (BEM), the direction Lembang fault has a dominant displacement in east direction. The eastward displacement at the nothern fault block is smaller than the eastward displacement at the southern fault block which indicates that each fault block move in left direction relative to each other. From this study we know that Lembang fault in this area has left lateral strike slip component. The western part of the Lembang fault move in west direction different from the eastern part that moves in east direction. Stress distribution map of Lembang fault shows difference between the eastern and western segments of Lembang fault. Displacement distribution map along x-direction and y-direction of Lembang fault shows a linement oriented in northeast-southwest direction right on Tangkuban Perahu Mountain. Displacement pattern of Cimandiri fault indicates that the Cimandiri fault is devided into two segment. Eastern segment has left lateral strike slip component while the western segment has right lateral strike slip component. Based on the displacement distribution map along y-direction, a linement oriented in northwest-southeast direction is observed at the western segment of the Cimandiri fault. The displacement along x-direction and y-direction between the Lembang and Cimandiri fault is nearly equal to zero indicating that the Lembang fault and Cimandiri Fault are not connected to each others. Based on refraction seismic tomography that we know the characteristic of Cimandiri fault as normal fault. Based on CSAMT method th e lembang fault is normal fault that different of dip which formed as graben structure.

Designing Technology for Children: Moving from the Computer into the Physical World with Electronic Blocks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyeth, Peta; Purchase, Helen

2002-01-01

Electronic Blocks are a new programming environment designed specifically for children between three and eight years of age. As such, the design of the Electronic Block environment is firmly based on principles of developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education. Electronic Blocks are the physical embodiment of computer…

Preventing messaging queue deadlocks in a DMA environment

DOEpatents

Blocksome, Michael A; Chen, Dong; Gooding, Thomas; Heidelberger, Philip; Parker, Jeff

2014-01-14

Embodiments of the invention may be used to manage message queues in a parallel computing environment to prevent message queue deadlock. A direct memory access controller of a compute node may determine when a messaging queue is full. In response, the DMA may generate and interrupt. An interrupt handler may stop the DMA and swap all descriptors from the full messaging queue into a larger queue (or enlarge the original queue). The interrupt handler then restarts the DMA. Alternatively, the interrupt handler stops the DMA, allocates a memory block to hold queue data, and then moves descriptors from the full messaging queue into the allocated memory block. The interrupt handler then restarts the DMA. During a normal messaging advance cycle, a messaging manager attempts to inject the descriptors in the memory block into other messaging queues until the descriptors have all been processed.

From conformal blocks to path integrals in the Vaidya geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anous, Tarek; Hartman, Thomas; Rovai, Antonin; Sonner, Julian

2017-09-01

Correlators in conformal field theory are naturally organized as a sum over conformal blocks. In holographic theories, this sum must reorganize into a path integral over bulk fields and geometries. We explore how these two sums are related in the case of a point particle moving in the background of a 3d collapsing black hole. The conformal block expansion is recast as a sum over paths of the first-quantized particle moving in the bulk geometry. Off-shell worldlines of the particle correspond to subdominant contributions in the Euclidean conformal block expansion, but these same operators must be included in order to correctly reproduce complex saddles in the Lorentzian theory. During thermalization, a complex saddle dominates under certain circumstances; in this case, the CFT correlator is not given by the Virasoro identity block in any channel, but can be recovered by summing heavy operators. This effectively converts the conformal block expansion in CFT from a sum over intermediate states to a sum over channels that mimics the bulk path integral.

Construction and testing of a Scanning Laser Radar (SLR), phase 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flom, T.; Coombes, H. D.

1971-01-01

The scanning laser radar overall system is described. Block diagrams and photographs of the hardware are included with the system description. Detailed descriptions of all the subsystems that make up the scanning laser radar system are included. Block diagrams, photographs, and detailed optical and electronic schematics are used to help describe such subsystem hardware as the laser, beam steerer, receiver optics and detector, control and processing electronics, visual data displays, and the equipment used on the target. Tests were performed on the scanning laser radar to determine its acquisition and tracking performance and to determine its range and angle accuracies while tracking a moving target. The tests and test results are described.

A study for bank effect on ship traffic in narrow water channels using cellular automata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhuo; Cong, Shuang; Pan, Junnan; Zheng, Jianfeng

2017-12-01

In narrow water channels, bank might affect nearby ships due to hydrodynamic forces (bank effect). To avoid accidents, different sailing rules (i.e., lane-changing, speed control) are required. In this paper, a two-lane cellular automata model is proposed to evaluate such phenomena. Numerical experiments show that ships will form a “slow-moving chunk” in the bank area, which will significantly block the flux. As further study demonstrated to alleviate bank effect, ship speed and bank length should be controlled.

A Bullet-Block Experiment That Explains the Chain Fountain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pantaleone, J.; Smith, R.

2018-01-01

It is common in science for two phenomena to appear to be very different, but in fact follow from the same basic principles. Here we consider such a case, the connection between the chain fountain and a bullet-block collision experiment. When an upward moving bullet strikes a wooden block resting on a horizontal table, the block will rise to a…

Precise positioning of an ion in an integrated Paul trap-cavity system using radiofrequency signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassa, Ezra; Takahashi, Hiroki; Christoforou, Costas; Keller, Matthias

2018-03-01

We report a novel miniature Paul ion trap design with an integrated optical fibre cavity which can serve as a building block for a fibre-linked quantum network. In such cavity quantum electrodynamic set-ups, the optimal coupling of the ions to the cavity mode is of vital importance and this is achieved by moving the ion relative to the cavity mode. The trap presented herein features an endcap-style design complemented with extra electrodes on which additional radiofrequency voltages are applied to fully control the pseudopotential minimum in three dimensions. This method lifts the need to use three-dimensional translation stages for moving the fibre cavity with respect to the ion and achieves high integrability, mechanical rigidity and scalability. Not based on modifying the capacitive load of the trap, this method leads to precise control of the pseudopotential minimum allowing the ion to be moved with precisions limited only by the ion's position spread. We demonstrate this by coupling the ion to the fibre cavity and probing the cavity mode profile.

Increasing available FIFO space to prevent messaging queue deadlocks in a DMA environment

DOEpatents

Blocksome, Michael A [Rochester, MN; Chen, Dong [Croton On Hudson, NY; Gooding, Thomas [Rochester, MN; Heidelberger, Philip [Cortlandt Manor, NY; Parker, Jeff [Rochester, MN

2012-02-07

Embodiments of the invention may be used to manage message queues in a parallel computing environment to prevent message queue deadlock. A direct memory access controller of a compute node may determine when a messaging queue is full. In response, the DMA may generate an interrupt. An interrupt handler may stop the DMA and swap all descriptors from the full messaging queue into a larger queue (or enlarge the original queue). The interrupt handler then restarts the DMA. Alternatively, the interrupt handler stops the DMA, allocates a memory block to hold queue data, and then moves descriptors from the full messaging queue into the allocated memory block. The interrupt handler then restarts the DMA. During a normal messaging advance cycle, a messaging manager attempts to inject the descriptors in the memory block into other messaging queues until the descriptors have all been processed.

Signal-Conditioning Block of a 1 × 200 CMOS Detector Array for a Terahertz Real-Time Imaging System

PubMed Central

Yang, Jong-Ryul; Lee, Woo-Jae; Han, Seong-Tae

2016-01-01

A signal conditioning block of a 1 × 200 Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) detector array is proposed to be employed with a real-time 0.2 THz imaging system for inspecting large areas. The plasmonic CMOS detector array whose pixel size including an integrated antenna is comparable to the wavelength of the THz wave for the imaging system, inevitably carries wide pixel-to-pixel variation. To make the variant outputs from the array uniform, the proposed signal conditioning block calibrates the responsivity of each pixel by controlling the gate bias of each detector and the voltage gain of the lock-in amplifiers in the block. The gate bias of each detector is modulated to 1 MHz to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the imaging system via the electrical modulation by the conditioning block. In addition, direct current (DC) offsets of the detectors in the array are cancelled by initializing the output voltage level from the block. Real-time imaging using the proposed signal conditioning block is demonstrated by obtaining images at the rate of 19.2 frame-per-sec of an object moving on the conveyor belt with a scan width of 20 cm and a scan speed of 25 cm/s. PMID:26950128

Signal-Conditioning Block of a 1 × 200 CMOS Detector Array for a Terahertz Real-Time Imaging System.

PubMed

Yang, Jong-Ryul; Lee, Woo-Jae; Han, Seong-Tae

2016-03-02

A signal conditioning block of a 1 × 200 Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) detector array is proposed to be employed with a real-time 0.2 THz imaging system for inspecting large areas. The plasmonic CMOS detector array whose pixel size including an integrated antenna is comparable to the wavelength of the THz wave for the imaging system, inevitably carries wide pixel-to-pixel variation. To make the variant outputs from the array uniform, the proposed signal conditioning block calibrates the responsivity of each pixel by controlling the gate bias of each detector and the voltage gain of the lock-in amplifiers in the block. The gate bias of each detector is modulated to 1 MHz to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the imaging system via the electrical modulation by the conditioning block. In addition, direct current (DC) offsets of the detectors in the array are cancelled by initializing the output voltage level from the block. Real-time imaging using the proposed signal conditioning block is demonstrated by obtaining images at the rate of 19.2 frame-per-sec of an object moving on the conveyor belt with a scan width of 20 cm and a scan speed of 25 cm/s.

Lithospheric Decoupling and Rotations: Hints from Ethiopian Rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muluneh, A. A.; Cuffaro, M.; Doglioni, C.; Kidane, T.

2014-12-01

Plates move relative to the mantle because some torques are acting on them. The shear in the low-velocity zone (LVZ) at the base of the lithosphere is the expression of these torques. The decoupling is allowed by the low viscosity in the LVZ, which is likely few orders of magnitudes lower than previously estimated. The viscosity value in the LVZ controls the degree of coupling/decoupling between the lithosphere and the underlying mantle. Lateral variations in viscosity within the LVZ may explain the velocity gradient among tectonic plates as the one determining the Ethiopian Rift (ER) separating Africa from Somalia. While it remains not fully understood the mechanisms of the torques acting on the lithosphere (thermally driven mantle convection or the combination of mantle convection with astronomical forces such as the Earth's rotation and tidal drag), the stresses are transmitted across the different mechanical layers (e.g., the brittle upper crust, down to the viscous-plastic ductile lower crust and upper mantle). Differential basal shear traction at the base of the lithosphere beneath the two sides of the East African Rift System (EARS) is assumed to drive and sustain rifting. In our analysis, the differential torques acting on the lithospheric/crustal blocks drive kinematics and block rotations. Since, ER involves the whole lithosphere, we do not expect large amount of rotation. Rotation can be the result of the whole plate motion on the sphere moving along the tectonic equator, or the second order sub-rotation of a single plate. Further rotation may occur along oblique plate boundaries (e.g., left lateral transtensional setting at the ER). Small amount of vertical axis rotation of blocks in northern ER could be related to the presence of local, shallower decollement layers. Shallow brittle-ductile transition (BDT) zone and differential tilting of crustal blocks in the northern ER could hint a possibility of detachment surface between the flow in the lower crust relative to the brittle crust above. Our study suggests that kinematics of crustal blocks in the ER is controlled by Africa and Somalia plates interaction at different scale and layers.

Blend uniformity evaluation during continuous mixing in a twin screw granulator by in-line NIR using a moving F-test.

PubMed

Fonteyne, Margot; Vercruysse, Jurgen; De Leersnyder, Fien; Besseling, Rut; Gerich, Ad; Oostra, Wim; Remon, Jean Paul; Vervaet, Chris; De Beer, Thomas

2016-09-07

This study focuses on the twin screw granulator of a continuous from-powder-to-tablet production line. Whereas powder dosing into the granulation unit is possible from a container of preblended material, a truly continuous process uses several feeders (each one dosing an individual ingredient) and relies on a continuous blending step prior to granulation. The aim of the current study was to investigate the in-line blending capacity of this twin screw granulator, equipped with conveying elements only. The feasibility of in-line NIR (SentroPAT, Sentronic GmbH, Dresden, Germany) spectroscopy for evaluating the blend uniformity of powders after the granulator was tested. Anhydrous theophylline was used as a tracer molecule and was blended with lactose monohydrate. Theophylline and lactose were both fed from a different feeder into the twin screw granulator barrel. Both homogeneous mixtures and mixing experiments with induced errors were investigated. The in-line spectroscopic analyses showed that the twin screw granulator is a useful tool for in-line blending in different conditions. The blend homogeneity was evaluated by means of a novel statistical method being the moving F-test method in which the variance between two blocks of collected NIR spectra is evaluated. The α- and β-error of the moving F-test are controlled by using the appropriate block size of spectra. The moving F-test method showed to be an appropriate calibration and maintenance free method for blend homogeneity evaluation during continuous mixing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

29 CFR 1926.1501 - Cranes and derricks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., chains, or other reciprocating, rotating, or other moving parts or equipment shall be guarded if such... more than one hoisting unit, each hoist shall have its rated load marked on it or its load block, and... contact between the load block or overhaul ball and the boom tip (anti-two-blocking device), or a system...

From conformal blocks to path integrals in the Vaidya geometry

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

Anous, Tarek; Hartman, Thomas; Rovai, Antonin

Correlators in conformal field theory are naturally organized as a sum over conformal blocks. In holographic theories, this sum must reorganize into a path integral over bulk fields and geometries. We explore how these two sums are related in the case of a point particle moving in the background of a 3d collapsing black hole. The conformal block expansion is recast as a sum over paths of the first-quantized particle moving in the bulk geometry. Off-shell worldlines of the particle correspond to subdominant contributions in the Euclidean conformal block expansion, but these same operators must be included in order tomore » correctly reproduce complex saddles in the Lorentzian theory. During thermalization, a complex saddle dominates under certain circumstances; in this case, the CFT correlator is not given by the Virasoro identity block in any channel, but can be recovered by summing heavy operators. This effectively converts the conformal block expansion in CFT from a sum over intermediate states to a sum over channels that mimics the bulk path integral.« less

From conformal blocks to path integrals in the Vaidya geometry

DOE PAGES

Anous, Tarek; Hartman, Thomas; Rovai, Antonin; ...

2017-09-04

Correlators in conformal field theory are naturally organized as a sum over conformal blocks. In holographic theories, this sum must reorganize into a path integral over bulk fields and geometries. We explore how these two sums are related in the case of a point particle moving in the background of a 3d collapsing black hole. The conformal block expansion is recast as a sum over paths of the first-quantized particle moving in the bulk geometry. Off-shell worldlines of the particle correspond to subdominant contributions in the Euclidean conformal block expansion, but these same operators must be included in order tomore » correctly reproduce complex saddles in the Lorentzian theory. During thermalization, a complex saddle dominates under certain circumstances; in this case, the CFT correlator is not given by the Virasoro identity block in any channel, but can be recovered by summing heavy operators. This effectively converts the conformal block expansion in CFT from a sum over intermediate states to a sum over channels that mimics the bulk path integral.« less

Thin sheet casting with electromagnetic pressurization

DOEpatents

Walk, Steven R.; Slepian, R. Michael; Nathenson, Richard D.; Williams, Robert S.

1991-01-01

An apparatus, method and system for the casting of thin strips or strips of metal upon a moving chill block that includes an electromagnet located so that molten metal poured from a reservoir onto the chill block passes into the magnetic field produced by the electromagnet. The electromagnet produces a force on the molten metal on said chill block in the direction toward said chill block in order to enhance thermal contact between the molten metal and the chill block.

System and method for 100% moisture and basis weight measurement of moving paper

DOEpatents

Hernandez, Jose E.; Koo, Jackson C.

2002-01-01

A system for characterizing a set of properties for a moving substance are disclosed. The system includes: a first near-infrared linear array; a second near-infrared linear array; a first filter transparent to a first absorption wavelength emitted by the moving substance and juxtaposed between the substance and the first array; a second filter blocking the first absorption wavelength emitted by the moving substance and juxtaposed between the substance and the second array; and a computational device for characterizing data from the arrays into information on a property of the substance. The method includes the steps of: filtering out a first absorption wavelength emitted by a substance; monitoring the first absorption wavelength with a first near-infrared linear array; blocking the first wavelength from reaching a second near-infrared linear array; and characterizing data from the arrays into information on a property of the substance.

Kinesthetic information facilitates saccades towards proprioceptive-tactile targets.

PubMed

Voudouris, Dimitris; Goettker, Alexander; Mueller, Stefanie; Fiehler, Katja

2016-05-01

Saccades to somatosensory targets have longer latencies and are less accurate and precise than saccades to visual targets. Here we examined how different somatosensory information influences the planning and control of saccadic eye movements. Participants fixated a central cross and initiated a saccade as fast as possible in response to a tactile stimulus that was presented to either the index or the middle fingertip of their unseen left hand. In a static condition, the hand remained at a target location for the entire block of trials and the stimulus was presented at a fixed time after an auditory tone. Therefore, the target location was derived only from proprioceptive and tactile information. In a moving condition, the hand was first actively moved to the same target location and the stimulus was then presented immediately. Thus, in the moving condition additional kinesthetic information about the target location was available. We found shorter saccade latencies in the moving compared to the static condition, but no differences in accuracy or precision of saccadic endpoints. In a second experiment, we introduced variable delays after the auditory tone (static condition) or after the end of the hand movement (moving condition) in order to reduce the predictability of the moment of the stimulation and to allow more time to process the kinesthetic information. Again, we found shorter latencies in the moving compared to the static condition but no improvement in saccade accuracy or precision. In a third experiment, we showed that the shorter saccade latencies in the moving condition cannot be explained by the temporal proximity between the relevant event (auditory tone or end of hand movement) and the moment of the stimulation. Our findings suggest that kinesthetic information facilitates planning, but not control, of saccadic eye movements to proprioceptive-tactile targets. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Movement cues aid face recognition in developmental prosopagnosia.

PubMed

Bennetts, Rachel J; Butcher, Natalie; Lander, Karen; Udale, Robert; Bate, Sarah

2015-11-01

Seeing a face in motion can improve face recognition in the general population, and studies of face matching indicate that people with face recognition difficulties (developmental prosopagnosia; DP) may be able to use movement cues as a supplementary strategy to help them process faces. However, the use of facial movement cues in DP has not been examined in the context of familiar face recognition. This study examined whether people with DP were better at recognizing famous faces presented in motion, compared to static. Nine participants with DP and 14 age-matched controls completed a famous face recognition task. Each face was presented twice across 2 blocks: once in motion and once as a still image. Discriminability (A) was calculated for each block. Participants with DP showed a significant movement advantage overall. This was driven by a movement advantage in the first block, but not in the second block. Participants with DP were significantly worse than controls at identifying faces from static images, but there was no difference between those with DP and controls for moving images. Seeing a familiar face in motion can improve face recognition in people with DP, at least in some circumstances. The mechanisms behind this effect are unclear, but these results suggest that some people with DP are able to learn and recognize patterns of facial motion, and movement can act as a useful cue when face recognition is impaired. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

RADIO-ACTIVE TRANSDUCER

DOEpatents

Wanetick, S.

1962-03-01

ABS>ure the change in velocity of a moving object. The transducer includes a radioactive source having a collimated beam of radioactive particles, a shield which can block the passage of the radioactive beam, and a scintillation detector to measure the number of radioactive particles in the beam which are not blocked by the shield. The shield is operatively placed across the radioactive beam so that any motion normal to the beam will cause the shield to move in the opposite direction thereby allowing more radioactive particles to reach the detector. The number of particles detected indicates the acceleration. (AEC)

Real-Time Tracking of Implanted Markers During Radiation Treatment by Use of Simultaneous kV and MV Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

the MV–kV correlation method by sinusoidally moving a block of solid water (measuring 5 × 5× 10 cm3) containing three embedded BB metallic markers (3 mm...in diameter). A 4D motion platform (Washington University, St Louis, MO) holding the block of solid water (figure 1) was programmed to produce the...Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA). The SS-IMRT plans were delivered to either the moving pelvic phantom or the cube of solid water attached to the

Rock cities, periglacial mass-wasting, and honeycomb weathering in Warren County, northwestern Pennsylvania

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

Inners, J.D.; Sevon, W.D.; Moore, M.E.

1993-03-01

Imposing hilltop rock-cities developed from widely jointed outcrops of Olean conglomerate (Lower Pennsylvanian) create picturesque scenery on the Allegheny High Plateau in Warren Co., Pa. At least six such rock cities 2 to 5 acres in extent are associated with the Late Wisconsinan glacial border in the northern half of the county. Farther to the south, jumbled Olean and Knapp (Lower Mississippian) joint blocks occur on steep slopes below valley-wall cliffs. The rock cities and accumulations of displaced joint blocks are largely relics of Late Wisconsinan periglacial mass-wasting. Frost splitting initiated opening of bedrock joints to form buildings. Gravity, soilmore » wedging, and possibly gelifluction then widened the fissures into streets. Gelifluction moved blocks downslope and oriented their long axes parallel with slope (Warren Rocks). Forward toppling of high, unstable blocks contributed to mass-movement on some steep slopes (Rimrock). Today, rock cities and downslope blocks are stable in areas of gentle (less than 10 percent) slopes, but toppling, solifluction, creep, and debris flows cause continued slow movement of large blocks on moderately steep to steep (greater than 30 percent) slopes. Blocks of Olean and Knapp conglomerate have both stratabound pitting and intricate honeycomb weathering. Deep pitting is controlled largely by variations in silica cementation. Honeycomb weathering is most evident in sandy layers and results from patterns of iron-oxide impregnation. Both are Holocene surface-weathering processes.« less

Strategies for Teaching in a Block-of-Time Schedule.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackmann, Donald G.; Schmitt, Donna M.

1997-01-01

Offers suggestions for developing creative instructional approaches in time-blocked classes. Teachers should continuously engage students in active learning, include group activities to encourage student participation, incorporate activities addressing multiple intelligences, use creative thinking activities, move outside the classroom, employ…

Did I see your hand moving? The effect of movement-related information on the Corsi block tapping task.

PubMed

Brunetti, Riccardo; Del Gatto, Claudia; Cavallina, Clarissa; Farina, Benedetto; Delogu, Franco

2018-05-01

The Corsi Block Tapping Task is a widespread test used to assess spatial working memory. Previous research hypothesized that the discrepancy found in some cases between the traditional and the digital (touchscreen) version of the Corsi block tapping task may be due to a direct motor resonance between the experimenter's and the participant's hand movements. However, we hypothesize that this discrepancy might be due to extra movement-related information included in the traditional version, lacking in the digital one. We investigated the effects of such task-irrelevant information using eCorsi, a touchscreen version of the task. In Experiment 1, we manipulate timing in sequence presentation, creating three conditions. In the Congruent condition, the inter-stimulus intervals reflected the physical distance in which the stimuli were spatially placed: The longer the spatial distance, the longer the temporal interval. In the Incongruent condition the timing changed randomly. Finally, in the Isochronous condition every stimulus appeared after a fixed interval, independently from its spatial position. The results showed a performance enhancement in the Congruent condition, suggesting an incidental spatio-temporal binding. In Experiment 2, we added straight lines between each location in the sequences: In the Trajectories condition participants saw trajectories from one spatial position to the other during sequence presentation, while a condition without such trajectories served as control. Results showed better performances in the Trajectories condition. We suggest that the timing and trajectories information play a significant role in the discrepancies found between the traditional and the touchscreen version of the Corsi Block Tapping Task, without the necessity of explanations involving direct motor resonance (e.g. seeing an actual hand moving) as a causal factor.

"What Do I Teach for 90 Minutes?" Creating a Successful Block-Scheduled English Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Carol

The story of the process that Mundelein High School (located in a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois) as it moved from a traditional schedule to a block schedule is described throughout this book as a way to blend theory with practice. The book addresses types of block schedules; key issues for effective preparation; professional development…

A new dry hypothesis for the formation of Martian linear gullies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diniega, Serina; Hansen, Candice J.; McElwaine, Jim N.; Hugenholtz, C.H.; Dundas, Colin M.; McEwen, Alfred S.; Bourke, Mary C.

2013-01-01

Long, narrow grooves found on the slopes of martian sand dunes have been cited as evidence of liquid water via the hypothesis that melt-water initiated debris flows eroded channels and deposited lateral levées. However, this theory has several short-comings for explaining the observed morphology and activity of these linear gullies. We present an alternative hypothesis that is consistent with the observed morphology, location, and current activity: that blocks of CO2 ice break from over-steepened cornices as sublimation processes destabilize the surface in the spring, and these blocks move downslope, carving out levéed grooves of relatively uniform width and forming terminal pits. To test this hypothesis, we describe experiments involving water and CO2 blocks on terrestrial dunes and then compare results with the martian features. Furthermore, we present a theoretical model of the initiation of block motion due to sublimation and use this to quantitatively compare the expected behavior of blocks on the Earth and Mars. The model demonstrates that CO2 blocks can be expected to move via our proposed mechanism on the Earth and Mars, and the experiments show that the motion of these blocks will naturally create the main morphological features of linear gullies seen on Mars.

Contingency learning without awareness: evidence for implicit control.

PubMed

Schmidt, James R; Crump, Matthew J C; Cheesman, Jim; Besner, Derek

2007-06-01

The results of four experiments provide evidence for controlled processing in the absence of awareness. Participants identified the colour of a neutral distracter word. Each of four words (e.g., MOVE) was presented in one of the four colours 75% of the time (Experiments 1 and 4) or 50% of the time (Experiments 2 and 3). Colour identification was faster when the words appeared in the colour they were most often presented in relative to when they appeared in another colour, even for participants who were subjectively unaware of any contingencies between the words and the colours. An analysis of sequence effects showed that participants who were unaware of the relation between distracter words and colours nonetheless controlled the impact of the word on performance depending on the nature of the previous trial. A block analysis of contingency-unaware participants revealed that contingencies were learned rapidly in the first block of trials. Experiment 3 showed that the contingency effect does not depend on the level of awareness, thus ruling out explicit strategy accounts. Finally, Experiment 4 showed that the contingency effect results from behavioural control and not from semantic association or stimulus familiarity. These results thus provide evidence for implicit control.

Fast adaptive diamond search algorithm for block-matching motion estimation using spatial correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sang-Gon; Jeong, Dong-Seok

2000-12-01

In this paper, we propose a fast adaptive diamond search algorithm (FADS) for block matching motion estimation. Many fast motion estimation algorithms reduce the computational complexity by the UESA (Unimodal Error Surface Assumption) where the matching error monotonically increases as the search moves away from the global minimum point. Recently, many fast BMAs (Block Matching Algorithms) make use of the fact that global minimum points in real world video sequences are centered at the position of zero motion. But these BMAs, especially in large motion, are easily trapped into the local minima and result in poor matching accuracy. So, we propose a new motion estimation algorithm using the spatial correlation among the neighboring blocks. We move the search origin according to the motion vectors of the spatially neighboring blocks and their MAEs (Mean Absolute Errors). The computer simulation shows that the proposed algorithm has almost the same computational complexity with DS (Diamond Search), but enhances PSNR. Moreover, the proposed algorithm gives almost the same PSNR as that of FS (Full Search), even for the large motion with half the computational load.

How to push a block along a wall

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Matthew T.

1989-01-01

Some robot tasks require manipulation of objects that may be touching other fixed objects. The effects of friction and kinematic constraint must be anticipated, and may even be exploited to accomplish the task. An example task, a dynamic analysis, and appropriate effector motions are presented. The goal is to move a rectangular block along a wall, so that one side of the block maintains contact with the wall. Two solutions that push the block along the wall are discussed.

Moving chairs in Starbucks: Observational studies find rice-wheat cultural differences in daily life in China.

PubMed

Talhelm, Thomas; Zhang, Xuemin; Oishi, Shigehiro

2018-04-01

Traditional paddy rice farmers had to share labor and coordinate irrigation in a way that most wheat farmers did not. We observed people in everyday life to test whether these agricultural legacies gave rice-farming southern China a more interdependent culture and wheat-farming northern China a more independent culture. In Study 1, we counted 8964 people sitting in cafes in six cities and found that people in northern China were more likely to be sitting alone. In Study 2, we moved chairs together in Starbucks across the country so that they were partially blocking the aisle ( n = 678). People in northern China were more likely to move the chair out of the way, which is consistent with findings that people in individualistic cultures are more likely to try to control the environment. People in southern China were more likely to adjust the self to the environment by squeezing through the chairs. Even in China's most modern cities, rice-wheat differences live on in everyday life.

Nonuniformity correction for an infrared focal plane array based on diamond search block matching.

PubMed

Sheng-Hui, Rong; Hui-Xin, Zhou; Han-Lin, Qin; Rui, Lai; Kun, Qian

2016-05-01

In scene-based nonuniformity correction algorithms, artificial ghosting and image blurring degrade the correction quality severely. In this paper, an improved algorithm based on the diamond search block matching algorithm and the adaptive learning rate is proposed. First, accurate transform pairs between two adjacent frames are estimated by the diamond search block matching algorithm. Then, based on the error between the corresponding transform pairs, the gradient descent algorithm is applied to update correction parameters. During the process of gradient descent, the local standard deviation and a threshold are utilized to control the learning rate to avoid the accumulation of matching error. Finally, the nonuniformity correction would be realized by a linear model with updated correction parameters. The performance of the proposed algorithm is thoroughly studied with four real infrared image sequences. Experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm can reduce the nonuniformity with less ghosting artifacts in moving areas and can also overcome the problem of image blurring in static areas.

The Mobile Margin of (Far) North America: GPS Constraints on Active Deformation in Alaska and the Role of the Yakutat Block

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, J.; Freymueller, J. T.; Larsen, C. F.; Motyka, R. J.

2010-12-01

GPS data from southern Alaska and the northern Canadian Cordillera have helped redefine the region’s tectonic landscape. Instead of a comparatively simple interaction between the Pacific and North American plates, with relative motion accommodated on a single boundary fault, we find a margin made up of a number of small blocks and deformation zones with relative motion distributed across a variety of structures. Much of this complexity can be attributed to the Yakutat block, an allochthonous terrane that has been colliding with southern Alaska since the Miocene. We present a GPS-derived tectonic model for the Yakutat block collision and its effects on southern Alaska and eastern Canada. The Yakutat block moves NNW at a rate of 50 mm/a, resulting in ~ 45 mm/a of NW-directed convergence with southern Alaska. Along its eastern edge, the Yakutat block is deforming, represented in our model by two small northwesterly moving blocks outboard of the Fairweather fault. Part of the strain from the collision is transferred east of the Fairweather - Queen Charlotte fault system, causing the region inboard of the Fairweather fault to undergo a distinct clockwise rotation into the northern Canadian Cordillera. Further south, the region directly east of the Queen Charlotte fault displays a much slower clockwise rotation, suggesting that it is at least partially pulled along by the northern block motion. About 5% of the relative motion is transferred even further east, causing small northeasterly motions well into the northern Cordillera. The northwestern edge of the Yakutat block marks the main deformation front between that block and southern Alaska. Multiple narrow, northwesterly moving blocks bounded by N- to NW-dipping thrust faults are required to explain the GPS data between the Malaspina Glacier and the Bagley Ice Valley. These “blocks” may be more aptly termed crustal slivers or deformation zones due to their size and because their bounding faults may sole out into a main thrust instead of cutting through the lithosphere. In contrast with the region to the east, relative convergence is accommodated over a fairly short distance across the St. Elias Mountains. West of the deformation front, the en echelon blocks and faults continue until the vicinity of the Bering Glacier, where the GPS data reveal a rotation towards the north as the tectonic regime transitions from the collision and accretion of the Yakutat block to subduction along the Aleutian Megathrust. North of the Chugach and St. Elias Ranges, the Southern Alaska block rotates counterclockwise.

SOSlope: a new slope stability model for vegetated hillslopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, D.; Schwarz, M.

2016-12-01

Roots contribute to increase soil strength but forces mobilized by roots depend on soil relative displacement. This effect is not included in models of slope stability. Here we present a new numerical model of shallow landslides for vegetated hillslopes that uses a strain-step loading approach for force redistributions within a soil mass including the effects of root strength in both tension and compression. The hillslope is discretized into a two-dimensional array of blocks connected by bonds. During a rainfall event the blocks's mass increases and the soil shear strength decreases. At each time step, we compute a factor of safety for each block. If the factor of safety of one or more blocks is less than one, those blocks are moved in the direction of the local active force by a predefined amount and the factor of safety is recalculated for all blocks. Because of the relative motion between blocks that have moved and those that remain stationary, mechanical bond forces between blocks that depend on relative displacement change, modifying the force balance. This relative motion triggers instantaneous force redistributions across the entire hillslope similar to a self-organized critical system. Looping over blocks and moving those that are unstable is repeated until all blocks are stable and the system reaches a new equilibrium, or, some blocks have failed causing a landslide. Spatial heterogeneity of vegetation is included by computing the root density and distribution as a function of distance form trees. A simple subsurface hydrological model based on dual permeability concepts is used to compute the temporal evolution of water content, pore-water pressure, suction stress, and soil shear strength. Simulations for a conceptual slope indicates that forces mobilized in tension and compression both contribute to the stability of the slope. However, the maximum tensional and compressional forces imparted by roots do not contribute simultaneously to the stability of the soil mass, in contrast to what is commonly assumed in models. Simulations with different tree sizes (different magnitude of root reinforcement) indicate that there is a threshold in tree spacing (or tree diameter) above (or below) which root density and root sizes no longer provide sufficient reinforcement to keep the slope stable during a rainfall event.

Multiple-block grid adaption for an airplane geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abolhassani, Jamshid Samareh; Smith, Robert E.

1988-01-01

Grid-adaption methods are developed with the capability of moving grid points in accordance with several variables for a three-dimensional multiple-block grid system. These methods are algebraic, and they are implemented for the computation of high-speed flow over an airplane configuration.

Quick actuating closure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, III, Dorsey E. (Inventor); Updike, deceased, Benjamin T. (Inventor); Allred, Johnny W. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

A quick actuating closure for a pressure vessel 80 in which a wedge ring 30 with a conical outer surface 31 is moved forward to force shear blocks 40, with conical inner surfaces 41, radially outward to lock an end closure plug 70 within an opening 81 in the pressure vessel 80. A seal ring 60 and a preload ramp 50 sit between the shear blocks 40 and the end closure plug 70 to provide a backup sealing capability. Conical surfaces 44 and 55 of the preload ramp 50 and the shear blocks 40 interact to force the seal ring 60 into shoulders 73 and 85 in the end closure plug 70 and opening 81 to form a tight seal. The end closure plug 70 is unlocked by moving the wedge ring 30 rearward, which causes T-bars 32 of the wedge ring 30 riding within T -slots 42 of the shear blocks 40 to force them radially inward. The end closure plug 70 is then removed, allowing access to the interior of the pressure vessel 80.

Design of virtual display and testing system for moving mass electromechanical actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Zhigang; Geng, Keda; Zhou, Jun; Li, Peng

2015-12-01

Aiming at the problem of control, measurement and movement virtual display of moving mass electromechanical actuator(MMEA), the virtual testing system of MMEA was developed based on the PC-DAQ architecture and the software platform of LabVIEW, and the comprehensive test task such as drive control of MMEA, tests of kinematic parameter, measurement of centroid position and virtual display of movement could be accomplished. The system could solve the alignment for acquisition time between multiple measurement channels in different DAQ cards, then on this basis, the researches were focused on the dynamic 3D virtual display by the LabVIEW, and the virtual display of MMEA were realized by the method of calling DLL and the method of 3D graph drawing controls. Considering the collaboration with the virtual testing system, including the hardware drive, the measurement software of data acquisition, and the 3D graph drawing controls method was selected, which could obtained the synchronization measurement, control and display. The system can measure dynamic centroid position and kinematic position of movable mass block while controlling the MMEA, and the interface of 3D virtual display has realistic effect and motion smooth, which can solve the problem of display and playback about MMEA in the closed shell.

Compliant Robot Wrist

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voellmer, George

1992-01-01

Compliant element for robot wrist accepts small displacements in one direction only (to first approximation). Three such elements combined to obtain translational compliance along three orthogonal directions, without rotational compliance along any of them. Element is double-blade flexure joint in which two sheets of spring steel attached between opposing blocks, forming rectangle. Blocks moved parallel to each other in one direction only. Sheets act as double cantilever beams deforming in S-shape, keeping blocks parallel.

Let It Roll

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trundle, Kathy Cabe; Smith, Mandy McCormick

2011-01-01

Some of children's earliest explorations focus on movement of their own bodies. Quickly, children learn to further explore movement by using objects like a ball or car. They recognize that a ball moves differently than a pushed block. As they grow, children enjoy their experiences with motion and movement, including making objects move, changing…

Recycling Buildings for Libraries: A Moving Account.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Gerald R.

1994-01-01

Described a project that moved a retired Carnegie library four blocks and back into service as an annex to the Mexico-Audrain Library System (Missouri). Insights are provided into the practicality of recycling buildings as public library facilities and the effects that such efforts can have on community pride and involvement. (SLW)

New Moves—Preventing Weight-Related Problems in Adolescent Girls

PubMed Central

Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne R.; Friend, Sarah E.; Flattum, Colleen F.; Hannan, Peter J.; Story, Mary T.; Bauer, Katherine W.; Feldman, Shira B.; Petrich, Christine A.

2010-01-01

Background Weight-related problems are prevalent in adolescent girls. Purpose To evaluate New Moves, a school-based program aimed at preventing weight-related problems in adolescent girls. Design School-based group-randomized controlled design. Setting/participants 356 girls (mean age=15.8± 1.2 years) from six intervention and six control high schools. Over 75% of the girls were racial/ethnic minorities and 46% were overweight or obese. Data were collected in 2007–2009 and analyzed in 2009–2010. Intervention An all-girls physical education class, supplemented with nutrition and self-empowerment components, individual sessions using motivational interviewing, lunch meetings, and parent outreach. Main outcome measures Percent body fat, BMI, physical activity, sedentary activity, dietary intake, eating patterns, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and body/self-image. Results New Moves did not lead to significant changes in the girls’ percent body fat or BMI but improvements were seen for sedentary activity, eating patterns, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and body/self-image. For example, in comparison to control girls, at 9-month follow-up, intervention girls decreased their sedentary behaviors by approximately one 30-minute block a day (p=.050); girls increased their portion control behaviors (p=.014); the percentage of girls using unhealthy weight control behaviors decreased by 13.7% (p=.021), and improvements were seen in body image (p=.045) and self-worth (p=.031). Additionally, intervention girls reported more support by friends, teachers, and families for healthy eating and physical activity. Conclusions New Moves provides a model for addressing the broad spectrum of weight-related problems among adolescent girls. Further work is needed to enhance the effectiveness of interventions to improve weight status of youth. PMID:20965379

Application of interactive computer graphics in wind-tunnel dynamic model testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doggett, R. V., Jr.; Hammond, C. E.

1975-01-01

The computer-controlled data-acquisition system recently installed for use with a transonic dynamics tunnel was described. This includes a discussion of the hardware/software features of the system. A subcritical response damping technique, called the combined randomdec/moving-block method, for use in windtunnel-model flutter testing, that has been implemented on the data-acquisition system, is described in some detail. Some results using the method are presented and the importance of using interactive graphics in applying the technique in near real time during wind-tunnel test operations is discussed.

An Appreciation for Moving the Heavy Corps -- The First Step in Learning the Art of Operational Maneuver,

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-16

years of the Second Wo-rld War . ": * Soviet march speeds, hourly rates of Advance, vehicle intervaic,. and march control measures (start points...bo--th on aric cf--.:.ad tr a-v- thing in Worl War I 1, are tied to: c.-rgari zatloris tha t cc’rtai numrerous vehicle types that ar-e rio--t faster...arms army road marchino movement diotrina 19. ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number) This monograph discusses the

Neighborhood greenspace and health in a large urban center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kardan, Omid; Gozdyra, Peter; Misic, Bratislav; Moola, Faisal; Palmer, Lyle J.; Paus, Tomáš; Berman, Marc G.

2015-07-01

Studies have shown that natural environments can enhance health and here we build upon that work by examining the associations between comprehensive greenspace metrics and health. We focused on a large urban population center (Toronto, Canada) and related the two domains by combining high-resolution satellite imagery and individual tree data from Toronto with questionnaire-based self-reports of general health perception, cardio-metabolic conditions and mental illnesses from the Ontario Health Study. Results from multiple regressions and multivariate canonical correlation analyses suggest that people who live in neighborhoods with a higher density of trees on their streets report significantly higher health perception and significantly less cardio-metabolic conditions (controlling for socio-economic and demographic factors). We find that having 10 more trees in a city block, on average, improves health perception in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of $10,000 and moving to a neighborhood with $10,000 higher median income or being 7 years younger. We also find that having 11 more trees in a city block, on average, decreases cardio-metabolic conditions in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of $20,000 and moving to a neighborhood with $20,000 higher median income or being 1.4 years younger.

Flight Flutter Testing of Rotary Wing Aircraft Using a Control System Oscillation Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yen, J. G.; Viswanathan, S.; Matthys, C. G.

1976-01-01

A flight flutter testing technique is described in which the rotor controls are oscillated by series actuators to excite the rotor and airframe modes of interest, which are then allowed to decay. The moving block technique is then used to determine the damped frequency and damping variation with rotor speed. The method proved useful for tracking the stability of relatively well damped modes. The results of recently completed flight tests of an experimental soft-in-plane rotor are used to illustrate the technique. Included is a discussion of the application of this technique to investigation of the propeller whirl flutter stability characteristics of the NASA/Army XV-15 VTOL tilt rotor research aircraft.

Development of the automated bunker door by using a microcontroller-system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, M. A.; Leo, K. W.; Mohamad, G. H. P.; Ahmad, A.; Hashim, S. A.; Chulan, R. M.; Baijan, A. H.

2018-01-01

The new low energy electron beam accelerator bunker was designed and built locally to allocate a 500 keV electron beam accelerator at Block 43T in Malaysian Nuclear Agency. This bunker is equipped with a locally made radiation shielding door of 10 tons. Originally, this door is moving manually by a wheel and fitted with a gear system. However, it is still heavy and need longer time to operate it manually. To overcome those issues, a new automated control system has been designed and developed. In this paper, the complete steps and design of automated control system based on the microcontroller (PIC16F84A) is described.

Forks in the road: choices in procedures for designing wildland linkages.

PubMed

Beier, Paul; Majka, Daniel R; Spencer, Wayne D

2008-08-01

Models are commonly used to identify lands that will best maintain the ability of wildlife to move between wildland blocks through matrix lands after the remaining matrix has become incompatible with wildlife movement. We offer a roadmap of 16 choices and assumptions that arise in designing linkages to facilitate movement or gene flow of focal species between 2 or more predefined wildland blocks. We recommend designing linkages to serve multiple (rather than one) focal species likely to serve as a collective umbrella for all native species and ecological processes, explicitly acknowledging untested assumptions, and using uncertainty analysis to illustrate potential effects of model uncertainty. Such uncertainty is best displayed to stakeholders as maps of modeled linkages under different assumptions. We also recommend modeling corridor dwellers (species that require more than one generation to move their genes between wildland blocks) differently from passage species (for which an individual can move between wildland blocks within a few weeks). We identify a problem, which we call the subjective translation problem, that arises because the analyst must subjectively decide how to translate measurements of resource selection into resistance. This problem can be overcome by estimating resistance from observations of animal movement, genetic distances, or interpatch movements. There is room for substantial improvement in the procedures used to design linkages robust to climate change and in tools that allow stakeholders to compare an optimal linkage design to alternative designs that minimize costs or achieve other conservation goals.

Moving chairs in Starbucks: Observational studies find rice-wheat cultural differences in daily life in China

PubMed Central

Oishi, Shigehiro

2018-01-01

Traditional paddy rice farmers had to share labor and coordinate irrigation in a way that most wheat farmers did not. We observed people in everyday life to test whether these agricultural legacies gave rice-farming southern China a more interdependent culture and wheat-farming northern China a more independent culture. In Study 1, we counted 8964 people sitting in cafes in six cities and found that people in northern China were more likely to be sitting alone. In Study 2, we moved chairs together in Starbucks across the country so that they were partially blocking the aisle (n = 678). People in northern China were more likely to move the chair out of the way, which is consistent with findings that people in individualistic cultures are more likely to try to control the environment. People in southern China were more likely to adjust the self to the environment by squeezing through the chairs. Even in China’s most modern cities, rice-wheat differences live on in everyday life. PMID:29707634

Moving overlapping grids with adaptive mesh refinement for high-speed reactive and non-reactive flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henshaw, William D.; Schwendeman, Donald W.

2006-08-01

We consider the solution of the reactive and non-reactive Euler equations on two-dimensional domains that evolve in time. The domains are discretized using moving overlapping grids. In a typical grid construction, boundary-fitted grids are used to represent moving boundaries, and these grids overlap with stationary background Cartesian grids. Block-structured adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is used to resolve fine-scale features in the flow such as shocks and detonations. Refinement grids are added to base-level grids according to an estimate of the error, and these refinement grids move with their corresponding base-level grids. The numerical approximation of the governing equations takes place in the parameter space of each component grid which is defined by a mapping from (fixed) parameter space to (moving) physical space. The mapped equations are solved numerically using a second-order extension of Godunov's method. The stiff source term in the reactive case is handled using a Runge-Kutta error-control scheme. We consider cases when the boundaries move according to a prescribed function of time and when the boundaries of embedded bodies move according to the surface stress exerted by the fluid. In the latter case, the Newton-Euler equations describe the motion of the center of mass of the each body and the rotation about it, and these equations are integrated numerically using a second-order predictor-corrector scheme. Numerical boundary conditions at slip walls are described, and numerical results are presented for both reactive and non-reactive flows that demonstrate the use and accuracy of the numerical approach.

Approximate strip exchanging.

PubMed

Roy, Swapnoneel; Thakur, Ashok Kumar

2008-01-01

Genome rearrangements have been modelled by a variety of primitives such as reversals, transpositions, block moves and block interchanges. We consider such a genome rearrangement primitive Strip Exchanges. Given a permutation, the challenge is to sort it by using minimum number of strip exchanges. A strip exchanging move interchanges the positions of two chosen strips so that they merge with other strips. The strip exchange problem is to sort a permutation using minimum number of strip exchanges. We present here the first non-trivial 2-approximation algorithm to this problem. We also observe that sorting by strip-exchanges is fixed-parameter-tractable. Lastly we discuss the application of strip exchanges in a different area Optical Character Recognition (OCR) with an example.

Effects of Grip-Force, Contact, and Acceleration Feedback on a Teleoperated Pick-and-Place Task.

PubMed

Khurshid, Rebecca P; Fitter, Naomi T; Fedalei, Elizabeth A; Kuchenbecker, Katherine J

2017-01-01

The multifaceted human sense of touch is fundamental to direct manipulation, but technical challenges prevent most teleoperation systems from providing even a single modality of haptic feedback, such as force feedback. This paper postulates that ungrounded grip-force, fingertip-contact-and-pressure, and high-frequency acceleration haptic feedback will improve human performance of a teleoperated pick-and-place task. Thirty subjects used a teleoperation system consisting of a haptic device worn on the subject's right hand, a remote PR2 humanoid robot, and a Vicon motion capture system to move an object to a target location. Each subject completed the pick-and-place task 10 times under each of the eight haptic conditions obtained by turning on and off grip-force feedback, contact feedback, and acceleration feedback. To understand how object stiffness affects the utility of the feedback, half of the subjects completed the task with a flexible plastic cup, and the others used a rigid plastic block. The results indicate that the addition of grip-force feedback with gain switching enables subjects to hold both the flexible and rigid objects more stably, and it also allowed subjects who manipulated the rigid block to hold the object more delicately and to better control the motion of the remote robot's hand. Contact feedback improved the ability of subjects who manipulated the flexible cup to move the robot's arm in space, but it deteriorated this ability for subjects who manipulated the rigid block. Contact feedback also caused subjects to hold the flexible cup less stably, but the rigid block more securely. Finally, adding acceleration feedback slightly improved the subject's performance when setting the object down, as originally hypothesized; interestingly, it also allowed subjects to feel vibrations produced by the robot's motion, causing them to be more careful when completing the task. This study supports the utility of grip-force and high-frequency acceleration feedback in teleoperation systems and motivates further improvements to fingertip-contact-and-pressure feedback.

Determination of GTA Welding Efficiencies

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-01

continue on reverse if ncessary andidentify by block number) A method is developed for estimating welding efficiencies for moving arc GTAW processes...Dutta, Co-Advi r Department of Mechanical Engineering ii ABSTRACT A method is developed for estimating welding efficiencies for moving arc GTAW ...17 Figure 10. Miller Welding Equipment ............. ... 18 Figure 11. GTAW Torch Setup for Automatic Welding. . 19 Figure 12

Analysis and design of a standardized control module for switching regulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, F. C.; Mahmoud, M. F.; Yu, Y.; Kolecki, J. C.

1982-07-01

Three basic switching regulators: buck, boost, and buck/boost, employing a multiloop standardized control module (SCM) were characterized by a common small signal block diagram. Employing the unified model, regulator performances such as stability, audiosusceptibility, output impedance, and step load transient are analyzed and key performance indexes are expressed in simple analytical forms. More importantly, the performance characteristics of all three regulators are shown to enjoy common properties due to the unique SCM control scheme which nullifies the positive zero and provides adaptive compensation to the moving poles of the boost and buck/boost converters. This allows a simple unified design procedure to be devised for selecting the key SCM control parameters for an arbitrarily given power stage configuration and parameter values, such that all regulator performance specifications can be met and optimized concurrently in a single design attempt.

Thermodynamics of a Block Sliding across a Frictional Surface

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mungan, Carl E.

2007-01-01

The following idealized problem is intended to illustrate some basic thermodynamic concepts involved in kinetic friction. A block of mass m is sliding on top of a frictional, flat-topped table of mass M. The table is magnetically levitated, so that it can move without thermal contact and friction across a horizontal floor. The table is initially…

Safety Assessment of TACOM’s Ride Motion Simulator

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-24

level (1300 to 1800 psi). 24 Step 16. Pressurize the system by moving the main pressure switch to "ON." Wait for the roll, pitch, and yaw error signals...the appropriate seat/shoulder/safety belts and harnesses. Carefully, help the test subject dismount. Step 41. Flip the main pressure switch on the...Dismount the test subject. Step 6. Move the main pressure switch to the "OFF" position. This will block any hydraulic flow to the system. Step 7. Move the

Multi-model stereo restitution

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dueholm, K.S.

1990-01-01

Methods are described that permit simultaneous orientation of many small-frame photogrammetric models in an analytical plotter. The multi-model software program enables the operator to move freely between the oriented models during interpretation and mapping. Models change automatically when the measuring mark is moved from one frame to another, moving to the same ground coordinates in the neighboring model. Thus, data collection and plotting can be performed continuously across model boundaries. The orientation of the models is accomplished by a bundle block adjustment. -from Author

Porous concrete block as an environmental enrichment device increases activity of laying hens in cages.

PubMed

Holcman, A; Gorjanc, G; Stuhec, I

2008-09-01

The purpose of this study was to consider the influence of simple and cheap environmental enrichment such as porous concrete on the behavior of laying hens in conventional cages. Forty brown laying hens were housed in individual wire mesh cages: 20 in experimental cages with porous concrete block provided for pecking and 20 in a control group without concrete block provided. Porous concrete block (5 cm length x 5 cm width x 5 cm height) was mounted on the side wall at the height of the hen's head. Behavior was studied from 42 to 48 wk of age. A group of 8 hens was filmed for 24 h, and the camera was moved each day so that all 40 hens were recorded over 5 d each wk. Videotaping was performed in wk 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the experiment. States (long-term behavior) were observed with 5-min interval recording (feeding, preening, resting, and remaining inactive), whereas events (short-term activities) were observed with instantaneous recording (drinking, pecking concrete, pecking neighbors, pecking cage, and attempting to escape). Data were analyzed with generalized linear mixed model with binomial distribution for states, and Poisson distribution for events. Monte Carlo Markov Chain methods were used to estimate model parameters. Because posterior distributions of quantities of interest were skewed, medians and standard errors are reported. Hens in experimental cages were more active in long-term behavior than controls (64.9 +/- 1.9 and 59.3 +/- 1.9% of the light period, respectively). Correspondingly, hens in the control group showed more long-term inactivity. In addition to pecking the porous concrete block, hens in experimental cages also showed other short-term activities with greater frequency (4.10 +/- 0.31 and 3.51 +/- 0.25 events per h, respectively). Our hypothesis that hens in enriched cages would have a greater level of activity was confirmed. Provision of a piece of porous concrete block as a pecking substrate enriched the environment of the birds at negligible cost.

The Building Blocks of Life Move from Ground to Tree to Animal and Back to Ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidson, E. A.

2015-12-01

I generally use combinations of big words to describe my science, such as biogeochemistry, ecosystem ecology, nutrient cycling, stoichiometry, tropical deforestation, land-use change, agricultural intensification, eutrophication, greenhouse gas emissions, and sustainable development. I didn't expect to use any of these words, but I was surprised that I couldn't use some others that seem simple enough to me, such as farm, plant, soil, and forest. I landed on "building blocks" as my metaphor for the forms of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other elements that I study as they cycle through and among ecosystems. I study what makes trees and other kinds of life grow. We all know that they need the sun and that they take up water from the ground, but what else do trees need from the ground? What do animals that eat leaves and wood get from the trees? Just as we need building blocks to grow our bodies, trees and animals also need building blocks for growing their bodies. Trees get part of their building blocks from the ground and animals get theirs from what they eat. When animals poop and when leaves fall, some of their building blocks return to the ground. When they die, their building blocks also go back to the ground. I also study what happens to the ground, the water, and the air when we cut down trees, kill or shoo away the animals, and make fields to grow our food. Can we grow enough food and still keep the ground, water, and air clean? I think the answer is yes, but it will take better understanding of how all of those building blocks fit together and move around, from ground to tree to animal and back to ground.

Let Me Go: The Influences of Crawling Experience and Temperament on the Development of Anger Expression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pemberton Roben, Caroline K.; Bass, Anneliese J.; Moore, Ginger A.; Murray-Kolb, Laura; Tan, Patricia Z.; Gilmore, Rick O.; Buss, Kristin A.; Cole, Pamela M.; Teti, Laureen O.

2012-01-01

Infants' emerging ability to move independently by crawling is associated with changes in multiple domains, including an increase in expressions of anger in situations that block infants' goals, but it is unknown whether increased anger is specifically because of experience with being able to move autonomously or simply related to age. To examine…

A bipedal DNA motor that travels back and forth between two DNA origami tiles.

PubMed

Liber, Miran; Tomov, Toma E; Tsukanov, Roman; Berger, Yaron; Nir, Eyal

2015-02-04

In this work, the successful operation of a dynamic DNA device constructed from two DNA origami building blocks is reported. The device includes a bipedal walker that strides back and forth between the two origami tiles. Two different DNA origami tiles are first prepared separately; they are then joined together in a controlled manner by a set of DNA strands to form a stable track in high yield as confirmed by single-molecule fluorescence (SMF). Second, a bipedal DNA motor, initially attached to one of the two origami units and operated by sequential interaction with "fuel" and "antifuel" DNA strands, moves from one origami tile to another and then back again. The operational yield, measured by SMF, was similar to that of a motor operating on a similar track embedded in a single origami tile, confirming that the transfer across the junction from one tile to the other does not result in dissociation that is any more than that of steps on a single tile. These results demonstrate that moving parts can reliably travel from one origami unit to another, and it demonstrates the feasibility of dynamic DNA molecular machines that are made of more than a single origami building block. This study is a step toward the development of motors that can stride over micrometer distances. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Context-dependent urgency influences speed-accuracy trade-offs in decision-making and movement execution.

PubMed

Thura, David; Cos, Ignasi; Trung, Jessica; Cisek, Paul

2014-12-03

Speed-accuracy tradeoffs (SATs) exist in both decision-making and movement control, and are generally studied separately. However, in natural behavior animals are free to adjust the time invested in deciding and moving so as to maximize their reward rate. Here, we investigate whether shared mechanisms exist for SAT adjustment in both decisions and actions. Two monkeys performed a reach decision task in which they watched 15 tokens jump, one every 200 ms, from a central circle to one of two peripheral targets, and had to guess which target would ultimately receive the majority of tokens. The monkeys could decide at any time, and once a target was reached, the remaining token movements accelerated to either 50 ms ("fast" block) or 150 ms ("slow" block). Decisions were generally earlier and less accurate in fast than slow blocks, and in both blocks, the criterion of accuracy decreased over time within each trial. This could be explained by a simple model in which sensory information is combined with a linearly growing urgency signal. Remarkably, the duration of the reaching movements produced after the decision decreased over time in a similar block-dependent manner as the criterion of accuracy estimated by the model. This suggests that SATs for deciding and acting are influenced by a shared urgency/vigor signal. Consistent with this, we observed that the vigor of saccades performed during the decision process was higher in fast than in slow blocks, suggesting the influence of a context-dependent global arousal. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3416442-13$15.00/0.

Torque exerted on the side of crustal blocks controls the kinematics of Ethiopian Rift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muluneh, Ameha A.; Kidane, Tesfaye; Cuffaro, Marco; Doglioni, Carlo

2016-04-01

Plate tectonic stress at active plate boundary can arises from 1) a torque applied on the side of lithospheric blocks and 2) a torque at the base of the lithosphere due to the flow of the underlying mantle. In this paper we use a simple force balance analysis to compare side and basal shear stresses and their contribution in driving kinematics and deformation in the Ethiopian Rift (ER), in the northern part of the East African Rift System (EARS). Assuming the constraints of the ER given by the dimension of the lithospheric blocks, the strain rate, the viscosity of the low velocity zone (LVZ) and the depth of the brittle-ductile transition zone, the lateral torque is several orders of magnitude higher than the basal torque. The minor contribution of basal torque might be due to low viscosity in the LVZ. Both Africa and Somalia plates are moving to the ;west; relative to the mantle and there are not slabs that can justify this pull and consequent motion. Therefore, we invoke that westerly oriented tidal torque on Africa and Somalia plates in providing the necessary side torque in the region. This plate motion predicts significant sinistral transtension along the ER and rift parallel strike-slip faulting similar to the estimated angular velocity vector for tectonic blocks and GPS observations. Vertical axis block rotations are observed in areas where the lithospheric mantle is removed and strain is widely distributed.

Characterizing the inverses of block tridiagonal, block Toeplitz matrices

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

Boffi, Nicholas M.; Hill, Judith C.; Reuter, Matthew G.

2014-12-04

We consider the inversion of block tridiagonal, block Toeplitz matrices and comment on the behaviour of these inverses as one moves away from the diagonal. Using matrix M bius transformations, we first present an O(1) representation (with respect to the number of block rows and block columns) for the inverse matrix and subsequently use this representation to characterize the inverse matrix. There are four symmetry-distinct cases where the blocks of the inverse matrix (i) decay to zero on both sides of the diagonal, (ii) oscillate on both sides, (iii) decay on one side and oscillate on the other and (iv)more » decay on one side and grow on the other. This characterization exposes the necessary conditions for the inverse matrix to be numerically banded and may also aid in the design of preconditioners and fast algorithms. Finally, we present numerical examples of these matrix types.« less

Severe Weather Guide - Mediterranean Ports. 7. Marseille

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

the afternoon. Upper—level westerlies and the associated storm track is moved northward during summer, so extratropical cyclones and associated...autumn as the extratropical storm track moves southward. Precipitation amount is the highest of the year, with an average of 3 inches (76 mm) for the...18 SUBJECT TERMS (Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number) Storm haven Mediterranean meteorology Marseille port

Symmetric Missile Dynamic Instabilities - A Review

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

and a Magnus side moment must be added to the total aerodynamic moment. Since statically stable missiles are usually spun to reduce the effect of...Identify by block~ numbef) Symmetric Missile Roil Moment Resonance Spin Dynamic Stability Side Moment Damxping Moment Trim Moment Magnus Moment Moving...dlamping moments for nonspin- ning re-entry vehicles, nonlinear Magnus moments for spinning missiles, and internal resonances with moving payload

SU-E-J-10: A Moving-Blocker-Based Strategy for Simultaneous Megavoltage and Kilovoltage Scatter Correction in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Image Acquired During Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

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

Ouyang, L; Lee, H; Wang, J

2014-06-01

Purpose: To evaluate a moving-blocker-based approach in estimating and correcting megavoltage (MV) and kilovoltage (kV) scatter contamination in kV cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) acquired during volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Methods: XML code was generated to enable concurrent CBCT acquisition and VMAT delivery in Varian TrueBeam developer mode. A physical attenuator (i.e., “blocker”) consisting of equal spaced lead strips (3.2mm strip width and 3.2mm gap in between) was mounted between the x-ray source and patient at a source to blocker distance of 232mm. The blocker was simulated to be moving back and forth along the gantry rotation axis during themore » CBCT acquisition. Both MV and kV scatter signal were estimated simultaneously from the blocked regions of the imaging panel, and interpolated into the un-blocked regions. Scatter corrected CBCT was then reconstructed from un-blocked projections after scatter subtraction using an iterative image reconstruction algorithm based on constraint optimization. Experimental studies were performed on a Catphan 600 phantom and an anthropomorphic pelvis phantom to demonstrate the feasibility of using moving blocker for MV-kV scatter correction. Results: MV scatter greatly degrades the CBCT image quality by increasing the CT number inaccuracy and decreasing the image contrast, in addition to the shading artifacts caused by kV scatter. The artifacts were substantially reduced in the moving blocker corrected CBCT images in both Catphan and pelvis phantoms. Quantitatively, CT number error in selected regions of interest reduced from 377 in the kV-MV contaminated CBCT image to 38 for the Catphan phantom. Conclusions: The moving-blockerbased strategy can successfully correct MV and kV scatter simultaneously in CBCT projection data acquired with concurrent VMAT delivery. This work was supported in part by a grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (RP130109) and a grant from the American Cancer Society (RSG-13-326-01-CCE)« less

WE-AB-207A-09: Optimization of the Design of a Moving Blocker for Cone-Beam CT Scatter Correction: Experimental Evaluation

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

Chen, X; Ouyang, L; Jia, X

Purpose: A moving blocker based strategy has shown promising results for scatter correction in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Different geometry designs and moving speeds of the blocker affect its performance in image reconstruction accuracy. The goal of this work is to optimize the geometric design and moving speed of the moving blocker system through experimental evaluations. Methods: An Elekta Synergy XVI system and an anthropomorphic pelvis phantom CIRS 801-P were used for our experiment. A blocker consisting of lead strips was inserted between the x-ray source and the phantom moving back and forth along rotation axis to measure the scattermore » signal. Accoriding to our Monte Carlo simulation results, three blockers were used, which have the same lead strip width 3.2mm and different gap between neighboring lead strips, 3.2, 6.4 and 9.6mm. For each blocker, three moving speeds were evaluated, 10, 20 and 30 pixels per projection (on the detector plane). Scatter signal in the unblocked region was estimated by cubic B-spline based interpolation from the blocked region. CBCT image was reconstructed by a total variation (TV) based algebraic iterative reconstruction (ART) algorithm from the partially blocked projection data. Reconstruction accuracy in each condition is quantified as CT number error of region of interest (ROI) by comparing to a CBCT reconstructed image from analytically simulated unblocked and scatter free projection data. Results: Highest reconstruction accuracy is achieved when the blocker width is 3.2 mm, the gap between neighboring lead strips is 9.6 mm and the moving speed is 20 pixels per projection. RMSE of the CT number of ROIs can be reduced from 436 to 27. Conclusions: Image reconstruction accuracy is greatly affected by the geometry design of the blocker. The moving speed does not have a very strong effect on reconstruction result if it is over 20 pixels per projection.« less

Digital image modification detection using color information and its histograms.

PubMed

Zhou, Haoyu; Shen, Yue; Zhu, Xinghui; Liu, Bo; Fu, Zigang; Fan, Na

2016-09-01

The rapid development of many open source and commercial image editing software makes the authenticity of the digital images questionable. Copy-move forgery is one of the most widely used tampering techniques to create desirable objects or conceal undesirable objects in a scene. Existing techniques reported in the literature to detect such tampering aim to improve the robustness of these methods against the use of JPEG compression, blurring, noise, or other types of post processing operations. These post processing operations are frequently used with the intention to conceal tampering and reduce tampering clues. A robust method based on the color moments and other five image descriptors is proposed in this paper. The method divides the image into fixed size overlapping blocks. Clustering operation divides entire search space into smaller pieces with similar color distribution. Blocks from the tampered regions will reside within the same cluster since both copied and moved regions have similar color distributions. Five image descriptors are used to extract block features, which makes the method more robust to post processing operations. An ensemble of deep compositional pattern-producing neural networks are trained with these extracted features. Similarity among feature vectors in clusters indicates possible forged regions. Experimental results show that the proposed method can detect copy-move forgery even if an image was distorted by gamma correction, addictive white Gaussian noise, JPEG compression, or blurring. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

An unrecognized major collision of the Okhotomorsk Block with East Asia during the Late Cretaceous, constraints on the plate reorganization of the Northwest Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yong-Tai

2013-11-01

Interactions at plate boundaries induce stresses that constitute critical controls on the structural evolution of intraplate regions. However, the traditional tectonic model for the East Asian margin during the Mesozoic, invoking successive episodes of paleo-Pacific oceanic subduction, does not provide an adequate context for important Late Cretaceous dynamics across East Asia, including: continental-scale orogenic processes, significant sinistral strike-slip faulting, and several others. The integration of numerous documented field relations requires a new tectonic model, as proposed here. The Okhotomorsk continental block, currently residing below the Okhotsk Sea in Northeast Asia, was located in the interior of the Izanagi Plate before the Late Cretaceous. It moved northwestward with the Izanagi Plate and collided with the South China Block at about 100 Ma. The indentation of the Okhotomorsk Block within East Asia resulted in the formation of a sinistral strike-slip fault system in South China, formation of a dextral strike-slip fault system in North China, and regional northwest-southeast shortening and orogenic uplift in East Asia. Northeast-striking mountain belts over 500 km wide extended from Southeast China to Southwest Japan and South Korea. The peak metamorphism at about 89 Ma of the Sanbagawa high-pressure metamorphic belt in Southwest Japan was probably related to the continental subduction of the Okhotomorsk Block beneath the East Asian margin. Subsequently, the north-northwestward change of motion direction of the Izanagi Plate led to the northward movement of the Okhotomorsk Block along the East Asian margin, forming a significant sinistral continental transform boundary similar to the San Andreas fault system in California. Sanbagawa metamorphic rocks in Southwest Japan were rapidly exhumed through the several-kilometer wide ductile shear zone at the lower crust and upper mantle level. Accretionary complexes successively accumulated along the East Asian margin during the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous were subdivided into narrow and subparallel belts by the upper crustal strike-slip fault system. The departure of the Okhotomorsk Block from the northeast-striking Asian margin resulted in the occurrence of an extensional setting and formation of a wide magmatic belt to the west of the margin. In the Campanian, the block collided with the Siberian margin, in Northeast Asia. At about 77 Ma, a new oceanic subduction occurred to the south of the Okhotomorsk Block, ending its long-distance northward motion. Based on the new tectonic model, the abundant Late Archean to Early Proterozoic detrital zircons in the Cretaceous sandstones in Kamchatka, Southwest Japan, and Taiwan are interpreted to have been sourced from the Okhotomorsk Block basement which possibly formed during the Late Archean and Early Proterozoic. The new model suggests a rapidly northward-moving Okhotomorsk Block at an average speed of 22.5 cm/yr during 89-77 Ma. It is hypothesized that the Okhotomorsk-East Asia collision during 100-89 Ma slowed down the northwestward motion of the Izanagi Plate, while slab pull forces produced from the subducting Izanagi Plate beneath the Siberian margin redirected the plate from northwestward to north-northwestward motion at about 90-89 Ma.

Interferometric step gauge for CMM verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemming, B.; Esala, V.-P.; Laukkanen, P.; Rantanen, A.; Viitala, R.; Widmaier, T.; Kuosmanen, P.; Lassila, A.

2018-07-01

The verification of the measurement capability of coordinate measuring machines (CMM) is usually performed using gauge blocks or step gauges as reference standards. Gauge blocks and step gauges are robust and easy to use, but have some limitations such as finite lengths and uncertainty of thermal expansion. This paper describes the development, testing and uncertainty evaluation of an interferometric step gauge (ISG) for CMM verification. The idea of the ISG is to move a carriage bearing a gauge block along a rail and to measure the position with an interferometer. For a displacement of 1 m the standard uncertainty of the position of the gauge block is 0.2 µm. A short range periodic error of CMM can also be detected.

Micro-valve using induced-charge electrokinetic motion of Janus particle.

PubMed

Daghighi, Yasaman; Li, Dongqing

2011-09-07

A new micro-valve using the electrokinetic motion of a Janus particle is introduced in this paper. A Janus particle with a conducting hemisphere and a non-conducting hemisphere is placed in a junction of several microchannels. Under an applied electric field, the induced-charge electrokinetic flow around the conducting side of the Janus particle forms vortices. The vortices push the particle moving forwards to block the entrance of a microchannel. By switching the direction of the applied electric field, the motion of the Janus particle can be changed to block different microchannels. This paper develops a theoretical model and conducts numerical simulations of the three-dimensional transient motion of the Janus particle. The results show that this Janus particle-based micro-valve is feasible for switching and controlling the flow rate in a microfluidic chip. This method is simple in comparison with other types of micro-valve methods. It is easy for fabrication, for operation control, and has a fast response time. To better understand the micro-valve functions, comparisons with a non-conducting particle and a fully conducting particle were made. Results proved that only a Janus particle can fulfill the requirements of such a micro-valve.

Atrial myxoma

MedlinePlus

... Pieces of the tumor can move to the brain, eye, or limbs. If the tumor grows inside the heart, it can block blood flow. This may require emergency ... myxoma References Lenihan DJ, Yusuf SW. Tumors ...

Severe Weather Guide - Mediterranean Ports. 4. Augusta Bay

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

the year. The track o-f strong extratropical storms has moved northward and poses little tiireat to Augusta Bay. Sea breezes are daily occurrences...as temperatures, begin to moderate. Extratropi cal systems begin to transit Europe as the storm track moves southward in advance of the winter...SUB-GROUP 18. SUBJECT TERMS {Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number) Storm haven Mediterranean meteorology Augusta Bay

Formation of nanoscale networks: selectively swelling amphiphilic block copolymers with CO2-expanded liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Jianliang; Zhang, Aijuan; Bai, Hua; Zhang, Qingkun; Du, Can; Li, Lei; Hong, Yanzhen; Li, Jun

2013-01-01

Polymeric films with nanoscale networks were prepared by selectively swelling an amphiphilic diblock copolymer, polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP), with the CO2-expanded liquid (CXL), CO2-methanol. The phase behavior of the CO2-methanol system was investigated by both theoretical calculation and experiments, revealing that methanol can be expanded by CO2, forming homogeneous CXL under the experimental conditions. When treated with the CO2-methanol system, the spin cast compact PS-b-P4VP film was transformed into a network with interconnected pores, in a pressure range of 12-20 MPa and a temperature range of 45-60 °C. The formation mechanism of the network, involving plasticization of PS and selective swelling of P4VP, was proposed. Because the diblock copolymer diffusion process is controlled by the activated hopping of individual block copolymer chains with the thermodynamic barrier for moving PVP segments from one to another, the formation of the network structures is achieved in a short time scale and shows ``thermodynamically restricted'' character. Furthermore, the resulting polymer networks were employed as templates, for the preparation of polypyrrole networks, by an electrochemical polymerization process. The prepared porous polypyrrole film was used to fabricate a chemoresistor-type gas sensor which showed high sensitivity towards ammonia.Polymeric films with nanoscale networks were prepared by selectively swelling an amphiphilic diblock copolymer, polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP), with the CO2-expanded liquid (CXL), CO2-methanol. The phase behavior of the CO2-methanol system was investigated by both theoretical calculation and experiments, revealing that methanol can be expanded by CO2, forming homogeneous CXL under the experimental conditions. When treated with the CO2-methanol system, the spin cast compact PS-b-P4VP film was transformed into a network with interconnected pores, in a pressure range of 12-20 MPa and a temperature range of 45-60 °C. The formation mechanism of the network, involving plasticization of PS and selective swelling of P4VP, was proposed. Because the diblock copolymer diffusion process is controlled by the activated hopping of individual block copolymer chains with the thermodynamic barrier for moving PVP segments from one to another, the formation of the network structures is achieved in a short time scale and shows ``thermodynamically restricted'' character. Furthermore, the resulting polymer networks were employed as templates, for the preparation of polypyrrole networks, by an electrochemical polymerization process. The prepared porous polypyrrole film was used to fabricate a chemoresistor-type gas sensor which showed high sensitivity towards ammonia. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr33188h

30 CFR 250.1604 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... moving equipment such as a well-drilling, well-completion, or well-workover rig or associated equipment..., platform age, and previous stresses. (f) Traveling-block safety device. All drilling units being used for...

30 CFR 250.1604 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... moving equipment such as a well-drilling, well-completion, or well-workover rig or associated equipment..., platform age, and previous stresses. (f) Traveling-block safety device. All drilling units being used for...

30 CFR 250.1604 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... moving equipment such as a well-drilling, well-completion, or well-workover rig or associated equipment..., platform age, and previous stresses. (f) Traveling-block safety device. All drilling units being used for...

Genetics Home Reference: cystinosis

MedlinePlus

... the amino acid cystine (a building block of proteins) within cells. Excess cystine damages cells and often ... gene lead to a deficiency of a transporter protein called cystinosin. Within cells, this protein normally moves ...

Mechanistic solutions to the opening of the Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schouten, Hans; Klitgord, Kim D.

1994-01-01

Two mechanistic models-which are unlike the traditional plate-tectonic landfill models used for most proposed Pangea reconstructions of the Yucatán block-relate the Mesozoic opening of the Gulf of Mexico directly to the movement of the North and South American plates: (1) a previous piggyback model in which Yucatán moves with South America out of the western gulf and (2) a new edge-driven model in which the motion of the Yucatán block is caused by forces applied to its margins by the movement of the North and South American plates. In the second model, Yucatán moves out of the northern Gulf of Mexico as a gear or roller bearing. On the basis of magnetic edge anomalies around the gulf, this edge-driven model predicts that from the Bathonian to Tithonian (~170 to ~50 Ma), Yucatán was rotated ~60° counterclockwise as a rigid block between North and South America with rift propagation and extension occurring simultaneously in the Gulf of Mexico and Yucatán Basin.

The 15 September 1991 pyroclastic flows at Unzen Volcano (Japan): a flow model for associated ash-cloud surges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, Toshitsugu; Nakada, Setsuya

1999-04-01

Large-scale collapse of a dacite dome in the late afternoon of 15 September 1991 generated a series of pyroclastic-flow events at Unzen Volcano. Pyroclastic flows with a volume of 1×10 6 m 3 (as DRE) descended the northeastern slope of the volcano, changing their courses to the southeast due to topographic control. After they exited a narrow gorge, an ash-cloud surge rushed straight ahead, detaching the main body of the flow that turned and followed the topographic lows to the east. The surge swept the Kita-Kamikoba area, which had been devastated by the previous pyroclastic-flow events, and transported a car as far as 120 m. Following detachment, the surge lost its force after it moved several hundred meters, but maintained a high temperature. The deposits consist of a bottom layer of better-sorted ash (unit 1), a thick layer of block and ash (unit 2), and a thin top layer of fall-out ash (unit 3). Unit 2 overlies unit 1 with an erosional contact. The upper part of unit 2 grades into better-sorted ash. At distal block-and-ash flow deposits, the bottom part of unit 2 also consists of better-sorted ash, and the contact with the unit 1 deposits becomes ambiguous. Video footage of cascading pyroclastic flows during the 1991-1995 eruption, traveling over surfaces without any topographic barriers, revealed that lobes of ash cloud protruded intermittently from the moving head and sides, and that these lobes surged ahead on the ground surface. This fact, together with the inspection by helicopter shortly after the events, suggests that the protruded lobes consisted of better-sorted ash, and resulted in the deposits of unit 1. The highest ash-cloud plume at the Oshigadani valley exit, and the thickest deposition of fall-out ash over Kita-Kamikoba and Ohnokoba, indicate that abundant ash was also produced when the flow passed through a narrow gorge. In the model presented here, the ash clouds from the pyroclastic flows were composed of a basal turbulent current of high concentration (main body), an overriding and intermediate fluidization zone, and an overlying dilute cloud. Release of pressurized gas in lava block pores, due to collisions among blocks and the resulting upward current, caused a zone of fluidization just above the main body. The mixture of gas and ash sorted in the fluidization zone moved ahead and to the side of the main body as a gravitational current, where the ash was deposited as surge deposits. The main body, which had high internal friction and shear near its base, then overran the surge deposits, partially eroding them. When the upward current of gas (fluidization) waned, better-sorted ash suspended in the fluidization zone was deposited on block-and-ash deposits. In the distal places of block-and-ash deposits, unit 2 probably was deposited in non-turbulent fashion without any erosion of the underlying layer (unit 1).

Magnitude estimation and runout analysis of a rockslide for the construction of a defensive structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gigli, G.; Casagli, N.; Lombardi, L.; Nocentini, M.; Balducci, M.; Venanti, L.

2009-04-01

In the past few years the Maiolica (micritic limestone) quarry of Torgiovannetto (Perugia, Italy) has suffered an increasing amount of rockfalls. The rock mass has loosened progressively and a perimetral crack longer than 100 meters has appeared. The huge block bounded by this crack, two lateral discontinuities and a stratigraphic layer, threatens two roads at the base of the slope. Since these are very important and busy traffic routes the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Firenze performed magnitude estimations and runout analyses regarding two different aspects: 1) investigate the trajectories of single falling blocks and; 2) forecast the runout distance and the debris intensity distribution in case a large rockslide occurs. The magnitude of a landslide is, actually, the most important input parameter for correctly estimating the trajectory, the runout distance and the kinetic energy of a landslide. A detailed and updated knowledge of the actual morphological conditions is a good starting point for defining as accurately as possible the extent of a moving block. Due to the very high urgency and precision required, a detailed survey of the quarry area has been performed by means of a High Accuracy & Long Range 3D laser scanner (RIEGLE, LMS-Z.420i). In order to avoid shadow zones and to obtain a comprehensive digital elevation model of the quarry area, a total of more than 30 million points were taken from three different scan positions. The resulting point cloud was dense enough to reveal the main structural features of the rock mass, including the discontinuities bounding the moving block, which has a calculated volume of 180 000 m3. With the aim of confirming the block volume and assessing the deformational field of the moving mass, a multitemporal ground-based interferometric SAR survey was performed. The results of the survey precisely confirm the geometry of the unstable block and also indicate that the displacements decrease from E to W, due to the greater lateral friction in the western portion of the wedge. This deformational behaviour has been confirmed by a wireless real time monitoring system installed for the time of failure forecast. Laboratory tests and stability analyses of the unstable wedge allowed us to hypothesize a sudden and brittle failure behavior, which can be associated to a long runout distance. Both empirical (energy line approach) and numerical methods (DAN-W and DAN3D softwares) were employed for estimating the runout distance and debris intensity distribution associated with the failure of the main block. The results of this analysis indicate that the potential rockslide will likely reach the nearest road. The estimated velocity, debris depth, and kinetic energy of the moving mass can be used to project defensive structures at the base of the artificial slope.

Techniques used for the analysis of oculometer eye-scanning data obtained from an air traffic control display

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawford, Daniel J.; Burdette, Daniel W.; Capron, William R.

1993-01-01

The methodology and techniques used to collect and analyze look-point position data from a real-time ATC display-format comparison experiment are documented. That study compared the delivery precision and controller workload of three final approach spacing aid display formats. Using an oculometer, controller lookpoint position data were collected, associated with gaze objects (e.g., moving aircraft) on the ATC display, and analyzed to determine eye-scan behavior. The equipment involved and algorithms for saving, synchronizing with the ATC simulation output, and filtering the data are described. Target (gaze object) and cross-check scanning identification algorithms are also presented. Data tables are provided of total dwell times, average dwell times, and cross-check scans. Flow charts, block diagrams, file record descriptors, and source code are included. The techniques and data presented are intended to benefit researchers in other studies that incorporate non-stationary gaze objects and oculometer equipment.

Active member vibration control experiment in a KC-135 reduced gravity environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, C. R.; Lurie, B. J.; Chen, G.-S.; Swanson, A. D.

1991-01-01

An active member vibration control experiment in a KC-135 reduced gravity environment was carried out by the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Two active members, consisting of piezoelectric actuators, displacement sensors, and load cells, were incorporated into a 12-meter, 104 kg box-type test structure. The active member control design involved the use of bridge (compound) feedback concept, in which the collocated force and velocity signals are feedback locally. An impact-type test was designed to accommodate the extremely short duration of the reduced gravity testing window in each parabolic flight. The moving block analysis technique was used to estimate the modal frequencies and dampings from the free-decay responses. A broadband damping performance was demonstrated up to the ninth mode of 40 Hz. The best damping performance achieved in the flight test was about 5 percent in the fourth mode of the test structure.

Bubble masks for time-encoded imaging of fast neutrons.

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

Brubaker, Erik; Brennan, James S.; Marleau, Peter

2013-09-01

Time-encoded imaging is an approach to directional radiation detection that is being developed at SNL with a focus on fast neutron directional detection. In this technique, a time modulation of a detected neutron signal is inducedtypically, a moving mask that attenuates neutrons with a time structure that depends on the source position. An important challenge in time-encoded imaging is to develop high-resolution two-dimensional imaging capabilities; building a mechanically moving high-resolution mask presents challenges both theoretical and technical. We have investigated an alternative to mechanical masks that replaces the solid mask with a liquid such as mineral oil. Instead of fixedmore » blocks of solid material that move in pre-defined patterns, the oil is contained in tubing structures, and carefully introduced air gapsbubblespropagate through the tubing, generating moving patterns of oil mask elements and air apertures. Compared to current moving-mask techniques, the bubble mask is simple, since mechanical motion is replaced by gravity-driven bubble propagation; it is flexible, since arbitrary bubble patterns can be generated by a software-controlled valve actuator; and it is potentially high performance, since the tubing and bubble size can be tuned for high-resolution imaging requirements. We have built and tested various single-tube mask elements, and will present results on bubble introduction and propagation as a function of tubing size and cross-sectional shape; real-time bubble position tracking; neutron source imaging tests; and reconstruction techniques demonstrated on simple test data as well as a simulated full detector system.« less

A Change in Viewpoint Promotes Use of Height-in-Picture as a Depth Cue in 5- to 7-Year Olds' Drawings of a Simple Depth Relationship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bremner, J. Gavin; Andreasen, Gillian

1997-01-01

Had children draw two blocks arranged in depth, and then moved either child or array and had children draw what was then a left-right arrangement; the transformation was then reversed for a final drawing. Found that when children moved to a new standpoint, there was a significant increase in vertical portrayal (as depth portrayal) between first…

Thrombolytic therapy

MedlinePlus

... thinning medicines such as Coumadin Trauma Uncontrolled (severe) high blood pressure STROKES Most strokes are caused when blood clots move to a blood vessel in the brain and block blood flow to that area. For such strokes (ischemic strokes), ...

Locking apparatus for gate valves

DOEpatents

Fabyan, J.; Williams, C.W.

A locking apparatus for fluid operated valves having a piston connected to the valve actuator which moves in response to applied pressure within a cylinder housing having a cylinder head, a catch block is secured to the piston, and the cylinder head incorporates a catch pin. Pressure applied to the cylinder to open the valve moves the piston adjacent to the cylinder head where the catch pin automatically engages the catch block preventing further movement of the piston or premature closure of the valve. Application of pressure to the cylinder to close the valve, retracts the catch pin, allowing the valve to close. Included are one or more selector valves, for selecting pressure application to other apparatus depending on the gate valve position, open or closed, protecting such apparatus from damage due to premature closing caused by pressure loss or operational error.

Changing Your Habits: Steps to Better Health

MedlinePlus

... to overcome things that sometimes block your success Maintenance: “I have a new routine.” In this final ... your health by moving more and eating healthier. Maintenance: Have you created a new routine? Make your ...

The mechanisms and boundary conditions of the Einstellung effect in chess: evidence from eye movements.

PubMed

Sheridan, Heather; Reingold, Eyal M

2013-01-01

In a wide range of problem-solving settings, the presence of a familiar solution can block the discovery of better solutions (i.e., the Einstellung effect). To investigate this effect, we monitored the eye movements of expert and novice chess players while they solved chess problems that contained a familiar move (i.e., the Einstellung move), as well as an optimal move that was located in a different region of the board. When the Einstellung move was an advantageous (but suboptimal) move, both the expert and novice chess players who chose the Einstellung move continued to look at this move throughout the trial, whereas the subset of expert players who chose the optimal move were able to gradually disengage their attention from the Einstellung move. However, when the Einstellung move was a blunder, all of the experts and the majority of the novices were able to avoid selecting the Einstellung move, and both the experts and novices gradually disengaged their attention from the Einstellung move. These findings shed light on the boundary conditions of the Einstellung effect, and provide convergent evidence for Bilalić, McLeod, & Gobet (2008)'s conclusion that the Einstellung effect operates by biasing attention towards problem features that are associated with the familiar solution rather than the optimal solution.

Myxococcus xanthus Swarms Are Driven by Growth and Regulated by a Pacemaker ▿

PubMed Central

Kaiser, Dale; Warrick, Hans

2011-01-01

The principal social activity of Myxococcus xanthus is to organize a dynamic multicellular structure, known as a swarm. Although its cell density is high, the swarm can grow and expand rapidly. Within the swarm, the individual rod-shaped cells are constantly moving, transiently interacting with one another, and independently reversing their gliding direction. Periodic reversal is, in fact, essential for creating a swarm, and the reversal frequency controls the rate of swarm expansion. Chemotaxis toward nutrient has been thought to drive swarming, but here the nature of swarm growth and the impact of genetic deletions of members of the Frz family of proteins suggest otherwise. We find that three cytoplasmic Frz proteins, FrzCD, FrzF, and FrzE, constitute a cyclic pathway that sets the reversal frequency. Within each cell these three proteins appear to be connected in a negative-feedback loop that produces oscillations whose frequencies are finely tuned by methylation and by phosphorylation. This oscillator, in turn, drives MglAB, a small G-protein switch, to oscillate between its GTP- and GDP-bound states that ultimately determine when the cell moves forward or backward. The periodic reversal of interacting rod-shaped cells promotes their alignment. Swarm organization ensures that each cell can move without blocking the movement of others. PMID:21856842

Perceptual Integration and Differentiation of Directions in Moving Patterns

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

ceBssay and identify by block numnbe,) o ~ b 20 ABSTRACT (Continue oil rel’erse side II necosary aid idonlty, by block number) F . A- 1981. (-7 ATTACHED...process, are discussed. REFERENCES Mather, G. and Moulden, B . A simultaneous shift in apparent direction: Further evidence for a "distribution- shift" model...summing process, are discussed. REFERENCES Mather, G. and Moulden, B . A simultaneous shift in apparent direction: Further evidence for a "distribution

Implementation of an Optical Readout System for High-Sensitivity Terahertz Microelectromechanical Sensor Array

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

rod moves about the illumination scene, the pixels in the detector start to flicker . The ‘ flickering ’ effect is due to the metal rod blocking THz...still possible to mitigate convective heat exchange between the sensor and the ambient surroundings. To mitigate the effects of convective heat...detector start to flicker . The ‘ flickering ’ effect is due to the metal rod blocking THz radiation. This effect is more apparent in the video

Contextual effects on preattentive processing of sound motion as revealed by spatial MMN.

PubMed

Shestopalova, L B; Petropavlovskaia, E A; Vaitulevich, S Ph; Nikitin, N I

2015-04-01

The magnitude of spatial distance between sound stimuli is critically important for their preattentive discrimination, yet the effect of stimulus context on auditory motion processing is not clear. This study investigated the effects of acoustical change and stimulus context on preattentive spatial change detection. Auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded for stationary midline noises and two patterns of sound motion produced by linear or abrupt changes of interaural time differences. Each of the three types of stimuli was used as standard or deviant in different blocks. Context effects on mismatch negativity (MMN) elicited by stationary and moving sound stimuli were investigated by reversing the role of standard and deviant stimuli, while the acoustical stimulus parameters were kept the same. That is, MMN amplitudes were calculated by subtracting ERPs to identical stimuli presented as standard in one block and deviant in another block. In contrast, effects of acoustical change on MMN amplitudes were calculated by subtracting ERPs of standards and deviants presented within the same block. Preattentive discrimination of moving and stationary sounds indexed by MMN was strongly dependent on the stimulus context. Higher MMNs were produced in oddball configurations where deviance represented increments of the sound velocity, as compared to configurations with velocity decrements. The effect of standard-deviant reversal was more pronounced with the abrupt sound displacement than with gradual sound motion. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reconfigurable modular computer networks for spacecraft on-board processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rennels, D. A.

1978-01-01

The core electronics subsystems on unmanned spacecraft, which have been sent over the last 20 years to investigate the moon, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, have progressed through an evolution from simple fixed controllers and analog computers in the 1960's to general-purpose digital computers in current designs. This evolution is now moving in the direction of distributed computer networks. Current Voyager spacecraft already use three on-board computers. One is used to store commands and provide overall spacecraft management. Another is used for instrument control and telemetry collection, and the third computer is used for attitude control and scientific instrument pointing. An examination of the control logic in the instruments shows that, for many, it is cost-effective to replace the sequencing logic with a microcomputer. The Unified Data System architecture considered consists of a set of standard microcomputers connected by several redundant buses. A typical self-checking computer module will contain 23 RAMs, two microprocessors, one memory interface, three bus interfaces, and one core building block.

Compound hydraulic shear-modulated vortex amplifiers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldschmied, F. R.

1977-01-01

A novel two-stage shear-modulated hydraulic vortex amplifier (U.S. patent 3,520,317) has been fabricated and put through preliminary steady-state testing at the 1000 psi supply pressure level with flows up to 15 gpm. The invention comprises a conventional fluidic vortex power stage and a shear-modulated pilot stage. In the absence of any mechanical moving parts, water may be used as the hydraulic medium thus opening the way to many underseas applications. At blocked load, a control input from 0 to 150 psi was required to achieve an output from 0 to 900 psi; at wide-open load, a control input of 0 to 120 psi was needed to achieve an output from 0 to 15 gpm. The power stage has been found unsuitable for the proportional control mode because of its nonlinear performance in the intermediate load range and because of strong pressure fluctuations (plus or minus 150 psi) in the intermediate control range. The addition of the shear-modulated pilot stage improves intermediate load linearity.

Perceptual control models of pursuit manual tracking demonstrate individual specificity and parameter consistency.

PubMed

Parker, Maximilian G; Tyson, Sarah F; Weightman, Andrew P; Abbott, Bruce; Emsley, Richard; Mansell, Warren

2017-11-01

Computational models that simulate individuals' movements in pursuit-tracking tasks have been used to elucidate mechanisms of human motor control. Whilst there is evidence that individuals demonstrate idiosyncratic control-tracking strategies, it remains unclear whether models can be sensitive to these idiosyncrasies. Perceptual control theory (PCT) provides a unique model architecture with an internally set reference value parameter, and can be optimized to fit an individual's tracking behavior. The current study investigated whether PCT models could show temporal stability and individual specificity over time. Twenty adults completed three blocks of 15 1-min, pursuit-tracking trials. Two blocks (training and post-training) were completed in one session and the third was completed after 1 week (follow-up). The target moved in a one-dimensional, pseudorandom pattern. PCT models were optimized to the training data using a least-mean-squares algorithm, and validated with data from post-training and follow-up. We found significant inter-individual variability (partial η 2 : .464-.697) and intra-individual consistency (Cronbach's α: .880-.976) in parameter estimates. Polynomial regression revealed that all model parameters, including the reference value parameter, contribute to simulation accuracy. Participants' tracking performances were significantly more accurately simulated by models developed from their own tracking data than by models developed from other participants' data. We conclude that PCT models can be optimized to simulate the performance of an individual and that the test-retest reliability of individual models is a necessary criterion for evaluating computational models of human performance.

Nitrogen reactive ion etch processes for the selective removal of poly-(4-vinylpyridine) in block copolymer films.

PubMed

Flynn, Shauna P; Bogan, Justin; Lundy, Ross; Khalafalla, Khalafalla E; Shaw, Matthew; Rodriguez, Brian J; Swift, Paul; Daniels, Stephen; O'Connor, Robert; Hughes, Greg; Kelleher, Susan M

2018-08-31

Self-assembling block copolymer (BCP) patterns are one of the main contenders for the fabrication of nanopattern templates in next generation lithography technology. Transforming these templates to hard mark materials is key for pattern transfer and in some cases, involves selectively removing one block from the nanopattern. For poly(styrene)-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP), a high χ BCP system which could be potentially incorporated into semiconductor nanofabrication, this selective removal is predominantly done by a wet etch/activation process. Conversely, this process has numerous disadvantages including lack of control and high generation of waste leading to high cost. For these reasons, our motivation was to move away from the wet etch process and optimise a dry etch which would overcome the limitations associated with the activation process. The work presented herein shows the development of a selective plasma etch process for the removal of P4VP cores from PS-b-P4VP nanopatterned film. Results have shown that a nitrogen reactive ion etch plasma has a selectivity for P4VP of 2.2:1 and suggest that the position of the nitrogen in the aromatic ring of P4VP plays a key role in this selectivity. In situ plasma etching and x-ray photoelectron spectrometry measurements were made without breaking vacuum, confirming that the nitrogen plasma has selectivity for removal of P4VP over PS.

Minimum area rig concept update: H and P 101 modifications and first infield move

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

Sigurdson, S.R.

1987-03-01

The minimum area rig concept (MARC) is a cost-effective alternative to the typical self-contained platform rig (SCPR). Helmerich and Payne (HandP) built the first MARC rig, HandP 101, to drill and to work over wells up to 16,000 ft (4877 m) measured depth. This rig began operation in May 1983 in the Gulf of Mexico at Arco Oil and Gas Co.'s South Pass Block 61 field and has undergone one infield move. Since the rig's initial mobilization, several rig modifications have been added to increase storage area, to promote safety, to provide a more efficient drilling/workover rig, and to reducemore » overall move time. This paper describes the modifications and recaps the rig's first move. This provides further insight into the MARC rig and show the benefits of the MARC design in relation to a move.« less

Determining biological tissue optical properties via integrating sphere spatial measurements

DOEpatents

Baba, Justin S [Knoxville, TN; Letzen, Brian S [Coral Springs, FL

2011-01-11

An optical sample is mounted on a spatial-acquisition apparatus that is placed in or on an enclosure. An incident beam is irradiated on a surface of the sample and the specular reflection is allowed to escape from the enclosure through an opening. The spatial-acquisition apparatus is provided with a light-occluding slider that moves in front of the sample to block portions of diffuse scattering from the sample. As the light-occluding slider moves across the front of the sample, diffuse light scattered into the area of the backside of the light-occluding slider is absorbed by back side surface of the light-occluding slider. By measuring a baseline diffuse reflectance without a light-occluding slider and subtracting measured diffuse reflectance with a light-occluding slider therefrom, diffuse reflectance for the area blocked by the light-occluding slider can be calculated.

Chaos on the conveyor belt.

PubMed

Sándor, Bulcsú; Járai-Szabó, Ferenc; Tél, Tamás; Néda, Zoltán

2013-04-01

The dynamics of a spring-block train placed on a moving conveyor belt is investigated both by simple experiments and computer simulations. The first block is connected by a spring to an external static point and, due to the dragging effect of the belt, the blocks undergo complex stick-slip dynamics. A qualitative agreement with the experimental results can be achieved only by taking into account the spatial inhomogeneity of the friction force on the belt's surface, modeled as noise. As a function of the velocity of the conveyor belt and the noise strength, the system exhibits complex, self-organized critical, sometimes chaotic, dynamics and phase transition-like behavior. Noise-induced chaos and intermittency is also observed. Simulations suggest that the maximum complexity of the dynamical states is achieved for a relatively small number of blocks (around five).

Distribution majorization of corner points by reinforcement learning for moving object detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Hao; Yu, Hao; Zhou, Dongxiang; Cheng, Yongqiang

2018-04-01

Corner points play an important role in moving object detection, especially in the case of free-moving camera. Corner points provide more accurate information than other pixels and reduce the computation which is unnecessary. Previous works only use intensity information to locate the corner points, however, the information that former and the last frames provided also can be used. We utilize the information to focus on more valuable area and ignore the invaluable area. The proposed algorithm is based on reinforcement learning, which regards the detection of corner points as a Markov process. In the Markov model, the video to be detected is regarded as environment, the selections of blocks for one corner point are regarded as actions and the performance of detection is regarded as state. Corner points are assigned to be the blocks which are seperated from original whole image. Experimentally, we select a conventional method which uses marching and Random Sample Consensus algorithm to obtain objects as the main framework and utilize our algorithm to improve the result. The comparison between the conventional method and the same one with our algorithm show that our algorithm reduce 70% of the false detection.

A complete passive blind image copy-move forensics scheme based on compound statistics features.

PubMed

Peng, Fei; Nie, Yun-ying; Long, Min

2011-10-10

Since most sensor pattern noise based image copy-move forensics methods require a known reference sensor pattern noise, it generally results in non-blinded passive forensics, which significantly confines the application circumstances. In view of this, a novel passive-blind image copy-move forensics scheme is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a color image is transformed into a grayscale one, and wavelet transform based de-noising filter is used to extract the sensor pattern noise, then the variance of the pattern noise, the signal noise ratio between the de-noised image and the pattern noise, the information entropy and the average energy gradient of the original grayscale image are chosen as features, non-overlapping sliding window operations are done to the images to divide them into different sub-blocks. Finally, the tampered areas are detected by analyzing the correlation of the features between the sub-blocks and the whole image. Experimental results and analysis show that the proposed scheme is completely passive-blind, has a good detection rate, and is robust against JPEG compression, noise, rotation, scaling and blurring. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anticipatory adjustments to abrupt changes of opposing forces.

PubMed

Rapp, Katrin; Heuer, Herbert

2015-01-01

Anticipatory adjustments to abrupt load changes are based on task-specific predictive information. The authors asked whether anticipatory adjustments to abrupt offsets of horizontal forces are related to expectancy. In two experiments participants held a position against an opposing force or moved against it. At force offset they had to stop rapidly. Duration of the opposing force or distance moved against it varied between blocks of trials and was constant within each block, or it varied from trial to trial. These two variations resulted in opposite changes of the expectancy of force offset with the passage of time or distance. With constant force durations or distances in each block of trials, anticipatory adjustments tended to be poorest with the longest duration or distance, but with variable force durations or distances they tended to be best with the longest duration or distance. Thus anticipatory adjustments were related to expectancy rather than time or distance per se. Anticipatory adjustments resulted in shorter peak amplitudes of the involuntary movements, accompanied by longer movement times in Experiment 1 and faster movement times in Experiment 2. Thus, for different states of the limb at abrupt dynamic changes anticipatory adjustments involve different mechanisms that modulate different mechanical characteristics.

Binary moving-blocker-based scatter correction in cone-beam computed tomography with width-truncated projections: proof of concept.

PubMed

Lee, Ho; Fahimian, Benjamin P; Xing, Lei

2017-03-21

This paper proposes a binary moving-blocker (BMB)-based technique for scatter correction in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). In concept, a beam blocker consisting of lead strips, mounted in front of the x-ray tube, moves rapidly in and out of the beam during a single gantry rotation. The projections are acquired in alternating phases of blocked and unblocked cone beams, where the blocked phase results in a stripe pattern in the width direction. To derive the scatter map from the blocked projections, 1D B-Spline interpolation/extrapolation is applied by using the detected information in the shaded regions. The scatter map of the unblocked projections is corrected by averaging two scatter maps that correspond to their adjacent blocked projections. The scatter-corrected projections are obtained by subtracting the corresponding scatter maps from the projection data and are utilized to generate the CBCT image by a compressed-sensing (CS)-based iterative reconstruction algorithm. Catphan504 and pelvis phantoms were used to evaluate the method's performance. The proposed BMB-based technique provided an effective method to enhance the image quality by suppressing scatter-induced artifacts, such as ring artifacts around the bowtie area. Compared to CBCT without a blocker, the spatial nonuniformity was reduced from 9.1% to 3.1%. The root-mean-square error of the CT numbers in the regions of interest (ROIs) was reduced from 30.2 HU to 3.8 HU. In addition to high resolution, comparable to that of the benchmark image, the CS-based reconstruction also led to a better contrast-to-noise ratio in seven ROIs. The proposed technique enables complete scatter-corrected CBCT imaging with width-truncated projections and allows reducing the acquisition time to approximately half. This work may have significant implications for image-guided or adaptive radiation therapy, where CBCT is often used.

Binary moving-blocker-based scatter correction in cone-beam computed tomography with width-truncated projections: proof of concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Ho; Fahimian, Benjamin P.; Xing, Lei

2017-03-01

This paper proposes a binary moving-blocker (BMB)-based technique for scatter correction in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). In concept, a beam blocker consisting of lead strips, mounted in front of the x-ray tube, moves rapidly in and out of the beam during a single gantry rotation. The projections are acquired in alternating phases of blocked and unblocked cone beams, where the blocked phase results in a stripe pattern in the width direction. To derive the scatter map from the blocked projections, 1D B-Spline interpolation/extrapolation is applied by using the detected information in the shaded regions. The scatter map of the unblocked projections is corrected by averaging two scatter maps that correspond to their adjacent blocked projections. The scatter-corrected projections are obtained by subtracting the corresponding scatter maps from the projection data and are utilized to generate the CBCT image by a compressed-sensing (CS)-based iterative reconstruction algorithm. Catphan504 and pelvis phantoms were used to evaluate the method’s performance. The proposed BMB-based technique provided an effective method to enhance the image quality by suppressing scatter-induced artifacts, such as ring artifacts around the bowtie area. Compared to CBCT without a blocker, the spatial nonuniformity was reduced from 9.1% to 3.1%. The root-mean-square error of the CT numbers in the regions of interest (ROIs) was reduced from 30.2 HU to 3.8 HU. In addition to high resolution, comparable to that of the benchmark image, the CS-based reconstruction also led to a better contrast-to-noise ratio in seven ROIs. The proposed technique enables complete scatter-corrected CBCT imaging with width-truncated projections and allows reducing the acquisition time to approximately half. This work may have significant implications for image-guided or adaptive radiation therapy, where CBCT is often used.

Marshes on the Move: Testing effects of seawater intrusion on ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Northeastern United States is a hotspot for sea level rise (SLR), subjecting coastal salt marshes to erosive loss, shifts in vegetation communities, and altered biogeochemistry due to seawater intrusion. Salt marsh plant community zonation is driven by tradeoffs in stress tolerance and interspecific interactions. As seawater inundates progressively higher marsh elevations, shifts in marsh vegetation communities landward may herald salt marsh “migration”, which could allow continuity of marsh function and ecosystem service provision. To elucidate possible effects of seawater intrusion on marsh-upland edge plant communities, a space-for-time approach was replicated at two Rhode Island salt marshes. At each site, peat blocks (0.5 m x 0.5 m x 0.5 m, n=6) with intact upland-marsh edge vegetation were transplanted downslope into the regularly-inundated mid-marsh. Procedural controls (n=3) were established at each elevation by removing and replacing peat blocks, and natural controls (n=3) consisted of undisturbed plots. During peak productivity, each plot was assessed for species composition, percent cover and average height. Results demonstrate stunting of marsh-upland edge vegetation in response to increased inundation, and the beginnings of colonization of the transplanted plots by salt marsh species. The extent of colonization differed between the two sites, suggesting that site-specific factors govern vegetation responses to increased inundation.

User Manual for Beta Version of TURBO-GRD: A Software System for Interactive Two-Dimensional Boundary/ Field Grid Generation, Modification, and Refinement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choo, Yung K.; Slater, John W.; Henderson, Todd L.; Bidwell, Colin S.; Braun, Donald C.; Chung, Joongkee

1998-01-01

TURBO-GRD is a software system for interactive two-dimensional boundary/field grid generation. modification, and refinement. Its features allow users to explicitly control grid quality locally and globally. The grid control can be achieved interactively by using control points that the user picks and moves on the workstation monitor or by direct stretching and refining. The techniques used in the code are the control point form of algebraic grid generation, a damped cubic spline for edge meshing and parametric mapping between physical and computational domains. It also performs elliptic grid smoothing and free-form boundary control for boundary geometry manipulation. Internal block boundaries are constructed and shaped by using Bezier curve. Because TURBO-GRD is a highly interactive code, users can read in an initial solution, display its solution contour in the background of the grid and control net, and exercise grid modification using the solution contour as a guide. This process can be called an interactive solution-adaptive grid generation.

Moving Beam-Blocker-Based Low-Dose Cone-Beam CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Taewon; Lee, Changwoo; Baek, Jongduk; Cho, Seungryong

2016-10-01

This paper experimentally demonstrates a feasibility of moving beam-blocker-based low-dose cone-beam CT (CBCT) and exploits the beam-blocking configurations to reach an optimal one that leads to the highest contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Sparse-view CT takes projections at sparse view angles and provides a viable option to reducing dose. We have earlier proposed a many-view under-sampling (MVUS) technique as an alternative to sparse-view CT. Instead of switching the x-ray tube power, one can place a reciprocating multi-slit beam-blocker between the x-ray tube and the patient to partially block the x-ray beam. We used a bench-top circular cone-beam CT system with a lab-made moving beam-blocker. For image reconstruction, we used a modified total-variation minimization (TV) algorithm that masks the blocked data in the back-projection step leaving only the measured data through the slits to be used in the computation. The number of slits and the reciprocation frequency have been varied and the effects of them on the image quality were investigated. For image quality assessment, we used CNR and the detectability. We also analyzed the sampling efficiency in the context of compressive sensing: the sampling density and data incoherence in each case. We tested three sets of slits with their number of 6, 12 and 18, each at reciprocation frequencies of 10, 30, 50 and 70 Hz/rot. The optimum condition out of the tested sets was found to be using 12 slits at 30 Hz/rot.

On Directional Selectivity in Vertebrate Retina: An Experimental and Computational Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

Borg-Graham MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Approved for public re•l•:sl i istzibu4 93-01232 98 1. 2 114- REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE OM[ B o J1...PAGE OF ABSTRACT UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED %S .4 _ ýB-. u5%Q (*j Block 13 continued: preparation and b ) a whole-cell patch...currents and b ) by re- moving ATP from the electrodes which, in turn, blocks the inhibitory input over time. This finding implies that the necessary and

Portable flooring protects finished surfaces, is easily moved

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carmody, R. J.

1964-01-01

To protect curved, finished surface and provide support for workmen, portable flooring has been made from rigid plastic foam blocks, faced with aluminum strips. Held together by nylon webbing, the flooring can be rolled up for easy carrying.

A Bullet-Block Experiment that Explains the Chain Fountain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pantaleone, J.; Smith, R.

2018-05-01

It is common in science for two phenomena to appear to be very different, but in fact follow from the same basic principles. Here we consider such a case, the connection between the chain fountain and a bullet-block collision experiment. When an upward moving bullet strikes a wooden block resting on a horizontal table, the block will rise to a higher height when the bullet strikes near the end of the block. This is because the quickly rotating block experiences an additional upward "reaction" force from its contact with the table. Such a reaction force also explains the chain fountain. When a chain falls from a pile in a container to the floor below, the chain rises up above the container. This rise occurs because the quickly rotating links in the container push off of the surface beneath them. We derive a model that accurately describes our measurements in the bullet-block experiment, and then use this same model to calculate an approximate expression for the distance the chain rises above the container. More extensive discussions of the chain fountain are available elsewhere.

Access block in NSW hospitals, 1999-2001: does the definition matter?

PubMed

Forero, Roberto; Mohsin, Mohammed; Bauman, Adrian E; Ieraci, Sue; Young, Lis; Phung, Hai N; Hillman, Kenneth M; McCarthy, Sally M; Hugelmeyer, C David

2004-01-19

To estimate the magnitude of access block and its trend over time in New South Wales hospitals, using different definitions of access block, and to explore its association with clinical and non-clinical factors. An epidemiological study using the Emergency Department Information System datasets (1 January 1999 to 31 December 2001) from a sample of 55 NSW hospitals. Prevalence of access block measured by four different definitions; strength of association between access block, type of hospital, year of presentation, mode and time of arrival, triage category (an indicator of urgency), age and sex. Rates of access block (for all four definitions) increased between 1999 and 2001 by 1%-2% per year. There were increases across all regions of NSW, but urban regions in particular. Patients presenting to Principal Referral hospitals and those who arrived at night were more likely to experience access block. After adjusting for triage category and year of presentation, the mode of arrival, time of arrival, type of hospital, age and sex were significantly associated with access block. Access block continues to increase across NSW, whatever the definition used. We recommend that hospitals in NSW and Australia move to the use of one standard definition of access block, as our study suggests there is no significant additional information emerging from the use of multiple definitions.

Dynamic mask for producing uniform or graded-thickness thin films

DOEpatents

Folta, James A [Livermore, CA

2006-06-13

A method for producing single layer or multilayer films with high thickness uniformity or thickness gradients. The method utilizes a moving mask which blocks some of the flux from a sputter target or evaporation source before it deposits on a substrate. The velocity and position of the mask is computer controlled to precisely tailor the film thickness distribution. The method is applicable to any type of vapor deposition system, but is particularly useful for ion beam sputter deposition and evaporation deposition; and enables a high degree of uniformity for ion beam deposition, even for near-normal incidence of deposition species, which may be critical for producing low-defect multilayer coatings, such as required for masks for extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). The mask can have a variety of shapes, from a simple solid paddle shape to a larger mask with a shaped hole through which the flux passes. The motion of the mask can be linear or rotational, and the mask can be moved to make single or multiple passes in front of the substrate per layer, and can pass completely or partially across the substrate.

MS Wisoff in the Mir space station Base Block

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-02-20

STS081-347-031 (12-22 Jan. 1997) --- Astronaut Peter J. K. (Jeff) Wisoff, is pictured with a small sampling of supplies moved from the Spacehab Double Module (DM) aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis to Russia's Mir Space Station.

Verification of out-of-control situations detected by "average of normal" approach.

PubMed

Liu, Jiakai; Tan, Chin Hon; Loh, Tze Ping; Badrick, Tony

2016-11-01

"Average of normal" (AoN) or "moving average" is increasingly used as an adjunct quality control tool in laboratory practice. Little guidance exists on how to verify if an out-of-control situation in the AoN chart is due to a shift in analytical performance, or underlying patient characteristics. Through simulation based on clinical data, we examined 1) the location of the last apparently stable period in the AoN control chart after an analytical shift, and 2) an approach to verify if the observed shift is related to an analytical shift by repeat testing of archived patient samples from the stable period for 21 common analytes. The number of blocks of results to look back for the stable period increased with the duration of the analytical shift, and was larger when smaller AoN block sizes were used. To verify an analytical shift, 3 archived samples from the analytically stable period should be retested. In particular, the process is deemed to have shifted if a difference of >2 analytical standard deviations (i.e. 1:2s rejection rule) between the original and retested results are observed in any of the 3 samples produced. The probability of Type-1 error (i.e., false rejection) and power (i.e., detecting true analytical shift) of this rule are <0.1 and >0.9, respectively. The use of appropriately archived patient samples to verify an apparent analytical shift is preferred to quality control materials. Nonetheless, the above findings may also apply to quality control materials, barring matrix effects. Copyright © 2016 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cold cratonic roots and thermal blankets: How continents affect mantle convection

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trubitsyn, V.P.; Mooney, W.D.; Abbott, D.H.

2003-01-01

Two-dimensional convection models with moving continents show that continents profoundly affect the pattern of mantle convection. If the continents are wider than the wavelength of the convection cells (???3000 km, the thickness of the mantle), they cause neighboring deep mantle thermal upwellings to coalesce into a single focused upwelling. This focused upwelling zone will have a potential temperature anomaly of about 200??C, much higher than the 100??C temperature anomaly of upwelling zones generated beneath typical oceanic lithosphere. Extensive high-temperature melts (including flood basalts and late potassic granites) will be produced, and the excess temperature anomaly will induce continental uplift (as revealed in sea level changes) and the eventual breakup of the supercontinent. The mantle thermal anomaly will persist for several hundred million years after such a breakup. In contrast, small continental blocks (<1000 km diameter) do not induce focused mantle upwelling zones. Instead, small continental blocks are dragged to mantle downwelling zones, where they spend most of their time, and will migrate laterally with the downwelling. As a result of sitting over relatively cold mantle (downwellings), small continental blocks are favored to keep their cratonic roots. This may explain the long-term survival of small cratonic blocks (e.g., the Yilgarn and Pilbara cratons of western Australia, and the West African craton). The optimum size for long-term stability of a continental block is <3000 km. These results show that continents profoundly affect the pattern of mantle convection. These effects are illustrated in terms of the timing and history of supercontinent breakup, the production of high-temperature melts, and sea level changes. Such two-dimensional calculations can be further refined and tested by three-dimensional numerical simulations of mantle convection with moving continental and oceanic plates.

Single-shot pectoral plane (PECs I and PECs II) blocks versus continuous local anaesthetic infusion analgesia or both after non-ambulatory breast-cancer surgery: a prospective, randomised, double-blind trial.

PubMed

O'Scanaill, P; Keane, S; Wall, V; Flood, G; Buggy, D J

2018-04-01

Pectoral plane blocks (PECs) are increasingly used in analgesia for patients undergoing breast surgery, and were recently found to be at least equivalent to single-shot paravertebral anaesthesia. However, there are no data comparing PECs with the popular practice of continuous local anaesthetic wound infusion (LA infusion) analgesia for breast surgery. Therefore, we compared the efficacy and safety of PECs blocks with LA infusion, or a combination of both in patients undergoing non-ambulatory breast-cancer surgery. This single-centre, prospective, randomised, double-blind trial analysed 45 women to receive either PECs blocks [levobupivacaine 0.25%, 10 ml PECs I and levobupivacaine 0.25%, 20 ml PECs II (PECs group); LA infusion catheter (levobupivacaine 0.1% at 10 ml h -1 for 24 h (LA infusion group); or both (PECs and LA infusion)]. The primary outcome measure was area under the curve of the pain verbal rating score whilst moving vs time (AUC) over 24 h. Secondary outcomes included total opioid consumption at 24 h. AUC moving was mean (SD) 71 (34) mm h -1 vs 58 (41) vs 23 (20) in PECs, LA infusion, and both, respectively; P=0.002. AUC at rest was also significantly lower in patients receiving both. The total 24 h opioid consumption [median (25-75%)] was 14 mg (9-26) vs 11 (8-24) vs 9 (5-11); P=0.4. No adverse events were observed. The combination of both pre-incisional PECs blocks and postoperative LA infusion provides better analgesia over 24 h than either technique alone after non-ambulatory breast-cancer surgery. NCT 03024697. Copyright © 2018 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Passive Vibration Control of Existing Structures by Gravity-Loaded Cables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvis, E.; Tsang, H. H.; Hashemi, M. J.

2017-06-01

Structures with high concentration of mass at or close to the top such as highway bridge piers are vulnerable in earthquakes or accidents. In this paper, a simple and convenient retrofit strategy is proposed for minimizing vibrations and damages, extending service life and preventing collapse of existing structures. The proposed system comprises of tension-only cables secured to the sides of the structure through gravity anchor blocks that are free to move in vertical shafts. The system is installed in such a way that the cables do not induce unnecessary stress on the main structure when there is no lateral motion or vibration. The effectiveness of controlling global structural responses is investigated for tension-only bilinear-elastic behaviour of cables. Results of a realistic case study for a reinforced concrete bridge pier show that response reduction is remarkably well under seismic excitation.

Differential pressure pin discharge apparatus

DOEpatents

Oakley, David J.

1987-02-03

Disclosed is a discharge assembly for allowing elongate pins to be discharged from an area of relatively low pressure to an area of relatively greater pressure. The discharge assembly includes a duck valve having a lip piece made of flexible material. The flexible lip piece responds to a fluctuating pressure created downstream by an aspirator. The aspirator reduces the downstream pressure sensed by the duck valve when the discharge assembly is in the open position. This allows elongate pins to be moved through the duck valve with no backflow because the aspirator pressure is less than the pressure in the low pressure area from which the pins originate. Closure of the assembly causes the aspirator static pressure to force the flexible duck valve lip piece into a tightly sealed position also preventing backflow. The discharge assembly can be easily controlled using a single control valve which blocks the flow of aspirator gas and closes the pin passageway extending through the assembly.

Differential pressure pin discharge apparatus

DOEpatents

Oakley, D.J.

1984-05-30

Disclosed is a discharge assembly for allowing elongate pins to be discharged from an area of relatively low pressure to an area of relatively greater pressure. The discharge assembly includes a duck valve having a lip piece made of flexible material. The flexible lip piece responds to a fluctuating pressure created downstream by an aspirator. The aspirator reduces the downstream pressure sensed by the duck valve when the discharge assembly is in the open position. This allows elongate pins to be moved through the duck valve with no backflow because the aspirator pressure is less than the pressure in the low pressure area from which the pins originate. Closure of the assembly causes the aspirator static pressure to force the flexible duck valve lip piece into a tightly sealed position also preventing backflow. The discharge assembly can be easily controlled using a single control valve which blocks the flow of aspirator gas and closes the pins passageway extending through the assembly.

Differential pressure pin discharge apparatus

DOEpatents

Oakley, David J.

1987-01-01

Disclosed is a discharge assembly for allowing elongate pins to be discharged from an area of relatively low pressure to an area of relatively greater pressure. The discharge assembly includes a duck valve having a lip piece made of flexible material. The flexible lip piece responds to a fluctuating pressure created downstream by an aspirator. The aspirator reduces the downstream pressure sensed by the duck valve when the discharge assembly is in the open position. This allows elongate pins to be moved through the duck valve with no backflow because the aspirator pressure is less than the pressure in the low pressure area from which the pins originate. Closure of the assembly causes the aspirator static pressure to force the flexible duck valve lip piece into a tightly sealed position also preventing backflow. The discharge assembly can be easily controlled using a single control valve which blocks the flow of aspirator gas and closes the pin passageway extending through the assembly.

A Control Simulation Method of High-Speed Trains on Railway Network with Irregular Influence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Li-Xing; Li, Xiang; Li, Ke-Ping

2011-09-01

Based on the discrete time method, an effective movement control model is designed for a group of highspeed trains on a rail network. The purpose of the model is to investigate the specific traffic characteristics of high-speed trains under the interruption of stochastic irregular events. In the model, the high-speed rail traffic system is supposed to be equipped with the moving-block signalling system to guarantee maximum traversing capacity of the railway. To keep the safety of trains' movements, some operational strategies are proposed to control the movements of trains in the model, including traction operation, braking operation, and entering-station operation. The numerical simulations show that the designed model can well describe the movements of high-speed trains on the rail network. The research results can provide the useful information not only for investigating the propagation features of relevant delays under the irregular disturbance but also for rerouting and rescheduling trains on the rail network.

High-resolution echocardiography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nathan, R.

1979-01-01

High resolution computer aided ultrasound system provides two-and three-dimensional images of beating heart from many angles. System provides means for determining whether small blood vessels around the heart are blocked or if heart wall is moving normally without interference of dead and noncontracting muscle tissue.

Spatial variation of pneumonia hospitalization risk in Twin Cities metro area, Minnesota.

PubMed

Iroh Tam, P Y; Krzyzanowski, B; Oakes, J M; Kne, L; Manson, S

2017-11-01

Fine resolution spatial variability in pneumonia hospitalization may identify correlates with socioeconomic, demographic and environmental factors. We performed a retrospective study within the Fairview Health System network of Minnesota. Patients 2 months of age and older hospitalized with pneumonia between 2011 and 2015 were geocoded to their census block group, and pneumonia hospitalization risk was analyzed in relation to socioeconomic, demographic and environmental factors. Spatial analyses were performed using Esri's ArcGIS software, and multivariate Poisson regression was used. Hospital encounters of 17 840 patients were included in the analysis. Multivariate Poisson regression identified several significant associations, including a 40% increased risk of pneumonia hospitalization among census block groups with large, compared with small, populations of ⩾65 years, a 56% increased risk among census block groups in the bottom (first) quartile of median household income compared to the top (fourth) quartile, a 44% higher risk in the fourth quartile of average nitrogen dioxide emissions compared with the first quartile, and a 47% higher risk in the fourth quartile of average annual solar insolation compared to the first quartile. After adjusting for income, moving from the first to the second quartile of the race/ethnic diversity index resulted in a 21% significantly increased risk of pneumonia hospitalization. In conclusion, the risk of pneumonia hospitalization at the census-block level is associated with age, income, race/ethnic diversity index, air quality, and solar insolation, and varies by region-specific factors. Identifying correlates using fine spatial analysis provides opportunities for targeted prevention and control.

KSC-02pd0739

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-22

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility 2 check the attachment of an overhead crane to the CONTOUR spacecraft. The crane will move it over to the apogee kick motor nearby where it will be attached. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet -- the nucleus. The spacecraft will fly close to at least two comets, Encke and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, taking pictures of the nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround these rocky, icy building blocks of the solar system. The Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., built CONTOUR and will also be in control of the spacecraft after launch, scheduled for July 1, 2002, from LC 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

KSC-02pd0738

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-22

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - An overhead crane is lowered onto the CONTOUR spacecraft in the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility 2. The crane will move it over to the apogee kick motor nearby where it will be attached. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet -- the nucleus. The spacecraft will fly close to at least two comets, Encke and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, taking pictures of the nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround these rocky, icy building blocks of the solar system. The Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., built CONTOUR and will also be in control of the spacecraft after launch, scheduled for July 1, 2002, from LC 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

Reverse actin sliding triggers strong myosin binding that moves tropomyosin

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

Bekyarova, T.I.; Reedy, M.C.; Baumann, B.A.J.

2008-09-03

Actin/myosin interactions in vertebrate striated muscles are believed to be regulated by the 'steric blocking' mechanism whereby the binding of calcium to the troponin complex allows tropomyosin (TM) to change position on actin, acting as a molecular switch that blocks or allows myosin heads to interact with actin. Movement of TM during activation is initiated by interaction of Ca{sup 2+} with troponin, then completed by further displacement by strong binding cross-bridges. We report x-ray evidence that TM in insect flight muscle (IFM) moves in a manner consistent with the steric blocking mechanism. We find that both isometric contraction, at highmore » [Ca{sup 2+}], and stretch activation, at lower [Ca{sup 2+}], develop similarly high x-ray intensities on the IFM fourth actin layer line because of TM movement, coinciding with x-ray signals of strong-binding cross-bridge attachment to helically favored 'actin target zones.' Vanadate (Vi), a phosphate analog that inhibits active cross-bridge cycling, abolishes all active force in IFM, allowing high [Ca{sup 2+}] to elicit initial TM movement without cross-bridge attachment or other changes from relaxed structure. However, when stretched in high [Ca{sup 2+}], Vi-'paralyzed' fibers produce force substantially above passive response at pCa {approx} 9, concurrent with full conversion from resting to active x-ray pattern, including x-ray signals of cross-bridge strong-binding and TM movement. This argues that myosin heads can be recruited as strong-binding 'brakes' by backward-sliding, calcium-activated thin filaments, and are as effective in moving TM as actively force-producing cross-bridges. Such recruitment of myosin as brakes may be the major mechanism resisting extension during lengthening contractions.« less

Alternative Distraction Osteogenesis Technique After Implant Placement for Alveolar Ridge Augmentation of the Maxilla.

PubMed

Nogueira, Renato Luiz Maia; Osterne, Rafael Lima Verde; Abreu, Ricardo Teixeira; Araújo, Phelype Maia

2017-07-01

An alternative technique to reconstruct atrophic alveolar vertical bone after implant placement is presented. The technique consists of distraction osteogenesis or direct surgical repositioning of an implant-and-bone block segment after segmental osteotomies that can be used in esthetic or unesthetic cases. Initially, casts indicating the implant position are obtained and the future ideal prosthetic position is determined to guide the model surgery. After the model surgery, a new provisional prosthesis is fabricated, and an occlusal splint, which is used as a surgical guide and a device for distraction osteogenesis, is custom fabricated. Then, the surgery is performed. For mobilization of the implant-and-bone block segment, 2 vertical osteotomies are performed and then joined by a horizontal osteotomy. The implant-and-bone block segment is moved to the planned position. If a small movement is planned, then the implant-and-bone segment is stabilized; for larger movements, the implant-and-bone segment can be gradually moved to the final position by distraction osteogenesis. This technique has good predictability of the final position of the implant-and-bone segment and relatively fast esthetic rehabilitation. It can be considered for dental implants in regions of vertical bone atrophy. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Computer simulation of concentrated solid solution strengthening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuo, C. T. K.; Arsenault, R. J.

1976-01-01

The interaction forces between a straight edge dislocation moving through a three-dimensional block containing a random array of solute atoms were determined. The yield stress at 0 K was obtained by determining the average maximum solute-dislocation interaction force that is encountered by edge dislocation, and an expression relating the yield stress to the length of the dislocation and the solute concentration is provided. The magnitude of the solid solution strengthening due to solute atoms can be determined directly from the numerical results, provided the dislocation line length that moves as a unit is specified.

ION SOURCE UNIT FOR CALUTRON

DOEpatents

Sloan, D.H.; Yockey, H.P.; Schmidt, F.H.

1959-04-14

An improvement in the mounting arrangement for an ion source within the vacuum tank of a calutron device is reported. The cathode and arc block of the source are independently supported from a stem passing through the tank wall. The arc block may be pivoted and moved longitudinally with respect to the stem to thereby align the arc chamber in the biock with the cathode and magnetic field in the tank. With this arrangement the elements of the ion source are capable of precise adjustment with respect to one another, promoting increased source efficiency.

The data acquisition system for the Anglo-Australian Observatory 2-degree field project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shortridge, K.; Farrell, T. J.; Bailey, J.

1992-01-01

The Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) is building a system that will provide a two-degree field of view at prime focus. A robot positioner will be used to locate up to 400 optical fibers at pre-determined positions in this field. While observations are being made using one set of 400 fibers, the robot will be positioning a second set of fibers in a background field that can be moved in to replace the first when the telescope is moved to a new position. The fibers feed two spectrographs each with a 1024 square CCD detector. The software system being produced to control this involves Vaxes for overall control and data recording, UNIX workstations for fiber configuration calculations and on-line data reduction, and VME systems running VxWorks for real-time control of critical parts such as the positioner robot. The system has to be able to interact with the observatory's present data acquisition systems, which use the ADAM system. As yet, the real-time parts of ADAM have not been ported to Unix, and so we are having to produce a smaller-scale system that is similar but inherently distributed (which ADAM is not). We are using this system as a testbed for ideas that we hope may eventually influence an ADAM II system. The system we are producing is based on a message system that is designed to be able to handle inter-process and inter-processor messages of any length, efficiently, and without ever requiring a task to block (i.e., be unresponsive to 'cancel' messages, enquiry messages), other than when deliberately waiting for external input - all of which will be through such messages. The essential requirement is that a message 'send' operation should never be able to block. The messages will be hierarchical, self-defining, machine-independent data structures. This allows us to provide very simple monitoring of messages for diagnostic purposes, and allows general purpose interface programs to be written without needing to share precise byte by byte message format definitions. Programs in this system have interfaces defined simply in terms of named actions and their parameters. Real-time control programs are required to be able to handle a number of such actions concurrently; data reduction programs will normally only need to handle one action at a time ('process an image', 'display a spectrum', etc).

Maximum volume cuboids for arbitrarily shaped in-situ rock blocks as determined by discontinuity analysis—A genetic algorithm approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ülker, Erkan; Turanboy, Alparslan

2009-07-01

The block stone industry is one of the main commercial use of rock. The economic potential of any block quarry depends on the recovery rate, which is defined as the total volume of useful rough blocks extractable from a fixed rock volume in relation to the total volume of moved material. The natural fracture system, the rock type(s) and the extraction method used directly influence the recovery rate. The major aims of this study are to establish a theoretical framework for optimising the extraction process in marble quarries for a given fracture system, and for predicting the recovery rate of the excavated blocks. We have developed a new approach by taking into consideration only the fracture structure for maximum block recovery in block quarries. The complete model uses a linear approach based on basic geometric features of discontinuities for 3D models, a tree structure (TS) for individual investigation and finally a genetic algorithm (GA) for the obtained cuboid volume(s). We tested our new model in a selected marble quarry in the town of İscehisar (AFYONKARAHİSAR—TURKEY).

An interprojection sensor fusion approach to estimate blocked projection signal in synchronized moving grid-based CBCT system.

PubMed

Zhang, Hong; Ren, Lei; Kong, Vic; Giles, William; Zhang, You; Jin, Jian-Yue

2016-01-01

A preobject grid can reduce and correct scatter in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). However, half of the signal in each projection is blocked by the grid. A synchronized moving grid (SMOG) has been proposed to acquire two complimentary projections at each gantry position and merge them into one complete projection. That approach, however, suffers from increased scanning time and the technical difficulty of accurately merging the two projections per gantry angle. Herein, the authors present a new SMOG approach which acquires a single projection per gantry angle, with complimentary grid patterns for any two adjacent projections, and use an interprojection sensor fusion (IPSF) technique to estimate the blocked signal in each projection. The method may have the additional benefit of reduced imaging dose due to the grid blocking half of the incident radiation. The IPSF considers multiple paired observations from two adjacent gantry angles as approximations of the blocked signal and uses a weighted least square regression of these observations to finally determine the blocked signal. The method was first tested with a simulated SMOG on a head phantom. The signal to noise ratio (SNR), which represents the difference of the recovered CBCT image to the original image without the SMOG, was used to evaluate the ability of the IPSF in recovering the missing signal. The IPSF approach was then tested using a Catphan phantom on a prototype SMOG assembly installed in a bench top CBCT system. In the simulated SMOG experiment, the SNRs were increased from 15.1 and 12.7 dB to 35.6 and 28.9 dB comparing with a conventional interpolation method (inpainting method) for a projection and the reconstructed 3D image, respectively, suggesting that IPSF successfully recovered most of blocked signal. In the prototype SMOG experiment, the authors have successfully reconstructed a CBCT image using the IPSF-SMOG approach. The detailed geometric features in the Catphan phantom were mostly recovered according to visual evaluation. The scatter related artifacts, such as cupping artifacts, were almost completely removed. The IPSF-SMOG is promising in reducing scatter artifacts and improving image quality while reducing radiation dose.

An Efficient Moving Target Detection Algorithm Based on Sparsity-Aware Spectrum Estimation

PubMed Central

Shen, Mingwei; Wang, Jie; Wu, Di; Zhu, Daiyin

2014-01-01

In this paper, an efficient direct data domain space-time adaptive processing (STAP) algorithm for moving targets detection is proposed, which is achieved based on the distinct spectrum features of clutter and target signals in the angle-Doppler domain. To reduce the computational complexity, the high-resolution angle-Doppler spectrum is obtained by finding the sparsest coefficients in the angle domain using the reduced-dimension data within each Doppler bin. Moreover, we will then present a knowledge-aided block-size detection algorithm that can discriminate between the moving targets and the clutter based on the extracted spectrum features. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are validated through both numerical simulations and raw data processing results. PMID:25222035

Integrated application of active controls (IAAC) technology to an advanced subsonic transport project. Initial ACT configuration design study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The initial ACT configuration design task of the integrated application of active controls (IAAC) technology project within the Energy Efficient Transport Program is summarized. A constrained application of active controls technology (ACT) resulted in significant improvements over a conventional baseline configuration previously established. The configuration uses the same levels of technology, takeoff gross weight, payload, and design requirements/objectives as the baseline, except for flying qualities, flutter, and ACT. The baseline wing is moved forward 1.68 m. The configuration incorporates pitch-augmented stability (which enabled an approximately 10% aft shift in cruise center of gravity and a 45% reduction in horizontal tail size), lateral/directional-augmented stability, an angle of attack limiter, wing load alleviation, and flutter mode control. This resulted in a 930 kg reduction in airplane operating empty weight and a 3.6% improvement in cruise efficiency, yielding a 13% range increase. Adjusted to the 3590 km baseline mission range, this amounts to 6% block fuel reduction and a 15.7% higher incremental return on investment, using 1978 dollars and fuel cost.

Brain-computer interfaces for 1-D and 2-D cursor control: designs using volitional control of the EEG spectrum or steady-state visual evoked potentials.

PubMed

Trejo, Leonard J; Rosipal, Roman; Matthews, Bryan

2006-06-01

We have developed and tested two electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCI) for users to control a cursor on a computer display. Our system uses an adaptive algorithm, based on kernel partial least squares classification (KPLS), to associate patterns in multichannel EEG frequency spectra with cursor controls. Our first BCI, Target Practice, is a system for one-dimensional device control, in which participants use biofeedback to learn voluntary control of their EEG spectra. Target Practice uses a KPLS classifier to map power spectra of 62-electrode EEG signals to rightward or leftward position of a moving cursor on a computer display. Three subjects learned to control motion of a cursor on a video display in multiple blocks of 60 trials over periods of up to six weeks. The best subject's average skill in correct selection of the cursor direction grew from 58% to 88% after 13 training sessions. Target Practice also implements online control of two artifact sources: 1) removal of ocular artifact by linear subtraction of wavelet-smoothed vertical and horizontal electrooculograms (EOG) signals, 2) control of muscle artifact by inhibition of BCI training during periods of relatively high power in the 40-64 Hz band. The second BCI, Think Pointer, is a system for two-dimensional cursor control. Steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) are triggered by four flickering checkerboard stimuli located in narrow strips at each edge of the display. The user attends to one of the four beacons to initiate motion in the desired direction. The SSVEP signals are recorded from 12 electrodes located over the occipital region. A KPLS classifier is individually calibrated to map multichannel frequency bands of the SSVEP signals to right-left or up-down motion of a cursor on a computer display. The display stops moving when the user attends to a central fixation point. As for Target Practice, Think Pointer also implements wavelet-based online removal of ocular artifact; however, in Think Pointer muscle artifact is controlled via adaptive normalization of the SSVEP. Training of the classifier requires about 3 min. We have tested our system in real-time operation in three human subjects. Across subjects and sessions, control accuracy ranged from 80% to 100% correct with lags of 1-5 s for movement initiation and turning. We have also developed a realistic demonstration of our system for control of a moving map display (http://ti.arc.nasa.gov/).

Whole-brain haemodynamic after-effects of 1-Hz magnetic stimulation of the posterior superior temporal cortex during action observation.

PubMed

Arfeller, Carola; Schwarzbach, Jens; Ubaldi, Silvia; Ferrari, Paolo; Barchiesi, Guido; Cattaneo, Luigi

2013-04-01

The posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) is active when observing biological motion. We investigated the functional connections of the pSTS node within the action observation network by measuring the after-effect of focal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants received 1-Hz rTMS over the pSTS region for 10 min and underwent fMRI immediately after. While scanned, they were shown short video clips of a hand grasping an object (grasp clips) or moving next to it (control clips). rTMS-fMRI was repeated for four consecutive blocks. In two blocks we stimulated the left pSTS region and in the other two the right pSTS region. For each side TMS was applied with an effective intensity (95 % of motor threshold) or with ineffective intensity (50 % of motor threshold). Brain regions showing interactive effects of (clip type) × (TMS intensity) were identified in the lateral temporo-occipital cortex, in the anterior intraparietal region and in the ventral premotor cortex. Remote effects of rTMS were mostly limited to the stimulated hemisphere and consisted in an increase of blood oxygen level-dependent responses to grasp clips compared to control clips. We show that the pSTS occupies a pivotal relay position during observation of goal-directed actions.

Microplate model for the present-day deformation of Tibet

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thatcher, W.

2007-01-01

Site velocities from 349 Global Positioning System (GPS) stations are used to construct an 11-element quasi-rigid block model of the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings. Rigid rotations of five major blocks are well determined, and average translation velocities of six smaller blocks can be constrained. Where data are well distributed the velocity field can be explained well by rigid block motion and fault slip across block boundaries. Residual misfits average 1.6 mm/yr compared to typical one standard deviation velocity uncertainties of 1.3 mm/yr. Any residual internal straining of the blocks is small and heterogeneous. However, residual substructure might well represent currently unresolved motions of smaller blocks. Although any smaller blocks must move at nearly the same rate as the larger blocks within which they lie, undetected relative motions between them could be significant, particularly where there are gaps in GPS coverage. Predicted relative motions between major blocks agree with the observed sense of slip and along-strike partitioning of motion across major faults. However, predicted slip rates across Tibet's major strike-slip faults are low, only 5-12 mm/yr, a factor of 2-3 smaller than most rates estimated from fault offset features dated by radiometric methods as ???2000 to ???100,000 year old. Previous work has suggested that both GPS data and low fault slip rates are incompatible with rigid block motions of Tibet. The results reported here overcome these objections.

Clifford removes bolts on new Russian gyrodyne to be transferred to Mir

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-04-22

STS076-323-034 (22 - 31 March 1996) --- Astronaut Michael R. (Rich) Clifford, mission specialist, prepares to move a gyrodyne from the Space Shuttle Atlantis onto Russia's Mir Space Station. The gyrodyne was later installed in the Base Block Module onboard Mir.

Dry Ice Moves on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-11

Serina Diniega, JPL Systems Engineer, describes the discovery that Martian gullies that end in pits rather than fan deltas are likely caused by block of frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice) sliding down slopes on a cushion of carbon dioxide gas. The pits are formed as the "dry ice" sublimates away.

Unusual seismogenic soft-sediment deformation structures in Cambrian epicratonic carbonate deposits, western Colorado, U.S.A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myrow, P.; Chen, J.

2013-12-01

A wide variety of unusual penecontemporaneous deformation structures exist in grainstone and flat-pebble conglomerate beds of the Upper Cambrian strata, western Colorado, including slide scarps, thrusted beds, irregular blocks and internally deformed beds. Slide scarps are characterized by concave-up, sharp surfaces that truncate one or more underlying beds. Thrusted beds record movement of a part of a bed onto itself along a moderate to steeply inclined (generally 25°-40°) ramp. The hanging wall lenses in cases show fault-bend geometries, with either intact or mildly deformed bedding. Irregular bedded to internally deformed blocks isolated on generally flat upper bedding surfaces are similar in composition to the underlying beds. These features represent parts of beds that were detached, moved up onto, and some distances across, the laterally adjacent undisturbed bed surfaces. The blocks moved either at the sediment-water interface or intrastratally at shallow depths within overlying muddy deposits. Finally, internally deformed beds have large blocks, fitted fabrics of highly irregular fragments, and contorted lamination, which represent heterogeneous deformation, such as brecciation and liquefaction. The various deformation structures were most probably triggered by earthquakes, considering the nature of deformation (regional distribution of liquefaction structures, and the brittle segmentation and subsequent transportation of semi-consolidated beds) and the reactivation of Mesoproterozoic, crustal-scale shear zones in the central Rockies during the Late Cambrian. Features produced by initial brittle deformation are unusual relative to most reported seismites, and may represent poorly recognized to unrecognized seismogenic structures in the rock record.

Transport and Depositional Model for Large Country Rock Blocks Within the Searchlight Pluton, Southern Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perrault, D. S.; Furbish, D. J.; Miller, C. F.

2006-05-01

Searchlight pluton, a steeply tilted, 10 km thick Miocene intrusion in the Colorado River Extensional Corridor, exposes a zone with abundant, 5-400 m long blocks of Proterozoic gneiss. Blocks are present within a pair of subparallel horizons that make up a 2 km-thick zone and extend about 6 km laterally away from the pluton's north margin slightly oblique to the initially subhorizontal boundary between the pluton's middle unit (granite) and lower unit (qtz monzonite). Blocks are a variety of Precambrian metasedimentary gneisses, granitic gneisses, and mylonites. Blocks are commonly polylithologic and well foliated, with long and intermediate dimensions parallel to both their own foliation and that of the granitic host. Their average aspect ratio is ~ 4:1. Blocks within these horizons are interpreted as stoped (detached country rock that experience gravity- induced displacement) based on several lines of evidence. First, the distribution and abundances of blocks are not consistent with an isolated panel of wall rock (screen). The zone is laterally discontinuous (local abundances vary from ~ 0-40 %); transects a gradational (cm-m scale) internal contact at a slightly oblique angle; and tapers away from the pluton's margin. Second, while block foliations are homoclinal and show fairly consistent attitudes from block to block, block foliations are discordant with wall rock foliations at the same stratigraphic level (adjacent north wall). Third, mush disturbance features such as schlieren and enhanced feldspar foliation beneath blocks suggest a downward compaction. We interpret the blocks to have been emplaced after wall collapse events. We are using scaled settling experiments to clarify how blocks move within viscous fluids and interact with crystal mushes. The experiments, involving tabular ceramic blocks with density ρ = 1.75-2.20 g cm-3 settling in shampoo (ρ = 1.02 g cm-3) with viscosity μ = 20.35 Pa s, are scaled to order-of-magnitude by the particle Reynolds number (Re ~ 10-2) based on a prototype spherical block of diameter ~ 50 m settling through a crystal free magma with the density (~ 2.25 g cm-3) and viscosity (~ 105 Pa s) of a granitic melt. With low Reynolds number settling, tabular blocks starting from arbitrary orientation tend to become aligned with their long dimension vertical. During alignment fluid shear is focused on the trailing part of the downward facing surface of the block, inducing a torque that tends to upright the block. Settling experiments also provide insights regarding how blocks might interact with mush/melt interfaces. Mushes at sufficiently high crystal content (>50%) stiffen rheologically. Stoped blocks settling on these interfaces may impart stresses that result in localized deformation of the mush (forming schlieren and/or compaction features). We moreover suggest that tabular blocks are deposited with their long axes horizontal at these interfaces; blocks with a geometry controlled by internal structures (e.g. foliation) would on average possess a subparallel alignment of both their geometric shape and internal structure. At sufficiently low Re, this realignment of a tabular block begins as it approaches a semi-rigid surface or interface and the leading fluid boundary layer interacts with the interface; the vertical speed of the block decreases and it begins to deflect and take on a lateral motion.

Fuel control for gas turbine engines

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

Stearns, C.F.; Tutherly, H.W.

1983-12-27

The basic gas turbine engine hydromechanical fuel control is adaptable to different engine configurations such as turbofan, turboprop and turboshaft engines by incorporating in the main housing those elements having a commonality to all engine configurations and providing a removable block for each configuration having the necessary control elements and flow passages required for that particular configuration. That is to say, a block with the elements peculiar to a turbofan engine could be replaced by a mating block that includes those elements peculiar to a turboshaft engine in adapting the control for a turboshaft configuration. Similarly another block with thosemore » elements peculiar to a turboprop engine could replace any of the other blocks in adapting the control to a turboprop configuration. Obviously the basic control has the necessary flow passages terminating at the interface with the block and these flow passages mate with corresponding passages in the block.« less

Method and apparatus for setting precise nozzle/belt and nozzle/edge dam block gaps

DOEpatents

Carmichael, Robert J.; Dykes, Charles D.; Woodrow, Ronald

1989-05-16

A pair of guide pins are mounted on sideplate extensions of the caster and mating roller pairs are mounted on the nozzle assembly. The nozzle is advanced toward the caster so that the roller pairs engage the guide pins. Both guide pins are remotely adjustable in the vertical direction by hydraulic cylinders acting through eccentrics. This moves the nozzle vertically. The guide pin on the inboard side of the caster is similarly horizontally adjustable. The nozzle roller pair which engage the inboard guide pin are flanged so that the nozzle moves horizontally with the inboard guide pin.

House moves to block Internet censorship.

PubMed

Mirken, B

1995-08-18

Congress has created conflicting amendments to the Communications Decency Act, an amendment to the telecommunications deregulation bill. The Senate amendment contains sweeping language barring objectionable communications online. Observers fear this will block online distribution of AIDS prevention information as well as bar responses by activist's of drug companies and government officials. The House amendments seek to protect online services from liability if they restrict access to objectionable materials, while another amendment seeks to modify obscenity laws to criminalize only some forms of online speech. These conflicts are to be resolved in a House-Senate conference committee whose meeting date is yet to be decided.

High Voltage Dielectrophoretic and Magnetophoretic Hybrid Integrated Circuit / Microfluidic Chip

PubMed Central

Issadore, David; Franke, Thomas; Brown, Keith A.; Hunt, Thomas P.; Westervelt, Robert M.

2010-01-01

A hybrid integrated circuit (IC) / microfluidic chip is presented that independently and simultaneously traps and moves microscopic objects suspended in fluid using both electric and magnetic fields. This hybrid chip controls the location of dielectric objects, such as living cells and drops of fluid, on a 60 × 61 array of pixels that are 30 × 38 μm2 in size, each of which can be individually addressed with a 50 V peak-to-peak, DC to 10 MHz radio frequency voltage. These high voltage pixels produce electric fields above the chip’s surface with a magnitude , resulting in strong dielectrophoresis (DEP) forces . Underneath the array of DEP pixels there is a magnetic matrix that consists of two perpendicular sets of 60 metal wires running across the chip. Each wire can be sourced with 120 mA to trap and move magnetically susceptible objects using magnetophoresis (MP). The DEP pixel array and magnetic matrix can be used simultaneously to apply forces to microscopic objects, such as living cells or lipid vesicles, that are tagged with magnetic nanoparticles. The capabilities of the hybrid IC / microfluidic chip demonstrated in this paper provide important building blocks for a platform for biological and chemical applications. PMID:20625468

High Voltage Dielectrophoretic and Magnetophoretic Hybrid Integrated Circuit / Microfluidic Chip.

PubMed

Issadore, David; Franke, Thomas; Brown, Keith A; Hunt, Thomas P; Westervelt, Robert M

2009-12-01

A hybrid integrated circuit (IC) / microfluidic chip is presented that independently and simultaneously traps and moves microscopic objects suspended in fluid using both electric and magnetic fields. This hybrid chip controls the location of dielectric objects, such as living cells and drops of fluid, on a 60 × 61 array of pixels that are 30 × 38 μm(2) in size, each of which can be individually addressed with a 50 V peak-to-peak, DC to 10 MHz radio frequency voltage. These high voltage pixels produce electric fields above the chip's surface with a magnitude , resulting in strong dielectrophoresis (DEP) forces . Underneath the array of DEP pixels there is a magnetic matrix that consists of two perpendicular sets of 60 metal wires running across the chip. Each wire can be sourced with 120 mA to trap and move magnetically susceptible objects using magnetophoresis (MP). The DEP pixel array and magnetic matrix can be used simultaneously to apply forces to microscopic objects, such as living cells or lipid vesicles, that are tagged with magnetic nanoparticles. The capabilities of the hybrid IC / microfluidic chip demonstrated in this paper provide important building blocks for a platform for biological and chemical applications.

Dynamically Evolving Sectors for Convective Weather Impact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drew, Michael C.

2010-01-01

A new strategy for altering existing sector boundaries in response to blocking convective weather is presented. This method seeks to improve the reduced capacity of sectors directly affected by weather by moving boundaries in a direction that offers the greatest capacity improvement. The boundary deformations are shared by neighboring sectors within the region in a manner that preserves their shapes and sizes as much as possible. This reduces the controller workload involved with learning new sector designs. The algorithm that produces the altered sectors is based on a force-deflection mesh model that needs only nominal traffic patterns and the shape of the blocking weather for input. It does not require weather-affected traffic patterns that would have to be predicted by simulation. When compared to an existing optimal sector design method, the sectors produced by the new algorithm are more similar to the original sector shapes, resulting in sectors that may be more suitable for operational use because the change is not as drastic. Also, preliminary results show that this method produces sectors that can equitably distribute the workload of rerouted weather-affected traffic throughout the region where inclement weather is present. This is demonstrated by sector aircraft count distributions of simulated traffic in weather-affected regions.

Shear-rate-dependent strength control on the dynamics of rainfall-triggered landslides, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, G.; Suemine, A.; Schulz, W.H.

2010-01-01

A typhoon (Typhoon No. 10) attacked Shikoku Island and the Tyugoku area of Japan in 2004. This typhoon produced a new daily precipitation record of 1317 mm on Shikoku Island and triggered hundreds of landslides in Tokushima Prefecture. One catastrophic landslide was triggered in the Shiraishi area of Kisawa village, and destroyed more than 10 houses while also leaving an unstable block high on the slope. The unstable block kept moving after the event, showing accelerating and decelerating movement during and after rainfall and reaching a displacement of several meters before countermeasures were put into place. To examine the mechanism for this landsliding characteristic, samples (weathered serpentinite) were taken from the field, and their shear behaviours examined using ring shear tests. The test results revealed that the residual shear strength of the samples is positively dependent on the shear rate, which may provide an explanation for the continuous acceleratingdecelerating process of the landsliding. The roughness of the shear surface and the microstructure of the shear zone were measured and observed by laser microscope and SEM techniques in an attempt to clarify the mechanism of shear rate effect on the residual shear strength. Copyright ?? 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Reliability and Heat Transfer Performance of a Miniature High-Temperature Thermosyphon-Based Thermal Valve

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

Alleman, Jeffrey L; Olsen, Michele L; Glatzmaier, Gregory C

Latent heat thermal energy storage systems have the advantages of near isothermal heat release and high energy density compared to sensible heat, generally resulting in higher power block efficiencies. Until now, there has been no highly effective and reliable method to passively extract that stored latent energy. Most modern attempts rely on external power supplied to a pump to move viscous heat transfer fluids from the phase change material (PCM) to the power block. In this work, the problem of latent heat dispatchability has been addressed with a redesigned thermosyphon geometry that can act as a 'thermal valve' capable ofmore » passively and efficiently controlling the release of heat from a thermal reservoir. A bench-scale prototype with a stainless steel casing and sodium working fluid was designed and tested to be reliable for more than fifty 'on/off' cycles at an operating temperature of 600 degrees C. The measured thermal resistances in the 'on' and 'off' states were 0.0395 K/W and 11.0 K/W respectively. This device demonstrated efficient, fast, reliable, and passive heat extraction from a PCM and may have application to other fields and industries using thermal processing.« less

How They (Should Have) Built the Pyramids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, Gregory; West, Joseph; Waters, Kevin

2014-03-01

A novel ``polygon method'' is proposed for moving large stone blocks. The method is implemented by the attachment of rods of analytically chosen radii to the block by means of rope. The chosen rods are placed on each side of the square-prism block in order to transform the square prism into a prism of higher order polygon, i.e. octagon, dodecagon etc. Experimental results are presented and compared to other methods proposed by the authors, including a dragging method and a rail method which includes the idea of dragging the block on rails made from arbitrarily chosen rod-shaped ``tracks,'' and to independent work by another group which utilized wooden attachments providing a cylindrical shape. It is found that the polygon method when used on small scale stone blocks across level open ground has an equivalent of a coefficient of friction order of 0.1. For full scale pyramid blocks, the wooden ``rods'' would need to be of order 30 cm in diameter, certainly within reason, given the diameter of wooden masts used on ships in that region during the relevant time period in Egypt. This project also inspired a ``spin-off'' project in which the behavior or rolling polygons is investigated and preliminary data is presented.

Electronic Escape Trails for Firefighters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jorgensen, Charles; Schipper, John; Betts, Bradley

2008-01-01

A proposed wireless-communication and data-processing system would exploit recent advances in radio-frequency identification devices (RFIDs) and software to establish information lifelines between firefighters in a burning building and a fire chief at a control station near but outside the building. The system would enable identification of trails that firefighters and others could follow to escape from the building, including identification of new trails should previously established trails become blocked. The system would include a transceiver unit and a computer at the control station, portable transceiver units carried by the firefighters in the building, and RFID tags that the firefighters would place at multiple locations as they move into and through the building (see figure). Each RFID tag, having a size of the order of a few centimeters, would include at least standard RFID circuitry and possibly sensors for measuring such other relevant environmental parameters as temperature, levels of light and sound, concentration of oxygen, concentrations of hazardous chemicals in smoke, and/or levels of nuclear radiation. The RFID tags would be activated and interrogated by the firefighters and control-station transceivers. Preferably, RFID tags would be configured to communicate with each other and with the firefighters units and the control station in an ordered sequence, with built-in redundancy. In a typical scenario, as firefighters moved through a building, they would scatter many RFID tags into smoke-obscured areas by use of a compressed-air gun. Alternatively or in addition, they would mark escape trails by dropping RFID tags at such points of interest as mantraps, hot spots, and trail waypoints. The RFID tags could be of different types, operating at different frequencies to identify their functions, and possibly responding by emitting audible beeps when activated by signals transmitted by transceiver units carried by nearby firefighters.

A spring-block analogy for the dynamics of stock indexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sándor, Bulcsú; Néda, Zoltán

2015-06-01

A spring-block chain placed on a running conveyor belt is considered for modeling stylized facts observed in the dynamics of stock indexes. Individual stocks are modeled by the blocks, while the stock-stock correlations are introduced via simple elastic forces acting in the springs. The dragging effect of the moving belt corresponds to the expected economic growth. The spring-block system produces collective behavior and avalanche like phenomena, similar to the ones observed in stock markets. An artificial index is defined for the spring-block chain, and its dynamics is compared with the one measured for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. For certain parameter regions the model reproduces qualitatively well the dynamics of the logarithmic index, the logarithmic returns, the distribution of the logarithmic returns, the avalanche-size distribution and the distribution of the investment horizons. A noticeable success of the model is that it is able to account for the gain-loss asymmetry observed in the inverse statistics. Our approach has mainly a pedagogical value, bridging between a complex socio-economic phenomena and a basic (mechanical) model in physics.

Programmable colloidal molecules from sequential capillarity-assisted particle assembly

PubMed Central

Ni, Songbo; Leemann, Jessica; Buttinoni, Ivo; Isa, Lucio; Wolf, Heiko

2016-01-01

The assembly of artificial nanostructured and microstructured materials which display structures and functionalities that mimic nature’s complexity requires building blocks with specific and directional interactions, analogous to those displayed at the molecular level. Despite remarkable progress in synthesizing “patchy” particles encoding anisotropic interactions, most current methods are restricted to integrating up to two compositional patches on a single “molecule” and to objects with simple shapes. Currently, decoupling functionality and shape to achieve full compositional and geometrical programmability remains an elusive task. We use sequential capillarity-assisted particle assembly which uniquely fulfills the demands described above. This is a new method based on simple, yet essential, adaptations to the well-known capillary assembly of particles over topographical templates. Tuning the depth of the assembly sites (traps) and the surface tension of moving droplets of colloidal suspensions enables controlled stepwise filling of traps to “synthesize” colloidal molecules. After deposition and mechanical linkage, the colloidal molecules can be dispersed in a solvent. The template’s shape solely controls the molecule’s geometry, whereas the filling sequence independently determines its composition. No specific surface chemistry is required, and multifunctional molecules with organic and inorganic moieties can be fabricated. We demonstrate the “synthesis” of a library of structures, ranging from dumbbells and triangles to units resembling bar codes, block copolymers, surfactants, and three-dimensional chiral objects. The full programmability of our approach opens up new directions not only for assembling and studying complex materials with single-particle-level control but also for fabricating new microscale devices for sensing, patterning, and delivery applications. PMID:27051882

Electronic and Ionic Conductors from Ordered Microporous Materials

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

Dincă, Mircea

The proposed work aimed to establish metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as new classes of high-surface area microporous electronic and ionic conductors. MOFs are crystalline materials with pore sizes ranging from 0.2 to ~ 2 nm (or larger for the latter) defined by inorganic or organic building blocks connected by rigid organic linkers. Myriad applications have been found or proposed for these materials, yet those that require electron transport or conductivity in combination with permanent porosity still lag behind because the vast majority of known frameworks are electrical insulators. Prior to our proposal and subsequent work, there were virtually no studies exploringmore » the possibility of electronic delocalization in these materials. Therefore, our primary goal was to understand and control, at a fundamental level, the electron and ion transport properties of this class of materials, with no specific application proposed, although myriad applications could be envisioned for high surface area conductors. Our goals directly addressed one of the DOE-identified Grand Challenges for Basic Energy Sciences: designing perfect atom- and energy-efficient syntheses of revolutionary new forms of matter with tailored properties. Indeed, the proposed work is entirely synthetic in nature; owing to the molecular nature of the building blocks in MOFs, there is the possibility of unprecedented control over the structure and properties of solid crystalline matter. The goals also tangentially addressed the Grand Challenge of controlling materials processes at the level of electrons: the scope of our program is to create new materials where charges (electrons and/or ions) move according to predefined pathways.« less

Termites live in a material world: exploration of their ability to differentiate between food sources.

PubMed

Inta, Ra; Lai, Joseph C S; Fu, Eugene W; Evans, Theodore A

2007-08-22

Drywood termites are able to assess wood size using vibratory signals, although the exact mechanism behind this assessment ability is not known. Important vibratory characteristics such as the modal frequencies of a wooden block depend on its geometry and boundary conditions; however, they are also dependent on the material characteristics of the block, such as mass, density and internal damping. We report here on choice experiments that tested the ability of the drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus to assess wooden block size using a solid wooden block paired with a composite block, the latter made of either wood and aluminium or wood and rubber. Each composite block was constructed to match mass or low-frequency vibratory modes (i.e. fundamental frequency) of the solid wooden block. The termites always chose the blocks with more wood; they moved to the solid wooden blocks usually within a day and then tunnelled further into the solid wooden block by the end of the experiment. Termites offered composite blocks of wood and rubber matched for mass were the slowest to show a preference for the solid wooden block and this preference was the least definitive of any treatment, which indicated that mass and/or damping may play a role in food assessment. This result clearly shows that the termites were not fooled by composite blocks matched for mass or frequency, which implies that they probably employ more than a single simple measure in their food assessment strategy. This implies a degree of sophistication in their ability to assess their environment hitherto unknown. The potential importance of alternative features in the vibrational signals is discussed.

Dynamics of Disordered PI-PtBS Diblock Copolymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Hiroshi

2009-03-01

Viscoelastic (G^*) and dielectric (ɛ'') data were examined for a LCST-type diblock copolymer composed of polyisoprene (PI; M = 53K) and poly(p-tert- butyl styrene) (PtBS; M = 42K) blocks disordered at T <=120 C^o. Only PI had the type-A dipole parallel along the chain backbone. Thus, the ɛ'' data reflected the global motion of the PI block, while the G^* data detected the motion of the copolymer chain as a whole. Comparison of these data indicated that the PI block relaxed much faster than the PtBS block at low T and the dynamic heterogeneity due to PtBS was effectively quenched to give a frictional nonuniformity for the PI block relaxation. The ɛ'' data were thermo-rheologically complex at low T, partly due to this nonuniformity. However, the block connectivity could have also led to the complexity. For testing this effect, the ɛ'' data were reduced at the iso- frictional state defined with respect to bulk PI. In this state, the ɛ'' data of the copolymer at low and high T, respectively, were close to the data for the star-branched and linear bulk PI. Thus, the PI block appeared to be effectively tethered in space at low T thereby behaving similarly to the star arm while the PI block tended to move cooperatively with the PtBS block at high T to behave similarly to the linear PI, which led to the complexity of the ɛ'' data. The PtBS block also exhibited the complexity (noted from the G^* data), which was well correlated with the complexity of the PI block.

Younger apes and human children plan their moves in a maze task.

PubMed

Völter, Christoph J; Call, Josep

2014-02-01

Planning defined as the predetermination of a sequence of actions towards some goal is crucial for complex problem solving. To shed light on the evolution of executive functions, we investigated the ontogenetic and phylogenetic origins of planning. Therefore, we presented all four great apes species (N=12) as well as 4- and 5-year-old human preschoolers (N=24) with a vertical maze task. To gain a reward placed on the uppermost level of the maze, subjects had to move the reward to the bottom through open gaps situated at each level of the maze. In total, there were ten gaps located over three of the maze's levels, and free passage through these gaps could be flexibly blocked using multiple traps. Due to the decision tree design of the maze, the subjects had to plan their actions depending on the trap configuration up to two steps ahead to successfully retrieve the reward. We found that (1) our measure of planning was negatively correlated with age in nonhuman apes, (2) younger apes as well as 5-year-old children planned their moves up to two steps ahead whereas 4-year-olds were limited to plan one step ahead, and (3) similar performance but different underlying limitations between apes and children. Namely, while all species of nonhuman apes were limited by a lack of motor control, human children exhibited a shortage in shifting their attention across a sequence of subgoals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SU-D-12A-07: Optimization of a Moving Blocker System for Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Scatter Correction

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

Ouyang, L; Yan, H; Jia, X

2014-06-01

Purpose: A moving blocker based strategy has shown promising results for scatter correction in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Different parameters of the system design affect its performance in scatter estimation and image reconstruction accuracy. The goal of this work is to optimize the geometric design of the moving block system. Methods: In the moving blocker system, a blocker consisting of lead strips is inserted between the x-ray source and imaging object and moving back and forth along rotation axis during CBCT acquisition. CT image of an anthropomorphic pelvic phantom was used in the simulation study. Scatter signal was simulated bymore » Monte Carlo calculation with various combinations of the lead strip width and the gap between neighboring lead strips, ranging from 4 mm to 80 mm (projected at the detector plane). Scatter signal in the unblocked region was estimated by cubic B-spline interpolation from the blocked region. Scatter estimation accuracy was quantified as relative root mean squared error by comparing the interpolated scatter to the Monte Carlo simulated scatter. CBCT was reconstructed by total variation minimization from the unblocked region, under various combinations of the lead strip width and gap. Reconstruction accuracy in each condition is quantified by CT number error as comparing to a CBCT reconstructed from unblocked full projection data. Results: Scatter estimation error varied from 0.5% to 2.6% as the lead strip width and the gap varied from 4mm to 80mm. CT number error in the reconstructed CBCT images varied from 12 to 44. Highest reconstruction accuracy is achieved when the blocker lead strip width is 8 mm and the gap is 48 mm. Conclusions: Accurate scatter estimation can be achieved in large range of combinations of lead strip width and gap. However, image reconstruction accuracy is greatly affected by the geometry design of the blocker.« less

Aldosterone increases cardiac vagal tone via G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor activation

PubMed Central

Brailoiu, G Cristina; Benamar, Khalid; Arterburn, Jeffrey B; Gao, Erhe; Rabinowitz, Joseph E; Koch, Walter J; Brailoiu, Eugen

2013-01-01

In addition to acting on mineralocorticoid receptors, aldosterone has been recently shown to activate the G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor (GPER) in vascular cells. In light of the newly identified role for GPER in vagal cardiac control, we examined whether or not aldosterone activates GPER in rat nucleus ambiguus. Aldosterone produced a dose-dependent increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in retrogradely labelled cardiac vagal neurons of nucleus ambiguus; the response was abolished by pretreatment with the GPER antagonist G-36, but was not affected by the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, spironolactone and eplerenone. In Ca2+-free saline, the response to aldosterone was insensitive to blockade of the Ca2+ release from lysosomes, while it was reduced by blocking the Ca2+ release via ryanodine receptors and abolished by blocking the IP3 receptors. Aldosterone induced Ca2+ influx via P/Q-type Ca2+ channels, but not via L-type and N-type Ca2+ channels. Aldosterone induced depolarization of cardiac vagal neurons of nucleus ambiguus that was sensitive to antagonism of GPER but not of mineralocorticoid receptor. in vivo studies, using telemetric measurement of heart rate, indicate that microinjection of aldosterone into the nucleus ambiguus produced a dose-dependent bradycardia in conscious, freely moving rats. Aldosterone-induced bradycardia was blocked by the GPER antagonist, but not by the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. In summary, we report for the first time that aldosterone decreases heart rate by activating GPER in cardiac vagal neurons of nucleus ambiguus. PMID:23878371

Metabolic control analysis of developing oilseed rape (Brassica napus cv Westar) embryos shows that lipid assembly exerts significant control over oil accumulation.

PubMed

Tang, Mingguo; Guschina, Irina A; O'Hara, Paul; Slabas, Antoni R; Quant, Patti A; Fawcett, Tony; Harwood, John L

2012-10-01

Metabolic control analysis allows the study of metabolic regulation. We applied both single- and double-manipulation top-down control analysis to examine the control of lipid accumulation in developing oilseed rape (Brassica napus) embryos. The biosynthetic pathway was conceptually divided into two blocks of reactions (fatty acid biosynthesis (Block A), lipid assembly (Block B)) connected by a single system intermediate, the acyl-coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) pool. Single manipulation used exogenous oleate. Triclosan was used to inhibit specifically Block A, whereas diazepam selectively manipulated flux through Block B. Exogenous oleate inhibited the radiolabelling of fatty acids from [1-(14)C]acetate, but stimulated that from [U-14C]glycerol into acyl lipids. The calculation of group flux control coefficients showed that c. 70% of the metabolic control was in the lipid assembly block of reactions. Monte Carlo simulations gave an estimation of the error of the resulting group flux control coefficients as 0.27±0.06 for Block A and 0.73±0.06 for Block B. The two methods of control analysis gave very similar results and showed that Block B reactions were more important under our conditions. This contrasts notably with data from oil palm or olive fruit cultures and is important for efforts to increase oilseed rape lipid yields. © 2012 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

A 2d Block Model For Landslide Simulation: An Application To The 1963 Vajont Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tinti, S.; Zaniboni, F.; Manucci, A.; Bortolucci, E.

A 2D block model to study the motion of a sliding mass is presented. The slide is par- titioned into a matrix of blocks the basis of which are quadrilaterals. The blocks move on a specified sliding surface and follow a trajectory that is computed by the model. The forces acting on the blocks are gravity, basal friction, buoyancy in case of under- water motion, and interaction with neighbouring blocks. At any time step, the position of the blocks on the sliding surface is determined in curvilinear (local) co-ordinates by computing the position of the vertices of the quadrilaterals and the position of the block centre of mass. Mathematically, the topology of the system is invariant during the motion, which means that the number of blocks is constant and that each block has always the same neighbours. Physically, this means that blocks are allowed to change form, but not to penetrate into each other, not to coalesce, not to split. The change of form is compensated by the change of height, under the computational assumption that the block volume is constant during motion: consequently lateral expansion or contraction yield respectively height reduction or increment of the blocks. This model is superior to the analogous 1D model where the mass is partitioned into a chain of interacting blocks. 1D models require the a-priori specification of the sliding path, that is of the trajectory of the blocks, which the 2D block model supplies as one of its output. In continuation of previous studies on the catastrophic slide of Vajont that occurred in 1963 in northern Italy and caused more than 2000 victims, the 2D block model has been applied to the Vajont case. The results are compared to the outcome of the 1D model, and more importantly to the observational data concerning the deposit position and morphology. The agreement between simulation and data is found to be quite good.

Differential pressure pin discharge apparatus

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

Oakley, D.J.

Disclosed is a discharge assembly for allowing elongate pins to be discharged from an area of relatively low pressure to an area of relatively greater pressure. The discharge assembly includes a duck valve having a lip piece made of flexible material. The flexible lip piece responds to a fluctuating pressure created downstream by an aspirator. The aspirator reduces the downstream pressure sensed by the duck valve when the discharge assembly is in the open position. This allows elongate pins to be moved through the duck valve with no backflow because the aspirator pressure is less than the pressure in themore » low pressure area from which the pins originate. Closure of the assembly causes the aspirator static pressure to force the flexible duck valve lip piece into a tightly sealed position also preventing backflow. The discharge assembly can be easily controlled using a single control valve which blocks the flow of aspirator gas and closes the pins passageway extending through the assembly.« less

Entering the New Millennium: Dilemmas in Arms Control

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

BROWN,JAMES

The end of the Cold War finds the international community no longer divided into two opposing blocks. The concerns that the community now faces are becoming more fluid, less focused, and, in many ways, much less predictable. Issues of religion, ethnicity, and nationalism; the possible proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction; and the diffusion of technology and information processing throughout the world community have greatly changed the international security landscape in the last decade. Although our challenges appear formidable, the United Nations, State Parties, nongovernmental organizations, and the arms control community are moving to address and lessen these concerns throughmore » both formal and informal efforts. Many of the multilateral agreements (e.g., NPT, BWC, CWC, CTBT, MTCR), as well as the bilateral efforts that are taking place between Washington and Moscow employ confidence-building and transparency measures. These measures along with on-site inspection and other verification procedures lessen suspicion and distrust and reduce uncertainty, thus enhancing stability, confidence, and cooperation.« less

Learn to Avoid or Overcome Leadership Obstacles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Auria, John

2015-01-01

Leadership is increasingly recognized as an important factor in moving schools forward, yet we have been relatively random in how we prepare and support them. Four obstacles often block or diminish their effectiveness. Avoiding or overcoming each of these requires an underlying set of skills and knowledge that we believe can be learned and…

Gateway to the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiJulio, Betsy

2012-01-01

"Gateway to the Future" pairs a painting of a gateway constructed from children's building blocks with an ink drawing of a personal symbol on a collaged background. The main objective of this lesson is to create a metaphoric artwork about moving from the present through a symbolic portal to the future. So, space--foreground, middle ground, and…

IRM Concepts: Building Blocks for the 1990s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owen, Darrell E.

1989-01-01

Presents a conceptual overview of information resources management (IRM) by synthesizing concepts put forward during the 1980s and charts opportunities to move these concepts into practice. It is argued that the reorganization required by IRM is justified by better use of resources, better decision making, and an improved corporate structure. (21…

49 CFR 218.35 - Yard limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., or special instructions. (b) After August 1, 1977, each railroad must have in effect an operating..., within yard limits must move prepared to stop within onehalf the range of vision but not exceeding 20 m.p.h. unless the main track is known to be clear by block signal indications. (3) Within yard limits...

49 CFR 218.35 - Yard limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., or special instructions. (b) After August 1, 1977, each railroad must have in effect an operating..., within yard limits must move prepared to stop within onehalf the range of vision but not exceeding 20 m.p.h. unless the main track is known to be clear by block signal indications. (3) Within yard limits...

49 CFR 218.35 - Yard limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., or special instructions. (b) After August 1, 1977, each railroad must have in effect an operating..., within yard limits must move prepared to stop within onehalf the range of vision but not exceeding 20 m.p.h. unless the main track is known to be clear by block signal indications. (3) Within yard limits...

49 CFR 218.35 - Yard limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., or special instructions. (b) After August 1, 1977, each railroad must have in effect an operating..., within yard limits must move prepared to stop within onehalf the range of vision but not exceeding 20 m.p.h. unless the main track is known to be clear by block signal indications. (3) Within yard limits...

49 CFR 218.35 - Yard limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., or special instructions. (b) After August 1, 1977, each railroad must have in effect an operating..., within yard limits must move prepared to stop within onehalf the range of vision but not exceeding 20 m.p.h. unless the main track is known to be clear by block signal indications. (3) Within yard limits...

A Comparison of the Language Features of Basic and HyperCard.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, M. J.; Southerly, T. W.

This paper examines the structure of the Applesoft BASIC programming language and the Macintosh authoring language, HyperCard, and scrutinizes the language structures as the building blocks for moving along a chain of cognitive outcomes that culminates in the acquisition of problem solving skills which allow the programmer to learn new formal…

Identification of multivariable nonlinear systems in the presence of colored noises using iterative hierarchical least squares algorithm.

PubMed

Jafari, Masoumeh; Salimifard, Maryam; Dehghani, Maryam

2014-07-01

This paper presents an efficient method for identification of nonlinear Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) systems in the presence of colored noises. The method studies the multivariable nonlinear Hammerstein and Wiener models, in which, the nonlinear memory-less block is approximated based on arbitrary vector-based basis functions. The linear time-invariant (LTI) block is modeled by an autoregressive moving average with exogenous (ARMAX) model which can effectively describe the moving average noises as well as the autoregressive and the exogenous dynamics. According to the multivariable nature of the system, a pseudo-linear-in-the-parameter model is obtained which includes two different kinds of unknown parameters, a vector and a matrix. Therefore, the standard least squares algorithm cannot be applied directly. To overcome this problem, a Hierarchical Least Squares Iterative (HLSI) algorithm is used to simultaneously estimate the vector and the matrix of unknown parameters as well as the noises. The efficiency of the proposed identification approaches are investigated through three nonlinear MIMO case studies. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An interprojection sensor fusion approach to estimate blocked projection signal in synchronized moving grid-based CBCT system

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

Zhang, Hong; Kong, Vic; Ren, Lei

2016-01-15

Purpose: A preobject grid can reduce and correct scatter in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). However, half of the signal in each projection is blocked by the grid. A synchronized moving grid (SMOG) has been proposed to acquire two complimentary projections at each gantry position and merge them into one complete projection. That approach, however, suffers from increased scanning time and the technical difficulty of accurately merging the two projections per gantry angle. Herein, the authors present a new SMOG approach which acquires a single projection per gantry angle, with complimentary grid patterns for any two adjacent projections, and usemore » an interprojection sensor fusion (IPSF) technique to estimate the blocked signal in each projection. The method may have the additional benefit of reduced imaging dose due to the grid blocking half of the incident radiation. Methods: The IPSF considers multiple paired observations from two adjacent gantry angles as approximations of the blocked signal and uses a weighted least square regression of these observations to finally determine the blocked signal. The method was first tested with a simulated SMOG on a head phantom. The signal to noise ratio (SNR), which represents the difference of the recovered CBCT image to the original image without the SMOG, was used to evaluate the ability of the IPSF in recovering the missing signal. The IPSF approach was then tested using a Catphan phantom on a prototype SMOG assembly installed in a bench top CBCT system. Results: In the simulated SMOG experiment, the SNRs were increased from 15.1 and 12.7 dB to 35.6 and 28.9 dB comparing with a conventional interpolation method (inpainting method) for a projection and the reconstructed 3D image, respectively, suggesting that IPSF successfully recovered most of blocked signal. In the prototype SMOG experiment, the authors have successfully reconstructed a CBCT image using the IPSF-SMOG approach. The detailed geometric features in the Catphan phantom were mostly recovered according to visual evaluation. The scatter related artifacts, such as cupping artifacts, were almost completely removed. Conclusions: The IPSF-SMOG is promising in reducing scatter artifacts and improving image quality while reducing radiation dose.« less

An electrostatic Particle-In-Cell code on multi-block structured meshes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meierbachtol, Collin S.; Svyatskiy, Daniil; Delzanno, Gian Luca; Vernon, Louis J.; Moulton, J. David

2017-12-01

We present an electrostatic Particle-In-Cell (PIC) code on multi-block, locally structured, curvilinear meshes called Curvilinear PIC (CPIC). Multi-block meshes are essential to capture complex geometries accurately and with good mesh quality, something that would not be possible with single-block structured meshes that are often used in PIC and for which CPIC was initially developed. Despite the structured nature of the individual blocks, multi-block meshes resemble unstructured meshes in a global sense and introduce several new challenges, such as the presence of discontinuities in the mesh properties and coordinate orientation changes across adjacent blocks, and polyjunction points where an arbitrary number of blocks meet. In CPIC, these challenges have been met by an approach that features: (1) a curvilinear formulation of the PIC method: each mesh block is mapped from the physical space, where the mesh is curvilinear and arbitrarily distorted, to the logical space, where the mesh is uniform and Cartesian on the unit cube; (2) a mimetic discretization of Poisson's equation suitable for multi-block meshes; and (3) a hybrid (logical-space position/physical-space velocity), asynchronous particle mover that mitigates the performance degradation created by the necessity to track particles as they move across blocks. The numerical accuracy of CPIC was verified using two standard plasma-material interaction tests, which demonstrate good agreement with the corresponding analytic solutions. Compared to PIC codes on unstructured meshes, which have also been used for their flexibility in handling complex geometries but whose performance suffers from issues associated with data locality and indirect data access patterns, PIC codes on multi-block structured meshes may offer the best compromise for capturing complex geometries while also maintaining solution accuracy and computational efficiency.

An electrostatic Particle-In-Cell code on multi-block structured meshes

DOE PAGES

Meierbachtol, Collin S.; Svyatskiy, Daniil; Delzanno, Gian Luca; ...

2017-09-14

We present an electrostatic Particle-In-Cell (PIC) code on multi-block, locally structured, curvilinear meshes called Curvilinear PIC (CPIC). Multi-block meshes are essential to capture complex geometries accurately and with good mesh quality, something that would not be possible with single-block structured meshes that are often used in PIC and for which CPIC was initially developed. In spite of the structured nature of the individual blocks, multi-block meshes resemble unstructured meshes in a global sense and introduce several new challenges, such as the presence of discontinuities in the mesh properties and coordinate orientation changes across adjacent blocks, and polyjunction points where anmore » arbitrary number of blocks meet. In CPIC, these challenges have been met by an approach that features: (1) a curvilinear formulation of the PIC method: each mesh block is mapped from the physical space, where the mesh is curvilinear and arbitrarily distorted, to the logical space, where the mesh is uniform and Cartesian on the unit cube; (2) a mimetic discretization of Poisson's equation suitable for multi-block meshes; and (3) a hybrid (logical-space position/physical-space velocity), asynchronous particle mover that mitigates the performance degradation created by the necessity to track particles as they move across blocks. The numerical accuracy of CPIC was verified using two standard plasma–material interaction tests, which demonstrate good agreement with the corresponding analytic solutions. And compared to PIC codes on unstructured meshes, which have also been used for their flexibility in handling complex geometries but whose performance suffers from issues associated with data locality and indirect data access patterns, PIC codes on multi-block structured meshes may offer the best compromise for capturing complex geometries while also maintaining solution accuracy and computational efficiency.« less

An electrostatic Particle-In-Cell code on multi-block structured meshes

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

Meierbachtol, Collin S.; Svyatskiy, Daniil; Delzanno, Gian Luca

We present an electrostatic Particle-In-Cell (PIC) code on multi-block, locally structured, curvilinear meshes called Curvilinear PIC (CPIC). Multi-block meshes are essential to capture complex geometries accurately and with good mesh quality, something that would not be possible with single-block structured meshes that are often used in PIC and for which CPIC was initially developed. In spite of the structured nature of the individual blocks, multi-block meshes resemble unstructured meshes in a global sense and introduce several new challenges, such as the presence of discontinuities in the mesh properties and coordinate orientation changes across adjacent blocks, and polyjunction points where anmore » arbitrary number of blocks meet. In CPIC, these challenges have been met by an approach that features: (1) a curvilinear formulation of the PIC method: each mesh block is mapped from the physical space, where the mesh is curvilinear and arbitrarily distorted, to the logical space, where the mesh is uniform and Cartesian on the unit cube; (2) a mimetic discretization of Poisson's equation suitable for multi-block meshes; and (3) a hybrid (logical-space position/physical-space velocity), asynchronous particle mover that mitigates the performance degradation created by the necessity to track particles as they move across blocks. The numerical accuracy of CPIC was verified using two standard plasma–material interaction tests, which demonstrate good agreement with the corresponding analytic solutions. And compared to PIC codes on unstructured meshes, which have also been used for their flexibility in handling complex geometries but whose performance suffers from issues associated with data locality and indirect data access patterns, PIC codes on multi-block structured meshes may offer the best compromise for capturing complex geometries while also maintaining solution accuracy and computational efficiency.« less

Identification and Reconfigurable Control of Impaired Multi-Rotor Drones

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepanyan, Vahram; Krishnakumar, Kalmanje; Bencomo, Alfredo

2016-01-01

The paper presents an algorithm for control and safe landing of impaired multi-rotor drones when one or more motors fail simultaneously or in any sequence. It includes three main components: an identification block, a reconfigurable control block, and a decisions making block. The identification block monitors each motor load characteristics and the current drawn, based on which the failures are detected. The control block generates the required total thrust and three axis torques for the altitude, horizontal position and/or orientation control of the drone based on the time scale separation and nonlinear dynamic inversion. The horizontal displacement is controlled by modulating the roll and pitch angles. The decision making algorithm maps the total thrust and three torques into the individual motor thrusts based on the information provided by the identification block. The drone continues the mission execution as long as the number of functioning motors provide controllability of it. Otherwise, the controller is switched to the safe mode, which gives up the yaw control, commands a safe landing spot and descent rate while maintaining the horizontal attitude.

Active field control (AFC) -electro-acoustic enhancement system using acoustical feedback control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyazaki, Hideo; Watanabe, Takayuki; Kishinaga, Shinji; Kawakami, Fukushi

2003-10-01

AFC is an electro-acoustic enhancement system using FIR filters to optimize auditory impressions, such as liveness, loudness, and spaciousness. This system has been under development at Yamaha Corporation for more than 15 years and has been installed in approximately 50 venues in Japan to date. AFC utilizes feedback control techniques for recreation of reverberation from the physical reverberation of the room. In order to prevent coloration problems caused by a closed loop condition, two types of time-varying control techniques are implemented in the AFC system to ensure smooth loop gain and a sufficient margin in frequency characteristics to prevent instability. Those are: (a) EMR (electric microphone rotator) -smoothing frequency responses between microphones and speakers by changing the combinations of inputs and outputs periodically; (b) fluctuating-FIR -smoothing frequency responses of FIR filters and preventing coloration problems caused by fixed FIR filters, by moving each FIR tap periodically on time axis with a different phase and time period. In this paper, these techniques are summarized. A block diagram of AFC using new equipment named AFC1, which has been developed at Yamaha Corporation and released recently in the US, is also presented.

Research on target tracking in coal mine based on optical flow method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Hongye; Xiao, Qingwei

2015-03-01

To recognize, track and count the bolting machine in coal mine video images, a real-time target tracking method based on the Lucas-Kanade sparse optical flow is proposed in this paper. In the method, we judge whether the moving target deviate from its trajectory, predicate and correct the position of the moving target. The method solves the problem of failure to track the target or lose the target because of the weak light, uneven illumination and blocking. Using the VC++ platform and Opencv lib we complete the recognition and tracking. The validity of the method is verified by the result of the experiment.

Strong signatures of high-latitude blocks and subtropical ridges in winter PM10 over Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ordonez, C.; Garrido-Perez, J. M.; Garcia-Herrera, R.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric blocking is associated with persistent, slow-moving high pressure systems that interrupt the eastward progress of extratropical storm systems at middle and high latitudes. Subtropical ridges are low latitude structures manifested as bands of positive geopotential height anomalies extending from sub-tropical latitudes towards extra-tropical regions. We have quantified the impact of blocks and ridges on daily PM10 (particulate matter ≤ 10 µm) observations obtained from the European Environment Agency's air quality database (AirBase) for the winter period of 2000-2010. For this purpose, the response of the PM10 concentrations to the location of blocks and ridges with centres in two main longitudinal sectors (Atlantic, ATL, 30˚-0˚ W; European, EUR, 0˚-30˚ E) is examined. EUR blocking is associated with a collapse of the boundary layer as well as reduced wind speeds and precipitation occurrence, yielding large positive anomalies which average 12 µg m-3 over the whole continent. Conversely, the enhanced zonal flow around 50˚-60˚ N and the increased occurrence of precipitation over northern-central Europe on days with ATL ridges favour the ventilation of the boundary layer and the impact of washout processes, reducing PM10 concentrations on average by around 8 µg m-3. The presence of EUR blocks is also concurrent with an increased probability of exceeding the European air quality target (50 µg m-3 for 24-h averaged PM10) and the local 90th percentiles for this pollutant at many sites, while the opposite effect is found for ridges. In addition, the effect of synoptic persistence on the PM10 concentrations is particularly strong for EUR blocks. Finally, we have found that the effect of both synoptic patterns can partly control the interannual variability of winter mean PM10 at many sites of north-western and central Europe, with coefficients of determination (R2) exceeding 0.80 for southern Germany. These results indicate that the response of the particulate matter (PM) concentrations to large-scale circulation patterns is stronger than previously reported for Europe and other mid-latitude regions. These findings can be exploited in the future to evaluate the modelled response of air quality to circulation changes within chemical transport models (CTMs) and chemistry-climate models (CCMs).

Promising and Reversible Electrolyte with Thermal Switching Behavior for Safer Electrochemical Storage Devices.

PubMed

Shi, Yunhui; Zhang, Qian; Zhang, Yan; Jia, Limin; Xu, Xinhua

2018-02-28

A major stumbling block in large-scale adoption of high-energy-density electrochemical devices has been safety issues. Methods to control thermal runaway are limited by providing a one-time thermal protection. Herein, we developed a simple and reversible thermoresponsive electrolyte system that is efficient to shutdown the current flow according to temperature changes. The thermal management is ascribed to the thermally activated sol-gel transition of methyl cellulose solution, associated with the concentration of ions that can move between isolated chains freely or be restricted by entangled molecular chains. We studied the effect of cellulose concentration, substituent types, and operating temperature on the electrochemical performance, demonstrating an obvious capacity loss up to 90% approximately of its initial value. Moreover, this is a cost-effective approach that has the potential for use in practical electrochemical storage devices.

Evaluation of a Blocked-Trials Procedure to Establish Complex Stimulus Control over Intraverbal Responses in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingvarsson, Einar T.; Kramer, Rachel L.; Carp, Charlotte L.; Pétursdóttir, Anna I.; Macias, Heather

2016-01-01

We evaluated the use of a blocked-trials procedure to establish complex stimulus control over intraverbal responses. The participants were four young boys with a diagnosis of autism who had struggled to master intraverbals. The blocked-trials procedures involved presentation of stimuli in separate trial blocks. The trial blocks gradually reduced…

Block copolymers from ionic liquids for the preparation of thin carbonaceous shells

PubMed Central

Hanif, Sadaf; Oschmann, Bernd; Spetter, Dmitri; Tahir, Muhammad Nawaz; Tremel, Wolfgang

2017-01-01

This paper describes the controlled radical polymerization of an ionic-liquid monomer by RAFT polymerization. This allows the control over the molecular weight of ionic liquid blocks in the range of 8000 and 22000 and of the block-copolymer synthesis. In this work we focus on block copolymers with an anchor block. They can be used to control the formation of TiO2 nanoparticles, which are functionalized thereafter with a block of ionic-liquid polymer. Pyrolysis of these polymer functionalized inorganic nanoparticles leads to TiO2 nanoparticles coated with a thin carbonaceous shell. Such materials may, e.g., be interesting as battery materials. PMID:28904612

Block copolymers from ionic liquids for the preparation of thin carbonaceous shells.

PubMed

Hanif, Sadaf; Oschmann, Bernd; Spetter, Dmitri; Tahir, Muhammad Nawaz; Tremel, Wolfgang; Zentel, Rudolf

2017-01-01

This paper describes the controlled radical polymerization of an ionic-liquid monomer by RAFT polymerization. This allows the control over the molecular weight of ionic liquid blocks in the range of 8000 and 22000 and of the block-copolymer synthesis. In this work we focus on block copolymers with an anchor block. They can be used to control the formation of TiO 2 nanoparticles, which are functionalized thereafter with a block of ionic-liquid polymer. Pyrolysis of these polymer functionalized inorganic nanoparticles leads to TiO 2 nanoparticles coated with a thin carbonaceous shell. Such materials may, e.g., be interesting as battery materials.

Self-assembly assisted polymerization (SAAP): approaching long multi-block copolymers with an ordered chain sequence and controllable block length.

PubMed

Wu, Chi; Xie, Zuowei; Zhang, Guangzhao; Zi, Guofu; Tu, Yingfeng; Yang, Yali; Cai, Ping; Nie, Ting

2002-12-07

A combination of polymer physics and synthetic chemistry has enabled us to develop self-assembly assisted polymerization (SAAP), leading to the preparation of long multi-block copolymers with an ordered chain sequence and controllable block lengths.

Communication and Trust: Change at the Onset of Appointment to the Superintendency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zepeda, Sally J.; Mayers, R. Stewart

2013-01-01

In this case, a new superintendent has communicated what he perceives as a needed change affecting students and teachers on several campuses and a seemingly short timeline for making the decision to move off a block schedule. The abrupt nature of the announcement, combined with the circumstances surrounding the superintendent's recent hiring has…

Theories of Intelligence, Learning, and Motivation as a Basic Educational Praxis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Hook, Steven R.

2008-01-01

This article begins with an examination of the early building blocks of intelligence and learning through signs and symbols, such as examined by Vygotsky and Freire. Then the inquiry moves into methods of achieving resonance as praxis of learning as expanded on by Freire, and connecting with students by addressing their multiple intelligences as…

Moving beyond the Apple Orchard: The Institutional Analysis of the Construction of Washtenaw Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kissel, Julie M.

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study was to understand the institutional forces that constructed and shaped the function, nature of funding, and governance of Washtenaw Community College (WCC). This qualitative, historical case study built on organizational theory used archival research to identify themes and the institutional building blocks for the junior…

Clerget 100 hp heavy-oil engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leglise, Pierre

1931-01-01

A complete technical description of the Clerget heavy-oil engine is presented along with the general characteristics. The general characteristics are: 9 cylinders, bore 120 mm, stroke 130 mm, four-stroke cycle engine, rated power limited to 100 hp at 1800 rpm; weight 228 kg; propeller with direct drive and air cooling. Moving parts, engine block, and lubrication are all presented.

Collective strategy for obstacle navigation during cooperative transport by ants.

PubMed

McCreery, Helen F; Dix, Zachary A; Breed, Michael D; Nagpal, Radhika

2016-11-01

Group cohesion and consensus have primarily been studied in the context of discrete decisions, but some group tasks require making serial decisions that build on one another. We examine such collective problem solving by studying obstacle navigation during cooperative transport in ants. In cooperative transport, ants work together to move a large object back to their nest. We blocked cooperative transport groups of Paratrechina longicornis with obstacles of varying complexity, analyzing groups' trajectories to infer what kind of strategy the ants employed. Simple strategies require little information, but more challenging, robust strategies succeed with a wider range of obstacles. We found that transport groups use a stochastic strategy that leads to efficient navigation around simple obstacles, and still succeeds at difficult obstacles. While groups navigating obstacles preferentially move directly toward the nest, they change their behavior over time; the longer the ants are obstructed, the more likely they are to move away from the nest. This increases the chance of finding a path around the obstacle. Groups rapidly changed directions and rarely stalled during navigation, indicating that these ants maintain consensus even when the nest direction is blocked. Although some decisions were aided by the arrival of new ants, at many key points, direction changes were initiated within the group, with no apparent external cause. This ant species is highly effective at navigating complex environments, and implements a flexible strategy that works for both simple and more complex obstacles. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

A simple theory of molecular organization in fullerene-containing liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peroukidis, S. D.; Vanakaras, A. G.; Photinos, D. J.

2005-10-01

Systematic efforts to synthesize fullerene-containing liquid crystals have produced a variety of successful model compounds. We present a simple molecular theory, based on the interconverting shape approach [Vanakaras and Photinos, J. Mater. Chem. 15, 2002 (2005)], that relates the self-organization observed in these systems to their molecular structure. The interactions are modeled by dividing each molecule into a number of submolecular blocks to which specific interactions are assigned. Three types of blocks are introduced, corresponding to fullerene units, mesogenic units, and nonmesogenic linkage units. The blocks are constrained to move on a cubic three-dimensional lattice and molecular flexibility is allowed by retaining a number of representative conformations within the block representation of the molecule. Calculations are presented for a variety of molecular architectures including twin mesogenic branch monoadducts of C60, twin dendromesogenic branch monoadducts, and conical (badminton shuttlecock) multiadducts of C60. The dependence of the phase diagrams on the interaction parameters is explored. In spite of its many simplifications and the minimal molecular modeling used (three types of chemically distinct submolecular blocks with only repulsive interactions), the theory accounts remarkably well for the phase behavior of these systems.

Coordinated control of micro-grid based on distributed moving horizon control.

PubMed

Ma, Miaomiao; Shao, Liyang; Liu, Xiangjie

2018-05-01

This paper proposed the distributed moving horizon coordinated control scheme for the power balance and economic dispatch problems of micro-grid based on distributed generation. We design the power coordinated controller for each subsystem via moving horizon control by minimizing a suitable objective function. The objective function of distributed moving horizon coordinated controller is chosen based on the principle that wind power subsystem has the priority to generate electricity while photovoltaic power generation coordinates with wind power subsystem and the battery is only activated to meet the load demand when necessary. The simulation results illustrate that the proposed distributed moving horizon coordinated controller can allocate the output power of two generation subsystems reasonably under varying environment conditions, which not only can satisfy the load demand but also limit excessive fluctuations of output power to protect the power generation equipment. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A field study of the geomorphic effects of sublimating CO2 blocks on dune slopes at Coral Pink Dunes, Utah.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourke, Mary; Nield, Jo; Diniega, Serina; Hansen, Candy; McElwaine, Jim

2016-04-01

The seasonal sublimation of CO2 ice is an active driver of present-day surface change on Mars. Diniega et al (2013) proposed that a discrete type of Martian gully, found on southern hemisphere dunes, were formed by the movement of CO2 seasonal ice blocks. These 'Linear Gullies' consist primarily of long (100 m - 2.5 km) grooves with near-uniform width (few-10 m wide), and typical depth of <2 m. They are near-linear throughout most of their length but sometimes contains zones of low-to-high sinuosity. They are commonly bounded by levées. The groove is generally prefaced by a small alcove that originates at the dune brink. We present the results of a set of field experiments that were undertaken at the Coral Pink sand dunes, Utah. These are sister experiments to those undertaken in Arizona (Bourke et al, 2016). The experiments were undertaken on an active barchan dune with a 16 m long lee slope (30.3°). Ambient air temperature was 30°C and relative humidity was 25%; sand surface temperatures were 26.5°C. A CO2 ice block (60x205x210 mm) was placed at the dune brink and with a gentle nudge it moved downslope. The dynamics of the block movement were recorded using a pair of high resolution video cameras. Geomorphological observations were noted and topographic change was quantified using a Leica P20 terrestrial laser scanner with a resolution of 0.8 mm at 10 m, and change detection limits less than 3 mm. The block run was repeated a total of 10 times and launched from the same location at the dune brink. The experiment ran for 45 minutes. The block size was reduced to (45 x 190 x 195 mm) by the end of the run series. The resultant geomorphology shows that the separate block runs occupied different tracks leading to a triangular plan form shape with a maximum width of 3.5 m. This is different from the findings in Arizona where a narrower track span was recorded (1.7m) (Bourke et al, 2016). Similar block dynamics were observed at both sites (as blocks moved straight, swiveled and bounced downslope). Distinctive pits with arcuate rims on their downslope edge were formed where blocks bounced on the surface. These pits are at an almost equidistant spacing. Despite a longer slope (16 m as opposed to 8m at Grand Falls), no depositional apron was formed. Levee development was less consistent compared to the Arizona site, but a pronounced unpaired-levee formed towards the base of the lee slope. These data show that sublimating blocks of CO2 ice leave signatures of transport paths and are capable of eroding and transporting sediment. Diniega,S. et al (2013) A new dry hypothesis for the formation of Martian linear gullies. Icarus. Vol. 225, 1, p. 526-537. Bourke, M.C. et al (2016) The geomorphic effect of sublimating CO2 blocks on dune lee slopes at Grand Falls, Arizona. LPSC

Optimization of block-floating-point realizations for digital controllers with finite-word-length considerations.

PubMed

Wu, Jun; Hu, Xie-he; Chen, Sheng; Chu, Jian

2003-01-01

The closed-loop stability issue of finite-precision realizations was investigated for digital controllers implemented in block-floating-point format. The controller coefficient perturbation was analyzed resulting from using finite word length (FWL) block-floating-point representation scheme. A block-floating-point FWL closed-loop stability measure was derived which considers both the dynamic range and precision. To facilitate the design of optimal finite-precision controller realizations, a computationally tractable block-floating-point FWL closed-loop stability measure was then introduced and the method of computing the value of this measure for a given controller realization was developed. The optimal controller realization is defined as the solution that maximizes the corresponding measure, and a numerical optimization approach was adopted to solve the resulting optimal realization problem. A numerical example was used to illustrate the design procedure and to compare the optimal controller realization with the initial realization.

Controlled self-assembly of conjugated rod-coil block copolymers for applications in organic optoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Yuefei

Organic electronics are of great interest in manufacturing light weight, mechanical flexible, and inexpensive large area devices. While significant improvements have been made over the last several years and it is now clear that morphology on the lengthscale of exciton diffusion (10nm) is of crucial importance, a clear relationship between structure and device properties has not emerged. This lack of understanding largely emerges from an inability to control morphology on this lengthscale. This thesis will center around an approach, based on block copolymer self-assembly, to generate equilibrium nanostructures on the 10 nm lengthscale of exciton diffusion and study their effects on device performance. Self-assembly of semiconducting block copolymers is complicated by the non-classical chain shape of conjugated polymers. Unlike classical polymers, the chains do not assume a Gaussian coil shape which is stretched near block copolymer interfaces, instead the chains are elongated and liquid crystalline. Previous work has demonstrated how these new molecular interactions and shapes control the phase diagram of so-called rod-coil block copolymers. Here, we will focus on controlling domain size, orientation, and chemical structure. While domain size can be controlled directly through molecular weight, this requires significant additional synthesis of domain size is to be varied. Here, the domain size is controlled by blending homopolymers into a self-assembling rod-coil block copolymer. When coil-like blocks are incorporated, the domains swell, as expected. When rod-like blocks are incorporated, they interdigitate with the rods of the block copolymers. This results in an increase in interfacial area which forces the coils to rearrange and an overall decrease in domain size with increasing rod content. Control over lamellar orientation is crucial in order to design and control charge transport pathways and exciton recombination or separation interfaces. While numerous techniques have been demonstrated for classical block copolymers, the pi conjugation in the rod blocks allow for additional control mechanisms. Liquid crystals are traditionally aligned in magnetic fields. Here, it is demonstrated that if the rod-like blocks are aligned unidirectionally, the block copolymer interfaces follow to create macroscopic alignment of the nanostructures. Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) are generally composed of electron transporting and hole transporting moieties to balance charge recombination. Here, a new multifunctional bipolar rod-coil block copolymer containing the hole transporting and electron transporting materials is synthesized. Self-assembly of this new block copolymer results in 15nm lamellae oriented in grains both parallel and perpendicula to the anode. The self-assembled block copolymer shows superior device performance to controls consisting of a luminescent, analogous homopolymer, and a blend of the two component homopolymers. The effects of the morphologies and chemical structure on photovoltaics is explored with a rod-coil block copolymer, (poly(3-hexylthiophene-b-acrylic perylene)). By varying the kinetics of self-assembly through processing, the block copolymer can be disordered, ordered with only short range registry between the nanodomains, or with long-range order. The short range ordered samples showed the best device performance suggesting that the connectivity that is a biproduct of poor order is beneficial for device performance.

Nanoscale integration is the next frontier for nanotechnology

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

Picraux, Samuel T

2009-01-01

Nanoscale integration of materials and structures is the next critical step to exploit the promise of nanomaterials. Many novel and fascinating properties have been revealed for nanostructured materials. But if nanotechnology is to live up to its promise we must incorporate these nanoscale building blocks into functional systems that connect to the micro- and macroscale world. To do this we will inevitably need to understand and exploit the resulting combined unique properties of these integrated nanosystems. Much science waits to be discovered in the process. Nanoscale integration extends from the synthesis and fabrication of individual nanoscale building blocks, to themore » assembly of these building blocks into composite structures, and finally to the formation of complex functional systems. As illustrated in Figure 1, the building blocks may be homogeneous or heterogeneous, the composite materials may be nanocomposite or patterned structures, and the functional systems will involve additional combinations of materials. Nanoscale integration involves assembling diverse nanoscale materials across length scales to design and achieve new properties and functionality. At each stage size-dependent properties, the influence of surfaces in close proximity, and a multitude of interfaces all come into play. Whether the final system involves coherent electrons in a quantum computing approach, the combined flow of phonons and electrons for a high efficiency thermoelectric micro-generator, or a molecular recognition structure for bio-sensing, the combined effects of size, surface, and interface will be critical. In essence, one wants to combine the novel functions available through nanoscale science to achieve unique multi-functionalities not available in bulk materials. Perhaps the best-known example of integration is that of combining electronic components together into very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI). The integrated circuit has revolutionized electronics in many ways, from exploiting field-effect transistor devices and low power complementary logic to enable the electronic watch and hand calculator in the 1970's, to today's microprocessors and memories with billions of devices and a computational power not imagined a few decades ago. The manipulation of charges on a chip, the new concepts in combining devices for logic functions, and the new approaches to computation, information processing, and imaging have all emerged from Kilby and Noyce's simple concept of integrating devices on a single chip. Moving from hard to soft materials, a second more recent example of integration is the DNA microarray. These microarrays, with up to millions of elements in a planar array that can be optically read out, can simultaneously measure the expression of 10's of thousands of genes to study the effects of disease and treatment, or screen for single nucleotide polymorphisms for uses ranging from forensics to predisposition to disease. While still at an early stage, microarrays have revolutionized biosciences by providing the means to interrogate the complex genetic control of biological functions. Just as integrated circuits and microarrays have led to completely new functionalities and performance, the integration of nanoscale materials and structures is anticipated to lead to new performance and enable the design of new functionalities not previously envisioned. The fundamental questions underlying integration go beyond just complex fabrication or the engineering of known solutions; they lead to new discoveries and new science. The scientific challenges around nanoscale integration necessitate the development of new knowledge that is central to the advance of nanotechnology. To move forward one must address key science questions that arise in nanoscience integration and go beyond a single system or materials area. New science and discoveries especially await around three questions. How does one: (1) Control energy transfer and other interactions across interfaces and over mUltiple length scales? (2) Understand and control the interactions between nanoscale building blocks to assemble specific integrated structures? (3) Design and exploit interactions within assembled structures to achieve new properties and specific functionalities? These high level questions can serve to drive research, and to advance understanding of the complex phenomena and multifunctionality that may emerge from integration. For example, in photonics there is considerable effort to understand and control the response of nanoscale conducting structures on dielectrics, to allow one to localize, manipulate, and control electromagnetic energy in integrated systems such as in the field known as metamaterials. Essential to this area is a fundamental understanding of energy transfer across multiple length scales (question 1 above).« less

Rapid-X - An FPGA Development Toolset Using a Custom Simulink Library for MTCA.4 Modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prędki, Paweł; Heuer, Michael; Butkowski, Łukasz; Przygoda, Konrad; Schlarb, Holger; Napieralski, Andrzej

2015-06-01

The recent introduction of advanced hardware architectures such as the Micro Telecommunications Computing Architecture (MTCA) caused a change in the approach to implementation of control schemes in many fields. The development has been moving away from traditional programming languages ( C/C++), to hardware description languages (VHDL, Verilog), which are used in FPGA development. With MATLAB/Simulink it is possible to describe complex systems with block diagrams and simulate their behavior. Those diagrams are then used by the HDL experts to implement exactly the required functionality in hardware. Both the porting of existing applications and adaptation of new ones require a lot of development time from them. To solve this, Xilinx System Generator, a toolbox for MATLAB/Simulink, allows rapid prototyping of those block diagrams using hardware modelling. It is still up to the firmware developer to merge this structure with the hardware-dependent HDL project. This prevents the application engineer from quickly verifying the proposed schemes in real hardware. The framework described in this article overcomes these challenges, offering a hardware-independent library of components that can be used in Simulink/System Generator models. The components are subsequently translated into VHDL entities and integrated with a pre-prepared VHDL project template. Furthermore, the entire implementation process is run in the background, giving the user an almost one-click path from control scheme modelling and simulation to bit-file generation. This approach allows the application engineers to quickly develop new schemes and test them in real hardware environment. The applications may range from simple data logging or signal generation ones to very advanced controllers. Taking advantage of the Simulink simulation capabilities and user-friendly hardware implementation routines, the framework significantly decreases the development time of FPGA-based applications.

A sparse representation-based approach for copy-move image forgery detection in smooth regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdessamad, Jalila; ElAdel, Asma; Zaied, Mourad

2017-03-01

Copy-move image forgery is the act of cloning a restricted region in the image and pasting it once or multiple times within that same image. This procedure intends to cover a certain feature, probably a person or an object, in the processed image or emphasize it through duplication. Consequences of this malicious operation can be unexpectedly harmful. Hence, the present paper proposes a new approach that automatically detects Copy-move Forgery (CMF). In particular, this work broaches a widely common open issue in CMF research literature that is detecting CMF within smooth areas. Indeed, the proposed approach represents the image blocks as a sparse linear combination of pre-learned bases (a mixture of texture and color-wise small patches) which allows a robust description of smooth patches. The reported experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in identifying the forged regions in CM attacks.

Ability of crime, demographic and business data to forecast areas of increased violence.

PubMed

Bowen, Daniel A; Mercer Kollar, Laura M; Wu, Daniel T; Fraser, David A; Flood, Charles E; Moore, Jasmine C; Mays, Elizabeth W; Sumner, Steven A

2018-05-24

Identifying geographic areas and time periods of increased violence is of considerable importance in prevention planning. This study compared the performance of multiple data sources to prospectively forecast areas of increased interpersonal violence. We used 2011-2014 data from a large metropolitan county on interpersonal violence (homicide, assault, rape and robbery) and forecasted violence at the level of census block-groups and over a one-month moving time window. Inputs to a Random Forest model included historical crime records from the police department, demographic data from the US Census Bureau, and administrative data on licensed businesses. Among 279 block groups, a model utilizing all data sources was found to prospectively improve the identification of the top 5% most violent block-group months (positive predictive value = 52.1%; negative predictive value = 97.5%; sensitivity = 43.4%; specificity = 98.2%). Predictive modelling with simple inputs can help communities more efficiently focus violence prevention resources geographically.

[Motion control of moving mirror based on fixed-mirror adjustment in FTIR spectrometer].

PubMed

Li, Zhong-bing; Xu, Xian-ze; Le, Yi; Xu, Feng-qiu; Li, Jun-wei

2012-08-01

The performance of the uniform motion of the moving mirror, which is the only constant motion part in FTIR spectrometer, and the performance of the alignment of the fixed mirror play a key role in FTIR spectrometer, and affect the interference effect and the quality of the spectrogram and may restrict the precision and resolution of the instrument directly. The present article focuses on the research on the uniform motion of the moving mirror and the alignment of the fixed mirror. In order to improve the FTIR spectrometer, the maglev support system was designed for the moving mirror and the phase detection technology was adopted to adjust the tilt angle between the moving mirror and the fixed mirror. This paper also introduces an improved fuzzy PID control algorithm to get the accurate speed of the moving mirror and realize the control strategy from both hardware design and algorithm. The results show that the development of the moving mirror motion control system gets sufficient accuracy and real-time, which can ensure the uniform motion of the moving mirror and the alignment of the fixed mirror.

49 CFR 236.401 - Automatic block signal system and interlocking standards applicable to traffic control systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Automatic block signal system and interlocking standards applicable to traffic control systems. 236.401 Section 236.401 Transportation Other Regulations... block signal system and interlocking standards applicable to traffic control systems. The standards...

An artificial molecular machine that builds an asymmetric catalyst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Bo, Guillaume; Gall, Malcolm A. Y.; Kuschel, Sonja; De Winter, Julien; Gerbaux, Pascal; Leigh, David A.

2018-05-01

Biomolecular machines perform types of complex molecular-level tasks that artificial molecular machines can aspire to. The ribosome, for example, translates information from the polymer track it traverses (messenger RNA) to the new polymer it constructs (a polypeptide)1. The sequence and number of codons read determines the sequence and number of building blocks incorporated into the biomachine-synthesized polymer. However, neither control of sequence2,3 nor the transfer of length information from one polymer to another (which to date has only been accomplished in man-made systems through template synthesis)4 is easily achieved in the synthesis of artificial macromolecules. Rotaxane-based molecular machines5-7 have been developed that successively add amino acids8-10 (including β-amino acids10) to a growing peptide chain by the action of a macrocycle moving along a mono-dispersed oligomeric track derivatized with amino-acid phenol esters. The threaded macrocycle picks up groups that block its path and links them through successive native chemical ligation reactions11 to form a peptide sequence corresponding to the order of the building blocks on the track. Here, we show that as an alternative to translating sequence information, a rotaxane molecular machine can transfer the narrow polydispersity of a leucine-ester-derivatized polystyrene chain synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization12 to a molecular-machine-made homo-leucine oligomer. The resulting narrow-molecular-weight oligomer folds to an α-helical secondary structure13 that acts as an asymmetric catalyst for the Juliá-Colonna epoxidation14,15 of chalcones.

Micro-Vibration Performance Prediction of SEPTA24 Using SMeSim (RUAG Space Mechanism Simulator Tool)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omiciuolo, Manolo; Lang, Andreas; Wismer, Stefan; Barth, Stephan; Szekely, Gerhard

2013-09-01

Scientific space missions are currently challenging the performances of their payloads. The performances can be dramatically restricted by micro-vibration loads generated by any moving parts of the satellites, thus by Solar Array Drive Assemblies too. Micro-vibration prediction of SADAs is therefore very important to support their design and optimization in the early stages of a programme. The Space Mechanism Simulator (SMeSim) tool, developed by RUAG, enhances the capability of analysing the micro-vibration emissivity of a Solar Array Drive Assembly (SADA) under a specified set of boundary conditions. The tool is developed in the Matlab/Simulink® environment throughout a library of blocks simulating the different components a SADA is made of. The modular architecture of the blocks, assembled by the user, and the set up of the boundary conditions allow time-domain and frequency-domain analyses of a rigid multi-body model with concentrated flexibilities and coupled- electronic control of the mechanism. SMeSim is used to model the SEPTA24 Solar Array Drive Mechanism and predict its micro-vibration emissivity. SMeSim and the return of experience earned throughout its development and use can now support activities like verification by analysis of micro-vibration emissivity requirements and/or design optimization to minimize the micro- vibration emissivity of a SADA.

Effects of Irrigation with Treated Wastewater on Root and Fruit Mineral Elements of Chemlali Olive Cultivar

PubMed Central

Bedbabis, Saida; Ben Rouina, Béchir; Boukhris, Makki

2014-01-01

Twenty-year-old “Chemlali” olive trees trained to vase and rainfed were investigated in either “on” (2004) or “off” (2003) year. A randomized block design with three blocks and three treatments was used and each experimental plot consisted of nine olive trees. Three treatments were applied: (1) rainfed conditions (RF, used as control treatment); (2) irrigation with well water (WW); and (3) irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW). Irrigation with TWW led to a significant increase of root N, P, Ca, Zn, Mn, Na, and Cl concentrations, in particular in the on-year. Data showed significant differences, between the two years, for the concentration of the mineral elements in the roots, with general lower values in the on-year, probably as a consequence of nutrients movement upward in the tree. Fruit N, P, K, Zn, Mn, and Cl contents were significantly higher in TWW irrigated trees with respect to both RF and WW trees, whereas similar values for Ca, Mg, Na, and Cl contents were measured for WW and TWW irrigated trees. The irrigation with TWW allowed to reuse problematic waters and to save nutrients inputs in the olive orchard thus moving towards a more sustainable management of olive orchards in countries where water is the major limiting factor for agriculture. PMID:25013873

Impact of different detachment topographies on pull-apart basin evolution - analog modelling and computer visualisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoprich, M.; Decker, K.; Grasemann, B.; Sokoutis, D.; Willingshofer, E.

2009-04-01

Former analog modeling on pull-apart basins dealt with different sidestep geometries, the symmetry and ratio between velocities of moving blocks, the ratio between ductile base and model thickness, the ratio between fault stepover and model thickness and their influence on basin evolution. In all these models the pull-apart basin is deformed over an even detachment. The Vienna basin, however, is considered a classical thin-skinned pull-apart with a rather peculiar basement structure. Deformation and basin evolution are believed to be limited to the brittle upper crust above the Alpine-Carpathian floor thrust. The latter is not a planar detachment surface, but has a ramp-shaped topography draping the underlying former passive continental margin. In order to estimate the effects of this special geometry, nine experiments were accomplished and the resulting structures were compared with the Vienna basin. The key parameters for the models (fault and basin geometry, detachment depth and topography) were inferred from a 3D GoCad model of the natural Vienna basin, which was compiled from seismic, wells and geological cross sections. The experiments were scaled 1:100.000 ("Ramberg-scaling" for brittle rheology) and built of quartz sand (300 µm grain size). An average depth of 6 km (6 cm) was calculated for the basal detachment, distances between the bounding strike-slip faults of 40 km (40 cm) and a finite length of the natural basin of 200 km were estimated (initial model length: 100 cm). The following parameters were changed through the experimental process: (1) syntectonic sedimentation; (2) the stepover angle between bounding strike slip faults and basal velocity discontinuity; (3) moving of one or both fault blocks (producing an asymmetrical or symmetrical basin); (4) inclination of the basal detachment surface by 5°; (6) installation of 2 and 3 ramp systems at the detachment; (7) simulation of a ductile detachment through a 0.4 cm thick PDMS layer at the basin floor. The surface of the model was photographed after each deformation increment through the experiment. Pictures of serial cross sections cut through the models in their final state every 4 cm were also taken and interpreted. The formation of en-echelon normal faults with relay ramps is observed in all models. These faults are arranged in an acute angle to the basin borders, according to a Riedel-geometry. In the case of an asymmetric basin they emerge within the non-moving fault block. Substantial differences between the models are the number, the distance and the angle of these Riedel faults, the length of the bounding strike-slip faults and the cross basin symmetry. A flat detachment produces straight fault traces, whereas inclined detachments (or inclined ramps) lead to "bending" of the normal faults, rollover and growth strata thickening towards the faults. Positions and the sizes of depocenters also vary, with depocenters preferably developing above ramp-flat-transitions. Depocenter thicknesses increase with ramp heights. A similar relation apparently exists in the natural Vienna basin, which shows ramp-like structures in the detachment just underneath large faults like the Steinberg normal fault and the associated depocenters. The 3-ramp-model also reveals segmentation of the basin above the lowermost ramp. The evolving structure is comparable to the Wiener Neustadt sub-basin in the southern part of the Vienna basin, which is underlain by a topographical high of the detachment. Cross sections through the ductile model show a strong disintergration into a horst-and-graben basin. The thin silicon putty base influences the overlying strata in a way that the basin - unlike the "dry" sand models - becomes very flat and shallow. The top view shows an irregular basin shape and no rhombohedral geometry, which characterises the Vienna basin. The ductile base also leads to a symmetrical distribution of deformation on both fault blocks, even though only one fault block is moved. The stepover angle, the influence of gravitation in a ramp or inclined system and the strain accomodation by a viscous silicone layer can be summarized as factors controlling the characteristics of the models.

[Near infrared analysis of blending homogeneity of Chinese medicine formula particles based on moving window F test method].

PubMed

Yang, Chan; Xu, Bing; Zhang, Zhi-Qiang; Wang, Xin; Shi, Xin-Yuan; Fu, Jing; Qiao, Yan-Jiang

2016-10-01

Blending uniformity is essential to ensure the homogeneity of Chinese medicine formula particles within each batch. This study was based on the blending process of ebony spray dried powder and dextrin(the proportion of dextrin was 10%),in which the analysis of near infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectra was collected from six different sampling points in combination with moving window F test method in order to assess the blending uniformity of the blending process.The method was validated by the changes of citric acid content determined by the HPLC. The results of moving window F test method showed that the ebony spray dried powder and dextrin was homogeneous during 200-300 r and was segregated during 300-400 r. An advantage of this method is that the threshold value is defined statistically, not empirically and thus does not suffer from threshold ambiguities in common with the moving block standard deviatiun (MBSD). And this method could be employed to monitor other blending process of Chinese medicine powders on line. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

A bird's eye view of "Understanding volcanoes in the Vanuatu arc"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vergniolle, S.; Métrich, N.

2016-08-01

The Vanuatu intra-oceanic arc, located between 13 and 22°S in the southwest Pacific Ocean (Fig. 1), is one of the most seismically active regions with almost 39 earthquakes magnitude 7 + in the past 43 years (Baillard et al., 2015). Active deformation in both the Vanuatu subduction zone and the back-arc North-Fiji basin accommodates the variation of convergence rates which are c.a. 90-120 mm/yr along most of the arc (Taylor et al., 1995; Pelletier et al., 1998). The convergence rate is slowed down to 25-43 mm/yr (Baillard et al., 2015) in the central segment where the D'Entrecasteaux ridge - an Eocene-Oligocene island arc complex on the Australian subducting plate - collides and is subducted beneath the fore-arc (Taylor et al., 2005). Hence, the Vanuatu arc is segmented in three blocks which move independently; as the north block rotates counter-clockwise in association with rapid back-arc spreading ( 80 mm/year), the central block translates eastward and the south block rotates clockwise (Calmant et al., 2003; Bergeot et al., 2009). (See Fig. 1.)

What's your number? The effects of trial order on the one-target advantage.

PubMed

Bested, Stephen R; Khan, Michael A; Lawrence, Gavin P; Tremblay, Luc

2018-05-01

When moving our upper-limb towards a single target, movement times are typically shorter than when movement to a second target is required. This is known as the one-target advantage. Most studies that have demonstrated the one-target advantage have employed separate trial blocks for the one- and two-segment movements. To test if the presence of the one-target advantage depends on advance knowledge of the number of segments, the present study investigated whether the one-target advantage would emerge under different trial orders/sequences. One- and two-segment responses were organized in blocked (i.e., 1-1-1, 2-2-2), alternating (i.e., 1-2-1-2-1-2), and random (i.e., 1-1-2-1-2-2) trial sequences. Similar to previous studies, where only blocked schedules have typically been utilized, the one-target advantage emerged during the blocked and alternate conditions, but not in the random condition. This finding indicates that the one-target advantage is contingent on participants knowing the number of movement segments prior to stimulus onset. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel resource sharing algorithm based on distributed construction for radiant enclosure problems

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

Finzell, Peter; Bryden, Kenneth M.

This study demonstrates a novel approach to solving inverse radiant enclosure problems based on distributed construction. Specifically, the problem of determining the temperature distribution needed on the heater surfaces to achieve a desired design surface temperature profile is recast as a distributed construction problem in which a shared resource, temperature, is distributed by computational agents moving blocks. The sharing of blocks between agents enables them to achieve their desired local state, which in turn achieves the desired global state. Each agent uses the current state of their local environment and a simple set of rules to determine when to exchangemore » blocks, each block representing a discrete unit of temperature change. This algorithm is demonstrated using the established two-dimensional inverse radiation enclosure problem. The temperature profile on the heater surfaces is adjusted to achieve a desired temperature profile on the design surfaces. The resource sharing algorithm was able to determine the needed temperatures on the heater surfaces to obtain the desired temperature distribution on the design surfaces in the nine cases examined.« less

A novel resource sharing algorithm based on distributed construction for radiant enclosure problems

DOE PAGES

Finzell, Peter; Bryden, Kenneth M.

2017-03-06

This study demonstrates a novel approach to solving inverse radiant enclosure problems based on distributed construction. Specifically, the problem of determining the temperature distribution needed on the heater surfaces to achieve a desired design surface temperature profile is recast as a distributed construction problem in which a shared resource, temperature, is distributed by computational agents moving blocks. The sharing of blocks between agents enables them to achieve their desired local state, which in turn achieves the desired global state. Each agent uses the current state of their local environment and a simple set of rules to determine when to exchangemore » blocks, each block representing a discrete unit of temperature change. This algorithm is demonstrated using the established two-dimensional inverse radiation enclosure problem. The temperature profile on the heater surfaces is adjusted to achieve a desired temperature profile on the design surfaces. The resource sharing algorithm was able to determine the needed temperatures on the heater surfaces to obtain the desired temperature distribution on the design surfaces in the nine cases examined.« less

Method for welding an article and terminating the weldment within the perimeter of the article

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, John H. (Inventor); Smashey, Russell W. (Inventor); Boerger, Eric J. (Inventor); Borne, Bruce L. (Inventor)

2000-01-01

An article is welded, as in weld repair of a defect, by positioning a weld lift-off block at a location on the surface of the article adjacent to the intended location of the end of the weldment on the surface of the article. The weld lift-off block has a wedge shape including a base contacting the surface of the article, and an upper face angled upwardly from the base from a base leading edge. A weld pool is formed on the surface of the article by directly heating the surface of the article using a heat source. The heat source is moved relative to the surface of the article and onto the upper surface of the weld lift-off block by crossing the leading edge of the wedge, without discontinuing the direct heating of the article by the heat source. The heating of the article with the heat source is discontinued only after the heat source is directly heating the upper face of the weld lift-off block, and not the article.

Forensic Analysis of Digital Image Tampering

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

analysis of when each method fails, which Chapter 4 discusses. Finally, a test image containing an invisible watermark using LSB steganography is...2.2 – Example of invisible watermark using Steganography Software F5 ............. 8 Figure 2.3 – Example of copy-move image forgery [12...Figure 3.11 – Algorithm for JPEG Block Technique ....................................................... 54 Figure 3.12 – “Forged” Image with Result

An engine awaits processing in the new engine shop at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

In the Space Shuttle Main Engine Processing Facility (SSMEPF), a new Block 2A engine sits on the transport cradle before being moved to the workstand. The engine is scheduled to fly on the Space Shuttle Endeavour during the STS-88 mission in December 1998. The SSMEPF officially opened on July 6, replacing the Shuttle Main Engine Shop.

Give Teams a Running Start: Take Steps to Build Shared Vision, Trust, and Collaboration Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kise, Jane A. G.

2012-01-01

Consider for a moment how launching a professional learning community is similar to starting a race. Athletes know the danger of false starts--moving before the starting signal. Until recently, a false start meant that all racers returned to the blocks to begin again, their adrenalin gone, their concentration broken. Because these effects could…

Three Methods of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy That Make My Psychotherapy Effective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Albert

This paper discusses three serious cognitive-emotive errors clients make when they are confronted with situations that block their important goals and how to act against self-defeating errors and move on to greater mental health and self-actualization. Three of the main ways in which clients think, feel, and act against their best interests are:…

Experiences in teaching of modeling and simulation with emphasize on equation-based and acausal modeling techniques.

PubMed

Kulhánek, Tomáš; Ježek, Filip; Mateják, Marek; Šilar, Jan; Kofránek, Jří

2015-08-01

This work introduces experiences of teaching modeling and simulation for graduate students in the field of biomedical engineering. We emphasize the acausal and object-oriented modeling technique and we have moved from teaching block-oriented tool MATLAB Simulink to acausal and object oriented Modelica language, which can express the structure of the system rather than a process of computation. However, block-oriented approach is allowed in Modelica language too and students have tendency to express the process of computation. Usage of the exemplar acausal domains and approach allows students to understand the modeled problems much deeper. The causality of the computation is derived automatically by the simulation tool.

Blackbody emission from light interacting with an effective moving dispersive medium.

PubMed

Petev, M; Westerberg, N; Moss, D; Rubino, E; Rimoldi, C; Cacciatori, S L; Belgiorno, F; Faccio, D

2013-07-26

Intense laser pulses excite a nonlinear polarization response that may create an effective flowing medium and, under appropriate conditions, a blocking horizon for light. Here, we analyze in detail the interaction of light with such laser-induced flowing media, fully accounting for the medium dispersion properties. An analytical model based on a first Born approximation is found to be in excellent agreement with numerical simulations based on Maxwell's equations and shows that when a blocking horizon is formed, the stimulated medium scatters light with a blackbody emission spectrum. Based on these results, diamond is proposed as a promising candidate medium for future studies of Hawking emission from artificial, dispersive horizons.

The effects of catecholamines and adrenoceptor blocking drugs on the canine peripheral lymph flow.

PubMed Central

De Micheli, P; Glässer, A H

1975-01-01

Blood flow through the femoral artery, lymph flow in a lymphatic vessel in the femoral triangle and metatarsal distal venous pressure were measured simultaneously in a canine moving hind limb. 2. Low intra-arterial doses of adrenaline and noradrenaline increased lymph flow even in the presence of marked arterial vasoconstriction. In contrast, isoprenaline increased arterial blood flow without affecting lymph flow rate. 3. Phenoxybenzamine, dihydroergotoxine, and nicergoline did not inhibit the lymphatic flow increase induced by adrenaline at doses active on arterial or venous vascular alpha-adrenoceptors. 4. Propranolol given intra-arterially into animals pretreated with alpha-adrenoceptor blocking agents restored the vasoconstrictor effect of adrenaline (reversal of adrenaline reversal). PMID:238702

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is moved into the mobile service tower. The rocket is being erected to launch the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is moved into the mobile service tower. The rocket is being erected to launch the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is nearly erect for its move into the mobile service tower. The rocket is being erected to launch the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is nearly erect for its move into the mobile service tower. The rocket is being erected to launch the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

Impact of pectoral nerve block on postoperative pain and quality of recovery in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery: A randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Kamiya, Yoshinori; Hasegawa, Miki; Yoshida, Takayuki; Takamatsu, Misako; Koyama, Yu

2018-03-01

In recent years, thoracic wall nerve blocks, such as the pectoral nerve (PECS) block and the serratus plane block have become popular for peri-operative pain control in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. The effect of PECS block on quality of recovery (QoR) after breast cancer surgery has not been evaluated. To evaluate the ability of PECS block to decrease postoperative pain and anaesthesia and analgesia requirements and to improve postoperative QoR in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. Randomised controlled study. A tertiary hospital. Sixty women undergoing breast cancer surgery between April 2014 and February 2015. The patients were randomised to receive a PECS block consisting of 30 ml of levobupivacaine 0.25% after induction of anaesthesia (PECS group) or a saline mock block (control group). The patients answered a 40-item QoR questionnaire (QoR-40) before and 1 day after breast cancer surgery. Numeric Rating Scale score for postoperative pain, requirement for intra-operative propofol and remifentanil, and QoR-40 score on postoperative day 1. PECS block combined with propofol-remifentanil anaesthesia significantly improved the median [interquartile range] pain score at 6 h postoperatively (PECS group 1 [0 to 2] vs. Control group 1 [0.25 to 2.75]; P = 0.018]. PECS block also reduced propofol mean (± SD) estimated target blood concentration to maintain bispectral index (BIS) between 40 and 50 (PECS group 2.65 (± 0.52) vs. Control group 3.08 (± 0.41) μg ml; P < 0.001) but not remifentanil consumption (PECS group 10.5 (± 4.28) vs. Control group 10.4 (± 4.68) μg kg h; P = 0.95). PECS block did not improve the QoR-40 score on postoperative day 1 (PECS group 182 [176 to 189] vs. Control group 174.5 [157.75 to 175]). In patients undergoing breast cancer surgery, PECS block combined with general anaesthesia reduced the requirement for propofol but not that for remifentanil, due to the inability of the PECS block to reach the internal mammary area. Further, PECS block improved postoperative pain but not the postoperative QoR-40 score due to the factors that cannot be measured by analgesia immediately after surgery, such as rebound pain. This trial is registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000013435).

Comparison of success rates, learning curves, and inter-subject performance variability of robot-assisted and manual ultrasound-guided nerve block needle guidance in simulation.

PubMed

Morse, J; Terrasini, N; Wehbe, M; Philippona, C; Zaouter, C; Cyr, S; Hemmerling, T M

2014-06-01

This study focuses on a recently developed robotic nerve block system and its impact on learning regional anaesthesia skills. We compared success rates, learning curves, performance times, and inter-subject performance variability of robot-assisted vs manual ultrasound (US)-guided nerve block needle guidance. The hypothesis of this study is that robot assistance will result in faster skill acquisition than manual needle guidance. Five co-authors with different experience with nerve blocks and the robotic system performed both manual and robot-assisted, US-guided nerve blocks on two different nerves of a nerve phantom. Ten trials were performed for each of the four procedures. Time taken to move from a shared starting position till the needle was inserted into the target nerve was defined as the performance time. A successful block was defined as the insertion of the needle into the target nerve. Average performance times were compared using analysis of variance. P<0.05 was considered significant. Data presented as mean (standard deviation). All blocks were successful. There were significant differences in performance times between co-authors to perform the manual blocks, either superficial (P=0.001) or profound (P=0.0001); no statistical difference between co-authors was noted for the robot-assisted blocks. Linear regression indicated that the average decrease in time between consecutive trials for robot-assisted blocks of 1.8 (1.6) s was significantly (P=0.007) greater than the decrease for manual blocks of 0.3 (0.3) s. Robot assistance of nerve blocks allows for faster learning of needle guidance over manual positioning and reduces inter-subject performance variability. © The Author [2014]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Self-Organization in 2D Traffic Flow Model with Jam-Avoiding Drive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagatani, Takashi

1995-04-01

A stochastic cellular automaton (CA) model is presented to investigate the traffic jam by self-organization in the two-dimensional (2D) traffic flow. The CA model is the extended version of the 2D asymmetric exclusion model to take into account jam-avoiding drive. Each site contains either a car moving to the up, a car moving to the right, or is empty. A up car can shift right with probability p ja if it is blocked ahead by other cars. It is shown that the three phases (the low-density phase, the intermediate-density phase and the high-density phase) appear in the traffic flow. The intermediate-density phase is characterized by the right moving of up cars. The jamming transition to the high-density jamming phase occurs with higher density of cars than that without jam-avoiding drive. The jamming transition point p 2c increases with the shifting probability p ja. In the deterministic limit of p ja=1, it is found that a new jamming transition occurs from the low-density synchronized-shifting phase to the high-density moving phase with increasing density of cars. In the synchronized-shifting phase, all up cars do not move to the up but shift to the right by synchronizing with the move of right cars. We show that the jam-avoiding drive has an important effect on the dynamical jamming transition.

Mosquito larvicidal effectiveness of EcoBio-Block S: a novel integrated water-purifying concrete block formulation containing insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen.

PubMed

Kawada, Hitoshi; Saita, Susumu; Shimabukuro, Kozue; Hirano, Masachika; Koga, Masayuki; Iwashita, Toshiaki; Takagi, Masahiro

2006-09-01

EcoBio-Block S, a novel controlled release system (CRS) for the insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen, uses a water-purifying concrete block system (EcoBio-Block) composed of a porous volcanic rock and cement, and it incorporates the aerobic bacterial groups of Bacillus subtilis natto. EcoBio-Block S showed high inhibitory activity against mosquito emergence as well as a water-purifying effect. Chemical analysis and bioassay showed that EcoBio-Block S provides a high-performance CRS that controls the release of pyriproxyfen at low levels according to "zero order kinetics".

Digital Control Technologies for Modular DC-DC Converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Button, Robert M.; Kascak, Peter E.; Lebron-Velilla, Ramon

2002-01-01

Recent trends in aerospace Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) systems focus on using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components as standard building blocks. This move to more modular designs has been driven by a desire to reduce costs and development times, but is also due to the impressive power density and efficiency numbers achieved by today's commercial DC-DC converters. However, the PMAD designer quickly learns of the hidden "costs" of using COTS converters. The most significant cost is the required addition of external input filters to meet strict electromagnetic interference (MIAMI) requirements for space systems. In fact, the high power density numbers achieved by the commercial manufacturers are greatly due to the lack of necessary input filters included in the COTS module. The NASA Glenn Research Center is currently pursuing a digital control technology that addresses this problem with modular DC-DC converters. This paper presents the digital control technologies that have been developed to greatly reduce the input filter requirements for paralleled, modular DC-DC converters. Initial test result show that the input filter's inductor size was reduced by 75 percent, and the capacitor size was reduced by 94 percent while maintaining the same power quality specifications.

Chromatin recruitment of activated AMPK drives fasting response genes co-controlled by GR and PPARα.

PubMed

Ratman, Dariusz; Mylka, Viacheslav; Bougarne, Nadia; Pawlak, Michal; Caron, Sandrine; Hennuyer, Nathalie; Paumelle, Réjane; De Cauwer, Lode; Thommis, Jonathan; Rider, Mark H; Libert, Claude; Lievens, Sam; Tavernier, Jan; Staels, Bart; De Bosscher, Karolien

2016-12-15

Adaptation to fasting involves both Glucocorticoid Receptor (GRα) and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor α (PPARα) activation. Given both receptors can physically interact we investigated the possibility of a genome-wide cross-talk between activated GR and PPARα, using ChIP- and RNA-seq in primary hepatocytes. Our data reveal extensive chromatin co-localization of both factors with cooperative induction of genes controlling lipid/glucose metabolism. Key GR/PPAR co-controlled genes switched from transcriptional antagonism to cooperativity when moving from short to prolonged hepatocyte fasting, a phenomenon coinciding with gene promoter recruitment of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and blocked by its pharmacological inhibition. In vitro interaction studies support trimeric complex formation between GR, PPARα and phospho-AMPK. Long-term fasting in mice showed enhanced phosphorylation of liver AMPK and GRα Ser211. Phospho-AMPK chromatin recruitment at liver target genes, observed upon prolonged fasting in mice, is dampened by refeeding. Taken together, our results identify phospho-AMPK as a molecular switch able to cooperate with nuclear receptors at the chromatin level and reveal a novel adaptation mechanism to prolonged fasting. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Polariton condensation in solitonic gap states in a one-dimensional periodic potential

PubMed Central

Tanese, D.; Flayac, H.; Solnyshkov, D.; Amo, A.; Lemaître, A.; Galopin, E.; Braive, R.; Senellart, P.; Sagnes, I.; Malpuech, G.; Bloch, J.

2013-01-01

Manipulation of nonlinear waves in artificial periodic structures leads to spectacular spatial features, such as generation of gap solitons or onset of the Mott insulator phase transition. Cavity exciton–polaritons are strongly interacting quasiparticles offering large possibilities for potential optical technologies. Here we report their condensation in a one-dimensional microcavity with a periodic modulation. The resulting mini-band structure dramatically influences the condensation process. Contrary to non-modulated cavities, where condensates expand, here, we observe spontaneous condensation in localized gap soliton states. Depending on excitation conditions, we access different dynamical regimes: we demonstrate the formation of gap solitons either moving along the ridge or bound to the potential created by the reservoir of uncondensed excitons. We also find Josephson oscillations of gap solitons triggered between the two sides of the reservoir. This system is foreseen as a building block for polaritonic circuits, where propagation and localization are optically controlled and reconfigurable. PMID:23612290

Niclosamide inhibits leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae in rice

PubMed Central

Kim, Sung-Il; Song, Jong Tae; Jeong, Jin-Yong; Seo, Hak Soo

2016-01-01

Rice leaf blight, which is caused by the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), results in huge losses in grain yield. Here, we show that Xoo-induced rice leaf blight is effectively controlled by niclosamide, an oral antihelminthic drug and molluscicide, which also functions as an anti-tumor agent. Niclosamide directly inhibited the growth of the three Xoo strains PXO99, 10208 and K3a. Niclosamide moved long distances from the site of local application to distant rice tissues. Niclosamide also increased the levels of salicylate and induced the expression of defense-related genes such as OsPR1 and OsWRKY45, which suppressed Xoo-induced leaf wilting. Niclosamide had no detrimental effects on vegetative/reproductive growth and yield. These combined results indicate that niclosamide can be used to block bacterial leaf blight in rice with no negative side effects. PMID:26879887

Peripheral Hole Acceptor Moieties on an Organic Dye Improve Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cell Performance

PubMed Central

Hao, Yan; Gabrielsson, Erik; Lohse, Peter William; Yang, Wenxing; Johansson, Erik M. J.; Hagfeldt, Anders

2015-01-01

Investigation of charge transfer dynamics in dye‐sensitized solar cells is of fundamental interest and the control of these dynamics is a key factor for developing more efficient solar cell devices. One possibility for attenuating losses through recombination between injected electrons and oxidized dye molecules is to move the positive charge further away from the metal oxide surface. For this purpose, a metal‐free dye named E6 is developed, in which the chromophore core is tethered to two external triphenylamine (TPA) units. After photoinduced electron injection into TiO2, the remaining hole is rapidly transferred to a peripheral TPA unit. Electron–hole recombination is slowed down by 30% compared to a reference dye without peripheral TPA units. Furthermore, it is found that the added TPA moieties improve the electron blocking effect of the dye, retarding recombination of electrons from TiO2 to the cobalt‐based electrolyte. PMID:27722076

Control analysis of lipid biosynthesis in tissue cultures from oil crops shows that flux control is shared between fatty acid synthesis and lipid assembly.

PubMed Central

Ramli, Umi S; Baker, Darren S; Quant, Patti A; Harwood, John L

2002-01-01

Top-Down (Metabolic) Control Analysis (TDCA) was used to examine, quantitatively, lipid biosynthesis in tissue cultures from two commercially important oil crops, olive (Olea europaea L.) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). A conceptually simplified system was defined comprising two blocks of reactions: fatty acid synthesis (Block A) and lipid assembly (Block B), which produced and consumed, respectively, a common and unique system intermediate, cytosolic acyl-CoA. We manipulated the steady-state levels of the system intermediate by adding exogenous oleic acid and, using two independent assays, measured the effect of the addition on the system fluxes (J(A) and J(B)). These were the rate of incorporation of radioactivity: (i) through Block A from [1-(14)C]acetate into fatty acids and (ii) via Block B from [U-(14)C]glycerol into complex lipids respectively. The data showed that fatty acid formation (Block A) exerted higher control than lipid assembly (Block B) in both tissues with the following group flux control coefficients (C):(i) Oil palm: *C(J(TL))(BlkA)=0.64+/-0.05 and *C(J(TL))(BlkB)=0.36+/-0.05(ii) Olive: *C(J(TL))(BlkA)=0.57+/-0.10 and *C(J(TL))(BlkB)=0.43+/-0.10where *C indicates the group flux control coefficient over the lipid biosynthesis flux (J(TL)) and the subscripts BlkA and BlkB refer to defined blocks of the system, Block A and Block B. Nevertheless, because both parts of the lipid biosynthetic pathway exert significant flux control, we suggest strongly that manipulation of single enzyme steps will not affect product yield appreciably. The present study represents the first use of TDCA to examine the overall lipid biosynthetic pathway in any tissue, and its findings are of immediate academic and economic relevance to the yield and nutritional quality of oil crops. PMID:12023882

49 CFR 236.511 - Cab signals controlled in accordance with block conditions stopping distance in advance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cab signals controlled in accordance with block conditions stopping distance in advance. 236.511 Section 236.511 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to... § 236.511 Cab signals controlled in accordance with block conditions stopping distance in advance. The...

The Effect of Motivation on Movement: A Study of Bradykinesia in Parkinson’s Disease

PubMed Central

Shiner, Tamara; Seymour, Ben; Symmonds, Mkael; Dayan, Peter; Bhatia, Kailash P.; Dolan, Raymond J.

2012-01-01

Background Bradykinesia is a cardinal feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Despite its disabling impact, the precise cause of this symptom remains elusive. Recent thinking suggests that bradykinesia may be more than simply a manifestation of motor slowness, and may in part reflect a specific deficit in the operation of motivational vigour in the striatum. In this paper we test the hypothesis that movement time in PD can be modulated by the specific nature of the motivational salience of possible action-outcomes. Methodology/Principal Findings We developed a novel movement time paradigm involving winnable rewards and avoidable painful electrical stimuli. The faster the subjects performed an action the more likely they were to win money (in appetitive blocks) or to avoid a painful shock (in aversive blocks). We compared PD patients when OFF dopaminergic medication with controls. Our key finding is that PD patients OFF dopaminergic medication move faster to avoid aversive outcomes (painful electric shocks) than to reap rewarding outcomes (winning money) and, unlike controls, do not speed up in the current trial having failed to win money in the previous one. We also demonstrate that sensitivity to distracting stimuli is valence specific. Conclusions/Significance We suggest this pattern of results can be explained in terms of low dopamine levels in the Parkinsonian state leading to an insensitivity to appetitive outcomes, and thus an inability to modulate movement speed in the face of rewards. By comparison, sensitivity to aversive stimuli is relatively spared. Our findings point to a rarely described property of bradykinesia in PD, namely its selective regulation by everyday outcomes. PMID:23077557

Seismic and geodetic signatures of fault slip at the Slumgullion Landslide Natural Laboratory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gomberg, J.; Schulz, W.; Bodin, P.; Kean, J.

2011-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that the Slumgullion landslide is a useful natural laboratory for observing fault slip, specifically that slip along its basal surface and side-bounding strike-slip faults occurs with comparable richness of aseismic and seismic modes as along crustal- and plate-scale boundaries. Our study provides new constraints on models governing landslide motion. We monitored landslide deformation with temporary deployments of a 29-element prism array surveyed by a robotic theodolite and an 88-station seismic network that complemented permanent extensometers and environmental instrumentation. Aseismic deformation observations show that large blocks of the landslide move steadily at approximately centimeters per day, possibly punctuated by variations of a few millimeters, while localized transient slip episodes of blocks less than a few tens of meters across occur frequently. We recorded a rich variety of seismic signals, nearly all of which originated outside the monitoring network boundaries or from the side-bounding strike-slip faults. The landslide basal surface beneath our seismic network likely slipped almost completely aseismically. Our results provide independent corroboration of previous inferences that dilatant strengthening along sections of the side-bounding strike-slip faults controls the overall landslide motion, acting as seismically radiating brakes that limit acceleration of the aseismically slipping basal surface. Dilatant strengthening has also been invoked in recent models of transient slip and tremor sources along crustal- and plate-scale faults suggesting that the landslide may indeed be a useful natural laboratory for testing predictions of specific mechanisms that control fault slip at all scales.

The effect of motivation on movement: a study of bradykinesia in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Shiner, Tamara; Seymour, Ben; Symmonds, Mkael; Dayan, Peter; Bhatia, Kailash P; Dolan, Raymond J

2012-01-01

Bradykinesia is a cardinal feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite its disabling impact, the precise cause of this symptom remains elusive. Recent thinking suggests that bradykinesia may be more than simply a manifestation of motor slowness, and may in part reflect a specific deficit in the operation of motivational vigour in the striatum. In this paper we test the hypothesis that movement time in PD can be modulated by the specific nature of the motivational salience of possible action-outcomes. We developed a novel movement time paradigm involving winnable rewards and avoidable painful electrical stimuli. The faster the subjects performed an action the more likely they were to win money (in appetitive blocks) or to avoid a painful shock (in aversive blocks). We compared PD patients when OFF dopaminergic medication with controls. Our key finding is that PD patients OFF dopaminergic medication move faster to avoid aversive outcomes (painful electric shocks) than to reap rewarding outcomes (winning money) and, unlike controls, do not speed up in the current trial having failed to win money in the previous one. We also demonstrate that sensitivity to distracting stimuli is valence specific. We suggest this pattern of results can be explained in terms of low dopamine levels in the Parkinsonian state leading to an insensitivity to appetitive outcomes, and thus an inability to modulate movement speed in the face of rewards. By comparison, sensitivity to aversive stimuli is relatively spared. Our findings point to a rarely described property of bradykinesia in PD, namely its selective regulation by everyday outcomes.

Robotic Assistance for Training Finger Movement Using a Hebbian Model: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Rowe, Justin B; Chan, Vicky; Ingemanson, Morgan L; Cramer, Steven C; Wolbrecht, Eric T; Reinkensmeyer, David J

2017-08-01

Robots that physically assist movement are increasingly used in rehabilitation therapy after stroke, yet some studies suggest robotic assistance discourages effort and reduces motor learning. To determine the therapeutic effects of high and low levels of robotic assistance during finger training. We designed a protocol that varied the amount of robotic assistance while controlling the number, amplitude, and exerted effort of training movements. Participants (n = 30) with a chronic stroke and moderate hemiparesis (average Box and Blocks Test 32 ± 18 and upper extremity Fugl-Meyer score 46 ± 12) actively moved their index and middle fingers to targets to play a musical game similar to GuitarHero 3 h/wk for 3 weeks. The participants were randomized to receive high assistance (causing 82% success at hitting targets) or low assistance (55% success). Participants performed ~8000 movements during 9 training sessions. Both groups improved significantly at the 1-month follow-up on functional and impairment-based motor outcomes, on depression scores, and on self-efficacy of hand function, with no difference between groups in the primary endpoint (change in Box and Blocks). High assistance boosted motivation, as well as secondary motor outcomes (Fugl-Meyer and Lateral Pinch Strength)-particularly for individuals with more severe finger motor deficits. Individuals with impaired finger proprioception at baseline benefited less from the training. Robot-assisted training can promote key psychological outcomes known to modulate motor learning and retention. Furthermore, the therapeutic effectiveness of robotic assistance appears to derive at least in part from proprioceptive stimulation, consistent with a Hebbian plasticity model.

Measuring strategic control in artificial grammar learning.

PubMed

Norman, Elisabeth; Price, Mark C; Jones, Emma

2011-12-01

In response to concerns with existing procedures for measuring strategic control over implicit knowledge in artificial grammar learning (AGL), we introduce a more stringent measurement procedure. After two separate training blocks which each consisted of letter strings derived from a different grammar, participants either judged the grammaticality of novel letter strings with respect to only one of these two grammars (pure-block condition), or had the target grammar varying randomly from trial to trial (novel mixed-block condition) which required a higher degree of conscious flexible control. Random variation in the colour and font of letters was introduced to disguise the nature of the rule and reduce explicit learning. Strategic control was observed both in the pure-block and mixed-block conditions, and even among participants who did not realise the rule was based on letter identity. This indicated detailed strategic control in the absence of explicit learning. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Postoperative dysesthesia in minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: a report of five cases.

PubMed

Wang, Honggang; Zhou, Yue; Zhang, Zhengfeng

2016-05-01

Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (misTLIF) can potentially lead to dorsal root ganglion (DRG) injury which may cause postoperative dysesthesia (POD). The purpose of retrospective study was to describe the uncommon complication of POD in misTLIF. Between January 2010 and December 2014, 539 patients were treated with misTLIF in investigator group. POD was defined as dysesthetic pain or burning dysesthesia at a proper DRG innervated region, whether spontaneous or evoked. Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, central non-opioid analgesic agent, neuropathic pain drugs and/or intervertebral foramen block were selectively used to treat POD. There were five cases of POD (5/539, 0.9 %), which consisted of one patient in recurrent lumbar disc herniation (1/36, 3 %), one patient in far lateral lumbar disc herniation (1/34, 3 %), and 3 patients in lumbar spondylolisthesis (3/201, 1 %). Two DRG injury cases were confirmed by revision surgery. After the treatment by drugs administration plus DRG block, all patients presented pain relief with duration from 22 to 50 days. A gradual pain moving to distal end of a proper DRG innervated region was found as the beginning of end. Although POD is a unique and rare complication and maybe misdiagnosed as nerve root injury in misTLIF, combination drug therapy and DRG block have an effective result of pain relief. The appearance of a gradual pain moving to distal end of a proper DRG innervated region during recovery may be used as a sign for the good prognosis.

Utilization of the Building-Block Approach in Structural Mechanics Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rouse, Marshall; Jegley, Dawn C.; McGowan, David M.; Bush, Harold G.; Waters, W. Allen

2005-01-01

In the last 20 years NASA has worked in collaboration with industry to develop enabling technologies needed to make aircraft safer and more affordable, extend their lifetime, improve their reliability, better understand their behavior, and reduce their weight. To support these efforts, research programs starting with ideas and culminating in full-scale structural testing were conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center. Each program contained development efforts that (a) started with selecting the material system and manufacturing approach; (b) moved on to experimentation and analysis of small samples to characterize the system and quantify behavior in the presence of defects like damage and imperfections; (c) progressed on to examining larger structures to examine buckling behavior, combined loadings, and built-up structures; and (d) finally moved to complicated subcomponents and full-scale components. Each step along the way was supported by detailed analysis, including tool development, to prove that the behavior of these structures was well-understood and predictable. This approach for developing technology became known as the "building-block" approach. In the Advanced Composites Technology Program and the High Speed Research Program the building-block approach was used to develop a true understanding of the response of the structures involved through experimentation and analysis. The philosophy that if the structural response couldn't be accurately predicted, it wasn't really understood, was critical to the progression of these programs. To this end, analytical techniques including closed-form and finite elements were employed and experimentation used to verify assumptions at each step along the way. This paper presents a discussion of the utilization of the building-block approach described previously in structural mechanics research and development programs at NASA Langley Research Center. Specific examples that illustrate the use of this approach are included from recent research and development programs for both subsonic and supersonic transports.

Protein based Block Copolymers

PubMed Central

Rabotyagova, Olena S.; Cebe, Peggy; Kaplan, David L.

2011-01-01

Advances in genetic engineering have led to the synthesis of protein-based block copolymers with control of chemistry and molecular weight, resulting in unique physical and biological properties. The benefits from incorporating peptide blocks into copolymer designs arise from the fundamental properties of proteins to adopt ordered conformations and to undergo self-assembly, providing control over structure formation at various length scales when compared to conventional block copolymers. This review covers the synthesis, structure, assembly, properties, and applications of protein-based block copolymers. PMID:21235251

Steady rotation of the Cascade arc

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wells, Ray E.; McCaffrey, Robert

2013-01-01

Displacement of the Miocene Cascade volcanic arc (northwestern North America) from the active arc is in the same sense and at nearly the same rate as the present clockwise block motions calculated from GPS velocities in a North American reference frame. Migration of the ancestral arc over the past 16 m.y. can be explained by clockwise rotation of upper-plate blocks at 1.0°/m.y. over a linear melting source moving westward 1–4.5 km/m.y. due to slab rollback. Block motion and slab rollback are in opposite directions in the northern arc, but both are westerly in the southern extensional arc, where rollback may be enhanced by proximity to the edge of the Juan de Fuca slab. Similarities between post–16 Ma arc migration, paleomagnetic rotation, and modern GPS block motions indicate that the secular block motions from decadal GPS can be used to calculate long-term strain rates and earthquake hazards. Northwest-directed Basin and Range extension of 140 km is predicted behind the southern arc since 16 Ma, and 70 km of shortening is predicted in the northern arc. The GPS rotation poles overlie a high-velocity slab of the Siletzia terrane dangling into the mantle beneath Idaho (United States), which may provide an anchor for the rotations.

Brain-Computer Interfaces for 1-D and 2-D Cursor Control: Designs Using Volitional Control of the EEG Spectrum or Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trejo, Leonard J.; Matthews, Bryan; Rosipal, Roman

2005-01-01

We have developed and tested two EEG-based brain-computer interfaces (BCI) for users to control a cursor on a computer display. Our system uses an adaptive algorithm, based on kernel partial least squares classification (KPLS), to associate patterns in multichannel EEG frequency spectra with cursor controls. Our first BCI, Target Practice, is a system for one-dimensional device control, in which participants use biofeedback to learn voluntary control of their EEG spectra. Target Practice uses a KF LS classifier to map power spectra of 30-electrode EEG signals to rightward or leftward position of a moving cursor on a computer display. Three subjects learned to control motion of a cursor on a video display in multiple blocks of 60 trials over periods of up to six weeks. The best subject s average skill in correct selection of the cursor direction grew from 58% to 88% after 13 training sessions. Target Practice also implements online control of two artifact sources: a) removal of ocular artifact by linear subtraction of wavelet-smoothed vertical and horizontal EOG signals, b) control of muscle artifact by inhibition of BCI training during periods of relatively high power in the 40-64 Hz band. The second BCI, Think Pointer, is a system for two-dimensional cursor control. Steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) are triggered by four flickering checkerboard stimuli located in narrow strips at each edge of the display. The user attends to one of the four beacons to initiate motion in the desired direction. The SSVEP signals are recorded from eight electrodes located over the occipital region. A KPLS classifier is individually calibrated to map multichannel frequency bands of the SSVEP signals to right-left or up-down motion of a cursor on a computer display. The display stops moving when the user attends to a central fixation point. As for Target Practice, Think Pointer also implements wavelet-based online removal of ocular artifact; however, in Think Pointer muscle artifact is controlled via adaptive normalization of the SSVEP. Training of the classifier requires about three minutes. We have tested our system in real-time operation in three human subjects. Across subjects and sessions, control accuracy ranged from 80% to 100% correct with lags of 1-5 seconds for movement initiation and turning.

Ultrasound guided injection inside the common sheath of the sciatic nerve at division level has a higher success rate than an injection outside the sheath.

PubMed

Lopez, A M; Sala-Blanch, X; Castillo, R; Hadzic, A

2014-01-01

The recommendations for the level of injection and ideal placement of the needle tip required for successful ultrasound-guided sciatic popliteal block vary among authors. A hypothesis was made that, when the local anesthetic is injected at the division of the sciatic nerve within the common connective tissue sheath, the block has a higher success rate than an injection outside the sheath. Thirty-four patients scheduled for hallux valgus repair surgery were randomized to receive either a sub-sheath block (n=16) or a peri-sheath block (n=18) at the level of the division of the sciatic nerve at the popliteal fossa. For the sub-sheath block, the needle was advanced out of plane until the tip was positioned between the tibial and peroneal nerves, and local anesthetic was then injected without moving the needle. For the peri-sheath block, the needle was advanced out of plane both sides of the sciatic nerve, to surround the sheath. Mepivacaine 1.5% and levobupivacaine 0.5% 30mL were used in both groups. The progression of motor and sensory block was assessed at 5min intervals. Duration of block was recorded. Adequate surgical block was achieved in all patients in the subsheath group (100%) compared to 12 patients (67%) in the peri-sheath group at 30min. Sensory block was achieved faster in the subsheath than peri-sheath (9.1±7.4min vs. 19.0±4.0; p<.001). Our study suggests that for successful sciatic popliteal block in less than 30min, local anesthetic should be injected within the sheath. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

A time-domain decomposition iterative method for the solution of distributed linear quadratic optimal control problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinkenschloss, Matthias

2005-01-01

We study a class of time-domain decomposition-based methods for the numerical solution of large-scale linear quadratic optimal control problems. Our methods are based on a multiple shooting reformulation of the linear quadratic optimal control problem as a discrete-time optimal control (DTOC) problem. The optimality conditions for this DTOC problem lead to a linear block tridiagonal system. The diagonal blocks are invertible and are related to the original linear quadratic optimal control problem restricted to smaller time-subintervals. This motivates the application of block Gauss-Seidel (GS)-type methods for the solution of the block tridiagonal systems. Numerical experiments show that the spectral radii of the block GS iteration matrices are larger than one for typical applications, but that the eigenvalues of the iteration matrices decay to zero fast. Hence, while the GS method is not expected to convergence for typical applications, it can be effective as a preconditioner for Krylov-subspace methods. This is confirmed by our numerical tests.A byproduct of this research is the insight that certain instantaneous control techniques can be viewed as the application of one step of the forward block GS method applied to the DTOC optimality system.

An introduction to scriptwriting for video and multimedia.

PubMed

Guth, J

1995-06-01

The elements of audiovisual productions are explained and illustrated, including words, moving images, still images, graphics, narration, music, landscape sounds, pacing and tilting and font styles. Three different production styles are analysed, and examples of those styles are discussed. Rules for writing spoken words, composing blocks of information, and explaining technical information to a lay audience are also provided. Storyboard and scripting forms and examples are included.

USAF (United States Air Force) Avionics Master Plan.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

is updated annually by MAPG activities to reflect changes in emphasis resulting from new direction, threat developments , and other armament and...many different kinds of functional electronic subsystems, a building block approach to the development of new subsystems can be taken. This approach...technologies targeted for precision all weather weapon delivery. A new program will develop the capability to detect and locate ground moving targets not

Development of Recuperator Manufacturing Techniques. Phase 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

Continue on reveree side If necessary and Identify by block number) AGT 1500 Turbine Exhaust Heat Recuperator Laser Welding Inconel 625 Comnuter.CQntrol...2 millimeter (0. 008 inch) thick nickel based alloy ( Inconel 625 ) used. Two computer/moving mirror systems were evaluated and programs for each...92 APPENDIX B. SPECIFICATON FOR NICKEL BASE ALLOY, SHEET, CORROSION, AND HEAT RESISTANT ( INCONEL 625 ) ... 94 APPENDIX C. SPECIFICATION FOR

Maturation of large scale mass-wasting along the Hawaiian Ridge

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

Torresan, M.E.; Clague, D.A.; Moore, J.G.

1990-06-01

Extensive GLORIA side-scan sonar mapping of the Hawaiian Ridge from Hawaii to St. Rogatien Bank shows that massive slumps and blocky debris avalanches are the major degradational processes that affect the island and ridge areas. About 30 failures have been imaged in the region surveyed; they range in area from 250 to > 6,000 km{sup 2} and in volume from 500 to > 5,000 km{sup 3}. Four are rotational slumps, and the rest are blocky debris avalanches. Such deposits cover 125,000 km{sup 2} of the Hawaiian Ridge and adjacent seafloor. The slumps are wide (up to 110 km), short (30-35more » km), thick (about 10 km), and slow moving. They are broken into comparatively few major rotational blocks that have not moved far and are characterized by steep toes and transverse ridges. Back rotation of the blocks has elevated their seaward edges, producing transverse ridges and perched basins filled with 5 to > 35 m of sediment. Compared to the slumps, the debris avalanches are lobate, long (up to 230 km), thin (0.5-2 km), and fast-moving. These deposits cross the Hawaiian Trough and run upslope onto the Hawaiian Arch (up to 550 m in elevation over a distance of 140 km). These failures commonly have amphitheaters and subaerial canyons at their heads. Their distal ends are hummocky, and blocky debris litters the seafloor adjacent to the ridge. As one proceeds west from Hawaii to St. Rogatien Bank, the GLORIA sonographs and seismic reflection profiles show a progression from youthful to mature failures and from active to about 12 Ma volcanoes. The Alika and Hilina slide complexes are examples of youthful failures on active volcanoes. Slumping in the Hilina slide is ongoing (7.2 magnitude earthquake in 1975). Little to no sediment covers the blocks and hummocky terrane of the Alika (about 100 ka), whereas the older deposits along the western part of the ridge are covered by up to 30 m of transparent sediment.« less

Ultrasound-guided Combined Fascial Plane Blocks as an Intervention for Pain Management after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Randomized Control Study

PubMed Central

Ramkiran, Seshadri; Jacob, Mathews; Honwad, Manish; Vivekanand, Desiraju; Krishnakumar, Mathangi; Patrikar, Seema

2018-01-01

Background: Pain associated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy is most severe during the first 24 h and the port sites are the most painful. Recent multimodal approaches target incisional pain instead of visceral pain which has led to the emergence of abdominal fascial plane blocks. This study embraces a novel combination of two independently effective fascial plane blocks, namely rectus sheath block and subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block to alleviate postoperative pain. Study Objective: The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of rectus sheath block and subcostal TAP block, to compare its efficacy with that of subcostal TAP block alone and with conventional port site infiltration (PSI) in alleviating postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methodology: This prospective, randomized control, pilot study included 61 patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy and distributed among three groups, namely Group 1: Combined subcostal TAP block with rectus sheath block (n = 20); Group 2: Oblique subcostal TAP block alone (n = 21); and Group 3: PSI group as an active control (n = 20). Results: Combined group had significantly lower pain scores, higher satisfaction scores, and reduced rescue analgesia both in early and late postoperative periods than the conventional PSI group. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided combined fascial plane blocks is a novel intervention in pain management of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy and should become the standard of care. PMID:29628547

Comparison of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Parasternal Block for Postoperative Pain Management after Cardiac Surgery

PubMed Central

Ozturk, Nilgun Kavrut; Baki, Elif Dogan; Kavakli, Ali Sait; Sahin, Ayca Sultan; Ayoglu, Raif Umut; Karaveli, Arzu; Emmiler, Mustafa; Inanoglu, Kerem; Karsli, Bilge

2016-01-01

Background. Parasternal block and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) have been demonstrated to produce effective analgesia and reduce postoperative opioid requirements in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Objectives. To compare the effectiveness of TENS and parasternal block on early postoperative pain after cardiac surgery. Methods. One hundred twenty patients undergoing cardiac surgery were enrolled in the present randomized, controlled prospective study. Patients were assigned to three treatment groups: parasternal block, intermittent TENS application, or a control group. Results. Pain scores recorded 4 h, 5 h, 6 h, 7 h, and 8 h postoperatively were lower in the parasternal block group than in the TENS and control groups. Total morphine consumption was also lower in the parasternal block group than in the TENS and control groups. It was also significantly lower in the TENS group than in the control group. There were no statistical differences among the groups regarding the extubation time, rescue analgesic medication, length of intensive care unit stay, or length of hospital stay. Conclusions. Parasternal block was more effective than TENS in the management of early postoperative pain and the reduction of opioid requirements in patients who underwent cardiac surgery through median sternotomy. This trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT02725229. PMID:27445610

On optimizing the blocking step of indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for Epstein-Barr virus serology.

PubMed

Lim, Chun Shen; Krishnan, Gopala; Sam, Choon Kook; Ng, Ching Ching

2013-01-16

Because blocking agent occupies most binding surface of a solid phase, its ability to prevent nonspecific binding determines the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reliability of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We demonstrate a stepwise approach to seek a compatible blocking buffer for indirect ELISA, via a case-control study (n=176) of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Regardless of case-control status, we found that synthetic polymer blocking agents, mainly Ficoll and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were able to provide homogeneous backgrounds among samples, as opposed to commonly used blocking agents, notably nonfat dry milk (NFDM). The SNRs for NPC samples that correspond to blocking using PVA were approximately 3-fold, on average, higher than those blocking using NFDM. Both intra- and inter-assay precisions of PVA-based assays were <14%. A blocking agent of choice should have tolerable sample backgrounds from both cases and controls to ensure the reliability of an immunoassay. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tunable Encapsulation Structure of Block Copolymer Coated Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Aqueous Solution

DOE PAGES

Han, Youngkyu; Ahn, Suk-Kyun; Zhang, Zhe; ...

2015-05-15

The nano-sized and shape-tunable molecular building blocks can provide great opportunities for the fabrication of precisely controlled nanostructures. In this work, we have fabricated a molecular building block of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) coated by PPO-PEO-PPO block copolymers whose encapsulation structure can be controlled via temperature or addition of small molecules. The structure and optical properties of SWNT-block copolymers have been investigated by small angle neutron scattering (SANS), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The structure of the hydrated block copolymer layer surrounding SWNT can be controlled reversibly by varying temperature as well asmore » by irreversibly adding 5-methylsalicylic acid (5MS). Increasing hydrophobicity of the polymers with temperature and strong tendency of 5MS to interact with both block copolymers and orbitals of the SWNTs are likely to be responsible for the significant structural change of the block copolymer encapsulation layer, from loose corona shell to tightly encapsulating compact shell. These result shows an efficient and simple way to fabricate and manipulate carbon-based nano building blocks in aqueous systems with tunable structure.« less

Ligand design for multidimensional magnetic materials: a metallosupramolecular perspective.

PubMed

Pardo, Emilio; Ruiz-García, Rafael; Cano, Joan; Ottenwaelder, Xavier; Lescouëzec, Rodrigue; Journaux, Yves; Lloret, Francesc; Julve, Miguel

2008-06-07

The aim and scope of this review is to show the general validity of the 'complex-as-ligand' approach for the rational design of metallosupramolecular assemblies of increasing structural and magnetic complexity. This is illustrated herein on the basis of our recent studies on oxamato complexes with transition metal ions looking for the limits of the research avenue opened by Kahn's pioneering research twenty years ago. The use as building blocks of mono-, di- and trinuclear metal complexes with a novel family of aromatic polyoxamato ligands allowed us to move further in the coordination chemistry-based approach to high-nuclearity coordination compounds and high-dimensionality coordination polymers. In order to do so, we have taken advantage of the new developments of metallosupramolecular chemistry and in particular, of the molecular-programmed self-assembly methods that exploit the coordination preferences of metal ions and specifically tailored ligands. The judicious choice of the oxamato metal building block (substitution pattern and steric requirements of the bridging ligand, as well as the electronic configuration and magnetic anisotropy of the metal ion) allowed us to control the overall structure and magnetic properties of the final multidimensional nD products (n = 0-3). These species exhibit interesting magnetic properties which are brand-new targets in the field of molecular magnetism, such as single-molecule or single-chain magnets, and the well-known class of molecule-based magnets. This unique family of molecule-based magnetic materials expands on the reported examples of nD species with cyanide and related oxalato and dithiooxalato analogues. Moreover, the development of new oxamato metal building blocks with potential photo or redox activity at the aromatic ligand counterpart will provide us with addressable, multifunctional molecular materials for future applications in molecular electronics and nanotechnology.

Comparing the effects of single shot sciatic nerve block versus posterior capsule local anesthetic infiltration on analgesia and functional outcome after total knee arthroplasty: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial.

PubMed

Safa, Ben; Gollish, Jeffrey; Haslam, Lynn; McCartney, Colin J L

2014-06-01

Peripheral nerve blocks appear to provide effective analgesia for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Although the literature supports the use of femoral nerve block, addition of sciatic nerve block is controversial. In this study we investigated the value of sciatic nerve block and an alternative technique of posterior capsule local anesthetic infiltration analgesia. 100 patients were prospectively randomized into three groups. Group 1: sciatic nerve block; Group 2: posterior local anesthetic infiltration; Group 3: control. All patients received a femoral nerve block and spinal anesthesia. There were no differences in pain scores between groups. Sciatic nerve block provided a brief clinically insignificant opioid sparing effect. We conclude that sciatic nerve block and posterior local anesthetic infiltration do not provide significant analgesic benefits. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparation and development of block copolypeptide vesicles and hydrogels for biological and medical applications.

PubMed

Deming, Timothy J

2014-01-01

There have been many recent advances in the controlled polymerization of α-amino acid-N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomers into well-defined block copolypeptides. Transition metal initiating systems allow block copolypeptide synthesis with excellent control over number and lengths of block segments, chain length distribution, and chain-end functionality. Using this and other methods, block copolypeptides of controlled dimensions have been prepared and their self-assembly into organized structures studied by many research groups. The ability of well-defined block copolypeptides to assemble into supramolecular copolypeptide vesicles and hydrogels has led to the development of these materials for use in biological and medical applications. These assemblies have been found to possess unique properties that are derived from the amino acid building blocks and ordered conformations of the polypeptide segments. Recent work on the incorporation of active and stimulus-responsive functionality in these materials has tremendously increased their potential for use in biological and medical studies. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of vibratory soldier alarm signals on the foraging behavior of subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).

PubMed

Inta, R; Evans, T A; Lai, J C S

2009-02-01

Termite soldiers produce a vibratory alarm signal to warn conspecific workers. This study recorded and characterized the alarm signals of Coptotermes acinaciformis (Froggatt) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) and then investigated the effect of playing these recorded alarm signals on C. acinaciformis feeding activity. Foraging groups of termites were offered paired wooden blocks: either one block, continuously stimulated with a vibratory alarm signal, paired with a nonstimulated block (the alarm treatment), continuously stimulated with a pink noise signal, paired with a nonstimulated block (control for nonspecific vibrations) or two nonstimulated blocks (control for environmental effects), for 4 wk. The amount of wood eaten in the blocks stimulated by the alarm signals was significantly less than the paired nonstimulated blocks, while there seemed to be no preference in the case of the pink noise playback or control for direction. Importantly, the termites seemed not to have adapted to the recorded alarm signal over the 4-wk duration of the experiment, unlike previous studies using nonbiologically derived signals.

High-performance serial block-face SEM of nonconductive biological samples enabled by focal gas injection-based charge compensation.

PubMed

Deerinck, T J; Shone, T M; Bushong, E A; Ramachandra, R; Peltier, S T; Ellisman, M H

2018-05-01

A longstanding limitation of imaging with serial block-face scanning electron microscopy is specimen surface charging. This charging is largely due to the difficulties in making biological specimens and the resins in which they are embedded sufficiently conductive. Local accumulation of charge on the specimen surface can result in poor image quality and distortions. Even minor charging can lead to misalignments between sequential images of the block-face due to image jitter. Typically, variable-pressure SEM is used to reduce specimen charging, but this results in a significant reduction to spatial resolution, signal-to-noise ratio and overall image quality. Here we show the development and application of a simple system that effectively mitigates specimen charging by using focal gas injection of nitrogen over the sample block-face during imaging. A standard gas injection valve is paired with a precisely positioned but retractable application nozzle, which is mechanically coupled to the reciprocating action of the serial block-face ultramicrotome. This system enables the application of nitrogen gas precisely over the block-face during imaging while allowing the specimen chamber to be maintained under high vacuum to maximise achievable SEM image resolution. The action of the ultramicrotome drives the nozzle retraction, automatically moving it away from the specimen area during the cutting cycle of the knife. The device described was added to a Gatan 3View system with minimal modifications, allowing high-resolution block-face imaging of even the most charge prone of epoxy-embedded biological samples. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2017 Royal Microscopical Society.

GENDER AND THE MBA: Differences in Career Trajectories, Institutional Support, and Outcomes

PubMed Central

Damaske, Sarah; Sheroff, Christen

2018-01-01

This study asks how men’s and women’s careers diverge following MBA graduation from an elite university, using qualitative interview data from 74 respondents. We discover men and women follow three career pathways post-graduation: lockstep (stable employment), transitory (3 or more employers), and exit (left workforce). While similar proportions of men and women followed the lockstep pathways and launched accelerated careers, sizable gender differences emerged on the transitory pathway; men’s careers soared as women’s faltered on this path—the modal category for both. On the transitory path, men fared much better than women when moving to new organizations, suggesting that gender may become more salient when people have a shorter work history with a company. Our findings suggest that clear building blocks to promotions reduce gender bias and ambiguity in the promotion process, but multiple external moves hamper women, putting them at a clear disadvantage to men whose forward progress is less likely to be stalled by such moves. PMID:29706689

Real-time three-dimensional ultrasound-assisted axillary plexus block defines soft tissue planes.

PubMed

Clendenen, Steven R; Riutort, Kevin; Ladlie, Beth L; Robards, Christopher; Franco, Carlo D; Greengrass, Roy A

2009-04-01

Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound is commonly used for regional block of the axillary brachial plexus. In this technical case report, we described a real-time three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound-guided axillary block. The difference between 2D and 3D ultrasound is similar to the difference between plain radiograph and computer tomography. Unlike 2D ultrasound that captures a planar image, 3D ultrasound technology acquires a 3D volume of information that enables multiple planes of view by manipulating the image without movement of the ultrasound probe. Observation of the brachial plexus in cross-section demonstrated distinct linear hyperechoic tissue structures (loose connective tissue) that initially inhibited the flow of the local anesthesia. After completion of the injection, we were able to visualize the influence of arterial pulsation on the spread of the local anesthesia. Possible advantages of this novel technology over current 2D methods are wider image volume and the capability to manipulate the planes of the image without moving the probe.

Incorporating engine health monitoring capability into the SSME Block II controller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, James W.; Copa, Roderick J.

An account is given of the architecture of the SSME's Block II controller's architecture, its incorporation of smart input electronics (SIE), and the potential benefits of this technology in SSME health-monitoring capabilities. SIE allows the Block II controller to conduct its control functions while simultaneously furnishing the computational capabilities and sensor input interface for any newly defined health-monitoring functions. It is expected that the SIE technology may be directly transferred to any follow-on engine design.

Creating Reconfigurable Materials Using ``Colonies'' of Oscillating Polymer Gels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deb, Debabrata; Dayal, Pratyush; Kuksenok, Olga; Balazs, Anna

2013-03-01

Species ranging from single-cell organisms to social insects can undergo auto-chemotaxis, where the entities move towards a chemo-attractant that they themselves emit. This mode of signaling allows the organisms to form large-scale structures. Using computational modeling, we show that millimeter-sized polymer gels can display similar auto-chemotaxis. In particular, we demonstrate that gels undergoing the self-oscillating Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction not only respond to a chemical signal from the surrounding solution, but also emit this signal and thus, multiple gel pieces can spontaneously self-aggregate. We focus on the collective behavior of ``colonies'' of BZ gels and show that communication between the individual pieces critically depends on all the neighboring gels. We isolate the conditions at which the BZ gels can undergo a type of self-recombining: if a larger gel is cut into distinct pieces that are moved relatively far apart, then their auto-chemotactic behavior drives them to move and autonomously recombine into a structure resembling the original, uncut sample. These findings reveal that the BZ gels can be used as autonomously moving building blocks to construct multiple structures and thus, provide a new route for creating dynamically reconfigurable materials.

Selective polymerization catalysis: controlling the metal chain end group to prepare block copolyesters.

PubMed

Zhu, Yunqing; Romain, Charles; Williams, Charlotte K

2015-09-30

Selective catalysis is used to prepare block copolyesters by combining ring-opening polymerization of lactones and ring-opening copolymerization of epoxides/anhydrides. By using a dizinc complex with mixtures of up to three different monomers and controlling the chemistry of the Zn-O(polymer chain) it is possible to select for a particular polymerization route and thereby control the composition of block copolyesters.

Viking Orbiter 1975 articulation control subsystem design analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horiuchi, H. H.; Vallas, L. J.

1973-01-01

The articulation control subsystem, developed for the Viking Orbiter 1975 spacecraft, is a digital, multiplexed, closed-loop servo system used to control the pointing and positioning of the science scan platform and the high-gain communication antenna, and to position the solar-energy controller louver blades for the thermal control of the propellant tanks. The development, design, and anlaysis of the subsystem is preliminary. The subsystem consists of a block-redundant control electronics multiplexed among eight control actuators. Each electronics block is capable of operating either individually or simultaneously with the second block. This provides the subsystem the capability of simultaneous two-actuator control or a single actuator control with the second block in a stand-by redundant mode. The result of the preliminary design and analysis indicates that the subsystem will perform satisfactorily in the Viking Orbiter 1975 mission. Some of the parameter values used, particularly those in the subsystem dynamics and the error estimates, are preliminary and the results will be updated as more accurate parameter values become available.

Movement compatibility for configurations of displays located in three cardinal orientations and ipsilateral, contralateral and overhead controls.

PubMed

Chan, Alan H S; Hoffmann, Errol R

2012-01-01

Stereotype strength and reversibility were determined for displays that were in the Front, Right and Left orientations relative to the operator, along with rotary, horizontally and vertically-moving controls located in the overhead, left-sagittal and right-sagittal planes. In each case, responses were made using the left and right hands. The arrangements used were (i) rotary control with a circular display (ii) horizontal/transverse control moving forward/rearward in the left and right-sagittal planes or transversely in the overhead plane and (iii) vertical/longitudinal control moving vertically in the left and right-sagittal planes and longitudinally in the overhead plane. These are all combinations not previously researched. Stereotype strength varied with display plane, type of control and plane of control. Models for the stereotype strength are developed, showing the contribution of various components to the overall stereotype strength. The major component for horizontally-moving controls comes from the "visual field" model of Worringham and Beringer (1998); for the rotary control important factors are "clockwise-for-clockwise" and the hand/control location effect (Hoffmann, 2009a). Vertically-moving controls are governed by a simple 'up-for-up' relationship between displays and controls. Overall stereotype strength is a maximum when all components add positively. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

malERA: An updated research agenda for diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, and vector control in malaria elimination and eradication

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Since the turn of the century, a remarkable expansion has been achieved in the range and effectiveness of products and strategies available to prevent, treat, and control malaria, including advances in diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, and vector control. These advances have once again put malaria elimination on the agenda. However, it is clear that even with the means available today, malaria control and elimination pose a formidable challenge in many settings. Thus, currently available resources must be used more effectively, and new products and approaches likely to achieve these goals must be developed. This paper considers tools (both those available and others that may be required) to achieve and maintain malaria elimination. New diagnostics are needed to direct treatment and detect transmission potential; new drugs and vaccines to overcome existing resistance and protect against clinical and severe disease, as well as block transmission and prevent relapses; and new vector control measures to overcome insecticide resistance and more powerfully interrupt transmission. It is also essential that strategies for combining new and existing approaches are developed for different settings to maximise their longevity and effectiveness in areas with continuing transmission and receptivity. For areas where local elimination has been recently achieved, understanding which measures are needed to maintain elimination is necessary to prevent rebound and the reestablishment of transmission. This becomes increasingly important as more countries move towards elimination. PMID:29190291

malERA: An updated research agenda for diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, and vector control in malaria elimination and eradication.

PubMed

2017-11-01

Since the turn of the century, a remarkable expansion has been achieved in the range and effectiveness of products and strategies available to prevent, treat, and control malaria, including advances in diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, and vector control. These advances have once again put malaria elimination on the agenda. However, it is clear that even with the means available today, malaria control and elimination pose a formidable challenge in many settings. Thus, currently available resources must be used more effectively, and new products and approaches likely to achieve these goals must be developed. This paper considers tools (both those available and others that may be required) to achieve and maintain malaria elimination. New diagnostics are needed to direct treatment and detect transmission potential; new drugs and vaccines to overcome existing resistance and protect against clinical and severe disease, as well as block transmission and prevent relapses; and new vector control measures to overcome insecticide resistance and more powerfully interrupt transmission. It is also essential that strategies for combining new and existing approaches are developed for different settings to maximise their longevity and effectiveness in areas with continuing transmission and receptivity. For areas where local elimination has been recently achieved, understanding which measures are needed to maintain elimination is necessary to prevent rebound and the reestablishment of transmission. This becomes increasingly important as more countries move towards elimination.

Heterotrimeric Kinesin II Is the Microtubule Motor Protein Responsible for Pigment Dispersion in Xenopus Melanophores

PubMed Central

Tuma, M. Carolina; Zill, Andrew; Le Bot, Nathalie; Vernos, Isabelle; Gelfand, Vladimir

1998-01-01

Melanophores move pigment organelles (melanosomes) from the cell center to the periphery and vice-versa. These bidirectional movements require cytoplasmic microtubules and microfilaments and depend on the function of microtubule motors and a myosin. Earlier we found that melanosomes purified from Xenopus melanophores contain the plus end microtubule motor kinesin II, indicating that it may be involved in dispersion (Rogers, S.L., I.S. Tint, P.C. Fanapour, and V.I. Gelfand. 1997. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 94: 3720–3725). Here, we generated a dominant-negative construct encoding green fluorescent protein fused to the stalk-tail region of Xenopus kinesin-like protein 3 (Xklp3), the 95-kD motor subunit of Xenopus kinesin II, and introduced it into melanophores. Overexpression of the fusion protein inhibited pigment dispersion but had no effect on aggregation. To control for the specificity of this effect, we studied the kinesin-dependent movement of lysosomes. Neither dispersion of lysosomes in acidic conditions nor their clustering under alkaline conditions was affected by the mutant Xklp3. Furthermore, microinjection of melanophores with SUK4, a function-blocking kinesin antibody, inhibited dispersion of lysosomes but had no effect on melanosome transport. We conclude that melanosome dispersion is powered by kinesin II and not by conventional kinesin. This paper demonstrates that kinesin II moves membrane-bound organelles. PMID:9852150

Evidence of cue synergism in termite corpse response behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulyshen, Michael D.; Shelton, Thomas G.

2012-02-01

Subterranean termites of the genus Reticulitermes are known to build walls and tubes and move considerable amounts of soil into wood but the causes of this behavior remain largely unexplored. In laboratory assays, we tested the hypothesis that Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks) would carry more sand into wooden blocks containing corpses compared to corpse-free controls. We further predicted that the corpses of predatory ants would elicit a stronger response than those of a benign beetle species or nestmates. As hypothesized, significantly more sand was carried into blocks containing corpses and this material was typically used to build partitions separating the dead from the rest of the colony. Contrary to expectations, however, this behavior did not vary among corpse types. We then tested the hypothesis that oleic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid released during arthropod decay and used by ants and other arthropod taxa in corpse recognition, would induce a similar building response in R. virginicus. To additionally determine the role of foreign objects in giving rise to this behavior, the experiment was carried out with and without imitation corpses (i.e., small glass beads). As predicted, oleic acid induced building (a tenfold increase) but only when applied to beads, suggesting strong synergism between tactile and chemical cues. Oleic acid also significantly reduced the amount of wood consumed by R. virginicus and may possess useful repellent properties.

Sirenum Fossae

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-01-12

The linear depressions in this VIS image are graben. Graben are formed from tectonic activity with large blocks of material moving downward between paired faults. The crater in the bottom half of the image is oval rather than round, which could have been due to impacting into this region of tectonic deformation. Orbit Number: 66271 Latitude: -29.9918 Longitude: 211.199 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-11-21 15:19 http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21287

A Participatory Evaluation of the Use of Social Networking Tools in a High School Math Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wormald, Randy J.

2012-01-01

As we move into the 21st century, the needs of our students are more variable than ever. There has been a proliferation of social networking usage in society yet there has been little use of those emerging tools in schools as a means to enhance student learning. It is a common practice in school districts to block social networking sites and…

Validation of a Three-Dimensional Ablation and Thermal Response Simulation Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Yih-Kanq; Milos, Frank S.; Gokcen, Tahir

2010-01-01

The 3dFIAT code simulates pyrolysis, ablation, and shape change of thermal protection materials and systems in three dimensions. The governing equations, which include energy conservation, a three-component decomposition model, and a surface energy balance, are solved with a moving grid system to simulate the shape change due to surface recession. This work is the first part of a code validation study for new capabilities that were added to 3dFIAT. These expanded capabilities include a multi-block moving grid system and an orthotropic thermal conductivity model. This paper focuses on conditions with minimal shape change in which the fluid/solid coupling is not necessary. Two groups of test cases of 3dFIAT analyses of Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator in an arc-jet are presented. In the first group, axisymmetric iso-q shaped models are studied to check the accuracy of three-dimensional multi-block grid system. In the second group, similar models with various through-the-thickness conductivity directions are examined. In this group, the material thermal response is three-dimensional, because of the carbon fiber orientation. Predictions from 3dFIAT are presented and compared with arcjet test data. The 3dFIAT predictions agree very well with thermocouple data for both groups of test cases.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is raised off the transporter before lifting and moving it into the mobile service tower. The rocket is being erected to launch the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is raised off the transporter before lifting and moving it into the mobile service tower. The rocket is being erected to launch the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is raised off the transporter before lifting it up and moved into the mobile service tower. The rocket is being erected to launch the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of a Delta II rocket is raised off the transporter before lifting it up and moved into the mobile service tower. The rocket is being erected to launch the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of a Delta II rocket waits to be lifted up and moved into the mobile service tower. The rocket is being erected to launch the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the first stage of a Delta II rocket waits to be lifted up and moved into the mobile service tower. The rocket is being erected to launch the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF). Consisting of an 0.85-meter telescope and three cryogenically cooled science instruments, SIRTF is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers at Hangar A&E, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, lift the upper canister to move it to the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) at right. After encapsulation, the spacecraft will be transported to Launch Complex 17-B for mating with its launch vehicle, the Delta II rocket. SIRTF consists of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, and is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-07

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers at Hangar A&E, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, lift the upper canister to move it to the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) at right. After encapsulation, the spacecraft will be transported to Launch Complex 17-B for mating with its launch vehicle, the Delta II rocket. SIRTF consists of three cryogenically cooled science instruments and an 0.85-meter telescope, and is one of NASA's largest infrared telescopes to be launched. SIRTF will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space. Most of this infrared radiation is blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and cannot be observed from the ground.

Encephalolexianalyzer

DOEpatents

Altschuler, E.L.; Dowla, F.U.

1998-11-24

The encephalolexianalyzer uses digital signal processing techniques on electroencephalograph (EEG) brain waves to determine whether or not someone is thinking about moving, e.g., tapping their fingers, or, alternatively, whether someone is actually moving, e.g., tapping their fingers, or at rest, i.e., not moving and not thinking of moving. The mu waves measured by a pair of electrodes placed over the motor cortex are signal processed to determine the power spectrum. At rest, the peak value of the power spectrum in the 8-13 Hz range is high, while when moving or thinking of moving, the peak value of the power spectrum in the 8-13 Hz range is low. This measured change in signal power spectrum is used to produce a control signal. The encephalolexianalyzer can be used to communicate either directly using Morse code, or via a cursor controlling a remote control; the encephalolexianalyzer can also be used to control other devices. The encephalolexianalyzer will be of great benefit to people with various handicaps and disabilities, and also has enormous commercial potential, as well as being an invaluable tool for studying the brain. 14 figs.

Encephalolexianalyzer

DOEpatents

Altschuler, Eric L.; Dowla, Farid U.

1998-01-01

The encephalolexianalyzer uses digital signal processing techniques on electroencephalograph (EEG) brain waves to determine whether or not someone is thinking about moving, e.g., tapping their fingers, or, alternatively, whether someone is actually moving, e.g., tapping their fingers, or at rest, i.e., not moving and not thinking of moving. The mu waves measured by a pair of electrodes placed over the motor cortex are signal processed to determine the power spectrum. At rest, the peak value of the power spectrum in the 8-13 Hz range is high, while when moving or thinking of moving, the peak value of the power spectrum in the 8-13 Hz range is low. This measured change in signal power spectrum is used to produce a control signal. The encephalolexianalyzer can be used to communicate either directly using Morse code, or via a cursor controlling a remote control; the encephalolexianalyzer can also be used to control other devices. The encephalolexianalyzer will be of great benefit to people with various handicaps and disabilities, and also has enormous commercial potential, as well as being an invaluable tool for studying the brain.

Long-term use of nerve block catheters in paediatric patients with cancer related pathologic fractures

PubMed Central

BURGOYNE, L. L.; PEREIRAS, L. A.; BERTANI, L. A.; KADDOUM, R. N.; NEEL, M.; FAUGHNAN, L. G.; ANGHELESCU, D. L.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY We report three cases of children with osteosarcoma and pathologic fractures treated with long-term continuous nerve blocks for preoperative pain control. One patient with a left distal femoral diaphysis fracture had a femoral continuous nerve block catheter for 41 days without complications. Another with a fractured left proximal femoral shaft had three femoral continuous nerve block catheters for 33, 26 and 22 days respectively. The third patient, whose right proximal humerus was fractured, had a brachial plexus continuous nerve block catheter for 36 days without complication. In our experience, prolonged use of continuous nerve block is safe and effective in children with pathologic fractures for preoperative pain control. PMID:22813501

A Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Effect of the Addition of the Mandibular Block to Cervical Plexus Block for Carotid Endarterectomy.

PubMed

Kavrut Ozturk, Nilgun; Kavakli, Ali Sait; Sagdic, Kadir; Inanoglu, Kerem; Umot Ayoglu, Raif

2018-04-01

Although the cervical plexus block generally provides adequate analgesia for carotid endarterectomy, pain caused by metal retractors on the inferior surface of the mandible is not prevented by the cervical block. Different pain relief methods can be performed for patients who experience discomfort in these areas. In this study, the authors evaluated the effect of mandibular block in addition to cervical plexus block on pain scores in carotid endarterectomy. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Training and research hospital. Patients who underwent a carotid endarterectomy. Patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy under cervical plexus block were randomized into 2 groups: group 1 (those who did not receive a mandibular block) and group 2 (those who received a mandibular block). The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the mandibular block in addition to cervical plexus block in terms of intraoperative pain scores. Intraoperative visual analog scale scores were significantly higher in group 1 (p = 0.001). The amounts of supplemental 1% lidocaine and intraoperative intravenous analgesic used were significantly higher in group 1 (p = 0.001 and p = 0.035, respectively). Patient satisfaction scores were significantly lower in group 1 (p = 0.044). The amount of postoperative analgesic used, time to first analgesic requirement, postoperative visual analog scale scores, and surgeon satisfaction scores were similar in both groups. There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to complications. No major neurologic deficits or perioperative mortality were observed. Mandibular block in addition to cervical plexus block provides better intraoperative pain control and greater patient satisfaction than cervical plexus block alone. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-cleaning threaded rod spinneret for high-efficiency needleless electrospinning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Gaofeng; Jiang, Jiaxin; Wang, Xiang; Li, Wenwang; Zhong, Weizheng; Guo, Shumin

2018-07-01

High-efficiency production of nanofibers is the key to the application of electrospinning technology. This work focuses on multi-jet electrospinning, in which a threaded rod electrode is utilized as the needless spinneret to achieve high-efficiency production of nanofibers. A slipper block, which fits into and moves through the threaded rod, is designed to transfer polymer solution evenly to the surface of the rod spinneret. The relative motion between the slipper block and the threaded rod electrode promotes the instable fluctuation of the solution surface, thus the rotation of threaded rod electrode decreases the critical voltage for the initial multi-jet ejection and the diameter of nanofibers. The residual solution on the surface of threaded rod is cleaned up by the moving slipper block, showing a great self-cleaning ability, which ensures the stable multi-jet ejection and increases the productivity of nanofibers. Each thread of the threaded rod electrode serves as an independent spinneret, which enhances the electric field strength and constrains the position of the Taylor cone, resulting in high productivity of uniform nanofibers. The diameter of nanofibers decreases with the increase of threaded rod rotation speed, and the productivity increases with the solution flow rate. The rotation of electrode provides an excess force for the ejection of charged jets, which also contributes to the high-efficiency production of nanofibers. The maximum productivity of nanofibers from the threaded rod spinneret is 5-6 g/h, about 250-300 times as high as that from the single-needle spinneret. The self-cleaning threaded rod spinneret is an effective way to realize continuous multi-jet electrospinning, which promotes industrial applications of uniform nanofibrous membrane.

Evaluation of laser ablation microtomy for correlative microscopy of hard tissues.

PubMed

Boyde, A

2018-02-27

Laser ablation machining or microtomy (LAM) is a relatively new approach to producing slide mounted sections of translucent materials. We evaluated the method with a variety of problems from the bone, joint and dental tissues fields where we require thin undecalcified and undistorted sections for correlative light microscopy (LM) and backscattered electron scanning electron microscopy (BSE SEM). All samples were embedded in poly-methylmethacrlate (PMMA) and flat block surfaces had been previously studied by BSE-SEM and confocal scanning light microscopy (CSLM). Most were also studied by X-yay microtomography (XMT). The block surface is stuck to a glass slide with cyanoacrylate adhesive. Setting the section thickness and levelling uses inbuilt optical coherence tomographic imaging. Tight focusing of near-infrared laser radiation in the sectioning plane gives extreme intensities causing photodisruption of material at the focal point. The laser beam is moved by a fast scanner to write a cutting line, which is simultaneously moved by an XY positioning unit to create a sectioning plane. The block is thereby released from the slide, leaving the section stuck to the slide. Light, wet polishing on the finest grade (4000 grit) silicon carbide polishing paper is used to remove a 1-2 μm thick damaged layer at the surface of the section. Sections produced by laser cutting are fine in quality and superior to those produced by mechanical cutting and can be thinner than the 'voxel' in most laboratory X-ray microtomography systems. The present extensive pilot studies have shown that it works to produce samples which we can study by both light and electron microscopy. © 2018 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2018 Royal Microscopical Society.

Postoperative dysesthesia in lumbar three-column resection osteotomies.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhengfeng; Wang, Honggang; Zheng, Wenjie

2016-08-01

Three-column lumbar spinal resection osteotomies including pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO), vertebral column resection (VCR), and total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) can potentially lead to dorsal root ganglion (DRG) injury which may cause postoperative dysesthesia (POD). The purpose of retrospective study was to describe the uncommon complication of POD in lumbar spinal resection osteotomies. Between January 2009 and December 2013, 64 patients were treated with lumbar three-column spinal resection osteotomies (PSO, n = 31; VCR, n = 29; TES, n = 4) in investigator group. POD was defined as dysesthetic pain or burning dysesthesia at a proper DRG innervated region, whether spontaneous or evoked. Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, central none-opioid analgesic agent, neuropathic pain drugs and/or intervertebral foramen block were selectively used to treat POD. There were 5 cases of POD (5/64, 7.8 %), which consisted of 1 patient in PSO (1/31, 3.2 %), 3 patients in PVCR (3/29, 10.3 %), and 1 patient in TES (1/4, 25 %). After the treatment by drugs administration plus DRG block, all patients presented pain relief with duration from 8 to 38 days. A gradual pain moving to distal end of a proper DRG innervated region was found as the beginning of end. Although POD is a unique and rare complication and maybe misdiagnosed as nerve root injury in lumbar spinal resection osteotomies, combination drug therapy and DRG block have an effective result of pain relief. The appearance of a gradual pain moving to distal end of a proper DRG innervated region during recovering may be used as a sign for the good prognosis.

Morphology of sea-floor landslides on Horizon Guyot: application of steady-state geotechnical analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kayen, R.E.; Schwab, W.C.; Lee, H.J.; Torresan, M.E.; Hein, J.R.; Quinterno, P.J.; Levin, L.A.

1989-01-01

Mass movement and erosion have been identified on the pelagic sediment cap of Horizon Guyot, a seamount in the Mid-Pacific Mountains. Trends in the size, shape and preservation of bedforms and sediment textural trends on the pelagic cap indicate that bottom-current-generated sediment transport direction is upslope. Slumping of the sediment cap occurred on and that the net bedload transport direction is upslope. Slumping of the sediment cap occurred on the northwest side of the guyot on a 1.6?? to 2.0?? slope in the zone of enhanced bottom-current activity. Submersible investigations of these slump blocks show them to be discrete and to have a relief of 6-15 m, with nodular chert beds cropping out along the headwall of individual rotated blocks. An evaluation of the stability of the sediment cap suggests that the combination of the current-induced beveling of the sea floor and infrequent earthquake loading accompanied by cyclic strength reduction is responsible for the initiation of slumps. The sediment in the area of slumping moved short distances in relatively coherent masses, whereas sediment that has moved beyond the summit cap perimeter has fully mobilized into sediment gravity flows and traveled large distances. A steady-state geotechnical analysis of Horizon Guyot sediment indicates the predisposition of deeply buried sediment towards disintegrative flow failure on appropriately steep slopes. Thus, slope failure in this deeper zone would include large amounts of internal deformation. However, gravitational stress in the near-surface sediment of the summit cap (sub-bottom depth < 14 m) is insufficient to maintain downslope movement after initial failure occurs. The predicted morphology of coherent slump blocks displaced and rafted upon a weakened zone at depth corresponds well with seismic-reflection data and submersible observations. ?? 1990.

49 CFR 236.824 - System, automatic block signal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false System, automatic block signal. 236.824 Section..., INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Definitions § 236.824 System, automatic block signal. A block signal system wherein the use of each block is...

49 CFR 236.824 - System, automatic block signal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false System, automatic block signal. 236.824 Section..., INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Definitions § 236.824 System, automatic block signal. A block signal system wherein the use of each block is...

49 CFR 236.824 - System, automatic block signal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false System, automatic block signal. 236.824 Section..., INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Definitions § 236.824 System, automatic block signal. A block signal system wherein the use of each block is...

The modeling of an automotive electronic control system and the application of optimizing methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yansheng; Yang, Zhigang; Zhang, Xiang

2005-12-01

Now, MATLAB/SIMULINK software is popularly used by automotive electronic control designers to develop automotive electronic control systems and perform numerical simulations. But they will face problems, such as value initialization in the "integrator" block, conversion among different data types, selection of "if" block and "switch" block, realization of the "if-clause" under multiple options and the auto-switching control, etc. Taking as an example the designing of an Automated Mechanical Transmission (AMT) system, this paper discusses some techniques and methods for modeling the automotive electronic control system with MATLAB/SIMULINK, offering designers some successful examples.

Strategies for Controlled Placement of Nanoscale Building Blocks

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

The capability of placing individual nanoscale building blocks on exact substrate locations in a controlled manner is one of the key requirements to realize future electronic, optical, and magnetic devices and sensors that are composed of such blocks. This article reviews some important advances in the strategies for controlled placement of nanoscale building blocks. In particular, we will overview template assisted placement that utilizes physical, molecular, or electrostatic templates, DNA-programmed assembly, placement using dielectrophoresis, approaches for non-close-packed assembly of spherical particles, and recent development of focused placement schemes including electrostatic funneling, focused placement via molecular gradient patterns, electrodynamic focusing of charged aerosols, and others. PMID:21794185

Motor training reduces surround inhibition in the motor cortex.

PubMed

Akkad, Haya; Di Stasio, Flavio; Tibold, Robert; Kassavetis, Panagiotis; Rothwell, John C; Edwards, Mark J

2016-06-01

Surround inhibition (SI) is thought to facilitate focal contraction of a hand muscle by keeping nearby muscles silent. Unexpectedly, SI is reduced in skilled pianists. We tested whether repeated practice of focal contraction in non-pianists could reduce SI. Motor-evoked potentials were elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation in the relaxed abductor digiti minimi randomly at the onset and 5s after offset of a 2s focal contraction (10% maximum) of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI). Over 5 blocks of 40 trials participants obtained points for increasing contraction speed and stability in FDI. In a final block, the interval between contractions was varied randomly to increase attention to the task. Over the first 5 blocks, SI declined as performance (points scored) improved. In the final "attention" block SI increased towards baseline without affecting performance. Although SI may be useful during the early stages of learning, skilled focal finger movement does not require SI to prevent activity in non-involved muscles. This could be due to better targeting of the excitatory command to move. Results from the final block suggest that increased attention can re-engage SI when task parameters change. SI is not necessary for successful focal contraction, but may contribute during learning and during attention to task. Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

E-2633

NASA Image and Video Library

1956-10-12

A photo of the control stick used on the Iron Cross Attitude Simulator. Although it resembled today's desktop computer flight sticks, its operation was different. As with a standard control stick, moving it back and forth raised and lowered the nose resulting in changes in pitch. Moving the stick to the right or left raised or lowered the wing, resulted in changes in roll. This control stick had a third axis, not found in standard control sticks. Twisting the stick to the right or left caused the airplane's nose to move horizontally in the same direction, resulting in changes in yaw.

Bicomponent Block Copolymers Derived from One or More Random Copolymers as an Alternative Route to Controllable Phase Behavior

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

Ashraf, Arman R.; Ryan, Justin J.; Satkowski, Michael M.

Block copolymers have been extensively studied due to their ability to spontaneously self-organize into a wide variety of morphologies that are valuable in energy-, medical- and conservation-related (nano)technologies. While the phase behavior of bicomponent diblock and triblock copolymers is conventionally governed by temperature and individual block masses, we demonstrate that their phase behavior can alternatively be controlled through the use of blocks with random monomer sequencing. Block random copolymers (BRCs), i.e., diblock copolymers wherein one or both blocks is a random copolymer comprised of A and B repeat units, have been synthesized, and their phase behavior, expressed in terms ofmore » the order-disorder transition (ODT), has been investigated. Our results establish that, depending on the block composition contrast and molecular weight, BRCs can microphase-separate. We also report that the predicted ODT can be generated at relatively constant molecular weight and temperature with these new soft materials. This sequence-controlled synthetic strategy is extended to thermoplastic elastomeric triblock copolymers differing in chemistry and possessing a random-copolymer midblock.« less

Multimodal Friction Ignition Tester

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Eddie; Howard, Bill; Herald, Stephen

2009-01-01

The multimodal friction ignition tester (MFIT) is a testbed for experiments on the thermal and mechanical effects of friction on material specimens in pressurized, oxygen-rich atmospheres. In simplest terms, a test involves recording sensory data while rubbing two specimens against each other at a controlled normal force, with either a random stroke or a sinusoidal stroke having controlled amplitude and frequency. The term multimodal in the full name of the apparatus refers to a capability for imposing any combination of widely ranging values of the atmospheric pressure, atmospheric oxygen content, stroke length, stroke frequency, and normal force. The MFIT was designed especially for studying the tendency toward heating and combustion of nonmetallic composite materials and the fretting of metals subjected to dynamic (vibrational) friction forces in the presence of liquid oxygen or pressurized gaseous oxygen test conditions approximating conditions expected to be encountered in proposed composite material oxygen tanks aboard aircraft and spacecraft in flight. The MFIT includes a stainless-steel pressure vessel capable of retaining the required test atmosphere. Mounted atop the vessel is a pneumatic cylinder containing a piston for exerting the specified normal force between the two specimens. Through a shaft seal, the piston shaft extends downward into the vessel. One of the specimens is mounted on a block, denoted the pressure block, at the lower end of the piston shaft. This specimen is pressed down against the other specimen, which is mounted in a recess in another block, denoted the slip block, that can be moved horizontally but not vertically. The slip block is driven in reciprocating horizontal motion by an electrodynamic vibration exciter outside the pressure vessel. The armature of the electrodynamic exciter is connected to the slip block via a horizontal shaft that extends into the pressure vessel via a second shaft seal. The reciprocating horizontal motion can be chosen to be random with a flat spectrum over the frequency range of 10 Hz to 1 kHz, or to be sinusoidal at any peak-to-peak amplitude up to 0.8 in. (.2 cm) and fixed or varying frequency up to 1 kHz. The temperatures of the specimen and of the vessel are measured by thermocouples. A digital video camera mounted outside the pressure vessel is aimed into the vessel through a sapphire window, with its focus fixed on the interface between the two specimens. A position transducer monitors the displacement of the pneumatic-cylinder shaft. The pressure in the vessel is also monitored. During a test, the output of the video camera, the temperatures, and the pneumatic-shaft displacement are monitored and recorded. The test is continued for a predetermined amount of time (typically, 10 minutes) or until either (1) the output of the position transducer shows a sudden change indicative of degradation of either or both specimens, (2) ignition or another significant reaction is observed, or (3) pressure in the vessel increases beyond a pre-set level that triggers an automatic shutdown.

Paracervical Block for Laminaria Insertion Before Second-Trimester Abortion: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Soon, Reni; Tschann, Mary; Salcedo, Jennifer; Stevens, Katelyn; Ahn, Hyeong Jun; Kaneshiro, Bliss

2017-08-01

To evaluate the efficacy of a paracervical block to decrease pain during osmotic dilator insertion before second-trimester abortion. In this double-blind, randomized trial, 41 women undergoing Laminaria insertion before a second-trimester abortion received either a paracervical block with 18 mL 1% lidocaine and 2 mL sodium bicarbonate or a sham block. Women were between 14 and 23 6/7 weeks of gestation. The primary outcome was pain immediately after insertion of Laminaria. Women assessed their pain on a 100-mm visual analog scale. Secondary outcomes included assessment of pain at other times during the insertion procedure and overall satisfaction with pain control. To detect a 25-mm difference in pain immediately after Laminaria insertion, at an α of 0.05 and 80% power, we aimed to enroll 20 patients in each arm. From May 2015 to December 2015, 20 women received a paracervical block and 21 received a sham block. Groups were similar in demographics, including parity, history of surgical abortion, and number of Laminaria placed. The paracervical block reduced pain after Laminaria insertion (median scores 13 mm [interquartile range 2-39] compared with 54 mm [interquartile range 27-61], P=.01, 95% CI -47.0 to -4.0). Women who received a paracervical block also reported higher satisfaction with overall pain control throughout the entire Laminaria insertion procedure (median scores 95 mm [interquartile range 78-100] compared with 70 mm [interquartile range 44-90], P=.05, 95% CI 0.0-37.0). Paracervical block is effective at reducing the pain of Laminaria insertion. Additionally, a paracervical block increases overall patient satisfaction with pain control during Laminaria placement. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02454296.

Simulations and Visualizations of Hurricane Sandy (2012) as Revealed by the NASA CAMVis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, Bo-Wen

2013-01-01

Storm Sandy first appeared as a tropical storm in the southern Caribbean Sea on Oct. 22, 2012, moved northeastward, turned northwestward, and made landfall near Brigantine, New Jersey in late October. Sandy devastated surrounding areas, caused an estimated damage of $50 billion, and became the second costliest tropical cyclone (TC) in U.S. History surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina (2005). To save lives and mitigate economic damage, a central question to be addressed is to what extent the lead time of severe storm prediction such as Sandy can be extended (e.g., Emanuel 2012; Kerr 2012). In this study, we present 10 numerical experiments initialized at 00 and 1200 UTC Oct. 22-26, 2012, with the NASA coupled advanced global modeling and visualization systems (CAMVis). All of the predictions realistically capture Sandy's movement with the northwestward turn prior to its landfall. However, three experiments (initialized at 0000 UTC Oct. 22 and 24 and 1200 UTC Oct. 22) produce larger errors. Among the 10 experiments, the control run initialized at 0000 UTC Oct. 23 produces a remarkable 7-day forecast. To illustrate the impact of environmental flows on the predictability of Sandy, we produce and discuss four-dimensional (4-D) visualizations with the control run. 4-D visualizations clearly demonstrate the following multiscale processes that led to the sinuous track of Sandy: the initial steering impact of an upper-level trough (appearing over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico), the blocking impact of systems to the northeast of Sandy, and the binary interaction with a mid-latitude, upper-level trough that appeared at 130degrees west longitude on Oct. 23, moved to the East Coast and intensified during the period of Oct. 29-30 prior to Sandy's landfall.

The Effects of Military Change of Station Moves on Spousal Earnings

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

within the literature on tied migration, military wives are an ideal “ quasi - experimental group , because such women represent perhaps the ideal typical...moves (one or two years prior to the current year) as part of the control group . Table 5.3 reports results from an extended model that also controls ...for effects of moves one or two years earlier, removing those spouse-year observations from the control group . Among spouses who ever appear in our

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Sssss of... - Emission Limits

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... that are controlled with a thermal or catalytic oxidizer a. The 3-hour block average THC concentration... the outlet of the control device; or b. The 3-hour block average THC mass emissions rate must be... than a thermal or catalytic oxidizer a. The 3-hour block average THC concentration must not exceed 20...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Sssss of... - Emission Limits

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... that are controlled with a thermal or catalytic oxidizer a. The 3-hour block average THC concentration... the outlet of the control device; or b. The 3-hour block average THC mass emissions rate must be... than a thermal or catalytic oxidizer a. The 3-hour block average THC concentration must not exceed 20...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Sssss of... - Emission Limits

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... that are controlled with a thermal or catalytic oxidizer a. The 3-hour block average THC concentration... the outlet of the control device; or b. The 3-hour block average THC mass emissions rate must be... than a thermal or catalytic oxidizer a. The 3-hour block average THC concentration must not exceed 20...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Sssss of... - Emission Limits

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... that are controlled with a thermal or catalytic oxidizer a. The 3-hour block average THC concentration... the outlet of the control device; or b. The 3-hour block average THC mass emissions rate must be... than a thermal or catalytic oxidizer a. The 3-hour block average THC concentration must not exceed 20...

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Sssss of... - Emission Limits

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... that are controlled with a thermal or catalytic oxidizer a. The 3-hour block average THC concentration... the outlet of the control device; or b. The 3-hour block average THC mass emissions rate must be... than a thermal or catalytic oxidizer a. The 3-hour block average THC concentration must not exceed 20...

15 CFR Supplement No. 2 to Part 752 - Instructions for Completing Form BIS-748P-A, “Item Annex”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... within the lines for each block or box. Block 1: Application Control No. Enter the application control... or reexport a computer or equipment that contains a computer. Instructions on calculating the APP are... processing of your application. Block 24: Continuation of Additional Information. Enter any identifying...

15 CFR Supplement No. 2 to Part 752 - Instructions for Completing Form BIS-748P-B, “Item Annex”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... within the lines for each block or box. Block 1: Application Control No. Enter the application control... or reexport a computer or equipment that contains a computer. Instructions on calculating the APP are... processing of your application. Block 24: Continuation of Additional Information. Enter any identifying...

15 CFR Supplement No. 2 to Part 752 - Instructions for Completing Form BIS-748P-B, “Item Annex”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... within the lines for each block or box. Block 1: Application Control No. Enter the application control... or reexport a computer or equipment that contains a computer. Instructions on calculating the APP are... processing of your application. Block 24: Continuation of Additional Information. Enter any identifying...

15 CFR Supplement No. 2 to Part 752 - Instructions for Completing Form BIS-748P-B, “Item Annex”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... within the lines for each block or box. Block 1: Application Control No. Enter the application control... or reexport a computer or equipment that contains a computer. Instructions on calculating the APP are... processing of your application. Block 24: Continuation of Additional Information. Enter any identifying...

Comparison of the Effect of Continuous Femoral Nerve Block and Adductor Canal Block after Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty.

PubMed

Seo, Seung Suk; Kim, Ok Gul; Seo, Jin Hyeok; Kim, Do Hoon; Kim, Youn Gu; Park, Beyoung Yun

2017-09-01

This study aimed to compare the effects of femoral nerve block and adductor canal block on postoperative pain, quadriceps strength, and walking ability after primary total knee arthroplasty. Between November 2014 and February 2015, 60 patients underwent primary total knee arthroplasty. Thirty patients received femoral nerve block and the other 30 received adductor canal block for postoperative pain control. Before spinal anesthesia, the patients received nerve block via a catheter (20 mL 0.75% ropivacaine was administered initially, followed by intermittent bolus injection of 10 mL 0.2% ropivacaine every 6 hours for 3 days). The catheters were maintained in the exact location of nerve block in 24 patients in the femoral nerve block group and in 19 patients in the adductor canal block group. Data collection was carried out from these 43 patients. To evaluate postoperative pain control, the numerical rating scale scores at rest and 45° flexion of the knee were recorded. To evaluate quadriceps strength, manual muscle testing was performed. Walking ability was assessed using the Timed Up and Go test. We also evaluated analgesic consumption and complications of peripheral nerve block. No significant intergroup difference was observed in the numerical rating scale scores at rest and 45° flexion of the knee on postoperative days 1, 2, 3, and 7. The adductor canal block group had significantly greater quadriceps strength than did the femoral nerve block group, as assessed by manual muscle testing on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3. The 2 groups showed no difference in walking ability on postoperative day 1, but on postoperative days 2, 3, walking ability was significantly better in the adductor canal block group than in the femoral nerve block group. No significant intergroup difference was observed in analgesic consumption. The groups showed no difference in postoperative pain control. Adductor canal block was superior to femoral nerve block in preserving quadriceps strength and walking ability. However, adductor canal block was inferior to femoral nerve block in maintaining the exact location of the catheter.

Intelligent Controller for a Compact Wide-Band Compositional Infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yiu, P.; Keymeulen, D.; Berisford, D. F.; Hand, K. P.; Carlson, R. W.

2013-12-01

This paper presents the design and integration of an intelligent controller for CIRIS (Compositional InfraRed Interferometric Spectrometer) on a stand-alone field programmable gate array (FPGA) architecture. CIRIS is a novel take on traditional Fourier Transform Spectrometers (FTS) and replaces linearly moving mirrors (characteristic of Michelson interferometers) with a constant-velocity rotating refractor to variably phase shift and alter the path length of incoming light. This design eliminates the need for periodically accelerating/decelerating mirrors inherent to canonical Michelson designs and allows for a compact and robust device that is intrinsically radiation-hard, making it ideal for spaceborne measurements in the near-IR to thermal-IR band (2-12 μm) on planetary exploration missions. A traditional Michelson FTS passes a monochromatic light source (incident light from the sample) through a system of refractors/mirrors followed by a mirror moving linearly in the plane of the incident light. This process selectively blocks certain wavelengths and permits measurement of the sample's absorption rates as a function of the wavelengths blocked to produce an 'inteferogram.' This is subsequently processed using a Fourier transform to obtain the sample's spectrum and ascertain the sample's composition. With our prototype CIRIS instrument in development at Design and Prototype Inc. and NASA-JPL, we propose the use of a rotating refractor spinning at a constant velocity to variably phase shift incident light to the detector as an alternative to a linearly moving mirror. This design eliminates sensitivity to vibrations, minimizing path length and non-linear errors due to minor perturbations to the system, in addition to facilitating compact design critical to meeting the strict volume requirements of spacecraft. Further, this is done without sacrificing spectral resolution or throughput when compared to Michelson or diffractive designs. While Michelson designs typically achieve very high wavelength resolution, the intended application of our instrument (spectroscopic investigation of Europa's surface) places higher emphasis on the greater wavelength band sensitivity in the 2-12 μm range provided by a rotating refractor design. The instrument's embedded microcontroller is implemented on a flight-qualified VIRTEX-5 FPGA with the aim of sampling the instrument's detector and optical rotary encoder in order to construct an interferogram. Subsequent signal processing, including a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), noise reduction/averaging, and spectral calibration techniques are applied in real-time to compose the sample spectrum. Deployment of an FPGA eliminates the instrument's need to share computing resources with the main spacecraft computer and takes advantage of the low power consumption and high-throughput hardware parallelism intrinsic to FPGA applications. This parallelism facilitates the high speed, low latency sampling/signal processing critical to instrument precision with minimal power consumption to achieve highly sensitive spectra within the constraints of available spacecraft resources. The instrument is characterized in simulated space-flight conditions and we demonstrate that this technology is capable of meeting the strict volume, sensitivity, and power consumption requirements for implementation in scientific space systems.

Movement of moisture in refrigerated cheese samples transferred to room temperature.

PubMed

Emmons, D B; Bradley, R L; Campbell, C; Sauvé, J P

2001-01-01

When cheese samples refrigerated at 4 degrees C in 120 mL plastic tubs were transferred to room temperature at 23 degrees C, moisture began to move from the warmer surface to the cooler interior; the difference after 1 h was 0.2-0.4%. Others had observed that moisture moved from the interior of warmer blocks of cheese to the cooler surface during cooling at the end of cheese manufacture. In loosely packed cheese prepared for analysis, part of the moisture movement may have been due to evaporation from the warmer surface and condensation on the cooler cheese. It is recommended that cheese be prepared for analysis immediately before weighing. Cheese samples that have been refrigerated, as in interlaboratory trials, should also be remixed or prepared again.

Microstructure synthesis control of biological polyhydroxyalkanoates with mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pederson, Erik Norman

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA's) are a class of biologically produced polymers, or plastic, that is synthesized by various microorganisms. PHA's are made from biorenewable resources and are fully biodegradable and biocompatible, making them an environmentally friendly green polymer. A method of incorporating polymer microstructure into the PHA synthesized in Ralstonia eutropha was developed. These microstructures were synthesized with polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) as the polymer domains. To synthesize the PHB V copolymer, the additional presence of valerate was required. To control valerate substrate additions to the bioreactor, an off-gas mass spectrometry (MS) feedback control system was developed. Important process information including the cell physiology, growth kinetics, and product formation kinetics in the bioreactor was obtained with MS and used to control microstructure synthesis. The two polymer microstructures synthesized were core-shell granules and block copolymers. Block copolymers control the structure of the individual polymer chains while core-shell granules control the organization of many polymer chains. Both these microstructures result in properties unattainable by blending the two polymers together. The core-shell structures were synthesized with controlled domain thickness based on a developed model. Different block copolymers compositions were synthesized by varying the switching time of the substrate pulses responsible for block copolymer synthesis. The block copolymers were tested to determine their chemical properties and cast into films to determine the materials properties. These block copolymer films possessed new properties not achieved by copolymers or blends of the two polymers.

Spacing of Imbricated Thrust Faults and the Strength of Thrust-Belts and Accretionary Wedges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, G.; Regensburger, P. V.; Moore, G. F.

2017-12-01

The pattern of imbricated thrust blocks is a prominent characteristic of the large-scale structure of thrust-belts and accretionary wedges around the world. Mechanical models of these systems have a rich history from laboratory analogs, and more recently from computational simulations, most of which, qualitatively reproduce the regular patterns of imbricated thrusts seen in nature. Despite the prevalence of these patterns in nature and in models, our knowledge of what controls the spacing of the thrusts remains immature at best. We tackle this problem using a finite difference, particle-in-cell method that simulates visco-elastic-plastic deformation with a Mohr-Coulomb brittle failure criterion. The model simulates a horizontal base that moves toward a rigid vertical backstop, carrying with it an overlying layer of crust. The crustal layer has a greater frictional strength than the base, is cohesive, and is initially uniform in thickness. As the layer contracts, a series of thrust blocks immerge sequentially and form a wedge having a mean taper consistent with that predicted by a noncohesive, critical Coulomb wedge. The widths of the thrust blocks (or spacing between adjacent thrusts) are greatest at the front of the wedge, tend to decrease with continued contraction, and then tend toward a pseudo-steady, minimum width. Numerous experiments show that the characteristic spacing of thrusts increases with the brittle strength of the wedge material (cohesion + friction) and decreases with increasing basal friction for low (<8°) taper angles. These relations are consistent with predictions of the elastic stresses forward of the frontal thrust and at what distance the differential stress exceeds the brittle threshold to form a new frontal thrust. Hence the characteristic spacing of the thrusts across the whole wedge is largely inherited at the very front of the wedge. Our aim is to develop scaling laws that will illuminate the basic physical processes controlling systems, as well as allow researchers to use observations of thrust spacing as an independent constraint on the brittle strength of wedges as well as their bases.

Transversus abdominal plane block for postoperative analgesia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials.

PubMed

Brogi, Etrusca; Kazan, Roy; Cyr, Shantale; Giunta, Francesco; Hemmerling, Thomas M

2016-10-01

The transversus abdominal plane (TAP) block has been described as an effective pain control technique after abdominal surgery. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) to account for the increasing number of TAP block studies appearing in the literature. The primary outcome we examined was the effect of TAP block on the postoperative pain score at six, 12, and 24 hr. The secondary outcome was 24-hr morphine consumption. We searched the United States National Library of Medicine database, the Excerpta Medica database, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Studies and identified RCTs focusing on the analgesic efficacy of TAP block compared with a control group [i.e., placebo, epidural analgesia, intrathecal morphine (ITM), and ilioinguinal nerve block after abdominal surgery]. Meta-analyses were performed on postoperative pain scores at rest at six, 12, and 24 hr (visual analogue scale, 0-10) and on 24-hr opioid consumption. In the 51 trials identified, compared with placebo, TAP block reduced the VAS for pain at six hours by 1.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], -1.9 to -0.8; P < 0.001), at 12 hr by 2.0 (95% CI, -2.7 to -1.4; P < 0.001), and at 24 hr by 1.2 (95% CI, -1.6 to -0.8; P < 0.001). Similarly, compared with placebo, TAP block reduced morphine consumption at 24 hr after surgery (mean difference, -14.7 mg; 95% CI, -18.4 to -11.0; P < 0.001). We observed this reduction in pain scores and morphine consumption in the TAP block group after gynecological surgery, appendectomy, inguinal surgery, bariatric surgery, and urological surgery. Nevertheless, separate analysis of the studies comparing ITM with TAP block revealed that ITM seemed to have a greater analgesic efficacy. The TAP block can play an important role in the management of pain after abdominal surgery by reducing both pain scores and 24-hr morphine consumption. It may have particular utility when neuraxial techniques or opioids are contraindicated.

Sintering behavior and mechanical properties of zirconia compacts fabricated by uniaxial press forming.

PubMed

Oh, Gye-Jeong; Yun, Kwi-Dug; Lee, Kwang-Min; Lim, Hyun-Pil; Park, Sang-Won

2010-09-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the linear sintering behavior of presintered zirconia blocks of various densities. The mechanical properties of the resulting sintered zirconia blocks were then analyzed. Three experimental groups of dental zirconia blocks, with a different presintering density each, were designed in the present study. Kavo Everest® ZS blanks (Kavo, Biberach, Germany) were used as a control group. The experimental group blocks were fabricated from commercial yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia powder (KZ-3YF (SD) Type A, KCM. Corporation, Nagoya, Japan). The biaxial flexural strengths, microhardnesses, and microstructures of the sintered blocks were then investigated. The linear sintering shrinkages of blocks were calculated and compared. Despite their different presintered densities, the sintered blocks of the control and experimental groups showed similar mechanical properties. However, the sintered block had different linear sintering shrinkage rate depending on the density of the presintered block. As the density of the presintered block increased, the linear sintering shrinkage decreased. In the experimental blocks, the three sectioned pieces of each block showed the different linear shrinkage depending on the area. The tops of the experimental blocks showed the lowest linear sintering shrinkage, whereas the bottoms of the experimental blocks showed the highest linear sintering shrinkage. Within the limitations of this study, the density difference of the presintered zirconia block did not affect the mechanical properties of the sintered zirconia block, but affected the linear sintering shrinkage of the zirconia block.

Sintering behavior and mechanical properties of zirconia compacts fabricated by uniaxial press forming

PubMed Central

Oh, Gye-Jeong; Yun, Kwi-Dug; Lee, Kwang-Min; Lim, Hyun-Pil

2010-01-01

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare the linear sintering behavior of presintered zirconia blocks of various densities. The mechanical properties of the resulting sintered zirconia blocks were then analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three experimental groups of dental zirconia blocks, with a different presintering density each, were designed in the present study. Kavo Everest® ZS blanks (Kavo, Biberach, Germany) were used as a control group. The experimental group blocks were fabricated from commercial yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia powder (KZ-3YF (SD) Type A, KCM. Corporation, Nagoya, Japan). The biaxial flexural strengths, microhardnesses, and microstructures of the sintered blocks were then investigated. The linear sintering shrinkages of blocks were calculated and compared. RESULTS Despite their different presintered densities, the sintered blocks of the control and experimental groups showed similar mechanical properties. However, the sintered block had different linear sintering shrinkage rate depending on the density of the presintered block. As the density of the presintered block increased, the linear sintering shrinkage decreased. In the experimental blocks, the three sectioned pieces of each block showed the different linear shrinkage depending on the area. The tops of the experimental blocks showed the lowest linear sintering shrinkage, whereas the bottoms of the experimental blocks showed the highest linear sintering shrinkage. CONCLUSION Within the limitations of this study, the density difference of the presintered zirconia block did not affect the mechanical properties of the sintered zirconia block, but affected the linear sintering shrinkage of the zirconia block. PMID:21165274

Effect of acute psychological stress on response inhibition: An event-related potential study.

PubMed

Qi, Mingming; Gao, Heming; Liu, Guangyuan

2017-04-14

This study aimed to investigate the effect of acute psychological stress on response inhibition and its electrophysiological correlates using a dual-task paradigm. Acute stress was induced by a primary task (mental arithmetic task), which consisted of a stress block and a control block. Response inhibition was measured using a secondary task (Go/NoGo task). In each trial, a Go/NoGo stimulus was presented immediately after the mental arithmetic task. The results revealed increased subjective stress and negative affect for the stress relative to control block, suggesting that the mental arithmetic task triggered a reliable stress response. ERPs locked to the Go/NoGo stimuli revealed that decreased P2 and increased N2 components were evoked for the stress block compared to the control block. These results demonstrated that acute psychological stress alters the response inhibition process by reducing the early selective attention process and enhancing the cognitive control process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of popliteal block in postoperative pain control after ankle fracture fixation: a prospective randomized study.

PubMed

Goldstein, Rachel Y; Montero, Nicole; Jain, Sudheer K; Egol, Kenneth A; Tejwani, Nirmal C

2012-10-01

To compare postoperative pain control in patients treated surgically for ankle fractures who receive popliteal blocks with those who received general anesthesia alone. Institutional Review Board approved prospective randomized study. Metropolitan tertiary-care referral center. All patients being treated with open reduction internal fixation for ankle fractures who met inclusion criteria and consented to participate were enrolled. Patients were randomized to receive either general anesthesia (GETA) or intravenous sedation and popliteal block. Patients were assessed for duration of procedure, total time in the operating room, and postoperative pain at 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery using a visual analog scale. Fifty-one patients agreed to participate in the study. Twenty-five patients received popliteal block, while 26 patients received GETA. There were no anesthesia-related complications. At 2, 4, and 8 hours postoperatively, patients who underwent GETA demonstrated significantly higher pain. At 12 hours, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups with regard to pain control. However, by 24 hours, those who had received popliteal blocks had significantly higher pain with no difference by 48 hours. Popliteal block provides equivalent postoperative pain control to general anesthesia alone in patients undergoing operative fixation of ankle fractures. However, patients who receive popliteal blocks do experience a significant increase in pain between 12 and 24 hours. Recognition of this "rebound pain" with early narcotic administration may allow patients to have more effective postoperative pain control.

F-16 Simulator for Man-in-the-Loop Testing of Aircraft Control Systems (SIMTACS).

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

Figures Figure Page 2.1. General Hardware Arrangement..................... 12 3.1. DFCS Longitudinal Control Block Diagram .... 21 3.2. DFCS Gain...Functions for Longitudinal Control 22 3.3. DFCS Lateral-Directional Control Block Diagram........................................... 23 3.4. DFCS Gain...Functions for Lateral-Directional Control........................................... 24 3.5. DFCS Control Surface Mixer....................... 25 3.6

Lathe Attachment Finishes Inner Surface of Tubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lancki, A. J.

1982-01-01

Extremely smooth finishes are machined on inside surfaces of tubes by new attachment for a lathe. The relatively inexpensive accessory, called a "microhone," holds a honing stone against workpiece by rigid tangs instead of springs as in conventional honing tools. Inner rod permits adjustment of microhoning stone, while outer tube supports assembly. Outer tube is held between split blocks on lathe toolpost. Microhoning can be done with either microhone or workpiece moving and other member stationary.

Thermally-induced transition of lamellae orientation in block-copolymer films on ‘neutral’ nanoparticle-coated substrates

DOE PAGES

Yager, Kevin G.; Forrey, Christopher; Singh, Gurpreet; ...

2015-06-01

Block-copolymer orientation in thin films is controlled by the complex balance between interfacial free energies, including the inter-block segregation strength, the surface tensions of the blocks, and the relative substrate interactions. While block-copolymer lamellae orient horizontally when there is any preferential affinity of one block for the substrate, we recently described how nanoparticle-roughened substrates can be used to modify substrate interactions. We demonstrate how such ‘neutral’ substrates can be combined with control of annealing temperature to generate vertical lamellae orientations throughout a sample, at all thicknesses. We observe an orientational transition from vertical to horizontal lamellae upon heating, as confirmedmore » using a combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM), neutron reflectometry (NR) and rotational small-angle neutron scattering (RSANS). Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we identify substrate-localized distortions to the lamellar morphology as the physical basis of the novel behavior. In particular, under strong segregation conditions, bending of horizontal lamellae induce a large energetic cost. At higher temperatures, the energetic cost of conformal deformations of lamellae over the rough substrate is reduced, returning lamellae to the typical horizontal orientation. Thus, we find that both surface interactions and temperature play a crucial role in dictating block-copolymer lamellae orientation. As a result, our combined experimental and simulation findings suggest that controlling substrate roughness should provide a useful and robust platform for controlling block-copolymer orientation in applications of these materials.« less

Coordination of multiple robot arms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barker, L. K.; Soloway, D.

1987-01-01

Kinematic resolved-rate control from one robot arm is extended to the coordinated control of multiple robot arms in the movement of an object. The structure supports the general movement of one axis system (moving reference frame) with respect to another axis system (control reference frame) by one or more robot arms. The grippers of the robot arms do not have to be parallel or at any pre-disposed positions on the object. For multiarm control, the operator chooses the same moving and control reference frames for each of the robot arms. Consequently, each arm then moves as though it were carrying out the commanded motions by itself.

A Low-Power Wireless Image Sensor Node with Noise-Robust Moving Object Detection and a Region-of-Interest Based Rate Controller

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

A Low- Power Wireless Image Sensor Node with Noise-Robust Moving Object Detection and a Region-of-Interest Based Rate Controller Jong Hwan Ko...Atlanta, GA 30332 USA Contact Author Email: jonghwan.ko@gatech.edu Abstract: This paper presents a low- power wireless image sensor node for...present a low- power wireless image sensor node with a noise-robust moving object detection and region-of-interest based rate controller [Fig. 1]. The

Assessing delay and lag in sagittal trunk control using a tracking task.

PubMed

Reeves, N Peter; Luis, Abraham; Chan, Elizabeth C; Sal Y Rosas, Victor G; Tanaka, Martin L

2018-05-17

Slower trunk muscle responses are linked to back pain and injury. Unfortunately, clinical assessments of spine function do not objectively evaluate this important attribute, which reflects speed of trunk control. Speed of trunk control can be parsed into two components: (1) delay, the time it takes to initiate a movement, and (2) lag, the time it takes to execute a movement once initiated. The goal of this study is to demonstrate a new approach to assess delay and lag in trunk control using a simple tracking task. Ten healthy subjects performed four blocks of six trials of trunk tracking in the sagittal plane. Delay and lag were estimated by modeling trunk control for predictable and unpredictable (control mode) trunk movements in flexion and extension (control direction) at movement amplitudes of 2°, 4°, and 6° (control amplitude). The main effect of control mode, direction, and amplitude of movement were compared between trial blocks to assess secondary influencers (e.g., fatigue). Only control mode was consistent across trial blocks with predictable movements being faster than unpredictable for both delay and lag. Control direction and amplitude effects on delay and lag were consistent across the first two trial blocks and less consistent in later blocks. Given the heterogeneity in the presentation of back pain, clinical assessment of trunk control should include different control modes, directions, and amplitudes. To reduce testing time and the influence of fatigue, we recommend six trials to assess trunk control. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Receiver-exciter controller design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jansma, P. A.

1982-01-01

A description of the general design of both the block 3 and block 4 receiver-exciter controllers for the Deep Space Network (DSN) Mark IV-A System is presented along with the design approach. The controllers are designed to enable the receiver-exciter subsystem (RCV) to be configured, calibrated, initialized and operated from a central location via high level instructions. The RECs are designed to be operated under the control of the DMC subsystem. The instructions are in the form of standard subsystem blocks (SSBs) received via the local area network (LAN). The centralized control provided by RECs and other DSCC controllers in Mark IV-A is intended to reduce DSN operations costs from the Mark III era.

Quadratus Lumborum Block Versus Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Postoperative Pain After Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Blanco, Rafael; Ansari, Tarek; Riad, Waleed; Shetty, Nanda

Effective postoperative analgesia after cesarean delivery enhances early recovery, ambulation, and breastfeeding. In a previous study, we established the effectiveness of the quadratus lumborum block in providing pain relief after cesarean delivery compared with patient-controlled analgesia (morphine). In the current study, we hypothesized that this method would be equal to or better than the transversus abdominis plane block with regard to pain relief and its duration of action after cesarean delivery. Between April 2015 and August 2015, we randomized 76 patients scheduled for elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia to receive the quadratus lumborum block or the transversus abdominis plane block for postoperative pain relief. This trial was registered prospectively (NCT 02489851) [corrected]. Patients in the quadratus lumborum block group used significantly less morphine than the transversus abdominis plane block group (P < 0.05) at 12, 24, and 48 hours but not at 4 and 6 hours after cesarean delivery. This group also had significantly fewer morphine demands than the control group (P < 0.05) at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after cesarean delivery. No significant differences in visual analog scale results were shown between the 2 groups at rest or with movement. Calculated total pain relief at rest and with movement were similar (P < 0.001) in both groups. The quadratus lumborum block was more effective in reducing morphine consumption and demands than transversus abdominis plane blocks after cesarean section. This effect was observed up to 48 hours postoperatively.

Block Slides on Extremely Weak Tectonic Clay Seams in Openly Folded Tertiary Mud-Rocks at Auckland and the Rangitikei Valley, North Island, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prebble, Warwick M.; Williams, Ann L.

2016-06-01

Block slides have developed on extremely weak, thin clay seams of tectonic origin, parallel to bedding in gently dipping sandstones and mudstones of Tertiary age. Two areas of noted instability are investigated at Auckland and the Rangitikei valley. Dimensions range from 100 m across × 100 m long for short displacement block slides up to 4 km across × 3 km long for large landslide complexes in which block slides are a major component. Displacements of blocks range from incipient (cm) through short (30 m) to 2 or 3 km for large slides. Many of the Auckland slides are dormant but likely to move in a 2000 year return period earthquake or 100 year high intensity rain storm. At Rangitikei there are many active, younger slides. Sliding rates for active failures vary from a few cm/year to 50 m in 30 min. Host rocks are weak to very weak clayey sandstones and sandy mudstones. The seams are rich in smectite. They have polished and crushed walls, may have slickensides and some contain rounded rock fragments. Laboratory shear strength of the seams is 13 kPa cohesion and 13° friction, with a lower bound of 8° at zero cohesion. Strength is increased at the field scale by waviness, steps and splays. Continuity can be demonstrated over distances of hundreds of metres. Key investigation methods were mapping, shafts and trenches. Tectonic uplift, folding and faulting of the weak Tertiary strata and river down-cutting are perpetuating block slide development.

Improving Block-level Efficiency with scsi-mq

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

Caldwell, Blake A

2015-01-01

Current generation solid-state storage devices are exposing a new bottlenecks in the SCSI and block layers of the Linux kernel, where IO throughput is limited by lock contention, inefficient interrupt handling, and poor memory locality. To address these limitations, the Linux kernel block layer underwent a major rewrite with the blk-mq project to move from a single request queue to a multi-queue model. The Linux SCSI subsystem rework to make use of this new model, known as scsi-mq, has been merged into the Linux kernel and work is underway for dm-multipath support in the upcoming Linux 4.0 kernel. These piecesmore » were necessary to make use of the multi-queue block layer in a Lustre parallel filesystem with high availability requirements. We undertook adding support of the 3.18 kernel to Lustre with scsi-mq and dm-multipath patches to evaluate the potential of these efficiency improvements. In this paper we evaluate the block-level performance of scsi-mq with backing storage hardware representative of a HPC-targerted Lustre filesystem. Our findings show that SCSI write request latency is reduced by as much as 13.6%. Additionally, when profiling the CPU usage of our prototype Lustre filesystem, we found that CPU idle time increased by a factor of 7 with Linux 3.18 and blk-mq as compared to a standard 2.6.32 Linux kernel. Our findings demonstrate increased efficiency of the multi-queue block layer even with disk-based caching storage arrays used in existing parallel filesystems.« less

49 CFR 236.401 - Automatic block signal system and interlocking standards applicable to traffic control systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Traffic Control Systems Standards § 236.401 Automatic... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Automatic block signal system and interlocking standards applicable to traffic control systems. 236.401 Section 236.401 Transportation Other Regulations...

LPV Modeling and Control for Active Flutter Suppression of a Smart Airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Al-Hajjar, Ali M. H.; Al-Jiboory, Ali Khudhair; Swei, Sean Shan-Min; Zhu, Guoming

2018-01-01

In this paper, a novel technique of linear parameter varying (LPV) modeling and control of a smart airfoil for active flutter suppression is proposed, where the smart airfoil has a groove along its chord and contains a moving mass that is used to control the airfoil pitching and plunging motions. The new LPV modeling technique is proposed that uses mass position as a scheduling parameter to describe the physical constraint of the moving mass, in addition the hard constraint at the boundaries is realized by proper selection of the parameter varying function. Therefore, the position of the moving mass and the free stream airspeed are considered the scheduling parameters in the study. A state-feedback based LPV gain-scheduling controller with guaranteed H infinity performance is presented by utilizing the dynamics of the moving mass as scheduling parameter at a given airspeed. The numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed LPV control architecture by significantly improving the performance while reducing the control effort.

Optimized collectives using a DMA on a parallel computer

DOEpatents

Chen, Dong [Croton On Hudson, NY; Gabor, Dozsa [Ardsley, NY; Giampapa, Mark E [Irvington, NY; Heidelberger,; Phillip, [Cortlandt Manor, NY

2011-02-08

Optimizing collective operations using direct memory access controller on a parallel computer, in one aspect, may comprise establishing a byte counter associated with a direct memory access controller for each submessage in a message. The byte counter includes at least a base address of memory and a byte count associated with a submessage. A byte counter associated with a submessage is monitored to determine whether at least a block of data of the submessage has been received. The block of data has a predetermined size, for example, a number of bytes. The block is processed when the block has been fully received, for example, when the byte count indicates all bytes of the block have been received. The monitoring and processing may continue for all blocks in all submessages in the message.

31 CFR 594.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 594.301 Section 594.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY GLOBAL TERRORISM SANCTIONS...

31 CFR 545.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 545.301 Section 545.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY TALIBAN (AFGHANISTAN) SANCTIONS...

31 CFR 551.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 551.301 Section 551.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY SOMALIA SANCTIONS REGULATIONS...

Kinetic control of block copolymer self-assembly into multicompartment and novel geometry nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yingchao; Wang, Xiaojun; Zhang, Ke; Wooley, Karen; Mays, Jimmy; Percec, Virgil; Pochan, Darrin

2012-02-01

Micelles with the segregation of hydrophobic blocks trapped in the same nanoparticle core have been produced through co-self-assembly of two block copolymers in THF/water dilute solution. The dissolution of two block copolymer sharing the same polyacrylic acid PAA blocks in THF undergoes consequent aggregation and phase separation through either slow water titration or quick water addition that triggers the micellar formation. The combination and comparison of the two water addition kinetic pathways are the keys of forming multicompartment structures at high water content. Importantly, the addition of organic diamine provides for acid-base complexation with the PAA side chains which, in turn, plays the key role of trapping unlike hydrophobic blocks from different block copolymers into one nanoparticle core. The kinetic control of solution assembly can be applied to other molecular systems such as dendrimers as well as other block copolymer molecules. Transmission electron microscopy, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, light scattering have been applied to characterize the micelle structures.

Assessment of gliosis around moveable implants in the brain

PubMed Central

Stice, Paula

2010-01-01

Repositioning microelectrodes post-implantation is emerging as a promising approach to achieve long-term reliability in single neuronal recordings. The main goal of this study was to (a) assess glial reaction in response to movement of microelectrodes in the brain post-implantation and (b) determine an optimal window of time post-implantation when movement of microelectrodes within the brain would result in minimal glial reaction. Eleven Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with two microelectrodes each that could be moved in vivo post-implantation. Three cohorts were investigated: (1) microelectrode moved at day 2 (n = 4 animals), (2) microelectrode moved at day 14 (n = 5 animals) and (3) microelectrode moved at day 28 (n = 2 animals). Histological evaluation was performed in cohorts 1–3 at four-week post-movement (30 days, 42 days and 56 days post-implantation, respectively). In addition, five control animals were implanted with microelectrodes that were not moved. Control animals were implanted for (1) 30 days (n = 1), (2) 42 days (n = 2) and (3) 56 days (n = 2) prior to histological evaluation. Quantitative assessment of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) around the tip of the microelectrodes demonstrated that GFAP levels were similar around microelectrodes moved at day 2 when compared to the 30-day controls. However, GFAP expression levels around microelectrode tips that moved at day 14 and day 28 were significantly less than those around control microelectrodes implanted for 42 and 56 days, respectively. Therefore, we conclude that moving microelectrodes after implantation is a viable strategy that does not result in any additional damage to brain tissue. Further, moving the microelectrode downwards after 14 days of implantation may actually reduce the levels of GFAP expression around the tips of the microelectrodes in the long term. PMID:19556680

Flexible Fabrication of Shape-Controlled Collagen Building Blocks for Self-Assembly of 3D Microtissues.

PubMed

Zhang, Xu; Meng, Zhaoxu; Ma, Jingyun; Shi, Yang; Xu, Hui; Lykkemark, Simon; Qin, Jianhua

2015-08-12

Creating artificial tissue-like structures that possess the functionality, specificity, and architecture of native tissues remains a big challenge. A new and straightforward strategy for generating shape-controlled collagen building blocks with a well-defined architecture is presented, which can be used for self-assembly of complex 3D microtissues. Collagen blocks with tunable geometries are controllably produced and released via a membrane-templated microdevice. The formation of functional microtissues by embedding tissue-specific cells into collagen blocks with expression of specific proteins is described. The spontaneous self-assembly of cell-laden collagen blocks into organized tissue constructs with predetermined configurations is demonstrated, which are largely driven by the synergistic effects of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. This new strategy would open up new avenues for the study of tissue/organ morphogenesis, and tissue engineering applications. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Universal block diagram based modeling and simulation schemes for fractional-order control systems.

PubMed

Bai, Lu; Xue, Dingyü

2017-05-08

Universal block diagram based schemes are proposed for modeling and simulating the fractional-order control systems in this paper. A fractional operator block in Simulink is designed to evaluate the fractional-order derivative and integral. Based on the block, the fractional-order control systems with zero initial conditions can be modeled conveniently. For modeling the system with nonzero initial conditions, the auxiliary signal is constructed in the compensation scheme. Since the compensation scheme is very complicated, therefore the integrator chain scheme is further proposed to simplify the modeling procedures. The accuracy and effectiveness of the schemes are assessed in the examples, the computation results testify the block diagram scheme is efficient for all Caputo fractional-order ordinary differential equations (FODEs) of any complexity, including the implicit Caputo FODEs. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats, subclinical diabetic neuropathy increases in vivo lidocaine block duration but not in vitro neurotoxicity

PubMed Central

Lirk, Philipp; Flatz, Magdalena; Haller, Ingrid; Hausott, Barbara; Blumenthal, Stephan; Stevens, Markus F.; Suzuki, Suzuko; Klimaschewski, Lars; Gerner, Peter

2012-01-01

Background and Objectives Application of local anesthetics may lead to nerve damage. Increasing evidence suggests that risk of neurotoxicity is higher in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Additionally, block duration may be prolonged in neuropathy. We sought to investigate neurotoxicity in vitro and block duration in vivo in a genetic animal model of diabetes mellitus type II. Methods In the first experiments, neurons harvested from control Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats were exposed to acute (24 hours) or chronic (72 hours) hyperglycemia, followed by incubation with lidocaine 40 mM (approximately 1%). In a second experiment, neurons harvested from control ZDF rats, or diabetic ZDF rats, were incubated with lidocaine, with or without SB203580, an inhibitor of the p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase. Finally, we performed sciatic nerve block (lidocaine 2%, 0.2 mL) in control or diabetic ZDF rats, and measured motor and nociceptive block duration. Results In vitro, neither acute nor chronic hyperglycemia altered neurotoxic properties of lidocaine. In vitro, incubation of neurons with lidocaine resulted in a slightly decreased survival ratio when neurons were harvested from diabetic (57 ± 19) as compared to control (64 ± 9 %) rats. The addition of SB203580 partly reversed this enhanced neurotoxic effect and raised survival to 71 ± 12 in diabetic and 66 ± 9 % in control rats, respectively. In vivo, even though no difference was detected at baseline testing, motor block was significantly prolonged in diabetic as compared to control rats (137 ± 16 min versus 86 ± 17 min). Conclusions In vitro, local anesthetic neurotoxicity was more pronounced on neurons from diabetic animals, but the survival difference was small. In vivo, subclinical neuropathy leads to substantial prolongation of block duration. We conclude that early diabetic neuropathy increases block duration, while the observed increase in toxicity was small. PMID:23011115

Realism and Effectiveness of Robotic Moving Targets

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-01

scenario or be manually controlled . The targets can communicate with other nearby targets, which means they can move independently, as a group , or...present a realistic three- dimensional human-sized target that can freely move with semi-autonomous control . The U.S. Army Research Institute for...Procedure: Performance and survey data were collected during multiple training exercises from Soldiers who engaged the RHTTs. Different groups

Hemicellulose block copolymers made from woods for wide-range directed self-assembly lithography enabling wider range of applicable patterning size

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morita, Kazuyo; Yamamoto, Kimiko

2017-03-01

Xylan, one of hemicellulose family, block copolymer was newly developed for wide-range directed self-assembly lithography (DSA). Xylan is higher hydrophilic material because of having many hydroxy groups in one molecule. It means that xylan block copolymer has a possibility of high-chi block copolymer. Generally, DSA is focused on microphase separation for smaller size with high-chi block copolymer and not well known for larger size. In this study, xylan block copolymer was confirmed enabling wider range of patterning size, from smaller size to larger size. The key of xylan block copolymer is a new molecular structure of block copolymer and sugar chain control technology. Sugar content is the important parameter for not only micro-phase separation property but also line edge roughness (LER) and defects. Based on the sugar control technology, wide-range (hp 8.3nm to 26nm L/S and CD 10nm to 51nm hole) DSA patterning was demonstrated. Additionally it was confirmed that xylan block copolymer is suitable for sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) process.

Processive motions of MreB micro-filaments coordinate cell wall growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garner, Ethan

2012-02-01

Rod-shaped bacteria elongate by the action of cell-wall synthesis complexes linked to underlying dynamic MreB filaments, but how these proteins function to allow continued elongation as a rod remains unknown. To understand how the movement of these filaments relates to cell wall synthesis, we characterized the dynamics of MreB and the cell wall elongation machinery using high-resolution particle tracking in Bacillus subtilis. We found that both MreB and the elongation machinery move in linear paths across the cell, moving at similar rates (˜20nm / second) and angles to the cell body, suggesting they function as single complexes. These proteins move circumferentially around the cell, principally perpendicular to its length. We find that the motions of these complexes are independent, as they can pause and reverse,and also as nearby complexes move independently in both directions across one surface of the cell. Inhibition of cell wall synthesis with antibiotics or depletions in the cell wall synthesis machinery blocked MreB movement, suggesting that the cell wall synthetic machinery is the motor in this system. We propose that bacteria elongate by the uncoordinated, circumferential movements of synthetic complexes that span the plasma membrane and insert radial hoops of new peptidoglycan during their transit.

Effects of caffeine on locomotor activity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

PubMed

Bădescu, S V; Tătaru, C P; Kobylinska, L; Georgescu, E L; Zahiu, D M; Zăgrean, A M; Zăgrean, L

2016-01-01

Diabetes mellitus modifies the expression of adenosine receptors in the brain. Caffeine acts as an antagonist of A1 and A2A adenosine receptors and was shown to have a dose-dependent biphasic effect on locomotion in mice. The present study investigated the link between diabetes and locomotor activity in an animal model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes, and the effects of a low-medium dose of caffeine in this relation. The locomotor activity was investigated by using Open Field Test at 6 weeks after diabetes induction and after 2 more weeks of chronic caffeine administration. Diabetes decreased locomotor activity (total distance moved and mobility time). Chronic caffeine exposure impaired the locomotor activity in control rats, but not in diabetic rats. Our data suggested that the medium doses of caffeine might block the A2A receptors, shown to have an increased density in the brain of diabetic rats, and improve or at least maintain the locomotor activity, offering a neuroprotective support in diabetic rats. Abbreviations : STZ = streptozotocin, OFT = Open Field Test.

Self locking coupling mechanism for engaging and moving a load

DOEpatents

Wood, R.L.; Casamajor, A.B.; Parsons, R.E.

1980-09-12

A coupling mechanism for engaging and lifting a load has a housing with a guide passage for receiving a knob which is secured to the load through a neck of smaller diameter. A hollow ball in the housing has an opening which receives the knob and the ball is then turned to displace the opening from the housing passage and to cause the neck to enter a slot in the ball thereby securing the load to the coupling mechanism as elements of the housing block travel of the neck back into the opening when the ball is turned to the load holding orientation. As engagement of the load and locking of the coupling mechanism are accomplished simultaneously by the same ball motion, operation is simplified and reliability is greatly increased. The ball is preferably turned by a motor through worm gearing and the coupling mechanism may be controlled from a remote location. Among other uses, the coupling mechanism is adaptable to the handling of spent nuclear reactor fuel elements.

Generation of microfluidic flow using an optically assembled and magnetically driven microrotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köhler, J.; Ghadiri, R.; Ksouri, S. I.; Guo, Q.; Gurevich, E. L.; Ostendorf, A.

2014-12-01

The key components in microfluidic systems are micropumps, valves and mixers. Depending on the chosen technology, the realization of these microsystems often requires rotational and translational control of subcomponents. The manufacturing of such active components as well as the driving principle are still challenging tasks. A promising all-optical approach could be the combination of laser direct writing and actuation based on optical forces. However, when higher actuation velocities are required, optical driving might be too slow. Hence, a novel approach based on optical assembling of microfluidic structures and subsequent magnetic actuation is proposed. By applying the optical assembly of microspherical building blocks as the manufacturing method and magnetic actuation, a microrotor was successfully fabricated and tested within a microfluidic channel. The resulting fluid flow was characterized by introducing an optically levitated measuring probe particle. Finally, a freely moving tracer particle visualizes the generated flow. The tracer particle analysis shows average velocities of 0.4-0.5 µm s-1 achieved with the presented technology.

Experimental Studies of Quasi-Adiabatic Quantum-dot Cellular Automata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlov, Alexei; Amlani, Islamshah; Kummamuru, Ravi; Toth, Geza; Bernstein, Gary; Lent, Craig; Snider, Gregory

2000-03-01

The computational approach known as Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) uses interacting quantum dots to encode and process binary information. The first realization of a functioning QCA cell has already been reported. Recently, quasi-adiabatic switching of QCA in a metal dot system near the instantaneous ground state was proposed [1]. The advantage if this approach is that it allows both logic and addressable memory to be implemented within the QCA framework. We report on the fabrication and measurement of such a device in the Al-AlOx tunnel junction system. This basic building block consists of three metal islands connected in series by tunnel junctions, where an electron can be moved between islands by means of electrostatic perturbation on either control electrodes or adjacent cells. The cell can have three operational modes, i.e. active, locked and null, which provide a solution for ground state computing that is not susceptible to metastable states. [1] G. Toth and C. S. Lent, J. appl. Phys. 85 5, 2977-2984, 1999.

Electrophysiological evidence of altered visual processing in adults who experienced visual deprivation during infancy.

PubMed

Segalowitz, Sidney J; Sternin, Avital; Lewis, Terri L; Dywan, Jane; Maurer, Daphne

2017-04-01

We examined the role of early visual input in visual system development by testing adults who had been born with dense bilateral cataracts that blocked all patterned visual input during infancy until the cataractous lenses were removed surgically and the eyes fitted with compensatory contact lenses. Patients viewed checkerboards and textures to explore early processing regions (V1, V2), Glass patterns to examine global form processing (V4), and moving stimuli to explore global motion processing (V5). Patients' ERPs differed from those of controls in that (1) the V1 component was much smaller for all but the simplest stimuli and (2) extrastriate components did not differentiate amongst texture stimuli, Glass patterns, or motion stimuli. The results indicate that early visual deprivation contributes to permanent abnormalities at early and mid levels of visual processing, consistent with enduring behavioral deficits in the ability to process complex textures, global form, and global motion. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

History of schistosomiasis epidemiology, current status, and challenges in China: on the road to schistosomiasis elimination.

PubMed

Song, Lan-Gui; Wu, Xiao-Ying; Sacko, Moussa; Wu, Zhong-Dao

2016-11-01

Schistosomiasis is a snail-borne disease caused by worms of the genus Schistosoma. Worldwide, human schistosomiasis remains a serious public health problem, threatening ∼800 million people in 78 countries with a loss of 70 million disability-adjusted life years. Schistosoma japonicum is the only human blood fluke that occurs in China. As one of the countries suffering greatly from schistosomiasis, over the past 65 years, China has made great strides in controlling schistosomiasis, blocking the transmission of S. japonicum in five provinces, remarkably reducing transmission intensities in the other seven endemic provinces, and China is currently preparing to move toward the elimination of this disease before 2025. However, while on the road to schistosomiasis elimination, emerging challenges merit attention, including severe advanced cases, increased movements of population and livestock, large-area distribution of intermediate host snails, limitations of new drug developments and no vaccine available, as well as imported schistosomiasis and its potential risk.

Plate tectonics and crustal deformation around the Japanese Islands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hashimoto, Manabu; Jackson, David D.

1993-01-01

We analyze over a century of geodetic data to study crustal deformation and plate motion around the Japanese Islands, using the block-fault model for crustal deformation developed by Matsu'ura et al. (1986). We model the area including the Japanese Islands with 19 crustal blocks and 104 faults based on the distribution of active faults and seismicity. Geodetic data are used to obtain block motions and average slip rates of faults. This geodetic model predicts that the Pacific plate moves N deg 69 +/- 2 deg W at about 80 +/- 3 mm/yr relative to the Eurasian plate which is much lower than that predicted in geologic models. Substantial aseismic slip occurs on the subduction boundaries. The block containing the Izu Peninsula may be separated from the rigid part of the Philippine Sea plate. The faults on the coast of Japan Sea and the western part of the Median Tectonic Line have slip rates exceeding 4 mm/yr, while the Fossa Magna does not play an important role in the tectonics of the central Japan. The geodetic model requires the division of northeastern Japan, contrary to the hypothesis that northeastern Japan is a part of the North American plate. Owing to rapid convergence, the seismic risk in the Nankai trough may be larger than that of the Tokai gap.

31 CFR 594.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 594.301 Section 594.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY GLOBAL TERRORISM SANCTIONS REGULATIONS...

31 CFR 594.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 594.301 Section 594.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY GLOBAL TERRORISM SANCTIONS REGULATIONS...

31 CFR 594.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 594.301 Section 594.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY GLOBAL TERRORISM SANCTIONS REGULATIONS...

49 CFR 236.804 - Signal, block.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Signal, block. 236.804 Section 236.804..., MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Definitions § 236.804 Signal, block. A roadway signal operated either automatically or manually at the entrance to a block. ...

31 CFR 546.302 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 546.302 Section 546.302 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY DARFUR SANCTIONS REGULATIONS General...

31 CFR 593.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 593.301 Section 593.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FORMER LIBERIAN REGIME OF CHARLES...

31 CFR 510.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 510.301 Section 510.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY NORTH KOREA SANCTIONS REGULATIONS General...

49 CFR 236.804 - Signal, block.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Signal, block. 236.804 Section 236.804..., MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Definitions § 236.804 Signal, block. A roadway signal operated either automatically or manually at the entrance to a block. ...

49 CFR 236.804 - Signal, block.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Signal, block. 236.804 Section 236.804..., MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Definitions § 236.804 Signal, block. A roadway signal operated either automatically or manually at the entrance to a block. ...

49 CFR 236.804 - Signal, block.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Signal, block. 236.804 Section 236.804..., MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Definitions § 236.804 Signal, block. A roadway signal operated either automatically or manually at the entrance to a block. ...

31 CFR 547.302 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 547.302 Section 547.302 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO...

The efficacy of conventional radiofrequency denervation in patients with chronic low back pain originating from the facet joints: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Lee, Chang-Hyun; Chung, Chun Kee; Kim, Chi Heon

2017-11-01

Radiofrequency denervation is commonly used for the treatment of chronic facet joint pain that has been refractory to more conservative treatments, although the evidence supporting this treatment has been controversial. We aimed to elucidate the precise effects of radiofrequency denervation in patients with low back pain originating from the facet joints relative to those obtained using control treatments, with particular attention to consistency in the denervation protocol. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was carried out. Adult patients undergoing radiofrequency denervation or control treatments (sham or epidural block) for facet joint disease of the lumbar spine comprised the patient sample. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores were measured and stratified by response of diagnostic block procedures. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database for randomized controlled trials regarding radiofrequency denervation and control treatments for back pain. Changes in VAS pain scores of the radiofrequency group were compared with those of the control group as well as the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for back pain VAS. Meta-regression model was developed to evaluate the effect of radiofrequency treatment according to responses of diagnostic block while controlling for other variables. We then calculated mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using random-effects models. We included data from seven trials involving 454 patients who had undergone radiofrequency denervation (231 patients) and control treatments such as sham or epidural block procedures (223 patients). The radiofrequency group exhibited significantly greater improvements in back pain score when compared with the control group for 1-year follow-up. Although the average improvement in VAS scores exceeded the MCID, the lower limit of the 95% CI encompassed the MCID. A subgroup of patients who responded very well to diagnostic block procedures demonstrated significant improvements in back pain relative to the control group at all times. When placed into our meta-regression model, the response to diagnostic block procedure was responsible for a statistically significant portion of treatment effect. Studies published over the last two decades revealed that radiofrequency denervation reduced back pain significantly in patients with facet joint disease compared with the MCID and control treatments. Conventional radiofrequency denervation resulted in significant reductions in low back pain originating from the facet joints in patients showing the best response to diagnostic block over the first 12 months when compared with sham procedures or epidural nerve blocks. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A study of the extended-range forecasting problem blocking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, T. C.; Marshall, H. G.; Shukla, J.

1981-01-01

Wavenumber frequency spectral analysis of a 90 day winter (Jan. 15 - April 14) wind field simulated by a climate experiment of the GLAS atmospheric circulation model is made using the space time Fourier analysis which is modified with Tukey's numerical spectral analysis. Computations are also made to examine how the model wave disturbances in the wavenumber frequency domain are maintained by nonlinear interactions. Results are compared with observation. It is found that equatorial easterlies do not show up in this climate experiment at 200 mb. The zonal kinetic energy and momentum transport of stationary waves are too small in the model's Northern Hemisphere. The wavenumber and frequency spectra of the model are generally in good agreement with observation. However, some distinct features of the model's spectra are revealed. The wavenumber spectra of kinetic energy show that the eastward moving waves of low wavenumbers have stronger zonal motion while the eastward moving waves of intermediate wavenumbers have larger meridional motion compared with observation. Furthermore, the eastward moving waves show a band of large spectral value in the medium frequency regime.

Peroxisomes, lipid droplets, and endoplasmic reticulum “hitchhike” on motile early endosomes

PubMed Central

Guimaraes, Sofia C.; Schuster, Martin; Bielska, Ewa; Dagdas, Gulay; Kilaru, Sreedhar; Meadows, Ben R.A.; Schrader, Michael

2015-01-01

Intracellular transport is mediated by molecular motors that bind cargo to be transported along the cytoskeleton. Here, we report, for the first time, that peroxisomes (POs), lipid droplets (LDs), and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) rely on early endosomes (EEs) for intracellular movement in a fungal model system. We show that POs undergo kinesin-3– and dynein-dependent transport along microtubules. Surprisingly, kinesin-3 does not colocalize with POs. Instead, the motor moves EEs that drag the POs through the cell. PO motility is abolished when EE motility is blocked in various mutants. Most LD and ER motility also depends on EE motility, whereas mitochondria move independently of EEs. Covisualization studies show that EE-mediated ER motility is not required for PO or LD movement, suggesting that the organelles interact with EEs independently. In the absence of EE motility, POs and LDs cluster at the growing tip, whereas ER is partially retracted to subapical regions. Collectively, our results show that moving EEs interact transiently with other organelles, thereby mediating their directed transport and distribution in the cell. PMID:26620910

Study of moving object detecting and tracking algorithm for video surveillance system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tao; Zhang, Rongfu

2010-10-01

This paper describes a specific process of moving target detecting and tracking in the video surveillance.Obtain high-quality background is the key to achieving differential target detecting in the video surveillance.The paper is based on a block segmentation method to build clear background,and using the method of background difference to detecing moving target,after a series of treatment we can be extracted the more comprehensive object from original image,then using the smallest bounding rectangle to locate the object.In the video surveillance system, the delay of camera and other reasons lead to tracking lag,the model of Kalman filter based on template matching was proposed,using deduced and estimated capacity of Kalman,the center of smallest bounding rectangle for predictive value,predicted the position in the next moment may appare,followed by template matching in the region as the center of this position,by calculate the cross-correlation similarity of current image and reference image,can determine the best matching center.As narrowed the scope of searching,thereby reduced the searching time,so there be achieve fast-tracking.

Postoperative Analgesic Efficacy of Bilateral Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Patients Undergoing Midline Colorectal Surgeries Using Ropivacaine: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.

PubMed

Qazi, Nahida; Bhat, Wasim Mohammad; Iqbal, Malik Zaffar; Wani, Anisur Rehman; Gurcoo, Showkat A; Rasool, Sahir

2017-01-01

Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is done as a part of multimodal analgesia for pain relief after abdominal surgeries. This prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the postoperative analgesic efficacy of bilateral TAP block in patients undergoing midline colorectal surgeries using ropivacaine. Eighty patients scheduled for elective colorectal surgeries involving midline abdominal wall incision under general anesthesia were enrolled in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Group A received TAP block with 20 ml of 0.2% ropivacaine on either side of the abdominal wall, and Group B received 20 ml of normal saline. The time to request for rescue analgesia, total analgesic consumption in 24 h, and satisfaction with the anesthetic technique were assessed. The mean visual analog scale scores at rest and on coughing were higher in control group ( P > 0.05). Time (min) to request for the first rescue analgesia was prolonged in study group compared to control group ( P < 0.001). The total tramadol consumption in 24 h postoperatively was significantly high in control group ( P < 0.001). Nausea/vomiting was more common in control group ( P > 0.05). The level of satisfaction concerning postoperative pain control/anesthetic technique was higher in study group ( P < 0.001). TAP block produces effective and prolonged postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing midline colorectal surgery. It is a technically simple block to perform with a high margin of safety. It produces a considerable reduction in mean intravenous postoperative tramadol requirements, reduction in postoperative pain scores, and increased time to first request for further analgesia, both at rest and on movement.

Postoperative Analgesic Efficacy of Bilateral Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Patients Undergoing Midline Colorectal Surgeries Using Ropivacaine: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Qazi, Nahida; Bhat, Wasim Mohammad; Iqbal, Malik Zaffar; Wani, Anisur Rehman; Gurcoo, Showkat A.; Rasool, Sahir

2017-01-01

Background: Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is done as a part of multimodal analgesia for pain relief after abdominal surgeries. This prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the postoperative analgesic efficacy of bilateral TAP block in patients undergoing midline colorectal surgeries using ropivacaine. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients scheduled for elective colorectal surgeries involving midline abdominal wall incision under general anesthesia were enrolled in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Group A received TAP block with 20 ml of 0.2% ropivacaine on either side of the abdominal wall, and Group B received 20 ml of normal saline. The time to request for rescue analgesia, total analgesic consumption in 24 h, and satisfaction with the anesthetic technique were assessed. Results: The mean visual analog scale scores at rest and on coughing were higher in control group (P > 0.05). Time (min) to request for the first rescue analgesia was prolonged in study group compared to control group (P < 0.001). The total tramadol consumption in 24 h postoperatively was significantly high in control group (P < 0.001). Nausea/vomiting was more common in control group (P > 0.05). The level of satisfaction concerning postoperative pain control/anesthetic technique was higher in study group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: TAP block produces effective and prolonged postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing midline colorectal surgery. It is a technically simple block to perform with a high margin of safety. It produces a considerable reduction in mean intravenous postoperative tramadol requirements, reduction in postoperative pain scores, and increased time to first request for further analgesia, both at rest and on movement. PMID:28928585

Interior of control house showing remains of controller. Moving the ...

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

Interior of control house showing remains of controller. Moving the handle rotated the vertical shaft and porcelain cams to engage various electrical switches and activate the lift mechanism. All electrical components have been removed. - Potomac Edison Company, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Bridge, Spanning C & O Canal South of U.S. 11, Williamsport, Washington County, MD

75 FR 26889 - Airworthiness Directives; Arrow Falcon Exporters, Inc. (previously Utah State University) et al...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-13

... the forward tip weight retention block (tip block) or aft tip closure (tip closure), loss of the blade...) forward tip weight retention block (tip block) and the aft tip closure (tip closure) for adhesive bond... prevent loss of a tip block or tip closure, loss of a blade, and subsequent loss of control of the...

Dynamics of the near response under natural viewing conditions with an open-view sensor

PubMed Central

Chirre, Emmanuel; Prieto, Pedro; Artal, Pablo

2015-01-01

We have studied the temporal dynamics of the near response (accommodation, convergence and pupil constriction) in healthy subjects when accommodation was performed under natural binocular and monocular viewing conditions. A binocular open-view multi-sensor based on an invisible infrared Hartmann-Shack sensor was used for non-invasive measurements of both eyes simultaneously in real time at 25Hz. Response times for each process under different conditions were measured. The accommodative responses for binocular vision were faster than for monocular conditions. When one eye was blocked, accommodation and convergence were triggered simultaneously and synchronized, despite the fact that no retinal disparity was available. We found that upon the onset of the near target, the unblocked eye rapidly changes its line of sight to fix it on the stimulus while the blocked eye moves in the same direction, producing the equivalent to a saccade, but then converges to the (blocked) target in synchrony with accommodation. This open-view instrument could be further used for additional experiments with other tasks and conditions. PMID:26504666

Single and multiple object tracking using log-euclidean Riemannian subspace and block-division appearance model.

PubMed

Hu, Weiming; Li, Xi; Luo, Wenhan; Zhang, Xiaoqin; Maybank, Stephen; Zhang, Zhongfei

2012-12-01

Object appearance modeling is crucial for tracking objects, especially in videos captured by nonstationary cameras and for reasoning about occlusions between multiple moving objects. Based on the log-euclidean Riemannian metric on symmetric positive definite matrices, we propose an incremental log-euclidean Riemannian subspace learning algorithm in which covariance matrices of image features are mapped into a vector space with the log-euclidean Riemannian metric. Based on the subspace learning algorithm, we develop a log-euclidean block-division appearance model which captures both the global and local spatial layout information about object appearances. Single object tracking and multi-object tracking with occlusion reasoning are then achieved by particle filtering-based Bayesian state inference. During tracking, incremental updating of the log-euclidean block-division appearance model captures changes in object appearance. For multi-object tracking, the appearance models of the objects can be updated even in the presence of occlusions. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed tracking algorithm obtains more accurate results than six state-of-the-art tracking algorithms.

Analysis of Fault Spacing in Thrust-Belt Wedges Using Numerical Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regensburger, P. V.; Ito, G.

2017-12-01

Numerical modeling is invaluable in studying the mechanical processes governing the evolution of geologic features such as thrust-belt wedges. The mechanisms controlling thrust fault spacing in wedges is not well understood. Our numerical model treats the thrust belt as a visco-elastic-plastic continuum and uses a finite-difference, marker-in-cell method to solve for conservation of mass and momentum. From these conservation laws, stress is calculated and Byerlee's law is used to determine the shear stress required for a fault to form. Each model consists of a layer of crust, initially 3-km-thick, carried on top of a basal décollement, which moves at a constant speed towards a rigid backstop. A series of models were run with varied material properties, focusing on the angle of basal friction at the décollement, the angle of friction within the crust, and the cohesion of the crust. We investigate how these properties affected the spacing between thrusts that have the most time-integrated history of slip and therefore have the greatest effect on the large-scale undulations in surface topography. The surface position of these faults, which extend through most of the crustal layer, are identifiable as local maxima in positive curvature of surface topography. Tracking the temporal evolution of faults, we find that thrust blocks are widest when they first form at the front of the wedge and then they tend to contract over time as more crustal material is carried to the wedge. Within each model, thrust blocks form with similar initial widths, but individual thrust blocks develop differently and may approach an asymptotic width over time. The median of thrust block widths across the whole wedge tends to decrease with time. Median fault spacing shows a positive correlation with both wedge cohesion and internal friction. In contrast, median fault spacing exhibits a negative correlation at small angles of basal friction (<17˚) and a positive correlation with larger angles of basal friction. From these correlations, we will derive scaling laws that can be used to predict fault spacing in thrust-belt wedges.

Detection of combustion start in the controlled auto ignition engine by wavelet transform of the engine block vibration signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seonguk; Min, Kyoungdoug

2008-08-01

The CAI (controlled auto ignition) engine ignites fuel and air mixture by trapping high temperature burnt gas using a negative valve overlap. Due to auto ignition in CAI combustion, efficiency improvements and low level NOx emission can be obtained. Meanwhile, the CAI combustion regime is restricted and control parameters are limited. The start of combustion data in the compressed ignition engine are most critical for controlling the overall combustion. In this research, the engine block vibration signal is transformed by the Meyer wavelet to analyze CAI combustion more easily and accurately. Signal acquisition of the engine block vibration is a more suitable method for practical use than measurement of in-cylinder pressure. A new method for detecting combustion start in CAI engines through wavelet transformation of the engine block vibration signal was developed and results indicate that it is accurate enough to analyze the start of combustion. Experimental results show that wavelet transformation of engine block vibration can track the start of combustion in each cycle. From this newly developed method, the start of combustion data in CAI engines can be detected more easily and used as input data for controlling CAI combustion.

Possibilities of fish passage through the block ramp: Model-based estimation of permeability.

PubMed

Plesiński, Karol; Bylak, Aneta; Radecki-Pawlik, Artur; Mikołajczyk, Tomasz; Kukuła, Krzysztof

2018-08-01

Block ramps offer an opportunity to combine hydrotechnical structures with fish passages. The primary study objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a block ramp for upstream fish movement in a mountain stream. Geodetic measurements of the bottom surface and water level were taken for three cross-sections. The description of the geometric and hydrodynamic parameters of the block ramp was supplemented with information on the width and length of crevices between boulders. Measurements of the geometric and hydrodynamic parameters of the block ramp were performed at 76 measurement sites, at three different types of discharge. Ichthyological data were collected in the analyzed stream. Measurements covered among others total length, width, and height of caught fish. Salmonid, cottid, balitorid, and cyprinid fish were studied. The determination of the main effects of the geometric and hydrodynamic parameters of the block ramp on the possibilities of use by target fish species employed generalized linear models (GLMs). The study shows that the block ramp cannot provide longitudinal connectivity and migration of fish occurring in the mountain stream. According to estimates, the block ramp did not meet the permeability expectations. The reason for low usefulness of the ramp for fish is particularly excessively strong water current. The stream concentration constituted an unsurmountable velocity barrier for fish moving upstream for each of the analyzed discharges. The developed model suggests that some crevices in the side zones of the ramp could be parts of the migration corridor, but only for small and medium-sized fish. At medium and high water stages, movement of fish in crevices was difficult due to fast water current, and at low and very low discharges, some crevices lost their permeability, and could become ecological traps for fish. The necessity of estimation of ramp permeability during pre-construction phase was emphasized. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ELECTROMAGNETIC APPARATUS FOR MOVING A ROD

DOEpatents

Young, J.N.

1957-08-20

An electromagnetic device for moving an object in a linear path by increments is described. The device is specifically adapted for moving a neutron absorbing control rod into and out of the core of a reactor and consists essentially of an extension member made of magnetic material connected to one end of the control rod and mechanically flexible to grip the walls of a sleeve member when flexed, a magnetic sleeve member coaxial with and slidable between limit stops along the flexible extension, electromagnetic coils substantially centrally located with respect to the flexible extension to flex the extension member into gripping engagement with the sleeve member when ener gized, moving electromagnets at each end of the sleeve to attract the sleeve when energized, and a second gripping electromagnet positioned along the flexible extension at a distance from the previously mentioned electromagnets for gripping the extension member when energized. In use, the second gripping electromagnet is deenergized, the first gripping electromagnet is energized to fix the extension member in the sleeve, and one of the moving electromagnets is energized to attract the sleeve member toward it, thereby moving the control rod.

Compliant hydrodynamic fluid journal bearing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, E. L. (Inventor)

1985-01-01

An air bearing structure is described that prevents destructive bending moments within the top foil. Welds are eliminated by mounting the top bearing foil in the bearing cartridge sleeve without using a space block. Tabs or pins at the end of the top bearing foil are restrained by slots or stops formed in the cartridge sleeve. These structural members are free to move in a direction normal to the shaft while being restrained from movement in the direction of shaft rotation.

Color variations within glacial till, east-central North Dakota--A preliminary investigation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelly, T.E.; Baker, Claud H.

1966-01-01

Color variations (orange zones within buff-colored till) in drift in east-central North Dakota are believed to represent two tills of separate origin. Mean size, standard deviation, and number and type of pebbles show greater difference between the two tills than do skewness, kurtosis, and partial chemical analyses. Probably blocks of older till were moved by the last glacier crossing the area and were redeposited in a matrix of younger till.

Moving for Employment: Are Hispanics Less Geographically Mobile than Anglos and Blacks

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

and odmntify by block numfber) F0EL GRO9 SU-GOU Hispanic, mobility,’ equal employment opportunity I TIACT (Contir on ril t iif necessary and identify b...development work unit R 1770-MP012, Equal Employment Opportunity Enhancement. Its purpose was to determine whether cultural differences exist in...Codes -- -vanaxi/or Dist Special v SUMMARY Problem ’n- Each Navy activity establishes equal employment opportunity (EEO) goals propor- tional to the

Improving the Safety of Moving Lane Closures

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-06-01

Moving lane closures are an increasingly utilized and inherently hazardous traffic control procedure for highway : maintenance and operations activities. To improve the safety of moving lane closures for workers and motorists, : this research studied...

49 CFR 236.504 - Operation interconnected with automatic block-signal system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Operation interconnected with automatic block... Operation interconnected with automatic block-signal system. (a) A continuous inductive automatic train stop or train control system shall operate in connection with an automatic block signal system and shall...

49 CFR 236.708 - Block.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Block. 236.708 Section 236.708 Transportation... OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Definitions § 236.708 Block. A length of track of defined limits, the use of which by trains is governed by block signals, cab signals, or both. ...

31 CFR 593.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 593.301 Section 593.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FORMER LIBERIAN REGIME OF CHARLES TAYLOR...

31 CFR 593.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 593.301 Section 593.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FORMER LIBERIAN REGIME OF CHARLES TAYLOR...

31 CFR 593.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 593.301 Section 593.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FORMER LIBERIAN REGIME OF CHARLES TAYLOR...

31 CFR 593.301 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 593.301 Section 593.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FORMER LIBERIAN REGIME OF CHARLES TAYLOR...

31 CFR 547.302 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 547.302 Section 547.302 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO SANCTIONS...

31 CFR 547.302 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 547.302 Section 547.302 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO SANCTIONS...

31 CFR 547.302 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 547.302 Section 547.302 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO SANCTIONS...

31 CFR 547.302 - Blocked account; blocked property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Blocked account; blocked property. 547.302 Section 547.302 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO SANCTIONS...

49 CFR 236.504 - Operation interconnected with automatic block-signal system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... GOVERNING THE INSTALLATION, INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Automatic Train Stop, Train Control and Cab Signal Systems Standards § 236.504... or train control system shall operate in connection with an automatic block signal system and shall...

Liposomal bupivacaine versus interscalene nerve block for pain control after shoulder arthroplasty: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Yan, Zeng; Chen, Zong; Ma, Chuangen

2017-07-01

Postoperative pain control after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) can be challenging. Liposomal bupivacaine and interscalene nerve block are 2 common pain control protocol for TSA patients. However, whether liposomal bupivacaine was superior than interscalene nerve block was unknown. This meta-analysis aimed to illustrate the efficacy liposomal bupivacaine versus interscalene nerve block for pain control in patients undergoing TSA. In May 2017, a systematic computer-based search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google database. Data on patients prepared for TSA in studies that compared liposomal bupivacaine versus interscalene nerve block were retrieved. The endpoints were the visual analogue scale (VAS) at 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, and 2 weeks, total morphine consumption at 24 hours, and the length of hospital stay. Software of Stata 12.0 was used for pooling the final outcomes. Five clinical studies with 573 patients (liposomal bupivacaine group = 239, interscalene nerve block group = 334) were ultimately included in the meta-analysis. There was no significant difference between the VAS at 4 hours, 8 hours, and 2 weeks between liposomal bupivacaine group and interscalene nerve block group (P > .05). Compared with interscalene nerve block group, liposomal bupivacaine was associated with a reduction of VAS score at 12 hours, 24 hours by appropriately 3.31 points and 6.42 points respectively on a 100-point VAS. Furthermore, liposomal bupivacaine was associated with a significantly reduction of the length of hospital stay by appropriately by 0.16 days compared with interscalene nerve block group. Current meta-analysis indicates that compared with interscalene nerve block, liposomal bupivacaine had comparative effectiveness on reducing both pain scores and the length of hospital stay. However, studies with more patients and better-designed methods are needed to establish the optimal regimen and the safety of liposomal bupivacaine in TSA patients.

Liposomal bupivacaine versus interscalene nerve block for pain control after shoulder arthroplasty

PubMed Central

Yan, Zeng; Chen, Zong; Ma, Chuangen

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: Postoperative pain control after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) can be challenging. Liposomal bupivacaine and interscalene nerve block are 2 common pain control protocol for TSA patients. However, whether liposomal bupivacaine was superior than interscalene nerve block was unknown. This meta-analysis aimed to illustrate the efficacy liposomal bupivacaine versus interscalene nerve block for pain control in patients undergoing TSA. Methods: In May 2017, a systematic computer-based search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google database. Data on patients prepared for TSA in studies that compared liposomal bupivacaine versus interscalene nerve block were retrieved. The endpoints were the visual analogue scale (VAS) at 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, and 2 weeks, total morphine consumption at 24 hours, and the length of hospital stay. Software of Stata 12.0 was used for pooling the final outcomes. Results: Five clinical studies with 573 patients (liposomal bupivacaine group = 239, interscalene nerve block group = 334) were ultimately included in the meta-analysis. There was no significant difference between the VAS at 4 hours, 8 hours, and 2 weeks between liposomal bupivacaine group and interscalene nerve block group (P > .05). Compared with interscalene nerve block group, liposomal bupivacaine was associated with a reduction of VAS score at 12 hours, 24 hours by appropriately 3.31 points and 6.42 points respectively on a 100-point VAS. Furthermore, liposomal bupivacaine was associated with a significantly reduction of the length of hospital stay by appropriately by 0.16 days compared with interscalene nerve block group. Conclusion: Current meta-analysis indicates that compared with interscalene nerve block, liposomal bupivacaine had comparative effectiveness on reducing both pain scores and the length of hospital stay. However, studies with more patients and better-designed methods are needed to establish the optimal regimen and the safety of liposomal bupivacaine in TSA patients. PMID:28682872

Meta-Analytic Evidence for a Reversal Learning Effect on the Iowa Gambling Task in Older Adults.

PubMed

Pasion, Rita; Gonçalves, Ana R; Fernandes, Carina; Ferreira-Santos, Fernando; Barbosa, Fernando; Marques-Teixeira, João

2017-01-01

Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is one of the most widely used tools to assess economic decision-making. However, the research tradition on aging and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has been mainly focused on the overall performance of older adults in relation to younger or clinical groups, remaining unclear whether older adults are capable of learning along the task. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine older adults' decision-making on the IGT, to test the effects of aging on reversal learning (45 studies) and to provide normative data on total and block net scores (55 studies). From the accumulated empirical evidence, we found an average total net score of 7.55 (±25.9). We also observed a significant reversal learning effect along the blocks of the IGT, indicating that older adults inhibit the prepotent response toward immediately attractive options associated with high losses, in favor of initially less attractive options associated with long-run profit. During block 1, decisions of older adults led to a negative gambling net score, reflecting the expected initial pattern of risk-taking. However, the shift toward more safe options occurred between block 2 (small-to-medium effect size) and blocks 3, 4, 5 (medium-to-large effect size). These main findings highlight that older adults are able to move from the initial uncertainty, when the possible outcomes are unknown, to decisions based on risk, when the outcomes are learned and may be used to guide future adaptive decision-making.

Comparison of ultrasound-guided posterior transversus abdominis plane block and lateral transversus abdominis plane block for postoperative pain management in patients undergoing cesarean section: a randomized double-blind clinical trial study.

PubMed

Faiz, Seyed Hamid Reza; Alebouyeh, Mahmoud Reza; Derakhshan, Pooya; Imani, Farnad; Rahimzadeh, Poupak; Ghaderi Ashtiani, Maryam

2018-01-01

Due to the importance of pain control after abdominal surgery, several methods such as transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block are used to reduce the pain after surgery. TAP blocks can be performed using various ultrasound-guided approaches. Two important approaches to do this are ultrasound-guided lateral and posterior approaches. This study aimed to compare the two approaches of ultrasound-guided lateral and posterior TAP blocks to control pain after cesarean section. In this double-blind clinical trial study, 76 patients scheduled for elective cesarean section were selected and randomly divided into two groups of 38 and underwent spinal anesthesia. For pain management after the surgery, one group underwent lateral TAP block and the other group underwent posterior TAP block using 20cc of ropivacaine 0.2% on both sides. Pain intensity was evaluated based on Numerical Analog Scale (NAS) at rest and when coughing, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24 and 36 hours after surgery. The pain at rest in the posterior group at all hours post surgery was lower than the lateral group, especially at 6, 12 and 24 hours after the surgery and the difference was statistically significant ( p =0.03, p <0.004, p =0.001). The results of this study show that ultrasound-guided posterior TAP block compared with the lateral TAP block was more effective in pain control after cesarean section.

Coupled, circumferential motions of the cell wall synthesis machinery and MreB filaments in B. subtilis.

PubMed

Garner, Ethan C; Bernard, Remi; Wang, Wenqin; Zhuang, Xiaowei; Rudner, David Z; Mitchison, Tim

2011-07-08

Rod-shaped bacteria elongate by the action of cell wall synthesis complexes linked to underlying dynamic MreB filaments. To understand how the movements of these filaments relate to cell wall synthesis, we characterized the dynamics of MreB and the cell wall elongation machinery using high-precision particle tracking in Bacillus subtilis. We found that MreB and the elongation machinery moved circumferentially around the cell, perpendicular to its length, with nearby synthesis complexes and MreB filaments moving independently in both directions. Inhibition of cell wall synthesis by various methods blocked the movement of MreB. Thus, bacteria elongate by the uncoordinated, circumferential movements of synthetic complexes that insert radial hoops of new peptidoglycan during their transit, possibly driving the motion of the underlying MreB filaments.

Chromosome movement in lysed mitotic cells is inhibited by vanadate

PubMed Central

1978-01-01

Mitotic PtK1 cells, lysed at anaphase into a carbowax 20 M Brij 58 solution, continue to move chromosomes toward the spindle poles and to move the spindle poles apart at 50% in vivo rates for 10 min. Chromosome movements can be blocked by adding metabolic inhibitors to the lysis medium and inhibition of movement can be reversed by adding ATP to the medium. Vanadate at micromolar levels reversibly inhibits dynein ATPase activity and movement of demembranated flagella and cilia. It does not affect glycerinated myofibril contraction or myosin ATPase activty at less than millimolar concentrations. Vanadate at 10-- 100 micron reversibly inhibits anaphase movement of chromosomes and spindle elongation. After lysis in vanadate, spindles lose their fusiform appearance and become more barrel shaped. In vitro microtubule polymerization is insensitive to vanadate. PMID:152767

Moving Object Detection Using Scanning Camera on a High-Precision Intelligent Holder.

PubMed

Chen, Shuoyang; Xu, Tingfa; Li, Daqun; Zhang, Jizhou; Jiang, Shenwang

2016-10-21

During the process of moving object detection in an intelligent visual surveillance system, a scenario with complex background is sure to appear. The traditional methods, such as "frame difference" and "optical flow", may not able to deal with the problem very well. In such scenarios, we use a modified algorithm to do the background modeling work. In this paper, we use edge detection to get an edge difference image just to enhance the ability of resistance illumination variation. Then we use a "multi-block temporal-analyzing LBP (Local Binary Pattern)" algorithm to do the segmentation. In the end, a connected component is used to locate the object. We also produce a hardware platform, the core of which consists of the DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) platforms and the high-precision intelligent holder.

Escape tectonics and the extrusion of Alaska: Past, present, and future

USGS Publications Warehouse

Redfield, T.F.; Scholl, D. W.; Fitzgerald, P.G.; Beck, M.E.

2007-01-01

The North Pacific Rim is a tectonically active plate boundary zone parts of which may be characterized as a laterally moving orogenic stream. Crustal blocks are transported along large-magnitude strike-slip faults in western Canada and central Alaska toward the Aleutian-Bering Sea subduction zones. Throughout much of the Cenozoic, at and west of its Alaskan nexus, the North Pacific Rim orogenic Stream (NPRS) has undergone tectonic escape. During transport, relatively rigid blocks acquired paleomagnetic rotations and fault-juxtaposed boundaries while flowing differentially through the system, from their original point of accretion and entrainment toward the free face defined by the Aleutian-Bering Sea subduction zones. Built upon classical terrane tectonics, the NPRS model provides a new framework with which to view the mobilistic nature of the western North American plate boundary zone. ?? 2007 The Geological Society of America.

Microvascular complications associated with injection of cosmetic facelift dermal fillers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yousefi, Siavash; Prendes, Mark; Chang, Shu-Hong; Wang, Ruikang K.

2015-02-01

Minimally-invasive cosmetic surgeries such as injection of subdermal fillers have become very popular in the past decade. Although rare, some complications may follow injections such as tissue necrosis and even blindness. There exist two hypothesis regarding source of these complications both of which include microvasculature. The first hypothesis is that fillers in between the tissue structures and compress microvasculature that causes blockage of tissue neutrition and oxygen exchange in the tissue. In another theory, it is hypothesized that fillers move inside major arteries and block the arteries/veins. In this paper, we study these hypotheses using optical coherence tomography and optical microangiography technologies with different hyaluronic-acid fillers in a mouse ear model. Based on our observations, the fillers eventually block arteries/veins if injected directly into them that eventually causes tissue necrosis.

Anatomy of a Silicon Compiler

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-10-04

Recognition 321 Anton StOWz*e 21.1. ALGORITHM AND ARCHITECTURE ............... 322 21.2. SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE .................... 325 213. CHIP ARCHiTECTURES...age controlled switch. The second is a linear model where each transistor is mod- eled by a voltage controlled switch in series with a resistor, and...the blocks being co- linear . Routing channels separate blocks which are adjacent. Channels are also placed along the top edge of each block in order to

Effects of antibacterial primers with quaternary ammonium and nano-silver on S. mutans impregnated in human dentin blocks

PubMed Central

Cheng, Lei; Zhang, Ke; Weir, Michael D.; Liu, Huaibing; Zhou, Xuedong; Xu, Hockin H. K.

2013-01-01

Objectives Recent studies developed antibacterial bonding agents and composites containing a quaternary ammonium dimethacrylate (QADM) and nanoparticles of silver (NAg). The objectives of this study were to investigate: (1) the effect of antibacterial primers containing QADM and NAg on the inhibition of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) impregnated into dentin blocks for the first time, and (2) the effect of QADM or NAg alone or in combination, and the effect of NAg mass fraction, on S. mutans viability in dentin. Methods Scotchbond Multi-Purpose (SBMP) bonding agent was used. QADM and NAg were incorporated into SBMP primer. Six primers were tested: SBMP primer control, control + 10% QADM (mass %), control + 0.05% NAg, control + 10% QADM + 0.05% NAg, control + 0.1% NAg, and control + 10% QADM + 0.1% NAg. S. mutans were impregnated into dentin blocks, then a primer was applied. The viable colony-forming units (CFU) were then measured by harvesting the bacteria in dentin using a sonication method. Results Control + 10% QADM + 0.1% NAg had bacteria inhibition zone 8-fold that of control (p < 0.05). The sonication method successfully harvested bacteria from dentin blocks. Control + 10% QADM + 0.1% NAg inhibited S. mutans in dentin blocks, reducing the viable CFU in dentin by three orders of magnitude, compared to control dentin without primer. Using QADM+NAg was more effective than QADM alone. Higher NAg content increased the potency. Dentin shear bond strength was similar for all groups (p > 0.1). Significance Antibacterial primer with QADM and NAg were shown to inhibit the S. mutans impregnated into dentin blocks for the first time. Bonding agent containing QADM and NAg is promising to eradicate bacteria in tooth cavity and inhibit caries. The QADM and NAg may have applicability to other adhesives, cements, sealants and composites. PMID:23422420

Shear flow of dense granular materials near smooth walls. I. Shear localization and constitutive laws in the boundary region.

PubMed

Shojaaee, Zahra; Roux, Jean-Noël; Chevoir, François; Wolf, Dietrich E

2012-07-01

We report on a numerical study of the shear flow of a simple two-dimensional model of a granular material under controlled normal stress between two parallel smooth frictional walls moving with opposite velocities ± V. Discrete simulations, which are carried out with the contact dynamics method in dense assemblies of disks, reveal that, unlike rough walls made of strands of particles, smooth ones can lead to shear strain localization in the boundary layer. Specifically, we observe, for decreasing V, first a fluidlike regime (A), in which the whole granular layer is sheared, with a homogeneous strain rate except near the walls, then (B) a symmetric velocity profile with a solid block in the middle and strain localized near the walls, and finally (C) a state with broken symmetry in which the shear rate is confined to one boundary layer, while the bulk of the material moves together with the opposite wall. Both transitions are independent of system size and occur for specific values of V. Transient times are discussed. We show that the first transition, between regimes A and B, can be deduced from constitutive laws identified for the bulk material and the boundary layer, while the second one could be associated with an instability in the behavior of the boundary layer. The boundary zone constitutive law, however, is observed to depend on the state of the bulk material nearby.

Development of fraction comparison strategies: A latent transition analysis.

PubMed

Rinne, Luke F; Ye, Ai; Jordan, Nancy C

2017-04-01

The present study investigated the development of fraction comparison strategies through a longitudinal analysis of children's responses to a fraction comparison task in 4th through 6th grades (N = 394). Participants were asked to choose the larger value for 24 fraction pairs blocked by fraction type. Latent class analysis of performance over item blocks showed that most children initially exhibited a "whole number bias," indicating that larger numbers in numerators and denominators produce larger fraction values. However, some children instead chose fractions with smaller numerators and denominators, demonstrating a partial understanding that smaller numbers can yield larger fractions. Latent transition analysis showed that most children eventually adopted normative comparison strategies. Children who exhibited a partial understanding by choosing fractions with smaller numbers were more likely to adopt normative comparison strategies earlier than those with larger number biases. Controlling for general math achievement and other cognitive abilities, whole number line estimation accuracy predicted the probability of transitioning to normative comparison strategies. Exploratory factor analyses showed that over time, children appeared to increasingly represent fractions as discrete magnitudes when simpler strategies were unavailable. These results support the integrated theory of numerical development, which posits that an understanding of numbers as magnitudes unifies the process of learning whole numbers and fractions. The findings contrast with conceptual change theories, which propose that children must move from a view of numbers as counting units to a new view that accommodates fractions to overcome whole number bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Characterisation of the Rac/PAK pathway in Amoeba proteus.

PubMed

Kłopocka, W; Moraczewska, J; Redowicz, M J

2005-04-01

Molecular mechanisms underlying the unique locomotion of the highly motile Amoeba proteus still remain poorly understood. Recently, we have shown that blocking the endogenous amoebal Rac-like protein(s) leads to distinct and irreversible changes in the appearance of these large migrating cells as well as to a significant inhibition of their locomotion. To elucidate the mechanism of the Rac pathway in Amoeba proteus, we tested the effects of blocking the endogenous myosin I heavy chain kinase (MIHCK), one of the Rac effectors in Acanthamoeba castellanii and Dictyostelium discoideum, with anti-MIHCK antibodies in migrating amoebae, as well as the effect of inhibiting Rac and MIHCK on the actin polymerisation process. Antibodies against A. castellanii MIHCK detected an A. proteus protein with a molecular mass (ca. 95 kDa) similar to the A. castellanii kinase. The cellular distribution of MIHCK in A. proteus was very similar to those of Rac-like protein in amoebae and MIHCK in A. castellanii. Amoebae microinjected with anti-MIHCK antibodies moved slower and protruded fewer wide pseudopodia (5-6) than the control cells (9-10), resembling to some extent the phenotype of cells microinjected with anti-Rac antibodies. The in vitro studies indicate that the A. proteus Rac-like protein, but not the MIHCK isoform, is engaged in the regulation of the nucleation step of the actin polymerisation process. These observations suggest that MIHCK may be one of the effectors for Rac in these extremely large cells.

Colostomy with Transversus Abdominis Plane Block

PubMed Central

Tekelioğlu, Ümit Yaşar; Demirhan, Abdullah; Şit, Mustafa; Kurt, Adem Deniz; Bilgi, Murat; Koçoğlu, Hasan

2015-01-01

Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is one of the abdominal field block. The TAP block is used for both anaesthetic management and post-operative pain therapy in lower abdominal surgery. TAP block is a procedure in which local anaesthetic agents are applied to the anatomic neurofacial space between the internal oblique and the transversus abdominis muscle. TAP block is a good method for post-operative pain control as well as allows for short operations involving the abdominal area. In this article, a case of colostomy under TAP block is presented. PMID:27366540

76 FR 77183 - Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-12

...: Attempts to shut down the propulsion system without first moving the gear selection control to the ``park... selection control to ``park'' (for vehicles with a ``park'' position), or exits a vehicle without first... without first moving the gear selection control to the ``park'' position (for vehicles with a ``park...

31 CFR 537.209 - Expenses of maintaining blocked property; liquidation of blocked account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Expenses of maintaining blocked property; liquidation of blocked account. 537.209 Section 537.209 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY...

31 CFR 537.209 - Expenses of maintaining blocked property; liquidation of blocked account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Expenses of maintaining blocked property; liquidation of blocked account. 537.209 Section 537.209 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY...

49 CFR 236.827 - System, block signal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false System, block signal. 236.827 Section 236.827..., MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Definitions § 236.827 System, block signal. A method of governing the movement of trains into or within one or more blocks by...

49 CFR 236.827 - System, block signal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false System, block signal. 236.827 Section 236.827..., MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Definitions § 236.827 System, block signal. A method of governing the movement of trains into or within one or more blocks by...

Continuous PECS II block for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

PubMed

Shakuo, Tomoharu; Kakumoto, Shinichi; Kuribayashi, Junya; Oe, Katsunori; Seo, Katsuhiro

2017-01-01

It has been reported that PECS II block can alleviate postoperative pain following transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TA-TAVI). However, the effectiveness of continuous PECS II block with catheterization has not yet been reported on the postoperative pain in patients undergoing TA-TAVI. We experienced two cases of TA-TAVI who received PECS II block with catheterization to manage postoperative pain. In the first case, a bolus injection for intraoperative pain and subsequent catheterization were performed before the implantation. However, the patient developed severe pain postoperatively in spite of the continuous block due to displacement of the catheter. In the second case, a bolus injection and the catheterization for the continuous block were performed before and after the implantation, respectively, which provided high-quality pain control. Continuous PECS II block may be useful to control perioperative pain associated with TA-TAVI. The insertion of the catheter after the implantation could be useful to avoid its displacement during the surgery.

Schema generation in recurrent neural nets for intercepting a moving target.

PubMed

Fleischer, Andreas G

2010-06-01

The grasping of a moving object requires the development of a motor strategy to anticipate the trajectory of the target and to compute an optimal course of interception. During the performance of perception-action cycles, a preprogrammed prototypical movement trajectory, a motor schema, may highly reduce the control load. Subjects were asked to hit a target that was moving along a circular path by means of a cursor. Randomized initial target positions and velocities were detected in the periphery of the eyes, resulting in a saccade toward the target. Even when the target disappeared, the eyes followed the target's anticipated course. The Gestalt of the trajectories was dependent on target velocity. The prediction capability of the motor schema was investigated by varying the visibility range of cursor and target. Motor schemata were determined to be of limited precision, and therefore visual feedback was continuously required to intercept the moving target. To intercept a target, the motor schema caused the hand to aim ahead and to adapt to the target trajectory. The control of cursor velocity determined the point of interception. From a modeling point of view, a neural network was developed that allowed the implementation of a motor schema interacting with feedback control in an iterative manner. The neural net of the Wilson type consists of an excitation-diffusion layer allowing the generation of a moving bubble. This activation bubble runs down an eye-centered motor schema and causes a planar arm model to move toward the target. A bubble provides local integration and straightening of the trajectory during repetitive moves. The schema adapts to task demands by learning and serves as forward controller. On the basis of these model considerations the principal problem of embedding motor schemata in generalized control strategies is discussed.

49 CFR 236.502 - Automatic brake application, initiation by restrictive block conditions stopping distance in...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Automatic Train Stop, Train Control and Cab Signal Systems Standards § 236.502 Automatic brake application, initiation by restrictive block conditions stopping distance in advance. An automatic train-stop or train-control system shall operate to...

The addition of a regional block team to the orthopedic operating rooms does not improve anesthesia-controlled times and turnover time in the setting of long turnover times.

PubMed

Eappen, Sunil; Flanagan, Hugh; Lithman, Rachel; Bhattacharyya, Neil

2007-03-01

To determine whether a regional block team with a dedicated space for performance of regional anesthetics would decrease turnover time and shorten the working day in a busy orthopedic practice with lengthy turnover times. Prospective, randomized study. Tertiary-care teaching hospital. 927 orthopedic procedures over a three-month period. The randomized placement of a regional block team to the orthopedic operating room (OR) suite. We evaluated the differences in anesthesia-controlled times, first-case start times, turnover times, and OR end times using a computerized OR information system. We also surveyed the surgeons regarding their perceptions of changes in turnover time and anesthesia-controlled times during the study period. Standard descriptive statistics were computed. Of a total of 927 cases, 398 cases were cared for by a regional block team and 529 cases received care in the usual manner, with the OR team providing the regional block. There was no difference between the study and control groups for on-time, first-case starts (57.73% vs 42.27%), induction time (13.2 vs 14.2 min), emergence time (8.1 vs 9.0 min), turnover time (70.3 vs 77.8 min), and OR end times. Most of the surgeons surveyed felt that the regional block team reduced turnover time significantly. A regional block team in this environment does not reduce anesthesia-controlled times and turnover times in an orthopedic OR suite with long turnover times, and it would be virtually impossible to recover the associated extra cost. The surgeons' perspective of turnover time is inaccurate.

Intravenous dexamethasone and perineural dexamethasone similarly prolong the duration of analgesia after supraclavicular brachial plexus block: a randomized, triple-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

PubMed

Abdallah, Faraj W; Johnson, James; Chan, Vincent; Murgatroyd, Harry; Ghafari, Mohammad; Ami, Noam; Jin, Rongyu; Brull, Richard

2015-01-01

Perineural dexamethasone prolongs the duration of single-injection peripheral nerve block when added to the local anesthetic solution. Postulated systemic mechanisms of action along with theoretical safety concerns have prompted the investigation of intravenous dexamethasone as an alternative, with decidedly mixed results. We aimed to confirm that addition of intravenous dexamethasone will prolong the duration of analgesia after single-injection supraclavicular block compared with conventional long-acting local anesthetic alone or in combination with perineural dexamethasone for ambulatory upper extremity surgery. Seventy-five patients were randomized to receive supraclavicular block using 30-mL bupivacaine 0.5% alone (Control), with concomitant intravenous dexamethasone 8 mg (DexIV), or with perineural dexamethasone 8 mg (DexP). Duration of analgesia was designated as the primary outcome. To test our hypothesis, the superiority of DexIV was first compared with Control and then with DexP. Motor block duration, pain scores, opioid consumption, opioid-related side effects, patient satisfaction, and block-related complications were also analyzed. Twenty-five patients per group were analyzed. The duration of analgesia (mean [95% confidence interval]) was prolonged in the DexIV group(25 hours [17.6–32.4]) compared with Control (13.2 hours [11.5–15.0]; P < 0.001) but similar to the DexP group (25 hours[19.5–30.5]; P = 1). [corrected] Both DexIV and DexP had reduced pain scores, reduced postoperative opioid consumption, and improved satisfaction compared with Control. In a single-injection supraclavicular block with long-acting local anesthetic, the effectiveness of intravenous dexamethasone in prolonging the duration of analgesia seems similar to perineural dexamethasone.

Projection correlation based view interpolation for cone beam CT: primary fluence restoration in scatter measurement with a moving beam stop array.

PubMed

Yan, Hao; Mou, Xuanqin; Tang, Shaojie; Xu, Qiong; Zankl, Maria

2010-11-07

Scatter correction is an open problem in x-ray cone beam (CB) CT. The measurement of scatter intensity with a moving beam stop array (BSA) is a promising technique that offers a low patient dose and accurate scatter measurement. However, when restoring the blocked primary fluence behind the BSA, spatial interpolation cannot well restore the high-frequency part, causing streaks in the reconstructed image. To address this problem, we deduce a projection correlation (PC) to utilize the redundancy (over-determined information) in neighbouring CB views. PC indicates that the main high-frequency information is contained in neighbouring angular projections, instead of the current projection itself, which provides a guiding principle that applies to high-frequency information restoration. On this basis, we present the projection correlation based view interpolation (PC-VI) algorithm; that it outperforms the use of only spatial interpolation is validated. The PC-VI based moving BSA method is developed. In this method, PC-VI is employed instead of spatial interpolation, and new moving modes are designed, which greatly improve the performance of the moving BSA method in terms of reliability and practicability. Evaluation is made on a high-resolution voxel-based human phantom realistically including the entire procedure of scatter measurement with a moving BSA, which is simulated by analytical ray-tracing plus Monte Carlo simulation with EGSnrc. With the proposed method, we get visually artefact-free images approaching the ideal correction. Compared with the spatial interpolation based method, the relative mean square error is reduced by a factor of 6.05-15.94 for different slices. PC-VI does well in CB redundancy mining; therefore, it has further potential in CBCT studies.

TU-CD-304-04: Scanning Field Total Body Irradiation Using Dynamic Arc with Variable Dose Rate and Gantry Speed

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

Yi, B; Xu, H; Mutaf, Y

2015-06-15

Purpose: Enable a scanning field total body irradiation (TBI) technique, using dynamic arcs, which is biologically equivalent to a moving couch TBI. Methods: Patient is treated slightly above the floor and the treatment field scans across the patient by a moving gantry. MLC positions change during gantry motion to keep same field opening at the level of the treatment plane (170 cm). This is done to mimic the same geometry as the moving couch TBI technique which has been used in our institution for over 10 years. The dose rate and the gantry speed are determined considering a constant speedmore » of the moving field, variations in SSD and slanted depths resulting from oblique gantry angles. An Eclipse (Varian) planning system is commissioned to accommodate the extended SSD. The dosimetric foundations of the technique have been thoroughly investigated using phantom measurements. Results: Dose uniformity better than 2% across 180 cm length at 10cm depth is achieved by moving the gantry from −55 to +55 deg. Treatment range can be extended by increasing gantry range. No device such as a gravity-oriented compensator is needed to achieve a uniform dose. It is feasible to modify the dose distribution by adjusting the dose rate at each gantry angle to compensate for body thickness differences. Total treatment time for 2 Gy AP/PA fields is 40–50 minutes excluding patient set up time, at the machine dose rate of 100 MU/min. Conclusion: This novel yet transportable moving field technique enables TBI treatment in a small treatment room with less program development preparation than other techniques. Treatment length can be extended per need, and. MLC-based thickness compensation and partial lung blocking are also possible.« less

Control Program for an Optical-Calibration Robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Albert

2005-01-01

A computer program provides semiautomatic control of a moveable robot used to perform optical calibration of video-camera-based optoelectronic sensor systems that will be used to guide automated rendezvous maneuvers of spacecraft. The function of the robot is to move a target and hold it at specified positions. With the help of limit switches, the software first centers or finds the target. Then the target is moved to a starting position. Thereafter, with the help of an intuitive graphical user interface, an operator types in coordinates of specified positions, and the software responds by commanding the robot to move the target to the positions. The software has capabilities for correcting errors and for recording data from the guidance-sensor system being calibrated. The software can also command that the target be moved in a predetermined sequence of motions between specified positions and can be run in an advanced control mode in which, among other things, the target can be moved beyond the limits set by the limit switches.

Aspects of the evolution of the West Antarctic margin of Gondwanaland

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

Grunow, A.M.

1989-01-01

A combination of paleomagnetism, structural field mapping, microprobe analysis, microfabric analysis and {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar geochronology was used to elucidate the history of the West Antarctic crustal block and the evolution of subduction complexes along the Scotia Ridge. West Antarctica is composed of four crustal blocks whose relationship to East Antarctica and to each other throughout the Phanerozoic is not well known. These blocks are: the Ellsworth-Whitmore Mountains (EWM); the Antarctic Peninsula (AP); Thurston Island (TI); Marie Byrd Land (MBL). Paleomagnetic sampling and analysis were conducted on rocks from the EWM and TI blocks in the hope of constraining themore » motion of these blocks and the opening history of the Weddell Sea. The paleomagnetic results suggest that the AP, EWM, and TI blocks have moved relative to East Antarctica prior to the mid-Cretaceous and that the main opening of the Weddell Sea was between the Early and mid-Cretaceous. Detailed field mapping was conducted on the subduction complexes of the Scotia Metamorphic Complex (SMC) on Smith Island and Elephant Island (Antarctica). Polyphase ductile deformation characterizes the Smith Island and Elephant Island tectonites. Microprobe analyses indicate that the blue amphiboles from both areas are primary crossite. Pressure-temperature estimates for Smith Island blueschist metamorphism are {approximately}350 C at 6-7 kbars. The {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar geochronology indicates a complex thermal evolution for the SMC. The north to south increase in intensity of deformation and metamorphism on Elephant Island corresponds to decrease in {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar age. Uplift of the Smith Island blueschists occurred since 47 Ma while most of the uplift on Elephant Island occurred since {approximately}102 Ma.« less

Decision-making deficits in patients with chronic schizophrenia: Iowa Gambling Task and Prospect Valence Learning model.

PubMed

Kim, Myung-Sun; Kang, Bit-Na; Lim, Jae Young

2016-01-01

Decision-making is the process of forming preferences for possible options, selecting and executing actions, and evaluating the outcome. This study used the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Prospect Valence Learning (PVL) model to investigate deficits in risk-reward related decision-making in patients with chronic schizophrenia, and to identify decision-making processes that contribute to poor IGT performance in these patients. Thirty-nine patients with schizophrenia and 31 healthy controls participated. Decision-making was measured by total net score, block net scores, and the total number of cards selected from each deck of the IGT. PVL parameters were estimated with the Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling scheme in OpenBugs and BRugs, its interface to R, and the estimated parameters were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U-test. The schizophrenia group received significantly lower total net scores compared to the control group. In terms of block net scores, an interaction effect of group × block was observed. The block net scores of the schizophrenia group did not differ across the five blocks, whereas those of the control group increased as the blocks progressed. The schizophrenia group obtained significantly lower block net scores in the fourth and fifth blocks of the IGT and selected cards from deck D (advantageous) less frequently than the control group. Additionally, the schizophrenia group had significantly lower values on the utility-shape, loss-aversion, recency, and consistency parameters of the PVL model. These results indicate that patients with schizophrenia experience deficits in decision-making, possibly due to failure in learning the expected value of each deck, and incorporating outcome experiences of previous trials into expectancies about options in the present trial.

Femoral nerve block in a representative sample of elderly people with hip fracture: A randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Unneby, Anna; Svensson, Olle; Gustafson, Yngve; Olofsson, Birgitta

2017-07-01

The number of elderly people with hip fracture and dementia is increasing, and many of these patients suffer from pain. Opioids are difficult to adjust and side effects are common, especially with increased age and among patients with dementia. Preoperative femoral nerve block is an alternative pain treatment. To investigate whether preoperative femoral nerve block reduced acute pain and opioid use after hip fracture among elderly patients, including those with dementia. In this randomised controlled trial involving patients aged ≥70years with hip fracture (trochanteric and cervical), including those with dementia, we compared femoral nerve block with conventional pain management, with opioid use if required. The primary outcome was preoperative pain, measured at five timepoints using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Preoperative opioid consumption was also registered. The study sample comprised 266 patients admitted consecutively to the Orthopaedic Ward. The mean age was 84.1 (±6.9)years, 64% of participants were women, 44% lived in residential care facilities, and 120 (45.1%) had dementia diagnoses. Patients receiving femoral nerve block had significantly lower self-rated pain scores from baseline to 12h after admission than did controls. Self-rated and proxy VAS pain scores decreased significantly in these patients from baseline to 12h compared with controls (p<0.001 and p=0.003, respectively). Patients receiving femoral nerve block required less opioids than did controls, overall (2.3±4.0 vs. 5.7±5.2mg, p<0.001) and in the subgroup with dementia (2.1±3.3 vs. 5.8±5.0mg, p<0.001). Patients with hip fracture, including those with dementia, who received femoral nerve block had lower pain scores and required less opioids before surgery compared with those receiving conventional pain management. Femoral nerve block seems to be a feasible pain treatment for elderly people, including those with dementia. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Comparative study between cold air analgesia and supraorbital and supratrochlear nerve block for the management of pain during photodynamic therapy for actinic keratoses of the frontotemporal zone.

PubMed

Serra-Guillen, C; Hueso, L; Nagore, E; Vila, M; Llombart, B; Requena Caballero, C; Botella-Estrada, R; Sanmartin, O; Alfaro-Rubio, A; Guillen, C

2009-08-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective treatment for actinic keratoses, Bowen's disease and basal cell carcinoma. The main drawback of PDT is pain during application. To compare the efficacy of supratrochlear and supraorbital nerve block with cold air analgesia to control the pain experienced during PDT. A controlled open clinical trial was conducted in 34 patients having multiple actinic keratoses in the frontal region treated with PDT. On one side of the frontal region the supratrochlear and supraorbital nerves were blocked, while on the other side cold air was used as the method of analgesia. Pain was recorded on a visual analogue scale after treatment. Thirty-one of 34 patients reported less pain in the zone treated with nerve block. This difference was statistically significant. Nerve block is superior to cold air and is an easy, safe, effective means of controlling the pain associated with PDT.

A discrete element modelling approach for block impacts on trees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toe, David; Bourrier, Franck; Olmedo, Ignatio; Berger, Frederic

2015-04-01

These past few year rockfall models explicitly accounting for block shape, especially those using the Discrete Element Method (DEM), have shown a good ability to predict rockfall trajectories. Integrating forest effects into those models still remain challenging. This study aims at using a DEM approach to model impacts of blocks on trees and identify the key parameters controlling the block kinematics after the impact on a tree. A DEM impact model of a block on a tree was developed and validated using laboratory experiments. Then, key parameters were assessed using a global sensitivity analyse. Modelling the impact of a block on a tree using DEM allows taking into account large displacements, material non-linearities and contacts between the block and the tree. Tree stems are represented by flexible cylinders model as plastic beams sustaining normal, shearing, bending, and twisting loading. Root soil interactions are modelled using a rotation stiffness acting on the bending moment at the bottom of the tree and a limit bending moment to account for tree overturning. The crown is taken into account using an additional mass distribute uniformly on the upper part of the tree. The block is represented by a sphere. The contact model between the block and the stem consists of an elastic frictional model. The DEM model was validated using laboratory impact tests carried out on 41 fresh beech (Fagus Sylvatica) stems. Each stem was 1,3 m long with a diameter between 3 to 7 cm. Wood stems were clamped on a rigid structure and impacted by a 149 kg charpy pendulum. Finally an intensive simulation campaign of blocks impacting trees was done to identify the input parameters controlling the block kinematics after the impact on a tree. 20 input parameters were considered in the DEM simulation model : 12 parameters were related to the tree and 8 parameters to the block. The results highlight that the impact velocity, the stem diameter, and the block volume are the three input parameters that control the block kinematics after impact.

Systems Analysis Directorate Activities Summary, May 1976

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

approach is to assume an attack by force is made on a fixed facility with the intent to remove certain materials or perform sabotage of some portion of...IBPS/»-«/, and DATA ACTL/*--/ in main program at statement numbers TAT00500-550, and move them into a BLOCK DATA subroutine as shown below: 0001...NPQ-••). The variables JJ and IIA are common variables and should not be transferred in a subroutine call statement. (7) Statement numbers 0N2211

Ideas from Future Technologies Workshop Held by ARL/TARDEC in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland on 9-11 June, 1993

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-08-01

goalie moving his stick to block a puck. The first estimates of the predicted impact point may be available around 1 s before impact, and positioning...Innovation thrives in a "technology push" environment, not in a "demand pull " siruation. • Micromanagement is lethal to innovation. • Very few...strongest of "demand pull " conditions imaginable-a management method that reduces innovation. This could be counterbalanced with a strong "Tech Base

MRM1 during Relocation

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-05-18

ISS023-E-047488 (18 May 2010) --- In the grasp of the station?s robotic Canadarm2, the Russian-built Mini-Research Module 1 (MRM-1) is moved to be permanently attached to the Earth-facing port of the Zarya Functional Cargo Block (FGB) of the International Space Station. Named Rassvet, Russian for "dawn," the module is the second in a series of new pressurized components for Russia. Rassvet will be used for cargo storage and will provide an additional docking port to the station.

MRM1 during Relocation

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-05-18

ISS023-E-047462 (18 May 2010) --- In the grasp of the station?s robotic Canadarm2, the Russian-built Mini-Research Module 1 (MRM-1) is moved to be permanently attached to the Earth-facing port of the Zarya Functional Cargo Block (FGB) of the International Space Station. Named Rassvet, Russian for "dawn," the module is the second in a series of new pressurized components for Russia. Rassvet will be used for cargo storage and will provide an additional docking port to the station.

Physics of Systematic Frequency Variations in Hydrogen Masers

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-12-01

X expansivity a of the material of which the cavity is constructed (a-10-8 OC-1 for low-expansion materials like Cervit or Zerodur , L T ~ a...of the bulk cavity material itself. Such shrinkage has been observed in gauge-blocks of Zerodud and ULE9 and in Zerodur and ULE laser etalons8, and...repositioned or retuned after being moved. Material Zerodur 1 initial after 10 yrs Zerodur2 initial3 after 900 days U L E ~ initial after 20 days High

The Postural Responses to a Moving Environment of Adults Who Are Blind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoffregen, Thomas A.; Ito, Kiyohide; Hove, Philip; Yank, Jane Redfield; Bardy, Benoit G.

2010-01-01

Adults who are blind stood in a room that could be moved around them. A sound source moved with the room, simulating the acoustic consequences of body sway. Body sway was greater when the room moved than when it was stationary, suggesting that sound may have been used to control stance. (Contains 1 figure.)

Short- and Long-Term Learning of Feedforward Control of a Myoelectric Prosthesis with Sensory Feedback by Amputees.

PubMed

Strbac, Matija; Isakovic, Milica; Belic, Minja; Popovic, Igor; Simanic, Igor; Farina, Dario; Keller, Thierry; Dosen, Strahinja

2017-11-01

Human motor control relies on a combination of feedback and feedforward strategies. The aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate artificial somatosensory feedback and feedforward control in the context of grasping with myoelectric prosthesis. Nine amputee subjects performed routine grasping trials, with the aim to produce four levels of force during four blocks of 60 trials across five days. The electrotactile force feedback was provided in the second and third block using multipad electrode and spatial coding. The first baseline and last validation block (open-loop control) evaluated the effects of long- (across sessions) and short-term (within session) learning, respectively. The outcome measures were the absolute error between the generated and target force, and the number of force saturations. The results demonstrated that the electrotactile feedback improved the performance both within and across sessions. In the validation block, the performance did not significantly decrease and the quality of open-loop control (baseline) improved across days, converging to the performance characterizing closed-loop control. This paper provides important insights into the feedback and feedforward processes in prosthesis control, contributing to the better understanding of the role and design of feedback in prosthetic systems.

Influence of additional heat exchanger block on directional solidification system for growing multi-crystalline silicon ingot - A simulation investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagarajan, S. G.; Srinivasan, M.; Aravinth, K.; Ramasamy, P.

2018-04-01

Transient simulation has been carried out for analyzing the heat transfer properties of Directional Solidification (DS) furnace. The simulation results revealed that the additional heat exchanger block under the bottom insulation on the DS furnace has enhanced the control of solidification of the silicon melt. Controlled Heat extraction rate during the solidification of silicon melt is requisite for growing good quality ingots which has been achieved by the additional heat exchanger block. As an additional heat exchanger block, the water circulating plate has been placed under the bottom insulation. The heat flux analysis of DS system and the temperature distribution studies of grown ingot confirm that the established additional heat exchanger block on the DS system gives additional benefit to the mc-Si ingot.

Implicit Block ACK Scheme for IEEE 802.11 WLANs

PubMed Central

Sthapit, Pranesh; Pyun, Jae-Young

2016-01-01

The throughput of IEEE 802.11 standard is significantly bounded by the associated Medium Access Control (MAC) overhead. Because of the overhead, an upper limit exists for throughput, which is bounded, including situations where data rates are extremely high. Therefore, an overhead reduction is necessary to achieve higher throughput. The IEEE 802.11e amendment introduced the block ACK mechanism, to reduce the number of control messages in MAC. Although the block ACK scheme greatly reduces overhead, further improvements are possible. In this letter, we propose an implicit block ACK method that further reduces the overhead associated with IEEE 802.11e’s block ACK scheme. The mathematical analysis results are presented for both the original protocol and the proposed scheme. A performance improvement of greater than 10% was achieved with the proposed implementation.

Brushed block copolymer micelles with pH-sensitive pendant groups for controlled drug delivery.

PubMed

Lee, Hyun Jin; Bae, Younsoo

2013-08-01

To investigate the effects of small aliphatic pendent groups conjugated through an acid-sensitive linker to the core of brushed block copolymer micelles on particle properties. The brushed block copolymers were synthesized by conjugating five types of 2-alkanone (2-butanone, 2-hexanone, 2-octanone, 2-decanone, and 2-dodecanone) through an acid-labile hydrazone linker to poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(aspartate hydrazide) block copolymers. Only block copolymers with 2-hexanone and 2-octanone (PEG-HEX and PEG-OCT) formed micelles with a clinically relevant size (< 50 nm in diameter), low critical micelle concentration (CMC, < 20 μM), and drug entrapment yields (approximately 5 wt.%). Both micelles degraded in aqueous solutions in a pH-dependent manner, while the degradation was accelerated in an acidic condition (pH 5.0) in comparison to pH 7.4. Despite these similar properties, PEG-OCT micelles controlled the entrapment and pH-dependent release of a hydrophobic drug most efficiently, without altering particle size, shape, and stability. The molecular weight of PEG (12 kDa vs 5 kDa) induced no change in pH-controlled drug release rates of PEG-OCT micelles. Acid-labile small aliphatic pendant groups are useful to control the entrapment and release of a hydrophobic drug physically entrapped in the core of brushed block copolymer micelles.

Local wound infiltration plus transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block versus local wound infiltration in laparoscopic colorectal surgery and ERAS program.

PubMed

Pedrazzani, Corrado; Menestrina, Nicola; Moro, Margherita; Brazzo, Gianluca; Mantovani, Guido; Polati, Enrico; Guglielmi, Alfredo

2016-11-01

Few data are available on TAP block in laparoscopic colorectal surgery and ERAS program. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate local wound infiltration plus TAP block compared to local wound infiltration in the management of postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting, ileus and use of opioids in the context of laparoscopic colorectal surgery and ERAS program. From March 2014 to March 2015, 48 patients were treated by laparoscopic resection and ERAS program for colorectal cancer and diverticular disease at the Division of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, University of Verona Hospital Trust. Among these, 24 patients received local wound infiltration plus TAP block (TAP block group) and 24 patients received local wound infiltration (control group). No differences were observed in baseline patient characteristics, clinical variables and surgical procedures between the two groups. Local wound infiltration plus TAP block allowed to achieve pain control despite a reduced use of opioid analgesics (P = 0.009). The adoption of TAP block resulted beneficial on the prevention of postoperative nausea (P = 0.002) and improvement of essential outcomes of ERAS program as recovery of bowel function (P = 0.005), urinary catheter removal (P = 0.003) and capability to tolerate oral diet (P = 0.027). TAP block plus local wound infiltration in the setting of laparoscopic colorectal surgery and ERAS program guarantees a reduced use of opioid analgesics and good pain control allowing the improvement of essential items of enhanced recovery pathways.

Flight control systems properties and problems. Volume 2: Block diagram compendium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, D. E.

1975-01-01

A compendium of stability augmentation system and autopilot block diagrams is presented. Descriptive materials for 48 different types of aircraft systems are provided. A broad representation of the many mechanical approaches which have been used for aircraft control is developed.

Large Block Test Final Report

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

Lin, W

2001-12-01

This report documents the Large-Block Test (LBT) conducted at Fran Ridge near Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The LBT was a thermal test conducted on an exposed block of middle non-lithophysal Topopah Spring tuff (Tptpmn) and was designed to assist in understanding the thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes associated with heating and then cooling a partially saturated fractured rock mass. The LBT was unique in that it was a large (3 x 3 x 4.5 m) block with top and sides exposed. Because the block was exposed at the surface, boundary conditions on five of the six sides of the block were relatively wellmore » known and controlled, making this test both easier to model and easier to monitor. This report presents a detailed description of the test as well as analyses of the data and conclusions drawn from the test. The rock block that was tested during the LBT was exposed by excavation and removal of the surrounding rock. The block was characterized and instrumented, and the sides were sealed and insulated to inhibit moisture and heat loss. Temperature on the top of the block was also controlled. The block was heated for 13 months, during which time temperature, moisture distribution, and deformation were monitored. After the test was completed and the block cooled down, a series of boreholes were drilled, and one of the heater holes was over-cored to collect samples for post-test characterization of mineralogy and mechanical properties. Section 2 provides background on the test. Section 3 lists the test objectives and describes the block site, the site configuration, and measurements made during the test. Section 3 also presents a chronology of events associated with the LBT, characterization of the block, and the pre-heat analyses of the test. Section 4 describes the fracture network contained in the block. Section 5 describes the heating/cooling system used to control the temperature in the block and presents the thermal history of the block during the test. Sections 5 through 9 report the measurements made on the block during the preheating, heating, and cooling phases. These measurements include temperature, thermal conductivity and diffusivity, hydrological measurements (electrical resistivity, neutron logging, gas pressure, and relative humidity), geomechanics, selected chemical analyses, and microbial activity. These sections also include analyses and simulations of the block behavior. Finally, conclusions are presented in Section 10. Complete data sets were submitted during the time the test was conducted. The data tracking numbers (DTNs) of all of the data are presented in Table 1-1.« less

Effect of Transversus Abdominis Plane Block on Postoperative Pain after Colorectal Surgery: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

PubMed

Liu, Lin; Xie, Yan-Hu; Zhang, Wei; Chai, Xiao-Qing

2018-01-01

To assess the analgesic efficacy of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in patients undergoing colorectal surgery (CRS). The databases of PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Embase were searched, and randomized controlled studies (RCTs) that compared TAP block to control for relief of postoperative pain in patients who underwent CRS were included. Outcomes, including postoperative pain at rest and with movement, morphine use, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and the length of hospital stay, were analyzed using STATA software. The weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) or relative risk with 95% CI were used to present the strength of associations. A total of 7 RCTs with 511 patients were included. The results of this study suggested that TAP block significantly relieved postoperative pain during postanesthetic recovery after CRS at rest and during movement (WMDs were -0.98 [95% CI -1.57 to -0.38] and -0.68 [-1.07 to -0.30], respectively), and also decreased pain intensity during movement 24 h after CRS (WMD: -0.57 [95% CI -1.06 to -0.08]). TAP block significantly reduced opioid consumption within 24 h when compared to controls, with a WMD of 15.66 (95% CI -23.93 to -7.39). However, TAP block did not shorten the length of hospital stay. TAP block was an effective approach for relief of postoperative pain and reduced postoperative consumption of morphine. More RCTs with large sample sizes are required to confirm these findings. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

A two-class self-paced BCI to control a robot in four directions.

PubMed

Ron-Angevin, Ricardo; Velasco-Alvarez, Francisco; Sancha-Ros, Salvador; da Silva-Sauer, Leandro

2011-01-01

In this work, an electroencephalographic analysis-based, self-paced (asynchronous) brain-computer interface (BCI) is proposed to control a mobile robot using four different navigation commands: turn right, turn left, move forward and move back. In order to reduce the probability of misclassification, the BCI is to be controlled with only two mental tasks (relaxed state versus imagination of right hand movements), using an audio-cued interface. Four healthy subjects participated in the experiment. After two sessions controlling a simulated robot in a virtual environment (which allowed the user to become familiar with the interface), three subjects successfully moved the robot in a real environment. The obtained results show that the proposed interface enables control over the robot, even for subjects with low BCI performance. © 2011 IEEE

Millisecond ordering of block-copolymer films via photo-thermal gradients

DOE PAGES

Majewski, Pawel W.; Yager, Kevin G.

2015-03-12

For the promise of self-assembly to be realized, processing techniques must be developed that simultaneously enable control of the nanoscale morphology, rapid assembly, and, ideally, the ability to pattern the nanostructure. Here, we demonstrate how photo-thermal gradients can be used to control the ordering of block-copolymer thin films. Highly localized laser heating leads to intense thermal gradients, which induce a thermophoretic force on morphological defects. This increases the ordering kinetics by at least 3 orders-of-magnitude, compared to conventional oven annealing. By simultaneously exploiting the thermal gradients to induce shear fields, we demonstrate uniaxial alignment of a block-copolymer film in lessmore » than a second. Finally, we provide examples of how control of the incident light-field can be used to generate prescribed configurations of block-copolymer nanoscale patterns.« less

Interactive Implementation of the Optimal Systems Control Design Program (OPTSYSX) on the IBM 3033.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-03-01

DAS A44 159 INTERACTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPTIMAL SYSTEMS I CONTROL DESIGN PROGRAM (OPTSYSX) ON THE 1DM 3033(U NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY...noesear end idswtif’r b block number) Optimal Systems Control Systems Control Control Systems 10.; ABSTRACT (Continu an reveree side ff Roe684v ad Id yI...34 by block number) .- This thesis discusses the modification of an existing Optimal Systems Control FORTRAN program (OPTSYS) originally obtained from

Axillary brachial plexus block duration with mepivacaine in patients with chronic renal failure. Case-control study.

PubMed

Mojica, V; Nieuwveld, D; Herrera, A E; Mestres, G; López, A M; Sala-Blanch, X

2017-04-01

Regional anaesthesia is commonly preferred for arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation. Previous studies suggest a shorter block duration in patients with chronic renal failure, maybe because of the changes in regional blood flow. The aim of our study was to evaluate the duration of the axillary block with 1.5% mepivacaine in patients with chronic renal failure scheduled for AVF compared with healthy controls. Patients scheduled for AVF creation for the first time (GIRC) were included. They were compared with patients without renal failure (GC), with similar anthropometric characteristics. Ultrasound-guided axillary blocks with 20mL of 1.5% mepivacaine were performed on all patients. We evaluated onset time, humeral artery diameter and blood flow before and after the block, as well as the block duration. Twenty-three patients (GIRC: 12 and GC: 11) were included. No differences between groups were observed in block duration (GIRC: 227±43min vs GC: 229±27min; P=.781), or in onset time (GIRC: 13±5min vs GC: 12.2±3min; P=.477). The humeral blood flow before and after block was significantly lower in the GIRC (pre-block: GIRC: 52±21ml/min GC: 100±62ml/min; P=.034 and p ost block: GIRC: 130±57ml/min and GC: 274±182ml/min; P=.010). There was no significant correlation between the duration of the block and the preblock humeral blood flow (Spearman Rho: 0.106; P=.657) or the postblock humeral blood flow (Spearman Rho: 0.267; P=.254). The duration of the axillary block with 1.5% mepivacaine in patients with chronic renal failure was similar to that of the control patients. The duration of axillary brachial plexus block seems not to be related to changes in regional blood flow. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Chess players' eye movements reveal rapid recognition of complex visual patterns: Evidence from a chess-related visual search task.

PubMed

Sheridan, Heather; Reingold, Eyal M

2017-03-01

To explore the perceptual component of chess expertise, we monitored the eye movements of expert and novice chess players during a chess-related visual search task that tested anecdotal reports that a key differentiator of chess skill is the ability to visualize the complex moves of the knight piece. Specifically, chess players viewed an array of four minimized chessboards, and they rapidly searched for the target board that allowed a knight piece to reach a target square in three moves. On each trial, there was only one target board (i.e., the "Yes" board), and for the remaining "lure" boards, the knight's path was blocked on either the first move (the "Easy No" board) or the second move (i.e., "the Difficult No" board). As evidence that chess experts can rapidly differentiate complex chess-related visual patterns, the experts (but not the novices) showed longer first-fixation durations on the "Yes" board relative to the "Difficult No" board. Moreover, as hypothesized, the task strongly differentiated chess skill: Reaction times were more than four times faster for the experts relative to novices, and reaction times were correlated with within-group measures of expertise (i.e., official chess ratings, number of hours of practice). These results indicate that a key component of chess expertise is the ability to rapidly recognize complex visual patterns.

A decade of GPS in Southeast Asia: Resolving Sundaland motion and boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simons, W. J. F.; Socquet, A.; Vigny, C.; Ambrosius, B. A. C.; Haji Abu, S.; Promthong, Chaiwat; Subarya, C.; Sarsito, D. A.; Matheussen, S.; Morgan, P.; Spakman, W.

2007-06-01

A unique GPS velocity field that spans the entire Southeast Asia region is presented. It is based on 10 years (1994-2004) of GPS data at more than 100 sites in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The majority of the horizontal velocity vectors have a demonstrated global accuracy of ˜1 mm/yr (at 95% confidence level). The results have been used to (better) characterize the Sundaland block boundaries and to derive a new geokinematic model for the region. The rotation pole of the undeformed core of the Sundaland block is located at 49.0°N-94.2°E, with a clockwise rotation rate of 0.34°/Myr. With respect to both geodetically and geophysically defined Eurasia plate models, Sundaland moves eastward at a velocity of 6 ± 1 to 10 ± 1 mm/yr from south to north, respectively. Contrary to previous studies, Sundaland is shown to move independently with respect to South China, the eastern part of Java, the island of Sulawesi, and the northern tip of Borneo. The Red River fault in South China and Vietnam is still active and accommodates a strike-slip motion of ˜2 mm/yr. Although Sundaland internal deformation is general very small (less than 7 nanostrain/yr), important accumulation of elastic deformation occurs along its boundaries with fast-moving neighboring plates. In particular in northern Sumatra and Malaysia, inland-pointing trench-perpendicular residual velocities were detected prior to the megathrust earthquake of 26 December 2004. Earlier studies in Sumatra already showed this but underestimated the extent of the deformation zone, which reaches more than 600 km away from the trench. This study shows that only a regional Southeast Asia network spanning thousands of kilometers can provide a reference frame solid enough to analyze intraplate and interplate deformation in detail.

Paleomagnetism of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous red beds from the Cardamom Mountains, southwestern Cambodia: Tectonic deformation of the Indochina Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuchiyama, Yukiho; Zaman, Haider; Sotham, Sieng; Samuth, Yos; Sato, Eiichi; Ahn, Hyeon-Seon; Uno, Koji; Tsumura, Kosuke; Miki, Masako; Otofuji, Yo-ichiro

2016-01-01

Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous red beds of the Phuquoc Formation were sampled at 33 sites from the Sihanoukville and Koah Kong areas of the Phuquoc-Kampot Som Basin, southwestern Cambodia. Two high-temperature remanent components with unblocking temperature ranging 650°-670 °C and 670-690 °C were identified. The magnetization direction for the former component (D = 5.2 °, I = 18.5 ° with α95 = 3.1 ° in situ) reveals a negative fold test that indicates a post-folding secondary nature. However, the latter component, carried by specular hematite, is recognized as a primary remanent magnetization. A tilt-corrected mean direction of D = 43.4 °, I = 31.9 ° (α95 = 3.6 °) was calculated for the primary component at 11 sites, corresponding to a paleopole of 47.7°N, 178.9°E (A95 = 3.6 °). When compared with the 130 Ma East Asian pole, a southward displacement of 6.0 ° ± 3.5 ° and a clockwise rotation of 33.1 ° ± 4.0 ° of the Phuquoc-Kampot Som Basin (as a part of the Indochina Block) with respect to East Asia were estimated. This estimate of the clockwise rotation is ∼15° larger than that of the Khorat Basin, which we attribute to dextral motion along the Wang Chao Fault since the mid-Oligocene. The comparison of the herein estimated clockwise rotation with the counter-clockwise rotation reported from the Da Lat area in Vietnam suggests the occurrence of a differential tectonic rotation in the southern tip of the Indochina Block. During the southward displacement of the Indochina Block, the non-rigid lithosphere under its southern tip moved heterogeneously, while the rigid lithosphere under the Khorat Basin moved homogeneously.

Dune-dammed lakes of the Nebraska Sand Hills: Geologic setting and paleoclimatic implications

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

Loope, D.B.; Swinehart, J.B.

1992-01-01

Within the western half of this grass-stabilized dunefield, about 1,000 interdune lakes are grouped into two clusters here named the Blue and Birdwood lake basins. In the lake basins, those parts of the valley not filled by dune sand are occupied by modern lakes and Holocene lake sediments. The Blue Creek dam is mounded transverse to flow; spill-over of the lake basin takes place over bedrock on the east side of the dam when lake level is 2 m higher than present. The permeability of dune sand prevents massive overflow, and thereby contributes to the integrity and longevity of themore » dam. Preserved lake sediments in the basin indicate that Blue Creek was obstructed prior to 13,000 yr BP, probably during glacial maximum (18,000 yr BP). Extensive peats dated at 1,500-1,000 yr BP lie directly on fluvial sand and gravel along the Calamus River, a stream that presently discharges a nearly constant 350 cfs. These sediments indicate blockage of streams also took place when linear dunes were active in the eastern Sand Hills in Late Holocene time. With the onset of an arid episode, dunes forming an interfluves curtail the severity of runoff events. As the regional water table drops, drainages go dry and dunes move uncontested into blocking positions. Although drainages of the eastern Sand Hills appear to have repeatedly broken through sand-blocked channels, the Blue and Birdwood lake basins are still blocked by Late Pleistocene dune dams. The repeated episodes of stream blockage and interbedded lake sediments and dune sands behind the extant dams record several strong fluctuations in Holocene climate. Recently proposed climatic models indicate that the northward flow of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico is enhanced when the Gulf's surface temperature is low and the Bermuda high is intensified and in a western position. When the Bermuda high moves eastward, the core of the North American continent becomes desiccated.« less

The Kinetic Mechanism for DNA Unwinding by Multiple Molecules of Dda Helicase Aligned on DNA†

PubMed Central

Eoff, Robert L.; Raney, Kevin D.

2010-01-01

Helicases catalyze the separation of double-stranded nucleic acids to form single-stranded intermediates. Using transient state kinetic methods we have determined the kinetic properties of DNA unwinding under conditions that favor a monomeric form of the Dda helicase as well as conditions that allow multiple molecules to function on the same substrate. Multiple helicase molecules can align like a train on the DNA track. The number of base pairs unwound in a single binding event for Dda is increased from ~19 bp for the monomeric form to ~64 bp when as many as four Dda molecules are aligned on the same substrate, while the kinetic step-size (3.2 ± 0.7 bp) and unwinding rate (242 ± 25 bp s−1) appear to be independent of the number of Dda molecules present on a given substrate. The data support a model in which the helicase molecules bound to the same substrate move along the DNA track independently during DNA unwinding. The observed increase in processivity arises from the increased probability that at least one of the helicases will completely unwind the DNA prior to dissociation. These results are in contrast to previous reports in which multiple Dda molecules on the same track greatly enhanced the rate and amplitude for displacement of protein blocks on the track. Therefore, only when the progress of the lead molecule in the train is impeded by some type of block, such as a protein bound to DNA, do the trailing molecules interact with the lead molecule in order to overcome the block. The fact that trailing helicase molecules have little impact on the lead molecule in the train during routine DNA unwinding suggests that the trailing molecules are moving at similar rates as the lead molecule. This result implicates a step in the translocation mechanism as contributing greatly to the overall rate-limiting step for unwinding of duplex DNA. PMID:20408588

3D Reasoning from Blocks to Stability.

PubMed

Zhaoyin Jia; Gallagher, Andrew C; Saxena, Ashutosh; Chen, Tsuhan

2015-05-01

Objects occupy physical space and obey physical laws. To truly understand a scene, we must reason about the space that objects in it occupy, and how each objects is supported stably by each other. In other words, we seek to understand which objects would, if moved, cause other objects to fall. This 3D volumetric reasoning is important for many scene understanding tasks, ranging from segmentation of objects to perception of a rich 3D, physically well-founded, interpretations of the scene. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm to parse a single RGB-D image with 3D block units while jointly reasoning about the segments, volumes, supporting relationships, and object stability. Our algorithm is based on the intuition that a good 3D representation of the scene is one that fits the depth data well, and is a stable, self-supporting arrangement of objects (i.e., one that does not topple). We design an energy function for representing the quality of the block representation based on these properties. Our algorithm fits 3D blocks to the depth values corresponding to image segments, and iteratively optimizes the energy function. Our proposed algorithm is the first to consider stability of objects in complex arrangements for reasoning about the underlying structure of the scene. Experimental results show that our stability-reasoning framework improves RGB-D segmentation and scene volumetric representation.

Tectonic evolution of west Antarctica and its relation to east Antarctica

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

Dalziel, I.W.D.

1987-05-01

West Antarctica consists of five major blocks of continental crust separated by deep sub-ice basins. Marie Byrd Land appears to have been rifted off the adjacent margin of the East Antarctic craton along the line of the Transantarctic Mountains during the Mesozoic. Ellsworth-Whitmore mountains and Haag Nunataks blocks were also rifted from the margin of the craton. They appear to have moved together with the Antarctic Peninsula and Thurston Island blocks, segments of a Pacific margin Mesozoic-Cenozoic magmatic arc, during the Mesozoic opening of the Weddell Sea basin. Paleomagnetic data suggest that all four of these blocks remained attached tomore » western Gondwanaland (South America-Africa) until approximately 125 m.y. ago, and that the present geographic configuration of the Antarctic continent was essentially complete by the mid-Cretaceous, although important Cenozoic rifting has also occurred. Fragmentation of the Gondwanaland supercontinent was preceded in the Middle to Late Jurassic by an important and widespread thermal event of uncertain origin that resulted in the emplacement of an extensive bimodal igneous suite in South America, Africa, Antarctica, and Australia. This was associated with the development of the composite back-arc basin along the western margin of South America. Inversion of this basin in the mid-Cretaceous initiated Andean orogenesis. The presentation will include new data from the joint US-UK West Antarctic Tectonics Project.« less

Buffer management to solve bed-blocking in the Netherlands 2000–2010. Cooperation from an integrated care chain perspective as a key success factor for managing patient flows

PubMed Central

Mur-Veeman, Ingrid; Govers, Mark

2011-01-01

Introduction Bed-blocking problems in hospitals reflect how difficult and complex it is to move patients smoothly through the chain of care. In the Netherlands, during the first decade of the 21st century, some hospitals attempted to tackle this problem by using an Intermediate Care Department (ICD) as a buffer for bed-blockers. However, research has shown that ICDs do not sufficiently solve the bed-blocking problem and that bed-blocking is often caused by a lack of buffer management. Tool Buffer management (BM) is a tool that endeavors to balance patient flow in the hospital to nursing home chain of care. Results Additional research has indicated that the absence of BM is not the result of providers’ thinking that BM is unnecessary, unethical or impossible because of unpredictable patient flows. Instead, BM is hampered by a lack of cooperation between care providers. Conclusion Although stakeholders recognize that cooperation is imperative, they often fail to take the actions necessary to realize cooperation. Our assumption is that this lack of willingness and ability to cooperate is the result of several impeding conditions as well as stakeholders’ perceptions of these conditions and the persistence of their current routines, principles and beliefs (RPBs). Discussion We recommend simultaneously working on improving the conditions and changing stakeholders’ perceptions and RPBs. PMID:21954373

Amoeba-like self-oscillating polymeric fluids with autonomous sol-gel transition

PubMed Central

Onoda, Michika; Ueki, Takeshi; Tamate, Ryota; Shibayama, Mitsuhiro; Yoshida, Ryo

2017-01-01

In the field of polymer science, many kinds of polymeric material systems that show a sol-gel transition have been created. However, most systems are unidirectional stimuli-responsive systems that require physical signals such as a change in temperature. Here, we report on the design of a block copolymer solution that undergoes autonomous and periodic sol-gel transition under constant conditions without any on–off switching through external stimuli. The amplitude of this self-oscillation of the viscosity is about 2,000 mPa s. We also demonstrate an intermittent forward motion of a droplet of the polymer solution synchronized with the autonomous sol-gel transition. This polymer solution bears the potential to become the base for a type of slime-like soft robot that can transform its shape kaleidoscopically and move autonomously, which is associated with the living amoeba that moves forward by a repeated sol-gel transition. PMID:28703123

GABA-A receptors in mPOAH simultaneously regulate sleep and body temperature in freely moving rats.

PubMed

Jha, S K; Yadav, V; Mallick, B N

2001-09-01

Sleep-wakefulness and body temperature are two circadian rhythmic biological phenomena. The role of GABAergic inputs in the medial preoptico-anterior hypothalamus (mPOAH) on simultaneous regulation of those phenomena was investigated in freely moving normally behaving rats. The GABA-A receptors were blocked by microinjecting picrotoxin, and the effects on electrophysiological parameters signifying sleep-wakefulness, rectal temperature and brain temperature were recorded simultaneously. The results suggest that, normally, GABA in the medial preoptic area acts through GABA-A receptor that induces sleep and prevents an excessive rise in body temperature. However, the results do not allow us to comment on the cause and effect relationship, if any, between changes in sleep-wakefulness and body temperature. The changes in brain and rectal temperatures showed a positive correlation, however, the former varied within a narrower range than that of the latter.

Amoeba-like self-oscillating polymeric fluids with autonomous sol-gel transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onoda, Michika; Ueki, Takeshi; Tamate, Ryota; Shibayama, Mitsuhiro; Yoshida, Ryo

2017-07-01

In the field of polymer science, many kinds of polymeric material systems that show a sol-gel transition have been created. However, most systems are unidirectional stimuli-responsive systems that require physical signals such as a change in temperature. Here, we report on the design of a block copolymer solution that undergoes autonomous and periodic sol-gel transition under constant conditions without any on-off switching through external stimuli. The amplitude of this self-oscillation of the viscosity is about 2,000 mPa s. We also demonstrate an intermittent forward motion of a droplet of the polymer solution synchronized with the autonomous sol-gel transition. This polymer solution bears the potential to become the base for a type of slime-like soft robot that can transform its shape kaleidoscopically and move autonomously, which is associated with the living amoeba that moves forward by a repeated sol-gel transition.

High-precision, large-domain three-dimensional manipulation of nano-materials for fabrication nanodevices

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Nanoscaled materials are attractive building blocks for hierarchical assembly of functional nanodevices, which exhibit diverse performances and simultaneous functions. We innovatively fabricated semiconductor nano-probes of tapered ZnS nanowires through melting and solidifying by electro-thermal process; and then, as-prepared nano-probes can manipulate nanomaterials including semiconductor/metal nanowires and nanoparticles through sufficiently electrostatic force to the desired location without structurally and functionally damage. With some advantages of high precision and large domain, we can move and position and interconnect individual nanowires for contracting nanodevices. Interestingly, by the manipulating technique, the nanodevice made of three vertically interconnecting nanowires, i.e., diode, was realized and showed an excellent electrical property. This technique may be useful to fabricate electronic devices based on the nanowires' moving, positioning, and interconnecting and may overcome fundamental limitations of conventional mechanical fabrication. PMID:21794151

Moving Object Detection Using Scanning Camera on a High-Precision Intelligent Holder

PubMed Central

Chen, Shuoyang; Xu, Tingfa; Li, Daqun; Zhang, Jizhou; Jiang, Shenwang

2016-01-01

During the process of moving object detection in an intelligent visual surveillance system, a scenario with complex background is sure to appear. The traditional methods, such as “frame difference” and “optical flow”, may not able to deal with the problem very well. In such scenarios, we use a modified algorithm to do the background modeling work. In this paper, we use edge detection to get an edge difference image just to enhance the ability of resistance illumination variation. Then we use a “multi-block temporal-analyzing LBP (Local Binary Pattern)” algorithm to do the segmentation. In the end, a connected component is used to locate the object. We also produce a hardware platform, the core of which consists of the DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) platforms and the high-precision intelligent holder. PMID:27775671

Crack image segmentation based on improved DBC method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Ting; Yang, Nan; Wang, Fengping; Gao, Ting; Wang, Weixing

2017-11-01

With the development of computer vision technology, crack detection based on digital image segmentation method arouses global attentions among researchers and transportation ministries. Since the crack always exhibits the random shape and complex texture, it is still a challenge to accomplish reliable crack detection results. Therefore, a novel crack image segmentation method based on fractal DBC (differential box counting) is introduced in this paper. The proposed method can estimate every pixel fractal feature based on neighborhood information which can consider the contribution from all possible direction in the related block. The block moves just one pixel every time so that it could cover all the pixels in the crack image. Unlike the classic DBC method which only describes fractal feature for the related region, this novel method can effectively achieve crack image segmentation according to the fractal feature of every pixel. The experiment proves the proposed method can achieve satisfactory results in crack detection.

Semianalytical computation of path lines for finite-difference models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pollock, D.W.

1988-01-01

A semianalytical particle tracking method was developed for use with velocities generated from block-centered finite-difference ground-water flow models. Based on the assumption that each directional velocity component varies linearly within a grid cell in its own coordinate directions, the method allows an analytical expression to be obtained describing the flow path within an individual grid cell. Given the intitial position of a particle anywhere in a cell, the coordinates of any other point along its path line within the cell, and the time of travel between them, can be computed directly. For steady-state systems, the exit point for a particle entering a cell at any arbitrary location can be computed in a single step. By following the particle as it moves from cell to cell, this method can be used to trace the path of a particle through any multidimensional flow field generated from a block-centered finite-difference flow model. -Author

Rotary adsorbers for continuous bulk separations

DOEpatents

Baker, Frederick S [Oak Ridge, TN

2011-11-08

A rotary adsorber for continuous bulk separations is disclosed. The rotary adsorber includes an adsorption zone in fluid communication with an influent adsorption fluid stream, and a desorption zone in fluid communication with a desorption fluid stream. The fluid streams may be gas streams or liquid streams. The rotary adsorber includes one or more adsorption blocks including adsorbent structure(s). The adsorbent structure adsorbs the target species that is to be separated from the influent fluid stream. The apparatus includes a rotary wheel for moving each adsorption block through the adsorption zone and the desorption zone. A desorption circuit passes an electrical current through the adsorbent structure in the desorption zone to desorb the species from the adsorbent structure. The adsorbent structure may include porous activated carbon fibers aligned with their longitudinal axis essentially parallel to the flow direction of the desorption fluid stream. The adsorbent structure may be an inherently electrically-conductive honeycomb structure.

Launch Lock Assemblies Including Axial Gap Amplification Devices and Spacecraft Isolation Systems Including the Same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barber, Tim Daniel (Inventor); Hindle, Timothy (Inventor); Young, Ken (Inventor); Davis, Torey (Inventor)

2014-01-01

Embodiments of a launch lock assembly are provided, as are embodiments of a spacecraft isolation system including one or more launch lock assemblies. In one embodiment, the launch lock assembly includes first and second mount pieces, a releasable clamp device, and an axial gap amplification device. The releasable clamp device normally maintains the first and second mount pieces in clamped engagement; and, when actuated, releases the first and second mount pieces from clamped engagement to allow relative axial motion there between. The axial gap amplification device normally residing in a blocking position wherein the gap amplification device obstructs relative axial motion between the first and second mount pieces. The axial gap amplification device moves into a non-blocking position when the first and second mount pieces are released from clamped engagement to increase the range of axial motion between the first and second mount pieces.

Load drop evaluation for TWRS FSAR

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

Julyk, L.J.; Ralston, G.L.

1996-09-30

Operational or remediation activities associated with existing underground high-level waste storage tank structures at the Hanford Site often require the installation/removal of various equipment items. To gain tank access for installation or removal of this equipment, large concrete cover blocks must be removed and reinstalled in existing concrete pits above the tanks. An accidental drop of the equipment or cover blocks while being moved over the tanks that results in the release of contaminants to the air poses a potential risk to onsite workers or to the offsite public. To minimize this potential risk, the use of critical lift hoistingmore » and rigging procedures and restrictions on lift height are being considered during development of the new tank farm Basis for Interim Operation and Final Safety Analysis Report. The analysis contained herein provides information for selecting the appropriate lift height restrictions for these activities.« less

Shot boundary detection and label propagation for spatio-temporal video segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piramanayagam, Sankaranaryanan; Saber, Eli; Cahill, Nathan D.; Messinger, David

2015-02-01

This paper proposes a two stage algorithm for streaming video segmentation. In the first stage, shot boundaries are detected within a window of frames by comparing dissimilarity between 2-D segmentations of each frame. In the second stage, the 2-D segments are propagated across the window of frames in both spatial and temporal direction. The window is moved across the video to find all shot transitions and obtain spatio-temporal segments simultaneously. As opposed to techniques that operate on entire video, the proposed approach consumes significantly less memory and enables segmentation of lengthy videos. We tested our segmentation based shot detection method on the TRECVID 2007 video dataset and compared it with block-based technique. Cut detection results on the TRECVID 2007 dataset indicate that our algorithm has comparable results to the best of the block-based methods. The streaming video segmentation routine also achieves promising results on a challenging video segmentation benchmark database.

Key Building Blocks via Enzyme-Mediated Synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Thomas; Pietruszka, Jörg

Biocatalytic approaches to valuable building blocks in organic synthesis have emerged as an important tool in the last few years. While first applications were mainly based on hydrolases, other enzyme classes such as oxidoreductases or lyases moved into the focus of research. Nowadays, a vast number of biotransformations can be found in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries delivering fine chemicals or drugs. The mild reaction conditions, high stereo-, regio-, and chemoselectivities, and the often shortened reaction pathways lead to economical and ecological advantages of enzymatic conversions. Due to the enormous number of enzyme-mediated syntheses, the present chapter is not meant to be a complete review, but to deliver comprehensive insights into well established enzymatic systems and recent advances in the application of enzymes in natural product synthesis. Furthermore, it is focused on the most frequently used enzymes or enzyme classes not covered elsewhere in the present volume.

A review of mechanical move sprinkler irrigation control and automation technologies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Electronic sensors, equipment controls, and communication protocols have been developed to meet the growing interest in site-specific irrigation using center pivot and lateral move irrigation systems. Onboard and field-distributed sensors can collect data necessary for real-time irrigation manageme...

The prehistoric Vajont rockslide: An updated geological model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paronuzzi, Paolo; Bolla, Alberto

2012-10-01

This study presents the detailed reconstruction of the entire structure of the prehistoric Vajont rockslide (about 270-300 million m3 of rocks and debris) for the first time, describing the complex geometry and the characteristic superimposition of distinct rigid blocks on a very thick shear zone. The prehistoric Vajont rockslide was characterized by an enormous 'en masse' motion of a rigid overlying rock mass (100-130 m thick) that moved downslope, sliding onto a very thick shear zone (40-50 m thick, on average) made up of a chaotic assemblage of blocks, limestone angular gravel, and high plasticity clays (montmorillonitic clays). Coarse loose sediments, still exposed on the 9 October 1963 detachment surface, are always associated with large blocks made of strongly fractured rock masses (Fonzaso Formation: middle-upper Jurassic) preserving the stratification. The blocks of stratified and folded limestone sequences appear to be 'sheared off' from the underlying bedrock and can be considered as displaced rock masses planed off by the motion of the overlying rigid rock mass ('rock mass shavings'). The prehistoric Vajont rockslide was characterized by a multistage failure with a marked retrogressive evolution. The first rupture (Pian del Toc block) rapidly destabilized the upper slope, mobilizing a second rock mass block (Pian della Pozza block) that, in turn, determined the multiple rupture of the revealed shear zone material (Massalezza lobe). Even if the exact timing of the different phases is not known, the entire multistaged failure process was very rapid. At the end of the multistage retrogressive failure, the slope morphology of the northern toe of Mt. Toc was drastically changed and the large failed rock mass settled into the preexisting Vajont Valley assuming the unusual chair-like geometry. The Vajont rockslide represents a very significant example on how a complex geological situation, if not adequately analyzed and reconstructed, can lead to dangerous misinterpretations or even to erroneous engineering-geological and geotechnical models. Accurate fieldwork and modern technologies can be fundamental in solving such a very intriguing 'geological puzzle.'

Constructing Threats and a Need for Control: Textbook Descriptions of a Growing, Moving World Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikander, Pia; Holm, Gunilla

2014-01-01

The population of the world is growing and moving. The overwhelming majority of people are on the move inside their own country and mostly towards cities while a minority moves from non-Western areas to the West. In Finnish geography, history and social science school textbooks, this mobility tends to be depicted differently depending on whether…

31 CFR 500.556 - Joint bank accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL REGULATIONS Licenses... unblocking a portion of or all of a blocked joint bank account where a non-blocked applicant claims... survivorship provision. Specific licenses are issued unblocking an amount equivalent to that portion of the...

Movements by adult cutthroat trout in a lotic system: Implications for watershed-scale management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanderson, T.B.; Hubert, W.A.

2009-01-01

Movements by adult cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii (Richardson), were assessed from autumn to summer in the Salt River watershed, Wyoming-Idaho, USA by radio telemetry. Adult cutthroat trout were captured during September and October 2005 in the main stem of the Salt River, surgically implanted with radio transmitters, and tracked through to August 2006. Adult cutthroat trout were relatively sedentary and resided primarily in pools from October to March, but their movement rates increased during April. Higher movement rates were observed among tagged fish during May and early June. Among 43 fish residing in the Salt River during April 2006, 44% remained in the river, 37% moved into mountain tributaries and 19% moved into spring streams during the spawning season. Fish did not use segments of mountain tributaries or the upstream Salt River where fish passage was blocked by anthropogenic barriers or the channel was dewatered during summer. Almost all the fish that moved into spring streams used spring streams where pools and gravel-cobble riffles had been constructed by landowners. The results suggest that adult Snake River cutthroat move widely during May and early June to use spawning habitat in mountain tributaries and improved spring streams. Maintaining the ability of adult fish to move into mountain streams with spawning habitat, preserving spawning habitat in accessible mountain tributaries and removing barriers to upstream movements, and re-establishing summer stream flows in mountain tributaries affected by dams appear to be habitat management alternatives to preserve the Snake River cutthroat trout fishery in the Salt River. ?? 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Pleistocene slip rates on the Boconó fault along the North Andean Block plate boundary, Venezuela

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pousse-Beltran, Lea; Vassallo, Riccardo; Audemard, Franck; Jouanne, François; Carcaillet, Julien; Pathier, Erwan; Volat, Matthieu

2017-07-01

The Boconó fault is a strike-slip fault lying between the North Andean Block and the South American plate which has triggered at least five Mw > 7 historical earthquakes in Venezuela. The North Andean Block is currently moving toward NNE with respect to a stable South American plate. This relative displacement at 12 mm yr-1 in Venezuela (within the Maracaibo Block) was measured by geodesy, but until now the distribution and rates of Quaternary deformation have remained partially unclear. We used two alluvial fans offset by the Boconó fault (Yaracuy Valley) to quantify slip rates, by combining 10Be cosmogenic dating with measurements of tectonic displacements on high-resolution satellite images (Pleiades). Based upon a fan dated at >79 ka and offset by 1350-1580 m and a second fan dated at 120-273 ka and offset by 1236-1500 m, we obtained two Pleistocene rates of 5.0-11.2 and <20.0 mm yr-1, consistent with the regional geodesy. This indicates that the Boconó fault in the Yaracuy Valley accommodates 40 to 100% of the deformation between the South American plate and the Maracaibo Block. As no aseismic deformation was shown by interferometric synthetic aperture radar analysis, we assume that the fault is locked since the 1812 event. This implies that there is a slip deficit in the Yaracuy Valley since the last earthquake ranging from 1 to 4 m, corresponding to a Mw 7-7.6 earthquake. This magnitude is comparable to the 1812 earthquake and to other historical events along the Boconó fault.

Meta-Analytic Evidence for a Reversal Learning Effect on the Iowa Gambling Task in Older Adults

PubMed Central

Pasion, Rita; Gonçalves, Ana R.; Fernandes, Carina; Ferreira-Santos, Fernando; Barbosa, Fernando; Marques-Teixeira, João

2017-01-01

Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is one of the most widely used tools to assess economic decision-making. However, the research tradition on aging and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has been mainly focused on the overall performance of older adults in relation to younger or clinical groups, remaining unclear whether older adults are capable of learning along the task. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine older adults' decision-making on the IGT, to test the effects of aging on reversal learning (45 studies) and to provide normative data on total and block net scores (55 studies). From the accumulated empirical evidence, we found an average total net score of 7.55 (±25.9). We also observed a significant reversal learning effect along the blocks of the IGT, indicating that older adults inhibit the prepotent response toward immediately attractive options associated with high losses, in favor of initially less attractive options associated with long-run profit. During block 1, decisions of older adults led to a negative gambling net score, reflecting the expected initial pattern of risk-taking. However, the shift toward more safe options occurred between block 2 (small-to-medium effect size) and blocks 3, 4, 5 (medium-to-large effect size). These main findings highlight that older adults are able to move from the initial uncertainty, when the possible outcomes are unknown, to decisions based on risk, when the outcomes are learned and may be used to guide future adaptive decision-making. PMID:29075222

Dynamic Detection of Malicious Code in COTS Software

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-04-01

run the following documented hostile applets or ActiveX of these tools work only on mobile code (Java, ActiveX , controls: 16-11 Hostile Applets Tiny...Killer App Exploder Runner ActiveX Check Spy eSafe Protect Desktop 9/9 blocked NB B NB 13/17 blocked NB Surfinshield Online 9/9 blocked NB B B 13/17...Exploder is an ActiveX control top (@). that performs a clean shutdown of your computer. The interface is attractive, although rather complex, as McLain’s

Transportable Payload Operations Control Center reusable software: Building blocks for quality ground data systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahmot, Ron; Koslosky, John T.; Beach, Edward; Schwarz, Barbara

1994-01-01

The Mission Operations Division (MOD) at Goddard Space Flight Center builds Mission Operations Centers which are used by Flight Operations Teams to monitor and control satellites. Reducing system life cycle costs through software reuse has always been a priority of the MOD. The MOD's Transportable Payload Operations Control Center development team established an extensive library of 14 subsystems with over 100,000 delivered source instructions of reusable, generic software components. Nine TPOCC-based control centers to date support 11 satellites and achieved an average software reuse level of more than 75 percent. This paper shares experiences of how the TPOCC building blocks were developed and how building block developer's, mission development teams, and users are all part of the process.

Paracervical block for pain control in first-trimester surgical abortion: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Renner, Regina-Maria; Nichols, Mark D; Jensen, Jeffrey T; Li, Hong; Edelman, Alison B

2012-05-01

Despite lack of efficacy data, the majority of first-trimester surgical abortions are performed with a paracervical block. Women may be unnecessarily exposed to a painful injection and potentially noxious medication. Our objective was to estimate the effect of a paracervical block and the effect of gestational age on patient pain perception. This was a randomized, single-blind trial of patients undergoing abortion receiving paracervical block or sham stratified by gestational age (early: less than 8 weeks of gestation, n=60; late: 8-10 6/7 weeks of gestation, n=60). Premedicated with ibuprofen and lorazepam, all participants received 2 mL 1% buffered lidocaine injected at the tenaculum site followed by a slow, deep injection of 18 mL at four sites (block) or no injection (sham) with a 3-minute wait. The primary outcome was dilation pain (100-mm visual analog scale). Secondary outcomes included pain at additional time points, satisfaction, need for more analgesics, and adverse events. Full enrollment occurred (n=120). We used intent-to-treat analysis. Demographics did not differ between groups. Paracervical block administration was painful (mean 55 mm compared with sham 30 mm, P<.001) but decreased dilation pain (42 mm compared with 79 mm, P<.001) and aspiration pain (63mm compared with 89 mm, P<.001). These results were consistent for both gestational age strata; however, paracervical block benefit was greater at an earlier gestation. Satisfaction scores with pain control and the procedure were significantly higher in the block group. Although paracervical block is painful, it reduces first-trimester abortion pain regardless of gestational age, but the benefit on dilation pain was greater at earlier gestations. ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01094366. I.

Deceleration-Limiting Roadway Barrier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, William C. (Inventor); Locke, P. James (Inventor)

2006-01-01

Roadway barrier system and method are disclosed for decelerating a moving vehicle in a controlled manner and for retaining the decelerated vehicle. A net or mesh of the roadway barrier system receives and captures the moving vehicle. The net or mesh is secured to anchors by energy absorbing straps. The energy absorbing straps deploy under a tensional load to decelerate the moving vehicle, the straps providing a controlled resistance to the tensional load over a predefined displacement or stroke to bring the moving vehicle to rest. Additional features include a sacrificial panel or sheet in front of the net that holds up the net or mesh while deflecting vehicles that collide only tangentially with the roadway barrier system.

Improved characterization, monitoring and instability assessment of high rock faces by integrating TLS and GB-InSAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianchetti, Matteo; Agliardi, Federico; Villa, Alberto; Battista Crosta, Giovanni; Rivolta, Carlo

2015-04-01

Rockfall risk analysis require quantifying rockfall onset susceptibility and magnitude scenarios at source areas, and the expected rockfall trajectories and related dynamic quantities. Analysis efforts usually focus on the rockfall runout component, whereas rock mass characterization and block size distribution quantification, monitoring and analysis of unstable rock volumes are usually performed using simplified approaches, due to technological and site-specific issues. Nevertheless, proper quantification of rock slope stability and rockfall magnitude scenarios is key when dealing with high rock walls, where widespread rockfall sources and high variability of release mechanisms and block volumes can result in excessive modelling uncertainties and poorly constrained mitigation measures. We explored the potential of integrating field, remote sensing, structural analysis and stability modelling techniques to improve hazard assessment at the Gallivaggio sanctuary site, a XVI century heritage located along the State Road 36 in the Spluga Valley (Italian Central Alps). The site is impended by a subvertical cliff up to 600 m high, made of granitic orthogneiss of the Truzzo granitic complex (Tambo Nappe, upper Pennidic domain). The rock mass is cut by NNW and NW-trending slope-scale structural lineaments and by 5-6 fracture sets with variable spatial distribution, spacing and persistence, which bound blocks up to tens of cubic meters and control the 3D slope morphology. The area is characterised by widespread rock slope instability from rockfalls to massive failures. Although a 180 m long embankment was built to protect the site from rockfalls, concerns remain about potential large unstable rock volumes or flyrocks projected by the widely observed impact fragmentation of stiff rock blocks. Thus, the authority in charge started a series of periodical GB-InSAR monitoring surveys using LiSALabTM technology (12 surveys in 2011-2014), which outlined the occurrence of unstable spots spread over the cliff, with cm-scale cumulative displacements in the observation period. To support the interpretation and analysis of these data, we carried out multitemporal TLS surveys (5 sessions between September 2012 and October 2014) using a Riegl VZ-1000 long-range laser scanner. We performed rock mass structural analyses on dense TLS point clouds using two different approaches: 1) manual discontinuity orientation and intensity measurement from digital outcrops; 2) automatic feature extraction and intensity evaluation through the development of an original Matlab tool, suited for multi-scale applications and optimized for parallel computing. Results were validated using field discontinuity measurements and compared to evaluate advantages and limitations of different approaches, and allowed: 1) outlining the precise location, geometry and kinematics of unstable blocks and block clusters corresponding to radar moving spots; 2) performing stability analyses; 3) quantifying rockwall changes over the observation period. Our analysis provided a robust spatial characterization of rockfall sources, block size distribution and onset susceptibility as input for 3D runout modelling and quantitative risk analysis.

The effects of blocking in the subtropics on the phase speed of the MJO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roundy, P. E.

2016-12-01

The phase speed of the MJO might be regulated by many different factors. Previous works have suggested that moist processes govern the phase speed, and our results show that intensification of convection is associated with reduction of phase speed down to about 5 ms-1. However, convection and rainfall decline with declining phase speeds below 5 ms-1. This presentation shows that increased Rossby wave breaking and blocking east of MJO deep convection is associated with reduced phase speed below about 6 ms-1. A wavelet filter is applied to extract time series characterized by selected zonal wavenumbers and frequencies at select equatorial base longitudes over the Indian and West Pacific Oceans. Results show that anomalies of active convection characterized by wavenumber 2 (the dominant scale of MJO convection over the warm pool) are associated with meridional potential vorticity (PV) gradients across the tropics to the east of the active convection that are near climatology for events moving east at 5 ms-1. These gradients are much weaker for slower events. The slowest phase speed events have almost no meridional PV gradients across the tropics between the mean latitudes of the subtropical jet streams, suggesting that jet exit regions occur immediately east of the deep convection, dumping mass in the upper troposphere over the region of suppressed convection. In the absence of PV gradients, synoptic to planetary scale waves moving into that environment break or cease to propagate linearly.

Propagation measurements for satellite radio reception inside buildings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vogel, Wolfhard J.; Torrence, Geoffrey W.

1993-01-01

Swept CW signals (from 700 to 1800 MHz) were received inside six buildings of brick, corrugated sheet-metal, wood-frame, mobile-home, and reinforced concrete-wall construction. A transmitter antenna was mounted outdoors on top of an 18 m tower to simulate a satellite, and a linearly scanned directional receiver antenna was used to probe the spatial, spectral, and temporal variability of the signal indoors. Levels were found to have much structure in the spatial and frequency domain, but were relatively stable in time. Typically, people moving nearby produced variations of less than 0.5 dB, whereas a person blocking the transmission path produced fades of 6 to 10 dB. Severe losses (17.5 dB) were observed in the concrete-wall building, which also exhibited the longest multipath delays (over 100 ns). Losses inside a mobile home were even larger (over 20 dB) and were independent of antenna orientation. The power-frequency distortion increased with the logarithm of the bandwidth, but could be reduced by moving to a position of higher power. Only the losses showed a clear frequency dependence, but they could be mitigated by moving the antenna.

Onset of nanoscale dissipation in superfluid 4He at zero temperature: Role of vortex shedding and cavitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ancilotto, Francesco; Barranco, Manuel; Eloranta, Jussi; Pi, Martí

2017-08-01

Two-dimensional flow past an infinitely long cylinder of nanoscopic radius in superfluid 4He at zero temperature is studied using time-dependent density-functional theory. The calculations reveal two distinct critical phenomena for the onset of dissipation: (i) vortex-antivortex pair shedding from the periphery of the moving cylinder, and (ii) the appearance of cavitation in the wake, which possesses similar geometry to that observed experimentally for fast-moving micrometer-scale particles in superfluid 4He. The formation of cavitation bubbles behind the cylinder is accompanied by a sudden jump in the drag exerted on the moving cylinder by the fluid. Vortex pairs with the same circulation are occasionally emitted in the form of dimers, which constitute the building blocks for the Benard-von Karman vortex street structure observed in classical turbulent fluids and Bose-Einstein condensates. The cavitation-induced dissipation mechanism should be common to all superfluids that are self-bound and have a finite surface tension, which include the recently discovered self-bound droplets in ultracold Bose gases. These systems would provide an ideal testing ground for further exploration of this mechanism experimentally.

Long-Time Numerical Integration of the Three-Dimensional Wave Equation in the Vicinity of a Moving Source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryabenkii, V. S.; Turchaninov, V. I.; Tsynkov, S. V.

1999-01-01

We propose a family of algorithms for solving numerically a Cauchy problem for the three-dimensional wave equation. The sources that drive the equation (i.e., the right-hand side) are compactly supported in space for any given time; they, however, may actually move in space with a subsonic speed. The solution is calculated inside a finite domain (e.g., sphere) that also moves with a subsonic speed and always contains the support of the right-hand side. The algorithms employ a standard consistent and stable explicit finite-difference scheme for the wave equation. They allow one to calculate tile solution for arbitrarily long time intervals without error accumulation and with the fixed non-growing amount of tile CPU time and memory required for advancing one time step. The algorithms are inherently three-dimensional; they rely on the presence of lacunae in the solutions of the wave equation in oddly dimensional spaces. The methodology presented in the paper is, in fact, a building block for constructing the nonlocal highly accurate unsteady artificial boundary conditions to be used for the numerical simulation of waves propagating with finite speed over unbounded domains.

Level set immersed boundary method for gas-liquid-solid interactions with phase-change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhruv, Akash; Balaras, Elias; Riaz, Amir; Kim, Jungho

2017-11-01

We will discuss an approach to simulate the interaction between two-phase flows with phase changes and stationary/moving structures. In our formulation, the Navier-Stokes and heat advection-diffusion equations are solved on a block-structured grid using adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) along with sharp jump in pressure, velocity and temperature across the interface separating the different phases. The jumps are implemented using a modified Ghost Fluid Method (Lee et al., J. Comput. Physics, 344:381-418, 2017), and the interface is tracked with a level set approach. Phase transition is achieved by calculating mass flux near the interface and extrapolating it to the rest of the domain using a Hamilton-Jacobi equation. Stationary/moving structures are simulated with an immersed boundary formulation based on moving least squares (Vanella & Balaras, J. Comput. Physics, 228:6617-6628, 2009). A variety of canonical problems involving vaporization, film boiling and nucleate boiling is presented to validate the method and demonstrate the its formal accuracy. The robustness of the solver in complex problems, which are crucial in efficient design of heat transfer mechanisms for various applications, will also be demonstrated. Work supported by NASA, Grant NNX16AQ77G.

Evaluation of force generation mechanisms in natural, passive hydraulic actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Duigou, A.; Castro, M.

2016-01-01

Pine cones are well known natural actuators that can move their scales upon humidity gradient. The mechanism manifests itself through a displacement easily observable by the naked eye, but coupled with stress generation. In ancient Egypt, wooden wedges were used to break soft blocks of stone by the generated swelling stress. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the ability of pine cone scales to generate forces while being wetted. In our experiments, a blocking force of around 3N is measured depending on the position on the pine cone where the scales are extracted. A fairly good agreement is obtained when theoretical results based on bimetallic strip systems are compared with experimental data, even if overestimation is observed arising from the input data considered for dry tissues. Inspired by a simplified pine cone microstructure, a biocomposite analogue is manufactured and tested. Although an adequate blocking force can be generated, it has a lower value compared to natural pine cones which benefit from optimized swelling tissue content and interfacial bond strength between them. This study provides new insights to understand the generation of force by pine cones as well as to develop novel biocomposite functionalities.

Apparatus and Method for Increasing the Diameter of Metal Alloy Wires Within a Molten Metal Pool

DOEpatents

Hartman, Alan D.; Argetsinger, Edward R.; Hansen, Jeffrey S.; Paige, Jack I.; King, Paul E.; Turner, Paul C.

2002-01-29

In a dip forming process the core material to be coated is introduced directly into a source block of coating material eliminating the need for a bushing entrance component. The process containment vessel or crucible is heated so that only a portion of the coating material becomes molten, leaving a solid portion of material as the entrance port of, and seal around, the core material. The crucible can contain molten and solid metals and is especially useful when coating core material with reactive metals. The source block of coating material has been machined to include a close tolerance hole of a size and shape to closely fit the core material. The core material moves first through the solid portion of the source block of coating material where the close tolerance hole has been machined, then through a solid/molten interface, and finally through the molten phase where the diameter of the core material is increased. The crucible may or may not require water-cooling depending upon the type of material used in crucible construction. The system may operate under vacuum, partial vacuum, atmospheric pressure, or positive pressure depending upon the type of source material being used.